Vol. Mmieditor: Lloyd Johnsonissue: June

Vol. MMIEditor: Lloyd JohnsonIssue: June

Past Events:

We postponed the May 27 picnic to May 28. May 28 didn’t look much better, but we took our chances and set up for the picnic. Fortune shined on us and so did the sun. At about 2pm the clouds parted and we received the much-awaited sunshine.

Before long Dave and Bill were cooking the burgers and hot dogs. I was cranking the ice cream with the help of Ed and Chris. Bill was serving the potato salad and John was pouring sangria. There were probably 30 people at our Memorial Day picnic.

June 3rd we fired up our grill as promised. Very few people remembered our offer. I cooked some sweet corn and corn dogs. Others cooked hot dogs. The sun came out from about 3-5pm.

Future Events:

We will set up a grill for general use. We will provide the fire, but you will bring your own food. This will be every Sunday in June. Look for our grill in front of the new landslide.

July 4th, I will be coordinating a joint picnic with Black's Beach Bares (BBares) and the Camping Bares (CBares). BBares will be providing the grill and condiments. I will be making ice cream and looking for volunteers to crank it. Please volunteer to bring some food.

July 9-15 is National Nude Week. Please try to spend the week nude. We’ll do our best to make the whole week a party here at Black’s.

The Naturist Society is having their gathering at Swallows July 12-15. They will visit here July 13th. We are planning a picnic that will be a repeat of the July 4th picnic.

We will be hosting yet another picnic Labor Day. We will be looking for volunteers to bring food. I’ll be making ice cream again.

If you want to make a particular flavor of ice cream, talk to me about it and bring that flavor on an ice cream day.

Cook your own on our grill.

June 10

June 17

June 24

Picnic with Camping Bares

July 4

National Nude Week

July 9-15

Picnic with TNS

July 13

Labor Day Picnic.

September 3

What is a beach “mayor”?

Traditionally every clothing optional public place has had a ”mayor”. That is usually the person to turn to when you need information, have questions or concerns about boundaries and law enforcement. He/she should also stay in touch with the lifeguards and rangers and try to be
aware of anti nudity laws.

Southern California is losing nude beaches. San Onofre has survived overzealous law enforcement because they have a mayor, although she calls herself the “beach mom”. We’ve been without a mayor for a few years now, and we’ve been lucky. But, we can’t count on luck.

What drove me to speak up?

I’ve been coming to Black’s Beach for only 10 years. Much of that time I was alone, so many of you may have seen me as just another single man.

Two years ago the city began enforcing the nudity ban on the city beach. I decided that it was time to join a club and defend clothing optional use. I had heard of Black’s Beach Bares on the net, but the site only listed a PO Box.

I was reading on the internet about how Santa Barbara beaches were losing their clothing optional status. Once harassment began, the people scattered and there was no way to gather them together later.

I knew the challenge would come to Black’s Beach, and I knew we weren’t ready to meet it. I knew that a group had to be brought together to prepare for this challenge. I knew that if we were driven off nobody would be able to bring us together and regain the beach.

I didn’t want to do it, but I didn’t see anybody else doing it. I set out to gather members into some club, and promptly struck out.

I expressed my frustration to my friends and got my lucky break. The right man was present. He asked, “Why don’t you restart Black’s Beach Bares? I have the mailing list.” The rest you know from my earlier newsletters.

Is Lloyd mayor?

Am I your mayor? Do I represent you? If you litter the beach I don’t represent you. If you engage in any form of public sex, I don’t represent you. If you crowd the ladies and make them uncomfortable, I don’t represent you. If you won’t abide by the reasonable boundaries imposed by the city and state, I don’t represent you. If you want to enjoy this beach in a clothing-optional, family friendly atmosphere, I intend to represent you.

People have asked me what is Black's Beach Bares about. It’s about a group of people choosing to be the caretakers. It’s about maintaining an atmosphere of comfort, so that people will want to come back, and bring friends. It’s about creating an organization that can speak with a strong voice, should there be problems. It’s about reasoning with park officials when possible.

Mayor is hardly the title for what I do. I speak with park officials. I bring in other groups by meeting with them and getting coverage in national magazines, like the summer issue of Nude and Natural. I feel more like an ambassador.