(Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

As urban as the metroplex is, North Texans are lucky to be nearby so many beaches! Within an hours drive, DFW folks can dip their toes in the cool, refreshing waters of many sandy shores and both reservoir and natural-spring fed lakes. Overflowing with amenities that will keep both excitement-seekers and relaxation-buffs satisfied, these sites keep summer day trips options flooding in.

Burgers Lake 1200 Meandering Road Fort Worth, TX 76114 (817) 737-3414 http://www.burgerslake.com Burgers Lake is one of the few spring-fed lakes in North Texas, teeming with fresh water and a family atmosphere dating back to the 1930s. Nostalgia blooms at this spot, where grills and coolers are welcome. This 30-acre park boasts purified water that is safe for young swimmers. Admission to the park is only $5 for children to age 6 and $12 per person for ages 7 and up, good for the entire summer day. Bubbling up in Fort Worth, metroplex residents can access this natural joy in a car ride of an hour or less.

White Rock Lake1152 N. Buckner Blvd. Dallas, TX 75218 (214) 660-1100 http://www.whiterocklake.org White Rock Lake may not have the sandiest of shorelines, but it has enough unique attractions to be one of the areas most popular water spots. Well-traveled by runners, bikers and strollers, White Rock Lakes trails give spectacular views of the water, flora and areas of interest for families and culture-buffs. Surrounding the lake sits the Bath House Cultural Center for artistic inspiration, White Rock Lake Museum where visitors can learn more about the history and development of the lake, the Dallas Arboretum (separate admission fee) and green, grassy picnic spots aplenty. A day kayaking up to the shore by the Arboretum just in time for an open air concert cant be beat.

Joe Pool Lake Lynn Creek Marina 5700 Lake Ridge Parkway Grand Prairie, TX 75052 (817) 640-4200 http://www.joe-pool-lake.org Joe Pool Lake just might call itself the birthplace of summer fun. Between the boat docks and Oasis on the water restaurant and the breezy good times at Lynn Creek Park, few would argue with that statement. Lynn Creek Parks beach was recently renovated and is now plentiful in smooth sand. Nearby visitors will find a concession stand, a playground and even covered picnic tables. For those who dont want to leave when the park closes at 10 p.m., Joe Pool Lake has campsites and even cabins decorated with themes from various regions of Texas. Admission starts at 6 a.m. and is free to Grand Prairie residents. Non-residents pay $10 most days, or $15 for holiday excursions to the lake.

Related:Tips To Adding Some Beach To Your Wardrobe Lake Grapevine Meadowmere Park 3000 Meadowmere Lane Grapevine, TX 75061 (817) 488-5272 http://www.lake-grapevine.com Lake Grapevine spans far and wide, but Meadowmere Park is likely its most visited spot. Migratory birds fly past its numerous amenities, including a swimming area, boat ramp, fishing piers, camping spots and even kayak, paddle board and pavilion rentals. Open from 8 a.m. to dusk, admission for day use is only $5 per car; a great deal for an entire day of sandy beaches and wooded trails.

Lake LewisvilleLake Park Road & Mill St. Lewisville,TX 75057 (972) 219-3550 http://www.cityoflewisville.com

Lake Lewisville is adventure-packed with party boats, jet skis, windsurfing and even sailboats. However, relaxing family time isnt hard to find here either. Lake Lewisville has its share of picnic areas and a pavilion and even designated swimming areas for those who need a splash to cool down. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Labor Day, residents of Lewisville only pay $3 admission per car and non-residents pay $10. At that affordable price, where else can you see all that action?

Related:Best Flying Adventures In DFW

Kena Sosa is a freelance writer in Dallas. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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Best Public Beaches For A DFW Summer Day CBS Dallas / Fort ...

65 black and white demonstrators under arrest troop off the beach at Biloxi after staging unsuccessful attempt to desegregate the Gulf Coast beach. Group was led by Dr. Gilbert Mason (center, foreground) and white minister, Rev. R.G. Gallagher, Biloxi (third in line with shorts). The group was arrested for 'trespassing on private property'. (Credit: AP Photo/Jim Bourdier)

The beach in Biloxi, Mississippi is much like any other: palm trees, piers, sparkling water, white sand. But in the 1950s, the beach wasnt open to everyoneuntil a group of African Americans waded into the water to fight against segregation.

On May 14, 1959, Gilbert Mason, Sr., Murray J. Saucier, Jr. and five African American children headed into the Gulf of Mexico. But they werent exactly there to swim. It was the first in a series of three protests designed to desegregate Biloxis beachespublic spaces that were inaccessible to African Americans in Jim Crow Mississippi.

The swimmers were run off the beach by police, who claimed that the beach was off-limits to black people. Negroes dont come to the sand beach, a police officer told the group as he hustled them off the beach. As the men left, says Gilbert Mason, Jr., his father noticed somethinga trashcan labeled Property of Harrison County.

He knew that the countyand taxpayer money paid by black folksmaintained the beach, says Mason, Jr. The beach belonged to the county, not to the individuals that claimed they owned it.

The wade-in, as Gilbert Mason, Sr. later wrote, was no fluke or accident. It was premeditated. It provided a legal test of African Americans right to use the beach their tax dollars helped pay for. First, the men asked to see the law. They were denied and told it was in a locked safe. Then, the county board of supervisors insisted that African Americans were forbidden to use the beachand when Mason, Sr. and a group of friends pressed the board to allow them to use the beach, they were offered a segregated portion instead. Mason, Sr. told the board that he wanted access to every damn inch of it. The mens pleas were dismissed.

Mason, Sr. was familiar with discrimination. He was a physician specializing in family practice, and moved to Biloxi to bring his medical expertise to an underserved area. It took decades for him to receive full privileges at the local hospital, and he could only treat black patients. Daily life in Biloxi was marked by segregation. As historian Neil MacMillan explains for American RadioWorks, Mississippi didnt have many formal segregation laws on the booksbecause it didnt need them. The state was a bastion of anti-black bias, and public spaces were almost entirely segregated, even after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed school segregation with Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

Mason, Sr. later wrote, I wanted to live a long life, but I wanted the chance for a full and wholesome life for my family and for us as a people. He decided to fight for his rightsincluding the chance to go to an integrated beach. There were places for black people to swim on the Gulf Coast, including the Gulfside Assembly, a Methodist retreat that also served as a gathering place and training ground for civil rights activists. Black folks would come from all over the South to swim there, says Mason. It was a wonderful, glorious place. But Gulfside was over 40 miles from Biloxi, and African Americans who tried to visit were often attacked.

Mason, Sr. returned to the beach in April 1960 for another wade-in, but no other protestors showed upand he was promptly arrested. Then, on April 24, he went back again. This time, he was accompanied by 125 African Americans. A mob of angry whites was there to meet them. They attacked the protestors with clubs, fists, chains and eventually guns.

Though he wasnt present at the violent wade-inhis parents sent him to Louisiana to stay with familyMason, Jr. remembers the aftermath. Wed get phone calls at our house that would hang up, he recalls. Someone would cut off our power. A dead cat was found on our fence.

Despite being arrested for disturbing the peace, Mason, Sr. staged another protest. On June 23, 1963days after the assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, who was a friend and associate of Mason, Sr.protestors headed back to the beach. This time, they didnt just wade: They planted black flags in the sand in Evers memory. A mob of over 2,000 white rioters gathered during the protest and all 71 protestors were arrested for trespassing.

These were very strategic actions that were planned to get people arrested and beat up so they could bring their cases to court, says David Perkes, an architect and associate professor at Mississippi State University. Perkes leads the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, which recently was awarded a $100,000 grant for a project that will commemorate the wade-ins and encourage public dialogue about civil rights. Witnessing the Beachthe projects titlewill work with the community to create exhibits and events about the wade-ins, and Perkes studio will create movable platforms that can taken to different wade-in sites for events.

It took until 1968 for the Justice Department to win a lengthy legal battle over Biloxis segregated beachesBiloxis public beaches have been open to all ever since.

The protest really energized people in Mississippi, says Perkes. Though the wade-ins had precedentlike a 1955 wade-in in Floridathey were Mississippis first nonviolent segregation protest.

While today, the wade-ins are hardly remembered, they helped prove an essential pointthat nonviolent protest worked.

Today, a simple historical marker points to the site of the first protesta stretch of sand where people of all races can soak up the sun without fear of reprisal or discrimination.

Read more from the original source:

How Civil Rights Wade-Ins Desegregated Southern Beaches - History

Health officials are warning the public not to swim at 19 beaches in Nassau County because the beaches may have poor water quality caused by high levels of bacteria.

The Nassau County Department of Health issued the advisory Monday, saying that it's a precautionary measure for beaches known to be impacted by storm-water runoff caused by recent heavy rainfall.

Storm-water runoff can cause bacteria levels to exceed the standard for bathing water quality, the health department said.

The advisory was to be lifted at 1 p.m. Tuesday unless additional heavy rainfall revealed continued elevated bacteria levels.

14 North Shore beaches within Nassau County:

Centre Island Sound Bayville

Creek Club Lattingtown

Lattingtown Beach Lattingtown

Laurel Hollow Beach Laurel Hollow

Morgan Sound Glen Cove

North Hempstead Beach Park Port Washington

Piping Rock Beach Club Locust Valley

Pryibil Beach Glen Cove

Ransom Beach Bayville

Theodore Roosevelt Beach Oyster Bay

Sea Cliff Village Beach Sea Cliff

Soundside Beach Bayville

Stehli Beach Bayville

Tappen Beach Glenwood Landing

5 South Shore beaches within Nassau County:

Biltmore Beach Club Massapequa

Hewlett Point Beach East Rockaway

Island Park Beach Island Park

Merrick Estates Civic Association Merrick

Philip Healey Beach Massapequa

For up-to-date recorded information on beach openings and closings, call (516) 227-9700.

Top 10 Beaches in the US for 2017 Revealed

Published at 5:56 PM EDT on Jul 24, 2017

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Officials Warn Against Bathing at 19 Long Island Beaches - NBC New York

MLive.com

'Life-Threatening Waves' Could Pound Lake Michigan Beaches: NWS Patch.com CHICAGO, IL The National Weather Service has issued a Beach Hazards Statement on Monday warning of potential life-threatening waves and strong rip currents along the Lake Michigan shore. Waves could reach as high as seven feet and beach-goers ... Drowning risk higher at most Lake Michigan, Lake Huron beaches todayMLive.com Beach hazard statement issued for possible rip currents across Lake Erie beaches through late tonightcleveland.com (blog) all 9 news articles »

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'Life-Threatening Waves' Could Pound Lake Michigan Beaches: NWS - Patch.com

Beaches at Vigo County parks wont be closing at least for now but their hours will be reduced in a further effort to control vandalism.

Officials last month posted notices warning that Fowler and Hawthorn park beaches would close if thefts, vandalism and other incidents did not stop.

We have seen a slight improvement [but] were still experiencing vandalism, Adam Grossman, assistant superintendent of parks and recreation, told the countys park board Monday.

One very costly deal in recent weeks, Grossman said, involved the cutting of ropes marking safe swimming areas.

Grossman and Kara Kish, parks superintendent, requested, and received, board approval to reduce beach hours to 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Aug. 8 and cut operations back to weekends only from Aug. 9 through Labor Day, the traditional end of the beach season.

It is within our purview as the managers of the department to make this decision, but seeing as this is something that weve come to you before, we are asking for support, Kish said.

Revised hours are the same as those in place when lifeguards were removed from the beaches a few years ago.

Restrooms have been a frequent target for vandalism. Grossman said reduced hours will allow restrooms to be locked when beaches are not open and for beach attendants to be on hand during operating hours to enforce park rules.

I think its a step in the right direction and we can have discussion in the off season about that, he said.

Sure is a lot better than drawing a line in the sand and saying Youre all gone. I would have hated that, said board member Joe Newton, who last week suggested the 30-day notice of potential closure.

Kish and board members heard a request to sever ties with the National Rifle Association concerning crime prevention and personal safety seminars scheduled for Aug. 4 and Aug. 12 in Clinton.

The NRA has come out, especially in the last few months, with some incredibly extremist propaganda and rhetoric that actually treats our group and its members as the enemy, said Lori Henson of a group called the Activist Study Hall of Vigo County.

Our concern is with the parks department using public resources to arrange, promote (and) sponsor this event with the NRA, Henson said. We also feel there are other groups that are less objectionable that are politically neutral that dont carry the political baggage of the NRA.

Henson presented a letter from her group citing an NRA video that stops just short of calling for armed violence against other Americans for the exercise of their First Amendment rights to free speech and petitioning of government.

The letter calls on the department to withdraw its sponsorship of the upcoming NRA-trademarked Refuse to be a Victim seminar or disinvite the NRA in favor of gun safety and self-defense training by local and state law enforcement and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Bear It All Arms Training of Rosedale is scheduled to present the seminar. The business Facebook page says the four-hour course addresses the psychology of the criminal mind; security in the home, workplace, automobiles and travel as well as phone, personal and technology security and self defense tools and training options.

This is not a firearms instruction course and does not include instruction in physical self defense, the page says.

After Henson spoke, parks board President Jeff Fisher said, We appreciate your comments. Thank you.

At the end of the meeting, Kish also thanked Henson for coming and said, We will have discussions about that.

Asked by the Tribune-Star about the request, Kish said only, Well take it under consideration.

Dave Taylor can be reached at 812-231-4299 or dave.taylor@tribstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @TribStarDave.

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Vigo County beaches get reprieve for rest of summer - Terre Haute Tribune Star

Their names are Mary Lee, Katharine and Hilton. During the summer months, they like to hang out relatively close to beaches along the Mid-Atlantic. They are great swimmers. And they feast on the flesh of gray seals.

Also, they are great white sharks.

Just in time for the Discovery Channels Shark Week, as many Washington-area residents are seeking relief from the heat at beaches in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey, OCEARCH, a nonprofit group that tracks the movements of sharks, has logged a number of pings from great whites tagged with receivers in their dorsal fins.

Les Kaufman, a Boston University biology professor and shark expert, said that while the number of sharks in the water is believed to be dropping, the kind of technology used by OCEARCH makes it easier for nonscientists to track them, including via an iPhone app.

Scientists know that the sharks are out there, Kaufman said. It becomes news when nonscientists are encountering them ... with advances in the technology theres a greater awareness.

In recent years, OCEARCH has tracked about 300 sharks, including mako and tiger sharks. They tend to swim north in the summer, as the hot weather warms the waters off the East Coast. But while they may sometimes venture near shore, sharks more typically swim miles away from the coastline.

Kaufman said a 13-foot-long shark generally would not swim in water less than three feet deep. In the entire world last year, he noted, only four people died from shark attacks. Many, many more people are killed from complications of insect bites.

Mosquitoes, I mean my god! Kaufman said. Malaria takes a huge chunk of humanity every year, and sharks dont.

OCEARCH followed a 1,300-pound male named Hilton who measures about 12 feet from teeth to tail from the coast of Ocean City on Friday to the Jersey Shore by Sunday.

[12-foot white shark detected near Ocean City]

Other great whites spotted along the East Coast in the last 30 days include Miss Costa, a 1,600-pound, 12-foot female recorded near Nantucket, Mass.; Katharine, a 2,300-pound, 14-footer whose location was noted close to Virginia Beach; and Cisco, a young, eight-foot male who spent Memorial Day weekend in the waters between Lewes, Del., and Cape May, N.J., and just appeared in Nantucket.

Mary Lee, a 16-foot great white, who at 3,450 pounds is about the size of a Toyota Camry, has 125,000 followers on Twitter and was last pinged in mid-June near the Jersey Shore. She spent this past winter near Savannah, Ga., and has traveled as far as Bermuda since she was tagged in September 2012 off Cape Cod.

While great whites in particular are known as fearsome predators, thanks to movies such as Jaws, Kaufman said people should remember that humans have caused much more damage to sharks by overfishing.

We have absolutely raped and devastated the global ocean, Kaufman said.

Still, if you happen to be swimming in the middle of a gray seal colony, like those near Cape Cod, the balance of power could shift, Kaufman said.

Thats a shark cafe, Kaufman said. A high-end shark restaurant.

See original here:

As 'Shark Week' begins, spottings near Maryland, New Jersey beaches - Washington Post

Their names are Mary Lee, Katharine and Hilton. During the summer months, they like to hang out relatively close to beaches along the mid-Atlantic. They are great swimmers. And they feast on the flesh of gray seals.

Also, they are great white sharks.

Just in time for the Discovery Channels Shark Week, as many people are seeking relief from the heat at beaches in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey, OCEARCH, a nonprofit that tracks the movements of sharks, has logged a number of pings from great whites tagged with receivers in their dorsal fins.

Les Kaufman, a Boston University biology professor and shark expert, said that while the number of sharks in the water is believed to be dropping, the kind of technology used by OCEARCH makes it easier for nonscientists to track them, including via an iPhone app.

Scientists know that the sharks are out there, Kaufman said. It becomes news when nonscientists are encountering them with advances in the technology theres a greater awareness.

In recent years, OCEARCH has tracked about 300 sharks, including mako and tiger sharks. They tend to swim north in the summer, as the hot weather warms the waters off the East Coast.

But while they may sometimes venture near shore, sharks more typically swim miles away from the coastline.

Kaufman said a 13-foot-long shark generally would not swim in water less than three feet deep.

In the entire world last year, he noted, only four people died from shark attacks. Many, many more people are killed from complications of insect bites.

Malaria takes a huge chunk of humanity every year, and sharks dont, Kaufman said.

Other great whites spotted along the East Coast in the last 30 days include Miss Costa, a 1,600-pound, 12-foot female recorded near Nantucket, Massachusetts; Katharine, a 2,300-pound, 14-footer whose location was noted close to Virginia Beach; and Cisco, a young, 8-foot male who spent Memorial Day weekend in the waters between Lewes, Delaware, and Cape May, New Jersey, and just appeared in Nantucket.

Mary Lee, a 16-foot great white, who at 3,450 pounds is about the size of a Toyota Camry, has 125,000 followers on Twitter and was last pinged in mid-June near the Jersey Shore.

While great whites in particular are known as fearsome predators, thanks to movies such as Jaws, Kaufman said people should remember that humans have caused much more damage to sharks by overfishing.

Excerpt from:

Great whites spotted near mid-Atlantic beaches - Press Herald

MADISON, Conn. (WTNH) State budgets cutbacks are now affecting safety and cleanliness at state parks, thats according to published reports. We are now24 days into the new budget year without a new budget in place. The Hartford Courant now reports the budget trouble is causing parks and beaches like this one to be dirtier and less safe than in previous years.

When the fiscal year ended and Governor Dannel Malloy started running the state by executive order, he said the state parks would be fine through the July 4th holiday. That was 20 days ago, however. The Courant went to several parks including Hammonasset, and experienced campers and beachgoers say compared to previous years, the trails are dirtier, the beaches are dirtier, there are fewer people to take your money and let you into the park, and fewer lifeguards on the beach once youre inside.

News 8 reported on some of this even before the fiscal year ended at the end of June. There were layoffs in the number of maintainers at state parks, cutbacks in the number of hours for lifeguards, and the closing of some state campgrounds for the whole season. That would be Macedonia Brook, Devils Hopyard, Salt Rock and Green Falls. Not your biggest parks, certainly.

The big parks, like Hammonasset and Rocky Neck, actually make money, and the Courant reports that staff in those parks are doing their best to keep the bathrooms clean and make the experience here as nice as possible. While there are fewer employees, there is no reduction in the number of people looking to enjoy the parks and beaches. The holiday weekends this summer have seen several parks filled to capacity.

State lawmakers are still trying to figure out a new budget that would deal with a projected $5 billion deficit. Until they do, the Governors executive orders are in place, and he warned that would mean serious cuts across the board.

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Reports: State parks and beaches dirtier, less safe - WTNH Connecticut News (press release)

During the hottest days of summer, theres no better place to be than the beach toes buried in the sand, ocean surf crashing on the shore, sun shining up above.

Sand beaches are something of a rarity in Maine. Our coast is more famous for rugged, rocky coastline than sand, and the most popular stretches of beach like Old Orchard Beach and York Beach in the south, and Acadias Sand Beach farther north can get crowded pretty quickly. Where can you take your blanket if you want to enjoy beach weather without waiting in traffic, looking for parking or searching for an open spot on the sand?

If youre willing to forego the fried food stands and T-shirt shops of southern Maines popular destinations, a trip up the coast to Port Clyde and Owls Head will take you to a couple of my favorite, less-crowded sand beaches in the state. And while there are no arcades near these spots, the fun doesnt have to stop at the beach theres so much to do nearby that you can easily turn a beach trip into an all-day excursion.

(One note about these beaches: keep an eye on the tides. Theres plenty of space to lay out your blanket when the tide is low, but real estate disappears quickly when the tide comes in, and theres little to no space on the sand at high tide. Aim for low tide if you want to relax on the beach, then explore the surrounding villages and attractions when the water rises.)

DRIFT INN BEACH

Drift Inn Beach, near the village of Port Clyde, is the beach my family beelined toward on every blistering summer day when I was a child. Theres sand for sunbathing, rocks for kids to scramble over and great views of the islands off the St. George peninsula green Mosquito Island most prominent to the east and The Brothers poking out of the water to the south. Tidal pools around the rocks hold hidden treasures, both living (like snails, periwinkles and crabs) and otherwise (sea glass, clam shells and skipping stones).

To find this gem, take Route 1 to the town of Thomaston, then follow Route 131 south toward St. George. Bear left after the village of Tenants Harbor; in a little more than three miles youll find the beach parking lot, accessible from Route 131 or Drift Inn Road.

BIRCH POINT BEACH STATE PARK

In nearby Owls Head, the small state park at Birch Point Beach a cute crescent beach known geologically as a pocket beach offers a beautiful stretch of sand along a protected cove, with short trails into the trees covering the rocks of Birch Point and Otter Point on either side. Fishing is allowed at Birch Point, and human anglers arent the only ones who take advantage; cormorants, seagulls and other shore birds wheel through the air and try their luck in the waves. Since the beach is in a state park, there is a fee charged, but that cost pays for amenities like bathrooms, trash cans, and grills and picnic tables for preparing and enjoying a meal at waters edge.

To reach the access road, follow Route 73 south from Rockland for about four miles, then turn onto Dublin Road at The Keag in South Thomaston. In about a mile and a half, look for the signs on Ballyhac Road that lead to the state park.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Drift Inn Beach is less than three miles from Marshall Point Lighthouse, famous in film as the easternmost end of Forrests cross-country run in Forrest Gump. At low tide, there are plenty of tidal pools to explore (including one particularly large one at the base of the light) for visitors seeking out starfish, crabs, snails and sea cucumbers. Theres also a short, interpretive path around the lighthouse that guides you through the surrounding trees and flowers. The lighthouse museum features an engaging history of the lighthouse and the village, as well as a gift shop.

A few points northeast of Birch Point State Park, youll find Owls Head Ledge and Owls Head Light State Park, where the eponymous light sits atop a steep rise, looking out over Penobscot Bay. The short walk to the lighthouse is well worth it, as its high position offers panoramic views, looking toward Islesboro to the north, North Haven and Vinalhaven to the east, and Matinicus far to the south. The park also features a rocky beach, where its easy to spend hours relaxing on the water (as long as you dont mind some bumps under your beach blanket).

Inland, between St. George and Owls Head on Route 73, the Owls Head Transportation Museum is a fun stop for visitors young and old. The huge hangar boasts more than 200 antique aircraft and automobiles, some dating to the 1800s. If youd like to see vintage aircraft in action, their biggest event of the year the Wings and Wheels Spectacular is coming up Aug. 5-6, and will feature a B-17 Flying Fortress and many other antique planes.

Jake Christie is a freelance writer living in Portland. Along with his brother, Josh, he writes about great Maine destinations for outdoors enthusiasts. Jake can be reached at:

[emailprotected]

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It's Worth the Trip: Skip the amenities and try these beaches instead - Press Herald

Added on July 20, 2017 Easy Reader Staff Manhattan Beach

by Tony Cordi

Commercial vacancy rates in Manhattan Beach are impossibly low.Demand for space downtown has become so high that we are seeing $10 per square foot lease rates, double what they were just six years ago. This sounds enticing for an investor, but good luck finding a property to add to your portfolio.

Sales of commercial properties here are almost as rare as Strand home sales. In fact, the most heavily trafficked online commercial real estate site, LoopNet, did not have a single commercial property listed for sale in Manhattan Beach at the time of this writing.Many properties have remained with families for generations, some for over 60 years.This has investors looking elsewhere and the Sepulveda corridor has become the new mecca.

We are in the midst of a serious transformation from Marine Avenue on south into Hermosa Beach.

What is somewhat surprising about this is that just a few years ago the lease rates on Sepulveda were curiously consistent along the entire axis, from LAX through the Riviera Village on PCH, including Manhattan Beach.However, we have seen commercial lease rates in Manhattan Beach along Sepulveda double in just the past two to three years.Given that the value of most commercial property depends on a multiple of net income, its like winning the lottery.

Maryl Binney of Highland Partners Corp. cites the limited opportunities in downtown Manhattan, the repositioning oftheSepulvedacorridor, and strong traffic counts as key factors driving this jump. She adds that desirabledemographics and high disposable incomes make the area increasingly attractive, to retailers in particular.

However, Binney emphasizes that it is really the repositioningandincreasing availability of largerparcels that hascreated the opportunity formajor retailersto enter the market. Binney should know. Sherepresented the developers in leasing the Gelsons project,which consists of34,000square feet ofretail space,while her colleagues at Highland Partnersrepresented the seller ofthe El Torito Grill property last month, to longtime investor Stuart Sackley.

The classic definition of the capitalization rate, or cap rat, is the rate of return on a real estate investment based on the income that the property is expected to generate.All things being equal, it remains a fair way to gauge the relative merit of opportunities in different locations.Yet, all things are rarely equal.Lease rates can increase at different paces in different areas. The concept of the repositioning of Sepulveda, as alluded to by Binney, has manifested in a significant increase in the demand for space, which in turn has resulted in the rapid increase in lease rates.

Sackley has been buying up properties on Sepulveda for 20 years and has amassed close to 200,000 square feet of land.He likes the high car count and his ability to keep his spaces leased without much effort.Its that simple.No investment models or cap rate calculations are required for him.The fact that Forbes recently placed Manhattan Beach in the top one-tenthof 1 percent out of 29,500 zip codes tracked nationwide certainly doesnt hurt.

The substantial investments being made on Sepulveda from the Manhattan Village Mall to Walgreens, Manhattan Toyota, Target, Gelsons, and the Skechers expansion, among other projects, continue to transform the corridor and yield impressive returns for investors there.

Tony Cordi can be reached at tony@theinnategroup.com ER

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Business and Beaches - Easy Reader

PHOTO: Shark season is upon us. (photo via Flickr/Malkusch Markus)

Most of the time, people want to avoid swimming with sharks. But Shark Week is different.

Shark Week has become a phenomenon, and tourists travel all around the world to get up close and personal with some of the most dangerous animals in the ocean. For those who have not yet been swept away by the Shark Week mania, it is a week-long TV programming block created in 1988 by the Discovery Channel which features shark-based shows, events and activities.

The 29th anniversary of Shark Week officially starts on July 23, but travelers looking to go deep-sea diving or swim with the sharks to celebrate should be forewarned, there are several beaches in the United States dealing with the ocean predators.

For the tourists running toward the shark-infested beaches instead of away, travel metasearch engine liligo.com has compiled a list of beaches with the most recorded shark attacks dating all the way back to 1828.

Dubbed the Shark Attack Capital of the World, Daytona Beach, Florida, has been the home of 275 shark-related incidents since 1882. Florida also takes up the No. 2 and No. 3 spot on the list, with Cocoa Beach and Palm Beach recording130 attacks and 69 attacks, respectively.

READ MORE: 4 Places Where You Can Swim with Sharks

Another spot to avoid (or check out) is Hawaii. There have been 56 attacks since 1828 on Maui. Oahu has witnessed 38 recorded attacks during the same time period, but 13 of those incidents took place in 2013 alone.

For the rest of us, watching Shark Week on television is close enough.

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Ideal Beaches for Shark Week - TravelPulse

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Seeking some splash-a-bility in these scorchy days? There's a stretch of sand for that.

WHICH IS THE GREATER NUMBER? The number of grains of sand on the beaches of California or the number of times you think to yourself, on an especially thermal-tastic, can't-get-cool July day, "well, can it get any hotter?" This isn't a trick question: It's the sand, though you may feel as if you think that particularly can't-stop-sweating thought about a trillion times over the course of a heat-wave-y afternoon. There are de-swelter solutions, from finding a city pool, or a movie theater, or a friend's cool garden, to making for all of those aforementioned grains of sand (well, not all of them, of course, but a goodly amount). And while many an ocean-close stretch can claim come quintessential beach-style action, Oxnard, for a lot of SoCalers, and Central Coasters, too, isn't all that far. The Oxnard-area beaches also offer an array of de-stress to-dos, from simply plunking down under a large hat, with a juicy novel, to finding some kayak and surfing opportunities. If you'll be Oxnarding it over the coming weeks, which may, if August and September traditions hold fast, be even fiercer in the heat department, best find your sandy bit of bliss soon. There's...

SILVER STRAND BEACH, which rocks some fishing action, as well as kayaking, while Hollywood Beach, with its Tinseltown-history cred (stars regularly visited this hideaway decades ago) has a whole "huge, sandy expanse" vibe (and an "uncrowded" vibe, too). Ormond Beach is known among bird buffs, especially those hoping to catch a sighting of the Western Snowy Plover, while Oxnard Beach Park boasts pathways and picnic tables. To find your match, eye all of the foam-churny spots along this part of the coast, and plot your course to A) cooling down and B) participating in that classic California hot-day'd delight, a day at the beach.

Published at 12:20 PM PDT on Jul 22, 2017

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Oxnard Beaches: Picnics, Surfing, Kayaks - NBC Southern California

News & Observer

Large buildings threaten NC beaches News & Observer Increasingly, coastal communities in North Carolina are concerned with the large size of beachfront and near-beach houses. One reason for this is that neighbors object to these extremely large houses because they are essentially small hotels. The ...

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Large buildings threaten NC beaches - News & Observer

PHOTO: San Simeon, California. (photo by Janeen Christoff)

If you are feeling pummeled by the summer heat, Californias Central Coast beaches can be a welcome respite.

Despite news that a landslide and a bridge collapse have closed parts of Californias Pacific Coast Highway, some of the best beaches along its scenic coast are open, accessible and still welcoming visitors.

From the southern parts of San Luis Obispo to the northern gateway to Big Sir, there are a number of coastal stretches perfect for cooling off this summer.

Ragged Point

Right now, Ragged Point is as far as you are going to be able to travel on PCH without detouring to Highway 101. The beautiful coastal overlook is home to a general store, ice cream stand, a restaurant and hotelallwith incredible views of the Pacific.

Its the perfect place to stop and rest after a long drive. When you do swing by, make sure to stroll the path along the rugged coast that begins just behind the restaurant and hotel. There are some great photo ops along the way as well as a path that takes you down to the beach below.

San Simeon and Cambria

Home to Hearst Castle and the gorgeous San Simeon Cove, the small coastal town of San Simeon is the perfect place to stay the night.

There are a number of hotels that line the rugged coast, offering beautiful ocean views. And for those desiring a more rugged experience (#vanlife), there is also a large campground that offers ocean access as well as access to a number of hiking trails winding through cypress forests and providing vistas over lands owned by the Hearsts.

If you keep your eyes peeled, you can possibly see zebras, which still roam these coastal plains after the closing of the Hearst Castle zoo.

The nearby town of Cambria, just south of San Simeon, is also a stunner and offers its own crop of seaside hotels. Dont miss a stroll on the famous Moonstone Beach, or a walk along its meandering boardwalk just above the sand.

Hearst Castle is another must in the area. Be sure to book ahead as these tours, especially in summertime, often fill up. There are also a number of different tours to choose from that visit various areas within the castle.

After you see how the other half lives, a stop at the San Simeon General Store is a good bet. In addition to a delicious grill that serves up enormous burgers made from Hearst Ranch beef, there is a Hearst Winery tasting room. Its pretty much impossible to escape without buying a burger and a bottle.

Pack your kayaks and fishing gear and head over to San Simeon Cove after you eat (or better yet, bring some food for a beachside picnic).

Last but not least, San Simeon is home to a colony of elephant seals. North of the town is a viewing point, and theres a short hike along the boardwalk to see them playing in the water and sunning themselves on the beach. (If you see two of the seals fighting in the water, the act of brutality is nothing to worry about. Its a mating ritual of the males.)

Bring your binoculars, and if the timing is right, you may be able to see whales migrating along the coast as well.

Cayucos

Just south of San Simeon is the charming beach community of Cayucos. The Cayucos State Beach is a three-mile stretch of sand that offers uncrowded access to the Pacificperfect for beach combing and sandcastle-building. Its an ideal place for a family vacation with a number of rental properties and a few motels and inns.

Cayucos is also home to one of the areas most popular dog beaches.

READ MORE:Unexpected Treasures on the Road to La Paz

Los Osos/Baywood Park

If you are into coastal hiking, this is the place. There are amazing walks along the seaside as well as secluded beaches and beautiful bluffs. Theres not a lot in the way of accommodation, but if you are up for camping, be sure to score a spot in Montana de Oro State Park before you arrive.

Avila Beach

This hidden cove is a charming seaside retreat. Visitors will find an abundance of activities, dining, accommodations and restaurants for such a small place.

Theres the popular beachside Avila Lighthouse Suites as well as the La Fonda hotel. A boardwalk is home to restaurants, coffeehouses, bars and a general store.

Theres a pier for fishingand, if you go out on the water, there is a great likelihood that you will see some otters playing in the kelp beds just off the shore.

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Cool Off at These California Central Coast Beaches - TravelPulse

Around sixty people were treated for minor jellyfish stings in Volusia County beaches on Saturday, according to authorities.

Volusia County beach safety officers said personnel treated the wounds with a vinegar mixture.

They also successfully rescued 27 people out of the water, as hazardous rip current conditions have remained since last week. Despite afternoon thunderstorms with lightning that forced authorities to close certain parts of the beach, the areas were later reopened to beach goers, according to spokesman Aaron Jenkins.

A 61-year-old man died on July 14 at Ormond Beach. Lifeguards pulled him out of the water and performed CPR, but were unable to revive him.

Another 61-year-old man from Ohio was rescued at Daytona Beach a day later.

bpadro@orlandosentinel.com or 407-232-0202 or follow me on Twitter @BiancaJoanie

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60 people treated for jellyfish stings along Volusia County beaches on Saturday, officials say - Orlando Sentinel

Broady (Baker) and Delano beaches in Quincy's Germantown neighborhood reopened Friday a day after bacteria levels reached 15 times the limit considered safe for swimming.

Follow-up testing showed virtually no bacteria in the water.

The other 63 salt-water beaches on the South Shore passed bacteria tests this week and are open for swimming.

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 tpl-beaches. For more on Wollaston Beach, call 617-626-4972.

HOW BEACHES ARE TESTED

Sixy-five beaches on the South Shore are tested for intestinal bacteria found in humans and animals.

High levels indicate the possible presence of 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.

If the past five samples have a mean exceeding 35 colonies, the beach must also be closed to swimming.

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Two Quincy beaches reopen - The Patriot Ledger

The Upstate is known for its beautiful lakes and mountains, but if the hot summer weather gives you the urge to be at the seashore, there are plenty of destinations worth a weekend drive.

15 of the best beach destination, from longest to shortest drive time (travel times from Google Maps):

Fripp Island: 4:19

Located near Hilton Head, 3,000-acre Fripp Island is 18 miles from the city of Beaufort. It features 3.5 miles of uncrowded white sand beaches, flanked by towering palmetto trees.

Murrells Inlet: 4:18

Murrells Inlet, often called the "seafood capital of South Carolina," features a half-mile-long Marsh Walk that provides a view of fishing boats bringing in the daily catch. Murrells Inlet is 10 miles south of Myrtle Beach.

File photo, Liz Mitchell, Flickr

Garden City: 4:17

Directly south of Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach is at the end of a peninsula at the mouth of Murrells Inlet. With access to both the inlet and ocean and proximity to Myrtle Beach, Garden City is a hot spot for fishing, crabbing, and water sports.

Pawleys Island/Litchfield Beach: 4:15

About 30 minutes south of Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island and Litchfield Beach offer quieter alternatives. Pawleys Island is famous for its arrogantly shabby Cypress cottages. It features large swaths of undeveloped marshland, rivers, and oceanfront state parks. Litchfield Beach, also at the south end of the Grand Strand, provides a small-town feel a short drive from Myrtle Beach.

File photo, Zebralongwing, Flickr

Surfside Beach: 4.13

Surfside Beach was officially incorporated in 1964. Visitors can access the beach from any of the town's 36 access points. Its nickname is "The Family Beach."

Myrtle Beach Area Beaches: 4:11 Myrtle Beachs boardwalk is often described as having a campy charm. Myrtle Beach offers 60 miles of wide, soft sandy beaches loaded with family-friendly activities.

File photo, StephsShoes, Flickr

North Myrtle Beach: 4:6

Just north of Myrtle Beach, the area offers shopping and dining along the boardwalks near the Intracoastal Waterway. There are more than 100 shops and 15 restaurants surrounding a 27-acre lake.

Kiawah Island: 3:52

Kiawah is a 10,000-acre barrier island located 25 miles southwest of Charleston, It features 10 miles of uninterrupted beaches, preserved maritime forests, sand dunes, and marshes where turtles, whitetail deer, and seabirds abound.

Hilton Head: 3:51

A little under four hours from Greenville, Hilton Head is extremely popular with family travelers. It has 12 miles of beaches, 24 golf courses, 350 tennis courts, and more than 250 restaurants.

File photo, Michael Baker, Flickr

Edisto Island: 3:50

Edisto Island features a non-commercialized beach that is 42 miles southwest of Charleston. There are small restaurants, a state park and a Wyndham resort, but no restrooms or showers along the public beach. There is only one grocery store near the beach.

Isle of Palms: 3:35

Located 12 miles from downtown Charleston on a slender barrier island, Isle of Palms is known for its beaches that are backed by condos and restaurants. Sea turtles nest in the area. The oceanfront park includes a beach, picnic areas and a playground. The Isle of Palms is a tight-knit island community with a 1,500-acre resort, two championship golf courses and a marina.

Folly Beach: 3:32

Folly Beach, referred to by locals as the edge of America, is home to Folly Beach Pier, that stretches more than 1,000 feet into the ocean. Folly Beach County Park has picnic areas and a pelican rookery. Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve has views of Morris Island Lighthouse, completed in 1876.

File photo, Mike Druckenbrod, Flickr

Bull Island: 3:30

Located in Awendaw, just outside of Charleston, Bull Island Beach was once a haven for pirates. The undeveloped barrier island was incorporated into the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge in 1932. It features idyllic woodland trails and beautiful beaches.

Sullivans Island: 3:22

Another Isle of Palms neighbor, Sullivans Island is home to Fort Moultrie, site of important battles during the American Revolution and the Civil War. The 3.3-mile island offers wide beaches and water sports, history and folklore, local restaurants and shops. Its beachfront lands are owned by the town and protected under easement. Sullivans Island sits at the mouth of the Charleston Harbor.

File photo, Charles Nicolosi, Flickr

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14 beautiful beaches within 4 hours of Greenville - WYFF-TV - WYFF Greenville

by ASHLEY CULLINANE, NBC 10 NEWS

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is opening the beach to people of all abilities with a variety of wheelchairs designed for sand and water. (WJAR)

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is working to make all state parks wheelchair accessible as the summer season heats up.

At Horseneck Beach in Westport, there are a variety of beach wheelchairs available so those who could not otherwise enjoy a day at the beach can do so.

The chairs are made of PVC pipe and feature a fishing rod holder, a movable arm for transfer and large balloon tires for travel across sand.

Patricia Ainsley spent most of her life like many do in Massachusetts.

"We grew up going to the Cape," Ainsley said.

But trips to the beach stopped when she had her leg amputated.

"It's been a long time, maybe five years," she said.

The great-grandmother's family surprised her by bringing her to the beach. It was their first trip to Horseneck.

"Oh my goodness, look at it!" Ainsley said as she reached the sand. "I just love it. I don't even know how to express it anymore. It's a whole wonderful feeling. I'm going to cry."

There are more than 150 beach wheelchairs across the state, according to DCR Universal Access Program director Thomas McCarthy.

Efforts by the UAP to make the parks and beaches accessible began in 1995.

"It's grown in a tremendous way," McCarthy said.

While UAP receives state funding, McCarthy said organizations have donated chairs in the past. He said the non-profit Smile Mass has donated at least 15 chairs. Some beaches also offer floating wheelchairs called Mobi chairs and have mats leading to the water.

Horseneck Beach clerk Rachel Pichette said getting a wheelchair is simple.

"You just give us a form of ID," Pichette said. "We'll hold onto that until we get the chair back."

Reservations are recommended.

Pichette said Horseneck Beach officials are working to get more chairs for the campground.

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Mass. beaches prioritize accessibility for all - Turn to 10

Hundreds of yellow, fluffy blobs are storming the beaches of northern France.

And, while no one knows exactly where they came from, these strange invaders may offer yet another telltale sign that the seas are teeming with trash.

In this case, French authorities have identified the balls of goo as paraffin wax, a petroleum derivative thats used to manufacture everything from cosmetics to crayons to food additives.

The culprits, according to a conservation group called the Sea-Mer Association, are likely the commercial ships that ply the waters along the countrys Opal Coast.

"This product is carried by ships, which are specialized for this, and once they have discharged their cargo in the port and once they leave the port, they are allowed to wash their tanks then to throw this residue overboard in the sea," Jonathan Hnicart, president of the Sea-Mer Association, told the CBC.

Authorities say the balls are harmless to people and animals. (Photo: Sea-Mer Association)

Paraffin residue doesnt sink, according to LiveScience, but instead gathers into balls that bob along the ocean surface until eventually making beachhead.

The trouble is, Hnicart explained, the ships are only permitted to wash their tanks far from shore and rinse out the gunk in limited quantities.

Instead, he suggests, someone decided to do it close to shore. And all at once.

Now, some of Frances most famous beaches Le Touquet, Wimereux, La Slack, Le Portel, Equihen-Plage are covered in clumps of that oily residue.

Environmentalist say these little yellow balls find their way into the food chain at great peril to wildlife. (Photo: Sea-Mer Association)

It wouldnt be the first time someone cut a corner.

In May, beaches along Englands North Yorkshire coast were the scene of a similar invasion.

At the time, local councillor Nick Edwards urged the public to keep calm and tourist on.

While the presence of paraffin wax on the coastline should not deter people visiting our beaches, we ask people to use common sense, not handle the substance and also keep dogs and children away from it, Edwards told the BBC.

In this most recent case, French authorities are also urging beachgoers to not run in terror from the oily orbs, claiming they hurt neither people nor flora and fauna.

Conservationists like Hnicart beg to differ.

Seagulls ingest this kind of product, he told CBC. The problem is also that even if we say that it is not toxic, the quantity, the enormous quantify, makes it toxic because the local wildlife will live with this.

Indeed, on the iconic beaches of France they may only be temporary eyesores. But for animals that call the sea their home, these wounds may run a lot deeper.

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French beaches overrun with odd, yellow blobs - Mother Nature Network

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.

Needles turn up in all kinds of public places, especially on beaches.

However, there are volunteers dedicated to keeping Santa Cruz beaches as needle free as possible.

"We're not doing it for money. We're not doing it for fame! We're doing it because we're afraid someone on two legs or four legs is going to get stuck with a needle," said Santa Cruz resident Rachel Dean.

Three times a week, Dean walks three quarters of a miles across Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, scouring the sand for needles.

She said she believes that the needles wash up along the shoreline through the San Lorenzo River or have just been discarded there.

She's gathered quite a collection since she began collecting needles in January.

"Ground zero. This is where I would start really looking around for orange and white," Dean said. "Orange being, orange caps. White pushing on a syringe and I do this back and forth."

She targets not only needles, but also trash.

Dean isn't alone in her efforts to keep Santa Cruz beaches needle-free.

Grassroots community organization Take Back Santa Cruz has one of the lengthiest sets of records tracking needle incidents in Santa Cruz. The organization's records go back four and a half years, containing over 1,635 reports of needle incidents.

The group also recorded that 14,620 needles have been removed from public spaces in Santa Cruz over the past four and a half years.

"We are doing this because we care about our community. We want to focus (on what) we can do to stop it from happening," said Analicia Cube, a member of Take Back Santa Cruz.

Today, Dean recovered one needle and a few caps at Seabright Beach.

"One needle off the beach is productive. It's one less stick," Dean said.

She takes what she's collected to her "beach mobile" and places the needles in an industrial size sharp container.

When the container fills up, she'll take it to a hospital for disposal.

Until then, Rachel Dean will continue to walk the walk in her effort to keep the beach free of needles.

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Rachel Dean walks the walk to keep Santa Cruz beaches free of needles - KSBW The Central Coast