Shore patrol to clean up coast

--Alex Coolman

Newport-Mesa residents will get a chance to tackle the problem of

beach pollution in a hands-on way Saturday during the 16th annual

California Coastal Cleanup Day.

The statewide effort sponsored by the California Coastal Commission

will see volunteers from Santa Cruz to San Diego scouring the coastline

for debris.

In Newport Beach, there will be several meeting sites for those who

want to lend a hand.

A Back Bay cleanup will start at 9 a.m. at Shellmaker Island, which is

on Shellmaker Road in Newport Beach.

Another cleanup will begin at 9 a.m. at Vista Park off Victoria Place

in Costa Mesa.

Stephanie Barger, environmental project manager for the Costa

Mesa-based Earth Resource Foundation, said the second cleanup will

address one of the problems that is not dealt with at traditional beach

cleanups: the large volume of trash that is dumped into the watershed and

eventually makes its way downstream.

“There’s going to be a lot going on, and there’s a lot of trash to

pick up over there,” she said.

The Surfrider Foundation will hold cleanups starting at 9 a.m. at

Newport Pier and the “Big Corona” section of Corona del Mar State Beach.

All of the events will last about three hours and are open to the

public.

“We want neighbors to come,” Barger said. “We want them to understand

how much the things they do on a daily basis affect our environment and

water.”

Information: (949) 509-6684 or (949) 645-5163.