LO C A L
N EWS
January 11–17, 2018
YO U
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U S E
Firefighters Control San Clemente Garage Blaze in 20 Minutes PAGE 5 VOLUME 13, ISSUE 2
For the Kids New head of Boys & Girls club looks to expand youth programs EYE ON SC/PAGE 4
Terence Hughes, backrow, was hired as the new chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area two months ago. Photo: Eric Heinz
St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea to Have Landslide Area Studied EYE ON SC/PAGE 3
San Clemente’s Sam Darnold Heads to NFL Draft SPORTS/PAGE 16
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Agave Surf Boards Show Potential for Sustainable Movement SC SURF/PAGE 18
GO TO SANCLEMENTETIMES.COM FOR THE LATEST NEWS, EVENTS AND SPORTS
SC EYE ON SC San Clemente
LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING
What’s Up With... Five things San Clemente should know this week St. Andrews by-the-Sea Parking Lot Visibly Worse after Two Months THE LATEST: Like a Salvador Dali painting, the parking lot looked as if it was melting away from St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea United Methodist Church. In October, it seemed as though some minimal land shifting had caused the lot to be altered. Now, there has been significant erosion to the parking lot, causing the church board to seek further assistance with the slope. It’s still unclear what exactly is causing this, although the land is part of what St. Andrew’s board chair trustee Mike Wiechman said is a landslide area, per a study done in the 1980s. Wiechman said it may be caused by the heavy rainfall from last year seeping into the crevices of the hillside and dislodging the soil. More than 2 inches of rain was recorded in San Clemente on Jan. 9. LGC Geotechnical Inc. is going to provide a study on the slope and what is causing the land to slide. Wiechman said Bright Horizons at San Clemente also owns a portion of the slope and has been watching the encroaching erosion closely. Wiechman said it’s going to be expensive to fix the damage to the slope. The St. Andrew’s board has notified the diocese of The United Methodist Church, which owns the church’s land and may ask for financial assistance.
Since October, significant portions of the parking lot at St. Andrews by-the-Sea United Methodist Church, located at 2001 Calle Frontera, have slid off the slope of the church. A local geotechnical firm will study the sliding land to find out what’s causing it. Photo: Courtesy
WHAT’S NEXT: Kevin Colson, the vice president of LGC Geotechnical Inc., said he’s not sure at this time when the studies will be available. Colson said the firm is constructing a model to see how the slope can be fixed and what may have caused the erosion. —Eric Heinz
THE LATEST: As of Jan. 1, several new hot-button laws were approved by the California Legislature and are now in effect. The laws include increases in minimum wage to $10.50 an hour for employers with 25 employees or less and $11 an hour for those with more than 25. Another bill will increase leave time for new parents to 12 weeks after the employee has worked for the business for more than one year. This applies to businesses with 20 or more employees. Employers now cannot ask their employees about their criminal history on job applications. If a job offer is made, the employer can then check criminal records but not use them as a determinant of hiring someone. Employers also cannot use salary history to determine wages for an
Citizens’ Oversight Files Petition with NRC THE LATEST: Citizens’ Oversight Projects, an activist organization based out of San Diego, announced on Jan. 2 that it submitted a petition to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) related to regulations that govern how the nuclear industry handles spent nuclear fuel. San Clemente Times January 11–17, 2018
“The basis for the proposed changes is established by the HELMS proposal (hardened, extended-life, local, monitored, surface storage),” a press release from Citizens’ Oversight stated. The proposal aims to change the regulations to require 1,000-year assurance that the fuel will be stored safely, according to the release. Ray Lutz, the executive director of Citizens’ Oversight, stated in the release that the proposal asks for the casks that will be used to store the spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre to be “enclosed in a much thicker outer shell, which can then preserve the internal canister from corrosion and other deterioration.” SONGS officials are planning to start storing the remaining spent nuclear fuel on-site this month. WHAT’S NEXT: The HELMS document and the NRC petition can be found online at www.copswiki.org/common/helmsproposal. —EH
employee. A highly contested bill passed last year regarding worksite immigration laws. AB 450 protects employees from immigration enforcement while working and employers cannot provide enforcement without a warrant. It also limits employers from providing agents with records without a subpoena or warrant. A tangential bill to immigration status, AB 1701, places the onus on construction contractors for all unpaid wages, benefits or anything else agreed upon for subcontractors. The bill authorizes general contractors to request pay records from subcontractors in order to ensure the payments are made. Laws that tackle sexual harassment in the workplace as well as mandatory training about avoiding such incidents are also now in effect. Employers with 50 or more employees must have a discussion of harassment under topics of harassment, gender identity and sexual orientation. WHAT’S NEXT: More information on the new laws can be found at www.calchamber.com. —Staff
New Business Laws Now in Effect in California
Trump Administration Unveils Offshore Drilling Proposal THE LATEST: On Jan. 4, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke released the Trump Administration’s long-awaited offshore drilling proposal. The “2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program” released by the Bureau of Energy Management (BOEM) outlines 47 individual lease tracts along the outer-continental shelf spanning the entire U.S. coastline. Zinke, in a meeting with the press, said this plan would put “more than 98 percent of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in federal offshore areas available to consider for future
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exploration and development.” As things stand now, 94 percent of those resources are off-limits, he said. This proposal lifts a ban on offshore drilling in the United States that was enacted by former President Barack Obama near the end of his term and opens up leasing off the California coast for the first time since 1969. It faces an uphill battle before it would result in actual leasing. Pacific coast state governors announced their united opposition to reopening the Pacific coast to offshore drilling in a joint-statement. “This is something that all Californians are against,” said Jennifer Savage, California policy manager for the Surfrider Foundation. “This is something that crosses party lines.” Dayna Bochco, chairwoman of the California Coastal Commission voiced similar bipartisan. Savage said the 380-page program outlines two areas to be opened for lease off the Southern California region in 2020. Those areas have yet to be specifically defined. WHAT’S NEXT: California largely controls coastal waters up to 3 miles off of the coast. Beyond that, much of the control switches to the federal government under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act. States still have some input over what happens in federal waters, but it is not an absolute veto. —Daniel Ritz
CDPH: Influenza Cases Rising Statewide THE LATEST: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced on Jan. 9 that flu activity in California has been “widespread and at levels usually seen at the peak of the influenza season. Health officials encourage Californians to get vaccinated.” In a press release, CDPH stated it takes about two weeks after receiving a flu shot for the body to respond in full. The strain of influenza that’s been dominating California is H3N2, which can be severe for people who are vulnerable to the virus. CDPH said 27 people younger than 65 have died from the virus in California since October. “Vaccine effectiveness does vary for the different strains and year by year,” the release stated. WHAT’S NEXT: The release stated data will be available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February about vaccine effectiveness. People who are most vulnerable to the virus are pregnant women, children younger than five and especially children younger than two, people 65 and older and people who have certain medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease. —Staff www.sanclementetimes.com
EYE ON SC
For the Kids New head of Boys & Girls Club looks to expand youth programs BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
B
oys & Girls Clubs have been an instrumental part of Terence Hughes’ life, so much that he moved across the country to fill the chief executive officer role at the South Coast Area branch. Hughes said he obtained a bachelor’s degree in physical education and said he grew up going to a Boys & Girls Club. Initially he thought his life’s path was to teach physical education and coach high school soccer, his favorite sport. “I’ve been fortunate to be part of the Boys & Girls Club; this is actually my fourth club,” Hughes said. Before coming to San Clemente, he worked for two years with the Ronald McDonald House, a charitable organization that provides assistance to hospitalized children and their families. He said he was still raising his own son in Connecticut at the time and was waiting for something permanent to become
Terence Hughes, back row center, the new chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area, has worked at various clubs prior to joining San Clemente’s branch. Photo: Courtesy of Dave Anderson
available. “There wasn’t a local club that had a need, so it was a good spot in between Boys & Girls Clubs,” Hughes said. “I realized after about a year…it was very sad dealing with families. Not every child goes home (from the hospital).” After his son went on to college, Hughes found the position online. He said the information he found online couldn’t
convey the beauty of San Clemente. Prior to a decade working at Boys & Girls Clubs, he worked in various businesses and restaurants. “My ability to be as comfortable in a board room as I was comfortable in a game room with kids was really a nice mix,” Hughes said. “I was able to bring people into the Boys & Girls Clubs who may not have had a need for it, and the
next thing you know they were using it and visiting, and bringing in more financial support.” A hallmark of the South Coast Area club that Hughes’ predecessor cultivated was the College Bound program. Hughes said that program will continue, but he also wants to put emphasis on community leadership programs, such as the Torch Club and Keystone Club, youth leadership clubs with high school and middle school students. Hughes said he also wants to start weekend recreational leagues in baseball, basketball and other sports. “Academic success is one of the key components of what Boys & Girls Clubs do,” Hughes said, “but Boys & Girls Clubs attract kids primarily because they’re fun. Kids are in school six, seven hours a day. They don’t want to come here for another three hours of school. We’re fun, and through that we have to be responsible and make sure kids are getting their homework and research projects done. So we can augment that and help kids who are struggling in school.” Hughes said it’s imperative that the club keeps in contact with local schools’ principals and faculty to ensure these academic achievements are made. “But kids need to be kids,” Hughes said. “The minute they don’t have to come here anymore, they’re not going to come here anymore. And I’ll measure our success by the kids who come but don’t need to.” SC
EYE ON SC
Community Meetings SUNDAY, JANUARY 14
DEL MAR FARMERS’ MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Bundles of flowers, fresh produce and much more every Sunday. Avenida Del Mar. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16
SUNRISE ROTARY 7:15 a.m. San Clemente Sunrise Rotary meets every Tuesday at Talega Golf Course Signature Grille. 990 Avenida Talega. www.scsunriserotary.com. CITY COUNCIL MEETING 6 p.m. The San Clemente City Council will host its regularly scheduled meeting. 100 Avenida Presidio, San Clemente. 949.361.8200. www.sanclemente.org. SAN CLEMENTE TOASTMASTERS 7 p.m. The club meets every Tuesday, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. for social and networking time. San Clemente Baha’i Center. 3316 Avenida Del Presidente, San Clemente. 805.794.0653. www. toastmastersclubs.org. BECAUSE I LOVE YOU (BILY) MEETING 7-9 p.m. Meets every Tuesday. Because I Love You (BILY) helps parents find solutions to any crisis they are experiencing due to their children’s (adult or minor) poor choices. Presbyterian Church. 119 Avenida De La Estrella. www.bilysc.org. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17
KIWANIS SAN CLEMENTE Noon. Kiwanis San Clemente works to help maintain the quality of life for all people through volunteerism. Tommy’s Restaurant, 1409 S. El Camino Real. 949.366.5423. www.sanclementekiwanis.com. SAN CLEMENTE ROTARY Noon. The San Clemente Rotary meets every Wednesday at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course Wedgewood Restaurant. 150 E. Avenida Magdalena. 949.233.7981. www.sanclementerotary.org. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 6 p.m. The Planning Commission will host its regularly scheduled meeting. 100 Avenida Presidio, San Clemente. 949.361.8200. www.san-clemente.org.
San Clemente Times January 11–17, 2018
NEWS BITES COMPILED BY STAFF
Fire Burns Home’s Garage; No Injuries Reported A garage fire was contained by firefighters in 20 minutes on the 100 block of Avenida Buena Ventura in San Clemente on Jan. 9. Capt. Steve Concialdi said 30 firefighters from Orange County Fire Authority and Laguna Beach Fire Department responded at 1:30 p.m. and extinguished the blaze, which did not make it to the main portion of the home, but “significant flames and smoke” could be seen upon arrival. Nearby juniper trees were also burned, and as winds picked up, firefighters made sure no embers caught nearby structures on fire. One man was home at the time of the fire, but he was able to get out without injuries. OCFA fire investigators were on scene following the blaze to determine the cause.
Local Artist Creates ‘Gypsy Cozies’ for San Clemente Senior Center Fundraiser San Clemente resident and artist Lula “Lu” Varner has handcrafted more than 30 fabric art creations she calls “gypsy cozies” for a local fundraiser. They will be on display and are available to the public for purchase at the San Clemente Senior Center, located at 177 Avenida Victoria, from Jan. 22-26. All proceeds benefit the Dorothy Visser Senior Center Activities Fund. Available in twin, full, queen and king sizes, the creations “keep you warm and cozy and add a cheerful splash of color to room décor,” Varner said. For more information about the gypsy cozies sale at the San Clemente Senior Center, contact Senior Center Director Cathy Lee at 949.498.3322.
American Association of University Women Meeting to Be Held on Jan. 20 L. Song Richardson, interim dean of the University of California-Irvine School of Law, will speak on “Unconscious Biases in the Workplace” at a luncheon sponsored by the Orange County Interbranch Council of American Association of University Women (AAUW). “Unconscious biases are the snap-judgments people make about others based on race, gender or language,” an AAUW press release stated. “It affects decisions people make in daily life and can lead them to act in biased ways, even though they are not consciously prejudiced or racist.” Song Richardson is one of the nation’s leading experts on the complex and politically charged issue of racial bias and the
A garage was engulfed in flames on Jan. 9 at the 100 block of Avenida Buena Ventura in San Clemente. Firefighters had the fire controlled in 20 minutes, officials said. Photo: Courtesy of Orange County Fire Authority
criminal justice system, the press release stated. The meeting will be held at Clubhouse 7, located at 24111 Moulton Parkway in Laguna Woods, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, go to www.sccbca.aauw.net/general-meeting.
Citizens Climate Lobby Meeting Slated for Jan. 13 The South Orange County Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13 at St. Andrews by-the-Sea Methodist Church, located at 2001 Calle Frontera in San Clemente. The video conference call will feature Dr. Sabine Marx, director of research at the National Center of Disaster Preparedness at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. The guest speaker will be Tony Hays who will cover the future of aviation in a reduced carbon world. Call 949.291.2903 for more information.
Cancer Support Group Meetings Start Jan. 20 A cancer support group will meet the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10-11:30 a.m. at Heritage Christian Fellowship, located at 190 Avenida La Pata. The group is open to all and there is no cost to attend. Don’t walk with cancer alone. Join with others that are in the same place and take on this battle together. Contact Donna Vigil at 949.637.8161 donnavigil2@gmail. com or Linda Condova at 714.255.1261 linda_crdv@yahoo.com for questions.
San Clemente Friends of the Library to Host Meet the Authors Luncheon The San Clemente Friends of the Library announced the lineup of authors for its upcoming Meet the Authors Luncheon
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on Feb. 24 at Talega Golf Club. This year’s authors include Matt Coyle, winner of the Anthony Award and the Benjamin Franklin Silver Medal, who is celebrated for his popular Rick Cahill mystery series. Coyle has a penchant for penning popular books that have autobiographical elements. Naomi Hirahara is best-known for Summer of the Big Bachi about a JapaneseAmerican gardener, Mas Arai. Los Angeles native, Liska Jacobs, is a nominee for the Kirkwood Literary Prize in Fiction. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in various lists and publications. Her debut novel, Catalina, is a contemporary masterpiece and is listed as one of the Best New Books of November 2017 by the Chicago Review of Books. Tickets are now on sale for $60. For more information and reservations, email scfotl@gmail.com or contact Debbie Wilkens at 949.322.4892.
SOCGEMS Meeting to Feature Photographer Mike Woodward Mike Woodward began collecting and polishing stones as a child, and 15 years ago he began photographing images he saw in different stones and blowing them up into large exhibition size photographs, using a modified 4-by-5 camera with a 103 megapixel capture back. He and his wife, jeweler Sandy Woodward, will discuss the images he has developed in a presentation called “Images in Stones, What do You See?” The public is invited to the South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society Meeting (SOCGEMS) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville. The presentation is free to attend. Coffee and refreshments will be provided. For more information, please contact Ellen Dupuy at 408.718.0504. Have something interesting for the community? Send your information to eheinz@picketfencemedia.com by Monday the week of publication. www.sanclementetimes.com
SC SOAPBOX San Clemente
VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS
34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 www.sanclementetimes.com
HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Eric Heinz, 949.388.7700, x109 eheinz@picketfencemedia.com SPORTS Zach Cavanagh, 949.388.7700, x110 zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE
Susie Lantz, 949.388.7700, x111 slantz@picketfencemedia.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS
Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, x107 tzines@picketfencemedia.com BUSINESS MANAGER Alyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@picketfencemedia.com
PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett EDITORIAL Group Managing Editor > Rachael Mattice City Editor, SC Times > Eric Heinz City Editor, DP Times > Daniel Ritz City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Allison Jarrell
Real Estate Sales Executive > Jennifer Guy ART/DESIGN Art Director > Jasmine Smith Graphic Designer > Chelsie Rex OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed
Sports Editor > Zach Cavanagh
Business Manager > Alyssa Garrett
Special Projects Editor > Andrea PapagianisCamacho
Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines
ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING
SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller
Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes > Susie Lantz (San Clemente) > Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)
CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco Victor Carno Tim Trent Jake Howard
San Clemente Times, Vol. 13, Issue 2. The SC Times (www. sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the Dana Point Times (www. danapointtimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (www. thecapistranodispatch.com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
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San Clemente Times January 11–17, 2018
PUBLISHER’S LETTER: By Norb Garrett, Publisher of Picket Fence Media
Family Forever
T
hirteen years ago this March, a dream of mine was realized when we launched the San Clemente Times. A year later in 2007, we acquired The Capistrano Dispatch and then proceeded to start the Dana Point Times in 2008. The idea then was the same as it is now—to create community newspapers and websites unlike any you’d seen before. A “maga-paper” that was designed like a magazine, read like a newspaper and gave you “Local News You Can Use” like no one else could or would. The editorial would be 90 percent forward-looking, 10 percent “last week’s news,” deliberately striving to provide residents and visitors with an insightful guide to their lives in these amazing communities. Our editorial strategy was a call to action: The more you know, the more involved in our community you’ll become. The more involved the
community is, the stronger it gets. To launch the paper/website, I reached out to the most talented group of people I knew, many of them coworkers of mine at the Action Sports Group (ASG) with legendary magazines such as SURFER, Bike, Powder and Skateboarder. I was fortunate enough to lure a few of those folks into the unknown waters, and I’ve been even more fortunate that many of those folks are still with us today—a testament to their love and passion for trying to make a difference. Two weeks ago, one of our founding members, PUBLISHER’S Michele Reddick, left LETTER By Norb Garrett to take on a new career challenge after serving as an amazing evangelist for the brand as a marketing and salesperson. Now a mother of two beautiful children with a loving, supporting husband, Michele just completed her college degree (we’re proud of you Mish!) and is ready to tackle her next new challenge with the same zeal and passion she brought to Picket Fence Media. Mish, we wish you well.
With endings there are also new beginnings, and I’m thrilled to announce that Jennifer Guy has joined Picket Fence to assume Michele’s role leading real estate sales and marketing as well as leading digital sales for the group. Jennifer has been working with us part-time over the past year and comes to us after a strong career with the Los Angeles Times Community Newspaper Group (TCN). Jennifer, welcome aboard! We also are excited to welcome Zach Cavanagh as our new Group Sports Editor. Zach replaces Steve Breazeale, who leaves us after six impressive years covering the South Orange County sports scene and earning numerous awards for his efforts. Steve’s landed a job with Golf Digest but will remain in the area, and we’re hugely proud of him. Zach most recently has been with the Orange County Register sports department and joins us with a built-in knowledge of the area, its schools, teams and history. Steve, congrats my man, and hit it straight and long! Family runs deep at Picket Fence Media. Welcome Jennifer and Zach; and Michele and Steve, all the best and we’ll see you around town! SC
GUEST OPINION: View from the Pier by Herman Sillas
There Must Have Been Some Magic in that Old Tamale Recipe
S
an Clemente has great Mexican restaurants and fine food, but if you are Mexican, there is nothing like homemade Mexican Christmas tamales. They are a family’s legacy. At an early age, we learned that at Christmas time, our mothers would have homemade tamales for dinner. My mother would exchange her tamales with relatives and each one would exclaim how delicious they were. My mother would also pass a few on to her close friends. When I went on to UCLA and law school, I met and dated Cora Franco. Her mother also made Christmas tamales. After Cora and I married, we received tamales from both mothers. We ate them both and praised them. Her mother made chicken tamales and my mother made beef tamales. Cora’s mother eventually passed away due to cancer, and Cora continued the tradition of making her mother’s chicken tamales. Our family helped my mother make her beef tamales. My role was to take the “masa” (the corn that was ground up by the factory owner) and beat it with my hands in a big pan and add beef stock and baking powder until the masa floated in a glass of water. It was tough to make that happen, but that is what it took to make sure the masa was ready to spread on the wet husks that had been soaked in water.
Our children helped Cora make her chicken tamales by spreading the masa on the corn husks and then filling the tamales with pieces of chicken and green chilesauce. The tamale was then wrapped with another corn husk and folded to keep the fillings inside. Then, the tamales would be placed into a special pot that left space in the center so that the tamales cooked thoroughly. My father created this stainless steel pot to steam the tamales. In 45 minutes they were done! The tamales cooled and then were wrapped in plastic bags and placed in the freezer to be taken out for Christmas Eve dinner. THE VIEW We moved to Davis in FROM THE PIER By Herman Sillas the 1970s and we put our daughters on the production line for the Christmas tamales. Our daughters’ boyfriends became part of the assembly line. Every Christmas we made tamales and had our friends over for a Christmas tamale dinner. The tradition continued. We returned to Los Angeles and continued to have our tamales at Christmas time. Our children and now their children helped make our tamales. Our daughters eventually took over the task and responsibility of mak-
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ing them. We would gather at one of their houses for the assembly. Cora supervised quality control to make sure it was done correctly, and I continued to cook them. Our son, had moved up north and he called Cora and got instructions from her on how to make them. He has become the tamale king up north. Cora and I no longer join our daughters for the assembly and cooking. They now assemble over 40 pounds of masa and serve them for Christmas dinner and give some of them to close friends. Cora and I now receive tamales from close Mexican friends. If you receive handmade Christmas tamales from Mexican friends, you are blessed! They are proud of their tamales and compare their tamale flavor to the flavors of others. We have talked of contests between the tamale makers, but that has not happened yet. It is just fun to talk about it for next year. That is the view from the Pier. Herman Sillas is a former director of the Department of Motor Vehicles and a former U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of California under former President Jimmy Carter. Sillas may reached at sillas@aol. SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC 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 SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com
www.sanclementetimes.com
SOAPBOX
Letters to the Editor CONTINUE TO PROTECT SAN ONOFRE STATE BEACH GREG LONG, San Clemente
Our magnificent scenery, incredible beaches and wonderful waves contribute to making San Clemente an ideal place to live or vacation. One of our greatest treasures is the world-renowned San Onofre State Beach, which lies at the doorstep to our community. I was very pleased to read the results of a new poll by nationally respected pollster, Voter Surveys and Consulting, that indicated 73 percent of San Clemente voters continue to oppose building a toll road through San Onofre State Beach. This includes majorities of republicans as well as democrats and independents who strongly oppose desecrating these Native American sacred lands and treasured state park with an unnecessary toll road. The survey results are available at wwwsavesanonofrepark.org. It is vital to our quality of life and economy that we continue to stand up, including our elected officials, to protect San Onofre State Beach and the city of San Clemente from any new toll road proposals through our park or our city. The completion of the Interstate 5 widening through San Clemente, and the occasional use of the La Pata bypass option as needed, are immediate traffic solutions for South Orange County. Any toll road proposals through the park or city will create irreversible devastation and will only cause new impediments to the flow of traffic through this region. Let’s all unite and dedicate our efforts to protect both San Onofre State Beach and the city of San Clemente.
SAN CLEMENTE HIGH SCHOOL SPONSORSHIP SIGNS ON THE FENCES EARLE MCNEIL, San Clemente
To those who keep complaining about the San Clemente High School sponsorship signs on the fences, I say it provides approximately $40,000 per year to the school, which provides support to the academic programs. To those who want to get rid of the signs, please write a check for $40,000 each and every year. It also prevents outside distractions from interfering with our children’s education.
THANKS FOR THE FAMILY COLUMNS LAYLA HOOT, San Clemente
I wanted to thank Shelley Murphy for her articles in the column “Life’s a Beach” (which runs every third week of the month). I have read most of them and always felt like I watched her children San Clemente Times January 11–17, 2018
Join the San Clemente Times for Beachside Chat, Friday, Jan. 12 at 8 a.m. at Café Calypso This week’s guest will be Mary Gray Perdue, the executive director of the nonprofit Family Assistance Ministries, which helps people out of and avoid homelessness. Beachside Chat is a spirited, town hall forum on community issues, hosted by SC Times editor Eric Heinz every Friday at Café Calypso, 114 Avenida Del Mar. All are welcome. grow up over the years. I too feel that family is the best gift ever. Our kids grew up as well and we have a grandchild. I look forward to spoiling him with anything he wants, he is only 3 years old, after all. But we had the same customs as Shelley: wait until they sleep and bring out all of Santa’s gifts, fill up their stockings, and my daughter would always leave milk and cookies for Santa. And yup, my husband would eat the cookies and drink the milk. But as they got older, my daughter started leaving a glass of whiskey with those cookies. Man, our Santa loved that. Anyways, thanks for sharing your story with the people of San Clemente, and yes, life is a beach.
OVERSIGHT ON WATER RELIABILITY ESSENTIAL TO FIRE SAFETY WILLIS FRICK, San Clemente
I have read that in some places, during the recent fires in Ventura and Santa Barbara, water district pumps did not have permanent backup generators and fire hydrants in some areas went dry. Water is the key element in fire control for structures and to have it depend only on normal electrically sources is asking for trouble. A few years ago in Laguna Beach during a fire, the pumps worked, but the instrumentation for some water tanks stopped working, and the district could not determine how much water was in the tanks and the fire department could not use the water. Again, no backup power. The Santa Margarita and San Clemente City water systems should inform local governments, users and residents if the pumps and vital instrumentation are provided with permanent, installed backup power that is regularly tested and maintained. If not, then we should be told of the schedule for installation of this vital feature for fire protection.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@sanclementetimes.com. San Clemente Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers. Please limit your letters to 350 words. Page 7
SC GETTING OUT San Clemente
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EDITOR’S PICK
What’s going on in and around town COMPILED BY VICTOR CARNO
Thursday | 11 TABLE TENNIS FOR SENIORS 10 a.m.-1 p.m. All seniors 55 or older are welcome to join the Table Tennis Club at the Shorecliff Terrace Mobile Home Park. Any skill level is welcome and entry is free. 3000 Calle Nuevo, San Clemente. 949.481.2275. jnl5555@yahoo.com. EVENING NETWORKING MIXER 5:30-7:30 p.m. Frontier Real Estate Investments will be presenting their proposed projects in San Juan Capistrano, complete with 3-D modeling of each project. Be sure to bring a raffle prize to help promote your own business and receive a free raffle ticket. Admission is $15 for members and $25 for potential members. San Juan Hills Golf Club. 32120 San Juan Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.1167. www.frontierrei.com. SCIENCE NIGHT 6:30-8 p.m. Join the Dana Point Community Center to learn about local ecosystems, California’s unique flora and fauna, and new science research in Orange County. Presentations feature local and esteemed experts from the scientific community. 34052 Del Obispo Street, Dana Point. 949.248.3536. www.danapoint.org. PAINT NIGHT AT BARNOA WINE CO. 6:30-9:30 p.m. The night will include a social hour of food and drinks and painting. No experience is necessary. Cost is $35 per painter (all art supplies and relaxation included). Barnoa Wine Co., 831 Via Suerte, Unit 106, San Clemente. 949.388.4378. www.ocdcartanddesign.com.
Friday | 12 LIVE MUSIC: WATERMAN’S HARBOR 4-7 p.m. Join Waterman’s Harbor for live music with Hans & Janine every Friday. Waterman’s Harbor. 34661 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.764.3474. www.watermandp.com. ORANGE COUNTY WINE CRUISE 5:30 p.m. Join Dana Wharf for a 90-minute evening cruise aboard the luxury catamaran. The cruises run Friday and Sunday evenings. Tickets are $49. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. 34675 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.496.5794. www.danawharf.com. San Clemente Times January 11–17, 2018
Photo: Courtesy of the San Clemente Art Association
THROUGH FEB. 15: SAN CLEMENTE ART ASSOCIATION NEW YEAR SHOW Weekdays Noon-4 p.m., weekends 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The San Clemente Art Association is hosting its New Year Show with several artists on display. 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente. 949.492.7175. www.paintsanclemente.com.
SHOWOFF! INTERNATIONAL PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL 8 p.m. The Camino Real Playhouse’s annual ShowOff! International Playwriting Festival features the world premiere of seven 10-minute plays from seven directors. Audience members vote for their favorite plays, and the top three winners receive cash prizes after the last performance. The festival runs through Jan. 21, and tickets start at $22. See the playhouse website for show times. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.489.8082. www.caminorealplayhouse.org.
Saturday | 13 TALEGA RUN CLUB 7:30 a.m. Whether you are about to tackle your first 5K or you are just keeping your cardio and running prowess in top form, be sure to stop by Peet’s Coffee in Talega. Every Saturday a group runners of varying skill level take a brisk three mile run around a pre-determined course. Admission is free. 801 Avenida Talega, San Clemente. 949.588.5054. www.facebook.com/2XUSanClemente. SATURDAYS AT THE SWALLOWS INN 2:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Live music from rotating bands at The Swallows Inn. Burgers and wings from Lisa’s Kitchen also are available. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. www.swallowsinn.com.
LIVE MUSIC: BUNCH OF GUYS 7:30 p.m. Live music will be performed by Bunch of Guys at Iva Lee’s. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.361.2855. www.ivalees.com. CUBENSIS: GRATEFUL DEAD TRIBUTE BAND 9:30 p.m. Live music will be performed at OC Tavern. 21 and up. Tickets are $10. 2369 S. El Camino Real San Clemente. 949.542.8877. www.octavern.com.
Sunday | 14 THE COAST VINTAGE MARKET 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Stop by Saddleback College every second Sunday of the month for a vintage market. This shopping experience includes over 200 vendors, live music and food trucks. 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. 949.381.9947. www.thecoastvintagemarket.com. GUIDED NATURE HIKE 8-9:15 a.m. Join an Orange County Parks Ranger for a hike around Bell Canyon in Caspers Wilderness Park. 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. 949.923.2210. www.ocparks.com/caspers.
Monday | 15 KOI FISH FEEDING 12:45 p.m. Everyday visitors are welcomed Page 8
to help Mission San Juan Capistrano feed their koi fish in both courtyards. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. 949.234.1300. www.missionsjc.com. FREE GUITAR LESSONS 5-6 p.m. Free beginner level acoustic guitar lessons for middle school to college age youth every Monday. Guitars provided or students can bring their own. 1040 Calle Negocio, San Clemente. 949.388.0114. www.communityoutreachalliance.com. COUNTRY DANCING AND ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR 7 p.m.-Midnight. Stop by the Swallows Inn for country dancing with DJ Patrick and a happy hour that lasts all day. Enjoy a steak dinner for $13 when you are finished with the dance floor. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. www.swallowsinn.com.
Tuesday | 16 YOGA ON TAP 6-7 p.m. Yoga on Tap (formerly Bend N’ Brew) is held at Left Coast’s tasting room in San Clemente. This is a one-hour yoga class, followed by a pint of beer. It’s a great way to get to know your local fellow yogis and beer drinkers. The cost is $10. Left Coast Brewery, 1251 Puerta Del Sol, San Clemente. 949.276.6014 or www.leftcoastbrewing.com. (Cont. on page 10) www.sanclementetimes.com
GETTING OUT (Cont. from page 8) KARAOKE AT GOODY’S 8 p.m. Karaoke every Tuesday night at Goody’s Tavern in San Clemente. 206 S. El Camino Real. 949.492.3400. www.goodystavern.com.
Wednesday | 17 FRENCH CONVERSATION CLUB 2-4 p.m. Every Wednesday. Look for the table with the French flag surrounded by a group of people speaking French. No cost to join. Café Calypso. 114 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. 949.493.5228, or 949.369.5482. OLD CAPISTRANO CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET 3-6 p.m. Stop by and check out some locally grown, organic produce and artisan goodies at a farmers market that has been going strong for over 15 years. Free ad-
mission. Historic Town Center Park. 31852 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.4700. www.farmersmarketsjc.com FREE COMEDY AT BLOOM’S IRISH SPORTS BAR 8:30 p.m. Every Wednesday, free comedy at Bloom’s Irish Sports Bar with food and drink specials. There will be local and professional talent. 2391 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.218.0120. OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS 9 p.m.-1 a.m. All levels of musicians are welcome to perform at this weekly open mic. Bring your instruments, or voice, and show off your talent. 1717 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.2410. www.knuckleheadsmusic.com. HAVE AN EVENT? Submit it to San Clemente Times by going to www.sanclementetimes.com, and clicking “Submit an Event” under the “Getting Out” tab.
Tom Hanks in ‘The Post.’ Photo: Niko Tavernise/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.
At the Movies: ‘The Post’ Themes Fit with Current Events BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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ne week into 2018 and we finally get a wide release of one of the most anticipated period pieces of this awards season: Steven Spielberg’s The Post. Directed by one of our finest living filmmakers and starring two screen legends, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, the film comes at a time when we’re being reminded that the fight for freedom of the press has been a long fight in our country’s history. Back in 1971, local D.C. newspaper The Washington Post was in a rivalry with The New York Times to get the best scoops about the Nixon administration and the Vietnam War. The Post’s publisher Katharine Graham (Streep) is in her own battle to be taken seriously by her board and her hard-as-nails editor, Ben Bradlee (Hanks),
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has to prove he’s the right man to lead the paper. But there finally might be a turning point when someone begins leaking secrets on the war to both papers. Bruce Greenwood, Sarah Paulson, Alison Brie and Bob Odenkirk make up some of the supporting cast of familiar faces. The Post is a perfect example of a film that fits the definition of “solid.” Everything from Spielberg’s direction to the performances to John Williams’ trademark score to the aesthetics is fine and what you’d expect from everyone. But it’s nothing incredibly groundbreaking. The themes are, of course, being compared to current events, and the release date does make the similarity a bit on the nose. But still, Spielberg’s latest film would work well for fans as a spiritual sequel to his 2015 hit, Bridge of Spies. SC www.sanclementetimes.com
SC SC LIVING San Clemente
PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY
GUEST OPINION: On Life and Love after 50 by Tom Blake
Five Things I’ve Learned in Three Years of Retirement
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hen I was pondering retirement from Tutor and Spunky’s, my Dana Point deli, the main thing I looked forward to was having “free time.” With it, I could do nothing—if I wanted— which sounded great, after 25 years of serving sandwiches. Three years ago in January, I sold the deli to Jim Mouzakis, a really good man, who I knew would treat the employees well. I had worked until age 75; I’m glad I did. Working until then helped build a small financial nest egg and kept my body moving and my mind active. And then, finally, there was freedom from slicing salami. However, I realized quickly that I did not want a lot of free time. It wasn’t good for me. I’m not built to sit around. I ON LIFE AND realized I must have projLOVE AFTER 50 ects to work on. Every By Tom Blake morning I make a to-do list for the day. If I haven’t crossed each item off by day’s end, so be it. But, the list keeps me focused. Soon, that free time became busy time. And from three years of busy time came five lessons learned in retirement. 1. The most important retirement lesson learned is the need to have social interac-
tion with people. To be too isolated is not good for one’s health. A good way to interact with people is by joining groups. Meetup.com lists thousands of groups and activities and should provide plenty of ideas for people who are not sure of what to do to meet others. Also, monthly Chamber of Commerce mixers and service clubs are great places to interact with people. 2. The second retirement lesson I’ve learned is the importance of keeping my body moving. It’s a daily priority for me. In South Orange County, we’re fortunate to have parks and the ocean nearby. The ocean can be a great aid and inspiration to keep moving. There’s surfing, swimming, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, and walking in the harbor or on the beaches. Salt Creek Beach is one of the most beautiful in the world. I can walk there in 30 minutes from our front door, and do often. In retirement, keeping the body moving daily is a “must-do” in filling my “free time.” 3. The third retirement lesson I’ve learned is the need to have a purpose in life. Something with meaning, it doesn’t have to be a huge project. Volunteering and helping others is a great way to fulfill this human need. Some people use the words “giving back.” There are lots of people around who are way less fortunate than I. They can use a little help. How I help them doesn’t matter-giving of my time, or what little money I can afford, makes me feel good. 4. The fourth retirement lesson I’ve learned is the importance of keeping one’s mind and brain stimulated. For some, it’s the love of reading that fulfills this need. For me, it’s my writing. I’ve been a newspaper columnist for 23 years. I love it. Every week I must generate a column and/or a newsletter article. I am grateful for the opportunity. 5. The fifth retirement lesson I’ve learned is to be willing to step out of one’s comfort zone. When Greta and I were in Lima, Peru, in October, it would have been
Every week, the San Clemente Times will publish a historical photo. Online, SC Times will create a gallery of the month’s photos. To submit your historical photos, please provide information about the photo along with your name for credit to eheinz@picketfencemedia.com.
easy to take a tour of the city arranged by the ship. But, instead, we decided to do it on our own. If you’re single, and you’ve made a list of the qualities you seek in a mate, don’t be shackled by the list. Let’s say one of the qualities is to meet a widower of the same faith. But you meet a divorced man instead. And holy horrors, he’s not of the same faith, or even more horrifying, not of the same nationality. But you like him because he’s a gentleman. Step out of your comfort zone and take a chance on him. Let yourself be enlightened. You’d be surprised at the number of seniors unwilling to do that. Don’t be an old fuddy-duddy. Those are the five biggest takeaways
I’ve learned in three years of retirement. In 2018, I’ll probably learn a few more retirement lessons. But, if I can master these five, I will be ahead of the game. Tom Blake is a Dana Point resident and a former Dana Point businessman who has authored several books on middle-aged dating. See his websites at www.findingloveafter50.com; www.vicsta.com and www. travelafter55.com. To receive Tom’s weekly online newsletter, sign up at www.findingloveafter50.com. Email: tompblake@gmail. com. SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC 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 SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com
BY MYLES MELLOR
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San Clemente Times January 11–17, 2018
FROM THE ARCHIVES The Sea Shore Café in San Clemente is pictured here circa 1945. The café was located on El Camino Real near Avenida Del Mar.
Sudoku
Pet of the Week: Martin ine-month-old Martin is a sweet and friendly rabbit who is ready for his next big adventure. This adventurous little bunny doesn’t mind being picked up or held and even enjoys lap time when he isn’t busy exploring. Martin has good litter box habits and would make a great house bunny for a loving family. If you would like to know more about Martin, please call the San Clemente/ Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617, or visit with him at 221 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. SC
Photo: Thomas Pulley, courtesy of OC Public Libraries/Calisphere
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
Last week’s solution:
Martin. Photo: Courtesy of the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter
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See the solution in next week’s issue.
www.sanclementetimes.com
SC San Clemente
ACCOUNTING
Chris W. Johnston, CPA, MBA 34184 Pacific Coast Highway Dana Point, 949.240.8015, www.cwjcpacorp.com
ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT
Body Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program
665 Camino De Los Mares, Ste. 104, 949.485.4979, www.bodymindspiritiop.com
AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING
Solstice Heating and Air
2208 El Camino Real, Ste. #1, 949.573.3607, www.solsticehvac.com
ART GALLERIES
San Clemente Art Association 100 N. Calle Seville, 949.492.7175, www.scartgallery.com
CHOCOLATE/CANDY
Schmid’s Fine Chocolate
99 Avenida Del Mar, 949.369.1052, www.schmidschocolate.com
CONCRETE
Costa Verde Landscape
Lic.: 744797 (C-8 & C-27) 949.361.9656, www.costaverdelandscaping.com
Exquisite Epoxy Concrete Floor Coatings
Lic.: 1020002, 949.632.8400 exquisiteepoxy.com
DENTISTS
Eric Johnson, D.D.S.
647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, 949.493.9311, www.drericjohnson.com
Shoreline Dental Studio Kristen Ritzau, DDS
122 Avenida Cabrillo, 949.245.6046, www.shorelinedentalstudio.com
EDIBLE LANDSCAPING
Organics Out Back
949.354.2258, www.organicsoutback.com
ELECTRIC BIKES
Murf Electric Bikes
212 N. El Camino Real, 949.370.3801, www.murfelectricbikes.com
Locals Only BUSINESS DIRECTORY
ELECTRICAL
BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT
Arcadia Electric
YOUR BUSINESS HERE!
949.361.1045, www.arcadiaelectric.com
HOME REPAIRS/IMPROVEMENT
Capistrano Valley Raingutters Scott Williams, 949.542.7750
JEWELRY
Paradise Jewelers
166 Avenida Del Mar, 949.361.6661, www.paradisejewelers.com
Sign up to be featured as our monthly Locals Only Business Spotlight for only $100! Write-up of 50 words with logo. Four weeks in print and online. Contact Susie Lantz at 949.388.7700, ext. 111 or email slantz@picketfencemedia.com
LANDSCAPING
Costa Verde Landscape
Lic.: 744797 (C-8 & C-27) 949.361.9656, www.costaverdelandscaping.com
MORTGAGES
Brian Wiechman, Equity Coast Mortgage A division of Pinnacle Capital Mortgage 949.533.9209, www.equitycoastmortgage.com
MOTORCYLE PARTS & SERVICE
SC Rider Supply
520 S. El Camino Real, 949.388.0521, www.scridersupply.com
MUSIC LESSONS
Danman’s Music School
949.496.6556, www.danmans.com
Panagia Music: Music Lessons and More!
949.705.7573, panagiamusic@gmail. com, www.panagiamusic.com
PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS
Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD
1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), www.moranperio.com
PEST/TERMITE CONTROL
accuratetermitecontrol.com 949.837.6483
Colony Termite Control
1402 Calle Alcazar, 949.361.2500, www.colonytermite.com
PLUMBING
A to Z Leak Detection
1001 Calle Recodo, 949.481.7013, www.atozleakdetection.com
Bill Metzger Plumbing
1001 Calle Recodo, 949.492.3558, www.billmetzerplumbing.com
RESTAURANTS
Café Calypso
114 Avenida Del Mar #4, 949.366.9386
SALONS
Salon Bleu
207 S. El Camino Real, 949.366.2060, www.scsalonbleu.com
Syrens Hair Parlor
217 Avenida Del Mar, Ste. E, 949.361.9006, www.syrens.com
WEBSITE DESIGN
San Clemente Website Design
949.246.8345, www.sanclementewebsitedesign.com
WINDOW & DOOR REPLACEMENT
REALTORS
Scott Kidd, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services 949.498.0487, skidd@bhhscal.com
Sherry Wild, LuXre Realty
BRE # 01480453, 949.275.8937 www.LuXreRealty.com
Offshore Construction
877.774.1492, www.offshoreconstruction.org LIST LOCALS ONLY USE LOCALS ONLY In print and online 52 weeks a year. View online at www.sanclementetimes. com. Call at Susie Lantz for pricing at 949.388.7700, ext. 111 or email slantz@ picketfencemedia.com.
CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad at www.sanclementetimes.com
FOR RENT MASTER SUITE/STUDIO FOR RENT IN NE SC Master suite with kitchenette built in. Private entrance, parking for 1 car, patio space, refrigerator and space heater included. Quiet neighborhood. You pay no utilities. $1350.00/ month. Call Elizabeth for details/viewing. 949-233-4316
FOR SALE CUSTOM AREA RUGS You pick style, color and size. Typically made in 2 weeks. Stainmaster nylon, wool, polyester or designer carpet. Carpet showroom in Lantern District of Dana Point. Carpet and flooring remnants also available - all shapes, sizes and kinds of flooring. We sell tile too! Mike at Lantern Bay Carpets: 949-240-1545.
OTHER STUFF THE SCHENKENBERGER’S NEED SOME HELP Steve Shenkenberger, husband and father of five young boys, was riding his mountain bike on Super Bowl Sunday when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Laguna Niguel. The family is need of donations for ongoing medical expenses and childcare. Please consider donating at www.gofundme.com/ the-schenkenbergers-medical-bills.
ROOMATE WANTED ROOMATE WANTED TO SHARE LUXURY CONDO ON THE BLUFFS above the beach in San Clemente. Furnished Master Bedroom Suite, Private Bath and Patio. Laundry, parking, separate entrance. $850 per month includes utilities. No pets, parties or smoking. SheilaPatterson.esq@cox.net
OBITUARIES Memorial for Joyce Roughton Hanson
Joyce Roughton Hanson was born in Hull, England on September 6th, 1931. She was born to Ernie and Elsie Goodall. Joyce grew up in England with her 6 brothers and sisters. She studied at the Hull Teacher’s Training College and taught elementary school. Joyce married and moved to the United States and settled in Southern California. She worked at the California Water District for over 30 years. She raised 3 children and has 3 grandchildren. Joyce had great heart for the Lord and loved hymns. She enjoyed people, activities, and crossword puzzles. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Joan and Sylvia, and brothers, Eric and Ted. She leaves behind many who love her including her sister, Margaret and brother, David; her son, Mark, his wife Tracey and daughter, Sydney; her daughter, Lianne, her husband, Bob and sons Ben and Will; her daughter, Dawn; and ex-husband, Paul Hanson. Sadly, we said good-bye to this sweet, lovely lady on November 10, 2017. Memorial service will be held January 13th, 2018 at 3:00 pm at Stephen’s Chapel, San Clemente Presbyterian Church, 119 Camino de la
Estrella, San Clemente, California. In lieu of flowers, family ask that donations be made to Alzheimer’s Association.
Peter T. Limon
(January 31 1924 - January 8, 2018)
Peter T. Limon, beloved husband, father, grandfather and Pearl Harbor Survivor passed away on January 8, 2018. He is survived by four children and their spouses: Martin Limon (SoYong), Lavinia Limon Hanon (Mohamad), Peter Limon, Alexandria Limon and six grandchildren: Aaron, Maria, Michelle, Natalie, Spencer, Sloan and one great-grandchild: Gabriel. A long time entrepreneur, he was a fabulous husband and father noted for his charm, wit and humor. He built and operated the San Clemente Motor Lodge which hosted the Secret Service during President Nixon’s Administration. In his later years he owned and operated Las Brisas Motel which is now known as Patriot’s Motel. He was the founder of the Peter T. Limon Foundation, a foundation supporting veterans and their families. A memorial service will be held in Dana Point. Please contact his daughter Alex for more information (858) 583-2849
SC n te S a n C le m e
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call 949.388.7700, ext. 111 or email slantz@picketfencemedia.com
San Clemente Times January 11–17, 2018
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www.sanclementetimes.com
SC SPORTS & OUTDOORS San Clemente
STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE
Sam Darnold threw for nearly 3,000 yards with 39 touchdowns and rushed for 785 yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior year as he led San Clemente to a 12-2 record and the CIF-SS Southwest Division final. Photo: File
Darnold’s Road from San Clemente to the NFL Draft BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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ast Wednesday, Jan. 3, San Clemente alum Sam Darnold announced he would forego his final two years of college eligibility at the University of Southern California and declare for the NFL Draft. “After talking to my immediate family, very close friends and many people who have helped me throughout my life, I have made the decision to declare for the 2018 NFL Draft,” Darnold said in a social media video.
The former Triton quarterback has always stayed true to his hometown roots and called back to that by pointing out a few San Clemente coaches. “I want to thank coach (Jaime) Ortiz, coach (Troy) Kopp, coach (Marc) Popovich and everybody involved in San Clemente High School and its football program who tirelessly taught me to work hard and strive for what I want.” It’s the fulfillment of a dream for Darnold, but his success is just as gratifying for each of those coaches who now count
Sam Darnold was a two-time league MVP for the San Clemente basketball team. Darnold’s basketball game tape was added to his football clips during college recruitment. Photo: File
San Clemente Times January 11–17, 2018
themselves among Darnold’s biggest fans. “It’s something that he’s wanted ever since he was a little kid—to play at USC and in the NFL,” Triton football coach Jaime Ortiz said. “Knowing him since then, one of the best experiences as coaches is kids living out their dreams, succeeding in college and doing great things in life. This is the next step in his journey.” Ortiz has had a connection with Sam and the Darnolds since Sam was in third grade. “His mom was my master teacher at Shorecliffs Middle School,” Ortiz said. “He was an urban legend early on as a kid.” When Darnold got to San Clemente High, he excelled as a freshman and performed well at other positions as a sophomore. Late in his second season, an injury forced Darnold into duty at quarterback and he found his calling. “He has that it factor,” Ortiz said. “It’s something you can’t replicate. Things slow down for him.” Darnold led the Tritons to a comeback win over Tesoro throwing a touchdown with about a minute left and converting a two-point conversion with a bootleg throw. “He’s so instinctive,” San Clemente offensive coordinator Troy Kopp said. “He can turn nothing into something. In situations where we were down, he was very poised and able to do it.” Darnold had earned the starting job for just junior season and pushed San Clemente to a 2-0 start. Then in the third game of the season, Darnold took on a seasonending foot injury, but even with the injury, he showed his ability and toughness. “He got hurt in the second quarter,” Kopp said, “and went out in the following series. We were down by a touchdown. He was limping around the field, but scrambling and throwing to his left, he threw a touchdown to tie the game.” Then came his senior football season where the legend of Sam Darnold truly took off. Darnold threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 39 touchdowns in 2014 while rushing for 785 yards and 13 touchdowns to lead San Clemente to a 12-2 record and the CIF-SS Southwest Division final. His performance earned him several player of the year awards and skyrocketed his stock as a college recruit. But as Darnold said in his video, USC’s offer was taking a chance as Darnold had so little football game tape because of his juniorseason injury. What augmented Darnold’s football game tape was game tape from his first sporting love: basketball. Darnold was a two-time league MVP for the Triton basketball team and was named to the school’s 50th anniversary team while he was still playing. “His athleticism was special,” San Clemente coach Marc Popovich said. “People
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Triton Report BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
For in-game updates, news and more for all San Clemente High School sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCSports.
Boys Soccer Shines on National Stage
San Clemente posted a 2-0-1 record at the Texas Showcase with strong performances against national powers. The Tritons earned a draw, 4-4, against national No. 1 Sam Houston of Arlington, Texas on Jan. 4, but fell on penalty kicks. Blake Bowen had two goals in the match. Bowen and Tristan Weber had goals against Lake Travis of Austin, Texas, and Bowen added another goal as San Clemente knocked off national No. 12 Juarez-Lincoln of La Joya, Texas on Jan. 6. San Clemente comes back for league play at home against San Juan Hills on Friday, Jan. 12 and hosts defending league champion El Toro on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
say that the skills don’t necessarily translate (from basketball to football), but he showed his skill to find guys while moving around and keeping his head up while making plays.” Another skill that translated to football and then onto USC and presumably onto every NFL team’s draft sheet is his intangible leadership ability. “Sam was not necessarily the biggest rah-rah guy,” Popovich said, “but he knows what everybody on his team needs. We never had a bad practice with him involved. He made sure everyone’s level was high.” Darnold then signed on with USC and the rest is history. He led the Trojans to a dramatic Rose Bowl victory as a redshirt freshman and broke school records as a sophomore as USC won the Pac-12 title. Now, Darnold is projected as one of the top picks in the NFL Draft on April 27. No matter where he goes as a professional, he’ll never be too far from his hometown. “San Clemente is a special place,” Ortiz said. “It’s a tight knit community. When Sam comes back from LA and the hustle and bustle and goes down to the beach or shoots hoops, it’s a little break from him.” SC www.sanclementetimes.com
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
Swarming to Shutouts San Clemente’s girls soccer team’s defensive philosophy has provided stingy results BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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warming. Suffocating. Stingy. This is the defensive philosophy of the San Clemente girls soccer team. It’s worked to great success as the Tritons boast an 11-1-4 record as of Jan. 10 and have only allowed six goals all season with 12 shutouts. “As soon as we lose the ball, everyone tries to win it back right away,” San Clemente coach Lauren Leslie said. “If we don’t win it back in four to five seconds, then we defensively organize. That’s part of our M.O. is to get the ball back right away.” Defense leads directly to offense for San Clemente. After the swarm, the backline looks up for the forwards, and it’s off to the races. “We’ve had so many games that they’ve learned to play as a unit,” Leslie said. “The
offense knows what the defense is going to do when they have the ball. We’re usually trying to connect out of the back, so they know the runs to make.” Leading the defense is senior goalkeeper Kelsey Bland. Bland is the latest in a line of San Clemente keepers that have given the Tritons their reputation on defense. “She’s a leader, she’s a captain,” Leslie said. “She’s stepping up to the plate. After following Lauren Brzykcy (UCLA), I think she learned a lot from her.” Bland and her defenders like Molly Engel, Gabi Drabkin, London Irwin and Rylee Rask have become a tight and formidable unit. “We’re pretty close,” Bland said. We’ve been playing together for a few years now. We’re really close on and off the field. We have a connection. Most often than not, we’re a solid wall. I feel really confident back there with my defensive line. San Clemente was spurred out to its current record from a streak of nine consecutive shutouts in the month of December for a 7-0-2 record over that span. Bland had a concussion early in the season, so the back-up keepers, Skylar Staab and Sophia Reason, had to and did step up for San Clemente. The Tritons posted a shutout in 10 of their first 11 games. “It’s very difficult, to begin with,” Bland said of getting shutouts. “I think this year, we’ve had our best record so far. Getting
San Clemente’s Maxine Davey protects the ball from a Dana Hills player. San Clemente tied Dana Hills, 1-1, on Jan. 9 at Dana Hills High School. Photo: Zach Cavanagh
another shutout is great, and the pressure of not letting another goal go in. We just go out with the mindset of no goals against. If it does happen, just shake it off, start over and reset.” Now into league play, shutouts may be harder to come by with the South Coast League as strong as ever. Dana Hills is having a down season but earned a 1-1 draw against San Clemente in the league
opener on Jan. 9. “I love having a tough league,” Leslie said. “The girls get excited for each game.” The league slate only gets tougher as the Tritons move on to host defending league champion Aliso Niguel on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Aliso Niguel is No. 5 in the latest CIF-SS Division 1 poll. San Clemente lost both games against the Wolverines last season. SC
SC San Clemente
SC SURF
SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:
SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY
GROM OF THE WEEK
KIRRA PINKERTON BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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“This is the next step for surfing, to create a local system for growing surfboards to displace the materials and practices that undermine our lifestyle,” says Agave Surf co-founder Nate Headrick. Photo: Courtesy of Agave Surf
Grow Your Own Surfboard Agave Surf brings a more sustainable, environmentally friendly concept to the surfboard business BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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asting away in Margaritaville is one thing, but there’s more to the agave plant than tequila and looking for that lost shaker of salt. For a number of years now, a handful of surfboard shapers have been building boards using the flower stalk of the agave plant instead of the traditional foam blanks. San Diego’s Gary Linden was one of the first to experiment with the material. “The byproducts of the tequila-making process provide a huge source of what I believe can be used to make a plethora of products, providing jobs for people that really want and need to work,” explained Linden, who’s spent time in Mexico working with the Jose Cuervo distillery. “I feel if we all focus our creative minds we can come up with something pretty special.” A couple of winters ago, Linden shaped a big-wave gun for pro surfer Alex Gray, which was put to the test during a sizable run of swell at Isla Todos Santos in northern Baja. “I rode it on the biggest day at Todos last winter and the board worked insane,” Gray said. “It’s a heavier surfboard. The agave is very porous and soaks up a lot of San Clemente Times January 11–17, 2018
resin, so you get a lot of momentum paddling. It felt alive compared to a regular surfboard.” Given South Orange County’s history of surfboard design and construction, it only seems logical that perhaps the future of green, renewable board materials is landing in local waters. Like so many brilliant ideas, this one starts at a coffee shop. In the spring of 2016, local surfer and aspiring designer Nate Headrick was working at Crank & Grind in Dana Point when Ian Bryan, an artist and photographer, was invited to show some of his work at the cafe/bike shop. The founder of Jonathan Seagull Butterfly Art and Laguna Skateboards, he was invited to showcase his butterfly works and bamboo-veneered skateboards. His vision for Laguna Skateboards was to develop more sustainable boards using a pressed bamboo veneer. Conveniently, Headrick had been experimenting with how to efficiently produce surfboards using agave. Both seeking new ways to make more environmentally friendly and sustainable equipment for surfers and skaters, they struck up a friendship over a few cups of coffee. “The coffee shop provided me with a forum of sorts. I’d get two or three minutes with each customer and few opportunities were missed to talk about the potential of agave,” says Headrick. “I had my collection of flyers on the counter and I got a lot of my first stalks that way. It was a fun way to rub elbows with all of the members of the community and meet like-minded people. I met Ian Bryan, a Laguna Beach artist, and we combined forces to take Agave Surf to the next level.” Like that, Agave Surf was born. The initial agave skates were a relative success and the focus quickly jumped to surfboards.
“We found that if grown to term as a building material, agave stalks could be harvested after the mother plant has reproduced itself clonally many times over, and leaving its root system intact is important. This makes agave incredibly effective for converting atmospheric carbon into stable, underground biomass...and agave can be grown almost everywhere the surf culture exists,” Headrick said. “This is the next step for surfing, to create a local system for growing surfboards to displace the materials and practices that undermine our lifestyle.” Because agave is farmed to produce tequila, young plants are harvested and the stalks are left as a byproduct that typically gets cast aside, but when milled and laminated, the woody material is ideal for shaping surfboards. “Agave Surf is set to launch our ‘We Grow Surfboards’ campaign to help us collect materials from local agave and spread knowledge of agave as a building material, while encouraging an appreciation for the products people buy and their sources,” Headrick said. The company has also partnered with a nonprofit called Growers First, which is working with farmers in Mexico to help close the farm-to-wave loop. “We are collaborating with them to produce agave plants for future cultivation. Their mission is to advocate for impoverished agricultural communities and families,” Headrick. The agave surfboard concept has been floating around for some time thanks to early adaptors like Linden, but until Agave Surf came along, nobody had ever tried to put a business model behind it. Headrick and Bryan changed that, and the process may change how you look at your next surfboard purchase. SC
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uickly becoming one of the most dominant, and likable, rising stars in the national surf scene, South Orange County’s Kirra Pinkerton is upping her international notoriety and absolutely blitzing her way through the WSL’s 2018 World Junior Championship in Australia. After nearly a week of competition in the finicky conditions in Kiama, New South Wales, Pinkerton has fought her way into the quarterfinals and stands a very real chance at going the distance in what is considered the biggest event in junior surfing. She’s the only surfer from the United States left in the draw on both the men’s and the women’s sides, making her accomplishment all the more noteworthy. (It should be pointed out that there are still several Hawaiians left in the competition, but the WSL considers the U.S. and Hawaii two different regions). At 15 years old, this is Pinkerton’s first experience on such a stage. After winning the WSL’s North American region, Pinkerton was invited to the World Championship. The top two junior women and top four junior men from each region are invited to the 18-and-under contest. The event window runs Jan. 4-12 (or until two world champions are crowned). You can watch Pinkerton live at www.worldsurfleague.com.
Kirra Pinkerton. Photo: Courtesy of World Surf League
SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 59-61 degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: 5-8’ Fair Thursday: Short to mid period W/WNW swell mix drops with waist-chest (3-4’) surf and larger sets at standouts. Light offshore winds in the morning, turning to light onshore flow in the afternoon. Outlook: Fun size WNW swell continues with a new pulse for the back half of the week with waistshoulder high (3-4’+) surf. Winds are offshore in the mornings Friday through Sunday. Be sure to check the full premium forecast on Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook.
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