The ‘community pool’ is becoming a ‘school pool’

Dear Editor,

It’s now been nearly 25 years since Owego Rotary and TOPS began the drive to get an indoor swimming pool for the Owego community. The main purpose of the pool was to teach kids to swim, provide exercise for adults, and aquatic sports for teens. 

Many individuals contributed thousands of dollars for this project. The OA school district joined the team to help pay for insurance and maintenance. We were wary of the possibility that, what started out as a “community pool” would become a “school pool”. And, sure enough, gradually, over the years, the time allotted to the community for open swims has become less and less to the point that, now, the average early morning (6 to 7 a.m.) open swim times for the community are limited to three or four HOURS PER WEEK. 

We understand that, in the eyes of the OA athletic department, sports comes first, but surely some accommodation can be reached for middle ground in the use of our pool. We hope Superintendent Green will take some action on this matter rather than simply passing the buck down to the athletics director or the swim coach. 

We know where they stand.

Sincerely,

James H Pursell

Owego, N.Y.