In Rose Garcia’s earliest memories of her papa, she tracks behind him as he knocks on doors accumulating trademarks in an initiative to request the city to develop a swimming pool on what utilized to be a vacant, extra track for Lanier Secondary school.
Atanacio Garcia started these initiatives in the late 1960s, and really did not see his desire for a leisure area for the Westside’s young people recognized till June of 1981, when the San Antonio Natatorium initially opened its doors. He passed away in 2014.
And currently, the City of San Antonio has actually relabelled its only public natatorium on 1430 W. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. as the Atanacio Garcia Natatorium.
” Individuals are mosting likely to link background to his name currently,” stated Rose, 64, believing when she initially found out of the name modification that “his heritage can proceed.”
But the course to arrive was not without much initiative on her papa’s component.
Battling for a swimming pool on the West Side
When Lanier Secondary school quit utilizing its old track area, Atanacio saw a possibility for the city to spend extra in leisure solutions for the bordering community.
His objective, Rose stated, was neighborhood development.
He began collecting trademarks, going to Common council conferences and San Antonio Independent College Area’s board conferences, making telephone calls and conference with chosen authorities. At one factor, he also persuaded previous congressman Henry B. Gonzalez to compose a letter to then-mayor John Gatti to take into consideration Atanacio’s appeal.
Her papa, a permanent postal employee and army professional, struck wall surfaces in the beginning. Minutes from a 1976 Common council conference information Atanacio checking out the letter and informing authorities he’s been attempting to obtain a swimming pool developed around Lanier Secondary school considering that 1968.
Still, he really did not grumble that chosen authorities really did not pay attention to him, Rose stated.
” He simply proceeded– one door would certainly shut and one more one would certainly open up.”
Atanacio’s initiatives really did not obtain actual grip till his church, Our Girl of Guadalupe Temple, signed up with the faith-based grassroots company COPS/Metro in 1974. The company, which created to support for San Antonio’s underserved areas, had extra persuade with chosen leaders. They used up Atanacio’s vision as their very own.
Beatrice Cortez, the 4th head of state of COPS/Metro in the 1980s, functioned along with Atanacio on various other neighborhood tasks consisting of leading walkways and applying drain systems to hinder areas from flooding.
Cortez remembers their intro at the initial COPS/Metro conference she participated in with her other half.
” He stood up and stated, ‘I’m Atanacio Garcia from Our Girl of Guadalupe, and we have a desire for obtaining a swimming pool for our kids,” Cortez remembered.
He was silent, Cortez included, however he was not one to pull back. If he were below today, Cortez stated Atanacio would certainly still be promoting for his neighborhood.
Eventually, Atanacio had the ability to persuade brand-new common council participants and Mayor Henry Cisneros to his side, and the city negotiated with SAISD to get the track and develop an interior swimming pool with the aid of a government give for neighborhood growth.
Atanacio’s little girl stated his neighborhood initiatives were initial and leading linked to their confidence.
Rose proceeds the family members custom of social work today, defining herself as a “second-generation” COPS/Metro leader. She still goes to the exact same church.
” [Atanacio] was motivating in lots of methods for offering our nation, offering our neighborhood and certainly, offering God,” she said.
Olympic-sized swimming pool a San Antonio flagship
Since the natatorium opened up in 1981, the $3.2 million center has actually brought in hundreds of site visitors yearly. The Olympic-sized interior swimming pool has actually organized lots of senior high school, global and regional competitors. In 2000, the Australian Olympic swimming group educated at the natatorium.
According to the city, the natatorium has actually additionally generated an Olympic test qualifier, lots of swimming and diving UIL state qualifiers and local champs.
Last year, the natatorium momentarily near to undertake restorations consisting of a brand-new roofing and storage lockers. Unlike the city’s outside public swimming pools, the natatorium, situated in Area 5, is open year-round.
In February, the Parks and Leisure Division and the Area 5 workplace organized a neighborhood conference where Atanacio’s friends and family collected on behalf of the renaming. Initial duplicates of his applications and letters to regional leaders were shown for public watching.
Later in March, the common council all authorized the renaming of the natatorium in remembrance of Atanacio, an initiative greatly pioneered by previous councilwoman and SAISD board head of state Patti Radle and existing Councilwoman Teri Castillo (D5).
” Atanacio Garcia was a steadfast supporter for his neighborhood,” Castillo stated at the time. “San Antonio is for life indebted to his neighborhood arranging, and currently everybody that sees the Natatorium will certainly for life recognize his name.”
