RTC swimming pool important to health

This is in response to the story about RTC’s 20 percent budget cuts (Renton Reporter, Dec. 3). The final two paragraphs give a brief discussion of the pending closure of the pool. I and about 100 others will be out of a convenient and great form of exercise with this pool closure. Not only that, but the instructor, Jo Strong, has built a community of people who have taken this class for years. Some women have lost two or three dress sizes in this program. It has undoubtedly helped strengthen hearts, prevent diabetes, firm muscles and increased many participants’ self esteem.

The college’s response to our requests to keep the pool open has been evasive and disingenuous. If community programs need to be sacrificed to make room for job training, then let’s get rid of all of them. I don’t see the economic value of the current offerings of stand-up comedy, poker or RV basics. The pool and the water aerobics class has been a tremendous boon to many lives. The college is being very shortsighted and is sacrificing the health of many of us whose joints can no longer take the pounding of regular aerobic exercise. If this is how budget cutting is going to go in our new economic era, then we can look forward to future financial problems brought on by poor health for those who are cut out of convenient and proven health improvement programs. And as to the proposed solution of going to Valley, it is not a solution for many of us. In my case, I am three minutes from the RTC pool, and there are many others who also use this pool for its convenience. People don’t exercise when it’s a hassle, and proposing a pool 20 minutes away is not a solution. The board should be ashamed.

Madeline Chaney

Renton

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