Don’t let pools drown in mediocrity

To the editor:

Question: Do you know you we have a pool in Palmer?

We the people need to stand up and be heard, not disregarded. We have two pools in the area, Wasilla and Palmer. I am concerned about the Palmer Pool because that is where I swim five days a week.

I have called and spoken with Mr. Leslie and listened to his point of view on the care and maintenance of both pools, and what needs doing and what will happen in some cases if anything major fails.

Major failure at either pool will cause closure.

We the people of Palmer have not been informed of this fact. Why, I asked? For years, they have used patching and other Band-Aid methods to fix and maintain the pool. Palmer’s is in better shape than Wasilla’s, but not by much. The Palmer roof is a constant problem with it leaking constantly. When they repaired leaks a few years ago, did they take the lowest bid? Maybe the roof would not leak now if they paid more and had it fixed the first time; spit and glue do not work on cheap workmanship.

It’s taken them six month to fix a handicap-accessible shower. Now when you turn the shower on it is set for extremely hot water (could burn a small child should he or she turn it on). Someone is not doing their job. If OSHA were informed about this situation, the fine would cost more than fixing the problem.

Tell me something: who is not doing their jobs? The sign for the Palmer Pool has been missing since last winter. It’s a pain trying to find places without signs.

Why does so much money and effort go into a football field when it’s only in use for a good three months in the year and our pools can barely be maintained? Is it because football is a more respectable sport and deserves more attention than our swimmers? The swimming pools get used year-round for a multitude of uses, such as senior swim, swimming lessons for the young ones, therapy for people who have injuries and are trying to recover, competitive swimming and so much more.

We pay taxes and that in turn pays people who are not doing their jobs or say their hands are tied. If we want to keep our pools we need more people asking questions. There isn’t much to do in the winter, but swimming is something us seniors and young ones can enjoy.

The cost for swimming at the pool nowadays is getting expensive for only an hour, when they can’t even bother to fix the things that need to be fixed. So why not cut the cost if they’re not even going to bother to fix it?

Stand up and make noise to be heard. Keep the Palmer and Wasilla pools running. Fix them right the first time. Make your voices heard

It’s election time. Maybe Palmer needs new people who will work for all the people, all the time. Maybe they need to find good local people to fix things that they stand behind, not make excuses or play the blame game. The few people on boards should not make all the discussion without making an informed decision with the people’s interest at hand.

Cecily Z. Risley

A senior swimmer

Palmer