At their neighborhood pool in West Philadelphia, Markyda Anderson’s little boys could not wait to get back in. They had grown tired of playing in a nearby splash pad as lifeguards conducted a periodic check of chlorine levels. So once the break was over and swimmers were welcome again, they dashed back and — plunk, plunk — into the water they went. “They say it’s a lifeguard shortage,” Ms. Watson said Friday. “My question is, you’ve got all these other pools open, and you can’t swap the lifeguards around?”

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Persons: Markyda, —, plunk —, ”, Anderson, Isaiah, Elijah, Tiffany Fletcher, “, Joy Watson, Barack Obama, Charles Baker, Ms, Watson, you’ve Organizations: Tiffany Fletcher Recreation Center Locations: West Philadelphia, Overbrook