A massive sewage spill in Tijuana that polluted beaches in San Diego County last month may have been no accident, according to state and local officials.

In a preliminary estimate, officialssaid about143 million gallons of raw sewagespewed into the Tijuana Riverduring a period of more than two weeks that ended Thursday. While cross-border sewage spills of a few million gallons are routine for the region, this is one of the largest suchevents in the last two decades, according towater quality expertsin San Diego.

People from Tijuana to as far north asCoronadohave beencomplaining offoul odorsfor weeks, promptinglawmakers in San Diego County to contact federal regulatorsas well as agenciesin Mexico.

The U.S. regulators said their Mexican counterparts have given little explanation.Mexican officials also havent responded to requests forcomment for this article sinceMonday.

Thiswas like a tsunami of sewage spills, saidImperial BeachMayor Serge Dedina, who said he tried to get answers from officialson both sides of the border for more than a week, with no response.

Whats worse is it looks to me like this was deliberate, he added. It saves [the Mexican agencies]a lot of money in pumping costs, and ultimately, they can get away with it and do it all the time, just on a much smaller scale.

The toxic discharge is estimated to have happened from Feb. 6through Thursday, while repairs were made to a major sewer pipe near the confluence of Mexicos Alamar and Tijuana rivers, according to the U.S. side of theInternational Boundary and Water Commission. Baja Californias State Public Service Commission maintains the sewer system infrastructure in that area.

They basically said it was a bypass of raw sewage into the Tijuana River during the rehabilitation of a large sewer pipeline in Tijuana, said Lori Kuczmanski, spokeswoman for the U.S. side of the commission, whichoversees international water treaties with Mexico, among other things.

The commission announced the spill on Friday. Before that day, officialsin Mexico hadnot responded to multiple inquiries about the incident, according tolocal, regional and federal regulators in the United States. By Tuesday, U.S. officials said, their Mexican counterparts still offered only scant details ofthe situation.

They also said Mexico didnt givethem advance notice of the sewer-pipe repair project.

Was the spill intentional? Well, yeah, said Dave Gibson, executive officer of the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. It appears they were working on the pipeline. I dont believe that it was a question of it failing.

At least a notification would be a good neighborly thing to do, to let us know what was coming down the river before it got hereso we could alert the public, he added.

A similar project in the United States would include efforts to preventsewagefrom flowing downstream by using booms and then pumping the diverted sewage back into the wastewater system,Gibson said.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

Emerson writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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'Tsunami of sewage spills' in Tijuana fouls U.S. beaches, may have ... - Los Angeles Times

The MLB Commissioner spoke to the media on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Wochit

Washington Nationals president mascots race between innings of the game between the Nationals and the Houston Astros at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The park officially opened on Tuesday.(Photo: JASEN VINLOVE/USA TODAY SPORTS)

WEST PALM BEACH Washington Nationals fan Wally Reed immediately was struck by the openlayout of the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches as soon as he stepped into the stadium on Tuesday morning.

The baseball field is the baseball field, but it has huge concourses, said Reed, who made the trip to West Palm Beach from Purcellville, Virginia, approximately an hour from Washington D.C. I like the access all around the outfield, its really a wide-open kind of stadium.

Id been to Viera (the Nationals previous spring home). This is a tremendous ballpark compared to Viera. Viera was an older stadium kind of like the analogy between the RFK (Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium) and the new Nats park. Its a beautiful stadium here. Viera was kind of compact and you feel youre almost trapped inside. Here, youre out there.

The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches had its official opening Tuesday as the Nationals hosted the Houston Astros the team it shares the spring training facility with. It was the first Grapefruit League game in West Palm Beach since the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos left the area after the spring of 1997.

Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor hit a walk-off home run to give Washington a 4-3 win, putting an exclamation point on Tuesdays debut, which included a ribbon cutting and a flyover by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during the national anthem.

A crowd of 5,987 was announced, as the stadium has 6,500 fixed seats.

Less than 15 months after breaking ground, the new stadium was met with great approval from officials, players and fans. Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday it felt like he was moving into a new house.

Its absolutely beautiful, said Joe Russo of Westford, Massachusetts. Im amazed. Its a great facility that theyve put together here and its perfect for Palm Beach. I just love the scenery, the background, the openness and its clean as a whistle. Its perfect.

"You can tell its day one, opening day for the ballpark.

With a wide, open concourse that goes all the way around the field, the Ballpark of the Palm Beach offers fans good views of the field no matter where they are. Fans can stand above both bullpens in the outfieldand watch pitchers warm up or sit on one of the two large, grass berms on either side of the batters eye in center field.

The spring training facilities just seem to get better and better and you see little features, for example of great facilities we have in Arizona, that the Astros and Nationals have incorporated into the facility here, said Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, who made his first trip to the stadium since its ground breaking in November, 2015. The stadium bowl itself is absolutely first rate, but I think the backfields and practice areas are amazing.

The facility still is working out some of the kinks and finishing touches. The team store and concession stands had very long lines with Russo saying he was told it would be a 30-minute wait for a hot dog.

But the primary purpose of the facility giving the Astros and Nationals a place to prepare for the season and cut down on their previous travel times for road games was accomplished.

The New York Mets (Port St. Lucie), Miami Marlins (Jupiter), St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter), Astros and Nationals now all are within an hour drive. Last year when the Astros trained in Kissimmee, they had only two opponents the Atlanta Braves (Lake Buena Vista) and Detroit Tigers (Lakeland) less than 60 minutes away.

There's a buzz to being the first to play in the new stadium, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. How nice it is and how convenient it is. The ease of it for us to play a road game and only have to walk out of our clubhouse and onto our field is pretty unique.

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Ballpark of the Palm Beaches has a successful debut - TCPalm

Sections of Lompoc-area beaches were again closed off on Wednesday as they are on March 1 every year by Vandenberg Air Force Base in what officials say is an attempt to protect the Western snowy plover.

The restrictions have been enacted at sections of Surf Beach, which is open to the public, as well as Wall and Minuteman beaches, which only are accessible by entering VAFB.

The closures will remain in effect through Sept. 30.

The Western snowy plover islisted as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The closures, according to base officials, are meant to protect the birds, as well as their nesting habitats.

"It's a priority to protect the snowy plover by enforcing beach closures and habitat restoration to reduce negative effects of recreational beach use during their season of breeding," said Samantha Kaisersatt, 30th Civil Engineer Squadron biological scientist. "Dogs, horses and kites are prohibited during this time."

Violations are monitored by VAFB Civil Engineering personnel.

If violations exceed 50 for Surf Beach, 10 for Wall Beach or 10 for Minuteman Beach, that respective beach will be closed for the remainder of the nesting season, which lasts through Sept. 30.

Entry into any posted closed area counts as a violation, officials said.

Violators of beach restrictions can be fined up to $5,000 in federal court.

Violations of the Endangered Species Act, like crushing eggs or chicks, can lead to fines of up to $50,000 in federal court and imprisonment for up to one year.

During plover season, the general public still can access portions of Surf Beach at the west end of Ocean Avenue, which is also Highway 246.

Willis Jacobson covers the city of Lompoc for Lee Central Coast Newspapers. Follow him on Twitter @WJacobsonLR.

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Annual plover restrictions lead to closures at Lompoc-area beaches ... - Santa Maria Times (subscription)

Palm Beach Countys tourism promoter, Discover The Palm Beaches, is now accepting nominations for its 2016 Providencia Award through March 17.

Given annually, the Providencia honor recognizes a local business, organization or individual for extraordinary contributions in helping the county raise itsvisibility as a tourist destination.

Nominations will be reviewed by the agencys award committee. Results will be narrowed to three finalists,The public will be invited to help select thewinner during an online voting period between April 10 andMay 1.

Besides making a contribution to the growth of the countys tourism industry, nominees are considered forsales, marketing, public relations and social media initiatives, and for creating awareness of the county as a leading destination, the agency said.

Tourism is the top non-agricultural economic driver for The Palm Beaches.

Last year, the regionwelcomed a record 7.35 million tourists, up from 6.9 million in 2015, according to recentdata.

The winner will be announced May 12 during Travel Rally Day festivities at the Lake Worth Casino Building & Beach Complex.

Past winners includethe Loggerhead Marinelife Center, The Honda Classic, International Polo Club Palm Beach, Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, The Colony Hotel Palm Beach, Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens and Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

For criteria information and to submit a nomination, visitThePalmBeaches.com/Providencia-Award.

asatchell@sunsentinel.com, 954-356-4209 or Twitter@TheSatchreport

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Palm Beach County tourism agency calls for Providencia award nominees - Sun Sentinel

SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. - With the beginning of March comes the beginning of Spring Break. And in Walton County, it also signifies the start of South Walton Fire District's Lifeguard season.

South Walton Fire District's Beach Safety Program went into its 12th season on Wednesday, putting lifeguards at 14 different locations along South Walton's 26 miles of beach.

"We really didn't have much of an off season and I think anybody who owns a business or is a local - I think they understand that," said David Vaughan, the District's Beach Safety Director. "The shoulder of the season as it used to be called has largely gone away."

Through a few partnerships, the program is extending its reach, adding a new location at Rosemary Beach while maintaining another at Sandestin.

"The Board of County Commissioners approved an additional tower at Grayton," added Vaughan. "We had previous coverage last year which was an experiment which was we had one guard on an ATV roving between Grayton, Blue Mountain and Seaside."

The lifeguards coordinate with the District's EMT's to assist in medical response as well as provide special form of transportation to those with mobility issues.

"We have five wheelchairs that are able to be used by our public here," said Colin Perlaky, a Beach Safety Supervisor. "Our lifeguards will come and pick you up from your beach access and take you down to the water."

The District also bolsters a perfect record.

"What we're most proud of is we have zero fatalities on guarded beaches," said Vaughan.

The lifeguards will be on the beaches everyday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The season ends on September 30th.

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Lifeguards Back on South Walton Beaches - Story | MyPanhandle - My Panhandle

Christina Balzotti, a Connecticut College student interning at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, wore a Google Trekker backpack as she walked along Wollaston Beach, taking pictures for Google Maps.

With temperatures reaching the mid-60s a couple of times in the past week, the collective yearning of Bostonians for the beach must have increased tenfold. But even without a streak of freakishly warm days, there may be a way to escape the winter funk and remember summer through digital means.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, a nonprofit harbor advocacy organization, teamed up with Google to create panoramic and interactive images of Greater Bostons beaches. With the help of Googles Trekker, a large multi-lens camera strapped to the back of an intern, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay logged more than 19 miles of beach walking during this past summer.

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Its the closest you can be without actually being there. Its terrific, its extremely interactive, and its not complicated to use, said Bruce Berman, a spokesman for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

The 360-degree imagery allows users to explore nine local beaches. During the summer, this technology could be helpful to a user in deciding where to take a family trip and what beach would be the best fit. By clicking on the cursor, users are able to move through the beach and along the water. Long walks on the beach dont always require walking.

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Beaches include Carson Beach, Revere Beach, and Winthrop Beach, all of which are right around Boston.

Google has been very supportive of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. They have a program to make their tools available to nonprofits, and they made it available to us and many others. It really does help to tell the story of an interesting or beautiful place, said Berman.

According to Berman, almost 2million people live near a beach in Massachusetts. He believes that over the last 30 years, the local beaches have improved a lot and have become a source of pride for the community. He hopes that this will increase awareness of the beaches, as well as increase the publics appetite for traveling to them.

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At Save the Harbor foundation, our mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor and the beaches and the islands and to share them with the public. This project and this technology does just that, said Berman. Though the volunteers at the nonprofit were the ones in the field collecting footage, because of the sophisticated nature of the images and the necessity for processing, they were not able to see them until recently.

We were so glad that when we saw it, it looked as pretty as it does, said Berman.

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Local beaches are now just a click away - The Boston Globe

KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. - An estimated 5,000 gallons of sewage has spilled into the Kitsap shoreline of the Hood Canal area.

The discharge started on Thursday and wasn't corrected until 11 a.m. Monday, the Naval Base Kitsap Bangor says.

The waste is considered a public hazard. The Kitsap Public Health District has issued a seven-day no-contact advisory for the shoreline of the Hood Canal area near Naval Base Kitasap-Bangor.

The District recommends against swimming, wading, or types of water recreation or play where water could be swallowed or get in the mouth, nose or eyes.

People should also avoid direct skin contact if possible, and immediately wash with soap and water if they have exposure to the water.

Advisory signs have been posted near Bangor and along public access beaches at Kitsap Memorial State Park, Lofall, Vinland, and Edgewater Park.

The public is also advised to avoid collecting shellfish in the impacted areas.

For information and updates on beach closures, shellfish harvesting or other public health topics, visit the District's website, Facebook page or the Kitsap Electronic Notification System.

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Est. 5000 gallon sewage spill closes beaches near Kitsap-Bangor - KOMO News

MOSS LANDING, Calif.

Pupping season for elephant and harbor seals on the Central Coast is here and the Marine Mammal Center is reminding people to stay away from the animals.

Elephant seal pups can already be seen on the beach at Ao Nuevo State Park and the first harbor seal pup was born just over a week ago in Monterey County. Harbor seals can be seen on the Central Coast stretching from Monterey to Pebble Beach.

The animals are cute and do have a signature cry but the Marine Mammal Center is asking the public to leave them be.

"We really encourage people to check out the beaches this time of year and take in all of our wonderful wildlife, we just ask that people try and keep a respectful distance from the animals," said Julia O'Hern the Montere Bay Operations Manager for the Marine Mammal Center.

The Center responds to numerous cases of newborn pups that are negatively impacted by human interaction each year.

"We usually tell people that if the animal turns and notices you, you've probably gotten a little too close, and just back up a little bit," O'Hern said.

The danger is skittish seal moms can be separated from pups if startled by humans.

On Wednesday three elephant seal pups were in the care of the Marine Mammal Center in Moss Landing.

All three of them are malnourished, they're really skinny for their age," O'Hern said.

O'Hern said the animals all weighed between 80 and 90 pounds but should weigh double. The pups were already weaned from the mothers but were not doing well on their own.

Caitlin Conrad

Wednesday volunteers in teams of three were serving the animals lunch, a fish mash made of herring, salmon oil, and water. Tubes had to be stuck down the seal's throats so workers could get the food into their system.

The animals will soon be transferred to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito where they will be fattened up before being released into the wild.

WEBVTT ITHTHE STORY.CAITLIN: WE ARE SEEING BOTHHARBOR SEALS AND ELEPHANT SEALSON THE CENTRAL COAST BEACHES,AND YOU SHOULD GET OUT AND ENJOYTHEM, BUT KEEP YOUR DISTANCE.>> WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOMANY VOLUNTEERS.BIANCA: IT WAS -- CAITLIN: IT WAS A BUSY DAY OUTAT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER INMOSS LANDING WHERE THEY'VE GOT, SOME BABY ELEPHANT SEALS ASPATIENTS.>> ALL THREE OF THEM AREMALNOURISHED.THEY'RE REALLY SKINNY FOR THEIRAGE.CAITLIN: WE WERE THERE FOR LUNCHTIME, WHICH TAKES AT LEAST THREEPEOPLE.>> ALL OF -- PRETTY MUCHEVERYONE HERE IS A VOLUNTEER.THEY TAKE A LOT OF CLASSES.CAITLIN: THE ANIMALS HAVE TO BEFED A FISH MASH BY TUBE TOFATTEN THEM UP.ELEPHANT SEAL PUPS ARE ALREADYON THE BEACHES AT ANO NUEVO ANDSOON MORE HARBOR SEAL PUPS WILL, TURN UP IN MONTEREY ANDPACIFIC GROVE.AND WHILE THEY ARE CUTE TO LOOKAT, THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTERWANTS YOU TO LEAVE THE SEALS BE.>> THEY ARE VERY CUTE ANIMALS.THEY MAKE REALLY INTERESTINGSOUNDS.THEY HAVE SOME REALLYINTERESTING BEHAVIORS OUT ON THEBEACHES.WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TOCHECK OUT THE BEACHES THIS TIMEOF YEAR AND TAKE IN ALL OF OWONDERFUL WILDLIFE.WE JUST ASK THAT PEOPLE TRY ANDKEEP A RESPECTFUL DISTANCE FROMTHE ANIMALS.CAITLIN: THOSE ELEPHANT SEALPUPS YOU SAW, THEY ARE ABOUT 80TO 90 POUNDS RIGHT NOW, AND THEYSHOULD BE MORE THAN TWICE THATWEIGHT.THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER SAYSTHE GOOD NEWS IS THEY HAVEN'TSEEN TOO MANY SICK OR STARTINGSEALS ON THE BEACHES.-- STARVING SEALS ON THEBEACHES.ERIN: THE ELEPHANT SEAL PUPS INCARE IN MOSS LANDING WILL SOONBE TAKEN TO THE MARINE MAMMALCENTER'S MAIN LOCATION INSAUCILITO.AND THEY DO NEED TO MORE THANDOUBLE IN WEIGHT BEFORE THEY CAN

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Seal pups starting to show up on Monterey Bay beaches - KSBW The Central Coast

The pristine Adriatic was in the news again recently with the Dalmatian coast named among the top 10 cleanest bodies of water in the world, as TCN reported on February 27, 2017, but how to find your perfect Croatian beach online?

It is the jewel of Croatian tourism, whose thousands of idyllic bays, coves and beaches all along its expansive coast and more than a thousand islands, are washed constantly by the lapping waves of the Adriatic Sea.

But how to find your idyllic Croatian beach before you travel, check the annual water temperature, as well as its cleanliness, and other functions?

A very useful - and user-friendly - guide to all the main beaches in Croatia is available online and in English, with updated reports on individual beach inspections from May to September. With Google Earth maps, it is possible to pinpoint your perfect spot as you plan your holiday, while checking out the air and sea temperature for a particular time of year in 2016, as well as the ability to search for beaches by location.

And with the water quality rated 'excellent' in 93% of Croatia's beaches, it is little wonder that some of the world's cleanest water awaits...

Start your search for your ideal Croatian beach in 2016 here.

See original here:

How to Find Those Perfect Clean Croatian Beaches - Total Croatia News

From the Progress of June 25, 2008:

By NANCY WHITAKER Progress Staff Writer Part 1 of 2 No one will ever know, unless they were there, says Orval Mullen. We marched, walked, and whatever we had to do in all kinds of weather. Orval served in WWII, was shot twice, and won five battle stars. Mullen was born to Jesse and Lovina Mullen. The family moved to the Melrose area when Orval was young. He was 20 years old when he got the letter informing him that he had been selected (drafted) to serve his country in the war. Orval had a girlfriend at the time by the name of Luella Conley. When Orval got the news that he had been drafted, he and Luella tied the knot on Oct. 24, 1942, but they didnt tell anyone. He left for training just four days later on Oct. 28. Orval took training at various bases including: Camp Benjamin Harris, Camp Atterbury, Fort Jackson and Camp Johnson in Florida. Following a leave, he headed overseas to what would become the heat of the battle. He left by ship for England on Jan. 18, 1944, and was a part of the 4th Infantry Division, 8th Infantry Regiment. Mullen got seasick on the long 11-day voyage, but safely arrived in the southern part of England where the battalion took part in training exercises. One of the training maneuvers took place at Slapton Sands. This was a big disaster mission for the Americans that was hidden in secrecy for over 40 years. Orval commented, We were at Slapton Sands to do amphibious training. We were to go out into the English Channel and do exercises to prepare us for the big invasion of Utah Beach. We had arrived on LSTs (landing ship tank) and due to a typographical error in orders, somehow the Germans found out we were there and swept in on nine swift German torpedo boats and began shooting torpedoes at us. Trapped below decks, hundreds of soldiers and sailors went down with the ships. Some leapt into the sea only to drown as they were weighted down by water-logged overcoats. German torpedoes hit three of the LSTs, and there was little time to launch any life boats. I was on a smaller craft and managed to get away, but in the end, the rampage left a total of 749 dead. It was terrible. The water along the beach turned red from the blood, noted Mullen. From there, the 4th Infantry Division left from Plymouth, England and made their way to Utah Beach. Orval was in the third wave that hit the beach. Orval was in Communications and said, Things were sure different back then. I was on top of the pole and could get shot at pretty easy. Following the invasion of Utah Beach, the 4th Infantry Division, 8th Infantry Regiment marched through rain, mud, and cold to Cherbourg on the French peninsula. Orval said, Our bed was a foxhole, a shower was a little bit of water in your helmet, and we ate rations or whatever we had. We did what we had to do. It was on June 26, 1944, that the Allied forces liberated Cherbourg and then forced their way back to St. Lo. The battle at St. Lo was one of solid shelling and fighting. Orval made his way to his foxhole, but another soldier was in it. Orval tried to get some protection, but wound up getting hit in his hip. He was bleeding from his ear, nose, and mouth but somehow managed to get up on his own and grabbed hold of a jeep. The jeep was trying to move the wounded. I was taken to a first aid station and they cleaned, dressed my wound and poured sulfur on it. Then I was taken to a tent hospital. We were flown there in a converted plane. I remember looking at all the wounded on that plane. I looked across from me and there was a man across the aisle that I thought I knew. He happened to be from Grover Hill. It was Mike Louth and he had been hit by machine gun fire. Orval was sent from the tent hospital to a hospital in England. It was there that he underwent surgery for his gunshot wound. He said, They actually had to hold me down when they cut out that burnt flesh. They had no pain killer and they took a scalpel and just began digging. I remember screaming and doing some swearing. Then I was given penicillin for the infection and was shipped out two days later to a hospital in Abergavenny, England. They operated on me again, and I wound up being in the hospital for five months. Back on the home front, Luella had found out she was pregnant following Orvals first furlough home. The news was then given that the couple had exchanged vows prior to Orval leaving for basic training. Luella has over 500 letters that Orval wrote to her during the war. Luella commented, The war was very hard on the women at home, too. We used to write letters on what was known as V mail. These are little envelopes and paper and you cant write too much on them. When Orval was injured, I got a letter from the U.S. Army every month telling me of his condition. Orval wound up being in the hospital five months and 14 days. Meanwhile, he had a son at home that he hadnt seen yet. In Part 2: The 4th Infantry, 8th Infantry Regiment help free the Jews at the Dacau concentration death camp. See the pictures that Orval took of this tragedy with a camera he took from Germany.

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Orval Mullen WWII: From the beaches to the Bulge - The Paulding County Progress

St. Augustine Beach has made the annual TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards list in 2017 coming in at No. 8 with Siesta Beach in the Florida Keys taking the No. 1 spot.

Florida was the overall winner in the U.S. with seven of the top 10 beaches, and 10 of the top 25 on the world list. TripAdvisor gathered ratings over the last 12 months on 343 beaches across the world and used this data to compile the winners.

Other Florida winners include St. Petersburg Beach #3, Clearwater Beach #4, Panama City Beach #5, Hollywood Beach #6, Pensacola Beach #7, Fort Lauderdale Beach #11, South Beach #12 and Henderson Beach State Park at #17.

Florida received the most beaches on this years U.S. top 25 with ten, Hawaii followed with seven, California had three. Maine, Maryland, Massachuestts, Georgia and Virginia each had one on the list.

Siesta Beach was the only U.S. beach to reach the top 25 on the world list at No. 5. Baia do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil won the prize as overall best beach.

Florida beaches have topped the list for the last three consecutive years.

TripAdvisor's rankings for the U.S. top 25:

1. Siesta Beach on Siesta Key near Sarasota, Florida

2. Ka'anapali Beach Lahaina, Hawaii

3. St. Pete Beach, Florida

4. Clearwater Beach Clearwater, Florida

5. Beach at Panama City Panama City Beach, Florida

6. Hollywood Beach, Hollywood, Florida

7. Pensacola Beach, Pensacola Beach, Florida

8. St. Augustine Beach Saint Augustine Beach, Florida

9. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Honolulu, Hawaii

10. Ocean City Beach Ocean City, Maryland

11. Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

12. South Beach Miami Beach, Florida

13. Wai'anapanapa State Park Hana, Hawaii

14. Ogunquit Beach Ogunquit, Maine

15. Wailea Beach, Wailea, Hawaii

16. Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Hawaii

17. Henderson Beach State Park, Destin, Florida

18. Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia

19. Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

20. Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica, California

21. La Jolla Shores Park, La Jolla, California

22. Hapuna Beach, Waimea, Hawaii

23. Race Point Beach, Provincetown, Massachusetts

24. Carlsbad State Beach, Carlsbad, California

25. Poipu Beach Park, Poipu, Hawaii

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St. Augustine Beach makes 'Top 25 Beaches' list by TripAdvisor | St ... - St. Augustine Record

Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos was the highest ranked Caribbean beach, copping the second spot overall.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Tuesday February 28, 2017 The Caribbean has once again taken a prominent position in TripAdvisors Travellers Choice Awards 2017, with Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos (TCI) copping the second spot, and the region bagging four of the top 10 picks and another six in the top 25.

Travellers voted for the best beaches they had ever visited and the seven-mile-long beach at Grace Bay, which has a five-star rating on TripAdvisor, was narrowly edged out of the top spot it occupied last year by Baio do Sancho in Brazils Fernando de Noronha.

Eagle Beach in Aruba placed third, while beaches in Cuba and Mexico snagged the fourth and seventh slots respectively.

In 12th place, Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands (technically 5.5 miles-long) reappeared on the list after a break last year, while Flamenco Beach in Culebra, Puerto Rico was right behind in 13th place.

Other regional beaches said to live up to the hype of brochures and travel guides were located in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Honduras and Costa Rica, which ranked 14th, 15th, 20th and 23rd, respectively.

Travellers Choice Beaches award winners were based on the quantity and quality of traveller reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor gathered over a 12-month period.

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Caribbean Dominates TripAdvisor's Best Beaches in the World - Caribbean360.com (subscription)

Need two more reasons to look forward to summer? Ogunquit Beach in Ogunquit, Maine, and Race Point Beach in Provincetown recently nabbed spots on TripAdvisors 2017 Travelers Choice list of the 25 best beaches in the United States.

The travel site used both the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings posted between November 2015 and November 2016, plus a proprietary algorithm, to determine award-worthy beaches around the world.

Spot No. 14 on the list of top 25 U.S. beaches went to Ogunquit Beach. According to TripAdvisor reviews, its beachgoers are big fans of the wide, clean space and enjoy that gift shops and eateries are within walking distance of the waterfront. TripAdvisor says the best time to visit Ogunquit Beach is between June and September.

Provincetowns Race Point Beach was awarded spot No. 23. TripAdvisor userscommented on the whale-watching opportunities, soft sand, beauty of the dunes, and ample parking spaces. The travel site recommends heading down the Cape to this seashore spot between June and August.

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BANGOR Health officials issued a seven-day no-contact advisory Monday for beaches between Lofall and an area north ofSeabeck following a5,000-gallon sewage spill at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor.

The sewage discharge began Thursday and was corrected Monday morning, according to a Kitsap Public Health District news release citing information provided by the Navy. The Navy reported the spill to health officials Monday.

The closure covers the east shore of Hood Canal from Kitsap Memorial State Park south to the area of Sunset Farm, north of Seabeck.The health district is posting advisory signsat public beaches.

The public is advised to avoid swimming, wading and other types of contact with the water in the affected area. People who are exposed should washimmediately with soap and water.

Residents are advisedto not gather shellfish in the area. The health district recommends against harvesting shellfish anywhere in the county during and after heavy rains because of an increased risk of illness from water-borne pathogens and pollution.

The spill at Bangor was the latest in a series of sewage dischargesthat have affected beaches this winter in Kitsap. Massive spills in Seattle closed beaches on the east side of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap this month. The health district lifted a no-contact advisory for those areas Feb. 21.

For information and updates on no-contact orders, go to kitsappublichealth.org/beaches.

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Angry parents are holding a protest in St Ives against a photographer taking pictures of young girls in their swimwear on the town's beaches and posting them on a website.

It was revealed last week that a photographer, known only by an alias, had shared hundreds of pictures of young girls on the internet. Many were taken with a long lens without the parents' consent.

They were shared on a website called Deviant Art. Since enquiries were made of the website last week, the photographer has removed almost all the pictures of girls and replaced them with general shots of St Ives. Galleries of children listed by year, called, for instance, 'Girls 2013' have also been removed.

The police said last week that the photographer was not doing anything illegal and officers had spoken to a man in St Ives. They said they had examined his computer and did not find any indecent images.

Read next: St Ives man Paul Salt took pictures of girls on the beach and had 4,000 indecent images

But parents have reacted with anger that the practice was going on in the first place, and Chloe Gold, who lives in the town, has now organised a 'silent protest'.

She said: "This is not a lynch mob and we are not targeting one person or any individual. This is about raising awareness of this issue. We've got so many people who live in St Ives in a bubble and have not realised what is going on.

"This is not about the content of the pictures either. I've had people saying to me they are not indecent images. This is about, collectively, who they belong to, who they've been taken of and how they've been used. For me, the police are not acting quickly enough and I think the law should be changed. People are very, very angry that someone can do this.

"When I first saw the website, I felt sick. To be honest, I also felt sad and, in some way, that we are all to blame for allowing this to happen. If we don't talk about this, how are our children going to talk about it?"

Read next: Last chance for St Ives alcoholic who stole 30,000 from mother's life savings

She said the police had been informed of the protest and added that anyone concerned about the issues, and particularly if they feared their children may have been pictured, was welcome to join them.

The protest will be held on Tuesday at 10am on the harbour front outside The Sloop pub. A second protest is being organised by the fire station on Higher Stennack at about 5.30pm on Tuesday, for anyone who is working in the day and unable to attend the morning event.

Read next: St Ives residents packed out Edward Hain Hospital meeting but NHS absences were noted

Cornwall Live contacted the website provider and a spokesman for Deviant Art said: "Deviant Art enjoys an excellent reputation in its cooperation with law enforcement and we will take immediate action when alerted to criminal conduct by appropriate authorities as our policies do not permit the posting of illegal and unlawful content.

"This particular user of the website has posted many photographs, the majority consisting of non-controversial subjects. We have no indication or record of criminal behaviour by this user."

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Photographer taking pictures of young girls on beaches prompts angry parents' protest in St Ives - Cornwall Live

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Discover The Palm Beaches, the countys tourism marketing arm, is accepting nominations for its annual Providencia Award, which is given to an individual or entity that has made a contribution to the county as a desirable tourist destination.

Nominations can be made online through March 17 at ThePalmBeaches.com/Providencia-Award.

Each nomination will be reviewed by a panel of local tourism leaders, who will ultimately narrow the list to three finalists. The public will be invited to select the 2016 Providencia Award winner by voting online at PalmBeachPost.com, beginning April 10 through May 1.

A juvenile loggerhead sea turtle named Shertz swims at Marinelife Center just before being released to the Atlantic Ocean Tuesday, October 25, 2016. (Bruce R. Bennett / The Palm Beach Post)

The winner will be announced on May 12 as local tourism leaders celebrate Travel Rally Day, an event heralding the economic impact of the industry, at the Lake Worth Casino Building & Beach Complex.

Tourism is the top non-agricultural economic driver for The Palm Beaches, and were able to deliver on our brand promise that this destination is the best way to experience Florida because of our tourism industry partners, said Jorge Pesquera, Discovers president and CEO. The prestigious Providencia Award helps us honor one of the outstanding leaders or entities contributing to the tremendous success of tourism in The Palm Beaches.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach won the prize last year.

Nominations for the award are based on several criteria: contributing to the growth of the local tourism industry; implementing innovative sales, marketing, public relations and social media initiatives; and creating awareness of Palm Beach County as a premier tourist destination.

Previous winners of the Providencia Award include Loggerhead Marinelife Center; The Honda Classic; International Polo Club Palm Beach; James Ponce; Delray Beach International Tennis Championships; The Colony Hotel Palm Beach; Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens; Kravis Center for the Performing Arts; Marathon of the Palm Beaches; South Florida Fair; Patrick Rooney Sr.; and Norton Museum of Art.

The award is named after a Spanish ship that sank off the coast in the 1880s. The crew sold its coconuts to people who planted them along the waterfront. Ultimately, thats how Palm Beach got its name.

The award has been given out more than two dozen times since 1989.

Discover announced this month that a record-breaking 7.35 million visitors traveled to Palm Beach County in 2016 an increase of 5.8 percent above 2015s level.

The increase marks the eighth consecutive year of tourism growth in the county, according to Discover.

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Two New England beaches have landed on TripAdvisor's World's Best Beaches 2017 Travelers' Choice Awards.

Ogunquit Beach in Maine and Race Point on Cape Cod were among the top 25 beaches picked by the travel website company. It's the second year both beaches have been selected.

Ogunquit was called "idyllic" by one TripAdvisor reviewer.

"Stroll or run on this beach when the tide is low, you will have plenty of space. In the off season go anytime. In summer the water is great," said Sandy, one reviewer.

The site says the best time to go to Race Point is June through August, although some TripAdvisor reviewers say they love going in the off-season.

"Even in the winter months, Race Beach has spectacular sunsets that will warm your heart," wrote Cecilia, another reviewer. "The sunset will absolutely infiltrate your senses with joy and wonderment!"

The full list of top 25 beaches are:

1. Siesta Beach, Florida

2. Ka'anapali Beach Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

3. St. Pete Beach St. Pete Beach, Florida

4. Clearwater Beach Clearwater, Florida

5. Beach at Panama City Panama City Beach, Florida

6. Hollywood Beach Hollywood, Florida

7. Pensacola Beach Pensacola Beach, Florida

8. Saint Augustine Beach Saint Augustine Beach, Florida

9. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Honolulu, Hawaii

10. Ocean City Beach Ocean City, Maryland

11. Fort Lauderdale Beach - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

12. South Beach - Miami Beach, Florida

13. Wai'anapanapa State Park - Hana, Hawaii

14. Ogunquit Beach - Ogunquit, Maine

15. Wailea Beach - Wailea, Hawaii

16. Lanikai Beach - Kailua, Hawaii

17. Henderson Beach State Park - Destin, Florida

18. Driftwood Beach - Jekyll Island, Georgia

19. Virginia Beach - Virginia Beach, Virginia

20. Santa Monica Beach - Santa Monica, California

21. La Jolla Shores Park - La Jolla, California

22. Hapuna Beach - Waimea, Hawaii

23. Race Point Beach - Provincetown, Massachusetts

24. Carlsbad State Beach - Carlsbad, California

25. Poipu Beach Park - Poipu, Hawaii

Published at 11:31 AM EST on Feb 26, 2017 | Updated at 12:06 PM EST on Feb 26, 2017

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2 New England Beaches Land on World's Best List - NBC Boston

By Donald Wittkowski

Large chunks of the dunes along some of Ocean Citys north end beaches have been sliced away, as though someone took a gigantic cleaver and cut them in half.

Whats left are cliff-like walls of sand that tower 7 or 8 feet above the beach in spots between Third and Fifth streets.

Although Ocean City isnt scheduled for its next round of beach replenishment until 2018, there is a possibility fresh sand could be added to the badly eroded north end beaches this year to get them in tip-top shape.

Mayor Jay Gillian announced in his State of the City address Thursday night that the city has been in positive talks with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the possibility of starting an additional beach restoration project in the north end as early as this fall.

Ocean City is now on a regular three-year cycle for beach replenishment projects funded by the Army Corps of Engineers. The mayor said the next phase of pumping is scheduled for 2018. That timetable would be accelerated if the city is successful in its talks to get the north end beaches replenished this fall.

First Ward Councilman Michael DeVlieger, who represents the north end of town and has advocated for more beach restoration work, said he was thrilled to hear Gillians remarks.

DeVlieger noted that healthy beaches are essential for Ocean Citys tourism industry and for maintaining the towns reputation as Americas Greatest Family Resort.

Our beaches are a critical part of what makes us great. We have to do everything we can to keep them in the shape that people have come to expect, he said.

Coastal Living Magazine named Ocean City in 2016 as the winner of its Best Beach in America award, the result of a nationwide online poll. City officials said the award underscored the importance of having a pristine beachfront.

However, some of the north end beaches got hammered by the powerful coastal storm Jonas in January 2016. In addition to carving sharp drop-offs in the dunes between Third and Fifth streets, the storm also washed away the top layer of powdery sand that provides a comfortable cushion for beachgoers to lie on.

Gabriella DiMarco, an Ocean City resident, was taking her dog, Toby, for a walk Sunday on the north end beaches. At one point, DiMarco stood at the base of some of the dunes on Fifth Street that had been dramatically sheared away.

I noticed that they have become badly eroded, she said.

She pointed out that her dog seems to have an easier time running on the dunes now because they are not nearly as big as before.

Scott Smyth, a Strathmere resident who grew up in Ocean City, noted that the beaches are ravaged by Mother Nature virtually every year. He said he remembers many beach replenishment projects that have been wiped away by the ocean.

Overall, Smyth characterized most of the north end beaches as being in fairly good shape now, especially when compared to what they were like in the 1970s and 1980s. During his youth in the 1970s, the beach was so sparse that the surf would wash up all the way under the Boardwalk, he said.

We used to go swimming right off the Boardwalk, the 53-year-old Smyth recalled. At high tide, the water would come in under the Boardwalk and we jumped right in.

The north end beaches were last replenished in 2015, when the Army Corps of Engineers pumped 1 million cubic yards of new sand between the northernmost jetty at Seaspray Road and 12th Street.

Ocean Citys share of the $12.3 million north end project was about $1.1 million, with the state and federal governments picking up the rest of the tab.

In 2016, the citys south end received 473,000 cubic yards of new sand to restore the storm-damaged beaches between 37th and 59th streets. The work was part of a federally funded $15.8 million project that also replenished beaches in Sea Isle City and Strathmere.

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Ocean City's North End Beaches May Get a Facelift This Fall - OCNJ Daily

One of the many white sand beaches in El Nido. Karen Flores, ABS-CBN News

MANILA Two Philippine destinations were once again recognized internationally.

Palawans El Nido, popular among locals, tourists and celebrities for its white sand and limestone formations, ranked fourth in Conde Nast Travelers list of 20 most beautiful beaches in the world.

Shockingly, Palawan remains steadily under the radar even though it continues to rank highly in our Readers Choice Awards. El Nido alone is home to around 50 white sand beaches its impossible to choose just one all of which are set around dramatic limestone formations and boast the finest and whitest sand youll ever see, Conde Nast said in an article published last February 23.

The water is so blindingly blue it makes the Caribbean Sea look murky in comparison. And the sunsets? Well, theyll ruin your life. Consider yourself warned, it added.

The three other beaches that surpassed El Nido in Conde Nasts list are all located in Hawaii. At number one is Honokalani Beach in Maui, followed by Honopu Beach in Kauai and Sunset Beach in Oahu.

The other beaches featured in Conde Nasts article came from St. Lucia, Aruba, French Polynesia, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos, United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Barbados and Bali.

Meanwhile, Boracays White Beach made it to TripAdvisors Top 25 beaches in the world for 2017, a list based on votes by users of the travel website.

The beach party hotspot ranked 24th in the list, which is topped by Baia do Sancho in Brazil.

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PH beaches in 2017 lists of Conde Nast, TripAdvisor - ABS-CBN News

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TripAdvisor released its new list of America's favorite beaches, and seven of the top eight are right here in Florida.

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Lance Risinger didn't catch many fish Thursday near the lighthouse on Sanibel Island in Florida. Risinger said he didn't care because the sunset he caught was good enough. Video by Kinfay Moroti/news-press.com

Beach sunset view from the Kane Tiki Bar at JW Marriott Marco Island.(Photo: JoNell Modys/Special to The News-Press)

TripAdvisor released its new list of America's favorite beaches, and seven of the top eight are right here in Florida.

So which Southwest Florida beaches made the 2017 Travelers' Choice list?

NONE!

That's the same number of Lee, Collier and Charlotte county beaches that made Dr. Beach's Top 10 list in 2016.

What gives?

The sun is still shining, the water is still warm, and sand and seashells still dazzle beach-goers. Last winter and spring, however, the region's reputation took a little hit when brown water emerged in the Gulf of Mexico following discharges from Lake Okeechobee. And then there's the issue of red tide, which has impacted our coastal areas off-and-on for years.

Just today, reporter Laura Ruane reported that Southwest Florida's tourist season outlook was flat, butthat's not necessarily a bad thing. For January, Southwest Florida International Airport reported a year-over-year passenger decline of 2.8 percent, but that still represented RSW's second-best January in its history.

Don't see the poll above? Click this link:Vote: Which Southwest Florida Beach is your favorite?

According to TripAdvisor users, these Florida beaches are among America's best:

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Zip, zero, zilch: TripAdvisor list excludes SWFL beaches - The News-Press