Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

As both a lifeguard for The Haines Pool, the head swim coach of the Haines Dolphins and an avid swimmer myself, I have a unique understanding of the challenges the borough faces in keeping our pool operational all year long. I would love to help develop a schedule that allows for closures for regular maintenance and cost savings but that also allows our swimmers to compete year-round, that makes our lap swimmers, many of whom rely on the pool as their only form of exercise, to continue to swim as often as possible and the opportunity to keep our kids in the water.

Having our pool open throughout the summer would help parents with young children to maintain their developing swimming skills. As anyone whose ever tried to teach anyone anything will tell you, repetition is key and it’s very difficult, especially for very young kids, to take a long hiatus from the water and retain their skills. It’s difficult for me, and I’ve been swimming for thirty years.

I hope in the future we can move toward a schedule that works for the entire community. I know making these decisions is difficult. I don’t envy the people who have to make them. The pool is a special place for a lot of people and it’s wonderful to see so many advocating for it. Way to go Haines.

Sydney Wray