April 11, 2014

LO C A L

N EWS

April 11-17, 2014

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Community to Remember Surf, Sail Icon Hobie Alter DP SURF/PAGE 18 Photo: Leo Hetzel/SHACC VOLUME 7, ISSUE 15

The Green Issue

Local businesses and residents making real eco-friendly impact in the community S P E C I A L P U L LO U T Cover art for this year’s Green Issue was created by San Clemente-based artist Heather Ritts Rapozo.

Koehmstedt Shifts to Sheriff’s Homeland Security Division EYE ON DP/PAGE 3

Honoring Ramadi’s Fallen 10 Years Later DP LIVING/PAGE 14

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Dolphins Baseball Ends Tritons Streak with Walk-off Run SPORTS/PAGE 16

YOUR NO. 1 SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS, SPORTS AND MORE

DP EYE ON DP Dana Point

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING Corridor Agencies’ proposed extension of State Route 241 south to Interstate 5 near Trestles in 2008, opponents of the proposal have had a wary eye on the body, fearing a renewed effort.

It appears that effort will not come, at least for the time being.

On Tuesday, the TCA announced it will not push for an environmental impact statement in support of the Trestles extension. Rather, the agencies will refocus efforts on the Tesoro extension that would lengthen the 241 by five miles, from Oso Parkway in Mission Viejo to Cow Camp Road in San Juan Capistrano.

Michael Kraman, TCA acting chief executive officer, did not rule out a future proposal.

For the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation, the announcement was a nod from the TCA that the original project was “not viable and never has been viable,” said Stefanie Sekich-Quinn, the organization’s California Policy Manager.

Lt. Lynn Koehmstedt will step down as chief of Dana Point Police Services as he transitions to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s division of homeland security. Photo: Andrea Papagianis

What’s Up With...

Five things Dana Point should know this week After nearly seven years with Dana Point Police Services, and two at the helm of the city’s law enforcement staff, Lt. Lynn Koehmstedt will pass the reins to former-Dana Point city councilman and Orange County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Russ Chilton, as he moves on to a position with the department’s Homeland Security Division.

Lt. Koehmstedt Shifts to Sheriff’s Homeland Security Division THE LATEST: Dana Point Police Services will see a changing of the guard Friday, April 11 as Lt. Lynn Koehmstedt leaves his post, as chief, for one at Orange County Sheriff’s Department headquarters.

A 28-year force veteran, Koehmstedt, has been promoted to mutual-aid coordinator with the department’s Homeland Security Division. In his new role, Koehmstedt will coordinate forces from multiple agencies during instances of civil unrest or natural disasters.

Koehmstedt came to Dana Point in June 2007 and served as administrative sergeant until 2011. He had a brief stint with OCSD’s emergency operations center before returning as chief of police services in March 2012 after the retirement of former chief Lt. Mark Levy.

WHAT’S NEXT: Public outreach programs such as “Hide It, Lock It or Lose It,” drug Dana Point Times April 11-17, 2014

take back and active shooter trainings have grown from Levy to Koehmstedt’s tenure to serve as models for similar initiatives throughout the county.

Locally, crime is down by 27 percent in the first quarter of 2014 as compared to last year, Koehmstedt said, a testament to the work of deputies, and educational efforts, in the area.

The sheriff’s department, which contracts with the city to provide law enforcement, didn’t have to look far for Koehmstedt’s replacement. Former city councilman and OCSD employee, Lt. Russ Chilton, will take over. Chilton, a Dana Point resident since 1995, first came to town as a patrolman in 1988.

—Andrea Papagianis

TCA Ends Toll Road Extension Efforts Past San Juan Capistrano THE LATEST: Since the federal Department of Commerce and California Coastal Commission rejected the Transportation

WHAT’S NEXT: The TCA will still appeal a 2013 decision against its proposed extension to Cow Camp Road by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.

—Jim Shilander

Wednesday’s Mysterious Shaking Sonic Not Seismic THE LATEST: A jolt that rattled windows and nerves across coastal Southern California Wednesday afternoon was the result of the sonic boom of a naval aircraft.

Lt. Reagan Lauritzen, of Naval Air Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, said a supersonic flight at 12:30 p.m. about 50 miles off the Southern California coast, as part of an operation with the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, was the cause of the shaking.

The event, felt along the coast from south Orange County to northern Los Angeles County shortly before 1 p.m., was commonly described as a loud boom and jolt followed by a few seconds of shaking.

Many reported that despite a strong and steady rattling of windows and doors, the ground did not move.

WHAT’S NEXT: Caltech seismologist Kate Hutton said no earthquake activity was recorded in the area at the time.

—Andrea Swayne

country trek from Dana Point Saturday, marking an end to his more than 5,000mile, six-month journey.

Jones, of Lovettsville, Va., deployed to Iraq in 2008 and to Afghanistan in 2010. While searching for undetonated improvised explosive devices in Taliban territory, Jones was injured, resulting in the amputation of his legs below the knee.

During recovery, Jones was fitted for prosthetics and began training for the Paralympics in rowing. Jones and his partner brought home a bronze medal in 2012.

In October, Jones embarked on his next challenge: a cross-country bike ride to raise money for injured servicemen and women. Riding 30 to 35 miles a day, Jones has ridden from Bar Harbor, Maine to Southern California and is in the last stage of his ride to Camp Pendleton.

WHAT’S NEXT: A send off and donation presentation will be held at 7:30 a.m.

Saturday at the DoubleTree Suites, 34402 Pacific Coast Highway, before Jones completes his ride.

Track the final stretches of Jones’ journey at www.robjonesjourney.com.—AP

Doheny Hotel Goes Before Planning Commission Monday THE LATEST: Residents will once again have a chance to share their thoughts on the proposed Doheny Hotel Monday night as the Planning Commission continues its public hearing on the development.

It’ll be the first time commissioners and the public hear updated plans for the more than 250-room, four-star hotel project at Dana Point Harbor Drive and Pacific Coast Highway. While a decision on the highly contested project could come, the body may choose to continue the discussion for a third time.

In December, hotel developer Beverly Hills Hospitality Group announced plans would be altered to address community concerns of height, density, traffic and parking. The developer said it would modify “Option B” in the project’s draftEnvironmental Impact Report—that was made available to the public last summer—to utilize 0.76 acres of Lantern Bay Park for the hotel’s front driveway.

Veteran Makes Dana Point Stop along CrossCountry Bike Ride

WHAT’S NEXT: The meeting is set for 6 p.m. April 14 at the Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo St. Commissioner Norm Denton recused himself from the debate due to his homeowners association owning land nearby.

THE LATEST: Iraq and Afghanistan War veteran Rob Jones, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 2006 to 2011, will embark on the final ride of his cross-

FIND OUT MORE: Read more about the debate at www.danapointtimes.com by searching “Doheny Hotel.”—AP

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www.danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

DP Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BY ANDREA PAPAGIANIS

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

SPONSORED BY

Dana Point Police Services www.HideitLockitOrLoseit.com

Monday, April 7 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Pacific Coast Highway, 34100 Block (12:01 a.m.)

Authorities detained a young man and woman who were reportedly drinking alcohol in the back of a blue Kia Forte. An informant witnessed the pair’s consumption and said they also filled up other containers.

DISTURBANCE Santa Clara Avenue, 24200 Block (11:15 p.m.) Ten or more people were heard yelling, revving their engines and making “too much noise” in a complex parking lot, a caller said.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Pacific Coast Highway/Dana Point Harbor Drive (10:51 p.m.) Two men took wooden pallets from behind landscaping vehicles parked near Lantern Bay Park. When asked by the caller what they were doing,

NEWS BITES COMPILED BY ANDREA PAPAGIANIS AND BRIAN PARK

Military Mondays to Support VFW Outreach Starting Monday, April 14, area restaurants will offer patrons the opportunity to dine for a good cause, supporting the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and their outreach efforts.

VFW Post 9934 has teamed up with Brio Tuscany Grille, The Shwack Beach Grill and The Surfin’ Cowboy for a Monday evening fundraiser to help bring the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall to town and to assist the post’s projects serving active and veteran servicemen and women.

Upon arriving at the restaurants, diners should inform their server they are there to support the VFW, said organizer Christy Austin. The Surfin’ Cowboy will donate 15 percent of supporters’ bills to the local chapter and is offering a 15 percent discount to those dinners. Both Brio and Shwack will donate 20 percent of the bill to the VFW, but Shwack doesn’t join in on Military Mondays until April 21.

Dana Point Times April 11-17, 2014

the woman was transported to an area hospital.

the men said they had also taken pallets from area grocery stores. The pair left in separate vehicles, one in a black Ford Mustang and the other in a white pick-up.

WELFARE CHECK Selva Road/Pacific Coast Highway (8:14 p.m.) Officials were alerted to a naked woman walking back-andforth across the street. She was described as being in her 40s with dark hair and holding a towel. Deputies made contact with a woman fitting the description. No crime was committed as the woman was wearing bathing suit bottoms and holding a sleeping bag.

WELFARE CHECK Del Obispo Street, 33800 Block (4:37 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for an apparently drunken man who had fallen into the street. The man was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark shorts, flips flops and was carrying a six pack.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-UNKNOWN INJURIES Del Prado Avenue/Pacific Coast Highway (4:22 p.m.) Orange County Fire Authority officials transported a bicyclist to an area hospital with moderate injuries after an accident involving a garbage truck. A witness said the man’s arm was possibly broken and reported a large laceration on the biker’s arm.

BURGLARY IN PROGRESS Breakwater Drive, 33600 Block (1:17 a.m.) A suspected burglar was believed to have fled on foot after an attempted residential break in.

The caller could not provide a description but heard someone running southbound on Breakwater Drive away from the home.

SUNDAY, April 6 DISTURBANCE Caribbean Drive/Seven Seas Drive (3:04 p.m.) Three skateboarders were traveling northbound on Caribbean Drive. The caller reported skateboarding was not allowed in the community.

KEEP THE PEACE Doheny Park Road/Domingo Avenue (2:25 p.m.) Authorities were asked to keep the peace during a custody exchange for a dog.

DISTURBANCE Street of the Golden Lantern/ Pacific Coast Highway (12:56 a.m.) Five men reportedly assaulted the caller. The men, who may have been carrying knives, were last seen running up PCH.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Camino Capistrano/Sepulveda Avenue (11:19 a.m.) County fire officials asked local deputies to block off Camino Capistrano at Del Obispo Avenue because a woman was lying in the roadway and was refusing to cooperate with fire and medical crews. Eventually, The promotion will run each Monday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. through May 12.

Restaurants interested in joining Military Mondays are encouraged to contact Austin at realtorchristyaustin@gmail.com.

Brio Tuscany Grille is located at 24050 Camino Del Avion; The Shwack Beach Grill at 24502 Del Prado Ave. and The Surfin’ Cowboy at 34235 Doheny Park Road.

Tri-city Forum to Offer Water-saving Tips, Info Water experts will be on hand to answer residents’ questions and provide information during a free forum hosted by the cities of San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point and San Clemente, as well as the South Coast Water District, on Tuesday, April 29.

The event is the latest in the H2O for HOAs Presentation Series and will take place at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, 25925 Camino Del Avion, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The topic of the forum will be “ideas worth sharing.” A class on Californiafriendly landscaping techniques will be offered, and water experts will discuss topics such as the state’s ongoing drought, water rebates, recycled water, runoff man-

DISTURBANCE Street of the Blue Lantern/ Pacific Coast Highway (12:49 a.m.) A drunken man, who was bleeding from his face and knuckles, approached the caller saying he was being pursued. When asked if he was involved in a fight, the bleeding man was confused and said he “didn’t know what was going on” but was afraid he was going to be shot. The caller phoned a second time to say the man had run away. agement and pest and vector control.

The event will also include exhibitors and prize opportunities.

RSVPs are required and can be made online at www.tinyurl.com/H2O4HOA or by email bdubois@sanjuancapistrano. org. For more information, visit the city’s website www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Coffee Chat Open to All Residents, Discussions This month’s Dana Point Civic Association coffee chat on Friday, April 18 will be an open forum where community members can discuss area concerns, successes and anything in between.

The Civic Association hosts Coffee Chat on the third Friday of each month. Chats begin at 8:30 a.m. at Coffee Importers, 34531 Golden Lantern at the Dana Point Harbor. Guest speakers and discussion topics vary to include issues and items of interest to Dana Point residents.

The event is always free, open to the public and complimentary coffee is served.

Have something for News Bites? Send info to editorial@danapointtimes.com.

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Community Meetings MONDAY, APRIL 14

Planning Commission Meeting 6 p.m.

The Planning Commission meets at the Dana Point Community Center, located at 34052 Del Obispo St., to discuss area developments and more. Check out the meeting agenda at www.danapoint.org.

TUESDAY, APRIL 15

City Council Meeting 6 p.m. The city’s five-member governing body meets at City Hall, 33282 Golden Lantern. Stay with www.danapointtimes.com for a look at the night’s discussions.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16

Arts and Culture Commission Meeting

6 p.m. The city and commission invite local artists and residents to an open forum centering on the role arts play in Dana Point. The discussion at City Hall, 332825 Golden Lantern, will explore ways the arts can be an integral part of the community through partnerships with foundations, businesses, schools and government agencies. For more information, call 949.248.3530.

News Next Door

WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNS

SAN CLEMENTE

Citing a lack of scientific data on the potential health effects of electronic cigarettes, the San Clemente City Council rejected a proposal to ban the devices in city parks, trails and beaches where regular cigarettes are banned.

The Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission recently voted unanimously to approve the ban. Three council members said the lack of definitive scientific data on effects devices can have on users made the ban premature.

Brown said prohibiting the devices was “a bridge too far,” especially when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to provide information on health hazards.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

The Rev. Monsignor Arthur A. Holquin, pastor and rector at Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano for more than a decade, will be scaling back his role at the church due to health concerns, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange confirmed last week.

Holquin, who was appointed as head of the church at historic Mission San Juan Capistrano in 2003, has been suffering from a rare neurological disease that limits his mobility.

He will be replaced by Rev. Monsignor J. Michael McKiernan, pastor at Christ Our Savior Catholic Parish, effective July 1. While he will be giving up many of his administrative responsibilities, Holquin said he will remain at the parish as “rector emeritus.” www.danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

Bridging the Gap in South Orange County La Pata project to connect San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente breaks ground The project is also indicative of transportation monies making their way south, an Clemente, San Juan Capistrano said Frank Ury, a Mission Viejo city counand Orange County officials smiled cilman and Orange County Transportation throughout the Friday, April 4 Authority board member. groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate “It’s our turn,” Ury said. a more than 50-year journey to provide Funds for the project primarily come a link between the two cities and an adfrom Measure M reserves. The measure ditional option for area drivers. is a half-cent sales tax Orange County Work will soon begin to extend La Pata voters approved levying on themselves Avenue from its northern terminus at the in order to provide infrastructure imPrima Deschecha Landfill in San Juan Capprovements. Both cities will also provide istrano to San Clemente, just past Calle funding, as will the county’s department of Saluda, where the road is called Avenida waste and recycling.

La Pata. The project will cost about $73 Safe-alternative million and should routes to I-5 providing be completed by the end of 2016.

We needed a back door residents an out to travel both north and One speaker after … We needed a way out in south in the case of an the next spoke of emergency have long the project’s long case of an emergency. been a concern in road to actuality. City –Lori Donchak south Orange County. connection plans The safety issue is were initially put on one San Clemente City Councilwoman the county’s transportation radar in 1963.

Lori Donchak has focused lobbying efLa Pata Avenue began as an access road forts in Washington and Sacramento on. to the landfill in 1970. In San Clemente, “We needed a back door,” Donchak Avenida La Pata was mentioned in the said. “We needed a way out in case of an 1982 general plan and in planning docuemergency.” ments for the Talega and Forster Ranch Soon after the speeches, officials from developments—meaning local residents across the county tossed the first clumps have been waiting decades for this project of dirt from ceremonial gold-colored shovto get moving. els—signifying the project’s start.

“This is something we wanted, that we In December, the county’s board of suhoped for and asked for, for years,” said pervisors contracted with Sukut ConstrucSan Clemente Mayor Tim Brown. “What tion, Inc. of Santa Ana for the $72.7 million was promised is now being done. It’s reproject. The project will include multiple ally the most important road project since phases, the first of which will close the Interstate 5 came through the city.” gap. The second phase will see the widenLongtime advocate for the project, 5th ing of La Pata Avenue in San Juan from District Supervisor Pat Bates, echoed three to five lanes.

Brown’s sentiment, calling the 2-mile gap Mike Crawford, president of Sukut, said closure “the most significant roadway there are a number of topographical chalimprovement project remaining in Orange lenges facing the project, including filling County.” in canyons, but said “It’s what we do.”

Rather than simply being an interesting “We’ve done jobs on difficult terrain path for hikers, Bates said, the corridor before. It’s not an easy project by any project would soon provide a way to bring stretch, but it’s what we do,” he said. DP south county cities closer together.

STORY BY JIM SHILANDER, DANA POINT TIMES

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Officials from around Orange County ready to dig up the first dirt for the La Pata gap closure project that will connect San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Jim Shilander

Dana Point Times April 11-17, 2014

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DP SOAPBOX Dana Point

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

Letters to the Editor PICKING UP AFTER OTHERS, KEEPING MY HOMETOWN CLEAN MADDIE CURRAN, Dana Point

Three cheers for Cheryl McCarthy (“Letter: Starting Today, Make a Difference and Clean Up,” DP Times, March 28, Vol. 7, Issue 13). I agree with you, I have been picking up trash for over a year now.

Like you, I am disgusted with people who litter. We live in just a beautiful place, yet people will not respect where they live today. I am going to list the following examples of blatant littering I find offensive and criminal.

• People who after picking up fast food at a drive thru and eating it in their car, dispose of all the containers, napkins and cups right out the window.

• Bad dog owners who throw their poop bags in bushes or streets because they are too lazy to properly dispose of it themselves. These people give dog owners a bad name and should not a have a pet if they cannot pick up after it.

• Moms who do not dispose of their baby’s diapers, and yes, this is happening.

I am finding them in the streets. Come on now. Bring a plastic bag with you in your strollers.

• People who throw their cigarette butts in the streets, the beach or anywhere outside. It really irks me when I see a sticker on a car that reads “Save the Ocean” and the person who owns that car is throwing out a cigarette butt. Do you not know that

most cigarette butts end up in the sewer drains that go to the ocean?

• Oh, the coffee houses. You know the old saying, “If a had a nickel for all the times I ...” Well, if I had a dollar for all the coffee cups and containers I have picked up from Starbucks, McDonald’s, 7-Eleven and more, I would have a nice savings account.

• The surprising number of aluminum cans and liquor bottles too, though the most littered container has to be, hands down, mini bottles of wine. I did not know we had a huge population of wine drinkers.

• Lastly, that sheath-like covering of thin rubber. I see them near the beach parking lots and also at parks. All I can say is, If you cannot afford a room, maybe you should not be doing what you are doing.

In conclusion, people have asked me why I pick up someone else’s trash, I tell them I do it because this is my hometown and I want it to remain beautiful.

CHOIR, SYMPHONY PROVIDE OTHERWORLDLY EXPERIENCE JOEL BISHOP, Dana Point

After the Saturday, March 29 concert by the Christ Church Cathedral Choir and the Dana Point Symphony, my ears will never be satisfied with my earbuds again.

The purity of the sounds and the voices at St. Edwards were angelic and ethereal.

Many numbers, including Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” were sung by the choir, whose voices were literally, heavenly.

I am proud of our local artists, of the city’s contribution to the events and of Berenika Schmitz for her galvanizing leadership in the symphony’s direction.

Members of the Christ Church Cathedral Choir of Oxford University perform at Casa Romantica last week. The all-boys choir did a stretch of shows during their visit in San Clemente and one with the Dana Point Symphony on March 29. Photo: Jim Shilander

Dana Point Times April 11-17, 2014

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BROUGH RE-ENERGIZED TOWN CENTER, COUNCIL DEBATES JOHN SCHANTZ, Monarch Beach

I strongly disagree with Dana Point resident Lynn O’Neil’s recent criticism of Councilman Bill Brough (“Letter: Questioning Councilman’s Knowledge, Ability” March 28, DP Times, Vol. 7, Issue 13).

The long-delayed Town Center project is now re-energized thanks to Mr. Brough with the city finally spending some of our money on improvements. And thank you Mr. Brough for injecting some rigorous debate and fresh ideals into those incredibly ponderous council meetings.

LANTERN DISTRICT SIGNAGE: WHAT’S THE RUSH? CARL IVERSON, Capistrano Beach

I am of the opinion that the proposed entry structure to be located at the north entrance of the Lantern District is in need of additional thought and consideration of the questions that I have to ask is, Why the rush?

Considering the amount of work that must be accomplished through the development of the Lantern District, this entry element does not to be designed and built now. It appears to be an attempt to define the character of a neighborhood before the character actually develops.

In spite of the visions that the city might have for the project, the Lantern District is a developer funded and designed project that will evolve and develop its character over time.

Another question that I have is, why has there been such limited public input into the design of this element?

This is something that the public should at least be made aware of and I mean in a manner more than the minimum legal notification that just covers the city. Also, a seemingly secretive “ad-hoc committee” was formed to establish the design and hire the consultants, with no open bid process and no community input.

As for a personal comment, I would like to say that the design as accepted is both unattractive and something that will be confusing for non-locals entering town.

Dana Point will have to live with this for decades to come. The quality of a community relates directly to the care and concern of its citizens. And only public input will have an effect on those that make decisions for us.

Please take the time to pause and rethink. Dana Point deserves better.

To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@danapointtimes.com or send it to 34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624. Dana Point Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers.

34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 www.danapointtimes.com

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Andrea Papagianis, 949.388.7700, x112 apapagianis@danapointtimes.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Lauralyn Loynes, 949.388.7700, x102 lloynes@danapointtimes.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, x107 tzines@danapointtimes.com BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER Alyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@danapointtimes.com

PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

> Lisa Cosenza ( San Clemente)

EDITORIAL

> Michele Reddick (San Clemente)

Group Senior Editor > Andrea Swayne

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Papagianis

OPERATIONS

Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale

Finance Director > Mike Reed

City Editor, SC Times > Jim Shilander

Business Operations Manager > Alyssa Garrett

City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Brian Park ART/DESIGN Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes (Dana Point)

Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, Jonathan Volzke CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Victor Carno, Catherine Manso, Madison May, Tawnee Prazak, Jenna Ross, Dana Schnell, Tim Trent

Dana Point Times, Vol. 7, Issue 15. 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 2014. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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DP GETTING OUT Dana Point

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

The List

What’s going on in and around town this week COMPILED BY TAWNEE PRAZAK

Friday | 11 DEREK BORDEAUX BAND 7:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. Live Motown and R&B covers at Salt Creek Grille. 32802 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, 949.661.7799, www.saltcreekgrille.com.

FELISHA KIESWETTER 8 p.m. Enjoy live music harborside, at Wind & Sea Restaurant. 34699 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.6500, www.windandsearestaurants.com.

Saturday | 12 DOHENY WOOD CAR SHOW 8 a.m.–3 p.m. The annual all-woodie car show at Doheny State Beach presented by the Southern California Woodie Club. Parking $15, event is free. 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6172, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

DANA POINT FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Seasonal produce, flowers and much more at La Plaza Park each Saturday. 949.248.3500, www.danapoint.org.

EDITOR’S PICK

Monday | 14

MAMMA MIA 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents this hit musical about a mother, a daughter and three potential dads walking down memory lane.

Set in Greece to the music of ABBA, this tale of love and laughter is internationally acclaimed. Tickets start at $29. Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787, www.scfta.org.

COUNTRY DANCIN’ WITH PATRICK AND FRIENDS 6:30 p.m. Every Monday at The Swallow’s Inn with steak night and happy hour prices. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188.

Tuesday | 15

LIVE OAK REVIEW 9 p.m. Live music at StillWater Spirits & Sounds. 24701 Del Prado Ave., Dana Point, 949.661.6003, www.danapointstillwater.com.

$2 TUESDAY Tacos, domestic drafts and shot specials for $2 at The Swallow’s Inn. Chris Cram performs on stage. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188.

Sunday | 13 OC FAIR IMAGINOLOGY 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free, family educational activities and entertainment focused on S.T.E.A.M. curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).

Plus food trucks, a petting zoo and more for a small fee. OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.708.1500, www.ocfair.com/steam.

DANA HARBOR TOASTMASTERS 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Practice becoming a more confident communicator in a fun learning environment. Occurs every Tuesday. For more info, call Marshall at 949.441.6179. Dana Point Library, 33841 Niguel Road, Dana Point. www.1707.toastmastersclubs.org

Wednesday | 16

FESTIVAL OF BOOKS 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Last day to enjoy this celebration of music, comedy, photography, film, art, food and books. Free. USC, University Park Campus, just off Interstate 110 at Exposition Blvd. and Figueroa St., Los Angeles, festivalofbooks2014.usc.edu.

GEM & MINERAL SOCIETY MEETING 7:15 p.m. The South Orange County Gem & Mineral Society meets the third Wednesday of the month in at the San Clemente Community Center. Guests welcome. Refreshments served. 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, 949.498.8358, www.socgems.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12 PATRIOT’S DAY MARINE CAR WASH 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Join Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9934 in thanking and supporting the members of the Camp Pendletonbased Marine Aircraft Group 39. South Shores Church, 32712 Crown Valley Parkway, Dana Point, www.vfwpost9934.org.

Thursday | 17

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9934 hosts servicemen and women from the Camp Pendleton-based Marine Aircraft Group 39 Saturday for a car wash at South Shores Church. Photo: Andrea Papagianis

MERMADE MARKET 10 a.m.–9 p.m. A three-day, handmadecraft boutique opens at the Dana Point Community House and runs through Saturday, April 19. Face painting will be offered on Saturday. Free. 24642 San Juan Ave., Dana Point.

THIRD-THURSDAY MIXER 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. The Dana Point Chamber hosts this monthly networking event

for attendees to meet contacts and discuss business over hors d’oeuvres and drinks. $12 for members, $20 for non-members.

Boneyard Café, Doheny State Beach, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.1555, www.danapointchamber.com.

BEER CAN RACE KICKOFF PARTY 6:30 p.m. Join the Dana Point Yacht Club for a night of food, fun and beer to learn about the summertime “Beer Can” racing series. 24399 Dana Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2900, www.dpyc.org.

Children and parents anxiously await the egg hunt’s start at last year’s Easter celebration at Pines Park.

Photo: Andrea Papagianis

UPCOMING: SATURDAY, APRIL 12 PANCAKE BREAKFAST AND EGG HUNT 8:30 a.m.–11 a.m. Bring the family to the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club’s pancake breakfast during the Dana Point Easter egg hunt at Sea Canyon Park. $6 for adults, $3 for children. 33121 Santiago Drive, Dana Point, www.monarchbeachrotary.com.

DANA POINT EGG HUNTS 9 a.m.–10 a.m. Children up to 10 can enjoy games, egg hunts, a petting zoo and a visit from the Easter Bunny. Egg hunts start at 10 a.m. Free. Events are held at Pines Park, 34941 Camino Capistrano, Capistrano Beach and Sea Canyon Park, 33093 Santiago Drive, Dana Point, 949.248.3530, www.danapoint.org.

For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.danapointtimes.com Have an event? Send your listing to events@danapointtimes.com

On Stage at the Coach House: Jeff Bridges and The Abiders

Jeff Bridges. Courtesy photo

Dana Point Times April 11-17, 2014

Get set for a night of country music when veteran A-list actor Jeff Bridges and his band, The Abiders, stop by the Coach House on Thursday, April 24.

Although he is mostly known for his roles in such blockbusters as True Grit, The Big Lebowski and Crazy Heart, Bridges said that his first passion was playing music.

From early on in his childhood, Bridges recalls his mother forcing him to take piano

lessons. He said he quickly grew bored of the piano and quit, but his passion to play music was regained upon discovering his brother’s electric guitar while he was in high school. Soon after, he began having early success in movies.

“I was drawn to the path of least resistance, and music took a backseat, but I was still writing all that time,” Bridges says in his artist bio.

Page 10

As for now Bridges is about to embark on a West Coast tour with The Abiders to promote his latest self-titled album.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $78 and can be purchased, along with dinner reservations, by visiting www.thecoachhouse.com or by calling 949.496.8930. The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.—Victor Carno www.danapointtimes.com

File photos and photos courtesy of The Ecology Center and Goin Native

JOIN THE GREEN SCENE

A select group of San Clemente High School juniors enrolled in Lisa Kerr’s (seventh from left) Advanced Placement Environmental Science have taken part in a program that puts them to work locally and globally on environmental sustainability projects. Courtesy photo

Local Students Take Hands-on Approach to Environmental Sustainability With support from a local nonprofit, students are doing their part to help the environment, in their communities and abroad

By Brian Park Holly Pope wants to make the world a better place to live in. But if there’s one thing the San Clemente High School student has learned this year, it’s that real change requires action, not just quixotic platitudes.

Pope is one of a select group of students, all juniors enrolled in Advanced Placement environmental science courses, at five Orange County high schools, including San Clemente and Dana Hills. During the school year, the students have been applying their classroom lessons into real-world environmental sustainability projects in their local communities.

Their culminating project, however, takes place overseas, with a 10-day field expedition to study the nocturnal habits of creatures living in the Mankwe Wildlife Reserve in South Africa. The research will help scientists better understand and preserve the sub-Saharan ecosystem.

The trip is made possible through scholarships funded by the Kenneth A. Picerne Foundation, a San Juan Capistrano-based nonprofit organization founded in 2004.

One of the foundation’s keystone programs is the Global Sustainability Project, which is now in its fourth year of a five-year pilot run.

“The idea is to give students an opportunity to learn about other cultures, to

contribute their skills in a real way toward understanding and sustaining their environment,” said Victor Nelson, the foundation’s executive director.

Ten to 11 students are selected from each participating school’s AP environmental science class. Those students, under the guidance of their teacher, work 40 hours during the school year on a local project.

Pope and her classmates have been working with the San Onofre Foundation to create a curriculum for freshmen biology field trips at San Mateo State Park. Once it’s completed, the students will be punching their tickets to South Africa in August.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to travel abroad with my peers but to also see how environmental science really works in the field,” Pope said.

Pope said she hopes to continue studying environmental science in college, with the ultimate goal of working in food science, environmental planning or hydrobiology.

For Nelson, students, like Pope, who are coming out of the program are an immediate solution to the long-term problem of environmental sustainability.

“I think it’s a potentially transformative experience for the kids who participate,” Nelson said.

In the quest for a more ecofriendly lifestyle, changes can take on many forms. Whether looking to grow your own food, help clean up the beach, recycle, or learn more about local flora and fauna, there are plenty of nearby options coming up.

Here we highlight two of the many opportunities to get involved, learn something new and make a difference in our community.

Be sure to check out the Green Scene events listing in this section, for more fun and inspiring happenings scheduled in honor of Earth Day. Choose one event, or many, discover something new and take another step toward a greener way of life.

—Andrea Swayne

Dana Point Harbor Underwater Cleanup The OC Dana Point Harbor is seeking certified volunteer scuba divers to participate in their 11th underwater cleanup event set for Saturday, May 10 from 8 a.m. to noon.

These cleanups are a key component in the Harbor’s continuing water quality improvement program.

Previous events recovered over 35,000 pounds of miscellaneous debris which included tools, chairs, marine toilets, outboard motors, bicycles, skateboards, electronics and more.

Aqualung America, Inc. will be awarding a scuba regulator valued at $650 for the most unusual item recovered.

Participants will receive an event T-shirt, food and beverages throughout the event.

Cleanup efforts will be concentrated on the east side of Dana West Marina B-Dock, 24500 Dana Point Harbor Drive in Dana Point.

Certified divers and volunteers can register and find out more by contacting the Dana West Marina office at 949.493.6222 or at www.dphunderwatercleanup.com.

Goin Native volunteers work in the gardens at Los Rios Park in San Juan Capistrano. Courtesy photo

Eco Xpo: Garden and Sustainable Living Show The Eco Xpo is set for Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Los Rios Park in San Juan Capistrano.

Hosted by Goin Native Therapeutic Gardens, the expo is aimed at educating and encouraging the creation of beautiful, bountiful and beneficial gardens while conserving resources through innovative landscape design, low-water plants and solar and LED lighting.

The free event will feature demonstration gardens, expert speakers, local produce, activities for kids and more than 50 vendors offering environmental products and resources. Proceeds from sponsorship and donations will benefit the butterfly habitat and beautification of the park.

Goin Native has cared for the native plants at Los Rios Park since 2009. The nonprofit organization is committed to providing horticultural education, emotional and physical rehabilitation and practical life skills to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, while promoting environmental sustainability.

Los Rios Park is located at 31790 Paseo Adelanto in the Los Rios Historic District.

For more information, call 949.606.6386 or visit www.goinnative.net.

In the Community: What is your top strategy for living a greener life?

Brett Wolf, San Juan Capistrano I try to ride my bike as much as I can. Biking slows things down and the joy of riding a bicycle is unsurpassable. It saves money on gas and keeps you fit. I’m a nurse and I feel like riding my bike to work is a good way to stay fit and portray a good image in the community.

Jose Soriano, 13, Niguel Hills Middle School I like to take the bus because my mom doesn’t have to drive me in a car and waste gas. It’s pretty easy to get around on the bus and I can get pretty much anywhere I want to go. I think it’s fun. And sometimes, I even get some exercise, when I’m late and have to make a run for it.

Darah Dreyer, San Clemente My favorite way to help the environment is to use reusable water bottles and coffee cups because I feel like the waste the single-use ones create is a really big issue.

Interviews and photos

by Andrea Swayne

THE GREEN ISSUE

Backyard Skills: Greywater

the green

SCENE

1 p.m. Recycle water and use yours better.

Learn from Brook Sarson of H2OME on how to design, install and maintain a greywater system that’s right for your home. Tickets $20 for members, $30 for non-members.

Tickets available online. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

Wednesday, April 16 Farm to Fork: Adults

Earth Day and Other Eco-Friendly Events Friday, April 11 Kids’ Free Gardening Workshops

10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Casa Romantica offers a free workshop for kids ages 7-11. This fun outdoor, hands-on learning experience will promote environmental awareness and the joy of being in nature while learning water-wise gardening. Two additional sessions are scheduled for July 17 and July 18. Reservations required. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949.498.2139, www.casaromantica.org.

Saturday, April 12 Earth Day Restoration Project

9 a.m. Volunteer to help plant native plants, shrubs and trees around the park. Bring a shovel and work gloves, if available. Upon arrival, let the gate guard know you are volunteering and they will direct to free parking. For more information, contact Vicki Wiker at 949.496.6172 or vwiker@parks.ca.gov. Doheny State Beach, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

6 p.m. Experience a hands-on cooking class for adults, starting in the garden and ending with a delicious meal. Tickets are $40 for members, $50 for non-members.

Tickets available online. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

Friday, April 18 Farm Film Series: Global Gardener

7 p.m. The Ecology Center presents a free educational film screening and community potluck under the stars. Get cozy with your own chair or blanket and nosh on homemade popcorn, craft beer on draught and light refreshments (available for purchase).

Reserve a free ticket in advance. 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

Saturday, April 19 Mother Earth Beach, Creek and Park Cleanup 9 a.m.-noon. Volunteer to clean the beach, San Juan Creek and the Doheny State Park grounds. Bring work gloves and meet at Lifeguard Headquarters. Upon arrival, let the gate guards know you are volunteering and they will direct you to free parking.

For more information, contact Vicki Wiker at 949.496.6172 or vwiker@parks.ca.gov.

Doheny State Beach, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

Visitors explore the many eco-friendly exhibits and demonstration gardens at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Scott Sporleder, The Ecology Center

THE GREEN ISSUE

necessary. But, for groups of 10 or more, please inform Jonathan Witt in advance at 949.496.2274 ext. 330 or jwitt@ocean-institute.org to ensure ample cleanup supplies will be available.

Ocean Institute Earth Day Go Green & Blue The Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center offers great views, not only of whales passing in the waters below, but also provides an introduction to native flora and fauna. Photo: Andrea Swayne

Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center Whale Walk and Talk

9 a.m.-11 a.m. Many different species of whales and dolphins can be seen passing through the Pacific waters below from the Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center.

Learn about our largest animal visitors on an approximately 1.5-mile walk through the Dana Point Headlands conservation area.

Bring your binoculars, or use ours, and learn migration patterns of different whale species that frequent the area, as well as how to best spot, watch and identify whales. 34558 Scenic Drive, Dana Point, 949.248.3527, www.danapoint.org.

Herbology Level 1

10 a.m. Herbology, or herbal medicine, involves using the wonders of plants for medicinal purposes. This method of healing has been used for thousands of years, and is still practice today. Join a hands-on workshop on herbal medicine with Rebecca Altman, herbalist and artist in residency of The Ecology Center. Tickets $55 for members, $65 for non-members and children 10 and under are $25. 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

The Ritz-Carlton Eco Hero Beach Cleanup at Salt Creek Beach

10 a.m.-noon. Volunteers check in at Salt Creek Beach to receive beach cleanup materials. The cleanup brings neighbors and friends of all ages together to take care of our precious marine environment, while also learning from the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel Eco-Adventure Center’s naturalists about how fragile beaches and oceans are and how to become an Eco Hero. For more information call the Eco Adventure Center directly at 949.240.5072 or cristy.cohen@ritzcarlton.com.

Saturday, April 26 San Clemente Beach Cleanup

8:30 a.m. Join friends and neighbors to clean up San Clemente’s beaches. Meet at the Pier. Stay after the cleanup for Earth Day San Clemente events.

Ocean Institute Beach/ Harbor Cleanup

9 a.m.-11 a.m. Volunteer to help clean up the beach and Harbor areas and receive free admission to the Ocean Institute for the day. Check in at the front of the institute.

Supplies will be provided. Registration is not

10 a.m.-3 p.m. After spending the morning cleaning up the beach and Harbor Create fun eco-friendly crafts and learn about the importance of protecting natural environments through hands-on activities. For those who choose not to participate in the cleanup, admission is $6.50 for adults (13 and over) and $4.50 for children (3 -12); children 2 and under and members are free.

For more information, call 949.496.2274 or visit www.ocean-institute.org.

Community Recycling Event at Dana Hills High School

9 a.m.-11 a.m. Drop off plastic bottles and aluminum cans (no glass please) in the back parking lot of Dana Hills High School near the tennis courts and pool area. Students from the school’s chapter of the California Scholastic Federation and Dolphin Pride will collect and sort the recyclables. Funds collected are distributed by the school’s PTSA for student programs. Rain or shine. 33333 Golden Lantern St., Dana Point.

Earth Day San Clemente

10 a.m.-2 p.m. The city of San Clemente and the Watershed Task Force sponsor a familyfriendly day of fun and education aimed at reducing litter and pollutants ending up in our streets, open space, storm drains and beaches. Festivities will include live music, displays, artists, awards, demonstrations and more. The event will take place at Parque Del Mar, in the Pier Bowl area where Avenida Del Mar meets the ocean. For more information, call 949.366.2326 or see www.scwatersheds.com.

2013 Earth Day San Clemente attendees pick up drought tolerant plants and don costumes for a fun photo at the event’s photo dress-up booth. Photo: Andrea Swayne

Free Community Shred Day

9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monarch Bay Plaza hosts a free shred day with services provided by Paper Recycling and Shredding Specialists.

The company is a licensed, bonded/insured cross-cut shredder. Watch your documents being shredded. Certificates of destruction will be available on request. Limit five Bankers Boxes per person. For more information, visit their website at www.mobileshred.net.

Attendees will have the opportunity to enter to win $1,000 in Monarch Plaza Bucks. 28 Monarch Bay Plaza, Dana Point, www.monarchbayplaza.com.

THE GREEN ISSUE

THE GREEN ISSUE

Rick Erkeneff

Waterman and Water Man

By Andrea Swayne

As an avid surfer, South Coast Water District director and chairman of the Surfrider Foundation South Orange County Chapter, it’s safe to say Rick Erkeneff cares about and knows a lot about water.

We caught up with Erkeneff at his Dana Point home for a quick question-and-answer session on ocean water quality and our threatened water supply. Here’s what he had to say:

What should Southern California residents know about the drought and future water availability?

The majority of our water supply comes from Northern California and the Colorado River, so we are not only at the mercy of decades of dry years but also north vs. south politics, agricultural vs. residential use and the most catastrophic of possibilities, a large earthquake. Such an event could knock out the aqueducts that bring the water to our region, leaving us without supply for months or longer.

How is SoCal actually a bit ahead of the game as opposed to NorCal in terms of potable water supply?

With regard to the drought, SoCal learned a hard lesson from the drought back in the late 1970s and Southern California water agencies have been planning for dry years such as we are experiencing today. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in large water storage reservoirs, expanded use of recycled water programs, conservation projects and the conversion to low-flow highly efficient home appliances and landscape options. This is not so for Northern California.

We are actually better prepared.

What are three important things SoCal residents should know about ocean pollution?

First, our local ocean water quality is most affected in areas where watersheds drain into the ocean. The majority of dry-season pollution is transported by streams and

creeks in the form of “urban runoff” from overuse and misuse of water outside our homes and within our cities. The water that makes it to the storm drains transports toxins directly to our coastal environment.

Everything from engine oil and pet waste to fertilizers and pesticides cause environmental degradation.

Next, among plastic pollution, polystyrene (Styrofoam) makes up the overwhelming majority of what we pick up during beach cleanups. Third, off-shore “fracking” for natural gas, occurring right now in SoCal waters, allows for the dumping of highly toxic waste water directly into the ocean.

What can the average person do to affectively address water issues?

The Orange County Water Smart Home Program offers the opportunity to certify your house as a Water Smart Home.

Participating in a free home water survey will score your home’s water-use efficiency and identify potential water savings needed.

Recommendations will include money- and water-saving rebates and no-cost activities that can help you become more water efficient. I encourage everybody to schedule a free survey. You can find out more about the Water Smart Home Program online at www.mwdoc.com/services/watersmarthome.

Rick Erkeneff has served as a volunteer for the Surfrider Foundation South Orange County Chapter as chairman for more than a decade and was elected to the South Coast Water District board of directors in 2012. He can be reached by email at rerkeneffscwd@gmail.com.

A wall display at Ocean Minded headquarters in San Clemente chronicles the company’s beach cleanup efforts over the years. Photo: Jim Shilander

Making Clean Beaches a Reality

By Jim Shilander

Ocean Minded has managed to build a global brand while keeping the area’s beaches clean.

The sandal and surf wear company was founded in San Clemente in 1996 and has been actively involved in cleaning Southern California’s beaches since its start. The company began tracking its beach cleanup efforts, which it often does in conjunction with the Surfrider Foundation, in 1999.

Between 2009 and 2013, the company held over 170 beach cleanup events, collecting over 34 tons of trash. The company only began weighing the garbage in 2009.

This year, the company has hosted 10 cleanups and collected more than a ton of waste. In addition to its California efforts,

Ocean Minded does cleanup work in Florida, New Jersey and North Carolina, as well as lakes and rivers, such as Lake Tahoe and Utah’s Jordan River.

Now, three weekends a month, the company schedules beach cleanups along the coast, from the Mexican border north to Los Angeles. In addition, Lanette Jorgensen, the company’s communications director and in-store marketing manager, said once a month, the company’s office empties out to Calafia, Trestles or another nearby beach.

While the company is not officially “green” in terms of its manufacturing process, Jorgensen said the use of sustainable materials is a priority.

“Every day is Earth Day in our opinion,” Jorgensen said.

California license plates sporting a whale’s tail fluke do much more than add pizazz to the state’s automobiles; they provide funding for cleaning beaches, restoring habitats, promoting beach access check the and educating students through marine and coastal protection projects. This tax season, the whale tail program is giving citizens another way to support these efforts.

The California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail Grants are funded through the sale of the license plates. This year, the commission’s Check the Coast program allows contributions to be made at tax time. Enter a donation next to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund, in the “Voluntary Contributions” section on the last page of your California tax return.

COAST

Whale tail grants have been helping to support educational programs locally through organizations such as the Ocean Institute in Dana Point.

According to Shannon Waters, volunteer programs coordinator for the California Coastal Commission’s public education program, the grants have so far contributed $52,600 to programs at the Ocean Institute.

The Gray Whale Foundation is another Dana Point-based organization that has benefitted from the grants.

The nonprofit foundation relies on this support to educate students from the Capistrano Unified School District and beyond through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum taught along with ocean excursions.

“This funding means a better environmental future by allowing us to introduce

Graphic: California Coastal Commission

students to the ocean and teaching the lesson of how everything we do on land eventually ends up in the ocean,” said Michael Hansen, Gray Whale Foundation chairman.

“The most important lesson we can teach young scholars is that their daily lives can impact the quality and health of the ocean and they have the power to change it.”

To find out more about the fund, log on to www.checkthecoast.org. —AS THE GREEN ISSUE

DP BUSINESS DIRECTORY

DSaan n Cl a em Poenintet

CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad online at www.danapointtimes.com

GARAGE SALES MOVING SALE!!

Lane couch and recliner, couch, recliner, home decor, pet toys and supplies, linens, beautiful Queen bedding set, golf clubs, cookware, jeans, shoes, lots of books, mix/match glassware, and more! No reasonable offer refused. NO early birds!! 34071 Calle La Primavera. 8 am - 12 pm GARAGE SALE: SAT. & SUN 4/12-4/13 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lots of household and kitchen items! Baby clothes, toys and furniture. Bedroom furniture – Queen set: sleigh bed, dressers and side tables. Dining table and chairs, and more! 33791 Big Sur, Dana Point (behind St. Edward Church – Palo Alto/Stonehill or PCH/ Crystal Lantern)

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE! E-mail your garage sale to classifieds@danapointtimes.com DEADLINE 5PM MONDAY. No phone calls please.

HELP WANTED NOW HIRING COOKS morning and evening positions available.

Experiance and bilingual preferred. Apply in person. Carlos Mexican Restaurant 34224 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point

LOST/FOUND LOST WATCH IN THE DANA POINT AREA. If found please contact Jane at 949-496-6394

LOCALS ONLY BUSINESS LISTINGS AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING Oasis Air Conditioning & Heating 949.420.1321 31648 Rancho Viejo Rd. Ste. A, www.oasisair.com

ARCHITECTURE - PLANNING Nona Associates949.496.2275 Raymond J. Nona A.I.A 26901 Camino de Estrella, www.raynona.com

AUTO REPAIR Dana Point Auto 949.496.1086 34342 Coast Hwy., Unit B, Dana Point, Ca 92629

CAFE - DELI Coffee Importers Espresso Bar 949.493.7773 34531 Golden Lantern, www.coffeeimporters.com

COFFEE SHOP Coffee Importers Espresso Bar 949.493.7773 34531 Golden Lantern, www.coffeeimporters.com

CONSTRUCTION/REMODELING Mills Construction 949.212.7699 Dana Point, www.millsbuilds.com: CA # 973483

DERMATOLOGY Vorteil Dermatology and 949.276.2600 Aesthetic Science 33971 Selva Road, Ste. 200, www.vorteildermatology.com

EDIBLE LANDSCAPING Organics Out Back www.organicsoutback.com

ELECTRICAL

PSYCHIATRY

LOCKSMITH 949.354.2258

Dana Point Lock & Security www.danapointlock.com

949.496.6916

MUSIC INSTRUCTION

delta G electrical 949.360.9282 Kenny’s Music & Guitars 949.661.3984 CA #657214, www.deltagelectrical.com 24731 La Plaza, www.kennysmusicstore.com Danman’s Music School 949.496.6556 GRAPHIC DESIGN 24699 Del Prado, www.danmans.com IMAGES/Creative Solutions 949.366.2488 PET GROOMING 117 Del Gado Road, www.imgs.com Dawgy Style 949.496.3315 ICE CREAM 34085 Pacific Coast Hwy, Unit 112, www.alphadoggroomshop.com Coffee Importers Scoop Deck 949.493.7773 34531 Golden Lantern, www.coffeeimporters.com PLUMBING A to Z Leak Detection 949.499.4464 INSURANCE SERVICES www.atozleakdetection.com Patricia Powers 949.496.1900 Chick’s Plumbing 949.496.9731 24551 Del Prado, Ste. 364, pat.powers@cox.net www.chicks-plumbing.com State Farm/Ted Bowersox 949.661.3200 POOL SERVICE & REPAIR 34085 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. 204 www.tedbowersox.com Palisades Pool Service & Repair 949.542.7232 Statefarm/Elaine LaVine 949.240.8944 Capistrano Beach, allenesommo@cox.net 34080 Golden Lantern, www.elainelavine.net

LANDSCAPING

PSYCHOTHERAPY

Corinne Rupert PhD, PsyD, MFT 949.488.2648 Organics Out Back 949.354.2258 33971 Selva Rd. Ste. 125, 449 Avenida Crespi, www.organicsoutback.com www.danapointpsychotherapy.com

Dr. Robert Dobrin, M.D. 949-707-4757 Child/Adolescent/Adult Psychiatry/Behavioral Pediatrics 33971 Selva Rd. Ste, 125

REAL ESTATE - RESIDENTIAL Dream Team Properties 949.481.1788 Mike Rosenberg, Broker Capistrano Beach, www.FindMyOCHome.com

UPHOLSTERY Jeddy’s Yacht & Home Interiors 949.240.9569 34118 Pacific Coast Hwy, www.jeddys.com

WINDOW & DOOR INSTALLATION Offshore Construction www.offshoreconstruction.org

949.444.6323

LIST YOUR BUSINESS IN “LOCALS ONLY” This go-to reference tool keeps your business in front of potential customers 24/7.

Call Debra Wells for pricing at 949.589.0892 or email dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

DP DP LIVING Dana Point

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

GUEST OPINION: On Life and Love After 50 by Tom Blake

Gambling on Green a Risky Move Is moving for a greener, healthier lifestyle enough?

S

ometimes, decisions older singles make as a result of being lonely or wanting to change their lives are questionable. Today’s story is about a 70-year-old woman from Wisconsin, named Ruth, who falls under that category. Ruth asked for my opinion on her plans to relocate and live with a 68-year-old man she met on the Internet.

Ruth emailed, “A year and a half ago, I ‘met’ Gary, who resides in Nebraska, on a site called Green Singles. We began emailing each other and soon were talking by phone. I am willing to relocate, so after many conversations and delightful insights about our mutual goals and things we would like to do, I agreed to move to where he lives.”

My initial reaction was: I guess that’s OK, assuming that Ruth and Gary have spent enough time together to know each other well enough that being together 24/7 will work for them. But then I read more of her email. There was one major factor in Ruth’s story that troubled me.

She said, “We will meet for the first time on April 11. I will be going out there with a couple who will help with the driving. I have many supportive friends and family members excited to know how things turn out. Gary and I have agreed that after all of this time, we will be happy if it turns out to be friendship only. At our ages, that is a huge blessing. Wish us luck.

“Green Singles is a good site for folks who like a green, organic-type lifestyle, which we both want. We look forward to working together on the big garden and taking produce to the farmers markets in the area, traveling together in the fall and finding a used trailer that I can call my own which I will put on the property.”

I responded to Ruth: “Let me be sure I understand. You are moving and you haven’t met him in person?”

She wrote, “I am moving out there because it fits with my need to be in a dryer climate for my health, plus it will be a great adventure to learn organic-produce production, being part of the local farmers market scene ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50 and a chance to have a

By Tom Blake traveling companion.

“When meeting for the first time at his home, my friends will be with me, and because he and I have been talking for a year and a half, about every topic, sharing photos, goals, likes and dislikes, I feel OK about doing this. Not for the faint of heart though. I think we are good friends to begin with already and that helps.

“We both have similar health issues and are empathetic with that aspect of our relationship. I feel that I have so much to gain by doing this, much to lose if I stay in the rut I have been in.”

As a singles columnist for 20 years, I can’t fathom someone moving to another town, let alone another state, to live with a person one has never seen face-to-face.

Why in the world didn’t she go visit him and spend at least a weekend together before just packing up and moving?

What if they don’t like each other? What if he’s dangerous?

I do not advocate people making major life changes to be with a person they have never met. I hope for Ruth her situation works out.

For more dating advice and stories visit, www.findingloveafter60.com and to comment, email Tom at 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 Page 12

See today’s solution in next week’s issue.

www.danapointtimes.com

DP LIVING

Commemorating the Magnificent Bastards Ten years after the Battle of Ramadi, Marines and families gathered to remember those lost STORY AND PHOTOS BY CATHERINE MANSO, DANA POINT TIMES

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amp Pendleton’s 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines deployed to Ramadi, Iraq in March 2004.

By April, the U.S. Marines’ mission to secure and provide stability to the region during Iraq’s transition to democracy shifted. The situation in Ramadi quickly changed into “full-blown urban combat,” Lt. Col. Rob Weiler told hundreds of Marines and family members Sunday morning at a gathering marking the battle that began 10 years ago to the day.

The first day of fighting began April 6, 2004. By September that year, 269 Marines were wounded and 34 Marines and one Navy corpsman had lost their lives in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Marines of the 2/4, also known as the Magnificent Bastards, were honored Sunday at Camp Pendleton’s San Mateo Memorial Garden, where monuments stand to remember the servicemen and women who fought, and died, in the nation’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Today we are surrounded by heroes,” Weiler, who served with the 2/4 in 2004, told the crowd. “But the veterans of Battle of Ramadi probably don’t think of themselves as heroes.”

The 2/4 experienced the greatest loss of life for any battalion in more than 12 years of war, Maj. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson told the gathering.

“They didn’t have enough gear and they sure didn’t have enough Marines,” said Nicholson, now commanding general of the 1st Marine Division. “We knew then this would be one of the most challenging missions that any battalion could get.”

Each fallen Marine was honored with the nation’s oldest military award, the

Battle crosses commemorate the 34 Marines who lost their lives between April and September 2004 during battles in Ramadi, Iraq.

Purple Heart, during the ceremony.

Thirty-four names were called and 34 Marines walked, placed the Purple Heart medal and saluted the names on the granite memorial for those killed in Iraq that reads, “Fallen and Never Forgotten.”

Gillen Morris traveled from Chicago to attend the ceremony. His brother, 19-yearold Pfc. Geoffery S. Morris, a member of the Pendleton-based 2/4, was killed on April 4, 2004 in Iraq.

“It’s stirring up a lot of emotions,” Morris said of the ceremony. “Hearing my brother’s name when it (was) called … I couldn’t help crying.”

Andrea Papagianis contributed to this report. DP

On the Cover

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pecial thanks to San Clemente-based artist Heather Ritts Rapozo for providing the artwork for the cover of this year’s Green Issue.

Ritts Rapozo’s passion for both art and the beauty of the ocean environment began at an early age. She draws inspiration from the waves, plants and creatures from the sea. As an avid surfer, she first began painting on surfboards while in high school. Along with her work in oils and watercolors on paper, canvas, wood and clothing, she continues to create both rideable works of art and wall hangers for homes.

Ritts Rapozo is a Laguna College of Art and Design graduate with a bachelor’s de-

Dana Point Times April 11-17, 2014

Heather Ritts Rapozo. Photo: Jaclyn Connor

gree in fine art and illustration.

Contact Ritts Rapozo at 949.533.0452 or misshstudios@gmail.com for commissioned artwork. Her art can be viewed on Facebook at Miss H Art by Heather Ritts, on Instagram at HeatherRitts_Artist, or on her website www.abovethereefs.com. DP Page 14

DP SPORTS & OUTDOORS Dana Point

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Dolphin Report

Dana Wharf Halibut Derby Comes to Dramatic Close DANA POINT TIMES

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, DANA POINT TIMES

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

Boys Lacrosse Cleans Up The Dana Hills boys lacrosse team did not celebrate a 2-2 start to their Sea View League schedule by any conventional means. Instead, after defeating Laguna Hills 11-9 on the road on March 27, the Dolphins spent the following Saturday cleaning up their facilities.

The Dolphins held their first-ever CleanUp-A-Thon on campus March 29, collecting nearly $3,000 in the process. The Dolphins went to local businesses, friends and families to ask for donations and in return, they cleaned up their school. The Dolphins collected more than 35 bags of trash and used the collected money to buy equipment and uniforms.

Dana Hills (3-7, 2-2 league) will return from spring break to play Capistrano Valley on April 17. The Dolphins were narrowly edged by the Cougars in a 6-5 loss on March 25.

The Dana Hills boys lacrosse program cleaned up their school on March 29 and raised $3,000 for their team in the process. Courtesy photo

Dolphins Baseball Ends Tritons Win Streak With Walk-Off Hit Last year, the San Clemente and Dana Hills baseball teams played three games that were decided by two runs or fewer.

San Clemente won all three contests and two of them by only one run. So when the two rivals squared off for the first time in Sea View League play at Dana Hills on April 8, it was no surprise the game came

Participants in the Ragnar Relay So Cal stop to take a nap on the grounds of Doheny { I N DA NA P O INT } State Beach on Friday, April 4. The popular relay series began its Southern California circuit on April 4 and stretched from Huntington Beach down to San Diego. Relay teams consisted of six to 12 members, who ran the 195-mile course by taking turns. While one runner was on the course, other members of the team used the time to relax and catch up on some much needed sleep. The course went through Dana Point by way of the Salt Creek Trail and Doheny State Beach.

down to the wire.

With men on first and second base and no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, the scored tied at 3-3, Dolphins junior Thomas Waldenberger hit an RBI single down the left field line that plated Shawn Kany and gave Dana Hills a walkoff 4-3 victory.

The loss ended what was a county-best 10-game win streak for the Tritons (15-4, 2-1 league).

It wasn’t the only big hit of the day for the Dolphins (13-4, 4-0), who erased a 3-1 San Clemente lead one inning prior.

Junior catcher Luke Williams drew just the second walk allowed by Tritons starter Kolby Allard to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning. Dana Hills head coach Tom Faris wanted to send his speedy leadoff hitter and see if he could steal second, but instead trusted the bat of his first baseman, Jay Schuyler, who hit a two-run home run high up in the gusty air in left field two batters later to tie the game at 3-3.

“I was honestly trying to put one in play and get a base hit out of it. He left me a couple over the plate in the beginning of the at bat that I was kind of mad that I missed. I fouled them off. I just kept battling,” Schuyler said. “Eventually he left one out for me, I put it up in the wind and

SCENE

Dana Point Times April 11-17, 2014

Dana Hills first baseman Jay Schuyler hit a two-run home run against San Clemente on April 8. The hit tied the game up 3-3 and the Dolphins went on to win. Photo: Kevin Dahlgren

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After catching a large, 40-plus pound halibut back in October, Staff Sgt. Stephen Green almost repeated his feat at the Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching one-day “fish-off” on April 6.

Green’s 40.11-pound halibut, caught off the coast of Dana Point Harbor last fall, netted him a $1,820 payday as part of the sixth annual Dana Wharf Halibut Derby.

When all of the top-25 anglers who entered the contest came back for the one-day fishing excursion on Sunday to compete for the remaining prize money, Green was in the top-3, but was bested

by Mike Pampu from Upland, who reeled in a 14.15-pound halibut and claimed the $1,820 prize.

The halibut derby lasted six months and Green’s fish sat atop the standings for almost five.

Mike Pampu. Courtesy photo

it went out.”

The Tritons took a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning on three consecutive singles by Trevor Beard, Tyler Ankrom and Will Tribucher and, once Schuyler tied things up, had a chance to take the lead again in the top of the seventh.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Tritons first baseman Trevor Beard hit a hard ground ball to the right side of the infield that head coach Dave Gellatly thought would go through. Kany, the second baseman, was able to field the ball and get the final out, setting the stage for the Dolphins seventh-inning rally.

“Baseball is a funny game sometimes. I felt like we played a good ballgame. Trevor hits that ball to the right side, I think it’s getting through, and it kind of takes a funny hop,” Gellatly said. “At that moment, it was like the baseball gods weren’t with us today. It was two evenly matched teams who got after it and Dana Hills executed when they had to.” DP www.danapointtimes.com

DP DP SURF Dana Point

DP SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Hobie Alter Memorial Services Announced

The pioneer of surf and sail will be remembered at two events DANA POINTS TIMES

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obart “Hobie” Alter, proprietor of Southern California’s first surf shop, modern surfboard pioneer and inventor of the Hobie Cat dual-hulled sailboat died March 29 in his Palm Desert home. He was 80.

Following is the official memorial service information posted at hobie.com: April 18 • Doheny State Beach 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6172 A public paddle out and remembrance will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. An onthe-water ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m.

Boats and boards are welcome. However, no beach boat launching will be permitted.

All boats must be launched from Dana

Photo courtesy of Hobie

Point Harbor and all vessels must adhere to local boating rules and regulations.

Doheny State Beach will open its gates free of charge from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Join others on the water to celebrate Hobie’s life and legacy by doing what he wanted us all to do.

The first of two memorial events was held April 10 on the ninth fairway at the Aliso Creek Golf Course in Laguna Beach.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to one of the following organizations be considered:

Sport of Kings Foundation, in Memory of Hobie Alter, P.O. Box 2499, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624, www.sportofkingsfoundation.org.

Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, Hobie Alter Scholarship Fund, www.surfingheritage.org.

Orcas Island Community Foundation: Deer Harbor Volunteer Fire Department, in Memory of Hobie Alter, www.oicf.us.

To read more about Hobie Alter and the impacts he left on surf and sailing culture, log on to www.danapointtimes.com. DP

UPCOMING EVENTS April 12-13: WSA Championship Tour, Event No. 8, (new date), Oceanside, South Harbor Jetty April 19-20: NSSA Open, Event No. 9, Oceanside Harbor, South Jetty April 26-27: NSSA Open, Event No. 10, San Onofre State Park, Upper Trestles May 10-11: WSA West Coast Championships, San Onofre State Park, Church Beach May 15-18: NSSA West Coast Championships, Huntington Beach, Pier May 31-June 1: Surfing America Prime, Event No. 6, Oceanside, Harbor North Jetty (New date) June 13-15: Surfing America USA Championships, San Onofre State Park, Church Beach June 17-21: Surfing America USA Championships, San Onofre State Park, Lower Trestles

GROMS OF THE WEEK

Surfing America USA Team

The Surfing America USA Surf Team. Courtesy photo

Dana Point Times April 11-17 2014

With ISA World Junior Surfing Championship competition on day four Wednesday in Salinas, Ecuador, team USA was holding on strong and still in medal contention.

The competition was halted midday Tuesday due to a shark sighting in the lineup but continued Wednesday morning with all USA team members surfing well and still in the running.

Four members of the team hail from the area. Representing San Clemente are Griffin Colapinto, Tia Blanco and Malia Osterkamp and from Capistrano Beach, Jacob Davis.

The remainder of the team is made up of Californians Kanoa Igarashi, Nic Hdez, Jake Marshall, Nolan Rapoza and Frankie Harrer.

East Coast team members Daniel Glenn, Luke Gordon and Maddie Peterson round out the talented group.

Wednesday, Blanco continued the team’s strong showing, winning her Girls U18 Qualifier 3 heat. Dominating the lineup, she came up with a two-wave score of 12.27 (out of 20) over runner-up Kim Veteau of France who earned a 6.33. Blanco’s score was the highest Girls U18 heat total of the day.

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“It was definitely nerve wracking,” Blanco said in a post heat interview. Blanco went on to say she knew how talented the other surfers were and felt lucky to be the only one to get a quick start in the tough conditions.

At the end of day four, the USA team was sharing the fifth-place team standing with Japan. Australia and Hawaii were tied for first and France and South Africa were tied for third.

The action commenced Thursday at 5:40 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. The day kicked off with Boys U18 Repachage 2.

Three Americans were in the round. Hdez came in fourth in his heat while both Glenn and Davis won by comfortable margins.

Glenn earned a 13.66 to runner up Argentinian Tyron Gonzalez with a 9.57. Davis also mastered his heat, beating runner up Sean Foerster of Canada 11.43 to 9.83.

The contest will be broadcast live through its conclusion, which weather and “sharkiness” permitting, will wrap up by Sunday, April 13. Catch all the action, live at www.isawjsc.com. –Andrea Swayne www.danapointtimes.com