Presque Isle deserves better
To the editor:
It is disappointing to see Presque Isle so adrift. There is no vision, no leadership coming from Second Street. Instead, there’s a rush to shut off the lights, close pools, and mothball the remains of what was once a vibrant community — all in the name of cutting taxes.
It doesn’t have to be this way, playing nothing but defense and cutting our way to obscurity. Such decisions do not have to be made in black and white terms. For instance, in the recent decision to close the indoor pool, where was the discussion on alternative solutions?
A quick Google search of “save our pool” showed 143 million hits and took five seconds. Apparently Presque Isle is not the only community to have pool issues. Yet other communities nationally have succeeded in keeping theirs open. They’ve developed public/private partnerships, and tapped into resources creatively. Portsmouth, N.H. has SIPP, a group working to maintain its indoor city pool one project at a time. USA Swimming, a 400,000 member national organization dedicated to all things swimming, has a workshop designed to help communities overcome obstacles of funding for, and maintaining public pools.
Since swimming is a beneficial exercise, perhaps there are federal or private grants available related to public health that would allow for funding the pool? Did anyone explore these ideas? Or put any others on the table? Or did they jump to the most convenient, most reactive conclusion?
I am not sure which is worse — whether no city leaders thought of alternatives and ignored them, or didn’t think of them at all. Either way is not good enough for our fair city to survive and thrive. Every issue that comes before our city leaders needs a thorough and thoughtful review, one that challenges assumptions and looks in new directions.
My point is not so much about saving the pool as it is watching city leaders think small at a time when they need to be thinking big. It is easy to close a pool. Snapping on a padlock and applying plywood to windows is simple. Devising plans, thinking innovatively and questioning authority is hard. But this is the time for boldness, for seeking alternatives, for trying new approaches. Anything less will bring negative results, and we see where that is getting us.
Jim Nevers
Presque Isle
