LAcarGUY Supports Heal The Bay’s “Bring Back the Beach” Fundraiser
LAcarGUY is a longtime supporter of Heal The Bay, participation in beach cleanups, and most recently, LAcarGUY owner Mike Sullivan joined their Board of Directors. To celebrate our partnership, LAcarGUY’s Toyota/Scion Santa Monica will be donating a 2013 Scion FR-S for this year’s Bring Back The Beach live auction, with all proceeds going to Heal The Bay.
We urge you to support this great cause and join us for an amazing night on the Beach with Heal The Bay supporters
Heal the Bay invites you to celebrate the ultimate beach party at our annual Bring Back the Beach gala benefit on May 16, 2013, at Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica.
Relax with your toes in the sand while you meet and mix with leaders from Southern California’s environmental, political, business and entertainment communities. Join us for a fun-filled evening under the stars to celebrate our honorees and support the mission of Heal the Bay.
The night will honor the environmental dedication and leadership of Heal the Bay’s former president Mark Gold, D. Env., Oscar-winning actor and environmental champion Jeremy Irons, and founder of the Inclusive Health movement and philanthropist Dr. Howard Murad. Plus enjoy a special acoustic performance by five-time Grammy Award winner Ziggy Marley.
Schedule
· 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
· Cocktail Reception & Auction featuring the 2013 Scion FR-S contributed by LAcarGUY
· Dinner
· Live Auction
· Entertainment and Dancing
Tickets & Sponsorships
· Tables and Sponsorships: $5,000 – $50,000
· Individual Tickets: $500
Attire
· Beach Chic
· Be prepared to walk in the sand to your table. Choose shoes accordingly!
Audi Celebrates Grand Opening of Audi Pacific First LEED Certified Dealership that Features Largest Audi Showroom in U.S.
LAcarGUY’s new dealership in Torrance, CA will be among the greenest; features the largest Audi showroom in the U.S. showcasing 17 models
Audi of America, in coordination with LAcarGUY, will celebrate the grand opening of the newly redesigned Audi Pacific dealership on Tuesday, November 27. The new dealership will become the largest Audi showroom in the U.S. showcasing 17 models and is the first to be LEED Gold certified incorporating a state-of-the-art design with environmental technology aimed at improving energy efficiency, reducing water usage, as well as promoting the reuse and recycling of materials and waste. The new location marks one of 11 dealerships within the LAcarGUY family, headed by Mike Sullivan.
“Audi remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing green technology and environmentally responsible business practices,” said Mike Cagle, Director, Western Region for Audi of America. “Through the opening of Audi Pacific, we not only celebrate the largest Audi showroom in the United States, but also take great pride in achieving LEED Gold certification.”
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification process promoted by the U.S. Green Building Council to assess the sustainability of a building’s design, construction and operations. To meet LEED Gold certification, the Audi Pacific dealership features energy efficient water fixtures, low energy use lighting and a 45 kilowatt (kW) DC Solar PV system.
The owner of Audi Pacific and President of LAcarGUY, Mike Sullivan has been in the car business for over 45 years and also serves on the board of Heal The Bay and the Environmental Media Association as well as the Regional Board of Directors for Global Green USA. Having owned this Audi franchise since October of 1999, Sullivan became the first to build an Audi Hangar in California. To continue his encouragment in the adoption of electric vehicles, LAcarGUY recently became the first automotive dealer in the country to offer electric charging stations open to the public at four of its dealerships.
“The LAcarGUY family of dealerships has long been committed to promoting sustainable, greener business operations and supporting environmental initiatives,” said Sullivan. “Our new Audi Pacific dealership facility exemplifies our leadership and focus on ecology, economy and social responsibility across the board.”
General Manager and LAcarGUY business partner Jeff LaPlant will oversee the newly redesigned space which has expanded from 14,000 to 45,000 square feet allowing the dealership to better serve their customers with the expanded capacity and convenience within a compelling environment. The new dealership also follows the new Audi “terminal” design, an ecologically advanced construction method promoted by the Audi’s parent company in Germany. The structure makes an impressive architectural statement on Hawthorne Boulevard, with bold signage and an open two-story showroom, as well as 22 service bays showcasing the brand’s latest collection of luxury vehicles.
“Audi Pacific is very proud to be the first LEED Gold certified dealership for the Audi brand,” said LaPlant. “Environmental stewardship is very much in line with Audi Pacific’s overall business philosophy, commitment to exceptional and award-winning customer service, as well as focus on selling some of the most innovative, quality-engineered luxury products on the market today.”
Audi of America maintains a regional office, two technical facilities and a design center in California to better identify with and service the state’s strategically vital and diverse market. Since 2011, sales in the area have increased by 21.9% and represent 19.2% of total U.S. sales. Other noteworthy accomplishments for Audi in California include an increase in IHG market share from 5.56% in 2006 to 10.1% in 2012, effectively doubling the brand’s presence in the state. The Audi Pacific dealership opening marks the brand’s continued expansion and strong presence in the Southern California market.
We’ve put together a great slide show of pictures of the new store which you can view here
LAcarGUY and Toyota Santa Monica Auction off Prius c at Heal the Bay Event
LAcarGUY‘s Toyota Santa Monica and Fisker Santa Monica sponsored Heal the Bay’s the ultimate beach party celebration at their annual Bring Back the Beach gala benefit on May 17, 2012 at The Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica.
This evening recognized the eco-accomplishments of this year’s honorees: past president and chief operating officer of Hilton Hotels Matt Hart, director of photography Danny Moder and actress Julia Roberts, and actress Amy Smart.
We relaxed with our toes in the sand, mingled with leaders from Southern California’s environmental, political, business and entertainment leaders who all share our love for the beach and dedication to the ocean protection. It was a fun-filled evening under the stars to celebrate the honorees and support the mission of Heal the Bay.
Toyota Santa Monica auctioned a 2012 Prius c raising over $25k for Heal the Bay. LAcarGUY is also a sponsor of Heal the Bay’s Annual Beach Report Card.
LAcarGUY Supports Heal The Bay’s “Bring Back the Beach” Fundraiser (And you should too!)
We urge you to support this great cause and join us for an amazing night on the Beach with Heal The Bay supporters.
Purchase Tickets! https://www.healthebay.org/secure/bring-back-beach-tickets
Bring Back the Beach
Heal the Bay invites you to celebrate the ultimate beach party at our annual Bring Back the Beach gala benefit on May 17, 2012 at The Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica.
We will also recognize the eco-accomplishments of this year’s three honorees: past president and chief operating officer of Hilton Hotels Matt Hart, director of photography Danny Moder and actress Julia Roberts, and actress Amy Smart.
Relax with your toes in the sand while you meet and mix with leaders from Southern California’s environmental, political, business and entertainment communities. Join us for a fun-filled evening under the stars to celebrate our honorees and support the mission of Heal the Bay.
We look forward to your company at our annual gala fundraising benefit!
Schedule
5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Cocktail Reception & Silent Auction
Dinner
Live Auction
Entertainment
Tickets & Sponsorships
Tables and Sponsorships: $5,000 – $50,000
Individual Tickets: $500
Purchase tables/tickets online
Attire
Beach Chic
Meet Subaru Pacific General Manager James Hartzberg
- Give us a little background on you, your history, and what you’ve been doing with the LA Car Guy stores :
“I’ve been with Sullivan Automotive Group or LAcarGUY group of dealers since 1997. I graduated from high school and worked my way though University of Southern California with cars. I had the opportunity to work at different capacities at most of our dealers that we have in our group. I was asked a few years ago to attend the National Automobile Dealers Association, essentially a college for car dealers, in order to better my career and promote my career.”
More recently had the opportunity to be invited to be the General Manager for the Subaru Pacific store. It’s something I’m really excited about because the Subaru brand is kind of an extension of who I am; they’re a very active brand with their cyclists, with their outdoorsy, spirited and environmentally friendly people. I’ve participated in numerous triathlons and I’ve been doing them for the past six or seven years, anywhere from sprint distances to the coveted Iron Man races that so many people talk about.
Subaru’s a brand that’s also philanthropic, and very socially responsible. They do an extreme amount of dog rescues. One of their favorite charities during their “Share the Love” event, where every time a customer purchases a vehicle they have the opportunity to donate to five different charities, Special Olympics, Meals on Wheels, Make a Wish Foundation, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and American Forests. The ASPCA is very close to me and my wife, we do a lot of dog rescues and have a few dogs of our own so that’s something that’s very special to us.
As I mentioned before the Subaru brand is a very spirited, outdoorsy, adventurous brand… I consider that to be in my genre, too. I enjoy hiking and backpacking, and community involvement. I’m looking forward to growing the Subaru brand, not just in sales, but in the community. They’re heavily involved with Heal the Bay with the Sullivan Automotive Group. Our president, Mike Sullivan, is actually on the board for Heal the Bay, and being so close to the beach I think that’s something all of us in the South Bay know as a very important part of our lives. So I’m doing what I can to help bring the Subaru brand into Hermosa Beach and the South Bay.
As I mentioned. Subaru’s a very environmentally friendly company; their factory in Indiana is actually around an 850-acre wildlife preserve. It’s a zero-landfill factory, meaning all of the waste that comes out of the facility can be recycled. I’ve taken notice to that, and everything that we use to clean the cars (such as detailing products) and other chemicals, we do our best to make sure they don’t go back into the environment and become a hazard. I’ve gone through all the dealers and made sure they’re were signs next to the drains. Being so close to the ocean, everything we drain goes right back into the ocean.
All of our products are environmentally friendly and biodegradable. everything from the hand soaps, to the car-wash, to the stuff we use to clean the cars and so forth. We provide a warm atmosphere for pets, we have dog treats and water bowls, and we plan on hosting pet adoption events in the future and we plan on participating in the community with things such as surfing and triathlon events.”
- It sounds like a store that fits right in with LAcarGUY values. But is Hermosa Beach going to be the permanent location?
“This is actually our temporary location as we introduce ourselves to the South Bay, but we’ve already set our sights bigger and we’ll go from a two car showroom and a four-car service bay to a seven car showroom and a fourteen-car service bay in Torrence in approximately one year. We believe that will better accommodate our guests that are looking for sales and service in the Subaru world.
A great number of guests are already so grateful that we’re here, because there was a void in the past 15 years with regards to people being able to service and/or purchase a Subaru here in the South Bay. In the past they would have to travel south quite a ways or all the way north. We’ve had several people saying what a convenience it is for us to introduce this franchise into the South Bay. Definitely know that we’re going to continue to grow, and leverage the double-digit growth that Subaru’s had over the past 4 years.”
-What are the store hours going to be?
“Our service department will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the intention of opening on Saturday depending on demand. Our sales department will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.”
And for a little more with James:
ACarIsNotARefrigerator.com Looks Forward To The Opening Of Fisker Santa Monica
At the beginning of 2011, I heard rumors of a Fisker store coming to town. A few weeks ago, while I was at Lexus Santa Monica testing the new 2011 Lexus CT 200h, I learned that Sullivan Automotive Group (Lexus Santa Monica’s parent) was building a Fisker store next to its Volkswagen Santa Monica dealership.
The location, at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and 25th Ave, is the old Lexus Santa Monica site that is now the internet sales department for the VW dealership. The building is relatively small, but you don’t need a large space for the Fisker brand because they only have one model, the voluptuous $95,900 – $110,000 Karma electric extended range sports car.
Sullivan Automotive Group is the 33rd largest dealership group in the US (2010). In 2010, it sold a total of 21,239 units (new, used and wholesale) and had total revenue (including parts, service, etc.) of $632,338,233 – with only seven dealerships:
Lexus Santa Monica
Toyota/Scion Santa Monica
Toyota/Scion of Hollywood
Volkswagen of Santa Monica
Pacific Audi
Pacific Porsche
Pacific Volkswagen
Fisker Santa Monica (opening Spring/Summer 2011)
The group uses the catch-all LACarGuy.com website to promote its stores and, if you live in LA, you’ve seen billboards for LACarGuy and TV commercials featuring patriarch, Owner/President Michael Sullivan. All of Sullivan’s dealerships have adopted environmentally-friendly practices, both in the showroom and in the service bays. Green is good for business these days.
LACarGuy claims that it’s the number one hybrid dealer in the world. I know the Lexus store is the number one Lexus hybrid seller in the US. So I wouldn’t be surprised if the combination of hybrid sales from the two Toyota dealerships, the Lexus store and a few niche hybrids like the VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, and Porsche Panamera Hybrids, put it on top. We do love our hybrids in LA.
The group also has EV charging stations “live” at some of their dealerships. Odd, as none of the vehicles they sell are plug-in hybrids – yet. The Fisker Karma is a plug-in hybrid EV and the upcoming plug-in Prius will also use the charging stations.
The Fisker brand is a good fit for Sullivan Automotive and the City of Santa Monica. So far, it’s the only Fisker dealer in greater Los Angeles. The next closest store is in Orange County.
If you’ve never been to Sullivan’s flagship Lexus Santa Monica dealership, it’s worth your time to see this video. I give them props for restoring this beautiful, historic building.
The People’s Republic of Santa Monica is the perfect location for the plug-in EV Fisker Karma. It’s home to ultra-wealthy aging hippies, environmentalists and lefty socialists. Entertainment industry and creative-types populate trendy restaurants and condos. Expensive boutiques on Montana Avenue attract celebrity shoplifters. You’ll find LEED-certified buildings and the most creative, modern architecture there.
Santa Monica is home to Heal the Bay. It’s the unofficial “Home of the Homeless.” The City hosts four terrific Farmers Markets each week in three different locations. Organic and locally-sourced food is pervasive.
Santa Monica banned smoking on public beaches and the outdoor patios of restaurants. Plastic bags are banned from supermarkets. The City’s fleet of non-emergency vehicles is mostly hybrids or alternative fuel vehicles. The City’s Big Blue Buses all run on compressed natural gas (CNG). It’s not uncommon to see an old diesel Mercedes that’s been converted to run on B20 bio-diesel or used vegetable oil. The Prius appears to be the unofficial transportation appliance of Santa Monica — you can’t throw a stone in any direction without hitting one.
Santa Monica is ground zero (in the LA Metro) area for everything environmentally-friendly, progressive and “green.” There are many wealthy early adopters of EVs and other advanced hybrid technology living in or near Santa Monica. In short, it’s the perfect market for a $100,000 extended-range electric vehicle.
The Fisker Karma is a plug-in electric vehicle with a gas engine that drives a generator to charge the batteries for extended-range driving. Fisker claims the Karma can travel 50 miles on the batteries and an additional 200 miles in extended-range mode. The concept is much like the Chevy Volt; but the Karma’s execution is very different and the target audience is wealthier.
The Karma packs a GM Ecotec 2.0 liter direct-inject turbo I-4 engine just behind the front wheels. It drives a generator to charge the large-capacity 20 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that forms a rigid spine down the center of the car. The Karma is a proper rear-drive sports car (albeit a bit heavy at 4,100 lbs) driven by rear-mounted dual 300 kW electric motors good for a total of 403 hp with a heart-stopping 981 lb-ft torque available from the moment your foot hits the electron exciter. The Karma seats four adults and can hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds.
Fisker Automotive got more than $500 million from the Department of Energy to build the Karma in the US. Fisker bought a shuttered GM plant in Delaware and is in the process of converting it into a shiny modern factory to produce its sleek sports car. It’s going to have to sell lots of cars to pay back its investors.
Below is the Fisker Karma’s first “Get Hot” commercial:
In the meantime, the Karma is being built in Uusikaupunki, Finland by contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive. Valmet also builds the Boxster/Caymen line for Porsche at this plant. The Karma began production on March 21, 2011 so deliveries may happen as soon as this summer. I’m sure Fisker Santa Monica is taking orders. Just have your checkbook ready.
Motor Trend’s Technical Editor, Kim Reynolds, gives his take on the Karma:
Reprinted with permission from Todd Bianco’s ACarIsNotARefrigerator.com Blog The Truth About Cars and the Car Biz in LA
Heal The Bay Issues 2010-2011 Annual Beach Report Card
As many of you know that LAcarGUY expanded it’s relationship with Heal the Bay by sponsoring the Beach Report Cards. The latest report has just come out and it looks at the health of the water and beaches of the West Coast, from Washington to California.
Overall beach water quality at Los Angeles County beaches dipped in 2010-11, according to Heal the Bay’s 21st annual Beach Report Card , which the environmental group released yesterday.
Heal the Bay analysts assigned A-to-F letter grades to 92 beaches in the county for the dry-weather period from March 2010 through April 2011 based on levels of weekly bacterial pollution. Some 75% of sites earned A or B grades, compared to an 80% tally in last year’s report.
The decline can be attributed to a number of factors, most notably higher than usual rainfall totals during the reporting period. Notably, some chronically polluted L.A. County beaches that had seen marked improvement reverted to poor form this year despite millions of dollars being spent on water quality improvements.
The 75% figure for L.A. beaches receiving A or B grades is well below the statewide average of 90%. Despite significant improvements over the course of two decades, Los Angeles County continues to have the greatest number of beaches with poor water quality grades of any county in the state.
“Despite numerous individual beach success stories, this year demonstrated that there hasn’t been progress reducing major beach pollution sources like the Los Angeles River, Malibu Creek and Topanga Creek,” said Dr. Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay.
The Beach Report Card is a comprehensive evaluation of coastal water quality based on daily and weekly samples taken from sites along the entire coast of California. A poor grade means beachgoers face a higher risk of contracting illnesses such as stomach flu, ear infections, upper respiratory infections and skin rashes than swimmers at cleaner beaches.
(Ocean goers can check updated grades for their local beach each Friday at beachreportcard.org. Later this summer, Heal the Bay will launch an application for mobile devices that will allow beachgoers to access the latest water grades instantly)
A handful of significantly polluted beaches helped drag down the county’s overall grades, including those in Avalon and Malibu. Long Beach also played a major role. After three years of improved water quality during summer dry weather, Long Beach water quality fell an alarming 40% from last year.
Eight beaches in the county received year-round F grades. And Los Angeles County leads Heal the Bay’s annual Top 10 Beach Bummer List, with four locations in the ranking of the state’s most polluted beaches.
Avalon Beach in Catalina continues its reign as the most polluted beach in Los Angeles County. However after several years of delay, the city of Avalon granted $5.1 million toward sewer improvements, which will hopefully get underway this summer.
Other county sites on the state’s top 10 Beach Bummer list: Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, Topanga State Beach and Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach.
On the positive side, seven beaches in Los Angeles County were placed on Heal the Bay’s Honor Roll, meaning they scored perfect A+ grades by not having any bacterial exceedances in year-round dry weather.
After spending more than $2 million and years of staff time to improve water quality at the Santa Monica Pier, city officials can take pride in a an annual A grade for the beach south of the pier. The dramatic swing removes the pier from its historical spot on the top 10 Beach Bummer list.
Meanwhile, Orange County beaches once again recorded excellent water quality grades, well above the state average. Some 96% of 84 locations monitored year-round during dry weather received an A or B during the summer, steady with last year’s report.
Despite the generally excellent water quality, Orange County had two historically troubled locales join the Top 10 Beach Bummer List: Poche Beach and Doheny Beach. A dry weather filtration-disinfection plant completed last year at Poche Beach has yet to meet performance specifications. County officials continue an ongoing effort to improve surf zone water quality, however, and are actively working to identify lingering causes of pollution.
Wet weather water quality in Orange County this past year was poor with 64% of monitoring locations receiving A or B grades. That figure compares with 42% in 2009-10, an improvement that benefits the county’s sizable population of year-round surfers.
Ventura County also enjoyed excellent water quality in 2010-11. All of the 40 beaches monitored during summer dry weather received A grades. There were no F grades during any reporting period. However, D grades were assigned to the following wet-weather locales: Surfer’s Point, Promenade Park, San Buenaventura Beach at San Jon Road, Surfer’s Knoll and Channel Islands Harbor Beach Park.
One of the reasons that Los Angeles County lags in water quality is the fact that its monitoring agencies – unlike most others in the state — collect samples directly in front of flowing storm drains and creeks. Orange and Ventura counties monitor 25 yards or more away from flowing drains and creeks.
Monitoring at “point zero” locations, where polluted runoff often pools, is the best way to ensure that health risks to swimmers are captured in water quality data.
However, not all water quality problems in Los Angeles County can be attributed to more stringent testing.
Year-round dry-weather water quality in Long Beach fell dramatically, with only 33% of its monitored beaches receiving A or B grades during the period. That rate lags significantly behind L.A. County’s 76% A or B total.
Long Beach’s water quality is poor overall because it sits at the terminus of the pollution-choked L.A. River. The nearly 1,000-square-mile drainage area is the predominant source of fecal bacteria to Long Beach waters.
The city is to be commended for investigating and fixing leaking or disconnected sewage pump lines and improperly working diversions. But ultimately the city’s water quality is directly tied to the rainfall amounts and enormous runoff volumes from the L.A. River.
Summertime water quality in Santa Monica Bay beaches was excellent, with 91% of the beaches from Palos Verdes to Leo Carillo receiving A or B grades. The figure is markedly better than the seven-year average of 82% and just edged out the statewide average of 80%.
On a more downbeat note, infrastructure improvements at Malibu’s Paradise Cove and Marie Canyon and Los Angeles’ Cabrillo Beach failed to yield similar results as Santa Monica Pier. These sites still earn D and F grades.
Wet weather water quality in L.A. County in 2010-11 fell significantly, with only 29% of beaches receiving A or B grades compared to 50% last year. Wet weather grades were 7% below the county’s seven-year average, with 40 out of 87 sites receiving an F grade.
Cities continue to grapple with storm water runoff and the harmful effects it has on year-round ocean users. Heal the Bay recommends that no one swim in the ocean during, and for at least three days after, a significant rainstorm.
State results
Statewide, most California beaches had very good water quality this past year during year-round dry weather, with 284 of 324 (88%) locations receiving A and B grades. That marks a 2% dip from the previous report.
Overall, 28 of the beaches (9%) monitored statewide received D or F grades during year-round dry weather. Eighteen beaches statewide received an overall F grade during the busy summer beach-going season for the 2010-11 Beach Report Card.
Numerous California beaches vied for the monitoring location with the consistently poorest dry-weather water quality.
Here are the Top 10 “Beach Bummers” in California (starting with the worst):
The Top 10 Beach Bummers
1. Cowell Beach – at the wharf (Santa Cruz County)
2. Avalon Harbor Beach on Catalina Island (L.A. County)
3. Cabrillo Beach harborside (Los Angeles County)
4. Topanga State Beach at creek mouth (L.A. County)
5. Poche Beach (Orange County)
6. North Beach/Doheny (Orange County)
7. Arroyo Burro Beach (Santa Barbara County)
8. Baker Beach at Lobos Creek (San Francisco County)
9. Colorado Lagoon (Los Angeles County)
10. Capitola Beach — west of the jetty (Santa Cruz County)
Honor Roll
Some 68 of the 324 (21%) beaches with year-round dry weather grades this year scored a perfect A+. These beaches had zero exceedances of state bacterial standards for ocean water quality throughout the entire time frame of this report. Heal the Bay proudly places these beaches on our Beach Report Card Honor Roll. A list of these locations in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties can be found in the full report.
Uncertain Funding Statewide for Beach Monitoring
County monitoring agencies continue to feel the effects of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2008 line-item veto of state beach monitoring funds. The governor axed funds that supported the collection and processing of ocean water samples as well as the posting of signs to notify swimmers of health risks.
Fortunately, some local governments have temporarily allocated additional funding to provide this invaluable service to the beach-going public. The State Water Resources Control Board also provided major stop-gap funding through 2011.
There is no secured state funding for ongoing testing of ocean water quality in 2012, placing public health at risk. If the situation does not improve, over half of the beach monitoring in the state will stop. Heal the Bay will continue to work with state and local governments to ensure that ongoing funding is secured.
For a detailed look at beach results for each county and report methodology, please refer to our complete report. A PDF version is available at www.healthebay.org.
About the Beach Report Card
All county health departments are required to test beach water quality samples for three types of indicator bacteria at least once a week. Heal the Bay compiles the complex shoreline data, analyzes it and assigns an easy-to-understand letter grade. We analyzed 445 beaches, from San Diego to Humboldt counties, based on levels of weekly bacterial pollution reported from April 2010 through March 2011.
The summary includes an analysis of water quality during four time periods: summer dry season (April through October), year-round dry weather, winter dry weather, and year-round wet weather. The grading methodology is endorsed by the State Water Resources Control Board.
An FAQ about the Beach Report Card is available at www.healthebay.org/brc/FAQs. Heal the Bay’s interactive microsite contains weekly updates as well as historical grades. www.healthebay.org/brc
Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card is made possible through the generous support of The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation, simplehuman, LAcarGUY, SIMA, and Grousbeck Family Foundation
LAcarGUY Wins Sustainable Quality Awards Grand Prize
LAcarGUY is proud to announce that they will be honored with the grand prize at the 2011 Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) at the Sheraton Santa Monica from 11am – 2pm on Wednesday, April 27th. The SQAs, a partnership between the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, Sustainable Works and the City of Santa Monica, celebrates local business achievement in economic development, social responsibility, and stewardship of the environment.
LAcarGUY is the first automotive dealership to win an SQA grand prize reinforcing the company’s leadership in an industry not known for its earth friendly practices. The grand prize was based on a number of factors including:
• LAcarGUY is #1 Hybrid dealer in the world, and Toyota Santa Monica is the #1 Prius dealership in the world.
• LAcarGUY offers vehicles at varied price points that utilize different energy sources (gasoline, hybrid, electric) lending itself to all economic conditions and customer choice.
• Toyota Santa Monica won the coveted Environmental Sustainability Award presented by Senator Pavley’s office.
• LAcarGUY was the first automotive dealership in the country to install the “Level 2” SAE J-1772 EV chargers for the new plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.
• LAcarGUY is providing open access to the chargers at no cost in order to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles.
• Lexus Santa Monica is the #1 Lexus Hybrid Dealer in the U.S.
• LAcarGUY spent close to $15 million renovating the Lexus Santa Monica dealership instead of tearing it down.
• In January 2011, a major LED retrofit was executed at Lexus Santa Monica.
• LAcarGUY created the position of Manager of the Environment, a Green Team and a Green Newsletter that includes tips for employees on how to conserve energy in the office and at home.
• LAcarGUY has a long history of giving back to the community, and in 2010 employees volunteered at 15 events for a total of 650+ pro-bono hours.
• In 2010 LAcarGUY donated $200k to a side range of environmental charities including Heal the Bay, Environmental Media Association, Global Green, Tree People and Sustainable Works.
The 16th Annual Sustainable Quality Awards are Santa Monica’s most prestigious environmental event, and will be presented by LACarGUY and Morley Builders at the Sheraton Santa Monica on April 27th, 2011. Sarah Backhouse, host of Discovery’s “Planet 100″ show is the emcee, and Evan Kleiman, host of Good Food on KCRW will give the luncheon keynote.
Please take a few minutes and enjoy some of the photos from a few of our events:
Lexus CT200H Launch Event
Heal The Bay Coast Cleanup
Toyota Santa Monica celebrates unveiling of EV Charging Stations
Arbor Day 2011
LAcarGUY Dealerships’ Hit Dockweiller Beach With Heal The Bay
On Saturday, September 25th, 50+ LAcarGUY employees, friends and family braved the heat and cleaned Santa Monica’s Dockweiller Beach as part of Heal the Bay’s 21st Annual Coastal Cleanup Day. We joined a record-breaking number of volunteers that collected more than 50 tons of trash.
Some 14,131 volunteers made their way to the coast’s waterways from 9 a.m. to noon at 65 sites throughout the county, covering 101 miles and removing 103,524 pounds of debris.
Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) began in 1985 and has grown into a huge annual event. Every state with a coastline participates, including the Great Lakes states, and even some inland states clean river and lake shores. The one-day cleanup is international—at last count, over 60 nations participated—and may be the largest volunteer day on the planet.
Heal the Bay and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors are the Los Angeles County coordinators for the state of California’s Coastal Cleanup Day. We bring out over 10,000 volunteers to cleanup sites each year in L.A. County to over 50 sites along Santa Monica Bay and along inland creeks and waterways.
LAcarGUY’s commitment to the community and the water around the South Bay is personal. Our president, Mike Sullivan, has been surfing the waves in the area his entire life and many staff join in activities around the beaches and surf regularly.
Most people clean at the beach and on foot, but there are also special cleanups for inland creeks, boaters, kayakers, and divers. By far the most common item picked up are cigarette butts. Some of the more unusual items found in recent years were a chandelier, a briefcase full of graham crackers, and a bridal gown.
City crews, families, local businesses, faith-based organizations, schools and youth sports teams worked in tandem to gather and remove 103,524 pounds of debris.
Urban runoff from more than 200 storm drains flowing out to Santa Monica and San Pedro bays causes the vast majority of local ocean pollution. By removing tons of trash from beaches and inland neighborhoods, cleanup participants enhance quality of life, protect marine animals and bolster the regional economy.
“Code Red” locations in need of special attention this year included Dominguez Channel, Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park, the Los Angeles River and Encino’s Haskell Creek. These urban sites drain runoff from huge swaths of Los Angeles County and are overwhelmed by such litter as plastic bags and fast-food packaging.
Heal the Bay’s CCD campaigns have captured a cumulative 1.57 million pounds of trash since 1990. Cigarette butts, plastic bottle caps and Styrofoam fragments are the most frequently found items at cleanups.
Sites covered the entire county this year, from Tujunga to Long Beach, Compton to Malibu. SCUBA dive teams canvassed under the Santa Monica and Redondo Beach piers, while a flotilla of kayakers removed trash from Marina del Rey.
LAcarGUY is proud to be involved with such an important part of the health of our beaches and water. Thank you Heal The Bay!
See the press release from Heal The Bay here
See the LAcarGUY Flickr photos or on our Facebook page
The Majestic Plastic Bag
Here’s a great mockumentary from our partners at Heal the Bay:
Check it out!
