To the editor:
Dick Graves’ letter to the editor expresses some of my thoughts about Presque Isle needing to keep an outdoor pool. I do not support the building of a new community center until an outdoor pool is provided to city kids first.
As a kid growing up on Haines Street, the Presque Isle pool was my daily recreation. I could not play baseball so I was soon discarded from the summer baseball program; I had no artistic talent so did not belong in arts and craft, and the tennis program was beyond me. But the one thing I could do was swim, and I loved it!
I spent hours in the PI outdoor pool every day of the week and took every swimming lesson offered. There were several of us that the pool offered us a safe place to be. To think that the city needs another new gym or playing field in a town that already has several, yet has no outdoor pool is denying another avenue of recreation for kids to enjoy. The outdoor pool provided a safe environment with swimming lessons and with lifeguard protection. Where is a young kid likely to end up on a hot summer day? They will probably visit the rivers or small lakes around Presque Isle where there will be no supervision.
The cost of upgrading the current pool is minimal compared to the construction of a new community center. I also notice in the same paper that the city is seeking bids for the demolition of the indoor pool. Why not secure the building and do the demolition at a later date? The money for the demolition could be used for the outdoor pool.
Why isn’t the city with all of its equipment doing the demolition? The thought of paying for essentially a “second town manager” for a city of 9,600 is also an expense that could be directed toward an outdoor pool. The city needs to have an outdoor pool for the safety of its children.
Ronald Stevens
Presque Isle
