Asked if a currently smaller group of lifeguards at Wiscasset Community Center has forced pool or program shutdowns, Parks and Recreation Director Duane Goud told Wiscasset Newspaper July 12, except for an occasional pool closing when it looked like a shift would go unfilled, “Not yet. But we’re close. And we’re hoping we don’t get to that point.”

Poolside July 13 as early morning WCC users swam, Aquatics Specialist Nori Lund of Dresden said she has lifeguarded at the center since 2005. She explained, members of the department’s swim team can become lifeguards at 15. The Wiscasset-raised Lund did, has stuck with it and would recommend it. The best part is “the people of the community. It really is a great group of people who come in here,” she said. 

Goud said longtime Aquatics Director Lori LaPointe retires July 31 and he hopes to move Lund into that job and get her an assistant. “So I’m hoping that we can get that filled up in a reasonable time period.”

Both jobs include taking some lifeguard shifts; he counted four or five active part-time lifeguards right now, including college students home for the summer.

Goud is concerned about the rest summer and about fall. “There’s just not as many people around that want to do it,” even though pay has risen the last couple years “and I think we’re pretty competitive if not better because we’re more of a family atmosphere” than some places, he said. Some would-be workers are getting more hours than they anticipated at other jobs, he said as part of the reason the roster is “down a little.”

The problem could impact programs or force the department to close the pool certain hours, he said. “There’s lots of programs that could be affected if we don’t get a couple people on board. And one of them definitely would be full-time, if I can find the right person,” he added.

Goud is not seeing a shortage of other WCC workers except custodial and he expects that will be resolved due to the start of the new budget year this month.