CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – For the first time since 2019, Albemarle County’s swimming beaches will be able to go full bore this coming summer. County interim communications director Abbey Stumpf told Morning News despite shortages still across the country, Albemarle has a fully-staffed lifeguard crew going into the swim season. This means they’ll be able to open all the swimming beaches 7 days a week.

Stumpf says lifeguard staffing has always been a challenge, but the problem became more acute through pandemic times. Both the county and city have raised pay and benefits to lure people who want to be lifeguards, but still last season the county had to run limited days and hours… the times of most demand. But starting Memorial Day weekend, beaches at Chris Greene, Mint Springs, and Walnut Creek parks will open weekends 10am-to-6pm… then June 8th, they’ll start opening 7 days a week with those hours.