On a chilly winter’s morning recently, just before 11 a.m., hardy senior citizens of South Portland gingerly navigated the cold, snowy parking lot of the Community Center, heading for a daily dose of warm-water paradise – the South Portland Municipal Pool.

The pool reopened earlier this month, clearing the waters once again for favorites like the Senior Swim, which takes place from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. And on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, a Senior Stretch class brings together a cluster of women who’ve lived a lifetime together.

They do leg extensions with Styrofoam noodles (strengthens their hips), lift barbells (increases stamina) and follow their instructor in finger stretching exercises (improves flexibility). But while increasing this group’s blood flow might be the goal of the class, the camaraderie of the group is what makes these women regulars.

“We meet all our friends here,” said Rita Fortier, a sprightly 83-year-old woman in remarkably fit health.

While the women used their calves to twirl noodles underwater, on the other side of the pool, three roped-off lanes accommodated the elderly men as they did laps. While the occasional man might join the women’s pool aerobics class, Senior Swim isn’t an occasion for mixed-sex socialization.

“Maybe they’re shy,” jokes Fortier, pointing to the goggle-eyed men intent in meeting their daily lap objective.

Meanwhile, the ever-vigilant Bill Fenton, one of the pool’s many popular lifeguards, notes two women who have drifted off from the exercise class for a little private conversation. “The woman on the left lost her husband last month,” said Fenton softly with sympathy.

“We want the hot tub to reopen next, and we’ve put in a request to Oprah to pay for it as a Christmas present,” a consortium of women chimed in, laughing with gusto.

In 2003, the South Portland City Council turned down a $130,000 plan to fix the long-broken hot tub, which was leaking 16 inches of water a night. Tim Gato, operations manager of the city of South Portland Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Works, is developing new plans to resubmit a lower bid for this repair job.

The strong sense of community at the newly reopened South Portland Municipal pool is as cheerful as the brightly painted yellow walls, and hope runs high that soon word will spread that the facility is finally open.

Ceiling ‘like a sponge’

Closed on June 24 for a roof-and-lighting overhaul, the magnitude of the work necessitated a two-month delay on completion. Mainland Structures Inc.’s budget for the project was $721,500, and final costs, still being tabulated, are estimated to run just under $730,000, according to Gato.

Pool lights formerly hung directly over the swimming pool, and now two rows of lighting panels hang on both sides of the water. “Before the renovation, just imagine how tough it was to change those light bulbs,” said Gato. “Electricians had to wear harnesses to do the job.”

The roof, stained and leaking, consumed the majority of renovation work. Dedicated swimmers had long stopped allowing the situation to disrupt their exercise, becoming nonchalantly accustomed to the commonplace distraction of huge drips of water routinely falling from the ceiling. In layman’s terms, the 27-year-old roof was deteriorating from the inside out because of the pool’s inherent humidity.

“The inside insulation of the original ceiling was acting like a sponge,” said Tim Gato.

“When we opened the roof, we found much of the structural steel to be very badly deteriorated,” said Ray Dulac, project manager at Mainland Structures.

The project remained at a standstill while the order for extra steel was fulfilled. And while the order for this additional steel took time to be fulfilled, a very wet fall was hindering roofing projects throughout New England; these two factors explain the unexpected two-month delay in completing the project.

A man who prides himself on getting jobs done right the first time, Dulac said, “As a general contractor, I never compromise quality – and I don’t want to have to do this roof again.”

Return visitors to the pool will notice a very warm mood that compliments the steamy temperature of the water. “The scope of the structural work also provided the opportunity to upgrade the acoustic and visual qualities of the interior environment,” said Ben Walter, vice president of CWS Architects, in response to an e-mail inquiry. “New lighting and interior colors provide for a fresh, new look and the ceiling panels are designed to absorb reflective noise, an inherent concern in pools.”

The 25-meter pool holds 220,000 gallons of water and hosts swim teams from local schools, the Coastal Maine Aquatics Club Team and children taking lessons taught with Red Cross standards. Adult lap swimming takes place Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.

“We want everyone in South Portland to enjoy and afford access to our programs – we’re definitely not a country club,” said Gato. “We want kids to be active and are committed to making it possible for families to afford sending their children here for camp, vacation breaks and all levels of lessons.”

In keeping with this philosophy of community inclusion, the South Portland Municipal pool charges the following half-year membership fees: From Dec. 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, for South Portland residents, membership costs $15 for adults, $12.50 for seniors and $25 for families. For non-residents, fees are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $50 for families. To encourage people to simply drop in just to test out the experience, daily drop-in fees range from $2 for adult non-members down to 50 cents for a child. Due to limited staff and the busy holiday season, the pool will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays through December.

“People like the fact that we keep rates reasonable, encourage a family atmosphere and allow anyone to just drop in,” said Gato.

From Dec. 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, for South Portland residents, membership costs $15 for adults, $12.50 for seniors and $25 for families. For non-residents, fees are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $50 for families. For further information, call 767-7655 or visit www.southportland.org.

After reopening earlier this month, the South Portland Municipal Pool played host to a swim meet last week between South Portland and Scarborough.