When home is Hyannis Port

Kennedy, no regular guy, does his best to act like one, neighbors say

HYANNIS PORT - With his booming baritone piercing the high shrubs, his groomed dogs yipping nearby, and his golf cart zipping down the narrow lanes, Senator Edward M. Kennedy has become something of an oxymoron in this small community, a political celebrity often viewed as just another neighbor.

He often attends local parties and invites neighbors to his beachfront estate. He shakes hands with clerks and secretaries when he stops by Town Hall. And he is on a first-name basis with everyone from local firefighters to the owner of the local pizza shop.

"I think what he loves about being here is that he doesn't get special treatment," said Liz Wilson, 58, whose family has owned a house next to the Kennedys for five generations. "He's as much a part of the neighborhood as anyone else."

This week, as Kennedy retreated to his seaside refuge after being diagnosed with a brain tumor, his neighbors said they were happy to have their friend back home.

Over the years, the senator has ambled up Marchant Avenue for barbecues at their homes, helped pull their boats as strong storms approached, and has traded local gossip on the docks.

"This is a small community, and everyone kind of blends together," said Chip Niehoff, 37, who lives a few blocks away and has had the senator at his family's parties. "You always run into each other. The senator's just like any other neighbor."

But of course he is not. He has played an outsized role here and more than once has used his personal wealth and his influence on Capitol Hill to take care of his hometown.

When Hyannis needs help, Barnstable Town Manager John Klimm knows where to turn.

Klimm said the senator recently helped the town secure $2 million in federal funds for a youth center, has donated money to help a local skating rink, and has written personal checks to needy neighbors.

"Over the years, we've called on the senator on numerous occasions," said Klimm, whose office is covered with pictures of President Kennedy. "He has been such an integral part of the community. It would be a huge loss not to have him around."

The senator has also helped beef up the resources of the local Fire Department. As recently as last Friday, Fire Chief Harold Brunelle received a "fantastically congratulatory" call from Kennedy. The good news: The senator had helped secure a $450,000 federal grant for a new fire boat.

"He was very excited," said Brunelle, adding that Kennedy has also helped the department update its communications and breathing equipment.

The senator has privately helped the families of injured firefighters and has attended events organized by the Fire Department. "When he comes home to rest and relax, he seldom rests and relaxes," Brunelle said. "You never know where you're going to run into him. He never stops."

News of the senator's cancer hit home at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, which the senator has supported in many ways and visits about 10 times a year. His last visit was in April, when he took graduate students from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government to see the collection of more than 100 of his family's photos.

"The senator is really part of this museum," said Rebecca Pierce-Merrick, cofounder of the museum. "We are looking forward to his next visit."

Kennedy may be best known by fellow sailors.

Standing inside the white picket fence of the Hyannis Yacht Club, Charlie McLaughlin, a lawyer who helps run the annual Figawi boat race, said he couldn't imagine starting the sailing season without Kennedy leading the way.

He is hoping the senator competes this year in the race from Hyannis to Nantucket.

"I'd be shocked if he wasn't in the race, but he'll have to take that up with his wife," McLaughlin said. "I think if there's any way for him to be in the race, he'll do it. That's who he is. He's a fighter."

But as the senator and his wife, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, shuffled down the dock yesterday for a sail on his double-masted schooner, she made it clear it was unlikely he would join this season's competition.

When asked whether he was up to the race, Kennedy said: "I don't know. One day at a time."

Then she cut him off, with a smile that suggested she knew he would love nothing more than to compete. "Stop talking about the Figawi," she scolded reporters. "Is this a conspiracy? I want to know. This is a conspiracy."

The senator laughed. "You can tell how this is going," he said.

For neighbors who would be disappointed if he does not race, the consolation is that they may have a better chance to win.

"When he competes, he usually wins," Chip Niehoff said.