The North Bergen Municipal Pool Complex has officially opened its doors to kick off its fifth season.
Located at 2111 91st St., the pool is currently open on weekends from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The pool will start its weekday hours on Friday, June 24. The weekday hours will be 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Residents of North Bergen pay an annual membership fee to join, and they may also buy daily guest passes.
Memberships are also open to out-of-towners for a higher rate.
Movies while you swim
Besides a full-size outdoor pool, facilities include a children’s swimming pool, a picnic area, a spray park, and both volleyball and basketball courts.
The complex is also host to a wide variety of events, including movie night – in which poolgoers can swim while watching a movie – karaoke nights, and late-night swims with music by a DJ.
“It’s more than just a pool. We have a lot of fun down here.” – Brian Bonacci
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Many of the events are available to non-pool members who live in town for a low fee or for free.
“It’s more than just a pool,” said Brian Bonacci, general manager. “We have a lot of fun down here.”
Fire dancers
Bonacci, optimistic about the new season, expects to see up to 1,600 people on a typical warm weekend day.
“We expect to have as successful a year now as we’ve ever had, if not more,” said Bonacci. “Every year the membership increases, every year the staff gets better.”
Bonacci went on to express the overwhelming support from the town leaders. “We work hand-in-hand with the town,” said Bonnacci. “The town has been real supportive. They were very accommodating.”
Among these accommodations include a 30-foot movie screen, a sound system, and even fire dancers and magicians for a past end-of-the-year luau.
More ways than one
Aside from offering free movie nights to the community, the pool also serves as a large employer of local high school and college students, giving them the chance to make hard-earned cash during the warm summer months.
For former North Bergen students such as Rebecca Almeida, working as a lifeguard at the pool has been a hallmark of summer.
“It’s going to be my fifth year,” said Almeida, who attends Montclair University.
Indeed, Bonacci relies on a staff comprised of motivated and talented students.
“We have a bunch of people on staff who are artists as well as lifeguards,” said Bonacci. It’s these students that often help with decorating the pool for highly anticipated events such as the annual end-of-the-year party, which leaves perhaps the biggest impression on pool-goers.
Bonacci said many of his employees are North Bergen High School students involved in the arts. “The high school has a lot of talented kids,” he said. “It makes it interesting.”
“I think the event that everyone looks forward to is the end-of-the-year party,” said Samuel Savinovich, a long-time North Bergen resident and former student of North Bergen High School.
While past years have included luaus and safaris, this year Bonacci plans to have a Western-themed party.
“Every year they’re always great,” said Savinovich. “Everyone seems to have a lot of fun.”
For more information on the North Bergen Community Pool, call 201-869-4324.
Stephen LaMarca may be reached ateditorial@hudsonreporter.com.