Farrell acquatics instructor saves summer for Youngstown North Siders

YOUNGSTOWN

The city’s only public swimming pool has been thrown a life preserver.

There was the possibility the Northside Pool on Belmont Avenue wasn’t going to open this year because of a lack of lifeguards, said Robert Burke, the city’s park and recreation director.

But Vernon Scott Jr., an aquatics instructor and a fourth-grade teacher in Farrell, Pa., read about the problem and “decided I should see what’s going on in Youngstown with the pool.”

Scott met Wednesday with Burke and was hired to manage the pool.

Scott said he’s bringing at least eight lifeguards from Farrell with him to work at the pool and could have as many as 15.

The pool needs at least seven lifeguards to operate, Burke said.

“I’m pretty excited,” Burke said. “I’d hate to see the pool not open.”

Read more about the situation in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.