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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 31 May 2022
Seaside towns offer free beach passes to Native Americans

By PHILIP MARCELO nonresidents and worried
Associated Press about the new policy's im-
BOSTON (AP) — Seaside pact on overcrowding at
communities in New Eng- the beaches.
land are providing free Pugh said Narragansett
beach access to Native beaches are funded by
Americans as the summer revenues generated from
season kicks off this Memo- beach fees, so they aren't
rial Day weekend. covered by local taxpayers
Officials in Narragansett, in the traditional sense.
Rhode Island, earlier this And less than a dozen
month approved free sea- tribe members have so far
sonal beach passes for claimed the passes, which
anyone with a valid identi- will be required starting
fication card from the Nar- May 28, according to the
ragansett Indian tribe. town's parks and recre-
On Cape Cod in Massa- ation department.
chusetts, the towns of Truro The tribe, which didn't re-
and Wellfleet are also ex- spond to emails seeking
tending a similar benefit to comment this week, has
any Native American with roughly 3,000 enrolled
proof of tribal affiliation members, but a significant
when beach permits are number are likely children
required in late June. Water nearly reaches the dune barrier at Ballston beach, Friday, Nov. 13, 2015, in Truro, Massa- under the age of 12 who
The moves come after East- chusetts. would already be free to
ham, another Cape Cod Associated Press enter town beaches, Pugh
town, began offering free said.
seasonal stickers to indig- "In our creation stories, we the town's namesake tribe. beachgoers is $12 and are Weeden, of the Mashpee
enous people in 2020 as say the first Wampanoag "We're not acting like we're required for anyone over Wampanoag tribe, hopes
part of its efforts to mark the boy was actually made out doing the biggest favor to the age of 12. Massachusetts and other
400th anniversary of the ar- of the foam of the sea and the tribe," he said. "This is just Tribe members looking states can take broader
rival of the Pilgrims aboard therefore we come from something that we thought to park at the beach lots efforts to codify beach ac-
The Mayflower. the land and the water," was right and that we can would still have to pay the cess rights for tribes, rather
Brian Weeden, chairman he said. "We are sea-faring do. Hopefully it adds mo- separate parking fees. than piecemeal efforts by
of the Mashpee Wampa- people and we need the mentum to some kind of Pugh stressed no other ad- individual communities.
noag tribe on Cape Cod ocean to survive. It's been relationship with the tribe." ditional rights or exceptions He says securing beach
that traces its ancestry to our sustenance for hun- Narragansett's new policy to beach rules are con- access is a small way to
the Native Americans that dreds and thousands of allows valid tribe members, ferred. Open fires, for ex- make sure tribes' "aborigi-
encountered the Pilgrims, years." regardless where they re- ample, remain prohibited. nal rights" to waterways are
commended the towns for Jesse Pugh, the town coun- side, to get a free seasonal The policy is only in place respected.
taking the "symbolic steps" cil president in Narragan- pass. The passes otherwise for this season so far. Dur- "It's definitely appreciated
to recognize the impor- sett, hopes his proposal cost $25 and are only avail- ing council meetings, some after 400 years of coloni-
tance of the ocean to their sparks broader discussions able to town residents. The residents spoke up against zation and gentrification,"
tribe's heritage. between town officials and daily rate for non-resident granting the free passes to Weeden said. q

U.S., Canadian regulators tie hepatitis cases to strawberries

By DEE-ANN DURBIN Joe's. In Canada, the af- curred. FreshKampo said
AP Business Writer fected strawberries were the label on the contain-
U.S. and Canadian regu- sold between March 5-9 at ers of potentially affected
lators are investigating a Co-op stores in Alberta and strawberries would have
hepatitis outbreak that Saskatchewan. said "Product of Mexico"
may be linked to fresh or- The potentially affected or "Distributed by Meridien
ganic strawberries. strawberries are past their Foods."
In a joint weekend state- shelf life, but health offi- In a statement on its web-
ment, the U.S. Food and cials say consumers who site, Texas grocer H-E-B said
Drug Administration and purchased them and froze it has not received or sold
the Public Health Agency them to eat later should organic strawberries from
of Canada said illnesses in throw them away. the supplier in question
Minnesota, California and There have been 17 illness- since April 16. H-E-B said Fresh-picked strawberries are shown. U.S. and Canadian regu-
Canada occurred after es and 12 hospitalizations anyone who still has the lators are investigating a hepatitis outbreak that may be linked
to fresh organic strawberries. Fresh-picked strawberries are
people consumed Fresh- reported in the U.S., the strawberries should throw shown. U.S. and Canadian regulators are investigating a hepa-
Kampo and H-E-B brand FDA said. Ten cases and them away or return them titis outbreak that may be linked to fresh organic strawberries.
strawberries. four hospitalizations have to the store where they Associated Press
The agencies said the been reported in Canada. were purchased.
strawberries were pur- Mexico-based FreshKam- Hepatitis A is a virus that ing contaminated food or potentially affected berries
chased between March po, which grew the straw- can cause liver disease water. Symptoms include in the last two weeks and
5 and April 25. They were berries, said in a statement and, in rare cases, liver fail- fatigue, nausea, vomiting, have not been vaccinated
sold at various U.S. retailers, Sunday that it is working ure and death. Illness usu- abdominal pain and jaun- against hepatitis A should
including Aldi, Kroger, Safe- with regulators to deter- ally occurs within 15 to 50 dice. immediately consult with a
way, Walmart and Trader mine how the problem oc- days after eating or drink- Consumers who ate the physician, the FDA said.q