The West Australian

Perth's beaches and riverfront may be among the best in the world - but visitors want more.

As a result, the Tourism Council's strategy to boost tourism numbers, released this week, has recommended that the city's beachside accommodation be improved and a greater focus be given to evening activities on the beach and riverfront.

"Water sports in Fremantle, diving at Rottnest Island, deep sea fishing off Hillarys, swimming at Rockingham, dolphins in Mandurah and Swan River cruises are classic Perth experiences," the report said.

"But discerning locals and visitors are always in search of some extra comfort and amenity."

The report said facilities at landmark beaches such as Scarborough and Cottesloe had fallen behind their local and national counterparts. Both needed improved infrastructure and management to "realise their potential as major attractions for the local community and beyond".

This should include boardwalks, seating, shade and play spaces.

"Similarly, local icons Rottnest Island and Fremantle each require sustained investment in visitor infrastructure to enable them to remain competitive in a global market," the report said.

"For Fremantle, accelerating the revitalisation of Victoria Quay and the passenger terminal to incorporate a high-quality arrival and departure experience is essential for the 450,000 to 550,000 visitors who pass through each year.

"For Rottnest Island, a luxury accommodation option is fundamental to re-engage high yield locals and the lucrative Asian market."

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Our beaches are great but 'still lacking'

Beach Mirror

The Beaches International Jazz Festival received some good news late Wednesday afternoon as Ontarios Minister of Tourism Culture and Sport, Michael Chan, announced the local event is on tap to receive a $75,000 grant from the Ontario Music Fund (OMF).

The new three-year, $45 million OMF, administered by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, is aimed at strengthening and stimulating growth in the provinces music companies and supporting this growing sector.

As weve said all along, we value the contribution of the Beaches Jazz Festival and have been a proud partner in their success over the years by providing funding through our various programs, Chan wrote in an email to The Mirror.

In January, the Beaches Jazz Festival applied to the Ontario Music Fund and earlier this week was awarded a conditional grant of $75,000. This support will help the festival consolidate their performance stages and showcase a greater diversity of musicians and performers.

Chan said this latest funding infusion good news for the Beaches Jazz Festival as it will help attract tourists and support Ontarios Live Music Strategy.

He also said Ministry staff would continue to work with Beaches Jazz organizers to find ways to ensure the events continued success.

A formal announcement of all the successful Ontario Music Fund applicants is set to take place in the coming months.

Were pleased and grateful weve received a conditional grant from the OMF, said Lido Chilelli, the festivals executive director, Thursday afternoon .

Its coincidental that we got this $75,000 grant now.

Originally posted here:

Beaches Jazz Festival set to receive $75,000 Ontario Music Fund grant

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Performers at the 2012 Beaches International Jazz Festival.

TORONTO TheOntario government has come up with $75,000 for the Beaches International Jazz Festival.

In January, the Beaches Jazz Festival applied to the Ontario Music Fund and earlier this week was awarded a conditional grant of $75,000, said Michael Chan, minister of tourism, culture and sport, in a statement released Wednesday.

Ministry staff continue to work with the festival organizers on ways to ensure the events continued success.

Global News was first to report on March 19 that the annual summer festival was denied a Celebrate Ontario grant this year, forcing organizers to scale back the event.

Executive directorLido Chilelli said he was shocked and warned of drastic changes to the event, which runs July 18 to 27.

Were going to have to scale down the festival to what it was about 10 years ago, he said.

BELOW: Watch Carey Marsden report on funding woes for the Beaches Jazz Festival

The festivalreceived $75,000 in each of the last six years. This year, it was seeking $120,000.

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Province gives $75k to Beaches Jazz Festival

The recommendation from the citys Ad Hoc Committee on Dogs could include designating Good Harbor and Wingaersheek beaches as off-leash areas for folks who want to frolic with their Fidos a little more freely.

Steve LeBlanc, the Ward 3 city councilor who chaired the ad hoc committee, said the current recommendation which he admitted could change before it is presented to the Ordinances and Administration subcommittee on April 14 and then to a public hearing on April 22 is designed to provide dog owners with a little more latitude when it comes to taking their dogs off the leash.

Right now, if your dogs are off the leash in the city of Gloucester outside of the dog park, youre breaking the law, LeBlanc said Wednesday. We were looking for specific areas of the city where we could ease restrictions and provide them with a little more leeway.

LeBlanc said the recommendation for off-leash access at the beaches will include prescribed hours in the mornings and evenings, as well as signage explaining the new laws that will include limits of dogs per owner, licensing, behavioral guidelines and enforcement of sanitary measures.

First time, youll get a warning, LeBlanc said. Were not going to go full-throttle right out of the gate.

He said the schedule will allow ward councilors to hold public meetings in their wards to generate citizen feedback on the possibility of leash-free areas at the two beaches and to incorporate that feedback into any revisions to the citys current dog-related ordinances.

I think the committee did a really good job to recognize those areas where we might be able to make changes to our dog ordinances, LeBlanc said. Now it will go back to O&A and from there to the council as a whole.

LeBlanc said the committee chose Good Harbor and Wingaersheek because of the relative expanse of both beaches and their setting away from busy roadways.

We looked at other beaches, such as Niles Beach, but for one reason or another, they didnt really work as well, he said.

LeBlanc said Public Works Superintendent Michael Hale will have to sign off on the inclusion of any off-leash areas and regulations. He also said the ad hoc committee plans to speak with police Chief Lenny Campanello about the realistic expectations for enforcement of the new rules.

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City may change leash law for beaches

Just Another Afternoon in St. Barths!...
An afternoon at the popular Nikki Beach in St. Barths. We headed over to St. Barths aboard Vernol #39;s Trans Anguilla Airways. A smooth ride over, a walk throug...

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@CNN @ErinBurnett misguided errounous comments about Panama Beaches apr 20th, 2014
View Panamenian beaches here: https://www.michantin.com/?p=3165 This is CNN anchor Erin Burnett talking about a beach in Panama on a totally unrelated topic ...

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@CNN @ErinBurnett misguided errounous comments about Panama Beaches apr 20th, 2014 - Video

ABOVE: Beaches Jazz Festival organizer launches petition to save funding. Carey Marsden reports.

This post has been updated to properly identify the individual behind the petition as a festival organizer.

TORONTO A Beaches Jazz Festival organizer has launched an online petitionto urge Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne to restore funding to the free summer event after its request for a $120,000 grant was rejected.

The festival, which attracted an estimated 500,000 people last year, received $75,000 from the Celebrate Ontario program in each of the last six years.

Organizers were told on March 13 that they would no longer receive the funding this time around.

This year, the festival is in danger of being drastically reduced in size and scope, reads the petition, posted at change.org by Joanna Katchutas, the festivals Multi-Arts and Photography program coordinator.

Critics argued the move seemed odd as the governing Liberals awarded a $300,000 grant to multimillionaire rap star Drake to stage his two-day OVO Fest in Toronto this summer.

BELOW: The Beaches Jazz Festival has been denied a provincial grant it has received in the past. Carey Marsden reports on March 20.

Tourism Minister Michael Chan defended the decision on Monday, saying Celebrate Ontario is a competitive program, which attracted 441 applications last year, and supports many events across the province.

Unfortunately this year, the jazz festival, the proposal they submitted they were not able to make it, he said.

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Beaches Jazz Festival supporter launches petition to save funding

Watch:Beaches Jazz Festival supporters launch petition to save funding. Carey Marsden reports.

TORONTO Beaches Jazz Festival supporters have launched an online petitionto urge Ontarioto restore funding to the free summer event after an annual provincial grant was not renewed this month.

The festival, which attracted an estimated 500,000 people last year, received $75,000 from the Celebrate Ontario program in each of the last six years.

Organizers were told on March 13 that they would no longer receive the funding this time around.

This year, the festival is in danger of being drastically reduced in size and scope because the funding that it has regularly received for the past 6 years has not been renewed by the government, the petition wrote.

Critics argued the move seemed odd as the governing Liberals reportedly awarded a $300,000 grant to multimillionaire rap star Drake was to stage his two-day OVO Fest in Toronto this summer.

Watch: (Mar 20) The Beaches Jazz Festival has been denied a provincial grant it has received in the past. Carey Marsden reports.

Meanwhile, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, a company thats estimated to be worth $2 billion, wants $10 million from the province to upgrade BMO Field in Toronto a city-owned property.

The company that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, and Torontos professional soccer team says it will put in $90 million for the upgrade, but only if it gets $30 million from the city, province and federal government.

Tourism Minister Michael Chan defended the decision on Monday, saying Celebrate Ontario is a competitive program, which attracted 441 applications last year, and supports many events across the province.

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Beaches Jazz Festival supporters launch petition to save funding

A whale spotted between Fremantle and Swanbourne yesterday. Picture: Twitter/Surf Lifesaving WA

A five-metre beaked whale has been spotted just 20 metres offshore at popular Perth beaches this week, prompting a warning for beachgoers to be careful.

The Department of Parks and Wildlife says it is monitoring the whale, which has been sighted between Cottesloe and Fremantle beaches for several days.

Senior marine wildlife officer Doug Coughran said it was rare for such an animal to be seen so close to Perth shores, and it could be due to illness.

"We will continue to monitor the situation, but we will not intervene unless it comes ashore," he said.

"Obviously we understand the curiosity beachgoers may have to get close to the animal, however we would like to remind the public that they should maintain a safe distance of 30m at all times in the water to ensure the whale's wellbeing is not compromised."

To report any sick or injured animals, call the Wildcare Helpline on 9474 9055.

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Whale swims close to Perth beaches

FORT LAUDERDALE Thousands of migrating sharks swam close to South Florida beaches over the past few days, prompting beach closures and sending two people to the hospital with minor bites.

The beach at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park remained closed Monday after hundreds of sharks were sighted near swimming areas, many chasing fish "very close to shore," said Mara Burger, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Gulf Stream Park's beach was closed and reopened three times on Sunday, as lifeguards ordered swimmers from the water at the sight of sharks.

Off Delray Beach on Saturday afternoon, Kurt Hoffman was dragging his arm in the water from his kite board when he suddenly felt pressure on his arm.

"It was less than a second," he said. "It was a hit and a release. It felt like a bear trap. I pulled myself in pretty much like a rocket. And I pulled my feet up because I didn't want to get bitten again. All I see is blood running down my arm. I yelled 'Shark bite! A shark bit me!'"

Hoffman, whose company The Kite Doctor repairs damaged kiteboarding kites, suffered 15 to 18 puncture wounds across a seven-inch span. At St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, he was given antibiotics, in addition to treatment for his wound, because sharks' mouths team with bacteria.

On Friday, a 9-year-old boy on a surfboard or boogie board was bitten on his foot and ankle, said Lt. Anthony Giarrusso, of North Palm Beach Fire Rescue. He was taken to St. Mary's for treatment.

Every spring, a huge number of blacktip and spinner sharks migrate from their winter homes off Broward and Palm Beach counties north, with many going as far as the Carolinas.

"These two bites sound very much like what you'd expect around this time in South Florida," said Stephen Kajiura, associate professor of biology at Florida Atlantic University, who gathers data on the migration by air on flights between the Boca and Jupiter inlets. "We have large numbers of sharks that are migrating through here."

Blacktips and spinners reach a maximum length of six feet, not large enough to see a human being as prey. When they bite someone, Kajiura said, it is typically a case of mistaken identity in murky water.

"If you see a flash in the water, a hand or a foot, it looks like a little fish," he said. "They're fish eaters, and they're going after all these little baitfish, it's not a surprise that we're seeing this this time of year."

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Migration of thousands of sharks closes Florida beaches

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#39;Beaches #39; by Tokyo Police Club
Check out CBC Music: http://www.cbcmusic.ca Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CBCMusic Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbcmusic It #39;s be...

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Beaches of St Martin and St Maarten
it was a great trip http://unboxingexperience.blogspot.com http://on.fb.me./unboxingexperience.

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Beaches of St Martin and St Maarten - Video

New In Ground Swimming Pool Travertine - West Palm Beach, Florida (561) 203-0270
http://www.poolspalmbeaches.com - (561) 203-0270 - If you like the look and natural feel of marble, however, would prefer a more cost-effective option, trave...

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New In Ground Swimming Pool Travertine - West Palm Beach, Florida (561) 203-0270 - Video

Cali Day One: Of Beaches and Beer
i run around manhattan beach with derek. things happen. pictures are taken. jorts get wet. come see california with me! subscribe! i will try my best to put ...

By: Sean Peterson

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Cali Day One: Of Beaches and Beer - Video

GALVESTON - Oil washed up on tourist beaches in Galveston Monday, two days after the collision of a barge and a tanker spilled an estimated 168,000 gallons of oil into the Houston Ship Channel, an official said.

The oil on Galveston beaches was in the form of tar balls, relatively easy to clean up, primarily on the east end of Galveston Island, said Charlie Kelly, Galveston's emergency management coordinator.

Meanwhile, authorities prepared to send a test vessel into the channel to see if it could navigate the waterway without encountering oil. If so, the channel could reopoen to at least some traffic later Monday, officials said.

The ferry between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula, closed since the spill, was expected to reopen by 6:15 p.m. Monday, officials said. For now, services will be limited to between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

A total of 81 vessels waited Monday to move through the channel as authorities continued efforts to contain and recover oil.

As of 6 a.m. Monday, the command said in a statement, 43 outbound vessels and 38 inbound vessels were waiting for the channel to be reopened.

On Sunday, salvage vessels finished pumping about 750,000 gallons of heavy marine fuel oil from a partially sunken barge that leaked thousands of gallons of thick, oozing sludge into Galveston Bay after a collision with a tanker.

Oil from the damaged barge spread as far 12 miles into Galveston Bay as wind and choppy water made containing the spill impossible, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

Vessels spent the day skimming oil, and 69,000 feet of containment boom had been used to limit the oil's spread.

But changing current, winds and weather conditions forced officials to extend containment and recovery plans further into the Gulf of Mexico and south along Galveston Island.

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Oil washes up on Galveston tourist beaches

Jane J. Lee

Twenty-five years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill set off one of the most devastating environmental disasters in U.S. history, scientists say that a surprising amount of oil still clings to boulder-strewn beaches in the Gulf of Alaska.

And that oil could stick around for decades to come.

Monday marks the 25th anniversary of the spill, when a tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound (map). The accident wiped out herring and salmon runs. And some of the affected wildlife, like sea otters and pink salmon, are still recovering.

The latest findings on lingering oil came last month, when scientists announced that spilled oil in the Gulf of Alaska still has most of the same chemical compounds as oil sampled 11 days after the accident. (See "Exxon Valdez Anniversary: 20 Years Later, Oil Remains.")

The scientists presented evidence of a lingering, foamy, mousse-like emulsion at a major ocean science conference in Hawaii.

The oil's presence in areas that were cleaned right after the spill points to a need to monitor certain environments long after the visible effects disappear, the researchers say.

It's Like Mayonnaise

There are two main reasons why there's still oil on some of the beaches of the Kenai Fjords and Katmai National Parks and Preserves in the Gulf of Alaska, explains Gail Irvine, a marine ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and lead researcher on the study.

When the oil first spilled from the tanker, it mixed with the seawater and formed an emulsion that turned it into a goopy compound, she says.

Originally posted here:

On 25th Exxon Valdez Anniversary, Oil Still Clings to Beaches

If you're hoping for a quiet, family-friendly beach vacation this spring, Panama City Beach, Fla. should definitely not be on your list.

That's because the beach town -- that turns into a spring break mecca each March -- topped Facebook's list of most popular beach destinations for 18-24 year olds.

Also at the top of the list: Santa Monica Beach, Calif. and South Beach. Fla.

Facebook compiled the rankings by volume and increase in Facebook beach check-ins during the month of March compared to February for people 18-24.

READ: 13 Super Luxe Stays in the Caribbean

So which other beach destination should travelers looking for debauchery check out? Beaches 4-10 on the most popular list are:

4. Gulf Shores Beach, Ala.

5. Port Aransas, Texas

6. Main Beach (Santa Cruz), Calif.

7. Venice Beach, Calif.

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Beaches to Avoid This Month if You're Older Than 24

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith: Beaches-East York Federal Liberal Nomination
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith is running for the federal Liberal nomination in his home riding, Beaches-East York. He was born and raised in the riding, now practi...

By: Vote Nate

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Nathaniel Erskine-Smith: Beaches-East York Federal Liberal Nomination - Video

Angola 1968 splendid beaches near Luanda
In spite of Angola torn in a civil war tourists could still enjoy themselves on great beaches south of Luanda near the isle of Mussulo. A French couple made ...

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Angola 1968 splendid beaches near Luanda - Video