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Category Archives: Beaches

York selectmen put topic of beach ownership on hold until March 10

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February 25, 2014 2:00 AM

YORK, Maine The issue of ownership of York's beaches attracted a roomful of residents and media Monday night, but the Board of Selectmen deferred discussing action until it meets with the town attorney at the board's next meeting on March 10.

The meeting to address Chairman Ron Nowell's assertion that the only way to protect York's beaches from private interests is for the town to buy them, may or may not be in a closed session, according to comments made by two of the board members.

Selectman Torbert Macdonald said meeting in executive session is allowed under the state's Right to Know law for the purpose of property acquisition, while Nowell disagreed, saying he didn't believe it was a reason for meeting behind closed doors.

Macdonald said, "I would say the situation we're in ... the more we talk in public ... the more we undercut our own competitive position."

Other selectmen were upset with Nowell for attracting media attention with his comments to buy the beach, prior to bringing the issue to them in a public meeting.

"We're starting to govern again by newspaper articles and television cameras," Selectwoman Mary Andrews said.

"Guilty on all counts," Nowell said.

Selectwoman Kinley Gregg said she didn't know why Nowell would make inflammatory comments.

"Sorry it bothers you, but tough luck," Nowell said.

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York selectmen put topic of beach ownership on hold until March 10

York selectmen put beach ownership on hold

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February 24, 2014 11:04 PM

YORK, Maine The issue of ownership of Yorks beaches attracted a roomful of residents and media Monday night, but the Board of Selectmen deferred discussing action until it meets with the town attorney at the boards next meeting on March 10.

The meeting to address Chairman Ron Nowells assertion that the only way to protect Yorks beaches from private interests is for the town to buy them, may or may not be in a closed session, according to comments made by two of the board members.

Selectman Torbert Macdonald said meeting in executive session is allowed under the states Right to Know law for the purpose of property acquisition, while Nowell disagreed, saying he didnt believe it was a reason for meeting behind closed doors.

Macdonald said, I would say the situation were in ... the more we talk in public ... the more we undercut our own competitive position.

Other selectmen were upset with Nowell for attracting media attention with his comments to buy the beach, prior to bringing the issue to them in a public meeting.

Were starting to govern again by newspaper articles and television cameras, Selectwoman Mary Andrews said.

Guilty on all counts, Nowell said.

Selectwoman Kinley Gregg said she didnt know why Nowell would make inflammatory comments.

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York selectmen put beach ownership on hold

Bako National Park Borneo | Giant Ants | Beaches | Jungle | Proboscis Monkeys – Video

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Bako National Park Borneo | Giant Ants | Beaches | Jungle | Proboscis Monkeys
Bako National Park in Borneo a video compilation of different areas in Bako. To get to Bako National Park we booked our tickets in Kuching Tourist centre and...

By: My Travel Shots

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Bako National Park Borneo | Giant Ants | Beaches | Jungle | Proboscis Monkeys - Video

Florida's Panhandle has outgrown its lowbrow reputation

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When I lived in New Orleans, I loved a getaway to the beach. If I just had a day, I'd make do with Mississippi's Gulf Coast, an hour's drive away, or Gulf Shores, Ala., a two-hour drive. If I wanted to make a weekend of it, I'd head to the Florida Panhandle.

I spent a lot of time on these beaches, and one thing I never got used to was the nickname given to this gorgeous strip of sand: "the Redneck Riviera." The term even has its own listing in the online Urban Dictionary. Along with having "the most beautiful beaches in the world," the listing says, "it also has tattoo parlors, beer joints, crab shacks, burger barns, T-shirt boutiques, and more beach trinkets than you can imagine."

I had my own redneck experience (sort of), once being present at the iconic Flora-Bama Lounge (on the Florida-Alabama line in Perdido Key) when a bar fight set to a Jimmy Buffet tune on the jukebox broke out between tipsy LSU and Alabama students. Despite this, I always thought the nickname was a disservice to the region.

A public relations genius apparently agreed with me. Seemingly overnight, the "Redneck Riviera" became the "Emerald Coast." You'll still find plenty of T-shirt shops and tattoo parlors, but you'll also find the creamiest white sand lapped by the bluest-green water anywhere.

My most recent trek to the Gulf Coast took me to the beaches of South Walton, a stretch of surf and sand along Florida's U.S. 98 east of Destin that takes in 16 communities from Miramar Beach at the western end to Inlet Beach to the east.

In the 1950s and '60s, this was a place where working-class families could rent inexpensive beach cottages in charmingly named communities: Seascape, Seagrove, Seacrest. They could be fairly certain that from their modest bungalow, they would have an uninterrupted view of the gulf.

On many parts of the beach, cottages have given way to condos, and the gulf view remains only until it is blocked by the construction of another, larger condo.

Still, those in search of what this part of Florida looked like 50 years ago are in luck. There are four state parks in Walton County. Those parks and Point Washington State Forest make up 40 percent of the county's acreage.

Topsail, considered the most pristine piece of coastline in Florida, is famous for a land- and seascape that includes bald cypress swamps and 25-foot sand dunes.

Grayton Beach has trails winding through pine woods and around freshwater ponds, making it an ideal habitat for wading and water birds; closer to the beach, gulls and terns hang out.

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Florida's Panhandle has outgrown its lowbrow reputation

NJ may ban smoking at beaches

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TRENTON New Jersey lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban smoking at all public beaches and parks in the state.

A state Assembly committee advanced the proposal at a hearing Thursday morning. It now goes to the full Assembly, where a final vote has not been scheduled.

The bill is designed to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke at beaches and parks, cut down on litter and improve fire safety in those public areas. Smoking still would be allowed in parking lots near beaches and parks.

Violators would get fined $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for subsequent ones.

When you look at our public parks and beaches, we do not want people to experience secondhand smoke, or increase the litter of cigarette butts, said Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri-Huttle, one of the bills sponsors. This enhances our beaches. I think it promotes more tourism.

Karen Blumenfeld, executive director of Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy, said more than a third of New Jerseys municipalities have laws on the books that restrict smoking in parks and recreational areas.

We all know that theres no safe level of secondhand smoke at all, she said. Secondhand smoke outdoors does affect people.

Blumenfeld said some beach towns already have banned smoking on their sands, including Seaside Park, Long Branch, and Sunset Beach in Cape May Point.

Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said litter from smoking is a major problem on the states beaches. During annual spring and fall beach cleanups done by volunteer groups, cigarette butts are among the most frequently found items of debris.

We pick up tens of thousands of cigarette butts, he said. Quite frankly, if you have a dirty beach filled with cigarette butts, its not a place you want to come back to.

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NJ may ban smoking at beaches

Ownership of York's beaches being reassessed

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Some selectmen argue town should own land; not private owners

February 22, 2014 2:00 AM

YORK, Maine Ownership of York's beaches is on the Board of Selectmen agenda for 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 24, in the York Public Library.

Selectmen chairman Ron Nowell has said that the only way to protect public access is for the town of York to buy its beaches. Most are privately owned, he said.

The Feb. 4 state Supreme Court decision in the Goose Rocks Beach case favoring private property rights over public access means residents and tourists use York's beaches at the owners' pleasure, he said.

Assessor Rick Mace said Friday he does not tax anyone for what he called town beaches.

York has four beaches used by the public: Long Sands Beach, York Harbor Beach, Short Sands Beach and Cape Neddick Beach. The town has a deed to most of Short Sands Beach, but the other beaches are at least partially privately owned, according to Nowell.

There is currently no impediment to public access.

Cape Neddick Beach in particular has been subject to questions of ownership.

In 2011, a Cape Neddick Beach Task Force said there were three owners: two on Shore Road and one on Agamenticus Avenue. The task force recommended the town work cooperatively with the owners for continued public use of the beach.

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Ownership of York's beaches being reassessed

New Jersey Weighs Smoking Ban At Beaches, Parks

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TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) New Jersey lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban smoking at all public beaches and parks in the state.

A state Assembly committee advanced the proposal at a hearing Thursday morning. It now goes to the full Assembly, where a final vote has not been scheduled.

The bill is designed to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke at beaches and parks, cut down on litter and improve fire safety in those public areas. Smoking would still be allowed in parking lots near beaches and parks.

Violators would get fined $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for subsequent ones.

When you look at our public parks and beaches, we do not want people to experience secondhand smoke, or increase the litter of cigarette butts, said Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri-Huttle, one of the bills sponsors. This enhances our beaches. I think it promotes more tourism.

Karen Blumenfeld, executive director of Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy, said more than a third of New Jerseys municipalities have laws on the books that restrict smoking in parks and recreational areas.

We all know that theres no safe level of secondhand smoke at all, she said. Secondhand smoke outdoors does affect people.

Blumenfeld said some beach towns already have banned smoking on their sands, including Seaside Park, Long Branch, and Sunset Beach in Cape May Point.

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New Jersey Weighs Smoking Ban At Beaches, Parks

NJ weighs smoking ban at beaches and parks

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban smoking at all public beaches and parks in the state.

A state Assembly committee advanced the proposal at a hearing Thursday morning. It now goes to the full Assembly, where a final vote has not been scheduled.

The bill is designed to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke at beaches and parks, cut down on litter and improve fire safety in those public areas. Smoking would still be allowed in parking lots near beaches and parks.

Violators would get fined $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for subsequent ones.

"When you look at our public parks and beaches, we do not want people to experience secondhand smoke, or increase the litter of cigarette butts," said Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri-Huttle, one of the bill's sponsors. "This enhances our beaches. I think it promotes more tourism."

Karen Blumenfeld, executive director of Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy, said more than a third of New Jersey's municipalities have laws on the books that restrict smoking in parks and recreational areas.

"We all know that there's no safe level of secondhand smoke at all," she said. "Secondhand smoke outdoors does affect people."

Blumenfeld said some beach towns already have banned smoking on their sands, including Seaside Park, Long Branch, and Sunset Beach in Cape May Point.

Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said litter from smoking is a major problem on the state's beaches. During annual spring and fall beach cleanups done by volunteer groups, cigarette butts are among the most frequently found items of debris.

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NJ weighs smoking ban at beaches and parks

Fukushima Breaking news; ARE THE WEST COAST BEACHES AND WATERS SAFE? Kevin D. blanch 2/16/14 – Video

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Fukushima Breaking news; ARE THE WEST COAST BEACHES AND WATERS SAFE? Kevin D. blanch 2/16/14
CALIFORNIA Dreaming, IS THE DREAM TURNING INTO A NIGHTMARE? STAY UN-TUNA-ED kevin D. blanch 801-452-1908 the post ignorance project.

By: kevin blanch

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Fukushima Breaking news; ARE THE WEST COAST BEACHES AND WATERS SAFE? Kevin D. blanch 2/16/14 - Video


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