Many FHMNA members have been outspoken in their discomfort with the lack of enforcement of beach rules at Bristol and Falmouth Heights beaches and the resulting issues of safety and discourteous behavior.
On Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, five FHMNA Directors met with the Beach Committee (BC) to discuss civility on our beaches and the lack enforcement of posted rules, as we had done previously at the May BC meeting. We proposed that a position of Beach Monitor, or similar, be added to the Beach Department roster for next summer. The Beach Committee stated that they had not received any complaints during the beach season.
Because we have heard from so many of our members about this very topic at our past FHMNA Annual Meetings, we ask that you review the recent Falmouth Enterprise article * which reported on this meeting, and that you please send us your thoughts/experiences/episodes of concern on theses beachesâthe Beach Committee wants to hear from you, so we will share your thoughts with them! Email us at info@fhmna.org or by U.S. Mail at FHMNA, P.O. Box 43, Falmouth MA 02540.
The BC also asked for photos and/or videos. If you have any which show people drinking or playing ball on the beach during the 2015 or 2016 seasons, please also send those. We will forward them anonymously to the BC.
The following are selected quotes from the Enterprise on 11/18/2016:
- âLittle was resolved during a sometimes heated discussionâŚâ
- âIt was noted that the beach committee did not hear any complaints from residents during the summertimeâ
- ââŚsummer beachgoers are drinking alcohol and playing disruptive ball games with impunity.â
- A beach monitor would âwalk the beaches in some kind of official-looking outfit and âpolitely remind beachgoers of beach rulesââŚâ
- âBeach committee membersâŚ.â were not âkeen to push forward the beach monitor proposalâ, saying âI think itâs a police issue.â
- âIt is the stance of the beach superintendents that the posted âno ball playingâ rule is discretionaryâ.
- ââŚlife guardsâŚwere given special training in how to approach and speak to adults who are breaking the rulesâ.
- ââŚif rules are being broken, beachgoers should first approach the head life guard. If that does not resolve the problem, they should call the beach superintendentsâ Bruce Mogardo cell phone #508-274-1498.
- âIt should not be incumbent on the beachgoer to seek enforcement of rulesâ
*If the link above doesnât work, please copy and paste this into your browser to see the full text of the article at:Â http://www.capenews.net/falmouth/news/association-presses-for-more-robust-enforcement-of-beach-rules/article_a4f4a480-7aa8-51aa-b691-fc7767c74d3a.html