Letter: School pool should be open to the public

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To the editor,

I am a fairly new resident to Naugatuck, a college student, and a hardworking single mother of three. I moved here from New Haven about a year and a half ago. I moved here for the peace and safety of a small community. However, I have noticed that comes with a small price to pay.
While living in New Haven I used to take my children to the school pools for recreation and exercise. It was a great way to beat the summer heat along with great exercise for both the children and myself. Since moving to Naugatuck I have noticed that the luxury of swimming at a community pool is not an option. I have not been able to come to a conclusion as to why. I understand that we have the YMCA downtown however, not everyone has the means to be able to afford such an expensive membership. Even though I live in a complex where there is a pool, it is an outdoor pool which means swimming is only available to us in the summer time under certain various restrictions. As a renter I understand how difficult it is to have children in the summer time and not have a pool.

You may say that Hop Brook Lake is not that far away but the fact of the matter is not everyone has a car to transport kids to the lake. A lot of individuals do not like swimming in beach or lake water because of bacteria issues, too much sun, the slimy feeling at the bottom of the lake, and not to mention the numerous birds that use the lake as their personal bathroom.

I am sure this is probably not the first time you have heard this as many of my neighbors have the same complaint. Tax payers of Naugatuck should have the luxury of swimming all year long in a school that was just remodeled using taxpayers’ money. There are more benefits to having the school open to the public than just swimming and exercise. High school students could take a life guarding class and have a part-time job at the pool for just a few hours in the evening rather than hanging out on the street or playing video games all night. A nominal fee could be charged per resident/non-resident which will bring in some small revenue for the school. They can even offer the pool for birthday parties for a small fee.

Why shouldn’t the residents of a small town be able to enjoy the same luxuries as a resident from a bigger city? Why shouldn’t we be able to enjoy swimming all year round? Why can’t the residents from Naugatuck that don’t have the means to pay for a YMCA membership be able to enjoy the fantastic health benefits from swimming as well?

I truly believe I am not the only member of this community that feels the same way. We would like to utilize a community pool without the expense of a YMCA membership, the expense of transportation to a lake, and the ability to swim during the cold season. I do believe that if access to a community pool was available year round that many of the residents of Naugatuck would appreciate it, the taxpayers would enjoy the luxury of something they are paying for, and children would have one more opportunity for exercise and recreation offered to them.

Kimberly Tucker

Naugatuck

1 COMMENT

  1. It is not a bad idea. However, this is Naugatuck, a place where the budget was just rejected twice.
    The costs would also include paying a security guard, a custodian, and the life guard. Not to mention utilities. It would be interesting to compare to other nearby towns.