Mayor wants to bring the beach back to Tingley

IT S CALLED TINGLEY BEACH--- BUT YOU WON T FIND ANYONE SWIMMING IN THE FISHING PONDS OR SUNBATHING ON THE DIRT HOWEVER THAT COULD ALL CHANGE THE MAYOR WANT S TINGLEY TO LIVE UP TO ITS NAME AS A BEACH--- LIKE IT DID IN THE 19-40 S JEFF MAHER IS LIVE AT THE SO-CALLED BEACH TO SHOW US WHAT S IN THE WORKS FOR THE MOST PART TINGLEY BEACH -- IS NOT MUCH OF A BEACH YOU CAN GO FISHING RIDE A PADDLE-BOAT AND GO FOR A BIKE RIDE BUT THE ACTUAL BEACH-LIKE ENVIRONMENT IS NOT HERE LIKE IT WAS IN THE OLD DAYS THAT COULD SOON CHANGE DURING IT S TIME CONSERVANCY BEACH LATER KNOWN AS TINGLEY BEACH WAS THE PLACE TO BE IN ALBUQUERQUE YOU COULD SWIM IN THE POND JUMP OFF DIVING PLATFORMS OR JUST SOAK UP THE WARM SUN IN YOUR BATHING SUIT THE PLACE WAS BUILT IN THE 1930 S AS PART OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT S NEW DEAL TO HELP PULL AMERICA OUT OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION BUT THE FUN DID NOT LAST LONG -- THE BEACH WAS SHUT DOWN IN THE 1940 S BECAUSE OF THE POLIO SCARE THAT CLOSED SWIMMING AREAS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY TODAY THE ONLY SWIMMING AND DIVING GOING ON IS FROM THE GEESE AND THE ACTIVITIES ARE LIMITED TO THINGS LIKE FISHING -- AND STEERING REMOTE CONTROL BOATS yeah we used to come down here when there was swimming when the old ponds were here and just picnic and fish a little ROD HARDEE -- LONGS FOR THOSE GLORIOUS OLD DAYS AS DO OTHERS -- WHO NEVER GOT TO EXPERIENCE THEM there s so much to do already but it would be nice to take a little bit of the country life and put it in the city MAYOR CHAVEZ IS TRYING TO BRING THE OLD DAYS BACK HE HAS A SIX- MILLION DOLLAR RENOVATION PLAN THAT WOULD TURN THIS EMPTY DIRT LOT INTO A POND AND BEACH JUST LIKE IT WAS 70 YEARS AGO the way we have it structured now there would certainly be lifeguards it would be lined - that way we wouldn t have to worry about the public health issue that arose in the 1940 s CHAVEZ IS TRYING TO GET THE PROJECT ON THE BALLOT FOR THE UPCOMING CITY ELECTION THIS FALL THEN VOTERS WOULD DECIDE WHETHER TO BRING BACK THOSE SUNNY AFTERNOONS -- OR LEAVE THEM AS MEMORIES ON THE SHELF IN BLACK AND WHITE TOMORROW THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO PUT THE PROJECT ON THE BALLOT IF VOTERS APPROVE IT -- THE CITY WOULD BREAK GROUND ON THE PROJECT JANUARY 1ST 2010 -- AND YOU COULD BE SWIMMING HERE THAT SUMMER LIVE AT TINGLEY BEACH JEFF MAHER EYEWITNESS NEWS