Oak Bluffs selectmen commend town beach lifeguards

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From left: selectmen Mike Santoro and Greg Coogan, and recreation director Marc Rivers applaud lifeguards Tiki Green, Genny Kent, and Nick Sune-Fecitt.

It was a full house at the Oak Bluffs library on Tuesday night for the selectmen’s annual seasonal residents meeting. In a new a spin on the annual meeting, suggested by chairman Gail Barmakian, town officials and department heads were stationed at tables around the library meeting room and available for informal one-on-one chats.

But before the public forum began, selectmen had a brief agenda to address.

First, the board awarded citations to town lifeguards Tiki Green, Genny Kent, and Nick Sune-Fecitt for their fast action that led to three rescues at Inkwell and Pay beaches last week.

The first rescue was last Wednesday, when Ms. Green and Ms. Kent went to the aid of two men after their dinghy capsized off Inkwell Beach.

Recreation Director Marc Rivers said lifeguards were first alerted by members of the Polar Bears, an informal group of bathers that swim at the Inkwell every day. “The lifeguards activated the system and got to [the men] quickly and with the help of the fire department, we had a positive outcome,” Mr. Rivers said. “Two days later, Jenny and Nick were at the beach, and again the Polar Bears brought the situation to their attention. There was somebody caught in the current and they were struggling, and they performed the rescue. That same day, in the afternoon, we had some intoxicated people in the water, they were having trouble, and Jenny and Nick got them in safely.”

“The first rescue was an extremely difficult rescue,” Fire Chief John Rose said. “The weather was rough, the wind was blowing, they did an amazing job.”

Selectman Mike Santoro pointed out that it was only a few years ago that  the town didn’t have the funds for lifeguards. “I give a lot of credit to FinCom and Amy [Billings] for bringing the parks department back, and making good use of taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Oak Bluffs resident and former lifeguard Renee Nolan said Mr. Rivers also deserves credit. “I want to praise Marc for outfitting them with the proper equipment that allowed this to happen,” she said.

In other business, after a public hearing, selectmen unanimously voted to award William White a special permit that will allow him to continue to teach self defense at his home at 6 Edson Ave. The hearing was the result of a noise complaint filed by neighbor Brian Weston. Residents of the neighborhood turned out in force to support Mr. White, who donates his time to teach self defense for women. The neighbors were also highly critical of Mr. Weston, and cited a litany of past problems with Mr. Weston, including his arrest on New Year’s Day, 2014, for numerous gun-related offenses in what Mr. Weston claimed was a celebration of the New Year.

After the selectmen adjourned their meeting, attendees took advantage of the opportunity to speak with town officials, and in many cases, to catch up with one another. The mood of the evening was upbeat and the meeting room was slow to empty out.

Simon Shapiro, a seasonal resident from Cambridge since 1993, and soon-to-be year-round Oak Bluffs resident, said he was pleased with the progress the town has taken since “the dark days.”

“The town went through a series of town managers and it was total chaos,” he said. “I remember when the free cash for the town was zero. It’s good to see the productive use of town funds. I think the leadership is realistic and [financially] conservative and things are going in the right direction.”