South Beaches: Turtle program needs volunteers Lorraine Thompson South Beaches News Volunteers are needed for the turtle protection program, officially known as the St. Johns County Sea Turtle Washback Program.
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Category Archives: Beaches
Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches Welcomes MetLife Producer Scott Storick
WEST PALM BEACH, FL--(Marketwire -07/09/12)- Scott Storick, of Storick and Associates, an office of MetLife, joins the prestigious Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches. Founded in 1913 by local business leaders as the Board of Trade, an association committed to ensuring the continued growth and prosperity of the County. The Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches strives to support projects that lead to a stronger economy and an improved quality of life.
As a unified voice for businesses, the Chamber accomplishes collectively what no one business can do alone, dealing with the many issues that affect the community's quality of life.
"I am excited to be a part of such an amazing group of people," says Storick. "Being new to South Florida, I'm always eager to meet people who are as committed to helping their community as I am and I look forward to a long successful future here."
The Chamber's strength is derived from its diversity and number of members. These members make the Chamber one of the most effective and respected business associations in the state, providing both input and the manpower to see that the needs of area businesses are met by the city, county and state governments.
Scott Storick is managing director of Storick and Associates, an office of MetLife. Storick is a Chairman's level producer with a rapidly growing list of South Florida clients. Storick and Associates specializes in life insurance, retirement planning, and annuity products.
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Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches Welcomes MetLife Producer Scott Storick
5 Beaches Closed on Nassau County
Body found in a burning car on L.I. Body found in a burning car on L.I.
Updated: Sunday, July 8 2012 11:28 PM EDT2012-07-09 03:28:09 GMT
Suffolk County police are investigating the death of a man who was found in a burning SUV on Long Island Sunday afternoon. Police said they responded to a call of a vehicle on fire in a parking lot behind
Suffolk County police are investigating the death of a man who was found in a burning SUV on Long Island Sunday afternoon. Police said they responded to a call of a vehicle on fire in a parking lot behind
Updated: Sunday, July 8 2012 5:27 PM EDT2012-07-08 21:27:44 GMT
Community members, family and friends are remembering the three young victims of the boating accident off the coast of Long Island July 4. For the second day, a wake was held for 12-year-old David Aureliano
Community members, family and friends are remembering the three young victims of the boating accident off the coast of Long Island July 4. For the second day, a wake was held for 12-year-old David Aureliano
Updated: Sunday, July 8 2012 3:27 PM EDT2012-07-08 19:27:26 GMT
The Nassau County Department of Health says due to the heavy rainfall, five South Shore beaches are closed to bathing as a precautionary measure, effective Sunday. Storm water runoff can have a negative
The Nassau County Department of Health says due to the heavy rainfall, five South Shore beaches are closed to bathing as a precautionary measure, effective Sunday. Storm water runoff can have a negative
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Beaches on Texas coast cleaner, thanks to the drought
The wicked drought that plagued Texas last year had an upside: cleaner beaches.
With the state in the grips of its driest year on record, less polluted runoff from Houston and other cities poured into coastal waters.
As a result, the number of times Texas beaches were closed or had posted advisories because of high bacteria levels in 2011 dropped by nearly half from the previous year, according to a report released Wednesday.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, which has prepared the report for 22 years, said Texas' cleaner waters were due, in part, to the record dry spell. Overall, the state ranked eighth for water quality among the 30 in the survey.
It is the silver lining of the drought, said Ellis Pickett, a longtime surfer and advocate for the Texas coast.
A high bacteria count in the water at beaches increases the risk of ear infections, skin rashes and stomach illnesses for swimmers.
The state of Texas had one of its worst years for water quality in 2010, with 704 instances in which officials closed beaches and posted advisories, largely because of flooding along the Rio Grande related to Hurricane Alex and other storms.
The number of closings and advisories dropped to 384 last year as Texas dried out. The statewide average rainfall totaled just 14.88 inches for 2011, well below the average of 27.92 inches per year over the past century, according to the National Climatic Data Center.
Heavy rainfall will exacerbate the problem, said Steve Fleischli, the NRDC's water program director.
The difference from year to year was most apparent at South Padre Island, where flooding in 2009 increased bacteria levels for several days at a time. In the latest report, the popular South Texas beach was one of only 12 nationwide to receive the NRDC's highest rating of five stars.
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Swimming Prohibited Sunday at Two Area Beaches
Two beaches in Monroe County are closed on what is the last day of a long holiday weekend for many people.
Despite warm temperatures, the county closed the beach for swimming at Ontario Beach Park. The water testing done this morning showed high bacteria levels at the beach in Charlotte.
Swimming is prohibited as a precaution at Hamlin Beach State Park today as well. The state said the beach is closed as a precautionary step due to results from water quality tests.
Additional samples will be taken Sunday and Monday to try and determine when the beach at Hamlin can reopen for swimming.
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Top 10 beaches in Hong Kong
Hong Kong isn't all banks and skyscrapers. There are plenty of great beaches to swim, sunbathe, surf and windsurf on, says Vaudine England – and don't be put off by the shark nets • As featured in our Hong Kong city guide Cheung Sha Beaches, Lantau Most visitors to Lantau Island aim for the orderly sands of Silvermine Bay, the closest beach to the ferry port at Mui Wo, but better swimming can be ...
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Area Beaches Open for Swimming
Since the season started, lifeguards say the beaches have been closed more days than they have been open. The good news is that all area beaches were open for swimming Saturday, and despite the wet weather in the morning, beach-goers took advantage of the rare opportunity.
"We do have to call in the morning to check if it's closed or not, and there is some disappointment in our house when it is closed," said Tara Simms of Irondequoit.
It was a good day for the Simms family. Swimming was open at Ontario Beach Park after being closed Friday. It's a problem that is not only frustrating for families who use the lake to cool off but also lifeguards.
"This season, we have had high bacteria counts which have kept the water closed, we had a lot of algae wash ashore early on, more than we had seen at least last year," said James Meier, Captain of the Lifeguards.
The high bacteria levels in water can be dangerous for swimmers and make them sick. Meier says the problem hasn't stopped people from showing up.
"We have actually had some pretty good sized crowds considering that we have been closed a lot, during the week especially, we still have folks coming down enjoying the park and trying to enjoy the sand," said Meier.
Since swimming is open less this year, Meier says everyone should take advantage when the water is safe for swimming.
"Come on down and enjoy being here. It's a great beach and when the water is open, it's a wonderful afternoon," said Meier.
"My husband loves coming to the beach, and we have a 3-year-old, so we would be down here every weekend," said Simms.
The health department has a hotline you can call to find out if your favorite beach is open for swimming. That number is 753-5887.
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Best Aussie beaches you've never heard of
Kangaroos resting at Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park, Western Australia. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied
Bottle Bay in Francois Peron National Park, Western Australia. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied
IT'S probably fair to say that as an island nation with a coastline of more than 30,000km, the beach has a special place in the hearts of most Aussies.
From old-fashioned family beaches to romantic hidden coves, there are more than 10,685 beaches in Australia to choose from.
Here are 10 to get you started.
1. Lucky Bay Beach
With 5km of white sand and crystal-clear water, the beach at Lucky Bay is a marketer's dream. Yet, this West Australian gem is relatively unknown. Hidden in the windswept wilderness of Cape le Grand National Park, the beach is a haven for wildlife and it's not unusual to spot kangaroos lying on the sand. As it's in a national park, there are bushwalks with scenic coastal views and a campground with good facilities.
2. Bottle Bay Beach
3. Secret Beach
A Victorian secret in Mallacoota, Gippsland, this secluded beach is a patch of coastal paradise near the NSW border. You might have trouble finding Secret Beach on a map and the only way to reach it is by foot, from a staircase near a parking area on Betka Rd. The beach is a picture of tranquillity, with lovely rock pools and a small sea cave that is accessible during low tide.
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Gulf Beaches Doing Well So Far This Year
(GULF COAST) - The Gulf beaches are reeling this year and tourism officials don't expect it to let up anytime soon.
Though no official numbers have been released just yet, the state tourism department is reporting that Baldwin County beaches make up one fourth of the total tourism dollars that are generated in the state.
"Well last year was a record year for Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, and of course they're pacing a little bit ahead of last year right now so that's fantastic news. That's great news," said Edith Parten with the tourism department.
There are a lot of events scheduled for this year and officials are hoping it will generate more dollars for the beaches.
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Top 10 Nude Beaches
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Moriah beaches reopen
MORIAH, N.Y. -
Two beaches in the town of Moriah have reopened.
The Moriah Town Beach and the Port Henry Village Beach closed earlier this week due to unsafe levels of blue-green algae.
The New York Health Department gave the OK to reopen the beaches Thursday night.
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Blue-green algae closes NY beaches
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Beaches safe for swimming
HURON COUNTY With a warm weather forecast for the upcoming weekend, officials from the Huron County Health Department report all local beaches are open and safe for swimming.
The results issued for all 13 area beaches tested have revealed they are below the 300 E. coli colonies per 100 ml of water for swimming safety.
There has only been one beach closure since testing started five weeks ago. That closure was at Port Crescent State Park Day-Use during the third week of testing.
If an area beach exceeds 300 E. coli colonies per 100 ml of water it is closed until new test results show the water there is below the allowed limit.
This weeks test results are in E. coli colonies per 100 ml of water:
Bird Creek County Park 10.1552
Caseville County Park 5.0764
Harbor Beach City Park 2.4987
Jenks County Park 12.8510
McGraw County Park 2.0000
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All South Shore beaches open
Mound Beach in Quincy has reopened after passing a water quality test. It was closed Tuesday after registering high bacteria levels
All other beaches from Quincy to Plymouth are open, although not all tests results for this week have been posted.
See water quality test results for each community and for Cape Cod, the South Coast and North Shore.
For more on Quincy beaches, call 617-376-1288, or visit tinyurl.com/ledger-quincy-beaches. For more on Wollaston Beach, call 617-626-4972.
Seventy-five salt water beaches on the South Shore are tested for enterococci, intestinal bacteria found in humans and animals. High levels of enterococci indicate the waters may also contain other disease-causing microbes that are present in sewage but are more difficult to detect. Bacterial colonies are filtered from three ounces of water and placed on a gel infused with nutrients and chemicals designed to promote growth. Left in an incubator, the single cells isolated on the filter grow explosively, forming colonies visible to the naked eye.After one day, the colonies are counted and if they exceed 104 colonies, the beach is closed to swimming.
Source: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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Bacteria counts high at Essex County beaches
As hot weather continues to bake the region, residents should be wary of which beaches they choose to take a dip because they arent all safe for swimming.
As of last week, Holiday Beach in Amherstburg was closed because of an E. coli bacteria count of 1,000 fecal coliforms per 100 millilitres, which makes the water a health hazard. West Belle River Beach in Lakeshore and Colchester Beach in Essex have E. coli readings of 100 fecal coliforms per 100 millilitres or more. Residents should avoid swimming at those beaches as the pollution can cause ear, nose and throat irritation, according to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
New water samples were taken Wednesday and results should be available later today. The stormy weather seen daily since last weekend might push up the number of contaminated beaches. Dr. Allen Heimann, medical officer of health for the health unit, said high winds, storms and waves cause lake bottoms to churn and produce cloudy water, which results in higher E. coli counts.
There is no doubt that in urban areas around the Detroit River and with combined sewer overflows thats where you get the bacteria contamination, Heimann said.
Bacteria counts vary from day to day and are associated with weather events. Sometimes a beach will be closed for a few weeks and then the bacteria count gets very low.
When you look at the amount of sewage that goes into Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River and Lake Erie thats certainly the basis for the problem, he said.
While Holiday Beach was off-limits for swimming eight of 12 weeks last year, the beach was never closed. In 2010, Holiday Beach was closed one week and swimming wasnt allowed all summer. The lack of swimming affects day use of the recreation area owned by the Essex Region Conservation Authority.
When our beach is closed fewer people come, said Kevin Money, ERCAs director of conservation areas. You can still picnic, play in the sand or walk your dog. We offer a lot of other things to the general public in terms of camping and bird activities in the spring and fall.
Money said the source of E. coli contamination isnt known.
Its easy to point the finger at septic systems but that may not be the issue, Money said pointing to a provincial order 13 years ago that made area homeowners hook up to sewer plants and stop using septic systems.
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Huntington Beach Beaches Named Cleanest in United States
The Natural Resources Defense Council’s annual assessment of cleanest and dirtiest beaches and lakes in the United States was released last week. The Huntington Beach Marketing and Visitors Bureau is proud that two of Surf City’s three beaches were included in the top three cleanest beaches in California and claimed two of the twelve spaces for cleanest beaches in the nation.Huntington Beach, CA ...
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Americans Celebrate National Clean Beaches Week; 2012 List of Blue Wave Beaches Released
Today America celebrates its independence from dirty beaches. More than 50 events are occurring throughout the country in celebration of National Clean Beaches Week, from beach cleanups, to art fairs, to seafood festivals and recreational activities, all focused on appreciating and respecting our Nation’s beaches. The annual list of Blue Wave certified beaches is officially released.Washington ...
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Americans Celebrate National Clean Beaches Week; 2012 List of Blue Wave Beaches Released
SD Group Plans Cleanup After Thousands Hit The Beaches
Beaches along the San Diego County coastline are bound to be a mess today following Independence Day celebrations, so the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has cleanups scheduled at four locations.
Volunteers are scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. at the Ocean Beach Pier, Belmont Park and the foot of Pacific Beach Drive -- all in San Diego -- and the South Harbor Jetty in Oceanside.
"Cities and state parks generally do a great job keeping the beaches clean during the July 4th holiday, but nothing can replace or duplicate the efforts of our volunteers after big weekends like this,'' said Chapter Coordinator Haley Jain Haggerstone. "Sometimes the beaches may not look so bad, but nearby streets and sidewalks can be a mess.''
Last year, the cleanup effort resulted in 1,025 pounds of trash and 255 pounds of recyclable items being collected.
Environmental groups say carelessly discarded cigarette butts and plastic products make up the bulk of the debris found on beaches. Last year's haul included nearly 7,000 cigarette butts and 270 plastic bags, which are harmful to marine life.
For those who want to volunteer, there is no need to pre-register, according to Surfrider, but those under 18 need the consent of a parent or guardian.
Volunteers are urged to bring work gloves and a reusable bag or bucket -- although those items can be provided by the foundation to those who come without them.
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Beach Cleanups Scheduled For 4 Local Beaches
Related To Story
POSTED: 4:51 am PDT July 5, 2012
Copyright 2012 by City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Beach managers: Central Naples beaches got the worst of erosion caused by Debby
NAPLES Central Naples beaches took the brunt of the erosion caused last week by Tropical Storm Debby as it moved through the Gulf, local beach managers said.
But while last week's stormy conditions took a toll on the area's beaches, it's a manageable problem, officials in Collier and Lee counties said.
Gary McAlpin, Collier County government's coastal zone management director, said some beaches appeared to have sustained significant sand loss and erosion from the high tides and waves kicked up by Debby.
"The beaches got beat up pretty good," he said.
Seaweed and other debris littered Southwest Florida beaches after the storm, and a sandbar was created along a stretch of Naples beach that left a pool of water on the land side of the sandbar.
Near the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, drainage pipes have been exposed by the beach erosion.
Jason Parsons, the hotel's general manager, said the resort experienced sand loss and the beach isn't as wide as normal, but he added that it isn't going to put a damper on the holiday week.
"It's just going to be more crowded on the beach because there is less room to spread out," he said.
The hotel is near one of the spots in Naples where the beach is its narrowest.
"It's not going to completely return to what it was before Debby, probably until a few months," Parsons said.
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Beach managers: Central Naples beaches got the worst of erosion caused by Debby
America's most crowded beaches
Eurostyle Graphics / Alamy
More than 16 million visitors a year are drawn to the street life at Venice Beach in California.
By Everett Potter , Travel + Leisure
Independence Day brings to mind fireworks, barbecue, and, if you live in Ocean City, crowds. More than 300,000 sun-seekers flood this small Maryland town each July 4th, packing restaurants, boardwalk attractions, and, of course, the beach.
When the summer holiday strikes, fleeing to the beach seems like a no-brainer. After all, what could be better than a sea breeze to cool you off? You and those hundreds of thousands of fellow beachgoers, that is.
Thats the kind of maritime mosh pit youre likely to encounter at Americas popular beaches. And Ocean City, with 4.5 million annual visitors, is hardly the worst offender.
Slideshow: See more of America's most crowded beaches
The state of Florida has the greatest number of congested beaches on our list; its two coastlines offer seemingly endless stretches of sand, from Miamis party scene to secluded Caladesi Island. But its California, famous for surfing culture, that claims the questionable honor of Americas No. 1 most crowded beach: Venice Beach, to be precise, which swarms with 16 million sunbathers, fortune-tellers, street performers, and people-watchers.
Arriving at that estimate isnt an exact science as beach crowds are fluid and dynamic. To crunch the numbers, we relied on theUnited States Lifesaving Association, which keeps attendance stats for more than 200 beaches. When unavailable, we turned to government organizations like the New York City Parks Department. Not only did Coney Island make our list with 11 million annual visitors, but so did Rockaway Beach, a longtime destination for city-dwelling surfers thats recently become a hipster favorite. Its worth braving the crowds both on the sand and in line at the Rockaway Taco food truck.
Though not everyone may be convinced. Once New York and other local authorities have the stats, they might like to boast about how many visitors their beaches receive. But if they proclaim those numbers too loudly, they might scare people away. As the great Yogi Berra put it, Nobody goes there anymore, its too crowded.
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