Edgartown seniors and friends of the Edgartown Council on Aging were treated to a hot meal at the Edgartown Fire Station Friday afternoon, compliments of the town Patrolmen’s Association. The beef tenderloin, vegetables and mashed potato supper began with handmade crab cakes and ended with pie.
For more than 65 guests at the Senior Fall Festival, the fire station might have been one of the town’s finest restaurants. Table cloths, silverware and centerpieces set the tone in what was otherwise a garage for big red fire trucks. Police officers, many of them in uniform, rushed back and forth between the kitchen and and the formal tables, greeting guests and carrying large trays of food. They acted like finely trained waiters and waitresses. Each time the oven was opened, a sweet warm bouquet of fresh cooked food fed the ambiance of the great hall. Nearby, the town’s newest Engine 1 firetruck was parked on the sidelines, ready for a call.
This was the third year the police department has hosted the event, said Officer William Bishop, 28. Every year, they try and make it better, he said. Last year they held it at noon. Seeking a more convenient hour, they tweaked the event to 3 p.m. for patron convenience. Plus, with the help of local cooks, the meal got even tastier. Officer Bishop is the department’s liaison officer for the Edgartown Council on Aging.
A free meal for seniors was only a portion of the patrolmen’s afternoon mission. Officer Bishop said the officers involved, together with firemen and EMS personnel, saw this as outreach. “We want seniors to be more comfortable with our services,” he said. “It is about putting a face to our department.”
Back in the kitchen, Edgartown Council on Aging star chef Diane Wall finished cooking the steaming handmade crab cakes. Nearby, Det. Michael Snowden held a knife on a cutting board and studiously cut generous servings of the beef tenderloin. Patrolman association president and police officer Michael Gazaille stood nearby helping with the serving.
It was a perfect meal. Minutes later Conrad Kurth of Edgartown, seated with friends, echoed the words of others. Speaking about his cut of beef, he said:“This is cooked just the way I like it...excellent.”
In a lull between serving and clearing tables, the police officers took a moment to introduce themselves and speak about what they do for the department. Last to speak was police Chief Antone Bettencourt, who thanked those in attendance on both sides of the table. The chief spoke of his 31 years working for the police department.
Senior paramedic Chuck Cummens took the floor to be instructive. He urged all those at the gathering to recognize that the police, fire and EMS staff aim to help and they are capable of doing it a moment’s notice, beginning with a phone call. “Time is important,” Mr. Cummens said. When you go to bed at night feeling terrible, the time to make an emergency call is not at 3 a.m. in the morning, do it when you aren’t feeling well. He said that thinking you will feel better in the morning isn’t always the best cure.
Sgt. Thomas Smith reiterated Mr. Cummens point. “We are here all night,” Sergeant Smith said.
The afternoon event ended with a dessert of pumpkin pie and plenty of thank you's to go around.
“This was a collaborative effort between a lot of people working behind the scenes to make this happen,” Chief Bettencourt said later. “This is an annual event. We can’t wait to outdo ourselves next year.”
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