OUR LAGUNA:Getting dirty to clean up the sands

In the 1950s, when disposals were first coming on the market, Vogue magazine ran an ad showing a woman in a perky hat and white gloves holding a paper bag of garbage, captioned, “My dear, you were never meant to be a garbage collector.”

That rang my bell, but times have changed. The bell tolls now for thee and me to put on plastic gloves and collect the trash that pollutes our sandy shores and the ocean.

On Saturday, more than 550 volunteers — children, women and men — participated in the annual California Coastal Cleanup Day and plucked 3,280 pounds of trash and 696 pounds of recyclables from the city beaches and Aliso Creek upstream.

“We had slightly fewer volunteers this year, but all the stations reported a younger crowd,” said Roger Butow, founder in 1998 of Clean Water Now! which coordinates the clean ups in Laguna Beach.

Heather Sparkuhl brought her students from Anneliese’s preschool-to-sixth-grade schools.

“I wanted them to realize there are a lot of things we can do for the community — that everyone can make a difference,” Sparkuhl said.

Janet and Scott Cortelessa and their children Jaclyn, 6, Eric, 5, and Ryan, 3, were among the 22 participants connected to the school.

Raella and Russ Hill, who teaches at a middle school in Santa Ana, expected 30 to 50 students to show up.

“Some of those kids have never even seen the beach,” Hill said.

Irvine Girl Scout Troop leader Sheila Fitzgerald said 10-to-12 members of Troop 2084 were volunteering, as well as her daughter, Kaitlin.

Ten members of the Monarch Chapter of the National Charity League, including Ticktocker Erin Galloway, 13, signed up for the cleanup under the supervision of patroness Lori Galloway. The participation helped them meet their yearly community service requirements, Galloway said.

“Last year, I was crawling around in the sand and I looked up and realized I was the only person there over 30,” City Council candidate Verna Rollinger said.

Many of the older volunteers were veterans of previous cleanups.

“This is my fourth year,” said Laguna Beach resident Kevin Penrose. “I am kind of a ‘greenie.’ I have been a docent at the wilderness park, and I am a former El Morro resident. Every year, we used to clean up Crystal Cove.”

Marine Protection Officer Calla Allison and Laguna Beach Lifeguard Assn. President Kai Bond stopped by to lend their support to the project.

“Definitely a good thing,” Allison said.

Beach walker Tim Diedrich said he picks up trash every day, but has volunteered for the annual event for five, maybe six, years.

“It’s nice to give something back to the community,” Diedrich said.

Mark Slymen, manager of Aliso Creek Inn, has sent his troops to the creek for three years.

Butow serves as “Beach Captain.” One woman walked up to him at the Main Beach cleanup headquarters, said “thanks” and handed him $20. The money could go toward more frequent cleanups.

“We are trying to get seed money to organize and subsidize local monthly cleanups by our own community under the Adopt a Beach umbrella,” Butow said.

Butow arrived at Main Beach at 6 a.m., Saturday, to set up the sign-up table, laden with beach information, field guides, collection kits and city guides to beach access. He was joined by Aimee Tabor of Laguna Beach and Art Fahey of Las Vegas, among others.

“A few years ago, I watched people walking up and down the beach with bags,” Fahey said. “I asked what they were doing, and I was introduced to Butow.”

Now he’s hooked.

“You catch this bug, and it’s like malaria — it never goes away,” Butow said.

He deployed lieutenants to oversee a total staff of 50 at five other beaches. Chris Williams of Soul Surfing — a Christian ministry for surfers — and Kalos Kagathos Foundation founder Bruce Hopping were stationed at Thalia Street Beach.

Hearts of Montage, the employees’ charitable arm and the primary corporate sponsor of the cleanup in Laguna, teamed with Whaleman’s Scott Woodard to tackle the trash at Treasure Island Park beach.

The Church of Scientology — which has moved out of Laguna — picked up Victoria Beach. Flatlanders Tom and Darrylin Girvin, Kevin Scott and Rik Lawrence oversaw the cleanup of Oak Street Beach.

“This [ocean environment] is such a tremendous gift, and if we don’t do our part to maintain it and protect it, it will go to wrack and ruin,” Lawrence said. “We have to respect it.

“Most visitors and many of the residents came to Laguna because of the beaches. Arts are secondary. Just try to imagine, for 24 hours, Laguna without the beaches — no ocean to see or touch or smell. It would be a rude awakening.”

Nina Wood came to the cleanup to observe for her company.

“Making a Difference Financial is discussing future sponsorship,” Wood said.

Wild Oats donated snacks and juices for the volunteers, served by Dru Dominguez and Ashley Kindler.

The city added a $1,000 donation from the leftover $1,800 in the Community Assistance Fund to the $1,000 previously granted. Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider had proposed donating the whole $1,800, but the council voted to hang on to half, as recommended by Councilwoman Jane Egly, who served on the funding subcommittee.

Waste Management provided the bins to stash the trash and recyclables, which were bagged separately.

“Vic Hillstead of the city staff made sure the bins were where they were supposed to be, when they were supposed to be,” Butow said.

Everett Tabor weighed in the bags, which were verified by Waste Management.

Sponsors this year also included Hopping’s foundation, Soul Surfing School, the Ocean Conservancy, the county’s public facilities and resources department, Athens Group, Laguna Beach Visitors Bureau, Surfrider Foundation, Fragile Ocean, Scientology, Laguna Beach Lifeguards Assn. and the California Coastal Commission.

“But this is no longer just a California project,” Butow said Saturday. “Right now, as we speak, beaches all around the world are being cleaned by volunteers.”