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SC Resident’s Son Survives Terrorist Attacks in Belgium EYE ON SC/PAGE 14
Elementary School to Attend Robotics World Championship EYE ON SC/PAGE 22
SCHS Long Distance Runner Completes Near 4-Minute Mile SPORTS/PAGE 24
YOUR NO. 1 SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS, SPORTS AND MORE
FROM THE PUBLISHER | NORB GARRETT
Turning
TEN
There are numerous reasons to love San Clemente but sharing beautiful sunsets with family and friends would have to be near the top of the list. Photo: Jason Murray/www.PhotoMurray.com
Owning a small business isn’t for the faint of heart. When we created and launched the SC Times in March 2006, we set out to change the world. Nothing quite as lofty as fixing global warming—we were aiming to simply create a stronger community here in San Clemente for residents, business owners and visitors alike by bringing them a refreshing, new “maga-paper” that NORB GARRETT would deliver “Local News You Can Use” in print and online. Our thought was simple: Look more forward than backward and arm the residents and visitors with information that would help them take advantage of all that our amazing community has to offer, and hopefully become more involved. Simply put, the more engaged our community is, the stronger it is. Ten years later, after surviving through the second-worst recession in U.S. history while adding two sister publications, the Dana Point
Times and The Capistrano Dispatch, we’re proudly turning 10 years old. Our longevity is a testament to all of you, our readers and advertisers, who have made the SC Times part of your lives. For that we say, “Thank You!” There’s not a week that goes by where I don’t meet someone in town who tells me how important the SC Times is to them, and that makes me incredibly proud of our team of amazing staff (both past and present) who have worked tirelessly to make a difference. As we enter the next decade of existence, my hope is we’ll continue to make this community stronger through our print, online and mobile efforts to provide “Local News You Can Use.” While the media landscape is seemingly ever-changing, our locally owned, locally staffed team remains firmly dedicated to making a difference in San Clemente and helping all of us live a more engaged, more informed life. Here’s to San Clemente, truly an amazing, beautiful place to call home.
THE SC TIMES STAFF SHARES:
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Pedro’s Tacos
The Trails Being active in the outdoors is a favorite activity, especially walking or running the city’s many trails. The Beach Trail—stretching beachside from State Beach to North Beach—is the hands-down fave, but the challenging incline and views from the San Clemente Summit Trail also get high marks.
TEN Things We Love About San Clemente
9 The Surfing With so many great surf breaks in and near San Clemente, the city has become world renown as a Southern California surf capital. From the world-class breaks at Trestles (claimed by SC, although actually just past the OC border) to local grom-proving grounds like T Street, the city attracts, and raises, some of the world’s best wave sliders.
Text and photos by Andrea Swayne
As a local newspaper written by locals, for locals, our staff has the opportunity, every day, to experience all of the things that make the city so special. In honor of our 10th anniversary, we are sharing 10 (of the many) reasons we love San Clemente:
10 The Sunsets Head to any beach or bluff top overlooking a beach at dusk and you’ll inevitably see people gathering to take in the beautiful sunsets over the Pacific. #sunsets
1 The People The people here are generally happy, and friendliness has never gone out of style. We also love our town’s colorful characters such as Mr. San Clemente and Frenchie the Bubble Man.
Municipal—there’s no need to travel far and wide to have an enjoyable 18 holes. All are special in their own way and the variety of price levels makes golfing widely accessible. We especially love that the Muni has been a fixture for more than 75 years and the fact that it’s city-owned is part of the appeal. It is a family-friendly yet challenging course that is both well-priced and offers breathtaking ocean views.
4 The Beaches
Mr. San Clemente Brett Lopez-Echevarria
The long stretch of beautiful beach running from San Clemente State Beach in the south, to Poche Beach in the north, offers something for all to enjoy: surfing, swimming, beachcombing, relaxing, some really great concerts on the sand and more. Oh, and one more thing: beach swing sets.
offered here provides an adventure for the palate that reflects the city’s rich blend of cultural influences. From all-American fare to Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, French and more, San Clemente is a foodie-friendly town. There are also great choices for vegetarian and vegan diners. From drive-thrus to fine dining, we love the variety.
There’s so much more about San Clemente to love and we feel privileged to have been sharing stories of the city’s beautiful people, places and happenings for the past decade. We look forward to many more years of enjoying our always amazing home by the sea.
Avenida Del Mar
7 The Weather San Clemente’s Mediterranean climate brings mild weather nearly year-round, and cloudy or rainy days are few. With an average low of 60 F and an average high of 80 F, we enjoy temperatures every day that people all over the world chase on their vacations.
5 2 Avenida Del Mar This town center street hearkens back to a nearly bygone era, with a true walkable downtown lined with great shops and restaurants, and you almost always run into someone you know.
3 The Golf With four great courses within the city limits—Shorecliffs, Bella Collina, Talega and the
San Clemente High School Spirit is high at all the city’s schools, but especially at San Clemente High. Residents rally around the efforts of the school’s talented students. From sports and academics to the arts and Grad Nite, SCHS is a source of hometown pride, a place for our young residents to be well-prepared for life. “One town, one team!”
6 The Restaurants The wide variety of international cuisine
T Street Beach
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1. Rebecca Nordquist, former San Clemente Times Managing Editor. 2. Jasmine Smith, Art Director. 3. Michele Reddick, Real Estate Advertising Manager. 4. Tricia Zines, Distribution Manager with Tim Trent, City Distribution. 5. David Zimmerle (right), former San Clemente City Editor. 6. Norb Garrett, Publisher and CEO with Lauralyn Loynes, Associate Publisher. 7. Diane DiMarco, former Advertising Sales Executive. 8. Susie Lantz and Debra Wells, Advertising Sales Executives. 9. Jasmine Smith with Andrea Papagianis, Special Projects Editor and Lauralyn Loynes. 10. Lauralyn Loynes. 11. Norb and Alyssa Garrett, owners of Picket Fence Media. 12. Steve Breazeale (left), Sports Editor. 13. Jonathan Volzke, Former Senior Editor and Lauralyn Loynes. 14. Stacie Galang, former San Clemente City Editor. 15. The staff who launched the SC Times in 2006 (L-R) Michele Reddick, Jasmine Smith, Rebecca Nordquist, Norb Garrett, Alyssa Garrett and Lauralyn Loynes. 16. SC Times staff fishing trip. 17. Christina Scannapiego, former Copy Editor/Freelancer. 18. Debra Wells (right). 19. Michele Reddick and Lauralyn Loynes. 20. Andrea Swayne, Dana Point City Editor/Senior Editor. 21. Mason Trent and Tim Trent, City Distribution. 22. SC Times staff at the first office in San Clemente including Nathan Wright, former Dana Point City Editor (top row, second from left). 23. Lauralyn Loynes and Dana Schnell, former Graphic Designer. 24. Eric Heinz, San Clemente City Editor. 25. Lacey Nadeau (left), former Staff Reporter with her mom and Angela Edwards (right), former Advertising Sales Executive. 26. Tawnee Prazak, former Copy Editor and Heidi Mefferd, former Graphic Designer. 27. Past and present editorial team members (L-R) Jim Shilander, Steve Breazeale, Andrea Papagianis, Brian Park and Andrea Swayne. 28. Norb Garrett. 29. Allison Jarrell, San Juan Capistrano City Editor and Andrea Swayne. Not shown Sergio Sanchez, former Advertising Sales Executive and Debra Holm, Graphic Designer.
MAN ON THE STREET:
What has been your favorite part of the San Clemente Times over the last 10 years? COMPILED BY STAFF
“I like that it’s local and I love the ‘What’s Up With…’ section. That’s my favorite part. I feel like it’s the five most important things that are happening locally today. It’s the items that I’ve probably heard about that gives me the skinny and wraps it up for me. I don’t have to search long to find the local news that applies to me.” Dagmar Foy, seen at Slam Sports
“It’s good to read the articles about the people in San Clemente, what they’re doing and to see what’s up in San Clemente. There’s special information around the town. With the Orange County Sheriff’s Blotter, sometimes it’s good to know the things that are happening around you.” Don Thaitear, seen at Thai Palace
“My favorite part of the paper is the sports section and knowing what the kids are doing, seeing the kids we know and how they’re doing and seeing their pictures in the paper. Another thing I enjoy is seeing how the local businesses are doing.” Joy Mettler, seen at Hanson’s Market
“For me, San Clemente Times covers San Clemente as a community, including events that are geared toward families and helps connect people through community chats and information shared through their weekly paper, while staying objective. There’s a lot of positive energy.” Peggy Vance, seen at Café Calypso during Beachside Chat
“I like how the San Clemente Times announces the events and the things to Go See and Do. I appreciate the Business Beat and the Best of San Clemente awards to see things to check out.” Sarina Mettler, seen at Hanson’s Market
“I like seeing the event listings, especially the San Clemente Fiesta Music Festival.”
“No B.S., and it’s blunt. (San Clemente Times) tells the truth.”
Stephanie Howell, seen at Rainbow Sandals
Steve Westin, seen at Pizza Port
“The San Clemente Times helps me keep abreast of local events and to see what all my friends in town are up to.”
“I really like the surfing section. My grandson, John Dowell, is a surf coach at the high school. I like the Grom of the Week.”
Rich Warrington, seen at Shoot2Score Hockey
Mary Jones, seen at the SC Senior Center
“Just the fact that it keeps everybody up-to-date with everything that’s going on in town. You can always find out the local information and the new stuff going on. I like to look over it and it’s really the only one I read every week.” Dominic Genovese, seen at Sonny’s Pizza & Pasta
In honor of our 10th Anniversary, the San Clemente Times is proud to present...
10 Weeks of Giveaways!
Here’s the scoop… Just send us an email describing why you LOVE the SC Times. We will select a winner each week for 10 weeks! Our first prize package includes: • Gift card from Sonny’s Pizza • Custom “knock-your-socks-off” SC Times Stance socks • Awesome SC Times swag
The SC Times
Send email to: contest@sanclementetimes.com and tell us why you LOVE the SC Times. Include your name and phone number. Winners will be featured each week from 4/7/16-6/9/16. More prize packages to come, including gifts from some of our favorite local businesses:
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SC EYE ON SC
LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING
What’s Up With...
WHAT’S NEXT: CUEA’s voting on the tentative contract will take place at school sites on March 29 and 30. Ballots and sign-in sheets are due to CUEA on March 31, and an email regarding the ratification results will be sent on April 1. For more information on the tentative agreement, visit the district’s website at www.capousd.org or CUEA’s website at www.cuea.org. —Allison Jarrell
Five things San Clemente should know this week
CUSD Board Holds First Reading of New Immunization Policy
Hospital’s Report States 194 Jobs to be Cut THE LATEST: Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in San Clemente will cut 194 total jobs, according to a required filing to the Employment Development Department. MemorialCare officials said 115 of the jobs were full time and the rest were part time or per diem. “We are grateful to the dedicated employees at the San Clemente campus,” said hospital administrator Tony Struthers in a statement to the San Clemente Times on Wednesday. “We are working with our employees to identify job opportunities within the healthcare system at our hospitals and numerous health care facilities, holding job fairs and providing one-on-one assistance.” Struthers said the hospital has been hosting job fairs to assist the employees displaced by the closure. “Our recently held first job fair featured representatives from our sister hospitals and outpatient centers, and our recruiter is expediting interview opportunities with our sister programs, facilities and services,” he said. WHAT’S NEXT: The hospital is expected to close May 31. “We have expanded our human resource hours, our question-and-answer sessions and recruitment assistance,” Struthers said. “Additionally, in April we are offering a number of classes, including those on resumes, interviewing and networking, employee development department informational sessions and benefit sessions.” An OCEMS hearing on the impact evaluation of the closure of the San Clemente hospital is scheduled for 9 a.m. on April 29 at Commission Hearing Room, County of Orange Hall of Administration, 333 West Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana. —Eric Heinz
San Clemente Teacher’s Case Stalls in U.S. Supreme Court THE LATEST: What was supposed to be a landmark decision hinging on a swing vote later this summer in the case of local teacher Rebecca Friedrichs and supportSan Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
Dr. Gus Gialamas (right) speaks to a crowd during a protest of the closure of Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in San Clemente alongside Mayor Bob Baker on March 9 in front of the hospital. Photo: Eric Heinz
ers attempting to abolish compulsory union dues for teachers came to a halt, at least temporarily, in the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Friedrichs, a teacher in Anaheim and a resident of San Clemente, has been fighting to have case law halt states’ ability to require teachers to pay union dues in the Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case that has captivated this year’s legal discussions. That was until Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly in midFebruary. Scalia was supposed to be the swing vote in a case that could have altered the landscape of unions nationwide. Now that the Supreme Court is locked at 4-4, a one-sentence decision was submitted Tuesday. “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court,” the decision stated. WHAT’S NEXT: In a press release published Tuesday, the Center for Individual Rights, representing Friedrichs, stated they intend to file for a rehearing. “…(T)he Court will have a compelling reason to grant a rehearing,” the press release stated. —EH
Capo Unified Reaches Tentative Contract with Educators THE LATEST: The Capistrano Unified School District announced in a press release this week that the district reached a tentative agreement with the Capistrano Unified Education Association on March 22 in an effort to provide students and employees “stability over the next two to three years as California faces economic uncertainty.” The announcement comes after almost seven months of negotiations
over educators’ contracts. The joint press release issued by Superintendent Kirsten Vital and CUEA President Sally White on March 23 states that the tentative agreement, which is for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years, “increases salary schedules by 4 percent effective July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2017.” The tentative agreement also includes a 4 percent one-time payment to be made during the 2015-16 school year. Officials said in the release that since 2013 the district has been reinvesting in classrooms, campuses and facilities, including “replenishing reserves to provide safeguards against future (economic) downturns,” hiring additional staff, implementing “a comprehensive workorder system to build efficiency in district operations” and “investing more than $90 million into facilities around the district for upgrades, refurbishments and expansion.” Per the tentative agreement with CUEA, officials said “students and families will benefit from greater accountability through teacher evaluations tied to student performance and progress.” Teachers will also be required to utilize the district’s Learning Management System for all communications with students, parents and guardians regarding any educational issues, which officials said will facilitate more transparency and consistent communication. The district will also be able to “add college and career counselors with differentiated hours to support students after the regular school day has ended—as late as 9 p.m.” Officials said this change will ensure every student “has an implementable plan for college, military and professional careers when they graduate.” The final objective listed in the contract is to recruit and retain teachers in light of the eminent teacher shortage” throughout California.
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THE LATEST: The Capistrano Unified Board of Trustees participated in a brief yet important discussion Wednesday night as staff presented the first reading of the district’s new immunization requirements for the 2016-2017 school year. In June, Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 277 into law, eliminating personal belief exemptions from immunization in schools statewide. In order to comply with the new law, which goes into effect July 1, staff reported that “the district will no longer be able to enroll students without the required vaccinations, unless the family submits a medical exemption from a licensed physician.” Susan Holliday, assistant superintendent of education services, responded that staff is beginning to pull figures regarding enrollment impact, which will be shared in a future update to the board. WHAT’S NEXT: The first reading of the new policy was a discussion item only, so no action was taken. For more information on the district’s new immunization requirements, visit www.capousd.org and click “Board Meeting Agendas” under the “Board of Trustees” tab. —AJ
San Clemente Man Sentenced to Six Years for Vehicular Homicide THE LATEST: Christopher James Gallo, 45, of San Clemente was sentenced to six years in prison on March 23 for vehicular manslaughter he pleaded guilty to in February. On July 4, 2013, Gallo ran over two people, killing a woman, injuring her husband and also killing their two dogs on Golden Lantern Street in Laguna Niguel. Gallo was suspected to be under the influence, but that did not factor into sentencing, according to Mark Birney, a senior deputy Orange County district attorney. WHAT’S NEXT: Gallo will have to serve the entirety of his six-year sentence, Birney said. —Eric Heinz www.sanclementetimes.com
EYE ON SC
Community Engagement Panel Discusses Environment, Legislation Bills could help move stored nuclear fuel off SONGS site, but interim storage location is needed BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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s the federal legislature works through bills that would allow for interim storage of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station’s spent nuclear fuel, local powers are urging representatives to pass the amendments. Two bills, H.B. 3643 and S.B. 854, would amend the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to allow for interim storage of high levels of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel until the Department of Energy finds a permanent solution for it. The interim storage would have to be approved by permit with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. H.B. 3643 recently was introduced and sent to a House Committee, but it is unknown how far the bill will progress this year. The original plan was for the spent fuel at SONGS to be stored at facilities such as Yucca Mountain, but when that was blocked by Nevada legislators, Southern California Edison, the majority stakeholder in the nuclear plant, had to come up with a temporary solution—one that currently could keep the spent fuel onsite until 2049. During the March 24 Community Engagement Panel meeting in Oceanside, panel members said they have been working to gather local support for the bills, which could remove the fuel off the coastal location by 2022. The CEP was formed as an information liaison between the public and the various interests at SONGS and is not a policymaking body. Last year the San Diego County Board of Supervisors said they wanted the fuel out of the SONGS site. The city of Oceanside has stated its support of removing the stored spent fuel, and the city of San Clemente passed a resolution to support H.B. 3643 earlier this year. David Victor, chairman of the CEP, said he spoke with representatives in Washington, D.C., recently regarding the proposed amendment to allow for interim storage. “There’s a huge amount of activity in the Department of Energy on this topic,” Victor said. “The Department of Energy, the office that is running (newly scheduled) meetings, is now geared up and doing what they can within the limits of federal law to help promote the citing of two or more interim storage facilities.”
San Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
One of Victor’s—as well members of the public’s—main concern is transporting the fuel out of the SONGS area. Doing it by railcar has been one of the most practical, officials said. “The politics on this are shifting a lot, and I think a growing number of folks are starting to realize that if interim storage is presented as a complement to permanent storage facilities, you can do a political deal that will result in new federal law,” Victor said. “There are some open questions as to whether federal law is actually necessary. The idea is to create an echo chamber around … interim storage.” Victor also said facilities in New Mexico and Texas could take the fuel as soon as 2020 to 2022, if the permitting is approved. Some of the spent fuel won’t be ready for transport until beyond that time due to the radioactive lifespan in some of the outdated storage materials. Victor published a memo a couple days before the meeting outlining his visit in Washington, D.C. See a link to the memo in this story at www.sanclementetimes.com.
Public Urges Faster Removal of Spent Nuclear Fuel
During the public comment portion of the meeting, people spoke about trying to store spent nuclear fuel at an interim facility as soon as possible, but without DOE approval or legislation, it can’t be moved anywhere. Gary Headrick of San Clemente Green said he has concerns about being “overly optimistic” regarding what can be done with the spent fuel. He said this process cannot be delayed any longer. “If we end up in a situation where we’re delaying the process inadvertently because of the review process and CEQA and all those reviews, we’re sitting on 80plus storage containers (with) questionable integrity,” Headrick said, referring to the Holtec International storage containers that were approved by the California Coastal Commission for interim storage last year. “If we become the default nuclear storage site, then we’re all at risk because once the cracks appear, we may never be able to move these.” Headrick said he wanted supporters of his point to have their findings be given more credibility from the CEP. San Diego-based attorney Mike Aguirre, who has been in litigation with SCE
San Diego-based attorney Mike Aguirre challenged the limitations and allowable time to speak during the Community Engagement Panel meeting on Thursday, March 24, in Oceanside. During the meeting, he urged Southern California Edison to “take responsibility” for its part in the establishment and decommissioning of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Photo: Eric Heinz
regarding the use of decommissioning funds collected by the utility provider, said it should be SCE that identifies and utilizes a site for permanent storage under the laws of the federal government. “Edison should take responsibility for the nuclear waste that it produced from which it derived billions of dollars of income, like every other business,” Aguirre said. “They should have been required to obtain a license from the NRC and find the site.” The Department of Energy is responsible for the permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel.
Environmental Law of Decommissioning
Linda Anabtawi, the SCE senior attorney for licensing and environmental law, gave a presentation during the meeting regarding the environmental impact reports and permitting required for the complete decommissioning of SONGS. The process is required by law as the structure will be significantly altered on public lands. SCE leases the land from the U.S. Navy as well as the California State Lands Commission. The decommissioning process will have to go through the California Environmental Quality Act and the federal National Environmental Policy Act environmental impact reports. The report from the federal government could take until 2020 or longer to be completed, Anabtawi said. “We are somewhat uniquely situated as we are … subject to California Coastal Commission regulations, and we also don’t own the land on which the plant is located,” Anabtawi said. Part of the decommissioning includes the conduits that took in ocean water for cooling at Units 2 and 3 at SONGS, which extend more than 3,000 feet from the coast
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and will have to be removed. During the environmental impact reports, there will be public comment opportunities through letters and public scope meetings that will be announced once the processes start. “What we’ll be looking at during the EIR process is alternatives,” said Cy Oggins, the State Lands chief of environmental planning and management. “In possibly fall of 2017, the commission will review it.” If the EIR isn’t certified, the State Lands Commission will have to “go back to the drawing board,” Oggins said. SC
Upcoming For more information about Community Engagement Panel meetings, visit www.songscommunity.com. The Department of Energy will host a consent-based siting public meeting on April 26 in Sacramento on Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza. Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy John Kotek will give a presentation during the meeting. For more information, visit www.energy.gov. A workshop on the Wheeler North Reef off the coast of San Clemente will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, April 4, at the Samueli Conference Center, located at the Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. The reef is part of a mitigation agreement between the stakeholders of SONGS and the California Coastal Commission.
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EYE ON SC
NEWS BITES COMPILED BY ERIC HEINZ
Our Savior’s Lutheran Students to Compete in National History Day Two students from Our Savior’s Lutheran School in San Clemente, Dillon Johnson and Magnus Oxford, will compete at the California State History Day in May. Both students will display their work in front of a group of judges. National History Day is a multimonth-long project in which upper-elementary through high school students complete a project based on a historical topic of their interest. For more information regarding the competition, contact 949.492.6165 to reach school principal Roberta Wall or fifthgrade teacher Pam Klevit.
Host Families Sought for Exchange Students AFS-USA Intercultural Programs exchange students from all over the world are coming to the United States to study in high schools and live with host families. AFS
SC Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BY ERIC HEINZ
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, March 28 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida Victoria, 600 Block (3:16 p.m.) Police were called to reports of two men, both with significant facial hair, taking pictures of the area. WELFARE CHECK North El Camino Real/Avenida Pico (11:59 a.m.) Police were called near a car wash where a caller said a small girl was sleeping under blankets on the sidewalk and surrounded by bags. No other adult was in the area and the caller did not talk to the girl. SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES El Camino Real, 300 Block (6:21 a.m.) An employee called 911 because a man described as transient was talking to himself while sitting in one of the booths.
Sunday. March 27 DISTURBANCE Camino De Los Mares, 600 Block (8:15 p.m.) No crime was commitSan Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
host families learn about other cultures across the globe with every student exchange. Students coming to Orange County for the 2016-2017 school year will begin arriving in August. There are open slots for any families looking to host these students. If you would like to host one of these students, visit www.afsusa.org/host-family. To learn about some of the available students, visit the “Meet the Students” link on the website. More students are being added every week, so check back if you don’t find a student that would be right for your family.
City of San Clemente 2016 Weed Abatement Program Every spring the city of San Clemente reminds owners of undeveloped and vacant lots that they have a responsibility to remove weeds and debris for fire prevention purposes. With dry weather, the potential for fire is exacerbated. Once property has been abated to a height no higher than 1 inch from the ground, the city requires it to be maintained throughout the year. Properties with existing native habitat should be thinned by 50 percent, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. The city deadline for the removal of weeds and
ted, other than a person “not being nice to hospital staff.” DISTURBANCE Calle Puente, 1100 Block (5:54 p.m.) Police were called to reports of people throwing eggs and baking flour. VANDALISM IN PROGRESS Avenida Merida/ Via Onda (11:36 a.m.) Two juveniles, ages estimated to be between 12 and 13 years old, threw a rock at the caller’s windshield and broke it. The two minors ran into the houses behind the Walmart. PEDESTRIAN CHECK Plaza Pacifica/Avenida Pico (11:32 a.m.) A caller said a woman and her infant daughter were asking for money at 959 Avenida Pico. The blotter said the “same subject has been warned multiple times.”
refuse is May 15. For more information, call Stewart and Associates, the city of San Clemente’s Weed Abatement contract administrator, at 949.498.9250.
San Onofre Foundation College Scholarship Applications Due April 18 The San Onofre Foundation will award one or more $1,000 scholarships to 2016 graduating San Clemente High School seniors attending an accredited two- or fouryear college or university in the fall. Application deadline is April 18. The winner(s) will be honored during the Senior Awards Ceremony at SCHS on May 24. The San Onofre Foundation offers financial aid to college-bound students who demonstrate interest in environmental studies and issues relevant to the preservation and protection of our State Parks, their natural and cultural resources and the mission of the San Onofre Foundation. To download the scholarship application, visit www.sanofoundation.org. Have something interesting for the community? Send your information to editorial@sanclementetimes.com.
and later released. DISTURBANCE Avenida Pelayo, 200 Block (8:38 p.m.) People were yelling at each other in the street, again. CITIZEN ASSIST 0 Block, Calle Galleria (3:31 p.m.) A caller reported receiving a package filled with marijuana. DISTURBANCE-GANG Calle Campana, 600 Block (3:12 p.m.) Gang members were reportedly running around and causing a scene, possibly tagging the garage walls. SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES South El Camino Real/Avenida San Gabriel (2:57 p.m.) A man near the 7-Eleven was last seen yelling at patrons at Pedro’s Tacos.
CITIZEN ASSIST Puerta Del Sol, 1200 Block (11:27 a.m.) A caller said someone on Craigslist was targeting “all the clients” by trying to sell them heroin. DISTURBANCE Camino Vera Cruz/Avenida Pico (11:19 a.m.) Police were called to two young men, ages estimated 12 years old, throwing water balloons at passing vehicles on the west side of Vera Cruz by the gas station.
DISTURBANCE Via Pico Plaza, 100 Block (1:40 p.m.) A male transient was in the lobby screaming. The caller said he was possibly under the influence of a controlled substance. DISTURBANCE Alameda Lane, 100 Block (12:23 p.m.) A 36-year-old man, with an occupation listed as a mechanic, was arrested on suspicion of burglary. The man is currently in custody at the Central Men’s Jail on $50,000 bail.
Saturday, March 26 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Del Presidente, 3200 Block (11:14 p.m.) A man approached the caller and said he was being followed. In the incident, an unemployed 22-year-old man was arrested
Friday, March 25 WELFARE CHECK Marquita, 100 Block (12:03 p.m.) “Screams and screeching” were heard coming from houses toward the beach.
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Community Meetings FRIDAY, APRIL 1
Blood Drive
10 a.m.-4 p.m. The American Red Cross blood mobile will be in the parking lot of 2651 Calle Frontera. All participants will receive two tickets to the Grammy Museum. For more information call 949.940.2600. www.redcrossblood.org. SUNDAY, APRIL 3
San Clemente Farmers Market
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Bundles of flowers, fresh produce and much more every Sunday. Avenida Del Mar. TUESDAY, APRIL 5
San Clemente City Council Meeting
6 p.m. The city of San Clemente City Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting at City Hall, 100 Avenida Presidio, 949.361.8200, www.san-clemente.org.
San Clemente Toastmasters
7 p.m. The club meets every Tuesday, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. for social and networking time. San Clemente Baha’i Center, 3316 Avenida Del Presidente, San Clemente, 805.794.0653, www.sanclementetoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org.
Because I Love You (BILY) Meeting
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Every Tuesday. The meeting helps parents work with their children who have developed poor behavioral habits. 119 Avenida De La Estrella, www.bilysc.org.
Sunrise Rotary
7:15 a.m. San Clemente Sunrise Rotary meets every Tuesday at Talega Golf Course Signature Grille. 990 Avenida Talega, www.scsunriserotary.com. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6
San Clemente Rotary
Noon. The San Clemente Rotary meets at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course Wedgewood Restaurant. 150 E. Avenida Magdalena, 949.233.7981, www.sanclementerotary.org.
San Clemente Planning Commission Meeting
6 p.m. The city of San Clemente Planning Commission will hold its regularly scheduled meeting at City Hall, 100 Avenida Presidio, 949.361.8200, www.san-clemente.org. www.sanclementetimes.com
EYE ON SC
San Clemente Resident’s Son Survives Belgium Terrorist Attacks Q&A with San Clemente resident Jean Bellin on his son, Sébastien, after attacks at Brussels Airport BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
J
ean Bellin of San Clemente was anxious and distraught when he saw the photo of his son, Sébastien, lying on the floor of a terminal in BrusselsZaventem Airport on Tuesday, March 22 in Belgium. The photo was released on Twitter hours after the attack. Jean wasn’t able to contact his son for hours after the attack. When finally reached him at a hospital in Brussels, he said he was immensely relieved when he heard his voice. The terrorist attack has sent rippling effects across the globe. According to Belgian officials at a press conference on Wednesday, at least 34 people have died and many more were injured. Since the attacks, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attacks, according to the Associated Press. At least two suspected terrorists set off explosives in the main terminal of the airport and others are suspected of plotting with them, according to mainstream reports. Sébastien is a former professional basketball player who played on European teams and was at the airport on his way back home to Michigan after a business trip. Sébastien works for a start-up company that helps streamline the creation of indoor sports. Jean has lived in San Clemente since 2006. He was the president of Metagenics, nutritional supplement company, that was based in town. Jean met with the San Clemente Times on Friday, March 25, to talk about the aftermath of the attack and to give an update on the condition of his son. During the interview, Sébastien was in the middle of surgery for severe injuries on his hip and leg at a Belgium hospital. San Clemente Times: How is Sébastien doing? Jean: “He had really severe injuries, and I think it was a succession of injuries that may have saved his life. When it first happened, the first bomb went off and he started hearing all the screaming and (saw) the people running away. And he started running away, too. At that time, one of the terrorists shot him in the buttocks and he fell down on the floor. Because of that, during the second blast, all of the debris flew over him but one of the bomb fragments cut through his leg and separated his tibia from the knee. He had fragments in his upper leg. So today (March 25) they were fixing his hip and the femur and the wound in the back. But the left leg will be a much longer rehabilitation. He’ll have to have a skin and muscle graft between the muscles. How do you think he got out of there alive?
San Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
Jean Bellin, a San Clemente resident since 2006, holds up a photo of his son, Sébastien, who was injured in the terrorist attacks in Belgium on Tuesday, March 22. Jean met with the San Clemente Times to talk about his son’s condition and the aftermath of the attack on Friday, March 25 at Antoine’s Cafe in San Clemente. Photo: Eric Heinz
“
It’s unfortunate that we have people who are pushing for (violence) because they profit from arms (sales). It’s not about Muslims versus others; it’s more of who benefits from throwing people against each other. — Jean Bellin
”
It seems like they (the suspected terrorists) hit this with all they had. Well, that’s a good question. He was lying on the floor, bleeding profusely. That picture of him lying down has gone worldwide. He was there probably about an hour and then people started helping. One guy transported him to the front of the airport, and he was taken by the ambulances. Did he contact you immediately after the attack? No, what happened was one of the major Belgian newspapers had reporters there immediately and they had reporters taking pictures. Immediately, our friends (after seeing photos online) in Belgium said, ‘Oh my God. Is that Sébastien?’ His wife was a teacher at an international school in France. Many of her colleagues sent her the picture at about 7 a.m. Michigan time. And she completely lost it when she saw the picture and called us right away. And we both completely lost it. After that, his wife, Sara, was without any news. I started calling everyone in Belgium. The crisis
center, they didn’t have any information on him yet. So many people were flooding the crisis center because they had to help so many people. Finally, through a friend, I got the number to the hospital and I got in touch with him directly and got in touch with the head nurse … and immediately the nurse gave the phone to him. When we both heard each other, we both lost it, of course. It was a very emotional time. Right after that what he said was, ‘Dad, what I saw around me … people dying, kids crying and hurt.’ Sébastien had lost a lot of blood. What happened after he was hit by the attack? There was an African man who helped bring Sébastien behind a column. And I’ve been looking for him to try to find him. Thank goodness, because of that he wasn’t crushed by the ceiling. (The ceiling panes began to fall shortly after the explosions). I found the guy yesterday and contacted a few people, and I just now got a confirmation that it is the guy. It is him. And I’m
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going to meet with him next week. I’m so grateful for this guy. He is a baggage handler at the airport in Brussels. Instead of leaving, he went back and tried to find people and put together some sort of restraint to stop the blood flow. I think if maybe 10 minutes more, I don’t think (Sébastien) would have made it. What was going through your mind when you received the news? What’s hard is you see your family member, your oldest son … what I did is after I collected myself I looked at the picture and could see he was perfectly conscious. He was in pain but OK. He was trying to reach his knee. So I thought, OK, he’s alive. And that’s when I became driven to find him.” How has this experience shaped your life so far or changed your perspective on the world? I don’t know that it’s changed my perspective, but definitely in this period of time, what we have done as a family is just focused on him (Sébastien) and what we www.sanclementetimes.com
EYE ON SC can do and plan. Obviously, I want to give his wife the priority to see him and she is traveling today to be with him. I’m going to take my other kids and my wife to see him next week and have a family reunion at the hospital. That’s the focus. The rest, how does it shape my life? I raised my kids on my own, I have three sons, so we’re a very tight unit. It’s probably made us even tighter and it’s what we got, family. And I think about his family and his wife and his three kids. I can’t tell you how much time we’ve spent on the phone. So, I don’t know if it’s changed my perspective on life. I don’t know if I see the world any differently. It’s unfortunate that we have people who are pushing for (violence) because they profit from arms (sales). It’s not about Muslims versus others; it’s more of who benefits from throwing people against each other. It’s all the arms manufacturers. The Kalashnikov (assault riffle) that was found at the airport was sold by a Western arms dealer. That’s what makes this world even more crazy. How could we as a nation in the U.S. allow for no control over guns? And the other aspect is this incredible rhetoric from Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, everyone of them, who are supported by this (cheering) with all these voters who are (saying) ‘Yeah, we’ve got to kill them all. We’ve got to kill the Muslims, expel them, prevent them from entering. We’ve got to carpet bomb Iraq.’ What are you talking about? Do you think that’s going to solve the problem? It’s going to make it worse, worse for our kids and our grand kids. But that was my position before all this happened. I don’t understand the extremism here. The more you have extremism here, the more you have extremism there. This is 2016. How would intelligent people support this? We need intelligent policies and we can’t treat the minorities like that, and on top of that we’ve got to give people a voice to speak up. That’s the only way
the world is going to quiet down a bit and people will be able to come together. What has Sébastien been saying to you over the phone since he started his recovery? He’s been saying, ‘OK, I’m going to get back out there. I’m going to make it. The main thing for me is that my daughters will grow up with a father and I want to be there.’ He and I have been working on a few projects as well, so he’s been focusing on that. Our family is one of the lucky ones for sure. Do we know how long his recovery is going to take? Well, the buttocks will be a matter of a few weeks. But for the lower leg, my guess it’s a year. Is there anything you’d like to add about this experience, something people might find useful or interesting? We are so grateful for the love and support from people from all over the world and, of course, from people in Brazil, where we lived for eight years. My former colleagues and friends in Brazil, and around the U.S., I had people who I hadn’t heard from in 30 years. So, I’m very grateful because that has given more strength to everyone in the family. I’m constantly thinking that we are lucky, but what about the other families and what they’re going through? You can’t help but feel completely together with the other families. That’s what’s going through my mind all the time. I mean, I’m doing things and I’m focusing on other things, but in your mind you’re just processing all of it. You feel that we’re all in this together. That’s what I hope, that this event will bring people together instead of separating and I’m so baffled at the push of the Right and the Far Right to further separate people. I don’t understand that. It doesn’t help.” SC
Jean Bellin holds up a photo of Sébastien Bellin from when he was a professional basketball player. Sébastien injured in the terrorist attacks in Belgium on Tuesday, March 22, while on a business trip. Photo: Eric Heinz
San Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
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SC SOAPBOX San Clemente
VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS
GUEST OPINION: Lew’s Views by Lew Avera
Performing Arts, the Search for a Venue Revisited
M
onths ago I wrote about performing arts in San Clemente, the many events in town and the community desirability for a performing arts center. My Views covered drama, music, orchestra and dancing, realizing that we have the Cabrillo Theater for drama and a very accomplished high school orchestra program. What has brought this back to life was a recent Opera Night performance at Casa Romantica by the South Orange County School of the Arts (SOCSA). Located at Dana Hills High School, the SOCSA opera program consists of some 40 high school students drawn from several high schools in Orange County and Oceanside, including several from San Clemente High School. Many of these students have performed nationally and have national reputations to their credit. This is an indication of how accomplished they are. They performed 30 operatic pieces from Mozart, Purcell, Handel, Britten, Bernstein, Puccini and Verdi, to name a few. The artistic director is Ray Woods, who lives in San Juan Capistrano, and, very notably, the Opera Night director is Linda Rose Linnebach, a resident of San Clemente and 1977 graduate of SCHS. Linda has performed opera all over the world and
brings her experience, enthusiasm and leadership to our young people. Jeremy Wiggins, San Clemente High School Choir director, also works in vocal leadership of this group. LEW’S VIEWS There was a wait list By Lew Avera for the performance, with more than 100 attendees. Our own Ruth DeNault commented, “It was a stunning performance. I am so impressed by the talent and determination of our young people.” Berenika Schmitz, Casa Romantica executive director, said, “I loved the performance. I believe it is so important to support the efforts of our young people.” Of course our own San Clemente High School has a nationally recognized dance program and superlative orchestra and choral programs. There are also a number of local private dance studios/schools. Many of our churches have accomplished choral programs devoted primarily to their church activities. One other significant and accomplished local music program is the San Clemente Choral Society (SCCS), which consists of some 50 men and women voices. Founded 12 years ago, SCCS performs two concerts a year, one in the spring and one at
Christmas. Open to all and always seeking new members, SCCS’s next concert is one month away at 4 p.m. on April 30 at the San Clemente Presbyterian Church with vocal music from the “World of Dance.” Tickets are available online. Finally, on the subject of performance venues, each of the above performs in different places, none of which are truly “performance” venues. The closest was one of SOCSA’s at Soka University in Aliso Viejo. As in previous Views, I have alluded to having such an ideal venue right here in San Clemente. The Miramar Theater would be the perfect venue, if the investment was made to rehabilitate it. If this could happen, not only would we be recognized for our programs, but also as a truly authentic location for world-class performing arts, the premier location in all of South Orange County. Lew Avera is a retired career officer, Lt. Col., U.S. Marine Corps. He has been a director of the Talega HOA since 2003 and served on the San Clemente Planning Commission from 2005 to 2013. SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com.
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Letters to the Editor CITY CONTINUES TO ENFORCE ‘DISCRIMINATORY’ LAWS GEORGE GREGORY, San Clemente
Our city continues to selectively enforce discriminating laws like what you can and cannot carry on or in a pickup truck (America’s bestselling car), like a ladder, because ascetic sensitivities are more important than our civil liberties or needs. Meanwhile, those rights are reserved for giant corporations’ pickup trucks. Is this the America our fighting men and women fought for or shall we street sweep this discrimination under the rug also?
RESEARCH SHOWS FREEWAY SIGNS ARE A BLIGHT JIM SMITH, San Clemente
Melinda Stone claimed that freeway signs are not a blight, but an Internet search shows hundreds of cities getting rid of them because they are. Then she stated (in the March 24-30 edition of San San Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
Clemente Times) many San Clemente residents are working overtime to pay their water bill. Is she one of them? If not, could she please cite some examples? Steve Swartz stated the City Council lacks diversity because a majority live in one part of town. He provides no evidence for how residents are harmed by where some councilmembers live. By his definition, the council also lacks diversity because a majority are men. His fuzzy logic would get an F in a critical thinking class.
DECOMMISSIONING SAN ONOFRE ON THE CHEAP PUTS US ALL AT RISK GARY HEADRICK, San Clemente
Edison’s Community Engagement Panel met last Thursday, March 24, in Oceanside to update the public on plans to decommission the nuclear power plant at San Onofre. If it were not for the fact that Edison has already proven itself to be more concerned with profit than public safety, the average citizen would have been reassured that there was nothing to be concerned about. Unfortunately, Edison has a history that must be remembered. It was 2010 when San Clemente Green was contacted by concerned nuclear operators who were
afraid of retaliation from management for making safety concerns known. This was only one of the many factors earning them by far the worst safety record, with 20 times more violations than the second worst in the nation. We were warned in advance about the faulty replacement steam generators that resulted in leaking radiation into the environment in 2012. Edison knowingly put us all at risk, ignoring their own expert’s warnings. Their risky decision resulted in a very expensive premature shutdown. Currently, Edison is under investigation for a backroom deal leaving ratepayers with most of the $4 billion gamble they lost. Now they find themselves between a rock and a wet place: the Pacific Ocean. With nowhere to take radioactive waste, which amounts to 89 times more than was released in the Chernobyl accident, Edison has come up with a risky and experimental solution. Their current plan is to bury the waste in the sandstone bluffs, 100 feet from the waves and only inches above the water table, using containers that were only designed for temporary storage. Rather than spend more money on cast iron canisters that are 20 inches thick, like those used in Europe, they have selected (Cont. on page 18)
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OPERATIONS
City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Allison Jarrell Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale Special Projects Editor > Andrea Papagianis
Business Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller Jonathan Volzke
ART/DESIGN Art Director > Jasmine Smith ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes
Finance Director > Mike Reed
CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco Melissa Calvano Debra Holm Cameron Sadeghi Tim Trent
San Clemente Times, Vol. 11, Issue 13. The SC Times (www. sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the DP Times (www.danapointtimes. com) and The Capistrano tDispatch (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 2016. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
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SOAPBOX
The HI-STORM UMAX cask model by Holtec International, used to store dry spent nuclear fuel, has been criticized in public meetings as being susceptible to cracking after years of storage. Holtec and Southern California Edison were awarded a permit by the California Coastal Commission to store spent nuclear fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station site last year. Photo: Published by Holtec International
(Cont. from page 16) half-inch thick stainless steel containers known to have cracking issues in as few as 17 years. Some of these containers have already been in service for 10 years. Even with Edison’s overly optimistic projections for when the waste will actually be moved off site, they could leave us with leaking canisters that cannot be transported, even to a temporary storage site. We all agree that getting this deadly waste out of here ASAP is the top priority, but demanding better storage containers will buy us the time we need to safely store the waste here longer, if needed. Not doing so allows Edison to put our property values and health at risk once again. Steven Patrick Dunn, who is currently a senior vice president at City National Bank and was previously the Chief of Global Research at CBRE recently stated, “All residential real estate from Newport Beach to La Jolla could lose 90 to 100 percent of value, and in an instant billions (of dollars) in mortgage loans become worthless, if there was radiation leaking from San Onofre.” Please join us in calling for the best storage system available. Write to gary@ sanclementegreen.org to be added to the list of concerned citizens. You can find well-documented support for our claims at www.sanonofresafety.org.
ARE SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR WASTE CANISTERS CRACKING? DONNA GILMORE, San Clemente
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station’s 51 nuclear waste canisters may be cracking. They cannot be inspected, repaired or maintained and have no early warning prior to a radiation release. Each canister contains about as much Cesium-137 as released from Chernobyl. Waste can explode if exposed to air. Radiation will go wherever the wind blows. Southern California Edison has no plans in place to stop this. They plan more thin-walled (five-eighths-inch) canisters. A 2015 Sandia National Laboratories report Page 18
Join the San Clemente Times for Beachside Chat, Friday, April 1 at 8 a.m. at Café Calypso This week’s guest will be Wally Emory, chapter president of the San Clemente Elks Lodge. He will talk about the Elks Logde recent surge of new members and what the club is planning for the future. Beachside Chat is a spirited, town hall forum on community issues, hosted by SC Times editor Eric Heinz every Friday at Café Calypso, 114 Avenida Del Mar. All are welcome. states once started, cracks can penetrate the canister wall in less than five years. San Onofre canister loading began in 2003. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Mark Lombard said canisters cannot be inspected. Holtec’s canister vendor said they cannot be repaired. Southern California Edison’s Coastal Permit required Special Conditions: canisters must be inspected, repaired, maintained, monitored and transportable—but only after 20 years! Communities must demand the Coastal Commission revoke SCE Permit 9-15-0162 until Special Conditions are met. SCE can meet these with thick-walled (10 inches or more) metal casks used in most of the world. To transport, canisters need up to 45 years cooling and cannot have cracks. Canisters may start exploding before moved. And what community wants cracking nuclear waste canisters?
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@sanclementetimes. com. San Clemente Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers. Please limit your letters to 350 words.
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SC GETTING OUT San Clemente
YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER
The List
At the Movies: Dawn of Justice and Backlash
EDITOR’S PICK
What’s going on in and around town this week
COMPILED BY STAFF
Thursday | 31 THE TASTE OF DANA 6 p.m.–9 p.m. The Dana Hills High School 2016 Grad Nite Committee presents the 20th annual event with food from more than 20 local restaurants, live entertainment, raffles, prizes and a silent auction. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door and include unlimited tastes. Funds raised go toward the production of a safe and sober graduation night celebration for the class of 2016. Dana Hills High School, 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, www.tasteofdana.com. LOS MYSTERIOSOS 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 | 01 “PROOF,” BY DAVID AUBURN 7 p.m. The Arts Project of Orange County’s Theatre Department presents “Proof” by David Auburn Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2, at 1317 Calle Avanzado, San Clemente. The play is directed by Emily Patterson, TAPOC’s Theatre Director. “Proof” was the winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play. Tickets are $15 at the door. Student, military and senior discounts available. 1317 Calle Avanzado, San Clemente, 949.276.2787, to www.theartsprojectoc.com.
Saturday | 02 SCIENCE OF COLOR 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Oil painting lessons with Stacy Kamin. Cost is $220. Saturday and Sunday, April 2 and 3. See the monthly four-part series for a discount. 1531 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.369.6603, www.scartsupply.com. SUBLIME/MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE BAND 9:30 p.m. Live music at OC Tavern. 21 and over. General admission is $7. 2369 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.542.8877, www.octavern.com.
Sunday | 03 VILLAGE ART FAIRE 9 a.m. The Village Art Faire is held on the San Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
Photo: Courtesy
SATURDAY, APRIL 2: FIRST ANNUAL GROHENY FESTIVAL 9 a.m.–6 p.m. The Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association will host an educational and eco-friendly event, featuring horticulture and music. The event is free and will feature educational workshops, games, prizes, cooking demonstrations and gardening. Local vendors will be in attendance. Doheny State Beach, 949.680.9909, www.groheny.com. first Sunday of every month and is put on by the Downtown Business Association. More than 60 vendors will have art, crafts and other items. Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.218.5378, www.villagesanclemente.org.
Church. 1050 Calle Negocio, 949.388.0114, www.communityoutreachalliance.com.
HALF-PRICE SUNDAY BOOK SALE 9 a.m.–1 p.m. The Friends of San Clemente Library will host a half-price book sale. The sale will feature a selection of classics, beautiful art, travel books, cookbooks and more. 242 Avenida Del Mar, 949.276.6342, www.sanclementefotl.org.
SC GARDEN CLUB MEETING 1 p.m. Tiffany Jones will show how to create and maintain a keyhole garden. Jones and her husband Michael have utilized this process to improve their gardens in a dry climate. The SCGC meeting and presentation are free and open to the public. The group’s business meeting starts at 1 p.m., followed by a refreshment break. Jones’ presentation begins at 2 p.m. at St. Andrews By the Sea United Methodist Church, 2001 Calle Frontera, San Clemente, 949.374.4944, www.sanclementegardenclub.com.
Monday | 04 MUMMIES OF THE WORLD EXHIBIT 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Mummies of the World: The Exhibition includes more than 150 artifacts and real human and animal mummies from across the globe. The exhibit runs through Sept. 5. More information about the exhibit can be found at www.mummiesoftheworld.com. Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, 714.567.3600, www.bowers.org. TODDLERTIME AT SAN CLEMENTE LIBRARY 10:30 a.m.–11 a.m. Toddlertime runs on Mondays for children ages 2 to 3 with parent participation. Toddlertime includes stories and activities to help coordination and recognition of colors, shapes, numbers, etc. San Clemente Library, 242 Avenida Del Mar, 949.492.3493, www.ocpl.org/libloc/sc/.
Wednesday | 06
FREE COMEDY AT MOLLY BLOOM’S 9:30 p.m. Every Wednesday, free comedy at Molly Bloom’s, with food and drink specials. There will be local and professional talent. 2391 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.218.0120, www.mollybloomspub.com.
UPCOMING: THURSDAY, APRIL 14 ‘THE ADDAMS FAMILY’ AT SCHS 7:30 p.m. The San Clemente High School Drama Department will perform a version of the Addams Family. Performances run April 14 to 16 and 21 to 23. Tickets are on sale now, between $10 and $15. 700 Avenida Pico, 949.492.4165, www.schsdrama.com.
Tuesday | 05
For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.sanclementetimes.com. Have an event? Send your listing to events@sanclementetimes.com
YOGA WITH MAIZIE 5:30 p.m. Community Outreach Alliance hosts a free yoga session at Talega Life Page 20
Photo: Clay Enos/ TM & © DC Comics
BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
F
or years people have contemplated when the fad of two to three superhero movies released yearly will become tiring and passé. Now, with the first Hollywood movie to feature mega superheroes Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) together, an unexpected controversy and a war of its own has grown. Last Easter weekend Warner Bros.’ Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was greeted with scathing reviews three days before release and an online feud between DC fans and Marvel fans. In a whopping two-and-a-half-hour runtime, we get Superman/Clark Kent coming face to face with Batman/ Bruce Wayne and Wonder Woman/ Diana Prince. There’s also hyperactive, psychotic Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), damsels in distress Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and Ma Kent (Diane Lane), and a lot of lengthy dream sequences and heavy-handed religious analogies aimed at Superman. Zack Snyder’s latest comic book film is disjointed, badly written, badly acted and stuffed with too much content in an already long feature. There is hardly anything that works here, and what does is over fairly quickly (such as a cameo by Ezra Miller as The Flash). Batman is a hypocrite, Superman is shockingly unlikable and Wonder Woman is practically pointless—all this on top of Eisenberg’s Luthor, the most out of character. Snyder isn’t familiar with the concept of subtlety or apparently the source of the universes to which he is adapting. Are people finally beginning to grow tired of superhero movies? It’s hard to say, but I can say that 10 Cloverfield Lane and Midnight Special are the best movies in theaters right now. SC www.sanclementetimes.com
SC SC LIVING San Clemente
PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY
RoboChops
Business Beat News from San Clemente’s business community
Las Palmas robotics team headed to world championships in April
COMPILED BY ERIC HEINZ
New Business, New Ownership
Estella Olivares, a fifth-grader at Las Palmas Elementary (left), and the VEX World Robotics team practice maneuvering a robot they will take to Louisville, Kentucky for the VEX World Championships for scholastic robotics competition in April. Photo: Eric Heinz BY EVAN DA SILVA, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
A
group of handy fourth- and fifthgraders from Las Palmas Elementary School will head to Louisville, Kentucky, in April to participate in the VEX World Championships, a competition that brings together top school robotics teams from around the world to celebrate and showcase their skills. The event, which runs from April 20 to 23, will host more than 1,000 teams, with participants from middle school to college being represented. “I’m excited to see the other robots and how they work and see if we can improve ours,” said fourth-grader Josiah Armstrong. “I’m also really excited to see the Kentucky Fried Chicken museum.” Formed four years ago as a pilot program from event coordinators, VEX Robotics, the Las Palmas Elementary School robotics team, allows students to build a robot, program it to work autonomously, create a design notebook to log all modifications made to their robot over time and to produce a STEM project in which students research any science, technology, engineering or mathematics topic. “The team this year is made up of 15 students,” said Paola Paz Soldan, a Las Palmas teacher and head of the robotics team. “All students have a job, whether it’s to drive, to program the robot, fix the roSan Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
bot like a mechanic or to present in front of a panel of judges. One of our judges this year at a competition was an engineer of the Mars rover.” The students, who have been working on their robot for the competition since late January, are in the process of finalizing their design. Their focus for this year’s competition is to create robotic hands to explore how robotics can improve the quality of life for humans. At the world championships, the team’s robot will be graded on how well it can pick up, store and transfer balls in addition to driving up and parking on a ramp. Each action completed has varying value. “There’s a mathematical component to this as well,” Paz Soldan said. “The kids also have to understand priority. Should I try and get five balls in for a point each or try to park the robot (in a specific location) for 10 points with only three seconds left? It’s a huge team effort.” Fundraising for the team is underway for the $850 robot entry fee and travel costs for each person ($600–$700 each). A GoFundMe page has been set up with a goal of $10,000, which would allow every student and a few family members to travel to the competition. To make a donation and for more information on the team, visit www.gofundme.com/fcunqpvj. SC
LUXE TRAVEL CLUB 949.228.2214 bstclair@luxetm.com As a way to provide families with allinclusive vacation options, Luxe Travel Club will host an informational event at 6:30 p.m. on April 21 at the San Clemente Florist and Gifts, at 168 Avenida Del Mar. “Luxe Travel is able to provide amenities, great rates and the affordable pricing on travel products all around the world,” said Bill St. Clair, director of Luxe Travel Club. “Our vision is to bring interesting vendors and experts from vacation destinations here to San Clemente to educate and enlighten the local community.” Some of the big markets that Luxe is looking at are European river cruises, which St. Clair said helps vacationers unpack one time and their accommodations are always with them. “There are a lot of different players out there, and what Luxe does is kind of sift through all the noise and really hones in on the best value,” Craig Carter, president of Luxe Travel Club, said. “It might not be the least expensive, depending on the season, but you’ll get the best quality.” There is no cost to join the club, and people who join will receive invitations to presentations on vacations. The representatives said for each booking a portion of the revenue will be donated to local San Clemente youth athletic programs. “The product that we’ll be presenting on the 21st is about all-inclusive packages,” St. Clair said. Representatives from Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours will be at the April 21
Luxe Travel Club and Florist: (L to R): Bill St. Clair, director of Luxe Travel Club; Christina and Stuart Proctor, owners of San Clemente Florist and Gifts; and Craig Carter, president of Luxe Travel Club. Photo: Eric Heinz
event to promote the first idea of the packages, but Luxe representatives said they hope to expand into other adventurous vacations for families, such as safaris. “We’ll meet with the families and find the best fit for them,” St. Clair said. “It could take a good week, going back and forth presenting the vacation.” The idea is to be able to get everyone in the family, from grandparents to newborns, to have a great experience on the vacation, the representatives said. “We’re trying to create a unique experience and a memory for families to pass on to generations forever,” Craig said. San Clemente Florist and Gifts Christina Proctor and her husband, Stewart, recently purchased San Clemente Florist and Gifts and are working in tandem with Luxe Travel Club get off the ground in San Clemente. The business will host a grand re-opening ribbon cutting from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on April 22. The Proctors relocated to the United States from Scotland 17 years ago. Stuart is the coach of the San Clemente High School rugby team. The floral shop has a gift boutique in the front and a floral arrangement studio in the back. “Both parts of the business have been given a facelift since we took over in late November,” Stuart said. He said by hosting the Luxe event, he hopes to create a bit of good “business synergy” in San Clemente. SC
Sudoku
BY MYLES MELLOR Last week’s solution:
Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium
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See today’s solution in next week’s issue.
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SC SPORTS & OUTDOORS San Clemente
STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE
Triton Report BY STEVE BREAZEALE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
For in-game updates, scores, news and more for all of the San Clemente High School spring sport programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports.
Dunne Dazzles at APU/ Arroyo Invitational As he rounded the final turn of the one-mile race at the Azusa Pacific/Arroyo Meet of Champions on March 26, San Clemente’s Connor Dunne knew he had an extra gear he could tap into. Ahead of Dunne was Austin Tamagno of Brea Olinda, the defending state champion in the 1,600-meter, and Madera South’s Eduardo Herrera, two standouts that were closing in on taking the title at the most talent-laden one-mile race in the country. But Dunne had other plans. Dunne came on strong down the stretch, passing both Tamagno and Herrera on the outside to cross the finish line in 4:04.59. Dunne’s one-mile time is now the fastest time in the nation. Dunne’s time in the 1600-meter split, which is just short of one mile, was 4:03.13, another top mark in the nation.
San Clemente senior Connor Dunne set a national-best time of 4:04.59 in the one-mile at the APU/Arroyo Meet of Champions on March 26. Photo: Steve Breazeale
Dunne crushed his previous personal best in both events by seven seconds. “I stuck in there throughout the race, it was tough. With 200 meters to go, last turn, I figured I was in a good spot so I might as well give it everything I had,” Dunne said. “I knew if I could just stay tough through three laps and make it to the last lap, I’d have a good shot at coming out strong.” Dunne’s time in the one-mile race is the eighth-fastest time recorded by a high school athlete in United States history,
according to San Clemente High School athletic director John Hamro. Dunne entered the race as the leader in the 1,600-meter run. The senior posted a national-best time of 4:10.72 in the event at the OC Classic meet on March 11. Having already posted such a stellar time early in the season, Dunne said he was not anticipating that big of a drop off in his time at the APU/Arroyo meet. Dunne said the caliber of runners he was competing against set the tone for the race, which started off fast and ended at a torrid pace. The top-11 runners in the one-mile race on March 26 all ran sub-4:10 times. Dunne is hoping to use the event as a springboard for the rest of the 2016 track and field season. He will compete in the 800-meter race at the Stanford Invitational April 2 and run the one mile at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational April 8-9.
Tritons Volleyball Doesn’t Quit in Win Over Dolphins
San Clemente senior Aaron Strange (28) hits against Dana Hills’ Nathan Simpson (21) and Trevor Weinert (14) during a South Coast League game on March 29. Photo: Monica Merrill
San Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
After battling back and forth with one another for the better part of two hours on March 29, the San Clemente and Dana Hills boys volleyball teams saved their best exchanges of the night for the final three match-deciding points. In the fi fth set San Clemente took a 14-12 lead after a kill at the net by senior Keenan Cleaver ended an extended back-and-forth rally. A Triton net violation brought Dana Hills back to within one point at 14-13, but San Clemente sealed the five-set win when Cleaver and junior Jess Hunt ended yet another long rally with a tandem block. Once their block hit the ground, Cleaver and Hunt followed suit. Both players fell to the ground at center court with arms outstretched in celebration as their team-
Page 24
mates rushed toward them. “We were all exhausted, us and Dana Hills, and we just gave it our all. Those are the rallies we play for and practice for,” Hunt said. “When we’re in a tough situation, we won’t give up. We can fight until the end.” San Clemente defeated the Dolphins 21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 21-25, 15-13. Dana Hills (16-8, 0-3 league) won the first set behind the effort of senior outside hitters Jake Freeman and Grady Yould. The two combined for 11 kills in the first. San Clemente (14-7, 2-1) found its footing in the second and third sets, and challenged Yould and Freeman more effectively at the net. Junior Kyler Presho led the Tritons with five blocks and senior Aaron Strange, who was tasked with matching up with Yould, recorded four blocks. San Clemente went on an 8-4 run to close out the third. San Clemente appeared to have the fi fth set put away after jumping out to a 6-1 lead, but Dana Hills responded with an 8-2 run to take a 9-8 lead, setting the stage for the wild finish. Hunt led the Tritons with 17 kills, Bryce Curtis had 14 and Presho had 11. Sean Carroll recorded 40 digs. Yould had a game-high 23 kills and Freeman chipped in 15 for the Dolphins. The Tritons will play a nonleague match against Aliso Niguel on March 31 before playing host to first-place Tesoro on April 12. San Clemente head coach Ken Goldstone reached a significant milestone following the Tritons 3-1 victory over Laguna Hills on March 24. The win was Goldstone’s 400th career victory at San Clemente. “I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve had some good players. There is a lot of credit to the kids,” Goldstone said. “I’ve had a good group of kids all the way through.” Goldstone has been the head coach of the Tritons since 1999.
Tritons Golf Edges Stallions The San Clemente boys golf team improved to a perfect 5-0 on the season following back-to-back wins over San Juan Hills on March 22 and March 23. San Clemente (5-0, 2-0) was led by freshman Alex Pak’s 34 (-1) on the front nine at Talega Golf Club on March 22 in a 188-208 victory. Pak earned match medalist honors again one day later after carding a 34 (-1) on the front nine at Marbella Country Club in a 197-227 win. San Clemente will host El Toro in a league match at Shorecliffs Golf Club on April 19. (Cont on page 26) www.sanclementetimes.com
SPORTS & OUTDOORS Triton Report (Cont. from page 24)
Meisinger Heads to National High School Wrestling Championships San Clemente senior wrestler Tyler Meisinger continued his stellar 2016 campaign at the ORCA Duals in Washington on March 12. The ORCA Duals consists of three all-star teams from Washington, Oregon and California competing against each other. Meisinger, who was invited to represent the Golden State, defeated Oregon state champion Tristin Molanari 7-3 at the event, and defeated Washington’s Division 4A state champion Adrian Avena by pin. Meisinger qualified for the National High School Wrestling Championships in Virginia earlier this month and will head to the prestigious tournament on March 31, according to San Clemente head coach Mark Calentino.
San Clemente senior wrestler Tyler Meisinger will compete at the National High School Wrestling Championships on March 31. Photo: Courtesy
Baseball Team Catches Fire at Anaheim Lions Tournament
Girls Track and Field Topples Laguna Hills
The San Clemente baseball team found success in the Anaheim Lions Tournament this week. The Tritons (8-2-1, 1-1) are currently 2-0-1 in the tournament and were slated to play Kennedy on March 30. Results were not available at press time. San Clemente started the tournament off with a 5-4 extra innings victory over Palos Verdes on March 26. The game lasted 12 innings and Jake Mills ended up as the winning pitcher after going six innings. San Clemente’s Evan Banks went 3 for 6 with 2 RBI and Eric Burckle went 2 for 4. The San Clemente offense exploded for its highest run output of the season in the afternoon game on March 26, defeating Murrieta Valley 15-8. Cole Asakowicz went 4 for 4 with 2 RBI and Ryan Russell went 4 for 5 with 3 RBI to lead the Triton bats. Prior to entering the tournament, San Clemente lost 2-1 to Laguna Hills in its Sea View League opener on March 24.
The San Clemente girls track and field team opened Sea View League competition with a 90-46 dual meet win over Laguna Hills on March 24. The Tritons had five individual winners in the meet, including: Chandler Horton (1,600-/3,200-meter run), Chloe Patterson (100-/300-meter hurdles), Marina McDonough (800-meter run), Anna Gillis (shotput/discus) and Julia Becker (high jump). The Tritons 4x100-meter and 4x400meter relay teams also won. San Clemente will host Capistrano Valley on March 31.
Palos Verdes Rallies to Win Over Boys Lacrosse The San Clemente boys lacrosse team could not hold on to an early lead over visiting Palos Verdes in a nonleague game on March 26, as the Sea Kings came back and emerged with an 11-6 victory. San Clemente (4-4) had a 4-1 lead in the first quarter, but were shut out by the Palos Verdes defense for the entire second and third quarters. San Clemente did not score again until the fourth quarter. Eight different players tallied goals for Palos Verdes. San Clemente was set to play Tesoro in a league game on March 30. Results were not available at press time. Page 26
Girls Lacrosse Loses Defensive Battle With Cougars The San Clemente and Capistrano Valley girls lacrosse teams entered the second half of their South Coast League matchup tied 4-4 on March 24. Both teams’ defenses clamped down over the final two quarters, but the Cougars came out on top, 6-5. Kiley Buckley scored twice and Victoria LeCause and Shay Hefft each scored once for San Clemente (4-6, 0-2).
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Brian Wiechman, Equity Coast Mortgage A division of Pinnacle Capital Mortgage
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Eric Johnson, D.D.S.
647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, 949.493.9311, www.drericjohnson.com
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San Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
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SC SC SURF
SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:
SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY
Bringing Surfing into Reach Cola’s Surf Camp scholarship program expanding for summer 2016 BY ANDREA SWAYNE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
M
itch Colapinto, owner of Cola’s Surf Camp in San Clemente and a teacher at Truman Benedict Elementary School, has been spending his summers sharing the joy of surfing and the satisfaction of accomplishing a difficult goal with children for the past 19 years. In that time, he has consistently made it a point to offer scholarships for kids whose families are not able to afford camp tuition. “I’ve seen so many kids discover surfing over the years and have witnessed firsthand how it has not only given them a new sport but helped them with life in general,” Colapinto said. “It’s a great sport because it’s really hard to learn and the kids have to put out a lot of effort. It’s not easy but once they get it, they have that reward, that satisfaction. I think that’s probably the greatest thing about surf camp.” Many of his surf students are afraid of the ocean on their first day at camp and can’t even stand up on a surfboard, he said, and to be a part of helping them to overcome their fears and learn to surf is an undeniable perk of the job. He also enjoys introducing kids, as well as their entire families, to a sport that can be enjoyed throughout one’s life. For the upcoming season, Cola’s Surf Camp is looking to expand its scholarship offerings to include more kids who
otherwise might not have the opportunity to attend. For nine years, Steve Muller of The Muller Company has been donating a scholarship for kids interested in learning to surf. Although the scholarships are open to everyone, the community’s Hispanic and Latino kids have often been the beneficiaries. “It has been so much fun to see more Latino kids coming to camp and taking up the sport as a result of Steve’s scholarships,” Colapinto said. “Last year one of his nine scholarships paid for a boy who was destined to spend his entire summer at the YMCA, as his parents were going through a gnarly divorce. We arranged a ride for him from the Y to attend a couple of weeks of surf camp. It made a world of difference to him.” This year Banzai Bowls owner Joe Bard—who has been sponsoring the camp on Fridays for the past two years with free Banzai Bowls for campers—is also donating four, one-week scholarships. “We truly believe in what Mitch (Colapinto) is doing,” Bard said. “We feel it is very important to come together and be a part of the community. We want to lead by example, and offering kids who otherwise would not have the chance to surf and learn about the ocean is a big part of that.” Individuals and companies interested in adding their donations to the scholarship
fund can contact Colapinto. Camp fees are $350 per week or $80 per day, including all equipment. “Even partial scholarships would be welcome,” Colapinto said. “Especially for kids growing up here, so close to the ocean, learning to surf shouldn’t be out of reach for anybody. For so many local kids, it doesn’t even cross their minds as a possibility, and this scholarship program fixes that situation, bringing a new possibility to those kids. “Anyone who knows someone out there they think would benefit from attending
Griffin Colapinto. Photo: WSL/Tony Heff
BOARD SHORTS Art Brewer Surf Photography on Display
Jones by a comfortable 4.80-point margin. “All the boys were dropping big scores all day so I knew it was going to be pretty much whoever got the best waves and the biggest waves, and I found two of the best waves and it was good,” he added. Looking ahead to the next winter season, Griffin said he will continue to train hard and chase a few ambitious goals: surfing in the Triple Crown, winning a Qualifying Series event and cracking the QS top 50 by the end of the year. With the amount of talent and dedication Griffin has shown thus far in his career, we believe he’s got a great shot at making his plan a reality. —Andrea Swayne
Opening night for Art Brewer’s latest show, “Surfing Photography of Art Brewer,” is set for Friday, April 1, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Old Orange County Courthouse, third floor exhibit gallery, 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd. in Santa Ana. The majority of images on display are from the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center’s collection. One opening night attendee will win a SHACC family membership. The photos will be on display through June. Viewing hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, contact SHACC at 949.388.0313 or visit www.surfingheritage.org.
GROM OF THE WEEK
GRIFFIN COLAPINTO
G
riffin Colapinto, 17, of San Clemente turned in the top performance at the World Surf League Pipe Pro Junior on March 22 on the North Shore of Oahu. After spending much of the winter training in Hawaii, his time there paid off in a big way at this event. “It felt really good,” Griffin said in a post-event WSL interview. “I stayed at the Billabong house all winter long and I surfed out here in all conditions, so I was pretty confident with everything knowing the lineup.” Dropping the second highest wave score of the event in the final, a 9.40, Griffin had the field comboed early in the heat, leaving Braden Jones (Arroyo Grande), Cody Young (Hawaii) and Ryland Rubens (Pacific Beach) trailing, and then finishing in that order. Griffin’s 15.40 heat total beat runner-up
San Clemente Times March 31-April 6, 2016
Cola’s Surf Camp students practice their pop-ups on the beach. Photo: Courtesy
Page 30
surf camp should apply,” Colapinto said. “Apply or nominate someone, with a short paragraph explaining why they (or you) are deserving of the scholarship, and we’ll take it from there.” Applications and nominations should be sent to Colapinto via email at cola4surf@ yahoo.com by April 30. Camp starts July 5, offering five one-week sessions and daily “drop ins” for ages 7 to 16, from beginners to intermediate surfers. More information about Cola’s Surf Camp can be found on the company website at www.colassurfcamp.com. SC
SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 58-60 degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: San Clemente: 4-8’ Poor-Fair, Catalina: 8-14’ Poor-Fair THURSDAY: Fun SSW swell picks up and NW swell pulses up late in the day. Most breaks go waist-shoulder high for the better exposures of the county, with shoulder-head high sets at combo standouts. Peaky surf for the combo beach breaks. Favorable conditions in the morning with light variable winds, before switching to a moderate onshore flow in the afternoon. Sunny skies. OUTLOOK: Good mix of SSW and NW swell mix going into the weekend. Surf mostly in the waisthead+ high zone. Bigger sets for the standouts. Best conditions will be in the morning hours with the lightest winds. Check the full premium forecast on Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook.
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