May 2015 President's Message

Now is the time for everyone that visits Haulover's Naturist Beach to review naturist beach etiquette and to make sure it is practiced there or, for sure, we will lose this beach for nude use.

Forgot it, or do not have a copy? Then pick up the Guidebook to the Naturist Beach from one of the beach dispenser units or read it on line. On page 2 are not only naturist beach etiquette, but also phone numbers to call to report inappropriate behavior.

Specifically, we are talking about inappropriate sexual behavior.

Too many beach visitors complain to our Beach Ambassadors, after the fact, about witnessing sexual behavior on the beach. When asked what they did about it, they state, "Nothing."

Well, here is the deal for those that visit Haulover's Naturist Beach:

This is a designated Naturist Beach. When it was established, we, the members of South Florida Free Beaches, promised the Miami-Dade County Commissioners that those that use the beach would follow the rules of naturist beach etiquette. 

One of those rules is that there will be no inappropriate sexual behavior on the Naturist Beach.

Thus, those that use the Naturist Beach are expected to live up to this "implied contract" on behavior.

Further, if you witness inappropriate behavior and do nothing about it, whether speaking up to the perpetrator, calling the Beach Safety Headquarters, or reporting it to a lifeguard, then you are not living up to the promise made to the County.

In fact, you are not living up to your citizenship. To witness a felony and do nothing makes you an accessory to the felony.

Let's all "butch up," boys and girls, and protect our beach by having zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior. Otherwise, when the Naturist Beach gets closed, you will only have yourself and all the other "beach do-nothings" to blame.

Haulover Beach Park

RE: Polluted Ocean Water 

On Monday, April 13th, I spoke to the person at the Florida Department of Health that performs the ocean water quality tests at Haulover and other locations.

She stated that they found in the "ocean water grabs" unsafe levels of E. coli, enterococcus, and fecal coliform, as well as other undefined bacteria in two consistent days. These pollutants come mostly from humans and that is what led to the advisory to close the ocean to beach visitor usage over several days. Source unknown.

We should all appreciate this service because it most likely prevented beach visitors from developing illnesses that are contagious from these various bacteria.

We all need to be aware that there were no pollutants in the ocean in Sunny Isles Beach to the north or in Bal Harbour to the south.

That leads to two possible causes of the pollution. One might be the recent sewage leak in the Oleta River to the west, which flows into upper Biscayne Bay. This is unlikely because that water mostly flows south and is not known to migrate into the ocean from Haulover Cut at the bridge. Not a probable cause.

The other suspected source would be from the thousands of beach visitors that were in the ocean the previous week.

It is important for those that enjoy the ocean not to urinate in the ocean. Adult urine does contain bacteria. 

Simple math tells us that, on a given weekend day, there are 5,000 or more beach visitors, and yet, we do not see that number of people visiting the public restrooms west of the dunes.  HELLO!

Sneaking a "pee" in the ocean may not matter if one person does it, but if several hundred or several thousand do it, then we have a problem.

Richard Mason
President
SFFB/FNA 
 

Following the latest developments reported in the March 2015 issue of this newsletter, the Board of Commissioners for Clay County, FL (near Jacksonville) voted 4-1 on March 24 to adopt an anti-nudity ordinance and also approved a companion ordinance to regulate adult entertainment businesses, while retaining for the time being the County's current total ban on such businesses. A draft of the related, zoning / locational ordinance was presented to the County Commission on April 14, with a public workshop and Planning Commission public hearing scheduled for May 14 and June 2, respectively. Public nudity is now severely restricted in Clay County. (Download the public nudity ordinance for details.)

As reported in the March 2015 issue of this newsletter, at a subsequent City Council meeting in March at which naturist representatives were heard, the Council declined to take up a ban on public nudity, instead directing City staff to come up with several options for formal recognition of a clothing-optional section on some public portion of the beach, including signage or visual barriers (e.g., berms, landscaping, etc.) to relieve any contention between nude users and others.

At its following meeting on April 7, the Council reviewed staff recommendations. Continuing, strenuous objections by property owners, along with increased attention to a species at risk, the Rocky Mountain Ridged Mussel, which might be affected by turbidity resulting from earthworks near the water's edge, combined to cause a majority of the Council (with two dissenting) to shy away from any change to the unsettled status quo except to beef up the presence of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on the beach.

Some on the Council were leery of seeming to endorse clothing-optional use by providing signage, but were also reluctant to ban nudity, as owners still seek, for lack of jurisdiction. The RCMP can not arrest beach users for mere nudity without authorization from the provincial attorney general's office, which traditionally does not prosecute for that. The Council also balked at the expense and likely denial of federal and provincial environmental permits to upgrade the existing, less prominent dog beach for human, clothing-optional use.

Two local naturist groups working separately are reviewing legal precedents and weighing their plans for action this summer. With the matter of clothing-optional use at Three Mile Beach unresolved, there will likely be more controversy and confrontation. You can follow press coverage in the meantime.

Gay Naturists International (GNI) is the world's foremost association of male naturists. As reported in the March 2015 issue of this newsletter, GNI has collaborated closely with South Florida Free Beaches in running joint membership drives, providing complimentary exhibitor space at each other's events, and exchanging ads in their publications. In February, GNI joined B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, SFFB, and Bare Necessities Tour and Travel Company in co-sponsoring and attending the first Naturist Unity Summit. In continuing support of naturist unity and the follow-up event, The Celebrated Nude Art Festival and Naturist Unity Conference in Miami, October 24-28, 2015, GNI has extended a twofold offer.

First, there is a 25% ($10) discount off the regular $40 dues for a one-year membership in GNI for applicants referred by SFFB or B.E.A.C.H.E.S. (Note that membership is limited to men aged 21 or over.) Furthermore, for each one that joins GNI or renews his GNI membership through this promotion, GNI will donate $10 toward the expenses of The Celebrated Nude. These offers are valid through the end of that event.

When joining GNI on line at www.gaynaturists.org, be sure to enter UNITY15 in the promo code field of the payment form to qualify for this deal. (This is not the "club promotional code" in the "Member Information" section.) The discount and GNI's donation are valid only if the above code is entered in the application; it may not be claimed after the fact. Get details of this offer and GNI's upcoming nude retreats for men in June and August.