Dateline: Saturday, March 25, 2017. In this audit of #beachtrash I walked from the Santa Monica Pier to the border with Venice, a stretch of beach known as "Santa Monica South" which, unfortunately, is plagued by #beachtrash near the water's edge that is rarely collected and/or disposed of by the City of Santa Monica. Here are the photos I took which shows that this neglect continues and which represents an ongoing public health and safety hazard.
The City of Santa Monica apparently cannot even get someone to remove this cardboard box left on the beach near the water's edge. The neglect is astonishing! No one from the City is even checking the shoreline for #beachtrash or debris. This is an ongoing omission which defies basic civic responsibility.
Below, a discarded glass bottle of CORONA@ beer just steps away from a child visiting the beach.....
Above and below, the sharp broken pieces of a purple plastic toy bucket lay in the sand near the water's edge and which was probably crushed and broken by the City tractor dragging a rake. No one from the City follows up the tractor to pick up #beachtrash either and so these sharp pieces of plastic are just laying in wait, buried in the sand...
Below, I collected #beachtrash I found in the sand and set it up as a display for the City to perhaps observe and dispose of... maybe.
Below, MARY KAY® cosmetics gets in some play time at the beach and gets left behind...
CHEEZ-IT® makes an appearance as #beachtrash as well unbeknownst to the City of Santa Monica because the City does not have anyone to walk near the water's edge to pick this up. Actually, the City does have the resources to do so and has stated that it does so but our continuous audits reveal that the City simply does not assign anyone to walk the beach near the water's edge either daily or regularly.
More #beachtrash below south of the world famous Santa Monica Pier. I do not think that this photo will show up in the social media postings by the City, however......
Take a SUPER BIG GULP because there is A LOT of #beachtrash near the water's edge in Santa Monica...
All of this #beachtrash is right out in the open near the water's edge where it remains for beach patrons to contend with and hopefully avoid. This #beachtrash is not hiding. It's in your face. Indeed, it's collection is a simple task. And yet this simple task is not undertaken by the City on either a daily or regular basis.
This #beachtrash continues to represent a public health and safety hazard and the City of Santa Monica remains unaccountable for its collection and/or disposal on either a daily or regular basis. Furthermore, on a Saturday you would think that the City would step it up in terms of presenting the beach in its best light, but remarkably continues not to do so. The City DOES continue to collect exorbitant parking fees at the beach parking lots, however, and apparently the City has the resources and staff to collect said parking fees...
It is shocking and unacceptable that the City of Santa Monica cares so very little about the health and safety of the beach going public that the City actively solicits and encourages to visit the beach. This beach should be cleaned of #beachtrash near the water's edge several days a week at the very least, if not more.
Respectfully submitted,
William Maguire,
Santa Monica business owner
(All photos by & Copyright William Maguire 2017.)
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Monday, March 27, 2017
Saturday, March 25, 2017
#Beachtrash north of the Santa Monica Pier...
Dateline: Saturday morning, March 25, 2017. This audit of #beachtrash at Santa Monica State Beach near the water's edge begins at the shoreline out front of the Annenberg Beach House and continues on down to the Santa Monica Pier. This stretch of beach is also known as "Santa Monica North". Here are the photos and videos I took this morning showing the large amount of #beachtrash and debris that has not been collected by the City of Santa Monica near the water's edge.
Below, I notice in the distance what looks to be a group of young people hand picking up #beachtrash... which turned out to be the case. They were a high school group from Cantwell (Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High School) (aka, @cshmhs) near Montebello, Calif. and they were conducting a beach cleanup in conjunction with HEAL THE BAY.
*** Video Alert ! ***
Video #1: @cshmhs Volunteer Beach Clean Up
https://youtu.be/tl495qv2JUw
Below again is the group of high school students referenced above and shown here cleaning up #beachtrash near the water's edge... and yet another example of a volunteer group doing what the City of Santa Monica refuses to do either daily or regularly...
*** Video Alert ! ***
Video #2: @cshmhs Volunteer Beach Clean Up
https://youtu.be/tG5TVz4NoFM
Above and below, are #beachtrash installations or totems I have erected and where I have placed #beachtrash I collected this morning near the water's edge that the City of Santa Monica is somehow remarkably unable to do itself...
Below, more plastic #beachtrash and broken glass that I found in the sand...
And below, unfortunately, a dead bird near the water's edge left uncollected and not disposed of by the City of Santa Monica BECAUSE the City does not either daily or regularly have ANYONE that walks near the water's edge and hand picks up #beachtrash and other debris, including dead birds.
Three different photo angles of the same dead bird are shown below...
Welcome to Santa Monica State Beach...
Below, another dead bird in the sand near the water's edge left uncollected by the City of Santa Monica...
And then I arrived at the Santa Monica Pier and walked under the pier to the south side but it was during the short walk in the shade near the water's edge UNDER THE PIER that I encountered an enormous amount of #beachtrash left uncollected by the City of Santa Monica. The City really is determined to avoid it's obligation to collect and dispose of #beachtrash it seems. See for yourself. It is truly shocking! Welcome to the World Famous Santa Monica Pier... just don't walk under it!...
Out of sight, out of mind is apparently the protocol of the City of Santa Monica with respect to the collection and disposal of #beachtrash at Santa Monica State Beach. I wonder if the State of California and its agency, California State Parks, is aware of this policy. I've read the Operating Agreement between Cal State Parks and the City of Santa Monica and the City is supposed to clean up the #beachtrash on this State Beach. Obviously, the City is not doing so.
When is the State of California going to take the City to task for failing to live up to its obligation to collect and dispose of the #beachtrash at Santa Monica State Beach? Perhaps taking away the significant revenues that the City collects at the beach parking lots would incentivize the City to do what it is supposed to do.
How difficult would it be to assign a few employees to walk near the water's edge daily or several times a week and hand pick up #beachtrash?!... Answer: not difficult at all and the City HAS the resources to do so.
Respectfully submitted,
Willliam Maguire,
Santa Monica business owner
(All photos and videos by & Copyright William Maguire 2017.)
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