It's shark season! The first reported spotting of the summer happened at Jones Beach yesterday, as beach-goers trying to cool down spotted a 4 or 5-foot long shark in the bathing area (the shark was noticeably smaller than the recent one spotted with surfers in Florida). Newsday reports that some swimmers had a Jaws moment and screamed "Shark!" around 1:30 p.m yesterday, but the lifeguards were quick to act, and caught it with their bare......

Photo, by joe holmes at flickr By all accounts, it seems like Saturday's Mermaid Parade was a great deal of fun, enjoying perfect weather and drawing large crowds. One can only hope that the Coney Island tradition dating back to 1903 remains as popular in coming years. Thanks to everyone who tagged and/or submitted their photos "gothamist." Update: We've added more pictures to the gallery!......

Ugh: A Lake Beach in Southold, Long Island is closed due to "high levels of bacteria caused by waterfowl droppings and storm-water runoff." Luckily no one has reported any illnesses. It's unclear if officials will require the services of the Geese Police.......

Ashley Alexandra Dupre, also known as "Kristen," the high-class prostitute former governor Eliot Spitzer visited on Valentine's Day eve, strutted her considerable stuff at a New Jersey beach yesterday and there was a photographer on the scene to provide enough photos for the Daily News to give us this gallery. According to the News, Dupre was at a beach in Sea Girt with her mother, who looks like she could be Dupre's sister, in "matching......

A 40-year-old woman was fatally struck and dragged by a red Mercedes that hit her while she was crossing Brighton Beach Avenue yesterday afternoon. The car's driver, 27-year-old Ronald Suriano, was arrested for drug possession (cops found drugs in his car). According to the Daily News, witnesses saw the woman's body fly up into the air. The car's windshield was, per WABC 7, "crushed in by the impact." One witness said, "Me and my wife......

State senator Carl Kruger, an outspoken critic of Mayor Bloomberg’s plans for Coney Island, is now accusing the city of “extorting” $68,000 from the owner of Tatiana Restaurant and Nightclub, a popular Russian nightspot on the Brighton Beach boardwalk. Tatiana Varzar lost her restaurant in a massive fire in 2003 that authorities believe was caused by homeless people living under the boardwalk. The Post reports that Varzar has since used insurance money to reopen her......