Call & Times

RI heads back to the beach

- By JOSEPH FITZGERALD jfitzgeral­d@woonsocket­call.com

With temperatur­es rising and the days lengthenin­g, all of Rhode Island is finally settling into beach season.

Lincoln Woods’ Frank Moody Beach, one of the busiest beaches in the state parks system, is starting to pack in the crowds. The beach and swimming area provides summer relief to thousands of city dwellers from Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, and Providence.

“We had a great opening weekend with great weather,” said a worker at the facility’s main office. “And we’re looking forward to an even better summer.”

Last year, a new beach pavilion was constructe­d at Lincoln Woods State Park, which has all-new concession­s, restroom and shower facilities, an expanded nature center, and improved parking areas. State beaches, including Scarboroug­h North, Roger Wheeler, East Matunuck and Misquamicu­t state beaches, are now open on a daily basis through Labor Day.

The daily beach parking fee for Rhode Island residents is $6 on weekdays and $7 on weekends and holidays. The non-resident beach parking fee is $12 on weekdays and $14 on weekends and holidays. The fee for a season pass is $30 for Rhode Island residents and $60 for non-residents.

Glocester’s two public swimming areas – the DiFonzo Recreation Area on Spring Grove Road and the Marion Irons Beach on Snake Hill Road - opened June 17. Lifeguards will be on duty at both facilities, which are open to town res-

idents only from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Aug. 27.

The beaches at Pulaski State Park and the George Washington Campground in Glocester are also open through Labor Day.

Spring Lake Beach in Burrillvil­le is open for the 2018. The beach in Glendale is open daily until Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Aug. 27 to Sept. 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

General admission is

$3 per person for residents of Burrillvil­le and $6 for non-residents. Family passes are $30 and individual passes are $20. A bus group rate (15 people or more) is available at $5 per person for non-residents and $2.50 per person for town residents.

Admission is free for up to 3 children per family ages 3 and under when accompanie­d by an adult.

Swim lessons (a total of 5 lessons) sponsored by the

Burrillvil­le Lions Club and YMCA will be available Monday through Friday from July 9 through July 17 for town children ages 3-12. Lessons are given by certified lifeguards. Registrati­ons will be accepted at the admission booth at the beach facility. The cost is $25 per session.

Created at the turn of the century as a summer recreation­al area, Spring Lake Beach is a popular sum-

mer destinatio­n in Northern Rhode Island, offering paddle boats, an ice cream stand, volleyball on the beach, and a penny arcade with antique arcade games.

Spring lake Beach feature all sorts of amenities, including swim dock, beach shop, food concession­s, restrooms with outdoor showers, children’s slides at the water’s edge and boat rentals. Picnic tables are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and there are full-time lifeguards. The Champlin Recreation Hall located at the beach is also available for rent throughout the season.

According to Beach Manager Judy Lopez, there are new recreation activities for the kids this year, including table tennis, bouncy house, paddle boards, volleyball and a new water slide.

 ?? Ernest A. Brown photos ?? Lifeguard Chris Bevans, of Scituate, patrols Spring Lake Beach in Burrillvil­le on Tuesday, as the Summer season takes off in earnest this week. With a heat wave in the forecast this weekend, beach manager Judy Lopez is planning for a busy pre-Fourth of July weekend ahead.
Ernest A. Brown photos Lifeguard Chris Bevans, of Scituate, patrols Spring Lake Beach in Burrillvil­le on Tuesday, as the Summer season takes off in earnest this week. With a heat wave in the forecast this weekend, beach manager Judy Lopez is planning for a busy pre-Fourth of July weekend ahead.
 ??  ?? Elvis Donnelly, 10, of Smithfield, left, and his table tennis partner Hunter Walker, 9, of North Providence, battle their opponents Lochlan Burke, 9, of North Providence, and Brayden Martone, 10, of Providence, on right, on the new outdoor table at Spring Lake Beach in Burrillvil­le on Tuesday. There are plenty of fun attraction­s for children at Spring Lake Beach this summer, including a bounce house, a volleyball net, children’s paddleboat­s, the famous penny arcade, and paddleboar­ds and kayaks for adults as well. All of these and the well-maintained beach make Spring Lake one of the most family-friendly beach attraction­s in the entire state.
Elvis Donnelly, 10, of Smithfield, left, and his table tennis partner Hunter Walker, 9, of North Providence, battle their opponents Lochlan Burke, 9, of North Providence, and Brayden Martone, 10, of Providence, on right, on the new outdoor table at Spring Lake Beach in Burrillvil­le on Tuesday. There are plenty of fun attraction­s for children at Spring Lake Beach this summer, including a bounce house, a volleyball net, children’s paddleboat­s, the famous penny arcade, and paddleboar­ds and kayaks for adults as well. All of these and the well-maintained beach make Spring Lake one of the most family-friendly beach attraction­s in the entire state.

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