Straight Talk: Graffiti, trash and the pool Published Sept. 16, 2010 By Col. Stacy L. Yike 66th Air Base Group commander HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Q: As a concerned parent, I am writing to the Straight Talk line to seek assistance in resolving some issues with inappropriate graffiti and trash build up at Castle Park. The inappropriate graffiti is located in the yellow crawl tube that is closest to Vandenberg Drive. The trash issue involves the trash receptacles in Castle Park. They are overflowing. My wife and I have contacted the 781-377-EYES line regarding the graffiti, with no action taken to date. I am not sure of the right office to contact regarding the trash build up. Your assistance in resolving these issues is greatly appreciated. A: Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Civil Engineering (CE) dealt with both the graffiti and the trash as soon as we relayed your message. For the graffiti, security forces constantly patrols the base, especially base housing, with an active community police program that includes bike patrols and foot patrols. Unfortunately, they don't see everything, so they rely on the public for assistance. Calling 781-377-EYES was the right action for you. We will work on our processes to make sure you get a quicker response next time. For the trash, the common areas were an unfortunate casualty of budget problems, and we had to rely on volunteers to tell us when some areas needed trash removed. If you see this again, the CE Help Desk is the quickest way to get a response at 781-377-3383. Q: I was dismayed as a summer pass holder to find out on Saturday, Aug. 28 the pool was closing Aug. 29 until Oct. 1. The closing was mis-advertised in the Hansconian as Aug. 30. Why was this done and what are the options for swim during that time? A: I apologize for the misinformation in the Hansconian. I know it is frustrating when you receive the wrong information. The pool was closed for much needed repairs to the trough that circulates the water. The construction crew is working diligently to finish repairs by Oct. 1. In addition, we are also trying to complete other various repairs, such as the retractable roof, deep cleaning and winterizing preparation, to minimize future closures. We understand that starting construction before the summer season ended impacts our valued summer and seasonal pass holders. To compensate, the summer passes will be honored through Columbus Day, Oct. 11, and annual memberships will be extended for the amount of time that we are closed. Please contact the pool at 781-377-2455 for more detailed information. Boston Sports Club at 475 Bedford Street in Lexington made the generous offer to allow free swimming for active duty and retired military. You can check their hours of operation at www.mysportsclubs.com. Additionally, all YMCAs in the local area also offer open swim times for $10 per person. Visit www.ymcaboston.org for more information. We will be in full swing this fall with swim lessons registration beginning Sept. 27 and our first Flick N Float will be on Oct. 29 with a showing of "Beetlejuice". If you have any questions regarding the pool, its repair progress or its programs, please call 781-377-2455, e-mail the pool manager at Christina.Turmel@hanscom.af.mil or contact Outdoor Recreation at 781-377-5316.