DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — Rather than making a long drive to Bakersfield to cool down this summer, Delano residents are getting a community pool right in their backyard.
- The new Delano aquatic center is almost ready to be opened to the public. Providing free swim and swimming classes but also bringing the topic of water safety right into the communities backyard.
- It isn’t just a regular pool that's coming to the city, the design was made to ensure that people of all ages are welcome, going as young as six months. Equip with a splash pad for younger kids and a lap pool for adults
- It's a project five years in the making
It’s been years since the city of Delano has had a pool of their own to enjoy, with some traveling to Bakersfield to find a way to cool down. Come this summer, that struggle will be a thing of the past.
“I resuscitated a young child and that child made a full recovery and there was a real need for swim lessons not only at the private level but with city pools and everywhere in general,” said Owner of Swan Aquatics Melissa Mucil.
Mucil says this near drowning incident happened almost 10 years and was her inspiration for opening the business.
Since then, their goal has been to expand to multiple cities and pass along the message of safety swim techniques. When the idea of coming to Delano came up, it was a no brainier.
“This was definitely needed, we’ve heard you know countless residents and city council members tell us that the city has been with out a pool for over 12 years,” said Mucil. “This particular project has been in the works for the last five years.
But it isn’t just a regular pool that's coming to the city, the design was made to ensure that people of all ages are welcome, going as young as six months.
Equip with a splash pad for younger kids and a lap pool for adults, Director of the Aquatic Center Aaron Turnier says the facility is also offering swim classes and other small programs.
“We’ll also offer junior life guard programs because we do want the kids in the community to go through the junior lifeguard program and then eventually become and work for us,” said Turnier. “We plan doing more training classes that we can offer to the community including CPR classes next door at the REC center.”
Turnier says allowing teens of the community to become certified lifeguards is more than just a job but it teaches responsibility and how to think on their feet. However, Regional Director for Swan Aquatics Donovan Cruz says the lessons potential new hires will learn can be carried in all aspects of life.
“When they go out in the real world you know they’ll know how to respond to an unresponsive chocking, they’re at a restaurant or how to do basic CPR right so the knowledge actually goes more than just water safety is goes into real life,” said Cruz.
The Aquatic Center will be having an open house on May 17 from 4 to 7 pm and is set to open on May 25. For more information click here.
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