Cleanup day planned for beaches

June Casagrande

NEWPORT-MESA -- The more than 46,000 pounds of trash lining the Back

Bay area one day last year amounted to good news: It was about 7,000

pounds less than Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers gathered the year before,

which in turn was about 7,000 pounds less than in 1998.

Organizers of this year’s beach cleanup effort hope to see another

drop in that amount of trash collected by volunteers when they begin

combing the beaches at 8 a.m. Saturday.

“It shows that education programs are working,” said Kathy Painter,

one of the organizers of the local event. “People are understanding that

litter from all over the watershed area ends up on the coast.”

Though they hope to see a reduction in the amounts of garbage they

find headed toward the ocean, they don’t expect that Tuesday’s East Coast

terrorist acts will reduce turnout.

Between 800 and 1,200 residents are expected to participate. In fact,

Newport Beach draws more volunteers and gathers more trash than any other

coastal cleanup site in Southern California during this annual event,

organizers said.

Now in its 11th year in Newport Beach, the event has been coordinated

by the county, Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends and other

environmental organizations to clean up about 750 acres.

“With everything going on in the world, it’s something you can do to

give back to your community and come together as a group,” said Candice

McIntyre, who volunteered last year and who’s helping to organize this

year’s cleanup as part of the county’s staff.

“It’s extremely satisfying,” she said. “When you see all the trash

you’ve collected, you say ‘Wow.”’

Volunteers will meet at the Newport Dunes Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive,

off Jamboree Boulevard. From there, they’ll be transported to different

cleanup sites, including, for some, areas they might not get to visit

otherwise, such as salt dike.

And this year, volunteers will reach beyond the beach, venturing into

areas of the watershed where trash accumulates on its way to the ocean.

The Coastal Commission provides trash bags, gloves and other

equipment. Sponsors such as Mimi’s Cafe and Champagne’s Market will

provide muffins, juice, water and other refreshments.

“We think it’s a great cause,” said Tim Miller, general manager of

Mimi’s Newport Beach location. “We all live in the area and get to enjoy

the wetlands, so we should all do our best to pitch in and keep it

clean.”

FYI

* What: Coastal Cleanup Day

* When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; registration will close at 11:30 a.m.

* Where: Meet at cleanup headquarters, the Newport Dunes Resort, 1131

Back Bay Drive, located off Jamboree Boulevard in Newport Beach

* Why: Between 800 and 1,200 people are expected to help gather trash

in the Upper Newport Back Bay as part of the statewide Coastal Cleanup

Day

* Call: Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends, (714) 973-6825; the day

of the event, call (914) 448-2046.