memo

How many hours a day does the swim team use the pool? Roughly three hours in the water. This includes the kids in the shallow end 4;30 to 6pm, and the advanced swimmers in the deep end 5-7pm. Their original fee, per month, was $200. This was an agreed upon rate to allow them to build up the numbers on the team and encourage Miami Springs kids to join the team. As of Oct 1st, they are now charged $500 per month. That rate may appear low, but remember we are trying to provide a recreational oppurtunity for our kids thru this club team. In this sport,unless the municipality pays for a coach, success is found only at the club level. I think Miami Beach and Hialeah are the only two city-sponsored teams in Miami-Dade county. comment- Apparently the fire-sale rent concept has worked to atract kids to swimming, in Doral. It hasnt worked nearly as well here, in the Springs, but the Springs taxpayers STILL get the bills. IF 10% of that team is from the Springs, we should pay 10% of the expenses, and so on. Maybe it could be assessed on a quarterly basis. If they are so sure about the numbers of Springs kids involved, why dont they just submit a verifiable list on a weekly or monthly basis for the past 3 years, as was requested? Why are they resisting this? Its a simple way to clear up this question once and for all. Names, addresses, months involved, etc. Simple, no?

conventions

It has been the convention in the past for no particular names to be used on this bulletin board in order that the ISSUES may be addressed, rather than the PERSONALITIES involved. In general I believe that has worked well here and should be continued. It may have been a mistake to name names here but if you write an open letter to the Gazette Editor questioning the validity of several of the basic issues that have been addressed here, there WILL BE a reply and, for those who perhaps didnt see the letter, it should be made clear to what issues, and whom, is being responded to. There were TWO letter to the Editor this week and will probably get responses, preferably in the Gazette (if they will print them) or certainly in this forum. Names will be attached to any replies that may be printed in the Gazette. Just like here, if you make a statement be prepared to receive a reply, rebuttal, or at least a rational comment. It is part of the dialog necessary for the democratic process to thrive, and survive. personal attacks are not helpful in moving along the debate. Questions about ones numbers or other statements presented as facts are certainly fair game and should be discussed.