More Fire Island observations

Today is the fourth day of my extended vacation here on Fire Island. The pool at the Ice Palace felt refreshing yesterday against the heat and humidity that blanketed the beach, Monday night tea in the Pines was far more tolerable than on Saturday and a good friend arrived for a two day visit. One arguably odd observation of note, however, from the past weekend is the increased police presence in Cherry Grove for the Fire Island Blackout.

Thousands of LGBT people of color descend upon the beach for this annual beach party. Elaborate tents complete with table settings and even live fish (yes, it is true!) dot the Grove's beach. And the eye candy is admittedly amazing! One employee anecdotedly told me FIBO is among the best groups with which she works. The fact three Suffolk County Marine Bureau boats were docked on Saturday night, more than half a dozen SCMB officers patrolled the Grove's boardwalks--at a time many Fire Islanders continue to complain about the lack of law enforcement officials on the beach--and at least two businesses categorically banned bags from their establishments, however, left this blogger and reporter scratching his head a bit.

This observation is not meant to imply any of the businesses and SCMB officers in the Grove are racist in any way, shape or form. It is obviously necessary to have sufficient policing and other measures in place to ensure everyone on the beach enjoys themselves without incident. The above observations, however, are included merely to outline what this blogger and reporter saw over the past weekend... and readers can draw their own conclusions.