Beach beautification

COEUR d’ALENE — Plastic straws, bits of glass, container lids and cigarette butts were just a few items crew members from Hagadone Marine Group and Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises plucked from the beach as they scoured the shoreline Tuesday morning.

Hagadone Marine sales consultant Tayler Petticolas inspected a chunk of scrap metal before tossing it into her garbage bag.

“The only interesting thing is this piece of metal I found,” she said, holding it up. “I don’t know if it’s part of the trash rings, like when they used to have metal-installed trash cans."

Petticolas said she was thrilled to be out on the beach, beautifying a place that is so special to this community.

“I love to see that our crew came out and supported the efforts the way that they did," she said. "I’m also thrilled to see that we got such nice weather, because good weather in the fall means beautiful colors, and that is definitely something to be cherished."

Crews from Hagadone Marine and Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises spent the morning combing for trash from Coeur d'Alene City Beach toward the Spokane River as part of the Water Sports Industry Association's Lake Cleanup Month, when volunteers from around the world unite to spend time cleaning the lakes and rivers they love.

The WSIA is a nonprofit that advocates for the towed water sports industry by preserving the vitality of water activities for the future. The WSIA develops best practices, maintains waterway access rights, educates participants, promotes safety and facilitates sustainable industry growth.

“What we live and breathe is the lake, so we want to make sure we keep it clean for our community,” Hagadone Marine Group and Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises marketing director Cally King said. “We want to make sure it’s safe and clean for the families. It’s fun to get the team together for some bonding, but to also come out and do something good to give back to the community."

Chase Grove, the WSIA representative for Hagadone Marine, said it's awesome to pitch in on such an important task.

“Obviously, we’re all very passionate about our waterways and the lake here," he said. "We’re more than happy to come down and clean up our play area."

The beach beautifiers gathered more than 10 bags of garbage.

Hagadone Marine moorage manager Emily Arthurs, whose family accompanied her, said it was a nice opportunity to get out with the kids.

"We’re a resort town. A lot of people rely on visitors, so it’s nice that we can clean up a little bit and create a nice space for locals and out-of-towners," she said. "And it’s nice, with COVID and everything, we can be outside and help out without being at risk, or limited risk."