DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine - Two men who jumped naked into Moosehead Lake last summer in return for a free sandwich at a Greenville restaurant have been found guilty of indecent exposure and fined $200.
Bernard Beckwith of Poland and Christian Simpson of Bethel were found guilty Monday in District Court in Dover-Foxcroft.
But Crystal Stilwell of Bath was found not guilty. Stilwell was naked and her breasts were exposed, but a prosecutor was unable to show she had exposed her genitals.
The three friends were arrested in August after jumping naked into the northern Maine lake at the Black Frog Restaurant, which offers a free prime rib sandwich to skinny-dipping customers.
None of the restaurant customers objected, but other people on the lake were offended and called police.
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- MEMemberOriginal PosterNov 8, 2008
DELTA, B.C. -- A group of cheerleaders who performed at a high-school football game wearing only bootie shorts and strategically placed tape and paint, are now being taught how to "portray a better, more wholesome image."
The South Delta Secondary students "shocked" fans and opponents at the game between the Sundevils from Delta, B.C., and the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers from Surrey, B.C., according to a school official.
"We talked to the girls and the principal and it's fair to say it's not going to happen again," said Dianne Turner, assistant superintendent of the Delta School District.
"We're working with the Grade 11 and Grade 12 girls in an educational way to ensure they portray a better, more wholesome image," she said.
Some of the 12 girls have written apologies to the opposing team for their behaviour.
"We have discussed a number of possibilities for next year, including a fabulously choreographed dance routine with music," said Ms. Turner.
The Sundevils won the game 20-14.ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterNov 8, 2008Stonington Man Accused Of Driving In The Buff Associated Press 9:58 AM EST, November 6, 2008 SOUTHBURY A 30-year-old Stonington man is facing criminal charges after police say he was spotted driving nude on Interstate 84 in Southbury. Seth Roberts is charged with public indecency. Troopers say he was driving nude on I-84 Wednesday morning near Exit 14, near the state police barracks. Roberts, also charged with breach of peace, has been released on a $1,000 bond and is due in Waterbury Superior Court on Nov. 19. ------ Information from: Republican-American,http://www.rep-am.comReactReply
- MEMemberOriginal PosterNov 8, 2008More information on the evil streaking high school cheerleaders. Apparently the tradition of streaking during the last home game of the season has been going on for a few years now. Ted Johnson, the schools principle was quoted as saying “We don't take it lightly. This is a school. [in] schools, we hold higher ideals that we do in, say the mall.” So I guess streaking in the mall is okay but nope...not at school. Students at the school here warned last month not to streak at this year's final game. Those warning where obviously ignored. As part of the girls punishment they are to encourage younger students to end the streaking tradition.ReactReply
- MEMemberOriginal PosterNov 8, 2008[color=#29375a]rabshire@dallasnews.com[/color][/url] /span/fontspan class="vitstorybody" A Collin County man’s cellphone reception might have been clearer than his thinking last night. The 23-year-old stripped naked and climbed a cellular tower in the small town of Lowry Crossing. div class="bimug" style="width: 110px;"
div class="bimugcaption"Andrew Arnold /div
/div
Princeton resident Andrew Arnold is in the Collin County jail today.
For reasons he has yet to explain to authorities, he spent seven hours in the buff on the cellphone tower.
About 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said, Collin County sheriff's deputies approached Mr. Arnold after they'd gotten several calls about a man acting strangely.
He ran away from the deputies.
Initially, witnesses said, Mr. Arnold was wearing only jeans.
But by the time he jumped a fence and climbed 15 feet up the tower, officers said, he had disrobed entirely.
Sheriff's Lt. John Norton said a negotiator was called to the scene, and Mr. Arnold finally agreed to descend shortly before midnight.
He was charged with criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and fleeing from police.
Well at least he wasn't charged with indecent exposure! HAHAHAHA
/span
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script type="text/javascript"/scriptReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterNov 8, 2008
Nude Cycling Rally's Future In Jeopardy
UVM Tradition Could Be Canceled
POSTED: 6:25 pm EST November 6, 2008
UPDATED: 9:05 pm EST November 7, 2008
BURLINGTON, Vt. -- For students at the University of Vermont, there is a tradition that involves bikes and bare bodies. But the Naked Bike Ride may no longer be a semester-end celebration. It's in jeopardy of being canceled.
Nude Cycling Rally's Future In Jeopardy
Staff at the university said the naked bikers aren't the problem; it's those who come out to watch. Participants have been grabbed and even pushed off their bikes by rowdy students in the crowd.
"I think it's always been a pretty rowdy scene. Everyone is highly intoxicated most of the time," said Emily Major, a senior.
UVM police and security are on hand, but officials said it's not enough. They're threatening to put an end to the event if students don't clean up their behavior.
"It's kind of that last shebang before the end of the semester," said Andrew Chase, a sophomore. "I would definitely be disappointed to see it go."
To cut out the drinking that's associated with the event, UVM plans to recruit 100 sober student volunteers to encourage safe behavior. Some students said it's a great way to keep the event going.
WOW And suprisingly enough it's not being called off due to the nudity but because of the unruly nature of the spectators.ReactReply - PH
PhilfreeeukNov 9, 2008Thanks for that Steve, worth remembering, that a bit of harmless fun, can sometimes be expensive!
ReactReply - SWSwifthawkNov 9, 2008
Some interesting articles mate, thanks! lol...Damn, I wish my high school had a streaking tradition, guess I should live in BC with the rest of the hippies. :P
While I do think that most of these are just harmless fun (well, except for the cell tower guy, he strikes me as a nutter), most of them should've been charged, as what they did was against the law. However, these things are becoming more and more popular here in North America and maybe one day these laws will be changed. After all in Canada & the US, it is we the people who run this country and if more people agree that public nudity is not indecent exposure then these stupid laws will be a thing of the past.ReactReply - TH
ThomasNov 9, 2008It is interesting that in a very conservative area like I live in, there is a lot of nudity at a local biker ralley held on area lake every spring. Local law enforcement does not interfere with their nudity at the park as long as there is no public sex. I guess drunk driving and drugs are a higher priority.
ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterNov 9, 2008
You know...the funny (not funny HA HA but funny WTF) thing about the "streaking" cheerleaders is that there was no actual nudity involved. There's a video of the incident at the news site I got that article from and all the "naughty" bits are covered by some sort of clothing. It's pretty much a bunch of girls running across the field wearing bras and panties no doubt covered more than they would be if they where at the beach. The amazing thing about it the situation is that if it had happened here in the States it would have been a much bigger deal than it was there in Canada. I don't know if this is going on everywhere but the current witch hunt of the day is the government, cops, schools, etc. going after kids taking nude pictures of themselves with cell phone cameras and passing them around. Children are actually facing child porn charges and going to prison over it. I won't get into what I think about that little gem at the moment.
ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterNov 16, 2008
Thanks Earl. I was just reading about this and came here to post it myself. Before you know it there'll be nude people all over Seattle LOL
ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterNov 16, 2008Congratulations to Naturist Action Committee. Below is a news flash from AANR-NW Public LandsLiaison Shirley Gauthier. From information released by NAC it appears not only wasthis ban rejected, but also staff was directed to look into thepossibility of designating a nude beach somewhere in theSeattle Parks System. Our hats are off to Mark, Howard and all those that workedfor this success. Steve Hubbard, AANR National Public LandsLiaison, AANR NW Government Affairs Team Chair, NaturistAction Committee Success in Seattle. Thanks to the Naturist Action Committee (NAC), Mark Storey,Howard Willams and other volunteers the Seattle ParksBoard of Commissioners rejected a proposed nudity banin Seattle Parks. Not only did they reject it but also removed it from the agendafor future meetings. To view a clip of the KING TV news reportgo tohttp://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=303449Join AANR-NW GAT in congratulating NAC and volunteers forthey’re worthy victory in Seattle. This message was sent by: AANR-NW.org eNews PO Box 1522, Bothell,WA, 98041,United States.ReactReply
- SWSwifthawkNov 26, 2008[quote]Nude wars - who knew there were violent nudistsspan id="intelliTXT"The normally peaceful Cap d’Agde, a magnet for nudists in the south of France, has been plunged into anxiety as investigators suspect "fundamentalist" nudists of harboring a grudge against the échangistes, or swingers, who are drawn to the town by the promise of sex./spanhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,456685,00.htmlFrance’s nudist mullahs ‘at war with swingers’[/quote] Well from what I've seen online, it's not surprising to see the anger over this issue moving over to the real world. While I don't like the idea of sex being associated with nudism, I like the idea of violence associated with nudism even less. Hehe...Don't these people know the saying it's better to make love and not war?ReactReply
- MEMemberOriginal PosterNov 29, 2008
Nude beaches seen as cover for cash gaps
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post staff writer
Friday, November 28, 2008
Times are tough, maybe even tough enough to start paying more attention to one of the state's leading nudists.
"It's time for the state of Florida to grow up," said Richard Mason, the president of the Florida Naturist Association.
Frank Cerabino
The Post columnist offers his take on South Fla. living, news, events and more.
Mason, who lives in Miami-Dade County, was in Boca Raton this week to urge Palm Beach County's legislative delegation to take a less-is-more approach to plugging holes in the state budget.
Mason's idea is simple: More nude beaches equals more state revenue.
"If you can build golf courses for golfers, why can't you designate beaches for naturists?" Mason asked.
He uses Haulover Beach Park in Miami-Dade as Exhibit A.
For the past 18 years, that beach has been designated as a sanctioned clothing-optional beach — the only one in the state.
"It's drawing more visitors than the Florida Marlins and the Miami Dolphins combined," Mason said.
And the county is reaping the benefits of the $5 parking fee, which brings in about $1.4 million a year, he said.
"Every year the parking money keeps going up and up," he said. "Nothing stops it from growing."
Mason estimated that 60 percent of Haulover's visitors travel from other parts of the state, elsewhere in America or abroad to sunbathe in the raw.
"It's a destination beach all because it's a naturist beach," he said.
Mason's pitch for more nude beaches is especially well timed because Gov. Charlie Crist is looking to make significant cuts in state spending, including from the Division of Recreation and Parks. That division has been asked to come up with a 10 percent cut in its operating costs.
To do that, the division has come up with a plan to close 19 parks across the state until the economy rebounds. None of the parks is in Palm Beach, Martin or St. Lucie counties.
But instead of closing the parks, Mason has argued, the state can more than compensate for its revenue shortfalls by keeping all the parks open and changing the designation of a few beachfront parks into clothing-optional spots.
"Naturists like to be around the ocean," he said. "You put one of those beaches in Palm Beach County and it will draw a lot of people."
The John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in northern Palm Beach County had been an unofficial clothing-optional beach until the state took it over in the 1980s and began arresting nude sunbathers there.
A state appellate court decision ruled that being nude alone does not constitute indecent exposure, and that there must be some lewd and lascivious behavior with it.
"So you can have a naturist beach as long as it is in a designated area," Mason said.
Public officials, however, have been reluctant to make accommodations for nudists.
In 1989, Palm Beach County's Tourist Development Council turned down a request by the Eastern Sunbathing Association to officially make a portion of MacArthur Beach State Park clothing-optional.
Like Mason's request this week, the sunbathing group made an economic argument to the tourism board, saying that a nude beach would bring in dollars to the county.
But that was during more comfortable economic times, days when it was easier to dismiss nudists dangling dollars.
In today's budget climate, its harder to scoff at Mason's pitch without mulling over the pros and cons.
"It's been a successful formula at Haulover for 18 years," he said. "Why not give it a try?"
Or to put it another way, what's worse?
A bare-bones budget or some bare-bones bathers.ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterDec 10, 2008[quote]Jobs for naked cleaners in UK The advert, placed in Southampton, Hampshire, by firm Knobs 'n' Knockers, says that it is looking for applicants of both sexes to do washing-up and ironing in the nude.http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=204973&in_page_id=34[/quote] Knobs 'n' Knockers?!?!?!?! Seriously?ReactReply
- MEMemberOriginal PosterDec 11, 2008
Showing nipples or pubes or being too sexually explicit can backfire if you are planning to produce a nude calendar for charity, an expert on the topic says.
A University of Tasmania lecturer who completed her doctoral thesis on the calendars says a UK spinners and weavers guild lost $34,000 after having to pulp 9,000 calendars "because they displayed their nipples".
Dr Pamela Turton-Turner said the Matildas calendar was frowned upon because Australia's elite female football players were seen as being "too sexually explicit" - not funny".
However Queensland's Yummy Mummies Bare All calendar was successful because they presented themselves as children with toys, teddies and pigtails but covered their genitals and breasts, Dr Turton-Turner says in her thesis Naked Charity.
"Experience has shown that in the successful calendars the bodies must be sanitised - non-erotic, maternal, coy and covered," she said.
"That is, they are de-eroticised because they are accepted as maternal, giving and nurturing."
Dr Turton-Turner also warned potential charity calendar nudes they risk ridicule.
She researched many Australian and international charity calendars for her PhD thesis.
Dr Turton-Turner, who lives in the isolated village of Wayatinah in the Tasmanian highlands, found that the humour and appeal of such calendars was based on the stark comparison between the ageing, sometimes bizarre, non-classic bodies of the men and women in them compared with the classic, idealised and erotic bodies of people in movies and advertising.
People who buy these calendars find them humorous because the bodies in them are not beautiful but ageing, comedic and even bizarre, she said.
For example, the Bare to be Different calendar, created by the elderly women of South Arm, Tasmania, to raise funds to buy red velvet curtains for their town hall was a success.
It worked because their ageing, wrinkled bodies were on show but nipples and pubes were covered humorously with tea-cups, flowers or prudent framing. They raised $100,000.ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterDec 11, 2008
That one just kills me...
ReactReply - VA
valley_nudiesDec 16, 2008ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterDec 17, 2008Paris art models go nude to protest City Hall law 2008-12-16 15:51:03 - PARIS (AP) - Paris City Hall wants to strip art school models of the tips they receive from painters and sculptors _ and the nude models decided they weren't going to take that with their clothes on. About 15 models braved near-freezing temperatures to strip outside the city's cultural affairs bureau Monday to protest a new municipal order that again bans the age-old practice of tipping those who pose nude. The order affects about 100 people. City officials say the tips have long been illegal _ it's just that enforcement has lagged _ and they pledged to discuss ways of boosting the models' pay. «The hourly pay is ¤11 ($14.86), or a little bit more than a housekeeper earns,» said Christophe Girard, cultural adviser to Mayor Bertrand Delanoe. The forebears of today's models were muses for artists like Picasso, Modigliani, Courbet and Degas. But some students today don't like having to shell out cash at every session. And Girard said he and the mayor could be blamed for unaccounted-for money changing hands at city-funded arts schools. Today's art models in Paris are mostly part-time _ and some are artists themselves. Those who work full-time say their body shapes are unique. Girard himself was an occasional nude model, some 25 years ago at art school. «It's always been forbidden, we just didn't know,» he said of the tips.http://www.pr-inside.com/paris-art-models-go-nude-to-r970145.htmWhile not directly related to nudism I think that this article does a pretty good job of displaying the differing attitudes toward nudity around the world. If you go to the link and view the article they actually show pictures of the nude protesters. As a photographer who photographs nudes and a nudist I find it particularly interesting that the issue for them is not the nude modeling but the fact that they don't like the way they are paid. Surprisingly enough there is still a huge stigma attached to photographing nudes here. I've had people turn me down for jobs when they found out that I photographed nudes. Amazing.ReactReply
- MEMemberOriginal PosterDec 19, 2008More jail time for naked rambler A man known as the naked rambler has been jailed for 12 months after being convicted of a breach of the peace. Stephen Gough, 49, was brought into the dock at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday wearing no clothes or shoes. He was arrested at the same court last month after attempting to leave the building naked, following an acquittal for breach of the peace. The former marine, from Eastleigh in Hampshire, has twice walked naked from Land's End to John O'Groats. During his appearance, Gough told the court that if members of the public were offended by his nakedness then the problem was with them and not with him. He has spent most of the past two-and-a-half years in prison at an estimated cost to the taxpayer of more than £200,000.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7790299.stmReactReply
- MEMemberOriginal PosterDec 19, 2008Bloggers cry "foul" as web censor ring tightens Font Size:DecreaseIncreasePrint Page:PrintCaroline Overington | December 20, 2008Article from:The AustralianIT has been dubbed the Great Barrier -- a vast ring of censorship that the Government wants to wrap around the internet, ostensibly to protect the young from child pornography.The idea for it came from the left-wing Australia Institute, headed by academic Clive Hamilton, who says it will filter out child porn, and other "unwanted" content. The filter has since been adopted by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, who insists that it will be used only to block child pornography and other "illegal material". The filter will be tested from next week. You will not be able to opt out of at least one part of it, and it will slow down internet speeds. Ageing hippies, young firebrands and others who have some experience with governments and censorship believe the filter will grow and tighten from the day it becomes law. Opponents are gathering in the real world but also, critically, in the blogosphere -- an online world of chat and debate -- to vehemently protest against the filter, which blocks content that you might want and are quite within your rights to see. More than 85,000 people have signed a petition organised online by GetUp! The British website, Spiked, has devoted pages to the issue. The New York Times has addressed the issue, quoting Senator Conroy as saying the filter is part of a $100million "cyber-safety plan". If the Great Barrier is erected, opponents say, internet censorship will be as draconian in Australia as in China, and perhaps worse. What is at stake, they say, is freedom of speech, a pillar of democracy. The second part of the trial involves an optional filter that people can choose to use, to filter violent content and pornography. Mark White, the chief operating officer at iiNet, Australia's third-largest service provider, told The New York Times: "Our view is there are some serious shortfalls in what is being proposed." More than 1000 people have used Senator Conroy's new blog to protest against the filter. "It is, quite simply, impossible to censor the internet without a China-type clampdown," said one commentator. Some commentators feared the Government was trying to find a way to censor sexual fantasies, or impose the "correct line" on sex. The censorship barrier can't become law without support from the Greens, who have said they'll vote against it. The Opposition will also vote against its current form.http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24826153-7582,00.htmlAgain not exactly related to nudism but something that may be of great interest to our Australian friends. Could this someday impact your ability to access sites like this one?ReactReply
- PHPhilfreeeukDec 20, 2008
Thanks for that Steve, food for thought!
Re the Naked Rambler, this guy is DEADICATED. ........Do you have any idea how cold it is right now in the UK!
Phil. :)ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterDec 21, 2008
Dedicated or crazy? Spending two and a half years in prison just to walk down the street nude? Yeah I don't think that's worth it LOL
ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterDec 23, 2008
Naked pumpkin runner accepts plea deal, avoids sex-offender status
Woman will avoid jail, sex-offender registration
By Heath Urie
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The first of 12 runners cited for streaking on the Pearl Street Mall on Halloween night wearing nothing but pumpkins on their heads has accepted a plea agreement that prosecutors said would likely be offered to the others.
Natalie Ziemba, 20, of Boulder agreed Thursday to plead guilty to disorderly conduct, a petty offense.
She agreed to undergo six months of unsupervised probation, eight hours of community service and pay $27 in court fees. She will not be required to register as a sex offender, and her record will be cleared if she doesn’t commit any crimes for at least six months.
In a light-hearted moment, a prosecutor joked with Ziemba that a condition of her probation would also include “no contact with fruits or vegetables.”
“This was very uncharacteristic of me,” Ziemba told Boulder County Judge Thomas J.B. Reed.
Ziemba, a docent at the Fiske Planetarium and a junior at the University of Colorado majoring in women’s studies, attended court with her parents.
None of them wanted to comment about the case, but Ziemba’s attorney, former Boulder Municipal Judge Sheila Carrigan, said the plea agreement was the best option for her client.
“This is certainly the maximum that makes sense,” Carrigan said, although she said she questions the original misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure.
“The prosecution and the attention of the so-called naked-pumpkin runners is something I wonder about spending our resources on,” Carrigan told the judge.
Prosecutor David Chavel has been assigned all of the naked runners’ cases.
He said the agreement with Ziemba would likely represent the same offer extended to all of the accused Halloween streakers. However, he said it would be “up to each individual” to accept such an offer.
All of the cases are being handled separately, Chavel said, because some of the runners have attorneys and others do not.
He said the remaining cases involving the naked runners are in negotiations with the Boulder District Attorney’s Office.
Ten of the 12 people ticketed in the Halloween run had courts dates Wednesday, but none showed up. Chavel said the remaining cases involving the naked runners are in negotiations with the Boulder District Attorney’s Office, and two of the ticketed runners have a Jan. 12 court date.
Police have warned runners in the past that the activity isn’t legal, but this year was the first time officers showed up en masse to enforce the law.
Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner has previously said indecent exposure was the charge that best fit the violation.
On Thursday, Boulder police issued a written statement about the plea agreement.
“The decision was made by the District Attorney’s Office, which consulted with the department. Chief Mark Beckner believes this is an appropriate disposition. As for future violations, Boulder officers will continue to issue citations or make arrests based on the law as it is written. It is — and will remain — the province of the District Attorney’s Office to determine whether other charges are possible.”
Ahh the pumpkin runners make the news again.ReactReply - MEMemberOriginal PosterDec 23, 2008
Naked woman tased by Beach police officer
By TONY SIMMONS / Online Editor
December 22, 2008 - 7:25AM
PANAMA CITY BEACH - A Beach police officer tased a naked woman after responding to a complaint of a disturbance along Front Beach Road on Saturday.
Just after midnight Saturday morning, a Bay County Sheriff's deputy responding to a complaint of a verbal disturbance saw a woman leaving an apartment wearing no clothes. She started walking toward him, and he told her to stop.
He could see into the apartment, and he noticed two men coming from the hallway into the living room area. He told them to lie face-down on the floor, and they complied.
Just then, a Panama City Beach police officer arrived. The deputy told him to watch the woman while he secured the two men inside. The deputy reported hearing the officer tell the woman, "Stop, or I will tase you."
The woman kept approaching the officer, according to the report, which says the officer then "deployed his taser into" the woman.
The report says the woman "remained on the front porch without further incident" once she had been tased.
A second deputy arrived and took photos of the residence, "as there was a large amount of blood in the living room, hallway, office and bedroom," the report said.
According to one of the men apartment, the three of them had gone for a walk together along the beach and returned to the apartment for drinks. The man said the woman, whose name he did not know, was the other man's girlfriend. When she started to "put the moves on him," the report said, her boyfriend became upset and the two men started fighting.
The boyfriend grabbed a small knife, the report said. He never attacked the other man with the knife, but had "accidentally cut himself."
The boyfriend had a severe cut on his hand and was taken to Bay Medical Center by ambulance. He refused to provide any information to the deputies.
The woman refused to give deputies any information. She said she wanted to go home. She refused medical treatment. She was charged by the Panama City Beach Police with resisting an officer without violence. She was handcuffed and taken to the Bay County Jail by a deputy.
Both men refused to press charges against each other.ReactReply