Senator Bob Archuleta was joined by Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona; Mayor Pro Tem Monica Sanchez and community members to celebrate the budget win of $1M to repair the Olympic-size swimming pool located at the Smith Park Aquatice Center in Pico Rivera.
BY SANDRA MOLINA
PICO RIVERA – Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) celebrated a major budget win for Senate District 32 on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, as he presented $1M in funding for Pico Rivera’s Smith Park Aquatic Center during a community celebration.
The pool was closed at the height of the pandemic last year, but could not reopen this past summer because of a broken boiler system that city officials estimated would cost about $800,000. The funds, officials said, will enable the pool to temporarily reopen.
“During this past year and a half, we all found a renewed appreciation for our cherished recreational centers as they offered us an outdoor space to exercise and take a break from our homes during stressful times. This is an important first step in the revitalization of this vital community resource, and I am excited to see it receive emergency repairs funding,” Senator Archuleta said.
Among the residents who were on hand at the celebration was longtime resident Esther Celiz, whose children and grandchildren learned to swim at the pool.
“We are so grateful that Senator Archuleta has provided this money to the city for repairs so our community can enjoy it once again,” she said.
Smith Park Aquatic Center is within walking distance of hundreds of homes, thousands of residents, a middle school and two elementary schools, meaning this budget win will be felt in many households for generations to come.
“This is truly a generational investment in our community as parents, children, and families will all be able to better enjoy Smith Park Aquatic Center for many years to come with the repairs and renovations this budget award will kick-start,” Senator Archuleta said. “I am truly committed to these kind of improvements in our community, and am excited about future opportunities to serve our community by working for more budget wins for the City of Pico Rivera.”
Senator Bob Archuleta represents the 32nd Senate District, which includes portions of Los Angeles County and Orange County. He is Chair of the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Chair of the Select Committee on Hydrogen Energy, and member of the Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange.
