Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Rooster Rock: Sand Island Accessible

From a posting July 25th in one of the Yahoo groups:

I was at Rooster Rock for awhile this afternoon and there is GOOD NEWS. Sand Island is now a PENINSULA -- no need to wade unless more water is released. Don't be deterred by a small mud puddle at the beginning of Dragonfly trail, after that it's all easy going.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Index-Galena Revisited

Road closure at the Trout Creek-Bluff-View road washout

In November of 2006 the North Fork of the Skykomish River broke through its banks in two locations and ripped up a good mile of the Index-Galena Road . . . also cutting off access to some of the best trails and camping areas in the area. The Index-Galena Road does a 26 mile loop up the NF Skykomish River valley and down the Beckler River Valley to rejoin Hwy 2 near the town of Skykomish.

The closure west of Jack Pass and FS63
. . . short of Garrand Hot Springs


The road is blockaded six and a half miles in from the Index turnoff on Hwy 2 and likewise barracaded by signs from the other end near Jack Pass where eight other road collapses have made access to much of the loop difficult . . . including the very popular Troublesome Creek and San Juan Fee Campgrounds. Property owners with permits can approach from the Jack Pass side but for the section of the road beyond the Index side destruction, there is no way through except on foot.

At the height of the storm the river surged 10-15 feet high
down this section of the road. Flood debris still hangs high in the trees.


On foot means spending a three-quarters of a mile walking up the portion of the river that was a nicely-paved road last year. At points the water is waist to chest high and the current runs pretty swift. A good hiking staff is essential. Of course, there is only one way to sanely ford a river . . . nude.

Just south of the last breech of the road by the river

The river broke through just south of a place I call Bluff-View Campsite . . . which is just on the other side of that raging torrent behind me in the image above. The asphalt I'm standing on is just a short island that got spared before the winter storm flash flood scoured pavement completely for almost a mile. Fording the torrent at the breakthrough is not a good idea because fully half of the river surges through a funnel-bottleneck twenty feet of so wide. The only way around is a recently-blazed portage trail up the hillside and back down on the far side. This trail was used by the property and claim owners to reach their property before the Jack Pass backdoor route was approved by permit only. It now serves as my way across and is a nice under-canopy nude hike.

Headed up the Index-Galena Road . . . All to myself

From the breech inbound, this is National Forest land until you reach a few private property inholdings a little over two miles up at Galena (near Howard Creek) . . . mainly summer cabins. That means no cars for at least two miles (little reason for property owners to walk the long way in when they can drive from the backside) and lots of enjoyable nude hiking . . . except for the deer flies.

Deer flies . . . I hate them. They have hatched a month early and strangely, I have never seen them in this area before. Even stranger . . . they did nothing but swarm around me. No bites and as soon as a breeze came up they lost interest and left.

Bluff-View Campsite as it is now . . . a little bit of the beach eroded and a few of the smaller trees missing (which is good as it really opens up the area to the sun.)

Two images of Bluff-View Campsite taken in late September of last year

There are many great camping areas along the Index-Galena Road above the breech. Bluff Campsites is one of my favorites because of the expansive views over the NF Skykomish River Valley. Lots of sand as well. Sunsets in the NF Skykomish river valley are awesome!

Bluff-View Campsites, looking south

This place would make a great nude camping area as few go beyond the new river channel (just beyond me in the image above). It is accessible with a short one and a half mile hike and some riverbed walking, yet befuddles most people because they can't figure out a way across . . . the portage trail around is not easy to find.

Cable Campsites Unusable

Of the other two campsites inbound, Cable Campsites has been destroyed by the river-flooding. Howard Creek . . . a large campground with dozens of fire rings and tent locations . . . faired pretty good. Though the camping areas are under high canopy there is lots of easy access to the river and sunlight, though little sand . . . mainly river rocks. This is where I camped on a recent foray back up Silver Creek-Mineral City and Poodle Dog Pass.

Howard Creek Campgrounds, a semi-improved campsite,
is in great shape.

The 'beach' at Howard Creek Campgrounds. The South Galena Bridge
over the Skykomish (the access to Silver Creek) is in the background.



My Interactive Map of the area here

Monday, July 23, 2007

NAC Update: Huntington Beach, CA

Previous post on this subject here


NAC Update: Huntington Beach, CA

A proposed anti-naturist ordinance in Huntington Beach took a step closer to adoption Monday evening when the City Council approved its introduction. Led by NAC board member Allen Baylis, a group of naturists spoke against the measure. The proposed ordinance had a large portion of text amended out of it when the police chief, who had requested it, couldn't explain what it was supposed to mean.


NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE
UPDATE
http://www.naturistaction.org


Copyright 2007 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: July 17, 2007
SUBJECT: Huntington Beach, California
TO: All Naturists

Dear Naturist,

This is an Update from the Naturist Action Committee concerning a proposed anti-nudity ordinance for the City of Huntington Beach, California.

As anticipated, an ordinance targeting naturists was introduced at the July 16 meeting of the Huntington Beach City Council. By a unanimous vote of 7-0, council members have chosen to allow the ordinance to move forward. The measure, which has been assigned Number 3773, could not have been voted into law at the meeting; it was simply allowed to continue the approval process. The proposed ordinance receives its next council consideration in a meeting scheduled for August 6, 2007.

THE SPECIFIC THREAT

The proposed new Huntington Beach ordinance, if adopted, would go beyond existing law. It would criminalize mere nudity.

WHAT IS NAC DOING?

The Naturist Action Committee has been working with City Council members and Huntington Beach city staff. Despite the setback, that effort continues.

On July 13, 2007, NAC issued a NAC Action Alert asking for naturists to contact members of the Huntington Beach City Council. Despite the short notice, naturists responded in large numbers, a fact that was mentioned by several council members.

NAC thanks you for your response!

THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF JULY 16

Led by NAC board member Allen Baylis, ten naturists spoke against the proposed ordinance at the council meeting on July 16. Two members of the public rose to speak in favor of the measure.

The matter was the topic of a great deal of discussion among council members and city staff. Police Chief Kenneth Small began by complaining that those who had written to oppose the ordinance were not well informed.

At the instigation of Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Cook, the proposed ordinance received amendments to two parts:

  1. The age limit for breastfed infants was removed.
  2. The section of the proposed law that prohibited "any device, costume or covering that gives the appearance of or simulates the male or female genitals, pubic hair pubic hair region, natal cleft, perineum, anal region, or the nipple and/or aureole of the female breast."

The amendment concerning devices and costumes came after Police Chief Small was unable to explain the phrase to council members when they asked him. "It means what it says," said the well-informed Chief.

Council member Don Hansen attempted to compare the situation in Huntington Beach to an anti-nudity ordinance being considered in Brattleboro, Vermont. Brattleboro, he claimed, had represented itself last year as a welcome destination for nudists. This year, Hansen said, the town was overrun by naked people. Neither of his assertions was true, but that detail seemed not to bother Councilmember Hansen.

Note: The Brattleboro, VT emergency ban on nudity ordinance was passed. Story here. Rick


Mayor Gil Coerper expressed his strongly held belief that people who are completely enshrouded by blankets as they change their clothes on the beach are nonetheless guilty of being nude in public.

WHAT IS NAC ASKING YOU TO DO NOW?

This is an Update. NO ACTION is being requested at this time. Please watch for further NAC Action Alerts, Advisories and Updates on this important issue.

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

Select "Alerts" and find this NAC Action Alert under Current Updates.

PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!

The Naturist Action Committee is a volunteer nonprofit adjunct to The Naturist Society. NAC relies entirely on the voluntary generosity of supporters like you. To donate to NAC, please use the address below:

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: www.naturistaction.org/donate/

Thank you once again 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


Sunday, July 22, 2007

Naked Politics: Arrested for what?

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD
As posted July 17th, 2007 at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/324015_nakeded.html

There's more than one way to put one's rear on the line for a cause, such as putting it, au naturel, on a bike seat on a hot day.

But riders in the annual Seattle Naked Bike Ride do so in order to draw attention to how exposed we are to pollution, and to the healthy sport of bicycling. Nude bicycling isn't a high-concept form of activism, but at the very least, it's endearing in what it aims to accomplish. So we were surprised to hear that Seattle police arrested three of the riders as they rode into Seward Park over the weekend. A story in the P-I points out, "a person can be naked in public as long as no one is offended," but as it turns out, police received complaints and that was that.

We're accustomed to the sight of nude cyclists in these parts (a large group rides in the annual Fremont Solstice Parade), and we respectfully disagree with the indecent exposure citation those arrested received (they may be later charged with a misdemeanor). Let 'em ride free, already.

Soundoff (41 comments)

My previous posting on this the WNBR Arrests;

Also a funny commentary by Susan Paynter of the PI.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Rooster Rock/Mountaindale Sun Resort/Collins Beach Cleanup Weekend

Submitted by: Shirley G.

First off "Thanks." Volunteers are crucial to the cleanups being successful and The American Association for Nude Recreation-Northwest Government Affairs Team (AANR-NW GAT) appreciates all the volunteers that so generously give time and energy to preserving nudity on public lands. Thanks to AANR affiliated clubs and resorts that so generously support nudity on public lands.

The good news is that I have been receiving emails from volunteers who will be participating for the first time requesting more detailed information. Thanks for the reminder that the beach cleanup weekend is getting very close.

We start the weekend August 4 at 9:30 am at the East end of the parking area at Rooster Rock State Park. We will have a registration table and those that want included in our photos will have to sign an AANR photo release. Glenn Littrell the Oregon State Park employee will give a small chat and assign work details. We work until around noon then have a hotdog barbecue. AANR-NW provides bottled water. Squaw Mountain Ranch Nudist Resort provided the hotdogs for the lunch barbecue. Thank you Squaw Mountain Ranch. Immediately following the barbecue we go to Mountaindale Sun Resort phone is 503-647-2449. We are asking those planning to attend the no-host $5 dinner to and take advantage of the free ground fees to call Mountaindale Sun Resort in advance. While there are no ground fees there is a minimal overnight site fee, which you can ask about when you call.

The next morning August 5 we meet at Collins Beach on Sauvie Island at 10 am. We do a litter pickup in the parking area and along the beach area. We repeat the hotdog barbecue and recreate in the afternoon. Day use fee pass is $3.50 and an annual pass is $11 that can be purchased at the small store viewed from the bridge you cross onto Sauvie Island.


Shirley




Rooster Rock trail images


Sauvies Island and a Google Map of routes to both beaches

Rick . . . see ya'all there

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Bare Buns Fun Run West a Huge Success

Following hot on the heels of Seattle's World Naked Bike Ride on Saturday, was the running of the 16th Annual Bare Buns Fun Run at Fraternity Snoqualmie in Issaquah, WA.

This event just gets better every year . . . more participants, outstanding event coordination . . . prizes . . . food . . . and the facilities.

I wish I'd gotten an estimate of the count. I'd estimate there were well over 200 runners going up against the mountain this year and the weather cooperated perfectly. There were at least double that number who took advantage of FS's Open House to enjoy the grounds, sun on the expansive lawns and play in the swimming pool. The tenting lawn was filled to capacity.

This is the fourth time I've challenged Tiger Mountain and I must be getting better as I shaved three minutes off of last year. I won't bore you with my official time or finishing position . . . let's just say a lot of people came in ahead of me. It's the fun of the run that's important, and I thoroughly enjoyed it . . . as did every other runner (whether they ran the course or walked it).

I met Ed again . . . he flies in from Boston every year to run this race and he loves it. Ed came in fourth, overall. The one person I did miss was Hairy Homer (Jim R.) from Longview whom I was looking forward to chatting with.

Like last year and years previous, the number of youth that gravitates to an afternoon of clothing-optional fun that they wouldn't otherwise get involved with . . . is gratifying. They trully do drop their inhibitions and enjoy being natural for an afternoon. The BBFR is one event to look forward to every year.

WNBR: Seattle police arrest naked bike riders

City's tolerance changing, cyclists say

By LEVI PULKKINEN
P-I REPORTER

It's not easy being nude or painted in tiger stripes if you're a Seattle cyclist-protester.

Three of the 57 participants in the Seattle Naked Bike Ride -- including one stripped, stripy Oak Harbor woman -- were arrested Saturday as they streaked into Seward Park.

The bare bicyclists were released from Seattle police custody hours later after being cited for indecent exposure, a misdemeanor. But festival organizers say the arrests may mark a change in the city's usual tolerance of bipedal nakedness.

"Seattle has never had a problem with this ride," said Daniel Johnson, who's been organizing the event since 2003. "This is what happens when there's a communication failure."

Johnson said he believes the arrests were made in part because the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department is trying to discourage events that include nudity, a charge the department denies.

Like similar events around the world, the Seattle naked ride is aimed at raising awareness of how "exposed" people are to pollution, Johnson said. He said the naked riders also draw attention to bicycling and the beauty of the human body.

Organizers of the bike ride -- a daylong event beginning in Fairview Park and circling through much of the city before returning to the starting point -- received a permit for use of Fairview Park. But Johnson said parks officials told him he didn't need permits to use the Seattle Center or the seven other public parks riders traveled through.

"That surprised me, because they knew we probably wouldn't be wearing clothes," Johnson said.

Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Dewey Potter said the department has not changed its stance on public nudity.

Under Washington law, Potter said, a person can be naked in public as long as no one is offended. The parks department doesn't issue permits for nakedness, but it doesn't necessarily bar it, either.

"In the state of Washington, it's not illegal to be nude, per se," Potter said. "What's illegal is to provoke someone or upset them in some way."

During Saturday's ride, police received complaints from several people, including a 12-year-old girl, who'd seen the stream of brightly painted bodies rolling through Seattle streets and trails, according to police statements.

An officer first contacted the naked riders just before the ride began at Fairview Park after receiving a report of a naked man walking on Fairview Avenue. In a report, the officer said the riders were told arrests would be made if more complaints were received.

Marte Kinder, an Australian who's participated in naked rides around the world, said riders are usually well received.

Riding through Seattle Saturday, riders were usually met with support, Kinder said.

"It cheers people up," Kinder said. "We're not one of the events that marches down the street and has something negative to talk about."

Johnson said he expects to host another naked ride next July.

P-I reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com.



Okay . . . I had to post a comment with the newspaper on this one . . .


"Under Washington law, Potter said, a person can be naked in public as long as no one is offended. "


The Seattle Municipal Code do not prohibit nudity so I assume the arrests were made under RCW 9A.88.010 - Indecent Exposure. However, to make the charge of Indecent Exposure under Washington law the police need to show all four elements of indecent exposure under the code. The offender has to knowingly and intentionally make an open and obscene exposure that causes affront or alarm.

RCW 9A.88.010 Indecent exposure.

(1) A person is guilty of indecent exposure if he or she intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm. The act of breastfeeding or expressing breast milk is not indecent exposure.

RCW 9A.88.010

What makes exposure indecent or obscene has been very strictly interpreted by the Miller Test of the Supreme Court. Mere simple nudity (absent any sexual or erotic element) has been repeatedly determined not to be obscene.

You cannot make all the charging elements for Indecent Exposure based simply on someone being 'affronted' or 'alarmed'. The code requires an obscene exposure . . . which MUST pass the Supreme Court's Miller Test. Simple nudity does not meet this charging requirement and perhaps the Seattle Police Department needs to be reminded of the law. Rick

Sauvies Island, Collins Beach and Directions

An annotated satellite image of Collins Beach on Sauvies island. The full-size image is available on request.

The embedded Google Map shows routes to both Collins beach and Rooster Rock State Park from the north.

Also shown is the route from Rooster Rock to Mountaindale Sun Resort (formerly Restful Haven) for those who wish to partake of the generous offer to those participating the the Aug 5th, 2007 Rooster Rock Beach Cleanup event. A shortcut route from Mountaindale to Sauvies Island over Cornelius Pass for the follow day cleanup of Sauvies Island is also shown.

I will be posting details of the AANR-NW sponsored beach cleanups in the next few days.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Rooster Rock Annotated Aerial Images

Due to demand, I'm posting an annotated Google Earth image of Rooster Rock Clothing Optional Beach to give an idea of where the trails are. Note that these images were produced for a project back in 2005 but they do accurately reflect the trail names and alignments and the boundary of the designated clothing optional area. Since these images were made the location of the volleyball court has reportedly been changed.

The first image shows the clothing optional area (less Sand Island) in vertical; showing the east parking lot at lower left. The clothing optional area signage is at the top of the ramp just beyond the restroom. At the bottom of the ramp is a screen bench were most people feel comfortable getting nude.


The second image shows the clothing optional area in oblique (looking east up the gorge). This image again shows the trails and Sand Island near the top center of the image.

Rooster Rock comes into it's own near the end of August each year, when the water levels fall far enough to expose much of the beach of Sand Island and the shallow areas leading up to it. Until then, much of the vegetated area close to the river is inundated with water and muddy areas. BySeptember, most of that is dried up and the trails have been renovated for use.

Additional Info:

Rooster Rock River Projected Water Levels: http://nudehiker.blogspot.com/2007/06/rooster-rock-water-levels.html

Rooster Rock this time last year: http://nudehiker.blogspot.com/2006/07/rooster-rock-well-under-water.html

Rooster Rock 360 Panoramic of Sand Beach (taken late Sept in 2005): http://nudehiker.blogspot.com/2005/09/rooster-rock-360-panoramic-of-sand.html

Saturday, July 14, 2007

US Publisher Turns away from Cartoon Nudity

SPIEGEL ONLINE - July 11, 2007, 03:55 PM
URL: http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,493856,00.html

THE MINI-PENIS SCANDAL

By Franziska Bossy and Elke Schmitter

The drawings are harmless really. But a US publisher has decided not to publish a series by children's book author Rotraut Susanne Berner. The problem? Cartoon breasts and a half-millimeter-long willy.

It is rare that a German book generates any interest in the United States. And children's books are usually completely off the radar. The delight was thus all the greater at the Hildesheimer Gerstenberg publishing house when a query came in from the American children's book purveyor Boyds Mills Press for a series by Rotraut Susanne Berner.

American children have been saved from the above illustration.
Rotraut Susanne Berner
American children have been saved from the above illustration.

"It was really a sensation," Berner told SPIEGEL ONLINE. At first. As it turned out, there were a couple of changes that had to be made before the books could be unleashed on the America public. First off, smokers had to be removed from the illustrations. But that wasn't all. One image shows a scene from an art gallery -- and for realism's sake, there is a cartoonish nude hanging on the wall along with a tiny, seven-millimeter-tall statue of a naked man on a pedestal.

American kiddies, obviously, could never be expected to handle such a depiction of the human body. The US publisher, somewhat awkwardly, asked if they could be removed.

The author, not surprisingly, considers the request to be absurd. The statue's mini-willy, the author points out, is hardly even a half-millimeter long. And the naked woman hanging on the wall? Hardly a realistic depiction of the female anatomy. The US publisher, says Berner, was embarrassed to ask for the changes, but they were even more afraid of how American mommies and daddies might react if junior were exposed to such pornography.

PHOTO GALLERY: MINI-PENIS AND CARTOON BREASTS

Click on a picture to launch the image gallery (3 Photos)


For the author, any kind of self-censorship was completely out of the question. She said she could maybe have lived with putting black bars in front of the problem spots, but "invisible censorship" was out. "If you're going to censor something, then the reader should be aware of it," she told SPIEGEL ONLINE.

But the US publisher would have none of it -- after all, one hardly wants to call attention to one's own deletions. Meaning, that the Hildesheimer publishing house will have to forego the honor of being published in the US -- and American children are safe from shocking German sensibilities.

Many children in the rest of the world, however, have already been exposed. Berner is one of the best-known contemporary children's book authors. And the series, which playfully follows the daily life of children and adults through the four seasons, is already a bestseller in 13 countries from Japan to the Faroe Islands. So far, no other country has been overly concerned about the cartoon boobies and mini-penis, Berner said.


© SPIEGEL ONLINE 2007

NAC Action Alert: Huntington Beach, California

The Police Chief of Huntington Beach, California has asked the City Council for a new anti-nudity ordinance. Aimed at strip clubs? At sexual predators?

No, the proposed ordinance would specifically target NATURISTS!

You can help.



NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE
ACTION ALERT


http://www.naturistaction.org


Copyright 2007 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: July 13, 2007
SUBJECT: Huntington Beach, California
TO: All Naturists

Dear Naturist,

This is an Action Alert from the Naturist Action Committee concerning an important situation in the state of California.

The police chief of the City of Huntington Beach has requested that the City Council adopt a new ordinance targeting "naturists," a term the Chief has used specifically in asking for new power to cite and arrest.

WHAT'S THE SPECIFIC THREAT?

Under existing California law, section 314.1 of the State Penal Code is the portion of general state law used to charge indecent exposure. California courts have said that absent any lewd content, benign nudity like skinny-dipping is not prohibited under 314.1.

The proposed new Huntington Beach ordinance, if adopted, would go beyond existing law, and would criminalize mere nudity, even in the absence of lewd content. The ordinance is made necessary, Huntington Beach Police Chief Kenneth Small has told the City Council, because of "incidents involving a 'naturist' living in the downtown area."

This ordinance is not aimed at strip clubs or sex predators. As Chief Small has pointed out, it's aimed specifically and directly at naturists.

BRIEF HISTORY AND DISCUSSION

Former Huntington beach resident Michael Ferreira is the individual at whom Chief Small's ire is directed. Ferreira, who has told law enforcement officials that he considers himself a naturist, was arrested several months ago for being nude at his residence in Huntington Beach, where he was sometimes visible to others. Ferreira had a previous California arrest for indecent exposure from more than a decade ago. Neither the previous incident nor the more recent one involved lewd behavior, but both were charged under PC 314.1.

The 1995 arrest was from a time in which the offense did not automatically require sex offender registration, and Ferreira simply pled guilty in 1996, as many others did during that time. However, upon the more recent arrest, authorities improperly charged Ferreira with having failed to register as a sex offender. That charge was thrown out, and the underlying 1996 conviction was vacated. Successfully representing Ferreira in the legal matter was California attorney Allen Baylis, who is a board member of the Naturist Action Committee.

Since Huntington Beach Police Chief Small has declared publicly that "the subject's behavior did not include an overt element of sexual gratification" in the recent incident, it seems likely that the more recent charge will be dropped, as well.

However, the matter has left Chief Small angry at Mike Ferreira and antagonistic toward naturists. Not content to do the job of enforcing laws as they are written, Chief Small now wishes to see the creation of new laws that more closely reflect his idea of what he'd like to enforce.

Meanwhile, Michael Ferreira no longer lives in Huntington Beach.

WHAT IS NAC DOING?

The Naturist Action Committee has let the Huntington Beach City Attorney, Mayor and City Council know that naturists are quite unhappy at being targeted for lawmaking of this sort and are vigorous opposed to the proposed new ordinance.

NAC board member Allen Baylis will attend the Monday evening City Council meeting, speaking on behalf of NAC and naturists.

WHAT IS NAC ASKING YOU TO DO?

The Naturist Action Committee is asking you to do TWO things:

1) Write immediately to the mayor and city council members of Huntington Beach, expressing your opposition to the proposed ordinance.

2) If you live in the vicinity of Huntington Beach, attend the upcoming meeting of the City Council on July 16, at which the proposed anti-naturist ordinance will be introduced.

IMPORTANT: The hearing is scheduled for JULY 16, so it's necessary for you to take action quickly.

WHO SHOULD WRITE

NAC is asking ALL NATURISTS to write, regardless of your residence. Huntington Beach bills itself as "Surf City," and it considers itself to be an attractive destination for tourists from across North America, and beyond. Now, the City's police chief is singling out naturists, demanding that the City Council make them the specific target of a new law that goes beyond state law. This is a matter that affects nonresident naturists who might visit Huntington Beach, just as much as it affects those who live there.

WHOM TO CONTACT

In this instance, contacts by e-mail or FAX will be most effective. Please write to the Mayor and the City Council members.

To send an email to ALL SEVEN City Council members at once, please email: city.council@surfcity-hb.org

Or you may contact each City Council member individually:

Mayor Gil Coerper GCoerper@surfcity-hb.org
Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Cook hbdac@hotmail.com
Council Member Keith Bohr kbohr@surfcity-hb.org
Council Member Joe Carchio jcarchio@surfcity-hb.org
Council Member Cathy Green cgreen@surfcity-hb.org
Council Member Don Hansen dhansen@surfcity-hb.org
Council Member Jill Hardy jhardy@surfcity-hb.org

To send a FAX to ALL SEVEN City Council members at once, use this FAX number:
(714) 536-5233.

Key points to remember when writing:

1. Identify yourself. Anonymous correspondence is generally disregarded. If you are a resident of California, or especially of Huntington Beach, please say so prominently.

2. Be brief and polite.

3. Say clearly and specifically that you OPPOSE proposed Ordinance Number 3773.

4. Say clearly and specifically that you OPPOSE the attempt to target naturists in an effort to go well beyond state law.

WHAT ELSE TO SAY?

Here are some additional points to consider:

1. The California legislature and California courts have given careful consideration to the existing law, fine tuning and interpreting it over a period of many years.

2. Laws presently exist to restrict lewd behavior and truly disorderly conduct.

3. The proposed ordinance serves to erode further the already-endangered concept of personal freedoms. Where does this stop?

4. It is risky business and bad governance to create an ordinance that is the result of having targeted an individual or a named group, like naturists. The proposed ordinance would make bad law for the City of Huntington Beach.

5. The criminalization of non-violent, non-lewd, non-threatening behavior seems to be tied to a person's individual appearance, through proposed government insistence that elements of that appearance be masked. Extent of proposed enforcement is certainly tied to a person's gender, with women having been singled out for even greater criminalization, because of their breasts.

6. The proposed ordinance is flawed and unnecessary.

VERY IMPORTANT: ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING:

Date: Monday, July 16, 2007
Time: 6 PM PDT
Location: City Council Chambers
2000 Main Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Please plan to meet on the lower level outside the council chambers no later than 5:30 PM for a briefing by NAC personnel.

Even if you do not intend to speak at the City Council meeting, your presence is important as support for those who will be speaking on behalf of naturists.

IF YOU SPEAK AT THE MEETING The public comment period is near the beginning of the meeting, which starts at 6 o'clock PM. Each speaker must fill out a pink form before the meeting begins. Your speaking time will be limited to 3 minutes.

There will likely NOT be an opportunity for the public to speak on the proposed anti-naturist ordinance at the time that ordinance is actually introduced, which will be later in the City Council meeting.

It's perfectly natural that you should be outraged at attempts to target naturists for criminalization that goes beyond the state law! Nevertheless, if you speak at the meeting, you must avoid making personal attacks. If you like, you may make use of the points offered above for those who will be writing.

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.

www.naturistaction.org

Select "Alerts" and find this NAC Action Alert under Current Alerts.

PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!

The Naturist Action Committee is a volunteer nonprofit organization that exists to advance and protect the rights of naturists throughout North America. Identifying and fighting bad local lawmaking is necessary, but it's expensive. To do its job, NAC relies entirely on the voluntary generosity of supporters like you. To donate to NAC, use the address below

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: 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


Friday, July 13, 2007

Secluded Sunning and Skinny Dipping Beach just east of Goldbar

I discovered this little gem of a beach out of curiousity for the number of cars I had seen pulled off the highway in a location that seemed to head nowhere by the BN tracks right next to the highway. The pullout is a large unpaved parking area for a dozen or so cars. It is on the north of the highway (off the westbound lanes just after the passing lanes start). Coming from Goldbar it is at the end of the straight section of double lanes after passing Zekes Drivein.

After crossing the railway tracks you'll find an obvious trail heading downhill and into the trees. It is quite steep at first but soon evens out to a gentler descent to a bluff overlooking the Skykomish River. A set of cut steps onto the bluff lead you the last fifty feet down to the beach.

The Skykomish River at this point is wide and gentler . . . almost lazy if it weren't for the deceptive nature of the current out there. But near the beach the water is clear and inviting. There is lots of clean sand to lounge about on and plenty of secluded spots creating by massive river boulders hiding you from view of the nearby bluff-top houses to the east.

When I arrived there there was another couple sunning nude beyond one of the house-size boulders. But there are plenty of other spaces to claim as your own private beach . . . at least for the afternoon. Whether nudity is traditional and tolerated, I don't know. But for the moment, I took advantage of the situation.

Kayakers and river rafters usually don't go down this far because of the rapids half a mile up where the tracks cross the river. I would say this beach has potential for skinny dipping.



Google Map of immediate area

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Nude Recreation Week

In case you haven't been paying attention . . . we're in the middle of Nude Recreation Week . . . a time when many nudist resorts and parks open their doors to the general public and invite them to Open Houses and a number of really fun events. If you've ever wanted to go to Lake Bronson, now is your chance. How about running the Bare Buns Fun Run West at Fraternity Snoqualmie this coming Sunday? You don't have to be a card-carrying nudist to experience what this exhilerating lifestyle is all about.

So check out the websites of your nearest Nudist Resort, club or park and be brave. In many cases grounds fees are reduced or waived during these open houses.

Heat Wave? Who Cares . . .

Just head for the mountains and find a nice GLACIER-fed river to play in! Guaranteed to cool you off.

Fording the Rapid River near the headwaters.


Seattle temperatures breaking records . . . Sultan in the foothills edging into the 100s. Wouldn't be so bad if there was a breeze but we were denied even that.

The Rapid River on the north side of Johnson Ridge is one of my favorite places. The river is short . . . 11 miles from the headwaters to where it joins the Beckler. Five miles of that is easily accessible by FS Road with lots of scenic views, a half dozen or so primitive and rustic campgrounds and sites, and a number of cascading waterfalls. The rest is . . . well, trailblazing. Hardly anyone goes beyond the major camping area to the end of the road and one great campsite (which is where I started my trek).

Rapid River is not true glacier-fed (unlike the North Forth of the Skykomish). Most of the water comes off Mt Fenrow, Johnson Ridge and Captain's Point, which remain snow-loaded well into July. Nevertheless, the water is chillingly-cold and numbs the legs quickly. Full-immersion takes a little craziness but is ever so refreshing.

The only bad part about a trip to the mountains is that eventually I had to put some clothes on and Seattle was no cooler that it was a number of hours earlier when I headed out of town to escape the heat. My teeshirt was soaked with perspiration in no time.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Video Tour of Lupin Lodge

This is a tour of California's oldest naturist club, a family-oriented clothing-optional resort set in the Santa Cruz Mountains on 110 acres. The resort features a restaurant, swimming pool, hot tubs, a tennis court, volleyball courts, camping, yurts, cabins, a restaurant and meeting space

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