Friday, June 30, 2006

It's Like Radio You Can See


And now the news ... er, nudes. WTAN radio hosts Sabrina Vizzari and Pete Williams broadcast their show, 'The Fitness Buffs,' in the buff and by the poolside at Paradise Lakes, a nudist resort.

FRED BELLET / Tribune

By GEOFF FOX The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 7, 2006

Editors might think it would be a great place to send our people."

On a recent Friday, call-in guests included fitness author Shawn Phillips, who is said to have "the world's best abs," and Michael Weiss, director of the Pier 60 5K Beach Series in Clearwater. Pankow was the "in-studio" guest, although the show was broadcast outdoors.

As the program began, resort members passed the earphone-wearing trio, who were set up at a table near the entrance of a bar.

Around them, people played nude water volleyball, while others lazed in lounge chairs.

Beneath a canopy, a body painter plied his trade.

Between segments with Phillips, Vizzari, a self-described professional nudist who has worked at nearby Lake Como Family Nudist Resort and the Caliente Resort, thanked her mother for instilling the virtues of healthy eating.

"There were no chips in the home, no soft drinks," she said. "I'm 33, and I often get mistaken for being 25. I eat all kinds of food, but it's all real food - fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese. I don't skimp on anything, but I don't eat any processed foods."

Before the show, Williams, a chiseled 170 pounds, said he puts his energy where his words are. He said he closely follows the diet and exercise regimens featured in "Core Essentials."

"The Fitness Buff," which first aired in October, also has featured discussions on nudism and skin cancer awareness, among other subjects.

Dave Wagenvoord, who owns WTAN and WZHR with his wife, Lola, said he works out every day and was immediately interested when Williams pitched the show.

"He was almost hesitant to tell us the sponsor was a [nudist resort], but we thought that was fine, and it's working great for everybody," he said.

"Pete's a natural on the radio. The show's very well-done, just excellent."

Williams, whose wife is a nudist, said he wants to expand the show to two hours and possibly more than once a week.

On the air, Vizzari, whose husband also is friends with the Williamses, talked about women overcoming their fear of strength training. Although she lifts weights, Vizzari said she does lots of repetitions with lighter weights.

She is built more like tennis great Chris Evert than Hulk Hogan.

During a break, a woman with a painted torso asked Vizzari if she and Pankow are sisters.

They aren't.

In a room off the bar, a group of men shot pool.

Near the broadcast table, a couple eased into a hot tub while "Sweet Caroline" played in the background.

It was just another day in the sun.

Williams pressed a button, and they were back on the air.

Just How Far is 500 Meters?


Nudes’ brush with the law
devon.editorial@archant.co.uk
29 June 2006
NUDISTS on Budleigh Salterton beach were moved along by the long arm of the law - after complaints were made that they had stripped off in the wrong area.

The police were called to Budleigh's nudist beach, left of Steamer's Steps, after a member of the public telephoned to say nudist bathers had shed their clothes outside the designated area. A sign at the foot of the steps says bathers must not strip off until 500 metres away.

PC Mick Jordan, who moved the nudists along, said there was a recurring problem on the beach with people taking their clothes off in the wrong area because many nude bathers were confused by the measurements set out on the signs.

Exmouth police also confirmed reports had been received of indecent exposure taking place on Budleigh and Exmouth beaches.

A nude bather from Exeter, who was moved along by PC Jordan, and who did not want to be named, said she first became aware of a police presence at Budleigh when bathers towards Steamer Steps started to stand up and put on their clothes.

The nude bather said: "People were really angry that a complaint had been made. All we were doing was sitting there sunbathing. We were not hurting anyone. Some of us have been coming here for years and have never had any trouble before.

"People have been sunbathing naked on Budleigh beach since the 1800s.

"We were all sitting 500 metres after the sign. One of the other nudists has even measured the sign and found that it was 650 metres away."

PC Mick Jordan said: "When I went along, there were several people within the family bathing area so I moved them along.

Source: http://www.exmouthherald.co.uk/exmouthherald/news/story.aspx?brand=EXHOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsexh&itemid=DEED29%20Jun%202006%2011%3A58%3A47%3A423

Bare in North Carolina

Nudist resort offers secluded location to unwind

By Chris Mudarri
Star-News Correspondent

Ocean Isle Beach | "We're really kind of boring people," Carol Love says, munching on a sandwich. Carol isn't wearing any clothes.

The location is Brunswick County's Whispering Pines nudist resort, where a horse pasture and tent and trailer sites are encircled by trees. International Paper owns most of the surrounding woods, except for the nudist subdivision next door, making Whispering Pines protected and private.

"There are people in Shallotte, born and raised, who never knew we existed," Carol says.

Safety is a big issue for Carol and Jerry Love, owners and managers of Whispering Pines. They're careful about the people admitted to Whispering Pines.

"We screen people ... make sure they're the right kind of people," she said.

"It's about freedom from clothes if you don't like to wear clothes in the hot weather, and that's all it is.... If you have to look around, there's no relaxation in that. It's just creating stress," she said.

"Most people think you take your clothes off and automatically are going to have sex," she said, "but that's not it. It has nothing to do with that at all."

Whispering Pines is a family resort, Carol said.

"Our preacher is a Baptist preacher," she said, and the resort even had a Christian nudist conference for several years running.

In the summer, resort goers organize their own activities. They have cookouts - even bring guitars and put together bluegrass jams.

Sunbathing by the pool is very popular. "Most nudists want to tan," Carol said.

As with many vacation spots, winter traffic is fairly slow, so Carol and Jerry organize bonfires and oyster roasts for their guests.

The facilities include a hot tub for cooler days, and the pool can be heated as well.

"When (guests) take their clothes off at the gate, they leave their troubles outside," Carol said. "We have salesmen who come in for a couple of hours during the day to get away from the phones."

A year's membership at Whispering Pines costs $200. Day passes cost $15 per couple, and accommodations run from $10 to $15 per day for tent or camper sites to $80 per day for rental units.

"Some people live here every single weekend," Carol said, "and spend their vacations here."

The Loves lived in Columbia, S.C., before moving to Ocean Isle Beach. Jerry was a paint contractor, and Carol accounts receivable. They became members of Whispering Pines in 1990. When the owner made it known he was selling, the couple took the opportunity to purchase the resort. They have been there for 13 years now, with Carol taking care of the yard work and Jerry maintaining the buildings.

A few years ago, Carol started taking in "rescue" dogs. There's plenty of room on the spacious property for all 11 of her adopted pups, plus one that belongs to their daughter. She also has three horses, a "rescue" pig named Peggy Sue, two cats and six birds - a cockatoo, a ring-necked parakeet, a sun conure, a cherry-headed conure and two Amazon parrots.

In addition to that, she cares for the ducks and turtles that make their home in the pond by the resort's community building.

Whispering Pines family nudist resort was established in 1974.

Then it was called the Apollo Sun Club. Later, the name was changed to Coastal Pines. It became Whispering Pines in 1989.

"We get new people constantly, trying it for the first time, and a majority, after the first 10 minutes, they're stuck," said Carol. "They don't want to go back home and put their clothes on."

Bare in the Garden State


Uncovering an unexpected hideaway

Rock Lodge nudist camp opens its doors to the public

Eileen Stanbridge – West Milford Messenger

June 20, 2006

Stockholm, NJ — The beautiful lakes and mountains of northern New Jersey have drawn people to the lake communities in the area from as far back as early in the last century.

Over the years, Rock Lodge in Stockholm has been many things. In the 1920s, it was a training camp for boxers. In the early 1930s, it was a health farm. Later, during the Depression, Herman Shoshinsky leased the property as the proprietor of the American Gymnosphical Association, which was the euphemism of the day for a nudist camp.

It has remained so to this day, known since 1942 as the Rock Lodge Nudist Club and now as a cooperative with a large membership.

Until recently, it had kept a low profile. Three years ago, it declined a request by this newspaper to do a feature story about it. But that is changing, and the clearest sign is an open house the club held last Saturday to introduce itself to those who want to know more.

“We are basically like any other lake community, except I would say that we are more socially diverse,” said Howard Lentner, the lodge’s public relations director.

Rock Lodge consists of 145 acres and contains a spring fed lake in the mountains more than 1,000 feet above sea level. There, members can enjoy hot summers in the cool mountain air. Privately owned cabins and houses dot the lake shore and accommodations for weekend and longer stays are also available in rental rooms or cabins.

“Members can enjoy the grounds by playing tennis, volleyball, swimming, hiking, boating and just plain lounging,” said Lentner.

Members of the nudist club are definitely aware that the outside world may view them as a little strange. Many declined to be photographed or interviewed for this story, preferring to enjoy their privacy. Others had no reservations about being depicted au naturel.

“I’m sure that more than a few people have the view that because we walk around naked that there is some kind of sexual aspect to it, but I can assure you that we as a community have as little tolerance for bad behavior as any other community in the area,” said Lentner. “In fact, as a female friend once said to me, it’s difficult to be provocative when you are not wearing any clothing.”

Rock Lodge advertises itself as a family-oriented club and has members ranging from 90 years old to infants. The activities at the colony are much the same as you would expect to find at any other lake community, the only difference being that, weather permitting, everyone is naked.

“We are nudists, but we are not exhibitionists,” said Sandy Kennedy, who has been visiting Rock Lodge from New York City since 1992. “This is a beautiful place, and being naked feels good when there is nothing to be ashamed of. This is a safe place for anyone,” he added.

Rock Lodge is open from May 1- Oct. 31 and throughout the season offers a number of activities including talent shows, lake activities, dances, barbecues, bring-a-dish parties, and arts and crafts shows.

“I was recently appointed as the public relations person and I thought that it would be nice to let people know that we are here and that we do welcome day visitors and often refer them to local hotels in the area,” said Lentner. “We are very much a family club represented by several generations and we also welcome single men and women.”

For more information call 973-697-9721 or go to www.rocklodge.com

Source: http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2006/06/20/west_milford_messenger/news/3.txt

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Experience Changes Writer's Perceptions Regarding Naturists

No clothes required at car show
Nudists gather at Turtle Lake annual event


Erin Schultz – The Hub

June 14, 2006

Nudity is pretty fair game at car shows in Michigan, this time of year.

I think back a decade or so ago to one in St. Ignace, when my high school boyfriend and I walked for miles, soaking up the sights of beautifully restored old Model Ts, Camaros, Mustangs and GTOs, dumping water and oil on the roads to help perpetrate the constant squealing of tires and encouraging the ladies in the cruising convertibles to show some skin, which they were always more than happy to do.

But that juvenile, "Girls Gone Wild" sort of atmosphere is a completely different world from the one I experienced at this year's annual car show at Turtle Lake, Michigan's largest nudist resort. There was no cruising, no engines roaring, no squealing tires. Just 50 cars parked on a grass field, oldies playing in the background and people sitting on lawn chairs, some fully nude, others partially covered and a few fully clothed. This wasn't the flashy exhibitionism of car-shows-gone-by, and at this place, no one needed any encouragement to let it all hang out.

No one, except maybe me.

First Impressions

"Clothing optional" is the rule at Turtle Lake, so I opted for clothing. Most others did not. When my car-aficionado friend and I pulled in at around 11 a.m. on that chilly morning, several people were already nude. That's how it is when you enter the pearly gates of a naturist community.

"Check your problems and your cell phones at the door," said Ron Cotton, Jonesville resident and owner of a souped-up 1970 Chevy Nova. "This is heaven. We don't judge each other. We're one big happy family."

Like several other participants, Cotton's been coming to the car show for years and feels perfectly comfortable. As my friend and I walked around, taking inventory of some gorgeous cars -- like a '70s Lincoln Mark IV, a rare 1930s Hudson, a recent BMW, a 1975 Corvette Stingray and a stunning restoration of a 1926 Model T -- people started coming out of the woodwork, unabashedly naked as the day they were born, walking towards us and the display of cars. It was a little unnerving. For a while, all I could hear in my head was Chet talking to Wyatt in "Weird Science": "For C-----'s sake, would you cover yourself?" And I had this powerful, morbid urge to "glance down," even if it was the last thing I'd ever want to do out in the real world. I fought it off successfully, for the most part. But it's a strange phenomenon that never goes away, even for the most adamant nudists.

Bare it all?

"Being a nudist is somewhere between voyeurism, exhibitionism, and just pure enjoyment," said Dennis Wray, car show participant. "It has nothing to do with feeling free."

Wray drove up to Turtle Lake from Akron, Ohio, to showcase his fully-restored 1947 Crosley, a rare but very cute line of early fuel-efficient vehicles, similar to the Volkswagen Bug. I met Wray while waiting for the lunch I'd ordered from a little restaurant in the resort's clubhouse. Ironically, he commented on my shirt. I was wearing a trendy little red baby-doll T-shirt I'd purchased a few years ago.

"Festival of Roses?" he asked. "Where's that?"

"Ventura, California," I answered.

I was amused by this bit. I thought - "Wow. A nudist commenting on my shirt. My clothing is a conversation piece -- an icebreaker between two strangers. Yet another reason why we like to cover ourselves. Oh, the hypocrisy."

Wray was fully clothed at the time too, but he reassured me, good-naturedly, that soon I'd get to experience "the full monty."

The full tour


During a tour of the whole facility with general manager Mark Hammond, I saw a game of volleyball, a woman cutting weeds in her yard, swimming in the indoor pool facility, people hanging out on a porch and golfcart racing - all done in the nude. Returning to the car show, I saw Dennis Wray and his wife had stripped down. I was still fully clothed feeling mighty uncomfortable on Planet Turtle Lake.

"It's not for everybody," said Hammond. "But we never do anything we have to apologize for. It's a relaxed way of life."

Hammond's been at Turtle Lake since 1988 and recently became a part-owner. He's a firm believer in the nudist way of life. His kids grew up at Turtle Lake. The surrounding farmers and exurbanites love the resort.

"The lake association wants us to keep it nudist," he said. "We bring in huge revenue to the county, and nudists don't have problems with the law."

It's true -- naked people have nothing to hide and make good neighbors. Some people at Turtle Lake live there year-round. Others stay seasonally, some are weekend campers, and some come just for the day. Hammond does an extensive criminal and financial background check on anyone who wants to buy property on the resort. He said he's had to throw out a few men with the wrong intentions.

"Some guys want to look at every woman sexually," he said. "That's not what we're about here. It's about the aesthetic of being nude -- the freedom of it."

The naked truth

Everyone was naked by the time I got back to the car show, and I wasn't freaked out anymore. But I wasn't ready to fully participate. Maybe if the day had stayed warm, if the show had gone on for another couple hours, if I'd consumed another six-pack of Budweiser (the official beer of nude classic car shows), I would've become a bonafide nudist, frolicking in the sunshine and kicking some nude butt on the volleyball court, not worrying about a thing. But it didn't happen that way and it was back to the real world of tight-lipped human social interaction.

Turtle Lake changed my whole perception of that world
. At the Sunoco station a few miles down the road, on that warm spring day, I couldn't believe so many people felt the need to wear so many clothes.

"I don't like to wear clothes anyway," said Linda Smith, Jonesville resident and owner of two classic Corvettes. "So it's no big deal. It's de-dress and de-stress."

Source: http://hub.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060614/NOISE06/606140321/1104/HUB

Is Nude Rude? Is that the Wight Question?


NAKED BATHERS PROMPT BLUSHES AT WINDY CORNER

By Gavin Foster – County Press

June 16, 2006

ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND -- Nude is proving rude on an Island beach and naked bathers may be asked to cover up or move away.

Windy Corner at Niton Undercliff has long been a haven for naturists but after a complaint from a man who said his family found naked bathers intimidating, beach owners the National Trust may discourage nudity.

Although it has no legal right to insist bathers are fully clothed, the trust may ask naked bathers to move away from its shores.

Gunville man Lee Bishop said he had found the presence of naked bathers during a visit to the beach to the right of Windy Corner car park intimidating to him and his family, including his four-year-old daughter.

National Trust property manager Tony Tutton said he was not aware of any proliferation of nude bathing nor any particular problem involving NT shores.

"We will instruct our wardens to keep an eye out. We have no powers to make them move or put on clothes but we may point out to them that naturism is not to everyone's taste," he said.

Mr Bishop, 30, had no objection to naturism but thought it should be practised in designated areas.

"One person came and sat right behind us while we were playing in the sea," he said.

"It was well away from the traditional areas used by naturists. There was also someone at the bottom of the footpath leading from the car park."

Source: http://www.iwcp.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1252&ArticleID=1569894

When You Bare, Take Care


Sunscreens faulted on cancer protection

By LINDA A. JOHNSON,
Associated Press Writer
Fri Jun 16, 2:31 AM ET


Think slathering on the highest-number sunscreen at the beach or pool
will spare you skin cancer and premature wrinkles? Probably not, if
you're in the sun a lot. That's because you don't need a sunburn to
suffer the effects that can cause various types of skin cancer.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sunscreens generally do a good job filtering out the ultraviolet rays
that cause sunburn ? UVB rays. But with sunburn protection, many
people get a false sense of security that keeps them under the harsh
sun much longer. That adds to the risk of eventual skin cancer ? both
deadly melanoma and the more common and less-threatening basal and
squamous cell cancers.

And most sunscreens don't defend nearly as well against the UVA rays
that penetrate deep into the skin and are more likely to cause skin
cancer and wrinkles. That's true even for some products labeled
"broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection."

Experts say the best protection against UVA is a sunscreen that
includes zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzone. Consumers should
also look for those that are water-resistant and have an SPF of 30 or
better, indicating strong protection against UVB rays, and apply
liberally and often.

More important, limit time in the sun, particularly from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m., and cover up, including wearing a hat and sunglasses.

Often, product labels are confusing or bear misleading claims. For
example, the SPF, or sun protection factor, refers only to defense
against the less harmful UVB rays.

"I don't think people understand they're only getting protection from
part of the spectrum," said Dr. Sandra Read, a spokeswoman for the
American Academy of Dermatology. "You're accumulating this damage and
you don't know it."

Many sunscreens say little about when to reapply ? doctors say at
least every two hours and after swimming or sweating. Nor do they say
much about how much to use, roughly two tablespoons for an adult.

"Most people who use an SPF 15 get the protection equivalent to an SPF
5 because they put it on" too thinly, said Dr. Martin A. Weinstock,
chairman of the American Cancer Society's skin cancer advisory
group and a Brown University professor.

While a higher SPF number means more protection, the difference is
small: SPF 15 blocks about 93 percent of UVB rays and SPF 50, often
more expensive, blocks about 98 percent.

Most sunscreens work by reacting chemically with the skin, so they
don't start absorbing damaging rays right away and must be applied a
half-hour before going outside, something many labels fail to note.

And claims such as "waterproof" and "sunblock" are unsupported,
according to the Food and Drug Administration, which years ago
proposed replacing them with the more-accurate terms "water resistant"
and "sunscreen." Manufacturers, including Neutrogena Suncare maker
Johnson & Johnson and Coppertone maker Schering-Plough Corp., say they
haven't complied because the FDA still hasn't imposed those rules ? a
delay that's spawned consumer lawsuits and pressure on the FDA from
Congress and the American Cancer Society.

Still, doctors say people shouldn't abandon sunscreen: They probably
should use more.

"Sunscreens do protect against skin cancer," said Dr. Babar Rao, a
dermatologist at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. "We
definitely still need sunscreen, even on a cloudy day."

Research has shown heavy sunscreen use lowers risk of squamous skin
cell cancer, which has a high cure rate if caught early. Another study
found heavy sunscreen use in children reduces the number of moles,
which can turn cancerous later, Weinstock noted.

In 1999, the FDA announced tougher rules for sunscreen testing and
label and ad claims, to take effect in 2001. But the agency put them
on hold indefinitely to do more tests, said Dr. Matthew Holman, senior
scientist at the FDA's drug evaluation center.

Last fall, Congress ordered the FDA to produce the new regulations
within six months through a provision added by Sen. Chris Dodd,
D-Conn., in the FDA appropriations bill.

"Twenty years is long enough for the FDA to ensure that all Americans
have equal access to clear, accurate and comprehensive sunscreen
labeling as their first line of defense against skin cancer," Dodd
said, referring to how long the agency has worked on new rules.

Holman said proposed rules could be announced this summer, but then
there will be lengthy hearings and revisions. "All we can say is
really years" until they take effect, he said.

This spring, a San Diego-based law firm got pending lawsuits against
makers of the top sunscreens ? Coppertone, Neutrogena, Playtex
Products' Banana Boat, Tanning Research Laboratories' Hawaiian Tropic
and Chattem Inc.'s Bullfrog ? consolidated into one case in Los Angeles.

Lead lawyer Samuel Rudman, who has called the makers "Fortune 500
snake oil salesmen," said manufacturers are fraudulent in their label
claims.

"Our lawsuit doesn't say, 'Don't use sunscreen.' It says, 'Tell the
truth.' If people knew, they would still use it," Rudman said.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 10 California residents, also seeks
damages for unspecified injuries and other restitution.

The manufacturers either declined to discuss the lawsuit or said it is
without merit.

Despite public education campaigns about avoiding sun exposure and
tanning salons, skin cancer incidence is climbing. There will be about
62,000 melanoma cases and 7,900 deaths this year, the American Cancer
Society estimates. There are more than 1 million annual cases of
squamous and basal skin cancers, and about 2,800 deaths.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

NOT a Nudist--Just a Loon

Michigan man runs naked in marriage proposal gone wrong; shot at by neighbour

Canoe Network

June 15, 2006

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - A marriage-minded man ran naked through his neighbourhood, trying to show his hesitant girlfriend that taking risks is important.

He got more than he bargained for when he ended up being chased and shot at.

The couple were discussing marriage early Wednesday when the woman said she was not sure if she was ready, according to Ann Arbor police reports.

After running naked across the street, the man ducked into some bushes when he spotted a couple walking.

A 28-year-old man spotted the bushes rustling and bare feet underneath, and drew his .40-calibre handgun, and ordered the naked man to come out, according to police.

The naked suitor ran away, but the armed man gave chase and eventually fired a shot, police said. The naked man fell to the ground, suffering minor injuries.

Police arrested the gunman on charges of aggravated assault and carrying a concealed weapon. The naked man was not arrested.

Source: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2006/06/15/pf-1634711.html

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Bare Beach in Ontario Disputed


Pearce Park disrobed

Naked sunbathers using local beach

Jeff Kempenaar – The Chronicle

June 8, 2006

ONTARIO, CANADA -- People are getting naked in John E. Pearce Provincial Park despite nudity not being allowed.

Unknown to people who maintain it the park south of Wallacetown has been used by nudists for possibly a decade, said a naturist organization spokesperson, but nudity in a public park is against the law.

“It’s not a clothing optional beach,” said Keith Early, the park’s superintendent with Ontario Parks.

He was not aware the park was being promoted for naked sunbathing on a Federation of Canadian Naturists web site where the beach was listed as clothing-optional.

While the park superintendent said it’s not allowed, Stéphane Duschênes, President of the Federation of Canadian Naturists said no one ever gets charged for being nude in public in Canada but rather people get charged for trespassing.

Court challenges listed on the federation’s web site explain court cases where charges were dropped after the nudist was found not being indecent or obscene.

“No one has just walked out on a beach, slipped out of their clothes and demanded the right to be naked,” said Duschênes.

Duschênes said about 2.7 million Canadians said they would or have gone to a nude beach in a 1999 survey.
Last Wednesday afternoon, The Chronicle found a couple using the small Pearce Park beach. The man was naked.

“Why would you wear a bathing suit?” asked Stéphane Duschênes President of the Federation of Canadian Naturists. “Does it keep you dry? Does it keep you warm? It’s no kind of protection from sand. I can look at anyone and know what they look like under their clothes.”

The secluded beach became listed once at least three people recommended it through the FCN.

Direction on the FCN web site instruct visitors to, “go down the cliff and walk northeast for about 0.8 kilometres. Sunbathers can use the patches of sand and pebbles to lie on.”

The site lists the beach as being located at John E. Pearce Provincial Park and last Wednesday a naked sunbather was found on the beach below the bluffs in the park.

However, directions actually lead to a beach owned by the Littlejohn family who have a farm adjacent to the park.

“I was surprised to hear about the listing,” said Littlejohn, who heard about it four years ago.

Don Littlejohn said it is difficult to get down to the water front, but the area where nude sunbathers set up camp is hidden between bluffs.

He said he hasn’t had a problem with anyone accessing the private beach.

“If I want to walk down my beach, I’m going to walk down my beach. If it makes them uncomfortable, they can leave,” he said, adding he has never asked nudist to leave but he said any day of the week they are there.

Littlejohn thinks nudists have been using the beach for at least the last four years without asking.

“We’re not proud that the beach is promoted this way but it hasn’t been a problem,” he said.

Littlejohn said he hopes the beach doesn’t become a hot spot for nakedness.

“It’s not a lifestyle I choose to live,” he said.

“That’s news to me,” said Leta West of the Tyrconnell Heritage Society that maintains the park.

“I’ll have to get to the bare facts on this,” said West who was going to contact Ontario Parks to look into the matter.

“It’s on of those things along the beaches in Canada I guess,” said West.

Duschênes hopes the disrobing of John E. Pearce Park doesn’t result in people visiting the beach to get angry.

“People will make a point of going to see naked people and complain loudly,” he said. “It’s a remote beach that has probably been used for at least a decade.”

Irrational societal brainwashing leads people to judge others for being naked in public, said Duschênes and the federation works to promote self respect and respect for nature.

“Psychological studies have found people free of the pressure of body shape are more confident persons,” said Duschênes.

There are a handful of official nude beaches in Canada, the biggest in Vancouver where on a hot day, 15,000 people could be reveling in the nude.

There are two naturist clubs in the area, the Forest City Family Naturists and SunnyGlades Park in Bothwell.
Source: http://thechronicle-online.com/story.php?id=234927

"Bare"-Knuckled Naturist Competition in Florida


Nudist resorts taking off the gloves in fight for customers

Phil Davis, Canadian Press

Published: Tuesday, June 13, 2006

LAND O' LAKES, Fla. (AP) - The photo of the attractive brunette is strategically cropped but the ad makes it clear she's wearing nothing but a smile. The pitch is also clear, she swims nude at Paradise Lakes Resort and so can you.

Lake Como, Paradise's across-the-lake neighbour, promises a more rustic family-style retreat, including naked camping and karaoke on its 85-hectare grounds.

Just up the road, brash newcomer Caliente Resort and Spa entices nudists with conspicuous consumerism - flashy facilities, lavish homes and a medical spa featuring laser hair removal.

Three of Pasco County's six nudist resorts are taking off the gloves and everything else as they attempt to attract more of the worldwide clothing-optional market, which has tripled in size since 1992.

"Pasco is becoming the Mecca of North American nudism," said Richard Mason, an activist who helped open a stretch of Miami-Dade County's Haulover Beach to nudists in 1991.

"A lot of people think nudists live in a colony like hippies. Then you see a place like Caliente. It's like a country club."

Pasco's nudist tussle began in the late 1990s when Paradise manager Chuck Foster broke away and began planning the 49-hectare Caliente facility. Over the years, he's brought over several Paradise employees, most recently Deb Bowen, who is now Caliente's marketing director.

"They took the best of our ideas," said Joe Lettelleir, president of the 29-hectare Paradise Lakes resort. "They didn't create their own identity. The bottom line is there were some growing pains. We certainly wish them well."

Modesty is not a nudist's strong point. That's certainly true at Caliente.

The resort's $300-US-a-night, Mediterranean-themed waterfront villas and expansive pools, featuring waterfall grottoes, have knocked Paradise Lakes from the pinnacle of the nudist resort pyramid.

Now Caliente is circulating plans to add an RV section that could threaten some of the smaller resorts that cater to motoring nudists.

"There is nothing like this in the nudist world," Bowen said of the resort.

"I felt we could do it better, which, obviously, we have," Foster said. "Como is rustic. Paradise is Motel 6. This is the Ritz Carlton."

Doug and Adele Butler, a Virginia couple looking to settle into early retirement, chose Caliente over a nudist resort in Palm Springs, Calif.

"We love the freedom of being nude. And look at our view," said Adele Butler, pointing to the lily-covered lakes behind her $500,000 Caliente home. "We come home to a resort."

But Caliente left Illinois retirees Denny and Arlene Reed a little cold.

"We had considered it, but Lake Como seemed more friendly to us," said 63-year-old Denny Reed, sitting poolside wearing only a baseball cap and a deep tan. "Competition is a good thing. They all look at each other and learn. Each one offers a different experience."

Cheri Alexander, founder of the Travelites nudist club in South Carolina, said the larger resorts such as Paradise and Caliente tend to capture most of the attention of the American Association of Nude Recreation.

"I don't think the mom-pop operations are being pushed out, but I think marketing is being focused on the larger clubs instead of the smaller ones like Lake Como," Alexander said. "I sometimes have to remind the powers-that-be in our organization to remember the mom and pops."

The American Association of Nude Recreation estimates nudists pump about $400 million into the global tourism economy, up from $120 million in 1992. The association says its ranks have grown 75 per cent to 50,000 members in that time. Nudists can chose from 270 clubs, resorts and campgrounds in the United States.

And a lot of that business comes to Pasco County, where the six resorts are concentrated along a 10-kilometre stretch of U.S. 41 in Land O' Lakes, about 32 kilometres north of Tampa.

County officials say it impossible to put a tax value on the dozens of condos, homes and hundreds of hectares of land owned by nudists.

"They're good neighbours," Pasco County Commissioner Pat Mulieri said. "They provide a wide tax base. It's great. We get people from all over the world."

Nudist resorts brought in a sizeable chunk of the $807,000 in tourist tax revenue collected in the county last year, good money in an area with no major tourist attractions. Pasco has reserved a spot on its tourism board for a nudist.

Florida's collection of nudist resorts are barely acknowledged by state and local tourism officials, who stick to safer terrain such as Disney, the mermaids of Weeki Wachee springs or Busch Gardens, all major attractions that flank Pasco's nudist resorts in all directions.

Still, Lettelleir likes to think Pasco's "It's only natural" ad campaign is a cheeky nod to the nudist economy.

"We thought that was great," Lettelleir said. "We call it our joint slogan. They don't see it that way. They're not willing to carry that as their theme, but the county and city governments aren't ashamed of us."

All three major resorts aim to keep the money train rolling, with additional condos and RV space. Paradise and Caliente are opening new locations in other states and the Dominican Republic.

They are also marketing to college-age kids.

Caliente wants to capture part of the young party crowd in Tampa's Ybor City. Paradise joined forces with a 21-year-old University of South Florida public relations student to market free admission, cheap beer and reverse strip poker - you lose, you put clothes on.

Lettelleir acknowledges it's a hard sell. Contrary to Paradise's alluring ad, most of the bare bodies poolside are decidedly middle-aged.

"I think the industry will continue to grow, but it will not grow through the college ranks," Lettelleir said. "The younger generation doesn't have a problem with the nudity, they just don't particularly go and belong to things."

-

If You Go...

Pasco County, Fla. Six nudist resorts along a 10-kilometre stretch of U.S. 41 in Land O' Lakes, about 32 kilometres north of Tampa.

Paradise Lakes Resort: http://www.paradiselakes.com/ or 866-794-6683.

Lake Como: http://www.lakecomoresort.com/ or 877-879-5253.

Caliente Resort: http://www.calienteresorts.com/ or 800-326-7731.

© The Canadian Press 2006


Source: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=67945517-fc48-4369-932b-d5aec126d315&k=57851

Friday, June 09, 2006

Are Naturists Mutants? At Least at the Movies


Janssen's family went to nudist camps

08/06/2006 - 11:14:43

X-Men star wasn't embarrassed when she saw co-star Ian McKellen naked, because she grew up in a family that regularly attends nude camps.

The beautiful brunette star was raised in liberal Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and is quite comfortable with her body.

Janssen was filming X-Men: The Last Stand in Vancouver, Canada, and decided to do some sightseeing when she unexpectedly ran into her naked co-star.

She explains: "Somebody told me about this beach I should go check out, so I went with a friend.

"I get there and it happens to be a nude beach and the first person I bump into is Ian McKellen.

"It's not strange for me so much. I'm Dutch and my family, they're a little weird - they go to nude camps a lot.

"Then they go play tennis naked, or go bowling naked or do yoga naked. Some things need to be left to the imagination!"

Source: http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=185245928&p=y85z46634

MTV2 to Feature Naturist Cartoon


MTV takes Aardman's naked Aussie

MTV2 is bringing the exploits of Aardman Animations' hallucinogen-taking, roller-skating Australian naturist, Big Jeff, to television, commissioning a series based on the mobile/web character.

Big Jeff is always naked except for his cork-hat and disco roller-boots and is nicknamed 'the Aussie with no cossie.' The series of 10 two-minute shorts Aardman is producing will go under the title The Adventures Of Big Jeff.

The series will screen on MTV2, MTV Networks UK & Ireland's channel dedicated to guitar-based music, with episodes such as 'Bushcraft Alphabet', in which the character presents his own unorthodox guide to survival in the outback, and 'Cake,' featuring experimental hippy, Mother Hendrix.

"Big Jeff is a great fit for MTV2, and perfectly encapsulates the channel's unpolished and irreverent character," said MTV Networks UK & Ireland vice president of creative, Steve Shannon.

The series has been created, written and directed by Aardman's Tom Parkinson and executive produced by Miles Bullough, Peter Lord and Dave Sproxton.

Jonathan Webdale
8 Jun 2006
© C21 Media 2006

The Naturist Ideal as Found in a German Spa


The Beauty Of Every Naked Body

Diana Hartman – Blogcritics.org

June 8, 2006

When friends of mine from the states talked about coming to visit me here in Germany, they asked about visiting castles and other historical landmarks. Those are all wonderful, I told them, but so is the shopping, the walking paths, and the spas. As if I'd sent a needle across a record, our conversation fell silent; and even though we were all on the phone, I could tell everyone was looking at me.

Most of the spas here in Europe are nude. Not all of them, but I didn't tell my friends that.

Quite suddenly we were discussing the merits of perfect bodies and how those who don't have them shouldn't show them to the rest of the world. They told stories of 300 pound female bodies donned in denim and gauze-like material. They talked about flabby, middle-aged men in Speedos. They told these stories as if the world was made up of only two kinds of people — perfect and most decidedly not perfect. There seemed to be no in-between for them. They talked as if perfection was real and wasn't the end result of physically airbrushing away freckles and healthy protruding blood vessels and digitally altering the least bit of contour out of the picture. They don't see themselves as perfect and automatically categorized themselves as not beautiful.

My oldest daughter and I stepped into our first nude spa holding hands. We were nervous and quite taken aback by all the nakedness. We were also too excited with the prospect of a new experience to pass it up. Others had told us about the wonderful days they'd spent in the spas. We, too, just had to know. With a knowing glance, she and I agreed that the row of men sprawled out under 12 heat lamps was probably the most disturbing thing we'd ever seen. While co-ed throughout, we tended to stay where there were mostly women. It was here that I came to understand just how beautiful the female form really is no matter what it looks like.

There's simply no comparing the sensation of a whirlpool in a swimsuit to the whirling bliss of bathing in the nude. It also helps that the healthcare system in Germany covers the cost of spa visits for its citizens. This makes it a very affordable venture for those not in that system. It costs me less than $20 for a day of visiting beautifully landscaped pools, heated grottos with hot water falling from afar, whirlpools, vibrating beds in cool rooms, and saunas of any given spa here. In the states, the same would cost me a healthy car payment — and I'd have to wear a bathing suit.

It's no coincidence that the most popular piece of public-speaking advice is to picture everyone naked. Nudity is the great equalizer. Without a $600 suit, that man's GQ haircut is no longer the standout feature in the room. Without her Victoria's Secret underwire, that woman's sparkling diamond ring isn't what the other women are focusing on anymore. Seen for what we really are, we are no longer intimidating to the person who is nervous about speaking in public.

The nude spa is this same human experience — in real life and on a much grander scale. With nothing to hide or hide behind, everyone is left with the only thing we really own — our body. I think maybe my friends have a hard time picturing naked bodies that aren't perfect and haven't been airbrushed. In fairness to them, it would be a little weird if they did picture it because it isn't a norm for most people in the states. It's different for me, not just because I go to nude spas, but also because I've been drawing nudes most of my life, and most of the time with a live model. There is also the matter of my mother.

My mother's 1970 mastectomy at the age of 31 left her horribly scarred. Hers were not the comparably clean-cut lines of today's surgeries. She was a beautiful woman — 5'9", long-legged, and brunette. She had bright eyes, a brilliant smile, a beautiful walk, and lovely mannerisms. She had a radical mastectomy that left her with a transparently thin sheath of skin between her breastbone and the rest of the world. The surgeons removed the sweat glands under her right arm and this left a gaping hole where her upper arm met her body. They took an 8"x10" graft of skin from her thigh and hoped it would take to her chest. It didn't. It infected and left yet more scarring. Another surgery to repair nerve damage left more scarring and more nerve damage. She didn't want anyone but me and her mother to help her dress or bathe when she needed it — which was surprisingly not as often as one might think given the stiffness, immobility, and pain that so commonly set in after a radical mastectomy in those days.

I suppose you could say I got used to the way she looked, but rather it was that I came to appreciate what her body had been through, what her mind and heart had endured. In this, I was able to see the beauty of her experience, determination, stamina, and energy. It wasn't a matter of looking past the scars; it was more a matter of realizing what the scars meant and what they really represented. She didn't think she was beautiful, even before the surgeries, but I did. I've never seen anyone as beautiful as my mother.

I've not seen a nude female body in any spa that tells the horrific story my mother's body told, but each has their own. The bodies I've seen aren't difficult or disgusting to view on any level. They tell many stories and I can relate to some of those stories just as much as if the person talked about their experiences. Many of us could relate to the stories these bodies tell — surgery, being pregnant with a big baby or more than one baby, walking everywhere, carrying small children, holding larger sick children, years of bending down to pick things up, and climbing stairs and hills with heavy bags of groceries. Combine the lines, scars, wrinkles, stretch marks, and varicose veins with the look in someone's eyes — wisdom, sadness, and joy — and you all but know their life story.

That others would compare everyone to a perfect, healthy, 20-yr-old standard is the loss of the one who would compare. They've lost more than they know. They don't know themselves as much as they could and so have never opened themselves up to knowing someone else. There is no comparison between our bodies any more than we can compare each other's minds or hearts. Who among us has a Harvard-educated mind, a well-traveled heart with a lifetime of experiences, and a firm and fully packed body? No one has all that. Having one will cost you another — always.

Young, pretty, in-shape bodies are a pleasure for the eyes to behold, no doubt. The way some dress themselves, in-shape or not, speaks volumes of how they view themselves. Sometimes the story they tell with the way they dress is so sad and so lonely, it's hurtful to see. They'd be so much better off nude, sitting blissfully in a heated grotto of warm bubbling water. I've personally never thought it was funny to see out-of-shape, badly dressed people because there but for the grace of God and all that.

It's easy and convenient to judge others and their stories when our own flaws and sad tales (no pun intended) are covered up. When no one is covered with anything, it's quite suddenly not about the others or what they look like. It's very much about what others can see of us. More specifically, it's about what we see of ourselves and know we are showing the world. When in a nude spa, we've no choice but to accept our every flaw. Either that or banish ourselves to the locker room. It's not about what we might see but rather what others might see.

When nude, we can't hide behind our money, education, titles, and property. Whether they admit it or not, for most, nudity is less about modesty and more about status. In the nude, no one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, a doctor or a maid. We are all the same — naked. If we do come out from behind what we have and come to accept our every flaw, we'll soon come to see our own beauty. In so doing, we will be able to see the beauty in others and will soon realize others are seeing the same in us.

Source: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/08/090547.php

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Another Naked Hollywood Type


Jennifer Aniston walked around naked on the set of her new movie.


Movie & Entertainment News provided by bangshowbiz.biz
2006-06-01 10:45:16 -


The 'Friends' actress revealed that she enjoyed shooting her nude scenes with boyfriend Vince Vaughn in new movie 'The Break Up' so much that she got carried away on set.

She told Britain's OK! magazine: "I just got crazy, ripped off my skirt and went: 'Woo! Woo!' I guess there's something liberating about walking around completely nude. I am comfortable being naked." Meanwhile, Aniston and Vaughn have finally admitted they are dating.

The two stars have previously refused to confirm they are an item, but have come clean while promoting 'The Break Up' - which ironically brought them together during the actress' divorce from Brad Pitt.

When quizzed about her first meeting with Vince, Jennifer, 37, said: "For me, it was just wow. You get those moments pretty rarely.

"You can kind of tell pretty quickly with someone, 'Oh, this is going to be easy. Oh, this is going to be a tough one'. He is the cream of the crop." Vince also admitted he was attracted to the former 'Friends' star the first time he met her - and says he was bowled over by her terrific sense of humour.

He said: "I liked her right away as a person. I think she's terrific.

"Friendship is the biggest thing, and a sense of humour - I like someone who can make me laugh. I think having someone who makes you laugh is really important."

It's Open House Season for Naturists




The photo is from the website of the club, http://www.sun-folk.org.uk/

Nudist club exposes itself
A NUDIST club on the outskirts of St Albans is holding an open day so local people can learn about the delights of going naked.

The Sun-Folk Society will be opening its normally locked gates in Hazel Road, Bricket Wood at 10.30am on Sunday, June 4, for Naturist Day.

A club spokesman said: "Sun-Folk occupies a beautiful five-acre site between St Albans and Watford.

continued...

"Natural wooded screening forms part of the club's grounds.

"The club has a large club house, sun lounge, members kitchen, flush toilets, hot showers, sauna, sun lawns, heated swimming pool, camping and children's play area.

"Several sports are available including badminton, miniten, petanque, pool, table tennis and volleyball.

"A full and varied social programme runs throughout the year on the club premises.

"A warm welcome awaits you, especially to those new to naturism, at Sun-Folk.

"What better day to visit us than on the day the whole world will be taking its clothes off and discovering the delights of going bare?

"Free of clothes you will feel the breeze, the sun and liberation that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

"Come and try something new this weekend."

Anyone interested in the club should email info@sunfolk.org.uk or telephone 01582 614086.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

We Call it Naked Soccer...


6 June 2006

NUDISTS SET FOR DODGY TACKLES ...THREE DAYS TO KICK-OFF..

THERE will be no shirt swapping when naturists stage their Naked World Cup this weekend.

Nudist fans will strip everything off to watch the England v Paraguay clash, then put on their own tournament.

Supporters of both sexes have arranged a mixed game. The event is expected to attract fans from across the country to Throckley, Newcastle, on Saturday.

Mike Daly, 51, of Tynedale and Newcastle District Outdoor Club, said: "Everyone will be the same flesh colour, so it might be difficult to tell the teams apart. But that's part of the fun."

Source: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/tm_objectid=17181499&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=nudists-set-for-dodgy-tackles--name_page.html

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Just a Little Northeast of Los Angeles...


L.A. THEN AND NOW

Nothing Sleepy About This Past

A pair of amateur historians offer a tour of the Crescenta Valley's colorful history of `Hooch, Hitler and Homicide.'

By Cecilia Rasmussen, Times Staff Writer

May 14, 2006

Humble Crescenta Valley's history includes nudism, moonshine, murder, a World War II detention camp and even Nazi rallies.

"Nuggets the Chamber of Commerce doesn't want you to know," said Mike Lawler, president of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley. He and another amateur historian, teacher Gary Keyes, have researched the area's dark secrets and organized a tour of sites criminal and colorful from the comfortable community's past.

The Crescenta Valley takes in the unincorporated territory of La Crescenta and Montrose. Lawler's and Keyes' snippets also include parts of Tujunga, Glendale and Sun Valley.

For starters, in the 1930s, Marjorie Main ("Ma Kettle"), Clark Gable and Carole Lombard liked the La Crescenta foothills so much that they built getaway cabins. Lawler said the cabins are still there — "little and dinky, just as they started out."

Keyes, who has taught U.S. history and government at La Crescenta High School for 39 years, delights in telling students that he is a distant cousin of Asa "Ace" Keyes, who served as Los Angeles County district attorney from 1923 to 1928. Keyes (pronounced KI-zzz) sent plenty of people to prison before being convicted of bribery and joining them at San Quentin.

Gary Keyes did most of the research, said Lawler, 48, a technical artist for American Honda Motor Co. "He was my history teacher in high school. He made history come alive. When we were all tired of George Washington and the cherry tree stuff, he would tell us all the dirt."

Their devotion to the underbelly of history launched a tongue-in-cheek adventure that they call: "CV Confidential: Hooch, Hitler and Homicide." More than 100 people took the second annual tour Saturday.

First stop: Dunsmore Park in Glendale, a former tuberculosis sanitarium. A subsequent owner, Milton Hofert, was an avid rock and junk collector who built whimsical walls in the 1930s and '40s that still stand. He cemented odds and ends, including scissors, silverware, a wrench, stove-top burners and even a gun into the mortar.

Another stop: the intersection of La Tuna Canyon Road and Tujunga Canyon Boulevard in Tujunga. Lawler and Keyes say the Immigration and Naturalization Service ran a detention center here for civilians of Japanese, Italian and German descent, beginning a week after Pearl Harbor and lasting until May 1942.

What had been a Civilian Conservation Corps camp became Tuna Camp, the gateway to internment for judo and kendo instructors, bankers, Buddhist priests and community leaders whom the U.S. government considered dangerous enemy aliens. Surrounded by a 12-foot-high barbed-wire fence, it housed 300 prisoners on their way to other camps.

In the 1960s, it became Verdugo Hills Golf Course.

Then there's the former Hindenburg Park in La Crescenta, site of Nazi rallies in the 1930s and '40s. The largest took place April 30, 1939, when a brigade of 2,000 German American Bund members came to hear West Coast Bund leader Herman Max Schwinn and "American Fuehrer" Fritz Kuhn.

Clad in a gray-and-black storm trooper uniform and flanked by a dozen uniformed guards, Kuhn spoke from a stage draped in red swastika banners. The crowd cheered Kuhn, The Times reported, and booed as a low-flying plane bombarded the park with thousands of anti-Hitler leaflets.

At the time, the park featured a 5-foot bust of Paul von Hindenburg, president of the Weimar Republic during Hitler's rise to power. Hindenburg's visage was repeatedly vandalized during World War II. It was removed in 1956 when Los Angeles County purchased the 15-acre site for $91,000, incorporating the land into Crescenta Valley Park. No one knows what became of the sculpture.

Farther along the tour: Whiting Woods, on the edge of Glendale. The exclusive neighborhood has its roots in prostitution, moonshine, opium and murder, Lawler and Keyes say.

The development began in the early 20th century as a 44-acre chicken ranch called the Pasadena Gun Club or Pasadena Mountain Club. Keyes said it actually was a "gentlemen's clubhouse," offering romps in cabins with prostitutes. Police shut it down in 1915.

Later that year, Perry Whiting bought the property and reopened it as a roadhouse or speakeasy. A Chinese farmer on adjoining property grew opium, Keyes said, and bootleggers cooked up moonshine on Whiting's property, although it's unclear whether Whiting knew of it.

In 1922, Whiting's bouncer, John Allen, shot and killed Henry J. Ronsee, a local water company engineer and part-time bootlegger. Ronsee had accused Allen of leading federal Prohibition agents to his moonshine operation. Allen shot him five times, The Times reported.

A mob gathered to kidnap and lynch Allen on his way to the inquest, but extra sheriff's deputies thwarted the plan. Allen, who claimed he acted in self-defense, was convicted of manslaughter and, Keyes says, was sent to San Quentin.

The roadhouse was soon closed. Some time later, the property became known as Whiting Woods Park. It became a housing development in the 1950s.

Nudists have been fond of the area too — to the embarrassment of the proper, strait-laced citizenry, Lawler and Keyes say. In 1933, Los Angeles psychotherapist Hobart Glassey and former New York grocer Pete McConville founded the Elysian Fields nudist colony near Lake Elsinore. Two years later, a financial rift destroyed the partnership. Glassey and his wife, Lura, created a new enclave in the secluded and woodsy La Tuna Canyon in Sun Valley. They called it Fraternity Elysia — essentially, paradise.

After more than a dozen years of dealing with Peeping Toms, trespassers and sheriff's raids, the Glasseys called it quits. Years later, the former nudist resort became a community of horse properties, one of which is Senna Ranch.

Then there's the old jailhouse on Ocean View Avenue in Montrose.

In the late 1930s, delinquent Richard John Jensen was jailed there for stealing $10 from a teacher's desk. He later broke into a school, turned on all the gas radiators and threw ink on the floors. He was sent to Whittier State School for Boys.

After his release in 1939, he strangled, beat and stabbed his neighborhood friend, William Williams, in the basement of Jensen's home on Altura Avenue. Both killer and victim were 14, The Times reported.

Jensen coolly described the brutal killing to sheriff's deputies and told them why he'd killed Williams: "He taunted me, called me an ex-convict."

Adjudged insane, Jensen was sent to several state mental institutions, including Camarillo. In 1953, while on leave from Camarillo, he killed a 16-year-old boy and kidnapped a hitchhiking Marine, whom he tried to kill with a shotgun.

Jensen was convicted under California's Lindbergh Law and went to the gas chamber in 1955, The Times reported.

Today, the jail is in the custody of the Dog Gone Cute grooming salon, which locks up doggie beauty products in the old cells.

Crescenta Valley's sordid secrets make the area all the more charming to Lawler and Keyes. "It's like if you find out your grandmother had a checkered past," Lawler said. "It makes you smile."