West Hampton Dunes Seeks Best Restored Beach Title

The is looking for support to win an ASPBA contest that celebrates past winners of it's annual Best Restored Beaches Across America contest.  As a winner three years ago, West Hampton Dunes has been automatically entered.

"We are looking to kick some butt," said Gary Vegliante, mayor of West Hampton Dunes, who noted that while by mistake the village was entered into the contest's urban beach category as opposed to the community beach category, his village has a good chance of topping.

"We were ahead a few days ago and we are still within striking distance," said Vegliante.

On Wednesday afternoon, West Hampton Dunes had a total of 598 votes, sitting behind Panama City Beach, which has 639 votes.

Vegliante is asking everyone to take a second each day and vote for West Hampton Dunes until the contest ends on April 27.

"We had the worst of the worst beach, but now we have the best of the best beaches because we have been dedicated to restoring our beaches," said Vegliante.

Over the past 18 years, Vegliante says the village has worked tirelesly to improve it's beaches after they were destroyed with Pike beach esentually underwater along with some 190 homes.

In 1994, the village won a Federal lawsuit that claimed that an Army Corp of Engineer project destroyed the village's beaches when a groin system was installed backwards.

Since winning the lawsuit, the village, says Vegliante has worked to reestablish its beach front, gain property rights for its residents, open beaches for public access and establish an endangered species program with the help of the Department of Environmental Conservation.

"Our beaches are working better and are bigger than ever before thanks to good government and a community working together," said Vegliante.

To vote, click here.