Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise indicated.
Thursday, Feb. 6
- Finance Committee, 4 p.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 10
- Energy & Climate Action Committee, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11
- Conservation Commission on-site, 8:15 a.m.
- Zoning Task Force, 10 a.m.
- Elementary School Committee, 5 p.m.
- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 12
- Strategic Planning Committee, 3 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 13
- Affordable Housing Trust, 9 a.m.
- Finance Committee, 4 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Beach Sticker Changes
A change is on the way for Eastham residents accustomed to acquiring their beach stickers on Memorial Day weekend every year. The sticker office — historically open during the holiday weekend — won’t be open for business until Thursday, June 5, the Recreation and Beach Dept. informed the select board on Monday.
But don’t worry, says Town Manager Jacqui Beebe. “People panic because they think they need their sticker by Memorial Day,” she said, “but they don’t. They’re needed July 1.”
That’s not the only change. This year Eastham is launching an online option for sticker sales that starts May 1. The beach dept. warned that mail-in sticker applications postmarked May 1 or later might be subject to longer processing time due to the need to sift through online applications.
Lifeguards Needed
The beach dept. also announced it was still facing a lack of lifeguards at Great Pond Beach and Wiley Park Beach, positions which used to attract 8 to 10 applicants each year. That means the floating docks at Wiley Park will stay high and dry for another season.
“The last time Eastham was at full lifeguard/swim instructor staff was in 2019,” the department wrote in its statement to the select board. “2021 was the last year we had lifeguards. That summer there were six.”
The report stated that, even though some of the attrition might be blamed on the pandemic and the presence of sharks at the beach, the low wages compared to other less strenuous positions was also a significant factor. —Parker Mumford
