May 13, 2022

INSIDE:

MAY 13-19, 2022 | VOLUME 15, ISSUE 19

L O C A L

N E W S

Y O U

C A N

U S E

Primary Election Guide: Meet the Candidates Q&A

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Dana Point Celebrates Local Business Owners at State of the City EYE ON DP/PAGE 4

Lodging Logistics

Planning Commission Approves Program Establishing STR Guidelines E Y E O N D P/ PAG E 3

The Dana Point Planning Commission voted on Monday to approve a short-term rental program that will permit and regulate local vacation rentals. Photo: Breeana Greenberg

danapointtimes.com

Voting by Mail Begins in California’s Primary Election

Coastal Fire Forces Evacuations in Neighboring Laguna Niguel

DHHS Track Qualifies 9 Entries into CIF Finals

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SPORTS/PAGE 21

Dana Point Times May 13–19, 2022

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What’s Up With...

TOP NEWS DANA POINT SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

Planning Commission Approves Short-Term Rental Program

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

The Dana Point Planning Commission voted on Monday, May 9, to approve a short-term rental program that will permit and regulate local vacation rentals through a coastal development permit.

In a 4-1 decision by the commission, the new program will, among other things, set caps on the number of permits issued to home and property owners, limit permits for certain STRs to 185, and place a maximum on rental periods.

A short-term rental (STR) is defined as an entire residential house or apartment, or rooms within, that is rented out to visitors for a fee between one and 29 consecutive days. It is often arranged on websites such as Airbnb, HomeAway or Vrbo.

The program establishes regulations for three types of short-term rentals: homestays, primary residence and non-primary residence.

Homestays are when the homeowner rents out a portion of their home for between one and 29 consecutive days and the homeowner continues to live there at all times while visitors are renting.

A primary residence STR is when a homeowner rents out their own primary residence to visitors for between one and 29 consecutive days while the homeowner is traveling or living elsewhere.

And a non-primary residence STR is when a property owner rents out homes other than their primary residence to visitors for between one and 29 consecutive days.

Under the new program, the city can issue a maximum of 185 non-primary STR permits, and will revisit the cap every five years. Should the city change the non-primary STR cap, it must also amend its coastal development permit (CDP).

There are currently 131 existing STR permits in Dana Point. Per the program, those will be grandfathered in, meaning 54 additional property owners could apply for non-primary STR permits before the city reaches its cap.

The program institutes a cap of one STR permit per owner and requires all abutting neighbors to be notified of the permit issuance. Only one STR will be permitted per apartment building.

Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

All three STR types will be allowed in all residential and mixed-use zones.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, Single-Family Residential Duplexes created through SB9, and designated affordable housing will be prohibited from being rented as an STR. Permits are subject to HOA approval, if applicable, and a waiting list will be established for new applications once the city’s 185-permit cap is met.

Some residents on Monday night raised concerns that their HOA’s covenants, conditions and restrictions, or CC&Rs, which do not allow STRs, would be overruled by the new regulatory program.

Senior Planner Johnathan Ciampa explained that the more restrictive policy of the two would apply. So, if an HOA’s CC&R does not allow STRs, then that would be respected with the new program.

The program also establishes a maximum nighttime occupancy of two persons per bedroom plus two, and a maximum daytime occupancy of 2.5 times the overnight occupancy, not to exceed 20 people. It also requires that renters be at least 25 years old.

Primary STR permit owners shall be limited to renting their home a maximum of 60 days a year. For homestays, an owner must be on the property during the rental period between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

When Commissioner Eric Nelson asked staff how the city would oversee and enforce the 60-day rental limit, Community Development Manager Jeff Rosaler explained that the city uses rental sites and third-party websites to keep track of rentals.

The city uses a third-party website that collects transient occupancy taxes (TOT) from STRs, keeps track of when STRs reach the 60-day maximum, and scrubs the internet for illegal advertisements, Rosaler said.

According to the program, no outside noise will be allowed from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and operators of STRs must respond to a nuisance complaint within 30 minutes.

For nuisance violations, Dana Point City Council passed an ordinance in 2021 enhancing regulations. Under the ordinance, permit holders will have their permits revoked upon a third violation over the life of the permit.

With the new program, permit owners can be fined the maximum amount, as allowed per state law. Upon first

The Dana Point Planning Commission voted on Monday, May 9, to approve a short-term rental program that will permit and regulate local vacation rentals. Photo: File

violation, the owner will be fined $1,500; $3,000 upon a second violation; and $5,000 for a third violation over the life of the permit.

The city’s decision to pursue a CDP establishing regulations on STRs stems from recent court decisions in Santa Barbara, Manhattan Beach and Palm Springs.

The Planning Commission’s resolution approving the program states that “relevant court decisions … provide the framework that any regulation and/or prohibition of short-term rentals in the Coastal Zone, requires compliance with the Coastal Act, such as with an amendment to the City’s Local Coastal Program (LCP), or issuance of a Coastal Development Permit (CDP), and the California Coastal Commission has made clear that it will not support a prohibition of shortterm rentals based on its interpretation of the Coastal Act.” Dana Point received a comment letter from the CCC on April 1, suggesting modifications to the then-draft STR program.

Though the letter outlines some suggestions, it stated that “in general, the City’s Draft STR Program is comprehensive and addresses any of the issues and points that the Commission has historically considered for STRs in other jurisdictions along the Coastal Zone.”

Commissioner John Gabbard, the lone vote against the program, explained that his vote against it was based on his objection to the Coastal Commission’s intervention.

“For me, this one comes down to one thing, and that is I don’t like being told what to do by the Coastal Commission,” Gabbard said. “The fact that the Coastal Commission is driving our approval process is not something that I want to be a part of, and I’m going to push back, and so for that reason alone, I’m going to have to vote no for the CDP.” The permit will be up for approval by the Coastal Commission if it is not Page 3

COMMUNITY MEETINGS SATURDAY, MAY 14

Challenging Cancer 10-11:30 a.m. The Challenging Cancer group is conducting weekly meetings through Zoom video conferences. The meetings are open to caregivers, people who have a compromised immune system, and people dealing with cancer.

To join, email donnavigil2@gmail.com or linda_crdv@yahoo.com. heritagesc.org.

TUESDAY, MAY 17

Dana Point City Council 6 p.m. The Dana Point Council will hold a regular meeting. Dana Point Council Chambers, 33282 Golden Lantern Street, Dana Point. danapoint.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18

VA Disabled Claims Clinic 2-4 p.m. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) 9934 will sponsor a Veterans Affairs Disability Claims Clinic at the Dana Point Community Center the first and third Wednesday of each month.

Veterans can walk in and meet with a VFW Service Officer and receive information on how to file a claim for service-related medical issues.

Attendees should wear a face covering in order to comply with CALOSHA policies. Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo Street, Dana Point.

first appealed to the City Council. The program could still face an appeal to the City Council and/or the California Coastal Commission before the state agency’s final approval.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Find the extended version of this story at danapointtimes.com. danapointtimes.com

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Dana Point Celebrates Local Business Owners at State of the City

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

Dana Point held its annual State of the City on Wednesday, May 11, providing updates on the city’s progress and investment in arts and culture, as well as celebrating community members who have helped to shape it.

Mayor Joe Muller hosted the event, which featured a video presentation and panel. The event’s theme, “Shaping Our Community,” centered around the business leaders and community leaders bringing new events and development to the city.

Ahead of the video presentation, Muller provided an update on the city’s budget, development, and environmental and philanthropic efforts.

This year, 77,557 square feet of new commercial and retail space is being developed in the city with the aim of attracting new businesses and restaurants, and giving existing businesses in Dana Point the chance to expand, according to Muller.

Seven new hotels, he continued, are also expected to open this year, bringing in 655 additional beds.

Mayor Joe Muller hosted Dana Point’s 2022 State of the City on Wednesday night, May 11, providing an update on the city’s progress and investment in arts and culture. Photo: Breeana Greenberg

Transient occupancy tax, the city’s biggest revenue generator, is projected to bring in $11 million this fiscal year, according to the city’s budget.

Additionally, the Ohana Festival brought in $36 million, selling 72,500 tickets for the two-weekend event this past fall. The city’s trolley also saw 71,661 boardings last year.

Muller also stated that the city’s reserves and economic uncertainty account is at 100%.

“What that means is through this whole pandemic, we were able to replenish our accounts already, and then stay fiscally sound,” he said. “So, if it happens again, we’ll be OK.” The video presentation highlighted

200-Acre Coastal Fire Forces Evacuations in Neighboring Laguna Niguel

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

Several fire crews on Thursday, May 12, continued to battle the Coastal Fire that rapidly grew to a roughly 200-acre blaze the afternoon before, prompting neighborhood evacuations and road closures in parts of the neighboring Laguna Niguel and Laguna Beach communities.

According to the Orange County Fire Authority, the fire started at around 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, in the Aliso Woods Canyon area, between Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel. The fire was initially identified by first responders as a roughly 3-acre vegetation fire before quickly spreading to homes amid strong winds.

TJ McGovern, chief of field operations for OCFA, told reporters Thursday morning that the Coastal Fire remained at about 200 acres and couldn’t provide Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

Several fire and emergency response crews work to extinguish the roughly 200-acre Coastal Fire that burned some homes and threatened others, prompting neighborhood evacuations in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday night, May 11. Photo: Courtesy of Orange County Fire Authority.

information as far as containment, with crews working to make that assessment.

Several news outlets reported that about 20 homes had burned as a result of the ongoing fire.

McGovern said that OCFA had inspection crews evaluating the damaged homes in the impacted communities.

According to Capt. Virgil Asuncion with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, about 900 homes fall under the evacuation order, with road closures placed around those areas. He added that OCSD and OCFA will coordinate to

determine when it’s safe for residents to return to the areas.

As of Thursday morning, the area north of the Flying Cloud Drive and Pacific Island Drive intersection up to the intersection of Highlands Avenue and Pacific Island Drive in Laguna Niguel remained under a mandatory evacuation.

Laguna Niguel neighborhoods south of Flying Cloud and Pacific Island and north of Pacific Island and Crown Valley Parkway—which borders the City of Dana Point—remained under a voluntary evacuation warning on Thursday Page 4

Dana Point’s surf and fishing culture, featuring local surf icons Joyce Hoffman and Jean Pierre “The Fly” Van Swae, and Donna Kalez of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching.

The video was followed by a panel of business and community leaders who are shaping the city through new hotel and restaurant developments, and events. The panel featured Jeff Finn and Danny Hyde, co-presidents of Artist Guild Hotels; Max Fisher, owner of The Shwack Beach Grill; and Randy Hild, founder of REDO Market.

Moderating the panel was Jenna Kohnke, Relatively Space’s senior director of Business Performance and chief of staff.

During the panel, Hild discussed how REDO began at Del Prado as a surf and skate market and how it developed into the popular vintage and maker’s market bringing a large vintage community to Dana Point.

Hild added that when the pandemic hit after REDO’s first event, he came close to “just throwing in the towel,” wondering if he should even reschedule the event. But he said friends, vendors and the community came out in droves to support bringing REDO back.

Hild also announced that REDO will return to Del Prado for a second Sunday this year, on Oct. 2.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Find the extended version of this story at danapointtimes.com.

morning.

At least one firefighter had been injured battling the blaze overnight, McGovern also noted during Thursday morning’s press conference. He said the firefighter was assessed and taken to a local hospital.

Orange County Board Fifth District Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, who represents much of South Orange County including the impacted areas, also spoke during Thursday’s press conference.

She said that following a conversation with fellow Supervisor Doug Chaffee, the current board chair, he has agreed to proclaim a local state of emergency on behalf of the county, and will work toward that process with state legislators including State Sen. Patricia Bates.

“I’m currently working with (Chaffee’s) office, the county staff and the Orange County Fire Authority to leverage all available resources, including any state and federal funding, to support the city and residents impacted by this tragedy,” Bartlett said.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dana Point Times will continue to provide updates to this ongoing story online at danapointtimes.com. danapointtimes.com

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Voting in California’s Primary Election is now open, with registered voters this week expected to begin receiving their vote-by-mail ballots. Much like previous elections in recent years, voters will have multiple options when it comes to casting their ballot ahead of the June 7 election. Photo: File

Voting by Mail Begins in California’s Primary Election

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

Registered voters this week are expected to begin receiving their vote-by-mail ballots for California’s Primary Election on June 7.

Over the next month, South Orange County voters in Dana Point, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Rancho Mission Viejo can cast their ballots and shape several local and statewide races that will culminate in the General Election this fall.

This year’s major races in our area include the State Assembly’s newly redrawn 74th District and State Senate’s new 36th and 38th Districts, as well as the Orange County Board’s Fifth District and California’s 49th Congressional District.

Statewide, voters will also decide the gubernatorial race, which will see Gov. Gavin Newsom seek reelection after staving off last year’s recall effort. Twenty-five candidates for governor are set to appear on the ballot. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is also seeking reelection and is among eight candidates vying for that position who are listed on the ballot.

California’s top two-primary system will allow the top two vote-getters of each race, regardless of party affiliation, to move on to the General Election, scheduled for Nov. 8.

Under the state’s vote-by-mail system, constituents will have several options when it comes to casting their ballot.

In Orange County, voters can either mail or hand-deliver their ballots to the county’s Registrar of Voters. Ballots mailed to the Registrar’s office must be post-marked by June 7. Voters will also have the option to drop their ballot off at any of the Registrar’s drop boxes or Vote Centers throughout the county.

Most of the county’s Vote Centers will open to the public beginning on June 4, with a few opening days earlier on May 28.

According to the Registrar of Voters, Dana Point Times May 13–19, 2022

Dana Point will host three Vote Centers—one being the Dana Point Community Center at 34052 Del Obispo Street, which will open May 28 and includes a drive-thru ballot drop-off option.

The Dana Point Branch Library at 33841 Niguel Road and the OC Sailing & Events Center at 34451 Ensenada Place will also serve as Vote Centers starting June 4.

In San Clemente, the San Clemente Community Center at 100 N. Calle Seville will serve as a Vote Center opening May 28. The Outlets at San Clemente at 101 W. Avenida Vista Hermosa will also have a Vote Center starting June 4.

Two more Vote Centers opening June 4 in San Clemente will be located at Shorecliffs Terrace Mobile Home Park at 3000 Calle Nuevo and St. Andrew’s By the Sea UMC at 2001 Calle Frontera.

The San Juan Capistrano Community Center at 25925 Camino Del Avion will also be used as a Vote Center starting on May 28. Three more Vote Centers will open in San Juan on June 4 at the Capistrano Unified School District offices at 33122 Valle Road; La Sala Auditorium at 31495 El Camino Real; and Reata Park & Event Center at 28632 Ortega Highway.

As for ballot drop boxes, there are six listed throughout the South County towns of Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano: Dana Point Branch Library 33841 Niguel Road Dana Point City Hall 33282 Golden Lantern Jim Johnson Memorial Sports Park 560 Avenida Vista Hermosa in San Clemente San Clemente City Hall 910 Calle Negocio San Clemente Municipal Golf Course 150 E. Avenida Magdalena La Sala Auditorium 31495 El Camino Real in San Juan Capistrano More information about how and where to vote can be found at the Registrar of Voters’ website, ocvote.gov.

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Truly Pizza Aims to Build Community Around Pizza

“The way our guys do the ingredients is not necessarily ‘more is more’ or ‘less is less,’ but what sort of combination suits each other,” Baldwin said. The pizzas “are almost like a piece of art, they’re so beautiful.”

“I think that makes us a little bit unique that we’re doing artisanal pizzas,” Baldwin added. “I want to humbly say, come just try it and see what you think.”

The new restaurant, which will be located on Del Prado Ave. in the Lantern District, will include a bottom floor offering takeout, with a walk-up counter for patrons to grab to-go orders.

There will also be an outdoor garden with intimate seating, lemon trees and Tiffany lighting complementing the ambience, so you feel like “you’re at home

sitting behind gardens,” Baldwin said in description.

On the second floor, the restaurant will serve charcuterie, wine and beer around a fireplace, with limited seating.

“It’s very much a walking street, so it’s going to be quite nice,” Baldwin said.

“There are so many great places going up along there, and that’s another thing we’re super excited about, because we want to (collaborate) with other chefs in town and other restaurants. So, we’re super excited about all the other development going on down that street.”

Along with chef collaborations, the owners of Truly Pizza hope to build philanthropic relationships with the community.

Truly Pizza plans to have menu items

designated toward charitable organizations.

One fundraising opportunity in the works would be a pizza on the menu meant to benefit Pet Project Foundation, as all proceeds from the sale of that pizza would go toward rescue dogs.

“We’re really big on charitable foundations, so we’re going to do a lot of special events along with that, and probably our grand opening will have some sort of charitable donation or charity associated with it,” Baldwin said.

The Truly Pizza team has begun building relationships with the Dana Point Women’s Club, the Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, and Dana Hills High School, said Lawrence Carroll, vice president of Dog and A Duck Public Relations, the PR Team representing Truly Pizza. The groups spoke at the restaurant’s groundbreaking event in early April.

“The foundation for Truly Pizza is just building relationships with the community,” Carroll said.“So, just already kind of laying the groundwork for establishing ourselves as a hub for bringing folks together.”

Truly Pizza’s philanthropic efforts and focus on relationship-building echo Baldwin’s feeling that sharing a pizza brings people together.

“At the heart of every pizza, which I love so much … I find that there’s a sense of community,” Baldwin said. “You can sit around and just share a pizza.”

Truly Pizza, at 24402 Del Prado, is scheduled to open in October 2022.

Construction has not yet begun on the Paseo Adelanto project. Housing at The Groves is intended for senior citizens.

Bartlett also mentioned the revitalization of Dana Point Harbor, a public-private partnership in which the Dana Point Harbor Partners plan to revamp and manage the harbor within five to seven years under a long-term lease agreement.

“This is a great example of the county working with the private sector … letting government do what it does best—keeping government small, efficient, accountable, and transparent—and letting the private sector (use their) expertise to put forth great projects,” she said.

“They’ve got the ability to do things a lot quicker,” Bartlett continued. “This is a $400 million project. When I got elected, I said, how are we going to pay for this project? The county doesn’t build boat docks. We decided the best thing to do is to bring in that private sector partner.”

A three-tiered parking structure for the area should open in the near future, Bartlett said.

Bartlett further touched on public safety, particularly with regard to fentanyl abuse and law enforcement. The county supported the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s request for bodyworn cameras, Bartlett said.

“We allocated about $14 million— most of that was in a grant—for body-

worn cameras,” she said. “I’m confident this technology will help improve the interactions between our deputy sheriffs and the public, and capture evidentiary outcomes.”

As for fentanyl, Bartlett said abuse of the drug is a public health risk.

“When you take a look at what’s happening in our communities, the numbers and percentages are really staggering.

From 2016 to 2020, fentanyl-related deaths in Orange County increased 1,110% and statewide, they increased 1,600%,” she said.

“From 2017 to 2020, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department seized over 388 pounds of fentanyl, which potentially contained 88 million lethal doses and had a total street value of $43 million.”

The county is devoting resources to address fentanyl abuse and raise public awareness on the issue, Bartlett said.

Drug dealers who sell or distribute drugs should get harsher penalties when drug users die, including being charged for murder, she said.

Where sexually violent predators are allowed to live was another topic brought up by Bartlett. The Orange County Board of Supervisors supported a proposal that Bartlett brought forth against placing sexually violent predators in Orange County, defining such predators as those who have been convicted of a sexually violent offense and who have also been

diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them a threat to others and likely to be sexually violent.

“Currently, the state has the sole authority to place sexually violent predators in communities, and the burden is then placed on counties to—if needed—locate secure housing for these individuals that have been convicted of a sexually violent crime,” Bartlett explained.

“Law enforcement is provided notice, but here’s the issue … no provision is made for counties to participate in the placement process or to object to the state’s plans for placement,” she added.

“Local jurisdictions really should have the opportunity to weigh in on this process.”

No sexually violent predators have currently been placed in Orange County, though some have been placed in San Diego County, she said.

Bartlett, a Republican, is serving her last term on the Orange County Board of Supervisors because of term limits. She is currently running in the 49th Congressional District race against Democratic incumbent Mike Levin and other challengers, including former San Juan Councilmember Brian Maryott, Josiah O’Neil, Christopher Rodriguez, Renee Taylor, and Nadia Bahia Smalley.

The Primary Election for the Congressional race will be held on June 7.

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

Truly Pizza, which started as a dream among friends bringing together a mutual love of pizza, will soon be a reality. The hand-crafted pizza restaurant is set to open in the Lantern District later this fall.

Owners Donna Baldwin, John Arena, Steve Muller and Chris Decker had joked for years about “maybe one day” opening up a pizza restaurant.

They wanted to combine Arena’s extensive skills as a third-generation Pizzaiolo, Muller’s real estate development experience, Baldwin’s background in hospitality, and Decker’s involvement with World Pizza Champion—a collaboration of professional pizzamakers of which Arena is also a team member.

“We just said, ‘Let’s do something where we can go every day and just enjoy our friends and family, meet new people and have great food,’” Baldwin said. “So, it kind of started like that and went on.”

Arena and Decker’s hand-crafted, Sicilian-style dough is baked with a unique, five-day fermentation and French baking technique, “which makes it light and airy crust,” Baldwin said.

The ingredients are all farm-to-table and locally sourced, according to Baldwin.

Supervisor Lisa Bartlett Discusses Housing, Public Safety with Fifth District Residents

BY COLLIN BREAUX

Housing, the revitalization of Dana Point Harbor, and public safety were among the many topics that Orange County Board Supervisor Lisa Bartlett touched on during her State of the Fifth District Address on May 5.

Bartlett—whose district covers Dana Point, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano—spoke before a crowd of community members at the Crown Valley Community Center in Laguna Niguel.

Bartlett highlighted new housing construction in the form of affordable housing complexes underway in San Juan Capistrano—specifically, on Paseo Adelanto at the current City Hall site and The Groves complex on Camino Capistrano across from JSerra High School.

“The Paseo Adelanto project just received board approval for funding, and The Groves project is currently under construction and scheduled for completion later this month,” Bartlett said.

Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

Alongside Dana Point Mayor Joe Muller and the restaurant’s building designers, Truly Pizza owners break ground at the site of the new restaurant set to open this fall. Photo: Courtesy of Truly Pizza

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Meet the Candidates Vote-by-mail ballots have begun to hit constituents’ mailboxes this week as California’s Primary Election is less than a month away. In an effort to give our readers more insight into the slate of candidates vying for seats in major local elected offices, we’ve given those running an opportunity to respond to some questions related to issues impacting South Orange County.

Every district-area candidate seeking office in the State Senate and Assembly, Orange County Board and U.S. House of Representatives was given three questions and asked for 400-word responses to each. Some candidates did not submit responses to our questions. Space for their responses was left blank. Given space limitations, only one or two of the questions per race will be published here. The full slate of the questions and answers can be found at danapointtimes.com.

QUESTION 1

| What are your thoughts on the availability of homeless shelter beds in South County? Could more

be done to improve availability? If so, what solutions would you propose as a Board Supervisor to 1) provide more shelter space, and 2) facilitate the development of permanent supportive housing—either locally, by city, or regionally? If not through shelter or housing—permanent supportive, affordable, or otherwise—what alternatives would you support to address the ongoing homelessness crisis?

COUNTY BOARD FIFTH DISTRICT CANDIDATES *INCUMBENT

OC Board Supervisor Katrina Foley* I’ve long believed the county’s failure to take responsibility for the regional issue of homelessness has exacerbated the problem. Past county leaders left individual cities to figure out how to fund shelters and services with their scarce general funds, instead of the county using the funding it receives annually for homelessness solutions. The county continues to struggle to assign regular patrols and clear encampments in its flood channels and parks, forcing cities to tackle the issue. Immediately after joining the board, I initiated a first-of-its-kind audit of all county dollars spent on homelessness to assess what is working, cut wasteful spending, and find solutions for our entire region. As the OC Register reported, my April Investigative Hearing on Homelessness made findings of the audit public, which concluded that, “unless the County creates a comprehensive countywide strategy focused on lasting solutions, (we) may be stuck on a hamster wheel: solving the same problems over and over, community by community.”

When reelected, I’ll finish crafting the strategic plan with regional metrics and goals to end this crisis, while also building on my previous success of reducing homelessness by converting dilapidated, unsafe motels into permanent supportive housing for veterans and families, and continue funding the clearing of encampments in parks and flood channels.

A regional collaborative approach requires public safety, mental health social workers, public health, our faith-based community, and a true city-county partnership.

Former Assemblymember Diane Harkey South OC does not have a comprehensive approach to address homelessness—yet. Solutions will not happen if we wait on Sacramento to act on legislation that is national or statewide that may not be practical for South OC. While we welcome options for temporary shelters, converting motels or other units into permanent shelters wouldn’t be optimal in high-tourist beach areas. We know what works for Orange County, which has built a System of Care and a broad response plan. The OC Housing Finance Trust was formed to identify and secure 2,700 permanent supportive housing units, with six projects underway in SOC that I will shepherd to completion. Additionally, we must expand support for nonprofits such as the Family Assistance Ministries (FAM) that provide temporary and permanent shelters in SOC at present and offer intake assessments for countywide homeless assistance. FAM also operates a food bank in San Clemente and thrift store in Laguna Niguel. FAM will need to relocate their intake and foodbank facility within the next year due to expiration of a leased facility in San Clemente. One housing model is to purchase existing multi-family units through contributions, grants and mortgages, which they retire. They presently own two triplexes and house those with children who need temporary assistance, one family per bedroom with the common area shared. I’ve toured these facilities, and units are in excellent repair, meld into the neighborhood and have on-site supervision. Within 90 days, these families are relocated into rental housing and within a year, families are paying full market rent and back on their feet again. FAM also works to secure permanent housing for mentally ill and disabled and elderly persons. (See: familyassistance.org) Illumination Foundation is a comprehensive resource nonprofit organization that we can and do leverage to assist in SOC. Be Well OC provides mental health assistance and mobile response teams for addiction and mental illness. Working with the cities, I will help secure location(s) that meets the court mandate for our Southern region, ensure the county is available to provide wraparound integrated services for care. I will explore options within our district for a central facility such that the burden on the cities is relieved as much as possible. We should not be subjected to illegal camping in our parks, beaches, alleys, or business locations. We can and will do better to meet the requirements for relocation and supporting our communities.

Newport Beach Councilmember Kevin Muldoon Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach have regional shelter beds dedicated to their homeless shelter needs. The County of Orange has an adequate number of homeless shelter beds required to address the needs of the remaining South County cities, but the county’s Yale Navigation Center has temporarily limited their capacity out of health concerns. Lifting those restrictions will immediately increase shelter space and provide sufficient shelter beds for South County.

State Sen. Patricia Bates Cities have the responsibility to determine where housing is allowed in their community. While on the Laguna Niguel City Council, the Board of Supervisors and as your state senator, I have always been an advocate for local control. I will advocate with the county to work with South County cities to look at commercial and industrial land within their jurisdictions that is no longer occupied, and appropriately rezone those sites to build affordable mixed-used housing and emergency housing, ensuring those developments are placed in appropriate areas and have the support of neighboring properties. I will work with our County Planning and Public Works Department to advocate for waiving or lowering the fee structures for projects aimed at providing affordable housing. Accountability is key to determine best practices, and which approaches to ending homelessness have worked. Given the state has spent $17 billion to date and the problem has grown, I support auditing those programs to determine which ones move forward.

Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

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Meet the Candidates |

It’s widely agreed upon by local municipalities, community members and the region’s elected officials that the spent nuclear fuel stored at the decommissioned San Onofre power plant needs to be removed, and that it’s the federal government’s responsibility to locate interim and permanent repositories for the waste. If elected to Congress, what solutions and legislation would you propose to spur action in getting a national storage facility sited?

QUESTION 2

|

Nations across the globe have felt the impacts of climate change, and here in California, we’ve seen record-setting wildfires, ongoing drought and coastal erosion. While efforts are being made to get more electric vehicles on the road and charging stations developed, what other tools do you believe the federal government—Congressional lawmakers, in particular—possess to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

QUESTION 3

49TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CANDIDATES

LVN and Businesswoman Nadia Smalley RESPONSE 2: I believe in a course to nuclear fuel reprocessing, nuclear fuel recycling. Perhaps the nuclear fuel can be safely sold, if not reused for homeland fuel.

After the agreed sale or reusable measures are set in place, the nuclear fuel will then be taken out of San Onofre, then restored into another safe facility unanimously agreed upon by the community and the regions’ elected officials in Congress, or safely relocated by its new owner.

RESPONSE 3: Well, I can stay for a while, far as will have to definitely employ more federal firefighters for this position and stand by for this event to take place; just be ready. As far as our ongoing drought, we have already put in place measures to conserve water during the day; reverse osmosis for ocean waters could be a tactic put in place for drought assistance. A tentative care approach from research groups, scientists and colleges, we would have to implement think tank groups to resolve this issue. I feel coastal erosion deserves funding for extensive deep water cleanup measures.

OC Board Supervisor Lisa Bartlett RESPONSE 2: As a leader in the effort to safely decommission the San Onofre Nuclear power plant, this is an issue I have been championing for years and will continue to do so as a congresswoman. Currently, I am co-chairing Action for Spent Fuel Solutions Now—a broad-based coalition of all stakeholders—to pressure the federal government to act on securing a consent-based interim and permanent location for the spent nuclear fuel at the generating station. This is a job the federal government is already obligated to do, and should be doing. In addition, I am seeking the federal enabling legislation that will fund off-site storage, transport, disposal, and continual emergency preparedness and response activities related to the decommissioning of the facility through 2049.

RESPONSE 3: We must protect the environment, but I believe we can do so in an economically responsible way that benefits Americans instead of punishing them. As a congresswoman, I will continue to prioritize the protection of our coastline through practicable coastline resiliency initiatives. I have and will continue to support smart public and private investment in clean air initiatives. I oppose the expansion of offshore drilling in California and will always fight to hold polluters that destroy our environment accountable. In addition, I am helping lead the effort to safely decommission the San Onofre Nuclear power plant.

Former San Juan Capistrano Councilmember Brian Maryott RESPONSE 2: California’s beautiful San Onofre State Beach, just north of San Diego and on the southernmost tip of Orange County, is situated next to 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste from decommissioned nuclear reactors. This issue represents one of the federal government’s biggest domestic policy failures in the last half-century. Unfortunately, decades of showboating and partisan politics have left this nuclear waste stranded indefinitely next to countless citizens and a pristine ecosystem. Under the U.S. Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the federal government was obligated to move nuclear waste into a remote and centralized federal facility. Despite this obligation, and after more than $15 billion was spent on researching and qualifying Yucca Mountain as a centralized disposal location, the Obama administration pulled the plug. Now, we continue to have waste buried in temporary accommodations in 35 different states—this is, of course, absurd, and incredibly dangerous. Redundant press conferences and useless Blue Ribbon commissions and local discussion panels won’t fix this problem. As a congressman, I will immediately join the effort in Congress to restart the Yucca Mountain process, while supporting tangible interim storage strategies that involve public-private partnerships. The humanitarian and ecological disaster that would ensue as a result of big government’s inaction, in regard to the decommissioned San Onofre power plant’s nuclear waste, makes the issue of responsible nuclear waste disposal an urgent matter for my campaign. Nuclear power isn’t the problem. The problem is a government that operates like a bureaucratic machine and is characterized by political grandstanding, which has enabled a near criminal lack of resolve to get something done on this pressing issue once and for all.

RESPONSE 3: Humanity’s negative impact on the environment is undeniable; however, the role bad environmental policy has played in California’s various ecological disasters, including the state’s worst wildfires, cannot be overstated. California’s deadliest wildfires in recent years have been decades in the making. As a congressman, I will work toward improving forest health and fire prevention through the use of prescribed and controlled burns to reduce the fuel load in forests and coastal chaparral, because leaving forests overgrown and unattended makes them prone to unusually destructive wildfires. Also, I will work toward holding corrupt gas and power companies responsible for the role they’ve played in causing destructive wildfires, like the Dixie Fire in Northern California. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), for instance, has been convicted of multiple felony crimes and has been deemed criminally negligent for years. This utility company, like many others, has direct ties to corrupt government officials, such as Gavin Newsom, who claim publicly that wildfires are simply a result of climate change, while simultaneously crafting legislation that protects the profits of negligent utility providers. Had these policy reforms, ensuring adequate forestry management and utility maintenance, been in place, the government would have largely prevented the enormous loss of life, property, and ecology that has occurred in recent years, and California’s forests would have been better equipped to survive an extended period of drought, similar to those that have been occurring long before industrialization.

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(Continued)

49TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CANDIDATES *INCUMBENT

Rep. Mike Levin* RESPONSE 2: Addressing the spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) has been one of my top priorities since I first ran for office, and I am proud to have made real bipartisan progress since I took office in addressing many of the challenges associated with moving the waste out of our community.

One of the first actions I took as a member of Congress was to form a SONGS Task Force of experts and community leaders around the region to identify policy solutions. The SONGS Task Force released a comprehensive report containing recommendations on how to address the safe storage and removal of nuclear waste from our coast. Informed by the recommendations of the SONGS Task Force, I introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. Darrell Issa and others to expedite the removal of nuclear waste from decommissioned plants in areas with high population density and seismic hazard, such as San Onofre; repeatedly pushed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to increase oversight at San Onofre; created a bipartisan Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus in Congress; and led legislation that was signed into law to spur innovation and research in the storage, transportation, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel. I also secured federal funding that has allowed the Department of Energy to restart a consent-based siting program. Just last month, I hosted Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station to push for federal action in getting the waste off of our beach. She announced that as a result of the interim storage process I helped fund, the federal government plans to provide money to communities that may want to host the waste. Safely and quickly removing the waste from San Onofre will continue to be one of my top priorities for as long as I have the honor to serve this district.

RESPONSE 3: Our district is home to more than 50 miles of beautiful California coastline and other cherished lands and waters like San Onofre State Park and the San Elijo Lagoon.

Unfortunately, these natural treasures are threatened by the climate crisis, including more extreme heat waves and longer droughts fueling year-round wildfires, and rising sea levels and storm surges driving unprecedented coastal erosion. As a longtime advocate for climate action and member of the House Natural Resources Committee and Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, I have led aggressive legislation to protect our planet for future generations. One of the first bills I supported in Congress banned new offshore drilling along our coast. I also introduced the American Coasts and Oceans Protection Act to specifically ban new offshore drilling activity along the Southern California coast. Following the October 2021 oil spill off the coast of Orange County, I led the effort to advance legislation ending new drilling and strengthening oversight of offshore drilling companies. I know that we can protect our environment, combat the climate crisis, and grow our economy at the same time. California has proven it is possible, and I have used our success as a model for action in Washington. I introduced legislation to transition America to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), expand charging infrastructure, and convert Park Service and Forest Service fleets to ZEVs so that we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manufacture the cars of the future right here in America. I have also worked across the aisle on bipartisan efforts to combat climate change. I fought for the inclusion of provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure law to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure, invest in the supply chain for batteries, provide $1.5 billion for clean hydrogen manufacturing, invest $550 million in the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, and much more.

Sheriff’s Deputy Josiah O’Neil RESPONSE 2: I would immediately propose legislation to expand energy supply, including new nuclear reactors and national disposal sites, and federal payment for relocation and long-term storage would be part of that proposal.

RESPONSE 3: Federal government has an obligation to provide clean, safe, and reliable energy to states and communities. By building new nuclear reactors, we could provide all the clean power that our growing economy demands.

Cybersecurity and Military Officer Renee Taylor RESPONSE 2: According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), “There are about 86,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors stored at 75 U.S. sites. This amount continues to grow. Policymakers have been at an impasse over what to do with the spent fuel since the licensing of the Yucca Mountain repository stopped in 2010. Unable to meet its disposal commitment, the U.S. government has paid reactor owners about $9 billion for storage.” Massive amounts of clean nuclear-generated electricity created spent nuclear fuel (SNF) over the last 40-plus years; siting and opening a repository for permanent disposal could take as many decades to establish. In the meantime, action must be taken to develop interim storage sites that can be licensed, built, and opened for SNF acceptance. Unfortunately, however, interim storage solutions for today may become tomorrow’s problem. In other words, interim may become permanent in the absence of a greater strategy. Current proposals denote interim storage for some 40 years, but it will take the United States well over 40 years to site, design, construct, and ultimately place spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste at a geologic repository. In December 1987, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) to designate Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the only site to be characterized as a permanent repository for all the nation’s nuclear waste. Since then, conflict and defunding have ensued. To break the impasse over a permanent solution for commercial spent nuclear fuel, Congress needs to authorize a new consent-based process for siting a repository. Finalizing legislation could help position the Department of Energy (DOE) to implement a consent-based process for consolidated interim storage facilities and/or permanent geologic repositories by amending the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) to allow for storage and disposal options other than, or in addition to, the Yucca Mountain repository. Lessons learned from a global perspective show that other countries have made strides to reach consensus after comparable stalemates. For example, Canada, Sweden, and Finland designated sites after 17-30 years of public discourse. The path to yes may be long, but it is achievable.

RESPONSE 3: Climate change—according to NASA, numerous events can cause climate change. Some examples include the Earth’s changing distance from the sun; the sun sending out more or less energy; and ocean change due to volcanic eruptions. Of course, human activities can impact environmental conditions as well, such as driving vehicles, heating and cooling buildings, and even cooking food. All these activities take energy (typically generated by coal, oil and gas).

There should not be a single point of success or failure for energy consumption or emission output—e.g., exclusively electric vehicles. A comprehensive plan for climate change would need to consider many facets. Interestingly, the priority needs of California are the very things that contribute to climate change. California needs more housing, which, in turn, inevitably means clearing lands and trees, which help regulate carbon dioxide. With the significant population, California landfills for garbage are a major source of methane emissions. All of the things that California needs—energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture, and land use are among the main emitters. Therefore, future planning needs to include balancing between the need for energy, housing, and transport and the wants to reduce climate change. Congress alone cannot combat climate change, but Congress can support rational initiatives—such as encouraging various renewable energy alternatives, promoting public transportation, and fostering innovation. Addressing and mitigating the effects of climate change starts on an individual and community basis. Simple steps such as adjusting heating/cooling settings in homes and buildings, using brooms instead of leaf blowers, planting trees, energy-efficient building codes, sensible waste management (reduce, reuse, recycle), and cleaning up all the garbage littering our freeways are all a good start.

Public transportation used to be a safe and efficient means of commuting, but for many individuals, it is not a viable option. For example, just going 9 miles on a bus route can take three hours, and train rides between San Diego and Los Angeles can take hours longer than driving. By improving time and distance efficiencies, public transportation could be a favorable alternative. Congress, communities, and individuals can all be instrumental environmental stewards—without excessive regulation and partisan posturing. Paraphrasing a popular quote, alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.

Oceanside Councilmember Christopher Rodriguez RESPONSE 2: RESPONSE 3:

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Meet the Candidates |

Over the past year, we’ve seen inflation soar as a result of supply-chain disruptions, higher demand on goods and services, as well as impacts to the food and energy markets in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Do you have any plans or ideas on mitigating these effects for Californians, and what do you think about calls to suspend the gas tax to relieve prices at the pump?

QUESTION 1

|

What’s your perspective on satisfying the need for more affordable housing in the region, and what do you think about claims that the state is overreaching on the issue—a matter some say is better handled by local municipalities?

QUESTION 3

74TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT CANDIDATES

Assemblymember Laurie Davies* RESPONSE 1: We are projected to have tens of billions of dollars in surplus funds this year, most of this coming from your taxes, yet we have families choosing between gas and food. All we’ve gotten from a one-party rule is a proposed rebate that could be several months away. The super-majority has continued to vote to not hear Republicans’ immediate relief bill. Now, not only is there no relief, but the governor and his party missed the deadline to reduce the summer blend gas tax, which needed to be done by May 1 and will now add an additional $550 million in taxes to all Californians. I support an immediate halt to the gas tax for one year and support a decrease in the state gas tax rate.

RESPONSE 3: Unless we commit ourselves to reforms that allow more housing to be built, housing will continue to get more expensive. Everyone knows that CEQA has to be amended to make it harder to stop housing projects, but the majority (who have a super-majority in both Senate and Assembly and hold the governor’s office) has failed to act. Unfair rules and head-shaking fees to build new housing must be reduced so that the next generation of Californians aren’t forced to leave the state to find an affordable house.

San Clemente Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan RESPONSE 1: Californians need relief from high prices and inflation, including high gas prices. With the recent news of California’s $68 billion budget surplus, I would support tax rebates to give money back to average Californians. Californians deserve tax relief and we should also incentivize and make it easier for local businesses to stay in California to keep their jobs here.

To address supply chain issues, we must invest in our infrastructure, including ports, roads, highways and more. And ensure we have a skilled and trained workforce to construct these projects.

With high gas prices, any solution must benefit consumers directly, not line the pockets of big oil companies. That’s why I support the proposal to give $400 to California drivers.

That’s more than what the average California family will spend on gas tax for a full year. Meanwhile, a gas tax holiday would not guarantee a full reduction in cost for consumers, it would mean the oil companies and gas stations would continue to make more profits at the disadvantage of Californians. However, I’m for an all-of-the-above approach and would also support a plan to both suspend the gas tax and provide rebates if that’s what it takes. We need to provide Californians with financial relief now.

RESPONSE 3: Our entire state is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis and we are seeing the implications across our community. We must make this a priority and find real solutions—not just talk. The root of this problem is a housing shortage. Our younger generations are concerned they may be forced to move out of California and may never be able to afford a home. This is unacceptable.

I will work to build more housing for people of all income levels, which means removing some of the red tape and obstacles to building new housing and giving economic incentives to build where it’s needed most. That must include affordable housing and market-rate housing production, with projects so certain workers, including teachers, police officers and firefighters, can live in the communities they serve.

This cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution. We must empower our municipalities to ensure that they build affordable housing that is right for their community. The design, size and location of new housing needs to fit the local character. I am a strong believer in local control and providing incentives, rather than imposing penalties, is a more effective way to actually get it done.

36TH SENATE DISTRICT CANDIDATES

Huntington Beach Councilmember Kim Carr RESPONSE 1: Rising prices are crushing families, which is why, in the State Senate, I am committed to securing much-needed economic relief for residents in Orange County and across California. I believe that we need to suspend the gas tax temporarily and use California’s $45 billion budget surplus to provide residents with gas price relief payments for each car they own. Long-term, I will proactively make investments in clean energy to ensure gas hikes do not hurt working families as significantly in the future. I am also committed to expanding paid family leave, which allows Californians to take paid time off work upon the birth of a new child or to care for a seriously ill relative.

RESPONSE 3: I fully support building more affordable housing here in Orange County and across California, which is why, as Huntington Beach Mayor, I led in the creation of 674 middle-income housing units that allow entry-level employees, teachers, nurses, and others to work and live in the city they love. I believe the state needs to be more helpful in assisting local municipalities reach their affordable housing goals, for example, by offering incentives.

Assemblymember Janet Nguyen RESPONSE 1: RESPONSE 3:

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SOAPBOX

GUEST OPINION | Health & Nutrition 101 by Gina Cousineau

Eating Around the World I

am writing from Cape Town, South Africa. I have been very blessed to have the opportunity to travel around the world, and this trip I get to share with my youngest daughter.

I had zero assumptions about the adventure, which has totally exceeded all expectations. I have learned much about the people and culture of South Africa, and have seen firsthand how the obesity pandemic has found its way across the world.

We spent our first day in Johannesburg experiencing the apartheid museum and the tragedy in Soweto. We ate lunch on Vilakazi Street, which is said to be the only street in the world where two Nobel laureates have lived.

On this trip, I have planned to enjoy traditional foods from the region we are in, but am shocked in these townships to see Wimpy Burger and KFC, both large chains, sitting in the midst of the dirt roads, with goats and cows wandering the streets, lined with long stretches of makeshift stands where the local people were selling their goods to survive.

As I took the time to walk into the local grocery stores, I have to admit how surprised I was with the lack of “fresh food” available (fruit, veggies, meats and dairy), yet there was a tremendous amount of ultra-processed foods lining the shelves.

Foods that lack little nutrition but are highly palatable, with large amounts of salt, sugar and fat.

I had an eye-opening conversation with a 35-year-old native Zulu father of one, as we drove from Durban to Hluhlu-

we, where we would spend five fantastic days on a game reserve. By the way, both Wimpy and KFC were in this tiny town of less than 4,000 people.

As usual, my nutrition background eventually unveils itself, and HEALTH AND he explained to me NUTRITION 101 how difficult it was

BY GINA COUSINEAU to find time to cook after a long day of working, and how easy and cheap it was to just stop at KFC. He then asked me what I thought of the flavored water he was drinking, as he said he was “addicted” to it. When he handed me the bottle, this water was just soda without the bubbles. These sugar-sweetened beverages are responsible for adding countless empty calories to our energy intake and increasing our risk of the lifestyle diseases I speak about regularly.

I encouraged Percy to cut down on these drinks, moving toward unsweetened water-based beverages in the future.

As I perused the convenience store halfway into our drive, in typical American fashion of offering nothing “fresh” other than burgers and hotdogs, Percy walked out with “plain ol’ water” and told me he was going to give it a try.

On the second half of our drive, Percy shared the fascinating story of how his Zulu tribe has thanksgiving “ukubonga” ceremonies that take place when something good has come about. Being

grateful for work, he sacrificed a goat and presented traditional Zulu foods to thank his ancestors for this great blessing.

He spoke about the traditional foods that come from Mother Earth that are laid out in their ceremonial huts, that one could see on most properties on the drive, and how important the tradition was.

Along with the sacrificed animal, he offers beautiful dishes made from the foods grown in their region. It sounded wonderful.

When Percy asked me how he could start eating healthier, I suggested that he should simply start incorporating more of his ancestral foods into his daily food choices, and reminded him that he would never have presented them KFC. Gina Cousineau is a local nutrition expert who specializes in weight loss and helping her clients improve their health. As a trained chef with her BS in Dietetics and MS in Integrative and Functional Nutrition, her goal is to help her clients enjoy every morsel they consume, learning how to move with ease in the kitchen while using their “food as medicine.” Subscribe to her weekly newsletter for complimentary cooking classes, recipes, webinars and more at mamagslifestyle.com, or reach her at mamag@mamagslifestyle.com and 949.842.9975. DP PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the DP Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared.

The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the DP Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@danapointtimes.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Jerry Derloshon

Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

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Letter to The Editor LANTERN MURAL AT PRADO WEST JERRY DERLOSHON, Dana Point The mural on the side of one of the new, large, and sensibility-offending apartment buildings on Del Prado sums up the current aesthetic experience in the new Dana Point, where huge, rectangular-shaped structures, void of any architectural inspiration, are sprouting up like so many weeds in our town.

With the town’s rich history and legacy being what it is, why doesn’t that mural depict whales breaching, or the proud Pilgrim tall ship, or a sweeping

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FOLLOW DANA POINT TIMES view of the marina, or the Headlands?

I get that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but this mural falls way short of celebrating our very special and much-treasured city.

Let’s try again.

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GETTING OUT

Editor’s Pick

viding this hands-on lab about soil and seeds, so people can learn about gardening, saving seeds, and which food is appropriate to grow in a given season. The event is open to all ages, so you can learn something whether you have a kid just developing a green thumb or you are an adult looking to grow more plants in the backyard. The event is free. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano.

949.443.4223. theecologycenter.org.

The List What’s going on in and around town this week DANA POINT TIMES

Get a curated list of the weekend’s best events sent straight to your inbox every Friday! Sign up for The Weekender at danapointtimes.com/weekender

FRIDAY | 13 U-PICK AT SOUTH COAST FARMS 10 a.m.-4 p.m. South Coast Farms in San Juan Capistrano will offer visitors a chance to pick fresh strawberries this spring. The farm is open for “U-Pick” from Thursdays through Sundays. There is an entrance fee of $5 per car. Walk-ins are welcome; no reservations are needed. After picking, berries are $5 per pound. South Coast Farms, 33201 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano. southcoastfarms.com.

‘FRI-YAY FUN’ WOOD WORKSHOP 6-9 p.m. Spend a Friday night crafting a unique item to call your own. Customize a wood sign, bath tray, photo frame, or other item during this hands-on workshop. Registration can be done beforehand online. AR Workshop San Juan Capistrano, 31107 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite B2. 949.482.1362. arworkshop.com.

LIVE THEATER AT CABRILLO PLAYHOUSE 7:30 p.m. For one final weekend, the Cabrillo Playhouse presents Sylvia, a modern romantic comedy about a marriage and a dog. Admission is $25.

Cabrillo Playhouse, 202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente. 949.492.0465. cabrilloplayhouse.org.

FRIDAY NIGHT AT PADDY’S STATION 8-11 p.m. Grab a pint, order some fish and chips, and spend the night at a downtown Irish pub. Cover Fire will perform cover songs, so get ready to sing along with familiar tunes. Paddy’s Station, 26701 Verdugo Street, Suite B, San Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

Pictured is the seating area of the Calle Akelia home, which is surrounded by many plants native to California and was featured during the 2018 San Clemente Garden Tour. Photo: Eric Heinz/File

SATURDAY | 14 2022 GARDEN CLUB TOUR 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The San Clemente Garden Club is proud of the unique gardens that have been selected to be featured in the 2022 Garden Tour. This once-a-year event will take you into some of the best private gardens within the City of San Clemente.

This is a tour you definitely do not want to miss. Admission for the tour starts at $30 for single tickets, which include a Garden Tour program, a self-guided tour of five gardens, and live entertainment. Quantities of four or more tickets are priced at $25 when purchased in advance. Tickets purchased the day of the event are $40 each. Tickets purchased after May 5 must be picked up from will call at 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente on the morning of the tour or they can be sent over email.

Tickets can be purchased at sanclementegardenclub.com/2022-garden-tour until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 13. After that, tickets may only be purchased on the day of the tour at the will-call table.

Juan Capistrano. 949.661.3400. paddysstation.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT THE POINT 8:30-11:30 p.m. Live music is featured at this popular South Orange County venue. ’70s and ’80s cover band Infl80ees will perform. The Point Restaurant and Bar, 34085 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. 949.464.5700. thepointrestaurantandbar.com.

PERFORMANCE PADDLING’S AFTERGLOW RACE SERIES 6-8:30 p.m. Performance Paddling’s Afterglow Race Series, which comprises three different Friday nights of racing in the Dana Point Harbor, will conclude this Friday. The goal has been to provide a fun, picturesque race environment for the local and surrounding paddling community. There will be two events: a 1-mile race and a 500-meter sprint course. Contestants can race in one event or both, but the more times one races, the more opportunities they will have to win fun prizes. Racing will begin approximately 45 minutes prior to sunset and finish just in time to bask in the afterglow. Pizza and prizes will follow each night of racing at the picnic tables on Baby Beach. The 1-Mile Overall

Champion, Sprint Overall Champion, and Overall Series Champion will be crowned for men and women at the final event. Registration, which costs $20 on-site, includes pizza and a chance to win some cool prizes. Baby Beach Dana Point Harbor, 34551 Puerto Place, Dana Point. performancepaddling.com.

SATURDAY | 14 SJC RUN 7 a.m. Work up a sweat at the third edition of the annual SJC Community Supporters Run. The competitive races begin with the 5K at 7 a.m., followed by the 3K at 8 a.m. Open-run races will occur throughout the morning, starting at 9 a.m. with the 5K. Cook La Novia Park, 27660 Calle Arroyo, San Juan Capistrano. sjccommunityrun.com.

SUP IHEARTYOGA CLASS 8-9:30 a.m. iHeartYoga has partnered with Westwind Sailing to offer a unique 90-minute paddle and yoga workshop.

34451 Ensenada Pl, Dana Point. iheartyoga.org.

SEED CONNECTION 9-10 a.m. The Ecology Center is proPage 15

KAYAK TOURS 10 a.m.-noon. Explore the ocean from the water. Join the Ocean Institute for a two-hour interactive kayak tour around the Dana Point Harbor. Learn about the history of the harbor and its unique ecosystem from one of Ocean Institute’s expert naturalists. All experience levels are welcome. Must be at least 3 years old to participate. Guests under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Adult admission is $30, and $25 for children ages 3 through 14. Tickets include access to into Ocean Institute.

24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. 949.496.2274. oceaninstitute.org.

DOG ADOPTION OPPORTUNITY 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Promise 4 Paws is hosting an open dog adoption event.

Drop by, check out some cute canine companions, and maybe go home with one. The event will be in the Pets Plus parking lot. Pets Plus, 32022 Camino Capistrano, #A, San Juan Capistrano.

949.248.3400. promise4paws.org.

THE L.A. TROUPE: ‘ALICE IN WONDERLAND’ Noon. The L.A. Troupe, theatre-in-education, is a classical theatre company touring sites throughout Southern California with assembly-style productions, residencies, and workshops. Join them for a family-friendly performance of Alice in Wonderland in Casa Romantica’s Redmond Amphitheater. Admission is $5. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente. 949.498.2139. casaromantica.org.

SUNDAY | 15 LOW COST PET VACCINE CLINIC 10-11:30 a.m. The Feed Barn offers low cost vaccinations for all dogs and cats every month. All Veterinary services are provided by Vet Care Vaccination Services, Inc. The low-cost clinic offers vaccination packages, microchips, physical exams, prescription flea control, fecal exams and diagnostic testing onsite. Vet Care, 34192 Doheny Park Road, Capistrano Beach. vetcarepetclinic.com.

714.895.8600. danapointtimes.com

GETTING OUT

AT THE MOVIES

‘The Unbearable Weight’ of an Inside Joke

BY MEGAN BIANCO, DANA POINT TIMES

I

hate sounding overly dramatic, but the first half of Tom Gormican’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent almost instantly set off my second-hand embarrassment.

For a moment, I was worried it would affect my viewing for the rest of the film. I knew going into Massive Talent that it was going to be one giant, tongue-in-cheek meta joke. But fortunately, Gormican and his muse of sorts, Nicolas Cage, knew exactly what they’re doing with their picture.

As can be seen in all the promos for Massive Talent, Nic Cage is playing Nick Cage in a film about Cage. No, it’s not a documentary, and it’s quite clearly a scripted story.

We see Cage as an actor who was once a superstar and now struggling to land any

Photo: Courtesy of Katalin Vermes / Lionsgate Films

kind of gig in Hollywood. This Nick Cage has a completely fictional wife and teenage daughter played by Sharon Horgan and Lily Sheen, respectively, while the actor’s real-life legendary showbiz dynasty (the Coppolas)

aren’t acknowledged in the film.

But we get plenty of name-dropping, callbacks and references to Cage’s very real acting work.

To make it even more obvious, Cage’s

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HELP WANTED WANT A GREAT JOB IN A PROFESSIONAL AND UPBEAT MEDICAL OFFICE? Have excellent communication and computer skills? This receptionist position may be right for you! Call us for details! Griffin Optometric Group 949-492-1853 ask for Kelsea.

Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

alter-ego is fictional; his on-screen agent (played by Neil Patrick Harris) notifies him he’s been invited to an extravagant birthday party of a very wealthy fan in Mallorca, Spain.

Pedro Pascal plays the fan, who actually has ties to arms dealers.

Massive Talent starts out as a self-aware comedy about celebrity life, with Cage even playing a CG de-aged imaginary version of his character in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart (1990), who represents Nick’s conscience.

Once we’re in Mallorca for the rest of Unbearable Weight, it’s a mix of a buddy comedy and a traditional action flick, a la Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder (2008). Gormican and screenwriting partner Kevin Etten don’t break a lot of new ground with their new feature, but it is amusing enough to spend 105 minutes.

Cage—though maybe predictable casting as a famous actor making fun of himself— pulls off the gimmick effectively. Pascal might be the best part of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, with a pleasantly surprising amount of comedic timing.

If silly characters getting themselves into ridiculous situations to cartoony proportions is your bag, then you’ll probably get a kick out of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

DP

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DP LIVING

GUEST OPINION: | On Life and Love by Tom Blake

Why High School Reunions Are Good Places for Seniors to Meet

I

n my April 29 “Big Yellow Taxi” column, I wrote about a couple who started dating after reuniting at their high school reunion in 2018. The woman lives in Illinois; the man lives in California, near his three daughters, seven grandchildren, and his 96-year-old mom.

The woman is frustrated because they live so far apart. She wonders if she’s wasting her time with him. Readers responded, including a woman named Althea, who wrote: “Your recent article inspired me to share this high school reunion story with you. My ON LIFE AND LOVE half-brother, Ray,

BY TOM BLAKE who is now 89, was married for over 50 years to Shirley, and widowed in March 2010 at the age of 77.

“In 2011, there was a summer high school class reunion in our hometown of Foxboro, Massachusetts, which he attended. He was living in South Carolina.

“At that reunion, he met Diane, a woman he had known in high school, who graduated a year after he graduated. He knew her through a family member of hers. She is a retired nurse and a widow with five kids, and Ray, a widower, also has five kids.

“Diane lived in Ohio. Ray visited her there, and she visited him in South Carolina. Plus, between visits, they spent a lot of time talking over the phone.

“Ray and Diane married a year after

ADOPTABLE PET OF THE WEEK

Glenda

Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

Shirley died. I thought it was crazy and disrespectful to his wife of 50-plus years until I talked to him and my nephew, his oldest son, about it. They both said that Shirley wanted Ray to be happy and not be alone for the rest of his years.

“Even though Ray and Diane married quickly, they are still together and happy, now living in Ohio in an assisted living facility.

“I’ll even bet he and Shirley had a lot of talks about what he would do after her death.

“The key to senior relationships is honest and upfront communication. The woman from your most recent article needs to have communication with the California guy if they are to be a forever couple who met at a high school reunion.”

Recently, I wrote about two of my high school classmates—Phil and Sue—who hadn’t seen or communicated with each other since graduation. At our 50th high school reunion in 2007, they spent 20 minutes talking to each other. Both were married at the time.

Five years ago, Phil became a widower.

He heard from another classmate that Sue was divorced. He lived in California; Sue lived in Michigan. He contacted her and asked if he could visit her. She said yes, and off he went driving to Michigan.

When they were together in Michigan for a week, they realized they had special feelings for each other. After he returned home to California, he proposed to her over the phone. They were married at the Riverside County Court-

Photo: Courtesy of Dan Snipes

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Pictured is Betty Snipes and her son, Tom, posing for a photo while visiting Dana Point Cove, circa 1950. Following World War II, Betty and Jack Snipes moved to Dana Point in 1946.

Every week, the Dana Point 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 sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com.

house two weeks later and Sue moved to California to be with Phil.

These two reunion stories reveal four reasons why high school reunions are good places for seniors to meet potential mates:

DANA POINT TIMES

This is not, in fact, a furry baked potato, but an adorable bunny named Glenda. Glenda is a 6-month-old female mini Lop mix looking for a great home. She is treat-motivated and doesn’t mind being handled. With her sweet personality, Glenda would make a good house rabbit for a loving family.

If you are interested in adopting Glenda, please visit petprojectfoundation.org/adoptions/ to download an adoption application form. Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@scdpanimalshelter.org, and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment.

Page 17

1. The number of singles attending. As we age, more and more people who attend reunions are single again. Often widows and widowers attend, because they know the people and feel more comfortable among them.

2. A single person might see someone whom they had secretly admired in high school, who is also now single.

Why not spend some time together?

3. When people who have known each other for years share memories and experiences at class reunions, they often have much in common, which is

an important factor in compatibility.

4. Sometimes, people from different graduating classes also attend reunions, which means even more singles are there. You might meet someone who could be older or younger that you didn’t even know before.

When you receive that reunion notice, don’t just toss it aside. An unexpected meeting could happen.

Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at findingloveafter50.com. To comment: tompblake@gmail.com. DP PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the DP Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared.

The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the DP Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@danapointtimes.com.

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION:

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

See the solution in next week’s issue.

danapointtimes.com

PUBLIC NOTICES TO ADVERTISE: 949.388.7700, EXT. 111 • LEGALS@PICKETFENCEMEDIA.COM PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: Mark Matthew Gerdisch Case Number: 30-2022-01256888-PR-PW-CJC To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will and or estate, or both, of Mark Matthew Gerdisch A Petition for Probate has been filed by Evan Bradley Gerdisch in the Superior Court of California, County of ORANGE.

provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: DAVID J. HORNUNG, ESQ., ALBRECHT & BARNEY LAW CORPORATION Address: 1 PARK PLAZA, STE 900, IRVINE, CA 92614 Telephone: (949) 263-1040 Published in: Dana Point Times, May 6, 13, 20, 2022 PUBLIC NOTICE

The Petition for Probate requests that Evan Bradley Gerdisch be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCE

The Petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on May 3, 2022, the City Council of the City of Dana Point introduced an Ordinance entitled:

The Petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

CITY OF DANA POINT

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA, ADDING SECTION 11.55 TO CHAPTER 11 OF THE DANA POINT MUNICIPAL CODE ESTABLISHING REGULATIONS PROHIBITING THE UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CATALYTIC CONVERTERS IN THE CITY The proposed Ordinance will add Chapter 11.55 to the Dana Point Zoning Code to establish regulations to prohibit the unlawful possession of catalytic converters and establish a zero-tolerance policy for catalytic converter thefts in Dana Point.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: a. Date: July 13, 2022 Time: 10:30 a.m. in Dept: C8 b. Address of Court: 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. (1) The court is providing the convenience to appear for hearing by video using the court’s designated video platform.

This is a no cost service to the public. Go to the Court’s website at The Superior Court of California - County of Orange (occourts.org) to appear remotely for Probate hearings and for remote hearing instructions. If you have difficulty connecting or are unable to connect to your remote hearing, call 657-622-8278 for assistance. If you prefer to appear in-person, you can appear in the department on the day/time set for your hearing.

The proposed Ordinance is available for viewing in the City Clerk’s office located at 33282 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, California.

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

SHAYNA SHARKE CITY CLERK

If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California Statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (Form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

This proposed Ordinance was introduced by the City Council of the City of Dana Point, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 3rd day of May 2022, by the following vote: AYES: Council Member Jamey M. Federico, Council Member Richard Viczorek, Council Member Michael Villar, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Frost, and Mayor Joseph L. Muller NOES:

None

ABSENT:

None

Dated this 13th day of May 2022.

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF MARK PERDEW #30-2021-01187640-PR-LA-CJC SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF ORANGE Notice is hereby given to the creditors and contingent of the above named decedent, that all persons having claims against the decedent are required to file them with the Superior Court at 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701, and mail or deliver a copy to Lily & Ernesto Olivas as Administrator of Estate of Mark Perdew dated May 5th, 2022, c/o Jared J. Miller, 10221 Slater Avenue, Suite 106, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, with the later of four months after May 2nd, 2022 or, if notice is mailed or personally deliver to you, 60 days after the date this notice is mailed or personally delivered to you, or you must petition to file a late claim as provided in Section 19103 of the Probate Code. A claim form may be obtained from the Page 18

court clerk. For your protection, you are encouraged to file your claim by certified mail, with return receipt requested. Jerad J. Miller, Attorney for Lily & Ernesto Olivas, The Legacy Lawyers, Professional Corporation 10221 Slater Avenue, Suite 106, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Dana Point Times, May 13, 20, 27, 2022 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20226633063 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: BARNUMS SURF LESSONS 34316 CALLE PORTOLA CAPISTRANO BEACH, CA 92624 Full Name of Registrant(s): CHRIS BARNUM 34316 CALLE PORTOLA CAPISTRANO BEACH, CA 92624 This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: n/a /s/CHRIS BARNUM This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 04/25/2022.

Published in: Dana Point Times May 6, 13, 20, 27, 2022 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20226632509 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: GAIL ON THE GO 29551 MICHELIS STREET LAGUNA NIGUEL CA 92677 Full Name of Registrant(s): GAIL MCELROY 29551 MICHELIS STREET LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA 92677 This business is conducted by an Individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: n/a /S/GAIL MCELROY This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 04/18/2022.

Published in: Dana Point Times, April 29, May 6, 13, 20, 2022 PUBLIC NOTICE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. 30-2022-01254970 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner David William Blaa filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name David William Blaa Proposed Name David William Tennis THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court of the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objective is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 06/21/2022 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: D100.

The address of the court is 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701-4045. Other: Remote Hearing. Your hearing will be held REMOTELY via video at the date and time indicated on the notice or order to which this message is attached. You are NOT to physically appear at the courthouse on the date of your hearing. To obtain instructions on how to appear remotely for your hearing, you MUST do the following no later than the day before the hearing (or no later than Friday, if the hearing is on Monday): 1. Go to the Court’s website at www.occourts.org; 2. Click on the “COVID-19” button; 3. Click on the “Civil” button; 4. Click on the “Remote Hearing Instructions” button; 5. Follow the instructions. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you or your witnesses, do not have the ability to access the court’s website above, or are unable to follow the instructions on the Court’s website, or are otherwise unable to appear remotely, you MUST call the courtroom or call (657) 622-8513, prior to your hearing, to request an alternate means to appear. Failure to do so may result in your case being dismissed, or a ruling issued against you.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Dana Point Times Date: 04/15/2022 JUDGE LAYNE H. MELZER, Judge of the Superior Court Published: Dana Point Times, April 29, May 6, 13, 20, 2022 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20226631688 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: COASTAL WINE CONNECTION 34041 CALLE LA PRIMAVERA DANA POINT, CA 92629 Full Name of Registrant(s): PETER G JONES 34041 CALLE LA PRIMAVERA DANA POINT, CA 92629 This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 03/01/2022 /s/PETER JONES This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 04/06/2022.

Published in: Dana Point Times, April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 2022 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20226631992 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: TUBE-ROSE HOME IMPROVEMENT 34122 GRANADA DR DANA POINT, CA 92629 Full Name of Registrant(s): RANDOLPH SHELDON ASHLEY 33105 TRADEWIND CT SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA 92675 This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: n/a /s/RANDOLPH ASHLEY This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 04/08/2022.

Published in: Dana Point Times, April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 2022 danapointtimes.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call Lauralyn Loynes at 949.388.7700, ext. 102 or lloynes@picketfencemedia.com

Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

Page 19

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DP LIVING

GUEST OPINION: | Book Talk

by Dan De Neve

‘A Girl During the War’

I

nternationally bestselling and local author Anita Hughes, writing as Anita Abriel, has published her third historical fiction novel about World War II, entitled, A Girl During the War. Fast-paced and set in wartime Italy in 1943, the story follows university student Marina Tozzi. When Marina comes home to a tragedy, she flees to Florence.

There, she finds refuge at the villa of Bernard Berenson and his partner, Bella de Costa Greene.

At the villa, Marina assists with cataloguing works of art, books, and other documents. While preparing the priceless items for safe storage away from the looting Nazis, Marina befriends

Dana Point Times May 13–19, 2022

neighbors Carlos and Desi, eventually leading to a romance between Marina and Carlos.

Like Marina, Carlos is doing his part in the fight against the Nazis, but as a partisan protecting Jews. Following the war, Marina and Carlos find themselves in Argentina, as Marina has taken a job in Buenos Aires, but things aren’t what they appear to be.

There is much to commend in this book. Lovers of art and travel will enjoy it. The images in the book are vivid and come to life. Although this is historical fiction, the author has done her research and weaved the fiction into the actual history.

For example, Berenson and Greene were a real-life couple. The characters have depth and are believable. Marina is likeable and intelligent, although somewhat naive. Carlos is not what you think he is, and Desi is a sweet, likeable young lady caught in an impossible position, but still a perfect friend for Marina.

Furthermore, will Marina and Carlos’ relationship survive the war, despite what they had or felt they needed to do? What makes this book stand out is the theme of saving precious art from the Nazis.

In recent years, this subject matter has been brought to light, especially with The Monuments Men, but the subject is still

Photo: Courtesy of Sincerely Media /Unsplash

underrepresented in the mainstream.

In light of recent research, Hughes also represents Pope Pius XII correctly.

Finally, she addresses Nazi occupation and how it impacted civilian life and relationships.

World War II and historical fiction fans will also enjoy this book. I enjoyed the novel and recommend it, as it will keep readers interested in the outcome of its characters and events.

Anita Hughes will be at the Dana Point Library on Saturday, May 28, from 2-4 p.m. to discuss the book, her writing, and writing in general. There will be a book signing to follow.

Page 20

Her other World War II historical fiction novels include The Light After the War and Lana’s War. For more information, call the library at 949.496.5517.

Dan DeNeve is a longtime employee of the Orange County Public Library. He currently works at the Dana Point Library as the Adult Services Librarian. He is an avid reader of history, biographies and sports. DP PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the DP Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared.

The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the DP Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@danapointtimes.com.

danapointtimes.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

DOLPHIN REPORT

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, DANA POINT TIMES

For in-game updates, news and more for all of the Dana Hills High School sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCSports.

Track Qualifies Nine Entries into CIF-SS Finals The top athletes for the Dana Hills track and field team breezed through the CIF-SS Division 2 preliminaries at Ventura High School on Saturday, May 7.

Six Dolphin athletes and one relay team will compete in nine total events at the CIF-SS Finals on Saturday, May 14, at Moorpark High School. All CIF-SS division finals will take place at the same site.

After pulling off double golds at the South Coast League Finals, both senior Jai Dawson and junior Allura Markow qualified in their respective signature boys and girls distance runs.

Dawson finished first in each of his heats in both the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs, and the New Zealand native will be the top seed in both events in the Finals. Dawson holds the top times in Division 2 in both events this season, the state’s fourth-best time in the 800 and the state’s fifth-best time in the 1,600. Dawson was the CIFSS Division 2 runner-up in the 1,600 meters last season.

Markow is positioned to repeat as the CIF-SS Division 2 champion in the 3,200-meter run, as she won her preliminary heat and will be the top seed in the final. The junior finished second in her 1,600-meter heat and fourth overall heading into the final. Markow posted the ninth-best time in the state in her 1,600-meter heat, but she will be in the final against runners recording the state’s best and fifth-best times.

Freshman Annie Ivarsson will join Markow in the 1,600-meter final, as she finished second in her heat and eighth overall.

Senior sprinter Sienna Frederiksen nearly also qualified in two individual events for the Dolphins.

Frederiksen finished third in her heat and eighth overall in the 400-meter sprint to finish inside the qualifying top nine, but in the 200-meter sprint, she finished just 0.35 seconds behind ninth to come in 13th place overall in the event.

Frederiksen will still run in a second

Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

event as a member of Dana Hills’ 4x400-meter relay team. The Dolphins finished second in their heat and sixth overall in the event to qualify. The relay team consists of Frederiksen, fellow seniors Ava Podolski and Ana Moreno, and sophomore Christina Abrams.

In the pole vault, Dana Hills qualified one in both the boys and girls events.

Senior Brandon Chang cleared a personal-record mark of 13 feet, 3 inches to qualify in sixth place on the jump-attempts tiebreaker in the boys pole vault. Junior Allison Karner also advanced on the jumps tiebreaker in girls pole vault with an eighth-place finish.

If any athlete finishes with a topnine performance across all four CIF-SS divisions, they will advance to the CIF-SS Masters Meet on Saturday, May 21, also at Moorpark High School. The exceptions are the 800 meters, 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters, where the top 12 overall performances advance.

The top six finishers in each event at Masters will then qualify for the CIF State Championships on Friday and Saturday, May 27 and 28, at Buchanan High School in Clovis.

Boys Golf Qualifies 3 for CIF-SS Individual Championships While the Dana Hills boys golf team’s eight-year reign atop the South Coast League came to an end last month, the Dolphins have stayed in top form to open the postseason.

Freshman Nick Davis, sophomore Nick Fry and junior Alex Pain each shot 1-under-par 71s to finish tied for 10th in the CIF-SS Individual Southern Regional on Monday, May 9, at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills.

Davis, Fry and Pain now advance to the CIF-SS Individual Championships on May 19 at River Ridge Golf Club in Oxnard.

Davis, Pain and Fry qualified for the CIF-SS individual postseason out of the South Coast League Finals on May 2-3 at Arroyo Trabuco. Davis extended his stellar freshman season by winning the South Coast League individual title with a 9-under-par, two-day total of 135 and being named league MVP. Pain finished fourth with an even-par 144, and Fry finished fifth with a 4-over 148.

Junior Cade Hansen also qualified for the CIF-SS individuals in seventh with a total of 150, and senior Jonathan Shelton won a playoff for eighth to claim the final qualifying spot.

As a team, Dana Hills finished 16-2

Dana Hills track and field qualified nine entries for the CIF-SS Division 2 Finals on Saturday, May 14, at Moorpark High School. Dana Hills senior Jai Dawson (pictured) and junior Allura Markow will each run in two distance events. Photo: Courtesy of Dana Hills Running Foundation

overall, with their only two losses coming to league champion Tesoro, which is the reigning CIF-SS Division 2 champion. The Dolphins play as a team in the CIF-SS Division 1 team championships on Monday, May 16, at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills.

Last season, Dana Hills finished fourth at the CIF-SS Division 2 team championship, which marked the Dolphins’ seventh straight top-four finish in the CIF-SS divisional round.

If Dana Hills finishes in the top 10 at the Division 1 championship, the rest of the Dolphins will join Davis, Fry and Pain on May 19 at River Ridge Golf Club to compete as a team at the CIF-SS SCGA Regional Qualifier, which is held concurrently with the CIF-SS Individual Championships.

If the Dolphins finish in the team top four or Davis, Fry or Pain finishes in the top 28 individuals, they will move on to the CIF/SCGA Southern State Regional Championship on May 26 at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena.

Saeedi, Gordon Round Out Swim Seasons in CIF-SS Consolation Finals

Page 21

Dana Hills junior Brandon Saeedi and sophomore Julia Gordon finished the swimming season for Dana Hills at the CIF-SS Finals on Friday, May 6, at Marguerite Aquatics Center.

While Saeedi and Gordon did not advance to the finals at last week’s preliminaries, the CIF-SS structure includes consolation finals for the ninth through 16th places and opportunities to qualify for the state meet.

Saeedi came the closest to state qualification, as he hit the state consideration standard in the Division 1 boys 200-yard freestyle. However, there were more times ahead of Saeedi, and when it came time to draw the line for state qualifiers, Saeedi fell on the other side. Saeedi finished 12th in the 200-yard freestyle and 15th in the 100yard backstroke.

Gordon finished 11th in the Division 2 girls 100-yard breaststroke and 14th in the 200-yard freestyle.

Dana Hills aquatics was still alive on Thursday afternoon, as senior Rhys Davies competed in the CIF State Diving Championships at Clovis West High School in Fresno, but results were not available at press time. Davies was the only Orange County boys diver to advance to state. DP

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DP SURF

A ‘Waterman’ Unlike Any Other New documentary shines light on the story of Duke Kahanamoku

BY JAKE HOWARD, DANA POINT TIMES

A

s Duke Kahanamoku’s celebrated Olympic career was ending in the second half of the 1920s, he settled for a time in Newport Beach. Splitting time between lifeguarding and acting in bit parts in Hollywood, the Hawaiian icon also found his way down to the southern reaches of Orange County.

He became somewhat of a regular at spots including Corona del Mar, which was one of the more popular surf breaks of the time, as well as the gentle, rolling waves and Hawaiian Islands-inspired scene at San Onofre.

In 1928, the San Clemente Beach Club opened (since renamed the Ole Hanson Beach Club). To help promote the new pool, a state-of-the-art swim facility at the time, Kahanamoku and Johnny Weismuller, a friend and rival, were invited to compete in an exhibition.

A few short years later, the San Clemente Beach Club hosted the 1932 Olympic tryouts. By then, Kahanamoku’s reign as an Olympic champion swimmer was largely over, but he did join Team USA as a member of the water polo team at the ’32 L.A. Games.

“My father and my uncle just threw me into the water from an outrigger ca-

Duke Kahanamoku receives his gold medal from King Gustav V of Sweden at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. Photo: Courtesy of the International Olympic Committee

noe. I had to swim, or else,” Kahanamoku would later explain.

Kahanamoku is rightly considered the father of modern surfing, and now his story is finally being told in the new, fulllength documentary called Waterman.

After a run through the film festival circuit, Waterman premiered on PBS’ American Masters this week.

Directed by Isaac Halasima, who got his start producing videos for the band Imagine Dragons, and narrated by Jason Momoa, of Aquaman and Dune fame, the film combines rare archival footage cut with reenactments in which Hawaiian surfer Duane DeSoto stands in for the late Kahanamoku.

The film also features some exceptional interviews with surf stars such as Laird Hamilton, Kelly Slater, Carissa Moore, Jack Johnson, Kai Lenny and many others.

The original release of Waterman had

been planned to coincide with the 2020 Tokyo Games, where surfing was to make its Olympic debut, but ultimately, that had to be scrapped because of the pandemic.

Nevertheless, it’s finally here, and it’s much more than just a story about another surfer.

Kahanamoku was a barrier-breaker in and out of the water. While he set world records in the pool and introduced the world to the Hawaiian concept of aloha, he also faced oppression and racism throughout his life.

“He is just as important as Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson and Jim Thorpe and Muhammad Ali,” Halasima explained to Hawaii News Now last month. “He’s one of those people that seemed to change the world when he came on the stage.”

Kahanamoku’s fame as a swimmer began in 1911, when he swam the 100-meter freestyle in the Honolulu Harbor and

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY CAPISTRANO VALLEY TOYOTA

SURF FORECAST

GROM OF THE WEEK

Water Temperature: 62-64 Degrees F

LUCAS SENKBEIL CASSITY

BY JAKE HOWARD, DANA POINT TIMES

S

an Juan Capistrano’s Lucas Senkbeil Cassity is going to have to add a lot more space to his trophy case if he keeps topping podiums the way he has been lately. An absolute weapon on his backhand with power for days, Cassity lets his results speak for themselves.

Cassity, who’s coming off two finals appearances at the NSSA regular-season finale at Salt Creek last weekend, has been a constant threat all year long. At the NSSA event at Ponto in San Diego

Dana Point Times May 13-19, 2022

eclipsed the world record by more than four seconds. Critics on the mainland doubted the record, but undeterred, Kahanamoku qualified for the 1912 U.S. Olympic swim team.

At the Stockholm Games, he officially broke the record for the 100-meter freestyle and was presented with the gold medal by King Gustav V of Sweden.

The Hawaiian once again topped the podium at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, where he won gold medals in both the 100-meter freestyle (beating fellow Hawaiian Pua Kealoha) and in the relay.

At the 1924 Games in Paris, he took the silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle (with the gold going to Weissmuller and the bronze to Kahanamoku’s brother, Samuel). In total, Kahanomoku would earn five Olympic medals over the course of his swimming career.

In 1914, he famously landed at Freshwater Beach in Sydney, Australia, where he’s credited with introducing surfing to the Land Down Under. As a high-profile, internationally recognized athlete, Kahanamoku traveled the world, sharing his Hawaiian culture with crowds.

“Before I left that fabulous land, the Australians had already turned to making their own boards and practicing what I had shown them in the surf,” Kahanamoku later recalled.

Don’t miss Waterman on your preferred streaming service; you’ll be glad you tuned in.

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

Water Visibility and Conditions: 2-3

the previous week, he won the Under 16 division.

The local waters have been good to him this spring, allowing Cassity to step up his game on the USA Surfing level. He won the Under 16 division and finished runner-up in the Under 14 division at the T-Street contest. Before that, he swept both divisions at the event at Church.

Any conditions, any size, Cassity is quickly proving how versatile—and dangerous—of a surfer he’s becoming.

If he’s been this good during a season

Lucas Senkbeil Cassity. Photo: Courtesy of USA Surfing

filled will some challenging surf and cold water, it’s going to be fun to see him go off when things really heat up this summer.

If you have a candidate for Grom of the Week, we want to know. Send an email to jakehoward1@gmail.com. DP

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Outlook: The swell blend maintains thigh to waist high waves, (2-3’), on Friday and Saturday. By Sunday a fresh mix of South/southwest and Northwest swell fills in for thighwaist-chest high surf, (2-3-4’). For Friday and the weekend, light/ variable morning winds will be followed by a light+ to moderate sea breeze in the afternoons.

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Dana Point Times May 13–19, 2022

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