February 4, 2021

ON SC

San Clemente

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Five things San Clemente should know this week

Council Pushes for Education Campaign on E-Bike Safety

THE LATEST: In a choice between education and increased enforcement, the city council on Tuesday, Feb. 2, voted to launch an awareness and outreach campaign in the hope of deterring e-bike riders from engaging in reckless behavior while on the Beach Trail.

The council unanimously approved a yearlong education campaign along with all but one of the proposed e-bike regulations that the Beaches, Parks and Recreation (BPR) Commission had recommended last month—a proposal to lower the speed limit on the coastal trail to 5 mph.

“It needs to be an education blitz,” Mayor Kathy Ward said, adding: “We’re serious on this, because it’s public safety and we’re seeing the explosion of the bikes, and we are going to have to do something.”

The council’s decision to go with increased education on e-bike safety comes weeks after the BPR Commission had approved its series of recommendations that included proposing the speed limit reduction from 10 mph to 5 mph, restricting cyclists from riding on the Mariposa Bridge and adding signage along the Beach Trail telling cyclists to yield to pedestrians.

Another recommendation added e-bikes as a specific reference in the municipal code related to the uses of cycling, skateboarding and other activities on the Beach Trail and Pier. With the exception of the speed limit change, the council voted to approve those recommendations.

City code currently imposes a 10-mph speed limit for e-bike users. E-bikes can be ridden on the beaches and the Beach Trail throughout much of the year, but from June 15 through Labor Day, e-bike use is prohibited there.

Users are also prohibited from riding an e-bike year-round along the Montalvo Bridge and the Riviera Bridge, as well as on the heavily trafficked asphalt section of the trail, at the base of the San Clemente Pier.

Councilors on Tuesday had discussed the dilemma of increased enforcement, with Ward stating that “we can’t pay for enough enforcement, we can’t hire enough people.” She added that the city can’t “make enough rules” to address the issue.

“I think definitely education is a component, but I don’t think we can regulate our way or make enough rules for this one,” she said.

Code Compliance Manager Adam Atamian had explained to the council that the city’s park rangers and code compliance officers are incapable of currently addressing speeding cyclists, citing a lack of resources.

“That’s not to say that we couldn’t (pull over speeders) in the future, but at this point in time, we don’t have the resources to begin to train staff to do that nor do we have the equipment to patrol the Beach Trail in such fashion.”

Instead of more enforcement, the council is pushing for the educational campaign, which is set to include bike safety programs and workshops at the schools, led by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s school resource officer, outreach through media, and a public service announcement featuring councilmembers on e-bikes encouraging safe riding.

The city will also set up an online “ho-

San Clemente COVID-19 UPDATES

tline,” or portal on the city’s website, for residents to record incidents of reckless riding. The hotline, city officials explained on Tuesday, will allow the city to track reports of near misses, collisions and accidents related to e-bikes on the coastal amenity, in turn using the data to inform future decisions of the council.

“While we’re doing the education simultaneously, have people report incidents so we can start building some data and we can have the big picture,” Councilmember Laura Ferguson said.

Mayor Pro Tem Gene James agreed with Ferguson’s sentiments, noting that the city has received a lot of anecdotal evidence of dangerous activities with e-bikes, but not a lot of hard data—a point previously made by the city’s public safety chiefs.

“If six months down the road, or nine months down the road, we figured out (education) is not working, I would then be for a prohibition of e-bikes on the Beach Trail,” James said.

WHAT’S NEXT: Ward noted that if the hotline begins to see a high rate of complaints in the coming months, prior to the conclusion of the education campaign, the council should pick up the discussion again to consider alternatives.

“I completely agree,” acting City Manager Erik Sund said, responding to Ward. “If we started to see something four months into this program that would raise red flags, staff would immediately raise their hand, and it would come back to the city council for further direction if there was a concern.”—Shawn Raymundo

Coronavirus Metrics Continue Positive Trends as OC Remains in Purple Tier

THE LATEST: Coronavirus metrics across the state and locally remained on their positive trends this week as California continued to come down from the pandemic highs of the winter coronavirus surge. After the state lifted all of its regional stay-at-home orders on Jan. 25, California returned to its four-tiered, color-coded, county-by-county coronavirus monitoring system. The system is the main component of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy for determining in what capacity different sectors, businesses and activities can reopen safely.

TOTAL CASES

LAST 30 DAYS

As for an idea to outright ban e-bikes on the trail, that wasn’t immediately dismissed by councilors, indicating that such a measure is still on the table six months to a year from now—after the city gathers more data. as of 2/2/21 casesdeaths TOTAL 2,654 22 LAST 30 DAYS 956 9

est. population • 65,405

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram for daily local & county statistics Source: Orange County Health Care Agency

Orange County’s coronavirus monitoring metrics decreased considerably in the weekly coronavirus tier update on Tuesday, Feb. 2, but the county remained high in the highest-risk purple “widespread” tier.

Daily new cases per 100,000 residents continued to dip, with the metric dropping to an adjusted 39.0 daily new cases per 100,000, down from the 46.6 new cases last week and the 67.1 of two weeks ago. The threshold for the purple tier is 7.0.

The state reports an adjusted case rate, which is adjusted for the volume of testing. The unadjusted rate is 43.1 daily new cases per 100,000, down from 66.1 last week and from 99.7 two weeks ago.

The county saw a drop in its testing positivity, as the countywide number dipped to 10.9% from last week’s 12.9%. The metric was at 16.7% two weeks ago. The threshold for the purple tier is 8%.

The county’s health equity positivity rate was reported at 13.9%, down from last week’s 16.6% and the 21.2% of two weeks ago. The threshold for the purple tier is 8%. The health equity rate measures the testing positivity in a county’s low-income

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and more racially diverse neighborhoods.

To move down to the red “substantial” risk tier, Orange County would need to have its metrics at red levels for two consecutive weeks. The red tier requires the case rate to sit between 4.0 and 7.0, the testing positivity between 5.0% and 8.0% and the health equity rate between 5.3% and 8.0%.

There are still 54 counties in the purple tier, one in the red tier. Two counties (Trinity and Alpine) dropped to the orange “moderate” risk tier for a total of three at that level.

Statewide, Health and Human Services

Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly reported a 7.2% 14-day testing positivity rate in California, with a 6.4% seven-day rate—both decreases from last week’s 9% 14-day average and 7.9% seven-day average, as downward trends continued. The 14-day rate was 11.6% 14 days ago.

Along with those continually declining testing positivity rates, the transmission rate again dropped, with the state’s Reffective down to 0.78, which means each person infected with COVID-19 is spreading the virus to well below one other person on average.

The state’s hospital system gets to a better point with each passing day, as those numbers also keep trending down.

The Southern California region is now at an adjusted 9.1% available ICU capacity. Based on the state’s four-week projection model, Southern California is set to be at 43.7% ICU availability on March 1.

Hospitalizations saw even larger decreases than last week, with a 28.8% decrease statewide over the past 14 days and an 18.9% decrease in ICU patients over the past 14 days. As of Tuesday, Orange County hospitalizations had decreased 33.7% in the past 14 days, and ICU patients had decreased 29.3% over the past 14 days.

While the death rate continued to rise, the increases were much smaller than in previous weeks.

Statewide, the 14-day daily new death average has gone up 9.4% in the past 14 days, from an average of 495.4 deaths per day to 542.2. Last week, the state average had increased 17.2% in the previous 14 days.

In Orange County, the 14-day daily average went up by 24.2% in the past 14 days, from an average of 39.35 deaths per day to 48.9. Last week, the county average increased 105.5% in the previous 14 days.

There were 1,187 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Orange County in January, making it by far the deadliest month of the pandemic. August marked the previous one-month high reported at 376.

Nationally, the U.S. now tops 26 million coronavirus cases. There have been 443,355 deaths in the country, and the national seven-day average testing positivity is at 7.97%, down from 9.08% last week. The state’s total new cases and case averages have dropped considerably from

their winter highs. The 14-day rolling average of daily new cases dropped to 19,557.3 on Monday, Feb. 1, down significantly from 28,992.7 on Jan. 25.—Zach Cavanagh

City Passes Inspection of Railroad Warning System, Awaits Approval from FRA

THE LATEST: City officials are hopeful that San Clemente can soon regain its waiver for quiet zones along the railway, as the city’s audible alert system to warn pedestrians of oncoming trains reportedly passed a federal inspection last week.

“Everything went according to plan; we passed all of the inspections,” Councilmember Chris Duncan told San Clemente Times on Monday, Feb. 1. He explained that the decibel readings for the Pedestrian Audible Warning Systems (PAWS) “were where they were supposed to be.”

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) officials visited San Clemente on Jan. 26 to inspect the PAWS used at all seven of the city’s pedestrian railroad crossings. The FRA on Tuesday, Feb. 2, said it wouldn’t release the results of the inspection until after its Safety Board had issued a decision.

Acting City Manager Erik Sund explained to the city council on Tuesday that the city was “successful in passing our inspection” and “our PAWS hit above 80 decibels each reading. That was a good thing.”

The next step, Duncan and Sund said, is for the federal agency to complete a report, certifying the city had passed the inspection, and present it to the FRA’s Safety Board for consideration and review. Should the board rule in the city’s favor, San Clemente’s quiet zones could be reestablished, providing noise relief to residents near the train tracks.

“All signs point to that we may be able to get our waiver again,” said an optimistic Duncan.

According to Sund, the FRA inspectors are expected to complete the report this week. Once complete, he said, the city will work with FRA officials in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento to schedule a meeting with the Safety Board.

San Clemente’s five-year waiver granting the use of the PAWS, which established the Quiet Zones along seven pedestrian railroad crossings, expired this past November after previous inspections with the FRA had unveiled a handful of compliance issues.

During the FRA’s inspections conducted last spring and summer, officials reported that various warning systems were producing sounds below 80 decibels. They also found that the city’s signage, emergency exit swing gates and the fencing to keep pedestrians away from the tracks were in poor condition.

As a result, the safety board denied the

of

to continue booking appointments for one of the

as

city’s request to renew the waiver, requiring train conductors to resume sounding their 112-decibel locomotive horns four times ahead of each crossing—two long bursts, one short, and then one more long blast.

While San Clemente appears to be on track to get its waiver renewed in the near future, currently at issue is whether the FRA will schedule a special safety board meeting ahead of its regularly planned quarterly meeting.

The most recent safety board meeting occurred in mid-January. In an email to San Clemente Times, LaRaye Brown, public affairs specialist for the FRA, said the safety board isn’t scheduled to meet again until March, adding that “we have not set the agenda for that meeting.”

Sund had previously told the council during its Jan. 19 meeting, prior to the planned inspection, that the city would be asking the FRA to schedule a meeting ahead of the quarterly one

“In the hopes of passing that inspection, we are looking at the FRA to call a safety board meeting before its next scheduled quarterly meeting,” Sund had said.

Managing residents’ expectations, Duncan this week stressed “that the FRA is really in control of the process.”

“All the city can do is submit the required documentation and demonstrate the compliance of the PAWS, and it really is up to the FRA to act,” he said. “The residents should know that the city has really done absolutely everything it could to put the waiver in the best possible light.”

Since the safety board’s denial, the city has hastily worked to remedy the issue, and it was even given an opportunity by the FRA to hold an expedited inspection in mid-December.

However, the planned inspection, which would have placed the city in a position

to have the board reconsider the waiver renewal during its quarterly meeting last month, had to be postponed because of a malfunction in the equipment used to test the PAWS.

“Unforeseen technical issues arose with the sound decibel meter, which resulted in inadequate sound level readings,” the city explained in a Jan. 13 press release. “There were no issues with the PAWS itself.”

Despite the setbacks, Duncan remained positive regarding the situation and praised the city’s handling of the efforts to secure the waiver renewal.

“From my perspective, the city staff dealt with it with the urgency it deserved and that effort ensured us of passing the inspection, which we did,” he said.—SR

County Hits Pause on Pop-Up Vaccine Clinics

THE LATEST: The limited supply of coronavirus vaccines continues to hamper plans of getting shots into the arms of the county’s elderly, as pop-up vaccination clinics tentatively scheduled to open throughout the county in the coming days, including in San Clemente, have been put on hold.

The county announced on Tuesday, Feb. 2, in a press release that its plans of offering vaccines to San Clemente’s seniors at the Dorothy Visser Senior Center on Feb. 10 is now on pause, citing “extremely high demand for the COVID-19 vaccine in Orange County.”

“The County of Orange tiered vaccination plan continues to be developed based on limited vaccine supply,” the release said. “While it is possible a local distribution may occur in the city of San Clemente

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in the future, we are putting the tentatively scheduled clinic for Feb. 10 on pause at Age Well’s Dorothy Visser Senior Center.”

The office of Orange County Board Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, who represents the Fifth District that largely covers South County, told San Clemente Times on Tuesday that the county has hit the pause button on all the small vaccination clinics it was looking to open around Orange County because of logistical and supply issues.

The county, Bartlett’s office said, does plan to revisit the endeavor when more vaccines become available.

For the time being, the county is continuing to recommend that seniors 65 and older register with Othena through the website and mobile app to schedule an appointment at either of the two Super Point of Dispensing (POD) sites—located at Disneyland in Anaheim and Soka University in Aliso Viejo.

Beth Apodaca, director of San Clemente’s senior center, said on Tuesday that her staff has been working to notify those who had already scheduled their tentative appointments about the pause.

The purpose of the pop-up vaccination clinics, she had previously explained, was to provide local seniors with an additional avenue in getting the vaccine without having to make the trip to Aliso Viejo or Anaheim.

She also had warned that the Feb. 10 opening date was a moving target based on the supply of available vaccines.

WHAT’S NEXT: According to Apodaca, the county prefers that residents keep trying to book an appointment with Othena, rather than waiting for the local clinic option to become available.

Those who have scheduled a shot at either one of the Super POD locations can book transportation to and from the appointment through the senior center’s parent company, Age Well Senior Services.

The co-pay charge is $2 for each way, and booking transportation must be made 48 business hours in advance. Rides can be scheduled by calling 949.855.9766.—SR

Local Activist’s Home Searched by the FBI

THE LATEST: Residents of a San Clemente apartment complex were awakened early Wednesday morning, Jan. 27, to the sound of federal agents searching the home of local conservative activist Alan Hostetter, neighbors told San Clemente Times

Other than to confirm the address of the apartment that was searched, the FBI would not disclose the homeowner’s iden-

stay-at-home

tity. However, voting records and neighbors in the complex on Thursday, Jan. 28, identified the apartment as belonging to Hostetter.

Hostetter, a staunch advocate of former President Donald Trump and vehement opponent to the state’s stay-at-home orders, has been the face and voice of several anti-lockdown protests in Orange County, including a mask-burning rally near the pier this past November.

Hostetter last month attended the pro-Trump march in Washington, D.C., where rioters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn President Joe Biden’s Electoral College win, resulting in the deaths of five people.

According to the FBI, agents were seeking evidence at the San Clemente apartment in relation to an ongoing criminal investigation, but they couldn’t comment further on the matter nor confirm whether it was tied to the Capitol riot. No arrests were made related to the search.

As of press time, Hostetter, who is facing separate criminal charges in connection to a demonstration he had organized against the fencing around the Pier Bowl parking lot this past May, had not responded to calls seeking comment.

On the day of the march, Hostetter shared videos and photos of the protest and resulting riot to his American Phoenix Project account on Instagram. Those posts, including a video of the riot

eos of himself to social media marching toward the Capitol the day of the riot.

The LA Times reported that Taylor has used his social media to acknowledge his participation in the rally, while denying he entered the Capitol building.

Since the Jan. 6 protest, Hostetter’s wife and Vista Del Mar Elementary School teacher, Kristine Hostetter, has also come under fire after parents saw the fourth-grade educator appear in other social media posts Taylor and her husband had shared of the march.

The student-led group CUSD Against Racism has used Hostetter’s and Taylor’s posts to call on the Capistrano Unified School District to investigate whether the teacher took part in the riot at the Capitol.

Hostetter’s protests and rhetoric toward the lockdowns and the 2020 Presidential race have garnered national media attention, as just last week, a Washington Post columnist wrote an op-ed about the former officer of the law-turned-yogi.

“… few if any of the other protesters who descended on Washington offered Hostetter’s combination of law enforcement and New Age-y mysticism, his presence at the rally illustrates the surprising, perhaps even unnerving width of hardcore Trump support,” Washington Post columnist Radley Balko wrote in his piece.

April 21. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

that appears to be taken from the balcony of the Capitol building, have since been removed.

In the caption for that video, which has been circulated by other local groups, Hostetter wrote that “thousands proudly stormed the cess pool of corruption while hundreds of thousands cheered them on (sic).”

In a another removed post on Instagram, Hostetter addressed his followers who had inquired about his whereabouts during the riot, letting them know he was safe.

“We did our part, we are proud of our fellow patriots, our President and our great country,” he wrote. “This was the ‘shot heard ’round the world!’ … the 2021 version of 1776. That war lasted 8 years. We are just getting warmed up.”

The search comes on the heels of reports that FBI agents in Southern California had arrested individuals suspected of taking part in the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, as well as searched the home of Russ Taylor, a known associate of Hostetter’s.

According to a report from Los Angeles Times, FBI agents last week searched Taylor’s Ladera Ranch home, where an unknown number of weapons were reportedly found. Taylor, a fellow far-right activist, has organized protests with Hostetter and accompanied him in Washington.

Like Hostetter, Taylor also posted vid-

Over the past year, Hostetter, a former La Habra police chief, has staged marches and protests in San Clemente, objecting to stay-at-home orders and safety restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

At one of his demonstrations, where he and others attempted to tear down the fencing the city had placed around the Pier Bowl parking lot, Hostetter was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, refusing to disperse and trespassing.

Hostetter now faces criminal charges for those three misdemeanor offenses that the Orange County District Attorney’s office filed with the court this past July.

Ahead of the Presidential election this past fall, Hostetter also organized a pro-Trump rally on the beach by the San Clemente Pier, attracting hundreds who came out to support the reelection of the former President.

During those demonstrations, Hostetter has used such terms as “army” and “ground troops” to describe Trump’s supporters, who, he perceives, are fighting in a “war.”

“Our army, led by our fearless leader, President Trump, will win this war,” Hostetter had stated during a speech at his Oct. 3 Trump rally. “Make no mistake about it, we are at war. And this war we will win, of that there is no doubt. There is no choice, no alternative whatsoever other than complete and total victory in this war.”—SR

NEWS BITES

Orange County musician Jorge Ramirez, 21, is taking to social media to promote his music.

Photo: Courtesy of Miguel Vasquez Photography

Local Musician Releases

First Solo Single on Friday

As a Latino musician in Orange County, Jorge Ramirez did not have all the opportunities to break out like others did.

The San Clemente native and current San Juan Capistrano resident, though, eventually joined the local mariachi band Mariachi Nuevo Capistrano and made contacts with producers.

Come Friday, Feb. 5, Ramirez will release his first music single as a solo artist on YouTube. The song is titled “Me Importas,” which translates to “you matter to me” and is about a man who falls in love with a girl—and though that love is not reciprocated, he still cares for her.

Ramirez describes the song as having a big band feel.

“I wanted to pursue a solo career,” Ramirez said. “It’s really exciting for someone to do this in the community.”

Ramirez has been involved in music since he was 8 years old—he’s now 21—and started off playing trumpet in his school band, before his mom got him involved in mariachi music. He’s spent time in Los Angeles working on his craft, and he is still a member of Mariachi Nuevo Capistrano.

Ramirez—who grew up in an immigrant family—is excited about the opportunity ahead of him, because it’s always been his dream to release a song on his own. He’s saved up money from his mariachi gigs and invested that in his own independent endeavors. Ramirez said the mariachi gigs have dried up recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Me Importas” will also be available on all digital platforms, including Spotify. Ramirez can be found on social media at Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. —Collin Breaux

County Opens

Application Window for Rental Assistance Program

The county this month launched its Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, opening the month-long application window for renter households who have struggled to pay rent and utility bills because of the ongoing pandemic.

Community Meetings

THURSDAY, FEB. 4

GOLF COMMITTEE

6-7 p.m. The city’s Golf Committee will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting via teleconference and can be streamed through the city’s YouTube channel. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

TUESDAY, FEB. 9

HUMAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

3:30-5 p.m. The city’s Human Affairs Committee will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting via teleconference and can be streamed through the city’s YouTube channel. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

“Orange County renters have had to bear an incredible burden throughout this pandemic. Our rental assistance will help keep our most vulnerable community members from losing their home and a sense of security in the midst of this ongoing crisis,” Orange County Board Supervisor and Chairperson Andrew Do said in a press release.

According to the county, the cities of Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine received direct allocations from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as they have populations that exceed 200,000 residents. Residents of each of those three cities, the county said, will be served by local city programs.

“The County has been allocated approximately $65.5 million from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and—working through a group of regional providers—will deliver timely financial assistance to rental households at greatest risk of becoming homeless due to COVID-19-related financial hardships,” Board Supervisor and Vice Chairperson Doug Chaffee said in the release.

Renters must meet certain eligibility criteria to qualify, such as being able to demonstrate that their housing stability is at risk because of unpaid rent and utility bills. A household’s combined income must also be at or below 80% area median income (AMI).

The ERA program doesn’t apply to homeowners and past due mortgage payments, utilities, or energy costs and is solely to be used for renters, the county explained. More information on the AMI and how to apply can be found in the online version of this story.

Have something interesting to submit to our News Bites section? Submissions are due by 10 a.m. the Monday of the week you’d like published. Email sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com

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Aaron Lloyd Bankruptcy Attorney 2377 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.544.9355, lloydlegal.com

Rosen Law Offices, P.C. 34118 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 5, Dana Point, 949.335.0020, snrosenlaw.com

A.J. Bardzilowski Principal California Certified Residential Appraiser AR015516 California Real Estate Broker 01237943 (949) 246-2099 aj@dellagogroup.com

Hamilton Le, D.M.D., F.A.C.P. 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, San Clemente, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), moranperio.com

Benjamin Stevens, D.D.S. 3553 Camino Mira Costa, Suite B, San Clemente, 949.493.2391, benstevensdds.com

Eric Johnson, D.D.S. 647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, San Clemente, 949.493.9311, drericjohnson.com

Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, San Clemente, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), moranperio.com

“Sandy & Rich” RE/MAX Coastal Homes 949.293.3236, sandyandrich.com

Scott Kidd, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services 949.498.0487, skidd@bhhscal.com

Arcadia Electric 949.361.1045, arcadiaelectric.com

Cello and Bass Academy 310.895.6145, celloandbassacademy.com

Rock Club Music School 73 Via Pico Plaza, San Clemente, 949.463.1968, beachcitiesrockclub.com

A to Z Leak Detection 1001 Calle Recodo, San Clemente, 949.481.7013, atozleakdetection.com

Bill Metzger Plumbing 1001 Calle Recodo, San Clemente, 949.492.3558, billmetzerplumbing.com

Bleu 207 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.366.2060, scsalonbleu.com

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SOAPBOX SC

GUEST OPINION: City Council Corner by Mayor Pro Tem Gene James

City Focusing on Economic Recovery from COVID

As our city and the nation can see the light at the end of the tunnel from the nightmare of the coronavirus pandemic, we must pivot from COVID-19 relief efforts to COVID-19 recovery efforts.

I will reject any notion of a new normal; it is imperative we return to life as we knew it. We need to see our children in school learning, on playgrounds enjoying life, and we all need to once again socialize with each other in person.

The impacts of COVID will linger for quite some time to come, but we will prevail. Handshakes and hugs need to once again be an integral part of our lives.

Gov. Newsom’s autocratic, cavalier and unwise edicts directed against our small businesses created untold harm that will be with our small business owners and restaurateurs for some time into the future.

Our city’s unemployment rate hovers at nearly 7%, and that does tell the full story of diminished earnings during the pandemic. As San Clemente families tighten their belts, it is my duty to ensure the city tightens its budget belt as well. As our taxpayers are suffering, the city cannot operate like it once did; there is no safety net.

I will propose significant cuts in the

Letter to the

Editor

CENTENNIAL GENERAL PLAN

WAYNE EGGLESTON, former San Clemente City Councilmember and Mayor

In 2010, a dedicated group of 25 San Clemente residents met for more than two years to formulate a new General Plan, called The Centennial General Plan. The city council adopted this comprehensive document in 2014. So, what is the General Plan? The Plan guides many important community decisions through 2028—the centennial year of the city’s founding.

Elements include Land Use; Urban Design; Historic Preservation; Economic Development; Mobility and Complete Streets; Housing; Beaches, Parks and Recreation; Natural Resources; Coastal; Safety; Public Services; Facilities and Utilities; Growth Management; and Governance.

Over the past two years, several members of the city council and planning staff

city’s budget while looking at every way possible to deliver more to the taxpayers of our city. In order to reignite the economic engine of our city, it will be critical to streamline our planning and permitting processes.

By Gene James

Planners need to find every way possible to say yes to projects. Projects beget employment, employment begets spending in the city, and spending in the city begets tax revenue. A very simple calculation.

I would like to see San Clemente be held up as a model for being pro-business with thoughtful development, while keeping the essence of our Spanish Village by the Sea

As we do more with less, we need to ensure recreation for our city’s children comes back sooner rather later and better than ever. Not only do we need our kids back in school, but they need to be on baseball diamonds, on the soccer fields and in the pools, with their parents, families and friends cheering for them.

have ignored/dismissed some basic premises of the General Plan and have foregone the detailed study and recommendations by our planning commission.

Unfortunately, the city has undergone tremendous planning staff turnover, and the city council has had issues with only four sitting members instead of the required five because of a mayor’s death and another member relocating.

Some of the issues the city council or planning staff have superseded without adequate consideration of the General Plan or input from our well-qualified planning commissioners include looking at reducing traffic lanes on North El Camino from four to two, and making Avenida Del Mar a one-way street.

The city has also approved a beertasting establishment on Avenida Del Mar next to apartments, as well as a residential coastal canyon development “in concept” without public hearings and sending it on to the California Coastal Commission, which fortunately rejected it.

I urge the new council to read the General Plan, apply its principles, and not “rubber stamp” recommendations. Also, it is vital for planning staff, even if they do not live in San Clemente, to follow the vision of the residents.

And I urge General Plan Advisory Commit-

The city of San Clemente faces a debt of approximately $49 million in unfunded pension liability that grows every day. In other words, every person in San Clemente has roughly a $700 bill to pay just to catch up on past pension obligations.

If left unattended, our pension debt will outpace our annual budget. It is imperative we address the debt starting this upcoming budget year with a plan to pay our pension obligations as we go and to pay our debt within 10 years.

I am thankful we can see an end to the nightmare from COVID-19, but now the heavy lifting begins for the city on how to pivot from relief to recovery and to life as we once knew it. The only way to do so is for the city to operate even more effectively and efficiently.

Gene James is a councilmember who was elected in 2019, reelected in 2020 and serving as the mayor pro tem for 2021. SC

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes. com. The San Clemente Times and Picket Fence Media do not publish content that is defamatory.

tee members, who had the incredible General Plan vision, to become more involved in planning commission and city council agendas, and prior to decisions, forcibly speak out when you see your visions or established processes being altered or ignored.

With a new and full city council, hopefully these prior practices cannot and should not continue. We all need to pull together and follow proper procedure and policies that were adopted in 2014. Otherwise, why even have the Centennial General Plan?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

Have something you’d like to say? Email your letter to letters@sanclementetimes.com no later than 8 a.m. on Monday. San Clemente Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or information written by the writers. Limit your letters to 350 or fewer words. Please send with your valid email, phone number and address for verification by staff. Your address and phone number will not be published. The San Clemente Times and Picket Fence Media do not publish content that is defamatory.

Join SC Times for a virtual Beachside Chat on Friday, Feb. 5, at 8 a.m.

chat is hosted by SC Times Editor Shawn Raymundo every Friday.

GETTING OUT SC

San Clemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

Photo: Brian Yurasits on Unsplash

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8: ECO WARRIORS BEACH CLEANUP

At the Movies: ‘The Little Things’ Has Little New to Offer

EDITOR’S PICK

9:30 a.m. Join the Eco Warriors from the San Clemente Garden Club for a beach cleanup to catch up with friends while getting some fresh air and helping the coastal environment. The group will meet at the North Beach train station. Participants are encouraged to reuse bags for litter, or use the group’s, and should wear a mask when near others. San Clemente Garden Club, gardenclubsc@gmail.com. sanclementegardenclub.com. San Clemente Metrolink Station, 1850 Avenida Estacion, San Clemente

The List

What’s going on in and around town this week

COMPILED BY STAFF

HAVE AN EVENT?

Submit it to San Clemente Times by going to sanclementetimes.com, and clicking “Submit an Event” under the “Getting Out” tab.

Sunday | 07

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Shop for a wide selection of

fruits, vegetables and artisanal goods from organic growers at the Community Center/San Clemente Public Library parking lot. 100 North Calle Seville. 949 361 8200. san-clemente.org.

Wednesday | 10

BACKYARD OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS

8-10 p.m. Knuckleheads’ backyard is open for food, drinks and live music. Performers of all skill levels are welcome. If you are a musician, do stand-up comedy or the spoken word, this is the place to be on Wednesday nights. So, come down, grab a drink and go for it. Knuckleheads Sports Bar, 1717 North El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.2410. knuckleheadsmusic.com.

BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

John Lee Hancock’s The Little Things wants and tries to be something along the lines of Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991) or the first season of Nic Pizzolatto’s True Detective (2014).

Unfortunately, it misses the mark considerably. Whether it be that Hancock’s a little out of his element with the crime drama genre, or just a fluke, the new feature has the signs of a typical January release.

Set throughout LA County and Central California in 1990, The Little Things follows Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) as he is haunted by an old murder case that suddenly becomes relevant again with a recent string of young female murder victims.

Deacon is under pressure by his peers to retire after the circumstances surrounding the past case, and he now has competition with hotshot detective Jim Baxter (Rami Malek). Along the way, Deacon’s still vulner-

able mental state is challenged by the new investigation, and Baxter is struggling to get a handle on repairman Albert Sparma (Jared Leto), the top suspect of the killings.

The atmosphere and mood of The Little Things get it right with neonoiresque cinematography from John Schwartzman and a fitting music score by Thomas Newman. Yet, the vibe is wasted on a mostly boring story and film direction, with Hancock not even really allowing any legitimate twists or stakes to be interesting.

The third act also suffers from the mediocre thriller cliché of cops making unrealistic stupid decisions for the sake of moving the plot along. Washington and Malek are fine as the leads, though both have much better and intriguing performances in their past work.

Leto, on the other hand, is hamming it up with some obvious dark contact lenses, but isn’t even amusing or memorable enough to make up for the dullness elsewhere on screen. SC

SC LIVING SC

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

and Love After 50 by Tom

Blake

Why I Don’t Play Cupid for Senior Singles

Asenior single woman suggested recently that I add playing cupid to my job description.

Cheryl emailed, “Because you know a lot of single men and women, you would be a great person to introduce them. For me, it may not work, because I live in L.A. County near LAX, about an hour’s drive from South Orange County. As you have previously mentioned, senior singles are not interested in driving long distances— especially at night.

“I’m not saying you should become a full-blown matchmaker—that would take a lot of work and responsibility. But there are other ways you could become a ‘gobetween.’

“How about allowing your readers to sign up on an ‘eligible-list’ page on your Finding Love After 50 website, and perhaps have them include the general area where they live, their status (divorced, widowed, for example), and a photo?”

An “eligible-list” with a mini-profile of each person? Cheryl is suggesting I become a matchmaker.

Cheryl added, “I’m sure there’s a great guy in my area who is looking for me!”

In 27 years of column writing, I’ve encountered hundreds of seniors who’ve found love, and thousands who haven’t. And I’ve tried to introduce some of them, including widowers, widows, never-married and divorced people, particularly when they live within 10 miles of each other.

Some have become couples, but in most cases, no match was made. Often, I hear the GUEST OPINION: On Life

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Newman

One-year-old Newman is a fun-loving guy with lots of energy. He loves to run and play, and would likely make a great jogging or hiking buddy. With liveliness to spare, Newman also probably wouldn’t mind having a similarly active dog as a playmate. He would do best in an active home with experienced adopters who can continue with his training.

If you are interested in adopting Newman, please visit petprojectfoundation.org to download an adoption application form.

words, “We just weren’t right for each other.”

Some people who had asked me to find them a mate were annoyed that I wasted their time, even though they were the ones who approached me in the first place. Older singles, who are set in their ways, can be very picky and hard to please. It’s often a no-win situation.

For example, a woman who asked me to introduce her, says, “You didn’t tell me that he drinks bourbon, gambles on football, talks too much and snores.”

Me: “Sorry, I didn’t know that.”

Another reason I won’t match-make is there are more single women seeking love at age 65 compared to men of the same age; the ratio is about 4-to-1, women to men. At age 75, that ratio increases to approximately 5-to-1.

A similar ratio would exist on an “eligible-list” website page. And then I’d hear the all-too-familiar cry: “Where are the men?”

Would including an “eligible” page on my website, as Cheryl suggests, yield successful matchups? Perhaps a few. However, the time, effort and cost to create and update a list would be prohibitive.

Nearly every day during the pandemic, an email arrives in my inbox promoting new dating and/or matchmaking sites. One matchmaker included these words:

Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@scdpanimalshelter.org, and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment. SC

FROM THE ARCHIVES The original look of the San Clemente Pier not long after it was built by town founder Ole Hanson.

Every week, the San Clemente Times will showcase a historical photo from around the city. If you have a photo you would like to submit for consideration, send the photo, your name for credit as well as the date and location of the photo to editorial@sanclementetimes.com.

“Local matchmaker has more older women and needs more men to match with female clients.”

The same site said its workers “do their best to find that person and introduce you.”

“Do their best”? Wow, matchmakers who often charge between $700 and $25,000 are only as good as the clients they have in their dating pool.

Will I add a “fixer-upper” list to my website? No thanks.

But, when the pandemic is under control, my partner Greta and I will resume the monthly senior singles meet-and-greet gatherings at Tutor and Spunky’s Deli in Dana Point. Many people met their mates there.

So, Cheryl, I’ll remain a columnist and

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium

leave the matchmaking to the dating sites and matchmakers. They are the pros and the only thing they lack: single men.

Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at findingloveafter50.com. To comment: tompblake@gmail.com. SC

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes. com. The San Clemente Times and Picket Fence Media do not publish content that is defamatory.

CoastLines by Fred Swegles

Movie Palace Was a Show of Faith in 1938 San Clemente

As we watch the historic San Clemente Theatre being restored—reborn as an events center and food court—we can be confident it’ll be an exemplary component of what’ll be known as the North Beach Historic District.

The theater’s heritage dates back to opening night, May 12, 1938. Here’s how it was introduced to the moviegoing public:

COASTLINES

By Fred Swegles

“Where the lustrous California Moon threw her limpid beams down on the solitude of the great Creator, there now stands man’s mighty contribution to beauty,” Pacific States Theatres, Inc., proclaimed in a glossy 24-page opening-night program.

“This gorgeous institution,” Pacific States wrote, “is and will ever be visible evidence of the operators of the San Clemente Theatre’s profound faith in this city.”

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

Maybe 40 years ago, someone walked into the Daily Sun-Post office and handed me a copy of the theatre’s opening-night program, for safekeeping. I’ve kept it all these years. I’ve never written about it, until now. It tells why Bank of America’s subsidiary, the Capital Company, invested $150,000 to build an acclaimed dance pavilion known as Casino San Clemente in 1937, followed by an iconic movie theatre in 1938, next door.

Both institutions helped launch an advertising campaign designed to rescue San Clemente from the economic depths of The Great Depression.

collapse of 1929 had shattered town founder Ole Hanson’s 1925 dream of building and sustaining a community unlike any other in America—a

“Spanish Village by the Sea,” replete with unencumbered recreation amenities and infrastructures delivered by the developer.

UPS AND DOWNS

San Clemente thrived spectacularly until after the stock market crash of Oct. 29, 1929. The city, unencumbered by debt, held on for a time. By 1934, local government was teetering. Many property owners lost their investment. Hanson lost his palatial home to the bank and left town.

The bank, now owning so much property, set out to sell property, build homes and businesses. The bank went to court to strike down Hanson’s mandate that all structures in his village must be Spanish architecture.

The Capital Company then built model homes as San Clemente’s first non-Spanish structures, no longer promoting “The Spanish Village.” This was now a “romantic sea coast city … convenient to inland cities and within easy driving range.”

“The road to fun and happiness leads to San Clemente,” the Capital Company announced.

My copy of the theatre’s grand-opening program had belonged to J.E. Poynter, manager of the new cinema. Evidently, a Poynter family member didn’t know what to do with it and placed it in my trust.

WHY AN ORNATE CINEMA?

So now the Capital Company relaxed Ole Hanson’s strict Spanish architectural requirements, while ironically choosing an elegant Spanish design for the cinema, ornate inside and out. The Casino had Spanish elements as well.

With a 44-foot-tall tower, the cinema became an unmistakable landmark at what was then San Clemente’s highway entrance from Los Angeles.

“To you who seek the most of life, who naturally yearn for fitting intellectual stimulation, will come an ever-increasing warmth of appreciation as you respond to the moments of joy, hours of delight, nights of glorious romance and adventure in these inspiring surroundings,” the program proclaimed. “Let the world move as it may … let crowns fall and governments totter … let the mountains rock and the very ocean overflow its restraining banks … the new San Clemente Theatre will remain an appealing shrine of comfort and luxury, a haven of relaxation.”

Ole Hanson, known for his flowery oratory, would’ve appreciated this hyperbole, finding the San Clemente Theatre to be a fitting shrine to his now compromised Spanish Village.

NORTH BEACH VISION

The Ole Hanson Organization had always envisioned recreation, culture and entertainment at what we now call North Beach. The anchor was the stylish public pool and beach club, built by Hanson in 1927 and donated to the townspeople. The 1937 dance casino was next, then the 1938 cinema.

“The building is a fitting tribute to the progress of San Clemente (and) faith of the Capital Company,” the Chamber of Commerce trumpeted in the openingnight program.

Architect Clifford Balch dedicated his landmark to “San Clemente, the city of old world atmosphere.” He wrote: “Here is recalled the spirit of California of nearly a hundred years ago … a scene of rare beauty unequaled in all California.”

PICTORIAL DELIGHTS

An illustrated “Fun in San Clemente” page touted the town’s attractions—the public pool, beaches, fishing, horseback riding and golf. Another seaside amenity now was “the privilege of leasing a Sun-tan Cabaña site for an entire year … these comfortable, attractive play-houses bring new joy to days of luxurious laziness on the beach.”

Capital Company photos displayed modern wooden homes now available, in addition to San Clemente’s once-exclusive Spanish architecture.

“An exciting new city continues to build! We in San Clemente are endeavoring to reveal to the rest of the world the complete life available here,” Capital declared.

Photos from the San Clemente Theatre’s opening-night program in 1938 depict the cinema tower being built, a beach scene featuring the city’s tall lifeguard tower, more beach fun at the pier, the then-ocean view down Avenida Del Mar and the new style of homes being promoted.

CONGRATULATIONS

Advertisements in the opening-night program conveyed congratulations from businesses supportive of this addition to San Clemente. The Capital Company pledged there’d be more to come. Advertisers included the Owl Boat Co. with its fishing boats, barge and bait boats; the Sea Shore Cafe “famous from coast to coast”; Hotel San Clemente, “where the sunshine spends the winter”; and Strang Brothers General Contractors, “builders of the San Clemente Theatre, Bank of America Building, Beach Club, Jewett Hotel, El Rey Hotel, City Hall Building (and) The New Casino.”

ADVERTISING PITCH

“Buy a brand-new 5-room ocean view home for only $30.60 per month,” the Capital Company announced in newspaper ads. “Six miles of clean, uncrowded, tar-free beaches … golf on San Clemente’s municipal all-grass course … captivating rhythms of nationally famous radio orchestras at Casino San Clemente … the coast’s best barge, deep sea, pier and surf fishing grounds … on romantic South Coast Highway … 80 minutes from Los Angeles. Drive down for a week or weekend vacation.”

Fred Swegles is a longtime San Clemente resident with five decades of reporting experience in the city. Fred can be reached at fswegles@picketfencemedia.com. SC

columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes. com. The San Clemente Times and Picket Fence Media do not publish content that is defamatory.

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE SPORTS & OUTDOORS

Former SCHS coach, teacher Tom Eads dies

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Man of Integrity T

om Eads, who coached football and gymnastics and taught physical education at San Clemente High School from 1968-92, died on Jan. 21, his 93rd birthday, at his home in San Clemente, surrounded by family.

Eads is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mimi, his three children (Julie, Thomas Jr. and Diana), eight grandchildren (Kristina, Dylan, Theresa, Molly, Kirk, Garrett, Jake and Ben) and three great-grandchildren.

In lieu of a service, family and friends are invited to give a wave, honk or cheer at a celebratory drive-by for Mimi and the family at the Eads’ home. The drive-by will take place on the 300 block of W. Paseo de Cristobal in San Clemente on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1-2 p.m.

“Everyone loved him,” Tom Jr. said. “He was a likable guy. Sort of soft-spoken, but a good disciplinarian. He was a hard worker and believed in a strong work ethic. It was a bit of a challenge to come to a beach town and get the kids to be disciplined, but he got the most out of all of his players.”

Eads grew up in South Gate, California, and after graduating from high school, he joined the Army and served in occupied Germany post-WWII. In Germany, he developed a lifelong passion for skiing, even skiing Mammoth Mountain at age 88. Skiing was one of Eads’ outdoorsman hobbies, which included camping, fishing and hiking.

After his service, Eads earned a master’s degree in education from USC and began teaching and coaching at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera. In 14 years at El Rancho, Eads helped build the football team into a power, with CIF-SS title game appearances in 1961 and 1963 and a CIF-SS championship in 1966. Eads also initiated El Rancho’s boys gymnastics program, which won an all-around CIF-SS title in 1967.

In 1968, Eads accepted the head football coaching position at San Clemente High School, and made the beach town his home until the end. Eads was the head coach for four years, but he stayed on the staff for nearly the next 20 years, including being the defensive backs coach on the Tritons’ 1979 CIF-SS runner-up team.

Eads served as athletic director and started boys and girls gymnastics teams at SCHS, and as a physical education teacher, Eads instituted the famous “beach activities”

class. Eads retired from teaching in 1992. With an endearing smile and a welcoming demeanor, Eads was an influence on so many that came through San Clemente High School.

“He’s going to be very missed by our community,” said Mark McElroy, Saddleback College football coach and a 1978 SCHS graduate. “The people in the 50-65 range, for all of us that grew up at San Clemente High School, we’re all influenced by Coach Eads.”

McElroy was a defensive back at SCHS and was coached directly by Eads. Seeing Eads’ positive influence on those he coached and the camaraderie of the coaches, McElroy was inspired to become a coach himself, and he developed a friendship with Eads that included McElroy purchasing Eads’ RV and using his driveway as a Fourth of July parking spot.

“He’s one of those unique individuals you wanted to play for,” McElroy said, “but if you made a mistake, he’d pick you back up and make you feel good about yourself.”

Another inspired into the coaching and teaching ranks by Eads was SCHS athletic director Jon Hamro, who played for the Tritons on that 1979 CIF-SS runner-up.

“He cared deeply about his athletes,” Hamro said. “He knew the game and was super professional. If you needed someone to talk to or some advice, he was approachable. He was a man of character and integrity.”

In retirement, Eads made the most out of time with his family, with whom he had a strong, tight bond, and enjoyed many days with his wife, Mimi, on the beach in San Clemente. SC

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE INVITING ELECTRONIC BIDS

Major Street Maintenance – FY 2021, Project No. 21302

Bids shall be submitted electronically through the City’s electronic procurement system (PlanetBids) at: www.san-clemente.org/vendorbids. Bids must be received by no later than 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 25, 2021. All bids received after that time will be returned to the Bidder, as they will be deemed disqualified. Only electronic bids submitted through PlanetBids will be accepted. Bid tabulations will be available on PlanetBids immediately following the bid closing.

Bidders must complete line items information (PlanetBids Line Item Tab), and attach a paper Bid Form, completed in full and signed (PlanetBids Attachments Tab). In addition the Bidder shall attach Subcontractor(s) Listing, Experience Form, Bid Security, and all other documents required herein (PlanetBids Attachments Tab). The system will not accept a bid for which any required information is missing.

The work to be done consists of furnishing all materials, equipment, tools, labor and incidentals as required by the specifications and contract documents for the Plans and Specifications for Major Street Maintenance – FY 2021, Project No. 21302; in the City of San Clemente, California.

Reference is hereby made to these Specifications for further particulars, and same are by such reference incorporated herein and made a part thereof, the same as though fully set forth hereunder.

Project specifications and contract documents are posted in the City of San Clemente PlanetBids System Vendor Portal website at www.san-clemente. org/vendorbids. All bidders must first register as a vendor on the City of San Clemente PlanetBids System website to participate in a bid or to be added to the prospective bidders list.

The contract does call for monthly progress payments based on the engineer’s estimate of the percentage of work completed. The City will retain 5% of each progress payment as security for completion of the balance of the work. At the request and expense of the successful bidder, the City will pay amounts so retained upon compliance with the requirements of Government Code Section 14402 and the provisions of the contract documents pertaining to “substitution of securities.”

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations, in accordance with Section 1770 of the California State Labor Code and in accordance with the terms of the Southern California Master Labor Agreement, has heretofore established a prevailing rate of per diem wages to be paid in the construction of the above entitled work. The said wage rates are herein referred to and adopted in this Notice as though fully set forth herein, and said scale is made a part of this Notice by reference.

Pursuant to Labor Code Section 1771.1, no contractor or subcontractor may be listed on a bid proposal for a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations. Furthermore, all bidders and contractors are hereby notified that no contractor or subcontractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations.

Pursuant to Labor Code Section 1771.4, all bidders are hereby notified that this project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations.

No bid will be accepted from a contractor who has not been licensed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 9, Division III of the Business and Professions Code, State of California. Bidder shall possess a Class “A” California State Contracting License in good standing.

The bidder, by submitting its electronic bid, agrees to and certifies under penalty of perjury under the laws of the state of California, that the certification, forms and affidavits submitted as part of this bid are true and correct.

The City of San Clemente reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

Dated: January 28, 2021

To be published: February 4, 2021 and: February 11, 2021

Tom Bonigut

Public Works Director / City Engineer

NO Pre-Bid meeting will be conducted. Any bid questions may be submitted via the Planet Bids System.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT ON FEBRUARY 17, 2021 A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA RELATIVE TO THE FOLLOWING:

Specific Plan Amendment (SPA) 20-393 –Remove Toll Road References

A public hearing to consider forwarding a recommendation to the City Council on the adoption of City initiated amendments to the Talega Specific Plan, Rancho San Clemente Specific Plan, and Marblehead Coastal Specific Plan. The proposed specific plan amendments involve removing references to the toll road and State Route 241 (SR-241) extension alignment initially designed to skirt the eastern perimeter of San Clemente, but not encroach into San Clemente open spaces. Since the alignment is no longer proposed, the toll road and SR-241 references are outdated and should be removed for document maintenance purposes.

Staff recommends the City find the specific plan amendments do not constitute a “project” subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). The removal of references to toll roads in the City’s specific plans does not and will not result in any construction, development, or any other activity that has a potential for resulting in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. Accordingly, approval of the specific plan amendments are not subject to CEQA. (State CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15060, subd. (c)(2)-(3), 15378(a), (b)(5).)

This application is on file at the City of San Clemente Community Development Department, 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, California, and is available for public inspection and comment by contacting the Community Development Department at (949) 361-6183. If you challenge this project in court you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of San Clemente at, or prior to, the public hearing.

Notice is further given that said public hearing will be conducted by the City of San Clemente Planning Commission and held via teleconference on

Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. Please note that to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the public may not physically attend the meeting. However, to participate citizens may:

1. View the meeting via live stream from the City’s YouTube channel at www.san-clemente.org/live or live on Cox Communications Local Access Channel 854; and

2. Submit any comments on agenda items to the Planning Commission electronically by using the on-line portal available from the City’s website at www.san-clemente.org/PCPublicComment.

Transmittal by 3:00 p.m. on Planning Commission meeting days is recommended.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Planning Division at (949)361-6183.

Secretary to the San Clemente Planning Commission

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT ON FEBRUARY 18, 2021 A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD BY THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA RELATIVE TO THE FOLLOWING:

2316 South El Camino Real – Minor Architectural Permit 20-307 – La Ventura Fences and Gates

A request to consider the addition of fences, walls, and gates to enclose the La Ventura Event Center site for security purposes.

Staff recommends that the project be found Categorically Exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 (Class 3: New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures).

This application is on file at the City of San Clemente Community Development Department, 910 Calle Negocio, and is available for public inspection and comment by contacting (949) 361-6183. If you challenge this project in court you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised in written correspondence delivered to the City of San Clemente at, or prior to, the public hearing.

Notice is further given that said public hearing will be conducted by the City of San Clemente Zoning Administrator and held via teleconference on Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. Please note that to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the public may not physically attend the meeting. However, to participate citizens may:

1. View the meeting via live stream from the City’s YouTube channel at www.san-clemente.org/live; and

2. Submit any comments on agenda items to the Zoning Administrator electronically by using the on-line portal available from the City’s website at www.san-clemente.org/ZAPublicComment. Transmittal by 1:00 p.m. on Zoning Administrator meeting days is recommended.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Planning Division at (949) 361-6183.

Zoning Administrator

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

20216594060

The following person(s) is doing business as:

1. PCH CHIROPRACTIC

26933 CAMINO DE ESTRELLA SUITE B CAPISTRANO BEACH, CA 92624

ADDITIONAL FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME(S): 1B. PCH CHIRO

Full Name of Registrant(s): PALMER PEET, D.C.

105 VIA TOLUCA

SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672

This business is conducted by a CA Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the Fictitious Business Name or Names listed above on: N/A

/s/PALMER PEET, D.C., PEET CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CORPORATION PRESIDENT

This statement was filed with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder on 1/20/21

Published in: San Clemente Times February 4 11, 18, 25, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20216593991

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: GILBERT FUGITT LEADERSHIP COACHING AND CONSULTING

2 CALLE TORTUGA SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673-9267

Full Name of Registrant(s):

GILBERT FUGITT

2 CALLE TORTUGA SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673

This business is conducted by an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A

/s/ GILBERT FUGITT, SOLE PROPRIETOR

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/20/2021.

Published in: San Clemente Times

February 4, 11, 18, 25, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20216593637

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: NOMADE HOME

175 WEST AVENIDA CORNELIO

SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672

Full Name of Registrant(s): RACHAEL GILLETTE

175 WEST AVENIDA CORNELIO SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672

This business is conducted by an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A

/s/ RACHAEL GILLETTE

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/14/2021.

Published in: San Clemente Times January 28, February 4, 11, 18, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20216592687

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: SUN PANTRY 905 CALLE NEGOCIO #75231 SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673-9267

Full Name of Registrant(s): STATESIDE US 905 CALLE NEGOCIO #75231 SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673

This business is conducted by a CA Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A

/s/ STATESIDE US, ANDREW JORDAN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/05/2021.

Published in: San Clemente Times January 28, February 4, 11, 18, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

20216592676

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: BGSBAKEDGOODS LLC

1126 E CARLETON AVE

ORANGE, CA 92867

Full Name of Registrant(s): BGSBAKEDGOODS LLC

1126 E CARLETON AVE

ORANGE, CA 92867

This business is conducted by a CA Limited Liability Company.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A

/s/BGSBAKEDGOODS LLC, JENNY TOM, CHIEF

EXECUTIVE OFFICER

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/05/2021.

Published in: San Clemente Times

Notice by reference.

Pursuant to Labor Code Section 1771.1, no contractor or sub-contractor may be listed on a bid proposal for a public works project submitted on or after March 1, 2015 unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations. Furthermore, all bidders and contractors are hereby notified that no contractor or sub-contractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations.

Pursuant to Labor Code Section 1771.4, all bidders are hereby notified that this project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations.

Full Name of Registrant(s):

ESTRELITA DE LA CRUZ

129 CALLE REDONDEL

SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672-9267

This business is conducted by An Individual

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 12/15/2020

/s/ESTRELITA DE LA CRUZ

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/06/2021.

Published in: San Clemente Times Jan 21, 28, Feb 4, 11, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

Master Streambed Alteration Agreement/Habitat Conservation Plan (Final Program EIR No. 584; State Clearinghouse No. 2006061140); and the Ranch Plan General Plan Amendment and Zoning Change (Final EIR No. 589; State Clearinghouse No. 2003021141).

NOTICE

January 28, February 4, 11, 18, 2021 PUBLIC

INVITING ELECTRONIC BIDS

VISTA HERMOSA SPORTS PARK FIELDS 5 AND 6 FENCING REPLACEMENT

City Project No. 20803

Bids shall be submitted electronically through the City’s electronic procurement system (PlanetBids) at: https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal. cfm?CompanylD=28939. Bids must be received by no later than 2:00 p.m. on Thursday February 11, 2021. All bids received after that time will be returned to the Bidder, as they will be deemed disqualified. Only electronic bids submitted through PlanetBids will be accepted. Bid tabulations will be available on PlanetBids immediately following the bid closing.

· Bidders must complete line items information (PlanetBids Line Item Tab).

The work to be done consists of furnishing all materials, equipment, tools, labor and incidentals as required by the specifications and contract documents for the VISTA HERMOSA SPORTS PARK FIELDS 5 AND 6 FENCING REPLACEMENT Project No. 20803, in the City of San Clemente, California.

The primary scope of the project is to remove and replace deteriorating fencing for Fields 5 and 6 of the Vista Hermosa Sports Park located at 987 Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente, CA 92673.

Reference is hereby made to these Specifications for further particulars, and same are by such reference incorporated herein and made a part thereof, the same as though fully set forth hereunder.

Specifications and contract documents are posted in the City of San Clemente PlanetBids System Vendor Portal website at: https://www.planetbids.com/ portal/portal.cfm?CompanylD=28939

All bidders must first register as a vendor on the City of San Clemente PlanetBids System website to participate in a bid or to be added to prospective bidders list.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations, in accordance with Section 1770 of the California State Labor Code and in accordance with the terms of he Southern California Master Labor Agreement, has heretofore established a prevailing rate of per diem wages to be paid in the construction of the above entitled work. The said wage rates are herein referred to and adopted in this Notice as though fully set forth herein, and said scale is made a part of this

No bid will be accepted from a contractor who has not been licensed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 9, Division Ill of the Business and Professions Code, State of California. Bidder shall possess a Class “A”, California State Contracting License in good standing, and shall have successfully completed two projects of similar scope for a public agency.

The bidder, by submitting its electronic bid, agrees to and certifies under penalty of perjury under the laws of the state of California, that the certification, forms and affidavits submitted as part of this bid are true and correct.

The City of San Clemente reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

To be published: and January 28, 2021 February 4, 2021

Tom Bonigut Public Works Director

In light of the current situation there will be NO pre-bid meeting held for the Vista Hermosa Sports Park Fields 5 and 6 Fencing Replacement Project. In-lieu of the pre-bid meeting the City is requiring that any questions in reference to the project be submitted via PlanetBids. The deadline to submit any questions will be Monday, February 8, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

20216592597

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: BEHRENS CAPITAL INVESTMENTS 4810 PARK NEWPORT, APT 217 NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660

Full Name of Registrant(s):

SANDRA KUENZI, TRUSTEE THE STANLEY

BEHRENS LIVING TRUST DATED JULY 8, 1983

3 DEWBERRY WAY

IRVINE, CA 92612

This business is conducted by A Trust

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: n/a

/s/THE STANLEY BEHRENS LIVING TRUST DATED JULY 8, 1983, SANDRA KUENZI, SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE, TRUSTEE

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/04/2021.

Published in: San Clemente Times January 28, February 4, 11, 18, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

20216592891

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: THE LITTLE STAR CREATES

129 CALLE REDONDEL SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672-9267

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

20216592969

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: STORYTELLING, INC. 34932 CALLE DEL SOL, STE. B CAPISTRANO BEACH, CA 92624-9262

Full Name of Registrant(s):

EARL NORBERT GARRETT IV 2425 VIA MERO

SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673

JOHN ROACH

100 KAYWOOD DR BOALSBURG, PA 16827

DAVID SEIGERMAN

62 CHESTNUT AVE

LARCHMONT, NY 10538

This business is conducted by a General Partnership. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 12/08/2020

/s/EARL NORBERT GARRETT IV

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/08/2021.

Published in: San Clemente Times Jan 21, 28, Feb 4, 11, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, RELATIVE TO THE FOLLOWING:

General Plan Amendment 20-011 – Roadway System Updates

A public hearing to consider the adoption of a Cityinitiated General Plan amendments that involve:

1) Updating roadway classifications on the General Plan Mobility Element Roadway System Map (Figure M-1) to reflect existing conditions and the County of Orange planned Los Patrones Parkway extension into the City, for consistency with the Orange County Master Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH) required to maintain the City’s eligibility for regional transportation funding.

2) Removing General Plan references to the toll road and State Route 241 (SR-241) extension alignment initially designed to skirt the eastern perimeter of San Clemente, but not encroach into San Clemente open spaces. The alignment is no longer proposed.

Staff recommends that the City, as a responsible agency for the Los Patrones Parkway Extension project, consider and approve the Addendum to the previously certified environmental impact reports (EIRs) for the 2001 Prima Deshecha General Development Plan (Final Program EIR No. 575; State Clearinghouse No. 99041035); the Southern Subregion Natural Community Conservation Plan/

Staff recommends the City find environmental impacts of the General Plan Amendments unrelated to the Los Patrones Parkway extension to have been adequately addressed and mitigated in the previously certified EIR for the Centennial General Plan. Application materials for this project are on file at the Planning Division, at 910 Calle Negocio, and are available for public inspection and comment by contacting the Planning Division, at 910 Calle Negocio, and are available for public inspection and comment by contacting Project Planner Christopher Wright at (949) 361-6193 or WrightC@sanclemente.org. If you challenge this item in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of San Clemente at, or prior to, the public hearing.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that said public hearing will be held at the meeting of the City Council on February 16, 2021 at 6:00 pm in the Community Center Auditorium, located at 100 N. Seville, San Clemente. However, to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the public may not physically attend the meeting, at this time. To participate in the meeting, citizens may:

1. Listen to the meeting via live stream from the City’s YouTube channel at www.san-clemente.org/live or live on Cox Communications Local Access Channel 854; and

2. Members of the public are requested to submit their comments by completing the Public Comment Submittal form available from the City’s website at www.san-clemente.org/ccpubliccomment. Transmittal by 4:00 p.m. on Council meeting days is recommended.

JOANNE BAADE

City Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Council

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206592195

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: ALBION INSURANCE SERVICES 1052 SABLE RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA 92688-9268

Full Name of Registrant(s): ALBION CONSULTING GROUP LLC 1052 SABLE

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA 92688

This business is conducted by a CA Limited Liability Company

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: n/a

/s/ALBION CONSULTING GROUP LLC, GERALDINE CRAPANZANO, MANAGING MEMBER/MANAGER

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 12/23/20.

Published in: San Clemente Times January 21, 28, February 4, 11, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206591757

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: SIRENA DEL MAR

PUBLIC NOTICES

TO ADVERTISE: 949.388.7700, EXT. 111 • LEGALS@PICKETFENCEMEDIA.COM

26745 CADIZ CIRCLE

MISSION VIEJO, CA 92691

Full Name of Registrant(s):

TODD ELLIOTT FULLADOSA

26745 CADIZ CIRCLE

MISSION VIEJO, CA 92691

This business is conducted by an Individual

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: n/a

/s/TODD FULLADOSA

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 12/17/20.

Published in: San Clemente Times January 14, 21, 28, February 4, 2021 PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

20216592972

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as:

ABE N GABE

6539 E CAMINO VISTA, #3

ANAHEIM, CA 92807

Full Name of Registrant(s):

IBRAHIM GHOBRIEL

6539 E CAMINO VISTA, #3

ANAHEIM, CA 92807

This business is conducted by An Individual The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A

/s/IBRAHIM GHOBRIEL, PRESIDENT

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/08/2021.

Published in: San Clemente Times

Jan 21, 28, Feb 4, 11, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

City of San Clemente Office of the City Clerk

February 4, 2021

SUBJECT: Request for Proposal – Electronic Document Imaging Services

The City of San Clemente is seeking proposals from qualified bidders to provide electronic document imaging services. This will be a five-year contract. Vendors interested in receiving the full Request for Proposal packet, including the scope of services and proposed contract template, are invited to log onto the City’s PlanetBids System Vendor Portal website at www.san-clemente.org/vendorbids, or contact Megan Jimenez, Records Management Coordinator, at 949-361-8303. Ms. Jimenez is the sole source of contact regarding this Request for Proposal and vendors interested in submitting a proposal are

asked to not contact other members of the City of San Clemente staff or Council members in connection with this Request for Proposal prior to the announcement of the consultant selected.

Proposals related to this Request for Proposal are to be submitted confidentially in a sealed envelope with the following information on the exterior of the envelope:

City of San Clemente

Attention: Joanne M. Baade, City Clerk 910 Calle Negocio San Clemente, CA 92673

CONFIDENTIAL PROPOSAL - DO NOT OPEN BID RESPONSE TO RFP FOR ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT IMAGING SERVICES

DUE DATE: FEBRUARY 25, 2021

One proposal must be received by mail, or personal delivery, to the City Clerk’s Office, located at 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, California 92673. The proposal must be received by the City Clerk no later than 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 25, 2021. Due to Covid-19, City Hall is currently closed to the public; however, vendors who desire to submit their proposal in person may call the City Clerk’s Office at 949-361-8345 upon arrival at City Hall and a City Clerk staff member will go to the door to City Hall to accept the proposal. Please allow extra time for this option since the proposal must be received by a City Clerk staff member no later than the aforementioned deadline.

Proposals will become part of the official files of the City of San Clemente and cannot be returned.

Joanne M. Baade San Clemente City Clerk

Complete your required legal or public notice advertising in the San Clemente Times.

• Fictitious Business Notice (FBN/DBA)

• Name C hanges

• Lien Sale

• Alcoholic Beverage License

• Notice to Creditors

• Petitions for Probate

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CLASSIFIEDS

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE

SALES

Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com. Deadline 12pm Monday.

HELP WANTED

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Get 2021 off to a great start! Local Insurance Agent seeks a P&C Licensed Team member for a Customer Sales/Service Position. Income based on your efforts, Flexibility available, Experience Preferred, apply at www.elainelavine.net

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Saving Our Oceans Shouldn’t Be a Political Issue

Making a difference on environmental issues will fall on citizens’ shoulders

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Less than two weeks in office, and the new administration of President Biden is dramatically reversing course on a large number of the Trump administration’s environmental policies. In signing a slew of executive orders, Biden has already made the health of our planet a top priority.

As far as executive orders that will affect our oceans, Biden has committed the U.S. to rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate change. This calls for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a push toward a 100% clean economy.

Biden has also begun restoring environmental protections that were rolled back under Trump. One executive order is especially notable for surfers and ocean enthusiasts as it restores Clean Water Act protections and will allow for the potential rollback of prospective oil and gas projects—such as

GROM OF THE WEEK CANNON CARR

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

The action on the North Shore continues unabated. A couple weeks ago, it was Finn McCarty paddling out at Waimea Bay for his first session; this time, it is San Clemente’s Cannon Carr’s turn. Carr bagged the wave of his young life at Backdoor Pipeline, and waves like this don’t come around all that often, so they’re definitely worth celebrating when they do.

Carr’s been posted up on Oahu for a few weeks now and is clearly feeling comfortable in the powerful Hawaiian conditions. And while experience is all well and good, sometimes it pays just to be in the right place at the right time.

Rocking a helmet for protection, 14-year-old Carr swung deep under the ledge and threaded his way through one

oil drilling off the California coast.

Additional executive orders have been signed to respond to the encroachment of development on national monuments and refuges. The headline here is that this will help protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It will also help protect areas including the Atlantic’s Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine Monument off the coast of New England, as well as spaces in the Pacific, presumably.

“While today’s announcements by the Biden administration are highly encouraging, there is an enormous amount of work to be done in the coming months and years,” Surfrider Foundation said in a statement. “The Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks run deep, and

sustained commitment from our federal leaders and agencies will be needed to restore these protections. Moreover, our planet is mired in a climate emergency that demands immediate action on an unprecedented scale.”

Obviously, these are heated political times we find ourselves in, and I’m well aware that there is no shortage of opinions in our community. But no matter where you land on the Biden and Trump conversation, as surfers and people who value the health of our ocean, we can all recognize the value and importance in preserving and protecting this natural resource.

To be honest, I’ve never really understood why issues such as clean water and clean air are controversial or politicized.

impossible section after another.

When he finally kicked out on the sand, his boys were waiting there to help chair him up the beach, including local inspiration Griffin Colapinto.

“Thanks for the show, Cannon. That was sick,” remarked Colapinto on Instagram.

Don’t we all want to be able to breathe clean air and enjoy clean water?

More importantly, don’t we all want our kids to be able to enjoy and take advantage of those things? Of course, a spirited conversation about how we achieve all this is important, and there is no shortage of valid ideas, but I believe if we can tone down the rhetoric, we can work together toward viable solutions that benefit everyone.

These aren’t some far-off, abstract issues with which we’re dealing. We’re staring them in the face every day. The storage of nuclear waste from the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station near the high tides is among the more pressing matters.

In January, we experienced a series of King Tides that continued to erode the beaches from San Onofre to Capo Beach. Our beaches are literally disappearing before our eyes. We have plastic waste floating around in our local waters and ending up on the beaches. And every time there’s a big rain, our storm drains and arroyos flush oil and pesticides into the sea.

Again, these aren’t some hot-button political issues. These are things that affect every local person and family that want to enjoy the beach around here. Hopefully, as the days roll on, we can collectively come together and make our oceans a healthier, happier place to surf and enjoy.

Jake Howard is local surfer and freelance writer who lives in San Clemente. A former editor at Surfer Magazine, The Surfer’s Journal and ESPN, today he writes for a number of publications, including Picket Fence Media, Surfline and the World Surf League. He also works with philanthropic organizations such as the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center and the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation. SC

Video of the wave went viral and has now been seen by hundreds of thousands of people around the world, including most of the renowned pros, who were raving in the comments sections.

“So grateful to be in Hawaii,” Carr said on his Instagram post. SC

Thursday: West/northwest swell rolls in with waist-stomach-chest high waves, (2-3-4’).

Moderate Southeast breeze due early morning, shifting to an offshore east wind mid day, then light/variable wind for the afternoon.

Outlook: On Friday, Northwest swell fades to thigh-waist high, (2-3’). Light/variable winds Friday morning, followed by moderate west sea breeze in the afternoon. Saturday’s surf drops to knee-thigh-waist high, (1-2-3’), then a fresh Northwest swell sets up more knee to waist high waves, (2-3’) on Sunday. Light/variable morning winds will turn to light+ to moderate afternoon onshores this weekend.