Dear Editor: Town Should Apologize to Pool Pals

Dear Editor,

As I read Tom Jenkin's Letter to the Editor (6/26/2024), I figured I had better throw my 53 cents (inflation) worth in.

The Whitehall Pool Pals is a private non-profit 501c3 organization created by a group of people many years ago to help keep the newly constructed pool open and available to the people of Whitehall and the surrounding communities.

Their goal has always been the betterment of the pool. They have never hinted that anything they have purchased and donated does not belong to the Town. People, especially Steve Antonioli, have given countless hours of dedication and personal time to ensure the pool is up and running for everyone each summer season.

Now, the Town is telling them they can't do that anymore, and the money has to be given to the Town so the Town can purchase whatever they need/want. The Town "does not want another" situation where another entity claims possession of donated items.

Having known and worked with these people, I can say with 100% confidence this would not happen. But if the Town is so paranoid, and that is what it is, then a simple donation form can be used that does the same thing as giving money to the Town. It would actually do more because the item would be given to the Town with no question of what would be done with any donated money.

Once any money is given to the Town, it goes into the Town's general fund monies. It is distributed amongst the different entities of the town, like the parks and recreation, the fire department, the law enforcement budget, etc. There is no guarantee that the monies will be spent where they are intended to be spent, and there is no law or provision that says the money has to be spent where it is requested. Once it is in the general fund, it is up for grabs, so to speak.

The town needs to apologize to the Pool Pals, especially to Steve Antonioli, and come up with a better plan to help the Pool Pals participate in the pool's operation instead of just kicking them out and telling them they have to give their money to the town.

The Pool Pals are a private non-profit organization that operates under their own bylaws and theirs only; the Town has no authority or right to tell them how to manage their operation. They have done a superb job managing the pool, and the Town treating them the way they are treating them is a disgusting slap in the face.

Concerned citizen TERRY ROSS

Whitehall, Montana