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TOP NEWS DANA POINT SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

More Than 60 Artists to Showcase Various Works at Dana Point ArtFest

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

About the time that development began around Dana Point’s Town Center, the idea for a new art-based event—the Dana Point Art Walk—was floated to bring more foot traffic to local businesses impacted by the construction.

“What they wanted was to give a boost to the businesses by bringing something to tell people, ‘Everything’s still open; you can still get into some of these businesses, restaurants and so forth,’ ” explained Mac McDonald.

Dana Point Arts and Culture Commissioners Nancy Jenkins and Karin Schnell developed the Dana Point Art Walk along with local artists, business people and residents, McDonald said.

“Every aspect of the city had some input into what this was going to be,” McDonald said. “So, that’s how it started … and it grew from there, just kept growing and at one point, we had everything from Golden Lantern all the way up to the archway.”

Over the years, the free event has transitioned to become the Dana Point ArtFest, which is set to return to the Lantern District this Sunday, June 5,

An appeal has been filed against the city’s recently approved short-term rental program regulating local vacation rentals through a coastal development permit. The Dana Point Planning Commission voted, 4-1, to approve the STR program during its May 9 meeting.

A public hearing at City Hall on the appeal has been set for June 21 at 6 p.m., when residents will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the STR program.

The new program will, among other things, set caps on the number of permits issued to home and property owners, limit permits for certain STRs to 185, and place a maximum on rental periods.

A short-term rental (STR) is defined as following a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a portion of Del Prado Avenue, between Amber Lantern and Violet Lantern, will be closed to motorists, allowing more than 60 participating artists to display a variety of fine art such as sculptures, ceramics, glass art, jewelry, painting, drawing, photography, woodworking and metalwork.

The road closure marks a departure from previous years’ events, when all the artists had to display their work on the sidewalk. On the sidewalks, artists were constrained in how large their display could be, said McDonald, a member of the Dana Point ArtFest organizing committee.

“The city said, ‘You have to have room for people to walk on the sidewalk,’ so you’re kind of limited as to what kind of display you can have out there,” McDonald said.

This year will be the first in which ArtFest will take over the street, closing the section of Del Prado.

Though McDonald estimated that 120 artists displayed their work at previous ArtFests, this year will feature only 65 artists.

“The pandemic hit, and then everything changed,” McDonald said. “We lost a couple of years. So, we’re not really starting over; we’re just kind of starting smaller to build back up to where we were. Hopefully, we can add another street next year as it grows.”

At the post office parking lot, Arts and

The Dana Point ArtFest will return to the Lantern District on Sunday, June 5, when 65 artists will display a variety of fine art pieces. Photo: Lillian Boyd/File

Culture Commissioner Ashley Keene will display an interactive mural where visitors can take photos in front of the beach scene.

“It’ll just kind of invite people to come pose for a picture and can post it on social media or just for themselves,” Keene said. “But I wanted to do something that was interactive, something a little different than we’ve had before.”

Just past the Amber Lantern Street, artist Chris Justice will display new artwork, and offer coffee and donuts in the morning at his temporary studio and gallery space in the Prado West development.

Artist Dana Yarger will also unveil his latest community art project exhibiting painted dolphin statues on wooden barrels. Yarger will display three dolphins that are part of a larger exhibition, aimed at raising awareness for ocean water quality and the safety of marine life.

“We hope this is going to announce the project, make people aware of it from an art standpoint,” Yarger said.

The event will also feature two beer and wine gardens located on either end of the ArtFest. Shwack Beach Grill will host one at Del Prado and Amber Lantern, with Lux Martini Bar hosting the garden at Del Prado and Violet Lantern.

Next to the beer and wine gardens, there will be two music stages for performances by Phil Vandermost, Anthony Small, Andrew Lavin, Benny B & The Breakers, Randall Winvick Band and Iris & the Shade band. Performances will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A taco food truck will also be parked near Shwack’s restaurant.

City’s STR Program Facing Appeal

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

an entire residential house or apartment, or rooms within, that is rented out to visitors for a fee between one and 29 consecutive days. It is often arranged on websites such as Airbnb, HomeAway or Vrbo.

The appeal argues two main points: that the Planning Commission doesn’t have the authority to approve an STR program—rather, it should be passed through a City Council vote—and that the program would damage the character of the city.

“This is not a legal way to do it,” said Mark Zanides, one of the appellants. “This program would be terrible for the citizens of Dana Point. It would significantly degrade residential neighborhoods, particularly in (Capistrano) Beach and Lantern District. It would reduce available low-cost housing, disproportionately affect minorities and disproportionately affect the Lantern and Capo Beach neighborhoods.”

Zanides and fellow Dana Point resident Kim Tarantino wrote in their appeal (filed on May 23): “Each of us believes, as do many other residents of Dana Point, that the short-term rental program (STR) adopted by the Planning Commission is inconsistent with the preservation and quiet enjoyment of not only our neighborhoods, but residential neighborhoods throughout the City.”

The appellants argue that because Dana Point is a permissive zoning city—meaning that unless something is specifically permitted, it is presumed to be prohibited—STRs are prohibited in Dana Point, because they are not specifically permitted in the zoning code.

Because of this, the appellants believe that the STR regulatory program, allowing for new STR permits, requires both a zoning code amendment and local coastal plan amendment. They argue that the Planning Commission does not have the authority to pass the program through a coastal development permit, without City Council or California Coastal Commission approval.

“The first and important legal point is that the Planning Commission does not have the authority to do this,” Zanides said. “If this is going to be done, it should be done properly as the city attorney, council let it be done in 2016, that the City Council pass an ordinance and have it run through the local zoning text amendment and amendment to the local coastal plan.”

The appellants contend that Dana Point’s current zoning code “already ‘balance the rights and responsibilities of residents and homeowners,’” by not allowing STRs in residential areas. Zanides added that he is not opposed to STRs in commercial or mixed-use zones.

The appellants also argue that there has not been enough enforcement against illegal short-term rentals and

Proposed Ballot Initiative Looks to Bring Pot Shops to Dana Point

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

A citizen initiative that proposes to allow up to three cannabis businesses to operate within the city could go to a vote among Dana Point residents this November.

The proposed initiative, which is currently being circulated as part of the signature collection stage, looks to repeal Dana Point’s prohibition against cannabis retail operations while granting City Council discretion to adopt regulations.

If voters pass the initiative—pending its placement on the General Election ballot—up to three marijuana dispensaries could operate within a commercial use zone, more than 750 feet away from schools, day care facilities, youth centers, and some parks.

Additionally, such shops would have to be more than 600 feet away from any school or day care facility that is located outside of the city. The City Council would also have the authority to allow for additional cannabis retail permits. One permit would be allowed per permit-holder.

This past April, the city received the notice of intention to circulate the petition for the proposed measure, referred to as “The Dana Point Cannabis Regulation and Land Use Measure.” The city filing identified a Dayne Andrea Keating as the applicant for the petition. Attempts to contact the applicant had been unsuccessful as of press time.

According to the proposed measure,

(Cont. from page 3) that the program does not sufficiently outline provisions for enforcement.

“There should be a robust enforcement program with severe penalties against illegal operators,” Zanides said. “The way to do that is you require the platform’s Airbnb or Vrbo to collect the (Transient Occupancy Tax) and forbid them from advertising non-licensed STRs.”

In a presentation earlier this year, Dana Point Community Development Manager Jeff Rosaler outlined the city’s enforcement efforts.

The city has collaborated with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), as well as the vacation rental companies Airbnb, Vrbo, and Expedia, which market short-term rentals on their websites and phone apps.

Rosaler explained that some of these companies have government liaisons who work with code enforcement officers to make sure STRs advertised on the sites are operating legally. Dana Point Municipal Code requires that STR owners publish their permit number on advertisements.

Airbnb and Vrbo have also removed listings that are operating without a permit, effectively operating illegally.

The city hired Granicus, which looks through STR advertisements and creates a list of those illegally advertised without an STR permit. It also collects the city’s transient occupancy tax from STR apps and gives an audited list of data.

For nuisance violations, Dana Point City Council passed an ordinance in 2021 that enhances regulations. Under the ordinance, permit holders will have their permits revoked upon a third violation over the life of the permit.

With the new program, permit owners can be fined the maximum amount, as allowed per state law. Upon first violation, the owner will be fined $1,500; $3,000 upon a second violation; and $5,000 for a third violation over the life of the permit.

The appeal further argues that “the new regulations clearly state that long-standing residents who have an expectation of quiet enjoyment with neighbors will have no right of objection nor appeal as their neighbor is replaced by an STR investor, particularly an absentee one, and their property values and quality of life are significantly diminished.”

The appellants argue that the program benefits STR owners and leaves non-HOA homeowners and renters bearing higher densities of short-term rental neighbors.

“It would turn the city (into) . . . a transient vacation haven, which would, in our view, destroy the most important feature of our town, which is our neighborhoods, well a very important feature of our town, and it would disproportionately affect the Lantern District and Capo Beach,” Zanides said.

The appeal states that 75% of STRs are located in those two districts and that the program will especially harm lower-income households.

“It will disproportionately harm lower-income people and minorities because, to the extent that multi-dwelling buildings are permitted to have STRs, who do you think will be evicted?” Zanides asked.

The appeal states, “The Planning Commission appears not to have attempted to determine whether and if so how much this policy will discriminate against racial minorities (35% of Lantern District (District 4) residents and 29% citywide) and rental households (62% in District 4 and 36% citywide), many of whom cannot afford the average Dana Point rent.”

In the appeal, Zanides and Tarantino argue that the program will especially affect households in the Lantern District earning less than $50,000 or $75,000 a year.

Zanides also argued that the city has more than enough hotel rooms available to offer sufficient coastal access.

“We have thousands of rooms here,” Zanides said. “We are as open and available, we provide probably more open and available coastal access than any town I know in California; I could be wrong, but certainly among the most generous in terms of coastal access.”

“There’s no reason to squander, to crush our neighborhoods to provide more people access to the coast, because we already provide access to the coast and there’s more coming,” Zanides continued. “There’s another 650 rooms coming online in the next round of hotels, and there are low-cost hotels.”

The appellants conclude their argument by stating that the STR program will “affect, fundamentally, the character of our neighborhoods.”

“If there’s going to be any kind of shortterm rental program, it shouldn’t be this one,” Zanides said. “This is dreadful. They have disregarded what citizens say. They’re going to turn residential neighborhoods into transient, short-term hotels.”

Zanides also noted that while opponents of the program do not want to bring the issue to an initiative, that option remains on the table. He added that the ballot initiative process is a cumbersome process but finds that the current program is unreasonable.

The appeal will be heard during the June 21 City Council meeting at 6 p.m.

A proposed voter initiative that looks to repeal Dana Point’s prohibition against cannabis dispensaries is being circulated for signatures, setting up its potential inclusion on residents’ ballots this November. Photo: Courtesy of Luke Burrett

operation hours for dispensaries would be limited to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Businesses would be required to maintain security measures and prohibit those under 21 years old from entering the store. Cannabis graphics or products would also be prohibited from being visible from outside the store.

Furthermore, any licensed dispensary approved under the initiative would be required to minimize odors and comply with state law regulating on-site consumption.

Public nuisance violations would be subject to prosecution as a misdemeanor. The outdoor cultivation of cannabis for commercial purposes would remain illegal.

Taxes on retailers would range from 2% to 5%. Medical marijuana retailers would be required to pay 2% of gross receipts in taxes, with council authority to raise the tax rate to 4%. Recreational-use retailers would be required to pay 3%, with council authority to raise the tax rate to 5%.

Dana Point City Council had anticipated a potential initiative and looked to maintain local control in the event of a citizen initiative such as this. City Council discussed preemptively passing an ordinance regulating cannabis retail.

During a Feb. 1 meeting, City Council voted, 3-2, to examine controls, mitigations and regulations on storefronts, including a tax measure ordinance. The subject has not since been discussed during council meetings.

In order to qualify for the upcoming General Election, the petition must be submitted with signatures from 10% of registered voters and verified by the Orange County Registrar of Voters before Aug. 12.

NEWS NEXT DOOR: San Clemente Icon Ken Nielsen Remembered

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH AND SHAWN RAYMUNDO

Longtime San Clemente resident Ken Nielsen, a sea captain, ocean researcher and active figure around the city, died on May 22 at 75 years old.

To those who knew Nielsen, he was a community activist, always staying involved in numerous organizations and efforts to improve San Clemente. And to his family and loved ones, he was a caring and gentle individual.

“He was the most loving father,” Jennifer Cuda said of her father. “There wasn’t a day in my life that I didn’t feel loved by him. Everyone knew that if you knew my dad, you knew he loved you.”

Kristine Bonnot echoed her sister’s sentiments, stating, “I love my dad, and there was no one else like him.”

Also speaking with Dana Point Times on Tuesday, May 31, Maureen Nielsen, Ken’s wife, succinctly said, “He was the love of my life.”

During last week’s San Clemente City Council meeting, Mayor Gene James took a few moments to talk about Nielsen, who lived in San Clemente for more than 68 years, honoring him as another “absolute icon” who had passed away in the past year.

“Kenny was a commercial fisherman with extensive knowledge of Southern California coasts, spanning from San Diego to Santa Barbara,” James said. “Kenny’s love for the ocean and San Clemente began in 1960, when he worked on the fishing boats and at the tackle box-fishing gear bait store on the San Clemente Pier, until the fishing boats moved in 1971 to Dana Point.”

James added that Nielsen was a member of the first graduating class of San Clemente High School in 1965.

Maintaining his Triton spirit decades later, Nielsen, Cuda explained, helped to organize the 40- and 50-year high school reunions. According to Cuda, he also had a hand in the creation of the Triton sculpture in front of San Clemente High that Bill Limebrook crafted.

Nielsen, though, was a man of the sea, and he spent his entire life on the ocean, starting from his time working on the fishing boats to owning his own business, Sea Ventures Environmental Services, which he owned up until his death.

Nielsen’s passing comes a few months after the death of his longtime friend, Don Hansen, the founder of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching.

Donna Kalez, Hansen’s daughter and the chief operating officer for Dana Wharf, said the Hansen family, “including my dad from heaven,” was heartbroken by the news of Nielsen’s death.

“I can’t imagine a time when I did not see or talk to Kenny,” Kalez said in an email, noting that Nielsen had worked for the company in the ’70s. “He was the definition of the gentle giant, a man not just physically big but in everything he did; he did it so well and with pride.”

“We will all miss him,” she continued. “He mentored both my brothers. As for me, he encouraged me to get involved in the community along with my dad and get on the board of the Doheny Beach Foundation, a group he loved, as well as PierPride (Foundation).”

Over the years, Nielsen had volunteered countless hours to many different organizations, serving on the city’s Coastal Advisory Committee from 2000 to 2014, as well as with PierPride, and the Surfrider Foundation. He was also a neighborhood watch captain and a volunteer with local state parks.

“In addition to all that, Kenny was a good friend to me,” James said at the May 25 council meeting. “I would look forward to his phone calls after every meeting. He would critique me on what I did wrong, and he would congratulate me on what I did right.”

Nielsen is survived by his wife, Maureen, his two daughters—Cuda and Bonnot—and his four grandchildren: Michael Cuda, Logan Cuda, Majken Bonnot and Makoa Bonnot.

“He was truly blessed to have the best family, his wife and two daughters, along with his amazing friend group,” Kalez said.

Though an official date has not yet been set, Jennifer Cuda said the family is planning to have a memorial for Nielsen at Doheny State Park sometime in July that the general public is welcome to attend.

Ken Nielsen, pictured here speaking during an October 2018 cruise that PierPride Foundation hosted, died on May 22 at the age of 75. Photo: File COMMUNITY MEETINGS

TUESDAY, JUNE 7 Dana Point City Council Meeting 6 p.m. The Dana Point Council Meeting will hold a regular meeting. Dana Point Council Chambers, 33282 Golden Lantern Street, Dana Point. danapoint.org.

Surfrider’s Clean Water Report Shows Majority of Tested Sites Have Low Bacteria Levels

BY COLLIN BREAUX AND SHAWN RAYMUNDO

A new report by Surfrider Foundation shows that while some communities are continuing to struggle with high bacteria levels in their beaches, bays and waterways, the majority of test samples taken in much of the nation’s coastal areas last year revealed low levels of bacteria.

More than 70% of the 8,532 water tests that Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force conducted along the West Coast, as well as parts of the East Coast, Hawaii and Puerto Rico in 2021, came back with low levels of bacteria, according to the San Clemente-based organization’s latest Clean Water Report.

The Blue Water Task Force’s test results further found that 9% showed medium levels of bacteria, while the remaining 20% measured high bacteria levels that “exceed water quality criteria, or Beach Action Values, set by each state to protect health in recreational waters.”

“Hundreds of millions of people visit and recreate at U.S. beaches every year,” Water Quality Initiative Senior Manager Mara Dias said in Surfrider’s media release announcing the report.

“However, what people may not realize is that sewage spills and infrastructure failures release over 900 billion gallons of untreated sewage into surface waters annually,” she continued. “That’s why we’re working across the nation to test the waters, so communities know where it’s safe to surf, swim and play and to protect clean ocean water for all people.”

The report explained that most of the water samples where high bacteria levels were found had been collected from beaches or freshwater sources like creeks, marshes and rivers—sites, Surfrider said, that are “influenced by stormwater runoff.”

“These results are consistent with national trends, which show that stormwater runoff is the number one cause of beach closures and swimming advisories in the U.S. Stormwater can wash chemicals and other pollutants from streets and lawns into local waterways and down to the beach,” the report stated.

The report also identified 10 beaches of priority where water samples revealed high bacteria rates. The list includes three spots in Hawaii—Chocolates Surfbreak, Nāwiliwili Stream at Kalapakī Bay, and Māliko Bay—and one area in California, Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, which had a high bacteria rate of 81%.

Surfrider volunteers regularly test water quality at beaches in their communities and measure bacteria levels in ocean, bay, estuary, and freshwater sites through the Blue Water Task Force program. Along with sites in California, volunteers also test bacteria levels at various locations in Hawaii, Oregon and other coastal states.

Regarding potential solutions, Surfrider noted in the report it is pushing for legislation that encourages and funds the replacement of “polluting cesspools” with more “advanced wastewater treatment technologies.”

Surfrider is also calling on Congress to “make significant investments to repair, upgrade and ensure climate resilience for America’s failing water infrastructure” because of climate change’s role in sea-level rise and increased extreme weather events, which can, in turn, adversely impact coastal infrastructure.

Surfrider Foundation’s latest Clean Water Report finds that 71% of the water tests conducted around much of the nation’s coastal areas in 2021 had low levels of bacteria. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

BY NORB GARRETT, PICKET FENCE MEDIA FOUNDER/CEO

Drumroll, Please

The California Journalism Awards (CJAs for short) are held annually by the California News Publishers Association (CNPA), which has been supporting and representing news publishers in California since 1888.

Considered the “gold standard” in recognizing and rewarding journalistic excellence, the CJAs each year are judged by an impressive panel of journalists and editors who this year had to review more than 2,800 submissions from journalists and news organizations from across the state.

I’m so very proud to report that Picket Fence Media editors, writers, photographers, contributors and graphic designers won a record 13 awards (10 in print, three in digital) for their work in 2021!

To accomplish such a feat in the midst of a second pandemic-impacted year is a true testament to the talent, professionalism and dedication of our team toward creating original, hyper-local journalism.

Here’s the list of awards:

PRINT: 1ST PLACE • Sports Feature Story “San Clemente Resident Annie Kunz Qualifies for Olympic Heptathlon,” Zach Cavanagh, San Clemente Times (Weekly, 11K-25K)

2ND PLACE • General Excellence Lillian Boyd, Chelsie Rex, Zach Cavanagh and Shawn Raymundo, Dana Point Times (Weekly, 4.3K-11K)

Picket Fence Media’s editorial team, including Shawn Raymundo, Zach Cavanagh, Collin Breaux, Chelsie Rex and Jasmine Smith, as well as former PFM Senior Editor Lillian Boyd, each earned awards from the California News Publishers Association for their work in 2021.

3RD PLACE • Profile Story “Former Firefighter Recounts Experience Assisting First Responders at Ground Zero,” Shawn Raymundo, San Clemente Times (Weekly, 11K-25K)

3RD PLACE • Profile Story “A Lifelong Teacher: Founder of Ocean Institute to Be Honored After Fatal Collision,” Lillian Boyd, Dana Point Times (Weekly, 4.3K-11K)

3RD PLACE • Special Section “2021 Dolphin Football Preview,” Zach Cavanagh and Jasmine Smith, Dana Point Times (Weekly) 4TH PLACE • Special Section “2021 San Juan Football Preview,” Zach Cavanagh and Jasmine Smith, The Capistrano Dispatch (Weekly)

4TH PLACE • News Photo “Ancestral Stories,” Collin Breaux, The Capistrano Dispatch (Weekly, 11k-25k)

5TH PLACE • COVID-19 Coverage “Business Community Raises Concerns of Labor Shortage Amid Declining Unemployment,” Shawn Raymundo, San Clemente Times (Weekly, 11K-25K)

5TH PLACE • News Photo “Masked Up,” Collin Breaux, The Capistrano Dispatch (Weekly, 11K-25K)

5TH PLACE • Special Section “Best of San Clemente 2020,” Jasmine Smith, San Clemente Times (Weekly)

DIGITAL: 3RD PLACE • Arts & Entertainment Coverage “At the Movies: ‘Belfast’ Takes International Audiences Back in History,” Megan Bianco, San Clemente Times (100K and under)

4TH PLACE • Land-Use Reporting “Sale of City Land to Gas Station Developer Enters New Stage,” Shawn Raymundo, San Clemente Times (100K and under)

5TH PLACE • General Excellence Shawn Raymundo, Zach Cavanagh and Jasmine Smith, San Clemente Times (100K and under)

Please join me in congratulating our amazing team members on their awards and for their tireless dedication to reporting on our communities.

All of us at Picket Fence Media are dedicating this year’s CJA awards to Fred Swegles, our esteemed colleague who continues to fight a cancerous brain tumor. His lifelong dedication to community journalism is an inspiration to all of us, and we hope and pray for his recovery.

Thank you to our readers, Insiders and advertising partners for your continued support! DP

Letter to The Editor

RESPONSE TO ROGER JOHNSON

JIM SMITH, San Clemente

Roger Johnson is up to his old tricks again. This time, it’s about SONGS nuclear facility and a recent vote by (the San Clemente) City Council. His Letter to the Editor contained such a glaring falsehood about funding a government study that it needed to be corrected with an “Editor’s Note.”

As for the vote, we can all rest easy now that (the SC) City Council voted that they do not give our consent to store nuclear waste in San Clemente. When did we ever give our consent?

Even nuttier, the nuclear waste isn’t being stored in San Clemente. In fact, it’s not even being stored in Orange County.

Only to government agencies run by the inept Biden administration could all the above “consent” nonsense make sense. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

Have something you’d like to say? Email your letter to sraymundo@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. The Dana Point Times and Picket Fence Media do not publish content that is defamatory. 34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 danapointtimes.com

HOW TO REACH US

MANAGING EDITOR Shawn Raymundo • 949.388.7700, x113 sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com

SPORTS Zach Cavanagh • 949.388.7700, x110 zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com

ADVERTISING Lauralyn Loynes • 949.388.7700, x102 lloynes@picketfencemedia.com

DISTRIBUTION Racks, Driveways, Subscriptions Inna Cazares • 949.388.7700, x111 icazares@picketfencemedia.com

GENERAL MANAGER Alyssa Garrett • 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@picketfencemedia.com

PICKET FENCE MEDIA

CEO/FOUNDER Norb Garrett

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Shawn Raymundo

City Reporter, DP Times Breeana Greenberg

City Reporter, SC Times C. Jayden Smith

City Editor, Capo Dispatch Collin Breaux

Sports Editor Zach Cavanagh

Columnists Fred Swegles Tom Blake

Special Projects Editor Andrea Papagianis-Camacho

Copy Editor Randy Youngman ADVERTISING Associate Publisher Lauralyn Loynes (DP + SC)

Advertising Sales Debra Wells (CD)

ART + DESIGN Art Director Jasmine Smith

Graphic Designer Chelsie Rex

OPERATIONS General Manager Alyssa Garrett

Group Operations & Production Coordinator Inna Cazares

FINANCE Accounting & Finance Manager Tricia Zines

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Jake Howard

Dana Point Times, Vol. 15 Issue 22. 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 2022. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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