Editorial: A better beach

Posted 7/18/18

People who have lived in Barrington for more than a few years might remember what the town beach used to look like. 

There was a small concrete building at the bottom of Bay Road that was …

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Editorial: A better beach

Posted

People who have lived in Barrington for more than a few years might remember what the town beach used to look like. 

There was a small concrete building at the bottom of Bay Road that was supposed to serve as a bathhouse. It had a tiny storage area in the front and two restrooms to the rear. The paint on the walls and ceiling was chipped and the floor was speckled with puddles that often smelled just like urine. The faucets dripped, and the stall doors were bent, which made them difficult to lock. 

A bathroom emergency left most beach-goers debating whether it was easier, cleaner to wade out to the deeper water, than to risk an uncomfortable experience in the concrete building. 

But the town beach is better now. A lot better.

There is a handsome bathhouse that overlooks the beach. There is a shower tower with nozzles for spraying feet and heads. There is a small grassy field, and a new parking lot that is separated from the beach by blooms of dune grass and sturdy wooden guardrail.

There might be a few areas for potential improvements (we're thinking about a larger swimming area monitored by lifeguards and maybe a snack shack), but for the most part, Barrington Beach is great. 

Residents and non-residents owe a sincere thanks to some former town officials, who, despite a vocal opposition, saw a brighter future for the beach and decided to push through the noise and make Barrington just a little bit better. 

The sale of beach passes this year and last confirms that old movie phrase "If you build it, they will come" … just with a slightly different twist: "If you improve it, they will come." 

Last year, the town sold 2,135 beach passes — that's season passes and single-day passes.

This year, with more than a month of summer still to go, the town has already sold 2,333.

Congratulations!

It is no easy feat winning an All-Star baseball district championship. 

But this year, Barrington won three.

Congratulations to the Barrington Little League Majors 12U All-Stars and Majors 10U All-Stars, and Juniors All-Stars. On Sunday night, both Majors teams celebrated District II championships, and on Monday, the Juniors won the District II title.

Next up for the local teams are trips to their respective state tournaments.

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.