Letters

As residents of Southampton Village for 25 years, we are so excited to see the idea of building a swimming pool in our village moving forward [“STAR Proposes New Location For Community Aquatic Center,” 27east.com, July 6].

My family has been driving to the YMCA pool in East Hampton since its construction in 1999 and has seen the use of that facility grow to include numerous swim teams, rehabilitation classes, swim lessons, lifeguard qualifying classes, water ballet classes, etc. That facility has become one of East Hampton’s prime community meeting locations. Our son swam on a swim team there and later became a certified lifeguard at this facility.

As an retired ocean lifeguard and a retired teacher in the Southampton School District, I had the opportunity to teach “drown proofing classes” to many of our elementary school students. I was amazed at how many of our students had no concept of water safety or any ability to swim, while growing up surrounded by water. I have made perhaps a thousand rescues in my decades of lifeguarding — and most could have been prevented with a modicum of water safety instruction.

There are so many reasons to build a swimming pool in our community. I have no doubt it would become one of our most prized assets.

Mitch and Alexis Mayer

Southampton