Letter to the Editor in Kodiak Daily Mirror

I did it--I wrote the Letter to the Editor about the pool and it was published today. I think this is perhaps the 2nd letter to the editor I've submitted in 10 years and it felt good to write! There was a lot of revising and about 5 people helped critique it and give their input.

If nothing else, I hope that it creates discussion about how we can make the pool the best pool possible. And in the meantime, I"m happy wearing my flip flops and using the family changing room even when by myself. I'll just steer clear of the locker room area for now until I hear glowing reports about its status. In the meantime, ignorance is bliss.

I'm enjoying the non-chlorinated water at the pool and am beginning to appreciate what a great workout swimming is! And how relaxing, too--to be in the water.
I never thought those words would be uttered from my mouth!


Zoya



Dear editor,

I am writing as a concerned citizen and taxpayer regarding the newly built public pool.

The pool opened two weeks ago and already there are a variety of problems, including hot water problems in the locker room, lack of hair dryers and a broken swimsuit water extractor machine. My larger concerns are related to what appears to be craftsmanship errors. I am a physical therapist by trade, not a contractor or carpenter, but these errors are so glaring that even I can see something went wrong in the construction.

One obvious issue is the standing water on the floor. This poses a sanitary risk; bacteria and athlete’s foot germs thrive in these conditions. The standing water also is a safety risk as people can slip in these puddles.

In the shower, where the water drains down in the corner, there already is brown discoloration forming. Is this discoloration expected or could it be prevented with more vigorous cleaning? If it looks this bad now, how will it look in five years?

I fear this is a pool we won’t be proud of. The Kodiak Island Borough shouldn’t accept a substandard pool, especially considering the top dollar it cost.

The residents of Kodiak just voted on a school bond issue to build a new high school. Can the residents of Kodiak rest assured that this will not happen with the new high school? What happens after one year has lapsed and large problems arise? Who foots the repair bill?

The borough needs to hold the contractor accountable for these craftsmanship errors, before the pool is handed over to them. We want a pool that we can be proud of now, in 10 years and in 20 years.

Zoya Saltonstall