Pools, and folks who use them, need lifeguards

Yes, the summer heat is starting to abate, but the fact that some city pools are closing due to a shortage of part-time lifeguards is still a concern.

Consider that another water sport thought to be safe — snorkeling — has been shown to be a serious drowning risk. Although a municipal swimming pool seems family-friendly, that risk persists there as well.

So having watchful eyes over the splashing crowds is a must. If you have lifeguard certification, a job application would benefit you as well as the would-be swimmers looking longingly at the locked gate. Check out 808ne.ws/poollist to contact a pool manager directly.

Activists fight residences-turned-vacation rentals

Friends Against Illegal Rentals (FAIR) intends to seek county and state laws “empowering grass-roots efforts” to help fend off the spread of illegal transient vacation rentals in residential areas. Here’s hoping that will jolt Hawaii’s elected leaders, who have long grappled over how to handle the knotty matter, to take effective action.

In a show of grass-roots gumption, last week FAIR teamed up with Unite Here Local 5, a union representing thousands of Hawaii hotel employees, to protest a seminar held in Laie that had been pitched as a how-to opportunity to build wealth by cashing in on the online home- vacation-rental craze.