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Summer Kicks In For Kids At Escalon Community Pool
Splashdown
pool 1
Leaping off the edge and getting ready to splash down are, from left, Annabelle Armstrong, 8; Logan Castellanos, 7; Cashton Almeida, 7 and Ian Armstrong, 10, enjoying the cool water of the Escalon Community Pool. Marg Jackson/The Times

The first session of swimming lessons wraps up this week and the Escalon Community Pool is likely to be busy every day … as summer arrives with a vengeance and triple digit heat.

Pool Manager Ian Fitzgerald said the first couple of weeks for the pool have seen some busy days but also some cloudy, cooler weather keeping the daily numbers down. This week, however, with temperatures forecast to be in the upper 90s and lower 100s, he anticipates plenty of youngsters coming in to cool off.

On a recent afternoon, kids were divided between the main pool and the smaller, shallower wading pool designed for the younger set, many spending the day there with parents, grandparents and friends.

“Last year we did swimming lessons,” mom Kathy Castellanos said of her children, seven-year-old Logan and two-year-old Noah. “We’re going to sign up again.”

She added that coming to the pool is an easy, fun way for the kids to get some exercise and relief from the summer heat.

“They have the diving board, which the oldest loves, and the wading pool, which is perfect for the little one,” she noted.

Also bringing her children was mom Morgan Almeida, who had six-month-old Cutler already getting into the wading pool while older brother Cashton, 7, was splashing around in the main pool.

“It’s good to get out,” she agreed of spending some time relaxing poolside.

With the first session of swim lessons wrapping up, registration is on now for the second session, which runs from June 27 through July 8 (no class on July 4.). Session 3 will be July 11 through 21 and Fitzgerald said depending on demand, a fourth session could be added later in the summer. Deadline to register for classes is Friday at 4 p.m. prior to the start of the next session. Lessons are offered both in morning and afternoon classes, with Fitzgerald leading the morning session, lifeguard Casey Pettitt running the afternoon session.

The pool opened for the season on June 6 and is open Monday through Friday from 1 pm. to 5 p.m. at a cost of $2 per person per day.

“I like going off the diving board,” said Jayden Tyree, 10, at the pool recently with grandmother Marge Riley of Escalon, who said they spent time there last year as well.

In addition to Fitzgerald and Pettitt, this year’s lifeguard crew – all of whom assist in the swimming lessons in addition to their afternoon lifeguard duties – include Jacob Alvarado, Karsyn Beckham, Grace Fitzgerald, Kaitlyn Herrera, Priscilla Nowling, Amanda Smith, Burke Thomson and Lexington Wheeler.

For more information on swimming lessons, contact the city’s Recreation Department at 691-7372.