Middletown 2011 Review: The Beach Report

Editor’s Note: This article is one in a series that Patch is producing as a look back at the year.

A continuing source of both passion and profit, (Second and Third) and the pocket Atlantic Beach Club Beach on Easton’s Bay were in the news several times throughout 2011.

• Third Beach Boat Ramp Debate: A proposal to replace the derelict Boat Ramp sparked debate and a heated public forum. Tied to a state/federal grant that would have covered much of the cost, the proposal included not only a replacement boat ramp for launching craft, but also a floating dock, and a timber pier with remote pumpout facility. Objections were raised because of concerns that the serenity of the Third Beach vista would be marred by a timber pier, and townspeople’s worries that taking grant money would tie the town’s hands. In the end, the Beach Commission recommended that the town not pursue the grant, and that a new ramp and floating dock be built with town money (without the timber pier and remote pumpout).
• Beach Operation: The 2011 beach operation—which generates revenue from daily parking fees, seasonal parking passes, rv fees, and vendor fees—came in at a record-breaking $1.18 million.
• What’s SUP: This was the year of the stand-up paddleboard, or at least the year these surfboard-like watercraft went from rare to commonplace. On any given day at Third Beach, one could see everyone from a 7-year-old boy to a 50-year-old woman seemingly standing on the water, with paddle in hand. Following a national trend, the SUP is a growing water sport—and the SUPs were the center of attraction at an annual charity event.
• Seal Pups: On two occasions, seal pups washed up onto Second Beach, and quickly melted onlookers’ hearts. The pup in July napped for a short while, then went back into the water. Another pup that had washed ashore in May, however, appeared in distress and was transported to Mystic Seaqarium in a rescue operation.
• Esplanade Work Near Atlantic Beach Club Beach: An infrastructure project intended to improve water quality in Easton’s Bay got underway in December, and will relocate a storm overflow drain away from the beach area. was closed four times during the summer of 2011 for high bacteria levels.