Lifeguard shortage to cause some LI public pool closures next week

The West Bathhouse swimming pool at Jones Beach will be closed Monday through Friday, but reopen for the Labor Day weekend, because some lifeguards must go back to school, either as students or teachers.

However, "there are still plenty of swimming opportunities at Jones Beach this week" in both the ocean and in the bay, a parks department spokesman said.

"Fields 6, 4, 2 and the entire beach front from fields 6 to 2 including East Bath House, Central Mall, West Bath House and Zach's Bay are open," the spokesman said.

So families with young children and workers who get off by the late afternoon can still escape next week's mini-heat wave.

Temperatures are expected to reach nearly 90 degrees through Wednesday.

New York's parks department is not the only agency losing lifeguards due to this year's later-than-usual Labor Day.

Babylon also is closing its pools Monday through Friday, but reopening them for Labor Day, a pool employee said. Spokesmen for Islip and Nassau were not immediately available to comment.

Suffolk County spokesman Justin Meyers said: "Our three swimming beaches will be open seven days a week until Labor Day. . . . Depending on weather, sometimes we keep guards on later on the year at Smith Point."