Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter
• John Hearin •
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach/

On May 24, the Cocoa Beach Surfrider Foundation and Keep Brevard Beautiful played host to the Trinity Prep graduating class of 2010. Over 90 students and faculty from Trinity Prep, located in Winter Park, participated in a beach cleanup from the Pier south to Minutemen Causeway. The students were very enthusiastic and learned a lot about beach maintenance during the experience. We hope to involve more local schools in events such as this, so if you are a local educator looking for a worthwhile project, please contact us about future opportunities.

On June 5-6 the Cocoa Beach Chapter hosted the first annual Surfrider Challenge Team Surfing competition. The event was held as part of the Waterman’s Challenge presented by the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum. Several Surfrider chapters from around Florida took us up on the challenge. We congratulate the Sebastian Inlet Chapter on their victory and look forward to a rematch next year.

On June 20 the Cocoa Beach Chapter celebrated International Surfing Day with several activities at 4th Street North. We invited all comers to “Lend a Hand” to help keep our beach clean by painting the dumpster. We also conducted free surfing lessons and held a paddle out to celebrate our love for the ocean and surfing.

We are still working with Keep Brevard Beautiful to organize volunteers for Oil Spill monitoring and response. Anyone interested in volunteering for Oil Spill monitoring in Brevard County should go to www.keepbrevardbeautiful.com to sign up. We also urge all Brevard County residents to sign the petition calling for a moratorium on new offshore oil drilling. Go to www.nottheanswer.org for spill information and to sign the petition.

Upcoming Events:

Every Wednesday: Surf Chicks & Surf Flicks; Rum Runners, Cocoa Beach from 5 to 8 p.m.

July: No Chapter meeting or events

August 13-15: Surfrider State Conference, Cocoa Beach Hilton

August 17: Chapter meeting; Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, Ron Jon Watersports Building, at 6 p.m.

August 21: Barefoot Wine Beach Cleanup; Lori Wilson Park, Cocoa Beach, 9 to 11 a.m.

August 21: Barefoot Wine Post Cleanup Party; Rum Runners, noon to 2 p.m.

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

Surfrider News & Events: June ‘10
Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter
• John Hearin •
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

The Gulf oil spill has reached the loop current and we may suffer impacts to the beaches of Brevard County.

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is partnering with Keep Brevard Beautiful to help organize a beach monitoring and response plan. Due to sensitive habitats, individual response/cleaning efforts are strongly discouraged and training will be required for volunteers. Training for the monitoring and response program will assure consistency in monitoring and that volunteers involved in beach and wildlife cleanup do it in a safe and eco-friendly manner that does not disturb nesting and feeding or their own health.

Anyone interested in volunteering in Brevard County should go to: www.keepbrevardbeautiful.com to sign up. You may also call 211, a phone line dedicated to collecting volunteers for the spill response. We will also post regular updates on our website at: www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach.

We also urge all Brevard County residents to sign the petition calling for a moratorium on new offshore oil drilling. Go to www.nottheanswer.org for spill information and to sign the petition.

Upcoming Surfrider events:

June 5-6: Cocoa Beach Surf Museum Waterman’s Challenge and 1st Annual Surfrider Challenge

June 15: Chapter Meeting, Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, 6 p.m.

June 20: International Surfing Day

Every Wednesday: “Surf Chicks & Surf Flicks,” Rum Runners (695 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach), from 5 to 8 p.m.

Whether you surf, bodyboard, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean, healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation participated in a Banana River Lagoon cleanup on April 17, 2010. Twenty volunteers joined with Keep Brevard Beautiful on a trash bash tour of the Thousand Islands. Kayaks and guidance were provided by Fin Expeditions of Cocoa Beach. Check out our video on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cp5vGN0zmI

On April 25 we conducted a beach cleanup at Minutemen Causeway as part of the Earth Day Celebration. We are seeking stakeholders for all the public beach accesses between Port Canaveral and 2nd Light. Stakeholders perform regular maintenance on their favorite beach access to keep it clean and protect the dunes. We have posted a list of available public beach accesses on our website. Please contact us if you would like to become a stakeholder.

Upcoming events:
May 18: Chapter Meeting, Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, 6 p.m.
May 25: Beach Cleanup with Trinity Prep, 10 a.m., locations TBA
June 5-6: 1st Annual Surfrider Challenge at the Waterman’s Challenge, International Palms Resort (formerly the Holiday Inn) in Cocoa Beach
June 20: International Surfing Day, TBD
Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk, or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter
By John Hearin
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is actively engaged in a Dune Protection and Beach Maintenance Campaign and we need more volunteers to help us protect and preserve our beach.

We are seeking stakeholders for all the public beach accesses between Port Canaveral and 2nd Light. Stakeholders perform regular maintenance on their favorite beach access to keep it clean and protect the dunes. We have posted a list of available public beach accesses on our website. Please contact us if you would like to become a stakeholder.

As part of our campaign, members of the Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation helped install sand fencing and other dune protection measures at the Cocoa Beach Pier on February 27. We will be conducting a Banana River Lagoon Cleanup on April 17 and an Earth Day Beach Cleanup on April 24 at Minutemen Causeway.

Other upcoming events include:

March 28: Dune Campaign Workday, Cocoa Beach Pier, 9 a.m.

April 17: Lagoon Cleanup, 8 a.m. at Ramp Road.

April 17-18: Boards and Waves Expo, Cocoa Expo, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

April 20: Chapter Meeting, Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, 6 p.m.

April 24: Earth Day Beach Cleanup, Minutemen Causeway, 9 a.m.

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk, or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building , 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

March 2010 – Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter

By John Hearin
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation participated in the “Hands Across the Sand” event on Saturday, February 13, at Lori Wilson Park.

Approximately 400 people braved the 40-degree wind chill factor to demonstrate their opposition to oil drilling off Florida’s coastline.

We are part of a statewide coalition of political, business, and environmental organizations that oppose oil drilling off our coast. We feel that the risk to our beaches and waters does not justify the benefits claimed by the oil lobby and that the money and effort would be better spent developing clean, sustainable energy sources for our state. For more information about the event go to: www.handsacrossthesand.com.

Our Dune Protection and Maintenance Campaign has also shifted into high gear:

January 23: We performed dune maintenance and a beach cleanup at the Taft Avenue beach access.

February 16: Nineteen volunteers from the Hard Rock Café in Orlando helped us install 800 dune plants, 4 cigarette butt cans, and over 200 feet of dune protection at Shepard Park.

February 27: We installed sand fencing and other dune protection measures at the Cocoa Beach Pier.

March 16: We will host a Dune Protection Campaign Workshop in the Cocoa Beach Library at 6 p.m.

We are seeking stakeholders for all beach accesses in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. Stakeholders perform regular maintenance on their favorite beach access to keep it clean and protect the dunes. We have posted a list of available beaches on our web site. Please contact us if would like to become a stakeholder.

Upcoming Surfrider Events:

March 16: General Meeting and Dune Campaign Workshop, Cocoa Beach Library, 6 p.m.

March 20: Dune Campaign Workday, Young Avenue, Cocoa Beach, 9 a.m.

April 2-4: Easter Surf Festival

April 17: Lagoon Cleanup and BBQ (with Keep Brevard Beautiful)

April 17-18: Boards and Waves Expo, Cocoa Expo

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter
By John Hearin
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach/

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has joined a statewide coalition of political, business, and environmental organizations to oppose oil drilling off the Florida Coast. We feel that the risk to our beaches and waters does not justify the benefits claimed by the oil lobby and that the money and effort would be better spent developing clean, sustainable energy sources for our state. The City Commissions of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, and Titusville have all adopted resolutions against oil drilling. We will be seeking resolutions from the Cocoa and Rockledge commissions as well.

Surfrider will participate in the statewide “Hands Across the Sand” program on February 13. The purpose of the program is to demonstrate to the media and state politicians that the residents of Florida oppose oil drilling in our state waters. We encourage everyone who opposes oil drilling off our coast to come out to Lori Wilson Park at 1 p.m. on February 13 to join hands and send a strong message to our lawmakers in Tallahassee. For more information about the event, go to: www.handsacrossthesand.com.

Engineers from the Jacksonville Branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have graciously volunteered to make a presentation on beach nourishment to the Cocoa Beach Surfrider Chapter. This will be an informal meeting wherein they will explain the process and answer questions. The meeting will be held at the Cocoa Beach City Hall on Wednesday, February 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and all interested residents are encouraged to attend.
Upcoming Surfrider events:

February 3: Corps of Engineers Presentation on Beach Nourishment, 6 to 8 p.m., Cocoa Beach City Hall

February 13: “Hands Across the Sand” to oppose oil drilling, Lori Wilson Park, 1 p.m.

February 16: Dune Planting Workday with Hard Rock Cafe, 3 to 5 p.m., location TBA

February 16: Monthly meeting, 6 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum in the Ron Jon’s Annex

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building , 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

We feel that the risk to our beaches and waters does not justify the benefits claimed by the oil lobby and that the money and effort would be better spent developing clean, sustainable energy sources for our state.

Our coalition convinced the Space Coast League of Cities to adopt a resolution in opposition to oil drilling in November. The City of Cape Canaveral adopted their own resolution against oil drilling on December 15, and the Cocoa Beach City Commission will vote on a resolution against oil drilling at their commission meeting on January 7. All concerned residents are encouraged to attend the meeting, which starts at 7 p.m.

We will also participate in the statewide “Hands Across the Sand” program on February 13, 2010. The purpose of the program is to demonstrate to the media and state politicians that the residents of Florida oppose oil drilling in our state waters. We encourage everyone who opposes oil drilling off our coast to come out to Lori Wilson Park at 1 p.m. on February 13 to join hands and send a strong message to our lawmakers in Tallahassee.

For more information about the event, go to: www.handsacrossthesand.com

Upcoming Surfrider Events:
January 7: Opposition to oil drilling resolution, Cocoa Beach City Commission, 7 p.m.
January 14-17: Surf Expo in Orlando
January 19: Monthly meeting, 6 p.m., at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum in the Ron Jon’s Annex
January 23: Beach Work Day, location TBA
February 13: “Hands Across the Sand” to oppose oil drilling, Lori Wilson Park, 1 p.m.
February 16: Dune Planting Workday with Hard Rock Café, 3-5 p.m., location TBA
February 16: Monthly meeting, 6 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum in the Ron Jon’s Annex

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

Impressive as our collection of butts may seem, it barely scratches the surface of the cigarette butt problem on Cocoa Beach. Unfortunately, our beach is treated as a giant ashtray by far too many smokers. One of our goals is to educate people about the long-term effects of throwing their butts on our beach. Cigarette butts take as much as 15 years to degrade on the beach. That means that each one you throw in the sand will still be there next time you go to the beach or when someone’s child decides to build a sand castle. Would you let your kids play in your ashtrays at home? If you smoke on our beach, please dispose of your butts properly.

In other news, The Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has joined a statewide coalition of political, business, and environmental organizations to oppose oil drilling off the Florida Coast. We feel that the risk to our beaches and waters does not justify the benefits claimed by the oil lobby and that the money and effort would be better spent developing clean, sustainable energy sources for our State.

We will be hosting a public workshop on how to help oppose oil drilling off of Florida’s Coast on December 15, at the Cocoa Beach Library, from 6 to 8 p.m. The workshop is open to the public and all interested residents are encouraged to attend.

We will also participate in the statewide “Hands Across the Sand” program on February 13, 2010. We encourage anyone who opposes oil drilling off of our coast to come out to the beach to help us demonstrate our opposition to the media and politicians.

Upcoming Surfrider events:

December 2: Christmas Party at Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, 6:30 p.m.; Pot Luck, BYOB.

December 12: Cocoa Beach Christmas Parade

December 15: Oil Drilling Campaign Session; Cocoa Beach Public Library Community Room; 6 to 8 p.m. This meeting is open to the public.

January 19: Monthly meeting, 6 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum

February 13: “Hands Across the Sand” to oppose oil drilling

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com

The following information was compiled by Tony Sasso, who is leading our campaign to oppose offshore drilling and maintain our healthy coastline. Tony can be reached at surfscout71@aol.com

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THE OIL LOBBYISTS?

1. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita directly caused over 9 million gallons of oil spills, including those from pipelines. 113 rigs were totally destroyed and over 450 pipelines were destroyed in the wake of the hurricane. (USCG)  This past July a Shell pipeline failed and spilled 63,000 gallons of oil causing a slick of 80 square miles.

2. New technology is far from safe, as shown in the West Atlas spill off the coast of Australia. Using the same technology touted by pro-drilling lobbyists, this rig blew out just a few months ago and was spewing over 400 barrels of oil per day, which created a slick larger than Connecticut.

3. The jobs that were promised to Australians on that rig actually went to foreign workers at cut-rate wages. The money and jobs in the oil industry are in production. There are no, and will likely be no refineries in Florida. Thank goodness, since they are considered one of the noisiest, smelliest and dirtiest industries in existence.

4. Tourism provides approximately $65 billion and 1 million jobs a year to the Florida economy. The ocean element of that is estimated at $25 billion per year and accounts for 500,000 jobs. The oil lobby says drilling may generate $3 to $5 billion in income per year. Even if that’s accurate, is jeopardizing a $65 billion known economy and all those jobs worth it? The Tampa Bay spill in 1993 caused a 50% drop in hotel bookings that year, a two-year dip in tourism and an 80% drop in commercial fishing. In addition to the tourism hit, it is estimated (at 1993 dollars) that a similar spill would cost about $4 billion to clean up.

5. Offshore drilling is an East Coast problem. The loop current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico through the Florida Straits and past Cape Canaveral will direct any contamination from a Gulf Coast spill to our beaches, not to mention the Florida Keys. Equally important is the fact that if the State allows close shore drilling (they are talking as close as 3 to 6 miles), the existing Federal ban on East Coast drilling (125 miles) will be in serious jeopardy. In simple terms… our Coast is very much in play.

Most of the drilling arguments don’t really hold water when held up to real facts. This is the Florida Legislature’s idea of a quick fix to a long-term State funding problem, but it just won’t work. To learn more, check out the Surfrider Foundation’s website: www.nottheanswer.org. Another very clear and concise article I recommend is one by Bob Rackleff, who writes for the St. Pete Times. Read it at: www.tampabay.com/news/perspective/a…/1035474

Upcoming Surfrider events include:

November 7: Beach Work Day; 11 a.m.; the beach at Minutemen Causeway, Cocoa Beach

November 7-8: 2009 Slater Brothers’ Invitational Surf Contest; Cocoa Beach

November 12: “Blue Green” surf movie premiere at the Cocoa Beach Library; 6 p.m.

November 17: Monthly meeting at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum; 6 p.m.

November 21: Beach Work Day; location TBA

December 2: Christmas Party at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum (covered dish; BYOB)

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean, healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Ave. in Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
By: John Hearin

Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter

By John Hearin
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com

On September 19, members of the Cocoa Beach Surfrider Chapter participated in the Coastal Cleanup, a County-wide effort sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy and Keep Brevard Beautiful.

Volunteers met at Ramp Road and proceeded to the Banana River Lagoon aboard kayaks and the SS Pegasus, provided by Fin Expeditions. We collected several bags of garbage and a dinghy full of old tires and also got a firsthand look at “Tire City,” an ill-advised mosquito control project which was built several decades ago. The tires were originally placed along the western shoreline of the Thousand Islands in order to prevent erosion, but the “tire revetment” has deteriorated into a junkyard which detracts from the natural beauty of the lagoon and leaches harmful chemicals into the water. The Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has designated the removal of “Tire City” as one of our major environmental initiatives.

Upcoming Surfrider Events:

October 20: Monthly meeting, 6 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum in the Ron Jon’s Annex

October 24: Beach Work Day; location TBA

October 31-November 1: AAU Surf Contest at Minuteman Causeway, Cocoa Beach

November 7-8: Slater Invitational Surf Contest at Minuteman Causeway, Cocoa Beach

November 17: Monthly meeting, 6 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum in the Ron Jon’s Annex

November 21: Beach Work Day; location TBA

Whether you surf, bodyboard, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean, healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, located in the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

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Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com

Members of the Cocoa Beach Surfrider Chapter participated in the Life Rolls On event at Lori Wilson Park this past July 25th. We helped numerous disabled persons go surfing, many for the first time in their lives. The event was a very rewarding experience for surfers and volunteers alike.

On August 15th, members of the Cocoa Beach Surfrider Chapter planted over 900 plants at the beach accesses between 12th Street South and 3rd Street North. The plants were provided by the City of Cocoa Beach. This event was part of the Chapter’s continuing initiative to develop, preserve and protect the sand dune system on Cocoa Beach. The sand dunes are critical to maintaining a healthy beach ecosystem and protecting our shoreline from erosion.

Upcoming events include:

September 15: Monthly meeting, 6 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum
September 19: Beach Work Day p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum
October 24: Beach Work Day, location TBA
November 5-8: Sean and Skippy Slater Invitational Surf Contest

Whether you surf, bodyboard, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

South Cocoa Beach by Alex Bean

The Cocoa Beach Surfrider Chapter celebrated International Surfing Day on June 20 with three events designed to inform the public about some of our key issues, including clean beaches, dune restoration and having fun in the surf. Our first event was a display at the Cocoa Beach Library where we provided information about the Surfrider Foundation and our core environmental issues. The second event took place at the 4th Street North beach access where we encouraged kids to “Lend a Hand” to keep our beaches clean by decorating the dumpster. Our final event was a paddle out and group surf at 4th Street North. Check out our video, prepared by Dr. Diana, on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHnQo394W7w

Upcoming Surfrider Events

August 1: Hurricane Hunt Surf Contest. The contest will be held sometime between August 1 and November 30 when we get a good storm swell.

August 15: Beach Workday. We will be planting more dune protection plants provided by the City of Cocoa Beach, location to be announced.

August 18: Surfrider monthly meeting, 6 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum

August 21-23: Surf Expo at the Orlando Convention Center

August 23: Hurricane Hunt Contest Party. The party will be held 8 p.m. at the Sandbar Sports Grill on A1A in Cocoa Beach.

August 29: Casino Night Fundraiser for the Kelly Slater Sculpture Project, 6 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Country Club.

September 5-7: National Kidney Foundation Surf Contest

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building , 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com

Well, it’s official. The Cocoa Beach Surfrider Chapter has its first fully elected board of directors. Bruce Moeller, the new Chair, welcomed Joann Branagan as Treasurer, John Hearin as Secretary, Tim Chastain as Volunteer Coordinator, Paul Eaton and Fred Hillman as Directors and yours truly as Vice Chair.

Thanks to Tim Chastain and the many local Surfrider members who have worked so hard this past year. They not only got us through the charter process, they did it while functioning as an active organization.

On a bit of a down note, either vandals or someone who maybe isn’t fully aware or appreciative of the Cocoa Beach dune restoration project destroyed some of our dune plantings and one of the heavy-duty cigarette disposal cans. Either way, attending our monthly meeting at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum is a great way to learn how to help our dunes grow back to their natural state and not be trampled or trashed by people who aren’t as up on beach etiquette as the average Cocoa Beach citizen. The City, County and a large group of Cocoa Beach volunteers have been working to clean, replant and rope off sections of dune, as well as place cigarette butt receptacles at the crosswalks. Most people use the cans and respect the dunes, however, and where these are left alone, the dunes are getting healthier. We especially invite input from people who use the crosswalks about how to make this successful so we can enhance our environment as well as our cool, beachside way of life.

The Cocoa Beach Chapter also helped Chicagoans go surfing! Lake Michigan Surfrider Chapter’s Vice Chair, Vince Deur, led activists trying to overturn the ban on surfing in Chicago. Cocoa Beach Assistant City Manager AJ Hutson and I shared back and forth through email how well it works here, where swimmers and surfers have shared the beaches for decades, and they said they cited our success in their meetings. Through their long and hard work, they were able to get the 30-year ban lifted. Surfers unite!

Cocoa Beach Surfrider meets every third Tuesday, 6 p.m., at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum (Ron Jon Watersports building).

Okay, here’s where I knock on wood (or my head) and say “Let’s not jinx this.”

It’s not unusual for any organization, including Surfrider chapters, to spurt, sputter and, unfortunately, sometimes even fail before they become firmly established.

Surfrider in Cocoa Beach is, step-by-step, building its solid foundation for long-term success. Many of you remember the three years we worked on the Clean Ocean Act. While it was a State-wide Surfrider effort, the primary impetus came from this area. Many of these people are the same strong members who are building our new Cocoa Beach chapter.

Currently, we’re involved in another successful campaign: The Clean Healthy Vegetated Beach Program. This includes planting and protecting dunes, cleaning our beaches and eliminating litter source points. If you’ve noticed newly-planted sea oats, sea grapes, and saw palmettos (nearly 1,000 plants), dunes roped off, cigarette butt cans and other improvements at your beach, that’s just the beginning, and the results of a cooperative effort between the City of Cocoa Beach, Brevard County and hundreds of volunteer hours. It’s a great start, but like anything, it only works if we do.

This month, we held board nominations with elections scheduled for next month’s meeting. We discussed and recommend that people attend the ASR Forum at the Government Center in Viera on May 4th, 20 at 6 p.m., where you can hear a panel of scientists discuss ASR wells and ask questions. We also discussed the ongoing dune awareness campaign, future campaigns, International Surfing Day (June 20th), beach re-nourishment, and surf contests — and, of course, we had a door prize.

Whether you surf, fish, swim or just like to walk or bike on a clean healthy beach, please consider being part of this growing group and come to one of our meetings. They’re held at 6 p.m. every third Tuesday at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building , 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

For more information, visit the Surfrider Foundation website at: www.surfrider.org

This month, as we continued with the first and second phase of the Dune Awareness program, we did some additional plantings that included sea grapes and saw palmettos. The Phase I results are impressive, and we want to thank all our stakeholders for their hard work and their commitment to maintain their stub-end street beaches.

This is a very important time as our Florida Legislature is in session and the Beach Access bill is winding its way through various committees. Many of our friends around the state don’t enjoy the kind of beach access we take for granted in Cocoa Beach. Beach access is an important issue for them – and for us when we travel to surf. If you’d like further information, go to www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach/ and  http://flbeachaccess.blogspot.com/.

Here’s what’s coming up!

April 2009
10th-12th    Easter Surfing Contest
21st        Surfrider Meeting @ 6pm, Cocoa Beach Surf Museum

May 2009
19th        Surfrider Meeting @ 6pm, Cocoa Beach Surf Museum
23rd        Dune Awareness workday

June 2009
5th-7th    Surfrider at CBSM’s Waterman’s Challenge
16th        Surfrider Meeting @ 6pm, Cocoa Beach Surf Museum
20th        International Surfing Day

We didn’t wait to begin making a difference in our ocean community. On the same day we received word of our charter, about 30 of us were out initiating one of our main campaigns, “A healthy, clean, vegetated Cocoa Beach,” (Phase I).  With the cooperation of the City of Cocoa Beach and Brevard County, we planted sea oats, roped them off, and installed cigarette butt cans at eight stub-end streets. Of course, we cleaned both the beach and cross-walk areas while we were there.

Each of these streets has been adopted by a stakeholder who, along with that street’s local crew, will maintain the improvements. Future phases include adding other streets, beachfront residences, and commercial areas to the program. Several neighbors near these streets not only helped, but offered to maintain the project.

Beach Place Guesthouses in South Cocoa Beach became our first commercial stakeholder, and the Holiday Inn Oceanfront Resort has also expressed interest.

Surfrider regional director Ericka D’Avanzo and I attended the first regulatory meeting with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in Port Canaveral for the implementation of the Clean Ocean that passed Florida Legislature last year. We’re down to eight gambling boats statewide, including the two in port Canaveral, which appear to be in compliance with the new regulations. These regulations will establish procedures for the remaining boats. Thanks to all your efforts, no dumpin’!

Don’t miss out on the fun. We meet at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of every month at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum (Ron Jon Watersports building) and during many other Surfrider Foundation events.

Scheduled Events:

March
14th-15th: Rip Pic’s Surf Contest
17th: Surfrider Meeting at 6 p.m.

April
9th–12th: Easter Surfing Contest
21st: Surfrider Meeting at 6 p.m.

May
19th: Surfrider Meeting at 6 p.m.
23rd: Cocoa Beach Dune Awareness (more info to come)

** Photo caption: Volunteers planting sea oats; photo by Joanie Regan **

Surfrider was started in Malibu, California in 1984 by a handful of surfers to protest threats to their local surf break at Maibu Point. The organization continued on for several years as a loose advocacy group until 1991, when the first chapters were founded. At that point the Surfrider transitioned into a grassroots activist organization. Today the Surfrider Foundation maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters across the worldwide, including the newly established Cocoa Beach Chapter and Sebastian.

Here are just a few of the programs and services Surfrider has helped implement:

Respect the Beach — A coastal education program to educate students.

State of the Beach — An annual report published by the Surfrider Foundation that evaluates coastal environments by a number of “Beach Health Indicators.”

Blue Water Task Force — An all-volunteer led monitoring program that tests and reports on coastal water quality.

Ocean Friendly Gardens — An outreach program to designed to reduce urban runoff and residential water consumption.

Snowrider Project — An outreach program designed to educate the public on upstream watersheds and the hyrdologic cycle.

Rise Above Plastics — An educational program designed to raise awareness of and reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our marine environments.

SURFRIDER

The Cocoa Beach Surfrider Chapter has many upcoming opportunities to protect our coastal region.

FEBRUARY

2/7: Sea Oats Project. Help plant 8,500 sea oats at Cape Canaveral’s Cherie Down Park (8492 Ridgewood Avenue) at 9 a.m.

2/17: Surfrider Meeting. Held at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum in the Ron Jons Sports Complex, Cocoa Beach at 6 p.m.

2/21: Cocoa Beach Cleanup. Meet at 9 a.m. to work 1st Street North to 4th Street North, Cocoa Beach.

MARCH

3/14: Rip-Pics Spring Classic Surf Contest. Held at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach.

3/17: Surfrider Meeting. 6 p.m. Cocoa Beach Surf Museum in the Ron Jons Sports Complex, Cocoa Beach.

For more information, please contact Tim Chastain at (321) 698-7233

By Tony Sasso

Last month we began our Surfrider Foundation discussion talking about dawn patrols. As many know, any good dawn patrol starts with a little prep the night before. I’ve always found having my equipment ready and packed the night before — board wax, water, towels, sunscreen — sucks less than trying to do it before the sun comes up. The direction of this ramble is to explain the preparation required to create a Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.

Many of us have been members of Surfrider for years and are currently members of the Sebastian Inlet Chapter.

Under the leadership of Greg Gordon, Rick Hayes, and Sebastian Aravena, with the assistance of Erika D’Avanzo, Surfrider Regional Director, we in the northern reaches of the chapter territory formed a Cocoa Beach subcommittee of the Sebastian Inlet Chapter, something several of us locally have been working on for about three years. Along with many fine people working behind the scenes, this year one person stood up to begin the process to charter a full-fledged Cocoa Beach chapter: Tim Chastain. The process of chapter formation is very specific and we are in the midst of completing that, including a campaign and event calendar for the upcoming year.

The simple version of this process is: getting a P.O. box; putting together bylaws; developing an organizing committee (Chuck Savard, Jim Dale, Fred Hillman, Biff Brannigan) and an initial slate of officers (Tim Chastain, Tony Sasso, Chris Cribben, Jo Brannigan and Valerie Westmoreland); collecting dues; conducting a membership drive times two (we have over 50 new members); developing campaigns for local issues (such as ASR/sand bypass, water pollution/water quality, beach clean-up, IR Lagoon and tires, red tide, dune awareness and protection); preparing media programs, a website, and a newsletter; and setting up membership, fundraising and awareness-raising events.

Then…we get reviewed by National Surfrider, and if all goes right, we are awarded a chapter charter.

Why a Cocoa Beach chapter? Let’s be perfectly clear. This is not an “us-or-them” situation. We have a very long stretch of coastline from Daytona Beach to Vero Beach, and an ever-longer set of issues, many of which differ by locality. In addition, the geographic distance, the number of local members, Cocoa Beach’s tradition as the East Coast surfing capital, and our leadership in environmental issues put us in a logical position to create another chapter. We can enhance the work of the Sebastian Inlet and other state chapters to lobby legislators and other government officials in the fight for beach access, clean water, and preserving our surf breaks. We want to thank The Beachside Resident for helping keep you informed about the work of Surfrider in Cocoa Beach. Watch this column for more information about this chapter, issues, events, and a calendar.

Now, who’s ready for that dawn patrol?

See you in the water.

Our web link is under construction, but you can reach us by calling Tim Chastain at: (321) 868-7233, or via email at: cocoabeach@surfrider.org.