By K.B. Sherman, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – In January, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick recognized 33 state park lifeguards for their exceptional service during emergencies at the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) swimming facilities during the summer of 2013. These DCR Aquatics Division lifeguards performed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and lifesaving resuscitation on seven individuals at five swimming locations.
Shrewsbury lifeguard Drew Osik was one of the honorees. In the summer of 2013, working at Douglas State Forest directing traffic, Osik ran to help when a 5-year-old child was spotted floating just below the surface of the water. Osik participated in giving CPR to the child, who subsequently survived.
As Osik was unable to attend the Jan. 7 presentation by Patrick, the Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen honored him at its Jan. 28 meeting. He was presented certificates of achievement by state Representative Matt Beaton (R-Shrewsbury) and state Senator Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge).
The certificates were signed by Massachusetts House of Representatives Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray.
After the presentation, Beaton and Moore briefly addressed the selectmen, questioning the inadequate amount of state aid for the year, now estimated to be just $192,000. In the face of ever tighter town budgets, with Patrick recently announcing that he is earmarking “$52 million to fight global warming,” Town Manager Daniel J. Morgado and Selectmen Chair Henry J. Fitzgerald asked the legislators what hope there was for a more reasonable amount of state aid for the town.
Beaton replied that, while the governor's proposed budget is almost never what is actually passed by the legislature, he “couldn's be more disappointed with the governor” in this year's proposed amount of state aid. Moore added that he is also trying to get the amount of state aid raised for the year.