DEMOPOLIS &8212; During West Alabama summers, the best way to battle the heat is to find a place to cool off. That&8217;s what the children at the Theo Ratliff Center have done. They&8217;ve traded the humid afternoon air for a few hours of splashing in the water at the Center&8217;s pool.

Every week, the Theo Ratliff Center holds swimming lessons for all ages, including a free swim time open to everyone from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

This week will be the second session of the swimming lessons, which are from 9:30-11 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Shipman says that they have had about 54-56 participants.

The Center also has adult swim lessons from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. But their busiest time, Shipman said, is during the free swim.

Another part of the swim lessons is that children can sign-up for more than one session.

Shipman has been working around pools for approximately 10 years. This is his first year back to work at the Theo Ratliff Center pool.

The pool is bustling every day during the week and they are also open on Sunday afternoons.