Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup Returns Sept. 21
By Newport Indy Staff – August 29, 2024
Source: Newport Beach Independent https://www.newportbeachindy.com/newport-harbor-underwater-cleanup-returns-sept-21/
The Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup, in partnership with the City of Newport Beach, has announced the 4th Annual Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21 at Marina Park in Newport Beach.
Launched in 2017 by Help Your Harbor’s founders—former Newport Beach mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield and local environmentalists Billy Dutton and Mark Ward — NHUC hosted three years of sold-out cleanup events at the Balboa Bay Club before being put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Divers gathering trash from Newport Harbor. Photo courtesy of Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup
“We’re thrilled to expand this year’s event at our new location,” says Billy Dutton, co-founder of NHUC and Help Your Harbor. “The Newport Marina Park site allows for much greater community participation, with volunteers helping to clean up our harbor both above and below the water. The addition of the International Coastal Cleanup Day celebration at Marina Park that afternoon will bring together over two dozen organizations and their volunteers, all committed to protecting our precious marine environment.”
Volunteer scuba divers and onshore participants will unite once again to search Newport Harbor for trash, plastics, and other pollutants, ensuring a safer and cleaner environment for marine life, residents, and visitors.
In previous years, volunteers successfully removed over 4,200 pounds of trash and single-use plastics from Newport Harbor, contributing to the ongoing efforts to keep the 25.2 miles of coastline, bay, and harbor waterways free from pollution. The event promises to be a significant community effort to protect and preserve our precious coastal environment.
Divers preparing for the Underwater Cleanup. Photo courtesy of Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup
“The Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup and International Coastal Cleanup Day perfectly align with our city’s mission to keep Newport Beach clean and safe for residents and visitors,” says John Kappeler, Senior Engineer with the City of Newport Beach. “We’re thrilled to host this event, welcoming local organizations, groups, and individuals dedicated to a pollution-free harbor, and celebrating those in our community who have championed this cause for years.”
Location and Event Schedule:
This year’s cleanup takes place at Newport Beach Marina Park, 1600 W Balboa Blvd. The event is part of the broader International Coastal Cleanup Day celebration, emphasizing global efforts to protect our oceans and shorelines.
Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup Event Schedule:
7 a.m.: Volunteer check-in, location assignments, hosted breakfast
7:30 a.m.: Skippers report to assigned vessels
8:15 a.m.: Mandatory volunteer safety meeting at the main stage
9 a.m.: Volunteers, both above-water helpers and divers, deploy on cleanup vessels
9 to 11 a.m.: Cleanup commences
11:30 a.m.: Volunteer group photo
11:30 a.m.: Raffle prizes, lunch and recognitions
International Coastal Cleanup Day Celebration:
12:15 p.m.: Barge with collected trash arrives off the shore of Marina Beach
12:30 p.m.: Live music, food trucks and exhibitors
2 p.m.: Mayor O’Neill to recognize the efforts and introduce representatives of each united organization. Presentation of Harbor Stewardship Awards to follow.
3 to 5 p.m.: Live music
Visit https://www.newportharborunderwatercleanup.com for more information and to register as a volunteer.
By Newport Indy Staff – August 29, 2024
Source: Newport Beach Independent https://www.newportbeachindy.com/newport-harbor-underwater-cleanup-returns-sept-21/
Longtime Newport Beach resident Devon Kelly has joined the Newport Harbor Foundation board of directors.
“Devon brings a wealth of harbor history and knowledge to the Foundation’s mission. She has spent her entire life sailing on the bay and volunteering in the community. Her boundless energy is welcome as we push towards taking our harbor to the next level for all to enjoy,” said Newport Harbor Foundation Chairman Dennis Durgan.
“I’ve sailed throughout the United States and Mediterranean and believe Newport Harbor is a treasure that needs to be maintained and managed properly for future generations,” said Kelly. “I look forward to working with the Foundation to develop programs to improve water quality and enhance the harbor’s ecosystem for recreation, boating, and commerce.”
Kelly was born and raised in Newport Beach and grew up sailing and cruising to Catalina. She attended Newport Harbor High School and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She and her husband Gregg have two children who live locally. Kelly taught school at Carden Hall Elementary in Newport Beach, and coached field hockey at Newport Harbor High School. She has served on the Newport Harbor High School Educational Foundation and also was a Board member on the Lido Isle Community Association.
The Newport Harbor foundation was incorporated in 2019 as a 501C3 non-profit educational corporation dedicated to the preservation and improvement of Newport Harbor. At a recent kick-off luncheon, NHF raised $550,000 toward their goal of $2.5 million to purchase police boats and fire boats for the harbor.
Photograph by D Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0It’s been more than five decades since Newport Beach City Councilman Marshall “Duffy” Duffield started his Duffy Electric Boat company.
Duffield built his first boat when he was 16 years old. His company has sold tens of thousands of boats and become synonymous with Newport Beach, where Duffy rides on the harbor are the norm.
“I’ve had to endure decades of laughter,” he told a crowd — also laughing — on Thursday at the Balboa Bay Resort. “To be known as a builder of the world’s slowest boat is something that I really didn’t think I wanted on this planet. I wanted to be a famous sailboat designer and racer dude, and I sort of kind of am, but not really.”
Still, Duffield now hopes the Newport Harbor Foundation can also similarly be built from the ground up.
The foundation, launched in 2019 before being curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic, held a kickoff champagne brunch Thursday.
It announced that it had raised more than $275,000 at the event, which also served as a celebration of 50 years of Duffy boats. That number was doubled to $550,000, as foundation chairman Dennis Durgan said there was an anonymous matching gift.
The Newport Harbor Foundation’s stated goal is to take back local control of Newport Harbor, which is now patrolled by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and start a Newport Harbor Public Safety Department.
Durgan, himself a former harbormaster, said the foundation wants to initially raise $2.5 million for the purchase of a fire boat and four police patrol boats.
Last week 175 residents, political leaders, and Newport Harbor supporters donated over $550,000 to kick off the Newport Harbor Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to return local control of our harbor to the city.
We celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Duffy Electric Boat. Duffy’s passion for the harbor spans decades.
With 25 miles of frontage, almost 10,000 boats of all shapes and sizes, kayaks, paddle boards, sailing clubs, and charter boats the harbor resembles the 405 Freeway on a busy weekend.
An estimated seven million visitors per year use Newport Harbor’s complex ecosystem that generates an estimated $1 billion per year of economic activity.
Our harbor is essentially a city within the city.
We believe our harbor asset needs to be properly managed by the city.
Our mission is to “Take Back Our Harbor.” It begins with Newport Beach creating our own Harbor Public Safety Department operated by our city, not the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The Foundation will raise over $2.5 million to purchase and donate a fire boat and police boats to the city for a Harbor Public Safety Department.
This plan does not displace the Sheriffs Harbor Patrol They will continue to use their Homeland Security grant to police the coastline for drug runners and illegal immigrants. They will be available for large-scale emergencies in the harbor through existing mutual aid agreements.
Our Harbor Public Safety Department will use the city’s existing police, fire and lifeguards to make the harbor safe for residents and tourists. We believe local control of the harbor is best achieved by Newport Beach running the show.
If you agree, sign up for regular updates at www.newportharborfoundation.org.
Dennis Durgan / Chairman, Newport Harbor Foundation, Past Newport Beach Harbor Master
This first appeared at NewportBeachIndy.com
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