Before we had a pool in Haines, physical educators Terry Sharnbroich and Ellen Larson brought the Haines fifth graders to Juneau each year for a week of Water Safety Instruction. The goal was to prevent water accidents and drownings, and to teach the students basic survival skills.
When the Haines Pool was built in 1982, we were thrilled to expand the program and offer K-8 water safety classes, along with intensive swim lessons. By the eighth grade students were well versed in boating/water safety and survival skills. These programs have continued every year that the pool has been open.
Jae McDermaid and Clifton Miller, the pool managers, have breathed new life into the pool. They have done an excellent job of creating an innovative schedule that has increased pool usage from babies to elders. Many adults who have had joint replacements and those with injuries that require non-weight bearing exercise use the pool for rehabilitation.
We are on a roll. The usage is increasing. When the pool closes for two to three months, we lose momentum, children aren’t able to hone their swimming skills, and it typically results in lifeguard shortages with resulting swim closures.The pool was not built as a money generator. First and foremost, it was built to save lives.
Please contact our borough assembly members and let them know how important it is to keep the pool open.
“Don’t worry about the depth of the sea, just learn how to swim.” P. Harley
Ellen Larson and Terry Sharnbroich