COOLING OFF
Spring Lake Beach is a hit on a hot first day of summer
BURRILLVILLE – It’s summertime and the living was easy at Spring Lake Beach where beachgoers Saturday set aside their fear of viruses and hit the sand for some good old fashion fun in the sun on what was the first day of astronomical summer.
The Summer Solstice is when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun — and there was plenty of sun at Spring Lake Beach in Glendale where sunbathers began arriving just after 10 o’clock in the morning to get a head start on a toasty summer day that saw temperatures eclipse the 90-degree mark by noon.
Created at the turn of the century as a summer recreational area, Spring Lake Beach is a popular destination in Northern Rhode Island, offering paddle boats, an ice cream stand, volleyball on the beach, and a penny arcade.
“You couldn’t ask for a better day,” said Michael Tuirok, who fumbled with his face mask as he carried beach chairs and blankets to the front gate with his girlfriend, Rose Lynch, and son, Ayden, 8, in tow.
Tuirok of Cumberland said he wasn’t too concerned about the spread of the virus.
“I think Rhode Island has done a good job reopening things and people by now are generally aware of social distancing guidelines so being here with all of these other people doesn’t worry us at all,” he said.
Tuirok wasn’t the only one feeling that way. By noon, two of the facility’s three parking lots were nearly full.
“People are coming. On Friday, it was crazy busy,” said Owen Hall, a summer staff member and gate attendant.