While we strongly believe education—for beach goers, school children, and first responders—is an absolute necessity for beachfront communities, the media has given most attention to extended lifeguard hours. Our local Alderman has been spouting rhetoric that protecting people on the beach with life guards would come at the cost of Park District cuts or raising taxes. With drowning in open waters being the second leading cause of accidental death for children aged 10-14 and being deemed a public health issue by the World Health Organization, we can identify some pretty reasonable sources of funding (not to mention raising taxes would only need a bit over a dollar per family).