Corrected and updated July 3, 2021
On June 23, the town’s new beach director, Michelle Lauria, unexpectedly announced on the social media site Nextdoor that there would be no lifeguards at town beach until July 5 due to staffing issues. Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Bob O’Shea told the Press there were too few lifeguards to cover the beach over that 10-day period, including the Fourth of July weekend when the beach is typically crowded.
Lauria did not respond to the Press’s requests for an interview, but O’Shea said she had asked for vacation schedules when hiring this summer’s lifeguards. Some families made plans after that, though, bringing the total number of vacationing lifeguards to nine during the last week of June. Wrote O’Shea in an email to the Press, “That does not leave enough certified guards to cover the crowds, and since Michelle herself was going to be away, she closed the beach.”
O’Shea said he asked sticker checkers to continue working so that beachgoers would be limited to residents only, minimizing the number of people swimming at their own risk.
There are no financial issues behind the beach closure, according to O’Shea. Fees collected from sticker sales and boat rentals cover the cost of running the beach, and he told the Press, “We are in good shape.”
Swimming lessons and boating lessons begin July 5 when lifeguards will be back at their posts. O’Shea said Lauria told him there will be enough lifeguards to cover the remainder of the season.
Editor's note: This story has been revised to replace the paraphrase of a statement provided the Press by the Parks and Rec chair with the statement itself.
