C’MON IN, THE WATER’S … UHH … WELL THE HEALTH DEPT SAYS IT’S FINE AGAIN
By Dave Wielenga
Beach weather continued its unseasonal stay in Long Beach today, and you know the old saying: Last one in the water is a rotten egg!
But what about the first one in the water? What is he—or she—only three days after local beaches were closed by the arrival of 50,000 gallons of raw sewage, which glurped down the Los Angeles River from Burbank and spread into local waters?
Long Beach’s City Health Officer, Dr. Helene Calvet, gave the all-clear early this afternoon, but the press release didn’t exactly sound like a tourist brochure. It stated that “bacteria levels in potentially affected local waters are within acceptable limits.”
Maybe that’s just the unemotional vocabulary of science, but the beach is an emotionally stirring place, and all this talk of rotten eggs and raw sewage and bacterial levels makes me wish that summer weather would go back where it’s supposed to be, and lead me not into temptation … that is, anywhere near the shoreline.
3 Comments
Long Beach, the self proclaimed AQUATIC capital of the United States. Never mind that you will break out in a rash or worse by touching the water.
Claiming to be the AQUATIC capital of a toilet is amost as bad as claiming to be the most BICYCLE FRIENDLY city in the US, and then going out and impounding bicycles licensed in other cities but not licensed in Long Beach.
What’s the next City Council proclaimed moniker we can look forward to? After all, Heal the Bay already rates Long Beach as having the worst beaches on the West Coast. Maybe it will be violent crime capital of California?
I love this weather.
Mike. To be fair..the beaches in long beach that rate as the worst in the state are all in Alamitos Bay and not the ocean side. Not that this is a good thing but the conditions on the peninsula, in particular the eat end have improved a lot. the wildlife mix is the best i’ve seen in 50 years. there’s a long way to go but credit due is credit due.