I spent childhood summers at Crescent Beach since my grandparents built a home a few blocks from the water. My first swimming lessons were there and as a young child I spent many days running across the beach with my cousins, collecting shells, having jellyfish fights, building rafts, fishing, and jumping off the dock. These were the years before adult supervision was always required for children, and we enjoyed a wonderful level of freedom and an unfettered connection to nature. Crescent Beach represents a special place and time in my life as well as a shared memory and connection with family.