Vol. MMVIIIAuthor/Publisher: Lloyd Johnson Issue: October
The Beach in General:
There were many great, warm and sunny days in September, but not so warm as is typical. The month even ended with some rain. The sand has mostly been too hot for bare feet. The water temperature has dropped to 66. Weekend crowds of a few thousand have dwindled to a few hundred.
Past Events:
We hosted several Sunday picnics in September. People shared chicken, sweet corn, bratwurst, hot dogs, shrimp and pineapple. We made a strong showing at the Western Gathering and we brought the gathering to Black's Beach one day.
Spring Tide:
Spring tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours. The highest tides in the fall typically occur at about 9am. As we lose sand it will eventually mean very little dry sand during the day.
moon / low / highOct / 14 / full / -0.4 / 6.7 9:04am
Oct / 28 / new / -0.3 / 6.5 9:00am
Spring tides are closely bound to new and full moon, but comparably high a few days before and after. Also the time of highest tide gets about 40 minutes later each day.
World's Best Nude Beaches andResorts:
We have warm weather here all year, but not every day of the year. When you don't have the free time to wait for a warm day, you might want to have other choices. The Naturist Society has the perfect guide book, with alternatives all over the world. There is a link on our web site.
Cliff Hazards:
A pickup was driven off the cliff the night of August 30. It was a suicide. Four eyewitnesses saw it, but each had a reason not to call. It was found the morning of August 31 and recovered late that afternoon. More details are available on my "trip reports" page.
There was another rockslide, September 22. This one was just south of Flatrock and claimed no lives.
Sunsets and the Green Flash:
With a sharp horizon and a clear sky, it should be possible to see the green flash following sunset. Once the sun gets low enough in the sky and the refraction of our atmosphere separates colored images of the sun, we can see the green image after the brighter, red image goes over the horizon. Watch for a moment of green light after sunset.
Membership and Subscriptions:
Free copies from the bulletin board and website will continue because keeping people informed is the point. Please consider making a donation anyway. There are monthly expenses for operating the website. Donations can also be directed to Black's Beach Diggers for trail work. You decide if the newsletter, the website or the trail have made your visit better, and donate accordingly.
Tools for Preserving Black's Beach:
The threat to San Onofre was due to a new superintendent, but it was inflamed by lewd conduct around the nude beach. The back page this month includes a form letter and a map. We give out the from letter to stop misconduct that threatens our beach. Feel free to pass on a copy when necessary.
Conduct on Black's Beach
A clothing optional or nude beach is a public place, and the rules for good behavior are the same as for any other public place. SEXUAL AND/OR LEWD ACTIVITY IN PUBLIC IS ILLEGAL. It could cause the State to close the beach to nude use. If you wouldn’t do it in front of a police officer, don’t do it here!
California Penal Code section 314 (a misdemeanor): Section 314.1 prohibits conduct that is intended to direct public attention to his or her genitals for purposes of sexual arousal, gratification, or affront where there are other persons present to be offended or annoyed. Section 314.2 prohibits the solicitation of the same.
Every person who is convicted of violating Penal Code section 314.1 must register as a sex offender for the rest of their life. Second and subsequent offenses are charged as felonies.
California Penal Code section 647 (a): It is a misdemeanor to touch, in public or in public view, the genitals, buttocks, or female breast for the purpose of sexual arousal, gratification, annoyance or offense, if the person knows or should know of the presence of persons who may be offended. It also prohibits the solicitation of such public conduct.
Simple nudity, such as sunbathing or skinny-dipping, is not prohibited under Penal Code sections 314.1 or 647(a).
San Onofre:
August 27, 2008 Judge Sheila Fell ruled in our favor in the San Onofre case. Her decision states Cahill/Harrison is a regulation and cannot be revoked or changed without a public hearing. This proves what we have said all along, and rangers denied. Nudity is not just tolerated here. It is legal. It puts a little more confidence in our "Clothing Optional" labeled map.
The state has appealed the decision and Friends of San Onofre has sued to have the signs removed. Both matters await the outcome of the appeal.
Even when the decision is upheld, it won't be over. When the public hearing is scheduled, we must attend in large numbers and present a compelling argument. Otherwise, San Onofre will only be the first to fall, followed by Black's Beach and all other clothing optional sites.
Friends of San Onofre and the Naturist Society have fought for us and deserve our financial support. Please send them donations. Consider it the cost of visiting Black's Beach.