To the editor:

I have lived in Lawrence for over 30 years and worked downtown for 20 years. I no longer work in town, but I continue to watch the downward spiral of businesses and poor decision-making by our wonderful City Commission. One of the most poorly run operations in town (if not the country) is the city’s swimming pool. I will never understand why a city pool does not open until 1 p.m. We spent millions of dollars renovating this facility and yet even in one of the hottest summers on record, the city does not provide a place to cool off or take our kids until 1 p.m.!

I have heard the excuse that the mornings are reserved for swimming lessons, but this is ridiculous and could easily be scheduled to accommodate an earlier opening of, say, 11 a.m.  Besides, last time I checked there are no lessons on the weekends when the pool is the busiest.

Now the city wants to close the pool before Labor Day! There is not another pool in this country that closes before Labor Day. Yet another excuse provided for this brilliant idea is that there aren’t enough lifeguards. I personally know several lifeguards that would have loved the hours.

I guess I will have to find something else to do Labor Day weekend, but at least the dogs in town will have a place to swim and that is way more important apparently. Somebody please wake up and let us use the pool we have spent all this money on.  

Wally Wondrack

Lawrence