05/12/2008
CHARGES AGAINST THE MONTAUK 8 DISMISSED
Justice Catherine A. Cahill in The Justice Court for the Town of East Hampton handed down her ruling on May 8 dismissing tickets against eight surfers who were ticketed last year while surfing at Montauk Point State Park, marking a major victory for the Surfrider Foundation and their mission to keep beach and wave access free and open for all people. Judge Cahill ruled that the law cited by the ticketing officers does not apply to surfing, clarifying that the prohibition of swimming at Montauk Point does not extend to surfing.
Kenneth Angiulo, Brian Luckey, Paul Biedrzycki, Christopher Greene, William Lucey, Brad McGill, David Providenti and Jeffrey Pressman, better known as the “Montauk 8” were issued tickets last year by New York State Park police who cited them for violating Section 377.1(h) of New York Codes, which reads:
“The following activities are prohibited on property under the jurisdiction, custody and control of the office, except in areas specifically authorized and subject to such conditions as my be contained herein.”
(h) “Swimming, diving, bathing or wading in swimming pools or other waters or walking upon frozen surface thereof.”
Joseph Giannini, a local surfer and attorney representing the “Montauk 8” argued that the tickets should be dismissed on two grounds, one being that the charges cannot be upheld as the men were surfing rather than swimming, and that there is no legal restriction banning surfing in New York State.
“This is a great win,” says Giannini. “The victory opens up Montauk Point State Park to surfing – something we have been trying to do since 2002.”
The Surfrider Foundation’s Eastern Long Island Chapter is now calling upon the State Parks to remove the signs prohibiting surfing from Montauk Point and other local State Parks.
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04/17/2008
$33 For 33 Campaign—Help Support Coastal Access
If you've been following the coastal access campaign in Wrightsville Beach then you know we recently helped restore and create permanent public access for beach goers via Access 33. However, as part of that settlement Surfrider Foundation's Cape Fear Chapter agreed to donate $15,000 toward the fees required to make this access possible. Please help us raise this $15,000 by donating $33 for 33 today. More Info.
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04/17/2008
Don't Feed The Dolphins
Junk food isn't good for our flippered friends either as a poor dolphin recently found out in China. The captive dolphin became sick when it ate junk food that zoo tourists had thrown into its tank ... ultimately, almost dying from kidney failure. Thankfully, the dolphin has been nursed back to health and is doing much better now.
More Info.
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04/17/2008
Coastal Access For England
The Marine Bill (published last week) may give coastal sojourners something to smile about if passed. The draft legislation proposes a coastal route that stretches from Cornwall to Dorset and beyond. Land management and animal- and plant-habitat protection will play an important role in determining which exact areas will be accessible.
More Info.
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04/17/2008
Hurricanes Threaten Texas Insurance
Experts are predicting that a year of big hurricanes could wipe out the presence of private insurance companies in the state of Texas. The rapid development of coastline has seen property values rise to amounts the insurance companies just can't cover on their own. However, a tax payer-backed program like the one the state of Florida adopted after the 2004/2005 hurricane season is not a popular alternative as the state's insurance liability is already $430 billion More Info.
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04/17/2008
Second Annual Interscholastic Surf Contest
Surfrider's Eastern Long Island Chapter will hold its Second Annual Interscholastic surf contest on Friday, May 31, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. at Ditch Plains Beach, Montauk. This event is designed to foster surfing as a school team sport and encourage the growth of surf clubs and surf teams in area schools. Students will compete as teams, not individuals.
More Info.
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04/17/2008
Sea Shepard Bails Out Crew With Pirate Coins
Sea Shepard's Paul Watson paid off two crew members' $10,000 bail bonds yesterday with a brimming bag of coins (some of them pirate "toonies"). Sea Shepard's men were arrested by the local government for allegedly coming too close to a seal hunt in Canadian waters (although Sea Shepard states they were in International waters at the time of the ship's siege).
More Info.
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04/17/2008
Algerian Marine Services Arrest Coral Smugglers
During the last 15 months, marine forces have arrested 46 coral smugglers and have seized 155 pounds of high quality coral, 37 Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Systems, 338 coral removal machines and "a sizable number" of diving costumes. This was all done in the name of catching thieves that pillage our ocean's natural coral reefs. More Info.
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04/17/2008
Surf Films Take Center Stage At The 2008 Newport Film Festival
Three surf films: Under the Sun; One California Day; and Sliding Liberia will be featured at this year's Newport Film Festival (from April 24 to May 1). The Festival will spotlight over 360 films from across the globe with screenings and events being held throughout the city of Newport Beach, California. More Info.
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04/17/2008
The Cleanwater Classic Contest is Coming!
The Clean Water Classic, to be held May 16-18th in Westport, Washington has just opened registration! This popular surf contest in the Pacific Northwest covers Oregon, Washington, northern California and British Columbia. It's a very interesting event as it usually takes on a USA versus Canada flair as surfers compete to see which country will take home first in the respective divisions. For more information including registration details click here.
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