April 9, 2015

LO C A L

N EWS

April 9-15, 2015

YO U

C A N

INSIDE: The Green Issue

U S E

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION VOLUME 10, ISSUE 15

Hands On

Shorecliffs Garden gives students unique learning opportunity PULLOUT SECTION

Shorecliffs Middle School students tend to a vegetable box at the school’s garden. Shorecliffs is one of 20 Orange County and San Diego schools taking part in the Ecology Center’s Grow Your Own! program. Photo by Allison Jarrell

Council Approves New Water Restrictions EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

Triton Spring Sports: SCHS Athletes Putting Up Impressive Numbers SPORTS/PAGE 24

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San Clemente Hops into Easter at Springtacular SC LIVING/PAGE 17

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SC EYE ON SC San Clemente

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

either restrict irrigation to two days per week or at least reduce the number of days irrigation was allowed.

The new restrictions place the city in a “Level 2 Alert,” which limits the number of days irrigation would be allowed a maximum of three days per week for most of the year and one day per week from December through February.

Changes to the ordinance would also prohibit turf in areas with less than 8 feet in width or slopes greater than 25 percent.

Current Level 2 restrictions require leaks to be fixed within 24 hours of their discovery, a potential adjustment of water rates and changes in city staff to allow for more monitoring of water use.

Five things San Clemente should know this week Estrella Plaza Signage Receives Partial Approval, Debate Continues April 21 THE LATEST: With only four members present, the San Clemente City Council was unable to reach a definitive resolution of the sign package for the proposed Estrella Plaza redevelopment project, but the body was able to approve a modified signage plan for the north facing facades along Camino de Estrella for Sprouts, Stein Mart and Sports Authority in the property formerly occupied by Kmart.

However, a 2-2 deadlock on approval for a sign exception permit for a freeway-oriented sign for Sports Authority will extend the debate an additional two weeks.

Councilman Tim Brown was absent from the meeting, leaving the split vote to wait for his decision to break, with Councilwoman Lori Donchak and Mayor Pro Tem Bob Baker voting in favor of the proposed signage and Mayor Chris Hamm and Councilwoman Kathy Ward in opposition.

The signage package, which was approved by Planning Commission on March 9, was appealed to the council by resident Richard Boyer, who was among the leaders of an effort that opposed council-approved freeway signage for the Outlets at San Clemente Plaza in 2008.

Boyer, who was himself unable to make the meeting, had a statement read by a supporter, Tom Barnes. Boyer’s statement noted that the property could have been considered “in demand” by other retailers.

The city, he wrote, should represent its citizens’ interests and not those of developers. For himself, Barnes noted that Boyer had been successful in court before.

“Mr. Boyer’s track record is pretty good,” Barnes said.

Steven Usdan, who represents Kornwasser Shopping Center Properties, the owner of the building, said the company had done all it could to try and meet the city’s rules and restrictions on development while also meeting the demands of potential tenants. Since the council first discussed the facades at its March 17 meeting, he noted, he had spoken with all three tenants and got them to agree to lower the size of the letters for signage to a maximum of 6 feet, which he said was the minimum “palatable” to prospective San Clemente Times April 9-15, 2015

WHAT’S NEXT: The city is also investigating working with potential recycled water customers to convert their sites within the next six months. Even-numbered residential addresses would be restricted to irrigating Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for odd-numbered ones between March and November.

The California Nurses Association has announced opposition to legislation to allow for a free-standing emergency room at Saddleback Memorial Hospital’s San Clemente campus. Photo: Allison Jarrell

tenants. He also presented council members with communication from Sports Authority that indicated the importance of the freeway sign for the business, noting that the company had said it would exercise a termination clause in its lease if it did not get it, as well as pointing out the store’s unique geographic position on the property, makes it less visible from the street than the other stores. Usdan said without Sports Authority, the project could lose financing.

Residents spoke in favor of and against the proposal. Several residents living near the center said those nearby were excited to see any change to the plaza, which was an “eyesore,” that did nothing to promote the city. Opponents said the proposal, despite assurances made by the city attorney, would constitute a precedent for other potential development to demand freeway signage and that the city should abide by its past decisions against such signage.

Council members debated for more than an hour on the issue, trying to parse out as much as could be agreed upon before coming to the 2-2 stalemate on the freeway signage.

Kathy Ward, who was on Planning Commission when the first architectural designs for the center were approved, though signage was not a part of those approvals, said granting the freeway sign would be a “special privilege,” noting that previous tenants did not have visibility from the freeway. Approved monument signage, she said, provided enough vis-

ibility for the store.

Donchak said she was convinced the project faced unique difficulties that made the sign a necessity, noting that the proposed signage was mostly obstructed.

Hamm said the improvements proposed with the project were a necessity but that a “line needed to be drawn” in terms of what the city would accept from developers.

Baker said he favored the proposal because, “The benefits outweigh the costs by such a large margin.”

WHAT’S NEXT: Usdan said the delay caused by the appeal likely pushed the opening of Sprouts and Sports Authority into 2016 if the project moved forward, though there was a possibility Stein Mart could open in 2015. A representative of Burnham, the owner of the other properties at the site—apart from Citibank—said her company was waiting to see the outcome of the appeal before moving their own signage plan forward for TJ Maxx.

The council is scheduled to meet again April 21.—Jim Shilander

Council Approves Water Restrictions THE LATET: In response to an announcement from the state calling for a voluntary 20 percent reduction in water use, the San Clemente City Council approved new water restrictions at its meeting Tuesday.

New state regulation called for cities to

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FIND OUT MORE: For more information, visit www.san-clemente.org. – JS

Lobbying Efforts Underway for Hospital Bill THE LATEST: Following the March 26 announcement that the MemorialCare board would indefinitely postpone a decision on its proposal to replace its current hospital with a 24/7 advanced urgent care facility, administrator Tony Struthers urged the City Council to lead the charge in creating a community coalition to lobby support for twin bills in the state legislature that would allow for a “standalone” emergency room at the site.

Struthers said the city could partner with other cities, including Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and Mission Viejo, which had each voted to oppose the closure of the hospital, as well as nonprofit and business groups, including the Save San Clemente Hospital Foundation that opposed the proposal. The Assembly version of the bill is slated to be heard by the health committee in the coming weeks.

“Time is of the essence,” Struthers said. “This is not something that can be put off in a few months.”

Struthers said he was “optimistic” about the potential bill so long as it was confined to just San Clemente and not statewide.

WHAT’S NEXT: Representatives from the Save San Clemente Hospital group, as well as Mayor Chris Hamm, said they had spent Monday lobbying on behalf of the bill in Sacramento. They reported (Cont. on page 4) www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC (Cont. from page 3) receiving a mixed reaction, with some lawmakers expressing sympathy for the proposal. However, at least one group, the California Nurses Association, has announced opposition to the proposal.

Don Nielsen, Government Relations Director for the CNA called to proposal a “fraud on the public.” Nielsen said hospitals were required to support emergency departments with a number of services that would not be provided under the proposed outpatient pavilion, noting that with the emergency department is currently being bypassed by Orange County EMS on some calls due to a lack of certain support services at the hospital.

FIND OUT MORE: For more on the legislation, visit www.sanclementetimes.com.

– JS

Casa Pacifica Goes on Sale for $75 Million THE LATEST: The house that helped put San Clemente on the map is up for sale.

Casa Pacifica, the former Western White House formerly owned by President Richard Nixon, has been put up for sale by owner Gavin Herbert and is currently being listed for $75 million.

Before serving as the Western White House, the home was owned by Hamilton

Cotton, who helped to finance the development of San Clemente and gave his name to Cotton’s Point.

WHAT’S NEXT: The home, which hosted dignitaries, celebrities and world leaders as well as the Nixon family and staff, has 14 bedrooms, 18 full bathrooms on 5.45 acres and its own access to the beach.—JS

Traffic Updates Announced, Vista Hermosa to Open Saturday THE LATEST: The Orange County Transportation Authority has announced upcoming dates for the demolition of a portion of the Avenida Pico bridge, along with other associated road work for later this month.

During the week of April 19, crews will adjust k-rail and restripe the freeway from Avenida Vista Hermosa to Avenida Pico in order to switch traffic toward the inland side of the freeway prior to demolition. All eight lanes of traffic will be maintained after the bridge demolition. When the bridge expansion work is complete on the inland side, the process will be reversed to allow for expansion on the northbound side of the freeway.

Traffic switch and demolition activities will require nighttime full-freeway closures (from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.) on Inter-

The trails at the Sea Summit residential project are expected to be officially opened to the public Sunday, April 12. Last October, residents got to tour the facilities in progress. In addition to the trails, West Avenida Vista Hermosa will be opened to vehicular traffic Saturday afternoon. Photo Jim Shilander

state 5 between Avenida Vista Hermosa and Avenida Pico. During the full-freeway closures, surrounding ramps and portions of Avenida Pico also will be closed.

residential development. Parking for the ceremony, which will be held at 8 a.m. is available at Shorecliffs Middle School via West Avenida Vista Hermosa.

WHAT’S NEXT: To potentially alleviate the problems associated with these issues, the city will open West Avenida Vista Hermosa to traffic Saturday, April 11 at some point in the late afternoon (a definitive time was not available at press time). The following morning, members of the City Council will hold a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the road, as well as more than four miles of trails at the Sea Summit

FIND OUT MORE: For up-to-date information on the opening, visit www.facebook. com/sanclementetimes.

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EYE ON SC

SC Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BY JIM SHILANDER

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.

Monday, April 6 DISTURBANCE El Camino Real, 1800 Block (8:58 a.m.)

A male panhandler entered the store and was bothering customers.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Calle Estante, 0 Block (6:46 a.m.) A woman was trying handles on car doors while walking down the hill from the caller’s location.

She was described as being between 30 and 40 years old, wearing a black hoodie, black pants and carrying a bag or purse.

DISTURBANCE Avenida Victoria, 600 Block (6:46 a.m.)

An unknown subject had emptied trash cans all over the Pier, life preservers were thrown over the side and chairs were scattered from Fisherman’s down to T Street.

No one was seen. The caller was a passerby.

DISTURBANCE Avenida Valencia, 200 Block (2:26 a.m.)

A group of kids were knocking down trashcans on Avenida Valencia.

PROWLER Calle Vicente, 600 Block (1:26 a.m.)

A woman said she’d been hearing footsteps on her roof for 10 minutes.

KEEP THE PEACE Camino de los Mares, 600 Block (12:57 a.m.) Emergency room staff informed police about a woman who had been given some medication that made her very drowsy. The woman wanted to leave and staff were afraid for the safety of other drivers. Staff wanted deputies to speak to the woman, to let her know it was not safe to drive in her condition.

Sunday, April 5 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Calle Juarez, 3000 Block (8:21 p.m.)

A woman said she was told to report if a vehicle was parked at the house next door, which was boarded up. No one was supposed to be at the residence.

DRUNK DRIVING El Camino Real/Avenida San Luis Rey (8:16 p.m.) A driver was “swerving all over the road.” The caller said the driver of the vehicle had pulled over and was parked along El Camino Real, just south

of San Luis Rey. WELFARE CHECK Avenida Vaquero/Camino Capistrano (7:32 p.m.) A man in a wheelchair was slumped over near the Department of Motor Vehicles office, according to a passerby.

WELFARE CHECK Via Vina, 2000 Block (5:14 p.m.) A patrol check was requested near the end of the cul-de-sac for an elderly man who seemed confused. The caller was an off-duty Orange County Fire Authority firefighter who was following him.

DISTURBANCE El Camino Real, 3900 Block (3:34 p.m.)

A man wearing a red shirt and red shorts walking eastbound on Santa Margarita threw a car battery at a change machine.

TRESPASSING Avenida Pico, 600 Block (1:50 a.m.)

A female transient was refusing to leave the property. She was walking up to people pumping gas with a lit cigarette and panhandling. The woman was arrested and transported to the Orange County Women’s Jail, but was later released.

Saturday, April 4 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Camino La Pedriza/Avenida Pico (10:09 p.m.) A car was hit by water balloons.

DISTURBANCE Escalones, 100 Block (5:09 p.m.) Men were fighting on the balcony.

CITIZEN ASSIST Calle Juno, 3900 Block (1:05 p.m.) Workers on the street above were rolling large pieces of concrete or boulders down the slope, which were crossing the street and landing near the caller’s house. The caller was worried they would hit someone or a car driving by.

DISTURBANCE El Camino Real, 2400 Block (12:47 p.m.)

A woman who was being evicted said she was going to get men to beat up the caller.

The woman had previously said she would have the caller killed.

KEEP THE PEACE Avenida Pico, 400 Block (12:16 p.m.)

A male contractor was coming to pick up a check and was expected within the hour.

The caller believed the man was the suspect in a crime that had occurred the night before at the business.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Calle Puente, 700 Block (6:38 a.m.) A caller said he had woken up to find everything in his residence and vehicle gone. The man said he knew possible subjects who were at his residence earlier in the morning. He was calling from a pay phone, but did not know where he was.

EYE ON SC

Community NEWS BITES SOCGEMS Fundraiser Meetings Coming May 20 COMPILED BY JIM SHILANDER

THURSDAY, APRIL 9

Coastal Advisory Committee Meeting

7 p.m. Regular meeting. San Clemente Community Center, Ole Hanson Room, 100 N. Calle Seville, 949.361.8200, www.san-clemente.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 11

American Legion Post No. 423 Regular Meeting Noon. Second Saturday of each month at 602 Calle Vicente. For information call 949.492.2284.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12

SCAA Meeting

3 p.m.–5 p.m. The San Clemente Art Association meets the second Sunday at the Community Center. Refreshments served. Members free, nonmembers $5 donation. 100 N. Calle Seville, 949.492.7175, www.scartgallery.com.

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

Beaches, Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting 6 p.m. Regular meeting.

San Clemente Community Center, Ole Hanson Room, 100 N. Calle Seville, 949.361.8200, www.san-clemente.org.

Toastmasters

7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Practice public speaking every Tuesday in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. 3316 Avenida del Presidente, 949.361.8463, http://6463. toastmastersclubs.org/directions.html.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

SC Rotary Club

Noon. Pride of the Pacific Bar & Grille, 150 Avenida Magdalena, 949.361.3619, www.sanclementerotary.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

Fifth Annual Dancing for a Cause!

6 p.m. Fundraising event for area charities based on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Silent and live auctions, the dance competition, and dancing for everyone will round out the evening at Casino San Clemente. Tickets are $150 and must be purchased prior to the event. Proceeds of the event go to the participating charities. Tickets are still available. Contact David Brauchler at dabrauchler@ integrity.com or 714.264.0873.

San Clemente Times April 9-15, 2015

The South Orange County Gem & Mineral Society’s annual silent auction is scheduled for May 20 from 7:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Ole Hansen Fireside Room at the San Clemente Community Center at the corner of Calle Seville and Avenida Del Mar. Free admittance, opportunity drawings and refreshments. Bid on tables full of rocks, fossils, jewelry, gems and much more, including plants. SOCGEMS is an educational nonprofit and welcomes donations. Call 949.498.8358 for more information.

Larry Thomas of San Clemente Chosen as Partners Bank Senior Vice President Partners Bank of California, an Orange County community bank with headquarters in Mission Viejo, announced the appointment of banking industry veteran Larry Thomas as senior vice president and regional banking manager.

“I am pleased to announce Larry Thomas has joined Partners Bank as Senior Vice President and Regional Banking Manager for South Orange County to include the communities of San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente and Dana Point,” said Rick Mandelbaum, Partners Bank president and CEO in a release. “Larry brings an intimate knowledge of the local market, a wealth of commercial banking experience, and a proven track record of personal success. We are delighted that Larry will be joining our team …”

Prior to joining Partners Bank, Thomas was the regional manager of Independence Bank in San Juan Capistrano.

A longtime resident of San Clemente, Thomas has been involved in several local community organizations including Rotary and the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce. Thomas will serve as the incoming chairman for the San Juan chamber, beginning in July, a position he also held in 2008.

Recreation Department Receives Sports Equipment Donation Through its $2 million commitment to nonprofit Good Sports over the next two years, Dr. Pepper-Snapple awarded the City of San Clemente Recreation Division a “Let’s Play” equipment donation valued at $5,155. The grant will provide the organization with basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, gym bags and a variety of scrimmage jerseys.

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Students from Vista Del Mar School wrote an essay to get a chance to visit Camp Pendleton { IN S AN CLEMENTE } to see what it is like to be a Marine for the day.

On March 28, the students visited four stations: Camouflage, improvised explosive devices, combat engineer equipment and MRE (Meal Ready to Eat). “The Marines were very welcoming and taught the kids a lot of things. The kids had a blast—as did the parents” Victoria Feasey said.

Photo: Courtesy of Victoria Feasey

SCENE

“We are pleased to support the city of San Clemente Recreation Division with this grant from Let’s Play, part of our overall commitment to bringing play to life and ensuring that kids are able to make play a daily priority,” said Vicki Draughn, vice president of corporate affairs, Dr. PepperSnapple in a release. “We hope that it will make a big difference to kids in the community and give them the equipment and gear they need to get in the game and get active.”

Camp Invention Coming to Las Palmas this Summer Camp Invention, the nation’s premier summer enrichment day camp program supported by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the National Inventors Hall of Fame, is coming to Las Palmas Elementary School July 6 to 10. The week-long day camp for students entering grades one through six fosters innovation and creativity while also building self-esteem, teamwork, persistence and goal-setting skills.

Camp Invention students experience winning, success and victory, along with an adrenaline rush that comes with competition among students and successful completion of challenging projects. Camp Invention provides a great opportunity for inventive young minds to exercise their creativity and use their imagination in ways they don’t normally get to. Through real-world problem-solving challenges, they build things, take things apart, explore different types of technology and so much more.

Local programs are facilitated and taught by educators who reside and teach in the community. Camp Invention serves more than 87,000 students every year through more than 1,300 camps across the nation.

For additional information, or to find the nearest location for registration, visit www. campinvention.org. Registrations submitted before May 12 receive a $15 discount with promo code: SPRING.

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

SC SOAPBOX San Clemente

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

GUEST OPINION: View From The Pier by Herman Sillas

Three Words How little words can change our life

I

recently lost a brother-in-law, Ray Lowe. We fished together on the pier in years past. He also had a small boat that we took out to the sea with our wives to fish the local waters. Those days on Ray’s boat with my sister, Virginia, and Cora will never be forgotten. The women packed great lunches, which we ate accompanied with wine in plastic cups, as the calm ocean lapped the hull of our little vessel. Land problems never accompanied us on Ray’s boat; they stayed ashore.

Somehow, on our return to land, the problems left there were not so difficult any longer.

Ray passed away after 84 productive years. At his memorial, we were reminded, “He is gone.”

Losing someone close to me always causes me a time out and a period of reflection about life. Why am I still here? I’m not sure it matters as to why. The point is that I am here and alive. I don’t have an answer as to why I’m still here, just glad that I am. But considering that I lost a brotherin-law and will have two granddaughters marrying this year, I began thinking about

Letters to the Editor DROUGHT IS STILL REAL—DESPITE RECENT ACTIONS GREGG LIPANOVICH San Clemente

There is great news from our Parks and Recreation department I want to share.

First: The drought is over. Yes, so take those long showers again, water your lawn til the sheep come in and spray down your driveways every day. Second: San Clemente has money galore. So I say we all spend it like drunken sailors (apologies to any sailor who isn’t drunk). Sky’s the limit—drinks for everyone (including the sailors) on the city.

How do I know all this, you ask? Why easy—they have just re-sodded the entire small dog portion of our Baron Dog Park.

Beautiful thick sod—better looking than that stuff in your front yard. Wonderful water-sucking sod. Go take a look and feel.

Really, I was there recently and they left the gate wide open so you can go feel it for yourselves. It’s really thick. It’s going to take a ton of watering, but heck, the drought San Clemente Times April 9-15, 2015

life in general.

I believe the various stages in life can be summarized in three words at each stage. Unbeknownst to us, our arrival is announced in three words: “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a THE VIEW girl!” Our life starts from FROM THE PIER that announcement and

By Herman Sillas we are accompanied in life thereafter by numerous three word directives. You remember them? Recall “Wash your hands,” “Brush your teeth,” “Chew your food,” and “Finish your dish.”

Finally, at the end of the day we heard, “Time for bed.” For some of us the last instruction was “Say your prayers.”

I recall being called out of bed in the morning as a youth with “Rise and shine.” And once up, I was told, “Stand up straight.” As I grew older the three words became questions, like “Finish your homework?” or “Made your bed?” Dating brought on new three-words clusters like “Where you going?” and “Be home early.”

As we move out into the world in search of employment, the three most sought words are “You are hired.” Hopefully, none will hear the meanest trio, “You are fired.”

Some three-word clusters change the course of your life, either because you say it or someone says it to you: “I love you.”

The statement brings on changes both to the recipient and the declarer. This announcement is like a flashlight in a dark tunnel, the tunnel of love. The exploration is over (so over in fact, that we even water the large dog portion of our park each and every day). And San Clemente has money up the wazoo.

Now, before you dog owners start calling me names, let me remind you all, some of you long timers may remember my name.

I am the one who started and ran the nonprofit San Clemente Dog Lovers. We were the ones who 15 years ago successfully petitioned the city to build our park. It took us three years. So you’d be real hard-pressed to find a more dog-and dog park-loving guy anywhere. But I also try to use my brain, at least a little.

Now the previous grass was in pretty bad shape last summer. But that probably was because the P&R department had been watering it four or five times a week. They were drowning it. It was more like the bayou out there than a grassy savanna. Anyway, that stopped a couple months ago and the grass recovered nicely. It started looking real good, I mean for a dog park. Dogs do like to dig and all. So what did P&R do?

They decided to rip it up and replace. Heck, with the city rolling in the bucks and rain, why not? Brilliant, just brilliant.

This part of our park is supposed to re-open later in April (assuming they do lock the gate before then). So come out

will be exciting and challenging. Will love lead to marriage? If it does then only two words are needed to confirm the arrangement, “I do.” With those two words your life will change. No longer will what you think be the only consideration. It will be what the two of you think.

Then come the three words that will alter your life like never before: “We are expecting.” When the baby arrives, you will speak three words that proclaim your new role: “I’m a parent.” Your focus changes, but your pronouncements don’t increase in length. They still remain three words as you describe the new arrival’s accomplishments, like “Baby is crawling,” followed by “Baby is talking.”

What will be the impact of new technology on our pronouncements in the future?

Will the same three-word phrases be used? I think of these things as I stand by my pole on the pier and look at the pilings where Ray and my two granddaughters used to fish with me. Tiana and Sophie may come back some time to fish here again, but Ray won’t. “He is gone.” That’s the view from the pier.

Herman Sillas can be found most weekend mornings fishing on the San Clemente Pier. He may be reached at sillasla@aol. 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.

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EDITORIAL

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City Editor, SC Times > Jim Shilander

Join the San Clemente Times for Beachside Chat, Friday, April 10, at 8 a.m. at Café Calypso, 114 Avenida Del Mar. SC Times columnist and San Clemente Historical Society President Raad Ghantous will serve as guest host for this week’s chat. Beachside Chat is a spirited, town hall forum on community issues, hosted by SC Times editor Jim Shilander every Friday at Café Calypso. All are welcome.

and enjoy the new grass. I mean really, do it soon after the opening. Because dog owners know that once the dogs start doing their thing out there, the new grass will look just like the old grass in what, a couple weeks— maybe three?

My question is this: Who put the inmates in charge of the asylum? Or as Alice said while falling down that rabbit hole, “Curiouser and curiouser.”

OPERATIONS

City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Allison Jarrell Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale Special Projects Editor > Andrea Papagianis ART/DESIGN

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

Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

Finance Director > Mike Reed

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Kevin Dahlgren, Evan Da Silva, Dana Schnell, Steve Sohanaki, Tim Trent

San Clemente Times, Vol. 10, Issue 15. 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 2015. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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SOAPBOX GUEST OPINION: Nonprofit Spotlight by Suzanne Ansari

Kids Around the World Building playgrounds and hope around the world

K

ids Around the World, a not-forprofit, faith-based organization is dedicated to helping children and families who have been affected by war, poverty, illness and natural disasters.

Children are at the center of everything they do. The laughter of children at a playground sounds the same across the world.

Since 1994, Kids Around the World has been giving the gift of play to children by building playgrounds and offering hope. When children become victims of situations beyond their control through war, injustice or natural disasters, they lose hope. When volunteers of different backgrounds, languages and nationalities work together on behalf of these children, hope is restored.

Last year, an aging playground set was removed from San Clemente’s Max Berg Park. Local volunteers dismantled, refurbished and reinstalled the improved set in Ecuador. In a place where some children have never seen slides, swings and climbing things, their days are now filled with exercise, laughter and fun.

Kids Around the World has built 409 refurbished playgrounds worldwide in

places like Ukraine, South Africa, Iraq, Palestine/West Bank, Israel, Guatemala, Ghana, Haiti, Vietnam, Bosnia, Costa Rica and Zambia. They have installed recycled sets in many communist or formerly communist nations that didn’t have playgrounds at all, including Poland, Cuba and North Korea. Kids volunteers have built new playgrounds across the U.S. in New York, Illinois and New Orleans.

“Playgrounds bring hope to kids and can be a bridge into places that are hard to reach,” Chris Marshall, Kids regional vice president said. He explained that while in Iraq, the playground build served as a disarming tool that got people talking between rivaling ethnic tribes. “By impacting kids, we impact their community,” said Marshall, who along with his wife and four children, has installed playgrounds throughout the world. Playgrounds not only bring kids together but their parents too, who talk while watching them, sometimes easing local tensions.

It’s not all about play at Kids, the organization also feeds children. Through their “One Meal” program, millions of meals have been packaged by local

Children in Ecuador enjoy playground equipment that had been in place at Max Berg park in San Clemente.

Kids Around the World, a local nonprofit, dismantled, refurbished and reinstalled the equipment after it was replaced. Photo: Courtesy

volunteers and delivered to children in 18 different countries including the U.S. Often they combine food shipments with the playground equipment enabling children to receive both food and a refurbished playground. Kids Around the World has an upcoming “One Meal” food packing event in San Clemente on June 13.

Contact mikes@kidsaroundtheworld.com to donate or volunteer. 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.

SC GETTING OUT San Clemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

The List

At the Movies: ‘While We’re Young’ Premise Getting Old

What’s going on in and around town this week

COMPILED BY STAFF

Thursday | 09 LECTURE: WILDFLOWERS FROM A TO Z 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. After winter rains, The Reserve teems with an endless array of wildflowers. Join us as biologist Tony Bomkamp presents interesting facts (with photos) about many of the most picturesque wildflowers popping up along the hillsides and in our back country. Lecture located at the RMV Presentation Center.

Register by 2 p.m. April 9. Ages eight and up. Free. To RSVP or for directions, call 949.489.9778 or visit www.rmvreserve.org.

KALAMA BROTHERS 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Live music at Iva Lee’s.

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

Friday | 10 THE PIZARRO BROTHERS 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Come and enjoy a great evening of fun and musical entertainment provided by two young rising stars. Dinner specials will be available. Shorecliffs Golf Club, 501 Avenida Vaquero, San Clemente, 949.492.1178, www.shorecliffsgolfclub.com.

BALLROOM BASH COMMUNITY DANCE 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Every second Friday for singles and couples 18 years old and over. $10 admission includes a short foxtrot lesson, open dancing in the ballroom, Latin. swing music and refreshments, The dance takes place in the Fellowship Hall at St. Andrews By-the-Sea United Methodist Church, 2001 Calle Frontera, San Clemente. www.ballroombash.com.

Saturday | 11 SAN CLEMENTE GARDEN CLUB’S ANNUAL GARDENFEST 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

GardenFest includes an extensive plant sale and flea market, kid-friendly activities and information on garden-related topics such as drought solutions. Master Gardeners will answer garden-related questions.

The event is held at the San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville.

Contact Diane Riopka and Teresa Whitney at 949.249.8714 or 949.489.7810.

MODERN FLORAL WATERCOLORS WITH JENNA RAINEY 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Explore color theory, mixing and shading watercolors to create whimsical flowers at San San Clemente Times April 9-15, 2015

FRIDAY, APRIL 10: SLINGS AND ARROWS: SHAKESPEARE’S HAMLET REIMAGINED 7 p.m. Casa Romantica Cultural Center & Gardens will become a living stage for a promenade-style immersive theater experience, as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern welcome audiences to begin a journey through William Shakespeare’s haunting tale of murder, torment and revenge on April 10, 11, 17 and 18. Visitors will be guided through the Casa as adapted scenes from Shakespeare’s classic play throughout the Casa in this unique and modern theatrical experience. General admission tickets are $25, $20 for members.

Call 949.498.2139, or visit www.casaromantica.org for ticket information. This production is recommended for audiences ages 13 and up. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente.

Monday | 13

Clemente Art Supply & Custom Framing.

Cost is $125. 1531 N. El Camino Real, 949.369.6603, www.scartsupply.com.

MOMMY MOVIE MONDAYS 10 a.m. Moms and dads are welcome to bring their baby along to the theater every Monday at Krikorian Theaters. 641 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente, 949.661.7610, www.kptmovies.com.

POWDER AND POOF! 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Female impersonator show at Adele’s at San Clemente Inn. Dinner reservations recommended starting at 6 p.m. for best seating. Show reservations can be made by calling in advance. 2600 Avenida Del Presidente, San Clemente, 949.481.1222 www.adelesanclementeinn.com.

Tuesday | 14

Sunday | 12

SPRING REFLECTIONS FINE ART EXHIBITION The Saddleback Art League will hold its 16th annual Juried Fine Art Exhibition April 13 through May 22 in the Mission Viejo Library, 100 Civic Center, Mission Viejo. The artists represented in the show will be mostly local residents, many with noteworthy reputations for creative styles and subject matter in a variety of media. Much of the artwork on display will be available for sale. Visit www.saddlebackartleague.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.

DREAM BROTHER 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Live music at The Cellar.

156 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.492.3663, www.thecellarsite.com.

SOUL FOOD 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Enjoy music and meditation on writings from many faiths and philosophers at the Baha’i Center. This month’s theme is “Freedom of Education for All.” Free. Contact bdjeffers@hotmail.com or badiyazdi@gmail.com. Baha’i Center, 3316 Avenida del Presidente, San Clemente, 949.791.9192, www.bahaicenter.com.

Wednesday | 15

DAVE MASON’S TRAFFIC JAM 9 p.m. Take a walk through the greatest days of rock history with Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam, live at The Coach House.

Tickets range from $55 to $125 (for VIP package). Doors open at 6 p.m. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

COMEDY NIGHT 9:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m. Live comedy at Molly Bloom’s Irish Bar every Wednesday night. 2391 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.218.0120, www.mollybloomsirishbar.com.

Page 12

Photo: Courtesy

BY MEGAN BIANCO

T

here can be a fine line between self-awareness and parodying one’s own work when a filmmaker continues to use the same niche and style throughout his career and the audience calls them out on it. Woody Allen, Tim Burton and Wes Anderson don’t appear phased by criticism and have had their share of hits and misses.

Anderson’s protégé Noah Baumbach may possibly be on his way to a similar predicament after his latest indie feature, While We’re Young.

When 40-something married couple Josh and Cornelia (Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts) meet and quickly befriend 20-something married couple Jamie and Darby (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried) their world is turned upside down. After two decades of settling and going with the flow, the younger couple shows the middle-aged that spontaneity and hipsterisms can be a good thing.

Not only do Jamie and Darby unironically listen to vinyl, watch VHS and read physical books, but Josh and Jamie also happen to be struggling documentary filmmakers looking for inspiration.

Dree Hemingway and Adam Horovitz (of Beastie Boys fame) co-star. Baumbach recruited stars of two of his films, Greenberg star Stiller and from his sleeper hit Frances Ha, Driver, but to less success. The new film really does feel like a parody of Baumbach characters— extra quirky personalities and awkward line deliveries that feel like an SNL sketch in some scenes. Maybe satire is what the filmmaker was going for, but for the most part, the effort looks more like Baumbach was five years too late to cash in on the indie hipster fad. SC

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

Life Lessons in the Garden

Grown Your Own! teaches students and adults about sustainability

By Allison Jarrell For students working in the garden at San Clemente’s Shorecliffs Elementary School, their curriculum included mulching in March and an intro to aquaponics in April. These young gardeners now easily articulate how different irrigation methods work and explain the importance of planting native, drought-tolerant species and flowers that attract pollinators.

Jenny Goit, a life science teacher at Shorecliffs, is proud of the knowledge her students are acquiring and implementing in the school’s garden, where, each day, they’re learning about environmental sustainability and responsibility—what it takes to keep a garden growing.

“I think one of the most important things they’re learning is respect,” she said.

Shorecliffs Middle School was one of the first junior highs to join The Ecology Center’s two-year program called Grow Your Own! The initiative, created by the San Juan Capistrano-based nonprofit, is designed to help elementary teachers implement gardens on their school’s grounds.

Since its 2012 inception, 20 Orange County and San Diego elementary and middle schools have joined, including many in Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Meg Hiesinger, director of educational programs at The Ecology Center, said the program began taking form after the center’s founder, Evan Marks, expressed interest in reviving a program centered on garden lessons and nutrition. Hiesinger spearheaded the effort, which has evolved into a two-year, grant-subsidized program that is free to schools selected by The Ecology Center.

“When people think of a garden, they often think about food and nutrition, but it’s a more powerful site of education for kids and adults.”

— Meg Hiesinger

“The program was born out of the needs and expressed desires of the community,” Hiesinger said. “My interest is in building community around the garden.”

With a cost of about $10,000 per school, Hiesinger said the program relies on the support of sponsors—a recent $100,000 grant from the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation enabled The Ecology Center to extend their program offerings to more schools and develop more resources.

Such resources, including mentorship pro-

Events at The Ecology Center We Are Earth Day

Gardening with Native Plants

Zero Waste Lecture

Saturday, April 11; 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Join in an early Earth Day celebration at this annual community festival with free tacos, live music, hands-on crafting, teepee building, farm animals, eco-activities and more. Cost is $3.

Saturday, April 25; 10 a.m.

Learn how to create a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant garden using native, California plants from Mike Evans, a nursery owner specializing in native-plant landscaping. Course costs $30.

Friday, May 1; 6:30 p.m.

Join in on an open forum with Josh Prigge of Fetzer Wines to learn about and discuss how an individual, community and business can commit to creating zero waste.

Tickets are $35.

Organic Gardening Basics

Natural Pest Management

Backyard Beekeeping

Saturday, April 18; 1 p.m.

Learn the basics of organic gardening— planning and maintaining a garden, plant succession, watering, composting, pest control and more—to harvest your own fresh, healthy herbs and vegetables.

Cost is $30.

Sunday, April 26; 1 p.m.

Gain an understanding of easy, natural pest prevention tactics such as using plants and insects to deter pests and making non-toxic remedies at home in order to create a toxin-free, organic garden. Cost is $30.

Saturday, May 9; Noon In this workshop, learn about the lifecycle of honeybees, their importance to the environment’s health, the equipment needed to start beekeeping, hive maintenance tips and more.

Class costs $35.

The Ecology Center • 32701 Alipaz Street • San Juan Capistano • 949.443.4223 • www.theecologycenter.org

grams, school visits, training for teachers and website curriculum, are designed to educate across five core areas of sustainability: food, water, waste, shelter and energy. The program focuses on community building and planning in the fall, designing and building in the winter, seeds and seasonal planting in the spring and maintenance in the summer. Hiesinger said schools are essentially guided in developing and implementing the basic elements of a selfmaintaining, sustainable garden program.

“When people think of a garden, they

often think about food and nutrition, but it’s a more powerful site of education for kids and adults,” Hiesinger said. “It teaches sustainability across all levels. The program is about helping people work together in a functional and real way, which to me, is the foundation of community.”

Mia Ferjulian, an eighth-grade student at Shorecliffs, has been working in the school’s garden for three years now and enjoys the sense of community and teamwork it fosters. She finds it peaceful and soothing, like

“entering a sanctuary.”

“If we work together, we can make a big environmental difference,” Ferjulian said, pointing to a nearby mural in the garden.

“It’s like this picture says—individually we are one drop, together we are an ocean.”

For more information on the Grow Your Own! program and a look at the curriculum, visit www.theecologycenter.org/growyourown or email growyourown@theecologycenter.org. Applications for the 2015-2016 school year will be available on April 30.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Reducing Your Energy Usage Temperatures will soon rise but that doesn’t mean your electric bill has to. By reducing your power usage this summer—and all year round—you can save money while increasing our region’s energy security and lowering pollution being emitted from non-renewable sources.

Installing renewable home energy systems—such as a solar-electric system or small wind turbine—may not be a practical or economically viable option for all, but there are plenty of other low- to no-cost options to decrease your at-home electric usage and therefore reducing your grid dependence. —Andrea Papagianis

Set your thermostat to 78 degrees, or turn off the AC

Use fans and pull down the shades

Run appliances before 11 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

Unplug chargers and power strips

Switch light bulbs out with energyefficient ones

Power down desktops and televisions

Turn off lamps and let in natural light

Wash clothes and dishes in cool water

Invest in energy-efficient appliances

Grill up dinners to avoid heating up the oven

Visit www.sdge.com to view available rebates

Insulate your home to keep it cool and warm

The Un-thirsty Garden Lisa Chmura, lead gardener at Casa Romantica, works with a team of volunteers to maintain the center’s verdant gardens filled with drought-tolerant, native plants, trees and groundcover. Photos: Allison Jarrell

Drought-tolerant plants, flowers and tress that thrive with little care

By Andrea Papagianis Out of necessity, Californian’s are scaling down their water use.

Cuts to lessen consumption of the state’s drought-stricken resource are being made both inside and out. When it comes to the outdoors, water providers from Brea to San Clemente are incentivizing residents to ditch their lush, green lawns for drought-tolerant plants and a groundcover that drinks less water.

We met with local landscape expert Lisa Chmura, lead gardener for Casa Romantica Cultural Center & Gardens, to learn about the water-wise plant life that plays an integral role in the Casa’s bluff-top campus in San Clemente.

These plants, all native to Southern California, Chmura pointed out, thrive in sunny and partly-shaded areas and are evergreen.

Not only will they ensure color thrives in the garden throughout the year, they’ll guzzle far less water than a traditional lawn landscape.

1. Baja California Senna

Latin name: Cassia purpusii. Category: Tree/shrub. Thrives in full to partly sunny conditions. Provides food for the cloudless sulphur butterfly.

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Switching from Green to Brown

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2. Beach Strawberry

Latin name: Fragaria chiloensis. Category: Groundcover. Flowers from March to August followed by edible fruits. Problem Solver: Good for erosion control.

3. California Poppy

Latin name: Eschscholzia californica.

Category: Flower. Grows best in full sun and prefers pool soil. Prominent designation: Official state flower of California.

4. Lance Leaf Dudleya

Latin name: Dudleya lanceolata. Category: Succulent. Grows to 1 foot tall in full sun or light shade. Flower clusters appear on foot-long stalks in spring.

5. Tree Mallow

Latin name: Lavatera purisima. Category: Tree/shrub. Grows up to 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide in full sun. Attracts: Butterflies, hummingbirds and birds.

Before joining the Casa staff last year Chmura was a garden volunteer—a group of green thumbs who help keep Casa gardens pristine. Dedicated garden lovers are encouraged to volunteer in the center’s gardens each Monday at 9 a.m. To become a garden volunteer, apply online at www.casaromantica.org.

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Regional water providers are offering customers lawn-removal rebates—of at least $2 per square foot—in order to increase water efficiency and reduce landscape runoff. The program is available to residents, small businesses and homeowners associations that remove live turf and replace it with drought-friendly, native plants and landscaping. The cities of San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and the South Coast Water District (the water utility for all of Dana Point and portions of SC and SJC) are all participating providers. To take part in the program, residents must apply through the Metropolitan Water District of Orange at www.ocwatersmart.com. Complete applications have to include a copy of a water bill and simple site plan. A site inspection must take place before the project begins.

Ocean Institute Earth Day

Saturday, April 25; 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Make eco-friendly crafts, explore marine life and learn about protecting the environment.

Help at the beach/harbor cleanup from 9 a.m.–11 a.m. for free admission. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

Caspers’ Campfire

Saturday, April 25; 8 p.m.–9 p.m. Every Saturday night, visit Caspers Wilderness Park for this fireside program featuring wilderness safety, games, live animal demonstrations and more. Cost is $5 per vehicle.

33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.923.2210, www.ocparks.com.

Eco Garden Expo

Eco Garden Expo Photo: Brian Park

Earth Day Events EXPLORE // Native Plants Hike

Tuesday, April 14; 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Learn the pre-mission uses of California native plants during this 2-mile hike over uneven terrain. Cost is $3 a vehicle. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, James Dilley Preserve, 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.923.2235, www.ocparks.com.

Earth Day with OCCA

Sunday, April 19; 9 a.m. Come together with Orange County for Climate Action for a full day of inspirational activities to reconnect with the planet. Hike, grab lunch at Native Foods, screen a documentary about climate change and more. Register at www.occlimateaction.org.

Headlands Nature Tour

Saturday, May 2; 9 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

Explore Orange County’s natural history on this 1.5-mile tour of the Dana Point Headlands. Walk occurs the first Saturday each month. Nature Interpretive Center, 34558 Scenic Drive, Dana Point, 949.248.3527, www.danapoint.org.

Caspers Park Nature Hike

Sunday, May 3; 9 a.m.–10 a.m. Join Caspers’ rangers on this 1-mile hike through grassland, oak woodland and cactus communities. Rain will cancel the hike. Hikes are held each Sunday. $5 parking fee. 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.923.2210, www.ocparks.com.

Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3; 9 a.m.

–4 p.m. Explore eco-friendly gardening options and learn about solar power, designing edible gardens, converting organic waste and more. Los Rios Park, 31790 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano, 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

RECYCLE // Community Shred Day

Saturday, April 18; 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Shred sensitive documents at Monarch Bay Plaza for free. Recycle and receive a reusable tote. Corner of Pacific Coast Highway and

Crown Valley Parkway, Dana Point, www.monarchbayplaza.com.

E-Waste Collection

Saturday, May 9; 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Bring your electronic waste to Dana Hills High School to donate to Goodwill Orange County. 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point.

All Goodwill locations in the county accept e-waste. Visit www.ocgoodwill.org to find the nearest collection site.

SHOP // Dana Point Farmers Market

Saturday; 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Vendors sell produce, flowers and more at La Plaza Park. Every first Saturday of the month features a craft fair through 2 p.m. Pacific Coast Highway north of Golden Lantern. www.danapoint.org.

San Clemente Farmers Market

Sunday; 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Merchants from across the region sell a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants and prepared foods each week along Avenida Del Mar at Calle Seville.

San Juan Capistrano Farmers Market

Wednesday; 3 p.m.–7 p.m. This weekly market features more than 30 vendors selling produce, fresh flowers, specialty food items and more. Yorba Linda Street at Camino Capistrano. www.farmersmarketsjc.com.

LEARN // Garden Fest

Saturday, April 11; 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Learn about water conservation, butterfly habitats, school garden programs and more at the San Clemente Garden Club’s annual event.

San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, www.sanclementegardenclub.com.

Earth Day San Clemente

Saturday, April 18; 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Learn how to make a positive difference by reducing litter and pollutants that end up in the ocean. Arrive early to clean Main Beach.

The San Clemente Tree Foundation is giving away 100 trees. Parque Del Mar, San Clemente Pier, www.scwatersheds.com.

Dana Point Farmers Market Photo: Andrea Swayne

VOLUNTEER  Earth Day Planting, Cleanup

Saturday, April 11; 9 a.m.–noon.

Help place native plants, shrubs and trees around Doheny State Beach. Bring your work gloves and reusable bag. Parking fee waived. Meet at Picnic Site A. 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6172, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

Keep It Wild Volunteer Day

Saturday, April 18; 8 a.m.–11 a.m. Help restore wild lands and create a healthier environment by removing invasive plants and planting native ones. Volunteer at Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park or Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. www.ocparks.com.

Earth Day Beach, Creek and Park Cleanup

ROOTS Restoration

Starr Ranch Preservation

Saturday, April 18; 9 a.m.–noon. Help clean up Doheny and San Juan Creek. Bring work gloves and reusable bag. Parking fee waived. Meet at lifeguard headquarters.

25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6172, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

Saturday, April 25 Take part in the California Coastal Commission’s restoration project to preserve Upper Newport Bay. Remove invasive plants and perform site maintenance. Register online at www.coastal.ca.gov. 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, 949.923.2290.

Earth Day Restoration, Cleanup

Garden Angels

Back to Natives Restoration

Saturday, April 18; 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Help maintain San Onofre State Park’s San Mateo Campground by painting bench seating, screen doors and interpretive displays. Also, help plant native plants. Register at www.calparks.org/ earthday or call 888.987.2751 by April 13.

Thursday, April 30; 8:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

Volunteers meet each Thursday at the Montanez Adobe at Los Rios Park to maintain the gardens. Bring gloves and wear close-toed shoes. 31745 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

Saturday, May 9; 9 a.m.–noon. Become a weed warrior by removing invasive plants at Audubon California’s 4,000acre sanctuary. Tools provided. Held Saturday, May 16 as well. 100 Bell Canyon Road, Trabuco Canyon, 949.858.0309, www.starrranch.org.

Sunday, May 24; 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Assist in habitat restoration for animals on Elsinore Peak in the Cleveland National Forest. Meet at Bravo Burgers, at 31722 Rancho Viejo Road, in San Juan Capistrano at 7:30 a.m. www.backtonatives.org.

Visitors play Race to Recycle at Discovery Cube. Courtesy photo

A Call to Eco Action

Challenge asks youth to reduce waste, reuse and recycle

By Andrea Papagianis Personal decisions impacting the environment present themselves every day—choices like taking groceries home in a paper, plastic or reusable bag, or deciding whether a household item is reusable, recyclable or disposable waste. They are basic questions we may think don’t hold much weight.

But with each Californian—all 38.8 million of us—creating an average of 4.4 pounds of waste daily, according to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, these choices matter. That rate of daily disposal amounted to 30.2 million tons of waste entering landfills statewide in 2013—a good deal of which could have been diverted through mindful shopping, recycling and composting.

Since 2011, OC Waste & Recycling and Discovery Cube Orange County have been asking the county’s youngest residents to step back and examine daily decisions.

Eco Challenge, a series of hands-on, interactive exhibits at Discovery Cube empowers visitors to learn how they can make the environment better by reducing waste. Three immersive exhibits—Discovery Market, Eco Garage and Race to Recycle—challenge guests to shop smarter, properly dispose of household hazardous waste and to be wise about trash sorting.

“The goal is to teach them (students) at a young age so they can go home and teach their parents,” said Dan Nasitka, Discovery Cube’s communications manager. “We are trying to have it start at home.”

Dumpster Diversion REUSE Bring your own bag to the grocery store and repurpose any plastic bags COMPOST Decompose food scraps and organic materials to reduce up to 25 percent of household waste GO PAPERLESS Sign up for electronic bill pay, send email invites and unsubscribe from junk mail BUY IN BULK Avoid excessive packaging, which accounts for roughly 1/3 of garbage generated READ THE LABELS Purchase products made, or packaged, with recycled materials RECYCLE Sort through disposables at work, school, home and when you’re out and about DISPOSE Take hazardous waste to a disposal site: Prima Descheca Landfill, 32250 La Pata Avenue, San Juan Capistrano Find more tips for reducing waste at www.calrecycle.ca.gov.

Visitors go on a scavenger hunt in Discovery Market for produce and products with eco-friendly packaging and sort through green, household and hazardous waste in Race to Recycle—a carnival-style game that brings out their competitive side. Lastly, in Eco Garage, guests learn about items they shouldn’t toss in the trash such as paint, insect repellent and aerosol cans.

Discovery Cube is located at 2500 N. Main Street in Santa Ana. Visit www.discoverycube.org for information on tickets, events, exhibits and more.

The Schwörer family, a Swiss family of four traveling the world to shed light on climate change, arrives in Dana Point aboard their sailing vessel, Pachamama. Photo: Jim Shilander

Living ON Mother Earth Swiss family travels globe to inspire a better future

By Jim Shilander Swiss climate scientist Dario Schwörer and his wife Sabine have been traveling the world for 15 years to raise climate change awareness, and in doing so, putting what they talk about into practice.

On Monday, Schwörer, Sabine and two of their four children arrived in Dana Point Harbor. The family will be in south Orange County for two weeks discussing their odyssey “Top to Top”—a journey that has included living at sea and sailing over 70,000 nautical miles aboard the Pachamama, Incan for Mother Earth. The expedition has also seen land and life as the Schwörers climbed six of the world’s highest peaks on six continents, cycled nearly 15,000 miles and welcomed all four of their children.

It is a trip that began in 2000 when the couple decided to visit all the world’s climates from the Arctic to Antarctic after Dario saw his office “melting away.” In Schwörer’s case, it was the literal melting of glaciers in the Swiss Alps, which through extensive training and work as a ski and mountaineer guide he became an expert on the impact climate change had on the European mountain range.

“Climate is also changing at altitude,” Schwörer said. “Our goal was to explore positive solutions for the climate, for the environment, and along the way, go into schools to inspire young people to act.

And we wanted to do it in the most environmentally friendly way possible.”

When their first child was born the couple considered stopping, but their decision to continue was “the best we

could have made,” Schwörer said. They now make their decisions on what paths to take and when to take them based on what’s best for everyone.

“We are always together with our children,” Schwörer said.

For much of their 15-year expedition, the Schwörers have lived at sea, exclusively utilizing human power and nature’s forces of wind and sun. The ship includes a number of solar panels and a pair of small wind turbines in order to generate electricity—just enough to power items and appliances inside the boat.

Apart from one instance when the boat collided with a floating container, the most dangerous part of the journey, Schwörer said, has actually been the cycling portions.

“After 15 years outdoors, you learn to read the signs nature gives you,” he said. “When you’re on a sailboat, you’re dealing with weather and know the ropes.

Climbing, you need to know the knots, but you have base camp and a climbing team.”

One of the biggest obstacles and dangers, he said, was dealing with traffic. “If a driver comes along and he’s drunk, then I can be the best cyclist in the world and it might not make a difference,” he said.

Even though there are risks, Schwörer believes it is important for people to go out and experience nature and people in all their forms.

“We’ve visited more than 100 countries, and this planet is still so wonderful, he said. “There’s so many good people, really good projects, people doing really great stuff for our planet.”

The Schwörers will give two talks while in Orange County. First, they will discuss climate change and their journey at the Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive in Dana Point, at noon on Saturday, April 11. Then, on Thursday, April 16 at 6 p.m. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street in San Juan Capistano, hosts the family for an open forum.

After leaving Dana Point, the family will make their way toward the one peak they’ve yet to climb—Mt. Vinson in Antarctica.

same month one year prior. One month later, in January—considered the state’s driest month— water conservation dropped to 8.8 percent.

On April 1, Brown imposed unprecedented mandatory water restrictions for residents, businesses and municipalities as California marks its fourth dry year. The goal: A 25 percent decrease in water use.

Provisions in the governor’s order include: • Banning the watering of decorative grasses on public medians

When in Drought California takes extreme measures to conserve, protect water supply Last year Gov. Jerry Brown asked the state to cut water usage by 20 percent. To meet Brown’s goal the State Water Resources Control Board implemented emergency regulations for water preservation.

Residential restrictions include bans on: • Washing down sidewalks and driveways • Watering outdoor landscapes in a manner causing excess runoff • Washing a vehicle using a hose without a shut-off nozzle • Running a decorative water feature with no recirculation system • Irrigating turf or decorative landscapes within 48 hours of rain Also, restaurants can only serve water to customers when requested and hotels must give guests the option to not have their towels and linens laundered daily.

A survey of nearly 400 urban water retailers showed residential water savings statewide failed to meet Brown’s set goal from June to November 2014. But in December customers of the state’s largest water retailers cut consumption by 22 percent, compared to the

• Replacing 50 million square feet of lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping • Creating a temporary consumer rebate program for energy-efficient appliances • Requiring colleges, golf courses and cemeteries to significantly cut water usage

Brown’s declaration came as Sierra Nevada snowfall hit its lowest recorded point since 1950 when such readings were begun. According to the California Department of Water Resources, the state’s current snowpack holds only 1.4 percent of water content—just 5 percent of historical average for April 1.

The mandatory restrictions also arrived on the heels of a $1 billion emergency drought relief package approved by state lawmakers and signed by Brown on March 27. The package appropriates funding and accelerates the movement of others to address the state’s immediate—and future—water needs.

About $660 million from the water measure goes toward flood control and $273 million funds additional infrastructure upgrades for water recycling and drinking water quality programs. The remaining monies fund urgent environmental protections, provide food and water supplies to drought-stricken communities and finance conservation education and outreach activities, among others things.

“This funding is just one piece of a much larger effort to help those most impacted by the drought and prepare the state for an uncertain future. But make no mistake, from Modoc to Imperial County, rain is not in the forecast and every Californian must be doing their utmost to conserve water.”

—Gov. Jerry Brown Sixty-six percent of California voters approved Proposition 1 on November’s ballot. The Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 allows the state to sell a general obligation bond worth approximately $7.5 billion for a statewide, comprehensive water plan. —Andrea Papagianis

PROPOSITION 1: THE BREAKDOWN 

Trimming Your Water Usage Orange County residents use a daily average of 140 gallons of water according to the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County.

In order to meet the state’s reduction goal each resident needs to cut at least 28 gallons of water out of their daily usage.

Here are a few ideas and simple changes, that can make a world of difference.

INSIDE Cut showers down to 5 minutes and save

9,000 GALLONS PER YEAR

Installing highefficiency toilets will save

19 GALLONS PER DAY

Launder only full loads and save

30 GALLONS EACH CYCLE

While brushing your teeth, turn off the water to save

2,000 GALLONS EVERY YEAR

OUTSIDE Adjust sprinkler systems to save more than

50 GALLONS DAILY

Trade your lawn in for drought-friendly, native plants and save

120 GALLONS PER DAY

Install a “smart” sprinkler controller and save

15,000 GALLONS A YEAR

$2.7 BILLION // New storage

$900 MILLION // Protecting

$725 MILLION // Water recy-

projects such as dams

and cleaning up

cling and salt-removal projects

$1.89 BILLION // Watershed

groundwater basins

$520 MILLION // Clean and

programs and statewide flood

$810 MILLION // Increasing

safe water programs for

management

regional water supplies

disadvantaged communities

Learn more about lessening water usage at www.saveourwater.com and find out about residential and commercial rebate programs for installing high-efficiency appliances, rain barrels, soil-moisture sensors and more by visiting www.ocwatersmart.com. * Water saving figures obtained from the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County.

SC SC LIVING San Clemente

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

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

A New Life Chapter Begins

I

retired January 30, after owning and operating Tutor and Spunky’s Deli in Dana Point for 26 years—a job that kept me very busy.

People ask, “Now that you’ve sold the deli, won’t you get bored? What will you do with all of your free time?”

If the first two months of retirement are an indication, boredom is the least of my concerns. I’ve been busier than a cranberry at Thanksgiving.

When a business in California is sold, there are a myriad of things that must be done. Usually, the seller agrees to train the buyer for a period of time. In my case, I spent 120 hours working with the new owners. And then there were tax returns to be filed and boxes of records packed and stored, many for up to seven years.

People often tell you that, in retirement, you’ll wonder where the time goes. I fall into that group. No boredom yet.

ON LIFE AND My answer to the LOVE AFTER 50

By Tom Blake “What will you do with your time?” question is pretty simple: write, stand-up paddleboard and travel.

As far as writing, I plan to continue covering “Life and Love After 50” in both this newspaper and my weekly newsletter. I’ve done that for 21 years and find that love and relationships seem to get even more intriguing and challenging as people age.

Regarding paddleboarding, one of the most important things for retired people is exercise. In anticipation of retirement, last October I decided to give SUP a try. What a gift of beauty we have in south Orange County with our beaches and Dana Point Harbor. Three times a week, at least, I launch from Baby Beach and usually paddle around Harbor Island and back past the yachts and sailboats. Sea lions and birds enrich the experience. And, except for the board and the paddle, the sport is free.

This week I was thinking I had become a pretty good paddler; I hadn’t fallen into the chilly waters in a couple of months, although it seemed others were faster than I. Then, an old-timer paddled by and said, “You’re dragging your leash in the water; it’s slowing you down.”

Yup, he was right. Adding to the drag was a large clump of seaweed. I placed the leash on top of my board and wow, I noticed a difference right away. In retirement, there is a lot to learn.

As far as travel, when I met my life partner Greta 17 years ago, one of the characteristics we had in common was a love of travel.

True, when I owned the deli, we were able to get away on several trips. But, when you own a business back home, you aren’t totally free when you travel because you think about whether the business has enough money, or whether a refrigerator breaks down, or any number of possible problems.

Now, I won’t have to worry about deli issues. Our plan is to travel as much as we can as long as we are able to. Our first trip begins next week. We are off to Austria and Central Europe for seven weeks, which includes a two-week river cruise. If I hear of any romance-after-50 stories on our travels, I will share them with you.

At the least, I will be posting details of the trip on my Travel After 50 blog. So, I will be mixing two of my retirement activities—writing and travel—while we’re gone.

As for paddleboarding, I doubt if that will be possible on the Danube or Rhine rivers. I guess we will be doing a lot of walking instead.

The website is www.travelafter55.com.

On the home page, click on the travel blog tab. I hope you will follow us and email your comments. SC

Springtacular Scenes PHOTOS AND TEXT BY JIM SHILANDER, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

A

pproximately 3,000 San Clemente kids and their parents got a chance Saturday to celebrate Easter a little early.

With egg hunts in the outfield of two

baseball fields, photos with the Easter Bunny and Easter-themed games, there was plenty to do at the annual Springtacular event at Vista Hermosa Sports Park.

In addition to the Easter events, kids and adults were also entertained with music and Frisbee dog shows. 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.

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 San Clemente Times April 9-15, 2015

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

Page 17

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Locals Only

BUSINESS DIRECTORY ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT

Body Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program

2411 S. El Camino Real, 949.485.4979, www.bodymindspiritiop.com

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

BOOKS

Village Books

99 Avenida Serra, 949.492.1114, www.DowntownSanClemente.com

CHIROPRACTIC

Thompson Chiropractic

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

CHOCOLATE/CANDY

Schmid’s Fine Chocolate

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

CONCRETE

Costa Verde Landscape

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

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

ELECTRICAL

Arcadia Electric

949.361.1045, www.arcadiaelectric.com

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

HARP LESSONS & RENTALS

Wendy-Harpist

949.482.9025, www.orangecountyharpist.com

HEATING

Oasis Heating & Air

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

HOME DÉCOR

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

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

LANDSCAPING

Costa Verde Landscape

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

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

YOUR BUSINESS HERE! Sign up to be featured as our monthly Locals Only Business Spotlight for only $100!

RESTAURANTS

Café Calypso

114 Avenida Del Mar #4, 949.366.9386

SALONS

Salon Bamboo

Write-up of 50 words with logo.

Four weeks in print and online.

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

Contact Debra Wells at 949.589.0892 or email dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

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

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD

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

POOL SERVICE, REPAIR, REMODEL

SC Pool & Spa Works

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

Radiant Pool & Spa Service Lic # 985800, 949.290.5616, www.radiantpoolservice.com

REAL ESTATE

Marcie George Star Real Estate South County

949.690.5410, marciegeorge@cox.net

Salon Bleu

Syrens Hair Parlor

217 Avenida Del Mar, Ste. E, 949.361.9006, www.syrens.com

SCHOOLS

Capistrano Valley Christian Schools

32032 Del Obispo Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.5683, www.cvcs.org

SECONDHAND/ CONSIGNMENT SHOPS

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

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

SWIMMING SCHOOL

Waterbabies Swim School

142 Avenida Granada, 949.488.2512, www.waterbabiesswimschool.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

“Sandy & Rich” - ReMax

949.293.3236, www.sandyandrich.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

OFFICE FURNITURE

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

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

CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad at www.sanclementetimes.com

GARAGE SALES GARAGE SALE April 11th from 7:30 am to 12 noon. 2385 S Ola Vista San Clemente CA 92672. Patio Furniture, clothes, electronics, jewerly, bikes, kitchen items, bedding and much more...

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE!

Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com.

Deadline 5pm Monday. No phone calls.

DANA POINT SALE Saturday 4/11/15 8:00 a.m.

Retired K-2 teacher selling teaching supplies, books and other items during neighborhood garage sale. 25512 Saltwater Dr. Dana Point, CA GARAGE SALE SAT. APRIL 11TH 7am to 11 am at 26805 Calle Real, Capistrano Beach, 92624

HELP WANTED PART-TIME DENTAL ASSISTANT/OFFICE ASSISTANT Days needed are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Entry level position. Must be tech savvy and a team player. Please call 949-241-6633 MARKETING & ADVERTISING INTERN Picket Fence Media (San Clemente Times, Dana Point Times and The Capistrano Dispatch) is seeking a polished and enthusiastic advertising intern to start immediately. Enrolled college marketing and communications student required. Must be available Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoons, one to two days a week. Great phone manner and attention to detail a must.

Knowledge of sales and eye-fordesign a plus. This is a non-paid internship and a great opportunity to obtain some hands-on work experience and college credit (if available through your school).

Send resume listing school and work experience to Susie Lantz at slantz@sanclementetimes. com. No phone inquiries without resume.

SC n te S a n C le m e

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

San Clemente Times April 9-15, 2015

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

Call 949.388.7700, ext. 111 or email slantz@sanclementetimes.com

Call 949.388.7700, ext. 111 or email slantz@sanclementetimes.com

Page 19

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SC LIVING idea of what a director is supposed to be like, sometimes standoffish and terse.

When I feel pulled toward that I can remind myself of why so many people like working with him. If he hadn’t been so encouraging on set, I never would have been a director.”

Schwartz said she hopes to set an example for other aspiring female directors.

She hopes to complete the film in about a year.

Inspiration SCHS grad hoping to bring film dreams to life

BY JIM SHILANDER, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

W

hile attending San Clemente High School as a student, L Jean Schwartz got to see the filmmaking process up close, as the motion picture Brick was being filmed at director Rian Johnson’s alma mater. It was then, she said, that she fell in love with film. Now, years after making a documentary about the filming of that movie at SCHS, Schwartz is making her own passion project.

Schwartz’s film, The Average Girls Guide to Suicide, is a dark comedy she began writing in 2009, after graduating from film school at USC. “When I was in film school, a friend of mine was telling the story of a man from his hometown who’d attempted suicide and been unsuccessful but had horribly scarred his face,” she said. “My friends and I were taken aback by this, but my friend, when he was telling the story said, ‘What? Every town has one.’ Growing up in San Clemente, it’s a very sleepy small town, but I realized I could think of a number of stories related to that.

I thought, ‘If my hometown has these stories and his hometown had these stories, then why don’t we talk about those and how difficult it would be if you had attempted to end your own life and even that doesn’t go how you planned.’

The only people who would understand that are people who go through the same thing.”

Schwartz said her script was also inspired by her experiences in film school and the artistic communities created there.

“You have all of these people who are ‘weird’ in other groups but then get put together and they’re all weird in the same way,” she said.

Schwartz was in a video production class at SCHS as Brick was being filmed and made a “behind the scenes” documentary for a project.

“extracurricular thing to a pos-

It helped shift it from a fun,

sible career option. And there was such a family feeling on

the set. You spend long days together and go through of-

ten very stressful things on a

production, but people were

having fun and enjoyed spending time together. It was really Jean Schwartz with Rachel Weisz, left, and Adrien Brody in 2007 on the set of Rian Johnson’s ‘The Brothers Bloom.’ Photo: Courtesy

“It was the first time, for me, that I thought, ‘People do this for a living,’” she said. “It helped shift it from a fun, extracurricular thing to a possible career option. And there was such a family feeling on the set. You spend long days together and go through often very stressful things on a production, but people were having fun and enjoyed spending time together. It was really inspiring.”

While taking a gap year backpacking through Europe, Schwartz ran into Johnson again on the set of his second feature, The Brothers Bloom, and spent two weeks on set in Serbia. While there, she also connected with Brick star Joseph GordonLevitt, who was filming a cameo. Schwartz more recently served as Gordon-Levitt’s assistant on his directorial debut, Don Jon. Schwartz said Johnson has helped her tremendously as a mentor and as a guide

Jean Schwartz with fellow SCHS alum Rian Johnson at a San Clemente screening of his first film, ‘Brick.’

Photo: Courtesy

for what a director should be.

“Rian is one of the kindest, most generous people in the entire world,” she said.

“Sometimes I struggle with the cultural

”

inspiring.

–Jean Schwartz

Schwartz is currently raising funds for the project on Seed & Spark, a fundraising website created by filmmakers to allow those contributing to help with a “wish list” a concept similar to a wedding registry that allows donors to purchase specific items, rather than having it go into a single pot. Currently, the project is in pre-production. Schwartz said she was considering shooting the film in San Clemente, but was also weighing the possibility of going elsewhere based on film incentives in other states.

“The neat part is that it’s about community,” Schwartz said of the campaign.

“It’s neat for people who aren’t in the film industry to see all the different parts it takes to make a film.”

For information on the fundraising campaign, visit www.seedandspark.com/ studio/average-girls-guide-suicide. SC

& SC SPORTS OUTDOORS San Clemente

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Shorecliffs Golf Club captured the inaugural South County Cup tournament on March 29. Photo: Courtesy

Shorecliffs Golfers Win Inaugural South County Cup COMPILED BY STEVE BREAZEALE

G

olfers representing Shorecliffs Golf Course used home field advantage to best a field of four area golf teams and capture the inaugural South County Cup tournament on March 29.

The Shorecliffs team narrowly edged Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club for a 19-18.5 victory in the two-day event, which was held at Shorecliffs. The match came down to the wire and was decided after the conclusion of the final match of the day.

The South County Cup featured four 16man teams from San Clemente Municipal Golf Course, San Juan Hills, Bella Collina

and Shorecliffs competing in match play formats for a perpetual trophy. All players were members of their respective course’s men’s clubs and carried handicap indexes below six. There were also four alternates selected for each group.

Event organizers say next year’s tournament will be held at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course.

Shorecliffs team members included: Jeff Wells, Darrell Kinzie, Bradford Hunt, Brad Waite, Gary Hunt, Mike Crume, Jerry Maras, David Jonas, Dave Trask, Mark Perkett, Paul Fingal, Mark Johnson, Doug Weatherholt, Ed Blum, Butch Hewitt, Doug Weatherholt Sr. and Frank Bator. SC

Scoreboard SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

YOUTH BASKETBALL The San Clemente fifth-grade NJB All-Net team entered the All-Net National Tournament as the last seeded team in the field.

But the local team was able to go on a run, defeating the top seed in the first round, and advance to the championship match where they earned a runner-up finish.

The national tournament was held at The MAP Sports Facility in Garden Grove and the San Clemente squad opened up tournament play on March 14 against No. 1 seeded San Jose West with a 43-26 victory.

San Clemente went on to beat Newport Mesa, 36-28, and the Irvine Sonics, 42-41, before facing Los Alamitos Legends in the finals. Los Alamitos won the championship 35-30.

Page 22

The San Clemente fifth-grade NJB All-Net team finished runner up at the national tournament.

Photo: Courtesy

The team advanced to the national tournament by finishing fourth at the NJB Sectionals. San Clemente went 8-4 overall during the regular season and finished fourth in their winter league standings.

The team includes: Brandon Novida, Cash McConnell, Charlie Spaeth, Evan Lowe, Garrett Hunt, Grant Marquez, Josh Williams, Kaden Giles and William Pinkerman. The team is coached by Matt King. www.sanclementetimes.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

San Clemente senior Kelsey Horton hit for the cycle against Dana Hills on March 26. Photo: Catrina Crawford

Triton Report: By the Numbers

BY STEVE BREAZEALE

Through the use of statistics and numbers, we break down the special performances, trends and seasons being put together by San Clemente High School spring sports athletes.

0

4

Runs allowed in 19 2/3 innings pitched by senior reliever Dylan Riddle, as of April 7.

Riddle has twice as many strikeouts (21) as he does walks (eight).

Match medals won by senior golfer Sammy Schwartz, a mark that is tied for third-best in Orange County. Schwartz has been the medalist in all four of the Tritons wins this season.

9

10

Number of different players who scored for the Tritons boys lacrosse team in a 21-1 win over Capistrano Valley on April 3.

Matt Keany and Branden Wilson each had four goals.

Extra base hits recorded by senior catcher Lucas Herbert in 15 games played this season. As of April 7, Herbert has hit a double in four straight games.

9

30

Number of straight-set sweeps tallied by the San Clemente boys volleyball team in 16 matches played this year.

18 Runs scored by the Tritons softball team in a win over rival Dana Hills on March 26. Senior Kelsey Horton hit for the cycle in the game, a feat that included a grand slam home run.

4:58 Time posted by senior distance runner Kelsey Carroll in the rated mile race at the Azusa Meet of Champions on March 28, a personal best. Carroll became just the third runner in the girls program’s history to break the five-minute mark in the one-mile.

Page 24

Goals scored on the year by San Clemente girls lacrosse attack Katelyn Miner. Miner has scored in every game this season, including a season-high seven-goal effort against Santa Margarita on March 27.

5 Current rank of the San Clemente baseball team in the latest Baseball America High School Top-25 national rankings. After winning the National High School Invitational, the Tritons jumped from the 18th spot to No. 5.

35 Consecutive sets won by sophomore tennis player Michael Bott. Bott has yet to drop a set this season and will play in the Ojai Tennis Tournament later this month. www.sanclementetimes.com

SC San Clemente

SC SURF

SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Giants and Conquerors Big wave surfer Rusty Long publishes a book about the sport and its daring athletes

BY ANDREA SWAYNE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

W

ith so many images of incredible big wave feats having seen the light of day maybe once—on the pages of a magazine or in a video posted online—one of the sport’s most talented practitioners set out to create a more permanent record of fellow wave riders, their stories and the behemoth mountains of water they set out to slay.

“I have always had the dream of putting together a book but knew that to get a big

Rusty Long, a professional big wave surfer from San Clemente, will debut his first book, “The Finest Line: The Global Pursuit of Big Wave Surfing” on May 2 at Interval Gallery. Photo: Andrea Swayne

publishing company interested, it would have to be something that really stands out,” said San Clemente-based professional big wave surfer and now author, Rusty Long. “I set out to document the most

GROM OF THE WEEK

NOAH ALBRECHT

N

Noah Albrecht. Photo: Andrea Swayne

oah Albrecht, 14, is an eighth-grader at Niguel Hills Middle School and an A and B college-bound student.

He is in his third year on the surf team and looks forward to trying out for the Dana Hills High School team next year. In addition to Scholastic Surf Series contests—in both shortboard and longboard divisions—he also competes in the Soul Surf Series and is planning on adding WSA events next season.

Noah has come a long way since being pushed into his first waves by his dad at Doheny when he was 5 and has not only become a talented surfer but also found a lifelong passion as well as a special love of riding retro single-fins from the ’70s.

amazing timeframe in big wave surfing.”

A year later, with awe inspiring images from about 20 photographers and featuring approximately 100 surfers, Long’s book, The Finest Line: The Global Pursuit of Big Wave Surfing is here.

“I knew so many of the best moments were ending up buried somewhere in photographers’ archives,” Long said.

“I wanted to gather all of these incredible moments together and put them in one place, to create a spot where this timeframe in big wave history could be preserved.”

The book features the top surfers who have led the charge in the sport, as well as the underground heroes and legends of each region, all of whom have contributed greatly to the whole fabric of the sport.

“I really tried to get that balance right in this book and give a lot of credit where credit is due,” Long said. “The story goes back to 2004, the point when tow surfing was at its peak. I covered a bit of that— some of the last major tow-in sessions at Cortes Bank and Jaws during that time.

Tow surfing never went away, but from that “I remember getting really mad the first time my dad pushed me in, because I pearled,” Noah said. “I got discouraged but something made me want to keep trying. I don’t know what it is but the feeling you get when you’re on a wave is unlike anything else, it gives you an adrenaline rush and just feels really good. That’s what kept me going.”

He also enjoys skateboarding and would like to thank his sponsor Riviera Skateboards and his surf coach Scott Phole for their support. He also appreciates his family for letting him grow up near the ocean.

Noah said the only thing he knows for certain about surfing is that he loves it and will never stop.

“I don’t know where I’ll end up going with it aside from that,” he said. “But it would be amazing to surf professionally and make money doing what I love.”

—Andrea Swayne

I wanted to gather all of “these incredible moments

together and put them in one place, to create a spot where this timeframe in big wave history could be preserved.

”

—Rusty Long

point on is when the sport really changed and the best surfers in the business went back to wanting to paddle into the biggest waves possible and create a much more significant challenge for themselves. That’s really the big story of the book.”

The book is available on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble, Costco and a variety of surf shops.

A book signing event will be held on Saturday, May 2 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Interval Gallery, 412 N. El Camino Real in San Clemente. SC

SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 58-62 degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: San Clemente: 8-12’+ Poor-Fair Catalina: 15-20’ Fair-Good Thursday and Friday: Small blend of WNW and SSW swell energy holds early Thursday, before fading through Friday. Better breaks through the region offer surf in the knee-waist high zone through the end of the work week, with sets to chest high during the Thursday morning tide push. Weak eddy circulation sets up light SE/S winds in the mornings under partly to mostly cloudy skies, followed by a light+ to moderate WSW/W sea-breeze and clearing skies each afternoon.

Longer Range Outlook: Over the weekend a fresh blend of NW swell-mix and SW/SSW swell builds in.

Size bumps back up into the knee-chest high range for standouts then, with more size early next week as the SSW swell peaks. Check out Surfline for more details, daily updates, and the longer range outlook!