Monday, May 04, 2009
CNN Touts Nakations
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
*sigh*
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
ENG News (via The Naturist Society)
Hello Everyone,
If you've checked we do have a preliminary program up in pdf format on our website (http://www.naturistsociety
I'd like you all to check and make sure you have your workshops mailed in to us and that they are on the preliminary program. Check it out at http://www.naturistsociety
Thank you all for volunteering your time and effort to make Eastover 2009 our best year ever.
Thanks
Naturally,
Nicky Hoffman Lee
The Naturist Society
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Join The Naturist Society on Facebook
**worried about privacy on Facebook? Read these tips.
Join TNS on Facebook!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Facebook and Privacy: Learn How to Adjust Your Settings
We did some research and thought it would pertinent to share it here.
Friends Lists
This is really good and will facilitate easy management of your friends. We have several lists: Family, Friends, Caution (and others). The benefit of having a friends list is that not only can you do mass messaging to say, your family group, but you can also set permissions based on a list. If you have added a someone as a friend but don't want to give them full access to you on FB you can add them to a flagged list (like my Caution) as well as other applicable lists.
1. First, if you click "Friends" in the blue bar.
2. Click Create List.
3. Enter a name.
4. Start adding people to the list by typing their names or choosing multiple people.
Privacy Settings
Once you have established lists, you can adjust your privacy settings.
1. Go to the blue Facebook bar at the top and hover (hold you mouse over but don't click) over Settings, then click on Privacy Settings. This will list lots of settings you can change.
2. Click on Profile.
The profile privacy settings let you determine who sees what. For example, if you take a look at each of the subheadings, you can adjust if just your friends, or your network, or whatever, sees which part of your profile. As you explore, notice that for any setting you can also block a list of friends. So, you may want to block access to your "Caution" list from seeing your friends list, photos tagged of you, whatever... Be sure to save the changes (bottom of the page with all the options) as you go along.
As you make changes to your privacy settings, you can see how other people will view your pages (wall, etc..) by typing in their name near the top next to "See how a friends sees your profile". You can see how different lists of friends see you on FB.
News Feed and Wall Settings
Another thing to change are the News Feed and Wall settings (back up in Settings-Privacy Settings). You can also block people or restrict to certain lists here. I think that may be less important overall.
Group Settings
1. Choose Groups from the right sidebar of your FB page or the bottom of the page
 |
2. Hold your mouse over Settings (but do not click), then choose Group Settings
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3. Choose the radio button "Never publish any stories from Groups" on the Wall tab
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| a> |
4. Click the Profile tab and choose which (if any) Friends List can see your Groups
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5. Click Okay when finished.
Photo Privacy
Finally, you can edit who sees your photos.
1. Go to Profile.
2. Click on the Photos tab.
3. Then click on Album Privacy on that page.
Other Fun Stuff
Facebook released a new feature that can remind you of upcoming birthdays via an email notification. If you opt in, you will receive an email on the weekend summarizing the upcoming birthdays of your friends for the next week. Here is how to enable it:
1. Hover over Settings and choose Account Settings.
2. Click the Notifications heading.
3. Under the "Facebook" section, click "Show More".
4. Turn on "Has a birthday coming up".
We hope this helps! Have a fun, safe, time on Facebook!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Are Nude Beaches the Answer to Economic Woes?
In the following article from the Palm Beach Post, he presents a compelling argument for the creation of nude or clothing-optional beaches as a way to generate money for the State of Florida to offset the pending budget shortfall facing Florida State Parks.
Nude beaches seen as cover for cash gaps
Palm Beach Post staff writer
Friday, November 28, 2008
Times are tough, maybe even tough enough to start paying more attention to one of the state's leading nudists.
"It's time for the state of Florida to grow up," said Richard Mason, the president of the Florida Naturist Association.
Mason, who lives in Miami-Dade County, was in Boca Raton this week to urge Palm Beach County's legislative delegation to take a less-is-more approach to plugging holes in the state budget.
Mason's idea is simple: More nude beaches equals more state revenue.
"If you can build golf courses for golfers, why can't you designate beaches for naturists?" Mason asked.
He uses Haulover Beach Park in Miami-Dade as Exhibit A.
For the past 18 years, that beach has been designated as a sanctioned clothing-optional beach — the only one in the state.
"It's drawing more visitors than the Florida Marlins and the Miami Dolphins combined," Mason said.
And the county is reaping the benefits of the $5 parking fee, which brings in about $1.4 million a year, he said.
"Every year the parking money keeps going up and up," he said. "Nothing stops it from growing."
Mason estimated that 60 percent of Haulover's visitors travel from other parts of the state, elsewhere in America or abroad to sunbathe in the raw.
"It's a destination beach all because it's a naturist beach," he said.
Mason's pitch for more nude beaches is especially well timed because Gov. Charlie Crist is looking to make significant cuts in state spending, including from the Division of Recreation and Parks. That division has been asked to come up with a 10 percent cut in its operating costs.
To do that, the division has come up with a plan to close 19 parks across the state until the economy rebounds. None of the parks is in Palm Beach, Martin or St. Lucie counties.
But instead of closing the parks, Mason has argued, the state can more than compensate for its revenue shortfalls by keeping all the parks open and changing the designation of a few beachfront parks into clothing-optional spots.
"Naturists like to be around the ocean," he said. "You put one of those beaches in Palm Beach County and it will draw a lot of people."
The John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in northern Palm Beach County had been an unofficial clothing-optional beach until the state took it over in the 1980s and began arresting nude sunbathers there.
A state appellate court decision ruled that being nude alone does not constitute indecent exposure, and that there must be some lewd and lascivious behavior with it.
"So you can have a naturist beach as long as it is in a designated area," Mason said.
Public officials, however, have been reluctant to make accommodations for nudists.
In 1989, Palm Beach County's Tourist Development Council turned down a request by the Eastern Sunbathing Association to officially make a portion of MacArthur Beach State Park clothing-optional.
Like Mason's request this week, the sunbathing group made an economic argument to the tourism board, saying that a nude beach would bring in dollars to the county.
But that was during more comfortable economic times, days when it was easier to dismiss nudists dangling dollars.
In today's budget climate, its harder to scoff at Mason's pitch without mulling over the pros and cons.
"It's been a successful formula at Haulover for 18 years," he said. "Why not give it a try?"
Or to put it another way, what's worse?
A bare-bones budget or some bare-bones bathers.
NAC Advisory - Death of Lee Baxandall
NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE ADVISORY
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http://www.naturistaction.org
**********************************************************************
Copyright 2008 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and without alteration.
DATE: November 28, 2008
SUBJECT: Lee Baxandall (1935-2008)
TO: All naturists
Dear Naturist,
The Naturist Society has announced with profound sadness that its founder, Lee Baxandall, has died in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Baxandall, who had suffered from Parkinson's Disease, was 73 years old at the time of his death on November 27, 2008.
Baxandall began his work as a naturist activist more than 30 years ago. With a background in writing and publishing, Lee's naturist passion led him in 1976 to form the Free Beaches Documentation Center, which he located in his hometown of Oshkosh. By 1980, Lee had founded The Naturist Society (TNS), and TNS had presented its first Gathering for naturists. 'Clothed with the Sun,' the flagship publication of TNS in its early years, was renamed 'Nude & Natural,' or more simply, 'N' magazine in 1989. Today, the magazine has a staff of professional and volunteer writers, but in the early days, much of the content of the magazine was pure Baxandall.
Lee was also the initiating force behind other familiar naturist organizations. In 1983, it was a Baxandall idea (and $70 in seed money that Lee pulled from his own pocket and gave to Murray Kaufman) that led to the TNS special interest group that would become Gay Naturists International. In 1990, Baxandall jump-started the Naturist Action Committee as an adjunct to TNS. The Naturist Education Foundation followed in 1993.
For the decades of the 1980s and 1990s, 'Lee Baxandall's World Guide to Nude Beaches and Resorts' was the standard companion for those seeking information on naturist destinations throughout the world. Each edition of the World Guide reflected Lee's naturist philosophy, not only for growing numbers of naturists, but also for the benefit of an expanding mainstream audience. Baxandall's World Guide is the inspiration for 'The World's Best Nude Beaches and Resorts,' a recent TNS publication that carries on the tradition.
In 2002, recognizing the inevitable effect of his declining health, Baxandall transferred ownership of The Naturist Society to a carefully selected handful of longtime associates. TNS is necessarily a dynamic organization that responds to the changing needs of its members. Nevertheless, owners Nicky Hoffman Lee and Margaret Thornton have remained remarkably faithful to the vision of Lee Baxandall.
DETAILS AND ARRANGMENTS
Arrangements are pending. Lee's family has not yet announced details. More complete obituaries will, of course, appear in N magazine and in The Newsletter. The Naturist Action Committee will distribute further information in the form of NAC Updates, as details become available.
The directors of the Naturist Action Committee and the Naturist Education Foundation join with the ownership and staff of The Naturist Society in marking, with respect and appreciation, the passing of an exceptional individual.
"Body acceptance is the idea. Nude recreation is the way."
- Lee R. Baxandall (1935-2008)
Naturally,
Bob Morton
Executive Director
Naturist Action Committee
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Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Executive Director Bob Morton - execdir@naturistaction.org
Naturist Society:
Nicky Hoffman Lee – nickyh@naturistsociety.com
Online Representative Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com
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Thursday, November 13, 2008
Give Your Opinion!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
NAC UPDATE 8/27/08
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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE
UPDATE
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http://www.naturistaction.org
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Copyright 2008 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible for its
content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and without alteration.
DATE: August 27, 2008
SUBJECT: NAC wins San Onofre lawsuit!
TO: Naturists and other concerned citizens
Dear Naturist,
The Naturist Action Committee is pleased to
make you aware of an important new development in the battle to preserve a portion of San Onofre State Beach for clothing-optional use.
A California Superior Court has ruled today in favor of the Naturist Action
Committee (NAC) in its lawsuit against the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). DPR had attempted earlier this year to bypass state law regarding changes to public regulations, as it moved precipitously to end
the traditional clothing-optional use of a small portion of San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County.
In May, DPR announced its intent to begin citing beachgoers for nudity at San Onofre, a site that has been used by
skinny-dippers and nude sunbathers for decades. DPR's most recent timetable called for citations to be issued after Labor Day. However, in today's ruling, the court declared, "Dept of Parks must comply with the provisions
of the California Administrative Procedures Act before it makes any changes in its enforcement."
Further, the Court said, "until the administrative process is completed, Parks shall maintain the status quo, and
enforce the Cahill Policy as it has done since its issuance and subsequent interpretation by the Harrison letter, at Trail 6 in San Onofre State Beach."
NAC filed the lawsuit in July as a result of the Department's
recent attempt to put an abrupt end to traditional clothing-optional use at San Onofre State Beach. Specifically, DPR had attempted local recision of its own long-standing policy of managing clothing-optional usage in State
Parks. That policy, issued in 1979 by then-DPR Director Russell Cahill, set out a procedure for management of clothing-optional portions of State Parks. The regulation not only addresses nudity in State Parks, but also allows
for designation for clothing-optional areas.
The Cahill Policy, as it became known, was cited as Park Department policy in a California Superior Court case (People v. Bost, 1988) and was affirmed in 1988 as the
operational administrative procedure for California State Parks in a letter written by then-DPR Deputy Director Jack Harrison.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation had argued recently that the Cahill Policy
does not constitute a public regulation, and that DPR's sudden attempt to change public policy without public input was immune from the requirements of the State's Administrative Procedures Act.
The ruling in NAC's
lawsuit was issued today, Wednesday, August 27, 2008, by Judge Sheila Fell of the California Superior Court for Orange County. The Court declared that "the Cahill Policy, as interpreted by the Harrison letter, is a
regulation."
Represented by attorney Elva Kopacz, the Naturist Action Committee maintained in its lawsuit that in abrogating the Cahill Policy, the Department of Parks and Recreation had violated the state's
Administrative Procedures Act. The APA requires state agencies to go through prescribed procedures, including public hearings, before making changes to regulations or public policies that have the force of regulations. The DPR
did none of those things and had claimed to be immune from the requirement.
Joining NAC as petitioners are Friends of San Onofre Beach (the local TNS-affiliated naturist group), as well as individual beach users Allen
Baylis and Gerda Hayes.
MORE INFORMATION
Details of this situation and specifics of the Cahill Policy and associated documents may be found on the Web page: www.naturistaction.org/sanonofre
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The Naturist Action Committee is in this for the long haul. Today's win is gratifying, but no one should imagine that California's Department of Park and Recreation will simply go away. NAC filed
its lawsuit only after its attempts to negotiate with DPR had been rebuffed. Looking forward, NAC will renew, in good faith, its offer to negotiate.
DPR may choose to proceed with its attempt to ban nudity at San Onofre.
If the Department follows the law, there will be public hearings on the matter and other opportunities for the public to be heard. You can count on NAC to make you aware of those developments.
Meanwhile, the Court has
said that DPR must operate the Trail 6 area at San Onofre State Beach as it did before it attempted to ban clothing-optional use there.
NAC says: Enjoy the beach!
WHAT IS NAC ASKING YOU TO DO?
This is a NAC Update. No additional letters to DPR Director Coleman are being sought at this time. However, NAC does request that you:
1)
Stay informed. NAC will continue to issue Action Alerts, Advisories and Updates on this issue as circumstances require. Look for them.
2)
Keep going to the beach at San Onofre, and keep using it in the traditional clothing-optional manner. CA Parks is attempting to intimidate beachgoers into simply evaporating. We must NOT allow that to happen!
3) Respect the beach. DPR has attempted to characterize the beach at San Onofre as place that accommodates illicit sex. Please stand up for proper clothing-optional beach etiquette!
4)
If you are approached by a ranger on the beach or in the parking area at San Onofre, make a detailed note of the encounter, including the date, the time, the ranger's name and what was said. E-mail your account to: sanonofre@naturistaction.org
Do not be combative or
confrontational, but you may make it quite clear that you are taking notes.
MORE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
Additional information and links are available, along with this NAC Update on the web site of
the Naturist Action Committee.
www.naturistaction.org/sanonofre
PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!
NAC is committed to the defense of traditional clothing-optional use of
public land. NAC does not hesitate to hire lawyers and lobbyists when it's necessary, but that can be very expensive. NAC does not have a membership roster on which it can simply assess dues. NAC relies entirely on the
voluntary support of people like YOU.
Won't you please send a generous donation to:
NAC
PO Box 132
Oshkosh, WI 54903
Or call toll free (800) 886-7230
(8AM-4PM, Central Time, weekdays) to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation: www.naturistaction.org/donate/
Thank you for choosing to make a difference.
Naturally,
Allen Baylis
Board Member
Naturist Action Committee
---------------------------------------------------------------
Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Executive Dir. Bob Morton - execdir@naturistaction.org
Board Member Allen Baylis - rab@baylislaw.com
Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
San Onofre in the New York Times
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Judge blocks no-nudity rules - San Diego Union Tribune
Tentative ruling bars enforcement at beach
By Terry Rodgers
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 20, 2008
SAN ONOFRE – Nudists who congregate at the remote southern end of San Onofre State Beach can still let it all hang out, at least for a while longer.
A tentative ruling yesterday by an Orange County judge has halted plans by the state Parks and Recreation Department to enforce no-nudity rules after Labor Day.
“We've got them pinned back,” said Allen Baylis, president of the Friends of San Onofre Beach, a group seeking to preserve the nudist tradition at the north San Diego County beach.
In June, state parks officials announced they were ending a three-decade-old practice of allowing nudity at what is known as Trail 6 beach.
Parks officials said they intended, beginning Sept. 2, to cite or arrest beach-goers who refused to heed posted warnings prohibiting nudism.
The Naturist Action Committee, a national pro-nudist group, sued, claiming the state could not unilaterally change a state policy without first holding a public hearing. In addition, the suit said, parks officials must codify the new rules through the state's Office of Administrative Law.
In her preliminary ruling, Superior Court Judge Sheila Fell sided with the naturists and ordered the state to “maintain the status quo.”
Lawyers for both parties are scheduled to appear in court in Orange County today to deliver oral arguments on the ruling.
Nudism is not technically legal at California's state beaches. However, since 1978, the department's policy has been to leave nudists alone unless a complaint from the public is received.
Ultimately, state parks officials may still be able to adopt a zero-tolerance stance against nudity at San Onofre, but their path now contains more steps.
“This puts a huge speed bump in their way,” Baylis said.
Parks officials said strict enforcement of nudity laws was necessary to deter lewd conduct by people attracted to the permissive atmosphere at the beach. Action had to be taken, they said, because the illegal sexual activity had created a hostile and “sexually charged” workplace detrimental to park employees.
The naturists say they have cooperated for decades with state parks officials to deter sexual activity at the beach and its bluff-top trail.
“This is all about freedom,” Baylis said. “It has nothing to do with sex.”
Friday, August 08, 2008
Northeastern Naturist Gathering
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Website is back up
Enjoy!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Eastern Naturist Gathering
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Love at a Nudist RV Park (Huffington Post)
Love At A Nudist RV Park
When my husband Tim announced he wanted to "chuck it all" and travel around the country in a converted bus for a year, I gave this profound and potentially life-altering notion all the thoughtful consideration it deserved.
"Why can't you be like a normal husband with a midlife crisis and have an affair or buy a Corvette?" I demanded, adding, "I will never, ever, EVER, not in a million years, live on a bus."
We're both psychiatrists, but he's obviously the better shrink, for we soon set forth with our two querulous cats, sixty-pound dog - and no agenda - in a 340-square-foot bus.
The trip was truly life-changing in many ways: We learned how not to put off our dreams, and the importance of living now. We also learned to pare down our lifestyle, so that we could spend more time with the people we love - instead of the things we love. Finally, I hadn't realized how comfortable - too comfortable - my life had become. Many of us work so hard all our lives, wake up one day and ask, "Is this all there is?" I hadn't realized the importance of continuing to challenge and stretch myself.
Although we had our share of disasters on the trip (fire, flood, armed robbery and my developing a bus phobia, to just to name a few), it were the adventures and misadventures that helped us grow, shake things up and add back a certain "spark" that we didn't even realize was missing. Perhaps nothing taught me the importance of getting outside my comfort zone more than... well, let's just say it was hard enough getting on the bus. But a nudist RV park?
Although as a psychiatrist Tim is very much in tune with unconscious drives, hidden meanings, and deep-seated motivations, he is also a typical guy. And typical guys want to go to nudist resorts. Not being any type of a guy myself, I had always informed him I would never, ever, EVER, not in a million . . . Oh, what's the use? By now I had clearly lost any semblance of free will. I was, after all, living in a bus for a year. I didn't stand a chance. Not that I was nonchalant about this, mind you; I'd started Atkins in anticipation - just in case - months before. I need not have bothered, for as I discovered, nudists are incredibly low-key. Unless, that is, you're trying to get into one of their parks. Then they can be just as big a pain in the ass as any prudes.
As we neared California, I checked around on the Internet. One place seemed particularly promising, so I called and asked if they were, indeed, clothing optional.
"No," the lady unequivocally answered.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I must have the wrong information," I apologized, hoping she didn't think me some weirdo. But something in her voice made me query further.
"So . . . people don't walk around naked?" I tried to confirm.
"Oh, yes, they do," she answered. Is this place English optional, or what? "Okay . . . but you're not clothing optional." I offered slowly, with impeccable pronunciation.
"No, we're nudist," she snapped. Well, excuuuuse, me. "I'm not sure I know the difference," I conceded. She explained that when inside the park, one is required to be naked. Now I got it. It was the optional, not the clothing, that was the problem with the whole clothing optional thing. Who knew? I proceeded with what I thought was a perfectly reasonable follow-up question.
"Can I wear shoes?" She guffawed, muzzled the phone, and called out to some other nuditity-requiring linguiphile, "She wants to know if she can wear shoes!" For those as clueless as I, the answer is yes. I decided she could keep her shod-optional accommodations and found a different park.
When we pulled into Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort in Colton, California, I faced yet another dilemma: Usually, I headed to the office to check in while Tim stayed with the bus. Should I take my clothes off now? What if, in a variation on the universal nightmare, this was some God-awful joke and everyone was clothed but me? I was wearing earrings. Do I take them off, too? A valid question, methinks, even after the shoe debacle. I could have called on my cell phone and asked, but it seemed a mite like the shoes question and I didn't feel like being laughed at again just yet, especially as I was anticipating that reaction as soon as I stepped off the bus, anyway.
I kept my clothes on. The woman in her home office had not. (Note to self: This could very well be my dream job, for not only can one work at home, but not even have to get dressed.)
I soon discovered that none of my concerns mattered. In a nudist park, everything is stripped down, so to speak. As Tim observed, there's no macho, no pretense, no posturing. Your balls (and whether or not you have any) are out there for everyone to see. (Especially, as we would later discover, when partaking of naked karaoke.) But our favorite part of the entire experience had to be the maintenance guy who walks around nude except for his tool belt. An interesting effect, for every time he turned around, I nearly exclaimed, "Hey! You dropped your . . ." Oops.
If you'd like to see my video of the nudist RV park (now, I have your attention), please visit my website, www.QueenOfTheRoadTheBook.com and click on the travelogue link.
Doreen Orion is a psychiatrist and award-wining author. Her book, QUEEN OF THE ROAD: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus With a Will of Its Own has just been published by Broadway Books, an imprint of Random House.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Joke of the Day (Edinburgh Evening News)
Joke of the Day
from: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/comment/Joke-of-the-Day.4168263.jp
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Caliente Tampa suspended by national association
Pasco nudist resort suspended by national association
The suspension is over allegations that Caliente had been associating itself with swingers groups through third-party Web sites, said Doug Butler, president of the Caliente masters association, which represents the hundreds of homeowners and condo owners who live near the resort.
Carolyn Hawkins, spokeswoman for the American Association for Nude Recreation, declined to discuss the nature of the allegations. But she confirmed an investigation is under way and the association's board could vote to reinstate Caliente as soon as August.
The association is a prominent marketing organization that offers discounts to members. Its members agree, as part of the AANR charter, to be family-friendly.
Angye Fox, a spokeswoman for Caliente, said she would release a statement later this afternoon.
Caliente hosts monthly parties put on by a group called Aahz, which on its Web site describes its parties as "lifestyle oriented," a phrase often associated with swingers. A Web site featuring the swingers' lifestyle also highlights Caliente. And Fox will be a featured speaker at the upcoming Swingfest, the "world's largest swingers party and adult expo," held in Hollywood, Fla.
Butler, the homeowners president, said the parties or Web sites haven't resulted in any run-ins between the attendees and Caliente residents. "Behavior hasn't been a problem," he said. "It’s more of the Web site stuff that appears Caliente has an association with these kinds of groups."
Visitors to Caliente, along with other central Pasco nudist resorts, contribute a good chunk of tourist dollars to the Pasco economy each year.
Jodie Tillman, Times staff writer
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
NAC Action Alert - San Onofre State Beach, California
NAC Action Alert - San Onofre State Beach, California
This is an Action Alert from the Naturist Action Committee. NAC is asking for your immediate help in responding to a serious threat in the state of California.
NAC has learned that Ruth Coleman, Director of California's Department of Parks and Recreation, has abruptly revoked the application of the Department's Cahill Policy, as it applies to clothing-optional portions of San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County. Rangers have been told to begin "educating" beachgoers, starting June 1. The issuing of citations for nudity in the traditional clothing-optional area is to follow after 30 days.
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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE
ACTION ALERT
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http://www.naturistaction.org
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Copyright 2008 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is
responsible for its content. Permission is granted for the
posting, forwarding or redistribution of this message, provided
that it is reproduced in its entirety and without alteration.
DATE : May 21, 2008
SUBJECT: California: San Onofre State Beach
TO : Naturists and other concerned citizens
Dear Naturist,
This is an Action Alert from the Naturist Action Committee. NAC is asking for your immediate help in responding to a serious threat in the state of California.
NAC has learned that Ruth Coleman, Director of California's Department of Parks and Recreation, has abruptly revoked the application of the Department's Cahill Policy, as it applies to clothing-optional portions of San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County. Rangers have been told to begin "educating" beachgoers, starting June 1. The issuing of citations for nudity in the traditional clothing-optional area is to follow after 30 days.
IMPORTANT: NAC ASKS YOU TO CONTACT THE CA PARKS DIRECTOR
NAC urgently requests that you contact the Director of CA Parks to express your vigorous opposition to this disastrous change in policy. Detailed contact information is included below. However, so that your contact with the Director's office will have the greatest impact, please first take a couple of moments to learn about this situation.
THE CAHILL POLICY
Since 1979, the California Department of Parks and Recreation has operated under a policy put in place by then-DPR Director Russ Cahill. The policy came in the form of a memo issued to senior staff, explaining Cahill's decision not to designate clothing-optional areas in state parks. It also directed that citations for nudity in state parks would only be issued following a complaint and a failure to comply after a subsequent warning.
The policy has been in continuous effect since it was issued. It figured prominently in an important court case (California v. Bost) and was reaffirmed by CA Parks Deputy Director Jack Harrison in 1988.
Details of the Cahill memo, the Bost case and the Harrison letter are included on the NAC Web site, along with the text of California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 4322, which is the authority under which the Director proposes citing those who are nude at San Onofre.
WHY THE CHANGE NOW?
Naturists are always alert to the negative effect that illicit sexual activity can have on clothing-optional beaches. The regulars at many clothing-optional areas are quite effective at educating and discouraging those who would endanger the beach through sexual activities. At San Onofre, the problem has been diminished greatly in recent years, due in large part to those who really care about continued clothing-optional use of the beach.
The traditional clothing-optional beach at San Onofre is adjacent to Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps training base. Although those who wander onto the military base are subject to arrest for trespass, the area is lightly patrolled. For those who seek sex in the open, the military beach has become the site of choice, and the razor wire field fencing at the property line has proved to be no obstacle. Naturists have shown reluctance to pursue the scofflaws onto the military base, and State Park Rangers have no authority there.
Recent retirements among those in the CA Parks management team responsible for San Onofre have brought replacements who are intolerant of clothing-optional recreation. Instead of encouraging and allowing the cooperation of naturists in policing illicit activity, Rich Haydon, the new manager who took over at the beginning of this month, has featured the nearby sexual activity in his reports, using it as an excuse to request permission to put an end to recreational nudity at the beach. Haydon has reportedly represented to his superiors that a majority of those who come to enjoy the clothing-optional beach are participants in illicit sex there.
The response from CA Parks headquarters in Sacramento was the revocation of the Cahill Policy as it applies to San Onofre. The Department is reportedly seeking to insulate itself from sexual harassment claims by park employees who have complained recently of a "sexually-charged atmosphere." That sort of complaint is customarily reserved for employer-employee or co-employee interaction, and it inappropriately ignores the fact that State Park rangers are peace officers with a duty to arrest those who engage in illicit activities.
IS IT ONLY SAN ONOFRE?
At the present time, only San Onofre State Beach is affected by this change in policy. The real possibility that the same thing may happen at other California state parks is, of course, an ominous specter.
WHAT IS NAC DOING?
The Naturist Action Committee recognizes the severity of this situation and has taken quick action.
1) NAC has submitted to CA Parks a formal request for an
administrative stay on implementation of this abrupt
change in policy.
2) NAC has made Public Records requests for documents pertaining
to this situation and the administrative action surrounding it.
3) NAC is retaining a lobbyist to assist and advise it in the
often-difficult area of regulatory procedure.
4) NAC has retained legal representation and has begun the process
that may ultimately result in civil action against the State of
California and the Department of Parks and Recreation.
5) From the onset of this situation, NAC has been working closely
with Friends of San Onofre Beach, the local user group. NAC and
FOSOB will be meeting with CA Parks officials this week on
this matter.
WHAT IS NAC ASKING YOU TO DO?
The Naturist Action Committee is asking you to contact the Director of CA Parks to express your concern and outrage over this turn of events. NAC is also asking you to attend a rally at San Onofre this coming Saturday.
1. CONTACT THE DIRECTOR
NAC is requesting ALL NATURISTS and other concerned individuals to contact the Director of Parks and Recreation, regardless of your place of residence.. California understands the importance of out-of-state visitors who come to enjoy the state's beaches, lakes and streams. The change in policy applies to those visitors, as well as to California residents. While all are encouraged to make their voices heard, the participation of Californians is, of course, particularly important.
Send a letter, a fax or an e-mail, or make a phone call.
Director Ruth Coleman
Dept. of Parks and Recreation
1416 Ninth Street,
Sacramento, CA 95816
E-MAIL: director@parks.ca.gov
DIRECTOR'S OFFICE TELEPHONE: (916) 653-8380
DIRECTOR'S OFFICE FAX: (916) 657-3903
NAC encourages you to send copies of your faxes and paper mail to:
NAC, P.O. Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903.
Send copies of your e-mails to:
When you write or call:
a) Be polite. You have a right to be outraged, but you will
achieve nothing positive by name-calling or rudeness.
b) Be known. Give your name and address. If you are a California
resident or a frequent visitor to California, point that out.
c) Be focused. Keep your call or your correspondence brief
and on target.
d) Be clear. Say that you OPPOSE the revocation of the Cahill
Policy at San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County.
Additional talking / writing points:
a) The precipitous change to public policy was done without
public input. That's not an acceptable way to administer
public resources.
b) The so-called "solution" does not address the real problem.
c) A recent public opinion poll (the 2006 NEF/Roper Poll,
commissioned by the Naturist Education Foundation and conducted
by the Roper polling organization) shows that a majority of
Americans favor the setting aside of public lands for
clothing-optional recreation.
d) In that same poll, an impressive 74 percent of Americans
believe that people who enjoy nude sunbathing should be able
to do so without interference from local officials as long as
they do so at a beach that is accepted for that purpose.
e) Rangers and park managers must NOT confuse simple nudity with
lewd behavior. Rangers presently have the authority to stop lewd
activity, and that authority does not require the abrupt
discontinuation of a long-standing policy that has worked well
for years and years.
2. ATTEND A RALLY AT SAN ONOFRE BEACH ON SATURDAY, MAY 24
In close cooperation with Friends of San Onofre, NAC urges you to attend a rally at the beach on Saturday, May 24, 2008. Bring your own handmade signs to carry, if you wish. NAC will be providing a number of "Nude Beaches YES!" signs for participants.
This is an important event for those who are outraged at the Director's action and who believe San Onofre Beach is worth saving! If you're close enough to make it, please show up around 10 AM. Parking is limited.
MORE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
Additional information and links are available, along with this NAC Action Alert on the web site of the Naturist Action Committee.
Select "Alerts" and find this NAC Action Alert under Current Alerts.
PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!
The Naturist Action Committee is the volunteer nonprofit political adjunct to The Naturist Society. NAC exists to advance and protect the rights and interests of naturists throughout North America. Fighting for the clothing-optional recreational use of public land is expensive. To do its job, NAC relies entirely on the voluntary generosity of supporters like you.
After you've contacted the Director of CA Parks, please take a moment to send a donation to:
NAC
PO Box 132
Oshkosh, WI 54903
Or call toll free (800) 886-7230 to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation: http://www.naturistaction.org/donate/
Thank you for choosing to make a difference.
Naturally,
Bob Morton
Executive Director
Naturist Action Committee
———————————————————–
Naturist Action Committee (NAC)
- PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Executive Dir. Bob Morton - execdir@naturistaction.org
Board Member Allen Baylis - rab@baylislaw.com
Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com
———————————————————–
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Barenaked Beer
From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Nude Beach Summer Wheat
Quotable
It's a whole subculture that I didn't know existed.
- Joe Martino,Stevens Point Brewery operating partner
Nude Beach Summer Wheat is the latest seasonal beer launched by Stevens Point Brewery, which has launched three other seasonal craft brews over the past year. The ale's name popped up during a brain-storming session, said the brewery's operating partner, Joe Martino.
"Our members have bombarded us with messages" about Nude Beach, Hawkins said.
"We're glad to get the help," Hawkins said. Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing Co. couldn't supply its Skinny Dip Beer to this year's convention because New Belgium doesn't distribute its brands in Michigan, she said.
