To the editor:

As Ben Franklin said, “any society that will give up a little liberty to gain a little security will lose both.”

To our minds, such is the case with the permanent closing of Gypsy Bay to swimmers. Since I was a child, growing up in Cazenovia many decades ago, Gypsy Bay was always my favorite place to swim. The sand bottom and shallow entrance makes Gypsy Bay by far the best place for families with little children or pets, and for years people were able to picnic, swim and enjoy views of the lake without extensive restrictions. (Or at least that we were aware of.)

Lakeside Park doesn’t allow swimming, which to our thinking makes a picnic by the lake a thoroughly frustrating and useless experience. The only time we use that park is to launch boats, a process which has become more and more cumbersome due to the town/village’s fears of pollution or a zebra mussel invasion … or entry by people who aren’t Cazenovia residents. Season length has also been dramatically shortened, so fall boating — one of the best times to enjoy the lake — comes to an end as this is now the only launch site with access to Cazenovia Lake. While ownership of the lake has long been debated, most agree that the lake is not owned by the village or town.

We understand, unfortunately, the liability issues and we are sure attorneys for the town/village have pushed for this decision to close Gypsy Bay. But is there any place left where people and pets can swim or launch boats and be responsible for their own wellbeing? If there were a colored photo of what this algae looks like with an explanation of risks, people could learn to identify the blooms and avoid them. Algae blooms are pretty distinctive, especially in the weed-free waters of Gypsy Bay.

In attempting to protect our society, we sure have restricted its freedoms.

Mike Wright and Jody Reynolds

Cazenovia