Village Pool Season Kicks Off

A hit or miss weekend of early summer weather put a little bit of a damper on the beginning of pool season, but as the sun came out, so did village families and residents.

The Babylon Village municipal pool has begun its 62nd season, opening for Father's Day weekend initially and then opening for the duration of the summer starting last Friday.

The pool, available only to village residents, is known for its location: the pool and grounds enjoy the Great South Bay as a backdrop (and a built-in air conditioner) and according to Lauren Colletti, a manager at the pool, so far 350 families have signed up for the season passes.

The passes recently increased in cost and are now $80 per family, $50 for individual adults, $30 for children, and $10 for senior citizens.

Swimming lessons and a lane for laps are among the attractions in the pool and outside the pool the sandy beach areas and playgrounds attract a steady stream of young families.

But the pool isn't just a hot spot for families looking for summer recreation: the pool has been a long-standing source of summer employment for generations of young teenagers and adults.

Colletti, who started working on the crew at age 15, returned every summer for the next seven years, and now manages a full house of high school and college students.

"Right now we have a waiting list of 50 people for beach crew and 50 for lifeguards. It's a great summer job."

Many high school students become lifeguards after working on the clean-up crews and getting their certification, and return each summer from college to the hometown summer spot. Although safety is foremost on the manager's minds, the job can be fun and relaxing.

"It's usually pretty quiet here," said Colletti. "The biggest accident that's happened in recent years was a boating accident in the bay that we helped with. But we have a lot of lifeguards on duty at all times."

Babylon Village Trustee Tony Davida and the pool's managers start getting ready for the season in April, with volunteers from the Beautification Society getting plantings ready and the water levels tuned for two weeks before the official start of summer. For many, it's a very welcome moment.

"I just love it here," Colletti smiles. "I work at a school during the year and then every summer I get to come back and spend my days here."