Should Town Bring Back Sparkle Lake Lifeguards?

With the summer season fast approaching, Yorktown's parks and pools would soon be opening to the public. What will be different this year, is there will be no lifeguard at post at Sparkle Lake.

The lifeguard positions were from the 2012 budget, for an annual savings of $18,000.

Yorktown supervisor Michael Grace said he had received a letter from a 6-year-old girl who used to swim at Sparkle Lake with her grandmother. Now, she is requesting that a lifeguard be assigned to the lake for the summer.

"Not only is it swim at your own risk, but no one will be checking ID’s," the little girl's grandmother Edwina Rance told Patch. "Many out of towners have tried to get on the beach, but the lifeguards always checked for ID. This is a Yorktown park, my tax money supports it, and it should remain for Yorktown residents only."

The deadline to receive approval from the county's health department for a lifeguard had passed, said councilman Dave Paganelli, who is the town board's liaison to the Recreation Commission. In addition, he said the town's recreation and parks department had already made plans for use of the service building. 

Councilman Nick Bianco said the lifeguard positions were eliminated as a cost saving measure to the town.

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