Megan Browne’s Nov. 5 letter to the editor, “Forget stadium, try walking!” addressed the issue of elementary school students having to walk for 40 minutes per week to meet their mandated 100 minutes of P.E. per week.

I submit a possible no cost to the school district solution to this problem.

Approximately seven years ago the 4th and 8th graders participated in a water safety program at the John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool that was paid for by the Oak Harbor School District. Due to financial limitations this program was cancelled.

I propose that this water safety program be reinstituted into the elementary school curriculum in the following manner at no cost to the school district.

The North Whidbey Park & Recreation District would pay for the use of the pool.

Civic, business and private contributions would pay for bus transportation costs.

The schools would just have to schedule this program into their curriculum.

Approval for this proposal would first have to be obtained from both the Park District and Oak Harbor school boards. Then transportation funding would have to come from the community.

Tom Johnson

NWP&RD Commissioner 3