By Doug La Rocque
With temperatures just reaching the low 70’s and rain most of the day on Memorial Day, the number of beach goers was kept down as GLSP opened its beach for the 2017 summer season. [private]
Anticipation for a great year remains high, with the new restroom facilities open and a change in management of the snack counter. Construction of the new Nature Center is continuing and other improvements along the beach are planned. Park Supervisor Rob Hughes said the picnic facilities were nearly full Saturday and Sunday despite the cooler temperatures.
He also said the entrance way to the Park will being undergoing some improvements in the next few weeks, with conduit being laid and some sections of roadway re-paved. The park plans to have movies on the beach nights again this year, as those events proved to be very popular last year. And of course the old favorites such as the sand sculpture contest, the Run for the Roses, will be held again this year.
Cherry Plain State Park also opened for the season this past weekend. The park has undergone some major renovations in the past year. The NYS Office of Parks and Recreations has spent $600,000 to upgrade what had been a deteriorating beach and upgrade the comfort stations. For now, camping and the beach are only open on weekends, but plans are to resume daily operations in late June or early July. [/private]