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August 2017 President's Message
by Richard Mason
Summer is budgeting season for Miami-Dade County
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It is August in Miami, and Miami-Dade County management, from the Office of the Mayor, through the Board of County Commissioners, to each department head, is finishing crunching numbers for the 2017-18 budget, which will be approved in late September. The fiscal year begins on October 1, 2017. Because most of County management goes on vacation in August, most of the parameters of the budget were set by the end of July.
In September, the County has several public hearings on the budget, where the supplicants who receive money for their nonprofits and others show up to plead their case for their share of the public dole. Each tearful plea is listened to, and then the two-minute bell goes off. Talk about Russian roulette or a throw of the dice! That is the scene. I have witnessed Academy Award performances on both sides of the table. Most of the lobbyists for the private sector completed their missions by the end of July. For them, it is a "wink and nod" through September.
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South Florida Free Beaches, Inc. (SFFB) has been working diligently in this process, behind the scenes, year in and year out, to get the budget increased for public safety for Haulover Beach and Park. All the amenities currently on our beach were fought for and obtained through the efforts of our organization. For example, the beach shower (pictured at left) near lifeguard tower 15 was built by our 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational and charitable adjunct, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, with a portion of the funds contributed by SFFB.
Lobbying for additional funds for Haulover Park is not an easy task for SFFB. We have to contact three different County departments and request consideration in the allocation of their budgets. These are Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces; Fire Rescue's Ocean Rescue Bureau (lifeguards); and Police. At the same time, we must also meet with the County Mayor's Office and County Commissioners.
We have been doing this since 1989 on behalf of visitors to Haulover's naturist beach. We had it designated as such and we have protected it since 1991. Our strategy is not to impinge on the existing budgets of the Police or Fire Rescue Department, but to get fresh funds for both from Haulover's parking revenues and from the County's resort taxes. This is and has been for years a daunting task due to a lack of cooperation from almost everyone involved with the County.
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Miami-Dade County Government Center
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The parking revenues do not stay in Haulover Park's budget. They end up in the County's General Fund, where they can be picked off by special needs or interests other than the Parks Department. Resort taxes were created at the behest of the hospitality industry for the purpose of promoting tourism. We have seen some of those funds, however, applied to a different use, namely, venues for professional sports. The state law on resort taxes has certain restrictions, but other cities and counties have used them for police and lifeguard services. That is what we are trying to accomplish here, also.
For those unfamiliar with the budget process, here is a brief summary: The budget and real expenses are reviewed for the past year. Because Miami-Dade County has an executive mayor form of government, the Mayor's Office develops projected estimated tax revenues for the following year. If an increase is projected, the percentage increase may be allowed for a department's budget for the following year. The needs projected are always more than what will be budgeted. Department directors have to set in place where the money should go. The resulting, proposed budget is what is presented at public hearings. There is a lot of give-and-take, with Commissioners seeking to benefit their respective district and the Mayor wanting to make sure all the priorities are in correct alignment.
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During the real estate bust of a few years back, the County's tax revenues plummeted by a very large percentage. The new Mayor had to use an ax instead of a knife to carve out many expenses to avoid a bankrupt County government. Haulover felt that ax. Ocean Rescue went from more than 45 lifeguards to about 20, and there it remains to today. Lifeguard towers are empty and the hours of coverage have been reduced. The police in this district had their manpower reduced while the demand for police services has increased. Haulover has suffered from the reduced budget of the Police Department.
We are working with the assistance of our paid lobbyist (see related article, below) to get a special appropriation for Haulover to cover the projected public safety needs. As a regional park, Haulover has no local constituency to lobby for it, as a neighborhood park does. That job falls to SFFB. Protecting the reputation of the naturist beach is important to ensure that it will be here in the future. SFFB is the only entity to do that. It is costly, and that is why we ask visitors to Haulover Beach to join our organization and/or to donate to SFFB. What's in it for you? You are sitting on it — Haulover's naturist beach!
If you are not a current member of South Florida Free Beaches, please consider becoming one — numbers matter. At $35 per year for your household, it costs just 67¢ per week. A key benefit is the continued, clothing-optional use of Haulover Beach. How much is that worth to you? Join or renew at sffb.com.
We also have a separate Legal Defense & Political Action Fund that supports our government affairs efforts and assists individuals cited for nude sunbathing. Even if you're not ready to (re)join just yet, please consider donating to this fund (not tax-deductible) to help with current challenges. Donations by bank check should be mailed to the address below (in e-mail version of newsletter). Thanks!
Beach Ambassador training
Do you spend a lot of time on Miami's nude beach? If so, you have a chance to give back by volunteering as a Beach Ambassador (BA) to help maintain naturist standards on Haulover Beach and keep it safely nude for all to enjoy. Sign up for and attend a training to become part of a wonderful corps of volunteers.
BAs serve as beach monitors and greeters, a combination of block watch and welcome wagon. For their service, BAs at Haulover Beach get a cool hat, ID badge, and free parking on their duty days. Seasonal residents are welcome to participate.
Beach Ambassador training for the remainder of 2017 is scheduled for Haulover Beach in Miami on Saturday, August 12 and October 14. The August 12 training includes a discussion of the rules regarding flotation devices. If you have any questions or wish to sign up for a training session, contact Ken.
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Reminder: SFFB Board endorses candidates for Naturist Action Committee (NAC) Board of Directors
What is NAC, and why should you care?
A leader on the political and legal fronts, the Naturist Action Committee (NAC) monitors legislative activities from city hall to the halls of the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament, issuing alerts and lobbying on behalf of naturist interests. When lobbying fails, NAC can be found in the courthouse, filing briefs and intervening directly on behalf of naturists and the naturist cause.
NAC's ongoing work and vigilance, along with its sister organizations (see below left), The Naturist Society and the Naturist Education Foundation, and support from the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and the Federation of Canadian Naturists (FCN), help make our continued enjoyment of the naturist lifestyle possible.
This work does not come cheaply. Sometimes grappling with several hotspots, NAC is stretched to fund it all. Please consider donating to NAC (not tax-deductible) today to help protect your right to nude recreation.
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Reminder: Elections for the Board of Directors of the Naturist Action Committee (NAC) close on August 15. The NAC Board totals nine members, each serving a three-year term. Terms are staggered so that three seats are up for election each year. Per by-law, NAC Board members also constitute the Board of Directors of the related Naturist Education Foundation (NEF).
After careful review of the five candidates for the three seats in the 2017 election cycle, South Florida Free Beaches' Board of Directors has endorsed Doug Hickok, Richard Mason, and Bill Schroer.
Doug is a NAC Area Representative for southwestern Wisconsin.
Richard is President of South Florida Free Beaches, co-founder (with his wife, Shirley) of the clothing-optional beach in Haulover Park in Miami, FL, and recipient of the Lee Baxandall Annual Lifetime Naturist Achievement Award, named in memory of the late founder of The Naturist Society.
Bill is a former NAC Director and Treasurer, former Executive Director of the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), and owner of a naturist bed-and-breakfast in south central Michigan.
All members of The Naturist Society (TNS) are eligible to vote in the NAC Board election. Ballots on blue paper were inserted in the latest issue (36.3, spring 2017) of N (Nude & Natural), The Magazine of Naturist Living, which TNS mailed in late June. TNS members may vote for up to three candidates, and completed ballots must be returned to The Naturist Society, postmarked no later than August 15, 2017.
Candidates' statements with additional information about their background and qualifications and their objectives for NAC are contained in an article starting on page 28 of the aforementioned magazine. The SFFB-endorsed candidates occupy the middle positions on the ballot, and SFFB urges TNS members to vote for those three to infuse NAC with new energy and perspective, grounded on extensive, relevant experience.
If you're not a current member of The Naturist Society but would like to vote in the NAC Board election, join TNS immediately by calling (800) 886-7230, Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. CDT. Watch the mail for your ballot, which may be inserted in a copy of N Magazine, and vote promptly. Remember that your completed ballot must be postmarked no later than August 15, 2017 to be counted.
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SFFB's Tallahassee lobbyist also deployed to Miami-Dade County
by Ramon Maury, CEO & President, Maury Management Group, a Healthcare and Government Solutions Firm
Editor's notes: This article is excerpted from a letter that SFFB's paid lobbyist, Ramon Maury, sent on July 10 to Tom Morgan, Region Manager, Coastal Park & Marinas Enterprise, Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS) Department. It exemplifies Ramon's ongoing interactions on SFFB's behalf with various elements of Miami-Dade County government, which require many hours of research and preparation, meetings, and follow-up.
SFFB is fortunate and grateful that Ramon has been able, starting last year, to take on work for it at the local level in Miami-Dade County in addition to the effective, state-level work that he does and has been doing on SFFB's behalf for many years in Tallahassee, Florida's capital. This additional work results, of course, in increased billing to SFFB, which is why SFFB has stepped up its requests for financial contributions from users and supporters of Haulover Beach, who benefit directly from it.
For more details about this essential work and how you can help SFFB keep paying for it, see the President's Message, above.
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It was a pleasure chatting with you last week... I first want to thank [Miami-Dade County] Mayor [Carlos Giménez], his Chief of Staff, Alex Ferro, Michael Spring [Senior Advisor to the Mayor for Cultural Affairs and Recreation], Christopher Hernandez [PROS Manager 5, Haulover Service Area], and you for your professionalism and accessibility.
Pursuant to the ... issues raised regarding Haulover Beach and Park, three stand out as easily achievable goals with minimal impact to the resources of the County. Our most pressing concern pertains to public safety.
From sunrise to 9 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to sundown, the park is attracting an ever-growing crowd of lewd and lascivious individuals congregating at the beach, its bathrooms, and dunes, for mostly illicit, consensual sex acts, not appropriate in public or at a Miami-Dade County park.
Four years ago, the North Parking Lot beach users asked to be self-taxed by $1.00 to help defray the cost of law enforcement during the hours in question. The self-tax raised more than $230K per year but, unfortunately, funds were never used for that purpose.
Many of us in the community desire to preserve the family-friendly nature of the park, as well as the economic engine [that] Haulover Park is for Miami-Dade. We also seek to improve its image and attractiveness to not only our Florida and national visitor[s], but [also] international tourist[s]. A two-year study by two of Florida's prominent universities quantified the positive economic value of Haulover Beach and its clothing-optional section to be $700M to Miami-Dade. I realize we have a financial challenge with the upcoming budget and, therefore, am open to any and all logical and proactive ideas to help protect all park users visiting Haulover Beach [and] Park.
As per the [matter] of parking, two issues come to mind for your edification. The success of the beach is evident by the long lines of visitors fighting with or trying to understand the new payer system. Due to this common issue, and understanding that the Parks Department wishes to move its operations to a parking app, adding one more parking payment kiosk (Miami Parking System) to the North Lot will alleviate much aggravation and provide visitors with a more friendly and welcoming experience.
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Ramon Maury
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Commissioner Sally Heyman
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Thank you for offering to work with us and the Miami Parking Authority to clear up and resolve the illegal ticketing of properly decaled automobiles of Beach Ambassadors volunteering at Haulover. An updated list is being prepared for you. [Editor's note: See related article, above.]
I want to wholeheartedly thank you, the [Miami-Dade Police Department], the Parks Department, and, most importantly, the park personnel for your dedication and public service. Haulover is successful because we work together toward a common goal.
Lastly, a big "THANK YOU" to our Commissioner from District 4, the Honorable Sally Heyman, and her professional staff for their relentless and dedicated commitment to the constituents of District 4, and for working efficiently to keep District 4 as a shining example of good governance.
Look forward to following up with you...
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B.E.A.C.H.E.S. nude cruise raffle kicks off in August
At press time, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute was in the midst of putting the final touches on the Keep Our Beaches Bare fundraising raffle that it runs every year with SFFB. The raffle launches in August with a separate announcement. The grand prize is passage for two in a deluxe, Ocean Suite stateroom aboard the Carnival Victory, sailing round trip from Miami, February 2-12, 2018, with calls in the Dutch ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao), the Dominican Republic, and a private island in The Bahamas.
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Haulover Beach ranks among world's ten best, again
On July 14, National Nude Day, an informal, international observance that occurs during the Nude Recreation Week that is celebrated in the United States and Canada, Travel + Leisure Magazine published its 2017 listing of the world's ten best nude beaches. Once again, Haulover Beach is among them, as it has been consistently. Read Ten Nude Beaches to Celebrate International Nude Day.
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Florida free beach updates
Three Florida free beach groups plan a beach cleanup in their respective area on Saturday, September 16, 2017 in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup Day. Community service is followed by social time. Read on for details.
Treasure Coast Naturists (TCN), mentors of Blind Creek Beach in Fort Pierce, held the 3rd Annual Blind Creek Beach Skinny-Dip on July 16 in conjunction with Nude Recreation Week. A record was set with 276 participants in the water. TCN's September 16 coastal cleanup takes place on Blind Creek Beach from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. TCN actively welcomes new members and donors to help care for Blind Creek Beach, including the expense of maintaining port-a-potties in the parking lot, which TCN provides (not St. Lucie County).
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3rd Annual Blind Creek Beach Skinny-Dip, July 16, 2017
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Tampa Area Naturists (TAN) has its September 16 coastal cleanup on the beach at Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin, FL, 2-4 p.m. The 1st Annual TAN Tribal Council takes place at Sunnier Palms Nudist Resort in Fort Pierce, September 22-24, including days on Blind Creek Beach. Get dates and details of other TAN events at facebook.com/TampaAreaNaturists/events.
Palm Beach Naturists (PBN) has its September 16 coastal cleanup at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach, FL, 8-10 a.m. PBN was informed on July 12 that the Palm Beach County Commission would not take action to designate a section of a County beach as clothing-optional. Possibilities still exist with individual municipalities and with MacArthur, or for citizens to move on their own to stake out a section of a County beach. For details and a brief video clip, read Commissioners: No clothing-optional beach in PBC.
"Like" PBN's Facebook page at facebook.com/pbnaturists and subscribe to its e-mail list to be kept informed of developments.
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John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, North Palm Beach, FL
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SFFB Board meeting on Haulover Beach, August 12
The Board of Directors of South Florida Free Beaches usually meets on the second Saturday of every month at 2:00 p.m. under the North Chickee (thatch-roofed shade structure) near Lifeguard Tower 15 on Haulover Beach unless another date and time or location is announced. See below for the remainder of this year's schedule. Any planned exception to the second Saturday pattern is noted with an asterisk.
The meetings are open to SFFB sponsors / members, supporters, and invited guests. Prior to setting out, check the upper left-hand corner of SFFB's home page at sffb.com (under Today's Beach Reports) for any change in date, time, or location due to unavailability of Board members or in case of bad weather, when the meeting may take place indoors.
Don't miss an SFFB Board meeting — add the schedule to your calendar now!
August 12, 2017
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September 9, 2017 |
October 14, 2017
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November 11, 2017
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December 9, 2017
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Rare shark attack in waters off Haulover Beach
On July 9, Haulover Beach lifeguards spotted a four- to five-foot (1.2 to 1.5 meters) shark near the shore and ordered patrons to get out of the water. While heeding the order, a nude swimmer was bitten on both legs by the shark. Lifeguards rendered first aid for the victim's non-critical injuries, and he was then transported to a hospital for further care. He was expected to make a full recovery.
Shark attacks in Miami-Dade County are extremely rare, with only 15 on record. In its clear waters, sharks can easily distinguish between appropriate prey and humans, who are too large and are therefore normally left alone. Farther north, in more turbid waters, such incidents are less rare as sharks can mistake for prey a limb that they see in isolation. An aggravating factor in this instance may have been a lifeguard's attempt to chase the shark away with his water bike. The shark may have lashed out in panic at the nearest swimmer.
There is no need to stop swimming at Haulover Beach, but bathers are advised to avoid the water when it is murky, turbulent, or dark, such as shortly after sunrise or shortly before sunset. (Haulover Park is closed from sunset to sunrise.) Furthermore, they should position themselves close to other people to deter any shark that might enter the area from approaching.
Last, people should refrain from molesting or harassing a shark that is not threatening them, but focus instead on leaving the water promptly as a precaution.
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God's Garden introduces Bible study series, The Story
God's Garden for Naturist Christians soon begins an exciting look into God's relationship with humanity called, The Story. The Bible is a collection of books written at different times in history, and it may be difficult to put all the events into context. The Story melds these individual books, overlaying the same points in time to provide one continuous, chronological stream describing God's relationship with us. This is the Bible as you have never heard it before.
The Story is replete with exciting and interesting tales of love, war, birth, death, and miracles. It's full of poetry, culture, history, and theology. It's a suspense novel, a book of sociology, and a history lesson. As you discuss The Story, you will encounter not only the story of humankind, but also the story of who God is and His desire to dwell with us. It is a story of God's character and His love for you.
Weekly core exercise classes continue to be offered in a private home in West Palm Beach and taught by a personal trainer certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Patrons may be nude, clothed, or anything in between, according to their comfort level. God's Garden also continues its monthly movie nights with popcorn and treats. This is always a fun, relaxed, and good time for all.
The contacts for God's Garden are Victoria and Mike Stewart at (954) 829-9911 or GodsGardenGroup@gmail.com. Get more info and request to join at meetup.com/Gods-Garden-for-Naturist-Christians.
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Florida Legislature restores VISITFLORIDA® funding
As part of his initiative to boost business in Florida, Governor Rick Scott had requested in the 2017 Florida legislative session an increase in annual funding for VISITFLORIDA®, the state's official tourism promotion agency, to $100 million from the current annual budget of $76 million. Reacting to certain shortcomings in management of the agency that have since been rectified, Florida House and Senate leaders indicated that they would instead slash the agency's budget by around two-thirds to $25 million, and would also take the ax to Enterprise Florida, the state's official economic development organization.
South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB), B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, and AANR-Florida (Florida region of the American Association for Nude Recreation) have invested great effort in cultivating a relationship with VISITFLORIDA®, leading it to start promoting nude tourism and recreation in Florida. (See an example.) In support of this positive trend, SFFB broadcast an alert on April 27, requesting letters to be sent to Florida legislative leaders, urging them to maintain funding for VISITFLORIDA® at the current level. Despite the Governor's whirlwind tour around the state to rally support for both agencies, the Florida Legislature did not back down from the drastic reductions, and passed the budget on May 3, the final day of the session. We reported on this outcome in the May 2017 issue.
Since then, Governor Scott vetoed the cuts and called the Legislature back into session. On June 2, he reached agreement with legislative leaders to reverse the VISITFLORIDA® cuts, and the Legislature approved restoration of the agency's funding to $76 million during the special session, which convened June 7-9. For further details, read Visit Florida would maintain current funding under tentative agreement and Visit Florida's $76 million budget gets legislative approval after 4-month battle.
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Final reminder: Registration open for GNI annual men's nude Gathering
Featuring celebrated entertainers!
Do you enjoy the iconoclastic, down-home, political and social humor of comic and Internet sensation Trae Crowder, "The Liberal Redneck?" If so, see him live in concert on Sunday evening, August 20, 2017, exclusively at the GNI Gathering! Trae tells you about it in this brief video clip.
GNI has also booked Lady Bunny, comic, DJ, song parodist, and founder and host of New York's legendary and long-running, annual Labor Day Wigstock Festival, to perform at The Gathering.
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Final reminder: Registration remains open through mid-August for Gay Naturists International (GNI)'s 32nd Annual International Gathering of Male Naturists. The Gathering takes place August 18-27, 2017 in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Shorter attendance options are available. The location is about an hour-and-a-half's drive west of New York City, and GNI provides optional bus transportation from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Midtown Manhattan.
Hundreds of men come together at The Gathering for up to ten days of naked fun, camaraderie, education, and relaxation in a beautiful, rustic but comfortable setting with a lake; two heated pools; gym and courts for tennis, volleyball, and other sports; wooded trails; and rolling, manicured grounds.
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Keep checking the free app for Gathering program updates!
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The registration fee covers housing in dormitory-style cabins (camping optional; RVs welcome, but utility hookups are not available), all meals, snacks, and beverages (including beer and wine), and events, activities, and entertainment (except the optional Body Electric massage weekend workshop and add-on excursions, which require additional fees). Regular programming includes seminars and workshops, sports instruction and tournaments, massage and yoga, contests, shows, parties, bonfires, a nightly, naked Dance Club with live DJs and fantastic sound and lights, and much more! The Gathering is open to men aged 21 or over, regardless of orientation. Get info and register.
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