For immediate release

GLOUCESTER Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Director of Public Works Michael Hale and Public Health Director Karin Carroll report that the City of Gloucester will close all beach parking lots to non-residents this weekend.

The decision to close the parking lots to non-residents on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 follows numerous resident complaints of excessive trafficthis past weekend.

The last thing we want to do is close our parking lots to visitors, but our City was had an influx of traffic this past weekend, Mayor Romeo Theken said. We need to reduce the amount of traffic, which is a challenge we face every year but has certainly been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.More people are understandably looking to get outside after staying home for months to reduce risk of exposure to the virus, but that has meant traffic is worse and it isnt a sustainable situation for our residents.

This issue is exacerbated as well by the limitations people have on travel, which means more people are taking day trips, Carroll said. However, its critical we ensure there is plenty of space for social distancing on the beach and that residents can go about their daily lives.

Additionally, high tide is expected to take place early in the day Saturday and Sunday, at 10:21 a.m. and 11:07 a.m. respectively according to US Harbors, a factor which significantly reduces the area of beach available for visitors, particularly at Good Harbor and Half Moon Beaches. At Good Harbor, a portion of the beach is also sectioned off as conservation land for Piping Plovers.

This poses a significant challenge as people continue to practice social distancing to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Beach goers are asked to maintain a minimum of 12 feet of distance between toweling and blanket areas.

All parking lots to public beaches will be closed to non-residents this weekend, including the lots at Stage Fort Park, Good Harbor Beach and Wingaersheek Beach. Residents will be able to gain entry with a 2020 beach sticker, 2019 beach sticker, or if they are still waiting to receive their 2020 sticker, a license and registration with a Gloucester address.

The City of Gloucester will make an announcement next week whether the beach parking lots will be re-opened to non residents for the weekend of July 25-26.

Gloucesters public beaches are currently open to a limited number of non-residents, and visitors to the area will still be permitted to park at public beach parking lots in Gloucester on weekdays, for the time being.

Additional city staff will be working at the Stage Fort Park, Good Harbor Beach and Wingaersheek Beach parking lots to ensure non-residents do not park there this weekend.

All beachgoers are reminded of the following guidance from City officials:

Gloucester Beaches will operate as follows:

Beach visitors are also asked to review all signage before entering the beach to ensure rules and regulations will not be inadvertently violated.

This is the first in a series of measures that will be implemented to address beach parking and traffic concerns.

Follow Gloucester Beaches on Facebook for parking updates.

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City of Gloucester to Close Beach Parking Lots to Non-Residents this Weekend - John Guilfoil Public Relations

(WNCN) Welcome to episode seven of Tracking the Tropics, your weekly in-depth look at topics concerning the Atlantic Hurricane season.

On this weeks show, WOWK Chief Meteorologist Spencer Adkins from Charleston, West Virginia talks from North Carolinas Outer Banks about beach renourishment.

It is the middle of hurricane season which also means the middle of vacation season at the beaches. The battle of keeping those beaches full of sand despite year after year of tropical systems is a tough one. Adkins takes us inside that fight and talks about the dynamic of beach renourishment.

Also, CBS 17 Meteorologist Brian Hutton Jr. dives into the importance of hurricane shelters, with an unfortunate twist.

This year has been an odd one with the COVID-19 pandemic going on. What are we to do when it comes to evacuating during the pandemic? Do we still seek out the states many shelters? What are the alternatives? Hutton Jr. spoke with emergency management officials about what you should do if you have to evacuate during these difficult times.

Join CBS 17 every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. for Tracking the Tropics.

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Tracking the Tropics, Week 7: beach renourishment & hurricane shelters amid COVID-19 - WOWK 13 News

Lifeguards in Delaware have a lot of responsibilities, and COVID-19 is adding another layer to the risk they face on each beach day. Delaware News Journal

Heading to the Delaware beaches this weekend?

So is Tropical Storm Fay, which is bringing stormy conditions to Delmarva and forcing the closure of some beaches for the safety of both lifeguards and the public.

Here's what you need to know if you're planning on dipping your toes in the sand the weekend of July 10to 12 and what might be different than normal at the beaches in the current phase of Delaware'sreopening plan.

Swimming is permitted at all beaches, unless dangerous weather conditions arise.Make sure to check in with the local lifeguards before you dive in to learn about any potential hazards in the water or on the sand.

RELATED: Tropical Storm Fay to bring rain, rough surf to Delaware; some beaches closed to swimming

The National Weather Service is warning of a high risk of dangerous rip currents on Friday, which means the surf in Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach will be temporarily off-limits to swimming. Rehoboth Beach lifeguard patrols also plan to close the sand for people's safety.

Delaware's beach towns are open to the public, but government and public health officials warn that everyone's help is neededto curb the spread of COVID-19.

In recent weeks, public health and government officials have raised concerns about spikes in cases at the Delaware beaches, particularly in Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach. Officials have reported that a few teens celebrating senior week in mid-June may have exposed more than 100 people to the virus, and several lifeguards have also tested positive for the virus.

CORONAVIRUS IN DELAWARE: Our latest coverage

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Social distancing is encouraged in all public spaces, and people should maintain at least 6 feet of distance from people who are not members of their immediate household.

As for face masks, they are required to be wornin all public spaces where social distancing is difficult, and inside businesses that are open.

Face masks are recommended, but not required, on most beaches themselves, but social distancing is a requirementon the beach.

Face masks are required in all public places in the city of Rehoboth Beach, although local officials on Tuesday changed requirements for masks on the beach itself.

Masks must be worn on the streets, sidewalks, Boardwalk and inside businesses in Rehoboth Beach city limits. They should also be worn on the beach if social distancing is difficult, officials say.Some exceptions apply, like for children 12 and under and those for whomwearing a mask would present a health risk.

RELATED: What to know about mask requirements at Ocean City, Delaware Beaches

Lewes also requires masks to be worn outdoors in the city's downtown area. Masks on the beaches in Lewes are recommended, but not required.The same goes for Bethany Beach, where people in violation of mask rules can face up to a $100 fine.

At beaches within the Delaware State Parks system, like Cape Henlopen State Park, Fenwick Island State Park and Delaware Seashore State Park near the Indian River Inlet, there will be limits on how many people will be admitted.

Boaters found a good spot to fish, swim and party at a sandbar near Indian River.(Photo: Courtesy of Maj. Gary Emeigh, Civil Air Patrol)

The number of vehicles allowed in will be capped at 60% of parking capacity, according to parks officials. Masks or face coverings are required in bathhouse and concession areas at all three parks and strongly encouraged on the beach as well.

At Cape Henlopen, when the gates are closed, admission also will be restricted for those with surf-fishing tags. Natural resources police will be enforcing the 20-foot minimum distance between vehicles on drive-on beaches.

Delaware is in its second phase of reopening businesses previously restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. John Carney announced on June 25 that the state is pausing moving into the next phase, due to concerns with people not following guidelines.

In late June, he announced that bar service at the Delaware beaches had to shut downahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend.This new guidance will affect only bars in certain ZIP codes in eastern Sussex County, state officials said Tuesday.

GOV. CARNEY: Bars at Delaware beaches to close ahead of July 4 weekend due to coronavirus spike

Current reopening plans allow restaurants to have up to 60% of the people who would be allowed in the building by the fire marshal, not including staff, but they must still adhere to social distancing guidelines. Some have increased outdoor seating to try to accommodate more diners.

Crowds came out on July 4th to Rehoboth Beach, as seen from atop the Atlantic Sands.(Photo: Chuck Snyder/Special to Delaware News Journal)

Carney's additional restriction on beach bars means bar seating within restaurants also will be off-limits. It's unclear when those bar restrictions will be lifted.

People are encouraged to call ahead for reservations, and to check on any changes in normal operating hours or other restrictions.

RELATED: After reopening, some Delaware beach restaurants are reclosing due to coronavirus surge

As of June 22, that 60% capacity cap also applies to personal care services (such as hair and nail salons, tanning, tattoo, massage therapy services and spas)that were previously required to keep occupancy at 30%.

The state is also allowing sports tournaments to resume, as of June 20, pending the approval of submitted safety plans and other requirements.

No additional announcements have been made on when Delaware will enter phase three of the state's rolling reopening plan. For more details on the state's reopening, go togovernor.delaware.gov/delawares-recovery.

Moving toward normalcy means that summer parking fees are also back in place. Parking permits or metered parking is in effect in all of Delaware's beach towns from Lewes to Fenwick Island.

In Rehoboth Beach, a few areas within the first two blocks along Rehoboth Avenue closest to the beach and boardwalk have barricades set up so restaurants can have expanded outdoor seating. Parking is not permitted in those areas.

In Lewes, city officials are supporting businesses by offering free downtown parking from 9 a.m. to noon for shoppers.

Each town has different rules and rates for parking. For more information, visit an individual beach town's website or call Town Hall in the beach town you plan to visit before arriving.

Below are links to each oceanfront beach town's parking policies:

Previous bans on out-of-state travelers and short-term rentalswerelifted in early June. Delaware's reopening plan saysleisure travel "should be avoided" at this time, but it's allowed if people and businesses can adhere to social-distancing-related recommendations, according to the state.

Hotels and other accommodations also are now accepting reservations for vacation stays, though there may be limits and restrictions in gathering areas like lobbies.

Delaware's daily DART beach bus service is fully operational. People can take advantage of the Park & Ride options in Lewes and Rehoboth to avoid heavy beach traffic south of Lewes.

Face coverings are required on public transportation.

Hot weather and clear skies brought thousands of visitors to Rehoboth Beach on Saturday, June 27, 2020. Social distancing did not appear to be followed very strictly on either the beach or boardwalk, with mask usage also not universal.(Photo: Chuck Snyder/Special to Delaware News Journal)

The Lewes Park & Ride is at 17616 Coastal Highway, just south of Five Points, and the Rehoboth Park & Ride is off Route 1 at 20055 Shuttle Road, just north of the entrance to Rehoboth Avenue. Parking is free at both lots.

Cash-only fare due upon boarding for aone-way trip is $2, and an all-day daily pass is $4.20. Seven-daypasses also are available for $18, and a 30-day pass costs$65. For more information, go towww.dartfirststate.com/information/programs/beachbus/index.shtml#parkride.

DART's beach connection, which runs from Wilmington to Rehoboth Beach on weekends and holidays, is also now available.

This weekend's weather is looking to be far less thanpicture-perfect for a trip to the beach. However, forecasts can change as the weekend gets closer.

The National Weather Service forecast for Friday, July 10,inRehoboth Beach is for a stormy day with a high near 80degrees. There is a 100% chance of precipitation with a warning that tropical storm conditions are possible.

FRIDAY STORM: Tropical Storm Fay to bring rain, rough surf to Delaware

Parts of southern Delaware, including Fenwick Island and Rehoboth Beach, are under a flash flood watch until 4 p.m. Friday. A tropical storm warning also has been issued for the area.

There is also a high risk of dangerous rip currents that could sweep swimmers into deeper water on Friday, and that risk could linger into Saturday,the weather service warns.

Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high near 87degrees, and a 40% chance of rain and thunderstorms during the day.

Sunday should be a sunny day with a high near 87.

Water temperatures off the coast of Lewes are reaching the lowto mid-70s this week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As June transitioned into July,Delaware's positive COVID-19 case countswere increasingbymore than 100 new casesper day on average. As of July 9, Delaware had seen a total of12,531 cases, data shows.

Of those cases, 5,626 are in New Castle County, the most populated county in the state. Another 5,008 have been detected in Sussex County.

The pandemic has led to the deaths of 517Delawareans since mid-March. So far, over 130,000 people have been tested in total, and 6,901 people have recovered from the viral disease.

Contact reporter Maddy Lauria at (302) 345-0608,mlauria@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @MaddyinMilford.

Read or Share this story: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2020/07/08/heading-delaware-beaches-weekend-here-tips-your-trip/5382909002/

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Heading to Delaware beaches this weekend? What you need to know about masks, restrictions - The News Journal

Galveston County has seen a recent spike in COVID-19 cases as tourists pack the island.

GALVESTON, Texas Fun in the sun on the sand and in the surf is possible again on Galveston Island.

But open beaches are a mixed blessing on the island as COVID-19 continues to spread.

According to the Galveston County Health District, coronavirus cases have doubled over the last two weeks to more than 5,300 cases. And the county is currently averaging more than 200 positive cases per day.

Galveston recently overtook Fort Bend County -- which has more than twice the population -- to become the county with the second most cases in Greater Houston behind Harris County.

Beaches closed last weekend because of soaring COVID-19 cases.

I know last weekend it was closed on the 4th of July," said visitor Tasha Nelson. "So I just wanted to come out here this weekend because the kids have been in the house all week.

The closure cut deeply into the bottom lines of island businesses like Bennos on the Beach.

"It was way off," said Benno's GM Tracy Deltz. "I was probably off a little better than 50% of what I shouldve done.

The City of Galveston is trying to control crowds by restricting access in some areas. Parking along a busy stretch of Seawall Boulevard is prohibited through Sunday.

And beach accessibility has been a concern among local health officials since Memorial Day.

"Can you go to the beach safely?" Galveston Co. Health Authority Phillip Keiser recently asked. "Yeah, I think you can, but if you come to the beach and its really crowded and theres not a good place where your family can be safe, perhaps thats not a good thing to do.

Businesses told us they continue to abide by social distancing and other measures and encourage island visitors to do the same.

"Hopefully, well be able to get the numbers down on this coronavirus to be able to keep beaches open, you know, through Labor Day, said Deltz.

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Galveston beaches are open this weekend but most Seawall parking is banned - KHOU.com

A driver was arrested Tuesday in Huntington Beach after allegedly fatally hitting a bicyclist and fleeing the scene, police said.

The Huntington Beach Police Department said it responded to a report of a traffic collision involving a vehicle and a bicycle at 12:25 a.m. Tuesday, near the corner of Beach Boulevard and Sunrise Drive.

Police found a male bicyclist in the roadway, and he was pronounced dead by responding paramedics, HBPD Sgt. Joshua Page said. The involved vehicle was later located and the driver arrested for fleeing the scene.

Police did not release the names of the deceased or the arrested driver.

The investigation is ongoing, Page said, and being investigated by the HBPD Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team. Anyone with information is asked to contact traffic investigator Doug Demetre at (714) 536-5670.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.

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Driver arrested after allegedly fatally striking bicyclist in Huntington Beach and then fleeing - Los Angeles Times

Tensions are breaking out on beaches and tourists from Lombardy have reported instances of discrimination as Italys first holiday season since the coronavirus outbreak gets under way.

Residents of Codogno, in Lodi province, the first town in the countrys badly affected Lombardy region to be quarantined, have claimed attempts to book holidays elsewhere in Italy were rebuffed after they revealed they would be travelling from a former red zone.

Among them was Davide Passerini, who lives in Codogno but is mayor of the small town of Fombio, another area quarantined early. His accommodation booking for a weekend away in Tuscany was rejected after the owner discovered he was from Codogno.

Even if these are rare episodes, the prejudice leaves you feeling very bitter, Passerini said. It is the result of ignorance among those who dont understand that people coming from the first red zones are today probably less likely to bring the virus because the level of contagion in these places is now close to zero and has been for a long time. But in the minds of some people, Codogno remains synonymous with infectious disease.

During a phone-in to an Italian radio show last week, a couple from another area hard-hit by the virus spoke about being turned away at a hotel reception with the excuse that the establishment was fully booked.

At the same time, tempers are rising as people jostle for space on packed public beaches, where safety rules are rarely observed. On a beach in Ostia, near Rome, last weekend a 20-year-old woman was slapped after she asked a fellow beachgoer to move his towel because there was no safe distance between them.

Marina Marzari, a psychologist from Veneto, said her recent experience at a beach in the Marche region went from paradise to hell within a few hours as large groups descended throughout the day.

It was the most dense crowd Ive ever experienced, she said. There were no masks and not even the slightest distancing being respected. Its really dangerous.

Marzari called the local police several times but she said nobody came to patrol the beach. Weve all made sacrifices in recent months but feel taken for a ride after having stayed at home for so long, as when we go out situations like this arent made safe. If I get sick due to something similar I will press charges against the state.

Safety rules at privately run establishments, where people can rent loungers and umbrellas, have been easier to maintain.

Even though requirements are similar for free beaches people can gather in groups of no more than four people, maintaining a 1.5-metre distance from others, and beach games are banned they have been more difficult to enforce.

But some areas are starting to take action. Authorities on Ischia, an island off Naples, last week imposed an exclusion law, known as a daspo in Italy, that will ban those who flout safety regulations from the beach for the rest of the summer season.

Enzo Ferrandino, the mayor of Ischia, told local newspapers: The right to go to the beach in safety must be defended. We owe it to those who deserve a little more respect in an island that sometimes lets itself be overwhelmed by selfishness.

In Bordighera, a beach town in Liguria, stewards have been hired to patrol public beaches, and a similar move is being planned by authorities in Salerno, Campania.

The coronavirus transmission rate in Italy has slowed considerably since lockdown restrictions began to be eased in May, despite the emergence of clusters across the country that have mostly been due to imported infections. People have been able to travel between regions since early June.

But as they adapt to living alongside the virus, judgments over the risk have polarised peoples attitudes and behaviour.

When there is strong social anxiety, this is typical, said Giuseppe Pantaleo, a social psychologist at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan. So we either treat everyone as a potential source of infection, which has some justification as the data is still so awful in other countries, or we go to the opposite extreme and totally deny the risk.

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Coronavirus brings tension and prejudice to Italy's beaches - The Guardian

East Haven, Connecticut - Wednesday, July 8, 2020: The Town of East Haven beach.

East Haven, Connecticut - Wednesday, July 8, 2020: The Town of East Haven beach.

Photo: Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media

East Haven, Connecticut - Wednesday, July 8, 2020: The Town of East Haven beach.

East Haven, Connecticut - Wednesday, July 8, 2020: The Town of East Haven beach.

Mill River sewage spill spurs closures of East Haven, Branford beaches

EAST HAVEN People will be prohibited from swimming or fishing at beaches in Branford and East Haven, as well as in New Haven, in the near term after millions of gallons of sewage spilled into the Mill River, officials said Wednesday.

In a message to residents, East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora said he was forced to close town beaches to swimming, recreational shellfishing and fishing for several days or at least until the water is deemed safe by local health officials.

This is not a decision taken lightly but was done after consultation with local health officials who said the water is not currently safe to enter, said Carfora.

In Branford, town officials closed beaches and shellfishing areas until further notice, according to an announcement sent to residents.

We anticipate that the closures will last for the next 2-3 days depending on water quality testing. This applies to all public and private beaches, Branford officials said. For updates please check the East Shore Health Department website.

West Haven Parks & Recreation said on its Facebook page that, according to Health Director Maureen B. Lillis, as a precaution, city beaches are closed until further notice due to the sewage spill in New Haven. ... The city will notify the public once Lillis is confident that the beaches are safe to reopen.

Dr. Joseph Zelson, the former health director in Orange, said five members of his competitive swim team were training at Montowese Beach in Branford, as they do nearly every day, for about 45 minutes Tuesday before they were notified that the beaches were closed. There were no signs posted, he said.

He said he was concerned that something in the system was not working properly, given that information was not shared more broadly until two days after the spill.

There should be a better, more reliable system to disseminate information quickly and completely. Most towns have reverse 911 systems when they tell about road closures or parades and other less critical issues, said Zelson. This certainly should qualify. If yesterday wasnt so cold and windy and wavy, there would have been many swimmers in the water.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said Tuesday that more than 2 million gallons of sewage had spilled into the river near the Whitney Dam before a pipe was repaired by the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority.

At a news conference on Wednesday, he and other officials advised residents to avoid the river water in the near future.

As a resident of New Haven and a neighbor of the Mill River and someone that walks with my family along the Mill River all the time its obviously very concerning, the fact that we had a pretty significant sewage leak, Elicker said at the Wednesday press conference streamed by the New Haven Independent.

WPCA Director of Operations Gary Zrelak said the city was notified at roughly 5 a.m. Monday that water was running down Whitney Avenue, with officials finding a pipe collapse had blocked the normal flow of sewage down the major line which carries roughly 3 million gallons on a normal day and caused it to flow to the surface.

The nearest manhole is 2,100 feet away on Park Street, Zrelak said, complicating repair efforts. The portion of the pipe that collapsed does not have a cover, he said, to maintain a siphon effect that helps effluent run downhill.

The majority of the flow was stopped by 9:30 p.m. or so, Zrelak said, and completely closed by 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The segment of the pipe will be replaced, Zrelak said. It had already had been on the to-do list, he said crews had been scheduled to stop the line Tuesday to allow for the interior lining to be replaced; the collapse happened on Monday.

Murphys Law prevails, said Zrelak.

Zrelak said the WPCA would work on its notification skills and protocols for future incidents.

Elicker said the city had been informed of a small leak, but not told promptly about the true extent of the problem, delaying its ability to share information with residents.

He said a car full of youths pulled up alongside him while he was walking his dog around 7 p.m. Tuesday, telling him there were dead fish in the river he then realized there was a bigger issue than the city had thought, and the advisory to residents was issued shortly thereafter.

Zrelak said WPCA had notified the state and Hamden officials of the issue within two hours, as required, as the spill occurred over the line in that community.

The magnitude of the situation needs to be clearly communicated (in the future), said Zrelak.

New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond said residents were advised not to swim or boat in the river as a precautionary measure until water testing results come in.

Initial information was expected Wednesday afternoon, she said, with additional tests of water quality and safety scheduled for the coming days.

Elicker said the spill does not affect the safety of tap water.

Will Healey, spokesman with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said Tuesday that staffers had not seen a fishkill or visible solids in the river while monitoring the spill.

Typically there is minimal remediation that can be done for such an event. If there is evidence of solids, DEEP would expect the municipality to have crews perform cleanup of the solids. We dont recommend chlorination, as the impacts from chlorination are often worse than potential impacts of the sewage spill. Potential for bacterial impacts typically dissipates after 48 hours, Healey said in an email.

Healey said that while DEEP believes that this spill would not significantly impact water quality at either Hammonasset Beach State Park or Silver Sands State Park, additional water quality testing will be conducted at both on Thursday, with results available Friday. Hammonasset is in Madison and Silver Sands is in Milford.

Any closures will be announced on DEEPs Twitter feed, @CTStateParks, and at

https://portal.ct.gov/

whatsopenoutdoors.

UPDATE: The original version of this story indicated that the members of Joseph Zelsons swim team were training in the Mill River. He clarified Thursday that they were swimming off of Montowese Beach in Branford, which was also closed after the spill.

william.lambert

@hearstmediact.com

Original post:

Mill River sewage spill spurs closures of East Haven, Branford beaches - New Haven Register

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Groups of people hang out at Lakeside Beach Thursday, July 9, 2020, in Port Huron. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, parking pass sales show that the beaches have seen an increase in the number of people going to them over last year.(Photo: Brian Wells/Times Herald)

The beaches in Port Huron are a lot more crowded this summer than usual.

City officials are crediting the seasons extra sunny weather and the coronavirus pandemic as the leading reasons with, by far, the most visitors coming in from outof town to relax along Lake Huron.

I agree with people. With the pools being closed and with a lot of facilities throughout the county and (state), not just parks and rec," there's less to do, saidNancy Winzer, Port Huron parks and recreation director.

The weather this year, I think its a combo because last year we had a lot of rain early on and it was a bit chillier, she said. All that combined. Its been fabulous out as far as the weather goes. And again, having something for people to do.

Between May 29 and Tuesday this week, theres been 7,147 day parking passes sold to visitors from outside of St. Clair County, which translated into $142,940, at just Lakeside Park. At Lighthouse, where theres a much smaller parking lot and many beachgoers park on neighborhood streets, thereve been 701 passes sold for $7,010.

Both are than twice the numbers for the same period in 2019.

Last year, thered been just 3,411 out-of-county day passes sold at Lakeside and 394 at Lighthouse for $68,220 and $3,940, respectively.

Boats are anchored on Lake Huron off of Lakeside Beach Thursday, July 9, 2020, in Port Huron. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, parking pass sales show that the beaches have seen an increase in the number of people going to them over last year.(Photo: Brian Wells/Times Herald)

Attracting out-of-towners to Blue Water Area beaches has been something local officials have touted in the past. Admitting shes very biased, Winzer said the number of visitors makes sense despite the ongoing pandemic.

Its no shock to me that people would drive here, she said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Katie Fitzgerald was waiting for her family by a vehicle to leave Lakesides beach for the day. She was in from New Mexico, visiting loved ones in Almont in Lapeer County.

I had a great time, it was wonderful, she said of the beach day. She said that she was glad to have been able to visit the park, while also keeping a safe distance from other beachgoers after having some minor reservations because of COVID-19.

Im part of an at-risk population. You can probably tell Im over 65, Fitzgerald said with a laugh. So, when they talked about us coming today, I asked questions about how crowded it was here and whether or not wed be able to social distance. Folks whod been here before assured me.

Groups of people hang out at Lighthouse Beach Thursday, July 9, 2020, in Port Huron. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, parking pass sales show that the beaches have seen an increase in the number of people going to them over last year.(Photo: Brian Wells/Times Herald)

City administrators like Winzer and City Manager James Freed said that, also unlike some years past, theyre getting a lot more beachgoers during the week.

However, Freed said the biggest chunk of parking sales this year has come within the last couple of weeks, particularly because of the July 4 holiday weekend.

It is weird. We wouldnt even really staff the park during the week or we would, but itd be one or two people, he said, after leavingLakeside Park Thursday, where he visited his daughter at the splash pad during a midday lunch break.

According to the city, theres also morecity and in-county residents visiting the beach. There were small anomalies for residents from just Port Huron Township and Fort Gratiot, but the increases, all of which are at Lakeside, from 2019 to this year are as follows:

Overall, there have been 10,439 parking passes sold at Lakeside this year for $153,015,versus last years 6,036 passes for $77,295.

The citys parking rates are free seasonally and daily for Port Huron residents. St. Clair County residents can get a day and seasonal pass for $5 and $35, respectively. Out-of-county day passes are $20.

Carol Poirier, of Fort Gratiot, was still enjoying the beach at Lakeside on Wednesday with her five granddaughters even after a bit of sprinkling rain.

It looked like a major storm was going to come in, she said. It just missed us. We could see it over there. Isnt that funny? We just put everything in the car and then decided to stay a little longer.

Poirier said it was her first time checking out the waterfront park this season.

She said theres not a whole bunch for the kids to do, and that they decided to kill some time with the visit. Like others, she wasnt worried about exposure to COVID-19 because they were outdoors.

Im an essential worker. I work for the Post Office. I havent been off since the pandemic (started), Poirier said. I do feel safe. I think if you do your normal, basic hygiene. Washing hands. Im not worried about it.

Prior to the Memorial Day weekend, the city had prepared its beaches to limit parking capacity and prevent usage of communal amenities like picnic tables and grills.

Once Gov. Gretchen Whitmer began to lift COVID restrictions in June, however, city officials said rules at the beach relaxed. As of the July 4 weekend, there were no limits to parking and amenities. The splash pad, which had been closed, was also in use.

We take a lot of state and federal money, so we checked into this quite thoroughly in what we can and cant do. The governor was very clear about recreational spaces (that could) open, Winzer said.

The parks and rec official said they also work with local authorities and maintain precautions with staff.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

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Port Huron's beaches are twice as packed with visitors this summer, according to parking pass sales - The Times Herald

I didnt feel comfortable, necessarily, going there, Alves said. We definitely were targeted [that] Friday.

The episode was a harsh reminder to Alves and Bell of the enduring legacy of racism at Carson Beach, where change, while hard-fought, remains unfinished. Forty-five years ago, on Aug. 10, 1975, hundreds of Black protesters, fed up with the indignity and terror of living in an intensely segregated city, rallied at Carson Beach to assert their right to use Bostons public spaces. What started as a peaceful protest, however, devolved into violence between Black and white demonstrators, further cementing Bostons national reputation for racial rancor.

The Carson Beach protests were an extension over the battles of school desegregation, said Matthew Delmont, a history professor at Dartmouth College and author of Why Busing Failed: Race, Media, and the National Resistance to School Desegregation. It also speaks to the larger context of race relations in Boston, where different groups felt like they had the authority to quote-unquote defend different neighborhoods or defend their turf.

In the summer of 1975, Boston was ripe for violence. A year earlier, US District Judge W. Arthur Garrity had found the Boston School Committee guilty of deliberately segregating the citys schools. His ruling triggered vicious anti-integration protests, particularly in South Boston, where white, working-class residents ferociously resisted the enrollment of Black students at South Boston High.

Racial skirmishes flared throughout the school year and continued as the days grew hotter. On July 27, 1975, tensions boiled over when a white mob attacked a group of six out-of-state Black Bible and magazine salesmen who were visiting Carson Beach.

Weve been working all week and we just wanted to come to the beach and enjoy ourselves, James Barrowright, one of the salesmen, told reporters at the time. He and two colleagues were forced to take shelter at the District 6 police precinct, while another salesman was taken to Boston City Hospital (now called Boston Medical Center) with head trauma. Next thing we know, all we see is white faces calling us [n-words] and telling us to get out of here.

One week after the attack on the Black salesmen, on Aug. 3, 1975, about 300 white youths, some as young as 10 or 12, turned up at Carson Beach, armed with makeshift weapons. Handwritten leaflets distributed throughout South Boston had warned that Black marchers planned to take over our beaches and wont let the honkies use them, according to a Globe report. But the rumored takeover never materialized.

The specter of organized violence against Black Bostonians, however, was enough to compel protesters to the scene. Days later, Thomas Atkins, president of the Boston NAACP, along with the heads of other Black civic groups, announced their intention to hold a picnic at the beach on Sunday, Aug. 10, 1975. The purpose of the picnic, Atkins said, was to reaffirm the fundamental right of every citizen to use public facilities and to test if the police would protect them before another tumultuous school year began.

We were tired of racism, meanness, violence, so we said were going to the beach whatever it takes, said 69-year-old Renee Cail, who had joined the protest as a young woman.

News of the event incensed the people of Southie. The South Boston Residents Group said the picnic would incite retaliation, and City Councilor Louise Day Hicks, Bostons most prominent opponent of court-ordered desegregation, accused Atkins of yell[ing] fire in a crowded theater.

There were threats, of course, recalled 79-year-old Percy Wilson, executive director of the Roxbury Multi-Service Center at the time. He was one of the Black civic leaders sharing the podium with Atkins when the picnic-protest was announced and on the receiving end of several menacing phone calls. I think my life was threatened. Some other peoples lives were threatened, but we didnt see that as something that would cause us not to go.

The day had started optimistically enough, the Globe reported. Black protesters convened at Franklin Park, and their 300-car motorcade, joined by a police escort, journeyed toward Carson Beach. By noon, however, throngs of white onlookers began clustering along the beachfront. Cail felt leery when she arrived and noticed all of the police officers, some on horseback. Things took a turn when a crowd of white counterprotesters stormed the shoreline, lobbing insults and projectiles at the Black demonstrators, including Cails husband, who was struck in the chest.

It was supposed to be a peaceful protest, she said. But when they start calling us [n-words], you dont belong here, this is not your beach, thats when the Black people started saying, This is not your beach either . . . They were throwing anything at us they could get their hands on, and the Black people started throwing stuff back.

The police attempted to separate the warring factions, pushing the white antagonists to Day Boulevard, while the Black protesters spilled into the ocean. The Globe described a surreal scene: A thin line of officers and a mere 10 yards of sand divided the Black and white crowds, who exchanged jeers and flung stones, bottles, and even shoes at one another. Helicopters droned overheard. The ranks of both groups were swelling by the minute, the Globe reported, with dozens of new arrivals from every direction but the water.

I remember almost getting trampled with a horse. It was that fierce, said the Rev. Miniard Culpepper, senior pastor of the Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Dorchester and one of Cails brothers. Police on horseback charged into ocean. Rocks soared into the opposing groups and crashed on parked cars. Bloody brawls erupted. Sirens wailed in the distance.

In all, 800 police from multiple agencies were deployed to quell the turmoil at Carson Beach, 40 people were injured, and 10 were arrested. The Globe estimated that 1,500 white and as many as 700 Black people had assembled at the beach as the demonstration degenerated into a fullfledged race riot.

As soon as the melee broke out, Cail and her group raced to their car. In the years since, Cail, who now lives in Atlanta, hasnt thought much about that horrible, horrible day in Southie, but the memories flood back in an instant. What stands out most were the looks on the white counter-protesters faces, scrunched up and seized with hate.

Gosh, it was terrible, the way they look at you like youre less than human, she said. Its disheartening because you dont understand why. What is it? What is it about us?

It shakes the very core of your being, she added. Its that devastating.

The clash at Carson Beach ignited a wave of street violence in Black and white neighborhoods over the next several days. But as the temperatures cooled the following week, so did tensions. Racial violence broke out again at Carson Beach in the summer of 1977 between white and Black residents of South Boston and Columbia Point. But decades later, Culpepper looks back at the 1975 beach protest as a victory for Bostons Black community.

Whenever I ride by there and I see Black people and white people on the beach and enjoying the beach, it reminds me of how much we fought for them to be able to enjoy that beach today, he said.

Today, the sandy stretch along Dorchester Bay draws a more diverse crowd. On a recent weekday, a parade of multihued umbrellas dotted the pebble- and seashell-encrusted shore. A light breeze cut through the oppressive humidity. Several sought relief by wading in the ocean.

But wariness still lingers. Growing up in Roxbury, Bell, who helped organize the Juneteenth event, said she was warned Southie was a no-go zone for Black people. When Alvess mother, Lorraine Marshall, was 12 years old, a stranger shoved her off the pier at Carson Beach. Marshall didnt know how to swim. Her white friend, whod invited her to the beach, dove in after her.

They marched nevertheless that Friday, playing James Browns Im Black and Im Proud on loudspeakers and chanting through a megaphone, We come in peace! Black lives matter on Carson Beach! Then they formed a circle and stood in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds the length of time a white Minneapolis police officer crushed George Floyds neck beneath his knee. Dozens of strangers joined them, Alves said, as far as you could see out, to the left, to right, to the water.

It was a poignant moment the highlight of a day marred by racism. Bell has no desire to ever return. But Alves wants to go back and press for change, to ensure no one else feels unwelcome at Carson Beach.

We want to be able to just go to the beach and have a great day, Alves said. We need to make sure we make that happen.

Deanna Pan can be reached at deanna.pan@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @DDpan.

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45 years ago, Black protesters tried to desegregate Carson Beach. The peaceful demonstration quickly turned violent - The Boston Globe

A woman is being summonsed to court on animal cruelty charges after she allegedly abused her dog before it drowned at Revere Beach Sunday.

State police say they were called to the area of the beach near the Shirley Avenue Bathhouse around noon for a report of an injured dog. Lifeguards and Revere firefighters were attempting to revive the dog, a Chihuahua mix, that was experiencing severe medical distress, but it died.

A 57-year-old Saugus woman, who reportedly owned the dog along with a Chelsea man and has not been publicly identified, told troopers at the scene that she had brought the dog into the water when he suddenly became stricken and apparently drowned, police said in a release.

After police let the woman leave with the animals body, some people who had been on the beach reportedly told troopers that they had seen the woman abuse the dog before it died. Shes now being summonsed to court on various animal cruelty charges; she wasnt arrested since she left before police spoke with the witnesses, authorities said.

The dogs body was taken from the Chelsea man Monday morning with help from the Animal Rescue League, the release said.

State police are continuing to investigate.

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A woman allegedly abused a dog before it drowned at Revere Beach Sunday - Boston.com