Thursday, April 4, 2013

Faces of SOP - Alison Drzinski


Alison Drzinski

Alison has been a Dearborn resident her entire life. A self described "pool rat," she took swimming lessons at Hemlock as a toddler and grew up splashing around Ten Eyck after her family moved to the West End in the late 70's. Alison remembers admiring and respecting the lifeguards she and her friends considered "theirs" because of the time they spent together every summer.  She and her sisters were members of the synchronized swim team at Ten Eyck and her two daughters have followed in their shoes, joining the Whitmore-Bolles synchro team when they were old enough.

Her daughters lived at Whitmore-Bolles all summer, arriving at 11am for synchro practice and staying until the dinner bell rang, every summer until it closed in 2011. Alison was glad the pools were there to teach her daughters the same lessons she learned growing up, and that it offered a safe and fun activity for them each summer.

On how the closing of Whitmore-Bolles impacted her family, Alison said, "I see my younger daughter spending a great deal more time on her iPod, computer or in front of the TV during the summer months. The team practices at the pool would get her out early and keep her out enjoying the sun and fresh air."

Alison also recognized the pools closing has an impact on Dearborn as a whole. "The pools along with the libraries were a big draw to staying in Dearborn and raising a family here.  Sadly, that draw is not always there for new young families seeking out home-ownership for the first time," she said.

One day, SOP hopes Alison will get to see her daughters jump back into their pool and soak up the sun at Whitmore-Bolles.

Are you a member of the SOP family? We would like to feature you on our blog! Please email us at saveourpools@yahoo.com with your information and tell us why you love Dearborn's pools! You can also join the SOP group on Facebook now!

1 comment:

  1. And hopefully one day Alison's daughter and others will again be able to visit a reopened Snow/Princeton Library, if I have anything to say about it!!!

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