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D a n a Po i nt

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Dana Point Times, Vol. 3, Issue 19. The DP Times (www.danapointtimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the SC Times (www.sanclementetimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (www.thecapistranodispatch. com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

PICKET FENCE MEDIA CEO Norb Garrett EDITORIAL Group Editor, Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Jonathan Volzke City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Swayne City Reporter, SC Times > David Zimmerle ART/Design Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith Graphic Designer > Heidi Mefferd

GUEST OPINION: By Steven H. Weinberg, Mayor, City of Dana Point

Dana Point 2010 State of the City I am honored to serve this year as Mayor of our beautiful City of Dana Point. One of the privileges of the office is to deliver the State of the City address at the annual Dana Point Chamber of Commerce event, held this year on April 29. This is the time to update the community on what is happening and to share the good news for the year. And there is a lot of good news this year. Rather than stand up in front of the room and talk about all that is great in Dana Point, I presented the State of the City address through a video standing in front of the camera, showing aerial footage and pictures. The presentation ended with a video clip from the Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling. It seemed appropriate for me to put on my Dana Point Grand Prix jersey, climb on my bike and close out the video on the criterium race course! The Headlands area is the point of Dana Steven Weinberg Point, 121.3 acres of sheer coastal bluffs, environmentally sensitive habitat areas, scenic vistas, and pedestrian trails with 27.9 acres of conservation area, 40.8 acres of parks and open space and 118 custom home lots. Future visitor/recreational use is planned on two parcels totaling 4.4 acres with a 90 room hotel, 40 bed hostel and 35,000 square feet of restaurants and shops. The Dana Point Preserve and Nature Interpretive Center are now open to the public. The Nature Interpretive Center, located at the end of Green Lantern, tells the historic story of the Headlands and shoreline changes on original paintings and through rotating exhibits. The Dana Point Preserve protects open space and several species of plants and animals, and allows public access to the natural setting and panoramic views. Trained docents provide guided tours of the new trail

system on the weekends. The new Strand Vista Park overlooks Strand Beach and has quickly become a community favorite. Artist Wick Alexander created custom fish mosaics with colored pavement, pebbles, glass and shells on the walkway and carried the marine life theme into low garden walls and benches. Strand Vista Park includes a Veteran’s Memorial honoring all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. During the State of the City address video, I rode down the new Funicular Beach Access inclined elevator. The funicular provides easy access from Strand Vista Park up and down to Strand Beach. It is owned and operated by the City and available free of charge to the public from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day; 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on holidays and weekends throughout year. In the video, I talked about the recent survey commissioned to understand our residents’ satisfaction, priorities and concerns about the City’s services and facilities. Nearly all residents (96 percent) shared favorable opinions of the quality of life in Dana Point, with 66 percent reporting as excellent and 30 percent as good. Residents were most satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide special events (96 percent), maintain parks and recreation (96 percent), provide police services (95 percent), and maintain streets and roads (94 percent). Overall, the survey indicated we are indeed “Harboring the Good Life” here in Dana Point and gave us feedback on what to continue to do well and how we can get even better. Without the collaboration of the Community, Chamber of Commerce, City Council and the City Staff working towards a common goal, we could not have balanced our budget, have money in the bank, maintained police and fire services, and retained all our city personnel.

GUEST OPINION: By Joel Bishop,

colorfully marking turf on a public wall, but in the morning the City erased the blight as if it were never there. The graffiti effort, like my birds effort is essentially a waste of time and energy begging the question, ‘why?’ Ideologues of both the right and the left, around the globe, take extreme positions that are not palatable to the majority, and yet they push their agendas and principles with unrelenting zeal. Recently Dana Point was provided with an overview of what’s going on in Afghanistan by LtCol William McCollough, USMC. His remarks centered on how his mission, in one small area of Afghanistan, was to work with the locals to reverse the demonization of Americans and to move the ideology away from the extreme. The efforts are working well, and in this area the opinions of the US are moving more central. Less smashing against the window, and collaterally, a safer world. I just returned from a vacation in South Korea. It’s tragic that this country, who was working on freeing itself in the 1940s from Japanese occupation, was bifurcated by two opposing leaders who were both ideologues. Unrelenting, the two sides fought and caused the deaths of millions, and the breaking apart of 10 million Korean families. Another council member and I are currently being

Dana Point City Councilmember

Is Ideology for the Birds? T

here is a bird that lives outside of my kitchen, who spends his days flying into my glass window. From dawn till dusk, several times a minute, he hits the window, over and over and over, all day long. He doesn’t seem to be too productive, but he is dedicated to his task. I understand that Joel Bishop this may be a mating behavior where he is protecting his turf, but it’s a great metaphor to demonstrative, ineffective and irrational behavior taken on by many human types as well, without the excuse of instinct. We recently had an incident of graffiti in Dana Point. The provider of the graffiti expended extensive effort and time, Page 12 • Dana Point Times • May 7–13, 2010

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Online Reader Poll Who was the “winner” in the CUSD teachers’ strike? The trustees because they held out. 9% Teachers, because they added the restoration language. 56% Nobody. And the children lost. 35% Make sure to sound off each week on the “DP Times Poll of the Week” at www.danapointtimes.com. Then go to our community Message Board and share your opinions. www.danapointtimes.com. Bookmark it today! The DP Times Online Reader Polls are not scientific and do not reflect the opinion of the DP Times.

The State of the City address was held at the beautiful Laguna Cliffs Marriott. The Marriott has just completed a year-long, multi-million dollar renovation with enhancements inside and out. The investment will benefit our community for many years and the renovated resort will be poised to take advantage of the recovering economy. At the State of the City event, the Chamber of Commerce also presented beautification awards to The Strand at Headlands, Laguna Cliffs Marriott and the Ocean Institute. Overall, the event was a visual reminder of the paradise we enjoy here in Dana Point. Special Note to Santa Clara and Town Center Neighborhood: Thank you for your hospitality during the Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling last month. World-class athletes raced your streets and you were out there cheering them on! You made us proud. About THIS COLUMN: Opinions expressed are those of the mayor, not necessarily those of other councilmembers or the Dana Point Times.

criticized by a small group of people who feel ideology is the most paramount concern in government. They cite our support of a small hotel room charge to generate capital to market Dana Point as a tourist destination. This fee was requested by the big four hotels and since DanaPoint has some of the lowest hotel taxes in the county, the council supported the move. But more, this was supported unanimously by the council. One comment on a blog stated “We need to have people of principle in local office, not just people that look at the numbers.” Principle is important, but numbers matter too. It’s spring in Dana Point, and with that brings the beauty of nature and the whole circle of life thing. I’ve seen so many animals walking two by two that I think that I am on Noah’s ark. We’ve seen deer, bunnies, and a menagerie of birds. We have a bird feeder and birdbath outside our kitchen window. It’s a pleasure to watch the birds come in tandem and eat, drink and soak up Dana Point’s bounties. I still wonder if the one bird will see the light and redirect his efforts to something more productive. PLEASE NOTE: The opinions offered here are solely those of the guest columnist and may or may not be shared by the Dana Point Times staff. We appreciate, however, their willingness to share their views, and we invite responses to be sent to letters@danapointtimes.com.