Chapala Mayor Joaquin Huerta last week helped cut the ribbon on the new Basen Polski (Polish Pool) Swimming Education Center in Atotonilquillo, the easternmost town of the municipality of Chapala.
Basen Polski is a bilingual swimming education center, not a swim park or family play center. Classes are being offered by certified instructors from the Escuela Superior de Deportes (ESUDE), both in swimming and water aerobics.
Bilingual swimming classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Classes on Saturdays and Sundays are held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bilingual water aerobics for women are scheduled on Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Classes will be added as needed.
The pool measures 6 meters by 15 meters, and is 1.4 meters deep. It is tiled, has lights and self contained vacuum and filtration systems. The ph (acidity and alkalinity) is checked daily, as is cleanliness. There are bathrooms, dressing rooms and permanent poolside seating. The only thing missing is the solar heating, which Basen Polski hopes to have installed soon.
Apart from the Chapala mayor, in attendance at the August 24 opening ceremony were Atotonilquillo Delegado Alejandro Gutierrez Maldonado, seven-time national water polo champion Edson Franscisco Ausencio Alvarez, Father Juan Carlos Chavez Garcia of the Atequiza parish, Alicia Davila Dydusiak of Basen Polski and Chapala Municipal Sports Commission (COMUDE) Director Jesus Hernandez Davila.
After remarks by the dignitaries, the presentation of the Mexican flag and the singing of the national anthem, the pool and the entire facility were blessed by Father Juan. The guests were then served a luncheon of chicharrones, carnitas, rice, beans, fresh fruit and cake. The pool was also opened for free swim, with American Red Cross certified water safety instructor Maggie Osborne as acting lifeguard.
Basen Polski is located at Hidalgo 200 in Atotonilquillo (1 1/2 blocks east of the Atotonilquillo city offices). It is directly on the la Cienega Atoto bus line through the “vado” or dip. For more information in English call 331-047-8260 (cel), or 376-737-0557 in Spanish.