Joe DiGiorgio would spend much of the summer season sitting in a deck chair under the small overhang next to the office of the . He will not be there this season or for seasons yet to be, having recently .
“I thought it was important to be here also,” said Saturday morning, referring to DiGiorgio’s funeral which was underway at Corpus Christi and holding a moment of silence. “You guys all remember him, (he) was a continual participant in the pool, I take it he continually plucked himself every day here, he loved Mineola and was all about the ambulance corps. and was all about Mineola and in his heart he did everything he thought was right and it worked.”
The village department of public works had spent the previous night readying the facility for the 51st annual opening of the facility, having lost a few days due to the rain and being forced to work continuously through the night.
“These guys worked tirelessly and into 12 o’clock, one o’clock in the morning last night trying to get the slide up and running, trying to get the water, the pool filled up,” Strauss said, expressing his thanks, “but it’s here, it’s running, the place looks absolutely fantastic.”
The mayor also thanked many of the lifeguards for coming back this year and also for the new guards who had joined the staff.
“You guys ran a great program for us last year, our residents, our kids. And for the newcomers, hopefully you’ll be back next year because you’ll see that you guys are a family. You guys are going to have a lot of fun this year, have a lot of clowning around and it’s also some serious work and I appreciate the seriousness and also the fun,” the mayor said. “We give you guys the most important thing in the world to us and that’s our kids, wether it’s swim lessons, or they’re just clowning around in the pool and the lifeguards are standing guard. I know you guys take it seriously, we have a great staff here. All I ask is that everybody here – pool staff, everybody that works here including the lifeguards, do your best, keep your eyes open, help us make this place as good as it is and we’re going to have another great year.”
One of those kids – though growing up fast – is Andrew Maher, son of pool/ recreation board member Richard Maher, and with whom it is becoming to open the pool season by being the first one to break the frigid chlorinated waters, taking a leap off of the northern edge.
Said Andrew as he emerged from the water: “It’s really cold.”
