Swim-Vote for the pool.

And private donations come out of which pocket? Yes facilities are paid for with money and public facilities are generally paid for with public money. A pool for Hamilton or H/W would be paid for with town money as are police/fire stations, libraries, Senior Centers, public works projects etc. The playground at Patton Park was built with private fundraising and public funding. Why didn't we wait for private money before building the police and fire and library? Because the entire community is responsible and benefits from them, no matter how much or little an individual uses them. Granted libraries, senior centers, pools, parks, open space fall into "we could get along without them" as opposed to minimum levels of public safety, but utilized public resources add to the vibrancy and appeal of a community. The playground should be seen as an exception not as the rule of public project financing. If some are able to contribute additionally and have their name on a tile or a brick or a buoy or whatever is appropriate, thank you very much. Do we want a pool? The current facility is inadequate and probably unsafe. I don't use it because its size strictly limits the available time for "open" usage. Basically it consists of a below standard size water area with a depth variance not suitable for young children or non-swimmers. The water surface is surrounded by a 3-4 foot concrete skirt bounded by a chain link fence. Spread a towel on the cement or stand in a group of three and you leave a 1-2 foot passageway. The sanitary facilities are not well lit nor inviting and suitable for the needs of many bathers. Proper life guarding is compromised at the existing site as well. The beautiful new playground does attract "outsiders" whom our children do not know, as do other parks in neighboring towns. A pool will have a restricted and monitored system of entry which could include residents of non-funding towns of whatever number we choose and this policy could change at our discretion. The pool as presented: 6 lanes x25yds with zero entry wading area (8 lanes x 25meters is probably the standard) with required sanitary and safety/operational structures and improved parking, circulation and landscaping do not seem like bells and whistles. Or like WaterWorld. The cost estimates (2.5-4m dollars depending on financing) do not surprise. Its a big number and I will not be putting one in my yard. I hope Wenham residents join this project and continue to build upon our cooperative and cost effective sharing of community resources. There are many projects worthy of funding in both towns and priorities are in the eye of the beholder. The pool is at a critical build it or fill it stage. Though my children are aging out of the high use stage and I'm not much of a swimmer I am voting in favor of the pool and urge everyone to see its benefits to the town for many years to come.