By Jeff Fish
Memorial Park Beach will be supervised two hours longer starting Friday night but then the gates will close, preventing anyone from being there once it’s dark.
Recreation Director Amanda Levasseur proposed extending the hours at the Board of Selectmen Meeting Tuesday night.
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The proposal was made in an “effort to better manage activities after hours,” she said. The beach officially closes at 6 p.m., but people spend time there after-hours when there is no one on duty.
Under the new plan, the beach will now be staffed from 6 to 8 p.m. for “better coverage while it’s still light out,” said Levasseur. There will not be a lifeguard but guard will be posted at the gates and there will be a supervisor on duty.
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The gates will now be locked at 8 p.m. by Sharon Police, instead of staying open all night “in an attempt to curb vandalism” and they will be unlocked early in the morning for anyone interested in taking an early-morning swim, she said.
The Board of Selectman briefly discussed the idea before approving the motion. There was some concern about cars being locked in overnight, but it was decided that police officers would be able to make an announcement 10 to 15 minutes prior to closing and if anyone were to be locked in overnight, they would be at fault.Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.