Living in Waterville for more than half of my life (I’m 21) I’ve seen many changes being made. Some I can’t quite seem to grasp and one of those is the new cost of the Waterville public pool this past summer.

In 2018 a family of two (one adult and one child) could go to the pool for about $11 a day. This summer, for a family of two the daily fee was $23, a $12 increase in just one season; consequently, I could no longer afford to bring my son to the pool, so we never went. At first, I did not realize the prices had changed and learned of it when I arrived with my son, my mom, my sister, and my son’s dad and we were told the cost for the day was $62 for a day at the municipal pool. We turned around. Who could afford that?

Another activity that was taken away from many of us here in Waterville was the bowling alley on West River Road. This building was converted to a church; yet, no alternative to this activity was taken so folks could continue to go bowling. Arcades is another fun activity for a younger crowd; however, the one on West River Road is a bar, so kids under 21 are not allowed in.

There is very little to do here in Waterville for working families with financial challenges, as the cost to entertain is beyond their reach. I am simply asking for opportunities to be able to live in a city where all families can enjoy all the opportunities.

Kolbie Soltow

Waterville

Editor’s note: The writer is a student at Mid-Maine Regional Adult Community Education in Waterville.