I never thought I would see the day when I would be charged $100 to sit on the beach, in the town where I have lived for 50 years, and enjoy a glass of wine [“Beach Fires: What You Can and Can’t Do On Local Beaches in Southampton and East Hampton Towns,” 27east.com, July 17]. Forget about also wanting to make a fire and have a nice waterside dinner with my family.
Whose dumb idea was this?
The message has been received loud and clear by local year-round residents of Southampton: “We don’t want you here, unless we need you. After that we don’t want you!”
I can understand not wanting crowds of nonresidents abusing our local beaches for free. But the local year-round people pay taxes, support local businesses, and work hard taking care of second-home owners and vacationers.
To be able to go down to the beach in the evening, after the daytime crowds leave, and enjoy the sunset and maybe have a glass of wine or a beer is one of the few pleasures left to us. It is one of the only reasons we stay.
Unbelievable. I hope this outrageous idea can be rethought.
Deborah Dubrow
North Sea
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