April 28, 2016

LO C A L

N EWS

April 28-May 4, 2016 YO U

C A N

Dead Whale Washes Ashore at Trestles

U S E

PAGE 7

VOLUME 11, ISSUE 17

Let the Games Begin Students participate in the Capistrano Unified School District’s Special Olympics spring games SPORTS/PAGE 17 www.sanclementetimes.com

Grace Reber, of San Clemente High School, competes in the 100-meter dash during Capistrano Unified School District’s Special Olympics of Orange County spring games on April 25 at Dana Hills High School. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Man Honored for 30 Years of Participation with Volunteer Police Group EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

Brew Fest Raises Money for Military and Their Families SC LIVING/PAGE 12

Triton Report: Teams Capture League Titles SPORTS/PAGE 20

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SC EYE ON SC San Clemente

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING number, provide a supervisor at the home at all times of operation and to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The bill also included requirements to maintain the property to local ordinance compliance.

Currently, such facilities are protected by laws that ensure fair housing and therefore cannot be sanctioned based on their intent.

Bates contended these facilities are operating as businesses and not as traditional homes in residential neighborhoods.

Lt. David Moodie listens to Jim Lusk recount his most memorable moment as a volunteer at the RSVP monthly meeting last Wednesday in the Community Center. Photo: Alex Paris

What’s Up With...

Five things San Clemente should know this week Lusk Celebrates 30 Years a Volunteer THE LATEST: “A BIG thanks to you!” read the oversized, signature-packed card handed to San Clemente resident Jim Lusk at a commemoration ceremony on April 20. Lusk was honored for his 30 years of serving in the city’s volunteer police program.

As a member of the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, known as RSVP, Lusk has assisted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and San Clemente Police Services by performing routine duties such as vacation home monitoring, parking enforcement and weekly checkups on homebound seniors.

Lt. David Moodie and Sgt. Werner Hartman of San Clemente Police Services presented Lusk with a certificate and plaque of appreciation during the RSVP monthly meeting at the Community Center. Lusk, who joined the program in 1986 just months after its inception, recounted his most memorable experience, which occurred during parking enforcement.

“I never had anyone really attack me,” Lusk recalled. “Verbally? All the time. But I never had anybody really try to do damage to me until one day when I was writing citations during street sweeping. I had given a ticket to a fellow in a pickup. As I San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

was walking away, the guy came running out of his house saying, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘Writing a citation.’ He picked up a cinder block and threw it at me, and it came down and almost got me. So I called for backup as he was coming towards me, and within two minutes there were three officer cars and they arrested him.”

Lusk has thought about resigning a few times, but said, “I just can’t seem to get away from it. It’s something I can do in the community.”

After performing every possible duty in RSVP, Lusk now serves as a trainer for new volunteers. To date, he has volunteered a few thousand hours and has written around 16,000 citations.

WHAT’S NEXT: RSVP volunteers can be found patrolling various events this summer, here to help locals and visitors alike.

—Alex Paris

Senate Sober Living Bill Fails to Gain Support, Two Assembly Bills Pass Committee THE LATEST: A bill to give cities and counties the authority to regulate and require licensure of sober living residences failed to move past the Senate Health Committee on April 20.

The bill, which was introduced by State Sen. Patricia Bates of Laguna Niguel, was voted 1-1 with the rest of the committee not casting a vote. A bill must get majority support to pass.

If the bill had passed, sober living residences would have been required to apply for licensure and to submit the address, homeowner’s full name and phone

WHAT’S NEXT: An Assembly bill related to the regulation of sober living facilities introduced by Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang of Diamond Bar also failed to pass committee on Tuesday.

However, the Assembly Health Committee passed through two other bills on April 19 that request similar licensure and regulation as the Bates and Chang bills.

One bill is from Assemblywoman Melissa Mendez of Lake Elsinore and the other is from Assemblyman Richard Bloom of Santa Monica. Bloom’s and Mendez’s bills would allow the California Health Department to deny licenses to sober living facilities in addition to local and county governments’ authority. —Eric Heinz

Forum Examines School Facilities Funding THE LATEST: On April 25, Capistrano Unified School District Superintendent Kirsten Vital hosted a forum at San Clemente High School that identified potential funding sources to meet the estimated $800 million in facility maintenance costs required in the district.

Some of the future funding opportunities discussed include seeking Community Funded Districts and a district-wide School Facilities Improvement District, which both implement property taxes for facility funding. CUSD is currently putting together a committee to explore these issues around the district.

Clark Hampton, CUSD deputy superintendent for business and support services, said the County of Orange would be the lead agency in handling the financing for facilities districts.

WHAT’S NEXT: At San Clemente High School, Principal Chris Carter said new classrooms will come in 2017 to accompany the upper campus, a performing arts center and a 50-meter swimming pool. The school also wants to revamp the stadium and gym bleachers. Carter said eventually a new student service center is also planned with a new library. More information can be found at www.capousd-ca. schoolloop.com/community. —EH

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Vector Control Board Could Revisit Aerial Spraying Next Month THE LATEST: The board of trustees for the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District voted on April 21 to deny the district manager the ability to initiate spraying of mosquito areas suspected to foster West Nile Virus. The board could, however, revisit the issue at next month’s meeting.

The district is likely to bring forth a resolution that would require a board vote to implement aerial spraying of mosquitoes, according to Jim Dahl, the San Clemente representative on the board.

The district does not do any aerial spraying at this time. Last year, the board wanted to start the process of aerial spraying but couldn’t get airspace clearance from Disneyland or approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Citizens at the San Clemente City Council meeting on April 19 spoke against the use of spraying by aircraft, as the pesticides would cause harm to local insects essential to the ecosystem as well as human health.

The spray the district would use is Duet, which some have criticized as having harmful components.

WHAT’S NEXT: The next MVCD meeting will be Thursday, May 19. More information about the policy can be found at www. ocvcd.org. —EH

OCTA Asks For Special Needs Advisory Committee Volunteers THE LATEST: The Orange County Transportation Authority is asking volunteers who represent individuals with disabilities and senior citizens in the county to serve on its Special Needs Advisory Committee.

Anyone interested must be 18 years old, live or represent constituencies in Orange County and be willing to participate for a three-year term on the committee.

WHAT’S NEXT: Two bus routes that circulate through San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Mission Viejo—the 191 and the 193—will be discontinued in July.

At past City Council meetings, members of the public have voiced concern for people with disabilities and how cutting the routes will affect them. Applications for the advisory committee are being accepted through May 9 and are available at www.octa.net/snac. For additional information, contact Jessica Lopez at 714.560.5766 or jlopez@octa.net. —EH www.sanclementetimes.com

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EYE ON SC

SC Sheriff’s Blotter

COMPILED BY STAFF 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 25 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Calle Puente, 1100 Block (4:29 p.m.)

A man was seen with a harness hooked on “equipment and is swinging children around on the pavement,” a caller said.

stealing gasoline and they were worried because they thought the suspect would become argumentative and violent when they cut the gas line.

his ground and they ran off. As they ran off, they yelled they’d be back with their “homeboys.” A 22-year-old unemployed man was arrested in the incident and has since been released.

DRUNK IN PUBLIC Calle Canasta, 600 Block (2:46 p.m.) A group of four to six “gang types” were sitting on the stairs drinking alcohol and being loud.

DISTURBANCE Avenida Victoria, 600 Block (11:52 a.m.) The caller said while trying to get a parking stub a suspect in a truck was seen trying to run over a woman twice.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Camino De Los Mares/Portico Del Norte (11:07 a.m.)

Eight ducklings and a mother duck walking in traffic caused drivers to swerve their vehicles.

BATTERY REPORT Via Presa, 600 Block (5:42 p.m.) A woman said her 10-year-old son was poked in the chest multiple times by the parent of another child. Medical assistance was refused.

BURGLARY REPORT Calle Bienvenido, 4200 Block (4:41 p.m.) A woman said her thirdrow seat was stolen from her locked vehicle.

SUSPICIOUS PERSONS/CIRCUMSTANCES Acebo Lane, 300 Block (12:37 p.m.)

The caller’s neighbors tried to plug their electrical vehicle into the caller’s outlet.

Saturday, April 23

DISTURBANCE Camino de Los Mares, Calle Naranja (11:13 a.m.) A man described as transient was seen in the neighborhood with a sign that said he needs antibiotics.

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE Calle Altea/Via Sedona (11:23 a.m.) The caller said a Lincoln Continental in front of the location seemed suspicious because it shows up when a van leaves and it is not known to the neighborhood.

BURGLARY REPORT Avenida Salvador, 2200 Block (10:39 p.m.) A woman said she had just arrived to her sister’s house and it appeared to be burglarized and there were “shells” inside the house just outside of the bedroom.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Calle Seville, 100 Block (11:20 a.m.)

Police were called to a man who had been “hanging around all morning” with an open container. A 20-year-old man was arrested and is in custody at the Intake Release Center.

DISTURBANCE Via Solona, 2000 Block (8:18 p.m.) Police were called for teenagers in a gray four-door pickup truck “ghost riding the whip.” The caller was concerned they may get hurt.

VANDALISM IN PROGRESS Avenida Pico, 900 Block (10:18 p.m.) Three men were seen damaging products in the store.

HIT AND RUN MISDEMEANOR El Camino Real, 2400 Block (7:02 p.m.)A caller said a customer knowingly drove off with the gas pump and refused to exchange information.

SHOTS HEARD-NO SUSPECT INFORMATION Linda Lane, Encino Lane (8:49 p.m.) A caller reported “an explosion” occurred near the beach tunnel around the railroad tracks.

DISTURBANCE Avenida Pico, 800 Block (6:45 p.m.) A 45-year-old bald man wearing a maroon hoodie and beige sweats while wearing a backpack was being loud and vulgar.

DISTURBANCE Avenida Estacion, 1700 Block (8:14 p.m.) The caller reported having a restraining order against a woman who was standing outside his door. A 33-yearold woman, who was listed as a personal assistant, was arrested in the incident. She is in custody at the Central Women’s Jail, and bail has not been set.

911 HANG-UP WIRELESS Calle Vallarta, 700 Block (1:13 a.m.) A man was not making sense and wouldn’t answer the dispatcher’s questions. The man said he thought people were outside that were “trying to do something.” The line was disconnected when they called him back.

DISTURBANCE Camino De Los Mares, 600 Block (12:15 a.m.) Police were called to a woman who was yelling and asking for rides from customers.

Sunday, April 24 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES El Camino Real, 2900 Block (10:26 p.m.)

Police were called to check the back of the property after the caller said a man wearing dark clothing with a flashlight was going through the neighbor’s items and sitting outside the neighbor’s residence.

BATTERY REPORT Camino De Los Mares, 600 Block (8:26 p.m.) A woman inside a building said she was battered by a man on the “grass area.” The caller said she was possibly drunk.

KEEP THE PEACE Calle Mayo, 4100 Block (7:10 p.m.) A woman said her neighbor keeps knocking at her gate, yelling about killing cats.

CITIZEN ASSISTCamino Costado, 4800 Block (5:31 p.m.) A caller said someone was San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

GRAND THEFT El Camino Real, 900 Block (5:05 p.m.) A male customer stole an employee’s cell phone.

BATTERY REPORT North El Camino Real, Avenida Serra (2:13 a.m.) A female claimed to have been pushed out of the Uber she ordered because she did not have the payment. The car that the female claimed to have been pushed out of was a white Nissan sedan.

BRANDISHING A WEAPON REPORT El Camino Real, 100 Block (7:16 p.m.)

A man said a group of “gangsters” came by and destroyed his sign and “cut up tape.” The caller confronted them and said one of them drew a knife and walked toward him. The caller said he stood

Thursday, April 21

DISTURBANCE Via Cascadita, 2700 Block (10:28 a.m.)A man was seen “freaking out” and ranting and raving.

SUSPICIOUS PERSONS/CIRCUMSTANCES Calle del Cerro, 1100 Block (3:00 p.m.)

Two juveniles put a strip of fireworks on the roadway and lit them. Both juveniles were reported as 14-year-old blond males.

Friday, April 22

HIT AND RUN PARKED CAR REPORT Avenida Vaquero, 400 Block (7:40 a.m.) Someone struck a vehicle and left the scene.

DISTURBANCE Buena Vista, 1100 Block (2:56 a.m.) A caller reported a physical altercation. A man slammed a woman’s head into the steering wheel of a white Prius and she was crying.

Wednesday, April 20 DISTURBANCE South El Camino/Avenida Barcelona (10:58 p.m.) Police were called to reports for a man in his late 40s, tall with a moustache, wearing a red hoodie that was walking up to people’s doors and flipping them off.

DRUNK IN PUBLIC Escalones, 200 Block (9:59 p.m.) A client came back drunk and was being belligerent and threatening the staff of the business.

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Community Meetings FRIDAY, APRIL 29

OCEMS Meeting, Hospital Discussion

9 a.m. A public hearing will take place to receive input from the community regarding the planned closure of Saddleback Memorial Medical Center.

Commission Hearing Room, County of Orange Hall of Administration, 333 West Santa Ana Blvd, Santa Ana. SUNDAY, MAY 1

San Clemente Farmers Market

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Bundles of flowers, fresh produce and much more every Sunday.

Avenida Del Mar. TUESDAY, MAY 3

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.

San Clemente Woman's Club

10 a.m. The San Clemente Woman's Club meets the first Tuesday of every month (except July and August) at Adele's at The San Clemente Inn. All are welcome to attend. 2600 Ave. Del Presidente, 949.388.3734 www.sanclementewomansclub.com.

San Clemente City Council Meeting

6 p.m. The city of San Clemente City Council will hold its meeting at City Hall, 100 Avenida Presidio, 949.361.8200, www.san-clemente.org.

Because I Love You (BILY) Meeting

7 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.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4

San Clemente Rotary

Noon. The San Clemente Rotary meets every Wednesday at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course Wedgewood Restaurant. 150 E. Avenida Magdalena, 949.233.7981, www.sanclementerotary.org.

San Clemente Planning Commission Meeting

6 p.m. The city of San Clemente Planning Commission will hold its meeting at City Hall, 100 Avenida Presidio, 949.361.8200, www.san-clemente.org. www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

NEWS BITES

ing June 13. The BCTA is working with the Special Olympics to create adaptive tournaments and events beginning this summer.

For more information about Beach City Tennis Academy, visit www.beachcitytennis.com or contact Troy Mass at 424.289.0484.

COMPILED BY ERIC HEINZ

Vista del Mar Elementary Asks for STEM Carnival Sponsorship Vista del Mar Elementary School is asking for sponsorships for the school’s “Carnival Electric,” which will be held on Friday, May 20, from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Proceeds from the carnival will be used to pay for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classroom materials.

“In the midst of state cuts, Vista del Mar School has thrived, receiving the prestigious California Distinguished School Award,” according to a PTA press release. “With the help of the greater San Clemente community, that success will continue.” For more information, email carnivaleclectic@gmail.com.

Assisteens of Capo Valley Rose Medallion Ball The Assisteens of Capo Valley Rose Medallion Ball will be held on Sunday, May 29, at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa in Dana Point.

The ball is an end-of-the-year presentation of the achievements of the Assisteens.

This year, the organization will honor 17 senior girls from three different local high schools, including San Clemente High School. For more information, call 949.939.0346.

State Parks and Recreation Society Honors Courtney’s SandCastle At a recent annual convention in Long Beach, the California Parks and Recreation Society honored Courtney’s SandCastle Universal Playground, located at Vista Hermosa Sports Park in San Clemente, with an “outstanding” award for its sensory garden design.

“The Sandcastle, a part of the Vista Hermosa Sports Park, was the brainchild of Courtney Smith, who, at 4 years old and confined to a wheelchair, asked her mother, Christina, why San Clemente didn’t have a special place where both able and special needs children could play together,” according to a press release.

The playground is being shown as an example to various Orange County organizations that work with autistic, blind, deaf and mentally or physically limited children of how to develop and offer various new activities such as reading, drama, puppetry, painting and recreational and sporting opportunities. Courtney’s Charitable Foundation also seeks local volunteers interested in working with special needs children, and assisting with fundraising San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

Driving Dreams Golf Tournament Takes Place June 3

The April 24 handbell benefit concert for Family Assistance Ministries food pantry raised more than $1,000.

Pictured are the South County Community Handbell Choirs at St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea in San Clemente.

Photo: Courtesy of Family Assistance Ministries.

and program development.

The Parks and Recreation award can be seen at the Vista Hermosa swimming complex. For more information call 949.940.9246 or visit www.courtneyssandcastle.org.

All are welcome. RSVP is required by May 5. Fee is $50. For reservations, mail a check payable to “SCARWF” to P.O. Box 3512, San Clemente, CA 92674. Call 949.361.9345 for more information.

GoFundMe Page Set for Injured San Clementean A GoFundMe page is active and taking donations for San Clemente’s Chelsea Rush, a 24-year-old pregnant woman who was severely injured in an ATV accident in Ocotillo Wells, California, on Feb. 29.

Rush suffered a “devastating spinal cord injury,” which left her paralyzed from the chest down.

She was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Desert Regional Hospital in Palm Springs and was eventually transferred to a facility in Englewood, Colorado. According to her GoFundMe page, funds raised from the online campaign will be used to pay for medical and surgical needs, physical therapy and prenatal care.

For more information, visit www.gofundme.com/chelseaofthesea.

SC Area Republican Women, Federated Fundraiser The San Clemente Area Republican Women, Federated will hold a Fashion Show Luncheon fundraiser, featuring spring and summer fashions from Chico’s, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11. The event will be held at Talega Golf Club, 990 Avenida Talega, San Clemente.

Opportunity drawings as well as silent and live auctions will be available for baskets and prizes.

SCARWF fundraising efforts will provide scholarships for qualified graduating high school students applying to college from San Clemente, Dana Point, Camp Pendleton and the surrounding area.

Ninety Nines, Inc. Offering Free Pilot Lessons for Exceptional Essays The Orange County chapter of Ninety Nines, Inc., an international organization of licensed women pilots, is offering free pilot lessons. Future pilots between the ages of 14 and 18 can write essays to learn flying from top flight instructors. The essays must be between 300 to 500 words in English. Students must include their name, address, phone and school in their submission.

For more information on entries, go to www.oc99s.sws99s.org. The deadline to submit an essay is May 15.

High School State Photo Contest Underway Current high school students have a chance to participate in a statewide photo contest, “California Through My Eyes.”

The students must provide a photo and an essay of 150 words or fewer explaining how their photo represents California.

The first-place winner will be awarded $150 and the four runners-up will receive $100 each. The deadline for submission is May 6. For more information about submissions, go to http://www.csus.edu/ calst/contests.html.

Tennis Academy to Offer Special Needs Programs Beach City Tennis Academy will be offering tennis programming to San Clemente youth with special needs startPage 6

The 31st annual Driving Dreams Golf Tournament at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course will benefit the Boys & Girls Club. The tournament will be on June 3 and will include lunch, dinner, prizes and a silent auction.

For more information about the tournament, call Donna Jost at 949.484.0122 or email donna@bgcsca.org.

Anti-Human Trafficking Organization to Host Discussion Hagar’s Hope Ministry, an organization that fights human trafficking, will host a discussion on ways to help and support survivors. There will also be a quilt raffle and a jewelry trunk show sale supporting the ministry. Much of human trafficking awareness is directed at identifying it at hotels.

The event will be from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. on April 28 at San Clemente Presbyterian Church’s Fellowship Hall, 119 Avenida De La Estrella.

Plein Air Deadline May 25 The deadline to register for the Paint San Clemente Plein Air competition is May 25. The San Clemente Art Association will award $13,000 cash to winners of the Fine Art Competition during the Gala following the event. The contest takes place from June 18-25 with the Gala Celebration held the night of June 25. Full information packets will go out to participants following receipt of entry forms and registration fees. There are several different levels of competition and entry fees differ per level.

Artists compete for cash and honors in this judged fine art competition. Participants must complete painting locally en plein air; that is paint anywhere outside throughout the city of San Clemente and San Onofre. Only artwork completed during the week of the actual event will be considered for judged competition. No studio work will be accepted for this event.

For more information, call 949.369.0260 or visit www.paintsanclemente.com.

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

EYE ON SC

Dead Whale Washes onto Beach at Lower Trestles

The body of a dead gray whale washed up on the beach at Lower Trestles in San Onofre State Park on Sunday.

Photo: Sebastian Mendes

BY ANDREA SWAYNE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

S

urfers and other beachgoers got a smelly reminder of the morbid part of the circle of life when the body of a dead whale washed up on the beach at Lower Trestles in San Onofre State Park on Sunday. By Tuesday evening, California State Parks was finalizing an agreement with a contractor to remove the carcass in pieces and move it by truck to the landfill, but a final time frame for its removal had not been set.

The California gray whale, estimated to be more than 40 feet in length, had been spotted a few days before landing on the beach by local fishing and whale watching boat captains.

On Monday, Rich Haydon, South Sector superintendent of California State Parks’ Orange Coast District, said State Parks had begun the process of deciding on the method to be used for the removal of the carcass.

“Best practice includes three options— burial in place, towing it out to sea or a land-based removal,” Haydon said. “We have pretty much ruled out a burial in place, since the area is full of cobblestones and there is not a lot of beach area. Ocean burial can be problematic with a carcass as decomposed as this one is, due to the likelihood of it rupturing and falling apart, and land-based removal is governed by the size and type of heavy equipment we can get onto the beach.”

The size of the animal would require its body to be parted into smaller sections to be trucked out for land-based removal.

State parks does not own equipment large enough for the job, so adequate machinery would have to be brought in.

“There’s really no easy solution here,” Haydon said.

An additional kink in the possibility of towing the whale out for burial at sea was

San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

Page 7

wind predicted to pick up to 25 knots or more by Monday evening.

At 1:30 p.m. Monday, NOAA scientists arrived on scene to take samples from the animal, and the whale was released to State Parks for removal shortly thereafter.

Entrails, believed most likely from the second whale, began showing up along San Clemente beaches on Monday as well.

“We have it on good authority that the second whale has broken into two pieces and is floating out near Seal Rock,” Haydon said. “The city followed the traditional best practice used for decades—burying the washed up entrails in place.”

San Clemente city officials were unable to be reached for comment.

Tuesday evening, with burial in place not being an option at Lowers for the first whale and the window allowing for successful water burial closed, Haydon said the decision to remove the whale by truck was essentially the only viable option.

State Parks would have liked to have been able to lift it whole and remove it all at once, he said, but the weight, inaccessibility of the location and state of decomposition has made it impossible. The body is too heavy for a crane or other equipment that could fit under the bridge to access the beach.

“We are in contact with a contractor NOAA has used in the past and working on an emergency contract to get it done,” Haydon said on Tuesday at 5 p.m. “Even if we could get heavy enough equipment in to lift it whole, it would most likely rupture and make a huge mess on the beach. We will dismember it on site, load it into lined dump trucks and haul it to the landfill. It’s not going to be pretty but that’s the best we can do, other than leaving it as it is. We are asking people to stay out of the area at this time.” SC www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SOAPBOX San Clemente

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

GUEST OPINION: Lew’s Views by Lew Avera

Sometimes Looking Back is Looking Forward

O

ver time I have shared views on many topics: local, historical, governmental, etc. However, a recent event has led to a different perspective than I have ever had before. In this sense, one of my personal values has always been, “Don’t look back, look to the future.”

This was because life is in the future, and dwelling on the past could be counterproductive to a realistic and successful future. Of course exceptions were permissible to identify and correct mistakes of the past.

Just recently I celebratLEW’S VIEWS ed a birthday, which has

By Lew Avera allowed me to divide my life into two equal, somewhat distinct and meaningful segments. The first segment, half of life, was from birth, growing up, education, raising a family of four children, full Marine Corps career and retirement from the Marines. The second, since retirement from the Marines, has been a full second career filled with employment as a corporate executive, numerous volunteer and nonprofit positions, community involvement,

grandchildren and looking ahead to the next opportunity in life.

What happened, however, with this recent event, is that there are not that many years to look ahead to major life events as described above. There is, of course, much to look forward to, but not in the context of “the long-range future.” As a result of this I have begun to “look back” at my life and its many events. The perspectives I have gained are astonishing to me.

One is a box of letters my father wrote to me in the 1940s when he was away in World War II. I do not remember them and was not even aware I had them until trying to downsize garage storage recently. They praised me as a Cub/Boy Scout and called me a real leader. How could he believe such a thing about me at that age? As so many youngsters do, I just wanted my parents to leave me alone and let me be me with all the other boys and girls. In retrospect, however, I must believe that these messages had a “hidden impact” on me throughout life.

A second box deals with music. I grew up with country/bluegrass. I played the guitar and five-string banjos and knew the

Letters to the Editor

aspect in having our most economically disadvantaged communities “consent” to accept for money what is unacceptable to the rest of us?

INTERIM NUCLEAR STORAGE A BANDAGE ON NEED FOR PERMANENCE RICARDO NICOL, San Clemente

The U.S. Department of Energy’s “consent-based siting” for the interim storage of nuclear waste from plants like San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station proposes to create temporary waste sites in regions of the country that need the business such activity would produce. It’s not a good idea in my opinion.

It is an interim solution to the interim solution that’s already been in place at San Onofre for more than 50 years, and it would take decades and billions of dollars to find, approve and build the new sites and transport the nuclear waste to them. And additional decades and millions to decommission those sites, and again transport the waste when permanent single or multiple repositories are established. Why the duplication of effort, time and money? Instead, why not concentrate our resources on finding the permanent solution and prepare the nuclear waste now in the best possible manner for eventual safe transport and storage?

Besides, isn’t there a moral and ethical San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

words and could sing virtually every country song of the times—at least 40 songs.

I never paid much attention to the words; I just knew them and sung them. Now, in listening to CDs of this music, I am “hearing the words” and understanding their meaning. Every song has real heartfelt meaning and stories about such things as love, loneliness, family, relationships, being apart and being a person—feelings we all have today.

Looking back includes not only the past events of our own lives, but also those events we encounter through reading, discovery and knowing others.

Past events are an integral part of life today as we live it, are a part of each of us and can have enormous influence on our lives.

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.

Beachside Chat Canceled for April 29 The next Beachside Chat will take place at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 6, and will host Matt Cortina, the new managing editor of Picket Fence Media, who oversees the San Clemente Times, Dana Point Times and The Capistrano Dispatch. 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.

BALANCE NEEDED ON CITY COUNCIL JUDGMENT STEVE PEZMAN, San Clemente

The letter from Peter Cassimatis in the April 21-27 edition of the San Clemente Times with a list of San Clemente City Council faux pas over the years reflects a personal slant. Perhaps it would be fair to also include a list of their positive actions, to offer a balance of good vs. bad? Then, in my opinion, the letter stated The Toll Roads project would have provided a community service. As I recall, the City Council majority was in support of that project. Lucky for us, it was defeated by a broad coalition of surfers, naturalists and environmentalists who found greater value in maintaining aesthetics and quality of life for generations to come than in supporting a convenience for that small portion of the traffic on I-5 heading towards the 241, and to larger extent developers, land owners and adjacent cities who stood to gain financially along the proposed route. Also, the claim that Trestles is an exclusive domain for local surfers is naive. The breaks there are frequented somewhat equally by both locals, by more distant but drivable round-trippers and by

surfers from all over the surfing world, collectively constituting approximately 250,000 visits a year, with an average duration of about four hours per visit, which equates to that resource providing about a million hours of accessible, affordable, high value recreation per year at a very low cost. In my opinion, it’s an asset worth protecting from any form of degradation.

Editor’s note: The 241 Toll Roads extension project planned for south of San Clemente was rejected by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board on March 16, 2015.

34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 www.sanclementetimes.com

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Eric Heinz, 949.388.7700, x109 eheinz@sanclementetimes.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

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

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

PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

> Susie Lantz (San Clemente)

EDITORIAL

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Group Managing Editor > Matt Cortina Group Senior Editor, City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Swayne

Real Estate Sales Manager > Michele Reddick OPERATIONS

City Editor, SC Times > Eric Heinz

Finance Director > Mike Reed

City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Allison Jarrell

Business Manager > Alyssa Garrett

Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale Special Projects Editor > Andrea Papagianis ART/DESIGN Art Director > Jasmine Smith ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller Jonathan Volzke CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco Melissa Calvano Debra Holm Cameron Sadeghi Tim Trent

San Clemente Times, Vol. 11, Issue 17. 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.

FOLLOW THE SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@sanclementetimes.com.

San Clemente Times reserves the right to edit readersubmitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers.

Please limit your letters to 350 words.

Page 8

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC GETTING OUT San Clemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

The List

At the Movies: ‘The Huntsman’ Struggles with Winter’s War

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

Thursday | 28 iHEARTOC CONCLUDES AT NOON San Clemente-based nonprofits are participating in this year’s iHeartOC Giving Day, which concludes at noon on April 28. Some of the local nonprofits in San Clemente that benefitted last year include the Boys & Girls Club of South Coast, Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, Family Assistance Ministries and the San Clemente Junior Woman’s Club. www.iheartoc.org.

Friday | 29 THE FREEMONTS 7–10:30 p.m. Live music at Iva Lee’s.

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

Saturday | 30 SCHS DANCE FUNDRAISER 8 a.m. A rummage sale to benefit the San Clemente High School Dance Team.

700 Avenida Pico, www.schsdance.org.

FAM COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST 8 a.m. Cooked and served by a local youth group, the event will have free fruits and vegetables, toiletries for those in need and a limited number of gasoline vouchers.

1030 Calle Negocio, 949.492.8477, www.family-assistance.org.

SAN CLEMENTE HEALTH EXPO 9 a.m.–3p.m. The event is free and will provide healthcare services and resources for the community. San Clemente High School, 700 Avenida Pico, 949.273.0555, www.ifhomeless.org.

MARY LOU HEARD MEMORIAL GARDEN TOUR 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1. The tour features 38 gardens from Capistrano Beach to Long Beach, La Habra and Yorba Linda. Donations go to the Sheepfold Shelter in Fullerton, a shelter for women and children in crisis. Locally, the garden at 34809 Calle del Sol in Capistrano Beach will be featured. For more information, visit www.heardsgardentour.com.

ERBA JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Uno de 50 will take place, featuring a wide arrange of European jewelry, apothecary goods and gifts.

114 Avenida Del Mar, 949.492.2355.

San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

EDITOR’S PICK Photo: File

SUNDAY, MAY 1: CINCO DE MAYO FIESTA Noon–4 p.m. San Clemente’s 26th annual Cinco de Mayo event at Max Berg Plaza Park features live entertainment performed by Mariachi Zacateca, Family Style and Grupo Dilema. The celebration also includes authentic Mexican fare, a beer garden, children’s activities and games. 1100 Calle Puente, 949.361.8264, www.san-clemente.org.

SAN CLEMENTE CHORAL SOCIETY CONCERT 4 p.m. The San Clemente Choral Society will present its annual spring concert, “Move to the Music,” vocal music from The World of Dance. Tickets can be purchased at ticketsales@sccs-arts.org and can be purchased at the door. $15 for adults or $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Under 5 are free. San Clemente Presbyterian Church, 119 N. Avenida De La Estrella, 949.272.8435, www.sccs-arts.org.

Sunday | 01 LIBRARY FIRST SUNDAY SALE 9 a.m. During the Farmers Market, the Friends of the Library has a selection of 250 DVDs and a selection of children’s books and cookbooks, set aside for the first Sunday sale. Books with a red line through the price are half off. 242 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente Library, 949.492.3493, ocpl.org/libloc/sc.

VILLAGE ART FAIRE 9 a.m. The Village Art Faire is held on the first Sunday of every month and is put on by the Downtown Business Association. Stroll and shop where more than 60 vendors will have arts, crafts and other items. Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.218.5378, www.villagesanclemente.org.

Monday | 02 TRAIL CLEARING AND WEEDING 7:30–9:30 a.m. Volunteer with The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo to help keep the trails clean and clear weeds. Bring work gloves if you have them. Drinks and snacks provided. Ages 10 and up. The Richard and

Donna O’Neil Conservancy, call for directions, 949.489.9778, www.rmvreserve.org.

Tuesday | 03 ‘A NIGHT OF CHEKHOV’ 7:30 p.m. The Saddleback College Department of Theatre Arts presents A Night of Chekhov, April 29 to May 7 in the Studio Theatre. Directed by Olivia Trevino, audiences will enjoy six of the Russian playwright’s hysterical farces. Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 seniors, $10 students.

28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, 949.582.4656, www.saddleback.edu/arts.

Wednesday | 04 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, MAY 5 HI-CALIBER HORSE RESCUE BENEFIT 5 p.m. A night of food, music and auctions to benefit Hi-Caliber Horse Rescue. Must be 21 or older. Tickets are $50 in advance, $75 at the door and $90 for a couple. Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant, San Clemente, 855.480.4247, www.hicaliberhorseshoe. eventbrite.com.

Page 10

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

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

Photo: ©Universal Studios

BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

he Huntsman: Winter’s War is the most unnecessary cash grab of a sequel since Mockingjay, Part 2. Just from watching the movie you can guess the moviemakers probably watched Frozen, Oz: the Great and Powerful and Robin Hood and then smooshed them all together in one movie set in the universe of Snow White. Except Kristen Stewart isn’t coming back this time, and we now are focusing all of our attention on the huntsman character played by Chris Hemsworth.

The movie opens with a flashback sequence that shows the evil queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) actually had a sister all along, named Freya (Emily Blunt). While Ravenna has a magical mirror, Freya has the power to freeze things with her mind. When Freya’s heart is broken, she moves far away and builds her own icy kingdom and army, which includes Eric (Hemsworth) and Sara (Jessica Chastain).

Theron, Blunt and Chastain are three of the most acclaimed actresses working in Hollywood today, and even they can’t make up for the inconsistent tone and awful pacing.

The huntsman character is just not interesting enough to warrant his own movie, and there are too many references to a character we never see (Snow White). The most out-ofplace, yet entertaining, elements of Winter’s War are two dwarfs played

by Rob Brydon and Nick Frost providing the comic relief that is right out of an Edgar Wright film. Hemsworth has been struggling to find success outside of Marvel since 2014, and it looks like he’s going to have to keep looking. SC www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SC LIVING San Clemente

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

Micro Beer, Macro Heart

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

Mars and Venus Revisited

I

n April, 1992, John Gray published Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. Gray used the metaphor comparing men and women as being from different planets to explain the different views they have when it comes to the relationships between them. The book spent 121 weeks on the bestseller list and more than 50 million copies have been sold.

I received an email from Randy, who wrote: “The expectations and perceptions between men and women are sometimes so foreign to each other, I start to believe the Mars and Venus analogy.”

Randy’s comment caught my attention since I was fortunate enough to have John Gray provide a testimonial for the back cover of my book, Finding Love After 50. How to Begin. Where to Go. What to Do, published in 2003. I felt Gray made a lot of sense in his Mars and Venus comparison.

So, I read the rest of Randy’s email. He said, “As I have matured, I have found there is a massive understanding gap between men and women. One would think by this point in life that ON LIFE AND mature singles would LOVE AFTER 50 be ‘in-sync’ but that is

By Tom Blake unfortunately not true.

“For most women, a relationship seems to be a life-long commitment that is prioritized above all else. I suspect most men in my age group (60s-70s) who have been single for some time, are looking for something a little less structured and rigid. They are looking for companionship with someone they enjoy and hopefully some mutually common interests without the sometimes pressure and stress of a ‘formal’ relationship.”

Randy belongs to two social groups that have nearly an equal number of men and women. He asked the men whether they were interested in a long-term, committed relationship.

“Without exception, all answered yes, ‘If the right woman comes along.’ Although this sounded pretty encouraging, upon further questioning of what ‘the right woman’ would be, I found that almost all of the men set such high expectations that it would probably take God’s direct intervention to make it happen.

“When I brought this to the men’s attention, all agreed with my assessment and embarrassingly admitted that they really weren’t looking all that hard and never expected it to happen anyway.

What they were actually looking for was a comfortable and unstructured San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

relationship, which included someone they enjoyed being with for trips, dinners, social gatherings and sometimes just good conversation.”

I asked Randy if this was a friendswith-benefits situation (sex but no c ommitment).

He said, “Believe it or not, sex was rarely a criteria. Companionship was the most often used term and led me to the conclusion that in today’s words, the men were almost all looking for female BFFs (acronym for best friends forever).”

Randy continued: “I have been in five different relationships since the loss of my wife of 38 years, 10 years ago. All of these women were wonderful and exciting and a great addition to my life and all are now long-term friends.”

I asked Randy why his relationships didn’t last.

He said, “With one exception, I broke up with them after a year or two because they started expecting more that I could give. Since I wasn’t prepared to go that extra step, I was doing the women a disservice by continuing the relationship and I should free them up so they could pursue what they needed, wanted and deserved. Most have now found the longterm partners they longed for and now they understand the reason for the breakup.”

Randy finished by saying, “Both partners need to understand what the other’s definition of a relationship is, and what their expectations are. If these are not ‘in sync,’ each person needs to examine the relationship closely and determine whether to move on to avoid heartbreak and the resulting bitterness.

“There are millions of us lonely people out here searching for our soul mates.

With a little honest communication and understanding, many of us can still find what we are searching for.”

John Gray had it right in 1992. And even today, how men and women view relationships hasn’t changed much.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point resident and a former Dana Point businessman who has authored several books on middleaged dating. His latest book can be found online at www.smashwords.com/books/ view/574810. See his website at www. findingloveafter60.com (Yes, after 60; time rolls on.) To comment: tompblake@gmail. com. SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SCTimes 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 SCTimes or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Micro-Brew Fest Raises More Funds for Military Families

A group of people pose for a photo holding mugs of micro-brew samples. Photo: Eric Heinz

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

ommy Hadjis, the general manager of Left Coast Brewing Co. in San Clemente, conceptualized a way to raise funds for military members and their families by bringing Orange County microbreweries together for a day of enjoying adult refreshments, food and music.

What began six years ago during the beginning of the microbrewery boom has now flourished into an event that draws tens of thousands of people to sample some of the finest libations Southern California has to offer.

A throng of people was in attendance at this year’s San Clemente Micro-Brew Fest on April 23 at Left Coast Brewing Co. headquarters in San Clemente.

“When I came into the company in about 2006, three years later my goal was always to put on a beer festival here in San Clemente,” Hadjis said. “I wanted to showcase Orange County beers; I wanted to showcase (Left Coast) and I wanted to

raise a boatload for charity.”

Through networking with the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce and breweries in the area, Hadjis recruited vendors to participate by putting the proceeds from the festival toward “welcome home” events for military members returning from deployment.

Hadjis said last year about $17,000 was raised to support the cause.

“This year I hope we raise over $20,000,” Hadjis said. “Six years ago, craft breweries were not that popular, but now look at it.”

More than 15 breweries were present at the April 23 festival. A lot of the breweries are part of the Orange County Brewers Guild and some came from Los Angeles.

“The first time we sell out pre-sale tickets, that’s when we’ll have to move it somewhere else, and we still haven’t done that,” Hadjis said. “We’re getting close and we can still sell tickets at the door.”

For more information, visit www.leftcoastbrewing.com. 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: Easy

Page 12

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

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC LIVING

Business Beat News from San Clemente’s business community COMPILED BY ERIC HEINZ

New Business FINANCIALADVISORS.COM 949.689.4390 www.financialadvisors.com Find on Facebook Jim Eckel, president of Financial Advisors, recently developed a website that allows his 25 years of networking experience to connect advisers to each other as well as clients.

Jim Eckel, president of FinancialAdvisors.com, shows the website he designed to help finance and other advisers network with clients and peers.

Photo: Eric Heinz

The product directs interested parties to insurance, investment, real estate, loan and tax advisers. Currently there is no charge to be listed on the website, and Eckel is networking with professionals in order to grow the site’s presence. Once the website retains a “critical mass” of profiles and web hits, there may be a fee or opportunities to host advertising, Eckel said.

“These people are all test driving this website,” Eckel said. “The problem with directories sometimes is they want you to pay up front, but it hasn’t been proven to be effective yet. So I thought, let’s not charge at first and then when they get some referrals, I’ll let them decide if my site has value.”

The system will also track web data for each adviser, such as site hits and searches. Eckel said he hopes to develop the network to reach advisers nationally.

“There’s nothing out there that allows people to find information on specific advisers,” Eckel said. “What my site creates is a way for (realtors) to work with tax advisers, so it’s an approach for the consumer to give referrals to professionals but also for the advisers to give referrals to each other.”

Eckel said the objective of giving professionals and consumers the chance to refer each other will help grow the network’s credibility.

He said once his website hits that critical mass, he will hire a company to certify advisers on the website, in the same way San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

that Facebook and Twitter authenticate popular accounts.

Renovation SOUTH COAST FURNITURE & MATTRESS 109 Calle de los Molinos 949.492.5589 www.southcoastfurniture.com For nearly 60 years, South Coast Furniture & Mattress has operated on Calle de los Molinos in the same location. The family-owned business buys, sells and trades furniture.

Recently, the business began going through a bit of a face-lift through a community development grant provided by the city of San Clemente. Owners Dale and Mary Ross said the store will change their familiar awning and frontage to a more modern and bright look.

The furniture store is more accessible than in recent months because of the underground telephone wiring work that was being done in the area. Construction had been taking place since February 2015, making parking and accessibility difficult.

A few months ago, the city of San Clemente celebrated the “Last Pole Out” of the Calle de los Molinos area, which marked the end of a project to remove power lines and replace streetlights in order to beautify the neighborhood.

A grand re-opening of the business will likely take place in the next few months.

“The family has been involved in the business all these years, and we like the business,” Dale said, adding that he worked at the business under his brother for 25 years until he retired. His nephews and other family members still work at the store. “We try to give good service and reasonable prices. A lot of our business is referred to through word-of-mouth.”

Owners of South Coast Furniture & Mattress, Dale (left) and Mary Ross plan to have a grand re-opening once renovations are complete. Photo: Eric Heinz

Page 15

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SPORTS & OUTDOORS San Clemente

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Tesoro High School student Sebastian Hernandez prepares to compete in the softball toss.

Dana Hills senior Catherine Azaula, right, hangs out with Fred Newhart Middle School student Avery Freis during the Special Olympics spring games.

Tesoro High School student Amanda McClure participates in the softball toss.

Alexa Rojas of Dana Hills High School competes in the 100-meter dash.

Event emcee Merritt Grimm kicks off the Special Olympics spring games with the help of athletes O’Shea Smith, left, and Jonathan Hormuth, both from Dana Hills High School.

Niguel Hills High School student Megan Wesselman smiles as Dana Hills cheerleaders welcome her to the Special Olympics spring games.

Let the Games Begin Dana Hills High School hosts CUSD Special Olympics Orange County spring games TEXT BY STEVE BREAZEALE, PHOTOS BY ALLISON JARRELL, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

S

ome 230 special education studentathletes were given an Olympic-style welcome at Dana Hills High School as part of the Capistrano Unified School District’s Special Olympics Orange County spring games on April 25.

San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

Athletes from San Clemente High School, Dana Hills, Marco Forster Middle School, Tesoro High, Newhart Middle School and Niguel Hills Middle School filled the Dana Hills gym for the opening ceremonies. When the athletes entered the gym, 250 student, faculty and parent volunteers were there to greet them and cheer them on as they prepared for the day’s Olympic-style events.

But before the day’s athletic events could begin, everyone had to get loose.

A dance party erupted in the gym, with athletes, student volunteers and parents rocking out to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” Later in the morning, Dana Hills sophomore Riley McCoy led the crowd in singing the national anthem.

The athletes then took the field at Dolphins Stadium and participated in the 100-meter dash, 25-meter wheelchair race, long jump, softball toss and standing long jump. There were also hula hoop con-

tests and obstacle courses set up for the athletes.

Just over one month ago, CUSD did not have a home venue for the event and it was in danger of being cancelled. Special Olympics Orange County reached out to Dana Hills High School and the two parties agreed the school would be a suitable venue for the games. In four short weeks, Dana Hills faculty and student government rallied to pull it off.

In order for the event to take place, Special Olympics Orange County mandates that each athlete have their own personal volunteer. All 100 members of the associated student union at Dana Hills pledged to volunteer, along with the entire Dolphins football program. Once word spread around campus, even more students wanted to sign up.

“It was really positive. I had random kids that I had never seen or talked to before come up to me and ask to partici-

Page 17

pate in this,” Dana Hills senior and ASU member Claire O’Melveny said. “All the kids on campus are really excited to see the outcome.”

DHHS co-activities director Brittany Casey said the event showcased the strong relationship between CUSD’s Structured Teaching, Educationally-based, Promoting Independence and Student-Centered Instruction (STEPS) program for students with special needs and campuses throughout the district.

“It’s an experience that changes the lives of the participants and the people who are volunteering,” Casey said. “It’s that bond and respect for each other and that camaraderie and the family atmosphere … To be able to spread that through CUSD is really important to all of us.”

Casey said Dana Hills is open to becoming a permanent host venue for the spring games. SC www.sanclementetimes.com

Locals Only

BUSINESS DIRECTORY ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT

Body Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program

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

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

Eric Johnson, D.D.S.

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

Shoreline Dental Studio Kristen Ritzau, DDS

122 Avenida Cabrillo, 949.245.6046, www.shorelinedentalstudio.com

EDIBLE LANDSCAPING

Organics Out Back

949.354.2258, www.organicsoutback.com

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

HAULING

Cheapest Hauling

Call Robert 949.973.6288

HOME DÉCOR

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

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

Syrens Hair Parlor

PLUMBING

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

A to Z Leak Detection

San Clemente, 949.481.7013, www.atozleakdetection.com

SCHOOLS

Bill Metzger Plumbing

1218 Puerta Del Sol, 949.492.3558, www.billmetzerplumbing.com

Karl Aiken Plumbing-Rooter San Clemente, 949.366.8302

HOME REPAIRS/IMPROVEMENT

Capistrano Valley Raingutters Scott Williams, 949.542.7750

Hoover Construction 949.292.6778

JEWELRY

Paradise Jewelers

166 Avenida Del Mar, 949.361.6661, www.paradisejewelers.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

MOTORCYLE PARTS & SERVICE

Capistrano Valley Christian Schools

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

SECONDHAND/ CONSIGNMENT SHOPS

POOL SERVICE, REPAIR, REMODEL

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

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

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

SWIMMING SCHOOL

SC Pool & Spa Works

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

REAL ESTATE

Marcie George Star Real Estate South County

949.690.5410, marciegeorge@cox.net

“Sandy & Rich” - ReMax

949.293.3236, www.sandyandrich.com

RESTAURANTS

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

Café Calypso

114 Avenida Del Mar #4, 949.366.9386

SALONS

949.246.8345, www.sanclementewebsitedesign.com

LIST LOCALS ONLY USE LOCALS ONLY

Salon Bamboo

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

Salon Bleu

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

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

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

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD

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

OBITUARY

Frances Root

Frances Root, 96, passed away April 18, 2016. Frances was born in Pennsylvania and served in the WAC during WW2.

She was a teacher and a graduate of USC. Frances was married for 65 years to Harry Root Esq., who preceded her in death. She and her husband lived in San Clemente for over 40 years.

They were both active members of the community and the San Clemente Historical Society. Frances loved to play golf. She loved watching sports on television, but mainly baseball and the Angels! You would often see

her walking to the pier or waiting for the bus. She would take the bus to visit Harry at the nursing home in Laguna Hills when he became ill. She is survived by her late niece Emma & husband Carl and their children Kim, Gary and Diane, her niece Kathleen Hooper and her daughters Jenny, Beth, Cindy and Susie. Frances leaves behind many friends, including her next door neighbor, Sandee Dockings whom became a dear close friend.

Frances and her husband were very special. They loved each other dearly.

During their candlelight dinners, Frances and Harry would always toast to 3 things - “being thankful for each other, good health and bless our troops”! Thank you to all who looked after her over the years. Lesneski Mortuary is handling arrangements.

CLASSIFIEDS

Submit your classified ad at www.sanclementetimes.com

GARAGE SALES HUGE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE! Forster Highlands, San Clemente.

7am-12pm Sat. April 30. Camino De Estrella go East and Follow signs.

ANTIQUE/ESTATE SALE Sofa/Chair, Chandelier, lamps & tables, cartons of doll-house/miniature fun., books + etc. April 30, 7 AM to Noon, 6334 Camino Marinero, SC NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE Huge 30+ families, treasures to trinkets. Exit I-5, Go east on Camino Las Ramblas and follow the signs. Sunday April 30, 8 am - 1 pm. Sponsored

by Donna Sullivan, Coldwell Banker MULTI FAMILY GARAGE SALE Antique bed, antique corner cabinet, tables, desk, dresser, sofa, night stands, patio sets, chairs. Antiques, art, lamps, linens, clothing/shoes, 8’ El Toro sailboat, hull only and more.

Saturday, April 30, 8am, 608 Via Promontorio, San Clemente FABULOUS GARAGE SALE Sat April 30th, 8a-4p. Clothes, home furnishings, etc. 2904 La Ventana, SC 92672 GARAGE SALE: MAY 1, 8AM-1PM Architectural Digest Magazines.

Antiques, Clothing, Jewelry, Household goods, Decorative items. Most of the Street is participating. 4904 Calle Vida. Forster Highlands

HELP WANTED SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET NOW IN SAN CLEMENTE! Hiring NOW for Bakery, Deli and Produce clerks.

Apply online at www.sprouts.com/ careers. Stop by the store and see our Store Manager 350 Camino de Estrella

SERVICES HANDYMAN CHRIS Flat screen TV’s installed, anything Electrical, Plumbing, Finish Carpentry, Drywall Repairs, Mold and Wood Rot issues, Waterproofing, Decks and Patio covers repaired, Doors, Windows, Kitchens and Baths, Water Damage Restoration, Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication and Much More. Phone Chris – 949 510 6645 WOOD DECK REPAIR WIZZARD Wood Rot Repair Certified Specialist, Wood Decks, Balconies, Patio Covers + Outside Stairs Repaired / Replaced, New Decking Systems, All work Guaranteed. Phone Chris - 949 510 6645

SC n te S a n C le m e

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call 949.388.7700, ext. 111 or email slantz@sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times April 28–May 4, 2016

Page 19

www.sanclementetimes.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

Triton Report

Triton Report:

By The Numbers COMPILED BY STEVE BREAZEALE

7

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

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

Number of earned runs allowed by senior pitcher Andre Pallante in 53 2/3 innings. Pallante boasts a sparkling 0.91 ERA and a 5-1 overall record as a starter.

Boys Golf Crowned Co-League Champs The San Clemente boys golf team fired off its third-best score of the season in its final South Coast League match on April 21, ensuring it would earn a share of the league title.

The Tritons breezed past El Toro 186240 at Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club to finish league play with a 7-1 record. San Clemente will share the league championship with Dana Hills.

Shane Barreira and Beau Hagan each shot 35 (E) to earn match medalist honors against El Toro.

The Tritons were scheduled to play in the South Coast League finals April 25-26.

Results were not available at press time.

Boys Volleyball to Play Tesoro for League Title The San Clemente and Tesoro boys volleyball teams will play for the South Coast League title on April 28. The Tritons defeated Tesoro in a five-set thriller on April 12 and the re-match will decide which program claims the league championship outright.

The loss to the Tritons (19-7, 6-1 league) is the only blemish on Tesoro’s (24-5, 6-1) league resume. San Clemente will head into the tilt with the Titans as the No.

5 Number of times Pallante has pitched seven innings this season. Pallante has gone at least six innings in all but one of his eight starts.

9 The San Clemente boys golf team earned a share of the South Coast League title this season.

Photo: Steve Breazeale

8-ranked team in CIF-SS Division 1. Tesoro is the ninth-ranked team in the division.

San Clemente battled with Dana Hills back on March 29, emerging with a five-set victory, but made short work of the Dolphins in a league re-match on April 21. San Clemente swept the Dolphins in three sets behind the efforts of Kyler Presho and Jess Hunt. Presho led the team with 11 kills and four blocks while Hunt added 10 kills.

The Tritons swept Laguna Hills in three sets in its penultimate game of the regular season on April 26. Hunt tallied a gamehigh 12 kills and five blocks in the win.

Boys Lacrosse Captures League Title The San Clemente boys lacrosse team left no doubt as to its dominance in the South Coast League following a convincing 17-6 victory over rival Tesoro on April

Jess Hunt, right, sends a ball past the Dana Hills wall during a South Coast League volleyball game on April 21.

Photo: Monica Merrill

San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

22. The win clinched at least a share of the league title for the Tritons (11-8, 7-0). Four days later, the Tritons toppled Capistrano Valley 17-0 to claim the league championship outright.

San Clemente’s second win over Tesoro was a reversal of the teams’ first encounter on March 30, when the Tritons came away with a narrow one-goal victory. On April 22, the Tritons held an 11-3 lead at halftime and did not let up. Sander Lush and Josh Sanchez each scored three goals for the Tritons in the win.

San Clemente will close out the regular season on the road against Aliso Niguel on April 28.

Baseball Readies for Final Round of League Play The next two weeks of Sea View League baseball competition will undoubtedly be fierce, as four of the league’s five teams are in the mix for three available playoff spots.

Sitting in the middle of the pack is San Clemente, the defending league champion.

The Tritons (14-7-1, 3-3) will need to close strong if they are to advance to the postseason. As of April 27, the Tritons were in a tie for third place with Mission Viejo (13-9, 3-3).

San Clemente will host fi fth-place Laguna Hills on April 29, then play two games against Mission Viejo on May 4 and May 6 and one game against second-place San Juan Hills (14-9, 5-3) on May 12 to close out its regular season. San Juan Hills has a two-game lead in the league standings over San Clemente but has played two more games.

San Clemente will head into the final stretch with some momentum, having won two out of its last three games. The Tritons swept rival Dana Hills in a nonleague doubleheader on April 21 and lost to Aliso Niguel in a nonleague game on April 25.

Page 20

Consecutive matches won by the Tritons boys volleyball team, dating back to a March 19 victory over Mater Dei in the Orange County Championship tournament.

4.8 Average number of goals allowed by the San Clemente boys lacrosse defense in seven league games.

The Tritons, who clinched the South Coast League title, have outscored league opponents by a combined 91-34 margin.

6 Number of match medals won by freshman golfer Alex Pak, the fourthbest mark in Orange County.

27 Goals scored by girls lacrosse sophomore attack Kiley Buckley in 13 games. Buckley leads the team in goals and assists (10).

San Clemente pitcher Andre Pallante has a team-leading 0.91 ERA this season.

Photo: Steve Breazeale

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC San Clemente

SC SURF

SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Big Payday for World Champ

SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 58-60 degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: 4-8’ Poor-Fair THURSDAY: NW windswell rises up as modest SSW swell continues. Most breaks through the region are in the knee - waist - chest high zone, as standout combo magnets pull in sets up to shoulder high. Conditions are best early with light winds, before trending for Westerly for the afternoon.

Greg Long of San Clemente accepts $100K prize at WSL Big Wave Awards

OUTLOOK: New, better SSW swell builds in for this weekend as small NW swells mix in. Conditions are looking most favorable in the mornings when winds are lightest, before trending onshore each afternoon. Stay tuned and check the full premium forecast on Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook.

BY ANDREA SWAYNE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

he 16th annual World Surf League Big Wave Awards rose to greater heights this year thanks not only to the daredevil athletes brave enough, and highly skilled enough, to ride the world’s most monstrous waves, but also to the El Niño weather pattern that delivered new challenges throughout the winter season.

The event was held, once again, at the Grove Theater in Anaheim on Saturday, April 23, complete with a Hollywood-style red carpet.

Returning to the top, Greg Long of San Clemente was officially crowned the 2015/2016 WSL Big Wave World Tour champion, his second world title, having also won in 2012. A highlight of the evening was his trophy presentation, which came along with the largest prize of the night—a $100,000 payday Long earned by making the finals at event No. 2, Todos Santos in Mexico, and then clinching the series in February at event No. 3 with an amazing performance at Jaws during the Pe’ahi Challenge in Maui, Hawaii.

In his acceptance speech, Long expressed his sincere appreciation to the sport that has allowed him to follow his

GROM OF THE WEEK

BROOKLYN HULSE

B

rooklyn Hulse, 17, of San Clemente is relatively new to competitive surfing but already making a name for herself in the Western Surfing Association Championship Tour ranks and as a member of her school team.

Brooklyn, a senior, joined the San Clemente High School team at the beginning of the second semester this year, changing sports from the SCHS varsity tennis team.

Having grown up in a surfing family— her dad George Hulse competed as a pro surfer, and she has two brothers who also surf—Brooklyn began learning to ride waves at an early age but just recently found her passion for the sport.

“My dad taught me how to surf when I

San Clemente Times April 28-May 4, 2016

Greg Long of San Clemente accepts his WSL Big Wave World Tour Championship trophy and $100,000 prize on April 23 at the 16th annual WSL Big Wave Awards in Anaheim. Photo: Andrea Swayne

dreams—surfing, traveling and meeting so many “incredible and inspiring people.”

“At the end of every winter I say, ‘How does it ever get bigger or better,’” Long said. “I know that I’m around the most incredible people in the world. This sport is only going forward to greater heights.”

Long was also nominated for two Big Wave awards, Barrel of the Year and Overall Performance of the Year.

Long’s Barrel of the Year nomination was earned via a gargantuan barrel he conquered at Jaws—the ride that ultimately clinched his world title. When the final announcement for the category was made, so was history. For the first time ever, a woman competing on equal footing with the men came away with the award. Hawaiian Keala Kennelly claimed this year’s Barrel

of the Year award for a ride at Teahupoo in Tahiti. As she accepted her award, Kennelly gave thanks to everyone who ever told her she couldn’t do something because she is a woman.

The Men’s Overall Performance Award was given to Shane Dorian (Hawaii), along with Ride of the Year honors.

Long, who came in third for Overall Performance this year, previously won Ride of the Year in 2014.

Hawaiian Aaron Gold won the Best Paddle Award and set a new Guinness World Record for paddling into a massive 63-foot wave at Jaws. The Women’s Best Performance Award went to Brazilian Andrea Moller and the XXL Biggest Wave Award went to Yuri Soledad (Hawaii) for a 73-foot ride at Jaws. SC

was about 10, but I only started loving it and wanting to get better as a freshman,” she said. “I love competing. I’ve always been a competitive person, in tennis and other sports, and I like that it drives me to be better and want to improve. I am hoping to continue competing in college.”

Now in her first year of WSA competition, Brooklyn is currently ranked No. 14 among a field of 34 in Girls U18 Shortboard.

In school, Brooklyn is an A and B student who is planning to attend either Point Loma Nazarene University or Saddleback College in the fall to pursue a course of study that incorporates her interests in athletics and early childhood development.

“I love working with kids,” she said. “I am on the leadership team at my youth group and really enjoy setting a good example for underclassmen and making sure they feel welcomed. I also work at Barre 3, looking after clients’ kids while they work out, and I am going to work at JP Surf Camp

during the summer, teaching kids how to surf, so I’m really excited about that too.”

When not concentrating on her studies or working on her surfing, Brooklyn also enjoys skateboarding, beach volleyball and playing tennis with her older brother.

During surf training, with coaching help from dad, Brooklyn is currently working on trying to catch more waves in the first couple minutes of her competition heats and “generating more speed right away when I stand up,” she said.

“I know surfing is going to be something I’ll enjoy for the rest of my life,” she said. “I don’t really know where it’s going to take me over the next few years but hopefully I’ll be on a college team and continuing to progress. We’ll just see where God takes me from there. But it would definitely be my dream to become a professional surfer.”

Brooklyn is known among her friends for her wit, humor, loyalty and Godliness.

“I think trusting in God that everything

Page 22

UPCOMING EVENTS April 22-24: WSA Championship Tour, Event No. 9, with make-up heats from event No. 6 and No. 7, Dana Point, Salt Creek Beach April 23-24: NSSA Explorer, Events No. 9 and No. 10, Huntington Beach, 9th Street May 7-8: Surfing America Prime, Event No. 6, Camp Pendleton, DMJ May 14-15: WSA West Coast Championships, San Onofre State Park, Church Beach May 19-22: NSSA West Coast Championships, Huntington Beach, Pier June 4: Soul Surf Series, Championship, San Onofre State Park, Church Beach June 9-12: Surfing America USA Championships, all longboard, adult, SUP and adaptive divisions, Oceanside Harbor, North Jetty June 20-23: Surfing America USA Championships, all youth shortboard divisions, San Onofre State Park, Lower Trestles June 11-13: NSSA National Interscholastic College, High School and Middle School Championships, Dana Point, Salt Creek Beach June 26-July 3: NSSA Open, Explorer and Airshow National Championships, Huntington Beach Pier

Brooklyn Hulse. Photo: Andrea Swayne

will work out and knowing that Jesus died for our sins and that our sins are forgiven is important,” Brooklyn said. “More than anything else, my relationship with God is the most important thing in my life.”

—Andrea Swayne www.sanclementetimes.com