POLL: Do You Like Long Branch Council's Decision To Extend Beach, Lifeguard Hours
Hours will be extended on Fourth of July and weekends
Last week, the Long Branch Council passed ordinances that will allow lifeguards to patrol beaches longer and also allow the city to charge for beach badges for a longer period of time.
Lifeguards are now allowed to stay on duty until 7 p.m. on Friday Saturday, Sunday and major holidays such as the Fourth of July at city-owned beaches at the street ends of Morris Avenue and Chelsea Avenue and also on the beach near the Great Lawn.
The new ordinance also extends the hours the city can charge for beach badges from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and major holidays.
The ordinances were drafted for safety purposes after a 17-year-old boy drowned in the ocean in Long Branch on Memorial Day weekend.
Take our poll to let us know what you think of the ordinaces and please voice your opinion in the comments.
Carol
1:57 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
Best idea ever ! With the heat being as bad as it has been, more people are heading to the beach after work to cool off & need after hour lifeguard protection. The price of admission is a small price to pay for saving a life. Being a lifeguard is not the glamorous one most people think it is. Sitting in the hot sun for hours on end & not to mention they put thier lives on the line every time someone is in trouble. Hat's off to all of them!
joe
6:57 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
A waste of manpower and an excuse for the city to make more money. What happens after 7:00 pm? You think no one is going to go swimming? You can't protect the beaches at all times.
Mary Lynn Noonan-Toschi
12:32 pm on Tuesday, July 3, 2012
YES, this decision was in the best interest of public safety. No, you can not protect everyone from everything but most of the serious events here and on other beaches has involved day visitors who are unfamiliar with the waters. By 7:00 most of the day visitors are gone or soon to be on their way. Some day visitors didn't get the "hint" to get off the beach because they spent a lot of time, money and energy to get to the beach and wanted to enjoy their day as much as possible. Seven o'clock is a reasonable expectation for public safety.