Patrick's day at the beach brings new staffing, equipment

REVERE -- Not one but two beach-cleaning machines chugged along Revere Beach yesterday behind Governor Deval Patrick as he announced the hiring of year-round beach managers and the purchase of new sand-cleaning equipment with an extra $2 million included for beaches in this year's budget.

The governor joined legislators, local leaders, and members of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, which has criticized the state for failing to clean and maintain 15 miles of coastline. While the commission had urged spending an additional $3.3 million each year, activists were still pleased with the attention the governor gave the beach, where he strolled after a meeting with local leaders and agency heads.

"This is a terrific step in the right direction," said Bruce Berman, spokesman for the nonprofit advocacy group, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, which consulted on the commission's report.

Patrick disappointed parks advocates when he unveiled his budget earlier this year by failing to fulfill a campaign commitment to boost parks funding by $10 million. The Legislature ultimately added extra money for beaches, but the overall budget for the Department of Conservation and Recreation rose only slightly.

Yesterday, Patrick asked for an end-of-season report card on his administration's commitment to beaches, and he prodded officials to keep watch over the scheduled maintenance for their local beaches, now posted on the Internet.

"I ask you to use the public maintenance schedule to hold us accountable as we go forward," Patrick asked the group of state legislators, city officials, beach patrons, and members of the Beaches Commission assembled in the William G. Reinstein Bandstand at the beach yesterday.

The commission had asserted that mismanagement and lack of interest had left local beaches dirty and bathhouses poorly maintained. The additional $2 million will be split evenly between two of the panel's recommendations: buying new equipment to clean the beaches, such as motorized sand rakes, and hiring more staff. Oversight of the 19 area beaches will be divided between at least a half-dozen managers, said Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr.

Patrick, who built a grass-roots network during last year's campaign, also called for more grass-roots support of the beaches and parks, like that provided by the Revere Beach Partnership, which raises money for the beach and runs events such as a recent sand sculpting competition. Artistic creations from that competition provided a backdrop for yesterday's event.

The governor also called for a top-to-bottom review of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which also manages urban parks, metropolitan skating rinks and swimming pools, and state parks and parkways.

The review should be complete by Oct. 1.