YWCA pool opens tomorrow
Residents of King’s Park have passed by it daily for over eight years, a crumbling reminder that good intentions do not always produce the intended results. But Arreini Palacio tells us that the onetime eyesore of St. Thomas Street is about to become a magnet for residents of the recreation starved city.
With the summer heat already upon us the YWCA has the perfect way to cool off. According to Secretary General, Sonia Linares, renovating the pool, which was constructed in 1989, but used only one week, took a lot of time and hard work.
Sonia Linares, Secretary General, YWCA
“From 1991 the board of directors and the committee worked towards refurbishing again, and it took us all this time to get the necessary funding to make the necessary repairs.”
Now that the necessary repairs are over, the pool is ready for it’s first customers.
Stansmore Bowman, Chairman, Pool Project Committee
“The pool is the community project for people from the immediate community and the wider community. We encourage everyone to take advantage of the project.”
For everyone to be able to take advantage of the pool there is a small fee and several rules.
Stansmore Bowman
“There are a number of rules for the pool. We have done our research, our homework, and we have come up with an itinerary of rules, and those rules will be painted on the building so everyone could see and they could have access to them at all times.
We have spent a lot of time thinking about safety and we have taken steps for prevention. We have a pool guide who will be here all the time. We also have some people, who are being trained by Miss Jane, the Peace Corp, who will become appropriate lifeguards.
We have a program in place for that and every so often in the day we will check the water quality. That will not be a problem. We foresee one problem where we will have to get a cover for the pool because of the debris that will blow into the pool. We will also like to encourage or to educate Belizeans not to throw garbage or anything into the pool.”
The opening ceremonies for the pool takes place Friday evening and it opens to the public on Saturday morning at nine o’clock. Arreini Palacio for News Five.
Funds for the project were provided by the government of Japan. Pool fees are five dollars per day for walk-in adult customers, or twenty dollars per month. Children could either pay the walk-in fee of three dollars every time they want to use the pool or a membership fee of ten dollars per month. YWCA members pay fifteen dollars per month or three dollars to walk-in. Senior citizens and the disabled get a twenty-five percent discount.
