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Back in the Swim of Things; Indoor Pool Reopens at Boys and Girls Club in City of Passaic

Posted on: Wednesday, 2 February 2005, 15:00 CST

PASSAIC - The question had been moot for so long that when someone posed it to a group of children on Tuesday, they all shrieked with delight:

Anyone want to go swimming?

A chorus of "Ooh, me!" echoed in the Boys and Girls Club of Passaic. But in the end, the children didn't get to take a dip because the lifeguard had a family emergency.

Despite the glitch, the club celebrated the restoration of its indoor swimming pool with a plaque dedication and ribbon-cutting by the club's board members. Unused since 2002, the pool has been completely restored with a $65,000 federal Community Development Block Grant.

The reopening of the Hudson Street pool is an important milestone in this city, where there are no public pools and the only other community pool, at the YMCA of Passaic-Clifton on River Drive, has been undergoing renovations since last spring and remains closed.

The pool "stands as a reborn oasis in the city's Eastside," said Ron Van Rensalier, Passaic's community development director, speaking during the ceremony on behalf of Mayor Samuel Rivera.

The pool, 77-feet long and 8-feet deep, opened in 1968, the same year as the building. Over the years, the ceiling vents gave out, the water pump in the basement broke down and the wooden bleachers rotted and warped.

The pool's demise finally came when staff realized a hole in the basin was causing water to drain.

But with the grant, a major overhaul began in 2003: The vents were fixed, the leak was plugged, metal bleachers were installed and security cameras were set up for safety.

"We can't wait until the summer," said Giovanni Restrepo, unit director of the club.

Without a public pool, residents have had to venture outside the city to go swimming or, if they have the room in their back yards, install their own pool. While aboveground residential pools are not uncommon, there are fewer than five in-ground residential pools in all of Passaic, said Code Enforcement Director John Miskovsky.

Board of Education member Evelyn Robinson said the reopening of the pool at the Boys and Girls Club is special because it provides another place for recreational activities. The Passaic school district has been toying with the idea of starting its first-ever swim team for the lower grades.

Restrepo said the schools will be invited to use the pool during the day, and he plans to form a club swim team to compete with other area groups.

"We had a successful swim team back in the day," said Robinson, whose first job was as a summer counselor with the club. "You never know what these kids can do now."

The children, although disappointed they couldn't take a plunge on Tuesday, were far from crushed. After all, they have survived more than two years without the pool.

"I hope this pool never breaks," said 9-year-old Adrian Marmolejos, breathing in the pungent odor of chlorine.

Membership with the Boys and Girls Club is free, but there is a $35 cost for children who are picked up from school. The cut-off age for enrollment is 18.

Restrepo said the club will provide free adult and children's swimming lessons this year.

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E-mail: ortize@northjersey.com

Source: Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.

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