Staffing allows residents to use Parkwood pool

The Island Now

The Great Neck Park District gave residents a reprieve from the end of summer with a 12-day extension on use of the Parkwood pool.
The pool, which is part of the Parkwood Sports Complex, extended its season 12 days due to the warm weather, Great Neck Park Commissioner Robert Lincoln said.
The pool will remain open until Saturday, Lincoln said.
The pool doesn’t have a set season, he said.
The decision often comes down to the availability of lifeguards, most of whom are students who go back to school in late August, he said.
“It’s only a question of staffing,” Lincoln said. “If we have the staff to keep the pool open, we’d gladly do it all the time.”
This year, the pool was able to use lifeguards from the Great Neck area, which allowed the park district to extend the season, he said.
During the pool’s extended schedule, the complex’s lazy river was open in the morning, staffed by some of the pool’s full-time employees, and then the pool was open from 3 to 7 p.m.
On weekends, including this Saturday, the pool is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“People always ask for us to keep it open because its still hot out and they want to enjoy the summer and the warm weather and we want to,” Lincoln said.
During a typical weekend summer day, he said, as many as 900 people visit the pool, and during the extended time, more than 400 people have come on the weekends.
On Sunday, before the pool is drained, the park district is hosting its annual doggy paddle day where people can bring their dogs to swim and enjoy the water.
The event usually attracts over 50 dogs every year, Lincoln said.

By Stephen Romano

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