April 20, 2017

EYE ON SC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

Five things San Clemente should know this week

Earth Day San Clemente Events

THE LATEST: Earth Day is Saturday, April 22, and various events around San Clemente beaches will take place to celebrate the eco-friendly holiday.

The California State Parks Foundation will host an Earth Day restoration and cleanup day on April 22. Two beaches in the area were selected for the effort.

Doheny State Beach will need volunteers to remove diseased or dead nonnative shrubs and trees from the campground and replace them with a variety of shrubs and trees native to Southern California. The foundation said 200 volunteers are needed. Contact Vicki Wiker at 949.310.2546 or vwiker@parks.ca.gov.

San Clemente State Beach will need volunteers to clean up and restore the nature trail; conduct native plant restoration at the historic cottage and install an interpretive display; and clean up the day use area and picnic bowl. The foundation said 75 volunteers will be needed.

Contact Cryssie Moreno at 949.366.8594 or cryssie.moreno@parks.ca.gov

The city of San Clemente will host its own Earth Day celebration near the Pier from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. There will be arts and craft vendors, live music, and a beach cleanup, which starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Pier.

WHAT’S NEXT: Beach cleanups and other volunteer activities are available from these organizations throughout the year. Visit their websites for updates. —Staff

Groups Urge City to Send Letter to Coastal Commission on SONGS Permit

THE LATEST: Dozens of people came to Tuesday’s City Council meeting to persuade the City Council to submit an official letter to the California Coastal Commission to rescind the permit they issued to Southern California Edison, the majority stakeholder of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The permit allows Edison to store the 3.6 million pounds of spent nuclear fuel

rods, which are still radioactive, underground and onsite at the nuclear power plant’s facility.

People who have protested this permit since it was issued say the spent fuel is not safe to humans if stored there.

Council member Lori Donchak penned the letter, and it seems as though the rest of the City Council will support it. But Council member Tim Brown wanted to amend a few things before sending it off in order to give precise suggestions to the Commission that are the most effective at this time. As the Department of Energy, which is responsible for handling the fuel, does not have a permanent place for the fuel, local representatives and officials are urging an amendment to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act that would allow for temporary storage elsewhere.

WHAT’S NEXT: The letter is expected to be finalized at the May 2 City Council meeting. —EH

City Council Votes to Extend Trolley Service to Thursdays

THE LATEST: City Council voted to extend the summer trolley program days of operation to include Thursday service from noon-10 p.m. during the Tuesday meeting, April 18.

The increase in cost to the services is

$32,000, which will be used from the city’s air quality fund.

The requirement for the city to receive the grant funding from Orange County Transportation Authority, which pays for about 90 percent of the trolley costs, is that the service average 10 riders per hour.

City officials were wary about the increase because this is the first year of the service and the eventual plan for the trolley service is to connect it to the neighboring cities of Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. But after looking at the city’s most recent parking study, especially in North Beach, peak parking was found to be at 1 p.m. on Thursdays as well as on weekends.

WHAT’S NEXT: The trolley will run from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. —EH

San Clemente Police Services Chief to Step Down

THE LATEST: On Tuesday, April 18, San Clemente Police Services announced on its Facebook page that Chief David Moodie, who oversees the city’s Orange County Sheriff’s Department branch, will relinquish his position as of April 28.

Moodie is expected to oversee field training of deputies, according to the post. Moodie was chief for three years in San Clemente.

WHAT’S NEXT: A replacement for Moodie has not yet been announced. —EH

Another Sober Living Entity Sues City

THE LATEST: Sober Network Properties (SNP), which owns and operates seven sober living facilities in San Clemente, filed a lawsuit against the city’s current zoning of such facilities.

The lawsuit alleges that the city’s regulations are out of compliance with state and federal housing regulations and discriminates against their practices.

In one instance, the lawsuit alleges residents of a home on Via Jacobea were verbally abused and harassed by groups of people opposed to sober living homes.

“Many of the Jacobea residents were fearful for their safety, and experienced anxiety and feelings of emotional distress as a result of the protestors’ actions,” the complaint stated.

SNP emphasized in the lawsuit, writing in bold, that they do not provide treatment for alcohol and drug dependency, just living quarters.

The lawsuit seeks to restrain the city from further actions that would be detrimental in the eyes of SNP representatives and to repeal the zoning ordinance that binds sober living homes to certain areas of the city, which include portions of South El Camino Real, around the Pier Bowl, spot locations in North Beach, and the hospital area.

These ordinances were finalized in 2016 with an 18-month lifespan, as city officials wanted to see if the zoning would be effective.

WHAT’S NEXT: Dual Diagnostics, which does business as Sovereign Health, is also currently in a federal lawsuit as the plaintiff and the respondent in a county lawsuit in which the city is the plaintiff. The city has a lawsuit against Dual Diagnostics in Orange County Superior Court for what they allege are constant municipal code violations, and they are trying to establish various cease and desist orders.

Before the start of Tuesday’s City Council meeting, a gathering of sober living home operators protested the zoning ordinances outside City Hall. It wasn’t exactly clear which organizations they represented, but the apparent leader of the protest, Robert Noble, a substance and addiction treatment case manager, said he has operated in San Clemente for about five years and said he wanted to “prove that sober living homes work.”

“Communities are only safe when those with mental illness receive quality care,” Noble said to a small crowd. “We’re here to protest against ordinances that discriminate against our disabled residents within all neighborhoods of San Clemente.” —EH

Toll Road Update

‘Beltway’ option included in recent transportation studies

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Dozens of residents from San Clemente and Rancho Santa Margarita attended the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) board of directors meeting on Thursday, April 13 to oppose the 241 connection toll road proposals put forth by the entity.

Following the settlement of a nearly decade-old lawsuit between the TCA and several environmental organizations, the agencies’ staff members introduced revised alternatives and new options in order to continue the pursuit of a toll road through the southern-most areas of Orange County. The lawsuit settlement prohibits any TCA toll road from being constructed in the San Mateo Watershed, Trestles and other environmentally sensitive areas.

Of the 17 proposals discussed at the Thursday meeting, a few of them showed routes that could potentially go right through San Clemente, though the details

SC Sheriff’s Blotter

COMPILED BY STAFF

All information below is obtained from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department website. The calls represent what was told to the deputy in the field by the radio dispatcher. The true nature of an incident often differs from what is initially reported. No a ssumption of criminal guilt or affiliation should be drawn from the content of the information provided. An arrest doesn’t represent guilt. The items below are just a sampling of the entries listed on the OCSD website.

Monday, April 17

DISTURBANCE Avenida Victoria, 600 Block (10:55 a.m.) A woman at the bus stop was yelling and “scaring children,” the caller said. The woman was wearing a flowered halter top and blue jeans and had a cart and bag.

FOUND PROPERTY Avenida Pico, 500 Block (9:25 a.m.) A woman said she found a black box with money, papers and a glass pipe.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLE Plaza Estival, 400 Block (8:12 a.m.) A man banged on the caller’s door and demanded to be let in to use the phone. When the caller denied the request, the man got into a red SUV and drove off.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLE Avenida Montalvo/Avenida Calafia (6:23 a.m.) Police were called to a man, possibly drunk,

of what the routes would look like specifically have not yet been determined.

The TCA is currently working toward establishing its next phases of environmental review for its proposals. Another update regarding the proposals for the 241 extension is expected to take place later this summer, officials said after the meeting.

San Clemente residents who attended were able to convince the TCA to consider the “Beltway” option, something that supporters said was discussed at length about 10 years ago. Proponents have argued for some time that a connection of the 241 and 73 toll roads would benefit traffic flow by taking stress off I-5, but it doesn’t necessarily address the TCA’s goal of improving north-to-south traffic.

The total number of proposals is now

trying to climb into a large black or blue Chevrolet with “tons of junk in the bed” and damage to its front.

BURGLARY ALARM-AUDIBLE Calle Frontera, 2600 Block (12:10 a.m.) A man said a church’s burglary alarm has been going off for hours and that this happens every night. Dispatchers told the man police officers cannot cut the wires to the alarm, and they suggested he call the church when it is open, but he refused.

Sunday, April 16

PETTY THEFT REPORT Calle de los Molinos/ Avenida de la Estrella (11:34 a.m.) A woman said her bicycle was stolen on Friday, and she found it online being sold on Craigslist.

CITIZEN ASSIST Via Mantaraya, 2000 Block (9:32 a.m.) A woman said she had been receiving threatening phone calls from a suspect in a previous case.

VANDALISM REPORT Paseo Gallita, 3200 Block (9:30 a.m.) A woman said she suspected her neighbor of throwing a flower pot at her property. She did not know when the incident occurred.

Saturday, April 15

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLE Avenida San Pablo/Avenida Acapulco (2:37 a.m.) Police were called for “loud people” inside a white SUV.

18, including the Beltway.

People who spoke in favor of the toll road said there may be no other option to alleviate traffic problems.

Beginning in 2015, the TCA initiated a community survey to understand the traffic congestion concerns of residents of South Orange County and to see what routes would be favorable. Then in 2016, the TCA hosted a series of community meetings in Laguna Niguel and San Clemente to further the study, which can be accessed via this story on www.sanclementetimes.com.

Mayor Kathy Ward deployed another tactic during the meeting, stating that previous arrangements forbid the construction and improvements of the Oso Parkway bridge, a $26.2 million project located just north of Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, where the 241 ends. The strategy is if the terminus of the 241 cannot be improved, the toll road wouldn’t be able to expand.

Mike Kraman, CEO of the TCA, said that was not correct and that the board could approve the project, which it did later in the meeting, with Ward as the only vote in opposition.

At the end of the meeting, San Juan City Councilman Brian Maryott and Lisa Bartlett, 5th district Orange County Supervisor, said they want to study the routes in full before making a final decision. SC

Friday, April 14

DISTURBANCE Avenida Pico, 900 Block (8:53 a.m.) A man said a customer threw a license plate at his employee the night prior.

FOLLOW UP REPORT Camino de los Mares/ Camino Vera Cruz (8:44 a.m.) A caller said there was a school bus parked on the street. Police informed the caller that the bus belonged to a resident who “moves it around.”

Thursday, April 13

SCHOOL LOCKDOWN Calle Sarmentoso, 1200 Block (10:06 a.m.) Bernice Ayer Middle School was on lockdown after officials received a threatening voicemail, police said. Lt. Lane Lagaret, public information officer for OCSD, said the school received a “basic threat” on their voicemail and they were concerned. Around 10:30 a.m., OCSD announced the school lifted the lockdown but deputies were still investigating. While the school was on lockdown, Lagaret said deputies were investigating the call and hoped to get a phone number from it. He wasn’t able to confirm what time the school officiated the security measure. OCSD is still investigating the matter.

DISTURBANCE N. El Camino Real/Mariposa (8:55 a.m.) A man was yelling loudly and banging on random objects.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

EARTH DAY

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

SAN CLEMENTE FARMERS MARKET ON DEL MAR

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Bundles of flowers, fresh produce and much more every Sunday. Avenida Del Mar.

TUESDAY, APRIL 25

SUNRISE ROTARY

7:15 a.m. San Clemente Sunrise Rotary meets every Tuesday at Talega Golf Course Signature Grille. 990 Avenida Talega. www.scsunriserotary.com.

SAN CLEMENTE TOASTMASTERS

7 p.m. The club meets every Tuesday, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. for social and networking time. San Clemente Baha’i Center. 3316 Avenida Del Presidente, San Clemente. 805.794.0653. www.sanclementetoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org.

BILY MEETING

7-9 p.m. Meets every Tuesday. Because I Love You helps parents find solutions to any crisis they are experiencing due to their children’s (adult or minor) poor choices. Presbyterian Church. 119 Avenida De La Estrella. www.bilysc.org.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

SAN CLEMENTE ROTARY

Noon. The San Clemente Rotary meets every Wednesday at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course Wedgewood Restaurant. 150 E. Avenida Magdalena. 949.233.7981. www.sanclementerotary.org.

DESIGN REVIEW SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING

3 p.m. The Design Review Subcommittee of the Planning Commission will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting. 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente. 949.361.8200. www.san-clemente.org.

NORTH BEACH FARMERS MARKET

3-6:30 p.m. The Market at North Beach will open to the public for its first week of operation. Vendors will be selling food, jewelry and other wares, and there could be live music. 1501 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. themarketatnbmakers@gmail.com.

Outlets Partners with BrandonCalifornia for Additional Retail

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Another 90,000 square feet of retail space at the Outlets at San Clemente is expected to take shape in the near future.

The area for the new businesses has the most panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean in the outlet mall.

But it’s not Craig Realty, the owner of the Outlets, who will perform the retailer recruitment process for the space. Instead, the real estate company decided to partner with Brandon-California, a company that helps plant retailers into commercial facilities.

The plans for the retail centers has already been laid out and approved by the city, but what will go in there will depend on Brandon-California’s efforts.

Michael Brandon, a retail and restaurant program consultant, said he intends to keep the businesses coming in local, which has a range from San Diego to Los Angeles. Typically, construction of larger

Brand Awareness

Proposals for signage at the Outlets stir emotions at meeting

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Property owners and other local residents voiced strong, mostly dissenting, opinions about the signage proposed by the Outlets at San Clemente during a supplemental environmental impact report (SEIR) meeting on Thursday at the city’s offices.

In its entirety, the proposal seeks to implement 36 permanent freeway-facing signs, 25 of which to be placed on the “main portion” of the Outlets with “halolit” backlights. There is also a proposal for a 45-foot tower that would denote the Outlets location and provide space for additional signs.

The signage proposals were approved years ago when the shopping center was still being planned, but a lawsuit in 2007 found the environmental report on the signage lacked scope of four factors: aesthetics, biological resources, land use/ planning and transportation/traffic. All other requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act have already been accepted by the court.

People who want to comment in writing on the supplemental report to request what should be studied may submit their

commercial spaces takes place when owners have 75 to 80 percent of the lessees under contract to occupy the spaces.

Brandon said that would not be a problem.

“The only thing that’s really going to change is … finding the signage, the branding, the whole vibe of this new curated area,” Brandon said. “The landlord would like to build these as they get leased.”

Brandon said he intends to bring in “artisanal, California-centric bands.” He said the company won’t disclose the tenants until contracts are finalized.

“We want to create a gathering place for locals,” Brandon said.

Brandon also said with confidence that at least one restaurant would be coming into the new area. To be clear, none of this is part of the second phase of the Outlets construction and business plan, but rather a separate portion that will focus on developing the specific area.

In February of 2016, the city of San

Clemente reported the Outlets was generating far less than the anticipated $820,000 in sales tax it hopes to generate in the future, with those funds earmarked for athletic facility maintenance. The Outlets is still formulating the rest of its second phase of infill and construction. Plans for

way. The Outlets reached an agreement in 2014 with the city, which bound them to the original proposal and not the new signage requirements.

Proposed signs would range from 31 square feet to 130 square feet. The main identification sign for the Outlets is proposed at 200 square feet.

People who attended the meeting said the signs would be a distraction to freeway motorists and that having as many as 36 signs would be problematic in many ways.

A study published by Caltrans in September 2016 studied the effects of roadside advertisements culled from answers to a survey that was taken by online respondents. The results can be found via this article on www.sanclementetimes. com.

which include a hotel and other features, which could raise the tax revenue significantly, if business is fruitful.

The most recent project BrandonCalifornia completed was Pacific City in Huntington Beach, a similar business operation as the Outlets. SC

sentation of the signs before they’re put in place in order to evaluate them properly.

Gail Hiduka said she was particularly concerned that property values would decrease because of the advertisements muddying views and increased nighttime lighting. Hiduka said she would like signage at the Outlets to direct people from I-5 to the stores and that the individual signs for businesses would be unnecessary.

“Pretty much, you know what’s in an outlet,” Hiduka said. “It’s the same old stores in every single outlet mall there is.”

Officials with the city said the lighting will be turned off one hour after businesses close, with restaurants staying open a bit later, and hotel signs on indefinitely.

comments to the city by April 26. The comments must be submitted to Cliff Jones, the lead city of San Clemente planner on the project, at 910 Calle Negocio, Suite 100, City of San Clemente, CA, 92673, or by email at jonesc@san-clemente.org.

Jones told people who attended the meeting that view space, nighttime lighting and other concerns the public raised would be taken into consideration by the city during the environmental review process. He also said the city intends to have the supplemental draft completed and the signage proposal sent to the city’s Design Review Subcommittee or Planning Commission by mid-July, with the hopes that it will reach the City Council for final approval by October.

The city of San Clemente amended its sign ordinance last year in order to curtail giant pole signs near the freeway and to limit the visibility of signs near the I-5 free-

The study noted that researchers found “interesting” results based on a number of factors. But the overall theme was, “The implications of this study are that advertisements should be kept to a minimum at busy junctions and areas where drivers need to concentrate.”

Harry Mark, who said he was involved in the original lawsuit against the Outlets signage, said the proposals submitted were “equally as bad” as the original proposals and that he didn’t think the graphics presented at the meeting were representative of the final product.

“What is shown here is irresponsible,” Mark said. “What is being asked for are twice the size than the perspective that is being shown here. We are not getting the proper documents to evaluate this from a CEQA perspective.”

Mark said he wanted documents showing the proposals to scale and full repre-

James Smith, the president of the homeowners association of Bella Vista, said his residents were not given adequate notification of the meeting or the proposals.

“I think a lot of homeowners associations are in the same boat,” Smith said. “I would propose the process not continue until every homeowners association whose views are impacted by the sign issue have had an opportunity to notify their homeowners.”

The city published the notice of the meeting and supplemental review on March 28 under its Current Projects site. Officials also sent out notices to people whose home is within 300 feet of the project, as is required by the city, but the officials conducting the SEIR said that was not far enough and want to reach more people in the area.

To see all the proposals intended to be submitted by the Outlets at San Clemente, visit www.sanclementetimes.com. SC

NEWS BITES

COMPILED BY ERIC HEINZ

Skatepark Coalition Opens Design Contest

The nonprofit San Clemente Skatepark Coalition (SCSC) is trying to raise money to build a new skate park in San Clemente with a skateboard deck art competition. The winner of this deck art competition will have their artwork printed on the SCSC skate decks, which will be sold to raise the funds. Artists of all ages and abilities are eligible to compete. All art submissions must be received by May 15. Submit small-size files via email to scscdeckart@gmail. com with “SCSC Art Submission” in the subject line. If you are chosen as a finalist, SCSC will request large file sizes. Artwork must be released for use to SCSC. SCSC may crop or size artwork as needed. SCSC may add their logo and “Build It SC” as needed, which may cover portions of the artwork. By submitting artwork, the artist is releasing the artwork to SCSC to be used on a skate deck, social media, public display or any other way the organization chooses. Submissions may be in the forms of JPEG, TIFF, PDF, AI and EPS files.

For more information or questions regarding the contest, email info@scskateparkcoalition.org

Volunteers Needed for Dana Point Grand Prix

Volunteers are needed for the 11th annual Dana Point Grand Prix on Sunday, April 30. Those who wish to volunteer will be able to experience the event, assist with organizing and course set-up, ensure the safety of participants and spectators, direct fans to points of interest, and disassemble and clean up the venue.

Available shifts include 6-10 a.m., 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and 2-6 p.m. Volunteers will be receive lunch and a free, limited edition Dana Point Grand Prix T-shirt. Those under 18 must have proof of eligibility and a written parents’ consent. The Grand Prix is a one-day professional bike race and bike festival. This year, the OCTA Bike Festival is new to the event and will include free bike tune-ups, giveaways, demos and more. To sign up, visit www.danapointgrandprix.com.

Surfrider Beach Cleanup Schedule

The South Orange County chapter of Surfrider Foundation will meet to clean the beaches in the following locations, dates and times. Saturday cleanups from 8-11 a.m. on the left side of San Clemente Pier will take place April 15, 22 and 29; May 6, 13, 20 and 27; and June 3, 10, 17 and 24. Wednesday cleanups will occur from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at T Street at the bottom of stairs over the tracks on April 19 and 26; May 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31; and June 7, 14, 21 and 28.

Foster Homes Needed for Kittens

Kitten season is coming, and with the need for foster homes to care for kittens, the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter is hosting a kitten foster training on Thursday, April 27 from 7-8 p.m. at the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group, located at 31896 Plaza Drive, Suite C-1, San Juan Capistrano.

“The fostering experience is great for the cat lover who cannot commit to adopting a kitten; a family with kids; or a teenager who wants the ultimate summer experience,” a press release stated. “The time commitment could be anywhere from a few days to a couple months, and then the kittens go to the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter

to find their forever homes.”

Pet Project Foundation provides all food, supplies and veterinary expenses. All foster parents have to provide is a home, time and love. To register for the kitten foster training, call 949.492.1617 or 949.595.8899.

Mission Hospital to Host Simulated ‘Date Night’

Mission Hospital is hosting a three-part series of weekly conversations for parents and their teens called, “Date Night: An Evening with the Important Young Person in Your Life.”

The nights are intended to help teenagers spend more time with their parents.

Mission Hospital has partnered with Dale Carnegie Training to bring in experts on teenagers from Orange County to provide sessions on Thursday evenings for three weeks, starting April 27, 2017 in San Juan Capistrano. The training will cover subjects ranging from how to be confident in your communication, win friends and influence peers, effectively disagree, and manage stress in a healthy way. Dinner will be served each evening.

Cost includes one adult plus one child (ages 11-15). The three sessions are $45, each including dinner. The night events will take place 6:30-8 p.m. on April 27, May 4 and May 11 at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, located at 25925 Camino Del Avion.

An additional series will be offered in Laguna Beach on Wednesday evenings beginning May 10. For more information, a schedule and to register for Date Night, visit www.raisinghealthyteens.org/date-night.

Tickets on Sale Now for SCHS Dance Team Concert April 28 and 29

More than 100 San Clemente High School students are scheduled to perform at this year’s Salvation Concert, according to organizers.

Tickets for the national champion SCHS Dance Team’s 2017 two-night concert, on April 28 and 29, titled “Salvation,” are now on sale and can be purchased at www.schsdanceteam.com or on the night of the event. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students.

This year’s concert features the team’s three national championship dances including the comical “The Strike,”

a dance about an elderly bowling league with animated bowling pins, balls and bumpers.

Other competition dances to be featured include the intermediate dance titled “When It’s All Over,” and a small dance titled “I Miss You,” which won best choreography twice during the competition season.

The concert will also feature other dance programs at San Clemente High School including the 2 IB Dance classes featuring an Irish dance and an original dance choreographed by the students.

“As a special treat for San Clemente, the SCHS Dance Team has also invited the Glendale High School Dance Team to perform at the concert,” a press release stated. “Glendale is known for their powerful all-male hip hop and their creative co-ed team.”

For more information about the SCHS Dance Team 2017 Concert and to purchase tickets visit our website at www.schsdanceteam.com.

SCHS PTSA Wins State Spotlight Award

The San Clemente High School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) was awarded the California State PTA Spotlight Award in the collaboration category for work with the Wellness & Prevention Center in San Clemente. The award recognizes one PTA in the state for “Developing strong partnerships to connect individuals, enhance student learning, assist schools and families and involve community stakeholders.”

Each year, the state PTA recognizes the achievements of local units and councils in seven categories, with one winner per category.

SCHS President Dan Snyder will be attending this year’s convention in San Jose, April 28-30, with Susan Parmelee, executive director of the Wellness & Prevention Center.

The award highlights the work conducted by the PTSA to enrich high school students’ lives and to build a stronger community. The PTSA partners with the Wellness & Prevention Center by providing promotional, financial and volunteer support for prevention events throughout the school year. These events provide San Clemente youth and their parents with skills that help the community to thrive. For more information, visit www.schsptsa.org.

Have something interesting for the community? Send your information to editorial@sanclementetimes.com.

Letters to the Editor

TO AVOID DOOMSDAY, TOLL ROAD MUST BE CONNECTED

JAY GASKINS, San Clemente

In response to the very informative letter to the editor in the April 6-12 edition of the San Clemente Times by Gary Headrick, citing the vulnerability of all San Clemente residents due to the storage of nuclear waste at SONGS, I just want to say that I agree with you, and we are in a world of hurt if something happens that close to us and results in damage to our lives, our city, and our ocean.

Unfortunately, the only way to evacuate the city is through the Interstate 5 bottleneck that goes right through our town—at 8 miles per hour. If your “facts” and projections are accurate, it would not matter if (when) the waste leaks into our city limits if we can’t get out fast enough to outrun the mushroom cloud.

The problem is as follows: you and your disciples are locked in to your doomsday forecast but vehemently deny that the 241 toll road extension to Interstate 5 is a good idea. This is a textbook case of wanting something without tolerating the means to that end.

The impending danger at San Onofre and traffic congestion during evacuation are not mutually exclusive. Nuclear storage and leakage at SONGS will surely be the end of life as we know it, if you are correct with your predictions, married with the inability to get out of the affected areas.

I feel strongly that without multiple arterial throughways, the “doom and gloom” forecasters of nuclear waste, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires and landslides have arguments that are baseless.

LIGHT POLLUTION HAMPERS

NEIGHBORHOOD

JIM COSHLAND, San Clemente

Caring communities in recent years have tried to minimize light pollution in the night sky. This has been a concentrated effort by municipalities and businesses to switch over from harsh white to softer lighting and has made these communities much more desirable places to live. Children may be able to see the stars, while families have a more relaxed nighttime experience.

In San Clemente, the city and businesses, large and small, have acted together to make our city a better place. The Outlets at San Clemente is an example of a good neighbor by following this course on external building and parking lot lighting.

Unfortunately, there is a recent glaring example of violation of this unwritten community compact. High above Avenida

Pico between I-5 and Avenida Presidio sits a neighborhood church that ignored the concept of being a good neighbor by installing high-intensity white spotlights beaming out from their parking lot and up and down the Pico corridor.

When asked about this recent installation, a church official said to me the city approved it and there is a bad element of young people that do drugs in the parking lot.

It was pointed out to this official that the spotlights shine straight out and not down on the parking lot, and by doing so create a nighttime flood of high intensity light straight into the homes above the high school as well down on the high school during night activities. His answer was that the city was going to install this type of lighting at the driveway entrance on Calle Frontera.

That’s too bad, because they are behaving like a bad neighbor, and not a friendly or welcoming one.

RESPONSE TO ‘A COMMUNITY ON EDGE’

JACQUELINE COOPER, San Clemente

As a born and raised Californian, the article “A Community on the Edge” in the April 13-19 edition of the San Clemente Times was disheartening to say the least. I want to see stories like this about our local legal citizens who have been affected by the mass migration of illegal immigrants to our state. What about the U.S. citizens in California who have lost their jobs because politicians decided not to enforce our immigration laws? Law-abiding painters, carpenters and drywall contractors have been ruined by the influx of illegal workers who have taken over the entire construction industry in our state.

“ How about a tear-jerk article about legal citizen families who have lost their livelihood because greedy businesses hire illegal workers to make a bigger profit? ”

How about a tear-jerk article about legal citizen families who have lost their livelihood because greedy businesses hire illegal workers to make a bigger profit?

Our tax dollars are subsidizing businesses through the benefit programs taxpaying Californians are forced to give to illegal immigrants. What about the U.S. citizens who have had to bare the terrible consequences of this disregard for our immigration laws? Why aren’t tear-soaked articles being written about them? It is unpatriotic to hire an illegal worker when so many American citizens in California are jobless.

Join the San Clemente Times for Beachside Chat, Friday, April 21 at 8 a.m. at Café Calypso

Beachside Chat is a spirited, town hall forum on community issues, hosted by SC Times editor Eric Heinz every Friday at Café Calypso, 114 Avenida Del Mar. All are welcome.

DOES DARRELL ISSA REPRESENT YOUR VIEWS ON CLIMATE CHANGE?

SARAH MOSKO, Santa Ana

You might not know it, given who was recently elected president, but Americans everywhere want their government to tackle climate change. An impressive national survey of over 18,000 adults by The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication found that in all 50 states a solid majority, 60 to 78 percent, of the public both believe global warming is happening and 66 to 81 percent favored regulating carbon dioxide (CO2) as a pollutant.

A breakdown by individual districts revealed a similar pattern of opinions, even in historically conservative areas like Orange County. For example, here in California’s 49th Congressional District, represented by Darrell Issa, 72 percent of people surveyed said they believe climate change is happening and 74 percent want CO2 regulated as a pollutant. Given that we live in a representative democracy, one should expect Issa’s actions to reflect the opinions of his constituents. It’s not clear that he has in the past, but there are signs he is coming around.

He’s long been an outspoken skeptic of governmental initiatives to slow global warming and even voted in the last Congressional year in favor of repealing rules establishing limits on CO2 emissions from power plants as set by Obama’s Clean Power Plan (S.J. Res. 23 and 24). However, he recently took the bold step of joining the Climate Solutions Caucus, a nascent bipartisan coalition of now 34 House members (evenly split Republican-Democratic) dedicated to solving climate change. Whether or not his razor-thin win to retain his seat last November has anything to do with this apparent shift, he should be applauded for doing the right thing.

Next, he should also step up and cosponsor the first all-Republican House resolution introduced on March 15 calling for action on climate change.

TECHNOLOGY WILL SHOW FUTURE FOR TRANSPORTATION

STEVE PEZMAN, San Clemente

Ms. Cyndy Stauffer’s letter in the April 13-19 edition of the San Clemente Times describes her wanting the (Cont. on page 12)

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SPECIAL THANKS

Robert Miller

Jonathan Volzke

CONTRIBUTORS

(Cont. from page 10) reconsideration of the defeated 241 Toll Road extension route through San Mateo Valley to Interstate 5 south of San Clemente. The basis for her opinion is her understanding that the defeat was due to “misleading statements concerning the true factual impact of a properly constructed roadway south around San Clemente meeting up to the I-5.” Among those who supported the decision against that route were the Regional Water Quality Board, The Coastal Commission, The Sierra Club, The Audubon Society, Native Americans, Surfrider Foundation, California State Parks and the U.S. Department of Commerce, none of whom are prone to base decisions on “misleading” statements. The facts weren’t misleading. The correct decision was made after years of laborious examination of both sides of the issue.

Worth keeping in mind: Over the coming decades it is an accepted fact

that transportation technology will soon allow existing routes to operate more efficiently and safely. Rapid advances in that capability are being announced each year, i.e. driverless cars that are safer in greater traffic density due to more precise automatic controls. Let’s be patient and wait for these advances to solve many of the problems we face, rather than choosing the short-term solution of paving what invaluable open space is left.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@ sanclementetimes.com. San Clemente Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers. Please limit your letters to 350 words.

Searching for Files in the Cerebral Mainframe

Frequently in my later life, there is a moment during a group discussion when one of the conversationalists will be unable to recall someone or something. Where was that? What the heck was his name? After a short but fruitless effort, the conversation continues. But often in the next few minutes someone will shout out “Robert from Newport! His name was Robert Dooly!” Why wasn’t that name recalled by our brain’s memory immediately? Why did it take five whole minutes for the data to appear? What was our brain doing anyway?

The answer I surmise is: It was searching for files.

Let’s face it, computers were made in our image, or at least in the image of our brains and nervous systems. We think that because computers process massive bits of data that they are much better than us at doing so. But in reality, our minds process millions of bits of data all the time as well, and spend a lot less time sleeping. The vital daily necessities are center screen on the desktop. But for most data we take in, our brains hit the delete button or at least file the info somewhere deep. Often we send a command and the content is not in the place we think. Hence, the brain goes searching for files.

As we get older, why can’t we remember things as well? Well, again, according to my totally unsubstantiated opinion, we just have too much content to properly store. When we were 6 years old, we could keep our entire world on the desktop. And those files remain on the desktop eternally. Meanwhile, the 2017 file already has 47 sub-files and thousands of massive documents. With no room left, it isn’t even

on the desktop.

Case in point: Isn’t it interesting how many of us can blurt the name of our firstgrade teacher but draw a blank about the last three people we were introduced to this morning? Why can we summon up the family phone number from 30 years ago but have no idea what password accesses our current bank account? I mean, I know my short-term memory is bad, but then so is my short-term memory, right?

WAVELENGTHS

By Jim Kempton

Maybe it’s the lack of RAM, an inability to conflate so many ideas at once, resulting in a spiraling rainbow wheel in my mind. Some memories should be like certain acquaintances on Facebook; they just need to be un-friended. On the bright side, a bad memory means being able to watch Netflix films a second time and still be in suspense. Computers of course are as old as Adam and Eve. They had an Apple but very limited memory—just one byte and then the whole network crashed. We’ve been rebooting ever since. And searching, ever searching, for files.

Jim Kempton owned one of the first little Macintosh boxes with a local dial-up connection and remembers when a center-spread of Surfer Magazine took two minutes to load. His searching-for-files-wheel seems to revolve unexplainably slower each year. SC

GETTING OUT SC

SanClemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT

PLANNER

The List

What’s going on in and around town this week

COMPILED BY STAFF

Thursday | 20

LOS RIOS GARDEN ANGELS

8:30-10:30 a.m. Join Goin Native Therapeutic Gardens volunteers, students and teachers at the Montanez Adobe inside Los Rios Park in San Juan Capistrano. Help care for and maintain native plants and butterflies while enjoying a little dirt therapy and friendship. Every Thursday. 31790 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano. www.goinnative.net.

KEN BROWN WINE DINNER

7-9 p.m. Stop by Barnoa Wine Bar for a dinner paired with Ken Brown wines, which focus on pinot noir from Santa Rita Hills. There will be other varietals. Reserve a table before attending. 831 Via Suerte, Suite 106, San Clemente. 949.388.4378. www.barnoawinebar.com.

LIVE MUSIC: THE KALAMA BROTHERS

7-10:30 p.m. Listen to music from The Kalama Brothers at Iva Lee’s. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.361.2855. www.ivalees.com.

Friday | 21

LIVE MUSIC: HANS & JANINE

4 p.m. Join Waterman’s Harbor for live music with Hans & Janine every Friday. Waterman’s Harbor. 34661 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.764.3474. www.watermandp.com.

LIVE THEATER: ‘SHREK THE MUSICAL’

5 p.m. The Arts Project of Orange County presents two stagings of Shrek the Musical, one at 5 p.m. with a junior cast, and one at 7:30 p.m. with the company cast. Showings run throughout the weekend, and include presentations with a teen cast. The musical is based on the animated hit, Shrek. Pre-sale tickets are $12, and tickets purchased at the door are $15. 1317 Calle Avanzado, San Clemente. 949.276.2787. www.tapocshrek.brownpapertickets.com.

CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL

6:30-9 p.m. The two-day California Wine Festival kicks off at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott with a sunset tasting of reserve and rare wines. Top regional chefs will serve appetizers, and there will be live jazz music. On Saturday, the festivities move to Lantern Bay Park from 1-4 p.m. Tickets for the eighth annual event include tast-

EDITOR’S PICK

SATURDAY, APRIL 22: SAN CLEMENTE MICRO-BREW FESTIVAL

Noon-5 p.m. The seventh annual San Clemente Micro-Brew Festival will feature craft beer from all over Southern California, food from a variety of food trucks, and continuous live music throughout the day. You will also have the opportunity to tour the Left Coast Brewing Company’s brewery with a VIP admission. Tickets are $35-$45 and include 12 beer samplings. 1245 Puerta del Sol, San Clemente. 949.492.1131. www.scchamber.com.

THE DISH

TUNA

POKE AT KAMEA POKE

Poke joints nowadays tend to serve beautiful food in aggressively modest means. Whether it’s a compostable box or a plastic take-home tray, the vessel indicates what’s great about the meal inside it: it’s a feast for the eyes and mouth, made for a casual beach picnic or impromptu outdoor lunch.

Kamea Poke—the Dana Point Times winner for Best Poke Place—lives up to the hype with a simple variety of fresh seafood, vegetables, sauces, toppings and additional features. You can customize your poke a thousand ways, yet what comes out is always simple and delicious.

The assembly line set-up of Kamea makes it easy to build your bowl, in this case, beautiful hunks of tuna atop brown rice, with jalapenos, scallions, avocado, pineapple, onion, ginger and sesame seeds. A spicy shoyu

ings and food, and proceeds benefit the Surfrider Foundation. Tickets range from $35-$159. www.californiawinefestival.com.

LIVE THEATER: ‘MARY POPPINS’ AT SCHS

7 p.m. The Disney musical Mary Poppins will fly to the San Clemente High School stage starting this weekend. The production features SCHS’s drama students under the direction of Laurie Mason. Tickets are $18 for general admission, $20 for premium seating and $10 for students, military personnel and seniors. Show runs nightly April 13-15 and April 20-22, with

sauce adds umami and kick. The poke is an enjoyable indulgence—not only are the ingredients fresh and on the healthier side of the food pyramid, but each bite is so well-balanced in flavor, texture and temperature. It’s at once creamy and crunchy, bright and savory.

Kamea Poke.

34320 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. 949.443.5226.

additional matinee showings on Saturdays at 1 p.m. 700 Avenida Pico. 949.293.4135 www.schsdrama.com.

CASA KINETIC: CONTEMPORARY DANCE COLLECTIVE

7-8:45 p.m. Casa Romantica debuts anoriginal dance commission with a Contemporary Dance Collective consisting of members of Helios Dance Theatre and the Assembly, as well as a Grand Prix finalist from the Orange County Ballet Theater. Each company will present a site-specific performance commissioned by Casa

Romantica, with patrons walking from performance to performance throughout the facility. $25. Casa Romantica. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente. 949.498.2139. www.casaromantica.org.

LIVE THEATER: ‘ALMOST, MAINE’

8 p.m. The Cabrillo Playhouse presents the premier of Almost, Maine. In the play, Almost’s residents find themselves falling in and out of love in the strangest ways on one cold Friday night. Show runs through May 14. Tickets are $15-$20. 202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente. 949.492.0465.

Saturday | 22

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS BEACH CLEANUUP

9 a.m. Volunteers are needed at Doheny State Beach and San Clemente State Beach to participate in the California State Parks Earth Day cleanup. Activities will include removing non-native shrubs, cleaning park trails and restoring common areas. About 200 volunteers are needed at Doheny, and 75 are needed at San Clemente. Register before attending. For San Clemente, contact Cryssie Moreno at 949.366.8594 or cryssie.moreno@parks. ca.gov. For Doheny, contact Vicki Wiker at 949.310.2546 or vwiker@parks.ca.gov.

EARTH DAY AT THE ECOLOGY CENTER

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Celebrate Mother Earth at The Ecology Center’s free Earth Day festival. There will be live music, dancing, strawberry-picking, art demonstrations, gardening and nature workshops (such as backyard composting and quick pickling), and much more. The Ecology Center. 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano. 949.443.4223. www.theecologycenter.org.

LASS YOUR AFF OFF! COMEDY NIGHT

7:30-9:30 p.m. Listen to comedy from Ron Ruhman, Jonathan Blake, Jenna Perry and Yamo at Adele’s at The San Clemente Inn. Admission is $15. 2600 Avenida del Presidente, San Clemente. 949.481.1222. www.adelesatthesanclementeinn.com.

LIVE MUSIC: FAMILY STYLE

7:30-11 p.m. Listen to music from Family Style at Iva Lee’s. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.361.2855. www.ivalees.com.

Sunday | 23

GUIDED NATURE HIKE

8-9:15 a.m. Join an Orange County Parks Ranger for a one-mile hike around Bell Canyon in Caspers Wilderness Park. Parking is $5, the hike is free. 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. 949.923.2210. www.ocparks.com/caspers.

GETTING OUT

LANTERN DISTRICT CAR SHOW

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Come out to the Lantern District Car Show hosted by the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, benefiting the VFW Post 9934. Grab some brunch at a Lantern District restaurant and walk around to see all the classic cars and motorcycles. Del Prado between the Lantern District arch and Violent Lantern, Dana Point. www.danapointchamber.com.

Monday | 24

YOGA IN THE PARK

5:30 p.m. Join iHeartYoga for yoga in the park every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this summer. Bring a mat, water bottle and suggested donation of $8. Lantern Bay Park. 25111 Park Lantern, Dana Point. www.iheartyoga.org.

Tuesday | 25

HALF-PRICE WHALE WATCHING

10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Hop onboard this two-hour cruise to see dolphins, whales and other marine life in the wild. $22.50. Half price on Tuesdays but trips are available every day of the week. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.496.5794. www.danawharf.com.

COA IMPROV COMEDY NIGHT

6:30-7:30 p.m. The Community Outreach Alliance hosts a weekly comedy show and workshop, where kids interested in comedy can listen to clean acts, while refining their own material. Admission is

At the Movies: Brit War Film is Their ‘Finest’

BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

There have been more movies and TV series set in World War II than any other war, and it’s because it is one of the few wars where there is a clear hero and clear villain viewed no matter what your politics are. Of course there then becomes an oversaturation of these period pieces, but with the recent British film, Their Finest, we get one of the rare, not as discussed subjects of the war era: the film industry who made the war films audiences were seeing while the soldiers were fighting.

A 1941 married woman Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton) decides to take a writing gig at a London film studio to make some extra money, when she’s suddenly thrust into the production of a war film that’s supposed to feel genuine, but also patriotic. Catrin and Tom Buckley (Sam

free. 1050 Calle Negocio, San Clemente. 949.388.0114. www.communityoutreachalliance.com.

KARAOKE AT GOODY’S

8 p.m. Karaoke every Tuesday night at Goody’s Tavern in San Clemente. 206 S. El Camino Real. 949.492.3400. www.goodystavern.com.

Wednesday | 26

FRENCH CONVERSATION CLUB

2-4 p.m. Look for the table with the French flag surrounded by a group of people speaking French. No cost to join. Café Calypso. 114 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. 949.493.5228, or 949.369.5482.

MIXOLOGY UNIVERSITY

7 p.m. Every Wednesday, Waterman’s Harbor bartenders and mixology experts teach guests how to make the restaurant’s cocktails. Guests will have the opportunity to make and taste three cocktails. Event is $25. Waterman’s Harbor. 34661 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.764.3474. www.watermandp.com.

FREE COMEDY AT MOLLY BLOOM’S 9:30 p.m. Free comedy at Molly Bloom’s with food and drink specials. 2391 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.218.0120. www.mollybloomspub.com.

Claflin) are the screenwriters given the task for the plot, veteran character actor Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy) is one of the film’s leads, US soldier Carl Lundbeck (Jake Lacy) is given a special role and Ellis Cole (Jack Huston) is Catrin’s artist husband at home.

Their Finest is directed by Lone Scherfig of An Education (2009), and adapted by Gaby Chiappe from Lissa Evans’ book. Though the film includes tragedy in a few scenes, the tone of the film is primarily light-hearted. There is a decent, well directed love triangle between the leads, the usual comic relief from Nighy and some rather interesting insight into how historical-set films are written and produced. Definitely the most intriguing film this month so far.

Sprouting Upward

Farmers market at North Beach celebrates opening day

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

SC LIVING U SC

nder a fair sky with the sun out and hardly a cloud in sight, North Beach’s farmers market came to fruition on Wednesday, April 12.

Rick Heil, an officer with Introductions Unlimited, the company that coordinates the farmers market and the Sunday farmers market on Avenida Del Mar, said he was pleased with the first week.

“It went real well,” Heil said. “We’ll see, hopefully it’s going to be continuous like that for a while. A lot of people on the farmers side, they were doing good business and the reaction from the folks was real nice.”

Residents in the area have clamored for a farmers market for some time, most recently coming from the efforts of the North Beach Community Association. The

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

market will take place from 3-7 p.m. on Wednesdays in the parking lot at 1820 N. El Camino Real.

Heil said the vendors at the Wednesday market is a similar group from the Del Mar farmers market. He said he receives calls from a lot of farmers around Southern California.

“We have a good group of farmers who know the customers already, but this last week was a lot of people I’d never seen before,” Heil said.

Heil has operated the Avenida Del Mar farmers market since April 1994.

The North Beach market is scheduled to operate from April to October.

“It’s a really good time of the year because you get your variety of fruits that are in season, and you’ve got to have lights,” Heil said, adding that daylight savings will be a challenge.

Heil said he can host up to 15 farmers, but the first Wednesday he said started with a “good-sized group.”

“Weekday markets are typically smaller than the weekends, but we’ll see how it goes,” he said. “But we’ve got all the food categories covered. Right amount of vegetables, bread, fish, fruits and flowers.”

The first-year contract for the North Beach farmers market with the city will be up for review when the first season ends. SC

Celebrating National Volunteer Week in San Clemente

Parents of high schoolers trying to crack the college admission code are all too familiar with these words: community service and volunteer hours.

As students start to consider their summer service options, National Volunteer Week falls on April 23-29, bringing awareness to the importance of volunteerism.

Established in 1974 by a presidential proclamation, the annual event celebrates volunteers creating change in their communities and encourages others to take action.

San Clemente counts numerous inspirational change-makers as residents, including Cindi Juncal.

Juncal founded The Noble Path Foundation (TNPF) nonprofit corporation in 2012, and I jumped at the chance to become a volunteer board member.

For the past five years, Juncal’s devoted her time, talent and tenacity to stressing the importance of raising “healthy kids for a healthy world.”

In observance of National Volunteer Week, I spoke with Juncal to shine a light on the TNPF and its High 5ive 4Fitness fundraiser at San Clemente High School on May 13.

Shelley Murphy: Why did you start TNPF?

Cindi Juncal: The childhood obesity crisis was looming large. It’s estimated that one out of three children will develop diabetes in their lifetimes. It’s imperative to do something to stop this trend; this deadly disease can not only be prevented with proper food choices but reversed as well.

Due to the nature of our current food supply, our children are getting sick and being afflicted with diseases that once only occurred in the elderly. This has created the first generation of kids in the history of the world not expected to have longer lifespans than their parents.

My goal in starting TNPF was to help kids become more health-conscious instead of selfconscious and hopefully put them on a path toward wellness. If just a few kids’ lives are forever changed in a positive and productive manner then everything we do at TNPF will have been worth it.”

Who can attend the third annual fundraiser?

Our event focuses on creating a fun fitness day for the entire family. We’ll have sports challenges for everyone from kindergarteners to adults, and individuals will compete in their age group for prizes and awards. Some of the challenges include: passing accuracy in football, speed pitching in baseball, scoring penalty kicks in soccer and making free throw shots in basketball.

We also have a health and wellness fair, live entertainment, an expanded kid zone, a raffle, and silent auction featuring vacation getaways and a giant flatscreen television.

The highlight of the event is the epic Battle of the Gyms featuring the fittest athletes from the finest local fitness facilities going head-to-head in feats of strength, endurance, agility and speed and only one gym will reign supreme.

How will funds raised at the event benefit TNPF?

All of the donations TNPF receives go back into the communities we serve to keep our nutrition and awareness programs free of charge. Soon we’ll introduce our Sugar-Free San Clemente week to raise awareness about the dangers of added sugars.

Easter in the Sand

Talega Life Church hosts service with sand sculpture of Jesus

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

In beach cities fashion, the members of Talega Life Church hosted an Easter service Friday, April 14, just north of the San Clemente Pier.

A sand sculpture of Jesus Christ on the crucifix was made, and people sat around the display as they listened to the church’s senior pastor and CEO

This year, in addition to raising funds to support TNPF, when participants register online they can choose the option to also fundraise for their school. We’ll give 50 percent of the amount an individual fundraises back to the school of their choice.

What is the message of TNPF programs?

Our programs stress the importance of healthy food choices for a healthy life and that fitness is fun, not something to dread or avoid. We want kids to develop a lifelong addiction to movement, healthy eating and clean living.

The health and well-being of our future generations literally depends on what we put on the ends of our forks. Our motto is:

Pondo Vleisides lead the worship service.

Vleisides spoke about the importance of unifying humanity and what Easter means to many Christians.

Following the service, people laid rose petals on and around the sculpture. Music was player intermittently throughout the service. SC

Nothing you ever do for a child is wasted. So feed them good food and one day they might save the world.

Why do you volunteer?

I never think of service as a sacrifice. For me, it feels more like a necessity just like eating, sleeping or breathing. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to make a difference.

To attend or volunteer at the fundraiser, visit www.thenoblepathfoundation.org. SC

• Out of the 253 active listings in San Clemente, 38% of those have reduced their listing prices at least once since being listed for sale Jeremy Conrad 949.542.8348 Jconrad@conradrealestate.com

• There are 253 homes listed for sale in San Clemente, with an average list price of $1,453,000 • Over the last 6 months- 92672 Zip code average sales price was $1,007,000 and 92673 zip code average sales price was $941,000

BUSINESS DIRECTORY Locals Only

or email dwells@picketfencemedia.com.

ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT

Body Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program

665 Camino De Los Mares, Ste. 104, 949.485.4979, www.bodymindspiritiop.com

AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING

Solstice Heating and Air 2208 El Camino Real, Ste. #1, 949.573.3607, www.solsticehvac.com

APPLIANCES

South Coast Furniture & Mattress 109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

ART GALLERIES

San Clemente Art Association 100 N. Calle Seville, 949.492.7175, www.scartgallery.com

CHIROPRACTIC

Spinal Vitality Integrative Chiropractic

647 Camino de los Mares, Suite 220, 949.616.5470, www.spinalvitality.com

CHOCOLATE/CANDY

Schmid’s Fine Chocolate 99 Avenida Del Mar, 949.369.1052, www.schmidschocolate.com

CONCRETE

Costa Verde Landscape Lic.: 744797 (C-8 & C-27) 949.361.9656, www.costaverdelandscaping.com

Exquisite Epoxy Concrete Floor Coatings Lic.: 1020002, 949.632.8400 exquisiteepoxy.com

DENTISTS

Eric Johnson, D.D.S. 647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, 949.493.9311, www.drericjohnson.com Shoreline Dental Studio

Kristen Ritzau, DDS 122 Avenida Cabrillo, 949.245.6046, www.shorelinedentalstudio.com

EDIBLE LANDSCAPING

Organics Out Back 949.354.2258, www.organicsoutback.com

EDITING SERVICES

Perfectly Clear Editing Services

Judi Heidel: 949.281.6364 www.perfectlycleareditingservices.com

ELECTRICAL

Arcadia Electric 949.361.1045, www.arcadiaelectric.com

FURNITURE

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

HOME DÉCOR

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

HOME REPAIRS/IMPROVEMENT

Capistrano Valley Raingutters Scott Williams, 949.542.7750

JEWELRY

Paradise Jewelers 166 Avenida Del Mar, 949.361.6661, www.paradisejewelers.com

LANDSCAPING

Costa Verde Landscape Lic.: 744797 (C-8 & C-27) 949.361.9656, www.costaverdelandscaping.com

MATTRESSES

South Coast Furniture & Mattress 109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

MORTGAGES

Brian Wiechman, Equity Coast

Mortgage A division of Pinnacle Capital Mortgage 949.533.9209, www.equitycoastmortgage.com

MOTORCYLE PARTS & SERVICE

SC Rider Supply

520 S. El Camino Real, 949.388.0521, www.scridersupply.com

MUSIC LESSONS

Danman’s Music School 949.496.6556, www.danmans.com

OFFICE FURNITURE

South Coast Furniture & Mattress 109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

PET SERVICES/HOUSE SITTING

2-dogswalking.com

Ricky, 949.973.4128

Pet care –Insured & Bonded

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

YOUR BUSINESS HERE!

Sign up to be featured as our monthly Locals Only Business Spotlight for only $100! Contact Debra Wells at 949.589.0892 or email dwells@picketfencemedia.com

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD

1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), www.moranperio.com

PLUMBING

A to Z Leak Detection

1001 Calle Recodo, 949.481.7013, www.atozleakdetection.com

Bill Metzger Plumbing 1001 Calle Recodo, 949.492.3558, www.billmetzerplumbing.com

Karl Aiken Plumbing-Rooter San Clemente, 949.366.8302

POOL SERVICE, REPAIR, REMODEL

Radiant Pool & Spa Service Lic # 985800, 949.290.5616, www.radiantpoolservice.com

SC Pool & Spa Works 1311 N. El Camino Real, 949.498.7665, www.scpoolworks.com

RESTAURANTS

Café Calypso 114 Avenida Del Mar #4, 949.366.9386

SALONS

Salon Bamboo 150 Avenida Del Mar, Ste. A, 949.361.3348, www.salonbamboo.com

Salon Bleu

207 S. El Camino Real, 949.366.2060, www.scsalonbleu.com

Syrens Hair Parlor 217 Avenida Del Mar, Ste. E, 949.361.9006, www.syrens.com

SECONDHAND/ CONSIGNMENT SHOPS

South Coast Furniture & Mattress 109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

SWIMMING SCHOOL

Waterbabies Swim School 142 Avenida Granada, 949.488.2512, www.waterbabiesswimschool.com

TERMITES

Colony Termite Control 1402 Calle Alcazar, 949.361.2500, www.colonytermite.com

WEBSITE DESIGN

San Clemente Website Design 949.246.8345, www.sanclementewebsitedesign.com

WINDOW & DOOR REPLACEMENT

Offshore Construction 877.774.1492, www.offshoreconstruction.org

OBITUARY

Jane Davis

Jane, 85, passed away at home surrounded by family April 5th. Born in PA, the family moved to San Clemente in 1946. Graduating from Capistrano High in 1949, she studied in Paris and Mexico City. Returning home she met and married her husband JK Davis, beginning 34 years of Marine Corps life and nearly 65 years of marriage. Tours in Japan, Norway and Hawaii, followed by many separations included 27 moves. Balancing family and her husband’s career, she volunteered count-

less hours at the Red Cross and Navy Marine Corps Relief Society. Retiring back to San Clemente in 1986, Jane was involved with the Assistance League and active with the local American Daughters of the American Revolution. Pursuing a life long interest, she received her degree in Interior Design. Jane is survived by her husband Gen. JK Davis USMC Ret; sister Wendy Layritz, daughters Keri, Gwen (Ken) and Julie (Shannon), and 5 grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be held at Lesneski Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, donations kindly asked for the American Institute for Cancer Research or the San Clemente Island Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS

SanClemente STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Campbell, Gardner, Stewart Tabbed for Wall of Fame Induction

COMPILED BY STEVE BREAZEALE

The Friends of San Clemente Foundation’s Sports Wall of Fame will add three new members to its impressive list of local luminaries next month.

The Foundation announced this week that off-road racing champion Johnny Campbell, Olympic gold medalist Gabe Gardner and pioneering surfboard shaper Bill Stewart will be inducted into the Wall of Fame.

This year’s induction ceremony, which will take place at the Vista Hermosa Aquatics Center on May 20, will be the foundation’s fifth since starting the Wall of Fame in 2013. The 2017 class will round out the Wall of Fame inductees up to an even number of 20.

Campbell, who graduated from San Clemente High School in 1989, is the winningest motorcycle racer in the history of the SCORE Baja 1,000, having won the event in his discipline 11 times in 16 tries. Campbell also completed the Paris-Dakar Rally, a race that spans about three weeks and takes competitors across Europe and Northern Africa, four times.

Campbell went on to become a successful

racing team manager for the JCR/Honda Team, which won multiple SCORE and American Motorcyclist Association titles and X-Games gold medals under his watch.

CUSD Special Olympics Track and Field Event Returns to Dana Hills

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

With the crowd cheering her on and a large support group waiting at the finish line, Dana Hills High School senior Sarah Rodas couldn’t help but smile.

April 17 marked the final time she would participate in the Capistrano Unified School District’s Special Olympics event at Dana Hills, and she was going to do the 50-yard dash for the first time using a walker rather than her wheelchair. Rodas walked down the home stretch of Dolphins Stadium to a backdrop of applause and celebrated with her family, teachers and friends at the finish line.

One of Rodas’ biggest cheerleaders was Joel Tapper, one of her STEPS teachers. Rodas has been a student of Tapper’s since she was a freshman, and every year the Special Olympics event is a highlight of their calendar.

“At Dana Hills we have a really strong culture of inclusion and it’s an

opportunity for the district to get together and let the kids have the best experience possible,” Tapper said. “To see that full circle and see (Rodas) maximize her potential, that’s all you want as a teacher.”

The day saw more than 200 middle and high school students come to Dana Hills for a full slate of activities.

Students participated in the 100-meter dash, relay races, shot put and the long jump. There was also a cheer clinic, tugof-war, face painting and music.

The Dana Hills Best Buddies program ensured that every Special Olympics athlete was matched with a Dana Hills student.

Students from six CUSD schools, including San Clemente High School, participated in the event.

CUSD will also hold a Special Olympics event at Dana Hills in the fall.

For a full slideshow of this spring’s Special Olympics event at Dana Hills High School, visit www.sanclementetimes.com. SC

Two-time Olympic athlete and gold medalist Gabe Gardner began playing volleyball in San Clemente at Shorecliffs Middle School. He continued playing

the sport at SCHS and was a three-sport standout as the goalie for the water polo team and a member of the basketball squad. He was named Orange County Athletic Director’s Athlete of the Year his senior year.

Gardner went on to play for Stanford University and simultaneously earned a spot on the United States Men’s Indoor National Team. Gardner played for the U.S. in the Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008) Olympic Games, where Team USA captured gold.

Bill Stewart helped change the surfboard shaping world with his innovations, and his shop on South El Camino Real, Stewart Surfboards, remains a landmark in the community.

Stewart’s most impactful creation was the beveled rail, two-and-one fin configuration on his high-performance longboard. He has also created a four-man surfboard, a variety of wakeboards, tow boards and even snowboards.

Stewart is also an artist and became famous for being among the first local shapers to airbrush his work onto his boards. SC

Sanden Conquers North Pole Marathon

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

As the 60 athletes who completed the North Pole Marathon huddled inside a heated tent on a massive floating block of ice on April 16, the race directors asked them to gather round for a quick awards ceremony.

Trophies were awarded to the first-place finishers in the men’s and women’s divisions, and a third trophy was reserved for San Clemente’s Beth Sanden.

Sanden is partially paralyzed from the waist down, and finished the 26.2-mile trek in temperatures that hovered around

Triton

Report

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

For in-game updates, scores, news and more for all of the San Clemente High School spring sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports.

Banks, McDonough, Marshall

Sign National Letters of Intent

San Clemente student-athletes Evan Banks, Marina McDonough and Kyle Marshall signed their National Letters of Intent during a ceremony on campus on April 12, the first day athletes in certain sports are eligible to declare their college of choice. Banks, a first baseman and pitcher for the Triton baseball team, will attend Azusa Pacific University next fall. McDonough, a standout cross country and track and field athlete, will attend Cal State University San Marcos. Marshall, one of the most accomplished wrestlers in school history, will attend West Virginia University.

Volleyball Ready for Rematch with Dolphins

Since losing its South Coast League opener to rival Dana Hills three weeks ago, the San Clemente boys volleyball team has not lost a match. The Tritons (14-5, 3-1 league) went through the rest of the league with relative ease, and will host the Dolphins on their home court on April 20. San Clemente picked up consecutive three-set sweeps against Aliso Niguel, Tesoro and Capistrano Valley, respectively, and took down El Toro in a nonleague

40-degrees below zero in a time of 7 hours, 31 minutes, 40 seconds on a custom hand cycle. The race director acknowledged that Sanden was the first athlete to ever complete the marathon in a race chair, and

match on April 18.

The Tritons roster got a big boost following the return of senior Sean Carroll from injury. Carroll recorded a team-high nine digs in the win over Capo Valley.

“(Carroll) really adds to our ball control, defense, serve-attack and he is our natural floor leader,” coach Ken Goldstone said. “The team has really responded to his return.”

The Dolphins (13-11, 4-0) will enter the match on April 20 with a one-game lead over the Tritons in the league standings.

Girls Lacrosse Continues Impressive Run

The San Clemente girls lacrosse team has won eight of its last nine games, and remains undefeated in Sea View League play with two games remaining on the schedule.

The first-place Tritons (10-3, 6-0) bounced back from a nonleague loss to St. Margaret’s on April 11 with back-to-back convincing league wins over Dana Hills and Mission Viejo on April 12 and April 18, respectively.

Junior Jessica De Collibus scored a game-high seven goals and Kiley Buckley had five in San Clemente’s 17-4 win over Dana Hills.

The Tritons will host Aliso Niguel in a league contest on April 25.

El Toro Baseball Walks-Off with Win

El Toro was able to edge the San Clemente baseball team in walk-off fashion on April 14, scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to seal a 3-2 South Coast League victory.

The win put the Chargers (13-5-1, 4-1) one game clear of Mission Viejo (14-6, 3-1) in the league standings. San Clemente (138, 3-4) remains in third place and will play Mission Viejo twice next week.

the entire contingent of marathoners gave her a standing ovation.

Sanden had been planning and training for the North Pole Marathon for years, and was finally able to check off one of

the last remaining boxes on her lofty list of goals. Sanden has also finished a marathon on all seven continents and is in the process of being verified by the Guinness Book of World Records for her latest feat.

Like many of the other marathoners, Sanden did not get through the race unscathed. With about three laps to go, the batteries in Sanden’s heated gloves gave out and her exposed hands fell victim to frostbite. Luckily for Sanden, it spread to just one spot on the tip of a finger and she does not anticipate any medical issues to follow.

Sanden described the elements at the North Pole as “surreal,” and felt like she was racing “in a whole other world.” Despite starting the race at 10 p.m., the marathoners were in complete, brilliant daylight the entire time, with the sun and moon both visible overhead.

Following the race, the participants were helicoptered to the exact position of the North Pole by Russian paratroopers, where they took photos and reveled in their accomplishments at the top of the world. SC

SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

Fearing the Great White Shark

The most terrifying of sharks, breeching recently, is as threatening as a lightning strike

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

On Easter Sunday, a three-foot southwest swell danced on the buoys. The afternoon spring wind laid down as the tide filled in. At Old Man’s, a few hundred yards offshore, pelicans savaged a roiling bait ball.

“I wonder how many sharks are out there?” muttered one of the surfers bobbing in the lineup.

At about that exact moment, a great white shark breeched at Upper Trestles and lifeguard trainees near the San Clemente Pier witnessed another shark swim through a wave. Earlier in the week, Surfline’s Lowers webcam capture imagery of a great white breeching while a group of unsuspecting, midday surfers sat idly by. The video caught internet fire and quickly spread across social media feeds. A handful of other sightings have been reported around San Onofre earlier this year.

So, what the heck’s going on? Are we seeing more sharks in local waters? Is seepage from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station creating a generation of nuclear-powered super sharks? Is a sharknado brewing? Are we all gonna die?! No, no, no and no. You wouldn’t freak out if you saw a lion in the jungle in Africa, would you? So why are you freaking out because of an apex predator in the ocean?

Some years ago, I was on a surf trip in Tahiti when I asked the local fisherman driving the boat if there were sharks in the water.

“Dip your finger in the water. Taste it. Is it salty? If there’s salt, there’s sharks,” he bluntly answered.

The point is that there are sharks in every ocean in the world—just like, hopefully, there are fish, and whales, and seaweed and all that other marvelous undersea life. True, there appears to be an increase in sightings and interactions, but there is absolutely no need to buy into the Shark Week fear mongering. In 2016, there were a total of three unprovoked, non-fatal shark attacks in California. The running average since 1900 is 5.4 attacks per year. The old surfing adage states that you have more of

a chance of getting struck by lightning than you do getting mauled by a shark. That’s true. You also have more of a chance of dying from a dog bite or being put to death via legal, state-sanctioned execution.

The fact is, most of the sharks that live in our local waters between Dana Point and San Clemente are bottom feeders.

Leopard sharks are quite common in the area. They feed primarily on clams, worms and shrimp—not human flesh. They don’t even have teeth. Sharks such as makos and threshers are often seen in the open waters, especially by area fishing boats, but there is no record of them devouring beachgoers in South Orange County. A couple years back, when the water grew unseasonably warm, there were a handful of encounters with hammerheads, but they were far more the exception than the norm.

That leaves the great white as the obvious candidate for finned super villain, but a deeper dive into the facts illustrates they probably have more to fear from humans than humans do from them (last year a fisherman hooked one off the San Clemente Pier). In a conversation with Leslie Kretschmar at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, she noted that the San Onofre Trails area, just like Malibu in Los Angeles, is a reputed rookery for great whites.

“They’ve been there for a lot longer than

surfers, that’s for sure,” said Kretschmar. “They’ve had ample opportunity to explore all the dietary options at San Onofre, but we’ve never seen that happen… ever.”

This is a key distinction to understand because, by and large, juvenile great whites don’t pose a danger to people. In the early stages of their development, they primarily feed on rays, skates and fish. It isn’t until they grow longer than 10 to 12 feet that their hunting strategies and prey begin to change. An overwhelming majority of the reported shark sightings in our area describe animals eight feet and under.

Historically speaking, there are no records of a shark attacking a surfer in South Orange County waters in the last 30plus years. In 2016, a woman was bit while swimming off the coast of Corona Del Mar and the last shark-related fatality in California came in Solana Beach in 2008 when a long-distance swimmer was attacked. Previously, there hadn’t been a shark-related death in the state in nearly 50 years.

This is not to say that if you go surf Trestles or Salt Creek you are one hundred percent safe. You’re not. Anytime you step into the ocean you’re stepping into the food chain and all kinds of freaky stuff can happen, but having the right perspective and a little background knowledge definitely helps take the edge off. SC

GROM OF THE WEEK KAI McPHILLIPS

BY

Congrats to Kai McPhillips on his win in the Under 16 division at the Western Surfing Association Championship Series contest at Salt Creek. Clicking into a consistent rhythm, McPhillips also earned himself a fourth-place finish in the Under 18 division. Held over Easter weekend, thanks to a playful mix of northwest swell and a new shot of southwest swell, the surf hung in the three- to five-foot range with relatively clean, contestable conditions.

Crushing competitors must be a family affair, because not only did McPhillips come away from the comp with two finals appearances, but his younger sister, Ezra, took out the Micro Groms Girls Under 10 division. Points from results at this contest are part of a series to qualify for West Coast Championship Titles later this year. Kai is currently sitting first in the Under 18 rankings and second in the Under 16 rankings. Needless to say, he looks like he’s going to be a heavy favorite to win a couple titles this summer when championship season rolls around. SC

SURF FORECAST

Water Temperature: 58-62 degrees F

Water Visibility and Conditions: 5-7’ Poor-Fair

Thursday: More WNW swell moving in through the day while SSW swell eases slowly. Better exposed breaks offer waist-head high (3-5’) waves. Standout combo spots see some plus sets during the more favorable tides. Light/variable onshore winds through the morning, picking up slightly in the afternoon.

Outlook: WNW and SSW swell mix continues through this weekend. Wave heights bump up a notch for Friday and this weekend, mainly in the shoulder high to overhead (4-6’) range with sets going a couple feet (7’) overhead at standouts. Winds look light for the early mornings. Be sure to check the full premium forecast on Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook.