Morning After Mess Cleap Up Day

Just like a drunk going on a big bender and leaving a swarth of destruction in their wake, San Diego area beaches also experience a terrible «morning after.» The 4^th of July-​usually one of the most-​if not the most– busiest beach day of the year brings about a lot of trash! Though there is a booze and smoke ban, that never stopped a party-​hearty celebrator. Even with the overcast beach weather, the sands still suffer!
Therefore San Diego Coast-​Keeper and Surfrider get together and hosted a bunch of clean-​ups starting bright and early the day after the 4^th. This was called «The Morning After Clean-​Up.» This year, San Diego Coast-​Keeper got the honor of hosting what is known as the Marshmallow Clean-​up in Ocean Beach. Because of some hallowed holiday tradition, after the 4^th of July fireworks ends, Ocean Beach revelers pitch marshmallows all over and have a gooey olé time.
Problem is: the next day the beach is covered with the stuff and it’s all over the sidewalks, streets, and alleys. Last year, OB business owners complained bitterly about the leftover marshmallow mess, so supposedly this year the cops were to be monitoring the situation better. I heard some saying this kept the action down last night and some who said the cops only came after everyone started going crazy with the marshmallows.
Whatever happened, volunteers had their work cut out for them this morning. All over the sand, stuck into sidewalk crevices, squished along the gutters and even flung into the trees-​marshmallows were everywhere. But little-​by-​little, the gelatinous messes were scooped up and properly deposited into the trash. The first 50 volunteers got a free T-​shirt and
the media was swarming. Looking for a juicy story on the marshmallows, most of the TV camera’s showed up after the majority of the mess was picked up, but Media Whore that I am-​it was fun talking to them anyways.
Had to deduct a Unilocal Star for The Morning After having not much to eat or any freebies except a few shirts that there was not enough of and some very small Cliff bar free samples Not impressed! I would have preferred Coast-​Keeper to have handed out water bottles or fruit juices and bagels or muffins to volunteers. This was a major Beach Clean-​up. Also radio station 91x should have blasted some good music from their tent-​really they just stood there and watched and text-​ed away. Maybe I am just a generous soul, but I like to take good care of the people who show up to do all this dirty work. It makes the workers feel special and valued and the sponsoring organization looks good too.