Valley Stream members relish pool as summer heats up

This summer has been humid and hot, and that’s making the village’s pool that much more popular as a daytime destination for residents with memberships.

“We’re here every other day during the hot spells,” said Carl Borruso, of Valley Stream. He sat at a table under the pool’s shade structure on Monday with his wife Joan. “We love this awning. We don’t like sitting in the sun.”

Residents for 38 years, the Borrusos were members when their children were young. They registered again several years ago, and have noticed the changes at the facility in recent years. “There’s been a big transformation,” Carl said. Joan noted the added tables, which have removed the need to rush for one when they arrive.

Sometimes they bring their two grandchildren and other relatives, but guests can get expensive, they lamented, citing the $11 per child and $13 per adult. “It can get up to $100 if we bring everybody in,” Carl said.

Maintenance worker Eugene Boening is the man responsible for the pool’s ever-increasing decorative plants. He turned four banana trees into 16 in the past three years, and this year introduced vibrant pink cleomes, bright green sweet potato vines and two planters bursting with large elephant ears at the pool’s entrance, among some other tropical flora. Boening has a slew of other plants in their early stages not yet ready to be displayed, including several fig trees that he grew from cuttings donated by a man who was getting rid of his fig tree.

Gary Radovich has had a pool membership for 10 years; his wife Mary has been a member since the pool opened more than 50 years ago. While she isn’t crazy about the bees that the flowers attract, Gary is in favor of the plantings. “We notice all the upgrades because we’ve been members for so long,” he said. “I’m a gardener, so I like it.”