Tisbury selectmen approve Max Sherman for police academy

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Photo by Janet Hefler

Moving briskly through an hour-long meeting Tuesday night, Tisbury selectmen unanimously approved the sponsorship of Max Sherman to the police academy in September. Mr. Sherman was appointed a permanent officer last month, after serving as a special officer since November.

“He has been a tremendous asset to us, from working on the department’s website to providing service on the midnight shift, and being a mature, responsible police officer,” Lieutenant Erik Meisner told the selectmen.

Town administrator Jay Grande said the town would pay the academy tuition with an agreement that Officer Sherman would reimburse the tuition if he separates from the police department.

In other business, at Fire Chief John Schilling’s recommendation, selectmen approved an updated job description for a full-time paramedic, in order to fill a vacancy created when senior paramedic Chris Cini took a job off Island. The selectmen also appointed Lt. Meisner as emergency management director, a job Mr. Cini formerly held.

Selectmen also agreed to schedule a public hearing to address regulations and possible fees for boats now anchored in Lake Tashmoo, Lagoon Pond, and outside the Vineyard Haven breakwater.

At the meeting’s end Harriet Barrow and Marie Laursen attempted to engage the selectmen in discussion about a draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) the selectmen approved with Stop & Shop a few weeks ago. Mr. Kristal said the selectmen would take a list that Ms. Barrow and others gave them, which warns of possible legal issues, under advisement, because they received it only minutes before the meeting and had no time to review it.

He reminded the women that town counsel has already reviewed the document several times, and he questioned why they had not voiced their concerns at numerous public meetings over the last eight months.

Chairman Jeff Kristal opened the meeting by acknowledging the recent death of Kathy Stinson. “Our heart goes out to Larry Gomez and his family,” Mr. Kristal said of Ms. Stinson’s husband, the longtime chairman of Tisbury’s Finance and Advisory Committee.