Petition Created to Keep Framingham Beaches Open Beyond August 9

[broadstreet zone=”58610″]

FRAMINGHAM – Today is the last day the City of Framingham’s beaches are open. The City will close all its beaches at 5 p.m. August 9.

But a Framingham mom has started a petition to keep the beaches open through Labor Day, September 7.

Typically, the City of Framingham beaches are open from the third week in June through the third week of August.

This year, the beaches were only open from July 1 through August 9.

Typical the City’s beaches are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. but this year, the beaches were open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

“We are asking for the beaches of the City of Framingham, MA to remain open until Labor Day. Now more than ever we need access to local recreation. Beaches are one of the few places we can go to remain local while on a tight budget to stay cool during this very hot summer, and while maintaining strict social distancing. An extra two weeks of beach time is all the difference, especially since school has a delayed opening and will be remote,” wrote Kat Suwalski, a Framingham resident.

To sign the petition, click here.

[broadstreet zone=”59948″]

“Budget funding appears adequate, given that the new fiscal year has just started July 1,” stated the petition. “We implore you to consider the effect this pandemic has had on local families unable to take advantage of all the normal recreational activities available under normal circumstances.”

 The 11-member City Council voted unanimously in June a resolution to have the City’s beaches be free this year. The Spicer administration agreed and for the first time in more than a decade, the City’s beaches were free to residents.

The City staffs three beaches with lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily – Lake Waushakum, learned Pond Beach, and Saxonville beach.

***

Editor’s Note: In full transparency, the editor of SOURCE has signed the petition. The editor has been a resident of Framingham since 2000.