November 24, 2016

LO C A L

November 24-30, 2016

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INSIDE:

This Year’s Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide VOLUME 11, ISSUE 47

This Land is Your Land

As indigenous rights get national spotlight, Acjachemen confront long-standing battles in South Orange County EYE ON SC/PAGE 4

Native American dancers perform during the Panhe ceremony in this March photo. Panhe is an annual gathering on sacred land in the San Mateo Campground, where groups of the Acjachemen Nation have gathered for centuries. Photo: Jorge Maldonado

Sand Replenishment Projects to Begin at North Beach EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

‘Youth of the Year’ Came to U.S. at Young Age SC LIVING/PAGE 26

www.sanclementetimes.com

Giving Thanks to the World of San Clemente Surfing SC SURF/PAGE 30

VOTE FOR THE 2016 BEST OF SAN CLEMENTE AT SANCLEMENTETIMES.COM

SC EYE ON SC San Clemente

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

SC Beach Conservancy Raises Funds THE LATEST: San Clemente Beach Conservation Program recently raised $830 from a silent auction during its first fundraising event. The organization started out as a group of people looking to clean up beaches on a monthly basis, but the founders are now looking for more big-picture solutions.

Five things San Clemente should know this week Jewish World War II Spy Speaks at Chabad of San Clemente THE LATEST: Marthe Cohn was 19 years old when World War II began in Europe.

She was born into Orthodox Judaism, and as the German army, under Nazi control, moved in on her French village of Metz, she and her family fled to the south while her sister was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp.

Cohn shared stories about how those beginnings led her to a life as an Allied spy during a lecture at Chabad Jewish Center of San Clemente on Sunday, Nov. 20.

As the war went on and Allied troops continued liberation efforts, Cohn enlisted as a spy with the French army, as she could speak German and looked German.

One of her most effective missions was extracting information from German locals about one of the last resistances the Nazis put up: a planned ambush in the Black Forest.

Cohn was awarded a few war medals, including France’s highest honor, the Legion of Honour Medal.

Marthe Cohn, center, was a spy for the French Army during World War II. Cohn, a Jewish woman originally from Germany, provided essential information to the Allied forces and helped ensure victory in Europe. Photo: Eric Heinz

WHAT’S NEXT: Chabad will host a preChanukah Israeli-style dinner on Friday, Dec. 16 at the Chabad Center, 1306 N. El Camino Real. There will also be a menorah lighting ceremony on Dec. 25 at San Clemente Pier and again Dec. 26 at the Outlets at San Clemente. —Eric Heinz

Shon Miller, left, and François Jaubert hold a surfboard made entirely of cardboard. Jaubert and Miller met at the Vissla competition for innovators earlier this year and have been partnering with other conservationists around the world. Photo: Eric Heinz

Department Deputy Jesse Demarest was selected by Exchange Club San Clemente as the Deputy of the Year, while Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg Bradshaw was selected as the club’s Career Firefighter of the Year.

“It feels really good that my peers and supervisors chose me for this award,” said Demarest, who has been on the force for almost 12 years. Demarest said one of the best accomplishments the San Clemente Police Services has made in the last year is the implementation of the TRIP team, a program meant to more actively police the community and inhibit nuisances like panhandling.

“It’s given us the opportunity for more community policing where we can go out and target crime areas and hot spots that people are complaining about,” Demarest said.

Bradshaw has been with OCFA in San Clemente for 35 years.

“It’s always nice to be honored by your colleagues and peers,” Bradshaw said.

“Everybody is concerned about getting the most we can and being financially prudent, and I think the city and our agency has accomplished that.”

WHAT’S NEXT: For more information on the TRIP program, visit www.san-clemente.org and click Police Services. —EH

Police Officer, Firefighter of the Year Honored

Mandarin Immersion Students Will Head to Mission Viejo for Middle School

THE LATEST: At a ceremony on Nov. 17, career-long Orange County Sheriff’s

THE LATEST: After months of uncertainty, families in Capistrano Unified School

San Clemente Times November 24-30, 2016

District’s (CUSD) Mandarin Immersion Program (MIP) finally got the answer they were eagerly awaiting—their students will matriculate from Marian Bergeson Elementary School in Laguna Niguel to Fred Newhart Middle School in Mission Viejo next year if they wish to continue in the immersion program.

The decision, which was reached by CUSD’s Board of Trustees on Nov. 16, came after months of debate over whether MIP students should matriculate to Fred Newhart or Niguel Hills Middle School. The MIP is in its fifth year and allows students to become fluent and literate in Mandarin and English.

On Nov. 16, district staff presented analysis of potential feeder patterns, and the majority of trustees agreed with staff’s initial recommendation of Fred Newhart, due to factors such as enrollment capacity, location and available facilities.

WHAT’S NEXT: The board voted 4-2-1 to approve MIP matriculation to Fred Newhart, with Trustees Jim Reardon and John Alpay opposed and Martha McNicholas absent. Alpay asked that transportation be provided to South County students, but did not receive enough support to include it in the motion. The decision will be ratified at the board’s next meeting on Dec. 14.

Marian Bergeson Elementary School is set to hold MIP information meetings and tours on Dec. 2, 8 and 14 and Jan. 11 and 18 at 8 a.m. in the school’s multipurpose room. For more information on the program, call 949.643.1540. —Allison Jarrell

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WHAT’S NEXT: The third beach cleanup, which is required for the group to become the official adopters of San Clemente State Beach, will take place 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the State Beach at Avenida Calafia. For more information about the San Clemente Beach Conservation Program, find them on Facebook. The group is expected to have a website up in the near future. —Staff

Sand Replenishment to Begin on North Beach THE LATEST: The city of San Clemente plans to begin work on the North Beach Opportunistic Sand Replenishment project on Nov. 28. The project is planned to incorporate unloading and spreading beach sand that will be obtained from the county’s Lower Santa Ana River Dredging Project, according to a press release from the city.

“The city will bring 12,000 cubic yards of sand to North Beach over the course of approximately two weeks,” the release stated. “The sand will be pushed above the mean high tide line for the winter months.”

During the construction, the contractor will access the beach through the Capistrano Shores Mobile Home Park near the train station in North Beach.

“The city’s Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission that allows the city to receive tested and approved sand during the project timeframe that will have minimal impact on biological resources,” the release stated.

“City lifeguards have been monitoring and documenting existing wave and surf conditions for two months prior to the beach nourishment project, and will continue to do so for two months afterwards.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The project work hours are scheduled from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The project is expected to be completed in early December.

For more information, contact Aeryn Donnelly-Terrey at 949.361.8267. —Staff Have a story idea or topic you would like to read about? Send your suggestions to editorial@sanclementetimes.com. www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

This Land Is Your Land As indigenous rights get national spotlight, Acjachemen confront long-standing battles in South Orange County

BY ALLISON JARRELL, ERIC HEINZ AND MATT CORTINA, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

he protests at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North and South Dakota have brought the rights of indigenous people to the national forefront.

As protestors dig in for a long winter of battling the construction of an oil and gas pipeline under their main water source, American Indian tribes across the country are both sending support and people to the demonstrations, and also revisiting and reopening local battles.

There is no shortage of such issues in South Orange County alone for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, which runs from San Diego to Los Angeles. We talked to tribal leaders about current issues the tribe is facing, and also took a trip to Standing Rock to see the parallels between the rhetoric and motivation of indigenous people there and in South Orange County.

“We’ve had to sit back and watch our lands … desecrated.”

On a recent sunny November morning, Jerry Nieblas and his cousin, Gigi Nieblas, walked through San Juan Capistrano’s Northwest Open Space, tucked along the north end of town where Camino Capistrano and the railroad come together. The cousins brushed past the dry earth, speckled with citrus trees and shrubs, toward a clearing with a large oak tree at its center.

With two small bundles of tobacco in hand, they made an offering to their ancestors— Jerry lifted a bundle in silence before carefully placing it inside the tree’s trunk.

Jerry and Gigi can trace their lineage back to the ancient village of Putuidem, which was home to the Acjachemen Indians who used to occupy this land. Their five-times great grandmother, Maria Bernarda Chigilia—who was just 14 years old when Mission San Juan Capistrano was established in 1776—lived in the tribe’s mother village, which was essentially the capital of 265 native villages in Orange County. A young Chigilia was taken from the land, and today, Jerry and Gigi look forward to bringing her history to life.

“She saw the coming of the Mission,” Jerry said. “She was relocated off of those lands into the new boundaries of Mission San Juan Capistrano. So she saw the best of our life, and she saw the worst of our life.

San Clemente Times November 24-30, 2016

Jerry Nieblas and his cousin, Gigi Nieblas, can trace their lineage back to the ancient village of Putuidem, where their five-times great grandmother, Maria Bernarda Chigilia lived. Chigilia was just 14 years old when Mission San Juan Capistrano was established in 1776. Photo: Allison Jarrell

“Now her five-times great grandchildren can bring her to life again, and that’s what we intend to do,” he said.

The land not only represents the tribe’s past—it marks an important chapter in the future of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation. This past summer, San Juan Capistrano’s City Council approved funding for a park on a 1.3-acre portion of the land that will pay homage to the village of Putuidem and become a place where tribal members can go to celebrate their culture, their connection to the land, and their traditions.

Building the park means protecting one of the last remaining ancestral sites in San Juan Capistrano and preserving a sacred gathering place for Juaneño/Acjachemen descendants.

Over a year and a half ago, a committee was formed to work on a “wish list” for the park, made up of Juaneño/Acjachemen members and city officials.

Recent political division within the tribe has led to several groups forming after disagreements created rifts during the process to become a federally recognized tribe. In 2007, and again in 2010, the Acjachemen failed to receive federal recognition and are still working toward that goal.

In 2003, some tribal members became politically active and filed a lawsuit, along with the California Cultural Resources Preservation Alliance, against the expansion of Junipero Serra High School onto sacred land—land that was once home to the village of Putuidem. They lost that fight, which tribal member Rebecca Robles described as a “bitter pill.” That area

is now a football field.

Joyce Stanfield Perry, a tribal manager for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, said each loss of the tribe’s homeland has been “painful and chaotic.” She said, “over the last 40 years, prominent Acjachemen leaders and activists have worked diligently in educating city officials and the public about the unique resource and the importance of protecting Putuidem.”

While Jerry Nieblas is grateful for the opportunity to honor his ancestors on the land they once walked, he also describes the return to the land as an “odd” feeling.

“Mostly, we’ve had to sit back and watch our lands … desecrated,” Nieblas said. “In the scheme of everything, we’ve lost so much. And they’ve given us a little dot in the middle of this land. And I appreciate that, because now it’s up to us.”

Matias Belardes, son of former tribal chairman and activist David Belardes, said the park will allow the story of San Juan Capistrano’s beginning chapter to be told.

He called the partnership of city staff and tribal members “unprecedented.”

“We weren’t always welcomed.”

It’s hard—if not impossible—to write about current issues facing local indigenous tribes without talking about the Mission San Juan Capistrano. It was the Mission builders who first enslaved the Acjachemen people, giving them the ultimatum to live within Mission boundaries and convert, or to live outside, while settlers sapped up all the resources on which the tribes once lived and inundated the area with diseases to which they were not

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immune.

Mechelle Lawrence Adams, the executive director of the Mission, respectfully declined to multiple requests to talk about the Mission’s current work with indigenous people, as well as concerns those in the community have expressed about the Mission.

Lawrence Adams did provide a pamphlet that highlights the many things the Mission does to preserve and celebrate Juaneño/Acjachemen culture. This includes the display of artifacts, ringing the Mission bells, lectures and more.

However, the fundamental issue with the Mission is that for all the good work it does to preserve Juaneño culture—in fact, it may do more than any other group in the area—it still stands as a monument to oppression. There’s no getting over that, and it’s been written about exhaustively.

And so the question now is: do indigenous leaders believe the Mission is currently doing enough to overcome its past?

Within the Acjachemen community, there are opinions at both ends of the spectrum.

“We weren’t always welcomed, from the time the Mission was established, sometimes even to current days. We’re not that welcomed a lot,” said Jerry Nieblas, who worked 28 years at the Mission before being fired. Nieblas said current Acjachemen people, for all the Mission does, still aren’t integrated into the church’s ceremonies.

And if they are, it’s on the Mission’s terms.

Gigi Nieblas said when her Acjachemen grandmother was cremated, they weren’t allowed to bring her remains into the www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC church even though she went to school there.

Perry described the relationship with the Mission as one having peaks and valleys. Perry agreed that she hasn’t always felt welcomed at the Mission, but didn’t blame Lawrence Adams or current administration for that.

Adelia Sandoval, the Juaneño/Acjachemen cultural director, said that she thinks the Catholic church and Lawrence Adams have done a wonderful job managing the Mission. Sandoval said anyone calling for the Mission to return to Juaneño/Acjachemen control isn’t recognizing that the tribe doesn’t really have the wherewithal and resources to manage it on a daily basis.

“Never has a developer come in and wreaked this kind of havoc.”

While progress has been made on the Northwest Open Space park, some Juaneño/Acjachemen tribal members and city commissioners feel more work needs to be done in the arena of monitoring the construction sites of new developments in town for important indigenous artifacts.

The focus of these concerns is currently on the former Inn at the Mission site, which sits directly across from the Mission. After grading had already commenced, landowner and developer Bill Griffith dropped his plans for the Inn at the Mission, and has since said developing the previously approved Plaza Banderas hotel at the site is a possibility.

As grading commenced at the hotel site, several commissioners and tribal members became increasingly concerned as excavation went deeper into the earth without report of any items found. The Capistrano Historical Alliance Committee (CHAC) dropped support for the incoming hotel and the current site development and construction earlier this year.

The CHAC letter, written by Jerry Nieblas, asks why full documentation and quarterly reports haven’t been provided on what’s been found at the site.

“We feel that this project, which was once an extension of Mission San Juan Capistrano and is part of our sacred land, has been desecrated because of massive ground penetration, earth moving/shifting and disturbance/compromising possibly two historic horno ovens along with other artifacts,” the letter states.

“We look forward to the city enforcing its policies and requesting a thorough and detailed report from Bill Griffith regarding this project that is filled with many issues,” the letter concludes. “Never has a developer come in and wreaked this kind of havoc on our sacred lands. He needs to be held accountable.”

At the Sept. 27 Cultural Heritage Commission meeting, commission chairman Nathan Banda, a member of the Acjachemen Nation, had similar concerns about the lack of reporting. Citing the city’s Council Policy 601, Banda asked why the commission wasn’t receiving reports from the site’s monitors on what was being found. City staff replied that the develSan Clemente Times November 24-30, 2016

(Top) Members of the Sioux tribe sit atop horses on a distant bluff overlooking the camp at Standing Rock, North Dakota. (Below) Those within Standing Rock are preparing for a long winter by building permanent structures on Army Corps land that will house protesters. Photos: Matt Cortina

oper’s permits did not require such reporting, but Banda countered that according to the city’s policy, reports of anything significant should come in within 24 hours to the commission.

In the past, Banda said, the city had a historic preservation manager, but when she left in 2011, her job was divvied up among existing staff, which has contributed to the lack of reporting.

In an email last week, Senior Planner David Contreras said the site’s archeological reports will be “provided after the completion of grading/trenching activities on the site,” which Contreras clarified to mean after the project is constructed.

Perry served as the Native American monitor for the Inn at the Mission site.

She said all laws and permits were followed, and she doesn’t feel additional reporting is needed at this time.

Griffith said the majority of the items found were related to agricultural operations, as the site had been an ag property for more than 100 years. He said information regarding the monitoring will be made “available to people when it’s appropriate.”

“That causes chaos within our community and our well-being.”

South of San Clemente is the San Mateo

Campground areas, which includes the spiritual land of Panhe, an area that is sacred to the Acjachemen Nation.

Recently, activists and members of the nation protested certain procedures of the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, which uses San Onofre State Beach for training.

At San Mateo, west of the training zones, the U.S. Marine Corps has been grading and leveling portions of the area in order to prepare for training operations.

Patricia Martz, a Pituidem committee member who has a Ph.D. in archaeology and anthropology, said there have been artifacts found in the area where USMC mitigation efforts have begun, but she claims this has not resulted in an increase of the way the land is valued.

First Lt. Abigail Peterson, deputy director of public affairs at Camp Pendleton, said the USMC is taking National Historic Preservation Act requirements seriously as well as their commitment to the communities surrounding the military base through the Cultural Resources Program.

“Technically, we do have the ability to use any of the lease property for formal military training,” Peterson said, “but with Panhe, that area has not been used in formal military training to date, how-

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ever, the San Onofre Campground and the San Mateo Archeological District has been used.”

Martz contends that the heavy vehicles used by the Marines in the archeological district have damaged much of the ground down there, which could be sites of archeological significance.

Martz has started a petition to stop the use of the land for training.

“Myself and the Native American tribal communities asked to be able to inspect the site when we heard about this,” Martz said. “We were horrified to see that vehicles had been had been out there and exposed some of the cultural parts of the sites. Our argument is that this is not working, and they’ll be grading down to sensitive areas of the site in no time.”

Perry said she doesn’t think the Marines are making an active effort in avoiding culturally sensitive areas in the district.

“When we see where we come from being altered, that causes chaos within our community and our well-being,” Perry said.

Military operations aren’t the only threat to the sanctity of Panhe. Another came in the form of a highway, which was temporarily defeated on Nov. 10.

The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) reached a settlement agreement with various state factions, including the Native American Heritage Commission, to not allow for toll roads to come through San Mateo Campground and San Onofre State Beach.

“The bluffs in the park, the San Mateo State Beach, all of that area is very sensitive archeologically and culturally,” Martz said. “That’s why we were protesting the toll road; it would have directly affected Panhe.”

The TCA is planning alternative routes to the original plans that would have provided plans to build through the San Mateo areas, which could ultimately affect Panhe.

“No matter where that road goes it’s going to impact some cultural properties and sites along the way, and we’ll be in negotiations with TCA to make sure there’s minimal impact,” Perry said.

“We oppose any poison being put into our Mother Earth.”

In October, indigenous leaders held a prayer vigil against Southern California Edison’s (SCE) controversial plans to store about 1,400 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) as part of the plant’s decommissioning process.

The nuclear power plant went offline in 2012 and has been slated for destruction since 2013. SCE has argued they can’t put the nuclear waste anywhere else at this time because the Nuclear Waste Policy Act does not allow for temporary interim storage of fuel—it must have a permanent home.

“I’m just starting to educate myself on that, and they’re taking this nuclear (Cont. on page 6) www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC (Cont. from page 5) waste and putting it into the earth in hopes to transport, and we oppose any poison being put into our Mother Earth, period,” said Perry, adding that the Acjachemen have not taken an official position on the matter in writing at this time.

SCE plans to start putting the fuel in storage containers protected by cement casings as early as 2017.

“There has been a great disrespect for many generations.”

A man who calls himself Soldierboy, inside of stove-heated tarpaulin dome at the Oceti Sakowin protest camp in North Dakota, makes one thing clear to the group: We’re at Standing Rock to build a nation.

In fact, the nation already exists. It’s a stretch of land in the Western Dakotas and Nebraska whose boundaries pre- date mid18th-century treaties that have since been broken by the federal government. The nation has rules that, in order to stay in the camp, all must abide by, as they would in any other country. If the rules are not followed, the Sioux will boot out offenders, and they’ll do it, Soldierboy says, their way.

Soldierboy is tall with hulking shoulders that fill out a camouflage fleece. He wears a winter hat and jeans—it’s gusty and 10 degrees in North Dakota—and he addresses a group of protesters or “water protectors” in the dome for the first time because he says he has seen Sioux rules broken within the main camp of protestors in Standing Rock. Rules that prohibit photography around drum circles and horses; that protect the integrity of the fire; that require elders, women and children to eat first. There are forums for women to air women’s problems, and forums for men to air men’s problems. It’s their rules. That’s what sovereignty means. And there should be culture shock.

And yet, there are so many positions influencing what the protest camp is becoming that an announcement like that needed to be made. The movement to stop an oil and gas pipeline, the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), from being built under the Missouri River, the area’s water source, began in April, on private land owned by Lakota member LaDonna Bravebull Allard. That camp has since become the Sa-

cred Stone prayer camp, while across the river, the main Oceti Sakowin camp has been built on Army Corps land the Sioux believes is theirs. Scores of environmentalists, civil rights activists, indigenous peoples’ advocates and more have been drawn to the area. Their numbers can surge to 4,000 people on the weekends, while representing over 300 indigenous tribes from around the world—the largest meeting of tribes in at least a century. Media, too, has been abundant at the camp—the joke is that 3,000 people are at Standing Rock and 2,000 are journalists.

There is a LGBT camp (“Two-Spirit Camp”), a robustly stocked donation center, four mess halls/kitchens turning donated canned goods and fresh produce into meals, medical tents to tend to the hundreds of protectors that come back injured after actions. Rumors of visits from Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie and Mark Ruffalo are passed around the camp, and when a celebrity visit does materialize, or else when a direct action gets photogenic, the internet explodes with posts tagged #NoDAPL, and for an hour the images shock. But they’re also tagged with different backstories and histories, and framed through different lenses, and times a million, it all contributes to the perception that Standing Rock is something other than an effort to rebuild a nation for the Sioux.

What would be the biggest story of the year, if not for the election, is a national, amplified example of what smaller indigenous tribes are fighting for across the country, including the Juaneño/Acjachemen tribe in Southern California.

“There is a commitment for unprecedented unified action … that has been covered up by the news media of what we’re actually trying to do here,” said Chief Phil Lane at the SONGS prayer vigil at San Onofre State Beach last month.

Lane is an elder in the Dakota nation, whose father grew up in Standing Rock.

Lane said it was his hope the battle over SONGS became another site for action like the demonstrations in Standing Rock.

A sign at the vigil read, “Standing Rock, California.”

Laura Lafoia Ava-Tesimale, a first nations representative from Polynesia who offered the spiritual message at the

A group in the Oceti Sakowin camp build teepees as an upside-down American flag, common throughout the camp, waves in the steady wind. Photo: Matt Cortina

SONGS vigil, said there is a direct tie between the treatment of Juaneño/Acjachemen tribes in South Orange County, and the Sioux at Standing Rock.

“There’s been a great disrespect for many generations,” said Lafoia Ava-Tesimale. “For 500 years, everything has been taken from them [the Acjachemen]. Stricken of their dignity, their land, their faith in human rights, their right to water, their sacred burial grounds. The disrespect has gone to new heights.

“With what is happening at Standing Rock, you can see the militarization and the hundreds of combat vehicles coming to battle against peaceful protectors that are doing prayer and taking to ceremony to protect this land and the resources, the water, not just for the indigenous peoples in this land, but for all of us, even the ones who are disrespecting them.”

Flags of some of the several hundred tribes represented at Standing Rock flap in the wind and line the entry to the camp and the border it shares with the road.

The Juaneño/Acjachemen flag does not yet fly, but the tribe is at least represented at the gathering.

Tribal member Rebecca Robles said her 27-year-old son has made the trip, and like

many others who are setting up at Standing Rock, has put his life on hold because “he felt he had to be there.”

“Sometimes it’s shocking that the system doesn’t protect us, or there’s such little regard for history. So when there is a win, it’s very important. This is the groundwork for democracy,” Robles said of Standing Rock. “San Juan’s little park (Putuidem) is a small manifestation of that.”

It’s too soon to say what will happen at Standing Rock. Too many variables: will they reroute the pipeline; will they make it through the winter; will President-elect Trump authorize the Army Corps to grant Energy Transfer Partners, in which our new president has a financial stake, to drill under the river?

And what happens if the drilling is completed—do the environmentalists go home? Does the media leave when there are no more guards and only Indians fighting for theirs?

How far is everyone willing to go?

Likewise, it’s too soon to say what will happen in the myriad fronts of the battle for indigenous land rights in South Orange County. How far, in this community, is everyone willing to go? SC

EYE ON SC

Community SC Sheriff’s Blotter Meetings THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, NOV. 24 AND 25

CITY OFFICES CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27

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

Avenida Del Mar. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

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.

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.

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.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

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.

FLU SHOT CLINIC 3:30-7 p.m. Mission Hospital will provide flu shots for free to people ages 9 and older. A parent must be present with the child or children under 18.

The flu vaccine is not preservative-free and cannot be provided to pregnant or breastfeeding women. No appointments are necessary. Our Lady of Fatima Church, 105 La Esperanza, San Clemente. 877.459.3627. www.mission4health.com.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

SANTA’S VILLAGE BY THE SEA 5 p.m. Join in the holiday spirit with the tree lighting at the Community Center.

100 N. Calle Seville. 949.361.8200. www.san-clemente.org.

San Clemente Times November 24-30, 2016

for the last month and a half, and the noises were getting louder.

Sunday, November 20

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, November 21

FOUND PROPERTY Paseo Ganso, 400 Block (12:25 p.m.) A woman found a gun case and a wallet.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES El Portal, 100 Block (8:58 a.m.) Two people were seen urinating in the area. The caller was uncooperative and did not want to speak to the officers.

Saturday, November 19

WELFARE CHECK Avenida Vista Montana/200 Block (7:10 p.m.) A caller said a man was walking around the laundry room with a “huge gash in his head.”

DISTURBANCE Buena Vista, 1400 Block (1:29 p.m.) A woman said her friend was assaulted by her boyfriend.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Camino San Clemente, 400 Block (4:12 p.m.) Police were called to the lot for a brown, rusty Toyota occupied by two people either having intercourse or doing drugs.

Friday, November 18 DISTURBANCE Camino Vera Cruz/Calle Sarmentoso (8:55 p.m.) Police were called to reports of eight to 10 juveniles throwing wet paper towels at vehicles driving by.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Calle Amanecer, 900 Block (2:20 p.m.) The caller said an unknown number of homeless people have set up camp in the area.

DRUNK IN PUBLIC El Camino Real, 200 Block (1:01 p.m.) A person was reportedly bumping into tables and people.

DISTURBANCE-MECHANICAL Mariposa, 100 Block (7:32 a.m.) A caller said they heard “loud humming and boom, boom, boom”

DISTURBANCE W. Avenida Palizada/El Camino Real (8:09 p.m.) Police were called to a man talking to himself and “jumping” in and out of traffic.

ANNOYING PHONE CALL Avenida Presidio, 100 Block (1:50 p.m.) A woman requested to speak to a deputy regarding harassing phone calls she had received.

WELFARE CHECK N. El Camino Real,

NEWS BITES COMPILED BY ERIC HEINZ

Camp Bow Wow Starts Buddies Foundation Camp Bow Wow Buddies Foundation will provide grants to families, rescue groups and shelters who have dogs in need of necessary medical treatments and need financial assistance. The grants will cover treatments such as broken limbs, abdominal problems, orthopedic surgery, heartworm treatment and more. The grants cover up to $2,500. Camp Bow Wow is also offering dog leashes for a limited time for $5, and the proceeds from sales will go toward the foundation. For more information, visit www.bowwowbuddies. com.

Sixth Annual Holiday Bikes for Kids Drive Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area will be the North Pole for Urban Bicycle Outfitters this year, helping make Christmas wishes come true for deserving children around town.

Urban Bicycle Outfitters in North Beach will donate time for the elves, assembling and delivering high-quality boys and girls 20-inch bikes, sturdy enough to be handed down to younger siblings, in time for the holiday festivities.

The company is asking for donations in any amount for the bikes. Bikes are $118 each, including tax. The bikes in retail sell for up to $220.

The window for donations closes Dec. 10, though representatives will try to accommodate further donations while inventory lasts.

For information or to volunteer as an elf, call Pete at 949.492.5737.

Girl Scout Helps Remind People About Street Sweeping Kasey Tarnow, a special-needs student, was given a Girl Scout Gold Award for her project “My Street, My Ocean,” which reminds people of street sweeping days.

The goal is to help maintain gutters that flow into the ocean from San Clemente.

Residents register their email address or cell phone numbers on a website to get reminders either by email or text about street sweeping on their street. For more

Page 7

Avenida Del Mar (1:31 p.m.) Several “surf dads,” the caller said, with children younger than 3 years old were seen drinking alcohol.

CITIZEN ASSIST El Camino Real, 2300 Block (10:26 a.m.) A woman said “someone dumped stuff in (her) Dumpster” during the night.

Thursday, November 17 BURGLARY IN PROGRESS Avenida Santiago, 100 Block (8:54 p.m.) A woman hid in her downstairs bedroom after she said her screen door was ripped off.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Colina Rodante/Colina Salida Del Sol (6:05 p.m.)

The caller said it looked as if two men climbed over a wall of a corner residence.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Calle Pintoresco/ Calle Iglesia (9:28 a.m.) A parked car was engulfed in flames.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Palizada, 100 Block (3:24 a.m.)

A woman said a man “jumped from her backyard” and walked to her front fence.

Wednesday, November 16 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Pico, 900 Block (5:35 p.m.) Police were called to the bushes between the sidewalk near the street, where a set of clothing and shoes were found. No people were seen in the area. information, visit www.san-clemente.org/ sweep.

Christmastime for the Marines Each year, The Marine Monument at Park Semper Fi and the city of San Clemente sponsor a Christmas party for the city’s Adopted Marine Corps Unit HMLA469. The Marines have just returned from deployment.

The foundation gathers gifts for their children and sponsor a Christmas lunch for 600 people of Marine families on Dec. 10 at their Camp Pendleton Air Station Hanger.

Show your generous holiday support by dropping off gifts for children. Look for Red Bins at the Following Locations: • City Hall 100 Ave Presidio • Community Center 100 Calle Seville • Vista Hermosa Sports Park 987 Ave Vista Hermosa •Ole Hanson Beach Club 105 W. Ave Pico Tax-deductible, cash donations can be made. Visit www.marinemonument.com for more information.

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 WHY SKIP THE TURKEY? LUPE INFRAINE, Laguna Beach

President Obama is taking a break from Trump transition to pardon two turkeys.

Every one of us can exercise that presidential pardon power on Thanksgiving by giving thanks for health and happiness while skipping gratuitous violence.

The 235 million turkeys killed in the U.S. this year have nothing to be thankful for. They are raised in crowded sheds filled with toxic fumes.

At 16 weeks, slaughterhouse workers cut their throats and dump them in boiling water to remove their feathers.

Consumers pay a heavy price too.

Turkey flesh is laced with cholesterol and saturated fats that elevate risk of chronic killer diseases. Package labels warn of food poisoning potential.

But, there is good news. Annual per capita consumption of turkeys is down by a whopping 35 percent from a 1996 high.

A third of our population is reducing meat consumption. Food manufacturers are developing a great variety of healthful, delicious plant-based meat products.

My Thanksgiving dinner will include a “tofurky” (soy-based roast), mashed potatoes, stuffed squash, chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and carrot cake. An internet search on vegan Thanksgiving and a visit to my local grocery store will provide me heaps of recipes and delightful plant-based turkey alternatives.

A NEW DAY FOR AMERICA HAROLD WARMAN, San Clemente

As a registered Republican with common-sense, conservative values, I have not enjoyed the election of my choice for president since 1984. Yet, I have never responded to the election of any president with vitriol or violence. I have not thrown rocks at police, shut down freeways, destroyed property, engaged in verbal tantrums, or carried signs threatening a bloody revolution.

I voted for Trump and am hopeful for a country that respects individual rights, believes in personal responsibility, rewards merit and values the rule of law. I am definitely not bemoaning the loss of the arrogance, dishonesty and contempt for our laws that has characterized the behavior of our ruling class for the last eight years.

I believe America has taken a giant step toward evolving into a fair society “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

We the people have just rejected a candidate who shredded our values, our morals, San Clemente Times November 24-30, 2016

our compassion, our tolerance, our decency, our sense of common purpose, our expectation of honesty, even our desire for a sovereign country.

I am hopeful that the Trump revolution will produce one of the greatest societies in the history of civilization. I am hopeful that those who believe they are the intellectual elite will use their intelligence to reexamine the history of failed civilizations. I am hopeful that the anarchists, communists, fascists, socialists and their ilk do not prevail. I am hopeful that this is truly a good morning in America.

IN-N-OUT BURGER FAILURE DRAWS POLITICAL CONCLUSIONS JOE TOLOSA, San Clemente

I recently heard that the In-N-Out that had originally been slated for San Clemente was built in Oceanside instead. The reason of course is that this regressive cabal in San Clemente turned it down. It had been approved by the Planning Commission but the “old boys” City Council rejected it.

I’ve read letters in the San Clemente Times longing for older times in San Clemente, which more or less represents the “old boys” thinking.

People do not seem to realize that practically all of the vacant land in San Clemente had ownership that at some point decided to sell the land, and various housing developments were developed.

Obviously the Planning Commission and Council had to approve the new developing San Clemente. Consequently we have Marblehead, Forster Ranch, The Reserve, Talega, Rancho San Clemente, Shorecliffs and others. The point is that the vacant land owners had the right to sell their properties and the developers had the right to build houses. As a result, the city has about 65,000 residents and it is a fantasy to continue to have attitudes that are not realistic. The Spanish theme is very good and most of all of the new commercial centers continue to follow that pattern as do a lot of or most of the houses built recently. The reality is that there are a lot of folks here now and the needs of the overall community are greater than in the “old days.”

It is time to have some progressive attitudes in San Clemente. The Spanish Village by the Sea can retain its heritage and move on to the 21st century.

as they were getting Stella (our dog) ready to come home, she ran to their gate and opened it and ran. I should mention that she is a Border Collie mix that we got at the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter five years ago.

The owner of the salon got in his car to get her as she was headed toward the freeway running through three traffic signals. He stopped his car in traffic and tried to get her in his car when she turned and bolted the other direction. In the process, she was running down the middle of Camino De Los Mares and many cars had started to slowly follow her to protect her from getting hit by a car.

By this time, the salon had called to tell me what had happened and they told me she was “headed home,” which seemed crazy that they knew that. But they did have my address.

I went to the front door and there were two ladies in a car asking me if I owned a black dog. I said “yes” and they said she was OK. They said she was in another car.

Apparently my dog had been in my front yard but they didn’t know it was her house so they got her in their car and were going to take her to the city shelter. (She only had her grooming bandana on and not her collar with her identification.) Suddenly another car pulled up and she rolled her window down, asked if I had a black dog.

When I said “yes,” she opened the back door and Stella ran to me. It was a very happy reunion and her “sister,” our other dog, was also delighted that she was home.

About 15 minutes later I heard another knock on the door and there was a woman with her junior high-aged daughter who brought “gourmet treats” for Stella. Man, how many nice people live in San Clemente? She proceeded to give me a blow by blow of Stella’s adventure and as silly as it sounded (knowing she was OK) I couldn’t help but smile. I never had more than one minute of worry from the time they called to let me know what had happened until she was returned safely.

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.

DOG HOME SAFE AFTER KINDNESS OF COMMUNITY LYNNE ZUMBERGE, San Clemente

I live in San Clemente and wanted to share a story of our dog that happened on Tuesday, Nov. 15, and give a “thank you” to the community that got her home safely to us.

I had taken her for a grooming up by the hospital (we live in Forster Ranch in the Vera Cruz neighborhood). Apparently Page 8

Join the San Clemente Times for Beachside Chat, Friday, Dec. 2 at 8 a.m. at Café Calypso There will be no Beachside Chat this week, due to the holiday. The next Beachside chat will be Friday, Dec. 2.

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.

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 Maggie Fetterly Debra Holm Tim Trent Jake Howard

San Clemente Times, Vol. 11, Issue 47. 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

Crystal Acuff, 9, sits atop her father’s shoulders while “snow” falls from the roof of the Outlets at San Clemente during a tree lighting ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 19. The Outlets recently celebrated its first anniversary in San Clemente. Photo: Eric Heinz

GUEST OPINION: Lew’s Views by Lew Avera

Thanksgiving Comes to San Clemente

T

hanksgiving comes in many ways to many people, both spiritually and practically or functionally. Previously, I have written about San Clemente as a future premier performing arts location and also about substantial economic growth over time. This Thanksgiving is significant in both of these ways, first with the landmark advances in historic North Beach and secondly with the first anniversary of the Outlets at San Clemente.

Most significant in North Beach are the large historical structures, such as the Ole Hanson Beach Club, Casino San Clemente and the Miramar Theater. Just a month ago, the Ole Hanson Beach Club reopened after several years and millions of dollars to restore its historical profile.

Secondly, after decades of deterioration, actual plans have been submitted to the city for restoration of the Miramar Theater as an “events center.” This will be an iconic venue for San Clemente in the near foreseeable future. The third venue is the Casino. This was a vital part of the large North Beach restoration project developed

by Shaheen Sadeghy and the Lab Holdings a decade ago, until it was overturned by a special ballot measure.

It is significant that the Sadeghys believed so much in San Clemente and its future that they personally purchased the Casino and renovated it for our local use.

Since that time, it has hosted many significant events, most recently the Toast of San Clemente. In addition, Linda Sedeghy has organized and just completed Autumn Nights Jazz Series on Thursday nights of October and November. It was so successful, with hundreds of attendees, that she is

Page 9

planning an expanded Jazz Nights Series for this winter and next spring. Also, there will be a special Holiday Open House on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. featuring Christmas music, kids’ crafts and food. The proceeds from the event will benefit Family Assistance Ministries.

All these events attribute to the special place and value of our North Beach historical venues.

A second major event marked by Thanksgiving is the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Outlets at San Clemente. The Outlets were and remain controversial to many who opposed them.

Significantly, however, they have been highly successful and are beginning to contribute a significant amount of sales tax dollars to the city. Even more than just tax dollars, the Outlets’ owner and management have become very active in our Chamber of Commerce, and go well beyond just “retail sales” to the point of supporting the success of all of San Clemente. Noteworthy LEW’S VIEWS is their strong support of

By Lew Avera local charities and the use of their special facilities for public events.

So, as initially suggested, Thanksgiving 2016 is a very special time for San Clemente and all of its residents, young and old, new and long time, in recognition of the special historical nature and value of our city, as well as the economic activities that are necessary to maintain the physical attributes of our Spanish Village by the Sea in modern times.

Here’s wishing a meaningful Thanksgiving for all.

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.

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC GETTING OUT San Clemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

The List

Sunday | 27

EDITOR’S PICK

ORANGE COUNTY WINE CRUISE 5:30-7 p.m. Climb onboard a Dana Wharf luxury catamaran for this 90-minute wine cruise around the Dana Point Harbor.

Tickets are $49. Every Friday and Sunday.

See more events online. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 888.224.0603. www.danawharf.com.

What’s going on in and around town this week

COMPILED BY STAFF

Thursday | 24 BRICK THANKSGIVING COMMUNITY DINNER 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Brick Pizzeria hosts a Thanksgiving dinner, which is free to all who are hungry, in need or just have nowhere else to be on Thanksgiving.

Families, active military and individuals are encouraged to attend. Volunteers are no longer being accepted, but dry good donations will be collected and donated to Family Assistance Ministries. 216 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.429.1199. www.brickpizzeria.com.

Friday | 25 LIVE MUSIC: THE CHRIS ANDERSEN GROUP 7:30-11 p.m. Listen to live music from The Chris Andersen Group at Iva Lee’s.

555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente.

949.361.2855. www.ivalees.com.

‘MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET’ 8 p.m. The Camino Real Playhouse opens with a preview night of the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street. The show will run every weekend through Dec. 18. Tickets range from $27-$37. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.489.8082. www.caminorealplayhouse.com.

‘SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS’ 8 p.m. The Cabrillo Playhouse puts on Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, the story of a formidable retired woman, who hires an acerbic dance instructor for private lessons. Tickets range from $15-20. 202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente. 949.492.0465. www.cabrilloplayhouse.com.

Saturday | 26 TALEGA RUN CLUB 7:30 a.m. All ages and running abilities are welcome to this weekly running club.

2XU, an athletic apparel store in San Clemente, supports the club and helps lead the runs. Group meets in front of Peet’s Coffee at 801 Avenida Talega, San Clemente.

949.558.5054. www.meetup.com/2XU-SanClemente-Outlet-Meetup.

WHALE WATCHING CRUISE 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Hop aboard the R/V Sea Explorer to see whales, dolphins, sea lions San Clemente Times November 24-30, 2016

Monday | 28 Photo: File

THURSDAY, NOV. 24: THE 39TH ANNUAL DANA POINT TURKEY TROT 6 a.m.-noon. The 39th annual Turkey Trot takes over Dana Point on Thanksgiving morning. The Orange County tradition attracts more than 16,000 participants in the 5K, 10K, kids’ Gobble Wobble and the health and wellness expo. Dana Point Harbor. www.turkeytrot.com.

On Stage at the Coach House: The Dan Band Holiday Show

Y

ou’ve seen Dan Finnerty before.

Time and time again, Finnerty shows up to make incredible cameos in modern comedy classics. Whether it was as the infamously inappropriate wedding singer in Old School singing his “colorful” version of “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” or as singers in Starsky & Hutch and The Hangover, Finnerty plays the rogue singer well.

Finnerty brings The Dan Band Holiday Show, full of those hijinks and more, to the Coach House on Dec. 3.

The Dan Band started when Finnerty drunkenly sang a version of “I Am Woman,” and clearly the shtick has earned many fans. The band has shown up The

and more. Tickets are $45 for adults, $35 for seniors and active-duty military and $25 for children. Ocean Institute. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point.

949.496.2274. www.ocean-institute.org.

HOLIDAY CHARITY GIFT DRIVE Noon-3 p.m. Donate gifts at San Juan Capistrano charity Coral 65’s annual holiday gift drive. Drop off new, unwrapped donations of gifts for military kids and pets, sweaters for seniors and vests for veterans. There will also be a raffle and silent auction. Courtyard Irvine Spectrum. 7955 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. 949.606.2300. www.coral65.org.

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY AT SAN CLEMENTE ART SUPPLY 1-4 p.m. Stop by San Clemente Art Supply and Framing for a Small Business

Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ellen and more.

Finnerty’s act is so Photo: Courtesy popular, Steven Spielberg signed on to executive produce a one-hour concert special, “The Dan Band: I Am Woman.”

The Dan Band is preparing to release their third album, but before they drop those tunes, catch them at the Coach House. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets start at $35. Buy them at www. thecoachhouse.com. SC Saturday event. There will be an artist painting live in front of the store, demos from a variety of brands and also another artist demonstration, treats, a sale and more. 1531 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.369.6603. www.scartsupply.com.

SATURDAYS AT THE SWALLOW’S INN 2:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Flock of 80’s performs live music in the afternoon, followed by the JB & the Big Circle Riders in the evening. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. www.swallowsinn.com.

LIVE MUSIC: FAMILY STYLE 7:30-11 p.m. Listen to live music from Family Style at Iva Lee’s. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.361.2855. www.ivalees.com.

Page 10

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.

Tuesday | 29 HALF-PRICE WHALE WATCHING 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Hop onboard this two-hour cruise to see dolphins, whales and other marine life in the wild. $22.50. Half price on Tuesdays but trips are available every day of the week. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point.

949.496.5794. www.danawharf.com.

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 system. 34085 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. 949.464.5700. www.thepointrestaurantandbar.com.

KARAOKE AT GOODY’S 8 p.m. Karaoke at Goody’s Tavern in San Clemente. 206 S. El Camino Real.

949.492.3400. www.goodystavern.com.

Wednesday | 30 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.

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

(Cont. on page 12) www.sanclementetimes.com

GETTING OUT (Cont. from page 10)

UPCOMING EVENTS: SATURDAY, DEC. 3 SANTA’S VILLAGE BY THE SEA 5-10:30 p.m. Avenida Del Mar and the Community Center turn into a holiday village. There will be a snow hill, Santa and activities, all leading up to a tree lighting ceremony at 8 p.m. on the corner of Del Mar and Calle Seville. 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente. www.san-clemente.org.

CHRISTMAS AT THE CASA 5-7:30 p.m. Christmas at the Casa is a holiday celebration featuring festive deco-

rations, live music, carolers, a bell choir, a talking Christmas tree, crafts for children, cookies and refreshments, and a visit from Santa Claus. The bell choir will walk with guests from Casa Romantica to the San Clemente Community Center at approximately 7:30 p.m. for the City’s Christmas Tree Lighting at 8 p.m. Casa Romantica.

415 Avenida Grande, San Clemente.

949.498.2139. www.casaromantica.org.

HAVE AN EVENT? Submit it to San Clemente Times by going to www.sanclementetimes.com, and clicking “Submit an Event” under the “Getting Out” tab.

At the Movies: Be Up for ‘Nocturnal Animals’

BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

A

my Adams is at it again this Oscar season. She’s become one of those actresses you’ll most likely see at an actors’ roundtable this time of year and has more nominations under her belt than most of her peers. Within just a week from each other, Adams breaks in 2016 with the sci-fi drama Arrival and the avant-garde thriller Nocturnal Animals for consideration. The film also marks the second directorial input from fashion designer Tom Ford and is based on Austin Wright’s 1993 novel Tony and Susan.

Photo: Focus Features

THE DISH

The film follows three intertwined storylines: the first has guilt-ridden, art gallery owner Susan Morrow (Adams) receiving a manuscript in the mail of her ex-husband’s, Edward Sheffield, (Jake Gyllenhaal) latest book, Nocturnal Animals. Second is a series of flashbacks on how their relationship began.

Third is Edward’s novel played out on the screen with Gyllenhaal also playing the protagonist, and Isla Fisher, Ellie Bamber and Aaron Johnson as other book characters.

Michael Shannon co-stars as the sheriff in the book within the movie and Armie Hammer plays Susan’s current boyfriend. Ford made a big splash with his first film, A Single Man, in 2009, and here he makes just as big of an impression with a non-linear story that would’ve been a mess in the wrong hands. Adams is great of course, but it’s Gyllenhaal who effortlessly carries the film as both male leads. The extreme content is bound to be divisive with some audiences, but Nocturnal Animals has one of the year’s best casts and is perfect for arthouse fans. SC

SOL AGAVE’S CHILE COLORADO

F

olks were excited when Sol Agave moved from a food truck to a brick and mortar restaurant off Rancho Viejo Road. They were so excited, supposedly, that Sol Agave quickly moved across the parking lot to a bigger, stylish building within a year.

The new digs are swanky, with a sleek tequila bar and wine cabinet, funky light fixtures, and a generally bouncy atmosphere amongst the friendly staff and lively patrons.

What’s clear is that Sol Agave’s physical environment was elevated to match the quality of its food. From truck to first shop to new shop, their modern take on Mexican food has garnered a duly rabid following.

The chile colorado came at the recommendation of the waiter. Three medallions of braised short rib were arranged next to onion-cilantro white rice. The short ribs had Page 12

been soaked in a beer and pepper sauce, creating a bite that was bright on the front of the tongue and savory like sweet mud on the back of the tongue. —Matt Cortina Sol Agave 31111 Rancho Viejo Road, San Juan Capistrano.

949.218.1158. www.solagavesjc.com

www.sanclementetimes.com

the village.

Mariner’s Village/Alley and Dana Wharf.

34624 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point. www.visitdanapoint.org.

Holiday Events

‘MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET’

8 p.m. The Camino Real Playhouse continues performances of the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street. The show runs every weekend through Dec. 18. Tickets range from $27-$37.

31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

949.489.8082. www.caminorealplayhouse. com.

BOAT RIDES WITH SANTA

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY AT SAN CLEMENTE ART SUPPLY

1-4 p.m. Stop by San Clemente Art Supply and Framing for a Small Business Saturday event. There will be an artist painting live in front of the store, demos from a variety of brands and also another artist demonstration, treats, a sale and more.

1531 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente.

949.369.6603. www.scartsupply.com.

STORYTELLING AND COOKIE DECORATING WITH MRS. CLAUS

6:30-9 p.m. Dive into the holiday festivities with a free cookie decorating and holiday story-telling event at the Monarch Beach Resort. The event runs every Thursday and Friday until Christmas.

One Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point.

949.234.3200. www.visitdanapoint.org.

SOCSA HOLIDAY CONCERT

7-9 p.m. The South Orange County School of Arts performs their annual holiday concert at Dana Hills High School. Concert also will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 30. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $12 for students and seniors.

33333 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.240.1994. www.socsarts.org.

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Santa and his helpers listen to holiday wishes on a 20-minute harbor cruise. A $5 donation, which will be given to the El Camino Real Junior Woman’s Club, is suggested. No reservation required. Event also runs Sunday, Dec. 4.

Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point.

888.224.0603. www.danawharf.com.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE ACADEMY

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sit in on one of two gingerbread house decorating workshops at Monarch Beach Resort. The pastry team will offer tips for decorating with the seemingly endless amount of candy and frosting available. There will also be a special visit from Santa, complete with pictures. Cost is $85 per gingerbread house, with a maximum of four people per house.

One Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point.

949.234.3200. www.visitdanapoint.org.

HOLIDAY DIY CARD AND CANDLE MAKING

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Attendees will learn ornamental calligraphy techniques and make a set of holiday cards with ink and color. After a break for lunch, the owners of Makana candles will guide guests through a candle-making class. This class is limited to 16 students only, please register at www.scartsupply.com. Cost is $125 and includes the candles made at the class to take home.

1531 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente.

949.369.6603. www.scartsupply.com.

HERITAGE HILL VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS

FREE PHOTOS WITH SANTA

4:30-7:30 p.m. Bring your cameras and snap a selfie with Santa at the Dana Wharf Courtyard. Photos are free.

El Torito Courtyard. 34521 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.496.5794. www.danapointharbor.com.

HOLIDAY IN THE HARBOR

4:30-7:30 p.m. Bring the family down to the Dana Point Harbor for a fun afternoon of holiday events, live music, kids’ treats and specials throughout

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Relive the holiday customs of yesteryear for one final time as Heritage Hill Historical Park holds their last-ever Victorian Christmas.

The park’s four historic buildings will be festively decorated for the season with live music, dance performances, local craft vendors and food for purchase. Enjoy hands-on activities including Christmas ornament and card making, candle dipping, butter churning, Victorian-inspired crafts and games and cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus.

25151 Serrano Road, Lake Forest.

949.923.2230.

(Continued)

Holiday Events (Continued)

TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY

4:15 p.m.- 9 p.m. The annual San Juan Capistrano Tree Lighting Ceremony includes pre-show entertainment, a live stage show and, of course, the lighting of the holiday tree. Elsewhere, there will be free photos with Santa Claus at Los Rios Park, a puppet show and a free Christmas train ride and crafts.

Mrs. Claus will entertain children at the O’Neill Museum, and ZOOMARS will open the gates to their petting zoo at no charge and offer train and hay rides for a nominal fee.

Historic Town Center Park. 31852 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.5911. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

CHRISTMAS AT THE CASA

5-7:30 p.m. Christmas at the Casa is a public holiday celebration featuring festive decorations, live music, carolers, a bell choir, a talking Christmas tree, crafts for children, cookies and refreshments, and a visit from Santa Claus. The bell choir will walk with guests from Casa Romantica to the San Clemente Community Center at approximately 7:30 p.m. for the city’s Christmas Tree Lighting at 8 p.m.

Casa Romantica. 415 Avenida Grande, San Clemente. 949.498.2139. www.casaromantica.org.

SANTA’S VILLAGE BY THE SEA

5-10:30 p.m. Avenida Del Mar and the Community Center turn into a holiday village. There will be the local favorite snow hill, Santa meetings and other activities, all leading up to a tree lighting ceremony at 8 p.m. on the corner of Del Mar and Calle Seville.

YAPPY HOWLIDAYS

11 a.m.-2 p.m. This gathering of canines and their companions provides Fido with the opportunity to be photographed with the “Big Dog” himself, Santa Claus. Guests are asked to bring unopened canned or dry dog food, treats or dog toys to be donated to pets in need. Proceeds from food and beverage purchases benefit The Canine Companions Veterans Initiative.

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel.

One Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point.

949.240.2000. www.visitdanapoint.org

PINES PARK TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY 4-6 p.m. The city of Dana Point and Capo Cares hosts a tree lighting ceremony at Pines Park. There will be crafts, caroling, handmade wooden ornaments and more. There will also be hot cocoa and homemade cookies.

Pines Park. 34941 Camino Capistrano, Capistrano Beach.

CASA NUTCRACKER

7-8:30 p.m. The Orange County Ballet Theatre performs the holiday classic production. The Casa Nutcracker features choreography tailored to Casa Romantica’s intimate Main Salon.

Tickets are $40.

Casa Romantica. 415 Avenida Grande, San Clemente. 949.498.2139. www.casaromantica.org.

DANA POINT HARBOR BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS

7:30 p.m. The 42nd annual edition of the boat parade kicks off on Friday night. You can join in on the parade by watching from the shore or hopping on a boat with Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching, Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching or The Ocean Institute. The parade also runs on Dec. 10, 16 and 17. www.danapointharbor.com.

100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente. www.san-clemente.org.

CHRISTMAS AT THE MISSION

5:30-8 p.m. The historic Mission San Juan Capistrano turns into a winter wonderland with carolers, school choirs, real snow sledding and play area, “merry-achi” music, visit with Father Christmas and more.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.234.1300. www.missionsjc.com.

Laguna Cliffs Marriott. 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point. www.visitdanapoint.org.

9 a.m.-noon. Enjoy breakfast, movies, arts and crafts, and a photo op with Santa himself as he visits Dana Point from the North Pole. Adults are $30, kids are $15.

Gift Ideas for Everyone on your List

GIFT CERTIFICATES Any Denomination $65/mo Unlimited Classes

FIT4MOM San Clemente 949.237.2964 sanclemente.fit4mom.com

SONNY’S PANINI. BEST LUNCH IN TOWN. $9.95-$11.95

Holiday Cheers to Time Spent Together!

Sonny’s Pizza & Pasta 429 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente

949.498.2540 www.sonnys.com

SERPENTINE IGUANAS 5 ½” to 11 ½” long $340 and Up

Designs By Nature 400 S. El Camino Real, A, San Clemente

949.498.8358 www.designsbynature.com

SOCIAL MEMBERSHIP

$250 Initiation Fee/ $50 Mo. Food & Beverage Minimum Bella Collina San Clemente 200 Avenida La Pata, San Clemente

949.333.4830 www.bellacollinasanclemente.com

GOLF MEMBERSHIP

$2,000-$2,500 Initiation Fee/ $460-$575 Mo. Dues Bella Collina San Clemente 200 Avenida La Pata, San Clemente

949.333.4830 www.bellacollinasanclemente.com

Gift Ideas for Everyone on your List

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

Starting at $79 for 3 Treatments Expires 12/31/16 Hybrid MD, Laser & Aesthetic Medicine 1031 Avenida Pico, Ste. 103, San Clemente

949.429.1919 www.hybridmdoc.com

HOLIDAY GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE Any Denomination Eyeland Lash 99 Via Pico Plaza, San Clemente

949.391.0670 www.eyelandlash.com

SCHMID’S BUSINESS GIFTS Order by December 31 for 15% Off!

Schmid’s Fine Chocolates 99 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente

949.369.1052 www.schmidschocolate.com

14KT GOLD & DIAMOND RING On Sale for $519 Zia Jewelry 31761 Camino Capistrano, SJC

(949) 493-1322 www.ZiaJewelrySanJuanCap.com

BESTIE SPA DAY GIFT CERTIFICATE Any Denomination

Bow Wow Beautiful Pet Spa 364 Camino Estrella, San Clemente

949.702.3130 www.BowWowBeautiful.com

SC SC LIVING San Clemente

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

Business Beat

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

India, the First Four Days

News from San Clemente’s business community

A make-do attitude drives the country

SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

New Business CRUNCH FITNESS 638 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente, 949.661.6060, www.crunch.com Steve Clinefelter, owner of Crunch in San Clemente’s Oceanview Plaza, purchased Fitness Elite for Women in December 2015 and has since been overhauling the location.

In June, they began construction of the upstairs in order to revamp it for new workout machines and more.

The downstairs is now a co-ed gym, with separate locker rooms, of course, and includes a “functional gym.” Clinefelter said he normally doesn’t change the functionality of a gym, but he felt the co-ed inclusiveness matched San Clemente’s vibe.

“There’s no old features remaining,” Clinefelter said. “The world has changed quite a bit, so when we started from scratch, we brought in the latest and greatest that we could. What’s totally different is what we offer in functional training.”

Clinefelter said the functional gym downstairs incorporates workouts in real-life settings. For example, he said equipment may not replicate the workout required to haul large bags of sand or concrete. There’s also cowbells, kicking and punching bags and various exercise tools to duplicate “real-world” movements, Clinefelter said.

Personal trainers also help with the functional training.

Clinefelter has been with Crunch since the franchise began; the first in California opened in Lake Forest in 2010.

The company has been around for 27 years and were mostly in large urban areas. In 2009, the gym branched out to smaller communities.

From left, Jenn Burns, Chelsea Cruz, owner Steve Clinefelter and Mike Stevens of Crunch Fitness.

Photo: Eric Heinz

San Clemente Times November 24-30, 2016

From left, Frank Wilbur, Ross Wilbur and Ron Wilbur of Three Generations Pool/Spa Service.

Photo: Courtesy of Ross Wilbur

Anniversary THREE GENERATIONS POOL/ SPA SERVICE 949.300.4480, www.3gpoolservices.com Three Generations Pool/Spa Service has been in business in San Clemente since the 1960s.

Ron Wilbur started working in the spa and pool service industry in San Clemente in 1969. Then in the late 1970s, Frank Wilbur, his son, started working for the company, digging holes for spas or trenches for plumbing/electrical.

Frank ventured out on his own for a time and specialized in repairs, plumbing and electrical work.

Ross Wilbur, the son of Frank and third generation of the company, said he has always had the family business and pool/spa industry “running through my veins since birth.”

“I worked for my Dad in college, getting to know the industry hands on,” Ross said. “I graduated college and I began to start my own division of the family business, and that has been pool/spa maintenance service for over 10 years.”

Three Generations Pool/Spa Service specializes in residential homes and offers pool and/or spa repairs weekly.

The services include brushing tile, wire brushing walls, vacuuming the floor, netting debris, emptying skimmer/pump baskets and adjusting chemicals.

“I take great pride in my business and have many satisfied customers in San Clemente,” Ross said. He attributed his family’s success with the business with “a commitment to customer service and being on top of things when people call, and showing up every week.”

Ross said the core principles of the business are honesty, reliability and superior customer service.

he word “Namaste” is a Hindu word used as a greeting or salutation. It is usually made with a slight bow, making eye contact, with palms touching, and fingers pointing upward. It means, “I bow to the divine in you.” When people in India say that to you, you feel welcomed and warmth coming from them. It happens nearly everywhere you go in India.

My partner, Greta, and I are on an 18-day tour visiting India and Nepal. After being in India for four days, what jumps out the most is the remarkable, make-do attitude of the people. Simply stated, India is a fascinating country.

Greta and I had heard that November is one of the best months of the year to visit.

The weather has been around 80 degrees during the day; warm but not hot. Blue skies every day. While the air has been a bit smoky, masks have not been necessary. A perfect setting for a first visit to this amazing land.

We are traveling in a modern, air-conditioned bus and staying in beautiful hotels. There are 13 of us, all Americans ON LIFE AND from across the country, LOVE AFTER 50 plus a knowledgeable

By Tom Blake guide named Kapil, with a sense of humor, and a driver and assistant driver. Kapil had local contacts in each city we have visited. He is a studied historian able to share with us information about the history of India and modern-day customs.

Security is tight here. Armed soldiers have been visible at every location where we’ve disembarked the bus. At our New Delhi hotel, our bags were sent through a scanner and we were patted down. There was a guard on the 29th floor of our hotel, where our room was.

The roads are often gridlocked, some with 10 lanes of traffic in each direction.

Tuk tuks (auto rickshaws) and motorcycles dart in and out of traffic, jockeying for position. Horn honking is a way of life, keeping the congested roads safe. Most trucks have signs in the back that state, “Use horn.” That means let the truck know you are passing. People honk to say “I’m here,” not so much, “Get out of the way.”

Our first day in New Delhi began with a visit to the Qutab Minar Victory Tower, the world’s tallest minaret, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, we learned about Sikh culture at a prominent Sikh house of worship. Some of our group helped roll dough into tortillas in the volunteer kitchen. This temple serves Page 23

500,000 people in need free food every day and is run entirely by volunteers.

The day included a visit to the Gandhi Smirti, the museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, the father of India. He believed in equality of all people. We saw the room where Gandhi spent his last 140 days fasting before venturing out for a prayer service, where he was assassinated on the grounds outside.

On Nov. 8, the people of India unexpectedly received news from the government that banknotes of 500 and 1,000 rupees denominations were no longer a valid currency. There was too much counterfeit money in circulation. People holding those bills, called “old money” had to exchange them at banks and post offices for “new money.”

The English-language newspaper, The Indian Express, stated in the next morning’s edition that 23 people had been killed the day before in arguments while vying for position standing in line. ATMs ran out of money. People needed money to live on, to buy groceries for their families. Even New Delhi’s red light district had shut down because patrons didn’t have the money.

The people of India, however, have a make-do spirit. By that I mean they make the best they can with what simple assets they have. I saw tuk-tuks made to carry three people with as many as six riders.

Several times we passed open-bed trucks with 30 to 40 people packed in like sardines, including elderly women in colorful saris who waved at us. The Indian people will survive the money crisis as well, but it will take time.

Our group was affected by the money crisis as well. Greta and I had purchased rupees before leaving California; it was now “old money,” needing to be exchanged or somehow accepted by merchants. Some merchants and shops were willing to accept our “old money,” even knowing they would have to stand in line to exchange it. They needed the business.

The highlight of our first few days was enjoying an elephant ride up to the Amber Fort near the bustling city of Jaipur. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each day is a new adventure in this spiritual land.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point resident and a former Dana Point businessman and author. See his websites at www.findingloveafter50.com; www.vicsta.com and www. travelafter55.com. Email: tompblake@ gmail.com. SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com

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

949.354.2258, www.organicsoutback.com

EDITING SERVICES

Perfectly Clear Editing Services

Judi Heidel: 949.281.6364 www.perfectlycleareditingservices.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

HOME DÉCOR

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

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

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

SC Rider Supply

520 S. El Camino Real, 949.388.0521, www.scridersupply.com

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD

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

PLUMBING

A to Z Leak Detection

929 Calle Negocio #D, 949.481.7013, www.atozleakdetection.com

Bill Metzger Plumbing

929 Calle Negocio #D, 949.492.3558, www.billmetzerplumbing.com

Karl Aiken Plumbing-Rooter San Clemente, 949.366.8302

POOL SERVICE, REPAIR, REMODEL

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

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

949.496.6556, www.danmans.com

OFFICE FURNITURE

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

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

PET SERVICES/HOUSE SITTING

2-dogswalking.com

Ricky, 949.973.4128 Pet care –Insured & Bonded

Capistrano Valley Christian Schools

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

SECONDHAND/ CONSIGNMENT SHOPS

South Coast Furniture & Mattress

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

SWIMMING SCHOOL

Waterbabies Swim School

142 Avenida Granada, 949.488.2512, www.waterbabiesswimschool.com

TERMITES

Colony Termite Control

1402 Calle Alcazar, 949.361.2500, www.colonytermite.com

WEBSITE DESIGN

San Clemente Website Design

949.246.8345, www.sanclementewebsitedesign.com

WINDOW & DOOR REPLACEMENT

Offshore Construction

877.774.1492, www.offshoreconstruction.org

Café Calypso

114 Avenida Del Mar #4, 949.366.9386

SALONS

Salon Bamboo

LIST LOCALS ONLY USE LOCALS ONLY

Salon Bleu

In print and online 52 weeks a year. View online at www.sanclementetimes.com.

150 Avenida Del Mar, Ste. A, 949.361.3348, www.salonbamboo.com 207 S. El Camino Real, 949.366.2060, www.scsalonbleu.com

Syrens Hair Parlor

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

MUSIC LESSONS

Danman’s Music School

SCHOOLS

Randy Sanders San Clemente resident, Randy Sanders, passed away on November 7, 2016 at the age of 71. Originally from Gary, IN, Randy attended Indiana University before being drafted into the US Army, achieving rank of Captain. He and his first wife, Janet McGowan, had 4 daughters together. When his work as an insur-

Call at Debra Wells for pricing at 949.589.0892 or email dwells@picketfencemedia.com

CLASSIFIEDS

Submit your classified ad at www.sanclementetimes.com FOR SALE CUSTOM AREA RUGS You pick style, color and size.

Typically made in 2 weeks. Stainmaster nylon, wool, polyester or designer carpet. Carpet showroom in Lantern District of Dana Point.

Carpet and flooring remnants also available - all shapes, sizes and kinds of flooring. We sell tile too!

Mike 949-240-1545.

HELP WANTED DRIVER WANTED Cassano’s Pizza. Apply in person 818 S El Camino Real, SC. GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE!

Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com.

Deadline 5pm Monday. No phone calls.

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

OBITUARY ance executive led to a transfer to Southern California in 1982, Randy and Janet chose San Clemente as the place to raise their family.

In 1990, Randy married his wife of 26 years, Paula Dismuke, and had a son, Ryne.

Randy lived a full life and he loved all of his children immensely.

He was also blessed with 8 grandchildren and 2 step grandchildren.

But his greatest passion was his beloved Chicago Cubs. He was happy to be able to witness them

win the World Series.

Randy is survived by his wife Paula, mother Velva, brother Duane(L’Nora), his children Tonya(Brian), Jennifer(Mike), Aimee(Dennis), Katie(John) and Ryne, his grandchildren (Kendall, Makenna, Kayla, Jackson, Nathan, Olivia, Andre, Lukas, Alex, Jordan), and so many others that loved him.

Per Randy’s request, there will be no service. He just simply asked everyone to light a candle and think of him…and cheer for the Cubs.

SC n te S a n C le m e

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

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San Clemente Times November 24–30, 2016

Page 25

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC LIVING

Big Dreams Youth of the Year couldn’t speak English, now applying to Stanford, Harvard

BY ERIC HEINZ, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Y

esenia Martinez was selected as this year’s Youth of the Year, an honor given by the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area that selects a student each year for a college scholarship.

The Youth of the Year is honored at the annual Great Futures Gala, which took place Saturday, Nov. 19, at Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club.

“I was really excited and kind of shocked,” Martinez said about being selected. “I always wanted to be the Youth of the Year since my sister, Elva, was selected.”

Elva is now going to school at California State Fullerton.

The Youth of the Year is selected by staff of the BGSCA. The criteria are standard of character, academic achievement and community service. The Junior Youth of the Year was Evan Nicolai.

“This past summer, I taught a piano class to about 10 kids,” Martinez said.

“At the end of the summer, they got to perform what they had learned. I was also tutoring Spanish language to two students from Las Palmas Elementary, helping with their reading and writing skills.”

Martinez also volunteered her free time at the BGSCA. She said she’s been attending camps and afterschool programs for 10 years.

“Boys & Girls Club became like my second home, since most of my childhood I spent my time there while my mom worked,” Martinez said. “When I was 8, I started with the junior staff program at the club, and then I went to volunteer at events or at thrift shops. It also helped me learn English faster.”

Martinez moved from Texcoco, Mexico (a city just northeast of Mexico City), when she was 6 years old, and she said

Yesenia Martinez was name overall Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area for 2016. Photo: Eric Heinz

she didn’t speak any English.

“Being surrounded by kids who spoke English really helped,” she said. “Now I’m taking IB literature.”

Martinez said she hasn’t met many kids who moved to the U.S. as younger children, but she did meet a few in middle and high school. She said she would help them with learning English during her lunch breaks.

Her favorite subject in school is engineering, and she wants to be a computer engineer.

“And she’s going to do it,” said Allen Reese, the chief professional officer of the BGSCA. “She’s an amazing young woman who came here as a young child and has blossomed. She’s very smart.”

Martinez said her dream schools would be Stanford University or Harvard University. Her interview with Harvard is next week.

The BGSCA annual gala raises about 15 to 20 percent of the club’s annual $1 million operating budget. From the auction and “sponsor a youth,” the BGSCA raised about $87,000 and $71,000 has been raised from table sponsors and other donations, but final numbers were not available Monday.

The funding helps provide for the College Bound program for all students who are making a concerted effort to get into college. SC

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:

Page 26

See the solution in next week’s issue.

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SPORTS & OUTDOORS San Clemente

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Local Cadet Captures Skydiving Gold

BY FRANKI DARNOLD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

C

onner Thomsen dreamt at an early age that he would join the military.

When he was in middle school, Thomsen’s brother, and role model, set the tone by enlisting in the Air Force Academy, triggering the idea in Conner’s mind that Colorado Springs would eventually be the place for him.

Nearly 12 years later, what started as following in his older brother’s footsteps has turned into carving out his own successful path at the Academy. The San Clemente native and JSerra Catholic High School grad is now a senior at the Air Force Academy and led its skydiving competition team to the gold medal in the intermediate eight-way division at the 2016 U.S. Parachute Association’s National Skydiving Championship in Arizona earlier this month.

As a sophomore at the Academy, Thomsen enrolled in a skydiving course where he was trained to parachute by older cadets in a slightly unorthodox manner.

“When you get trained, you take the plane all the way up, and you jump and let your parachute go, and it is complete solo skydiving. This is the only place in the world you can do that,” Thomsen said.

Thomsen’s experience in that class

Triton Report

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

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

Tritons Upend Top-Seeded Heritage, Burst into Semifinals

The San Clemente High School football team was able to accomplish what no other team had done this season when it traveled to play No. 1-seeded Heritage in the CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinals on Nov. 21. Heritage had never trailed in a game in 2016 and was undefeated.

The Tritons changed all that on Nov. 18.

San Clemente (9-3) jumped out to an early lead and held on late to defeat the Patriots 23-19 on their home field. The San Clemente Times November 24-30, 2016

The Air Force Academy skydiving team executes a dive at the U.S. Parachute Association’s National Championship. Photo: David Wybenge/USPA.

San Clemente native Conner Thomsen, front row second from left, and the Air Force Academy eight-member skydiving team won gold at the U.S. Parachute Association’s National Championship this month. Photo: David Wybenge/USPA

paved the way for what has turned into a successful skydiving career. Thomsen, who has logged more than 500 career skydives, decided to compete regularly for

Tritons will host Valencia in the semifinals on Nov. 25.

The crucial moment of the game took place late in the fourth quarter, with Heritage driving at midfield down by four points. The Patriots, who relied heavily on their big offensive line and strong running backs all night, attempted to run again on fourth-and-sixth, but the Tritons defense snuffed out the play and forced a turnover on downs.

Next, it was up to the San Clemente offense to gain a first down and put the game away. Senior quarterback Jack Sears proceeded to break off a 48-yard run, his longest of the night, which put the Tritons down inside the Patriots’ 10-yard line. San Clemente was able to run out the clock from there.

Sears moved the chains with his feet throughout the second half and finished the night with 142 yards rushing on 13 carries. He completed nine passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

Sears’ first touchdown pass went to senior Brandon Reaves to make it 13-6, and San Clemente got on the board again

the Air Force Academy. After training for a year and going through the program, he made the team, a feat that puts him in elite company.

“Typically there are about 400 students that go through the program and end up applying to get their wings. Once they apply, they go through a rigorous selection process and about 25 (students) on average get selected (for the team) per year,” Thomsen said.

Not only has Thomsen achieved becoming a member of the nation’s most elite skydiving unit, but he is also the team’s “count,” a skydiving term that means he is responsible for making sure all eight team members leave the aircraft at the same time and in the correct order. The count is a crucial component of the team,

and without it, the group could begin their routine out of synch as they free-fall two miles above the ground.

More than 500 skydivers competed at the U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships, and Thomsen and his eight-member team advanced above the rest and took home the gold.

The 21-year-old cadet attributes the team’s success to the rigorous training that the team has engaged in over the past two and a half years since their very first jump.

After about 50 jumps from an aircraft, Thomsen said the initial adrenaline rush and excitement started to fade. Today, Thomsen is able to find that same rush in the competition aspect of skydiving.

“That’s what really drew me to the competition team was the adrenaline and the excitement that kind of reminded me of that first jump,” Thomsen said.

The thing that really separates Thomsen’s squad from the rest of the participants is their team mentality. While Thomsen attributes much of his personal success and growth to the love and support of his parents and his brother, he credits this prestigious title to the familial bond that has formed amongst his teammates. These are the things that have combined to bring Thomsen the title of U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Champion.

“It’s so special because we’ve been competing against people who have been jumping their whole lives, and it’s really a testament to how much of a bond we were able to build team-wise and the teamwork we are able to employ,” Thomsen explained. SC

San Clemente’s Jack Sears ran for 142 yards in a 23-19 quarterfinal win over Heritage in the CIF-SS Division 2 Championships on Nov. 18. Photo: Lance Scott/www.redzoneelite.com

just before halftime when Sears threw a one-yard lob pass to running back Austin Whitsett in the end zone, making it 20-13.

The Tritons’ lead got to 23-13 following a Tristan Trager field goal in the third quarter, but that’s all the Heritage defense

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would allow in the half. The Patriots’ Javier Luna score on a 12-yard run, bringing the score to 23-19 early in the fourth.

Reaves caught five passes for 88 yards and a score. He also ran for 59 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. www.sanclementetimes.com

SC San Clemente

SC SURF

SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Staying Stoked As surfers, we have much to be thankful for

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

A

couple of years ago, standing at the top of the stairs at Riviera checking the surf, debating to myself whether or not to paddle out or go be a productive member of society, Tom Gudauskas walked up.

“Any good out there?” he asked.

“I don’t know, there’s a couple, I guess,” I not-so-enthusiastically replied.

We watched a few small but fun sets roll through. It was one of those San Clemente mornings where the ocean sparkles, the palms hang limp in a blue, windless sky and the scent of low tide hovers in the sea air. If only the waves were just a little bigger.

“What else you been up to?” I asked as we waited for the next pulse to hit the sandbar.

Tom, the father of locals and world-class pros Dane, Pat and Tanner Gudauskas, launched into a story about his latest surf trip. With wife Nancy, they’d rented an RV and driven (and surfed) most of coastal America. They’d gone from Texas, to the Florida Panhandle, and up the Eastern Seaboard before eventually heading back west and returning home to San Clemente. Tom found inspiration on the road, and when he returned home, he helped “the boys” launch what would become the Positive Vibe Warrior Foundation.

“I spent a lot of time thinking and reflecting on the power of positive thinking and what a huge impact it can have in our world,” said Tom. Today, more than ever, Tom’s words speak to me. These are complicated, disconcerting times in which we live. We could all use a little positivity, and that probably starts by recognizing and being thankful for how good we really have it. For surfers in San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Capo Beach and Dana Point, there’s much to be appreciative of.

For starters, it’s a privilege to live and ride

Viewing the San Clemente and Dana Point surf from on high inspires gratitude for the area’s natural offerings. Photo: File

waves in one of the world’s great surf zones.

There’s almost always a bump to paddle into somewhere if you’re motivated and have the right board. The water temperature rarely dips below 60 degrees. It’s a rare day when the wind blows over 10 knots. Our surf spots light up on a good northwest swell just as much as they do on a good southwest swell. And even though there may be the odd shark sighting down at San Onofre, from time to time, we don’t have to deal with critters like blue bottle jellyfish, sea lice, sea snakes, salt water crocs, stonefish or anything else that may maim or eat you.

We’re inextricably united by the closeness of our community. Locally based philanthropic organizations like the Positive Vibe Warriors, Surfers Healing and the Surfrider Foundation are all groups that have worked tirelessly to make the world a better place. As a result, they have garnered the attention and admiration of the international surfing community and become role models for other groups.

They enjoy the support of local businesses.

From surfboard manufacturers, to clothing designers, to all the other movers and shakers whose job it is to keep us stoked, they’re successful entrepreneurs who understand the value of paying it forward.

And thanks to the Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center in San Clemente, we have one of surfing’s coolest clubhouses.

We also owe huge thanks to those that have put in the exhausting hours to protect and preserve our incredible

marine resources. Today, Trestles has been indefinitely protected from the threat of future development, most notably the toll road. Considered one of the prime surfing locations on the West Coast, a tip of the hat goes to the Surfrider Foundation and everyone that fought to make it happen.

Additionally, talks are progressing between the San Onofre Foundation, the California State Park System and the U.S. Military to come to some kind of an arrangement to keep San O’ intact when the lease expires in less than five years. And who would have thought that a bunch of surfers and environmental activists could play a paramount roll in the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant? Well, they did. And while “the boobs” are a long way from disappearing, thanks to local action, they’re no longer spewing radioactive steam… and that’s a good thing.

So the next time you head down the beach and it’s a little bit crowded, or the wind’s not quite right, or the tide’s too full, think positive. Share a wave. Share your wax. High five a stranger. Enjoy a sunset.

Be grateful. Be thankful. We’re lucky to live somewhere like this. SC

SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 61-65 degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: San Clemente: 5-10’ Fair Thursday: New, building WNW swell combines with minor NW windswell tiny SSW swell. Surf is knee-waist-chest high (2-3’+) for good spots while standout winter and combo exposures see some larger sets. Light+ offshore flow in the morning, trending to light onshore for most of the afternoon.

Outlook: Modest blend of WNW and SSW swell through the weekend offering rideable to fun zone surf for better exposures. Morning winds are light. Be sure to check the full premium forecast on Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook.

GROM OF THE WEEK

CANNON CARR

Cannon Carr. Photo: Kurt Steinmetz

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

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alking shop with groms is amazingly enlightening. Their perspectives are fresh and new; their stoke and passion inspiring. This week’s Grom of the Week is just that. Ten-year-old Cannon Carr goes to Concordia Elementary School in San Clemente, and most days you can find him in the water before class starts, getting his stoke on with all of the other rising talent at T Street or Riviera. Enjoy his take on the state of surfing around town: Where do you mostly surf? I surf T Street and Rivi, but usually Lowers.

Who do you surf with? I mostly surf with my friends and my mom and dad, and my brother, Carson.

What gets you stoked? What gets me stoked about surfing is my equipment—my Lost surfboards. And learning new tricks.

What’s your favorite trick? My favorite trick on my surfboard is an air reverse because most of the ones I try I don’t land, but you land some and sometimes you don’t, but when I do I am stoked.

And what about your favorite surfers? My favorite surfers are Kolohe Andino, Griffin Colapinto and Ian Crane because they are fluid with most of their turns and airs. They also do well in most of their contests.

Where do you see surfing taking you in the next ten years? I hope to see myself on the WSL advancing through heats in the next ten years. SC