MAY 2005 NEWSLETTER

5/7 – Pineapple Point Surf Contest – Part of Mal. Beach’s Foundation Day – Ocean Avenue - 8 a.m. - If I get emails from at least six Surfrider members/volunteers saying they want to help work at the booth, we’ll set one up. Also, if you want to enter the all-amateur contest – go to http://www.surfguru.com/Surfcontest.html

5/12 – General Meeting – Satellite Beach Rec. Center – 7:30 p.m.

5/21 – Party for the Planet at the Brevard Zoo – 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Party for the Planet is a gathering of businesses, organizations, and community members celebrating and activating environmental conservation and sustainability in the Central Florida area.  Their goal is to educate the public about making environmentally responsible decisions in their daily lives in an effort to conserve our natural resources. We still need volunteers to help set up and stay at the booth throughout the day.

6/9 - General Meeting – Sebastian Inlet Fisherman’s Museum – 7:30 p.m.

6/21 – International Surfing Day – Cleanup in Cocoa Beach.. The aim of this day is to bring together the people that make our sport more than a sport, but a way of life. We need members to come to our meetings to help organize this and sponsors to make it successful.

June/July – BBQ / Car Wash Fundraiser – Once again, only with Surfrider volunteers and sponsors that are willing to work on organizing this event can make it happen.

If you wish to volunteer for any event – send me an email or call me – Surfrider@cfl.rr.com, 868-7897

Remember that by coming to any meeting or event, you get another chance to win a custom shaped surfboard from Tom Neilson Shapes! The certificate will be given away at the Winter Recruitment Party in December.

Current Issues –

Beach Renourishment – We’ve only had one person volunteer to help with our Beachscape project. The county has allowed plastic tubes filled with sand to bulk up the dunes behind their property. The dredges were permitted to work after turtle nesting season. If you don’t like this news, then you have to do something – write the Florida Today, call DEP and ask them to inspect the geo-sand tubes, and write or call your state representatives.

Water Quality – After the NOAA report declared we have one of the cleanest beaches in Brevard, and the issue has died. There is no word from Nationals on how our current lawsuit against injection wells in Florida is going. If you’ve got a pollution story to tell, send it to me so we can post it. Check the weekly DOH water testing results at - http://esetappsdoh.doh.state.fl.us/irm00beachwater/default.aspx Also, check for red tide status here - http://www.floridamarine.org/features/view_article.asp?id=9670

Cruise and Gambling Boat Pollution – This issue also seemed to have lost interest in our chapter. Why should the gambling boats have to pay a $500,000 connection fee to the city of Cocoa Beach in order to pump out their sewage? There have been lots of suggestions, but no one has volunteered to follow through with them. We need a person to chair this committee and organize how to gather evidence of pollution, get reports from the Coast Guard, and attend Port Authority meetings when needed. Also, everyone should go to this page to write your congressman to support the Clean Cruise Ship Act - http://takeaction.oceana.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=596

Beach Access – The public access across the street from Publix has been blocked by 2x4’s and now surfers are walking over the dune to get to the beach. The access by the old Samperton’s will also be closed once construction begins on the condo development to be built on the site. To get more access, Surfrider members should attend city commission meetings and let them know how important access to the surf is. Some good news is that Officer’s Club beach access will remain public and the base plans to return the area to a more natural state. To help get the Florida Open Beaches Act passed, go to – www.openbeaches.org You can also email all senators through this web address - http://www.first7days.com/florida_legislature.html

Cigarette Litter – Since purchasing ten outdoor ashtrays and donating them to local businesses near the beach, there has not been any feedback from the community, nor an initiative to purchase more. The ten ashtrays purchased by the city of Cocoa Beach have all been vandalized and removed. Members can ask their favorite restaurant or shop to sponsor an ashtray.

Education – I’ve had one request to show the Sea to Summit video to an elementary school class. Surfrider has lots of educational materials and videos to show to students, but there has not been interest from members to participate in the Respect the Beach program. Find out more about this program here - http://www.surfrider.org/programs/respectthebeach.asp

Beach Cleanups – Although only one Surfrider member showed up for the KBB cleanup at Ocean Ave. in April, we have continued to have one cleanup each month this year. The next one will be on International Surfing Day – 6/21 – in Cocoa Beach. Find out more here - http://surfingthemag.com/news/surfing-pulse/surfingday_062105/ We’ll chose our exact location at the meeting in Satellite Beach.

Surfrider has had support from a few dedicated businesses, including Sunseed Food Co-op for drinks and snacks, Natural Art Surf Shop for letting us use their tent, 2ndlight.com for hosting our forum, the Cocoa Beach Pier for giving us free space at surf events, and Tom Neilson Shapes for donating $5 a board to our cause. It is sad that there are so many surf shops and businesses that benefit from surfers, but they don’t support Surfrider. We have only four retail sponsors – Dan Narlock Vending, Ron Jons Surf Shop, Tires Plus Total Car Care in Indian Harbour Beach, and Skim City in Palm Bay. What we need is funding for resources like ashtrays, water quality tests, advertising, research, and educational resources. We need products to give away at Surfrider events. And most importantly we need people to volunteer their time.

I do want to thank Brian, Troy, and Suzanne who as officers have given their time to keeping the chapter going. Also thanks to our new committee chairmen, Dan who will help with fundraising, and John who will organize our membership activities. John is also trying to set up a ‘phone tree’ to stay in touch with what’s happening in our chapter. Email him at OLUCJOH@aol.com ti sign up to help. Dan has gumball and candy machines that he can place at your office or shop and a percent of the proceeds go to our local chapter. To get one, email him at surfer4life1167@yahoo.com.