Abandoned Pools

The safety hazards of abandoned pools is becoming news fodder all around the country: from California to Michigan and Nevada to Texas. Go to Google News and google "Abandoned Pools". Story after story will come up about pools left to stagnate at abandoned homes because of record foreclosures. The two main health concerns: drowning (especially by small, curious children) and mosquito breeding. In California with increasing numbers of birds found with West Nile virus, the fear is that the disease will spread to humans because of the increased numbers of abandoned pools where mosquito populations are exploding exponentially.

The McKee Mansion has a back gate that has been removed and now sits in the stagnant unsecured pool. The open yard invites a small child to come in, play on the 2 x 4 grate or cheap black plastic covering a portion of the open, vile waters of the pool. One slip, one misstep and a young life will be lost. Can we really wait for the mandatory 30 days to give notice to the owner (an unknown bank at this posting) to do something? It's a matter of life, public health, and the love of a beautiful house and a lovely neighborhood and the respect for a man and his family who mean so much to El Paso.