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	Vol.7, No 13, September 21, 1999
	Beach lovers storm local shores By Johnna Walker Daily Forty-Niner Armed with scuba gear and trash bags, hundreds of volunteers stormed the Long Beach coastline Saturday morning to eliminate litter on the beach at the 15th annual California Coastal Clean Up.   While swarms of people combed the beach to toss recyclables in one bag and trash in the other, the divers below the seemingly calm waters of the pier collected underwater trash.   Gray skies and sprinkles of rain did not stop volunteers, armed with latex gloves and trash bags, from collecting waste that once polluted the sand between the Downtown Marina Beach and the peninsula.    "We contributed to the community by showing we support a clean environment," said Dominic Espejo, membership vice president of Cal State Long Beach's chapter of Alpha Phi Omega.   Espejo and other members of his co-ed fraternity participated in this beach cleanup as a community service project.   These students were joined by numerous individuals and organizations, including a team of divers representing American Diving Inc.   Participants were offered complimentary beverages, bagels and shuttle rides aboard Long Beach Transit buses, which ran up and down the four-mile stretch covered in the cleanup.   "The difference between this cleanup and the others is that the people who pick up the trash also record what they find," said Donna Sayer, coordinator of Adopt a Beach and Beach Cleanup.     "That way we know what trash is on the beach," she added.   Participants recorded their findings on data cards, which they filled out and turned into the California Coastal Commission, an agency responsible for managing the stateís coastline. The cards will be used for statistical data, Sayer said.   Even though the rain in the spring carries more pollution onto the beaches, Sayer said, participants in the cleanup had plenty of work to do.   "Too bad I didn't bring a sifter," participant Olivia Trujillo said. "I like to get down on my hands and knees so I don't miss anything."   Other participants shared her idea and brought sifters, plastic hand shovels and rakes to utilize in their mission. Glass, cigarette butts and plastic foam, among other things, were picked up in large numbers throughout the four-hour cleanup.   After data cards were turned in and trash bags were disposed of, participants received a certificate for their participation, a pair of sunglasses and a water bottle for their effort. In the beach maintenance yard next to the Olympic Plaza, individuals lingered and received information from booths set up by environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and the United States Marine Environmental Response.		CSULB remembers fallen soldiers Beach lovers storm local shores CSULB student struck by car CSU cuts energy charges Dope doesn't discredit Jambalaya heats up crowd Basement Jaxx grabs house fans Rack and Roll Game win streak comes to hault LBSU washed out by competition One goal equals win Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.