It is with great interest that I read the recent letters supporting the proposed improvements to the physical education facilities at OPRF High School. The writers argue that the facilities are in poor repair and obsolete. They also paint those of us who have consistently opposed the proposed overly large and expensive swimming pool replacements through the past 10 years as anti-pool and anti-improvement.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. We have worked tirelessly and consistently to persuade the public, the school board, and the OPRF administration to consider the implementation of a more reasonably-sized competition swimming pool with much lower cost than the Phase 2 proposal. We have asked to consider the 8-lane pool proposed by the Stantec Study. We have asked to look into covering Ridgeland Common’s Olympic-sized pool. We have asked to look into collaboration with the park district in the new community recreation center. Yet, the board and the administration continue to insist that the only alternative is a 16-lane pool.
Taxes are high and most of us are having to make hard choices on how we spend our money, often foregoing buying a nice car or taking a nice vacation. We ask our elected board to also make the hard choices.
Leslie Sutphen
Oak Park
