The Haines Borough manager is again pushing to close the pool three months, May 8 to Aug. 1. The Haines Borough School District has given $12,500 to keep the pool open, so the borough would only be funding eight months of pool operation. The pool would be closed nearly four months of the current fiscal year.
Ironically, the pool is more popular and heavily used than ever, offering swims and programs for users of all kinds, from kayakers to elderly residents needing exercise or injury recovery therapy. Pool rentals are at an all-time high. The Friends of the Pool are making contributions including lifeguard instruction equipment and lifeguard scholarships.
The pool was built to save lives and it has succeeded gloriously. Since just 1999, swimming and life-saving skills learned or honed at our pool helped save the lives of at least eight residents and one non-resident, including: three survivors of the Becca Dawn fishing disaster in 1999, three survivors of the Mackowiak plane crash in Lynn Canal in 2015, two survivors of the Alaska Seaplanes crash near Coughlin Island in 2017 and a California surfer saved last summer near Anchorage by a Haines lifeguard.
Here are some things you can do to help keep the pool open this summer:
- Contact your Haines Borough Assembly representatives and tell them you support year-round use of the pool:
Mayor and Haines Borough Assembly Members:
Mayor Doug Olerud – Phone 907-314-3193 or 907-766-6405 or email dolerud@haines.ak.us
Assembly Members
Tyler Huling – Phone 907-766-3352 or email thuling@haines.ak.us
Gabe Thomas – Phone 907-766-3515 or email gthomas@haines.ak.us
Cheryl Stickler – Phone 907-766-3998 or 907-303-3996 or email cstickler@haines.ak.us
Debra Schnabel – Phone 907-766-2827 or 907-314-0788 or email dschnabel@haines.ak.us
Paul Rogers – Phone 907-767-5467 or email progers@haines.ak.us
Catie Kirby – Phone 907-713-4698 or email ckirby@haines.ak.us
| Write to any of the above at Haines Borough, Box 1209, Haines, AK 99827
2) Write a letter to the editor of the Chilkat Valley News:
Address your letter to CVN, P.O. Box 630, Haines, AK 99827 or send an email (not exceeding 250 words) to chilkatnews@gmail.com.
3) Testify to the assembly on April 26 or April 28. Attend the Friends of the Pool meeting Monday, April 18. For more information on what you can do, call Tom Morphet, 907-766-3775 or 907-303-2688
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