Inside the maintenance garage at the village pool facility, there’s a row of banana trees next to shelves of equipment, hibernating for the winter. There were originally four, but thanks to the expertise and efforts of village employee Eugene Boening, 16 trees will grace the pool’s perimeter this summer. more

The Village of Valley Stream’s pool complex hosted a special party for dogs on Sept. 8, a day after the facility closed for the season and before the water was drained from the children’s section. more

Beat the Heat: Hempstead Town Opens Cooling Centers, Extends Hours at Pools and Beaches As temperatures swell into the 90s, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray is inviting residents to beat the heat by taking a break at a town cooling center, pool, or beach. To offer neighbors a place to be safe and cool during the latest heat wave, Murray announced the opening of 15 cooling centers, 15 pools and eight beaches from Monday, August 17th through Wednesday, August 19th. “Once temperatures rise into the 90s, the heat can be very dangerous if not taken seriously,” Murray said. “I urge neighbors to be careful during this period of extreme heat and to consider visiting one of our town’s cooling centers, beaches or pools to cool down and relax.” Cooling centers are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Monday, August 17th through Wednesday, August 19th. -Baldwin Senior Center, 1810 N. Grand Ave., Baldwin, (516) 546-7110 -Bellmore Senior Center, 2000 Bellmore Ave., Bellmore, (516) 221-9696 -Cedarhurst Senior Center, 200 Cedarhurst Ave., Cedarhurst, (516) 295-1177 (open until 4:30 p.m.) -East Meadow Senior Center, 1485 Front St., East Meadow, (516) 794-2458 -Elmont Senior Center, 138 Elmont Rd., Elmont, (516) 354-4777 -Franklin Square Senior Center, 1182 Martha Pl., Franklin Square, (516) 328-3010 -Green Acres Senior Center, 400 Flower Rd., Valley Stream, (516) 872-8810 -Levittown Senior Center, 555 N. Newbridge Rd., Levittown, (516) 433-5454 -Merrick Senior Center, 2550 Clubhouse Road, Merrick, (516) 868-4777 -Oceanside Senior Center, 2900 Rockaway Ave., Oceanside, (516) 766-8888 -Rosa Parks Senior Center, 2 Babylon Tpke., Roosevelt, (516) 867-1612 -Salisbury Senior Center, 460 Salisbury Park Dr., Westbury, (516) 333-5440 -Uniondale-Hempstead Senior Center, 840 Uniondale Ave., Uniondale, (516) 292-1313 -Uniondale-Merrick Senior Center, 750 Jerusalem Ave., Uniondale, (516) 538-5050 -Wantagh Senior Center, 1150 Seamans Neck Rd., Wantagh, (516) 785-8505 Hours of operation will be extended at the following pools on Monday, August 17th through Wednesday, August 19th. Closing at 7 p.m. -Roosevelt Pool, Roosevelt -Town Park at Sands Pool, Lido Beach Closing at 8 p.m. -Forest City Park Pool, Wantagh -Rath Pool (Franklin Sq. Park District)\ -Walker Memorial Pool, Lakeview -Hewlett Point Pool, Hewlett -Malibu Pool, Lido Beach -Eight of Levittown’s Community Pools Lifeguards will be on duty for an extra hour (until 7 p.m.) at the following beaches: -Town Park Point Lookout -Lido Beach Town Park -Lido West Town Park -Town Park at Sands -Hewlett Point Park -East Atlantic Beach -Atlantic Beach Estates -Point Lookout Civic Beach Murray also offered residents tips on how to “beat the heat” during this period of extreme temperatures: - Stay indoors as much as possible and limit exposure to the sun. - Avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day, usually between 11AM and 4PM. Consider performing these tasks in the early morning or evening hours. - When in the sun, wear sunscreen and a hat to protect your face and head. - Drink plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty. - Eat well balanced, light and regular meals. - Wear loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothes. - NEVER leave children or pets in closed vehicles. - Check on elderly family members, friends and neighbors. - When indoors, use an air conditioner or fans to cool rooms if available. “During this heat wave, please avoid the sun as much as possible and spend time in a safe, cool location, such as one of our cooling centers, pools or beaches,” Murray said. In addition to the extended pool hours listed above, Echo Park in West Hempstead and Veterans Memorial Park in East Meadow are open regular hours through 10 p.m. more

Whether it’s a backyard pool, a municipal aquatic center or the ocean, opportunities to swim are endless on Long Island. That’s why the Town of Hempstead offers swimming lessons at its pools, to teach both skills and safety. more

These boys, Freeport Recreation Center campers, enjoy swimming in the pool. For more information about Rec Center programs for children and adults call 377-2314. more

Swimming in a pool or the ocean is some of the best fun that summer has to offer, but the dangers are ever-present — in the Town of Hempstead alone, lifeguards make more than 2,000 rescues each summer . . . more

Last weekend, 17-year-old Conor Dorney was manning his post at the kiddie pool area at the Lynbrook Pool when he observed that something wasn't right with one of the young swimmers. “I noticed … more

Stop by each week to check out some of south Nassau's hottest properties. This week we focus on the top 5 homes with in-ground pools in Wantagh.  more

Diving in to what is sure to be a very long process, the Rockville Centre Aquatic Center Evaluation Committee met for the first time on Feb. 26 at the Recreation Center. The 14-member committee has been tasked with researching and evaluating the feasibility of a pool in the village. No one on the committee is allowed to have any financial interest in building a pool. more

No one will ever forget To the Editor: I wrote this poem in honor of all the souls that were taken away on 9/11: It’s been 13 years ago innocent lives were taken away. No one will ever … more