Ever since our "mayor" Al Spencer has not been able to come to our beloved Black's Beach any longer, we have been without an effective tool to spread important information, and communicate on issues concerning us. The recent closure of Santa Barbara beaches and the lack of a local organization has prompted me to restore the Black's Beach Bares. If you were on Al’s last mailing list, you are on mine. If you are not on the mailing list and want to receive newsletters, send in an application. It would be easier and cheaper to send email to .
We here at Black's Beach have been very fortunate that our paradise has not been endangered. However, last year's decision by the City of San Diego to enforce the nudity ban should be a wake-up call for all of us. Most of the nude activity was on the Torrey Pines State Beach, and according to the supervising ranger, it is "business as usual" and the Cahill decision gives us a certain amount of security. It is not a law, but simply an informal agreement.
Recently the supervising ranger at Torrey Pines State Park left his post for a promotion. Thursday, August 10, Marianna Handler from San Onofre and I had a meeting with the new supervisor to establish a relationship. We found the new supervisor to be naturist friendly and understanding, and having been familiar with Black's for many years. We were assured that no changeswere being considered.
In the interest of forging a better relationship, we asked if there were any problems we might be able to address. One concern of the ranger was boundaries.
Many nudists are misinformed about the northern limits where nudity will be accepted. Many nudists think that Flat Rock is the boundary. According to rangers, the northern boundary is Mussel Rocks, an area of the beach where rocks protrude from the sand, and mussels cling to the rocks. Their story is very credible and very sensible. Flat Rock is a very natural barrier and Mussel Rocks is very recognizable. There is even a sign, prohibiting nudity, with raised iron letters, against the cliff between Mussel Rocks and Flat Rock.
Nobody said so, but it was clear that the area between Flat Rock and Mussel Rocks serves as a buffer zone. Some uninformed person walking south from Torrey Pines State Beach would see nothing until they pass Flat Rock. Attempting to establish a boundary at Flat Rock would only increase the incidence of surprise and endanger our existence. In the buffer zone you can see nude people in the distance and make a decision to continue or not.
The ranger also mentioned that occasionally they do get complaints about overt sexual activity and have to step in. Marianna pointed out the double standard that if someone masturbates at Pacific Beach, he is arrested. If the same thing happens at a nudist beach, they talk about closingthe beach.
We were told that a users group at the beach would be a great asset to deal with these problems. A group could educate visitors about proper beach etiquette, and very importantly, spread the word about the boundaries. We do not have to be police. A friendly, but firm reminder goes a long way.
I proposed bulletin boards near the two boundaries, and it was accepted. A ranger gave us a tour of the beach, so that there was no confusion of the locations of the boundaries and the best locations for the bulletin boards.
These boards within the nude area will carry maps, showing the boundaries, with a star indicating the location of the bulletin board. There will also be a recent newsletter posted, as well as free copies in a dispenser. Standards of etiquette will be posted too.
The purpose of this is to minimize confrontations, by educating nudists. Nudists who stray from these boundaries, geographical or behavioral, will be without excuse and without support.
People will ask, "Why didn't you get signs posted advising people that there are nude people ahead?" There are two reasons why this was not done. 1) The park has no intention of doing something that might look like an official sanction of nudity. 2) It seems unnecessary. Every access route to Black's offers a distant view of naked people well before reaching the boundary. Everybody should be able to figure it out before they get there. If they know they will be offended, they can turn back.
Please come to our first function, a Labor Day picnic. There will be hamburgers and hot dogs, and I will make ice cream. We will supply burgers, dogs, buns, condiments and ice cream cups. Bring your own drinks and something to share. Look for us under the hang glider takeoff, a little south of the lifeguard station about 2:00. Please come a little early and take your turn at cranking the ice cream maker.
All the expenses for this newsletter are coming out of my pocket so far. Please enclose a donation so that I can afford to send you another. We have not yet determined the membership fee. It seems probable that it will be $10 or $15 a year. Any donation you make will be applied to your membership.