Dirty Beach? Clean It Up
So you know how we just finished telling you how [wonderful New York City beaches] are? Well, apparently theyre not. It seems not even throwing a [drunken party](http://www.nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=67095646&day=15&startmonth=6&startyear=2007) on [Rockaway Beach](http://www.nypress.com/20/25/news&columns/feature.cfm) could save our sandy reputation. Last summer, independent watchdog group [New Yorkers for Parks](http://www.ny4p.org/) conducted a study of the citys seven public beaches, and [failed six of them](http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=71786). Brooklyns Manhattan Beach, the Bronxs Orchard Beach, Staten Islands South Beach and Queens Rockaway Beach were all rated as challenged, while Coney Island/Brighton Beach in Brooklyn and Wolfes Pond Beach in Staten Island outright failed.
Offenses range from too much broken glass and garbage to not having enough lifeguards on duty, drinking fountains or working bathrooms. The only beach they deemed satisfactory is [Staten Islands Midland Beach], where a 7-year-old girl was [pricked by a hypodermic needle](http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&id=5363969) hidden in the sand in May.
I think the parks department is taxed, Christian DiPalermo, the executive director of New Yorkers for Parks, told The New York Times. Its tough to keep up. They need more resources, we need more manpower to clean up our beach and we need more lifeguards.
But Parks Department Commissioner Adrian Benepe has released a statement in [defense of our beaches], saying its inspectors conduct random checks and grade them much higher: By every measure, New York City's beaches are in better shape now than at any other time, with more than $50 million invested in capital beach improvements and surrounding recreational resources since 2002, stronger performance measurement systems, better technology, close partnerships with the NYPD, dedicated community partners, expanded waterfront recreational opportunities and ADA access. How embarrassing.
Photo courtesy of [valentinapowers on Flickr]