Children splashing in the water, adults relaxing with a book on the beach, lifeguards perched in their chairs—sounds like a perfect day at the town beach. Only one thing is missing so far this year: the ice cream. According to Parks and Recreation Commission Chairwoman Wyona Lynch McWhite, the town’s Finance Department has requested that no cash transactions take place at the beach. This year, that new policy has sent drivers without beach stickers back home for their checkbooks, and children back to their towels to report that there’s no ice cream yet.
Finance Director Lorraine Leonard explained that the request was in response to a town audit. “The auditors listed it as a problem area because there is so much cash being collected there,” said Leonard. “Anytime there is cash collected at a remote location, it’s a concern. The auditors asked us to try to find another way to transact financial business at the beach.” Leonard said that she suggested a punch card system for ice cream, much like the the one the Transfer Station uses for disposal of bulky items. Beach Director Alexandra Luck said they are leaning toward that solution, but no decision has been made yet. “It’s not that they absolutely can’t do it, it’s that we’ve asked them to find a workaround,” said Leonard.
Aside from that challenge, Luck said that things are going well at the beach so far this summer. She’s excited about the higher number of volunteer swimming aides this year. The 10 aides are ages 13 and up, and they are helping the staff with swimming lessons. “Some of our older staff are doing internships this summer, so people will see a younger group than they’re used to seeing helping out with swimming lessons,” said Luck. Enrollment in swimming and boating lessons is at a good level, Luck said, about the same as last year, but there is still space in sessions two and three. Session two runs from July 13 to July 24, and session three runs from July 27 to Aug. 7. Luck said that session three typically has smaller class sizes, allowing students to learn more. Registration can be done online at www.harvardparkandrec.org.
Luck wants residents to know that the beach staff is approachable, whether it’s to find a child’s swimming class or to ask about beach rules. “Don’t be afraid to ask any of the staff a question, and don’t hesitate to find me to report a concern,” she said.
