[willieslick]

Hello fellow noreasters, The head line was meant to get your attention. I am very worried about the condition of the beach's at Floyd Bennett field & breezy point. I hold the gateway off road permit and very much enjoy fishing theses areas any chance I get. This spring most of my trips have been to F.B.F. Near the Marine parkway bridge. My usual routine is to fill a large black garbage bag with trash form the immediate area where I am fishing, this makes me feel like I am doing my part to help keep our beaches clean & open. This passed Sunday I took my wife to the bayside of breezy for a nice walk & some plugging. As I walked on to the beach my heart dropped The amount of trash all over the beach was disgusting! As I continued to walk in the direction of the jetty, I said to my wife that picking up a garbage bag full of trash would not even make a dent in this mess. It would take an army to clean this up. The trash was so thick right to the ropes closing the nesting areas. Now I am not a scientist but if I were a piping plover I do not think I would want to deposit any eggs in this disgusting mess. It makes me wonder how long before the powers that be decide that to protect theses nesting areas they should be closed to the public. I am not a particularly civic minded person & I am trying to do this for purely selfish reasons. I was hopping maybe that some other fishermen that use these areas would be interested in organizing a beach clean up. I propose to start with the bayside of breeze ( I have not even been to the ocean side yet) I can use all the help I can get not only with the clean up but also with organizing this, as I have never organized anything like this. Well thats about it I hope I can get some interest and hopefully some help with the organizing Post here with dates & we will take it from there. If the moderators feel this post is important enough maybe we can pin it? I think this should be done sooner rather than latter.

 

[Gaucho]

I see nothing has changed in Breezy.
People still leave their crap on the beach. I can never figure that out. My father would take us there when we were kids. We fished the jetty and then would come back to the truck for lunch and a quick swim. Stopped going there after my fathers friend died there

We had tons of good times there in the 70's and 80's.

 

[fish4me]

Maybe a local civic group can help you organize something. Check with the local Cub Scout or Boy Scout troop. Get bags, gloves etc... donated by some of the businesses. If you want it bad enough, it can get done. Good Luck.

 

[eisey]

do you know

Do you know for sure the plovers will leave if the garbage stays?

 

[willieslick]

Not the point

No I do not know that the polvers would leave, but thats really not the point. The fact is the garbage on the beach is sickening. These areas are oasis's in the city where a working man can get away for a few hours. If they were to be closed because some slobs refuse to take there trash with them it would be a shame.

 

[willieslick]

Good idea

Thanks for the reply fish4me, I was planing on contacting the local kayak club to see if they would like to help. Fist i want to get some fishermen that use these resources involved. If everyone came with gloves & maybe a rake I could supply a box of garbage bags. Also

 

[Slick56]

Willie, it wouldnt be a bad idea to organize a Noreast beach cleanup event. This has been done on here before. Even if you can get can 5 people to come down it will make a difference.
I would be more than happy to meet up and help make a difference.

 

[willieslick]

Ok thats a start

Thanks slick56, so far its you, me & my son.

Noreast Bay-side Breezy point Beach clean up

1. Willieslick
2. Matt ( my son)
3. slick56

Anyone else like to pitch in?

 

[Slick56]

C'mon, nobody else is interested in doing this? Guys, we need to get together and clean up these places we call our second homes. Alot of us put alot of time in at the beach fishing and we need to make a difference.

Im in WillieSlick (nice name!

) Even if 3 of us do this im fine with it.

Mike Slick

 

[MatthewPaul]

I was out there a few times this season and I couldn't believe what I saw. On the FBF side walking toward the inlet looked like a garbage barge dumped a years worth of trash on the beach. I was told that the vast majority is swept in by the eddie and current. In other words, it's not littering. Most of what I saw were thousands of bottles, mostly of the classic pharmaceutical kind.

Let me see if I can't help organize something thru my club. More to follow...

This post edited by MatthewPaul 10:18 PM 05/28/2008

 

[frankiesurf]

If I still worked out there I would join you guys. But since I can't then why don't you guys advertise at your local B&T's? Maybe ask the Party Boats at Sheepshead and Gerritsen to throw up some flyers? Ask the Boy/Girl Scout Troops and maybe some community centers to chip in some helping hands? Try a few local businesses to donate bags and such or some help also? A community gathering especially in the city is usually a welcome occasion.

Whenever I go out to the Outflow by me I (almost) always bring some garbage bags with me. EVERYONE should do it wherever they fish. Even just a plastic shopping bag full of garbage will help.

Good luck guys. May the force be with you.

This post edited by frankiesurf 10:15 PM 05/28/2008

 

[Blazetoy]

1. Willieslick
2. Matt ( my son)
3. slick56
4. Blazetoy

also please feel free to post this story to Rockawave.com, I'm sure you will gather a few more fishermen.

 

[steamboat1]

Nice idea. I pick up stuff all the time. It won't make a difference. There is no enforcement of the rules by the park police. Most days there are at least 5 or more cars with no pass. No tickets given. They have a picnic & leave their garbage. Walk their dogs even though there are no dogs allowed (leashed or unleashed). and the kids from the cabana party at night there and don't clean up. I wish you luck but it's like shuffling **** against the tide. The fishermen pay $50 for a pass & I would think this is the greatest influx of money into Gateway but like I said there is no enforcement around. It's a beautiful area except for all the GARBAGE!!!

 

[willieslick]

Stll working on it

Hi thanks for the reply s. I have been working days & fishing hard at night this is my first chance to post. I have contacted this Org. Which I was told helps to organize beach clean ups.

[email protected]

I will post when and if I get a response. Mean while Even if it turns out to be just the four of us I would still try and make some kind of positive impact. Thanks MatthewPaul, see what you can do. steam we can only try Yes it will be like spitting in the wind, it will go back to the same after we are done. But at least its that much less trach on our beach. You use the areas, you like me try and take more trash than you bring. thats great come on out give us a hand we can use the help.

This post edited by willieslick 10:02 AM 05/29/2008

 

[Slick56]

Sal, i will bring some canolis!

I think a few people can at least make a difference for now. Maybe since WillieSlick and guys like me or Matt fish the area we can have biweekly or monthly meetups at the FBF area and do some cleanup and also fish as well. 1 time, like you guys said is like spitting in the wind. But if we meet up regularly to do this it can do some good thats for sure.

Anyone else wanna get in on this? the more that participates the more we can clean up.

 

[willieslick]

Let make a day/night out of it

Just thinking out loud. Maybe we meet up like 6:00 A.M on one saturday this june. Clean untill 12:00P.M then head to a B.Q. area in tilden or F.B.F. I know they have them have to find out were they are. We all bring some food Eat talk rest up. Then a fishing contest from say four until 6:00 A.M sunday. strickly for braging rights.

 

[steamboat1]

Post here when you get things organized. If I'm available at the time I'll join in. FBF is not to bad. The fishermen that hang out there during the day have fixed up the area somewhat. They fixed the fence, got wood chips for the parking area etc. This was all done by them, not the park rangers. One park ranger, (John) puts garbage bags all along the area.

The bay side of Breezy is the place that could use the most help. Maybe the park rangers could come with some kind of vehicle & garbage bags so we wouldn't have to lug all the garbage off the beach ourselves. We could get much more accomplished with a little help from them.

By the way did you guys know they closed Riis Landing to fishermen. They claim that between the new ferry service and the NYPD moving over there is to much sensitive equipment and they are afraid of vandalism. Slowly but surely over the years they have been shutting fishermen out of more areas.

This post edited by steamboat1 10:53 AM 05/29/2008

 

[ihavegills]

Most of the garbage is brought in by the tide, so yes, you are shoveling $h!+ against the tide. The % of debrit below the tide line is astronomical in comparison to the irresponsible slobs that leave trash above the tide line. It's usually a winters worth. You may want to contact the Breezy Point Cooperative and Gateway. The cooperative has a few garbage drop points for the city to pick up from and it may be wise to coordinate garbage drop with them. They should appreciate the effort considering they sift the sand each morning for the cooperative and the tide shifts that stuff in, a constant supply of junk.

The Wave is the way to go. They should be happy to put a note in for you.

As for the MPB side by the Coast Guard, the corners of the old pier gets alot of junk blown in by both the wind and tide. Bags, bottles, etc. It's the bags of lunch and bait debrit above the tide line that is unacceptable.

No they don't come down hard on people without stickers. What's the problem with that? As long as people respect the place, who cares. They will start checking passes at the booth in Tilden soon before they gain access to the cabana lot. I fished the new MPB lot my entire life, when there was no lot, it was weeds and trees.... when the only path to get there was a stomped weed path from my feet each night and if spotted, I was ejected by a Gov't official. I got my first 5# blackfish sitting on the 3rd cement block at the tip of the pier when the planking was still there (there's only one block left). Should I be angry at the 25 guys I see down there now whether they have a pass and pay or not? Open your eyes and enjoy what you got while you got it before they take it back. The world is not just black and white. It's all the shades of gray in between. Last thing someone wants to hear is that they are not doing there job especially when they are letting people enjoy themselves. I can walk there from where I grew up and it's a B- when I decide to take a trek to a spot I grew up in and a fisherman calls the Parky to leave me a note because I don't have a sticker. Yes, I'm wrong.

 

[willieslick]

Thanks steam

I was thinking to ask the park for just that kind of help Once I know more. I did not know that the fishermen fixed the fence ect. thats great! Your right F.B.F. is not to bad but every Night i go there its worse & worse. Sad to say most of that trash is litter. Bait bags drink bottles ect. ect. By the way guys if any of you are fishing M.P.B. some night I'm the guy sitting all by myself or with my son / friend near the fence to the sea plane ramp say hello

This post edited by willieslick 11:13 AM 05/29/2008

 

[Blazetoy]

Mike,

I might have to bring some of mama's meatballs and spaghetti and vino.

Il tuo Amico,

Salvatore


ps She is selling her Co-op in Rockaway Park, 121st and the Boardwalk, if anyone is interested - Noreast Discount shall apply, mama is getting up there in age - i'm searching for a 2 Family home now. I'll be happy to show while at this gathering real quick.