September 29, 2016

LO C A L

September 29-October 5, 2016 N EWS

YO U

C A N

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29th Annual SeaFest Slated for Sunday PAGE 4 VOLUME 11, ISSUE 39

Open Swim Ole Hanson Beach Club grand reopening scheduled for Friday, Sept. 30 EYE ON SC/PAGE 4

The grand reopening of the Ole Hanson Beach Club is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 30 at the club, 105 W. Avenida Pico.

Photo: Eric Heinz

Planning Commission Sends Zoning for Emergency Shelter to City Council EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

Toast to the Casa Raises $135K for Programs, Facilities SC LIVING/PAGE 17

www.sanclementetimes.com

Column: Baseball World Prepares for Life After Vin Scully SPORTS/PAGE 21

ELECTION 2016: CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES DISCUSS SOBER LIVING ISSUES

SC EYE ON SC San Clemente

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

are eligible for a plaque or other kind of recognition, he said. Kids Around the World also has food programs in which they donate to neighborhoods in need.

WHAT’S NEXT: To find out more about Kids Around the World or to donate and volunteer for their endeavors, visit www.katw.net. —EH

Five things San Clemente should know this week

241 Toll Road Forum to Take Place in San Clemente

Planning Commission Approves Zoning for Emergency Shelter THE LATEST: On Wednesday, Sept. 21, the Planning Commission took the first steps in rectifying the city’s lack of zoning for an emergency shelter, which is also subject to shelters for homeless people, as part of its requirements to Senate Bill 2.

The city recently lost a lawsuit regarding the law that stipulates municipalities must make areas accessible to developers who want to establish a shelter. What happened was the city did designate areas for a shelter but only on city surplus land. No private entities were able to broker a deal for a shelter unless they went through the city, but a judge ruled that to be out of compliance with the law’s intention.

The city currently has some transitional housing like Gilcrest House, Henderson House and Laura’s House, but these do not satisfy SB 2, said Amber Gregg, an associate planner with the city.

In 2014, the city zoned an SB 2 overlay for city surplus properties, but because it would be up to the city as to how the land was managed, organizations that submitted proposals for shelters had to go through the discretion of the city and not private owners. This, the recent judgment read, was how the city was out of compliance with the law.

The locations for where the proposed zoning would be are parts of the Rancho San Clemente Business Park and the Calle De Industrias area.

The homeless population is always changing so it’s hard to know how much capacity an emergency shelter would need to have, officials said. The most recent numbers from Orange County show there are about 4,500 homeless people in the entire county. The city uses a matrix that divides that number for San Clemente, indicating the city has about 60 people who are chronically homeless.

Commissioners considered what the best area to establish zoning for a shelter would be, given the new rideshare program the city is establishing in lieu of the two bus routes that are to be discontinued in San Clemente on Oct. 9.

“We have to make a land use decision to comply with state law,” Planning CommisSan Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

People gathered to attend the launch of San Clemente Village on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Outlets at San Clemente. Photo: Eric Heinz

sion Chairman Don Brown said during the meeting. He said the writ of mandate from the court restricted the city’s options, and that there are “no good areas, there’s only viable areas. It’s not easy for us who volunteered for this job (Planning Commission).”

The Planning Commission approved most of the original recommendations with the addition of changing the number of beds to a number lower than 70 in certain areas. They also approved the recommendation of at least 200-foot buffers from schools and the Rancho San Clemente business park.

WHAT’S NEXT: The City Council will have to approve the new zoning by the end of October. On Oct. 18, the last meeting of the month, City Council must adopt a new ordinance and the second reading on Nov. 1 must establish the new zoning overlay.

—Eric Heinz

San Clemente Village Launches Membership Network THE LATEST: San Clemente Village, a network of members ages 55 and older, launched its organization on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Outlets at San Clemente.

The organization helps seniors live more independent lives and connects them to the broader community. Members can volunteer time and have people volunteer work for them in a symbiotic relationship.

WHAT’S NEXT: For more information

about the organization, visit www.sanclementevillage.com. —Staff

Kids Around the World Sends Playground Equipment Abroad THE LATEST: As San Clemente’s old playground equipment gets replaced and refurbished, it will be sent to other places around the world—such as San Clemente, Chile.

The organization Kids Around the World has been working with the city to “recycle” the old playground equipment and donate it to cities that can use it.

“The most recent project is a park in Marblehead, and we took out a playground with the help of local volunteers, and we have it currently stored there, refurbishing it,” said Chris Marshall, vice president of global advancement with Kids Around the World.

The organization also sends volunteers to the country they benefit. The volunteers are there about seven days including travel. Marshall said it’s not just restricted to adults. High school students looking to improve their college resumes or just gain the experience of volunteering abroad are also welcome to apply, depending on the time of the year.

Marshall said the city of San Clemente donated $10,000 for the Marblehead project, but they’re still about $15,000 short.

“Our goal is to get the word out to local businesses to be a part of the project,” Marshall said.

Organizations that donate to the cause

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THE LATEST: The plan to extend the 241 Toll Road was burned by local governments and eventually charred by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board in 2015. Now, a new plan is rising from the ashes.

Recently, Councilwoman Kathy Ward, the San Clemente liaison to the Transportation Corridor Agencies, presented the City Council with the new proposals to extend the 241, which includes proposals of extending a road through Cristianitos, another road that would connect to the Pico/La Pata intersection and a few other plans.

You can see the list of proposals at www. sanclementetimes.com under this story.

WHAT’S NEXT: A community forum will be hosted by Get Moving Orange County, an organization that addresses “transportation mobility concerns in South Orange County,” according to its website. The forum takes place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at St. Andrews by-the-Sea, located at 2001 Calle Frontera in San Clemente. —EH

Camino De Estrella Closures Coming This Weekend THE LATEST: An extended temporary closure of the Camino De Estrella northbound on-ramp is planned starting Friday, Sept. 30. Construction crews will close the Camino De Estrella on-ramp to the northbound I-5 Freeway. Construction workers will switch traffic to the new portion of the ramp and begin working on the old portion of the ramp.

When the on-ramp reopens, people will be detoured to Camino Las Ramblas to access northbound I-5 and northbound Pacific Coast Highway. The detour will be in place for up to three months.

WHAT’S NEXT: For more information, email the South County I-5 Improvements Project team at southoc5info@octa.net.

The construction is planned to end at 5 a.m. Monday morning, Oct. 3. —EH www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

Open Swim

Ole Hanson Beach Club reopens to the public

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

A

fter about five years of closure, a $5.6 million price tag and a contingency waiting with baited breath, the Ole Hanson Beach Club (OHBC) is reopening on Friday, Sept. 30.

Built in 1931, the structure was basically rotting in 2011, according to city officials.

Much of the building’s structural integrity had been subject to the ravages of time.

When the city closed it down in 2011, the price to restore it was about $1.2 million. It was quickly discovered there was more than what meets the eye to repair: the old pool was buried under the last pool, the wood was rotting within a lot of places, the roof needed to be redone—essentially, it needed to be flipped.

Part of the revitalization of North Beach, the city took measures to allocate funds various times. The pool will be open Friday, but the hours of operation are still in limbo.

On Tuesday, the San Clemente Times took a tour of the swim facility.

The city has upgraded the facility to be ADA-compliant and installed double doors, which were funded by a donation from the Friends of San Clemente Beaches, Parks and Recreation Foundation, according to Amir Ilkhanipour, the city’s senior civil engineer.

Historical aspects have been followed to a tee, including redoing one of the windows that had been removed at some point in time and the colors of the balcony.

There’s also a new elevator to take people

Out to SeaFest Event will host clam chowder cook-off, surfing and more

BY VICTOR CARNO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

A

small relic of summer has made its way to the Pier during these autumn months, as the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce and The Fisherman’s Restaurant & Bar host the 29th annual San Clemente SeaFest. This year’s festivities will include a chowder cook-off, a surf competition and an arts and crafts section, in addition to having a business exposition.

“Bob Novello (from the Fisherman’s) always does well in the chowder cook-off and is the returning champ in the best chowder restaurant (category),” said Lynn Wood, president of the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce.

Awards are given to best chowder, best-decorated booth and people’s choice,

San Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

Water is poured into the refurbished baby pool at the Ole Hanson Beach Club. Both the large pool and the baby pool have been completely redone. Photo: Eric Heinz

Left: Exterior amenities have been redone or refurbished in order to keep the historical integrity of the Ole Hanson Beach Club, which will host a grand reopening on Friday, Sept. 30, after nearly five years of closure.

Right: The upstairs banquet hall of the Ole Hanson Beach Club has been refurbished with new floors, windows and other modernizations. Photos: Eric Heinz

up to the new upstairs, which is intended to hold weddings and events.

Leading to and from the upstairs, the tiles that adorn the steps have been redone, as the old ones were unsalvageable.

“Before, (OHBC) used to only house the mechanical stuff for the big pool, and the small pool’s (infrastructure) had to be redone,” Ilkhanipour said. “One of the surprises that we had was when we discov-

but all of the categories are divided into individuals and restaurants. Local dignitaries, including Councilwoman Kathy Ward, Chief of Police Services Lt. David Moodie, former Chief Sgt. Joe McClintock and San Clemente Recreation Coordinator Ken Sipes, will be the judges of the chowder cook-off. Spectators can purchase taster tickets prior to the people’s choice award to cast their own votes.

Wake up early to catch the surf competition that starts at 8 a.m. by the Pier. The competition will feature children, teens and local amateurs who will compete for first, second and third place.

Registration to compete in the competition is $25.

Wood said there are still plenty of openings available in the surf competition, but registration is required.

Along with the competitions, The Fisherman’s will be holding a lobster dinner and the Chamber of Commerce will set up a kid’s area, complete with face paint and arts and crafts.

“We are having a great turnout this year,” Wood said. “The hardest part about putting this event on is getting contes-

ered all the plumbing under the current pool. So we had to make sure everything was compatible with the historic design and codes.”

Chad Costello, who has been contracted with the city to do the construction, said new heaters and pumps have also been installed. New chemical injections have also been installed.

The bathrooms have been upgraded and installed with new amenities.

“Everybody is anxious to get in,” Costello said. “Many of the exterior windows have been maintained. We had to maintain certain aspects of mosaic tiles, and there’s a lot that had to go through revisions.”

The pools are expected to be just about done on Friday.

A new pump station has been put in place in order to maximize water efficiency, Costello said.

Dave Rebensdorf, deputy public works director, said there is a modern IT room, as well as a bridal room for weddings and other uses.

“A lot of the rehabilitation challenges, you see—it’s a 90-year-old building—so trying to get it up to standards, especially with its proximity to the ocean, it sustained a lot of damage,” Rebensdorf said.

The foundation of the OHBC also had to be maintained in order to keep the structure’s integrity. All the landscaping has been redone, and a field of emerald grass skirts the circumference of the building.

One change people may notice is the wall surrounding the structure no longer has the historical windows. Ilkhanipour said the walls were so deteriorated and wouldn’t hold up to new standards with new windows.

The grand opening is at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30. SC

The SeaFest clam chowder cook-off is one of the city’s most popular fall events. SeaFest takes place Sunday, Oct. 2, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at San Clemente Pier. Photo: File

tants, because we know they have to devote a lot of their time, and we are so thankful for that.”

Admission is free to the event, which takes place Sunday, Oct. 2. The chowder cook-off starts at 9:15 a.m. and the winners

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are announced at 3 p.m. There will be a free shuttle available at San Clemente High School, 700 Avenida Pico, throughout the course of the festival.

For more information and to register for events, visit www.scchamber.org. SC www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC EYE ON THE ELECTION 2016

City Council Candidates on Sober Living Homes

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

I

n the next three weeks leading up to our election guide, the San Clemente Times will provide questions answered by candidates regarding issues in the city.

Sober living homes are protected at the state and federal level, but the city of San Clemente has taken its own steps to try to regulate how they’re used and where they can operate. Currently, the city is in litigation with a few sober living and treatment providers regarding misuse of operation.

We asked the candidates how they would regulate sober living homes and if they would take a different approach to the current city model.

The candidates’ answers are in the order in which their name will appear on the November election ballot.

Question: What changes would you make to the way San Clemente regulates sober living homes or boarding homes?

STEVE SWARTZ Swartz said there is precedent to addressing sober living homes that San Clemente could look at to further their regulations of such facilities.

“I would have taken on the sober living homes directly, … somewhat similar as to what they did in Costa Mesa, coming up with an ordinance regarding proximity and the way they operate,” Swartz said, adding he wouldn’t have combined regulation of them together with short-term rentals, as San Clemente voted to do.

In Costa Mesa, up to 33 homes were pegged to be shut down following an agreement between the operator and the city. Fewer, larger homes and group counseling areas were allowed to continue.

“They should be licensed as businesses, they should be controlled as businesses and should lose the ability to do so if they violate our rules,” Swartz said.

San Clemente Times asked Swartz how he would want to enforce those laws.

San Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

“We need to beef up our (Code Compliance Services). The people in our code enforcement have been really good,” Swartz said.

He said he’d be surprised if there were less than 300 facilities in the city, many of which are unlicensed, which poses a regulation problem.

“You can’t identify them unless there’s a complaint, and the ones that aren’t getting complaints, those aren’t the ones I’m worried about. It’s all the ones we do have a problem with,” Swartz said.

San Clemente Times asked if there’s much more the city could do or is this now up to the federal and state governments to regulate the facilities?

Swartz said the proximity between homes could be amended, and that the city could look at Huntington Beach, where they “created their own city prosecutor who can go after repeat offenders.”

CHRIS HAMM Hamm believes the ordinance the city enacted has been a positive first step to regulating sober living homes, but that designating an area and a facility to meet ongoing needs is imperative.

“We need to create a place for them so they can’t just proliferate uncontrolled, which is what they’ve been doing in San Clemente for the past few years,” Hamm said of sober living homes.

There is a difference between regulating these facilities in residential and commercial areas, Hamm said, and any regulation the city puts on the books needs to reflect that.

“The commercial side is a little bit easier, and I think we regulated that,” he said.

“We created a place near the hospital so they can get the treatment they need, and then as far as the residential side goes, I’m open to anything further than what we’ve done with those three ordinances. I think that’s just the beginning.

“If you go talk to the big players, they’ll tell you that San Clemente is their hub,” he added. “So we’re taking an unfair share of what you would call the addiction-recovery business, and it’s showing.”

San Clemente Times asked Hamm if he has had any personal issues with sober living homes in his neighborhood.

“I have one right down the street from me, and the classic things are people are up all times of the night. They’re being noisy, they’re being rambunctious, they’re smoking cigarettes, there’s lots of debris around that one particular property,” he said.

San Clemente Times asked if Hamm feels any pressure from the city to do more than it has already done to regulate them.

“One of my priorities is to do more. San Clemente is a pretty special place … so we need to do everything we can to protect it,” he said.

PAMELA JOY GLASS Glass believes that sober living homes have no place in San Clemente, and that many take advantage of people suffering with addiction.

“Out the door you go.

Out the door you go.

Out the door you go. Every single one of them,” Glass said of sober living homes.

“When I was young, 20 years old, the therapist said ‘Pamela needs to be out on her own, independent, in her own apartment. That means employment, clocking in and clocking out and paying income taxes.’ So these sober living homes steal from these people at opportunities to be independent, and they just put them into another ‘Mommy and daddy, I’m dependent on you’ dialogue. It’s not healthy, and, like I have experienced through my 63 years of life, I have seen people that, because they’re veterans, the government can’t pick them up and can’t kick them out, so their rent stays the same.”

Glass said there will be ongoing concerns with drug abuse if the proposition to legalize marijuana in the state passes.

That initiative, Proposition 64, would still allow cities to ban sales and commercial cultivation, and San Clemente has put preemptive regulations on the books.

“It’s kind of like you waste a whole lifetime instead of pushing yourself to the limit,” she said. “I really find sober living distasteful, but if they can’t be pushed out the door with the marijuana beast and getting that initiative off the ballot … they suffer the consequences by even desiring to live that kind of life.

“We have our Pledge of Allegiance to live independently, not to claim ‘Oh, I’m a heroin addict. I’m an alcoholic. I have 12 steps.’ Excuse me, but you can tell how much it annoys me,” Glass said.

ROBERT “BOB” BAKER Baker believes the ordinance that City Council passed to regulate sober living homes in conjunction with short-term rentals is working.

“We (City Council) spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into crafting this sober living home ordinance that we passed, and we’re seeing the fruit that it’s bearing,” Baker said. “There are sober living homes leaving town every day because we’re putting pressure on them to operate within the rules and regulations set down. The ones that are leaving town are the ones that refuse to operate that way.”

The city’s ordinance limits boarding homes and sober living facilities to higherdensity zones, requires a permit and

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maintains that they cannot operate within 300 feet of one another. Baker said seeing how the ordinance works on a longer scale will be the true test of its merit.

“We need to have more time to see how much fruit is does bear,” He added.

“They are leaving town. We’ve been sued, of course, over that. We think we’re on very solid ground and we’ll see where that takes us, but I would say for the foreseeable future, unless we get something from the federal government, Congressman (Darrell) Issa and his speech (at a sober living home forum Sept. 1), his term was they’re ‘abusing the Americans with Disabilities Act.’ To me, those are very strong words, and that’s a very good statement.

I’m very encouraged by the fact he’s taken steps to get this solved, or at the very least get us some relief at the federal level.”

San Clemente Times asked Baker if he had spoken to any of the operators in compliance with the city code. Baker said he did not want to comment on any discussions he’s had at this time.

DAN BANE Bane said there are legal issues with the sober living ordinance the city enacted, and that looking at regulation in successful neighboring cities would’ve been helpful to the process.

“I would have done the ordinance a little bit differently,” Bane said. “I would have adopted some of the ordinances like in Orange or Costa Mesa that have already withstood some legal scrutiny and have been challenged so that we could save some costs in terms of constructing legislation and not dealing with lawsuits.

“But with that said, we’ve already undertaken a process, and we have to continue on with code enforcement,” he added.

Bane said there should be an effort at the federal level to better allow municipalities to regulate sober living homes in residential areas.

“I would be very active at the City Council level, continuing to write letters, continuing to do whatever we can to lobby in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere to lobby, and partnering with others to lobby to get some change to the code,” he said.

Bane said he hopes “some conditions” are imposed to “make sure these folks aren’t just dumped on the street” after being discharged from a sober living home, or after the facility shuts down.

“They should already have to pay upfront for a ticket here and a ticket back so that it’s not incumbent on the town or wherever they’re going to figure out what to do with them once the treatment is over,” he said.

Check out next week’s edition of the San Clemente Times to see how candidates responded to questions regarding the homeless population in San Clemente. SC www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

Community Meetings FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

BLOOD DRIVE 8 a.m.-1 p.m. San Diego Blood Bank will accept blood donations. Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment for their convenience but walk-ins are also welcome. San Clemente High School, 700 Avenido Pico.

Appointments: 619.469.7322. www.sandiegobloodbank.org.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOKSTORE SALE 9 a.m.-1 p.m. San Clemente Friends of the Library Bookstore will host its monthly sale. Get information on the Career Online High School Diploma program and link your Ralphs Rewards card with San Clemente Friends of the Library online. 242 Avenida Del Mar. 949.492.3493. www.ocpl.org/libloc/sc.

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

Avenida Del Mar. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4

CITY COUNCIL MEETING 6 p.m. The City Council will host its regularly scheduled meeting. 100 Avenida Presidio, San Clemente.

949.361.8200. www.san-clemente.org.

BILY MEETING 7-9 p.m. Meets every Tuesday. Because I Love You helps parents find solutions to any crisis they are experiencing due to their children’s (adult or minor) poor choices. Presbyterian Church. 119 Avenida De La Estrella. www.bilysc.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.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5

PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 7 p.m. The San Clemente Planning Commission will host its regularly scheduled meeting. 100 Avenida Presidio, San Clemente. 949.361.8200. www.san-clemente.org.

San Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

SC Sheriff’s Blotter

were selling fundraising certificates for the San Clemente High School wrestling team, but that the team is not doing any fundraising at this time. The items they were selling were not sanctioned by the school.

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, September 26

WELFARE CHECK Camino De Los Mares, 600 Block (12:27 p.m.) A caller said a woman was pushing her 18-month-old child in a stroller. The caller said, “It’s way too hot for the kid to be outside.” The caller said when she told the woman it was 81 degrees outside, the woman flipped her off.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Calafia, 200 Block (10:36 a.m.)

A man was kicking over trash cans and being verbally argumentative with other people walking on the beach trail.

DISTURBANCE Camino De Estrella, 500 Block (10:21 a.m.) The caller said “drunk homeless people are in front of the store, yelling at customers.”

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Presidio/Avenida Pico (8:42 a.m.)

A man was loitering and not wearing a shirt while carrying “something wrapped in a blanket.” The man was also reported at 8:55 a.m. at Avenida De La Paz and La Esperanza.

Sunday, September 25 PETTY THEFT REPORT Calle Amistad, 100 Block (3:03 p.m.) The caller’s husband chased after the suspect in his car.

Saturday, September 24 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Pico, 800 Block (9:03 p.m.) Police were called for a “large brown sack.”

FRAUD REPORT Camino De Los Mares, 600 Block (1:05 p.m.) The caller said a group of children

DISTURBANCE Avenida Vista Hermosa/Avenida La Pata (8:36 a.m.) A man under the bridge was taking his clothes off.

Friday, September 23 DISTURBANCE Cañada, 200 Block (9:42 p.m.) A caller

Shorecliffs Middle School Welcomes New Principal, Fundraiser Oct. 1

NEWS BITES COMPILED BY ERIC HEINZ

SCHS Implements New Student Transition Program During freshmen orientation, which took place Aug. 9 and 10, the incoming freshmen at San Clemente High School were greeted by the new Link Crew leaders as part of an initiative designed to make their transition to high school more comfortable.

Every freshman was linked with Link Crew leaders, who are upperclassmen and are meant to be mentors who guide the freshmen throughout the school year so that they understand and discover what it means to be successful in high school.

They are prepared to answer questions, hang out with them if they are alone, or offer help in any way possible.

Throughout the school year, the Link Crew hosts one event every month solely for freshmen. Recently, they threw a tailgate party before the last football game.

The Link Crew program is headed by teacher Kristen Dimperio. The Link Crew program is fully funded by the SCHS Parent Teacher Student Association.

Shorecliffs Middle School is welcoming Dr. Brad Baker, Ph.D., as the school’s new principal.

“Not only is his education and experience extensive, including a doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern California, but we have a former Shorecliffs student returning to our campus,” Shorecliffs Educational Foundation stated in a press release.

Baker has been at the school for a short period of time, but foundation officials said they have already seen significant changes.

“At its best, education is a partnership; whenever possible, parents and teachers must inspire all children with words of encouragement and take action with kindness,” Baker said in a press release. “As a community, we must treat our children with respect and believe in their dreams.

All children will be successful if they are infused with a strong sense of resiliency supported by a proper education. Together, our task is to make this happen every day.”

Shorecliffs Educational Foundation will host a Shorecliffs Social fundraiser on Oct. 1 at the home of Stephanie and Kevin Col-

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said a drunken man was lying on the street.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY W. El Portal/Buena Vista (6:40 p.m.) A man said his ex-girlfriend drowned, but then he said he saw her walking on the beach, bloody and bruised. The woman may have walked back into the water. The woman was eventually located.

DISTURBANCE Avenida Del Reposo, 100 Block (10:30 a.m.) The caller said one of his roommate’s ex-girlfriends was inside and breaking things. The caller said the woman locked herself in the bathroom.

Thursday, September 22 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Vista Montana, 200 Block (6:25 p.m.) Police were called to a man who was reportedly looking for drugs in the bushes.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Via Armilla, 0 Block (1:34 p.m.) Police were called for three men who were going door-to-door soliciting for fertilizer. The caller said they aren’t “association gardeners.”

ANNOYING PHONE CALL Avenida De La Estrella, 600 Block (11:51 a.m.) A woman said a “mystery admirer” liked to send pizza to her in random places, such as to the gym, to her work and to her home. son. A $50 ticket includes dinner, open bar, music and auctions. Stephanie and Kevin Colson have offered their home for the benefit. The funds will go toward a stateof-the-art media center. The foundation hopes to raise $25,000. For more information, visit www.shorecliffsfoundation.org

Group Offers Opportunity to Show Appreciation for Deputies A citizens group has been formed to show their appreciation for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies in San Clemente. The San Clemente Alliance for Law Enforcement wants to raise funds to provide several services—from equipment to special dinners. The group is hoping to get funds immediately to host the dinner, and later plan to hold an annual fundraiser. If you would like to donate to police via this organization, send contributions to The Sheriffs Advisory Council, and note SCALE in the memo line, and send to SCALE, c/on Patti Brotherton, P.O. Box 3386, Dana Point, California, 92629.

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

SC SOAPBOX San Clemente

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

Letters to the Editor DISCRIMINATING AGAINST HOMELESS DOES NOT SOLVE PROBLEMS SANDRA WEAVER, San Clemente

I attended the Planning Commission meeting on Sept. 21 on the issue of our homeless population and compliance with Senate Bill 2. Of course, the room was full of NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard).

The staff presentation was pretty much a rerun of 2014 with the exception of the bus route. Because of the discontinuation of the bus service in that area, a ride-share program will be implemented. People who need a ride would have to call the service.

Do all homeless folks have cell phones?

Are there any pay phones anymore?

It appears that with all of the diligent study done by the Planning Commission, the business park is the only feasible site for a possible homeless shelter. One gentleman speaking against the site made the statement that he didn’t believe God intended him to “live like this.” I’m not exactly sure what he meant, but I believe he meant he shouldn’t have to have homeless folks in his neighborhood. I don’t think God intended for any of his children to live in poverty or without shelter. I believe he expected us to take care of one another.

Another gentleman suggested that a homeless shelter in the business park would have a negative impact on his business. What about the negative impact on the homeless person?

It was pointed out that homeless folks go through the trash, which is against the law. Maybe they are just looking for something to eat. Have we ever approached a homeless person going through the trash and offered to give them food? Have we ever asked how we might help?

I heard the homeless being regarded as “those people” numerous times. This is a real hot-button issue for me. They are not “those people.” They are human beings just like you and me. Oh yes, one speaker indicated that the homeless were not like the rest of us. Did he mean that because of their situation or appearance they were not entitled to have decent living quarters and sufficient food and water?

I do understand the concerns of the NIMBYs. But here are the facts. Because we are failing to care for one another on this planet, the government felt the need to step in and require that we take care of our homeless population. Thus, SB 2. Because of the outcry of many of our citizens, the city officials did everything they could think of to skirt around the law.

That resulted in a lawsuit in which the city was ordered to scrap what they had done and start over. The Planning Commission San Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

has found what appears to be the most workable site for a homeless shelter in San Clemente and yet many consider it unacceptable for a variety of reasons. The bottom line is the citizens of San Clemente will have to accept and adapt to whatever the best site is determined to be. How do we do that? For starters, let’s see how we can be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. Can we at least try to see a homeless person as someone needing our care? If we look at the big picture, might we see that providing the homeless with shelter and a chance to get back on their feet could be a solution rather than a problem? Should not our goal be to end homelessness in San Clemente?

The next step will be for the City Council to consider the Planning Commission’s recommendations.

IT’S NOT YOUR MONEY CORD BAUER, San Clemente

Twenty-eight years ago, the city had a great idea to add more parking near our beaches so that all of San Clemente and our visitors could enjoy them. For that, inland residents were charged a parking fee. The years went by and the funds grew to over $10 million dollars, but the city somehow had forgotten about the money—except when it was time to subsidize the Playa del Norte developer with free parking and land. Or loan the money to a city enterprise. Or buy things not permitted under the law.

One day a group of taxpayers said, “Hey, sure would love our money back, since you didn’t follow the law and spend it in five years.” But the city said “Nah. You’ll never see that money. We can do whatever we want with it because we are the city.

Ha Ha!” Because this is California, a lawsuit followed. It was a quick one, because if you take taxes for something that you never plan on building, it’s pretty much illegal.

The city lost.

But they didn’t like losing and appealed.

The city attorney was made to stand up in court this time, and all three judges literally made fun of him from the bench. “This isn’t the city’s money.” the judges admonished. “Did the city think it could keep the money forever?” they chided. The city lost, again. Boy, that must have made the City Council angry because they appealed to the state Supreme Court and lost again!

It’s OK to lose, because many times you can take away a valuable lesson. Unfortunately, this lesson came with a hefty price tag—$2.6 million. Every resident who is getting their tax money back will be missing a chunk from the $2.6 million in legal fees. Ouch!

Speaking of lessons, if I told you that the same thing is happening now with water fees taken during the drought this summer and aren’t being returned, would you

believe me?

Just imagine what would have happened if the city had simply done what they promised, or returned our money.

By the way, did I ever tell you the story about the $4.5 million cost overrun for the Ole Hanson Beach Club?

DIFFERENTIATE PAIN PATIENTS FROM PILL ABUSERS JAY GASKINS, San Clemente

There are actual people who are chronically in pain, and they should be considered differently than the people that abuse the medications.

Incredibly, when someone, with whatever agenda they have, decides to focus in on only one side of an issue, the other side (in this case, the positive side of pain medications) has to deal with ridiculous rules and regulations that only “hurt” the honest and rule-abiding people.

I have chronic pain from multiple motorcycle injuries that will never go away.

These are very visual and obvious injuries, so it might be easier for me to quantify the pain than others. I take narcotic pain medications as prescribed.

I have one doctor, one prescription and one pharmacy. I take the pain medication for pain only. It would be nice to not be grouped with everyone from heroin-users to kids raiding their parents’ medicine cabinets when people behave badly, and abuse the system. It has become more and more difficult to access pain medication due to rules being made that rarely effect the guilty, and only do harm to the innocent.

Join the San Clemente Times for Beachside Chat, Friday, Sept. 30 at 8 a.m. at Café Calypso This week’s guest will be Wendy Shrove, a candidate for Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees in District 1.

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.

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.

Page 10

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@picketfencemedia.com SPORTS Steve Breazeale, 949.388.7700, x110 sbreazeale@picketfencemedia.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

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

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

PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

> Susie Lantz (San Clemente)

EDITORIAL

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Group Managing Editor > Matt Cortina City Editor, SC Times > Eric Heinz City Editor, DP Times > Kristina Pritchett City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Allison Jarrell Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale Special Projects Editor > Andrea Papagianis ART/DESIGN Art Director > Jasmine Smith ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

Real Estate Sales Manager > Michele Reddick OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed Business Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller Jonathan Volzke CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco Victor Carno Debra Holm Tim Trent Jake Howard

San Clemente Times, Vol. 11, Issue 39. The SC Times (www. sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the DP Times (www.danapointtimes. com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (www.thecapistranodispatch.com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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SOAPBOX GUEST OPINION: Lew’s Views by Lew Avera

Travel on La Pata Extension

L

ast month’s Views reflected on the opening of the La Pata extension and provided examples of some specific uses and ways to save time. This month focuses on specific data during the initial month.

On August 28, the city of San Clemente established electronic counts for 16 consecutive days of use. The three periods measured were Aug. 24-28, Aug. 29-Sept.

4 and Sept. 5-8. Two periods included weekends and Labor Day. The measures were taken just north of the new Camino Del Rio intersection, uphill northbound and downhill southbound, and measured 24 hours per day. I obtained the hour-byhour detailed results from the city. Due to space and complexity, only summary data can be provided here. Surprisingly, the data was very similar for both north- and southbound.

For the three periods indicated above, the average number of cars per day northbound was 4,509; 4,432 and 4,290, respectively, and when multiplied by the days per period, resulted in a total of 70,729 trips for the 16 days. Southbound was 4,699; 5,293 and 4,358 per day and a total of 77,978 for the period—some

148,000 total trips into and out of San Clemente for 16 days. The highest trips per day for the three periods were on the two Fridays, northbound 4,922 and 4,793; and southbound 5,966 and 5,667. While it would appear that both communities of San Clemente and eastern Orange County are using the road equally, there is definitely a suggestion toward San Diego travel on Friday afternoons.

Finally, in terms of timing, peak times for travel are uniform for both south and north. During weekdays, peak times were 7 a.m. and 3-5 p.m.

LEW’S VIEWS On weekends, it was 11

By Lew Avera a.m. and noon-3 p.m.

The latter seems to reflect the later nonbusiness use.

Measured speeds are precise but more difficult to describe. The numerical average speed for all of the trips was 50 mph northbound and 56 mph southbound.

The difference seems to reflect on the northbound uphill side. When measuring the speed at the 85th percentile of all speeds measured, it climbed to 56 mph

northbound and 64 mph southbound. The top speeds were 76 to 80 mph northbound and 81 to 85 mph southbound.

None of the above reflects on the impacts on Avenida Pico and Avenida Vista Hermosa in San Clemente, yet all of the trips connect to one of the two. In this sense, the elephant is still in the closet.

The most severe outcome is the final decision on the 241 Toll Road. At the present time, 241 ends at Oso Parkway. From this point, one mile west on Oso connects with Antonio Parkway, which is the northern continuation of La Pata. If 241 is not fully extended to I-5 south of San Clemente, La Pata into San Clemente will eventually become the final southern leg of 241.

Another proposal for the 241 is to end at the eastern end of Pico in San Clemente, which would be even more of a disaster for us.

Adding to all of this is the continued development of Rancho Mission Viejo at the north end of La Pata. Just this past weekend, the new neighborhoods of Esencia opened off of Antonio just north of Ortega Highway. These neighborhoods will include 2,800 new homes as well as a shopping center. For comparison, this will

be only slightly smaller than Talega. La Pata will be a major transportation artery for these homes.

For all San Clemente citizens, a major event concerning these mobility issues will be held at 5:30 p.m. in San Clemente on Wednesday, Oct. 5. at Saint Andrews Methodist Church, located at 2001 Calle Frontera in San Clemente. This will be a public forum held by Get Moving Orange County to gather input from citizens. Specifically, it will provide possible “transportation solutions” as well as seek community feedback on the problems and solutions.

It would be very positive and helpful for interested citizens to attend.

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.

SC GETTING OUT San Clemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

EDITOR’S PICK

Photo: File

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2: SAN CLEMENTE SEA FEST 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The 29th annual Sea Fest includes tons of fresh seafood, a surf contest, arts and crafts exhibits, business booths and, of course, the annual clam chowder cookoff. Public tasting of the chowders runs between 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. San Clemente Pier area.

611 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente. www.scchamber.com.

The List

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

Thursday | 29 ALPHA OMEGA WINERY TASTING EVENT 7-9 p.m. Taste the wines from Napa’s world-renowned Alpha Omega Winery.

Barnoa Wine Company. 831 Via Suerte, No. 106, San Clemente. 949.388.4378. www.barnoawinebar.com.

LIVE MUSIC: LEROY 7-10:30 p.m. Listen to live music from Leroy at Iva Lee’s. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.361.2855. www.ivalees.com.

‘INTO THE WOODS’ 7 p.m. San Clemente High School Theatre Arts presents this Tony Award-winning musical. Runs through Oct. 1. Tickets are $15-$18 for general admission, $10 for seniors, military, students and children.

SCHS Triton Center. 700 Avenida Pico, San Clemente. www.schsdrama.com.

‘MAN OF LA MANCHA’ 8 p.m. The Cabrillo Playhouse continues their new season with one of the world’s most popular musicals, Man of La Mancha. The “Impossible Dream” musical tells the adventures of a delusional Spanish knight, Don Quixote, backed by his faithful sidekick Sancho Panza, who duels Page 12

windmills and defends his perfect lady, Dulcinea. Runs Thursday-Sunday through Oct. 9. www.cabrilloplayhouse.org.

Friday | 30 MISSION ART WALK 11 a.m. A docent-guided tour highlighting the art collection of rare paintings related to the Mission’s history. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.234.1300. www.missionsjc.com.

ORANGE COUNTY WINE CRUISE 5:30-7 p.m. Climb onboard a Dana Wharf luxury catamaran for this wine cruise around the Dana Point Harbor. Tickets are $49. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 888.224.0603. www.danawharf.com.

LIVE MUSIC: THEO & ZYDECO PATROL 7:30-11 p.m. Listen to live music from Theo & Zydeco Patrol at Iva Lee’s.

555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente.

949.361.2855. www.ivalees.com.

LIVE MUSIC: FLOCK OF 80’S 8 p.m. Listen to live music from Flock of 80’s at Goody’s Tavern in San Clemente.

206 S. El Camino Real. 949.492.3400. www.goodystavern.com.

LIVE MUSIC: FELISHA 8-11 p.m. Listen to live music from Felisha at Barnoa Wine Company. 831 Via Suerte, No. 106, San Clemente. 949.388.4378. www.barnoawinebar.com.

(Cont. on page 15) www.sanclementetimes.com

GETTING OUT (Cont. from page 12)

Saturday | 01 EASY STEPS FOR MAKING COMPOST 9:30-10:30 a.m. Learn how to compost with the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Orange County and Goin Native Therapeutic Gardens. Event is free. Los Rios Park. 31747 Los Rios St., San Juan Capistrano. RSVP requested.

949.606.6386. goinnative@gmail.com. www.goinnative.net.

SOUTH COUNTY WATER CONSERVATION EXPO 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Activities, kids events and water conservation talks at this educational and fun event. Norman P. Murray Community Center. 24932 Veterans Way. Mission Viejo. www.socwater.com.

AUTHOR TALK WITH ANNA MENDEZ 1-3 p.m. Join San Clemente author Anna Mendez as she discusses If These Halls Could Talk: The Daniel Mendez Story. San Clemente Library. 242 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. 949.492.3493.

SATURDAYS AT THE SWALLOW’S INN 8:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. The Fulltones perform live music. The Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

949.493.3188. www.swallowsinn.com.

LIVE MUSIC: RUM SOAKED RAISINS 8 p.m. Listen to live music from Rum Soaked Raisins at Goody’s Tavern in San Clemente. 206 S. El Camino Real.

949.492.3400. www.goodystavern.com.

Sunday | 02 GAMES AND MUSIC FESTIVAL 11 a.m.-6 p.m. This festival includes live music, food and spirits, and the latest video games. YouTube stars and virtual reality devices will also be on hand. Proceeds support children facing life-threating illnesses. Tickets start at $45. Sea Terrace Park. 33501 Niguel Road, Dana Point. www.thegamesandmusicfestival.org.

The Best Thing We Ate This Week

Oven-Roasted Turkey Sandwich CINNAMON PRODUCTIONS BAKERY CAFÉ

Los Mares Plaza, D130, 647 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente, 949.218.8232, www.cinnamonproductions.com

If you’re on the go but looking for something substantial, Cinnamon Productions is ripe with scheduleaccommodating dishes, prepared quickly, a la carte and to-go.

An easy choice for turkey lovers is the oven-roasted turkey sandwich Oven-Roasted Turkey Sandwich. Photo: Eric Heinz with a cranberry Dijon spread and put together with tomato and lettuce. It’s like a little bit of Thanksgiving comes early in an era where the more popular holiday season has invaded its space, (yes, I’m talking about you, giant jack-o-lantern at Disneyland in early September).

The humble turkey sandwich here is elevated, yet cozy and comfortable, and makes for an adequate, healthy meal with a little bit of its own flare.

As far as quick box lunches go, this one takes the cake… which also happens to be available in abundance at this bakery and café.

Choice of sides includes pasta salad (pictured), chips or seasonal fruit. —Eric Heinz system. 34085 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. 949.464.5700. www.thepointrestaurantandbar.com.

Monday | 03 FREE GUITAR LESSONS 5-6 p.m. Free beginner level acoustic guitar lessons for middle school- to college-age youth every Monday. Guitars provided or students can bring their own. 1040 Calle Negocio, San Clemente.

949.388.0114. coamusicarts@gmail.com. www.communityoutreachalliance.com.

‘BEAUTIFUL’ 7:30 p.m. Beautiful – The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom. Runs through Oct. 16. Tickets start at $29. Segerstrom Center for the Arts. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. www.scfta.org.

KARAOKE AT GOODY’S 8 p.m. Karaoke every Tuesday night at Goody’s Tavern in San Clemente.

206 S. El Camino Real. 949.492.3400. www.goodystavern.com.

Tuesday | 04 SPECIAL FIREFIGHTERS STORY-TIME 10:30 a.m. Local firefighters will lead a story-time session for kids at the Dana Point Library. 33841 Niguel Road, Dana Point. 949.496.5517.

Wednesday | 05

OPEN MIC NIGHT 6-10 p.m. Singer/songwriters perform at The Point Restaurant open mic every Tuesday. Bring your instrument and your voice; The Point supplies the sound

LEARN TO PLAY BRIDGE 9-11:30 a.m. Bring a friend or come by yourself to learn bridge. People age 9-99 are welcome. South Orange County Bridge Center. 31461 Rancho Viejo Road,

Suite 205, San Juan Capistrano. www.danaharborbridgecenter.org.

FRENCH CONVERSATION CLUB 2-4 p.m. Every Wednesday. Look for the table with the French Flag surrounded by a group of people speaking French. No cost to join. Café Calypso. 114 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. 949.493.5228, or 949.369.5482.

FREE COMEDY AT MOLLY BLOOM’S 9:30 p.m. Every Wednesday, free comedy at Molly Bloom’s with food and drink specials. 2391 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.218.0120. www.mollybloomspub.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS THURSDAY, OCT. 6-SUNDAY, OCT. 9: CARNIVAL COLOSSAL AND FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL 5-10 p.m. The Friends of San Clemente host this festival, which is packed with entertainment, food trucks, contests and more. Games and rides for special needs children will also be available. Vista Hermosa Sports Park. 987 Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente. www.sanclementeparksfoundation.org.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7: TASTE OF TAHITI 5-10 p.m. A night of culture, Polynesian entertainment and island buffet will be hosted by San Clemente’s Hula Connection Performing Arts studio, benefiting the non-profit organization, Taste of Tahiti.

Tickets are $65 per person and include an extravagant dinner gala show, one bottle of Wilson Creek’s Coconut Nui or Tahitian Vanilla Sparkling Wine. There will also be authentic Tahitian entertainment. Dana Point Yacht Club. 24399 Dana Point Drive, Dana Point. For tickets and more information, call 949.689.0080 or visit www.tasteoftahitidanapoint.org.

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

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

At the Movies: ‘The Magnificent Seven’ is a Three-Take

BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

H

ollywood making a remake of a remake? Why, I never! Most film lovers will know that John Sturges’ 1960 classic western The Magnificent Seven is actually an American adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954), and now director Antoine Fuqua has given us a second adaptation, though direct remake of The Magnificent Seven.

We’ve now gone from Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura, to Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen, to Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt.

San Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

In 1879, the small town of Rose Creek is overtaken by the psychotic industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) and his large gang of criminals. Recently widowed Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) has recruited bounty hunter Sam Chisolm (Washington) to help her form a group of hired guns to take down Bogue. Chisolm and Cullen find cowboy Josh Faraday (Pratt), sharpshooter Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), assassin Billy Rocks (Byunghun Lee), tracker Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), outlaw Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and warrior Red Harvest

(Martin Sensmeier).

Fortunately for Fuqua and company, the new Magnificent Seven isn’t flat out awful on a technical level like most unnecessary remakes. But it still suffers from being part of the unnecessary category. There is nothing wrong with the script, direction, effects or editing, but the feature is very by-thenumbers and safe. The characters do exactly what you expect, and there are no new spins on the famous tale, other than more elaborate action. Washington, Bennett and Pratt are decent leads, but we already have two great versions available. SC

Page 15

©2016 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. and Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SC LIVING San Clemente

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

Business Beat News from San Clemente’s business community SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

New Businesses

Sir Bruno Serato, left, the honorary chairman and guest of honor for the event, poses for a photo with Casa Executive Director Berenika Schmitz during the Toast to the Casa on Saturday, Sept. 24. Photo: Eric Heinz

Venetian Spritzer Mixer Toast to the Casa brings in $135,000 for yearround programs, facility maintenance

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

A

scene fit for a Shakespearean masquerade was in action on Saturday at Casa Romantica’s annual Toast to the Casa. This year’s theme was “Gran Ballo delle Maschere.”

The celebration is a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization that hosts year-round programs and activities, specifically for children’s education in music and culture.

Live and silent auctions took place, with a variety of items up for bidding—most notable was a book with Ole Hanson’s signature, which went for more than $2,400.

From the auctions and fundraising, Casa Romantica garnered a net $135,000 from the event, according to the organization. The total was $15,000 more than last year’s Toast.

Sir Bruno Serato, the founder of Caterina’s Club, a nonprofit in Anaheim that provides thousands of meals to underserved youth each week, was the honorary chairman of the event.

Serato spoke about the importance of cultivating youthful endeavors in order to sustain the future.

“We heard from many patrons that it was our best and most exciting fundraiser yet, and we were proud that so many individuals and businesses came together for a magical Italian evening at Casa Romantica,” Casa Romantica Board President Ruth DeNault said in a press release. “It is heartening to have the support of our community as we bring more and better cultural programs to them in the year ahead.”

For more information about Casa Romantica, visit www.casaromantica.com. SC

Above: A woman has help putting on her party mask. Below: People gather on the balcony of Casa Romantica for food and drinks from local vendors.

Photos: Eric Heinz

WEE THRIVE PEDIATRIC THERAPY 1031 Avenida Pico, Suite 201, 949.388.8788, www.weethrivetherapy.com Gerry Fiano and his wife, Teresa Delatolla Fiano, wanted to open a business that would serve more pediatric therapy needs in the southernmost area of Orange County.

“There’s always been a shortage of providers in this pocket, in San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Dana Point,” said Tawnia Mishkin, Wee Thrive’s operations director.

Wee Thrive serves children up to 5 years old with occupational therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy.

“With Talega expanding, Ortega is expanding, I just saw an opportunity to where we could help try to benefit the community and alleviate some of the stress that is inherently here because there’s just not the people who provide (these) services,” said Gerry, the owner and chief financial and operating officer of Wee Thrive.

Julie Brown, an occupational therapist, said the business helps children become more independent and functional, improving playing, social skills, activities of daily living and more.

Children typically qualify for therapy through insurance and funding from Orange County regional sources.

Some children may just need a little help, but Wee Thrive does long-term and short-term therapy. Sensory integration is also something they help with.

“If a child can’t wear something and they refuse to wear certain clothes or they’re carsick or can’t pay attention, sensory integration therapy … addresses their sensory process through sensory

integration to help them overcome those issues,” Brown said.

The business will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Oct. 14.

The business is currently offering free screenings, and people can call for more information.

GRAYSE 101 W. Avenida Vista Hermosa, Suite 512, 949.558.5444, www.shop.mkgrayse.com The only Grayse outlet boutique, a women’s high-end fashion (clothing) store, recently opened at Outlets at San Clemente, and the owners will host an in-store grand opening celebration from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The event will feature refreshments and light bites, a fashion presentation, special offers and prizes, plus a meet-and-greet with Marie and Kelly Gray.

This event is complimentary and open to the public. RSVP required via email to grayse.sanclemente@gmail.com.

Ten-Year Anniversary THREE DOG BAKERY 174 Avenida Del Mar, 949.218.3364, www.threedogsc.com.

Three Dog Bakery, a bakery that makes dog treats, will celebrate its 10-year anniversary in October.

Since 2012, Three Dog Bakery has been run by Denise O’Donnell and her daughter, Lauren, according to a press release from the business.

“Our family has always loved dogs and are strong supporters of organizations that support their wellbeing,” Denise O’Donnell said in the release. “We love seeing dog owners with their dogs experiencing the joy of picking out one of our freshly baked dog treats.”

To celebrate, Denise said she re-designed the store’s website and wanted to thank San Clemente by giving away a free homemade anniversary dog biscuit from Oct. 1-10. In addition, Three Dog is offering a free Yapple Pupcake coupon people can download from the website.

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

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

Last week’s solution:

San Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

Page 17

See the solution in next week’s issue.

www.sanclementetimes.com

Locals Only

BUSINESS DIRECTORY LIST LOCALS ONLY USE LOCALS ONLY - 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@picketfencemedia.com.

ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT

Body Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program

665 Camino De Los Mares, Ste. 104, 949.485.4979, www.bodymindspiritiop.com

AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING

Solstice Heating and Air

2208 El Camino Real, Ste. #1, 949.573.3607, www.solsticehvac.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

Spinal Vitality Chiropractic

647 Camino de los Mares, Suite 220, 949.616.5470, www.spinalvitality.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

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San Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

Page 19

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SPORTS & OUTDOORS San Clemente

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

COLUMN BREAZEALE BANTER BY STEVE BREAZEALE

Scully Signs Off One Final Time Preparing for the legendary broadcaster’s last call

I

hope you are all stocked up on tissues.

If you haven’t, go to Costco now where you can get the deluxe pack. You’ll need it.

Vin Scully, the iconic voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, will call his final game in that signature Brooklyn-tinted baritone voice on Oct. 2 in San Francisco. He’s been the Dodgers’ unifying bridge from past to present for 67 years, and he is calling it a career. What a run it has been.

Over the weekend, which was appropriately dubbed “Vin Scully Appreciation Week” in Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers held a pre-game ceremony in the man’s honor, and dozens paid tribute. The Dodgers did their part by making Scully’s final game at home one to remember. Before stepping into the batter’s box on Sunday, each player tipped their cap to Scully as they dug in. In the 10th inning, Charlie Culberson swatted a game-winning walkoff home run that clinched the division for the Dodgers.

It was another memorable highlight for the master to observe and bring to us in the most perfect way possible.

“Swung on and a high fly ball to deep left field, the Dodger bench empties.

Would you believe a home run? And the Dodgers have clinched the division and will celebrate on schedule,” he said.

Almost 30 seconds of silence followed as Scully allowed the moment to breathe, which is a signature move of his. The crowd was going crazy, the Dodgers were going crazy and, rather than talk over the moment, Scully let us feel like we were there in the middle of it all by simply not saying a word. He has the ability to fill nine innings of baseball with stories if he wants, but Scully is at heart a minimalist.

For fans, that call of Culberson’s homer on Sunday might have sounded familiar.

Just switch a few words around and you get the most iconic call in World Series history, which is another feather Scully has in his cap.

“High fly ball into right field. She is…

Gone!” Again silence, 67 seconds of it in fact, as a hobbled Kirk Gibson pumps his San Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

fist after watching his hit sail over the wall and lead the Dodgers to a Game One victory over Oakland in 1988.

And then, after all that silence, Scully hits us with a poignant haymaker: “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.” Perfect, minimalist Vin. It’s his signature call.

But for every precise, calculated gamewinning call he has on his resume, Vin Scully has the ability to make the third inning in Cincinnati in the middle of June fly by.

Because I don’t have access to purchase Time Warner Cable’s SportsNetLA package (an issue I griped about in this space months ago), I have only been allowed snippets of Vin throughout the year. During ESPN’s broadcast of the Dodgers and Giants game last Wednesday, they plugged into the Dodgers’ feed for the fourth inning and Scully was in rare form.

He talked about how the Giants’ Eduardo Nunez was a dirt collector, meaning he has a knack for sliding into a base head first, which he did twice in a previous inning. Vin also gave us a lesson in Japanese because starting pitcher Kenta Maeda was on the mound. I now know that I can walk down the streets of Tokyo and greet someone by saying “Ohio,” which Vin told me translates to “good morning.”

BREAZEALE The inning was a BANTER microcosm of a Scully

By Steve Breazeale broadcast. In between the action, which he never fails to describe, he gives us those pieces of gold. He talks to you, the viewer, as if you were sitting next to him in the ballpark.

You might have heard of the serendipitous nature of Scully’s impending final broadcast in San Francisco. In 1936, Scully said he fell in love with baseball while wandering past a laundromat in New York.

Game One of the 1936 World Series was on, and he poked his head inside to watch on a TV, only to see the final score read Yankees 18, Giants 4. He felt bad for the Giants and instantly became a fan. Now, almost 80 years to the date, he will call his final game with the Giants on the field.

Vin will start the game as he always does, with the informal greeting that has become a trademark.

“Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be.”

I know where I’ll be. I’ll be on my couch, watching and listening to a baseball icon that has taught me how to love and appreciate the game sign off one final time.

It might get a little dusty during that ninth inning. So make sure to have your tissues handy. SC

Brandon Reaves ran for 55 yards and a touchdown in the San Clemente football team’s win over Palos Verdes on Sept. 23. Photo: Eric Heinz

Triton Report

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

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

For a full version of this week’s Triton Report, visit www.sanclementetimes.com.

Tritons Bounce Back With Solid Win Over Palos Verdes The San Clemente football team faced plenty of obstacles against visiting Palos Verdes on Sept. 23, but came away with a solid 28-7 nonleague victory.

In a hard-hitting game that featured dozens of penalties, most of which came against the Sea Kings, the Tritons relied on their defense to hold the visitors to just one score, which came in the second quarter.

The Tritons (3-2) had to make due for much of the second half without their standout quarterback Jack Sears, who was tackled in the backfield in the third quarter and did not return.

Sears was replaced by Sander Lush, who ignited the most exciting play of the night that put the game out of reach. Lush started a double-pass play that ended with senior Brandon Reaves hitting receiver Chase Berman in stride 63 yards downfield. Berman was brought down at the one-yard line and Lush punched in a touchdown run moments later to give San Clemente a 28-7 lead.

San Clemente took a 14-0 lead after Sears connected with Reaves and Keith Jones for five- and eight-yard touchdown

Page 21

passes in the first and second quarter, respectively.

Palos Verdes (2-2) scored on a threeyard touchdown run by Anthony Messori in the second quarter to make it 14-7, but struggled to find a rhythm for the rest of the game.

The Sea Kings committed nine penalties for 80 yards and were limited to 196 total yards of offense. Palos Verdes attempted four fourth down conversions and were successful on just one attempt.

“It’s a testament to our defense playing really well against an offense that likes to beat their chest and play gritty football and we came out on top,” San Clemente head coach Jaime Ortiz said. “We faced some adversity last week, and the kids came back and defended our home turf against a quality opponent.”

San Clemente will travel to play Rancho Buena Vista on Sept. 30.

Golf Team Places Third at Home Tournament Playing against some tough competition, the San Clemente girls golf team had a strong showing at the Rainbow Sandals/ Lady Triton Invitational at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course on Sept. 23.

The Tritons placed third at the event.

San Clemente (4-4, 3-2 league) is in the midst of defending its South Coast League title. After splitting the season series with Dana Hills last week, the Tritons improved their record in league with a 196-267 victory over El Toro on Sept. 27. Jessica Cornelius, Aria Dalkas and Olivia French earned medalist honors in the match. All three golfers carded scores of 38 (+3) on the front nine at Bella Collina Golf Club.

San Clemente will play one final match against El Toro on Sept. 29 before hosting undefeated Trabuco Hills (13-0, 2-0) next week. www.sanclementetimes.com

SC San Clemente

SC SURF

SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Let the Pacific Paddle Games Begin More prize money, more paddlers, same great stand-up paddle contest comes to Doheny

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

his weekend, the best stand-up paddlers in the world will descend on Doheny State Beach for the 2016 Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life. It’s the culmination of a long summer racing season, and for those with eyes on dipping into the $60,000 prize purse, preparation is everything.

“The Pacific Paddle Games isn’t just one of the last events of the season, it’s also one of the biggest events,” said Maui’s Connor Baxter. “Trying to peak at the right time, that’s a hard part of it. Some of us don’t just race short courses, we’re doing long distance, channel crossings, surf races.

And a huge thing is not peaking too early in the season.”

Taking place from Sept. 30-Oct. 2, this year’s race categories include Pro Technical, Open Technical, Youth Technical and Distance. With the exception of the pro categories, there are age divisions to accommodate everyone from kids to seniors. The Pro divisions are capped at 150 racers. Last year, there were over 250 total entrants.

Given the booming popularity of stand-up paddling, especially in local waters, there’s

The Pacific Paddle Games bring the best stand-up paddlers in the world to Dana Point.

Photo: Aaron Black-Schmidt/SUP magazine

no reason to expect the participation numbers to drop off at all.

Taking a slightly different tact from last year’s Games, some changes have been made to improve the 2016 technical races. This year’s competition will feature multiple 16-man heats in four elimination rounds. The goal is to cut down on some of the race chaos and keep everybody a little bit safer. Because the race entails multiple laps around a short-course that weaves in and out through the surf line, Paddle Games organizers are optimistic that the new format will have a positive impact.

“The main difference between the Technical and Distance races is that competitors will be going in and out of the surf,” explained race director Anthony Vela.

“Doheny is an interesting place that has a lot of reverb coming off the beach, and there are a lot of different reefs. Even on a flat day that doesn’t look bumpy, there’s still a lot of water moving around.”

Last year, the surf was absolutely pump-

GROM OF THE WEEK

SAVANNAH BATCHELOR

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

his year at the Olympic Games in Brazil, the women’s U.S. water polo team took home the gold medal.

One of the stars of the team was Kaleigh Gilchrist from Newport Beach. But before her detour on the Olympic stage, she was a national surfing champion.

Young Savannah Batchelor, a seventh grader at Shorecliffs Middle School, appears to be on a similar trajectory.

“My goals are to make it to the finals in a WSA contest, and I want to win Junior Olympics in water polo,” said Batchelor.

“I would love to continue to be successful San Clemente Times September 29-October 5, 2016

Photo: Courtesy

in two sports. Water polo has really helped my paddling in surfing, and I want to take surfing to the highest possible level.”

Batchelor started surfing with her dad when she was only six years old. Even before she could paddle, he enthusiastically entered her into “push-in” contests.

“My dad surfs, so it was something we could do together on the weekends,” she

ing for the Games, and this year promises to see more of the same. Over the last week, a large storm system has been brewing in the South Pacific, churning out a solid southwest swell forecast to arrive just in time for the weekend. It should be strong enough to push the surf well overhead around Trestles, which translates into shoulder- to head-high surf at Doheny.

Beyond the breakers, the six-mile distance race consists of two laps around a triangular course outside the surf line at Doheny. There is also a three-mile Distance race that is only one lap and features divisions for Open and Recreational racers.

And for the non-racers on the beach, the West Marine Demo Zone is an ideal spot to pick up a paddle, grab a board and try your hand at stand-up paddling.

New for this year is the Manufacturer’s Team Challenge, which brings a little industry flair to the Games. Pitting brand teams against each other, the four winning teams split $25,000 worth of print and said. “My favorite thing about surfing is the feeling of riding the waves and having fun learning new moves.”

But as Batchelor is finding out, being a dual sport athlete is no easy feat. One of the big lessons she’s having to learn is how to manage her time.

“I haven’t been able to compete for Shorecliffs lately because I’m also a water polo player for the Tritons Water Polo Club, but this year I hope to be a contributing competitor,” she added. “I love competing with the girls I go the school with and meeting girls from different cities.”

Starting in 2020, surfing will join women’s water polo in the Olympics, and who knows, maybe sometime in the not-too-distant future we’ll be cheering for Batchelor as she stands atop both podiums. SC

Page 22

digital advertising in SUP Magazine.

With seemingly something for everyone, the obvious question is how one goes about winning the Pacific Paddle Games. First and foremost, confidence in one’s equipment is critical. Given that starting lines are notoriously tangled, turns around buoys can resemble a mosh pit, and a healthy south swell will be wreaking havoc, a good feeling about race gear makes all the difference.

“It’s really important to be comfortable on your board,” says Vela. “It has to be wide enough to paddle in tough conditions.

In the open distance race, there are about 300 to 400 people starting at one time, and there’s a lot of turbulence.”

But like most races, the devil is in the detail. The top-flight pros spend months dialing in on their race strategies.

“Smaller points that are often overlooked are the little things like mental training, mental preparation. I’m visualizing this race already,” explained Baxter. “Visualizing the first heat, second heat, what I’m going to do strategy-wise, how hard am I going to go, when I’ll need to conserve energy. For instance, I know it’s important to conserve enough to perform strong in the finals (for the technical race) since that’s where the coin comes in.”

When the race horn sounds “you want to get off to a good start where you are paddling at almost 100 percent,” continued Vela. “Then you need to find your groove, that 70 to 80 percent range where you can sustain that pace for the remainder of the race.”

Really, there’s no easy way to win a division at the Pacific Paddle Games. The level of talent is second to none. But victory also takes a significant amount of luck.

One wave can make all the difference. And because of all these variables and the high drama they produce, there’s no better place to be than Doheny next weekend. SC

SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 63-68 degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: 5-10’ Fair Thursday: S/SSW Southern Hemi builds with small, well secondary NW swell and small SSE pulse from Roslyn mixes in. Look for the exposed breaks to see waist-head high (3-5’) surf, while standouts are a little larger on sets. Light+ offshore wind through much of the morning hours, trending light onshore over the afternoon.

Outlook: Fun size SSW southern hemi swell continues into the upcoming weekend with secondary/small NW swell mixing in. Winds are most favorable in the early mornings with onshore flow trending up into each afternoon.

Be sure to check the full premium forecast on Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook.

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