Saturday, July 08, 2006

Local Beaches Closed Yet Again

I'll give you the "Daily News" link, but be quick, otherwise you pay!

"This was the third closure of the year for both Easton's and Atlantic beaches. But the four-day closure from June 7-11, and the two-day closure on June 25-26 happened during cooler weather when there were not many people looking for a swim.

Peter Kyriakides, owner of the Atlantic Beach Club, said the problem of beach closures is now in its fourth year and he doesn't see local and state officials making much progress in addressing the problem.

"We're getting nervous about whether they plan to take care of it or not," he said. "It can't go on forever."

This year, Kyriakides said he is paying Rhode Island Analytical of Warwick to test the waters twice a week. Last year, it was once a week, he said, and before that once a month. These tests are separate from those conducted by the state, he said.

The problem really came to the forefront in the summer of 2004, he said.

Atlantic Beach was closed for a total of 11 days in 2004 and Easton's Beach was closed for seven days, according to data from the Department of Health.

The summer of 2005, which was drier, was better. State data shows Atlantic Beach and Easton's beach were each closed for two days last summer."

This causes Newport/Middletown big buck when First Beach (and Third) isn't open (employees still have to be paid). The Middletown end of the beach by the Atlantic Beach Club is mainttained by the owner quoted above. It hurts his business, too. Second Beach remains open. Third Beach (not mentioned in the article) is also frequently closed and some of it is permanently closed.

I've discussed this before. Seriously, even after the water is given the okay, would you want to swim in it the next day? And there is a time lapse between the test taking & the closings. Yuck!

Indeed, where are our State legislators? Maybe they're not beachgoers. I am! I will work to improve this situation & not just talk eternally about it. Our Sen. said that the problem had been solved 3 years ago! Wonder where she windsurfs now? She'd better have a waterpoof suit on! And it's not coming from the nearby sewer pumping station. It's coming from the Prov., Little Compton area & from street drains Middletown has going into the ocean (you can see it). Whenever it rains an inch or more, expect a closing for a few days.

Even animals don't foul their own nests.

2 comments:

Thomas Kalinowski said...

Eileen, I agree with you completely, but I'm rather pessimistic. In any tug-of-war between greater Providence and Aquidneck Island, the island is going to lose, because greater Providence has all the power and the money.

Population stats as of the 2000 census tell the story:
R.I.: 1,048,319
Prov. + N. Prov. + E. Prov. + Paw. + Cen. Falls + Cran. + War.: 511,680.

In other words, about half the people in R.I. live in Providence and its six satellite cities. Whatever they want to do to the rest of the state, they can and will do.

Anonymous said...

While Prov. may have voters & money, it's not Aquid. Island alone that is affected. Many beaches have the same problems, you just don't read about it. http://www.ribeaches.org/closures.cfm.
You can also check out histories of beaches here. This also efects the clammers & fishermen, so not to be pessimistic yet!