April 12, 2019

LO C A L

N EWS

April 12-18, 2019

YO U

C A N

INSIDE: Earth Day Happenings and more in The Green Issue

U S E

SPECIAL SECTION VOLUME 12, ISSUE 15

The Big Dig

Trampas Canyon Reservoir project to help sustain water in South County E Y E O N D P/ PAG E 4

The rugged site for Trampas Canyon Reservoir is situated beside a commercial sand-mining facility between San Clemente’s Talega community and Ortega Highway. Photo: Fred Swegles

White Seabass Released Off Dana Point Coast EYE ON DP/PAGE 3

Dolphins Lacrosse Boosts Offense With New Coach SPORTS/PAGE 24

danapointtimes.com

Albert Lee to Bring Country and Rock to The Coach House GETTING OUT/PAGE 19

GO TO DANAPOINTTIMES.COM FOR THE LATEST NEWS, EVENTS AND SPORTS

DP EYE ON DP Dana Dana Point Point

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING Dana Point Harbor’s East and West Marinas Merged

What’s Up With...

Five things Dana Point should know this week White Seabass Released Off Dana Point Coast THE LATEST: After four months of being raised in a fish pen in Dana Point Harbor, 1,102 white seabass were released into their new home: the open ocean.

Sportfishing Financial Group, an investment and financial advising company, has been voluntarily coordinating efforts to raise juvenile white seabass and release them. The group works in collaboration with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Sportfishing Association of California and Coastal Conservation Association of California to carry out the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program (OREHP) — a 30-year program.

OREHP works to assess the biological and economic impacts of its releases. Each juvenile white seabass is tagged internally in the cheek with a 1 millimeter-long, stainless steel coded wire tag. Volunteers are responsible for feeding the batch of fish twice daily. The larvae for the most recent batch arrived in early February.

Rick Jensen of Sportfishing Financial Group says that in previous years, after the juvenile seabass had developed, they would be released directly from their pen in the Dana Point Harbor.

“They were more vulnerable to being eaten by sea lions or caught by people fishing in the harbor,” said Jensen. “This year, Dana Wharf (Sportfishing & Whale Watching) was generous enough to provide vessels to facilitate their release into the ocean.”

On Thursday, April 4, volunteers used nets to scoop the fish from the pen and onto containers aboard Sum Fun and Clemente. Each vessel made two trips in order to transfer all 1,102 white seabass.

“White seabass are the biggest challenge to catch but the best to eat,” Jensen said.

“We’re doing our part to replenish fish population and make sure these resources are available to future generations.”

WHAT’S NEXT: Researchers with HSWRI ask those who fish adult white seabass to freeze their heads with the stones and ear bones intact. HSWRI will scan donated heads for internal tags and collect the appropriate age and genetic stock information. The tags provide information on movement, diet, growth and the survival rate of hatchery-reared seabass.

Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

Volunteers use nets to scoop 1,102 white seabass aboard Clemente and Sum Fun. It took two trips per vessel to release the batch of fish into the open ocean after months of captivity in a pen in Dana Point Harbor. Photo: Lillian Boyd

Heads should be bagged and labeled with your name, phone number, date and location of capture. Frozen heads can be dropped off at Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching or at Hogan’s Bait & Tackle. —Lillian Boyd

CalOptima Board Approves $100 Million for Homeless Services Fund

THE LATEST: The CalOptima Board of Directors on Thursday, April 4 approved contributing a total of $100 million toward resources to curtail homelessness throughout the county.

Initially, the board had approved about $25 million for Be Well OC, an amount earmarked for recuperative care, a clinical field team and CalOptima response team.

Some of this would include sending out mobile health care units to provide basic but essential services.

“We want them to be proactive and reactive—proactive at certain shelters and reactive with response times of 90 minutes or less, 24-7 service,” said Michael Shrader, the CalOptima CEO, during the April 4 board meeting.

Two days earlier, on April 2, federal Judge David O. Carter had said that he wanted CalOptima to invest more money and to see it used within three years, holding up three fingers to drive his point home during a Santa Ana hearing on the lawsuit related to homeless shelters and services. Carter declared that he wanted $140 million in the fund, but that failed to get support at the board meeting.

CalOptima is funding these efforts through intergovernmental transfers (IGT) of about $43 million, as well as the revenue it gets from services rendered for the remainder of this fiscal year.

Concerns were brought forth by Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, who is a member on the CalOptima board, about whether they had the authority to make these allocations based on their size and scope. Do made the motion to raise the proposed contribution to $140 million.

Of the $100 million that’s going into the fund, $60 million is earmarked for unspecified “new initiatives.” Another $10.5 million will be allocated to help hospitals coordinate on homeless resources, which will include data-sharing technologies for the county’s hospitals.

In order to help make this process financially feasible, directors said that enrolling people—who are more than likely eligible for CalOptima—would help shore the costs burdened by hospitals.

WHAT’S NEXT: The services are expected to begin within the next couple of months, but some of those efforts may start sooner. —Eric Heinz

City Officials to Provide Construction Project Updates THE LATEST: The Dana Point Civic Association will hold a meeting on Friday, April 19 at 8:30 a.m. at Jim Miller’s Coffee Importers. Guest speakers will be Matt Schneider, director of community development, and Kelly Reenders, economic development manager, both with the City of Dana Point. Schneider and Reenders will lead a presentation with updates on the construction projects in Dana Point.

Coffee will be complimentary, courtesy of Coffee Importers. All are welcome to attend.

Coffee Importers is located at 34531 Golden Lantern, Dana Point. Coffee Chats are typically held on the third Friday of each month, subject to change based on weather. —LB

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THE LATEST: Bellwether Financial Group, one of the three groups that make up Dana Point Harbor Partners (DPHP), has announced the merger of the harbor’s East and West Marinas into one entity.

The entity, now known as The Marina at Dana Point, will be led by Kelly Rinderknecht, whom the partners appointed as general manager.

The Marina offices also manage all billing, leases and reservations for boat slips.

According to a press release sent on behalf of Bellwether Financial Group, there is an increased interest from boaters wanting to join the waiting list for slips following the consolidation. The previous waiting lists for the East and West Marinas were combined into one as part of the merger. The Marina at Dana Point encompasses more than 2,400 boat slips.

WHAT’S NEXT: The DPHP estimates that the harbor revitalization project will take about seven years to complete, including approval processes and phases of construction. —LB

City Council Meeting Will Address Weed Abatement Program THE LATEST: Dana Point City Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday, April 16 at 6 p.m.

City staff is recommending city council adopt a resolution to declare weeds a public nuisance and to initiate abatement proceedings. The 2019 Weed Abatement Program comprises three separate resolutions that council will consider.

The first resolution declares weeds as a public nuisance, directs the Code Enforcement Division to send notices to all property owners on the weed abatement list, and allows property owners 30 days to clear properties of weeds.

The city council has allocated $10,000 for weed abatement purposes. Although the city will pay up-front costs to the contractor, these costs will be reimbursed by the special assessment for those owners who do not abate the weeds on their properties.

WHAT’S NEXT: The second resolution will be presented for consideration at a following hearing and will authorize the city to abate the weeds as a public nuisance.

The third resolution will be presented for consideration following another hearing, assigning a special assessment for abatement by the city’s contractor.

City council meets in Dana Point City Hall’s Council Chambers at 33282 Golden Lantern. To view the agenda for the April 16 meeting, visit danapoint.org. —LB danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

The Big Dig Trampas Canyon Reservoir to serve as South County’s largest water project

BY FRED SWEGLES, DANA POINT TIMES

O

n 177 acres situated between San Clemente’s Talega community and Ortega Highway, mountainous earthworks are taking shape.

Santa Margarita Water District, which provides water and sewer services to Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza, Las Flores, Ladera Ranch, Rancho Mission Viejo and Talega, is building a 1.6-billion-gallon reservoir.

When completed in 2020, Trampas Canyon Reservoir, less than a half-mile north of Talega, will be able to store recycled wastewater collected from as many as five South Orange County treatment plants.

Officials say the new resource will benefit all of SMWD, plus the district’s partners in San Clemente, South Coast Water District and San Juan Capistrano.

SMWD officials say the recycled water can be used for irrigation, reducing the need to use imported drinking water to irrigate lawns, parks, trees, greenbelts and street medians.

The more water that can be harvested from the supply of waste created by humans, the less water has to be imported and purchased.

REVIVING A RESOURCE

Trampas Canyon will store enough treated wastewater, officials say, to put some of it into the San Juan Creek groundwater basin, restocking an underground aquifer that yields an average 847 million gallons of groundwater per year, yet struggles during dry periods.

The water district plans, in later phases of the project, to percolate treated wastewater from Trampas Reservoir into the groundwater basin. Underground sands will filter it naturally.

Stored underground, the water can then be pumped out and treated with reverse osmosis to provide South Orange County with a new water source: 5.6 billion gallons of what the district calls reliable, local drinking water.

That’s enough to serve 50,000 south county families for a year, the district says.

It’s costing SMWD $123 million to build Trampas Canyon Reservoir. The district is proposing to invest another $21 million to launch the San Juan Watershed Project.

South Coast Water District and San Juan Capistrano are partners with SMWD in phase 1 of the watershed project. Plans could be finalized on May 1 with district certification of an environmental impact report.

Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

Scheduled for completion in 2020, Trampas Canyon Reservoir is a $123 million project. Photo: Fred Swegles

The recharged groundwater resource figures to benefit a wide area. SMWD serves 170,000 residents across 98 square miles.

San Juan Capistrano, meanwhile, is taking steps to merge its water utility into SMWD. Watershed partner South Coast Water District serves Dana Point, South Laguna and areas of San Juan and San Clemente.

South Coast is a 20-percent contributor to watershed phase 1. San Juan’s contribution is its Groundwater Recovery Plant.

SMWD could offset some project costs by obtaining state or federal grants.

A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT

If you think $144 million is a steep price to invest into the Trampas and San Juan Creek projects, you won’t get an argument from Donald Bunts, Santa Margarita’s deputy general manager.

“But we think it’s that important,” he said. “If you were looking at it for next year, it’s very expensive water. If you are looking at it for the next 30 to 50 years, you’d have to be crazy not to do it. We feel it’s a win-win for the entire community and for the region.”

Roger Butow, executive director of the Orange County environmental group Clean Water Now, said Trampas Reservoir and the San Juan Watershed Project—together with South Coast Water District’s planned Dana Point desalination project— can provide substantial new local sources of reliable water.

The proposed $107 million desalination plant (sometimes referred to as “de-sal”)

adjacent to Doheny State Beach could produce up to 5 million gallons per day, with potential expansion to 15 million gallons daily. An environmental impact report is to be released in May, the district reported.

Officials say the state has awarded the project a $10 million grant, and the project is short-listed for a federal grant of up to $20 million Permits are the next step. The plant could be operational as early as 2022.

South Coast said it looks forward to the San Juan Watershed project, as well.

“We believe a diversified water portfolio is essential to the district’s long-range plans,” SCWD said via email. “SCWD is committed to conservation, water efficiency, recycled water, desalination and stormwater capture to provide its residents with the most cost-effective, safe, droughtproof, high-quality and locally controlled source of water today, tomorrow and into the future.”

SMWD is monitoring the de-sal project and considering joining it, Bunts said.

“The South Coast desalination project may tie into the overall regional supply picture by providing water during portions of the year that South Coast’s demands may not be as great as the production capability of the project, whereby SMWD and/or city of San Juan customers could draw some of the water inland,” SMWD said via email. “Similarly, during the summer months, when South Coast’s demands are greater than the desalination plant can provide, South Coast could use some of the watershed project water.”

As the area’s biggest storage facility, Trampas Reservoir will be the equivalent

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of filling the Rose Bowl with water 19 times, said Nicole Stanfield, Santa Margarita’s public information manager. And the potential yield from the San Juan Watershed project is more than triple that.

MORE SAVINGS: RECYCLE A LAKE

On top of all of this, a project SMWD completed in 2015 is saving the region 445 million gallons of imported water.

The district converted Lake Mission Viejo into California’s first recreational lake to use recycled water as its primary water source.

Santa Margarita built an advanced treatment system that can produce a million gallons of premium-quality recycled water to keep the lake full, healthy and swimmable, Bunts said.

The lake association funded the treatment plant, assisted by a $1 million grant and a low-interest loan from Mission Viejo.

“We built it and operate it for them,” Bunts said. “We own the facility, but they are paying us back . . . (there’s) no cost to the district’s other ratepayers.”

IT’S A REALLY BIG DIG

At Trampas Canyon, bulldozers are moving about 4.29 million cubic yards of earth to build a magnitude of reservoir Bunts said couldn’t be undertaken anywhere else in Orange County, with so little undeveloped space left and resource agencies’ permits being so restrictive.

The fact that a smaller dam already existed at Trampas Canyon made permits easier to obtain. “This was already a dam danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

Clockwise from Left, Donald Bunts, Santa Margarita Water District’s deputy general manager, inspects an inflatable dam at SMWD’s Gobernadora retention basin site at Coto de Caza. Similar inflatable dams are being proposed in San Juan Capistrano to collect urban runoff to recharge a groundwater basin. SMWD is moving 4.29 million cubic yards of earth, spread over 177 acres, to build Trampas Canyon Reservoir. Roger Butow, environmental consultant on SMWD’s 2015 Gobernadora retention basin project, examines an inflatable dam in its deflated state. Photos: Fred Swegles

that we’re just repurposing,” Bunts said.

The former dam provided water for industrial sand mining on land that Rancho Mission Viejo leased to a private company.

Rancho Mission Viejo, developing 14,000 homes, needs water reliability, Bunts said. To that end, the ranch is covering nearly half the cost of Trampas by donating the land and funding environmental projects that regulatory agencies require to offset project impacts.

A partnership between SMWD and San Clemente is a key element of Trampas.

THE SAN CLEMENTE CONNECTION Since developers built some 3,800 Talega homes on land within SMWD’s boundaries, the district has had to pipe Talega’s sewage six miles inland to its Chiquita Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Recycled water produced at Chiquita then was transported in a separate pipe six miles back to Talega to use for irrigation.

“That’s moving water twice,” Bunts said, adding that it is costly pumping and energy use.

In recent years, that pumping also raised a stink. Rancho Mission Viejo began building houses near the Chiquita plant, and new residents began complaining about odors, some of them from the uphill pumping of sewage from Talega.

Santa Margarita launched an outreach with residents to pinpoint and eliminate sources of odors. Meanwhile, the district and San Clemente signed an interim agreement to redirect 670,000 gallons per day of Talega sewage, pumping it downhill into San Clemente’s treatment plant near the Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

ocean instead of uphill to Chiquita.

San Clemente’s treatment plant has the capacity to treat Talega’s sewage and already produces more recycled wastewater than San Clemente can use within the city, Bunts said. Excess recycled water is discarded into the ocean.

As part of a final agreement being worked out, treated wastewater that San Clemente produces but can’t put to use will be pumped to Trampas and stored there. San Clemente can access it. The rest can be used elsewhere in SMWD or to recharge the San Juan Watershed with groundwater to be recovered later as drinking water.

“During the peak summer months, we’re not sending very much water into the ocean,” said David Rebensdorf, San Clemente’s utilities director. “But during the winter and off-season, we’re sending water to the ocean because we don’t have the demand.”

The interconnectivity agreement will finalize terms for covering costs incurred

by San Clemente and for San Clemente’s storage of recycled water at Trampas for use later, under a variety of scenarios.

Those include potential expansion of recycling in San Clemente and potential participation in regional projects such as the San Juan basin recharge, Rebensdorf said.

“Potentially, 10 percent of Trampas could be San Clemente’s water,” Butow said. Moreover, he said Trampas can help revive the San Juan Watershed as a vibrant, sustainable ecosystem and water resource, managed in environmental equilibrium.

COLLECTING EXCESS RUNOFF

The watershed project proposes to build rubberized, inflatable dams on the floor of San Juan Creek and Trabuco Creek.

The dams could be raised during rains to capture some of the urban runoff that flows into the two creeks from streets and storm drains.

Sitting behind the dams, the captured runoff would percolate into the groundwater basin below. Natural sands would filter it, as they do now with any standing water in the creeks.

During big rains, the dams can be deflated quickly to avoid overflowing the creeks’ banks and to let sediment flow to the ocean to help replenish beaches with sand.

In later phases of the watershed project, SMWD proposes to release controlled amounts of recycled water into the groundwater basin from Trampas Canyon, adding just enough at a time to let it percolate underground without impacting surface conditions.

Santa Margarita already operates inflatable dams at Coto de Caza. Operational since 2015, the Gobernadora Multi-Purpose Basin is a system of two inflatable dams, two retention basins for the captured water and pumps to send some of the captured water upstream into Coto de Caza to replace drinking water for landscape irrigation.

A BALANCING ACT

During heavy rain periods, SMWD can gently release water from the retention basins so it can flow downstream at a Page 5

controlled pace, keeping it from eroding banks or damaging habitats or infrastructures, as storm flow otherwise might.

“It’s one of the best projects I’ve ever seen,” said Butow, who served as an environmental consultant on the project.

It captures excess runoff produced by residential watering in Coto de Caza and returns some of it there as recycled water for greenbelts, Butow said. The basin stores the rest, sending controlled amounts downstream to maintain healthy habitats, including wetlands that Rancho Mission Viejo restored to offset impacts of the ranch’s urban development.

“It’s a dance between developing local, reliable water supplies and continuing to be a good environmental steward,” Bunts said.

Gobernadora, located at the confluence of two creeks, has created a wooded wetland reserve that attracts birds and other wildlife. Butow said it’s a multi-benefit resource that Orange County Parks will soon incorporate into a regional trail system. DP

WHY DO ALL THIS? Santa Margarita’s ultimate goal, officials said, is threefold: • Build up and maintain a six-month reserve of drinking water for emergencies.

• Provide local sources to meet 30 to 50 percent of local drinking-water needs.

• Put 100 percent of the recycled water produced at wastewater treatment plants to use.

danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

NEWS BITES COMPILED BY STAFF

Kobayashi Wins Taco Eating Contest; No Personal Record Though two tacos short of beating his personal record, world champion competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi still won this year’s Gringo Bandito Chronic Tacos Challenge during the Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco & Music Festival at Doheny State Beach on Sunday, April 7.

Kobayashi wolfed down 157 street-style tacos within 10 minutes to hold off Molly Schuyler (146 tacos) in the same event he set the world record of 159 tacos last year.

“She definitely kept me on my toes and pushed me through the competition,” Kobayashi said of Schuyler after claiming another trophy.

During the competition, fellow competitor Naader Reden had to receive the Heimlich maneuver when he began choking on his tacos. Soon thereafter, he rejoined the taco-eating challenge. Corey Henderson, the CEO for RecordSetter.com, was on stage to get an official count for the first time.

Takeru Kobayashi scarfed down 157 tacos in 10 minutes on Sunday, April 7 to win the Gringo Bandito Chronic Tacos Challenge at Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco & Music Festival. Photo: Lillian Boyd

DHHS Hosting Special Olympics Event Dana Hills High School will host Capistrano Unified School District students for a middle school and high school Special Olympics track and field event on Monday, April 15. Opening ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. There are 233 athletes registered to participate and 250 volunteers coordinating the event. Spectators are invited to attend and cheer on the athletes.

Competitions begin at 11 a.m., with lunch at noon, and an official congratulatory ceremony at 1 p.m. For more information, visit sosc.org.

Robotics Team Qualifies for World Championship Capistrano Unified’s Districtwide Robotics Team 5199 (Robot Dolphins from Outer Space) recently qualified for the Robotics World Championship in Houston, Texas, along with winning first place at the Los Angeles Regionals FIRST Robotics Competition.

The annual competition is held by the nonprofit FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), which hosts the competitions to “inspire young people to be science and technol-

ogy leaders,” according to a press release.

Over the course of two days, more than 50 high school teams competed at the FIRST Robotics Competition held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event combined the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology, engaging students in creative problem-solving, teamwork and strategic thinking skills.

This year’s theme was “Destination: Deep Space,” a sample-collecting mission on the fictitious planet Primus. During the competition, alliances made up of three teams competed on a special playing field with robots they had engineered, built and programmed against like-minded competitors. Students worked alongside professional engineers who volunteered their time and professional talents to guide each team.

The Robot Dolphins from Outer Space team is made up of students from Aliso Niguel High School, Capistrano Valley High School, Dana Hills High School, San Clemente High School, San Juan Hills High School and Tesoro High School. The team also includes students from Laguna Beach High School within Laguna Beach Unified School District.

Have something interesting for the community? Tell us about awards, events, happenings, accomplishments and more.

We’ll put your submissions into “News Bites.” Send your information to editorial@danapointtimes.com.

DP SOAPBOX Dana Point

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

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

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Lillian Boyd, 949.388.7700, x113 lboyd@picketfencemedia.com SPORTS Zach Cavanagh, 949.388.7700, x110 zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com

Letters to the Editor A VOTE AGAINST TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT CHARLES PAYNE, Dana Point

OPERATIONS

Like many of our residents, I was shocked and concerned about recent revelations of apparent financial mismanagement at the TCA—especially because over $6 Million in Dana Point tax dollars have been transferred to the TCA. So I was optimistic to see our city council considering a resolution to support an independent audit of the TCA, similar to one just passed by San Clemente. We should all agree that our residents have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. It seemed like an easy thing to endorse. But our city council refused.

We can all guess why Mayor Joe Muller and Councilmember Richard Viczorek, who also sit on the TCA board, don’t want outsiders looking at their books. It’s harder to guess why Federico, who ran promising transparency and accountability, would vote against those ideals.

Is Federico protecting his buddies who sit on the board of the TCA? Or is he protecting the special interests that paid for his council seat? One thing is certain: he isn’t protecting the taxpayers of Dana Point.

Sports Editor > Zach Cavanagh

Finance Director > Mike Reed

A PARKING BOONDOGGLE

Special Projects Editor > Andrea PapagianisCamacho

General Manager > Alyssa Garrett

DARRYL L. PAUL, Dana Point

Copy Editor > Randall Youngman

Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines

ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING

SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller

I read the update on the Dana Point “Parking Implementation Plan” in your paper with much amusement. The “Plan” is but a continuation of the Town Center Plan (TCP) boondoggle of a few years back, a plan that never had a parking component save for “in lieu parking fees” that, of course, provide no parking at all.

When the TCP was in the discussion stage and included the concept of a city hall in the clock tower area of town back in 2005, I suggested to the reviewing committee and the city council that two parking structures be built – one on the vacant lot across from Killer Dana Surf Shop and another at the corner now occupied by a tattoo parlor across from the clock tower, each two stories high with a subterranean level. You’d think that I had kicked the mayor’s dog, based on the poor treatment that I received for suggesting the use of eminent domain to solve this problem.

Now the current “Task Force” sees “endless opportunities” through linguistic

ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Lauralyn Loynes, 949.388.7700, x102 lloynes@picketfencemedia.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

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

PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

> Debra Wells (SJC)

EDITORIAL

Real Estate Sales > Lauralyn Loynes (DP)

City Editor, DP Times > Lillian Boyd

ART/DESIGN

Senior City Editor, SC Times > Eric Heinz City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Shawn Raymundo

Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes > Susie Lantz (SC)

Art Director > Jasmine Smith Graphic Designer > Chelsie Rex

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Jake Howard, Tim Trent

Dana Point Times, Vol. 12, Issue 15. The DP Times (danapointtimes.com) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the SC Times (sanclementetimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (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 2019. All rights reserved.

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Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

sophistry that, again, provides no parking at all. But monstrous buildings are under construction in the Town Center, promising further parking congestion such that, as I said in 2005, if I cannot park in the Town Center section of town, I will continue to travel elsewhere, as I cannot park my car “in lieu.” So let’s pay more money to out-of-town urban planners who can further destroy this lovely beach community with nonsense designs that transform Dana Point into somewhere else. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the comical and impractical Doheny Village design for Capo Beach. Maybe you can park there and walk to Town Center. Or not.

SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY LOCALS APPLAUD REP. MIKE LEVIN FOR MAJOR BIPARTISAN CLIMATE BILL LARRY KRAMER, San Juan Capistrano

The South Orange County chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby today applauded Representative Mike Levin for cosponsoring the bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. This groundbreaking, bipartisan climate solution to price carbon will give revenue to households and bring down greenhouse gas emissions 90 percent by 2050.

Led by Florida Democrat Rep. Ted Deutch and Florida Republican Rep. Francis Rooney, and cosponsored by more than 20 other members of Congress, the bill will create more than two million new jobs, lower health care costs and promote energy innovation.

This policy puts a fee on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. It starts low, at $15 per ton, and grows $10 per ton each year. The money collected from the carbon fee is allocated in equal shares every month to the American people to spend as they see fit.

This bill provides a common-sense approach to solving climate change that’s a win-win. It benefits us in south Orange County by cleaning up our air and giving us monthly dividend checks. We are so grateful to Representative Levin for stepping up to support this bipartisan climate bill.

The impact of climate change is already being felt in South Orange County. We are concerned about the increased chance of wildfires affecting our area and additional beach erosion due to stronger wave activity. The warming of the oceans and increased acidification of the water may also impact our local economy by hurting the tourist and fisheries industry.

With Congress divided between a Republican-controlled Senate and a Democrat-controlled House, enacting any climate change solution requires a biparti-

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san approach.

The bipartisan Energy Innovation Act is a critical first step to contain the effects of climate change and preserve a livable world for our children and grandchildren.

HUMANS 1, FERRETS 0 DADLA PONIZIL, Encinitas

In an interesting juxtaposition of causes, the Encinitas City Council voted by unanimous consent on March 20 that climate change is a local, as well as national, threat requiring strong federal action. They quietly did so after hearing, then dismissing, a spirited case for ferret ownership.

While ferret advocates spoke passionately for legal ferret ownership, the climate resolution received little interest and, unless citizens were intimate with the evening's agenda, few noticed the historic vote, making Encinitas the seventh U.S. city to back the federal legislation.

James Wang, who sits on the city's Environmental Commission, spearheaded the climate resolution. That commission unanimously recommended its adoption on Feb. 14.

The approved resolution is in support of a newly sponsored, bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives, H.R. 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This groundbreaking climate solution to price carbon will give revenue to households and bring down greenhouse gas emissions 90 percent by 2050.

As Encinitas grapples with local impacts like sand depletion and bluff failure due to heavier downpours and sea level rise, more frequent heat waves, drought-driven longer fire seasons and water security, councilmembers voted unanimously urging Congress to enact an energy policy commensurate to the problem.

Recognizing that a steadily rising CO2 concentration—which has not been this high since humans lived on Earth—is presenting challenges cities alone cannot manage, the council followed the words of Mayor Catherine Blakespear, and acted locally while thinking globally, hoping to inspire other councils and mayors around the state and nation to do the same.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

Have something you’d like to say? Email your letter to lboyd@picketfencemedia.com no later than 8 a.m. on Monday morning.

Dana Point Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or information written by the writers. Limit your letters to 350 words or less. Please send with your valid email, phone number and address for verification by staff. Your address and phone number will not be published. danapointtimes.com

DP GETTING OUT Dana Point

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

The List

At the Movies: ‘Diane’ Earns Indie Acclaim

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

HAVE AN EVENT? Submit it to Dana Point Times by going to danapointtimes.com, and clicking “Submit an Event” under the “Getting Out” tab.

Friday | 12 LIVE MUSIC AT IVA LEE’S 7 p.m. Join Iva Lee’s for live music every Wednesday through Sunday. For the ultimate live music experience, be sure to reserve a lounge table on Fridays and Saturdays. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.361.2855. Check their website for the latest scheduled performances. ivalees.com.

Saturday | 13 MOTHER EARTH BEACH, CREEK AND PARK CLEANUP 9 a.m.-Noon. Meet at the lifeguard headquarters at Doheny State Beach and bring a pair of gloves and biodegradable trash bags.

25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point.

NATIVE PLANTS AND THEIR POLLINATORS 9:30-10 a.m. California native plants support a large diversity of pollinators, from tiny wasps to acrobatic hummingbirds and everything in between. Many of these pollinators go unnoticed unless everyone stops to look and engage with native gardens and the natural spaces around. Join local biologist and author Bob Allen as he explores the diverse world of pollinators that both support and rely on native plants, and learn how you can attract a wide range of local pollinators to your natural garden.

Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. 949.728.0685.

Californianativeplants.com.

DESIGN & WINE 4 p.m. When you need to unwind, Design and Wine Painting Classes are a stroke of genius. Craft the perfect evening in the Spa Café at Monarch Beach Resort every Saturday through May. Admission is $50 per person and includes canvas, paints and one glass of house wine. One Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point. 949.234.3900. monarchbeachresort.com.

Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

EDITOR’S PICK

Photo: Courtesy of IFC Films

BY MEGAN BIANCO, DANA POINT TIMES

Photo: File

SATURDAY, APRIL 13: SAN CLEMENTE MICRO-BREW FEST Noon-5 p.m. Taste your favorite area microbrews at the ninth annual San Clemente MicroBrew Festival, presented by Left Coast Brewing Co. Microbrews from all over Southern California will be provided from a variety of breweries, with popular food trucks on site. VIP admission price is $50 per person; general admission is $40 if purchased in advance and $45 at the door. Admission includes a dozen 4-ounce microbrew samples. Must be 21 to be admitted. 1245 Puerta Del Sol, San Clemente. 949.492.1131. scchamber.com

Sunday | 14

Dana Point. ocpl.org. 949.496.5517.

SPRING FINE ART FESTIVAL 9:30 a.m. Watercolor, oil, acrylic, colored pencil, pastel and photography by many award-winning local artists will be available for purchase at the harbor boardwalk along the boat docks in Mariner’s Village.

Dana Point Fine Arts annually donates a portion of the proceeds from the show to the Dana Hills High School Art Department. For more info, go to danapointfinearts.org. Dana Point Harbor, 34571 Golden Lantern Drive, Dana Point.

Monday | 15 OPEN MIC AT BARNOA 7-10 p.m. Orange County singers and songwriters join host Gary Wright on the first three Mondays of every month to share their musical talent. Bring your musical instruments and love of live music. Must be 21 and older. Barnoa Wine and Craft Beer Bistro. 831 Via Suerte, San Clemente.

949.388.4378. barnoawinebar.com.

Tuesday | 16 TODDLER STORYTIME 10:30 a.m. Stories, activities, and songs for children under 3 and their favorite adults to enjoy together. 33841 Niguel Road,

Wednesday | 17 WEDNESDAY NIGHT TRIVIA 7:30-9:30 p.m. Enjoy friendly competition and craft beers among friends during the BrewHouse’s weekly trivia night. Food trucks are on site during the trivia contest.

The BrewHouse. 31896 Plaza Dr., Suite D3, San Juan Capistrano. 949.481.6181. thebrewhousesjc.com.

Thursday | 18 ACOUSTIC THURSDAYS AT BARNOA 7-9 p.m. Live music every Thursday. A rotating cast of Orange County’s most talented musicians play acoustic covers and original music. Enjoy a great wine selection, craft beers, tasty appetizers and Barnoa’s full dinner menu. Must be 21 and older. Barnoa Wine and Craft Beer Bistro. 831 Via Suerte, San Clemente.

949.388.4378. barnoawinebar.com.

BEGINNING BRIDGE LESSONS 9:30-11:30 a.m. Challenge your brain, meet fun-loving people. Lessons are Thursdays through May 9. $90 for series of six lessons. South Orange County Bridge Center in San Juan Capistrano, 31461 Rancho Viejo Rd. 949.248.1268 or 516.314.1896. southorangecountybridge.center/wordpress/.

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A

s we continue into the spring season, the dry movie spell that we’re usually subjected to at the end of winter finally begins to break.

But before we get the much-anticipated Avengers: Endgame at the end of the month, the string of decent indie movies we’ve been receiving lately carries on. A recent one is director Kent Jones’ Diane, starring character actress Mary Kay Place. A noted documentarian, Jones makes his debut in the fictional genre and shows some potential with this intimate drama.

In an East Coast small town, 70-year-old Diane (Place) deals with her personal demons by volunteering at homeless centers and caring for the friends and relatives in her life. This includes her drug-addicted son, Brian (Jake Lacy), who openly resents her; and her cousin, Donna (Dierdre O’Connell), who is terminally ill and hasn’t forgotten how badly Diane betrayed her two decades ago.

Estelle Parsons, Joyce Van Patten and Andrea Martin co-star as some of the other women close to her. Diane is one of those films that is completely held together by the performances, and this cast is certainly not lacking in talent. Place and Lacy give stellar performances, as Place in particular will probably be remembered by indie critics groups later in the year. We see a darker, seedier side of the typical overbearing mother/rebellious son relationship. Jones does a little of the “less is more” with his directing style, which toggles the fine line between basic and effective. The last 10 minutes of the movie nearly fall apart, almost as if Jones didn’t know how to end the story. But, again, the cast and first half of the movie mostly make up for it. DP

danapointtimes.com

With Our Ears to the Ground There are no mulligans on going green

W

hen the scientific community comes together and gives society copious amounts of data and studies to implore taking better care of the planet, we should listen.

For too long, humans—yes, most of us drove a gas-powered vehicle to work today, and we are writing this on computers powered mostly by nonrenewable energy—have taken advantage of the Earth’s resources and pushed it to the very brink of sustainability. That has to change.

We’re making progress. In San Clemente alone, it was recently reported that residents since 2014 have surrendered more than 875,000 square feet of lawns to xeriscaping that includes natural plants and reduces the need for water consumption. San Juan Capistrano has a preteen who’s collected a staggering amount of recyclable material over the past few years. South Orange County continues to be a hub of multiple environmental groups that are motivated in maintaining the planet by thinking globally and acting locally, as the old adage goes.

But there’s still much that needs to be done. In this year’s Green Issue, we’ve centered our content on issues that can help you reduce your own carbon footprint and help your community, as well as stories about local organizations and entities committed to environmental stewardship.

Please enjoy this year’s edition of the Green Issue with our hope that it will help all of us become more mindful about how we treat our only home.

Photo: Eric Heinz

Solar Power Eclipse New rate changes keep panel owners on alert

Changes to San Diego Gas & Electric began on March 1 to its residential customers’ billing method for time-of-use. That means people will be billed for different costs during different times of the day and year that they use energy.

“A major reason for this shift in energy billing is that California currently has a surplus of energy during the day due to large amounts of renewable energy connected to the grid, such as rooftop solar power,” according to a press release from Sullivan Solar Power in Orange County. “However, as the sun sets and solar systems stop producing, there is a spike in demand from the grid. For this reason, utilities across California are forced to use expensive and inefficient means to meet the evening demand, raising the cost of electricity during this time.”

In order for users of solar power, which is considered a green energy source, to get the most of their dollar, Sullivan suggests mitigating peak charges by storing excess energy produced during the day in a battery and then using that energy when electricity is most expensive from 4-9 p.m. This is known as “load shifting.”

The local solar power company will host a free, educational seminar on May 4 at the Norman P. Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo to teach the public how solar power and batteries can help combat this rate change. To learn more and to register, visit solarseminar.info.

Centered on Environment San Juan Capistrano sustainable organization continues to thrive 10 years later TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ANDREA CLEMETT

T

en years ago, Evan Marks founded The Ecology Center, a nonprofit organization in San Juan Capistrano, on a single acre with a vision of creating an oasis of an ecological food future.

The center’s farmland expanded after merging with South Coast Farms in October, acquiring 28 acres with 60 different varieties of organic produce and flowers.

Marks designed a community center that shows different approaches for sustainable living in innovative ways.

“Our mission is to model creative solutions for thriving on planet Earth,” Marks said. “We do this through meaningful experiences that help reimagine humanity and harmony with nature and community. We are a working organic community farm and cultural center.”

Throughout the creative process, The Ecology Center focused on the pillars of success for sustainable agriculture, which are grow, eat and make. In this way, Marks said they are showing—not telling—what the future environment can resemble.

The center’s farm stand sells organic ingredients seven days a week and hosts Eco-Tots, a creative workshop for children, as well as farm tours, DIY workshops, U-pick strawberries days in which families pick berries for $4, community table farm dinners, cooking classes and demos. Beginning the first week of July, the center will host a bi-weekly Summer Supper Sunday series of dinners to celebrate the community and share various ingredients inspired by the chefs.

A handful of chefs from Berkeley to Orange County have partnered with the center to form an advisory board that designs culinary events, cooking classes and chef demos.

One of the chefs is David Pratt, owner of the restaurant Brick in San Clemente, who says he shops at the farm every morning. Pratt said he designs his menus based on what is in season, because it allows for the best quality produce, unlike produce that has traveled on a ship for a month before being sold.

“We are very much a farm-to-table restaurant; much of our menu is influenced by the organic farm,” Pratt said. “The majority of our veggies . . . are ingredients from the organic produce of Ecology Center. The community in San Clemente is focused on healthy, so why not offer it to our customers?”

The Ecology Center also has expanded to a farmland in Encinitas, where a program is being developed that will utilize the crops to provide food for children’s lunches in the community. Both centers are open to the public and offer a co-op volunteer program or annual membership services that include discounted incentives. For a full calendar of events and more information, visit theecologycenter.org.

“The farm is filled with seasonal organic produce, with unique items like gardening tools, local honey, and rainwater collecting kits,” said Nick Huston, a San Clemente resident. “It is a fun stop for my wife and me to spend on a Sunday afternoon to pick up some produce, earth-loving goodies and walk around their biodynamic farming grounds.”

Earth Day

Events

Celebrate the planet by giving back

BY JENNA ROSS

APRIL 13

MOTHER EARTH BEACH, CREEK AND PARK CLEANUP 9 a.m. Meet at the lifeguard headquarters at Doheny State Beach to participate in this cleanup. The cleanup will focus on the beach in front of the campground and the area around San Juan Creek. Please bring your own gloves and a biodegradable trash bag.

APRIL 13

SAN CLEMENTE EARTH DAY CELEBRATION & BEACH CLEANUP 8:30 a.m. Presented by the San Clemente Watershed Task Force and the City of San Clemente, this year’s Earth Day celebration will start with a beach cleanup at the pier and end with a celebration at Parque Del Mar. Activities will include live music, a kids’ tent with arts and crafts, educational and art exhibits, as well as a presentation of Blue Water Business Awards to businesses that make an effort to reduce their environmental footprint.

APRIL 2O

MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO CELEBRATES EARTH DAY a.m. This will e the first arth ay celebration for the Mission. Enjoy a stroll through the gardens while learning about local bees and butterflies, watch some basket weaving demonstrations by Native American basket weavers, or pick some fruit from the Mission’s fruit trees. This event will include educational content from the Orange County Beekeepers Association and Susie Vanderlip, a Monarch Butterfly Citi en cientist.

APRIL 20

EARTH DAY NATIVE PLANTING PROJECT AT DOHENY STATE BEACH 9 a.m. Join the Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association as they plant native species throughout the Doheny Beach Campground. Meet the DSBIA at the oheny tate Beach Campfire Center, and be sure to bring a shovel, work/gardening gloves, drinking water, a hat and sunscreen.

APRIL 20

DANA POINT HEADLANDS CONSERVATION AREA EARTH DAY CELEBRATION 10 a.m. Join the Dana Point Headlands Interpretive Center as they celebrate with a day of education and fun crafts. Come learn about the rare and endangered species of the Dana Point Headlands, water conservation, recycling and Dana Point Native American communities; weave your own basket, get up close and personal with local birds of prey or snakes, get your face painted, or participate in the scavenger hunt.

APRIL 21-22

EARTH DAY WEEKEND AT THE OCEAN INSTITUTE 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Visit Ocean Institute on Earth Day weekend, April 21 and 22, to learn about insects and their essential role in keeping oceans and beaches healthy.

The workshop will host a comparative anatomy lab of shrimp and grasshoppers; make your own bug box, discover why bees are key and more. Register at ocean-institute.org.

APRIL 27

GR8OPPS EARTH DAY CLEANUP Help clean up San Juan Capistrano with Great Opportunities (Gr8Opps), the local charita le nonprofit that emphasi es providing outdoor recreation to at-risk youth populations to help enrich their lives. Meet Gr8Opps at Red Park, where they will give you a bag, gloves and a free T-shirt, and take a walk through Capistrano Villas to clean up the neighborhood. The cleanup will end at Stone Park, where a Dia de los Ninos celebration will be taking place. For more information, visit greatopps.org.

Keeping It 100 Percent Green Community choice programs aim to cut carbon emissions from state’s energy diet

BY ERIC HEINZ

C

alifornia has set the loftiest goal in the country to reduce its carbon emissions and run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, which leaves local governments and organi ations to find ways to help the state accomplish that mission.

Dire reports of climate change have increased in frequency from highly credentialed environmental research groups and facilities, adding to the pressure California and the rest of the globe may face in the coming decade.

Community choice aggregation (CCA) organizations around the state are looking to help local governments establish joint power authorities (JPAs) to give them the opportunity to choose where their energy comes from.

Community choice programs partner with energy brokers to purchase and create renewable energy direct from the source. Additionally, CCAs by law can use the existing infrastructure provided and maintained by companies such as San Diego Gas & Electric.

Energy-use portfolios are put together for each household and business that includes a mix of sources, mostly comprised of renewable sources and some nonrenewable sources.

CCAs would also have local authority over rate and purchasing autonomy as well as other decisions, as necessary, rather than having to attend meetings in San Francisco or Sacramento.

Local Resources on Energy

“If we wait until 2030, we’re not going to meet that goal,” Erkeneff said. “If we start now, we can start putting incentives for people together and micro-grids.” rkeneff said starting five year plans that augment the CCA would help start the process.

San Clemente City Council recently discussed the possi ility of taking the first step when CCA advocates came to public meetings, but they’ve been holding off on approving a technical study. Other south county cities have seemed to do the same, but SOCCA members said cities are just waiting for others to jump into the ring.

The grassroots organi ation held its first workshop in March, during which they explained to local residents and city officials their plan to bring a CCA to South County.

Cities are also able to opt out of the programs at any time they want or when the contract expires.

Administrative costs are also much lower than traditional energy sources, Lawrence said, as the CCAs require fewer employees to operate.

“Even with their worst estimates . . . there’s almost always a cheaper rate for a CCA,” she said.

Background on Community Choice

CCAs were made legal in 2002, when California passed AB 117, but it’s taken awhile for the energy model to reach the south part of the state, and only seven other states have adopted such legislation. Monterey Bay Community Power, for example, was established in 2013 and started operations four years later. Its first num ers were compiled in and the company has been able to garner a 2 percent saving, as compared to when it was with PG&E, which uses mostly nonrenewable energy. Marin Clean Energy has been a sustainable CCA for about a decade.

“It’s not just all JPAs that are forming; some cities are forming their own CCA,” Boden said.

So far, 19 counties throughout the state have at least one CCA established or that county’s government has launched a program. Orange County has cities that have taken action, but no CCA currently operates here.

Erkeneff said CCAs are able to keep their cost lower because they’re able to predict and purchase the energy needed more efficiently through the portfolios compiled by CCA members.

“We can invest revenues back into solar power and wind and other things locally and own those assets,” he said. “When solar panels were (booming), the incentives were to sell the excess energy back to the company” in exchange for credits, Erkeneff said. “That shows that if you hit a certain number of panels in a region, you can be energy-positive by selling it back.”

Boden said because the rates, particularly in solar energy, have fluctuated over the years, it’s not uite as much a financial enefit as it once was for property owners who invested early.

Short-term power contracts that don’t lock CCAs into certain rates can also help keep costs down, SOCCA members said.

Erkeneff said he has heard of some local interest in setting up a JPA, from Rancho Mission Viejo and other nearby South Orange County cities.

“I know there are some success stories coming out of San Diego, where there are some really small CCAs,” Erkeneff said. “I think Dana Point . . . would throw a good chunk of money at (a feasibility study).”

The cost of the studies is about $100,000, depending on the contract firm.

What to Look for Next

SOCCA members are planning to speak with residents in area cities in the near future about CCAs, but there are still some hurdles in getting them on board, Lawrence said.

“I think a lot of cities become apprehensive when talking about energy,” Lawrence said, adding some see it as a daunting proposal to start a new energy company that the city would manage.

Lawrence also said that as the CCAs are nonprofit organi ations, they re not eholden to public investors and, therefore, have an incentive to keep costs lower.

“We have a unique situation where our elected officials haven t een educated on this, and (politically) it doesn’t matter,” she said.

“There are dozens of little cities that are coming together to form CCAs.” SOCCA is also trying to facilitate dialogue among cities to coordinate a JPA. The city of Irvine has already completed its own feasibility study.

Boden said that the goal is to get cities to approve the feasibility study by the end of this year, so they can concentrate on 2021. If that doesn’t happen, based on how the process works, the area would have to wait until 2022 or later.

••• For more information on community choice energy programs, visit cacommunityenergy.org.

South Orange County Community Choice Alliance (SOCCA) formed about a year ago and works as an exploratory program looking to promote CCAs throughout the area.

SOCCA members Selene LawFollow South Orange County rence, Terry Otsuki Kwa, Jackson Community Choice Alliance on Hinkle, Rick Erkeneff and Tyler Boden recently spoke with Picket social media via Facebook, Twitter or Fence Media about their organizaInstagram. The organization will have tion’s endeavors.

“We really need constituents to information on workshops and future double-down on this,” said Stephanie Sekich-Quinn of the Surfrider meetings posted there regularly.

Foundation, which is also working with SOCCA. “I think from a national perspective, California always leads the way. If we don’t do it now, it will be too late.”

The first step is for a CC program to complete a feasibility study that would include all residents and municipalities involved.

After that, it’s about another year of planning, depending on how many cities and entities are involved, and it can take a bit longer.

The Alta Wind Energy Center, the nation’s largest wind facility, located in Tehachapi Pass in Kern County. Photo: Courtesy of the California Energy Commission

Daily Routine Changes to Help Reduce Your

Joanna Clark, a local environmental activist, said the first step toward reducing your carbon footprint is switching out the incandescent light bulbs in your home for fluorescent light bulbs or LEDs. This can save on electricity, which saves on carbon emissions and what you have in your wallet.

Programmable thermostats are also another way to cut back on electricity in your home. Though some can cost more than $200, there are plenty of more affordable options online.

Another simple tip from experts is to also unplug unused electronic items from outlets to avoid “vampire” energy loss. And if you’re not using lights in certain parts of your home, shut them off; this can apply at your office, too. nd speaking of the office, change your print settings to allow for double-sided pages for when you need to print out documents.

One way to greatly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the air is going carless and utilizing other means of transportation, including bicycles, trains or buses.

“I have a bicycle, and whenever I can, I ride around the community without driving my car,” said Frank Larkin, a windows and doors manufacturer. He also said, “I think (riding bikes is) one of the best solutions for the average person, because there just isn’t enough of that.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a typical passenger vehicle, with a fuel economy of about 22 miles per gallon, emits close to five metric tons of car on dioxide annually.

However, for many, especially here in Southern California, that might not be a feasible option. The Carbonfund.org Foundation notes there are certain driving habits that can help save more than a ton of carbon dioxide per year.

Such practices include driving the speed limit and maintaining a steady speed, as well as anticipating stops and starts. Regularly replacing air, oil and fuel filters, and having properly inflated tires, can also make your vehicle more fuel efficient.

Going to back to the importance of offsetting, if using a car is absolutely necessary to get to work, you could propose creating a carpool among some of your co-workers.

But before heading to work, don’t forget to pack a lunch. Meal prepping lunches for the work week can not only save gas on multiple car trips to lunch throughout the week, it can also reduce food waste.

“About one-quarter of all the food prepared annually in the U.S., for example, gets tossed, producing methane in landfills as well as carbon emissions from transporting wasted food,” according to Carbonfund.org.

And the New York Times reports that about 40 percent of the foods Americans purchase ends up being wasted.

If you’re looking for more ways to reduce food waste, you could follow Kramer’s footsteps, as he utilizes a tumbler and a worm bin.

Vermicomposting, or using a worm-composting bin, helps recycle food scraps such as vegetables, tea bags, bread and coffee grounds, to name a few, according to the EPA. If keeping worms inside your home seems a bit much for you, there are simpler solutions.

The Times proposes to avoid buying the same product twice from the grocery store by keeping tabs on what’s in your fridge and making lists. Freezing certain products including produce can extend the foods’ lifespan, and accounting for portion sizes when cooking can prevent throwing out too many leftovers.

Along those same lines, cutting out red meat and switching to vegetarian meals can greatly save on carbon dioxide. Cutting out meat completely isn’t a particularly easy thing to do, so instead consider cutting down on consuming beef in exchange for substituting more chicken and adding some vegetarian meals to your daily routine.

According to the Times, researchers have found that eliminating or reducing red meat from diets would greatly reduce carbon emissions, because red meat production requires a lot of feed, land and water. hile the aris Climate greement was a significant leap in the right direction, governments around the world will need to continue taking steps toward implementing sustainable solutions in order to combat climate change.

In the meantime, you can begin to make a difference by implementing some of these practices to begin reducing your carbon footprint.

CARBON FOOTPRINT

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

W

ith so many of today’s headlines talking about climate change and its effects throughout the world, many Americans have been looking for ways to be part of the solution.

Advocating lawmakers to do more to protect the environment and regulate the oil and gas industry is certainly one way to get involved. But you can also do your part by incorporating more conservative practices in your daily routine.

Many refer to such practices as reducing your “carbon footprint”—a term used to describe the amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, that are emitted from an individual’s activities.

To limit his car on footprint, arry ramer, group leader for the local chapter of Citi ens Climate o y, modified some areas of his home to be more environmentally friendly. He has solar panels on his roof and uses a solar cover to keep his pool heated.

Kramer also uses two rain barrels to catch and recycle rainwater for his plants. Several years, ago, he said, he removed the grass from his home and replaced it with only native plants, with the exception of some non-native plants that were in his yard when he first ought the home.

And last year, Kramer also purchased a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Limiting your carbon footprint doesn’t necessarily mean you have to make renovations to your home, such as installing solar panels or purchasing an electric vehicle, which can e costly. nstead, first take a look at your energy ills to see where you can cut ack the more you save over time, the more pro ects and fuel efficient vehicles you might e a le to afford.

The Carbonfund.org Foundation’s motto is simply “Reduce what you can, offset what you can’t.” This can apply to a myriad of daily activities between home and work.

GETTING OUT

On Stage at The Coach House: Albert Lee

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, DANA POINT TIMES

A

t 75 years old, Albert Lee is still one of the busiest men in the music industry.

When the Dana Point Times spoke with the legendary, British-born guitar player, he had just returned to London after coming off a 24-show tour throughout Europe.

The country-music rock artist, who has jammed with the likes of The Everly Brothers and Eric Clapton, will have a relatively lax couple of weeks, though, as he’s scheduled to play only three shows in Southern California this month, including a performance at The Coach House on Sunday, April 14.

But in mid-May, he’ll be back in Europe for another spate of concerts.

“It’s a busy day; been a pretty busy couple of days,” Lee said by phone from a friend’s home in London.

The day before the call, he had been on a boat from Holland following the final show of the tour in Hengelo, Netherlands.

He then drove to London, where he spent a couple of nights before flying to his home in Los Angeles.

“I’m always anxious to come home,” Lee said. “I’ve lived in California for over 30 years, and people ask me, ‘Don’t you get home sick?’ Well, not anymore, because I get to tour there three times a year . . . but, you know, California is home.”

Since turning 75 this past December, Lee is treating all of his shows this year as a celebration.

“I’m getting of an age now where I’m still celebrating anything I do,” Lee said, adding, “So anything I do, I’m celebrating the fact that I’m still doing it.”

As a world-renowned guitar player, Lee certainly has a lot to celebrate. Throughout his lifetime, he’s performed alongside several musicians and has received considerable praise from Clapton, who is a legend in his own right.

One highlight of Lee’s career was getting to play with The Crickets, which had been led for a time by famed musician Buddy Holly, who died in 1959.

“When he died, I was 15; I was very traumatized,” Lee said. “I was such a huge fan . . . I followed his music and was a fan of The Crickets.”

Because he was a big fan, Lee was elated for the opportunity to tour and record with The Crickets in 1973. That year, the band put out Remnants, and the following year, they recorded the album A Long Way from Lubbock.

“Well, I thought I was just going to do one show with them,” Lee said. “Well, they seemed to enjoy my playing so much, they asked me to go on tour.” He later noted, “I just love those guys. I get to hang out with them when I can.”

Lee recently released Gypsy Man— A

Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

Photo: Courtesy of Albert Lee

Tribute to Buddy Holly, which was recorded live.

“It was something I thought about (doing) for some time,” he said.

Because he tours a lot in Europe, Lee said he wanted to have a “big box of these Buddy Holly songs” to bring to the shows there. When he plays at The Coach House, he said fans can expect to also hear some of his renditions of the Buddy Holly and The Crickets songs.

During the show, concertgoers can also expect to see Lee perform from the piano, as his musical prowess stretches beyond the guitar. Though he’s become more known as a guitar player, he said his first instrument was the piano, which he still cherishes.

“If I go into a room and there’s a guitar on the couch and a piano, I usually sit down at the piano; it’s always something that intrigues me and inspires me,” he said. “I wish I worked harder at it in the beginning, but, obviously I’ve become more accomplished with the guitar; that’s been the main instrument, but I’m still fascinated with the piano.”

In comparing his shows in Europe to the ones in the U.S., Lee said the performances are a bit different, primarily because he uses two bands.

“Yeah, I have two bands; I have a U.S. band in LA and a bunch of young guys here in London. So, it’s the same kind of lineup, but it takes up a different feel,” he said. “The guys in LA are very experienced . . . but the young guys in London have a lot of enthusiasm and give a different feel than what I’m used to. I enjoy doing both, really.”

Tickets to see Lee at The Coach House are $20 for general admission. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the show scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April. 14.

The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. For tickets or more information, call 949.496.8930 or visit www.thecoachhouse.com. DP Page 19

PUBLIC NOTICES TO A DV E RT I SE : 9 4 9 . 3 8 8 . 7 7 0 0 , E X T. 1 0 0 • FAX : 9 4 9 . 3 8 8 . 9 9 7 7 PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCE CITY OF DANA POINT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on April 2, 2019, the City Council of the City of Dana Point introduced an Ordinance entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA, ADDING CHAPTER 5.03 TO THE DANA POINT MUNICIPAL CODE The proposed ordinance add Chapter 5.03 to the Dana Point Municipal Code to regulate sidewalk vendors to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of the City’s residents, businesses, and visitors.

The proposed Ordinance is available for viewing in the City Clerk’s office located at 33282 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, California.

This proposed Ordinance was introduced by the City Council of the City of Dana Point, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 2nd day of April, 2019, by the following vote: AYES: Council Member Jamey M. Federico, Council Member Debra Lewis, Council Member Richard A. Viczorek, Mayor Pro Tem Paul N Wyatt, and Mayor Joseph L. Muller NOES: None ABSENT: None

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20196537779 The following person(s) is doing business as: PURE IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY 25073 DANACORAL DANA POINT, CA 92629 Full Name of Registrant(s): MARCIE KIRBY 25073 DANACORAL DANA POINT, CA 92629 The business is conducted by an individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the Fictitious Business Name or Name listed above on: 01/28/2019 /s/MARCIE KIRBY This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County On 03/14/2019

____________________________________ KATHY M. WARD CITY CLERK

Publish: Dana Point Times March 22, 29, April 5, 12

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE CITY OF DANA POINT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on April 2, 2019, the City Council of the City of Dana Point adopted Ordinance 19-01 entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING ZONE TEXT AMENDMENT ZTA19-0001 AMENDING CHAPTER 9.31 (FLOODPLAIN OVERLAY DISTRICT) AND CHAPTER 9.75 (DEFINITION AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF TERMS) TO MEET MINIMUM NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM AMENDMENT LCPA19-0001 FOR APPROVAL AND CERTIFICATION BY THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION. The adopted ordinance amends section 9.31 and 9.75 regarding: floodplain overlay districts and the definition and illustration of terms to meet minimum National Flood Insurance Program requirements.

The adopted Ordinance is available for viewing in the City Clerk’s office located at 33282 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, California.

This adopted Ordinance was introduced by the City Council of the City of Dana Point, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19th day of March, 2019, and adopted at a regular meeting thereof held on the 2nd day of April, 2019, by the following vote: AYES: Council Member Jamey M. Federico, Council Member Debra Lewis, Council Member Richard A. Viczorek, Mayor Pro Tem Paul N Wyatt, and Mayor Joseph L. Muller NOES: None

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20196537144 The following person(s) is doing business as: LUCAS CAR WASH 31022 CALLE SAN DIEGO SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA 92675 Full Name of Registrant(s): MOISES TORRES 31022 CALLE SAN DIEGO SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA 92675 The business is conducted by an individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the Fictitious Business Name or Name listed above on: n/a /s/MOISES TORRES This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 03/07/2019 Publish: Dana Point Times March 22, 29, April 5, 12

ABSENT: None

LOCALS ONLY

BUSINESS LISTINGS ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT

Body Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program 665 Camino De Los Mares, Ste. 104, San Clemente, 949.485.4979, info@bodymindspiritiop.com, www.bodymindspiritiop.com

AUTO REPAIR

Dana Point Auto

34342 Coast Hwy., Unit B, 949.496.1086

CAFE - DELI

Coffee Importers Espresso Bar

34531 Golden Lantern, 949.493.7773, www.coffeeimporters.com

COFFEE SHOP

____________________________________ KATHY M. WARD CITY CLERK

Coffee Importers Espresso Bar

34531 Golden Lantern, 949.493.7773, www.coffeeimporters.com

ICE CREAM

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INSURANCE SERVICES

Patricia Powers

24551 Del Prado, Ste. 364, 949.496.1900, pat.powers@cox.net

State Farm/Ted Bowersox

34085 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. 204, 949.661.3200, www.tedbowersox.com

State Farm/Elaine LaVine

34080 Golden Lantern, 949.240.8944, www.elainelavine.net

MASSAGE THERAPY

Paul Svoboda CAMTC #76690 Monarch Beach Studio or Outcall, 310.387.2560 MUSIC INSTRUCTION

Danman’s Music School

24699 Del Prado, 949.496.6556, www.danmans.com

PLUMBING

A to Z Leak Detection

1001 Calle Recodo, San Clemente, 949.481.7013, www.atozleakdetection.com

Bill Metzger Plumbing

1001 Calle Recodo, San Clemente, 949.492.3558, www.billmetzerplumbing.com

UPHOLSTERY & INTERIORS

Jeddy’s Interiors

34118 Pacific Coast Highway, Ste. 2, 949.240.9569. www.jeddys.com

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CLASSIFIEDS

DP BUSINESS DIRECTORY

DSaan n Cl a em Poenintet

Submit your classified ad online at danapointtimes.com GARAGE SALES SAN CLEMENTE WOMAN’S CLUB CHARITY RUMMAGE SALE Saturday, April 13, 7:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. 866 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente, 92673. Antique furniture, golf clubs, standing fans, housewares, clothing, baby clothing, Legos, etc.

CAPISTRANO BEACH GARAGE SALE! Saturday April 13, 8:30 -12. 27545 Gable St near Camino Capistrano. Bikes! Toys! Books! TVs! Young adult stuff! College prep materials! DVDs! HUGE GARAGE MOVING SALE Saturday April 13. 25251 Swanway Ct. Dana Point, CA. Furniture, bedroom sets, antiques, china, books, jewelry, sterling silver, sporting goods.

Small appliances, clothing, tools, potted plants, garden equipment.

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE! E-mail your garage sale to info@danapointtimes.com DEADLINE 5PM MONDAY.NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

FOR SALE HOME FOR SALE San Clemente FORSTER RANCH One level with Views 3bd/2ba cul-de-sac HUGE gated RV/boat/car storage,oversized drive 1877sqft $939,000 Call George Abrahamsen#01821448, Tarbell,REALTORS 949-812-9990

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Then you need to be in the Dana Point Times. Call us today!

949.388.7700 ext. 102 Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

Page 21

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DP Dana Point

DP LIVING

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

Go Native South County residents practice sustainability in their yards

BY LILLIAN BOYD, DANA POINT TIMES

I

n efforts to promote sustainability, reduce costs and uphold green best practices, residents in south Orange County are taking steps toward eco-friendly yards with native plant and drought tolerant species. Local residents Freda D’Souza and Kevin Alison prefer alternatives to traditional grass lawns:

FREDA D’SOUZA

SAN CLEMENTE Freda D’Souza is a member of the San Clemente Garden Club and the owner of Always Inn in San Clemente. D’Souza has been working on creating a more sustainable garden and surrounding yard to her inn gradually over time.

“With succulents and drought-tolerant species, I’ve been able to save money on water while being eco-friendly and maintaining the integrity of the inn’s outdoor amenities,” D’Souza said.

D’Souza has installed a rain barrel in the inn’s back patio to distribute rainwater throughout a portion of the yard. In her garden, you’ll find drought-tolerant plant species such as plumbago, as well as succulents.

The San Clemente Garden Club will host GardenFest on Saturday, April 13 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at the San Clemente Community Center.

KEVIN ALISON

DANA POINT Kevin Alison works in propagation for Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano and is studying for his master’s degree

Clockwise from left. Freda D’Souza owns the Always Inn in San Clemente and has a rain barrel installed to distribute rainwater throughout a portion of her yard. Kevin Alison, of Dana Point, says a good garden can tell a story depending on what you plant. Photos: Lillian Boyd

in conservation and restoration science at UC Irvine. His front yard holds plants and flowers native to the Channel Islands, Dana Point and coastal Southern California. Alison says that a good garden tells a story.

“The plants you’ll see in my yard are plants you’ll find on Catalina Island or local hikes. I got engaged and married on

Catalina. Buckwheat and Saint Catherine’s lace are some of the plants we see together on hikes,” Alison said.

Alison has also planted a species called Cultivare Dana Point, which has been developed at Tree of Life Nursery. The plant naturally withstands Californian climate and erosion, and it has been selected for its low

growing habitat.

“It’s important to utilize native plants because of their role in the ecosystem.

There are species of moths and butterflies that only go to certain species of local plants, and your yard could be one more pit stop for a species in our local ecosystem,” Alison said. DP

Sudoku

Pet of the Week: Sonny

BY MYLES MELLOR

DANA POINT TIMES

E

Last week’s solution:

Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9.

Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

See the solution in next week’s issue.

Sonny. Photo: Courtesy of the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter

Page 22

ight-year-old Sonny has come a long way. After first arriving at the shelter in terrible condition, Sonny received lots of care and attention from staff and volunteers. Since then, his happy personality has really begun to shine through. Sonny is silly and energetic and just loves to roll around in the yard during playtime. He is also potty-trained. Won’t you be the one to give this sweet boy a new lease on life?

If you would like to know more about Sonny, please call the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617 or visit with him at 221 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. DP danapointtimes.com

DP SPORTS & OUTDOORS Dana Point

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

‘Grip it and Rip it’ Dana Hills boys lacrosse embraces shooting mentality under new coach

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, DANA POINT TIMES

T

he Orange County lacrosse community is a close-knit one, and first-year Dana Hills coach Trent Cooper is proof of that.

Cooper was the coach at Mission Viejo High last season but resigned and came over to Dana Hills in the summer. Cooper took over for Chris Iltis, who in turn took over at Mission Viejo. Cooper called it a weird coincidence and didn’t know of the change until the Dolphins scheduled the Diablos for their league opener, which Dana Hills won, 17-5, on Feb. 27.

It was a sign of things to come.

Cooper also comes from a lacrosse family and is more than familiar with the Sea View and South Coast Leagues. His mother and brother started the lacrosse program at Aliso Niguel, where Cooper

Dana Hills boys lacrosse has embraced a “grip it and rip it” mentality to raise its offensive output and enter the Sea View League title race. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

played for three seasons.

“Dana was our biggest rival,” Cooper said. “It was weird to switch, but now, I’m all about that Dolphin pride.”

Cooper was brought to Dana Hills by assistant coach Joe Kuao, who is a longtime teacher at Dana Hills.

“We had this goal in mind that we wanted to bring lacrosse back to Dana,” Cooper said of Kuao. “Grow the program, grow the youth

Dana Wharf Fish Report

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, DANA POINT TIMES

T

he 2019 Halibut Derby Fish-Off was won with a 5-pound catch by Lenny Green. Green beat out the other top 25 derby anglers for $500 prize for a second year in a row.

Here are the latest fish counts from Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching: April 10 • 2 boats, 37 anglers: 1 calico bass, 3 sculpin, 4 whitefish, 13 rockfish, 80 vermilion rockfish, 27 bocaccio.

April 9 • 2 boats, 55 anglers: 5 calico bass, 14 sculpin, 9 sheephead, 17 whitefish, 92 rockfish, 124 vermilion rockfish, 29 bocaccio.

Photo: Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching

April 8 • 3 boats, 66 anglers: 8 calico bass, 1 sand bass, 6 sculpin, 11 sheephead, 15 rockfish, 174 vermilion rockfish, 45 bocaccio, 30 bass released.

April 6 • 7 boats, 209 anglers: 10 calico bass, 1 sand bass, 47 sculpin, 13 sheephead, 129 whitefish, 273 rockfish, 91 vermilion rockfish, 48 bocaccio, 10 sanddab, 15 mackerel, 3 blue perch, 1 lingcod, 69 bass released.

April 7 • 8 boats, 169 anglers: 4 yellowtail, 21 calico bass, 3 sand bass, 16 sculpin, 12 sheephead, 82 whitefish, 221 rockfish, 148 vermilion rockfish, 34 bocaccio, 1 halibut, 9 blue perch, 1 treefish, 55 bass released.

April 5 • 3 boats, 113 anglers: 2 calico bass, 2 sand bass, 25 sculpin, 9 sheephead, 15 whitefish, 115 rockfish, 36 vermilion rockfish, 58 bocaccio, 3 blue perch, 36 bass released. DP

Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

Page 24

program, bring back that Dolphin pride.”

That oft-mentioned pride has manifested itself in the 2019 Dolphins season with a noticeable uptick in the offense and success in the win column.

Dana Hills is scoring more than three goals more per game on average compared to last season, 11.9 to 8.3 goals per game, and has been held under 10 goals only once in 10 games. The Dolphins

scored fewer than 10 goals in 12 of 19 games last season.

“We have a lot more older, veteran varsity players,” junior long-stick midfielder Mitchell Stock said. “So it’s comfort with each other.”

The Dolphins are 7-3 overall, 3-1 in the Sea View League and in the thick of the league race. Dana Hills was 9-10 overall and 1-7 in league last season.

“They had a rough season last year, but we have a lot of talent, tremendous amount of talent,” Cooper said. “Once they start putting it all together, they’re going to do great things.

It’s all about getting them to believe in themselves, getting someone to believe in them.”

The Dolphins believe they are a team of shooters. Offensively, they are led by senior Luke Perry and juniors Sam Martin, Tyler Hubbard and Mason Morrow.

Dana Hills’ “grip it and rip it” mentality was on display on Tuesday, April 9 at San Juan Hills. The Dolphins looked on their way to a disappointing league defeat, down 10-6 late in the fourth quarter, but rallied to score six goals in the final five minutes to pull out the win, 11-10.

Dana Hills is a half-game behind rival Aliso Niguel and dropped their first meeting, 11-10, on March 19. Dana Hills gets its shot at revenge, pride and the top of the league at Aliso Niguel on Thursday, April 18. DP

DP DP SURF

Dana Dana Point Point

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Local Surfers Shine on Australia’s Gold Coast Caroline Marks wins Boost Mobile Pro; Kolohe Andino takes second at Quiksilver Pro

BY JAKE HOWARD, DANA POINT TIMES

L

ocal surfers from San Clemente pretty much stole the show as the 2019 WSL Championship Tour season got underway last week on the Gold Coast of Australia.

San Clemente resident Caroline Marks, 17, won the women’s Boost Mobile Pro and a $100,000 prize for her first professional victory, and San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino finished a close second in the men’s Quiksilver Pro—both events staged at Duranbah Beach on Sunday, April 7.

Andino was a whisker away from winning and seizing the No. 1 ranking in the world, blitzing his way to the final by defeating some of the world’s best surfers before falling to high-flying Brazilian Italo Ferreira in the closing moments of the competition.

Andino had led most of the way until Ferreira, who had been boosting nextlevel airs all contest, chose a small wave that Andino had passed on and took full advantage by launching a Hail Mary air

GROM OF THE WEEK

DEVIN MCLEISH

BY JAKE HOWARD, DANA POINT TIMES

W

hen your big sis is the mighty Mia Mouse, of course, you’re going shred, too. All of 7 years old, San Clemente’s Devin McLeish is keeping the family tradition going in the water. A regular at T-Street, this little goofy-footer has style for days and the kind of stoke that can fire up the whole beach.

When Devin, the youngest of three girls, is not in the water, she’s attending Concordia Elementary School. Her magic board is 4 feet, 5 inches, shaped by local guru Cole Simler.

Dana Point Times April 12-18, 2019

Caroline Marks grinding off the bottom and into first place at the Boost Mobile Pro. Photo: Dunbar/WSL

and sticking the landing. The judges gave Ferreira the decisive score, and Andino had to settle for second.

“I was stoked to be in the final with Italo,” Andino said after returning to the beach. “I let that wave go, but I think 10 times out of 10, I would let it go again, just because it was actually a knee-high wave; but he did a full rotation, so good on him.

“It’s a bummer I wasn’t getting chaired up for my first event win, but it’s a long year and still a great result. I was two minutes away from winning that one. The American surfers are doing great; it’s ‘rad’ to see. I think everyone is sick of seeing those top three guys on tour win every event. I think everyone’s put their heads down and trying really hard, and it’s great for the sport.”

After pulling out the win, Ferreira now leads the WSL rankings and will set the pace for the world title race in 2019.

“Winning this event at the start of the year is unbelievable,” said Ferreira, who spends a fair amount of time in San Clemente working with shaper Timmy Patterson. “I knew it would be so hard to beat Kolohe. I feel really lucky to have beaten him and especially in waves like this. The support on the beach is so unreal. I’ve trained a lot in the last three months, and I got the win in the first event of the year.

Let’s do this!”

Like Andino’s path to the men’s final, Marks had to conquer some of the best women in the world to get to the winner’s podium for the first time as a pro, knocking out seven-time world champion

This winter, Devin was named Grom of the Week by the Positive Vibe Warriors for passion, dedication and love of surfing.

When asked what inspirers her, she said, “In the water, when I see big airs! Out of the water, when I see others being kind! And I love how the older surfers take time to help out us groms.”

Lately, she’s been working on her cutbacks and floaters, and now that spring and summer south swells are starting to show up on our shore, it’s game on.

Devin does a lot of her ripping in the afternoon after school’s wrapped for the day, “because then my Mommy can come down and watch me shred.”

Yeah, Devin! The McLeish girls are on fire! DP

Devin McLeish. Photo: Courtesy

Page 26

Stephanie Gilmore of Australia in the quarterfinals and defeating three-time world champion Carissa Moore of Hawaii in the final.

Marks, a goofy-footer, grew up in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., but has relocated to San Clemente to be closer to Trestles and train with her coach, Mike Parsons. She dominated the contest from beginning to end on the way to her first Championship Tour final and maiden victory. Coincidentally, she did it all on her father’s birthday.

“I’m really emotional right now,” Marks said in an interview with the World Surf League. “I can’t believe it. I’m speechless.

It’s incredible to be a part of this sport. I just want to thank everyone at WSL; I’m so grateful.

“It’s so amazing to be a part of women’s surfing. Carissa has always been my hero, and she still is. To have my first win over her is incredible. I was actually laughing because the first time I came to this event I was in the trials, and I just lost in the first heat every single time, so to now win the event is amazing. This has been the best event and best week of my life. There’s still a lot of work to do for the rest of the year, but I’m definitely going to enjoy this moment.”

Not only was San Clemente well-represented on the podium, every surfer who made the final was riding a board made by a local shaper. Andino, Marks and Moore were all riding craft shaped by Matt “Mayhem” Biolos, and Ferreira was on a Patterson design.

The next CT contest, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, will begin on April 17 in Torquay, Australia. Ferreira is the defending champ, while Marks finished in third place there last year. Both the men’s and women’s fields appear especially hungry this season. It’s going to be fun to see what our local crew can do out there on the world’s stage. DP

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