San Clemente Times by San Clemente Times

SOAPBOX VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Stacie N. Galang, 949.388.7700, x109 sgalang@sanclementetimes.com Advertising

SC S a n C le m e n te

34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 www.sanclementetimes.com San Clemente Times, Vol. 6, Issue 41. The SC Times (www.sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the DP 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 2011. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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City Council Corner: By Councilmember Bob Baker

Volunteers, Civically Engaged Always Welcome in City Service a collective vision for the benefit of our community today, tomorrow

emocratic governing is dutifully practiced in San Clemente. Residents have many opportunities available to them to share their concerns with City Council and have an effect on their community. Having served three years as your City Council member, I am very gratified by the number of residents who volunteer their time and money to champion local causes. Some people attend City Council meetings to speak, to observe or to learn about the functions of the city. For others, it’s volunteering with many of the organized groups in our town. I see the results of your efforts and say thank you. It’s greatly appreciated and helps keep San Clemente the wonderful community we

call home. Kiwanis, Rotary, Exchange Club, Elks Club, San Clemente Junior Women’s Club, Laura’s House, Be a Hero Become a Donor, Hope 4 Hanna, Rock the AuBob Baker tism Family Assistance Ministries, the Heritage of San Clemente Foundation and the Watershed Task Force are just a few of our many volunteer groups. With the holiday season on the way, now is the time to connect with a group and volunteer for their Thanksgiving food drive or adopt-a-family dinner drive. You could also bring an unwrapped

toy to the Metrolink Holiday Toy Express train event-Spark of Love Toy Drive coming to San Clemente on Sunday, December 4. This is also a good opportunity to encourage your children to give to those who are less fortunate. Those of you who attend City Council meetings know the council is not perfect. You listen to the dialogue and occasional diatribe and demonstrate a level of patience that is admirable. Whether you know it or not, you play a big role in City Council’s decision making and in our community’s success. Although the gain is not always immediate or tangible, you are appreciated for taking a stand and expressing yourself in public. You should

feel pride, satisfaction and accomplishment as you engage in community activities or activism on issues. This volunteer service is a valuable part of the process of ensuring a collective vision for the benefit of our community today, and in the future. To get involved in any of the activities mentioned here, call City Hall at 949.361.8254 and get connected. You can also find out about other volunteer opportunities on the city’s website at www. san-clemente.org. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at BakerB@ san-clemente.org. SC PLEASE NOTE: The opinions offered here are those of the guest columnist and may or may not be shared by the San Clemente Times staff. We appreciate, however, their willingness to share their views, and we invite responses to be sent to letters@sanclementetimes.com.

The Village Voice: By Wayne Eggleston

The Word ‘Veteran’ Takes on Greater Meaning Next Month San Clemente Veterans Day ceremony set for November 5 at Park Semper Fi

hat does it mean to be a veteran in 2011? Veterans Day this year is November 11. This writer asked a number of veterans this question. I am proud to highlight in the first part Wayne Eggleston of the Village Voice two responses from a father and son from two of our most recent wars. The second part of this column spotlights a San Clemente icon Frank Denison of the 101st Airborne, the Screaming Eagles. Col. Stewart Navarre, retired U.S. Marine Corps who served in Iraq, said: “To me, being a veteran means having had the opportunity to serve my country with a group of people who have made a specific choice to place themselves in harm’s way, with the potential for paying the ultimate price or something short of that, in order to protect San Clemente Times October 13–19, 2011

the American people and my family—immediate and extended.” His son Zach Navarre, who served with the Marines in Afghanistan, said: “Being a veteran in 2011 means to me personally that there are still men and women in the world that are willing to sacrifice themselves for something bigger than themselves. True believers that can stand apart from social norms, throw on boots, strap on a Kevlar (vest) and get the job done. Being a veteran is to be included in a very exclusive club where its members have not only laid down their lives for their brothers in arms, their loved ones at home, but also every single American. A veteran is the epitome of a citizen; he is a true believer.” For those who know Frank, we are privileged to know a local iconic hero from the Greatest Generation. He joined the U.S. Army at 19, went to Fort Benning,

Ga., onto parachute school and ultimately joined the 101st. Along with 6,700 other 101st troopers, Frank jumped into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. To Frank, in his delightful and frank way of saying, “You have not been in air combat until you jump out of a perfectly good plane, been shot at as you are descending to the ground, and then been shot at when you hit the ground. I thought I was invincible.” Over one in four were killed that day. After Normandy, Frank’s unit prepared for the invasion of the “low countries” and jumped behind enemy lines in Holland in Operation Market Garden or “Hell’s Highway.” Frank was then ordered to Bastogne, Belgium and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Surrounded by the Germans, the 101st broke out of that battle aided by General George S. Patton’s 3rd Army and fought their way to Hitler’s Eagle Nest at

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Berchtesgaden. America and San Clemente are grateful to this veteran who fought in the Second World War and then returned and joined the civilian ranks. God Bless, Frank, and all the men and women from every branch of the Armed Forces who served our country in war and peace and gave their energy, commitment and their lives so we have the freedom to worship as we chose, to be who we are and to believe that America’s greatest days are not behind us but right before our very eyes. The community is invited to a Veterans Day Ceremony November 5 at 1 p.m. at Park Semper Fi where we will honor all veterans and branches of the military. For details, please go to www.marinemonument.com or call 949.498.4958. SC PLEASE NOTE: The opinions offered here are those of the guest columnist and may or may not be shared by the San Clemente Times staff. We appreciate, however, their willingness to share their views, and we invite responses to be sent to letters@sanclementetimes.com.