Surfrider Foundation

Andrew Edwards Plastic and beach cleanups don't mix if you ask members Newport Beach's chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. The water-quality watchdogs decided to forego plastic bags and gloves for today's planned cleanup at 54th Street Beach. Chapter vice chairman Ray Halowski said the group started thinking about leaving plastic out of cleanups about six months ago, when they used plastic gear at a cleanup after discussing plastic-related problems at a meeting.

Mathis Winkler NEWPORT BEACH -- Way back when, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when Nancy Gardner went surfing at Little Corona Beach, things were different. No steps led down from Ocean Boulevard and rocks didn't secure the bluffs at the other end. City officials didn't install a concrete dam until the 1960s, and the sandy beach led deeper into the ocean. Most importantly, there wasn't a steady stream of fresh water into the waves. The beach "is a poster child of what population growth has done to the coastal area," Gardner said on a recent morning, standing on the bluffs overlooking the beach.

NEWPORT BEACH Boaters and Harbor Patrol discuss racing permits A plan aimed at easing tensions between sailboat enthusiasts and the Newport Beach Harbor Patrol by issuing permits for boat races is gaining momentum. The permits would allow boaters to exceed speed limits in the harbor during races. The Newport Beach Harbor Commission voted last week to support the plan. Harbormaster Deana Bergquist said she wants more information before forming an opinion on the proposal.

Richard Dunn The days of Scott Morlan driving a dozen or so kids around in an old, beat-up van in search of the best surfing breaks reflect a more innocent time in our society. Back then, in the early 1970s, each kid had a square piece of carpet on which to sit as they swayed back and forth on the van's floor at every stop. "We begged and borrowed to get surfboards, then begged and borrowed to get a van," said Morlan, who began as a swim teacher at the YMCA in Newport Beach in 1971, then convinced the organization to start a surf program.

On the Orange County coast there are only a few rugged spots left — where the cliff falls into the Pacific or the beach is buffered by sage, not homes. One of those spots is Lower Trestles. This beach and surf break near San Clemente is even more special than the rest because of its world-class waves and its exotic (for Orange County) trek to the beach. It’s down a dirt path, across live railroad tracks and through the marshlands. Now, some locals fear that their special experience at Lowers will be ruined by conservationists, environmentalists and architects who want to build a new trail and to make the railroad crossing safe.

Last week I read a Orange County Local News Network article about Trestles. The gist was that the estimated 300,000 people that visit Trestles each year have to make a risky railroad track crossing and a coalition had been formed to construct a safer crossing for pedestrians and cyclists. Now I’ve never heard of surfers asking for anything to be made safer so was immediately skeptical and figured there had to be more to it. The “coalition” was identified as the Open Architecture Network, the San Onofre Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation, and they had opened a competition for architectural designs of the crossing structure.

Banning Ranch anti-development activist and Costa Mesa small businessman Chris Bunyan, and Planning Commissioner and Daily Pilot columnist Jim Righeimer announced Tuesday that they will run for Costa Mesa’s City Council, three days before the filing deadline. With their declarations, the men became the eighth and ninth candidates to challenge for the three vacant seats on the council. Also, Bill Sneen, business executive and husband of former Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board member Linda Sneen, became the first candidate to file his nomination papers.

Alicia Robinson Since the first Earth Day was observed in 1970, a variety of environmental problems have cropped up around the globe. But local activists said society today is more aware of those problems, and that's a big step toward finding solutions. Earth Day is officially observed on Thursday, but local events will be held today and Sunday as well as next weekend. "I think one of the greatest advantages of Earth Day is it creates a heightened sense of awareness" of environmental issues," said Ken Kramer, superintendent of Crystal Cove State Park.

Robert San Miguel never comes to the beach "just to relax," though he visits the Corona del Mar shoreline on a daily basis. Walking the one-third mile stretch of Corona del Mar State Beach seven times each morning is part of 74-year-old San Miguel's exercise routine. It's also an opportunity to do a little socializing and, most notably, tidy up a bit. "I've been walking this beach for over 50 years," said San Miguel, who lives five blocks away on Newport Harbor. "About 10 years ago, I picked up a piece of glass, then a few, and soon I found my hands were full."

Despite the great waves in Newport, Huntington and other Orange Coast spots, many surfers head south on big days to a famed break, Trestles. Part of the lure of surfing Trestles, which is near San Clemente and San Onofre State Beach, is its path to the beach. Surfers and beachgoers wind through marshlands and undeveloped coastal beauty for at least 10 minutes. Some trails are paved, others are not. Ultimately, they meet the coastal railroad tracks that give the break its name.