Rock climbing, Dorset

The Jurassic Coast looks thrillingly different when viewed from a rock face on the Isle of Portland. Connected to the mainland via Chesil Beach, this limestone peninsula is laced with climbing routes, from beginner-friendly to challenging. The old railway cuttings on the east coast feature climbs for all levels, while Blacknor cliff on the west has easier routes for those new to the activity. Participants learn key skills, including how to belay safely, from Rob Kennard, who has decades of teaching experience and good knowledge of the local geology. Half-day taster session from 22pp (for a group of seven or eight; 27pp for four; 75 for one), portland-climbing.co.uk

Wild-food chef Chris Bax and plant expert Rose Bax uncover the edible treasures of Robin Hoods Bay on the fringes of the North York Moors. At low tide, the couple take visitors out to explore rock pools and discover varieties of sea vegetables and shellfish then teach them how to prepare these goodies before everyone sits down to an alfresco lunch made using local and foraged ingredients: expect dulse seaweed quiche, hogweed salad and sea buckthorn cheesecake. The calories can be walked off with a stroll around the bays leafy pathways, where there are more edible plants. Maximum 14 people, lunch provided, 10am-4pm, 95pp, tastethewild.co.uk

A coasteering adventure near the Giants Causeway sees visitors leap, scramble and swim along this stunning coast. Wearing helmets, wetsuits and buoyancy aids, participants explore the limestone caves, basalt columns and turquoise water. Glimpse castles at the edge of cliffs (Dunluce, Dunseverick, Kenbane are all in the area) and face their fears with a cliff jump (optional). As well as testing your limits, it offers a close-up look at this geologically diverse coastline. Three hours, equipment provided, 40pp, causewaycoasteering.com

On Scotlands west coast, Oban is home to superb diving opportunities, thanks to the nearby Gulf Stream and unpolluted waters of the Firth of Lorne. There are options to suit all levels, from scenic dives around shallow wrecks, to drift-dives with tidal flows and deep drop offs. An experienced Padi instructor guides beginners in the shallow waters of Gallanach Bay. Under the water, walls are covered in anemones and conger eels dart past. Otters and seals can also be seen. Try-a-dive, two hours, 89pp, puffin.org.uk

Consistent, intermediate-friendly waves break along the wide, sandy beach at Polzeath while beginners can practise getting to their feet on their board in the white water. The best way to learn quickly is in a small group. George Stoy specialises in private coaching and his school has been designated a centre of excellence by Surfing England. As well as adults, children as young as four can take lessons. Two-hour lesson for one person from 100, georgessurfschool.com

A kayak is one of the best ways to explore south Devons remote coves and caves, spotting seals along the way. Setting off from the harbour at Dartmouth, paddlers glide past the castles that guard the estuary entrance and past cliffs and into the open sea. From here theres a choice: north towards Brixham or south towards Torcross, either way stopping to explore caverns, fish for mackerel, and swim. Half-day guided trips 49 adults, 35 children, seakayakdevon.co.uk

Just off the coast of Selsey, eight miles south of Chichester, lie two designated marine conservation zones with an abundance of sea life. A new marine life walk, led by an SSI marine ecology instructor, gives an insight into what lies beneath the surface. The 90-minute stroll around Selsey Bill, the lifeboat station and east and west beaches, includes wading in the shallows and learning where to discover the marine life on our shores. 5.30pm-7pm, next available dates 19 and 21 August, 15pp (book in advance as numbers are limited), mulberrydivers.co.uk

The wide, sandy bays of Gorleston-on-Sea are great for exploring at a leisurely pace on a paddleboard. Visitors can rent a board and set off on their own, or book a lesson to learn the paddling techniques. The school also runs Ripperz Club, a sea-education club for children every Saturday during the summer. This hour covers sea safety and safe swimming, and gives children the chance to try activities, such as paddleboarding, bodyboarding and surfing. Half-day paddleboard hire 25, full day 35. Two-hour lessons 25pp. Ripperz Club Saturdays 9am-10am or 10am-11am, 5 a child, boardinskool.com

The fascinating history of these chalk cliffs can be traced on a guided coastal walk from Cuckmere Haven to Eastbourne, an area once popular with smugglers. The walk crosses the undulating Seven Sisters, with a guide telling stories that date back to the Domesday Book. The route takes in Birling Gap with its coastguard cottages, and the lighthouses of Belle Tout and Beachy Head. Walkers can see how the diverse natural habitat changes from forest to seashore. The walk includes a locally sourced picnic with wine tasting, taken overlooking the Sussex coast and South Downs national park. Eight miles, starting at 10am, 75pp including food and wine, patadventures.com

On a guided fishing trip in north Pembrokeshire, Padrig Rees takes visitors out to catch their own mackerel supper. Focusing on the Ramsey Sound and Whitesands Bay area, its ideal for angling novices and with a focus on sustainability fish are only caught if they are in season and an appropriate size. Theres a lesson on how to prepare the fish for cooking, too. More experienced anglers can join a three-hour deep-sea fishing trip to the outlying Bishops and Clerks islands, with the chance of catching pollock. Mackerel fishing 1 hours, 20pp, maximum 12 people. Deep-sea fishing, three hours, 30pp, maximum 10, fishing-pembrokeshire.co.uk

Read the rest here:

10 of the best beach and coast activities around the UK - The Guardian

Heading to the Delaware beaches this weekend?

Here's what you need to know if you're planning on dipping your toes in the surfthe weekend of Aug. 7-9 and what might be different than normal at the beaches in the current phase of Delaware'sreopening plan and in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias.

Delaware's beach towns are open to the public, but government and public health officials warn that everyone's help is neededto curb the spread of COVID-19.

Social distancing is encouraged in all public spaces, and people should maintain at least 6 feet of distance from those who are not members of their immediate household.

CORONAVIRUS IN DELAWARE: Our latest coverage

As for face masks, they are required to be wornin public spaces where social distancing is difficult, and inside businesses that are open.

Face masks are recommended,but not required, on most beaches themselves, but social distancing is a must.

Masks must be worn on the streets, sidewalks, boardwalk and inside businesses in Rehoboth Beach city limits.

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Lewes also requires masks to be worn outdoors in the city's downtown area, public beach parking lots and while crossing the Savannah Road drawbridge between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. There are similar rules inBethany Beach, where people in violation of mask rules can face up to a $100 fine.

Swimming is permitted at all beachesunless dangerous weather conditions arise.Make sure to check in with the local lifeguards before you dive in to learn about any potential hazards in the water or on the sand.

Any minor beach impacts from Tropical Storm Isaias should be evened out by the weekend, state officials said. Rehoboth Beach Patrol Captain Kent Buckson said he expects the surf to be relatively calm this weekend, and the weather service has not issued any rip current warnings.

At beaches within the Delaware State Parks system, like Cape Henlopen State Park, Fenwick Island State Park and Delaware Seashore State Park near the Indian River Inlet, there are limits on how many people will be admitted.

The number of vehicles allowed in will be capped at 60% of parking capacity, according to parks officials. Masks or face coverings are required in bathhouse and concession areas at all three parks and strongly encouraged on the beach as well.

At Cape Henlopen, when the gates are closed, admission also will be restricted for those with surf-fishing tags. Natural Resources police will be enforcing the 20-foot minimum distance between vehicles on drive-on beaches.

Delaware is in its second phase of reopening businesses previously restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. John Carney announced June 25 that the state was pausing moving into the next phasedue to concerns about people not following guidelines.

In late June, he also announced that bar service at the Delaware beaches had to shut downahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

This affects taprooms and bar service in the following towns: Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Long Neck, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, West Fenwick Island, Ocean View and Millville, according to the order.

Customers can still get service at tables or outdoors.

Crowds came out on July 4th to Rehoboth Beach, as seen from atop the Atlantic Sands.(Photo: Chuck Snyder/Special to Delaware News Journal)

Current reopening plans allow restaurants to have up to 60% of the people who would be allowed in the building by the fire marshal, not including staff, but they must still adhere to social distancing guidelines. Some have increased outdoor seating to try to accommodate more diners.

Carney's additional restriction on beach bars means bar seating within restaurants is also off-limits. It's unclear when those bar restrictions will be lifted.

People are encouraged to call ahead for reservationsand to check on any changes in normal operating hours or other restrictions.

Hot weather and clear skies brought thousands of visitors to Rehoboth Beach on Saturday, June 27, 2020. Social distancing did not appear to be followed very strictly on either the beach or boardwalk, with mask usage also not ubiquitous.(Photo: Chuck Snyder/Special to Delaware News Journal)

That 60% capacity cap also applies to personal care services such as hair and nail salons, tanning, tattoo, massage therapy services and spasthat were previously required to keep occupancy at 30%.

No additional announcements have been made on when Delaware will enter phase three of the state's rolling reopening plan. For more details on the state's reopening, go togovernor.delaware.gov/delawares-recovery.

Parking permits or metered parking are in effect in all of Delaware's beach towns from Lewes to Fenwick Island.

In Lewes, city officials are supporting businesses by offering free downtown parking from 9 a.m. to noon for shoppers. Rehoboth Beach is offering free parking on Monday nights until Labor Day, and Dewey Beach also offers free parking on some weeknights. Bethany Beach, too, is offering free parking from 4-11 p.m. onTuesdays in August, followed by a whole month of free parking in September.

Each town has different rules and rates for parking. For more information, visit an individual beach town's website or call Town Hall in the beach town you plan to visit before arriving.

Below are links to each oceanfront beach town's parking policies:

Previous bans on out-of-state travelers and short-term rentalswerelifted in early June. Delaware's reopening plan saysleisure travel "should be avoided" at this time, but it's allowed if people and businesses can adhere to social-distancing-related recommendations, according to the state.

In late July, Delaware was again added to the quarantine lists for a few neighboring states. As of Aug. 4,Washington, D.C., was the only place still asking people who visited Delawareto self-quarantine for 14 days when returning to the city.

Hotels and other accommodations also are now accepting reservations for vacation stays, though there may be limits and restrictions in gathering areas like lobbies.

Delaware's daily DART beach bus service is fully operational. People can take advantage of the Park & Ride options in Lewes and Rehoboth to avoid heavy beach traffic south of Lewes.

Face coverings are required on public transportation.

Hot weather and clear skies brought thousands of visitors to Rehoboth Beach on Saturday, June 27, 2020. Social distancing did not appear to be followed very strictly on either the beach or boardwalk, with mask usage also not universal.(Photo: Chuck Snyder/Special to Delaware News Journal)

The Lewes Park & Ride is at 17616 Coastal Highway, just south of Five Points, and the Rehoboth Park & Ride is off Route 1 at 20055 Shuttle Road, just north of the entrance to Rehoboth Avenue. Parking is free at both lots.

Cash-only fare for aone-way trip,due upon boarding, is $2, and an all-day daily pass is $4.20. Seven-daypasses also are available for $18, while a 30-day pass costs$65. For more information, go towww.dartfirststate.com/information/programs/beachbus/index.shtml#parkride.

DART's beach connection, which runs from Wilmington to Rehoboth Beach on weekends and holidays, is also now available.

This weekend's weather is looking to offer a lot of rain at the beach. However, forecasts can change as the weekend gets closer.

The National Weather Service forecast for Friday, Aug. 7,inRehoboth Beach is for a rainy, mostly cloudyday with a high near 81degrees. There is a 60% chance of rain and the possibility of a thunderstorm. The rain may be heavy at times.

A flash flood watch also is in effect at the Delaware beaches until 8 a.m. Friday.

Saturday will be partly sunny with a high near 80degrees. There is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 p.m.

Sunday should be a mostly sunny day with a high near 83.

Water temperatures off the coast of Lewes are reaching thehigh 70s this week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As of Aug. 6, Delaware hasseen a total of 15,365 cases since the first case was detected in March, data shows.

Of those cases, 7,092have beenin New Castle County, the most populated county in the state. Another 5,786 have been detected in Sussex County.

The pandemic has been linked to the deaths of 587people in Delaware.So far, over 192,000 people have been tested statewide, and 8,365 people have recovered from the viral disease. As of Aug. 6, 45people were hospitalized in Delaware, 15 of which were critical.

Contact reporter Maddy Lauria at (302) 345-0608,mlauria@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @MaddyinMilford.

Read or Share this story: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2020/08/06/delaware-beach-guide-what-you-need-know-your-august-beach-trip/5556768002/

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Delaware beach guide: What you need to know for your Aug. 7-9 weekend beach trip - The News Journal

Two beaches closed after sharks were spotted off the coast of Wellfleet and Truro Friday afternoon, less than a day after a slew of shark sightings prompted several beaches to close across Cape Cod.

A great white shark was spotted in the waters by Newcomb Hollow Beach shortly after 12:30 p.m., according to Sharktivity, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancys app that tracks shark sightings. The beach reopened for swimming around 1:30 p.m.

Shark sightings just seems to be the new normal, there hasnt been much hype about it, said Will Sullivan, Wellfleets harbormaster, in a phone interview on Tuesday. People havent been too anxious about it, theyre more accustomed to it and know theyre not alone.

Shortly after 2 p.m., another shark was spotted traveling north near Head of the Meadow Beach, town officials said in a statement. The beach closed at 2:10 p.m. and will remain closed until 3:10 p.m.

Thirty-one shark sightings were reported since Wednesday, according to Sharktivity. All but one, which was seen off the coast of Hampton, N.H., were reported near the Cape.

Multiple shark sightings were reported at Head of the Meadow Beach and Coast Guard Beach in Truro, resulting in a brief closure of the beaches shortly before noon. Nauset Beach in Orleans and Lecount Hollow Beach in Wellfleet also closed briefly.

Travis Andersen of the Globe staff contributed to this report.

Matt Berg can be reached at matthew.berg@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattberg33.

See more here:

Shark sightings in Wellfleet and Truro temporarily close beaches - The Boston Globe

Like tiny pockets of paradise, more than a dozen azure blue Calanques can be found tucked away in the rocky cliffs between Marseille and Cassis, a charming fishing village thats now a favorite of European tourists. But like any hidden treasure, it takes some effort and planning to find them, as access to the Calanques is possible only on foot or by boat. Port-Miou, the most accessible of the Cassis Calanques, is an easy 30-minute hike from Cassis city center. The next, Port-Pin, is about an hour walk from town. But the prettiest of the three, En-Vau, requires a more vigorous hike over semi-rugged terrain. Youll be rewarded with stunning views and a slice of heavenly turquoise waters between plunging cliffs and white sand beaches. There are several nautical options for reaching the Calanques: by boat from the Cassis port or from Marseille, where you can sign up for a few hours or a half-day of Calanque-hopping.

Cassis has its own lovely beaches: Plage de la Grande Mer, in the center of town near the tourist office, and Plage de Corton, a 15-minute walk from town. Both are pebble-sand beaches with turquoise waters and exquisite views of Cap Canailles ruddy cliffs.

Follow this link:

The 10 Best Beaches on the French Riviera - Fodor's Travel

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Most of this summer has been marked by relatively balmy water temperatures for our shores of Lake Michigan, but northerly winds are expected to induce a sharp dive at some area beaches.

Already, Grand Haven, Holland, Little Sable Point and Mears are reporting very cold waters at their beaches.

A persistent wind out of the north has pushed the less dense warm water away from shore over the last few days.

When this happens, cold water will well up from the depths of Lake Michigan and fill in the gaps.

Sharply cold temperatures can lead to shock or hypothermia if a swimmer falls in and cant get quickly back out.

8/3/2020 12:55 PM : Cold water temps at Lake Michigan are expected over the next few days. The northerly flow will actually pull water away from the shore which causes upwelling along the coast. That will drop beach water temperatures dangerously cold. #miwx #wmiwx #GreatLakes pic.twitter.com/JPhSTA37xe

It can take several days for water temperatures to rebound back to the seasonal average after an upwelling event. Often times, a southerly or southwesterly wind can help push warm water back towards the beaches it previously left.

In addition to the cold water, there is a Beach Hazard Statement in effect until Tuesday afternoon for large waves and strong currents.

The overall temperature of Lake Michigan is still running warmer than average, so the much colder water is just a feature for some of our area beaches instead of a lake-wide event.

The forecast calls for much warmer weather to return again next week.

Read this article:

Frigid waters to return to some area beaches - WOODTV.com

Greg and Gabriella ODonnell Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcias stepfather, Greg ODonnell has died from coronavirus complications two weeks after the mayors mother passed away the citys elected leader announced Monday, Aug. 10. (Courtesy of Mayor Robert Garcia)

(From left) Mayor Robert Garcia, Gabriella ODonnell and Greg ODonnell. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcias stepfather, Greg ODonnell has died from coronavirus complications two weeks after the mayors mother passed away the citys elected leader announced Monday, Aug. 10. (Courtesy of Mayor Robert Garcia)

Greg and Gabriella ODonnell Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcias stepfather, Greg ODonnell has died from coronavirus complications two weeks after the mayors mother passed away the citys elected leader announced Monday, Aug. 10. (Courtesy of Mayor Robert Garcia)

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Greg and Gabriella ODonnell Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcias stepfather, Greg ODonnell has died from coronavirus complications two weeks after the mayors mother passed away the citys elected leader announced Monday, Aug. 10. (Courtesy of Mayor Robert Garcia)

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcias stepfather, Greg ODonnell, has died from coronavirus complications, the citys elected leader announced Monday, Aug. 10 two weeks after the mayors mother passed away.

Its a heartbreaking loss for our entire family, especially for my brother, Jake, Garcia said in a written statement. Greg was a kind and good-hearted man, an amazing father and grandfather, and the best husband our mom could have ever hoped for.

Garcia announced on July 13 that both his mother, Gabriella ODonnell, and his stepfather were in the hospital with the coronavirus and on ventilators.

The mayors mother, who immigrated with Garcia from Peru when he was 5 years old, died July 26. She was 61 years old.

Greg ODonnell, 58, died on Sunday, Aug. 9, one day after his wifes memorial service, Garcia said.

Gabriella and Greg ODonnell, Whittier residents, were married for 27 years.

As my family is just broken with the loss of my parents, Jake ODonnell, Garcias half-brother, said in a Facebook post, I find comfort in knowing that they are together again free of any pain or suffering.

For Garcia, the death of his mother and stepfather has brought personal grief at a time when hes had to lead Long Beach through the coronavirus pandemic, both as the face of the public health response and as the citys mourner-in-chief with 183 residents having now died from coronavirus-related complications.

Because Garcias mother and stepfather were Whittier residents, their deaths are counted among Los Angeles Countys total lives lost, but not Long Beachs. As of Sunday, 4,977 people had died from coronavirus-related causes in Los Angeles County.

Every single one of them has a family, and they all deserve our love and respect, Garcia told the Press-Telegram the week his mother died, referring to the Long Beachs residents who have also lost their lives. There are others struggling and fighting for their lives. Were making progress, but we have a ways to go, and we shouldnt let up. We are on the right road, and we will get through this together.

He said these were difficult times.

But when I signed on as mayor, Garcia said, I signed on for the good times and the hard times.

These are tough times, really the hardest, he added, but we will get through them.

On Monday, as news of Greg ODonnells death circulated, other Long Beach officials both present and past noted Garcias special position as both public leader and grieving son during the pandemic.

My heart goes out to the mayor. I cant imagine the heartache and pain hes dealing with right now, District 8 Councilmember Al Austin said in a statement. The city family will work together to pick up the slack around him.

Daryl Supernaw, the citys Fourth District councilmember, expressed sympathy for both Garcia and his half-brother, noting the city also works with Jacob ODonnell, a field deputy for state Sen. Lena Gonzalez.

I cant imagine what hes going through, Supernaw said in his statement. Its just tragic.

(Being mayor) is such a tough job to begin with, and then tragedy hits, he added. The city family will continue to come together over this.

Gonzalez, who served as the First District councilmember for Long Beach Garcias first elected post before becoming mayor prior to winning election to the state Senate, said via Twitter that she was saddened by the loss.

I dont even have words, just so saddened again by this loss for our Senate family member Jacob & Mayor @RobertGarciaLB, she wrote via Twitter. Our Senate team & friends are here for you both & the whole family.

Former Mayor Beverly ONeill, who called Garcia a true leader after his mother died, echoed that sentiment again on Monday.

My heart goes out to Robert for the painful loss of his stepfather so soon after the passing of his mother, ONeill said. Knowing Robert, I know that he will have the courage and strength to continue with his leadership of Long Beach during these difficult times.

Harry Saltzgaver and Rich Archbold contributed to this report.

Originally posted here:

Coronavirus: Long Beach Mayor Garcias stepfather dies, 2 weeks after leaders mother passed away - Long Beach Press Telegram

But Kara Hartnett, 58, who with her husband, David, 61, own the Mainsail Motel and Cottages has never seen anything like the summer of 2020.

No one has.

We cant open all our rooms, she told me in their lobby the other day. We dont have the housekeeping staff. So I cant run at 100 percent. Were running at about 70 percent occupancy right now.

Her husband, sitting next to her, nodded and then added: We roll with the punches. I mean in my previous life, I was a new car dealer. So Ive seen it all.

But nothing quite like this. Nothing like a pandemic that has rearranged American life and transformed this slice of vacationland splendor into something more sober. Nobody is using the word carefree to describe this August.

And happy hour? Along the boardwalk, theyll settle for a few happy minutes.

I dont like it. I cant wait until its over, said Paul Gaunt, a 56-year-old caricature artist who has been at work in Hampton Beach for 29 of his 35 years. But freaked out? No. Im too busy taking one day at a time to be too freaked out.

One day at a time this summer has a cadence all its own.

At the penny arcade, machines still beep amid swirling lights, but the place is empty. A sign out front warns would-be customers to stay away if they have had a temperature of 100.4 or higher.

Rows of Skee-Ball machines stands empty, nobody scoring big and collecting yellow tickets to redeem for a stuffed Dalmatian. The photo machine is empty, nobody making goofy faces in photos that otherwise would have yellowed with age inside well-worn wallets.

Rows of salt-water taffy are on display, if you can recognize the flavors through large sheets of heavy protective plastic.

We did lose a lot of business preseason and were probably going to lose a lot of business postseason,' said Chuck Rage, a Hampton selectman who has owned the Pelham Resort motel since 1984.

We have a lot of regulars, he said. We have an older clientele so a lot of those people are a little nervous. For their own reasons, they have taken their deposits and put them toward next year.

But as August still stretches out ahead on the summertime calendar, next year seems so far in the distance.

And the reality of this summer is what confronts people like David and Kara Hartnett every morning, noon, and night at the Mainsail Motel.

What does that look like? It looks like this:

Thats for sure. Never like this again.

A lot of people around here would like to chisel those words into the beachs boardwalk:

People like the young man behind a pizza places counter who had no customers at noontime the other day. Instead, he shook his head and tapped his knuckles to the beat of Duran Durans Hungry Like the Wolf.

Dark in the city, night is a wire. Steam in the subway, earth is afire.

People like the guy manning a game of chance that dares customers to land two balls into a basket to win a prize.

Hows business? I asked. He looked at me the way you might look at a lost-and-rude pedestrian, a blend of pity and disgust. Its all right, he said with a look that conveyed something else: Get lost, pal.

Tom McGuirk, the 48-year-old proprietor of McGuirks Ocean View Hotel Restaurant and Pub, said this pandemic summer has meant revamping operations so dramatically that it was like starting anew. He had to buy new tables and chairs that now sit on the street.

We basically had like a few weeks to create a new restaurant, he told me. You dont usually start from the ground up in a restaurant and decide that youre going to do it in four weeks. All the tables. The chairs I had to buy. The menus I had to design. I needed menus that were disposable and other menus that were sanitize-able.

Is he staring at the ceiling at night?

God, no, he said. Weve been here 30 years. Were pretty well capitalized. So its not the end of our world. If we had bought this last year and we had to pay big mortgages, well, that could be the end of somebodys world. So I have to appreciate all the good things that we have.

Thats precisely the attitude that Kara and David Hartnett are maintaining down the street at the Mainsail Motel and Cottages, where theyve got 19 cottage units and 38 motel rooms. And each other.

Its a cloud youre living under every day, David said. We have masks. I bought a backpack with an anti-COVID spray in it.

Every Saturday, in preparation for new guests, doorknobs, railings, appliances, air conditioners, and remote controls get cleaned.

Its all part of the new routine during this fear-and-loathing summer of COVID on the beach.

God willing and science willing well hopefully have a vaccine by the spring of next year, David Hartnett said. And then itll all go back to being the way it was.

Thats a wish and a prayer that is being silently recited all along this breathtaking stretch of New Hampshires slender coastline.

Thomas Farragher is a Globe columnist. He can reached at thomas.farragher@globe.com.

More here:

A postcard from the pandemic: no day at the beach - The Boston Globe

Officials in the Town of Hempstead red-flagged several beaches for the latest in a string of ongoing shark sightings off Long Island coastlines.

A tweet from the town's account said East Atlantic Beach and Atlantic Beach Estates were red-flagged after a fisherman caught a shark Sunday. A video by Pat York shows one of the four small sharks he caught on Long Beach.

All the sharks were safely released back into the water and then the red flags were issued to warn beachgoers of the potential hazards in the water.

"We've added more lifeguards on the stands, surfboards and added this week jet ski patrols again to monitor the shoreline because again that's where these sharks like to go and that's particularly dangerous for swimmers," said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin.

Hempstead officials say a local fisherman caught a shark - prompting a red-flag warning at East Atlantic Beach and the nearby estates. Adam Harding reports.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran says the shark sighting has prompted swimming restrictions at Nickerson Beach. County residents enjoying the beach can only enter the waters waist-deep, Curran tweeted.

Shark sightings have become a semi-regular occurrence in the county, with officials modifying swimming restrictions or closing beaches entirely off-and-on for several weeks now.

Most sharks seen in the waters have been small. But one sighting last month prompted closures at Lido West and Nickerson beaches for reports of a large bull shark between 7 and 10 feet long. Town officials say they haven't seen a shark that size in the area in at least four years.

Continue reading here:

Town of Hempstead Red-Flags Long Island Beaches After Fishermen Catch 4 Sharks - NBC New York

This past weekend was very special for Siham, 45, and her five children, who live in the West Bank village of Bilin, and who crossed the separation barrier and traveled to the beach in Jaffa.

My children had never seen the sea as far as they were concerned it was as if they were coming to the most important attraction in the world, Siham said. To touch the salty water and play in the sand was the dreamiest and least expensive entertainment I could have offered my children.

LISTEN: Trump's tragedy, Netanyahu's debt and Jewish unityHaaretz

Sihams account is one of a thousand such stories of Palestinians, adults and children alike, who were allowed to cross the separation barrier and go to beaches in Israel over the past week. Anyone coming to the beach over the weekend couldnt miss the Palestinian families, especially in Jaffa but in Herzliya, Haifa and other beaches as well.

The average Israeli wouldnt be able to tell whether an Arab family came from Nablus or Tul Karm in the West Bank or Umm al-Fahm or Kafr Qasem in Israel, but a sharp eye could tell that the Palestinians were different, people for whom going to the beach is a rare treat and getting there involved some difficulty. We came to Kafr Biddu and we crossed the barrier at an opening not at a checkpoint or anything, just an opening in the [separation] fence like many others, said Inas, a mother of three who came to Jaffa. On the Israeli side there was a bus waiting for us I paid 30 shekels (nearly $9) and we went to Jaffa. There was nothing threatening. I was surprised when I saw the Jews [soldiers] looking at us without bothering us at all.

They told us just to just bring a mask and food, she said about the drivers waiting on the Israeli side. We havent been to the beach in years, certainly not the little kids. My husband and I were able to go years ago, but the kids were waiting for this moment. The coronavirus has left all of us financially stressed and apparently the Israeli economy needs us now. In Ramallah none of the parks, pools or even the zoo are open. Do you know how much it costs for the hotel pool in Jericho? Who has money, so what could be better than the sea?

The presence of Palestinian families at Israels beaches has been a topic of discussion on the West Bank, raising numerous questions. Was this a spontaneous act, or an act of protest by the population against the Palestinian Authority, which is trying to restrict movement and prevent gatherings as part of its battle against the coronavirus? On the other hand, why was Israel turning a blind eye and letting thousands of people cross through random breaches in the barrier without any supervision or inspection?

After Eid al-Adha, which straddled the previous weekend, a few Palestinians managed to get through the fence and reach Jaffa. This past weekend, the numbers grew considerably.

The Israel Defense Forces declined to comment.

A Nablus-area resident who was involved in arranging buses to the Jaffa beach said he didnt coordinate the trips with any Palestinian or Israeli entity. People are simply fed up and wanted to go to the beach, he said. The Palestinian government is imposing closures and Israel is apparently interested in taking in thousands of Palestinians to prove to the PA that it doesnt control anything. The fact is that thousands chose to defy everything and go, and theres always someone who takes on the role of organizer or the agent that helps people get to their destination.

Many people explained that the breaches in the barrier, near Farun, Biddu and Shuweika, are an open secret; people just come and cross. Araf Shaaban, a resident of Jenin who organized buses to the beaches at Jaffa and Herzliya, explained how it works.

We've got more newsletters we think you'll find interesting.

Please try again later.

The email address you have provided is already registered.

You advertise on social media and people register; then you bring a bus or minibus to an open point in the barrier, and people go there, cross and on the other side another bus is waiting that brings them to the beach and then returns them. The price is 150 shekels per person as part of a family, explains Shaaban, who didnt express any concern about being detained by the army.

What delays? In many cases they helped people cross or opened the gate, he said. The truth is, the soldiers also saw that these were families with flotation rings, beach balls and baskets of food, and not grenades.

Other people told Haaretz that the behavior of the Israeli security forces was surprising. We saw the army jeeps but we didnt feel any threat; on the contrary, in the evening, when we came back and it was dark, they turned on the lights so we shouldnt miss the opening in the fence.

In Jaffa itself, many residents said there was no sense of threat. In fact, there were those who acknowledged the presence of the visitors and opened kiosks, including merchants from East Jerusalem.

One West Bank resident who came with an elderly woman and wouldnt give his name, said, I dont know how Israel views this but as far as Im concerned, these are the beaches of Palestine. So we are at the beach with or without permission. They turned a blind eye or didnt enforce; who cares. The point is that we got here and it was fun.

The PA did not come out against these visits but some saw it as Israel poking a finger in the PAs eye. They want to prove to us that with or without coordination, they are letting in civilians, even at the risk of a coronavirus outbreak, even though they knew in advance that the Palestinians wouldnt mix with the Israelis, a senior Palestinian official said. Whats more, instead of Palestinians taking their leisure in the West Bank and spending their money there, they preferred having the money to spend in Israel and not the West Bank, even if we arent talking about large sums.

The coronavirus restrictions are continuing in the West Bank as part of the state of emergency declared by the PA, but many are now saying that keeping major leisure sites closed serves no purpose if thousands of people are going into Israel and returning.

Near the Meitar checkpoint there is another breach in the fence that four people can go through at once. At the edge of the road that leads from the crossing to the South Hebron Hills, cars stop every few minutes and men and boys get out carrying packs and suitcases. One of them, 16, said he was breaching the barrier to seek work in Israel, since the coronavirus eliminated most workplaces in the Hebron area.

Another man said he had worked in Israel in the past, but when the PA halted coordination with Israel he was unable to renew it. He crossed with his younger children. The soldiers just dont care, after all, they could stop this is a minute, said one of them.

On the other side of the barrier there are cars waiting, most of them driven by Israeli Arabs, to bring them the Palestinians to their destinations. Some of them even wait on the Palestinian side of the barrier, in full view of everyone. A guy just wants to work; if theres no money you find a way to work, said one of them.

One young hipster, carrying only a small pack, said he had crossed the barrier to have a good time. On the other side they bring us to Beer Sheva and from there well continue, maybe well get to Jaffa, he said, before crossing through the opening.

On the road, a Jewish woman from the area stopped her car to look at what was going on. This is crazy, she said. Every day I see them coming out in droves and Ive even reported it a few times and nobody cares. An elderly Palestinian man who works in construction in Jaffa stopped alongside her and started to argue with her.

Do you know how I live? Do you know I have a sick grandson and we dont have money for his treatment? he said angrily.

But this is a border, she replied.

For me this is no border, he said, and continued on his way.

Continued here:

Israel turns a blind eye, and Palestinians revel in a weekend at Jaffa beach - Haaretz

In humans, the venom of the Portuguese frigate has neurotoxic, cytotoxic, and cardiotoxic consequences, producing very intense pain, and there have even been cases of death.

PROGRESO Yucatan (Times Media Mexico) The arrival of jellyfish in this port and some other areas of the Yucatan coast have caused an alert among fishermen and the population. These marine organisms can cause burns, scrapes, and constant and severe scratching and itching and even cause death among those allergic to their venom.

The alert regarding the jellyfish is also because, at this time, Yucatan is going through the most delicate moments of the coronavirus pandemic, so going to a hospital for a minor matter as it would be the infection that causes these organisms of the sea, would be quite complicated.

The arrival of jellyfish is a natural phenomenon that occurs every year, but this time it is less than that recorded in 2019.

The jellyfish, of the species fragata portuguesa in Spanish -Portuguese frigate- (Physalia physalis), can measure up to 10 meters, and when in contact with the skin, they cause burns, scratches, and intense itching.

This jellyfish is made up of colonies of marine organisms that live in its sail-shaped gelatinous pouch, which measures 15 to 30 centimeters.

The Portuguese Caravel is a carnivore. With poisonous tentacles, it traps and paralyzes its prey. It usually catches small aquatic organisms like fish and plankton.

Predators include loggerhead and hawksbill turtles, as their skin is too thick for the venom from the sting to affect them. The sea slug, Glaucus atlanticus, feeds on the Portuguese Caravel, as does the violet snail, Janthina janthina.

On the other hand, the manta octopus is immune to the venom of the Portuguese Caravel, and young individuals carry Portuguese Caravel tentacles, presumably for offensive and/or defensive purposes.

In the lower part, it has thin filaments measuring up to 10 meters with urticaria cells that, when in contact with the skin, produce a type of burn and use them to capture prey and defend themselves.

People know them as agua mala -bad water-, and you can see them floating like sailboats on the beach in Yucatan, they are colonies of polyps, and they are urticant, which mean it burns burns a lot,said Fernando Reyes, a marine biologist at the Autonomous University of Yucatan.

The Fishing Society of Puerto Progreso in the northern Yucatan, where there is a large population of this species, informed the residents of a series of measures to avoid their contact, among which are not to take them out of the sea, not to hunt them, and to prevent children from approaching them.

Even though it is the summer season, there is a considerable decline in the number of people along the Yucatan coast, due to the health contingency, the state authorities are extracting these jellyfish.

The Yucatan TimesNewsroom

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Jellyfish wash up on beaches of Yucatn The Yucatan Times - The Yucatan Times

If youre a Pacific Beach regular, youve likely seen the mosaics on the Chase Bank building along Mission Bay Drive.

Unlike other banks, these walls are decorated with decades-old artwork depicting the story of San Diego; pieces of colored glass hug together to form collages of the community and local landmarks.

But do you know the history behind this artwork and that it is now at risk of being torn down?

Earlier this year, JP Morgan Chase Bank applied for a Coastal Development permit to demolish the building of its Pacific Beach branch which also threatens the eight mosaics on the outside walls. If Chase Banks application is approved, the original 1977 building will be destroyed and replaced with two new structures.

However, that permit application has been met with some community push back.

Though many locals are now involved in saving the site, the story actually begins with a Manhattan College professor (and his blog).

Adam Arenson is a New York-based author who was raised in San Diego. He wrote Banking on Beauty: Millard Sheets and Midcentury Commercial Architecture in California, making him the official expert on Millard Sheets the man behind the Chase Bank buildings mosaics. Sheets was a mid-20th century artist who created a legacy of designing elaborate artwork reflecting California ... on bank walls.

Before it became a Chase Bank, the building on Mission Bay Drive was a Home Savings & Loan, once the largest savings and loan associations in the country that was also famous for its art.

Home Savings & Loan believed that being seen as a valuable community partner was critical to good business; to stand apart from its competitors, the corporation commissioned artwork for its branch buildings, eventually developing a partnership with Millard Sheets.

So from 1955 to 1980, Sheets was the master designer of all Home Savings & Loan buildings, including the Pacific Beach site. Sheets and his team of artists, also known as the Millard Sheets Studio, crafted mosaics, murals and sculptures on 200 structures throughout the state. According to Arenson, Sheets style was very representational; the designer was interested in using his art to tell local, site-specific histories.

One of two large-scale mosaics located on the Chase Bank building in Pacific Beach. Pictured is The Harbor, which portrays landmarks such as the Star of India, Point Loma Lighthouse and orcas from Sea World. The artwork was designed by Millard Sheets Studio in 1977.

(Adam Arenson)

These are works that are very familiar to people who have spent time in California, especially in Southern California, but I think that the memory of how they were created and who created them is fading just at the moment when a lot of them are being (faced) with preservation challenges, Arenson told PB Monthly.

These preservation challenges are what inspires Arenson to get involved in efforts to save Sheets work, and what inspired an April 28 blog post encouraging residents to advocate for Sheets buildings and art.

The Pacific Beach bank has two large-scale mosaics, both placed on the side of the building facing the parking lot. The first mosaic portrays the Childrens Zoo in Balboa Park; the second depicts the San Diego Harbor, complete with the Star of India, Point Loma Lighthouse and Sea World orcas.

Six smaller mosaics are placed above the banks front entrance, each installed as separate panels that highlight key figures in the citys history: San Diego-Native Americans, Spanish friars and vaqueros, a 49er, and members of fishing and construction trades.

Aside from the murals, there is also a sculpture of a sea lion situated in an old fountain bed (now a drought-resistant garden) and a mural painted inside the building.

The blog post caught the eye of Karl Rand, chairman of the Pacific Beach Planning Group and Pacific Beach Town Council member. When Rand heard about Arensons efforts to protect the art, he reached out to the professor to see if he could help keep the mosaics within Pacific Beach community.

It would be really nice if it could stay as a public display (in the area), said Rand, who has lived in Pacific Beach for 25 years.

Rand began brainstorming ideas in mid-May of where the mosaics could potentially be relocated. He soon saw a possible new home directly across the street from Chase Bank: the future Pacific Beach trolley station. Not only would this location allow the mosaics to stay within the neighborhood, but it would also allow passengers from all over the county to see the art.

San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is in the process of constructing the Mid-Coast Trolley Project, which includes Balboa Avenue Trolley Station in Pacific Beach. When Rand reached out to SANDAGto see if there was a possibility to incorporate the artwork into the new trolley stations design, he said they were receptive to the idea.

SANDAG is in communication with the Pacific Beach Planning Group as they await word from the City of San Diego on how best to move forward in the effort to preserve the historic murals and mosaics, according to a statement PB Monthly received from SANDAG. We support the communitys dedication to this cause and are honored to have been approached with the prospect of incorporating the artwork into the future Balboa Avenue Trolley Station.

The mosaic relocation would also require cooperation from Chase Bank. According to Rand: I look at Chases situation as being either the villain or the hero when it comes to the mosaics, and I think they want to be the hero.

While the banks onsite team at the Pacific Beach branch was unable to discuss details on the project, Peter Kelley, JP Morgan Chases media relations spokesperson for California, said that the company is working with the City on determining the best approach to preserving the murals.

However, the mosaics are only one piece of the puzzle.

I think one of the things that complicates this (situation) the most is that there are two aspects to this: the building itself and then the mosaics, Rand said. In a way, each one could separately be subject to (historic) designation.

While Rands focus is on the artwork, there is also an ongoing effort to save the whole building. Both Arenson and San Diego nonprofit Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) have asked the city to grant the entire structure historic designation, which could potentially make the mosaic relocation unnecessary.

Chase Banks Pacific Beach branch is located on Mission Bay Drive. Above the entrance is a series of six small mosaics; each panel features a key figure in San Diegos history. The artwork was designed by Millard Sheets Studio in 1977.

(Adam Arenson)

On July 8, Adam Arenson and SOHO both wrote letters to the city, asking officials to protect the building.

In Arensons request, he detailed the buildings historic significance, adding that other Sheets Studio sites in Southern California have been recognized as landmarks or preservation projects.

The letter from SOHO, written by executive director Bruce Coons, also noted that the prime location of the Pacific Beach structure is significant.

Located at a prominent intersection with monumental siting, this exquisite landmark is impossible to ignore because it is a unique and iconic work of art, Coons wrote.

The city responded to SOHO saying that the entire parcel will be evaluated under CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), not just the mosaics.

However, this is still no assurance that the building would be retained instead of mitigated, which is where we are today, Amie Hayes, SOHOs historic resources specialist, wrote in the email.

One hurdle that might prove to be an issue in receiving designation is age. Since the Pacific Beach structure is only 43 years old, it will not be reviewed by Development Services Department (DSD) staff, which only reviews properties more than 45 years old.

However, sometimes younger properties including the Salk Institute in La Jolla are forwarded to the Historical Resources Board (HRB) for designation, which is the case with 4650 Mission Bay Drive.

Staff has engaged in discussions with SOHO about submitting a Historical Resources Research Report through the voluntary designation process. While the letters from SOHO and Arenson include compelling information, there is a formal designation process that must be adhered to, said Scott Robinson, senior public information officer of the city of San Diego.

Currently, the status of the historic designation request, mosaic relocation efforts or building demolition plans are all largely unknown.

Due to the capacity of staff and the volume of requests, Robinson said that the HRBs review process of historic designation requests do not have a standard timeline. Chase Developments Coastal Development permit application is currently pending, with an application expiration date of Aug. 21, 2022.

Even if the structure receives a historical designation from the city, it does not guarantee the original building will be protected, nor does it prohibit Chase Bank from moving forward with its proposed construction plans.

According to Robinson, if the structure does receive historic designation, Chase Bank would then need to apply for a Process 4 Site Development permit and would still need to prove that maintaining the building on site is infeasible to demolish.

Without a clear timeline on the Chase Bank buildings future, the mosaics may miss their chance to be incorporated into the Balboa Avenue Trolley station. Though SANDAG expressed interest in utilizing the artwork, the effort could fall through due to conflicting schedules, as The Mid-Coast Trolley Project is slated to finish construction in fall 2021. If the mosaics are saved but have not yet found an alternative home, the artwork could be temporarily placed in storage, a solution that has been successfully arranged for other threatened Sheets Studio work in the past.

I understand that people want to save the building, but I kind of wish if we knew if that was realistic or not, Rand said. And it doesnt seem like anybody is in a position to answer that question ... If we can save the building that would be great but if we can only save the mosaics that would be really, really good too.

Yet at the end of the day, everyone involved ultimately is after the same objective: to keep the Sheets Studio legacy alive by preserving Millard Sheets contribution to, and representation of, the city.

I think Sheets did such a good job of encapsulating the experience of California, Arenson said. And as a Californian, I think preserving these works that help shape San Diego and my childhood is something thats really been important to me.

Read more:

Could Pacific Beach's beloved mosaics soon leave the neighborhood? - pacificsandiego.com

This past weekend was very special for Siham, 45, and her five children, who live in the West Bank village of Bilin, and who crossed the separation barrier and traveled to the beach in Jaffa.

My children had never seen the sea as far as they were concerned it was as if they were coming to the most important attraction in the world, Siham said. To touch the salty water and play in the sand was the dreamiest and least expensive entertainment I could have offered my children.

LISTEN: Trump's tragedy, Netanyahu's debt and Jewish unityHaaretz

Sihams account is one of a thousand such stories of Palestinians, adults and children alike, who were allowed to cross the separation barrier and go to beaches in Israel over the past week. Anyone coming to the beach over the weekend couldnt miss the Palestinian families, especially in Jaffa but in Herzliya, Haifa and other beaches as well.

The average Israeli wouldnt be able to tell whether an Arab family came from Nablus or Tul Karm in the West Bank or Umm al-Fahm or Kafr Qasem in Israel, but a sharp eye could tell that the Palestinians were different, people for whom going to the beach is a rare treat and getting there involved some difficulty. We came to Kafr Biddu and we crossed the barrier at an opening not at a checkpoint or anything, just an opening in the [separation] fence like many others, said Inas, a mother of three who came to Jaffa. On the Israeli side there was a bus waiting for us I paid 30 shekels (nearly $9) and we went to Jaffa. There was nothing threatening. I was surprised when I saw the Jews [soldiers] looking at us without bothering us at all.

They told us just to just bring a mask and food, she said about the drivers waiting on the Israeli side. We havent been to the beach in years, certainly not the little kids. My husband and I were able to go years ago, but the kids were waiting for this moment. The coronavirus has left all of us financially stressed and apparently the Israeli economy needs us now. In Ramallah none of the parks, pools or even the zoo are open. Do you know how much it costs for the hotel pool in Jericho? Who has money, so what could be better than the sea?

The presence of Palestinian families at Israels beaches has been a topic of discussion on the West Bank, raising numerous questions. Was this a spontaneous act, or an act of protest by the population against the Palestinian Authority, which is trying to restrict movement and prevent gatherings as part of its battle against the coronavirus? On the other hand, why was Israel turning a blind eye and letting thousands of people cross through random breaches in the barrier without any supervision or inspection?

After Eid al-Adha, which straddled the previous weekend, a few Palestinians managed to get through the fence and reach Jaffa. This past weekend, the numbers grew considerably.

The Israel Defense Forces declined to comment.

A Nablus-area resident who was involved in arranging buses to the Jaffa beach said he didnt coordinate the trips with any Palestinian or Israeli entity. People are simply fed up and wanted to go to the beach, he said. The Palestinian government is imposing closures and Israel is apparently interested in taking in thousands of Palestinians to prove to the PA that it doesnt control anything. The fact is that thousands chose to defy everything and go, and theres always someone who takes on the role of organizer or the agent that helps people get to their destination.

Many people explained that the breaches in the barrier, near Farun, Biddu and Shuweika, are an open secret; people just come and cross. Araf Shaaban, a resident of Jenin who organized buses to the beaches at Jaffa and Herzliya, explained how it works.

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Please try again later.

The email address you have provided is already registered.

You advertise on social media and people register; then you bring a bus or minibus to an open point in the barrier, and people go there, cross and on the other side another bus is waiting that brings them to the beach and then returns them. The price is 150 shekels per person as part of a family, explains Shaaban, who didnt express any concern about being detained by the army.

What delays? In many cases they helped people cross or opened the gate, he said. The truth is, the soldiers also saw that these were families with flotation rings, beach balls and baskets of food, and not grenades.

Other people told Haaretz that the behavior of the Israeli security forces was surprising. We saw the army jeeps but we didnt feel any threat; on the contrary, in the evening, when we came back and it was dark, they turned on the lights so we shouldnt miss the opening in the fence.

In Jaffa itself, many residents said there was no sense of threat. In fact, there were those who acknowledged the presence of the visitors and opened kiosks, including merchants from East Jerusalem.

One West Bank resident who came with an elderly woman and wouldnt give his name, said, I dont know how Israel views this but as far as Im concerned, these are the beaches of Palestine. So we are at the beach with or without permission. They turned a blind eye or didnt enforce; who cares. The point is that we got here and it was fun.

The PA did not come out against these visits but some saw it as Israel poking a finger in the PAs eye. They want to prove to us that with or without coordination, they are letting in civilians, even at the risk of a coronavirus outbreak, even though they knew in advance that the Palestinians wouldnt mix with the Israelis, a senior Palestinian official said. Whats more, instead of Palestinians taking their leisure in the West Bank and spending their money there, they preferred having the money to spend in Israel and not the West Bank, even if we arent talking about large sums.

The coronavirus restrictions are continuing in the West Bank as part of the state of emergency declared by the PA, but many are now saying that keeping major leisure sites closed serves no purpose if thousands of people are going into Israel and returning.

Near the Meitar checkpoint there is another breach in the fence that four people can go through at once. At the edge of the road that leads from the crossing to the South Hebron Hills, cars stop every few minutes and men and boys get out carrying packs and suitcases. One of them, 16, said he was breaching the barrier to seek work in Israel, since the coronavirus eliminated most workplaces in the Hebron area.

Another man said he had worked in Israel in the past, but when the PA halted coordination with Israel he was unable to renew it. He crossed with his younger children. The soldiers just dont care, after all, they could stop this is a minute, said one of them.

On the other side of the barrier there are cars waiting, most of them driven by Israeli Arabs, to bring them the Palestinians to their destinations. Some of them even wait on the Palestinian side of the barrier, in full view of everyone. A guy just wants to work; if theres no money you find a way to work, said one of them.

One young hipster, carrying only a small pack, said he had crossed the barrier to have a good time. On the other side they bring us to Beer Sheva and from there well continue, maybe well get to Jaffa, he said, before crossing through the opening.

On the road, a Jewish woman from the area stopped her car to look at what was going on. This is crazy, she said. Every day I see them coming out in droves and Ive even reported it a few times and nobody cares. An elderly Palestinian man who works in construction in Jaffa stopped alongside her and started to argue with her.

Do you know how I live? Do you know I have a sick grandson and we dont have money for his treatment? he said angrily.

But this is a border, she replied.

For me this is no border, he said, and continued on his way.

Original post:

Thousands of Palestinians revel in a weekend of freedom at Israeli beaches - Haaretz

Police said a dark convertible drove by a large gathering outside the home and began shooting.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla A woman in her 40s was rushed to a local hospital with a life-threatening gunshot wound to her chest after a shooting in a neighborhood near The Beaches Saturday, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

JSO said the shooting happened at a home in the 1200 block of Songbird Lane. Police said a dark convertible drove by a large gathering outside the home and began shooting. That's when the woman was shot once in the chest. Three male suspects were inside the vehicle.

JSO said the shooting appears to be targeted. No one else was injured.

If you have any information about this shooting, call JSO at 904-630-0500 or email JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. To remain anonymous and to receive a possible reward up to $3,000, call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

Continue reading here:

Woman hospitalized with life-threatening injury after shooting near The Beaches - FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) Coastal shops and restaurants closed early, power began to flicker at oceanfront hotels and even the most adventurous of beachgoers abandoned the sand Monday night as newly restrengthened Hurricane Isaias sped toward the Carolinas.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned oceanside home dwellers to brace for storm surge up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) and up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain in spots, as Isaias moved up the coast. The Carolinas werent the only states at risk.

All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast U.S., said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday.

The center also warned of possible tornadoes in North Carolina on Monday night and early Tuesday, and from eastern Virginia to southern New England later Tuesday.

Isaias (pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs) was upgraded again from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane at 8 p.m. EDT. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 85 miles (137 kph) and was centered about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Myrtle Beach. It was moving northeast at 16 mph (26 kph). The Hurricane Center said it expected the storm to make landfall later Monday night near the border between South and North Carolina.

Isaias killed two people in the Caribbean and roughed up the Bahamas but remained at sea as it brushed past Florida over the weekend, providing some welcome relief to emergency managers who had to accommodate mask-wearing evacuees in storm shelters. The center of Isaias remained well offshore as it passed Georgias coast on Monday.

President Donald Trump on Monday described Isaias as very serious.

Storm surge and inland flooding are possible and everyone needs to remain vigilant until it passes, Trump said.

Authorities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ordered swimmers out of the water to avoid rough surf and strong rip currents. By nightfall, power began to flicker at beachfront hotels as Isaias crossed the last bit of warm water on its path toward the U.S. mainland.

Still, on this part of the South Carolina and North Carolina coasts that has been affected to varying degrees by seven tropical storms or hurricanes since 2014, residents werent panicking.

Its just going to be a lot of wind and high tide, said Mike Fuller, who has lived along the coast for more than a decade.

Shops and restaurants appeared quieter than usual for a summertime Monday in North Myrtle Beach, but locals blamed COVID-19 more than Isaias. No businesses were boarding up their windows, although some moved outside furniture inside.

Wayne Stanley and his family came to the city over the weekend from Julian, North Carolina. Hes never experienced a hurricane, but said he never considered canceling his familys weeklong vacation either.

I was pretty scared to start off with, Stanley said Monday. Then we thought maybe its not going to be that bad.

Officials in frequently flooded Charleston, South Carolina, handed out sandbags and opened parking garages so residents on the low-lying peninsula could stow their cars above ground. Forecasters had warned earlier of possible major flooding, but the storm passed faster than expected and only about a dozen streets were flooded.

Farther up the coast into North Carolina, the hurricane center predicted storm surges of 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) when Isaias moves onshore.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned residents on Monday that the storm could be dangerous regardless of its strength. He urged those evacuating to turn to shelters as a last resort, citing coronavirus risks and the need to operate shelters at reduced capacity to allow for social distancing.

Whether its labeled a tropical storm or a hurricane, you should take this storm seriously, and make sure your family is ready, Cooper said.

Ferry operators wrapped up evacuations from Ocracoke Island in North Carolinas Outer Banks on Monday, moving more than 3,500 people and 1,700 vehicles off the island over four days. Island officials were taking no chances after taking a beating less than a year ago from Hurricane Dorian. Evacuation orders also have been issued for Hatteras Island north of Ocracoke.

Morgan Stewart said many evacuating residents had come into the store where she works in the inland community of Kinston to buy tarps, batteries, flashlights and other supplies.

You can tell theyre worried, said Stewart, who saw cars parked on higher ground over the weekend as she secured her boat at a marina.

Since forming last week, Isaias has been buffeted by competing forces both trying to kill and strengthen it, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy.

Of all the places it could be, it found the warmest water it could, which fuels storm development, McNoldy said. And yet it is struggling.

Thats because dry air kept working its way into the storm at low and mid-levels, which chokes storms.

Isaias passage near Florida over the weekend was particularly unwelcome to authorities already dealing with surging coronavirus caseloads. The storm brought heavy rain and flooding to the state, forcing authorities to close outdoor virus testing sights, as well as beaches and parks. Officials lashed signs to palm trees so they wouldnt blow away.

About 150 people had to keep masks on while sheltering in Palm Beach County, which had a voluntary evacuation order for people living in homes that cant withstand dangerous winds, said emergency management spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda.

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Shops closed, beaches deserted as Isaias nears the Carolinas - Fox 59

Johnny Jackson, 22, in his Dunbar High School graduation photo, was fatally shot July 15 at the Lani Kai Island Resort. Two lawsuits claiming wrongful death and injury to a third party were filed Sunday in Lee County Court against the resort.(Photo: Special to The News-Press)

The Lani Kai Island Resort faces two lawsuits seeking damages in excess of $1 millionin the aftermath ofa fatal July shooting, according to court filings Sunday.

The suits allege theFort Myers Beachresort should have known its security measures were lacking.

"The defendant knew or should have recognized that security measures at the time of the incident ... were either non-existent, lacking, inadequate and/or were not being performed as expected or intended," the suits claim.

One of the suits, claiming wrongful death, was filed on behalf ofThomasina Daniels, the mother of Johnny Jackson, 22, the man who was fatally shot shortly after midnight July 15 in the patio beach area behind the resort building.

The second suit, a personal injury action, was filed by Traviasia Blanks of Fort Myers, Jackson's cousin.

Blanks, who was at the scene of the shooting, was one of two people shot in a spray of gunfire and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Jackson and Blanks were attending a party held by Jackson's brother Jordan Phillips, a Lani Kai employee who was also a paying guest of the resort. Phillips no longer works at the Lani Kai as "it is too bad of a memory," said attorney Joe North, who is representing both parties.

Members of the Lee County Sheriff's Office investigate a shooting at the Lani Kai Island Resort on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Three people were shot, one fatally, in an altercation early Wednesday morning.(Photo: Andrew West, The News-Press)

There have been no arrests in the shooting. The Lee County Sheriff's Office has confirmed a suspect in the shooting has been jailed on unrelated charges. Theinvestigation remains active.

More: Three shot, one dead in altercation at Lani Kai; Lee sheriff says suspect remains at large

More: LCSO announces suspects in Lani Kai homicide, one in custody on unrelated charges

More: Fort Myers Beach council to consider nuisance abatement board in wake of Lani Kai homicide

I hope the lawsuit will make the hotel clean up the place and improve security so that this does not happen to somebody else, Daniels said through North.

In a civil lawsuit, a plaintiff must claim $30,000as a minimum, but compensation in each of these cases could exceed $1 million, North said.

Three people shot at Lani Kai on Fort Myers Beach, one fatally. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno holds press conference. Fort Myers News-Press

The suits claim the Lani Kai had a history of criminal activity and should have recognized the danger to guests, visitors and employees.

The suits cite ongoing and violent criminal activity at the Lani Kai including assaults, batteries and discharge of firearms for three years prior to the shooting. As a result, theresort "breached its obligation and duty" to protect guests with Jackson being fatally shot and Blanks sustaining injury,pain, suffering, loss of wages and aggravation of an existing condition.

The Fort Myers Beach town council discussed the shooting at the Aug. 3 meeting and discussed creating a nuisance abatement board to deal with such incidents.

At that meeting, Councilman Jim Atterholt read from information he gathered showing emergency responses to the Lani Kai.

He said the resort has had the most Fort Myers Beach Fire & Rescue response calls since 2017, with 129 calls in 2017, 98 calls in 2018, 100 calls in 2019 and 70 calls so far this year.

Similarly, information provided by the sheriff's office shows 3,052 responses made to 1400 Estero Blvd., the Lani Kai's address, since January 2017, he said. Those calls have included 995 for area checks, 257 listed as suspicious, 251 listed as disturbances, 231 for trespassing, 23 for battery, 19 for searches for wanted suspects and five for sex crimes.

Johnny Jackson, 22, parasailing July 14 at the Lani Kai hours before he was fatally shot. Two lawsuits claiming wrongful death and injury to a third party were filed Sunday in Lee County Court.(Photo: Special to The News-Press)

The suits were electronically filedSunday. No date for a hearing has been set.

"This shooting could have been prevented with better security measures at the hotel," North said. "I join with the Fort Myers Beach officials in calling upon the Lani Kai to improve its property for the safety of the community.

A spokesman for the Lani Kai was not available for comment.

Johnny Jackson, 22, a former Dunbar High School basketball team member, was fatally shot July 15 at the Lani Kai Island Resort. Two lawsuits claiming wrongful death and injury to a third party were filed Sunday in Lee County Court.(Photo: Special to The News-Press)

More: Lawsuits dropped, Margaritaville Resort project set to proceed on Fort Myers Beach

Since the shooting, the Lani Kai has announced changes including:

After hours, only guests of the hotel will be able to walk the property wearing guest wristbands zero tolerance for trespassers. Room key cards will change to wrist fobs.

Guests causing significant damage to rooms or any type of altercation will be put on a Do Not Rent list.

Cover-ups and shoes must be worn indoors on the property. Beach-goers will no longer be permitted to walk through the hotels interior venues or public areas in just their swimwear.

A resort fee will be charged to hotel guests to include guest parking, pool access, pool/beach towels, WiFi, two bottles of water daily and discount beach furniture rental and water sports activities with Wind & Water Sports.

The hotel will continue to hire Lee County Sheriffs Office deputies during busier-than-usual holidays, events or days that are expected to draw more people.

It will also hire deputies during weekends in season, every Saturday and Sunday.

Staff will go through security training certifications, licensing and thorough background checks; anyone on the team must be certified and licensed. Hospitality staff already receivequarterly alcohol awareness meetings, but additional staff will now attend security meetings, to follow up with any updates or mandates to the department.

Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun:MichaelBraunNP (Facebook),@MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.

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Lani Kai resort hit with two lawsuits in wake of July 15 shooting death - News-Press

Posted: Aug 6, 2020 / 09:47 AM CDT / Updated: Aug 6, 2020 / 09:48 AM CDT

City of South Padre Island Logo (Source: City of South Padre Island/Facebook)

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (KVEO) The city of South Padre Island has extended the emergency order regarding beachgoers amid COVID-19.

The order sets guidelines for beach vendors and visitors in order to keep beaches open and prevent further spread of the virus.

Below are the guidelines as stated in the release:

BEACH VENDORS

BEACH GOERS

The emergency order will now be in effect until Sept. 16, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.

The city adds Peace Officers, City of South Padre Island Health Inspectors, Code Enforcement/Ordinance Officers/Inspectorsare authorized to enforce the order. A violation is a Class C Misdemeanor punishable by an up to $500 fine.

The read the full order from the city, click here.

Read the rest here:

South Padre Island extends emergency order regarding beach operations - KGBT-TV

Following record new cases of COVID-19 statewide, Hawaiis governor and the Honolulu mayor are bringing back sweeping restrictions that were in place at the beginning of the pandemic and creating a special police unit to cite and arrest violators.

Starting on Tuesday, anyone arriving in Kauai, Hawaii, Maui or Kalawao counties will be required to quarantine for two weeks. The quarantine requirement does not apply to those arriving on Oahu.

Gov. David Ige said at a press conference Thursday afternoon that the quarantine rule would apply to all interisland travel, but his office later sent out a press release saying it will only affect travelers arriving in Kauai, Hawaii, Maui and Kalawao not Oahu.

Because of the surge in cases on Oahu, all the county mayors agree that additional measures are necessary to make sure cases do not spread uncontrolled across all counties, Ige said.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell is once again ordering the closure of island beaches and parks.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

On Oahu, where coronavirus cases have surged, Mayor Kirk Caldwell has issued a new order called Act With Care Do Not Gather. It takes effect Friday at midnight and will be in effect until Sept. 5, he said.

All city and state beaches and parks will be closed again. They were previously closed from mid-March through mid-May.

There will be no activities allowed on the beach or in the parks, Caldwell said. You can traverse the parks to get to the water to surf, to swim, to paddle, to dive, fish and do other Native Hawaiian gathering rights but in the water. Not in the parks, not on the beaches.

Hiking trails in city and state parks will also be closed, although trails run by the Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife will remain open, the Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources said on Friday. Spokesman Dan Dennison said the state park closures are necessary because many are adjacent to beaches, which are the areas where large groups have been congregating.

You dont typically see 100 people at a party out on the trail, he said in an email. I would add that if theres evidence of crowding and large gatherings on trails, additional closures would be considered. I remember State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park saying that people who keep six feet apart on a trail, mask-up when passing, and limiting group numbers are likely at low risk.

Public restrooms and showers will remain open. Parking lots for parks where vote by mail deposit boxes are located will remain open through Saturdays primary election but will be closed after, Caldwell said.

Campgrounds and botanical gardens will be closed. All team sports are banned. City and private pools, including hotel pools, will be shuttered. Indoor businesses including bowling alleys, arcades and mini-golf facilities must cease operations. Private tennis clubs will be closed.

The park closures include the shuttering of playgrounds, tennis courts, dog parks, skate parks, the Koko Crater Tramway and the Peoples Open Markets, according to the Honolulu Parks and Recreation Department. Parking lots for scenic lookouts will be closed.

The goal is to eliminate large, uncontrolled gatherings, such as groups who congregate under tents at beach parks, Caldwell said.

Honolulu Police Department Chief Susan Ballard said dozens of police officers will be looking for COVID-19 rulebreakers.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Im sure youve seen it when youve gone to the beach on the weekend, he said. So, bright line, easy to enforce. Parks are closed.

Hawaii Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson said officials believe large outdoor gatherings may be contributing to the rise of cases, although he didnt cite any specific clusters.

We think thats one of the most likely sources of exposure for a lot of the cases where we arent able to identify other sources, he said.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the risk of COVID-19 transmission is much higher when indoors where space is tighter and ventilation is limited.

But some indoor businesses on Oahu will be allowed to stay open. Gyms, where contact tracers have identified COVID-19 spread, can continue to operate except for group classes, Caldwell said.

Restaurants can remain open, although staff members, including those in the kitchens, must wear masks. Hair salons, massage parlors, tattoo shops, spiritual services, museums, art galleries and movie theaters can stay open. Golf courses and the Koko Head Shooting complex will remain open, Caldwell said.

Whats open are things that we can control, Caldwell said. Where there is compliance and not uncontrolled gatherings, we feel we should not punish those folks and crack down where the problem resides.

Oahus new wave of closures follows last weeks shutdown of Oahus bars for three weeks. They had just reopened on June 19. Caldwell added that the city will shutter bars that are posing as restaurants.

The most important part of the order is enforcement, Caldwell said.

Honolulu has created a COVID enforcement team of 160 sworn police officers who will respond to reports of violations and patrol islandwide seven days a week, said Police Chief Susan Ballard, who also spoke at the press conference. Starting Sunday at 10 a.m., people can report violations to a new hotline at 808-723-3900 or online at HPDCOVIDenforce@honolulu.gov.

At this point, were probably going to do very few warnings, she said. Its going to be either citations or arrests.

Im just begging you, please, Ballard said.

We need to get our island open, she said. We need to get back to normal.

The chief noted that homeless people are not exempt from most of the mayors order. Anyone found in a closed city park can be ticketed or arrested, she said. A review of emergency proclamation citation data by Hawaii News Now found that prosecutors have been dismissing thousands of citations given to homeless people during the pandemic.

Nonetheless, Ballard said her officers will continue to issue them.

If theyre in the parks and theyre not supposed to be, they could get cited and possibly arrested, she said.

Ige said the new wave of restrictions is necessary so that COVID-19 patients dont flood the islands hospitals.

While our health care system has managed and can manage the current level of cases, the hospitals have warned that if the trend continues, we will begin to reach a critical point that can overwhelm the health care system, he said.

Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson said more COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations are inevitable.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Anderson said it is alarming to see the spike in cases, including two deaths on Wednesday and 152 new cases Thursday. With the new cases come more hospitalizations and more patients in intensive care, he said.

We are approaching a health care crisis and bold measures are needed now to stem the increase and the spread of COVID-19 in Hawaii, he said. The current situation is actually much more serious than we projected when we anticipated increases as the state reopened.

Hilton Raethel, president and CEO of Healthcare Association of Hawaii, said Oahu hospitals are poised to run out of ICU bed capacity by the end of this month, a dire situation he said the state has never faced before.

Hawaii hospitals have contingency plans for dealing with a major health crisis. They include converting acute care beds which are usually used for people recovering from surgery or disease into ICU beds, which are designed for complex, specialized care. But no Hawaii hospital has ever had to put one of these plans in effect, Raethel said.

The problem is if the infection rate continues to grow we will not only exceed our current capacity, but we will blow through our expansion capacity as well, he said.

Then we will run the risk of facing those incredibly difficult challenges of who gets a bed, who gets a ventilator, who gets the drugs, who gets the care. We do not want to get to that point where we are literally facing life or death decisions about who gets care and who doesnt get care.

People gather near the Kapahulu Groin in Waikiki on Thursday. Beaches and parks as well as other outdoor venues will be closed beginning Saturday morning for the next four weeks in an effort to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

All the ICU beds at Kaiser Permanentes Moanalua Medical Center were full yesterday, according to Raethel. The only way to turn this trajectory around is for the public to work together to slow down the infection rate, he said.

Efforts to hamper the spread of the virus will not yield lower hospitalization rates for another two weeks because of the time it takes for symptoms to develop. Neighbor islands are not in such dire circumstances right now because the infection rate is much lower, Raethel said. But he noted that the public health resources on neighbor islands are more limited.

As of Thursday, 117 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Hawaii 115 of them on Oahu and 54% of ICU beds are filled, Anderson said. About 10% of overall cases end up in the hospital, according to Anderson.

Community spread of the coronavirus on Oahu has already stressed public health infrastructure, including contract tracing efforts, Anderson said.

There will be more deaths and more hospitalizations in the weeks to come because of gatherings and other activities from crowding that occurred in previous weeks, he said.

Anderson noted it is especially tough to limit the spread of the virus in large, multigenerational households where its hard for people to isolate and stay home from work when theyre sick.

The governor did not provide any clarity on the plan to reopen schools or the University of Hawaii saying only that officials are working through the details.

We are looking at a number of things, he said.

Board of Education Chairwoman Catherine Payne said Thursday she expects more clarity in the next few days or by early next week about how the increase in COVID-19 case numbers will impact schools, particularly on Oahu.

The new school year is set to begin Aug. 17, through a mix of virtual learning and in-person instruction across the state. Teachers reported back to work on July 29.

I do not think we can afford to shorten learning any more, Payne said. Even if we do not have a perfect setup for distance learning for all students.

Civil Beat reporters Brittany Lyte and Suevon Lee contributed to this story.

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The Interisland Travel Quarantine Is Coming Back, Oahu Beaches And - Honolulu Civil Beat

Officials in the Town of Hempstead red-flagged several beaches for the latest in a string of ongoing shark sightings off Long Island coastlines.

A tweet from the town's account said East Atlantic Beach and Atlantic Beach Estates were red-flagged after a fisherman caught a shark Sunday. Red flags are issued to warn beachgoers of severe hazards in the water.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran says the sighting has prompted swimming restrictions at Nickerson Beach. County residents enjoying the beach can only enter the waters waist deep, Curran tweeted.

Shark sightings have become a semi-regular occurrence in the county, with officials modifying swimming restrictions or closing beaches entirely off-and-on for several weeks now.

Most sharks seen in the waters have been small. But one sighting last month prompted closures at Lido West and Nickerson beaches for reports of a large bull shark between 7 and 10 feet long. On Monday,swimmers were ordered out of the water at Lido West and Nickerson beaches in Hempstead after a pair of shark sightings. Town officials say they haven't seen a shark that size in the area in at least four years.

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Town of Hempstead Red-Flags Long Island Beaches After Fishermen Catch Shark - NBC New York

We all wish things could be as they were in the Lowcountry: plenty of space, free parking and wide-open beaches.

The population of Mount Pleasant, however, has nearly doubled since 2000 and the tri-county population is 143% of what it was 20 years ago. Our roads and other facilities are not designed for such rapid increase.

As a 30-year Isle of Palms resident, I have been privileged to be part of a welcoming community.

Weve made parking available and provided restrooms and showers. Weve enjoyed a wonderful relationship with neighboring communities.

Now, as IOP has struggled to deal with the rapid population increase, we have been vilified and accused of privatizing the beach and worse.

Attempts to fight COVID-19 are met with malicious accusations. The temporary rules are meant to reduce visitors to the island. Eliminating street parking didnt funnel more people to one area. Those areas already filled up before.

We apologize to people who feel unfairly hurt by this. While not a perfect solution, the intent is safety.

Council member John Moye spoke for our community during the July council meeting, saying, our neighbors want access to the beach and we want there to be responsible and accountable access to the beach.

We invite neighboring communities to offer constructive solutions to a tri-county problem. Everything may not be the way it used to be, but perhaps we can act neighborly, the way it used to be.

CHRISTINE DONAVAN

26th Avenue

Isle of Palms

Now that the SEC has decided to play only interconference football this season, will this become the new normal?

Fans whove been pushing for a true playoff system, with larger conferences that have two divisions of seven or eight teams each, could get their wish if this season is successful.

Yes, this would leave the Clemson-Carolina game in limbo, unless Clemson joined the SEC.

Please note that some major rivals are already intraconference: Michigan and Ohio State; Auburn and Alabama; as well as Florida and Georgia.

If Clemson and South Carolina were in the same division, it could lead to the teams competing for the right to play for the SEC championship.

LESTER FINKELSTEIN

Betsy Kerrison Parkway

Johns Island

Elder abuse is a prevalent problem. Now, in the world of COVID-19, older Americans are more susceptible than ever to abuse, especially those affected by Alzheimers and dementia.

Elder abuse comes in many forms: financial, mental and physical.

Its important to identify those who are subject to mistreatment and work to stop it.

My dad had Alzheimers, and I saw companies and individuals try to take advantage of him.

It was hard enough watching him battle this disease and for my mom to care for him while managing medical and household expenses.

In May, the Promoting Alzheimers to Prevent Elder Abuse Act was introduced.

Now, Congress has an opportunity to pass meaningful legislation that would help prevent elder abuse.

If signed into law, this bill would require the Justice Department to provide critical training to professionals like police officers, firefighters and social workers to help them identify and respond to the signs of abuse.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott understands the need for this policy, and he has just added his support to this bill as a co-sponsor.

Along with the Alzheimers Association, I applaud this action and thank Sen. Scott for his support.

Please join me in urging Sen. Lindsey Graham and Reps. Joe Cunningham and Jim Clyburn to be co-sponsors as well.

Its time to take action to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

AMANDA PHILLIPS

Hackney Pony Lane

Hilton Head Island

Todays head shaker: An Associated Press article in the Aug. 2 Post and Courier stated that the S.C. Youth Wrestling Association hosted hundreds of youths at a wrestling tournament on July 28-31 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Since Myrtle Beach is one of the states COVID-19 hot spots, the association instituted strict temperature-check and mask-enforcement policies. And, apparently, the city signed off.

Wrestlers, however, were not required to wear a mask while they competed in one of the most intense contact sports.

This is astounding. Where are the adults?

What has happened to critical thinking and common sense?

MELISSA FORINASH

Forest Oaks Drive

Hollywood

Mount Pleasant has an opportunity to buy up to 71 acres in northern Mount Pleasant.

While thats a big piece to bite off, its an opportunity that shouldnt be missed. With effort and planning, our town government could leverage local and regional resources to guide what happens in that space.

Included in the plan should be a creative enterprise zone, where our towns cultural assets could be celebrated and supported.

The zone could include a community arts and heritage complex that celebrates our heritage by providing space for creating, displaying and interpreting art and the perorming arts.

A professional studio could build upon the existing local film industry.

Tourism and arts-related businesses would directly benefit. A combination public-private funding partnership could create an asset that puts the best of our creative energy on display.

At this time of division, uncertainty and fear, our town needs an exciting, visionary project to bring neighbors and neighborhoods together.

Establishing a creative enterprise zone would be a positive, progressive project that provides balance amid the flood of new homes, roads and businesses still to come.

MARIE-LOUISE MORETO

Liberty Court

Mount Pleasant

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Letters to the Editor: Work on solutions for safely accessing beaches in age of COVID-19 - Charleston Post Courier

The shutdown is back.

Oahu parks and beaches, which reopened in May, will be closed again, starting 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

The worsening spread of COVID-19 on Oahu including 152 new cases and two deaths reported Thursday convinced city and state officials to bring back a ban on outdoor activities.

Gov. David Ige and Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced the new order, which they call Act With Care Do Not Gather, at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

It mandates that all 303 city-run parks and 18 state-operated sites on the island will be closed.

People will be allowed to traverse in and out of the ocean if they are engaging in water activities, but no activities will be allowed in parks or on beaches, Caldwell said.

We need to clamp down as hard as possible on large, uncontrolled gatherings, Caldwell said.

Running, jogging, walking and biking through the parks wont be allowed.

The closures include all pools, playgrounds, courts, fields, exercise equipment, dog parks, skate parks, the Koko Crater tramway and the Peoples Open Markets.

Previously issued park permits for camping, outdoor team sports, picnics and commercial activities will be canceled and refunds issued. All fall Parks and Recreation classes are canceled.

The order runs from 12:01 a.m. Saturday through midnight Sept. 4, essentially the next four weeks, although the end date may change depending on the circumstances, city officials said.

Those allowed activities include swimming, surfing, diving, solo paddling, fishing (below the high-water mark only, and not in groups) and Native Hawaiian gathering practices as allowed by law.

But in the water, not in the parks and not on the beaches, Caldwell said.

Stand alone comfort stations and outdoor showers will be open including to the homeless and others in the public, but those attached to other park buildings such as gymnasiums and recreation rooms will be closed. The ones that are open will follow regular park closure hours.

The parking lots at parks and beaches will be closed. The only exceptions are the ones in the four parks where the Elections Division has set up ballot dropoff boxes. They will be open through 7 p.m. Saturday.

Parking lots for lookouts, including Diamond Head, Lanai and Halona Blowhole, also will be closed.

Also closed: tennis and other play courts, hiking trails, campgrounds, botanical gardens and community gardens.

The Koko Head Shooting Complex will be open and follow its regular schedule. Archery ranges in other park locations will be closed.

Honolulu Police Department Chief Susan Ballard said 160 additional officers islandwide will be on the road working overtime, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, doing strategic enforcement of coronavirus-related rules. They will be responding to complaints, as well as pro-active patrols, especially where we see large gatherings, she said.

Enforcements going to be the key here, Ballard said. Starting 10 a.m. Sunday, the public will be able to call in a COVID enforcement complaint to an HPD hotline (723-3900). This also can be done online at hpdcovidenforce@honolulu.gov.

If you see any violations of the emergency proclamation, were asking you to please report them and the police will respond, Ballard said.

She noted that the state is still hoping to open up to out-of-state visitors starting Sept. 1. Im just begging you, please, weve got 28 days, Ballard said. Lets show them we can do this and when we reopen, lets follow the rules.

While HPD officers have been issuing more warnings, that will change, the chief said. At this point were probably going to do very few warnings its going to be citations or arrests.

The new order extends beyond government-run parks.

Some indoor commercial activities, including bowling alleys, arcades and mini-golf facilities, will be closed, as will private swimming pools and tennis courts. Theaters and museums, however, will be allowed to stay open.

Gyms and fitness centers can stay open, provided social distancing guidelines are followed, but group classes will be prohibited, Caldwell said.

Asked why beaches are closed while gyms are open, Caldwell said it has to do with the types of activity associated with each destination. The issue is with large, uncontrolled gatherings that we see outdoors for the most part, he said, pointing out that the city has reports of more than 50-100 people under a tent. Hard to control these gatherings, he said.

State Health Director Bruce Anderson said the state has been able to identify a number of individuals who attended beach parties and other events at beach parks we think thats one of the most likely sources of exposure for a lot of the cases where we arent able to identify any other sources.

Public and private golf courses will be limited to procedures established in the Hawaii Golf Phase One policy.

Previously announced mandates remain in place. Bars are one week into an order to close for three weeks. Restaurants and retailers will remain open.

Social gatherings either indoor or outdoor must be limited to no more than 10 individuals. The one exception is churches and other houses of worship, provided they adhere to social distancing guidelines. All individuals are expected to wear face coverings when outside of their homes.

Caldwell warned that a full shutdown of the island may be forthcoming if the numbers do not improve. If thats what it takes to protect the public health and safety of the people of Oahu, he said. Were not there yet, but were watching very closely.

For the latest orders and proclamations, go to: http://www.honolulu.gov/mayor/proclamations-orders-and-rules.html.

The state park closures on Oahu include all waysides, lookouts, scenic shorelines, recreation areas and monuments. Camping is suspended and includes Ahupuaa o Kahana State Park, Keaiwa State Recreation Area, Malaekahana State Recreation Area (both the for the Kalanai and Kahuku sections) and Sand Island State Recreation Area. For more information: dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/08/06/nr20-114/

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Oahu beaches, parks and team sports will be halted once more - Honolulu Star-Advertiser