Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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Joe P. received a response from the Florida representative that he contacted concerning the beach access issue. As I've said, I'm not going to play attorney and try to explain House Bill 631 or what I think it will or will not do. There is much confusion about the bill. |
| Figural Cologne Bottle Photo submitted by Scott B. |
Part of the confusion and problem comes from the fact that the bill, like most legislation, isn't easy for the average person to read and understand, and the articles that have appeared in the media are not totally accurate or clear. In fact I'm sure the articles are responsible for a large part of the concern and confusion. I'll give you an example of that later.
Here is the note Joe received from his representative.
Joe,
Thank you for your email. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents on the issues of importance to them.
I want to share with you a news story from Jacksonville that was posted last week. I believe it does an excellent job explaining what the bill actually does and does not do. Should you have any questions after reviewing it, please feel free to send them to me.
https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/leaders-clarify-how-new-law-will-affect-your-access-to-florida-beaches
Best,
Bill Hager
I hope you will read the entire article, but here is a brief excerpt from that article.
But after backlash online from people who are worried it will give owners the right to kick people off public beaches, local leaders are trying to set the record straight.
State Rep. Cord Byrd, whose district includes Duval and Nassau County coasts, told News4Jax on Thursday that it's complicated, but to simplify it, those who own property on the beach generally own the land up to the sand dunes, which are protected by the state and are off-limits.
Byrd said the wet sand in between the water and the dunes is public property, and beachgoers have a right to access it. He said the new law doesn't change that...
The public is speaking up and making it clear that they are concerned and do not want beach access to be restricted.The article is helpful in tone, but leaves much to be desired. I do not believe they really mean "wet sand." I would guess that what they really mean by that is the beach up to the mean high tide line. However, if the "wet sand" or "beach up to the mean high tide line" is all the public will have access to, that would indeed be a BIG reduction in the amount of beach that the public will have access to.
The third or last sentence in the excerpt above, I think would be more accurate if the word "wet" was omitted, so it would read, ..the sand in between the water and the dunes is public property, and beachgoers have a right to access it. It appears to me that the reporting has caused a lot of the confusion and turmoil.
Without telling you what I think the law will or won't do, or guess any more about what the article was trying to say, I'll just say that the public is making itself heard and at least some of the law makers have taken notice. And regardless of what the law will or won't do, it is good for citizens to let their representatives know their concerns. Joe's representative certainly responded more politely than some of the other representatives that I've heard about.
This isn't the kind of thing I like to write about. In fact I don't like to write about it, however I think it is necessary because of the importance of the issue and the confusion and concern surrounding it.
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Scott B. sent me the photo of his friend's cologne bottle at the top of the post. It still has a label on it, so he knows exactly what it is.
The locomotive bottle I found was only half the size of the cologne bottle, but could also be a scent bottle if it isn't a candy bottle. The small size would make me think perfume rather than cologne, and I have a found a lot of small perfume bottles in the area, but the locomotive would seem to me to be more likely for a male than female.
Thanks for the email and photo Scott.
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Here is an email I received from one reader concerning bottles and bottling plants.
I've enjoyed the mention of bottling companies in your blog over the past few days. It is a rich history-and a personal one for me.
My great-grandfather started a Coca Cola bottling company in Kissimmee in 1909 or so. Three generations operated the plant until it was sold to Orlando in 1970. It is a little hard to fathom now, but the bottles were recycled and refilled at the local plant until they wore out. My father has told me many stories about the process, since he worked at every station as a teenager!
This is something I find extremely interesting. It is easy to imagine Coca Cola bottles traversing the country in much the same way as a coin. My dad tells me that more than half the bottles were from another location at any given time-many from out-of-state-unless they were filling a bunch of recently delivered new Kissimmee bottles. The bottles traveled in cars or by other means until they were recycled at the local bottler for 2 cents. They were then cleaned, refilled with Coca Cola, sold and the travels started again. This is why it is not unusual to find a bottle far from where it originated.
Fascinating!
Russ P.
Thanks much Russ. I had no idea how many local versus out-of-area bottles would be processed at a plant. Glad to have that information.
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| Source: MagicSeaWeed.com. |
As you can see the surf will increase a bit tomorrow. Nothing real exciting, but it could be enough to move some sand in some areas.
The tides aren't big now.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
The tides aren't big now.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
