Taveras Cracks Down on Providence Employees Speaking About Pools
Monday, July 15, 2013
The Director of the Davey Lopes Recreation Center has been allegedly written up for allowing staff and campers to share their views on the recently closed pool with the press.
The City of Providence has reportedly written up Davey Lopes Recreation Center Director George Lindsey following several stories which saw members of the community speaking out to express their concerns for the lack of swimming options during the recent heart wave, with the closing of the Davey Lopes pool coming on the heels of the shuttering of the Joslin Recreation Center pool last year.
In an e-mailed message sent last week from a source at Davey Lopes, GoLocal was informed, "The city told us we cannot speak to you guys during work hours. The director was written up because we allowed you guys to interview staff and kids and its against "city policy" to talk to the media without permission from the communications department."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTTwo other sources confirmed with GoLocal that action had been taken against Lindsey for not adhering to a city media policy in recent weeks, with one source telling GoLocal that Lindsey was supposedly cited because two recreation center employees had commented on stories posted online regarding the city's decision to close the pool.
On Friday, GoLocal spoke with several members of the community, including City Councilman Davian Sanchez, whose district contains the Davey Lopes center.
Sanchez, who told GoLocal he could not speak to the Lindsey situation directly, did say, "I'd be concerned if there were any attempts to limit the ability for anyone in the community -- whether that's George Lindsey or anyone else -- to share their views about how the city's policies impact the people who live there."
Pool Closing Prompted Strong Community Reaction
Following the Taveras' administration's decision to not reopen the Davey Lopes pool this summer -- a decision some community leaders called racist and political -- GoLocal reporter Monica White and photo contributor Caitlin Gill took pictures of the empty and unused pool, and spoke with both kids and adults in the community to get their reactions to the city's decision to close the popular recreational outlet -- and found that most were outraged at the closing of the pool.
Subsequent to the initial coverage of the Davey Lopes' pool closing, GoLocal was leaked previously unreleased documents in which a Mayoral Fellow in 2011 had researched the city's rec centers and spoke with their directors -- and ultimately made the recommendation that the pools be maintained.
“In my observation, the public pools [seem] an invaluable asset,” wrote fellow Matthew Kramer, who toured all but one of the city’s rec centers to write his report. “Pools provide a safe, monitored hangout for teenagers in the summer. They are the only place children can learn to swim in the city,” he continued.
The City of Providence, which closed the Joslin Rec Center pool in 2012, announced at the end of this June it would not be reopening the Davey Lopes pool, citing dwindling attendance numbers as a chief reason.
However, hundreds of residents in the community turned out at a rally in support of the pool on June 28 --- and based on growing opposition to the city's decision to close the Davey Lopes pool, a second rally had been scheduled for last Friday, which was only postponed due to the inclement weather forecast.
Concern for City's Clamping Down on Communications
Following the reports that George Lindsey had been officially written up by the city last week, GoLocal talked with Providence City Councilman Luis Aponte, who like Sanchez did not address the city's purported censure of Lindsey, but spoke to the director's actions and reputation.
"Anytime [Lindsey's] spoken about the situation, I've never heard him say anything to invoke ill will or political rhetoric," said Aponte of the rec center director. "It's been as concern as a resident, and for the kids and the staff that frequent the Davey Lopes Center."
"If he's been told to limit his conversation, I'm not sure why. He's the center Director, but he's also a long-standing member of the community and resident."
Former State Represtentative Ray Rickman, who hadn't heard about the developments regarding Lindsey at Davey Lopes told GoLocal, "Any employee should be able to advocate for their job, their function, their service. But they don't have the power one way or the other, only the Mayor has the power."
"The city would have to have a policy for city employees -- and if there's currently such policy, I'm not aware of it. Are they creating ad hoc policy here? If this were next year, this would be an issue in the Mayor's race for sure. So I'd like to know what the candidates think."
The Mayor's office did not respond to request for comment.
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