September 25, 2014

LO C A L

September 25–October 1, 2014 N EWS

YO U

C A N

U S E

Kyle White Named City’s Lifeguard of the Year PAGE 15

VOLUME 9, ISSUE 39

Off to the Races Council candidates start off campaign season at forums EYE ON SC/PAGE 6

Six candidates are actively running for San Clemente City Council. The campaign season got started this week with a pair of informational forums, including one held at San Clemente Presbyterian Church Tuesday. Photo: Jim Shilander

Residents Relive Cabo Hurricane Experiences EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

Pair of Tritons Play Key Roles on USA Baseball Team SPORTS/PAGE 19

www.sanclementetimes.com

New Restaurant Makes a Dream Come True SC LIVING/PAGE 15

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

SC EYE ON SC San Clemente

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING day, opening the expansion of the city’s recycled water plant.

The expansion is the third largest city project in history at $25.1 million and expands the city’s recycled water system by nine miles of pipeline and more than doubles its capacity for water reclamation.

Recycled water is primarily used in place of potable water in such areas as irrigation and cooling buildings. The project sought to expand the use of recycled water in areas east of Interstate 5, like the Rancho San Clemente Business Park. $6.2 million of the funds came from grants from the state, the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Metropolitan Water District.

WHAT’S NEXT: The city will take an additional three years for the city’s water customers to convert to use recycled water. – JS

San Clemente resident Tawni Burns took this picture of the devastation in Los Cabos following the landing of Hurricane Odile. Photo: Tawni Burns

Ghantous is New Historical Society Leader

What’s Up With...

Five things San Clemente should know this week

THE LATEST: The San Clemente Historical Society’s new president is making it a goal to increase the organization’s diversity.

Raad Ghantous, who initially became involved with the group in 2003, when he worked as an interior designer to restore Casa Romantica as a cultural and arts center, was elected to a two-year term by the group Sunday, replacing Larry Culbertson.

“We have to try and reach out to a younger generation that have lived, maybe, all their lives in San Clemente,” Ghantous said. “We need to try and reach them, whether through educational opportunities or a speaker series.”

Ghantous said the city needs to showcase its history more by “uncovering” what’s already here, with the Casa a good example of “restraint.”

“The success of the Casa came, in a lot of ways, because we showed restraint,” he said. “We took what was already there, which just needed to be uncovered and brought it to bear to where everyone can see.”

Hurricane Odile has had a major impact on the people of the Baja peninsula. For some San Clemente residents who were vacationing there, the experience is something they won’t soon forget.

Residents Share Experiences of Hurricane Odile THE LATEST: A number of San Clemente families were among the 30,000 tourists hoping for a relaxing vacation earlier this month in Baja California when they got something they did not bargain for. Hurricane Odile made landing Sunday, Sept. 14 and the devastation they saw has turned what was once a playground in paradise to something very different.

Eric Alm said the storm was something different than he’d ever experienced.

In the lead-up to the hurricane making landfall, Alm said the weather had become increasingly hot and humid.

“I’d been in the house a number of times during storms, this was the only time the house ever shook. You could feel it moving,” Alm said. “It felt like our skin was cooking. It felt like we were in a microwave and were cooking from the inside out. It was extremely hot, no air flow.”

Jacque Alm said she and some friends had gathered in Cabo San Lucas to celebrate sending their kids to college.

“It was just a vacation,” Alm said. “We were celebrating sending our kids off to school. It was pretty spur of the moment. We San Clemente Times September25-October 1, 2014

had been planning it for about two weeks.”

In the aftermath of the hurricane, she said, there was chaos throughout the city.

“It was chaos downtown in San Jose, people trying to get food and water and all the gas stations were basically obliterated,” she said. “It looked like a warzone.

It’s really sad.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The hurricane, a category 4, initially knocked out 95 percent of power to all of Baja California Sur. Almost two weeks later, 80 percent of Los Cabos remains without power. Commercial flights at Los Cabos International Airport have been suspended until Oct. 8. San Jose del Cabo lost communication and drinking water services because of the hurricane. Two people were killed.

FIND OUT MORE: To read more, visit www. sanclementetimes.com. – Brian Park and Jim Shilander

City Opens Expanded Recycled Water Plant THE LATEST: San Clemente celebrated the completion of one of the largest public works projects in the city’s history Thurs-

WHAT’S NEXT: Ghantous said he would also make it a goal to bring the group’s archives out of storage and find a permanent home.

“I want to move forward with find a home for the Historical Society that will act as an archival center and research center,” he said.

A capital campaign could be successful, according to Ghantous, if the society developed specific project objectives, to find a place for the public to access the archives. – JS

Page 3

City, Activist Receive State Planning Awards THE LATEST: San Clemente’s new Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan continues to get recognition.

On Sept. 16, Assistant City Planner Cliff Jones accepted an Award of Merit from the California chapter of the American Planning Association. Local bicycle advocate Brenda Miller, the founder of PEDal, a group that champions non-motorized transportation options, was also honored with the state Planning Advocate of the Year award.

The plan calls for the city to find ways to consider the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-automotive forms of transportation in its future planning decisions.

The jury that gave the city the award called the plan “ambitious, forward-thinking and visionary.”

The plan was recognized by the Orange County chapter of the APA in May. WHAT’S NEXT: The city is currently looking at ways to continue to receive state Safe Route to Schools funding, which served as the jumping off point for the introduction of the plan. The city is also working on implementation measures to turn the plan into a reality. – JS

Beach Trail Completion Funding Being Pursued THE LATEST: San Clemente City Planner Jim Pechous received permission from the City Council Sept. 16 to begin pursuing grant funding to complete 0.3 miles of the San Clemente Beach Trail to San Onofre State Beach.

Pechous said there was support from both the California Public Utilities Commission, which saw the extension as a positive from a safety perspective and the Orange County Transportation Authority.

WHAT’S NEXT: The council appropriated $100,000 from funds from a railroad safety and quiet zone capital improvement fund, for planning for the project and authorized Pechous to apply for a $100,000 from the Coastal Conservancy to cover the planning and design of the extension. The cost of construction has been estimated at $900,000. – JS

Have a story idea or topic you would like to read about?

••• Send your suggestions to editorial@sanclementetimes.com. www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

Community Meetings

NEWS BITES COMPILED BY JIM SHILANDER

Assistance League Provides Grants to Teachers The Assistance League of Capistrano Valley has awarded $35,962 in grants to 85 teachers from 13 middle schools in the Capistrano Unified School District.

The grants were awarded following a competitive process in which teachers submitted grant applications for projects that were reviewed by a committee of Assistance League volunteers. Projects range from frog dissection in science classes, musical instruments, instructional materials and scripts in performance classes, to physical educational equipment, calculators for math and science classes and projectors for classroom instruction.

Proceeds from the Bargain Box Thrift Store in San Clemente and the annual Christmas Home Tour are used to fund the teacher grants. The Thrift Store is located at 526 N. El Camino Real in San Clemente, and the Home Tour will take place on Sunday, Dec. 7.

For more information on the Assistance League of Capistrano Valley, visit www. capistranovalley.assistanceleague.org or call 949.492.2800.

Drug Take Back Event Saturday The Wellness & Prevention Center will host a National Drug Take Back Day event Saturday, Sept. 27.

Residents are encouraged to take an hour to clean out their medicine cabinets and dispose of unneeded medicines to provide a safe home for children, teens and guests.

Medicines can be disposed of at the drop box located in the San Clemente Police Station, 100 Avenida Presidio between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., no questions asked.

Seafest Looking for Chowder Contest Participants San Clemente Seafest is famous for its Chowder Cook-Off Competition held on

News Next Door WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNS

DANA POINT The Dana Point City Council, on Sept. 16, directed staff to reach out to neighboring jurisdictions to examine possible non-cityowned sites for a skatepark.

The movement to get a skatepark gained steam after the dozens of supporters of the community organization Skatepark of San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

City Council Candidate Forum

6 p.m. Forum presented by the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce. St. Andrews by-the-Sea Methodist Church, Fellowship Hall, 2001 Calle Frontera. www.scchamber.com.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Dark Friday

City Offices Closed SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

City Shredding Event

Beach Garden Café serves up chowder at last year’s SeaFest. Photo: Jim Shilander

the historic San Clemente Pier where area citizens, restaurants, and businesses contend for the best tasting chowder this side of New England and visitors arrive from all over the county to sample the many unique variations of chowder.

Teams from businesses, restaurants and individuals are invited to participate and create a booth to reflect their enterprise or personality. Restaurant teams are required to cook a minimum of 40 gallons of chowder and individual teams are required to cook a minimum of 25 gallons.

Contact Norma Hernandez for more information and to sign up nh@occoxmail. com or call the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce at 949.492.1131.

Marine Club Support Group Hosting Contest at SCHS Game

through the “Socks for Heroes” project.

The project’s goal is to collect 10,000 pairs of black or brown cotton athletic crew socks to be sent to Army units serving in-country for the holidays. The winner of the drive will be announced at half time at the San Clemente/Tesoro football game Friday, Oct, 2.

Socks can be dropped off at campus collection points or on game night.

A pair of socks costs $1 with shipping, all donations will be credited to the school of origin. Information can be found at www.scmsg.org/events/sockdrive.

The drive honors the memory of Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan, a 2007 Tesoro graduate whose parents are from San Clemente.

Hogan saved members of his unit from an improvised explosive device, but was killed on Aug. 26, 2009. His actions earned Hogan the Navy Cross.

8 a.m. Free Shredding Event, City Yard, 390 Avenida Pico, www.san-clemente. org.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

Spanish Conversation

11 a.m. Meet at Café Calypso for coffee and conversation. 114 Avenida Del Mar, 949.492.9803.

German Speaking Group

2 p.m.–4p.m. German conversations at Café Calypso. 114 Avenida Del Mar, 949.361.8436.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

SC Sunrise Rotary Club

7:15 a.m.–8:30 a.m. Meeting at Signature Grille at the Talega Golf Club, 990 Avenida Talega, 949.369.0663, www.scsunriserotary.org.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1

Planning Commission

San Clemente and Tesoro high schools will host a sock drive competition to benefit Americans fighting in Afghanistan

Have something interesting for the community? Send your information to editorial@sanclementetimes.com.

7 p.m. Regular meeting. City Hall, Council Chambers, 100 Avenida Presidio, www.san-clemente.org.

Dana Point spoke at a council meeting in March.

City Manager Doug Chotkevys said the city is built-out and directed staff to examine the feasibility of siting a skatepark on land owned by the city of San Juan Capistrano at the Lower Rosan property just south of Stonehill Drive, the South Coast Water District’s 30 acres, the Capistrano Unified School District bus barn area or Doheny State Beach.

The item will be agendized at a future council meeting. The next is set for Oct. 7

although it was not specified if this item will appear on that agenda.

“It would be difficult for me to devote the time necessary to campaign,” Acho said in a statement.

Acho’s name will still appear on the ballot, however. The deadline to officially withdraw from the race passed Aug. 8.

The ballot order was officially set by a random drawing by the Secretary of State on Aug. 14. The ballot will be presented in the following order: Jan Siegel, Derek Reeve, Pam Patterson, Acho, John Taylor, Robert Williams, Stephanie Frisch, Kerry Ferguson and Larry Kramer.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO The race for three seats on the San Juan Capistrano City Council is down to eight candidates after Gregory Acho announced Wednesday, September 3 he would be withdrawing from the race.

Acho, president of CTE Media Group, a local digital marketing business, said increased demands from his work necessitated the decision.

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www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

SC Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BY CATHERINE MANSO

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.

Sunday, September 21 WELFARE CHECK El Camino Real, 900 Block (2:31 p.m.)

A pedestrian informed sheriff’s deputies of an unresponsive man, who the caller believed to be homeless. He was wearing blue jeans and had a suitcase, sitting on a bench in front of Ralphs.

DISTURBANCE Avenida Monterey, 200 Block (1:55 p.m.)

Dispatch received notice of people playing loud music and drinking on private property.

DISTURBANCE Los Obreros Lane/Calle Valle (1:26 p.m.)

A said a woman named Kim threw a coke in the caller’s face.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida Presidio, 100 Block (12:30 p.m.)

A 35-year-old man told officials he felt someone had tried to shoot him the day prior.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida Presidio, 100 Block (12:20 p.m.)

A man said he had a problem with his wife, whom he believed attempted to poison him. The man reported getting sick and said his wife admitted to poisoning him.

DEFRAUDING AN INNKEEPER Avenida Pico, 500 Block (12:01 p.m.)

Three women and a man left Denny’s without paying their check. The group left the location in a black Ford Explorer.

Saturday, September 20 PATROL CHECK Avenida Salvador, 700 Block (11:31 p.m.)

Several kids in a blue sedan were driving around and ringing door bells.

DISTURBANCE- MUSIC OR PARTY Avenida Santa Barbara/Avenida Victoria (11:21 p.m.) Authorities received notice of a group of drunken people who were drinking and singing loudly on a residence’s porch.

VANDALISM IN PROGRESS El Camino Real, 2300 Block (9:36 p.m.)

A group of juveniles, both male and female, reportedly spray painted a liquor store. The caller said they were carrying Page 5

backpacks and were last seen walking near Jack in the Box. DISTURBANCE Avenida Fortuna, 0 Block (9:22 p.m.)

A patrol check was requested for a group of men urinating and partying at the park.

The group left in a silver vehicle.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLE West Paseo De Cristobal/Esplanade (9:16 p.m.) A group of young people inside a black sedan were seen drinking beer.

WELFARE CHECK North El Camino Real/Avenida Pico (7:56 p.m.) A blonde woman was lying in the middle of street and had to be pulled from traffic by passersby.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLE Puerta Del Sol, 1200 Block (5:32 p.m.)

The caller contacted authorities about a man who had passed out in a parked silver Honda. The man was breathing.

WELFARE CHECK Camino De Los Mares, 600 Block (4 p.m.)

A man was found near The Habit slumped over in a wheelchair and breathing. He was wearing a black baseball hat and a Hawaiian shirt.

Friday, September 19 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida La Costa/Calle Monte Cristo (11:56 p.m.) A man told sheriff’s deputies that car alarms were going off and he saw four men walk toward the beach. It was too dark for the caller to provide further descriptions.

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY Avenida Pelayo, 200 Block (11:19 p.m.)

Someone set off fireworks while drinking on a balcony.

VANDALISM REPORT El Camino Real, 1500 Block (3:57 p.m.)

A man reported going inside a store and returning to his car to find a shattered car window and dent in the vehicle.

PROPERTY FOR DESTRUCTION Vista Prado, 1300 Block (1:48 p.m.)

Dispatch received notice of a citizen finding a loaded hand gun while cleaning out a rental property.

DISTURBANCE North El Camino Real/Avenida Pico (9:47 a.m.) A caller reported seeing a man hit a woman at a bus stop.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida Valencia, 100 Block (8:15 a.m.)

A caller reported finding a syringe filled with a black liquid.

VANDALISM REPORT Camino De Los Mares, 600 Block (12:34 a.m.) Dispatch received notice of “gang” graffiti on the walls in an alley. www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

Off to the Races

a smaller, free-standing ER, she said.

The event also covered issues related to San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, public safety spending, view protection and what to do about the city’s homeless.

More on the forum can be found at www.sanclementetimes.com.

Pair of candidate forums begin City Council race

BY JIM SHILANDER, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

•••

A

s San Clemente residents begin the process of choosing three city council members for the next four years, a pair of candidate forums began to crystallize some of the issues that will likely play a major role in voters’ minds as they make their decisions, whether they vote from home or at polling stations throughout the city Nov. 4.

The first event, held Sunday at the San Clemente Community Center was hosted by the Historical Society and focused primarily on issues of historical preservation, especially in downtown.

A second event, held Tuesday, was cosponsored by the San Clemente Times, Downtown Business Association and the League of Women Voters. The forum touched on a number of subjects around the city.

A third candidate forum, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, will be held Thursday, Sept. 25 at St. Andrew’s-by-theSea Presbyterian Church. Full coverage of the Historical Society’s forum appears at www.sanclementetimes.com.

FORUM GIVES RESIDENTS A LOOK AT DIVERSE ISSUES All six active candidates for city council including Mayor Tim Brown, Councilwoman Lori Donchak, former mayor Jim Dahl, Planning Commissioner Kathleen Ward, small-business owner Mikii Rathmann and attorney Ricardo “Rick” Nicol appeared Tuesday to discuss a number of issues, with questions submitted by San Clemente voters.

FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN Candidates said they would work to help downtown businesses weather the effects of Interstate 5 construction traffic as well as the Outlets at San Clemente commercial center.

Brown said he would be willing to enact emergency measures, similar to actions in San Juan Capistrano, to make sure when the projects come online, businesses could offset some of the potential repercussions by allowing more freedom in signage.

Rathmann, who said she would be an advocate for local business on the council, also said she would allow for additional signage, as well as having informational kiosks at the outlets that point shoppers downtown. She also hopes to have a shuttle service, whether it was San Clemente specific or in collaboration with other cities.

Ward said she would want to see a reimagining of parking downtown, emphasizing that she does not believe in a parking structure. She hoped employees could be moved to lots further outside the down-

San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

The candidates for San Clemente City Council were asked five questions about issues facing the city during the upcoming term. The following is the first set of answers, the rest of which will run weekly until Oct. 23. A seventh candidate, Fred Olsen, will appear on the ballot, but he withdrew his candidacy on Aug. 20.

The candidates’ statements are presented unedited.

Many of the city’s businesses will be facing a pair of major challenges in the coming years, with both the Interstate 5 construction and the completion of the Outlets at San Clemente. What can and should the city do to help businesses survive during that period?

City Council candidates speak at Sunday’s San Clemente Historical Society candidate forum. Jim Dahl and Lori Donchak are not pictured but were present. Photo: Jim Shilander

town area. A structure, she said, was not financially feasible.

Nicol said he would appoint a city staff member to serve as a liaison between the city’s businesses and CalTrans during construction on I-5. He believes the retail at the outlet malls would actually encourage more people to come downtown, once shoppers came to the city.

Donchak noted that the downtown had been called a “walker’s paradise” in the past and she said enhancing that, in part due to undergrounding of utilities, should be a goal. She also said a business improvement district should be considered for the area.

Dahl called all of the activity, including the undergrounding “a triple whammy.”

He encouraged synergies to be created between downtown and the outlet mall, as well as the creation of a trolley program for downtown and restarting the decorative Main Street program.

All candidates said they would be willing to support widening of I-5 to the San Diego County line and said they felt a toll road proposal was seemingly dead in the water.

HOSPITAL WORRIES The potential closure of the emergency room at Saddleback Memorial’s San Clemente campus was a major issue.

Nicol called the potential closure “a troubling issue for a lot of people,” since, he said, a town of San Clemente’s size needed a “fully-functioning hospital.” Nicol said the council needed to look at the hos-

pital’s books to find a way to keep the ER. Donchak said the hospital also represents 200 jobs, which need to be considered as well. She noted there are other options that could be considered, such as keeping the emergency room, with limited beds to go along with plans for a new outpatient center with greater offerings.

Dahl said he remembered his time as a firefighter when San Clemente lacked an ER and said patients had been lost en route to Hoag or South Coast hospitals.

He said paramedics would take too long to get trauma patients to those locations and that the city should work with the hospital to keep emergency services in the city.

Brown said the council will be discussing the issue at its Oct. 7 meeting. Finding solutions, Brown said, needs to wait until the council was sure about what the problems facing the hospital are, though he said he is worried about the impact on public safety costs as well as mortality rates.

Rathmann said the city needs to work with Saddleback to find a solution that fit the needs of the public and its bottom line.

She said she was worried San Clemente was being used as a “guinea pig” for the creation of an out-patient-only facility.

Ward said she thinks the decision by the hospital was “premature” given the completion of the outlet mall and the development of homes at Marblehead and at Rancho Mission Viejo. However, she said she wants more information and “did not want to be all gloom and doom, and use it as a campaign issue.” The city should pursue a waiver from the state to allow for

Page 6

Tim Brown These changes will profoundly affect both businesses and residents alike, and the City needs to take a leadership role to mitigate the effects as much as possible. There are four key actions the City should take. First, the City should ensure it is effectively communicating to residents, businesses and visitors to set the proper expectations and help people “plan around” the problems, not feed them. Second, West Ave Vista Hermosa should be opened prior to the start of construction on the I-5/Pico widening, so circulation can be off-loaded and a bypass available for drivers. Third, the City should adapt quickly to any negative impacts of the projects and take temporary measures (signage, events or advertising) that allow other local businesses to overcome these burdens. Last, the City should coordinate with local business groups (DBA, Chamber, RSC Business Park, Los Molinos, etc) to monitor the effects of these changes and coordinate to help, as needed, to overcome any challenges.

Lori Donchak Buy Local. Local shopping energizes the business community and takes some traffic off the I-5. Plus it’s a bonus to buy from familiar faces.

Communicate. Use e-mail and social media to let residents know construction updates, traffic www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC alerts and events and news from local merchants. The city might partner with OCTA, the Downtown Business Association and the Chamber of Commerce on this effort.

Plan for Tomorrow. By late 2016, most of the challenge will be behind us. These 2 years offer a unique chance to strengthen San Clemente’s business profile across the board. Better way-finding signs, more user-friendly parking, cross –promotion between businesses are examples of what can be done.

Choose Optimism. New jobs at Marblehead Coastal, 4 new recreational parks, hiking trails, new I-5 car pool lanes, safer access for bicycles and pedestrians to the high school at the Pico exit ultimately improve San Clemente’s quality of life.

Jim Dahl During the next two years business interests and the general public will have to contend with transportation issues like never before.

With the economy slowly improving regional traffic will increase and the I-5 widening and Pico Interchange construction along with construction of the Shops at San Clemente Plaza will impact our daily routines.

The city will have to spend considerable time coordinating with contractors, CALTRANS and OCSD and Highway Patrol so the impact to citizens will be minimal. The City should request the California Coastal Commission to open the new extension of Ave. Vista Hermosa to Ave. Pico early to accommodate added pressure on the Ave. Pico. The cities Public Information Officer should post details of road closures and traffic Hot points so the public will be aware of situations before and when they happen. Temporary signage should be added in the area to direct visitors to the downtown area.

Ricardo “Rick” Nicol As the freeway widening project gets underway, the city needs to actively facilitate communication between CalTrans and San Clemente’s businesses and residents. I would assign and resource a staff liaison for this purpose. Effectively managing information flow will allow our community to anticipate and plan for freeway and offramp closures. Designating alternate routes and allocation of police personnel for traffic control must be planned well in advance. Residents and businesses will be able to make the right adjustments if they have the right information ahead of time.

The Outlets will bring more visitors to San Clemente. While many out-of-town shoppers may make the Outlets their first stop, they should be encouraged to enjoy all of the things San Clemente has to offer.

San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

If I am elected to the Council, I will work hard to promote mutual cooperation and good will throughout San Clemente’s business community. I believe the Outlets developer already understands that a rising tide of out-of-town shoppers can help keep all of San Clemente’s businesses afloat.

Mikii Rathmann In regards to the I-5 construction, this challenge is temporary.

Once complete it will help ease traffic congestion, and enhance the accessibility off of Pico. During the construction we should install ample signage indicating that businesses are ‘open during construction’, signage highlighting alternate routes as well as notices regarding scheduled closures. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to opt-in to text alerts letting you know what was happening with the construction?

The opening of the Company Stores increases the city tax revenue base and creates additional job opportunities. I would promote the use of city funds from the Transient Occupancy Tax in partnership with the Chamber and the D.B.A. to launch a marketing campaign to help publicize local businesses. I would also advocate for the city creating the “Ole Hanson” shuttle that would run between the outlet and downtown, encouraging shoppers to experience the full breadth of our unique shops and great dining.

Kathleen Ward Communication and outreach will be important for businesses affected by the I-5 Widening project, the Pico Interchange, and the Outlets at San Clemente. The businesses most affected by the Pico Interchange will be those along Pico, east and west of the freeway and North Beach. Our downtown is not directly affected by the work on I-5 and on the outlet center. So we will be able to continue community events and activities in our downtown center.

OCTA is in charge of this project and they have been proactive in notifications for the Ortega Highway Bridge. They will do the same information on our Pico Interchange project.

The city, chamber of commerce and OCTA should team up and coordinate this effort of assisting the public with alternative routes to avoid the Pico exit.

Next week, the candidates will answer the following: Parking remains an issue throughout the city. What further steps can the city take to enhance beach and downtown parking opportunities, especially in light of the loss of Beach Parking Impact Fee funds? SC Page 7

SC SOAPBOX San Clemente

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

GUEST OPINION: By Pall Gudgeirsson

City Manager Says Farewell Pall Gudgeirsson, who retired Friday, credits city employees with success EDITOR’S NOTE: This message was originally sent to San Clemente City employees by now former City Manager Pall Gudgeirsson.

“Here I am On the road again ...

There I go Turn the page” --Bob Seger

A

s I was standing by a baseball field during the last innings of a game Labor Day weekend, it hit me that I was in the final stretch of my career with the city of San Clemente.

I stood there and watched the second baseman catch a hard hit grounder, throw a bullet to the catcher for the second out and get the final out with a throw to first for the win ... it struck me that our success, like baseball, has always been about precision teamwork.

When I first came to San Clemente from Woodinville, Washington, my plan was to stay here for two years. I ended up staying for almost 23.

You might wonder why I stayed so long.

Not only was I influenced by the great locale and weather but it was mainly due to the exceptional people that I had the privilege of working with over the years. I stayed

because I wanted to and I have never regretted my decision. Yes, there were difficult and challenging times for all of us but we weathered the storms in the early days and together we developed an organization that I am honored to have been a part of.

As I reflect on my time here, I am most proud of the fact that we were able to accomplish so much with very limited staffing resources. Although we have been minimally staffed for a long time, it was necessary to ask for a lot out of you to keep this city running.

Yet, I think we hit for a high average with a bunch of home runs and even some grand slams. And we didn’t slouch on defense either.

The heart of this organization has always been the people who work here and provide excellent services that our citizens have come to expect.

From our lifeguards, police, fire, utility, maintenance, finance, engineering, recreation, planning, building, environmental services, inspection, human resources, risk management, information technology, public information, animal services, code enforcement, clerk and support staff, you are all exceptional and you are the foundation of this great community.

You are the living embodiment of our mission statement and core values and

you make this place the leader in a league of cities. All of you work incredibly hard for this city and I know that our City Council and our citizenry appreciate all that you do in serving our community.

As for me, the relationship with employees was especially important. I am proud of the fact that over my 23 years, we have had zero grievances filed because I think we are always as fair as we can be in dealing with employee issues. I think we have been tough on the issues but always strive to be fair to our dedicated, loyal and committed staff.

The future will undoubtedly bring change with a new city manager. I know that any forthcoming changes will be positive and continue the momentum of making this the greatest city to work and play in, thanks to this great team.

The foundation has been laid for the future and I thank all of you for making that happen.

I’ve had an incredible time in San Clemente. This last 18 months as your city manager truly felt like I was managing an all-star team ... but now “here I am, on the road again, there I go, turn the page.” 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

San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Jim Shilander, 949.388.7700, x109 jshilander@sanclementetimes.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Susie Lantz, 949.388.7700, x111 slantz@sanclementetimes.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

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

PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

> Susie Lantz (San Clemente)

EDITORIAL

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Picket Fence Media Group Senior Editor, City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Swayne

Real Estate Sales Manager > Michele Reddick

City Editor, SC Times > Jim Shilander

OPERATIONS

Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale Special Projects Editor > Andrea Papagianis ART/DESIGN

These eight freshmen at San Clemente High { IN SAN CLEMENTE } school have joined a volunteer group called Lions Heart. They started their own chapter here in San Clemente and participated in last week’s beach cleanup at San Clemente Pier. The group can be contacted for volunteer work at 949.388.9788.

Photo: Amber Zdrakas

SCENE

ited this beautiful area, whether for spring break, a surf trip or just a family vacation. So please find a charity that you can donate to and in any way try and help the people of Los Cabos. Our news programs and Internet have already forgotten—but our friends to the south are in a humanitarian fight for survival and only with help

from others will they be able to return to just a basic life.

ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

Finance Director > Mike Reed Business Operations Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, Jonathan Volzke

Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith

REMEMBER BAJA IN ITS TIME OF NEED My wife and I just returned from the Los Cabos region of Baja after the devastating Hurricane Odile. We were very fortunate to have been in a strong house, well prepared, and off-grid, so we were very lucky. Others were not.

I can’t help but to emphasize to all my friends that the Los Cabos and BCS has been basically destroyed. There is no water service, the banks are down (no money) and basic necessities such as food, gas and water are difficult to get.

With really only one road in and out, no port, no airport, the people of Los Cabos are in real trouble. The hotels are gone, the stores are gone and most of all their houses are gone.

I know that the majority of us here in Southern California have at one time vis-

phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 www.sanclementetimes.com

City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Brian Park

Letters to the Editor WAYNE HINES, San Clemente

34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Catherine Manso, Dana Schnell, Steve Sohanaki, Tim Trent

San Clemente Times, Vol. 9, Issue 39. 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 2014. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

FOLLOW THE SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

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 8

www.sanclementetimes.com

SOAPBOX GUEST OPINION: Lew’s Views by Lew Avera

Personal Values in Athletics

Changing times doesn’t mean character can’t count

R

ecently the news has been flooded with controversy over domestic violence, primarily reflected in the professional football community. There has been so much written highlighting many points of view and blame pointed in every direction.

Actually, it has been festering for many years only to explode with the latest events.

For a long time, I have been concerned about the negative behaviors we read about among so many athletes and, as I think many of us would do, have compared these behaviors to those experienced in our own earlier years of athletic participation. In this sense, everything has changed.

I participated in several sports in high school and played football and ran track in college. This was 65 years ago during my mid-to-late teenage years.

At that time, professional baseball was king. Professional football and basketball existed but were relatively little known since television was in its infancy and very few people had it. Women’s sports existed but were hardly recognized.

Since that time, with the proliferation of TV, the order has shifted. Football has become king, followed by basketball, with baseball a relatively distant third. In addition, hockey, tennis, golf, soccer and many others have grown to be major attractions among us.

This horizontal spread among other sports is outstanding. Before going any further, however, I want to also offer that the most outstanding growth in all of this, is the growth in women’s sports. Now we have women participating at the grade school, high school, college and professional levels in many sports including those above.

However, the change with the most impact is the vertical rearrangement, with professional football at the top and basketball following behind.

With this change and growth, money and personal enrichment have become the driving forces, both on the part of the owners, as well as the athlete participants.

Generating revenues is foremost, with individual compensation/wealth, by players and owners the residual of this. Personal values, and thus responsible behaviors, have been put aside.

Unfortunately, this has found its way down into the college ranks as well, with admission of many players based solely upon their athletic talents and how they can contribute to interest, attendance, championships—and money—with academic qualifications, class attendance, academic progress, etc. completely disregarded. In this sense, much of colPage 9

lege athletics has become no more than a “farm team” for the professionals.

As a result of this, personal values have been put aside in far too many cases.

I have to recall my own experiences playing high school football in Georgia. I was a member of a team that went to two consecutive state championship games, winning one of them. Our coach, and thus our environment, was rooted in values. He later went on to coach several colleges, as well as two years head coach of the San Diego Chargers and many years as an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams. He was also my algebra teacher.

There was no use of curse words, no drinking, no drugs (they didn’t exist) and the requirement to “do your best” at everything. You better LEW’S VIEWS believe we had to work

By Lew Avera hard at our algebra. This kind of value system carried over into my college experiences as well.

As I close, I want to be sure that the above is not considered an overall indictment of our young athletes, both men and women, today. The negatives are in the minority but get all the publicity. Most of our young athletes encompass high values and are well respected.

To all of these I want to say, “Maintain your value system, and above all, set the example for all to see.”

Lew Avera is a retired career officer, Lt. Col., U.S. Marine Corps. He was a resident of San Clemente in 1963-1965 while serving as a Company Commander at Camp San Mateo. He returned to San Clemente in 2001 when he retired from PricewaterhouseCoopers as a senior managing director. He has been a director of the Talega HOA since 2003 and served on the San Clemente Planning Commission from 2005 to 2013. 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

Join the San Clemente Times for Beachside Chat, Friday at 8 a.m. at Café Calypso.

This week’s chat will include discussion of the recent City Council candidate forums.

Beachside Chat is a spirited, town hall forum on community issues, hosted by SC Times editor Jim Shilander every Friday at Café Calypso, 114 Avenida Del Mar. All are welcome. www.sanclementetimes.com

SC GETTING OUT San Clemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

The List

On Stage at the Coach House: Easy Star All-Stars

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

Thursday | 25 EDUCATION: WHERE ARE WE? 6:30 p.m. The Capistrano League of Woman Voters and Women For Orange County are hosting a forum to discuss issues in public education, including Common Core, charter schools and the role of school boards. Guest speakers will include Capistrano Unified staff and Trustee Lynn Hatton. Irvine Ranch Water District Duck Club, 5 Riparian View, Irvine. For more info, visit www.lwvcba.org or www.womenfororangecounty.org.

BLACK CAT BONE 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Live music at Iva Lee’s.

555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.361.2855, www.ivalees.com.

Friday | 26 AROMATHERAPY YOGA 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Elevate all your senses at this yoga class featuring essential oils for cancer prevention. Donation based.

Funds donated will be given to the Cancer Research Center. Sun Salute Yoga, 24582 Del Prado Ave., Dana Point, 949.371.6097.

BÖSENDORFER ARTIST RECITAL 7 p.m. Free concert by Michael Fennelly and Megan Weston. Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley, 1201 Puerta del Sol, San Clemente, 949.240.6463 QUILTERS: A MUSICAL 8 p.m. Tickets $30, $15 for students.

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

THE DEBONAIRES WITH THE GEORGETOWN ORBIT 10 p.m. Live music at OC Tavern. $10.

2369 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.542.8877, www.octavern.com.

Saturday | 27 GARDENING TO ATTRACT MONARCH BUTTERFLIES 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Susie Vanderlip, a monarch butterfly citizen scientist, will talk about what plants best attract the insects. Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano. For more info, call 949.728.0685 or visit www.californianativeplants.com.

San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

EDITOR’S PICK SATURDAY, SEPT. 27: TOAST TO THE CASA 5:30 p.m. San Clemente’s Cultural Center and Gardens opens its doors for a gala fundraiser, Una Noche en la Casa, that includes music and dance performances, as well as a preview of the upcoming season. $200. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949.498.2139, www.casaromantica.org.

and limbo contests. Proceeds benefit the Ocean Institute. Tickets are $65 per person. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, 949.496.2274 ext. 412.

MODJESKA HOUSE TOUR 10 a.m.-noon. Docent-led tour of the historic house and grounds of famed Shakespearean actress Madame Helena Modjeska. $5 per person. Reservations required. Directions provided with reservations. To RSVP, call 949.923.2230.

BLUEGRASS AFTERNOON 4 p.m. Laguna Beach Live! presents an evening of bluegrass at The Ranch at Laguna Beach. Solo mandolinist Evan Marshall performs at 4 p.m., followed by the Barefoot Movement, award winners at the 2013 Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The Ranch will be serving barbecue. Advance concert tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. The price goes up $5 at the door. Advance dinner is $20 per person or $22 at the door. Reserved table seating costs $80 and includes the concert, food and a donation to outreach programs.

31106 Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. To purchase tickets, visit www. lagunabeachlive.org or call 800.595.4849.

DRAG FACTORY SHOW 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Female impersonator show. Dinner Reservations recommended starting at 6 p.m. for best seating. Show reservations can be made by calling in advance at 949.481.1222, 2600 Avenida Del Presidente, San Clemente, www.adelesatthesanclementeinn.com.

SAN CLEMENTE FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Bundles of flowers, fresh produce and much more every Sunday on Avenida Del Mar. Rain or shine.

Monday | 29 BICYCLES AND JAZZ AT SADDLEBACK 7:30 p.m. As part of his 1,800-mile Acoustic Bicycle Tour, cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum will perform a jazz duet with bassist Mark Dresser in the McKinney Theatre at Saddleback College. Bynum is nearing the end of his five-week bicycle journey down the West Coast. General admission $10, $7 for students and seniors. 28000 Marguerite Pkwy., Mission Viejo. To purchase tickets or for more info, call 949.582.4656 or visit www.saddleback.edu/arts.

Tuesday | 30 DUSTIN FRANKS 7 p.m. The Cellar, 156 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.492.3663, www.thecellarsite.com.

Wednesday | 01

Sunday | 28 ISLAND FANTASEA LUAU 4 p.m.-8 p.m. The Sand Dollar Guild hosts an island-style party at the Ocean Institute with music, food, libations, opportunity drawings, a silent auction and dance

DOWNTOWN SJC FARMERS MARKET 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Fresh flowers, produce and specialty foods in downtown San Juan Capistrano, on the corner of Camino Capistrano and Yorba Street. Occurs every Wednesday. www.farmersmarketsjc.com.

Page 10

Courtesy photo

T

he Easy Star All-Stars, one of the top international reggae acts, will be coming to The Coach House on Sunday, Sept. 28.

The band is currently in the middle of the West Coast swing of their anniversary tour, celebrating their most popular album, Dub Side of the Moon, a tribute to the Pink Floyd album, The Dark Side of the Moon.

“It’s fun because you’ll get a lot of fans who’ll say they were in their college dorm room the first time they heard Dub Side, but there’s also a whole generation of fans who were young when it came out,” said drummer Ivan Katz, who goes by the stage name, Ive09.

The band has been performing the album in its entirety, said Katz. In addition to Dub Side songs, the band will be performing a selection for their other tribute albums, Thrillah (Michael Jackson’s Thriller), Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band (The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) and Radiodread (Radiohead’s OK Computer), as well as originals.

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and Tatanka open for the Easy Star All-Stars.

Doors open at 5 p.m. The show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25. There is a two-drink minimum, unless you make dinner reservations, which give you priority seating. To purchase tickets or make reservations, call 949.496.8930 or visit www.thecoachhouse.com.

The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano. —Brian Park

For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.sanclementetimes.com.

Have an event? Send your listing to events@sanclementetimes.com www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SC LIVING San Clemente

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

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

Long-Distance Relationship Thrives Sometimes difficult times can strengthen a relationship

C

hris Anastasio of San Clemente, formerly of Dana Point, is one of the most interesting men I have ever met. After a divorce several years ago, he decided to enjoy life and became a dance host on cruise ships.

In that role, Chris got to travel the world courtesy of cruise lines and in exchange spent his nights at sea dancing with single women who were on the cruises. He was not allowed to date the women he met at sea, at least not while they were cruising.

He was away from Dana Point for about 150 days a year. I’ve always admired his zest for life.

When not traveling, Chris volunteers at the San Clemente Villas by the Sea, a senior retirement facility, by dancing with the women there. For years, he’s also volunteered as Santa Claus for the young children who visit their relatives at the Villas and at St. Edwards preschool in Dana Point.

ON LIFE AND Eleven years ago this LOVE AFTER 50 Christmas, while on a

By Tom Blake cruise, he met a woman named Tina who lives in England. After the ship docked, they started perhaps the world’s longest, long-distance relationship.

Chris said, “Talk about being geographically undesirable, I have a picture on the wall in my office that Tina gave me last year for our 10th anniversary. It is a map with a line between Southern California and Buckingham, England, where she lives and says, ‘Chris and Tina, 5,419 miles.’”

My partner Greta and I had the pleasure of meeting Tina when she was visiting Chris three years ago.

Chris said, “Tina is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me.”

Even though Chris and Tina live far apart, they are together either here or in England about eight months each year.

On Aug. 28, I received an email from Chris with a subject line that read, “Day Six.” The email read, “Today is the sixth day since I got home from the hospital.

My recovery is going to take much longer than I thought. Sometime in the not too distant future I will be dancing and traveling again.”

Greta and I were shocked at Chris’ news and emailed him that we were unaware that he had been in the hospital. He

San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

Tom Blake took this photo of Tina and Chris this past Sunday in Dana Point Harbor. He sure doesn’t look like he had open-heart surgery four weeks ago.

wrote back that he had been hospitalized for triple-bypass and open-heart surgery.

He added, “Thank God for Tina who flew in from England as soon as she heard I was going for surgery and has been by my side ever since.”

On Sept. 12, Chris sent an update on his condition: “Before I went into the hospital, I figured I would be up dancing and running around a couple weeks after I got home. But, that operation really slowed me down. Maybe it’s because I’m 80 now.

I went to the San Clemente Villas a couple of times to visit my ladies and the residents. That is always uplifting for me.”

He said, “To show you how positive I am about becoming the old Chris again, I’ve booked a flight to England for the 28th of December. Tina and I are taking an 11-day cruise in January starting in Singapore.

We are living our lives to the fullest and after this scare with my heart, we are determined to squeeze every joy we can out of it.”

To comment, email Tom at tompblake@ gmail.com.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point business owner and San Clemente resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at www.findingloveafter50.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.

Page 13

SC LIVING

Business Beat

Kyle White Receives Lifeguard of the Year Award

News from San Clemente’s business community COMPILED BY JIM SHILANDER

New Openings LA COLOMBIANA 1640 N. El Camino Real, 949.441.7656 One of San Clemente’s newest restaurants is a realization of a lifelong dream for the woman behind the counter.

Eddy Bashoor came to the United States from Colombia with her son Harold when she was 21 to build a better life. While she worked to create that life, she dreamed of opening a restaurant to celebrate the foods she made at home—the ones native to her own country.

Now grown up, Harold Alzate has given his mother the chance to make her dream a reality.

“It’s always been my mom’s dream to open up a Colombian restaurant,” he said.

“I grew up with the food, so to me it wasn’t special. I wasn’t sure it would be attractive as it is, but to everyone else it’s new. I should have done this years ago.”

The restaurant opened Aug. 12. That first weekend was pretty crazy, Alzate said.

“This place was packed, we ran out of everything,” Alzate said. “With no advertising, just foot traffic and word of mouth, I guess people were watching construction and waiting. We opened the doors and the place got flooded. We didn’t expect it.

We didn’t have a credit card machine. We were hoping a few people would walk in and this place was packed.”

Since then, he said, business has remained steady. This past weekend, he said, was the best three-day stretch the restaurant has had.

Eddy Bashoor with some of La Colombiana’s signature empanadas. Bashoor’s son helped her open the restaurant in August. Photo: Jim Shilander

San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

La Colombiana’s food is made fresh. Some of the recipes, which are traditional Colombian dishes, have also been adapted for American palates.

Photo: Jim Shilander

Everything is made fresh, and Bashoor, who runs the restaurant day-to-day and is a constant presence cooking food and greeting customers, has also made some modifications to traditional recipes to better fit the tastes of customers. Alzate said Colombian salsas aren’t necessarily spicy, for example, but his mother experimented and developed one that would be more authentic and also fit the palates of restaurant-goers.

Alzate said he hears a lot from customers that they feel like they’re eating at home, due in part to the décor and the environment created by his mother, along with exposure to a type of food they haven’t had much exposure to.

Bashoor said she is grateful for her son’s efforts to make her dream a reality.

Most of the recipes, she said, are either her own or come from her mother.

“It makes me cry from happiness. And the way people have reacted to the food, I never thought this was going to happen.

Never,” she said.

1LAW 629 Camino De Los Mares #104A, 800.225.51549, www.1law.com 1LAW founder Jason Velez said a sales job by partner Scott McDonald at a Dodger game, led him to bring his law firm, which is based in Utah, to San Clemente and a new office.

“He got us down here a year ago to a game,” Velez said. “He courted us. He told us he really thought a lot of San Clemente and that we’d do well.”

Velez said the firm began investigating the city and thought it would be a good fit for 1LAW, which specializes in personal injury, family law, bankruptcy, real estate and tax law.

“We offer a full complement of legal services, in the hope that in the event something happens to one of our clients, or someone they know, they’ll think of us,” Velez said.

A dedication to community involvement actually manifested itself early on. Velez said while looking at the city, the firm decided, on short notice, to bring its RV to the annual Downtown Business Association Car Show and got a positive response.

The office has two full-time attorneys, Velez and McDonald, as well as a rotating specialist position which changes each week.

Lifeguard of the year Kyle White with his brother, Dennis. Photo: Steve Sohanaki

BY STEVE SOHANAKI, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

A

n avid swimmer and beach-goer since he was a young boy, Kyle White always knew he wanted to be a lifeguard. Last Thursday, his many years of training paid off when he received the department’s highest honor.

Currently working his ninth season as a full-time lifeguard, White received the Exchange Club of San Clemente’s 2014 Lifeguard of the Year Award during a ceremony held at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course. White is the 11th honoree to receive the award, but his calling to becoming a lifeguard began many years ago.

White began working as a junior lifeguard when he was 12 years old.

“When I was a kid I spent more time at the beach then I did at home,” White said.

“So I thought I could be a good lifeguard since I was already a good swimmer.”

After a couple of years as a junior

lifeguard, White was on a trip at Blair Lake in Northern California when he would be faced with his first real test.

“I heard a lady screaming in the lake,” White said. “Her boyfriend tried helping her and they both started drowning, so me and my friend Richard swam over and saved them.”

Although he was only a junior lifeguard, the incident was his first real rescue. A couple of years later—in 2005—then 16-yearold White became an official lifeguard.

Currently a marine science student at Saddleback College, White said one of the most important things to him is training and mentoring current junior lifeguards so the next generation will be ready for their duties when the time comes.

“For me, lifeguarding was a calling,” White said. “I didn’t want to be a lifeguard so I can hang around the beach all day with girls. I wanted to be a lifeguard because I saw it as a duty.” SC

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 15

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

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SPORTS & OUTDOORS San Clemente

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Triton Report

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

For in-game updates, news and more for all the San Clemente High School fall sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports.

Tritons Water Polo Wins League Opener Behind a five-goal effort from senior Chase Hamming, the San Clemente boys water polo team defeated Tesoro 15-11 in their South Coast League opener on Sept. 23.

Sean Edwards and Brevin Hosea had three goals apiece and goalie Adam Sandor notched eight saves in the win.

The Tritons (3-1, 1-0 league) will now compete in the South Coast Tournament (Sept. 25-27) and Villa Park Classic (Oct. 2-4).

Carroll Powers Tritons Cross Country to High Finish For the second consecutive week, San Clemente senior Kelsey Carroll finished with the fastest time for any other fourthyear racer at a cross country meet.

Carroll, who won the senior race at the Laguna Hills Invitational as an individual last weekend, finished first at the Woodbridge Invitational on Sept. 20 for her second race win. Carroll looped the course at The Great Park in Irvine in 17:05, the second fastest time among all Orange County female runners at the event.

The Woodbridge Invitational featured 289 schools and is considered one of the largest distance running events on the high school calendar.

As a team, the group of Carroll, Katie Carroll, Brooke Eisele, Amber Eisele, Bella Alston, Kristen Laurent and Cece Abell placed sixth out of 21 teams in the rated race. Their total point value was the third best among teams from Orange County who participated.

The Tritons freshmen team won their division’s race, besting 20 other programs.

San Clemente will compete at the Dana Hills Invitational at Dana Hills High School on Sept. 27.

Tritons Win Open Division Race at Woodbridge The San Clemente boys cross country team had all of its runners finish inside San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

The San Clemente girls cross country team posted the third-best point value among Orange County teams at the Woodbridge Invitational on Sept. 20. Photo: John Carroll

the top-16 in the Open Division race at the Woodbridge Invitational on Sept. 20, which earned them a first-place finish. While the Tritons did not race in the more competitive seeded or rated division races, their point total was good for 34th overall out of 253 schools, according to head coach Dan Johnson.

Junior Conner Dunne led the Tritons, finishing third in the Open Division.

The Tritons will compete at the Dana Hills Invitational on Sept. 27.

Tritons Golf Set to Host Rainbow Sandals-Lady Triton Invitational

Darnold Dominates in Tritons 49-20 Win Over Greyhounds It was supposed to be a simple six-yard pass to a receiver. But after scanning the Atascadero defensive coverage on a pass play early in the second quarter, San Clemente quarterback Sam Darnold realized his first option wasn’t open.

Darnold quickly rolled to his right and heaved a 35-yard strike on the run that found senior receiver Dean Licht for a touchdown that gave San Clemente a 21-7 lead. The throw left no doubt that Darnold and the Tritons offense were on the same page.

Behind a five touchdown effort from Darnold and a stout defensive performance up front, San Clemente would go on to defeat visiting Atascadero 49-20 in a nonleague contest on Sept. 19.

Darnold had a spectacular first half, completing all 13 of his pass attempts for 173 yards and five passing touchdowns.

The USC commit completed passes to eight different receivers in the half, connecting with tight end Cole Harlow to open up the scoring less than three

land last week made for tough practices, but the Tritons were able to execute and increase their offensive output for a fourth consecutive week.

“All my receivers and my line, we were just clicking,” Darnold said. “We actually had a rough week of practice with the weather. That’s no excuse but the energy was down a little bit … But we came out here and did our work so it was good.”

Atascadero came into the contest averaging 259.3 rushing yards per game, but the Tritons were able to limit the Greyhounds leading rushers Marc Martin and Ethan Hicks to 31 and 66 yards, respectively. Atascadero quarterback Tommy Carr ran for 88 yards. Most of the Greyhounds yards on the ground came in the second half, when the game was already out of reach and most starters were not on the field.

“We knew going in we had to stop the run and that was the most important thing. They got their yards here and there.

But it’s a good victory, we’ll take what we can get,” San Clemente head coach Jaime Ortiz said.

San Clemente will travel to play Newport Harbor (1-2) out of the Sunset League on Sept. 26. Newport Harbor has played San Clemente the past four seasons and the two teams have split the series though the Sailors have beaten the Tritons the last two seasons.

San Clemente senior quarterback Sam Darnold threw for five touchdowns and ran for one more in the Tritons win over Atascadero on Sept. 19. Photo: Steve Breazeale

minutes into the game.

San Clemente (4-0) scored on its first six possessions in the first half.

Atascadero (3-1) had the ball with three minutes to go in the second, but the Tritons defense forced them to punt out of their own side of the field, putting the ball in Darnold’s hands once again. All it took was three plays and 50 seconds for Darnold to hit Jake Feiner for a 12-yard touchdown pass that gave the Tritons a commanding 42-14 lead at halftime.

Junior running back Vlad Dzhabiyev kept the Tritons drives alive throughout, rushing for 124 yards on 14 carries.

The heat wave that covered the south-

Page 17

On Sept. 26, 18 high school golf teams will descend upon the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course for the high-profile Rainbow Sandals-Lady Triton Invitational.

The event is one of the more coveted nonleague tournaments in the Orange County area and will feature a stacked field, which includes Diamond Bar, Dana Hills and Palm Desert.

The Tritons come into the contest following a 208-222 loss to Tesoro that opened up South Coast League play on Sept. 18.

Tritons Tennis Upsets Fountain Valley The San Clemente girls tennis team pulled off an 11-7 victory over Fountain Valley, a Division 1 team, on Sept. 17. The Tritons doubles teams won eight of nine sets and the singles captured three sets to seal the win.

San Clemente also defeated Edison, 180, on Sept. 18.

The team was set to play Tesoro on Sept. 22. Results were not available at press time. www.sanclementetimes.com

Locals Only

BUSINESS DIRECTORY AIR CONDITIONING

Oasis Heating & Air

31648 Rancho Viejo Rd. Ste. A, 949.420.1321, www.oasisair.com

APPLIANCES

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

APPLIANCE SERVICES & REPAIRS

ASAP Appliance Service

3200 Legendario, 949.361.7713, www.asapapplianceservice.com

ART GALLERIES

San Clemente Art Association 100 N. Calle Seville, 949.492.7175, www.scartgallery.com

ESTATE PLANNING, PROBATE, TRUST 1201 Puerta Del Sol, Ste. 203, 949.492.3459

FURNITURE

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

IMAGES/Creative Solutions

117 Del Gado Road, 949.366.2488, www.imgs.com

HAIR SALONS

Kreative Hair Design

173 Avenida Serra, 949.498.6245

Village Books

99 Avenida Serra, 949.492.1114, www.DowntownSanClemente.com

Oasis Heating & Air

31648 Rancho Viejo Rd. Ste. A, 949.420.1321, www.oasisair.com

HOME DÉCOR CHIROPRACTIC

Thompson Chiropractic

629 Camino De Los Mares, Suite 104, 949.240.1334, www.thompson-chiro.com

CHOCOLATE/CANDY

Lure of Chocolate, Gourmet Foods & Gift

949.439.1773, www.LureofChocolate.com

Schmid’s Fine Chocolate

99 Avenida Del Mar, 949.369.1052, www.schmidschocolate.com

CONCRETE

Costa Verde Landscape

License: 744797 (C-8 & C-27) 949.361.9656, www.costaverdelandscaping.com

DENTISTS

William Brownson, D.D.S.

3553 Camino Mira Costa, Ste B, 949.493.2391, www.drbrownson.com

Eric Johnson, D.D.S.

647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, 949.493.9311, www.drericjohnson.com

Kristen Ritzau DDS

122 Avenida Cabrillo, 949.498.4110, www.KristenRitzauDDS.com

EDIBLE LANDSCAPING

Organics Out Back

949.354.2258, www.organicsoutback.com

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

LANDSCAPING

Costa Verde Landscape

License: 744797 (C-8 & C-27) 949.361.9656, www.costaverdelandscaping.com

MANAGEMENT - HOA

AMMCOR

910 Calle Negocio, Ste. 200, 949.661.7767, www.AMMCOR.com

MATTRESSES

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.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

ELECTRICAL

Arcadia Electric

949.361.1045, www.arcadiaelectric.com

Janet Poth - Violin & Viola

413 Calle Pueblo, 949.922.6388, janpoth@aol.com

REAL ESTATE

Antonio Fiorello, Forté Realty Group

Lange & Minnott

HEATING BOOKS

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

San Clemente, 949.842.3631, www.forterealtygroup.com At Thompson Chiropractic we utilize a variety of chiropractic techniques, physiotherapy modalities and soft tissue therapies to relieve your pain as fast as possible. Dr. Russell Thompson and his staff are committed to getting you back to the things you love. Schedule an appointment or walk in today. 629 Camino De Los Mares, Suite 104, 949.240.1334, www.thompson-chiro.com

OFFICE FURNITURE

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

PAINTING

KC Painting & Decorating

3349 Paseo Halcon, 949.388.6829, www.bringcolorintoyourlife.com

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD

1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), www.moranperio.com

PEST CONTROL

Colony Termite Control

1402 Calle Alcazar, 949.361.2500, www.colonytermite.com

PHARMACIES

Sea View Pharmacy

665 Camino De Los Mares, #101, 949.496.0123, www.seaviewpharmacy.com

PLUMBING

Bill Metzger Plumbing

929 Calle Negocio Suite D, 949.492.3558, www.billmetzgerplumbing.com

Chick’s Plumbing

949.496.9731, www.chicks-plumbing.com

Marcie George Star Real Estate South County

949.690.5410, marciegeorge@cox.net

“Sandy & Rich” - ReMax

949.293.3236, www.sandyandrich.com

RESTAURANTS

Café Calypso

114 Avenida Del Mar #4, 949.366.9386

ROOFING CONTRACTORS

Jim Thomas Roofing

CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad at www.sanclementetimes.com

FITNESS EQUIPMENT PILATES REFORMER Black Aero pilates reformer.

Folds up for easy storage.

Great workout at home. $175.

949.533.9761

FOR SALE HARLEY HANDLEBARS Chrome, 8-inch, T Bars (drag specialties). Slight curve back. $70. Can send pictures. Text or call 949-633-3860 for more info.

162 Calle de Industrias, 949.498.6204

SALONS

Salon Bamboo

150 Avenida Del Mar, Ste. A, 949.361.3348, www.salonbamboo.com

Salon Bleu

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE! Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com.

Deadline 5pm Monday. No phone calls.

207 S. El Camino Real, 949.366.2060, www.scsalonbleu.com

Sanctuary Salon & Spa

1041 Avenida Pico, Ste. B, 949.429.5802, www.sanctuarytalega.com

SECONDHAND/ CONSIGNMENT SHOPS

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

109 Calle de los Molinos, 949.492.5589, www.southcoastfurniture.com

TERMITES

Colony Termite Control

1402 Calle Alcazar, 949.361.2500, www.colonytermite.com

WEBSITE DESIGN

San Clemente Website Design

949.246.8345, www.sanclementewebsitedesign.com

WINDOW & DOOR INSTALLATION

Offshore Construction

949.444.6323, www.offshoreconstruction.org

BED FRAME Metal bed frame. Adjustable for all sizes. $35/obo. New condition. 949.533.9761

FOR SALE GARDNER/MAINTENANCE Looking for someone to work 5 hours a day, 5 days a week to help do gardening & maintenance work at my home in San Juan Capistrano area. Please contact Jack @ (714)231-8942

SERVICES LOCAL HOUSEKEEPER OR OFFICE CLEANING Reliable, affordable, meticulous. Excellent references. 949-573-8733

SURF STUFF WETSUIT FOR SALE Mens Quiksilver full suit, barely used. Size medium $75. Call or text 949.533.9761.

POOL SERVICE, REPAIR, REMODEL

SC Pool & Spa Works

1311 N. El Camino Real, 949.498.7665, www.scpoolworks.com

PRINTING

Printing OC

27134 Paseo Espada #B 203, 949.388.4888, www.printingoc.com

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In print and online 52 weeks a year. View online at www.sanclementetimes.com. Call at Debra Wells for pricing at 949.589.0892 or email dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

Allard, Herbert Win Gold with USA Baseball COMPILED BY STEVE BREAZEALE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

S

an Clemente’s Kolby Allard and Lucas Herbert have a new prized possession to add to their trophy case.

As part of the USA Baseball 18U National Team, Allard and Herbert played key roles in the American’s gold medalwinning performance at the 2014 COPABE 18U Pan American Championships on Sept. 14. Team USA squared off against Cuba in the gold medal match and held a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning before the game was cancelled due to Hurricane Odile touching down on land.

Allard, the youngest player on the roster, got the nod to start the championship game and was cruising along before the game was called. In three innings Allard piled up seven strikeouts and did not allow a run. Herbert captained the defense at catcher and caught his high school battery mate throughout the tournament.

Herbert batted .364 with two home runs in 30 plate appearances.

Team USA was dominant at the event, finishing with a perfect 8-0 record. They outscored their opponents by a combined 110-5 margin, setting several USA Baseball

records along the way.

Team USA threw consecutive team no-hitters against Guatemala and Ecuador. The pitching staff posted a cumulative 0.87 ERA, topping the previous USA-best mark of 0.94 set back in Lucas Herbert.

2005 by a rotation that Courtesy photo featured current Los Angeles Dodger Clayton Kershaw.

On offense, the team averaged 13.75 runs per game, another new record.

“This is something you dream about when you are a tiny little kid. Growing up all you want to do is represent your country and win a gold medal,” Allard said in a press release.

“It is kind of unreal right now … It has been incredible how well we were able to come together. We have some of the best players in the country out here and to win a gold medal together is something special,” Herbert said in the release.

As one of the tournament’s top-4 teams, the USA squad automatically advanced to the 2015 IBAF 18U World Cup in Japan.

SC

Scoreboard SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

SC OPEN SKATEBOARD COMPETITION SATURDAY The 14th Annual SC Open skate contest promotes local boarders while offering competition for youth, and raises funds for the Friends of San Clemente Foundation.

The contest typically draws nearly 500 spectators and 60 youth athletes.

The contest will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Ralph’s Skate Court, at 241 Avenida La Pata. There is a $35 registration fee to compete in the contest. All contestants will receive a sponsor T-shirt and have an opportunity to win prizes and a $100 cash prize for the Best Trick.

Pre-registration is accepted online at www.san-clemente.org and on-site registration/check-in begins at 7 a.m. the day of the event. Skateboarders must wear proper safety equipment. For more information, call 949.429.8797.

BMX San Clemente’s Ryan Goodwin capped off an eventful weekend at the Kearny Moto Park in San Diego with a first-place finish in the 9 Cruiser class and a second-place finish in the 9 Expert as part of the 2014 USA BMX California State Championships.

Goodwin, a fourth-grader at Vista Del Mar Elementary, advanced to the 9 Cruiser and 9 Expert finals by winning 16 of 24 different qualifying races.

Goodwin’s younger brother, Travis Goodwin, finished ninth in the 7 Expert division.

San Clemente Times September 25-October 1, 2014

Vista Del Mar Elementary fourth-grader Ryan Goodwin poses with his trophies at the USA BMX California State Championships. Courtesy photo

Both Goodwin brothers will compete at the BMX Hall of Fame Nationals this weekend in Chula Vista.

GOLF The Exchange Club of San Clemente will host the ninth annual Semper Fi Golf Classic at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course on Monday, Oct. 27.

The event raises funds to support Marine and Navy families that are stationed at Camp Pendleton. The Wounded Warrior Battalion-West at Camp Pendleton will also benefit from the tournament.

The tournament will be a scramble format, with prizes awarded to the first and second-place teams. There will also be four hole in one prize opportunities. There will be raffle prizes and a silent auction following the golf.

Cost for one round of golf and dinner is $200. For more information or to register, contact Hank Snyder at 949.661.8298.

Page 19

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@sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

Page 20

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC n te S a n C le m e

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

Page 21

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC San Clemente

SC SURF

SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

SC Groms Totally Stoked

SURF RESULTS First-place and local finishers only. Key: SC=San Clemente, DP=Dana Point, SJC=San Juan Capistrano.

WSA Championship Tour, Event No. 2, Donnie Solomon Memorial, September 20-21, Ventura, Surfers Point

Gudauskas Brothers host third annual Stoke-o-Rama

BY ANDREA SWAYNE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

G

etting 110 surf crazed groms even more stoked on their sport is a tall order. And that’s just what the Gudauskas brothers delivered, once again, at their third annual Stoke-o-Rama surf contest on Sunday, Sept. 21 at T Street in San Clemente.

Giving back to the hometown that gave professional surfers Dane, Patrick and Tanner Gudauskas so much growing up, has become a passion of the talented trio.

And what better way to accomplish it than through the sport they love.

The Stoke-o-Rama is all about bringing families to the beach together to enjoy friendly competition while raising funds for co-hosts, the Friends of San Clemente Beaches, Parks and Recreation, and their efforts to support other recreational programs for local youth, Patrick said.

“Everybody wins,” he said.

It’s a safe bet that even the young rippers who didn’t take home this year’s trophy, a kendama (a toy now all the rage among the young surf set), felt like winners too. An important part of the event is bringing professional surfers to the beach to visit with and inspire the competitors.

The kids had the chance to mingle with the pros, such as world champion surfers Kelly Slater and Sunny Garcia, along with the Gudauskas brothers.

Entry into the event is free, thanks to the Gudauskas’ donation of $25 per entrant. For the past two years, entries have been capped at 100 but this year, due to

GROM OF THE WEEK

DEISEL RATHGEBER

Age: 13, Shorecliffs Middle School Deisel Rathgeber already has a decade of surfing under his belt, having started at age 3 under the watchful eye of his dad. Now an eighth-grader, he is surfing for his school surf team at Scholastic Surf Series events as well as in the Western Surfing Association Championship Tour. He is also hoping to add some National Scholastic Surfing Association events to his schedule this year. Deisel practices every day, usually at T Street or Lowers. Although he would like to San Clemente Times September 25–October 1, 2014

Kai McPhillips in one of his heats at the Stoke-o-Rama on Sunday, Sept. 21 at T Street. Photo: JoniePHOTO

BOYS U14: 1. Ethan Mudge;

RESULTS 2. Bryce Crane; 3. Crosby

Colapinto; 4. Curran Dand; 5. Jarik Fink; 6.

Gus Day; 7. Noah Hohenester. GIRLS U14: 1.

Erika Hunting; 2. Saige Reale; 3. Claire Herritt; 4. Megan Mills; 5. Reese Hartnett; =6. Sierra Downer; =6. Rachel Hartnett. BOYS U12: 1. Taj Lindblad; 2. Gavin Wilchek; 3. Kai McPhillips; 4. Wyatt Wilson; 5. Jimmy Wynne; 6. Hayden Millerick. BOYS U10: 1. Myles Biggs; 2. Brayden Burch; 3. Bane Corbett; 4. Conan Craig; 5. Carson Kropfl; 6. Jack Crane. BOYS/GIRLS U10: 1. Kai Finn; 2. Kingston Watts; 3. Dylan Young; 4. Kieran McCarthy; 5. Ben Brantell; 6. Hanna Johnson. TIMMY DOWELL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: Milo Simler. MIDGET SMITH INSPIRATION AWARD: Cannon Carr. MOST STOKED AWARD: Jacky Mills.

Erika Hunting, winner of the Girls U14 division at the Stoke-o-Rama on Sunday, gets ready to paddle out for her heat. Photo: JoniePHOTO

popular demand, the brothers decided to open up 10 additional spots.

“It’s awesome to see the kids of San Clemente coming up through surfing with friends and having fun. The best part is seeing their interaction and friendships on the beach,” Tanner said. “It definitely reminds me of when we were young. The stoke remains the same.”

The event raised $12,000 for the Friends organization via sponsorship, donations and raffles, a number up from last year’s

$10,500. The organization uses the money to provide scholarships into programs such as Junior Lifeguards for children whose families would otherwise not be able to afford it.

“When you can get the entire community involved in an event like this, it’s pretty special,” Dane said. “Every year is better than the last.” SC EDITORS NOTE: For an extensive slideshow of photos—including water photography—log on to www.joniephoto.com/stoke. All proceeds from Stoke-o-Rama photo sales will be donated to the Friends of San Clemente Beaches Parks and Recreation, courtesy of the San Clemente Times and JoniePHOTO.com.

someday become a professional surfer, he has not decided whether a serious run at the World Tour is in his future. “I like competing, especially when my friends are in my heat, so we can work together to get through.

It helps me improve,” he said.

Deisel Rathgeber. Photo: Courtesy “If I do become a pro, that would be really nice, but it’s not my main focus. I just really enjoy it. It’s so

fun.” He is also considering the possibilities of becoming a pro snowboarder or a police officer. In school, Deisel is an ‘A’ and ‘B’ student. “My favorite subject is math because it’s challenging and helps me use my brain on something I don’t know,” he said. Deisel’s other interests include skateboarding and traveling. He has taken surf trips to Cabo with a friend and Hawaii with his favorite travel partner, his grandpa, who is also a surfer. Next year, he and his grandfather are planning to visit Scorpion Bay in Costa Rica. “The best thing about surfing is that it gets me away from everything, like troubles I guess, and homework and school,” Deisel said. “It just makes me feel happy.”

—Andrea Swayne

Page 22

MICRO GROM BOYS U9: 1. Maddox Bray, SC; 5. Makai Bray, SC. MICRO GROM GIRLS U10: 1. Bella Kenworthy, DP; 2. Sawyer Lindblad, SC. BOYS/GIRLS U10: 1. Dane Matson, SC. BOYS U12: 1. Nicholas Coli, SC; 2. Dane Matson, SC. BOYS U14: 1. Zach McCormick, Encinitas.

BOYS U16: 1. S J Murphy, Malibu; 4. Noah Hohenester, SC. BOYS U18: 1. Brock Crouch, Carlsbad. GIRLS U12: 1.

Ella McCaffray, Cardiff by the Sea. GIRLS U14: 1. Kirra Pinkerton, SC. GIRLS U16: 1. Kelly Smith, Laguna Beach.

GIRLS U18: 1. Frankie Seely, Topanga; 2. Malia Ward, SC; 4. Samantha Sibley, SC; 6. Cameron Duby, SJC. BOYS LONGBOARD U14: 1. Koby Gilchrist, Encinitas; 2. Ben Kappes, Laguna Niguel; 3. Patrick O’Connor, SJC; 4. Jimmy Wynne, SC; 5. Brandon Rodgers, SC; 6. Jack Collins, SC. JR. LONGBOARD U18: 1. Kevin Skvarna, SJC. GIRLS LONGBOARD U14: 1. Liv Stokes, Aliso Viejo; 3.

Lexi Morgan, SC; 4. Izzy Hopkins, DP; 5. Malia Mauch, SC. GIRLS LONGBOARD U18: 1. Taylor Bruynzeel, Newbury Park; 3. Teresa O’Connor, SJC; 5. Cameron Duby, SJC. MEN 18-29: 1. Nate Smithson, Camarillo. MASTERS 30-39: 1. Paul Pugliesi, Oceanside; 4. Jimmy Bray, SC. SENIOR MEN 40-49: 1. Rick Takahashi, San Diego.

WOMEN 18+: 1. Brooke Daigneault, Huntington Beach.

LEGENDS 50-59: 1. Rusty Phillipy, Cardiff; 2. Masaki Kobayashi, SC. KAHUNAS 60+: 1. John Silver, Carlsbad.

OPEN MEN: 1. Skylar Stokes, Del Mar. OPEN WOMEN: 1. Samantha Lamirand, Cardiff by the Sea; 3. Malia Ward, SC; 5. Lulu Erkeneff, DP. OPEN MEN LONGBOARD: 1.

Nick Anderberg, Encinitas; 3. Kevin Skvarna, SJC. OPEN WOMEN LONGBOARD : 1. Lulu Erkeneff, DP. SR. MEN LONGBOARD 40+: 1. Dave Schaefer, Hermosa Beach.

NSSA Southwest Conference Open, Event No. 1, September 20-21, Oceanside Harbor, South Jetty MEN: 1. Nolan Rapoza, Long Beach; 2. Griffin Colapinto, SC. JUNIORS: 1. Cole Houshmand, SC; 4. Gunner Day, SC. BOYS: 1. Sebastian Mendes, Agoura Hills; 2. Jett Schilling, SC; 4. Kade Matson, SC. MINI GROMS: 1.

Callahan Corn, Del Mar; 2. Ryder Salberg, SC; 3. Dax McPhillips, SC. WOMEN: 1. Tia Blanco, Oceanside; 3.

Malia Osterkamp, SC. GIRLS: 1. Bethany Zelasko, DP; 4.

Samantha Sibley, SC. PERFORMERS OF THE EVENT: Nolan Rapoza, Cole Houshmand, Tia Blanco.

SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 68-72 degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: San Clemente: 6-9’ Fair THURSDAY and FRIDAY: New round of selective NW swell builds in Thursday as old Southern Hemi energy lingers. Better breaks start slow in the 2-3’+ zone, and see 4’ sets develop for good winter breaks in the afternoon. Size will hold early Friday, before easing.

Conditions are most favorable each morning with light/variable to light onshore flow, before a moderate WNW sea-breeze develops each day. Mornings are partly cloudy followed by clearing into each afternoon.

Longer Range Outlook: NW swell eases through the weekend, as some reinforcing short-period NW swell-mix moves in and lingering Southern Hemi swell blends in. Better breaks are in the 2-3’+ range then. Winds look lighter overall. Check out Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook!

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