Fun at Carson Beach!

Warm sunny day, tons of kids, over a dozen activities and hundreds of hot dogs, its the Beach Bash and Splash! Every year the Beach Bash and Splash is one of the most fun events throughout the summer, and this year wasn't any different.

Splash!

 For most of the day I was fishing with kids from many different camps, some of the camps were from Braintree, while others were from South Boston and other nearby areas. Fishing was one of the most popular activities of the day and we always had a large group of kids eager to fish with us. We set up shop about ankle deep in the water, and began fishing. We didn't catch any fish but we did catch crab after crab, and ended up catching over a dozen by the end of the day.

 After fishing came the main event, where we all lined up and ran into the cold water.  First we sang "Haulaway Joe" and took some photos, and after this we were ready for the splash. The Save The Harbor Staff and the campers  sprinted towards the water. Some people like Max dove into the water, while others like me just went knee deep, and some people even got thrown into the water. No matter how far into the water people went, everyone had fun. After drying off, everyone went to go get some hot dogs, which were delicious. After eating and relaxing for a little, we all went back to our activities, and for us at fishing, we caught some more crabs!

Until Next Time, Abel Yohannes

Staff day, Chaff day

 I enjoyed staff day the most out of all the days that week because we were allowed to wind down and relax with each other for the day. I went into the field at the top of the hill for the first time on spectacle island and I played an intense game of frisbee with my staff, such as Luke, Bridget, Amy, Kristen, Ian, Amanda, Ary, etc. We wanted to hit a streak higher than the one before and the highest we got to without dropping it was 25. It took a long time but we were determined to do it before lunch time. Or else no lunch (jk).

After lunch we went to the beach to go swimming, the water was freezing, it must've been high tide since the water was super deep. I took like five steps and it was already up to my shoulders. The waves weren't crazy that day and everyone got in. The water felt really cold but also really refreshing since I was on the hill roasting in the sun earlier. I certainly got to know more staff and socialize with them and I'm much more comfortable with everyone than I was at the beginning of the summer.

All Summer 16

Kharliyah Ortiz

Best Fishing Trip Ever

As everyone knows this year is my first and so last Thursday we went on a fishing trip. It was also my first fishing trip. I was excited and ready to catch some fish, I knew it was going to be wicked hot that day and we'd be out on the water chilling. I've been on boat back and forth this summer. We met up at the dock near courthouse station and were separated into groups and placed with captains and their boats. This boat was beautiful. It was smaller than the ones I'm usually on. My group included Bella and Amanda and Amanda's guest. Just us four and the captain and his daughter. His boat was nice, it had a living room area, two rooms and two bathrooms, a little kitchen and the top deck. Unbelievable that all that stuff can fit on the boat. So we set up the rods and go around fishing with real bait and lures. We drive around searching for bites but nothing.

We come to a stop and get ready to go swimming. In the middle of the ocean! I was anxious and unprepared. Even though I can swim, knowing that there was no way I would reach the ocean floor that was probably anywhere between 30-50 feet below me is really scary. By the time I decided to jump in everyone was off the boat, onto the raft waiting for me. I gave myself a pep talk and everyone was encouraging me and telling me I should just do it, it's fun and if I know how to swim it'll be fine. I finally just did it and didn't think about it and jumped in. The water welcomed me with a cold splash that was refreshing. I was so happy and proud of myself! After that I was ready to get back up and jump in again.

The funniest thing happened that day. I decided that I wanted to jump off the boat and into the water. The girls and I lined up and the camera is rolling so we're ready then *BOOM*. Guess who slipped? Me! I feel my body going sideways and head first into the water and then I get kicked in the head by Amanda who jumped in before me. Here's a video for all of you to enjoy and laugh and show your friends and family ;D

Kharliyah Ortiz

All Summer 16

Back To Dear Islands........

Back To Dear islands

  Good mornings everybody, we are back at dear special islands aka spectacle. It's are fourth week at all access and I enjoy being at spectacle island because I enjoy playing sports with the campers that come to the island with the crew of save the harbor save the bay. Last week I enjoyed the sports we played the crew I had for all access and came with me to play sports with the campers was Abel. He helped me out to give joy and smiles to the campers to play sports. The group in this image on my right is idill campers. I enjoyed playing sports with these kids because they love playing soccer and some of them got some skills on me, that day I had jeans on so one of the kid was coming toward me and when he did with the ball he did a little trick on me so I'm like I'm going home I feel embarrassed because he got my ankle when I was trying to go forward at him. After we played soccer we played catch but some of the kids said that kickball, football, track, and basketball are boring that soccer is the best so some of us said no football it's better than all the sports right now. But eventually football was the best sports out of the whole sports that what I think. I don't know about the rest but that what I know and choose. When I was talking to a kid about that he disagree with me but I said no that is okay, we could ask the whole camper to see which one is the best. At the top of the hill when we was playing sports aka soccer my team won because I gave a good pass to this little girl that was wide open and looking innocent. I told her to make the last goal so when she did she crossed the goalie and scored so my team beat Abel's team. But to be continued with exciting summer story............

Sincerely, Carlos Garcia

The return of Kickball

Thursday was a remarkable do for the staff on All Access. First, we were blessed by being allowed to go out to Spectacle with our Lead Teacher Bridget Ryan. Second, all the children sang to her because it was her birthday. Finally, we had a little surprise celebration in the office in which we celebrated three milestone birthdays, Bridget, Mark, and Bruces!

David leading a Happy Birthday chant for Bridget with the help of a couple hundred kids!

The end of our week, everyone was so wet

With the return of few groups from last year, we had our first successful day of kickball! Despite losing at such a large deficit, we'll keep the score disclosed, the game was a blast! Who knew a game so simple could turn so competitive this quick? Most of the kids did not even want to go swimming afterwards and ended up playing Wiffle Ball with Andy. Oh, but they did go swimming. 

I struck a deal with Bridget before entering the water. The only way I'd go in was if I got to dunk her in the water. Unfortunately this did not happen, but I still went swimming. I mean even the children wanted to see the birthday girl get thrown in, who would not? Everyone knows the rules of all access. If swimming is allowed, we go swimming. I mean if you don't your a scrub, and nobody wants to be a scrub. 

With the troubles of rain in our first week of exploration, we accommodated each day appropriately and it was great to end such a great week with beautiful weather, and amazing children.

-Ahmed M. Hassan

Swimming in the Harbor

Last week on All Access, I finally started swimming on Spectacle Island. This isn't something I usually do but I tried it and David was surely right. Returning children such as kids from the East Boston YMCA usually ask me to go to the top of the island with them to fly kites and play with them, but they were upset when I told them I was going to swim. When they saw me swim one of my friends from the YMCA David asked his mentor to come in the water with me. This showed me a new part of my job which was that I could teach the kids about sea glass and then swim with them. As soon as we started swimming David got the rest of his friends to come in the water and we all had a blast. As the ferry docked waves coasted to the shore really fast. Waves are a lot of fun but also very painful. We told the kids to get out the water cause if you don't clash with the waves you're going to get hurt. Something I learned the hard way.

Kids from the East Boston YMCA really enjoyed the company of my fellow worker Beast and I. The days before we flew kites and it was a pleasure  helping the kids experience new ways to have fun on the island.

-Ahmed Hassan

Swimming on Spectacle...... yay!

This past week Save the Harbor Save the bay took a lot of groups each day (except Monday) to Spectacle island to learn and explore. It is also a really fun island that gives me and the kids a good experience while learning about the island. A great guy named David along with his workers (us) teach you and help you have fun, you the kids. When we went to the island this week we went swimming and it was so hot that I jumped right in with the kids and was playing with them, throwing them around, splashing them, and just having the times of our lives in the Harbor water. The water is really fun when the big waves wash up on us while we are in the water. Everyone loves it, especially the kids. While all this was happening I was teaching a little girl how to swim, I forgot her name, but she was having the time of her life. She was so happy and smiling. She wanted me to do it again and again. She was 5 years old. It made me smile just to see the kids have a good time while they were on Spectacle.

See you next time... THE BEAST ;D

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay Releases Beaches Report Card

 

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay issued its first annual "Water Quality Report Card" on the region's public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket on Wednesday morning at 9:00 - 1-:00 the Exchange Conference Center on Boston's Fish Pier.

To assess and compare the water quality conditions on each beach, the group looked at the percentage of tests exceeding the state swimming standard of 104 cfu/100ml of Enterococcus.

Overall Beach Safety from “Best to Worst”

Nantasket	100%
South Boston @ M Street	98.60%
South Boston @ City Point	98.60%
South Boston @ Carson (Bathhouse and I Street)	97.30%
South Boston @ Pleasure Bay	94.50%
Wollaston @ Rice Road	93.20%
Constitution Beach - East Boston	93.20%
Malibu Beach - Dorchester	91.70%
Savin Hill Beach - Dorchester	91.70%
Nahant Beach	88.50%
Wollaston @ Milton Road	87.70%
Wollaston @ Channing Street	87.70%
Revere Beach	87.50%
Wollaston@ Sachem Street	86.30%
Winthrop Beach	84.60%
Short Beach  - Revere	83.30%
Tenean Beach - Dorchester	79.50%
King’s Beach - Lynn	73.20%

"Some of the region's beaches, including Nantasket Beach in Hull and the South Boston beaches, are safe for swimming nearly every day and rank among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation" said Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's Bruce Berman.

"Many others are doing quite well.  However there continue to be pollution problems at some of the region's public beaches, including most of Wollaston Beach in Quincy, at Tenean Beach in Dorchester and at King's Beach in Lynn.  We need to address them all if we are to achieve the late Judge A. David Mazzone's often stated goal of beaches that are safe for swimming "Damn near every day!"

Last year Nantasket Beach in Hull was the "Gold Standard" for the metropolitan region's beaches, earning a 100% rating for beach safety. The South Boston Beaches came in a close second, averaging better than 98%. Tenean Beach in Dorchester and Kings Beach in Lynn each failed more than 20% of the tests performed in 2012.

The results were made public at the initial meeting of Save the Harbor's Beaches Science Advisory Committee, convened to conduct a systematic review of water quality and beach flagging accuracy on the region's public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.

"Our goal is to help turn the data into information that people can use to make decisions," said Dr. James Shine of the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard University, who co-chairs the science committee along with Dr. Judith Pederson, a coastal resource specialist at the MIT Sea Grant College Program. "As scientists, we are here to focus on the facts," said Dr. Pederson. "It is Save the Harbor's job as an advocacy organization to build a consensus on how to address the situation going forward."

Berman, who teaches marine science and management at Boston University, agrees. "The scientists and technical advisors play a critical role in increasing our understanding of the causes of these problems, and can help us evaluate proposed solutions. But at the end of the day, this isn't just about the science, it is about our shared values and the love we have for these beaches."

By all accounts, the Deer Island sewage treatment plant and the Mass Bay outfall pipe have dramatically improved the health of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay since they were completed in 2001. However, Berman noted that the first phases of the Boston Harbor Project were not intended to solve all of the problems that cause pollution on our region's public beaches. "The remaining problems need to be addressed on a "beach by beach" and "pipe by pipe" basis, as we did in South Boston with remarkable success" said Berman, "and that's exactly what we propose to do."

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay also asked the science committee for advice on ways to better protect the public’s health and access to clean water by improving the current beach flagging system. 

"Posting yesterdays test results on the beach is simply not a sensible way to let the pubic know if it is safe to swim today" said Berman. "Most of our beaches deserve a fairly high grade, but I would flunk the red flags."

Here is a link to Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's 2012 Beach Water Quality Report Card
for the Boston Harbor Region's public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.

Here is the data on which the report card was based, which was presented at
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's Beaches Science Advisory Committee meeting
at the Exchange Conference Center on Boston's Fish Pier on Wednesday, May 30 2012.

MWRA Presentation (Background and Water Quality Testing Methods)
EPA Presentation (Past and Future Water Quality Criteria)
EPA Presentation (Rapid Testing Methods)
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's Report (Beach Safety ad Flagging Accuracy)

Here is an Executive Summary of the results.
Here is the Data on which our report is based.
You can find a Press Release about the report here.

Here are two useful papers - on Antecedent Rain and
an analysis of posting based on the Previous Day's Results.

For insight into our values, view Save the Harbor's television commercial about beach flagging,
view our short video "Water Power" or visit our webpage at www.savetheharbor.org

If you have any questions, please contact Bruce Berman at
bruce@bostonharbor.com or by phone at 617-293-6243

SPECTACLE ISLAND :)

Today was the first day of All Access Boston Harbor this week. Also, as a new co-worker, Tim Grogan joined us on his very first day with Carolyn, which was her first day on All Access as well, who I both had the pleasure of meeting. We went to Spectacle Island and had lots fun. I won a hula hoop competition even though opponents were a couple of years younger than me. Hahahahaa :) David, Carolyn, and I went up the north drumlin to fly the rainbow-colored kites. That was quite a hike although we used the shortcut. We had a bit of a trouble getting the kites up there, but once they were up, they stayed up for a very long time. Before we boarded the Virginia C-II to leave, I quickly jumped into the salty water.... only to be grabbed by the foot by one of the kids we took out to the island! David and I flipped numerous kids into the ocean water. This day was very exciting and I can't wait to go on another trip out tomorrow! :D

Thi Mai Tran