For generations, the Blue Dolphin Swim Club has been a fixture in the Cielo Vista neighborhood. The east El Paso pool is across the street from MacArthur Middle School, and it was once home to a powerhouse swim team, as well as a haven from the El Paso summers. Unfortunately, neighborhood kids have other things to do with their time nowadays, and swimming at the Blue Dolphin isn't one of them.

Mary Linda Pena, a longtime Cielo Vista resident and Blue Dolphin kid, said maintenance costs, getting volunteers to man the pool, and declining memberships all contributed to the closing of Blue Dolphin. Last summer, the remaining families had to let Blue Dolphin close and the pool was sold. Community trophies are still in the building, but the Nieman Interiors, the company who bought the pool, has not answered calls from Blue Dolphin members who want to make sure the trophies don't get thrown away.

Nieman Interiors told KVIA that they donated much of the pool equipment to Eastwood Heights Swimming Pool and are trying to get the trophies to their rightful owners. Nieman Interiors says they plan to demolish the old swim club.

I'm really sorry to see Blue Dolphin go. It was a great place to go to when I was a kid, and an iconic landmark in the Cielo Vista neighborhood.

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