City Council Passes First Reading of Camping Ban Ordinance
EYE ON SC/PAGE 3
SCHS Boys Soccer Clinches Sixth League Title in Eight Seasons
SPORTS/PAGE 15
Protest confronts Trump administration’s offshore oil drilling proposals
Experiencing Kelly Slater’s Man-Made Wave at Surf Ranch
SC SURF/PAGE 18
Five things San Clemente should know this week
SONGS Fuel Storage Begins; Settlement Reached in Rate-Payer Obligation to Decommissioning Costs
THE LATET: On Jan. 30, Southern California Edison (SCE) spokesperson Maureen Brown sent an email to the San Clemente Times reporting that the first spent nuclear fuel rods, currently housed in cooling tanks at the offline San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), have been transferred to dry-cask storage. The operators of the nuclear power plant will store a total of 73 casks with the radioactive fuel rods, in addition to the 51 already onsite.
“We safely and successfully loaded the first multi-purpose spent fuel canister at San Onofre, and we transferred that canister to the new independent spent fuel storage installation today (Jan. 30),” the email stated. “We are on track to complete the transfer of all of the spent fuel to dry cask storage by mid-2019 or earlier. As you may recall, we previously loaded and transferred 50 canisters of spent fuel to the existing dry cask storage facility. Transferring spent fuel from wet to dry cask storage is a well-understood process that has been repeated hundreds of times at nuclear plants across the country over the last three decades. More background on our website is available.”
The storage containers, constructed by Holtec International, are stainless steel, five-eighths of an inch thick and were approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and permitted by the California Coastal Commission in 2015.
Opponents of the storage on-site at SONGS, which is located next to the Pacific Ocean, have voiced concerns for years over the move.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead agency on where the fuel can be stored and can only be stored where the DOE sees fit. Temporary storage of the spent fuel rods has been debated at the federal level, with several bills failing to be passed to amend the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to allow for such confinement. As of now, temporary storage is not permissible by law.
A permanent facility at Yucca Mountain
in Nevada was slated to harbor the spent fuel rods, but that plan was nixed following the closure of the storage facility.
WHAT’S NEXT: In other news, on the same day, SCE and several energy watchdog organizations settled a lawsuit based on the cost of decommissioning the nuclear power plant, which went offline in 2012. The settlement removes the requirement for ratepayers of SCE and San Diego Gas & Electric, which owns stock in SONGS, to pay a substantial cost of the decommissioning project.
According to a press release from SCE:
“Customers of SCE and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. will no longer pay for $775 million in San Onofre-related investments that had not yet been recovered by the utilities under a 2014 settlement; SCE customers’ portion of that total reduction is worth roughly $68 per residential customer over the next four years; and because the agreement awaits approval by the commission, any amounts collected by the utilities in excess of the $775 million while the proposed settlement is pending will be refunded to customers.
“In addition, the plaintiffs in a federal court lawsuit challenging the commission’s approval of the 2014 settlement have agreed to dismiss that case in its entirety following commission approval of the revised settlement announced (on Jan. 30),” the release continued.
SCE will reimburse SDG&E for the electric company’s $151 million share of the $775 million, which does not reduce the revised settlement benefits SCE customers receive, the release stated.
“SCE and plant co-owner, SDG&E, have already returned more than $2 billion to customers under the 2014 settlement,
which ensured that customers did not pay for the faulty steam generators, which prompted the closure of San Onofre, from the time this equipment failed,” the press release stated.
The California Public Utilities Commission will make the final determination as to whether to accept the proposed settlement.
San Clemente City Council approved to send a letter on Feb. 6 to invite Sen. Kamala Harris, Rep. Darrell Issa, Sen. Diane Feinstein and the NRC to visit SONGS to understand the proximity of the spent nuclear fuel stored on-site. —Eric Heinz
THE LATEST: Citing fire danger from people camping in the canyons and in fire-risk areas of San Clemente, the City Council passed an ordinance that ultimately bans camping in certain areas. The law gives police officers the authority to post notice that a campsite must be vacated if the person is not an invited guest of the private property and discourage longer stays on public property.
The ordinance was drafted after multiple sites in areas of San Clemente’s open space and overgrowth areas where used propane tanks, mobile barbecues and other devices likely used by homeless or transient people were found. The city’s documents cited several occurrences of fires that were started by such makeshift encampments.
Camping is defined in the ordinance as not just falling asleep, but establishing a campsite and other temporary shelters
and cooking facilities.
People who violate the ordinance will have their property impounded after a 24-hour notice to vacate is posted, and people will have 90 days to retrieve their belongings.
People who live in subdivisions near these open spaces have complained to the city for months about the possible fire dangers, and the wildland fire in December on Nob Hill was enough to prompt the Council to pass the first reading.
“We need to, at minimum, tell people they don’t need to police everything themselves, and this gives some actual tools to eliminate the problem without going through long, drawn-out procedures,” Council member Steve Swartz said during the meeting.
The other Council members concurred and passed the ordinance—as well as a resolution allowing police officers to remove items during red-flag warnings or during times when fires are at greater risk of starting—unanimously, 4-0-1, with Mayor Pro Tem Chris Hamm absent.
WHAT’S NEXT: The city is expected to adopt the ordinance at a second reading at its next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20. —EH
THE LATEST: In order to help clarify language in its ordinance on public decency, the City Council passed amendments at its Feb. 6 meeting that detailed certain definitions.
(Cont. from page 3)
City Council approved to amend current provisions in the “Public Peace, Morals and Welfare” laws to specify rules regarding disorderly content. Most of the new laws target activities that are tied to illegal activities, but there’s also language that relates to what’s been reported by people who have come in contact with unruly transient people.
Clarifications were made, according to the city staff report, in order to not have “vague” or possibly constitutionally unsound language.
WHAT’S NEXT: The City Council passed the first reading of the ordinance with very little discussion, and it’s likely to be adopted during the second reading at its Tuesday, Feb. 20 meeting. —EH
THE LATEST: A full police escort along with dozens of supporters awaited fourthgrader Chase Walters on Feb. 5 as he prepared to go through another series of treatment for cancer.
Walters, 10, a student at Concordia Elementary School in San Clemente, has a type of leukemia that affects his central nervous system. He had been in remission for some time, but relapsed recently, said his mother, Tara Thole.
“What they did for us was everything. They gave us so much love, support and power,” Thole said. “We will relive yesterday every day, and it will take us far in this fight. What they did for us is priceless.”
Officers from San Clemente Police Services were in attendance, as students from Concordia held up signs of support.
“He’s a super nice kid,” said Rob McKane, principal of Concordia Elementary School. “Everybody loves him. His mom loves to describe him as ‘sparkly,’ and he really is. It was great to see such a rally of support by the entire community for such a kind and deserving kid.”
WHAT’S NEXT: On Feb. 6, the Walters family was on its way to the hospital to begin Chase’s next round of chemotherapy treatment. —EH
THE LATEST: A new school to serve students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade is being constructed for the military-based children at Camp Pendleton.
“Work on the brand-new San Onofre School got under way even before the official groundbreaking ceremony in December, but an increase in activity over the past few weeks has really shown a modern campus taking shape,” a press release from San Onofre School stated. “The new construction is going on adjacent to the existing school, which was built in 1974 to serve the Marine Corps base’s families. A second phase was added three years later.”
The old buildings are to be replaced with a playground.
A $72 million federal grant was awarded to the district to expand the base’s two schools (the other school is Mary Fay Pendleton School in Oceanside), and the projects are expected to enhance learning “by providing space for new technology, art and music, as well as improved dropoff areas and sports fields.”
The new facilities were also funded by state grants.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place Dec. 14 and featured a welcome message from fifth-graders Seth Kessler and Angelyka Dilling.
Honored guests included the governing board and Col. Joseph Williams, the Marine Corps Installations West chief of staff. Remarks delivered by Valentina Ugalde, who is in the third grade, and Kendall Breslin, a fifth-grader, also spoke at the event.
“Thinking of one word to sum up the San O community, I thought of kindness,” Kendall said. “Everyone here is loved, everyone is important and we practice kindness.”
WHAT’S NEXT: According to the press release, construction of the new school is expected to be complete within two years.
Once open, it will be able to serve up to 900 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. About 480 students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade are currently enrolled. —Staff
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8
COASTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
7 p.m. The CAC will hear a presentation from CR&R about the anaerobic digester facility and an update to a Beach Sand Nourishment project. San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville. 949.361.8200. www.san-clemente.org.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11
SAN CLEMENTE FARMERS MARKET
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Bundles of flowers, fresh produce and much more every Sunday. Avenida Del Mar.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12
AMERICAN LEGION POST 423 MEETING
6 p.m. Find out more information about the American Legion Post 423. San Clemente Elks Lodge, 1505 N. El Camino Real. 949.429.5003. strgeezr47@gmail.com.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13
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.
BILY MEETING
7-9 p.m. Meets every Tuesday. Because I Love You (BILY) 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, FEBRUARY 14
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.
SAN CLEMENTE VFW POST 7142 MEETING
7 p.m. San Clemente VFW Post 7142 will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting. Elks Lodge, 1505, N. El Camino Real. 949.464.8391. www.vfw7142.com.
COMPILED BY STAFF
The San Clemente Pier is currently undergoing annual maintenance, which this year’s cost is estimated to be about $1.8 million.
People will still be able to access the Pier during this time. Crews are currently working on the base of the Pier as well as installing an ADA-compliant asphalt roadway near the entrance, and committing work to pilings and some environmental provisions.
The maintenance is expected to be completed by mid-May, according to Tom Bonigut, the city of San Clemente Public Works director and city engineer.
Winter storms and the flu aren’t just causing people to miss work and school. It also means they can’t keep their American Red Cross blood and platelet donation appointments. The Red Cross is urging healthy donors of all blood types to help maintain the blood supply for patients in need.
To make an appointment to donate this winter, download the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting www.redcrossblood. org or calling 1.800.733.2767.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities in San Clemente:
•Feb. 19: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Pacific Medical, 212 Avenida Fabricante
•Feb. 23: 1-7 p.m., San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville
•Feb. 25: 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 105 La Esperanza
San Clemente Woman’s Club ‘Springtime in Paris’ Fashion Show and Luncheon
Tickets are now available for the 2018 San Clemente Woman’s Club (SCWC) “Springtime in Paris” Fashion Show and Luncheon Fundraiser, taking place Friday, May 11 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Talega Golf Club, located at 990 Avenida Talega. The event will highlight couture by the Yearsley Collection available for purchase along with a boutique filled with jewelry, accessories and more shopping opportunities. It will also feature a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, $20 wine cork pull and nohost bubbles bar. All proceeds raised will benefit local San Clemente charities. For more information, visit www.sanclementewomansclub.org.
A San Clemente man was fatally injured in a traffic collision on N. El Camino Real between Camino San Clemente and Avenida Pico at about 5 p.m. on Feb. 4., according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD).
The man has since been identified as 47-year-old Michael Crane.
The report stated witnesses told officers the collision was head-on with another vehicle. A driver of an Oldsmobile Bravada was traveling south in the northbound lanes of N. El Camino Real into oncoming traffic.
“The driver of the Bravada was pronounced dead at the scene,” an OCSD report stated. “The driver and a passenger in the second vehicle, a Toyota Prius, both sustained injuries and were transported to a local hospital.”
OCSD stated it was unknown if impairing substances were a factor in the collision. The incident is under investigation by the OCSD Major Accident Reconstruction Team.
A sustainable and recyclable water container will replace all traditional plastic water bottles sold at Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) middle and high schools after a successful campaign was implemented by a San Clemente High School club.
Team Zissou, an environmental club at the school, began a campaign in January to get feedback from students on using recyclable alternatives from JUST water, a company that creates and markets sustainable products. The containers they make are comprised of sugar cane and paper. Due to the support among the three high schools that were tested, CUSD has decided to implement them districtwide.
Kristin Hilleman, director of Nutrition
Services at CUSD, said the plan is to have all middle and high schools in the district serving JUST water in all the secondary schools as of Feb. 26. Elementary schools may receive the water containers as well, or in weeks following.
The San Clemente High School Vocal Arts Department will host a rummage sale from 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10. People can bring items to the parking lot of the school for a fee of $25. This covers a parking stall to sell items and another stall directly behind to park a vehicle. The vendors keep all of the profit from the items they sell. The $25 registration fee benefits the Vocal Arts program. Contact C.J. Daniel at cakemble@ capousd.org for more information.
on Feb. 17
The San Clemente Village will host a free community presentation titled, “Live Safe” at the San Clemente Community Center Fireside Room, located at 100 N. Calle Seville, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17. Information, guidelines and representatives from the Braille Institute, the Center for Elder Abuse, San Clemente’s RSVP program, Mind Boosters and the Center for Excellence’s Fall Reduction Program will be present. Additional information on local resources, assistive devices, emergency alert options and emergency preparedness will be available. Refreshments and door prizes, including an emergency backpack, are part of the program. Reservations are required. Call the San Clemente Village at 949.441.1348 to make your reservation or for more information.
Have something interesting for the community? Send your information to eheinz@picketfencemedia.com by Monday the week of publication.
San Clemente Times February 8-14, 2018
BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
People with colored signs lined the edges of Pacific Coast Highway, all with some kind of message stating increasing offshore drilling in California coastal waters would not be welcome.
On Feb. 3, hundreds of protestors gathered at Main Beach in Laguna Beach to oppose a proposal from the Trump administration’s Department of Interior (DOI) to open offshore drilling in U.S. waters, just several miles from the shore.
The proposals would allow for five-year leases from 2019-2024 for oil and gas exploration and extraction. Most of the areas mentioned in the proposal are along the outer continental shelf of the U.S. The proposal was drafted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Trepidation commonly grows among environmental factions whenever any kind of new oil drilling is proposed, let alone making the oceans fair game. With devastating incidents like the Exxon-Mobil oil spill in 1989 and the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, among other possibilities as precedent, there is a lot of concern among them. The proposals also contrasts these organizations’ efforts to promote “green” energy.
“(Trump) wants to open 90 percent of U.S. waters, which is a terrible idea and disastrous overreach,” Surfrider Foundation CEO Chad Nelsen said during the event. “Coastal Communities…around the nation have nothing to gain and everything to lose from this.”
Nelsen said millions of people visit California’s beaches each year, bringing billions of dollars into local economies.
“We don’t need (offshore oil drilling) for jobs. We don’t need it for the economy,” Nelsen said, adding that he wants to create a “huge wave of activism” across the nation.
Dina Gilio-Whitaker, a San Clemente resident, member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, policy director at Center for World Indigenous Studies and professor of American Indian Studies at California State San Marcos, also spoke at the event.
“Native people understand the sacredness of land, we understand the sacredness of the ocean and other resources we depend on in our lives,” Gilio-Whitaker said. “As a surfer, I also understand the sacredness of the ocean in a different way.”
The proposal is part of President Donald Trump’s “America-First Offshore Energy Strategy” that was part of an executive order in April to “encourage offshore energy exploration.”
Almost every governor of states where Pacific Ocean offshore drilling would be near have opposed the proposal.
“For more than 30 years, our shared coastline has been protected from further federal drilling and we’ll do whatever it takes to stop this reckless, short-sighted action,” California Gov. Jerry Brown said in a Jan. 4 statement.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was quoted in The Washington Post on Jan. 4 at a news conference, saying there’s still time to weigh in on the proposal.
“Nothing is final,” Zinke said. “This is a draft program. The states, local communities and congressional delegations will all have a say” before the proposal becomes final in the coming months.
During the Barack Obama administration, some offshore drilling permitting was proposed, but during his final month in office, the DOI suspended offshore drilling in coastal Atlantic and arctic areas. At the time, the Institute for Energy Research asked people to allow for more offshore drilling sites.
A public hearing on the proposals is scheduled for today, Feb. 8, in Sacramento.
The protest also drew some celebrity attention, as notable TV and film actor Ted Danson made an impromptu appearance. People can comment on the draft proposal by visiting www.boem.gov/NationalProgram/. Comments must be received by March 9. SC
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EDITORIAL
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City Editor, SC Times
> Eric Heinz
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SPECIAL THANKS
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CONTRIBUTORS
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San Clemente Times Vol. 13, Issue 6. The SC Times (www. sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the Dana Point Times (www. danapointtimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (www. thecapistranodispatch.com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
YOU, SAN CLEMENTE
TOM and NANCY GUDAUSKAS, San Clemente, The Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation
Aloha to friends and families of San Clemente. I am writing today to send you thanks and gratitude for your support in the six years of Stoke-O-Rama events at our favorite T-Street Beach. There are many people who come together to make this event so special, and in the end, allow us to donate $10,000 a year to the San Clemente Lifeguard and Junior Lifeguard Foundation. At the top of the list for thanks are all the kids and their families who show up and blow up at sign-ups and on the beach the morning of the event. We are also very thankful of the supporting sponsors that make this event happen. With support from Vans, Jack’s Surfboards, Hydro Flask and Raw Sunscreen, we were able to raise funds to donate to the San Clemente Junior Lifeguards’ scholarship programs and enhance ocean awareness and water-safety programs for our upcoming youthful watermen and waterwomen in San Clemente. We also appreciate the gift cards from Zebra House Coffee, and Cassano’s Pizza donated goodie bags to every kid who entered, and I am sure they have an appreciation for every item in that special bag from all of the sponsors of the event.
A big mahalo also goes out to the city of San Clemente, the City Council, mayor and city manager for their support, as well as the San Clemente Parks and Recreation Department, which have given the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation an opportunity to serve our beloved city.
When Dane, Patrick and Tanner had the idea of hosting a super fun day at the beach for our young kids and families of San Clemente six years ago, we created an action plan to make it happen. Many thanks go out to all those who volunteered their time, energy and enthusiasm, all in the effort to put a smile on a young child’s face as they came together for stoke, friendship and memories we hope will last a lifetime.
Happy New Year and best always!
RESPONSE TO ‘ANTI-TRUMP PROTEST/RESIST AT THE OUTLETS AT SAN CLEMENTE’
LOUISE HERBERT, San Clemente
I’m a proud member of Democratic Women South Orange County (DWSOC), which organized, for the second year, an event to transport likeminded women and men to Santa Ana to participate in the 2nd Annual National Women’s March.
DWSOC was inundated with ticket purchases, resulting in the need to contract five buses for nearly 300 people. Bus costs were paid for by ticket seat sales. There was nothing “clandestine” about our meeting place. The Outlets provided a logical and central location for the tricities, ample parking and easy access for participants. In addition, this event invitation was posted on Facebook’s public pages. No cloak and dagger involved. It saddens me that a fellow citizen of San Clemente uses a sign stating #BlackLivesMatter as an example of anti-government protest. Black lives do matter—as all lives matter. The letter “Anti-Trump Protest/Resist at the Outlets at San Clemente,” in the Feb. 1-7 edition of the San Clemente Times, demeaning the pink hats reflects a lack of understanding of the origin behind the hat.
The Women’s March is not an antigovernment event, but one reflecting the empowerment of Americans across the country exercising their civil rights to gather and speak their beliefs in a peaceful and respectful manner. Last year, the march had an overwhelming feeling of shock and awe, disbelief and utter sadness. It was as if we were at a funeral for America. This year, the atmosphere was completely different—reflecting hope and change. In the year that has transpired, thousands of grassroots organizations and chartered Democratic clubs have emerged across the country. The number of women deciding to become involved in community, county, state and federal political offices has been historic. The majority of members in these newly formed groups have never been politically active, but have found it necessary to do so now. In reality, we are an example of true Americans who are voicing our outrage at what has become of a divisive leadership by exercising our duty and responsibility to speak up and work for the benefit of all Americans.
FRUSTRATION MOUNTS FROM RECENT EVENTS AT SUBDIVISION
BEVERLY WOODS, San Clemente
I’m writing this letter because I have never been so frustrated with a homeowners association (HOA) as I am with Curtis Management and Vista Pacifica HOA board members.
I have lived in an HOA since 1988 and I have never seen a complex so run down by drug addicts, police activity, unkempt landscaping and Housing and Urban Development tenants.
Over the holidays, we had an incident with a man who lives in a condo his dad owns. The task force was called on him because he was threatening the residents of the complex. He even stabbed
his caregiver. He is back in the condo. I guess we’ve become the babysitters for him.
Nothing is being done to keep this beach-city condo complex upscale. Lastly, a woman at the HOA meeting was so distraught because she has had a drug addict living next to her for two years. She calls the police at least four times a month on the unit. She’s wants to sell her unit, but this was her question, and mine too, “Do you tell the new homeowners of the illicit activity in this complex or keep quiet like they did with me when I purchased it?”
JUDY JONES, San Clemente
I was saddened to read the letter in the Feb. 1-7 edition of the San Clemente Times describing protestors as people “who want to see our nation fail” when they gathered on Jan. 20 at the Outlets at San Clemente.
On the contrary, I feel that anyone who is not presently standing up for our constitution and rule of law is just idly standing by, watching our democracy fail. Those people were gathered in a space at the Outlets to not interfere with shoppers and were all individuals paying for their own transportation; no political organization paid them. They were attending one of the many nationwide peaceful Women’s Marches (maybe the author of the letter heard they were even held worldwide?) These people march to keep our democracy strong.
It is appalling to witness our president’s daily overreach of power, intended to be limited by our government’s separation of powers. Our president appears to be making Russia happy by making Americans lose faith in our government. Sen. John McCain recently stated, “Attacks on the Department of Justice and FBI serve Putin’s purpose.”
Thank goodness, we still live in a country where the author of the prior letter and I can still both voice our opinions, and where the Outlets of San Clemente does not restrict our freedom of speech. I certainly hope our nation will survive as a democracy through these divisive times.
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.
Idon’t drive a car anymore. So, I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to get a senior ID card with my picture. Having been the DMV director back in 1975, I thought it would be great to talk to the San Clemente office manager and interview her and then relay my interviews to my readers. The place was packed with people standing in lines or sitting on chairs waiting to be called. There were TV screens hanging from the ceiling with numbers that indicated what numbers had been called.
I was directed to the office manager. She was at a window, and I introduced myself as a former director of the DMV and that I wanted to talk to her regarding her duties. She said she couldn’t do that. Only a person in Sacramento is authorized to speak to the press. But she was able to give me the information I needed. She told me to watch the TV screens. My number would come up and I was to go to the window with a camera.
I thanked her and sat in a chair. Eventually, my number came up and I moved to the line, where a camera was set up. I stood in front of the camera and smiled. The clerk smiled, “You’ll get your certificate in about three days,” she said. I thanked her and left. My senior card didn’t cost me a cent.
I would have liked to talk to employees, but they were too busy serving customers. There were two lines. The long line was composed of people who came without reservations. The shorter line was composed of those who made appointments. That’s the thing to do if you have business there. The service is good and the employees are courteous. Take something to read.
My visit to the DMV office reminded me of my tenure as director. I ran for a statewide office in 1974 and Jerry Brown ran for governor. He won and I lost. We got to know each other in the process. He called me to help him find good people to fill positions. I searched California, and he appointed me the director of the DMV. I wanted it because the position touches everybody’s lives.
I told DMV’s staff not to send my photo out to the field offices. The employees knew I was a Mexican American, but didn’t know what I looked like. I figured every Mexican American in DMV lines would be well-treated. I had a lot of plans for DMV.
The first thing I did was have the director’s office door painted with a Volkswagen on it, calling it a “love bug” to show that DMV was a friendly department.
Over the next year and a half, we imple-
mented a registration process that all vehicle owners would be required to partake. We opened a childcare center for children whose parents were employed at the Sacramento office. The money to do this came from the department’s employee fundraisers and donations. They worked and donated time to get the center up. They were dedicated, and a year later the childcare center was up and running.
By Herman Sillas
I increased the hourly rates for bilingual employees who used additional languages to service the public. I authorized local artists’ murals be used in our field offices. We opened offices on Saturday for the public. We solicited minority communities as new positions opened. Women were encouraged to seek higher positions in the department and they began to get them. We printed the driver’s booklet in six languages to address the needs of those communities to learn to drive. They filled our floors. The state Legislature selected DMV as the friendliest department in government. I served three years, and they were three of my happiest years.
That’s the view from the Pier.
Herman Sillas is a former director of the Department of Motor Vehicles and a former U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of California under former President Jimmy Carter. Sillas may be reached at sillas@aol.com. SC
COMPILED BY VICTOR CARNO
Thursday | 08
GARDEN ANGELS
8:30-10:30 a.m. Join volunteers, students and teachers at Goin Native Therapeutic Gardens to care for and maintain native plants and butterflies. No experience is necessary (they’ll teach you), but you should bring gloves and clippers. No class if it rains. Admission is free. Los Rios Park. 31790 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano. www.goinnative.net.
TABLE TENNIS FOR SENIORS
10 a.m.-1 p.m. All seniors 55 or older are welcome to join the Table Tennis Club at the Shorecliff Terrace Mobile Home Park. Any skill level is welcome and entry is free. 3000 Calle Nuevo, San Clemente. 949.481.2275. jnl5555@yahoo.com.
Friday | 09
LIVE MUSIC: IVA LEE’S
7:30-11 p.m. The Four Corners Band is stopping by Iva Lee’s to bring its patrons live jazz music. Dancing is not required, but highly suggested. Iva Lee’s. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.361.2855. www.ivalees.com.
Saturday | 10
ANIMAL OLYMPICS FAMILY
9-11 a.m. Children ages 6 and up are invited to test their abilities against some amazing animals found in Orange County. The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo. 949.489.9778. www.rmvreserve.org.
AVEO TABLE + BAR: NEW HAPPY HOUR
2:30-6 p.m. AVEO Table + Bar is introducing their new winter happy house lineup. To warm up patrons during the cold season the happy hour menu is focusing on dark aged spirits and small bourbon batches. Happy hour cocktails are now $12 instead of $17. Monarch Beach Resort. 1 Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point. 949.234.3915. www.moncarchbeachresort.com.
SOULMATE SOIREE
5-8 p.m. Kindred Boutique is hosting a Valentine’s Day event called “Soulmate Soiree,” complete with a chocolate fountain, a flower photo booth and gifts with
EDITOR’S PICK
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10: THIRD ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
1-2 p.m. Families are invited to celebrate the Lunar New Year at the Outlets at San Clemente, presented by the Irvine Chinese School and the Three Cultural Arts Society. The celebration will include a 30-foot dragon dance, martial arts demos and a lion dance. Outlets at San Clemente, 101 W. Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente. 949.535.2323. www.outletsatsanclemente.com.
purchases. Kindred Boutique, 201 N. Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.481.4233. www.kindredboutiqueoc.com.
TRIBUTE TO BRUCE BROWN
6-9 p.m. The Surfing Heritage and Culture Center is partnering with the Brown Family to present an exhibit paying tribute to the legendary Bruce Brown. The exhibit will take an in-depth look at the life and times of Bruce. The Surfing Heritage and Culture Center. 110 Calle Iglesia, San Clemente. 949.388.0313. www.surfingheritage.org.
Sunday | 11
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.
YOGA ON TAP
11 a.m. Yoga on Tap is held at Left Coast’s tasting room in San Clemente. This is a one-hour yoga class, followed by a pint of beer. It’s a great way to get to know your local fellow yogis and beer drinkers. The cost is $10. Left Coast Brewery, 1251 Puerta Del Sol, San Clemente. 949.276.6014 or www.leftcoastbrewing.com.
Monday | 12
KOI FISH FEEDING
12:45 p.m. Everyday visitors are welcome to help Mission San Juan Capistrano feed their koi fish in both courtyards. Fish food is free for Mission Preservation Society members and $1 for non-members. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. 949.234.1300. www.missionsjc.com.
COUNTRY DANCING
AND ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR
7 p.m.-Midnight. Stop by the Swallow’s
Inn for country dancing with DJ Patrick and a happy hour that lasts all day. Enjoy a steak dinner for $13 when you are finished with the dance floor. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. www.swallowsinn.com.
Tuesday | 13
HAPA J’S TACO TUESDAY
11 a.m.-9 p.m. Join Hapa J’s for a taco Tuesday that reaches beyond your average chicken or carne asada tacos. Enjoy seared ahi poke, kalbi short rib and kalua pig tacos in addition to the more traditional selections. 2016 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.276.6675. www.hapajs.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.
FRENCH CONVERSATION CLUB
2-4 p.m. Every Wednesday. 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.
OLD CAPISTRANO
CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET
3-6 p.m. Stop by and check out some locally grown, organic produce and artisan goodies at a farmers market that has been going strong for over 15 years. Free admission. Historic Town Center Park. 31852 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.4700. www.farmersmarketsjc.com
VALENTINE’S DAY JAZZ DINNER
7 p.m. Barnoa Wine Company is hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner complete with live music from Pocket Trio and paired flights. Admission is $60 for the four course meal
and $25 for the paired flights. Barnoa Wine Company. 831 Via Suerte, San Clemente. 949.388.4378. www.barnoawinebar.com.
FREE COMEDY AT BLOOMS IRISH SPORTS BAR
8:30 p.m. Every Wednesday, free comedy at Blooms Irish Sports Bar with food and drink specials. There will be local and professional talent. 2391 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.218.0120.
OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS
9 p.m.-1 a.m. All levels of musicians are welcome to perform at this weekly open mic. 1717 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.2410. www.knuckleheadsmusic.com.
BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
Over the years, Hollywood horror movies have been pigeonholed into a genre of quantity over quality. The genre usually does well at the box-office, whether the movies are good or bad, because those type of movies can garner a fun Friday night for young people just looking to socialize. And this decade’s batch of campy, schlocky horror flicks is no exception. But where there can be unintentional comedy or amusement with bad horror, there can also be boredom, which is the case with the newly released Winchester In 1906 in San Jose, Dr. Eric Price (Jason Clarke) is hired by the Winchester firearms company to diagnose the mental state of the deceased companyowner’s widow, Sarah Winchester (Helen Mirren). Sarah is obsessed with spending her husband’s inheritance on
remodeling and rebuilding her family’s estate—out of paranoia that she is being haunted by the ghosts of men who have died from being shot by one of the company’s guns. Meanwhile, Eric is also dealing with the death of his own wife, and he casually uses drugs.
Winchester is directed by brothers Michael and Peter Spierig, whom also penned the hit B-movie Predestination (2014), and the Saw series reboot, Jigsaw (2017).
Winchester is neither entertainingly corny nor a well-executed, basic ghost story. It’s pedestrian, cliché, with five ineffective jump scares and a rather ridiculous plot resolution. But most of all, it’s just boring and forgettable, which is the worst thing a film can be. If anything, the movie just proves that Clarke, one of the better character-actors on screen, deserves more interesting studio features. SC
Valentine’s Day is associated with red hearts, red greeting cards, red heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and red roses.
But for one San Clemente couple, Valentine’s Day 2018, will feature a green heart.
In 2003, at 70 years old, Chris Anastasio, recently divorced, became a dance host on cruise ships. In 2004, he danced with Tina, a lovely woman from England. After the cruise, they started corresponding, which began the longest, long-distance relationship of which I’ve ever known—5,419 miles apart.
In 2009, I published a book titled How 50 Couples Found Love After 50. Chris and Tina were one of the featured couples. Their story was called, “Cruise Ship Dance Host Meets Match at Sea.”
In the book, Chris was quoted, “Tina would love to live in California, but she
Olga is the shelter’s current resident senior kitty. Fourteen years old and still fairly spry, Olga is very friendly and would make an ideal lap cat for someone looking for a mellow companion.
If you would like to know more about Olga, call the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617, or visit with her at 221 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. SC
has family and grandchildren in England. Friends always ask us if we plan to marry and live together. That doesn’t make much sense. Every time we get together it’s like a honeymoon.”
After 13 years of being an unwed, longdistance couple, things changed. On Feb. 12, 2017, Chris and Tina married at the Dana Point Yacht Club.
But Tina still had to return to England from time to time because she wasn’t eligible to permanently stay in the United States. So, a month after their wedding, Chris and Tina started working on securing a green card for her.
On Jan. 26, Chris emailed, “After jumping through all kinds of hoops in 2017, we finally had Tina’s green card hearing today. It’s the last stop in the process. We were told to bring pictures, papers, letters or anything else that would prove we were
William Samways, third from right, and Whit Samways, fourth from right, sit in front of the Campbell home in San Clemente in this photo, dated between 1945 and 1947. The Campbell home, 233 Avenida la Cuesta, was built in 1941 and is an official San Clemente historical landmark. This house was designed by architect Aubrey St. Clair in the Hollywood Regency style.
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.
a real couple. Tina suggested we bring your How 50 Couples Found Love After 50 book with us.
“During the interview, I mentioned that we had become kind of famous because of our long-distance relationship,” Chris continued. “I said, ‘in fact, we were written about in a book.’ I handed him your book, with our page marked with a book marker. He opened the book and started reading. His whole face lit up. He said, ‘This is great, I don’t have to see anything else. You have your green card.’
“It was amazing. He never looked at anything else. We were out of there in less than a half hour. You had a hand (and a big hand at that) in getting Tina her green card. Thanks for your help.”
I think Chris and Tina’s story is remarkable. A 13-year, long-distance relationship endured. Chris just turned 84 and Tina is
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
77. Chris volunteers at the San Clemente Villas by dancing with the residents every week. He also dresses up as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny on holidays. For Valentine’s Day, you can bet the color of Chris and Tina’s valentine will be green. I am incredibly proud of them. The book, How 50 Couples Found Love After 50, is available on Tom’s online bookstore at www.findingloveafter50.com. See his websites at www.findingloveafter50.com; www.vicsta.com and www. travelafter55.com. To receive Tom’s weekly online newsletter, sign up at www.findingloveafter50.com. Email: tompblake@ gmail.com. SC
San Clemente boys soccer clinches its sixth league title in eight seasons with an offensive infusion
BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
San Clemente boys soccer was fantastic defensively in 2016-17.
The Tritons only allowed 18 goals on the season while pitching 11 shutouts. However, this year, defending leaguechampion San Clemente finished second in league and was shutout 10 times itself, including five 0-0 contests.
The Tritons’ final game of the season was a scoreless game that ended in a penalty-kicks loss to Sunny Hills in the first round of the playoffs.
Tough results for a team with 16 seniors on its 25-man roster. It was an even tougher outlook for San Clemente as the Tritons lost their top four goal-scorers to graduation.
But players come in and returners step up. Such is the cycle of public high school sports.
That cycle put San Clemente back on top of the South Coast League with a clinching win over Aliso Niguel, 2-0, on Feb. 6 for their first title since 2016 and sixth title in eight seasons.
“I’m excited that we’re back in the league title again,” San Clemente coach Mike Pronier said. “We have a few dynamic players offensively that we haven’t had. Last year, we played great defense, but couldn’t get the ball in the net. That really cost us. It was nice to have some offense.”
Senior forward Tristan Weber returned from the U.S. Men’s National Team U17 Residency to lead the team with 17 assists
and second in goals with nine. Junior Blake Bowen, the team’s fifth-highest goal scorer last season with three goals, came back to lead the Tritons with 14 goals.
The scoring is up with 26 goals this season, but the biggest change is how dangerous the Tritons can be on nearly every possession. Against Aliso Niguel, San Clemente got the ball in the box or off the crossbar at least seven times for a goalmouth scramble that couldn’t be cashed in on.
The Tritons could be even deadlier than they already threaten to be.
“We feel good where we are offensively and how we play,” Weber said. “We just need to be more clinical around the box. We’ve had way too many chances that we needed to put away. There were more chances that we had that should’ve been goals.”
San Clemente has only been shutout three times this season with two being scoreless games, and all the way through, the Tritons have put up big results, including the final-game win against Aliso Niguel.
“I’m very excited for the program,” Pronier said, “for these kids that have struggled a little bit to win the big game. We’ve done very well in some showcase tournaments we’ve been in. This was just a good opportunity to feel good about what they’ve done so far.”
Moving forward, San Clemente takes on a tough CIF-SS Division 1 playoff field, but the Tritons, ranked No. 8 in the latest Division 1 poll, will relish the early advantage of a first-round home game as league champions.
“I’m so excited for that,” senior goalkeeper Jake Carter said. “My sophomore year, we had a home playoff game, and the amount of people here was insane. I had never played in front of that many people before in my life. I hope we can get that many people out here again.”
San Clemente is sure to light some firecrackers and avoid that scoreless first-round loss of a year ago. SC
BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
For in-game updates, news and more for all San Clemente High School sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCSports
San Clemente put together its first pair of consecutive victories since the first week of January to push into third place and the South Coast League’s final guaranteed playoff spot.
The Tritons (12-13, 3-4) vaulted into third with a win over then-No. 3 San Juan Hills, 59-57, on Feb. 1. With a win over last-place El Toro, 50-35, on Feb. 5, San Clemente had a one game lead over San Juan Hills (7-17, 2-5) with one game remaining for each team.
On Feb. 7, San Clemente hosted second-place Tesoro (6-1) while San Juan Hills travelled to El Toro (0-7). Results were not available at press time.
San Clemente and San Juan Hills split their season series, so if the two teams are tied in the league standings, a tiebreaker game may be needed Thursday or Friday.
No matter which team ends up in fourth place, neither team would be eligible for at-large consideration due to a sub-.500 overall record.
San Clemente claimed the consolation title for a respectable ninth-place finish at the Southern California Championships hosted by Irvine High on Feb. 1-3.
The Tritons (17-8, 6-0) went 4-1 in field loaded with CIF-SS Division 1 and 2 teams. The performance vaulted San Clemente up seven spots in the combined Division 1 & 2 poll to No. 9.
The top 10 teams in the poll are considered the Division 1 watchlist with a CIF-SS committee determining the top eight that will make up the Division 1 playoff field. The remaining teams will be slotted into the Division 2 playoffs.
Brooklyn Aguilera led San Clemente with nine goals in the tournament. Alison Echelberger and Caroline Christl each scored seven goals. Grace Pelkey
scored five goals and added five assists. Alex Higginson scored four goals and had five assists.
Carolina Moreno won at 160 lbs., and Evy Osoria finished in the top eight at 126 lbs. at the CIF-SS Southern Division regional qualifying tournament on Feb. 3 at El Toro High.
Moreno and Osoria qualified for the CIF-SS individual championships on Feb. 9 and 10 at Roosevelt High in Eastvale. The top eight will advance to the state championships on Feb. 23 and 24.
Moreno, the No. 1 seed, breezed through her first three matches with wins by fall in 1:16, 1:41 and 1:23. She defeated Gisselle Duarte of Godinez in the final in a 4-2 decision.
Osoria won her first two matches by fall in 1:32 and 1:30 before losing, 6-2, in the quarterfinals. In the consolation bracket, Osoria picked up a fall victory in 45 seconds to finish in the top eight.
National Signing Day, a day when student-athletes from football, boys and girls soccer and boys water polo sign letters of intent with a college or university, took place at San Clemente High School on Feb. 7.
For photos, a list of student-athletes signing their letters of intent to colleges and more, check out www.sanclementetimes.com for full coverage of the Signing Day festivities. SC
ACCOUNTING
Chris W. Johnston, CPA, MBA 34184 Pacific Coast Highway Dana Point, 949.240.8015, www.cwjcpacorp.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
ART GALLERIES
San Clemente Art Association 100 N. Calle Seville, 949.492.7175, www.scartgallery.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
ELECTRIC BIKES
Murf Electric Bikes
212 N. El Camino Real, 949.370.3801, www.murfelectricbikes.com
ELECTRICAL
Arcadia Electric 949.361.1045, www.arcadiaelectric.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
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
Panagia Music: Music Lessons and More! 949.705.7573, panagiamusic@gmail. com, www.panagiamusic.com
PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS
Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), www.moranperio.com
PEST/TERMITE CONTROL
Accurate Termite and Pest Control 949.837.6483, www.accuratetermitecontrol.com
Colony Termite Control 1402 Calle Alcazar, 949.361.2500, www.colonytermite.com
PLUMBING
A to Z Leak Detection
1001 Calle Recodo, 949.481.7013, www.atozleakdetection.com
Sign up to be featured as our monthly Locals Only Business Spotlight for only $100! Write-up of 50 words with logo. Four weeks in print and online. Contact Susie Lantz at 949.388.7700, ext. 111 or email slantz@picketfencemedia.com
Bill Metzger Plumbing 1001 Calle Recodo, 949.492.3558, www.billmetzerplumbing.com
REALTORS
“Sandy & Rich” RE/MAX Coastal Homes 949.293.3236, www.sandyandrich.com
Scott Kidd, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services 949.498.0487, skidd@bhhscal.com
Sherry Wild, LuXre Realty BRE # 01480453, 949.275.8937 www.LuXreRealty.com
RESTAURANTS
Café Calypso 114 Avenida Del Mar #4, 949.366.9386
SALONS
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
WEBSITE DESIGN
San Clemente Website Design 949.246.8345, www.sanclementewebsitedesign.com
WINDOW & DOOR REPLACEMENT
Offshore Construction 877.774.1492, www.offshoreconstruction.org
Submit your classified ad at www.sanclementetimes.com
3 Available units near beach, Open floor plans, Ample parking, community restrooms, pre-wired internet, individual utilities, month-to-month. Approx 550 and 850sq ft. Move in ready! 26944 Camino De Estrella, San Clemente. Contact Nina 949-422-8320 or Chris 949-441-1043
CUSTOM AREA RUGS
You pick style, color and size. Typically made in 2 weeks. Stainmaster nylon, wool, polyester or designer carpet. Carpet showroom in Lantern District of Dana Point. Carpet and flooring remnants also available - all shapes, sizes and kinds of flooring. We sell tile too! Mike at Lantern Bay Carpets: 949-240-1545.
Steve Shenkenberger, husband and father of five young boys, was riding his mountain bike on Super Bowl Sunday 2017 when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Laguna Niguel. The family is need of donations for ongoing medical expenses and childcare. Please consider donating at www.gofundme.com/ the-schenkenbergers-medicalbills.
ROOM WANTED
Personal assistant seeking room to rent. Employed, mature professional female with a psychology degree. I can be of assistance as a positive companion, shop, run errands, pet sit, drive. Excellent references, call Joanne at 949.632.7312.
In print and online 52 weeks a year. View online at www.sanclementetimes.com. Call at Susie Lantz for pricing at 949.388.7700, ext. 111 or email slantz@picketfencemedia.com.
Kelly Slater’s perfect, man-made wave in the middle of California’s Central Valley
BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
Last November, a few days before Thanksgiving, the opportunity to take a spin at the Kelly Slater Surf Ranch in Lemoore landed in my lap.
“Don’t say anything,” read the email from the World Surf League’s (WSL) Dave Prodan, and up until the media embargo ended a few days ago, I’ve managed to stay mum on the subject.
Part science fiction, part miracle of science, the facility is situated off of a nondescript country road in Central Valley cattle country. The landscape is flat and brown. The air smells of manure, and the mornings are crisp and cold. A few miles away is an Native American casino. Merle Haggard vibes are omnipresent. It’s a weird place to go on a “surf trip,” but then again it’s an even weirder place to find one of the world’s best waves.
So, what’s it like? Thrown in the pool with a bunch of other surf journalists, all we could do was scratch our heads and keep uttering, “What a trip.”
The wave is as good as or better than you think. It possesses a surprising amount of power. It moves really fast down the 700-yard pool. They’ve designed it so the take-off is relatively easy; not too
GROM OF THE WEEK
The Kelly Slater Surf Ranch in Lemoore provides consistent quality waves, but is it right to call riding there “surfing”?
different than catching a four-footer at Trestles. But as the wave moves down the pool it picks up speed, hitting shallow sections that provide a running tube section that’s akin to Kirra on the Gold Coast of Australia. From a purely wave-riding perspective, it’s a dream.
But I still don’t know if it’s surfing. Last week, with a minor south swell in the water, I surfed T-Street. It was waist-high with wedge-y little peaks scattered up and down the beach. In my hour in the water, I was able to catch a bunch of lefts and rights, some better than others. But by the time I got out of the water, I felt like I’d gotten some exercise and surfed myself into a decent rhythm.
The Surf Ranch is different. Right now, technology allows for one wave every five minutes. That means there are only 12
waves an hour. In my session at the Ranch, I felt a lot of pressure to make the most of the waves because I simply wasn’t going to get that many. In eight hours I was able to ride nine waves, and to this day I’m still kicking myself because I blew two rights just as I hit the tube section.
The other trippy thing is that your buddies are lined up down the pool to catch the “scraps” if you fall. So, while everyone wants to see their best mate get the wave of their life, you’re secretly rooting for them to wipeout so you can pick off the rest of their wave and potentially get your wave count up.
The science behind the wave is largely the work of Adam Fincham, a researcher at the University of Southern California. Slater first approached Fincham with the idea back in 2006, around the same time he
SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:
founded the Kelly Slater Wave Company. Fincham had limited surfing experience, instead focusing his scholarly energies on topics such as “digital particle imaging velocimetry for laser diagnostics” and “decaying grid turbulence in a rotating stratified fluid”—hardly the kind of surf banter one hears in the Lowers lineup.
After endless experimentation and computer modeling, the artificial waterski pool the team discovered in Lemoore proved to be a godsend. Measuring 700 meters long and 150 meters wide, it provided them with the room (and privacy) they needed to develop the wave. A massive hydrofoil was built and installed under water. The hydrofoil was then attached to an electric motor to pull it down a track at an upwards of 20 MPH. The size of several train cars, it’s rigged with cables and sits on a track on over 150 truck tires. The hydrofoil is pulled from one end of the pool to the other creating a right-hander, then pulled back to the other end of the pool, creating a left-breaking wave. The bottom of the pool features different slopes and contours to create different sections of the wave. The bottom of the pool has a spongy feel akin to a yoga mat.
The Surf Ranch is incredibly cool. And like I said, the wave itself definitely lives up to the hype. It’s as good as any wave I’ve ridden anywhere around the world. But I’m still not convinced it’s surfing. Wave-riding, yes, but surfing? I don’t know. There’s no sneaky set waves. No seaweed. No sharks. There’s no sandy feet or salty hair. There’s no element of randomness and surprise. In my mind, all of that stuff is part of the surf experience, and while I had the time of my life in Lemoore, there’s still nothing better than a good day at the beach. SC
BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
In the theater business, a talent who can act, sing and dance is called a “triple threat.” Folks with mastery of all three disciplines are rare and highly sought after by theater producers and directors. San Juan Capistrano’s Seylah Childress is what you might consider a quadruple threat, maybe more. We first featured her in the paper when she was 9 years old in 2016. These days, she’s ripping around on a skateboard, flowing on a surfboard, can pick a tune on a guitar, is a budding actress and a huge proponent of “all things rad.”
A distinguished member of the Pink
San Clemente Times February 8-14, 2018
Helmet Posse, a skateboard company for young girls, Seylah is equally adept at skating vert, parks or streets. She has a smooth, well-refined technique and isn’t afraid to go for it even when the vert walls are a little intimidating.
Seylah kicked off the new year with a boat trip into Lowers with her family and friends. You may also find her in the water at Doheny, San Onofre or Trestles. Her “best twin cousin” is a recent Grom of the Week, Indie Hoffman. It probably goes without saying, but they surf, skate and do a lot of laughing together.
Seylah is also involved with a talent agency as she pursues her passion for music and acting. The girl can sing, play guitar and piano, and has a definite presence about her. Wherever her talents ultimately take her, we’re sure that Seylah is going to be making a lot of positive waves for a long time to come. SC
Water Temperature: 58-60 degrees F
Water Visibility and Conditions: 5-8’ Fair
Thursday: Small WNW swell leftovers are good for knee-waist high (2-3’) waves, while standout winter and combo exposures see occasional chest high (4’) sets around the more favorable tides. Light offshore morning winds, turning light+ onshore for the afternoon.
Outlook: Small but rideable WNW swell and S Hemi swell through the upcoming weekend. Look for mostly knee-waist-chest high (2-3’+) surf. Winds are mostly favorable through the mornings. Be sure to check the full premium forecast on Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook.
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