Coast

Teen-agers who have been working to rid Orange County’s beaches of litter this summer as part of a program funded by soft drink bottlers and beer wholesalers were praised by Supervisor Tom Riley and other officials at a special ceremony friday at the Newport Beach Pier.

The program, which began June 28, put 43 youths onto the sands at Sunset, Salt Creek, Aliso, Dana Point, Capistrano, Laguna and Newport beaches. The local effort is part of a $200,000 anti-trash effort on beaches from Morro Bay to San Diego.

RecyCAL, a nonprofit organization, is coordinating the program which began in Los Angeles County four years ago as a project of the Seven-Up Bottling Co. About 180 teenagers have been hired throughout California and will continue scouring for garbage through the Labor Day weekend. The youths work between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Friday to Sunday and most are paid minimum wage, said Ron Kemalyan, executive director of the program. RecyCAL also coordinates cleanups of freeway on-ramps and recycling progams. People interested in recycling can call 1-800-732-9225.