January 2, 2020

LO C A L

N EWS

January 2-8, 2020

YO U

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Inside: South County Real Estate Guide SPECIAL SECTION VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1

2020 Vision

Mayor Bane Sets Priorities for New Year While Reflecting on 2019 E Y E O N S C / PAG E 6

Mayor Dan Bane recently sat down with San Clemente Times to discuss his goals and priorities for the city in 2020. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

CIF-SS to Propose Change to Football Divisions SPORTS/PAGE 28

SC Grom Recovers at Home After Wipeout in Hawaii EYE ON SC/PAGE 8

sanclementetimes.com

Rose Donuts Reopens in San Clemente EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

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

SC EYE ON SC San Clemente

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

Five things San Clemente should know this week Rose Donuts Reopens in San Clemente THE LATEST: To much anticipation and fanfare from the South County community, Rose Donuts and Café reopened its doors last week, welcoming hordes of adoring regulars who were thrilled to have one of their favorite breakfast and lunch spots up and running again.

After being closed for more than three months as a result of an accidental fire that had put the popular donut shop out of commission, Susan Lim, the store’s owner, admits that she was a bit worried customers wouldn’t return.

“We were so scared whether customers would come back or not, because it’s been almost four months,” she told San Clemente Times on Dec. 27, the day after the store’s re-grand opening. “There’s a lot of food around here, a lot of restaurants.

And a lot of times when they go, they go; they just don’t come back.”

Lim can easily put those worries to rest now that the shop has reopened, attracting its most loyal patrons. Through her sitdown with SC Times, Lim was interrupted by a handful of those faithful supporters who expressed their admiration for the café.

Customers shared with Lim sentiments of broken hearts when the store closed and compliments of how “amazing” the reopening looks.

“We have so much support and understanding, and in the city of San Clemente you can’t go wrong,” Lim said of the store, which her parents opened in 1984. It’s so “family-oriented because we’ve been here for generations; they know my children, I know their grandchildren. We grew up together.”

Lim, a Dana Hills High School alumnus who helped out around the shop, purchased the business from her folks when they retired in 2004.

The popular donut shop located on Camino De Los Mares had been closed since Sept. 11, when the fire broke out, causing significant damage to the building. Officials with the Orange County Fire Authority told San Clemente Times in September that the fire started inside the café as a result of an unspecified failure in the area of the water heater.

Lim said on the morning of the fire, she San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

Susan Lim, the owner of Rose Donuts and Café, picks out a muffin for one of her customers on Thursday, Dec. 27. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

was driving on her way to the shop when one of the cooks called to notify her of the fire. In the wake of the incident, Lim said, there was extensive damage to the ceiling and floor, as well as the paint.

She further explained that she didn’t anticipate the repairs to take as long as they did.

“We didn’t know that it was going to take us this long; I thought it was going to take a week. I mean, how hard could it be? It was just water damage,” Lim said.

“So after two or three weeks, we realized it may take longer.”

Upon realizing it would take additional time before reopening, Lim advised her employees to take on other part-time work wherever they could to support themselves. But just like her customers, her employees were happy to return and eager to get back into the swing of things.

WHAT’S NEXT: For the past 35 years, Lim noted, Rose Donuts has been a special place to the South County community.

That’s largely due to the hospitality she and her staff provide.

“I think our hospitality, No. 1. Our service has always been No. 1; our service, service, service,” she repeated for emphasis. “We’re constantly smiling, always welcoming you guys.”

On top of that, it’s the quality ingredients used to make all of the food.

“There’s many donuts shops around the corner. Many burger places, many restaurants, but we always remain strong.

Always here,” she said. “We get stronger and stronger over 35 years and hopefully for the next 35 years.”—Shawn Raymundo

What’s Ahead in 2020 For Capistrano Unified School District?

THE LATEST: A vote on regional bond measures to upgrade schools will be a big topic for the Capistrano Unified School District in 2020, along with other issues, CUSD Board of Trustees President Jim Reardon said during a phone interview.

The bond measures will be on the March 2020 Primary Election ballot and, if passed, will secure educational facility upgrades and school renovation funds for San Clemente, Dana Point, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Niguel. Classrooms and buildings at San Clemente High School will be renovated, among other upgrades, if voters approve the bond.

“That’s something we are hopeful for, because it addresses some needs,” said Reardon, who was selected as the board president at a December board meeting during an annual council reorganization.

Reardon said facility upgrades are necessary, particularly in San Clemente.

Reardon was opposed to a previous districtwide bond measure in 2016 that failed to get enough votes, but he supports the bond measure on the March ballot, because it is split up into various areas based on specific needs.

“I do support this bond, and I think it’s reasonably tailored,” Reardon said. “I’m urging people to vote for this.”

Other developments in play for 2020 include a recent successful negotiation with teachers on a multiyear contract. Reardon

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said the decision is a big change in direction for CUSD, which was previously in perpetual negotiations.

“The teachers got a reasonable increase in compensation,” Reardon said.

On the educational side, Reardon said a topic expected to come up in public meetings—and which has already been discussed in the background—is a mechanism for high school students to get an associate degree while co-enrolled in college. The co-enrollment model will be with Saddleback College and will probably take more than a year to come together, Reardon said.

Some students are currently co-enrolled, but there is no official mechanism to facilitate the co-enrollment, and CUSD wants to facilitate co-enrollment so more people can take advantage of it, Reardon said.

Special education is also expected to receive more attention in 2020.

“We’ll see some renewed focus there,” Reardon said.

Further down the road, there will also be elections in November for a number of seats on the Board of Trustees.

“We’ll be switching into election mode come fall,” Reardon said.—Collin Breaux

City Releases Quarterly Financial Reports for Previous, Current Fiscal Years THE LATEST: The city of San Clemente ended fiscal year 2018-19 collecting about (Cont. on page 4) sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC (Cont. from page 3) $2.5 million more in revenue than expected while spending roughly $2.3 million less than what had been budgeted, the city reported last month.

According to the city’s fourth-quarter financial report for the previous fiscal year, which ended on June 30, 2019, the city received about $72.33 million in revenue, exceeding the budget projection of nearly $69.84 million.

The biggest source of the city’s revenues came from property taxes, which contributed $34.52 million toward general fund coffers. Initially, the city had estimated property-tax revenue to be $34.11 million.

Sales-tax revenue made up $10.6 million of the city’s revenues last year, while the rest of the general fund revenues came from various sources, such as transient occupancy taxes, intergovernmental grants, and permits and fees.

For the last fiscal year, the city had budgeted expenditures at $78.9 million, but the city reported spending only $76.6 million, or 97%, of those funds. Going over the report with the city council on Dec. 17, Financial Services Officer Jake Rahn attributed the dip in spending to certain line items such as salaries and benefits.

According to the financial report, the city’s largest expenditure in fiscal 2018-19 was for contractual services, spending nearly $37.27 million—about $764,200 less than what had been budgeted.

Spending on salaries and benefits was set at $13 million and close to $5.6 million, respectively, However, the report shows, salaries cost the city $12.05 million while benefits amounted to about $5.38 million.

Broken down by department, spending on public works, as well as police and fire services, made up the bulk of the city’s total expenditures last fiscal year. According to the report, the city spent $15.84 million on police services and $10.11 million on fire services.

In the last fiscal year, the city spent nearly $19.3 million toward the Public Works Department.

The report noted that expenditures in fiscal 2018-19 increased from the prior fiscal year by $3.7 million.

“All departments increased, except for Public Works and Beach Parks and Recreation, which decreased. The largest increases were in City General, Police and Fire,” the city stated in the report, adding that increases in the city’s general expenses were due to “capital costs for the Negocio remodel, legal costs, insurance, and past public safety unfunded liability.”

During that Dec. 17 meeting, Rahn also spoke to the first-quarter financial report for fiscal year 2019-20. The current fiscal year budget projects revenues to reach $67.6 million and anticipates spending to be $71.6 million.

As of the end of the first quarter, encompassing the months of July through September, the city collected $7.27 million San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

OCTA recently raised concerns with Caltrans over the proposed 241 Toll Road extensions through San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, and the lead-up to the traffic relief effort’s environmental phase. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

in revenue and spent $17.6 million. The disparity, Rahn, explained, isn’t uncommon at that stage of a fiscal year.

“There’s really not a lot to report on the first quarter. Typically at this juncture, there’s only been three months going through, and a lot of our property taxes and other taxes don’t come in until, I’ll call it, the December-through-April time frame,” Rahn said. “So, typically our expenditures are higher than revenues at this point.”

WHAT’S NEXT: This fiscal year, the city expects to collect $35.63 million in property-tax revenue—about $1.11 million more than what was collected in the previous fiscal year. Sales-tax revenue projection is currently set at close to $10.13 million, only slightly above actual revenue collections in fiscal 2018-19.—SR

OCTA Officially Submits Concerns for Caltrans/TCA Scoping Period THE LATEST: The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has officially submitted its comments on the latest efforts to relieve traffic, in a project known as the South County Traffic Relief Effort (SCTRE).

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in cooperation with the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), is proceeding forward in initiating the environmental phase to conduct more detailed studies regarding proposed routes to relieve traffic.

In October, a memo from OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson explained the agency’s position on the proposed 241 Toll Road extensions through San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

“The efforts leading up to the environmental phase have raised concerns

with OCTA,” Johnson said in the report, which was presented during the OCTA’s Regional Planning and Highway Committee meeting on Oct. 6. “These concerns generally focus on a lack of meaningful stakeholder coordination, questionable technical analyses, and conflicts with Measure M2 and other improvements planned

by OCTA.” In a Dec. 5 letter, OCTA officially submitted its comments for the public scoping period currently scheduled to close on Feb. 7.

“The SCTRE is not part of the transportation system vision,” the letter states.

“The SCTRE project is inconsistent with current transportation system plans and regional transportation planning documents.”

Without adequate development of system and regional plans and meaningful stakeholder input, projects could emerge haphazardly and lacking public support.

This creates confusion about the vision for the transportation system, the letter goes on to state.

One of the major concerns OCTA executives has expressed with SCTRE is the possibility that Measure M-funded roadways will be converted to toll lanes.

“If you vote yes (on Measure M2), you expect those tax-funded projects to be built,” Johnson said in a previous interview. “It’s extremely concerning to us, and we take it very seriously that we deliver on our promises.”

In February 2018, OCTA had initiated a project to build six new miles of carpool lanes between San Juan Creek Road and Avenida Pico on I-5. Ideas 11 and 12 would convert Measure M-funded carpool lanes—Avenida Pico to San Juan Creek Road—to HOT lanes.

In a previous statement, TCA had said the agency is aware of OCTA’s concerns.

“TCA has had, and will continue to have, opportunities for robust input from the public and stakeholders, including

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OCTA,” the statement said.

WHAT’S NEXT: In the scoping period thus far, TCA and Caltrans have hosted three community meetings in San Clemente, Mission Viejo and Dana Point in an effort to educate the public regarding the proposals and to gather input. The 30-day public-comment period has been extended to 90 days, closing on Feb. 7.—Lillian Boyd

Assemblymember Brough to Host SDG&E Information Meeting THE LATEST: Assemblymember Bill Brough, who represents the 73rd Assembly District, will be hosting an informational meeting regarding the Time of Use (TOU) plan options for San Diego Gas & Electric.

SDG&E is implementing TOU billing for all of its South Orange County residential customers. The deadline to select your billing option will be in early 2020.

Brough’s community forum will also host SDG&E staff to answer any questions.

TOU is part of a statewide initiative to save on energy. According to the SDG&E website, if residential customers can shift some of their energy use to lower-cost time periods outside of 4-9 p.m., they can lower their electricity bills and make better use of cleaner, renewable energy sources, including wind and solar, when they are more available.

WHAT’S NEXT: The meeting will be held at La Sala Auditorium, 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano on Jan. 9, from 5-6:30 p.m.

For more information, or to RSVP, contact Brough’s district office at 949.347.7301.—LB sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

2020 Vision

Mayor Bane Sets Priorities for New Year While Reflecting on 2019

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

M

ayor Dan Bane’s list of priorities he’s hoping to accomplish for San Clemente in 2020 is ambitious to say the least.

Among them are a handful of ongoing issues the city faced in 2019, such as continuing to address the homelessness crisis, eliminating the proposed toll road extensions and exploring options to reopen San Clemente’s hospital.

But at the top of that list is something he didn’t think he was going to have to do going into the New Year—finding a new city manager.

“I wasn’t expecting to have to sort of lead the charge to find a new city manager,” Bane said. “But that’s going to be the first and foremost in terms of the priority list: to get a city manager selected and recruit some very good people.”

In mid-December, current City Manager James Makshanoff resigned, notifying the council that he’d be stepping down effective Jan. 17, as he had been hired to be the City of Pomona’s new city manager starting near the end of this month.

During the San Clemente City Council’s last regular meeting, the councilors agreed in closed session talks to give Bane the authority to solicit and approve a recruitment firm on the city’s behalf.

Sitting down recently with San Clemente Times to talk about his goals for 2020, Bane said he hopes to work expeditiously in finding Makshanoff’s replacement, as much of what he and the council would like to accomplish hinges on how quickly they can get a new city manager.

“Ultimately, that’s the quarterback of the city, the one to sort of take what city council wants to accomplish and make it so,” Bane said. “So, if we have a huge delay in getting a city manager in, unfortunately, a lot of these other desires that we have as a city council are going to suffer.”

THE ‘BOISE’ RULING

As if finding a new city manager wasn’t enough of a hassle to start the year, another wrench was thrown into the city’s strategies on homeless-related issues last month, when the U.S. Supreme Court denied to take up the controversial ruling in Martin v. City of Boise.

“That’s sort of a linchpin in the ultimate strategy the city is going to take, because depending on how that goes, if they don’t take it up for (certiorari), then we know that we’ll have to figure out some sort of a sheltering solution, whether it’s a regional or local,” Bane had said a day before the SCOTUS denial. “There’s really no more kicking the can down the road at that point.”

San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

Dan Bane recently sat down with San Clemente Times to discuss his goals and priorities for the city in 2020. Photo: File

The Boise decision would dictate the city’s strategy for 2020, Bane had said, noting that it wouldn’t have made “sense to plow forward with a very expensive shelter until we know what the law is going to be and how it’s going to be applied.”

In 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that ordinances banning individuals from camping in public violated the Eighth Amendment rights of the homeless.

That ruling essentially bars municipalities from enforcing anti-camping ordinances unless adequate shelter beds are provided.

Assistant City Manager Erik Sund previously had told SC Times that the city would be working with contractors City Net and Mercy House to strategize their next steps following last month’s Supreme Court decision.

Regardless of how the request to take up Boise played out, Bane stressed that municipalities can’t just police their way out of the problem and should look at utilizing programs to reinstitute homeless individuals back into the work force, as well as treat those with mental illness and drug addiction.

“You’ve got to have programs in place to

send these individuals. You can’t just say, ‘We’re going to police our way out of it,’ ” he said. “It’s not going to be effective.”

Pointing to Solutions for Change, a nonprofit organization that provides counseling services, parenting classes and employment training to the homeless, among other things, Bane said he’d be in favor of providing city coffers to similar programs.

“If the law becomes such that the city can contribute funds to these programs to get them off the streets, I would much rather do that than some sort of permanent supportive housing,” he said, later stating that mental health and addiction issues seem to be the most prevalent among Orange County’s homeless population.

“Whatever the root cause is, I don’t think it’s an effective model to just give somebody a home without treating the underlying issues and expecting them to recover,” Bane said. “I think the relapse rate is pretty high. So that’s what we’d like to do.”

PRIORITIES OF 2020

With the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), which is working with the Transportation Corridor Agencies Page 6

(TCA) and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), now undergoing its scoping period for the South County Traffic Relief Effort’s environmental report, Bane notes that toll road discussions will be “kicking into high gear.”

“This is sort of a pivotal year for the city as that document starts coming out, I think,

by June,” Bane said. “The TCA Board is going to be considering what routes they actually want to proceed with and which ones they don’t.”

Getting “the really harmful, destructive routes off the table” will be paramount for the residents of San Clemente, Bane said.

The city, he emphasized, doesn’t believe the traffic projections for South County support the need to extend the 241 Toll Road through San Clemente.

“It’s really going to be a matter of convincing state and local legislators that that is, in fact, the case,” Bane said.

One route that the city could potentially get nixed from the list of proposals is Alternative 14, which looks to extend the 241 down near the western border of Rancho Mission Viejo, cross over La Pata and join the Interstate 5 Freeway by Avenida Pico.

The city has expressed interest in purchasing a pair of parcels located within San Clemente’s open space area along Pico from the Rancho San Clemente Business Park.

Currently, that 10-acre land is in escrow with Emergency Shelter Coalition.

However, that sale is unlikely to go through, as the business park members last month voted down ESC’s request to terminate the CC&R’s for the parcels, which was a condition of the sale agreement.

The city has offered to purchase the land with the intention of turning it into a conservation easement, which would present a “substantial roadblock” for the TCA. The easement, he added, would show “that there’s a higher and better need for that land because a conservation easement is at the upper echelon of uses, especially on the coast.”

Asked about his thoughts on Alternative 22, a road alignment plan that Orange County Board Supervisor and Chairperson Lisa Bartlett had proposed, Bane prefaced his answer by stating that the “city’s position is, and will be, unless somebody proves to us otherwise, there’s really no need for these options.”

“But certainly Alterative 22 has been an approach that we’ve been saying from day one, which is to build arterial solutions that can manage traffic needs of the future,” Bane said.

Bartlett’s proposed route would connect the new Los Patrones Parkway in Rancho Mission Viejo from Cow Camp Road to Avenida La Pata, running along the east side of the Prima Deschecha Landfill.

“If the county is jonesing to build out an arterial project to serve Rancho Mission Viejo, then I think Alternative 22 would be a viable proposal as long as it doesn’t become a tolled freeway,” he said. “I think we would be OK with that.”

Another one of Bane’s top priorities this sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC year will be the pursuit in getting a hospital with an emergency room running in San Clemente again. That issue is closer on the horizon, as the city this month will begin soliciting proposals from medical providers interested in reopening the hospital on Camino De Los Mares.

The request for proposals (RFP), Bane said, will allow the city to find out whether working with a provider is a viable option.

“That’s what we really want to be able to tell the public is a sort of a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down on whether we’re going to be able to get a provider that can get us a hospital with an emergency room,” he said.

If the city does end up partnering with a provider through a joint venture to reopen the hospital, Bane said the city will need a source of funding available to do so. Currently, the city is considering either selling off or leasing its city hall site on Avenida Presidio.

“It’s an old site that we’re really not doing much with,” he said. “Can we put a use like a boutique hotel or something like that there and lease out the property and get some sales-tax revenue? So we started looking at those proposals.”

Much of the city’s operations are currently being run at its new city hall site on Calle Negocio. Bane noted that he’s been asked repeatedly what’s to happen with city council meetings and the Police Services substation at the Presidio city hall.

“Frankly, that (Presidio) building is getting to the point where it’s got asbestos issues, it’s old, it’s got foundation issues, and we’re really not using it for anything citywide,” Bane said. “So, perhaps it’s time to get rid of that resource and deploy it to another area.”

One option for the Orange County Sheriff’s substation is to relocate it to the new city hall site. Otherwise, the city has been engaging with OCSD to locate other cityowned properties that could be viable for their deployment operations.

As for the city council meetings, Bane said they’re looking into a couple of different options as well, including an idea that had been previously shelved—building out a civic, event and conference center with new council chambers at the Vista Hermosa Sports Park.

“If you look at our council chambers now, we’ve really outgrown it as a city—I mean, tremendously,” he said, adding: “It would be nice to at least be able to expand so we can have more folks participate rather than having people sitting outside, which seems like is happening on a pretty regular basis recently.”

Now, if the hospital RFP proves to not be a viable route for the city, Bane said the city will have to either convince MemorialCare, the hospital’s former operator, to sell the property to another provider or exercise eminent domain to take the site.

Bane emphasized that he has to recuse himself from the dais during discussions of the hospital, as he has potential financial risk with his law firm representing MemorialCare in unrelated matters in Los Angeles.

Ultimately, the rest of the city council will San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

Photo: Shawn Raymundo

have to take the lead on the issue, he said.

Another fallback option could be working with MemorialCare to see what it’s willing to offer by way of services, “whether it’s an uber-urgent care or sort of amenities that the community can be happy with.”

“I don’t foresee—this is me talking alone—I don’t foresee the city taking the property from MemorialCare and giving it to somebody else if it’s not going to be a hospital with an emergency room,” he said.

A YEAR OF PRACTICE

The new year will certainly present Bane and the city with some new challenges. Fortunately for the mayor, he’s used to dealing with new challenges on the fly.

Last May, Bane, as the council’s mayor pro tem for 2019, was thrust into the role of acting mayor, having to step into the leadership position in the wake of Mayor Steve Swartz’s untimely death.

“I don’t think anyone wants to step into a role that way; I certainly didn’t,” Bane said.

“It was a baptism by fire in every way.”

As the official mayor of San Clemente now, Bane explained that while “it was a very steep learning curve from May on,” this past year gave him a lot of practice, as well as insight and experience that he intends to apply to the role in 2020.

“Yeah, it gave me a lot of practice. I feel very comfortable in the role now,” he said before expressing his appreciation to his fellow councilmembers for voting to have him continue serving as mayor.

Bane admits that one thing he learned from his first year on the council was that, as a candidate, “You don’t really have the full picture of all the things that are going on.”

“Your first several months as a councilmember, and for me as mayor pro tem and acting mayor, was No. 1, getting a lay of the land of how things work; you see one side as a public (citizen) because you only understand what you see and what you hear, but there’s a whole bunch of different things happening behind the scenes,” he said.

Such realization, he added, was certainly apparent in the city’s homelessness crisis, when he “learned a lot about getting the whole facet and the full pictures of all the

obstacles and things behind the scenes.”

Bane stressed that the homeless crisis isn’t something one city can afford to do on its own and needs to be addressed regionally by working with local counterparts such as the mayors and councilors of neighboring cities, as well as state and county officials.

“For a city of 68,000 people, we don’t have the monetary resources or other resources to come up with a fix; you’ve got to be able to work with your regional colleagues, your mayors, other city councilmembers,” he said.

“I don’t think you can make effective decisions until you see the full game board,” he added. “I think that’s been what really the last year has taught me, what I really worked hard to try to do. And I feel like I’m in a much better position than I was in May to effectively lead to get us to a place to be successful as a city.”

REFLECTING ON 2019

In 2019, the city was forced to face the homeless issue on multiple fronts. The city was among several others in the South County that were hit with lawsuits alleging that they hadn’t done enough to provide shelters.

And to remove the influx of homeless campers staying in the North Beach area, councilors, last May, passed urgency ordinances to enact an outdoor homeless shelter on Avenida Pico. Though much of the community applauded the removal of those homeless, the Pico camp itself drew sharp criticism from residents of the nearby Sea Summit neighborhood.

“I know that we took a lot of flak from various different angles, whether it was the homeless advocates saying we weren’t doing enough, whether it was our city residents saying we weren’t doing enough, and then everybody sort of has an opinion all along the way on the various things that you do,” he said.

Asked how he thought the council handled the homeless crisis last year, Bane acknowledged that while there was no perfect solution, he believed he and his fellow councilmembers handled it as best they could.

“Evaluating our response, I have to go

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back to what we knew at the beginning, to what we know now, and I think we handled it as best we could under the circumstances; I really do,” he said. “I think that back in May, when we made the decision to enact the urgency ordinances to do the encampment, I think we were making the best decision that we could at the time. We learned a lot through that process along the way.”

While Bane had previously stated that cities can’t police their way out of the issue, he explained that when it comes to individuals who are refusing service, “We learned that we have to be proactive, and we have to be enforcement-oriented in dealing with those folks; otherwise, they just sort of take over areas while the quality of life diminishes.”

Bane continued to stress the need for a regional solution, but noted that the failure in accomplishing such a thing falls on “not just myself and the city council here, but the city councils and county leaders in South County.”

“There’s understandably a reluctance of communities in San Clemente to sort of be the home for Orange County’s homeless,” he said. “I understand that . . . but I do think that if there’s a will to get the cities to work together with the county, I do think that we can get to an effective regional solution that can give everyone the ability to manage the sort of homeless issue as it is right now.”

FINAL PRIORITY: TEAMWORK

With another election season looming, Bane said it was important for the city council to work together and be a cohesive team in 2020. The elections in 2018 and 2019 were “really ugly all the way across the board.”

In talking with Mayor Pro Tem Laura Ferguson and Councilmembers Chris Hamm, Kathy Ward and newly sworn-in Gene James, Bane said, “There are far more issues that unite us on the council than divide us.

“Certainly, there are different personalities, but my job and role as mayor, I think, is to make all of those personalities work together, to accomplish our very clear goals that all of us share.”

“I’ve already made that clear to my colleagues that I don’t see the mayor as a monolithic figure that gets to decide what the priorities are,” he added. “We’re going to work together, and my job as mayor is to facilitate as much agreement as I possibly can.”

Bane knows the election season ahead will again be divisive. And while he hopes it won’t be, he intends to “lead by example” in promoting reasonable and respectable dialogue among opposing viewpoints.

“I’m not going to sit up on the dais and lecture people about being nice and all that. You will never, ever hear me attack a candidate or one of my colleagues,” he said. “I will certainly disagree with them on issues, but at the end of the day, I respect all of my colleagues, I respect anyone who’s willing to put themselves and their families through an election because they want to help the city. That’s what I will do.” SC sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

NEWS BITES

Community Meetings

COMPILED BY STAFF

Grom Recovers at Home in SC After Wipeout in Hawaii Fourteen-year-old Hayden Rodgers is back at home in San Clemente, recovering from a surfing wipeout that put him in a hospital in Hawaii late last month, according to news reports.

Rodgers, a national surf champion and Volcom team leader, experienced a life-saving rescue at the heavy surf break Pipeline on the North Shore of Hawaii on Dec. 19, when he sustained 22 stitches on his left ear, a concussion and a black eye, the Orange County Register reported.

According to Surfline, which first reported the incident, Rodgers, along with a group of other teens, had charged into the waves during the awards ceremony of the Billabong Pipe Masters final.

The grom, the online publication explained, “got stuck at the top of a wave and free-fell with the lip to the bottom, where he was picked back up and sucked over the falls and slammed his head on the reef and was held under for two (subsequent) waves.”

Three nearby jet skis picked up Rodgers, bringing him quickly to the shore, where North Shore lifeguards worked to stabilize him, according to Surfline.

Rodgers also reportedly suffered cuts to his face during an incident that lasted less than five minutes.

Rodgers, who was able to return to San Clemente just before Christmas, doesn’t remember what happened during the incident, Jerry Rodgers, his father, told the OC Register. The younger Rodgers, his dad said, has been piecing the incident together with the help of his friends’ accounts, as well as by going through posts on social media.

“Hayden will make a full recovery; he will be out of the water for a little while, but will be back stronger than ever, especially with all the support from all of you. . . .

Hayden has always been a barrel hunter first and foremost, and I don’t think that will ever change,” the elder Rodgers reportedly said on social media.

According to the Register, Rodgers has been told to stay out of the water for four to six weeks as he continues his recovery.

New Flight Service Improves Snow Accessibility for SoCal Skiers and Snowboarders Snow enthusiasts residing in Orange County will soon have one other point of access to powder.

San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2

GOLF COMMITTEE 6-7 p.m. The city’s Golf Committee conducts its regularly scheduled meeting.

910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente.

949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4

The Taos Regional Airport will begin direct charter flight service to and from Hawthorne Municipal Airport in Los Angeles and McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad beginning on January 9.

Graphic: Courtesy of Taos National Airport

In a move that makes skiing and snowboarding the Rocky Mountains easier for Southern Californians, the Taos Regional Airport will begin direct charter flight service to and from Hawthorne Municipal Airport in Los Angeles and McClellanPalomar Airport in Carlsbad beginning on Jan. 9.

Taos Air offers a charter flight experience at the price of a commercial airline ticket, according to a Taos press release. It also offers complimentary ground shuttle service between the airport and Taos Ski Valley’s newest hotel, The Blake at Taos Ski Valley, along with complimentary ski and snowboard rentals for four days.

“Taos Air will now offer Southern Californians more accessibility to Ikon Pass destination Taos Ski Valley, an independent resort known for its pristine alpine conditions, thrilling terrain, extensive revitalization efforts, and commitment to environmental and social responsibility,” said David Norden, CEO of Taos Ski Valley, Inc. Starting Jan. 9 and continuing through March 29, Taos Air will provide direct charter flight service between Taos Regional Airport (TSM), from Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR) in Los Angeles and McClellan-Palomar Airport (CLD) in Carlsbad. Winter service will consist of one flight to and from each destination every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday—or holiday Monday—for a total of six round trips per week. For a full winter schedule, visit taosair.com.

Shine Festival to Hold ’80s-Themed Fun Run, Event The San Clemente Christian School next month will host its Shine Festival at the Vista Hermosa Sports Park. This ’80sthemed fun run and community-wide festiPage 8

val is intended to promote strong families in order to build a strong community.

The Shine Festival will include family fun, bounce houses, music and food, with all of the proceeds going to support the San Clemente Education Foundation, which was created to support quality faith-based education for today’s youth.

“Preparing our youth for a world that is ever-changing is a combined effort from stakeholders in our community, country and world,” the Shine Festival Committee said in a press release, encouraging donations. It added, “Together, this is one way for us to support education, our families and our community.”

The festivities will kick off at 11 a.m. on Feb. 8, while the run itself is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. The headlining band, Flashback Heart Attacks, will perform from 1-3:30 p.m.

Local Author Wins Award for Book on Kayaker San Clemente author Dave Shively recently won a 2019 National Outdoor Book Award for The Pacific Alone: The Untold Story of Kayaking’s Boldest Voyage.

The book, which recounts Ed Gillet’s historic 1987 kayak voyage from California to Hawaii, was recognized in the Outdoor Literature category. And this past week, the book also earned a nod from the online publication Outside, making its list of “The Outdoor Books that Shaped the Last Decade.”

“Gillet’s achievement—a solo, unsupported crossing from California to Hawaii by kayak—is one that no person has accomplished before or since,” according to a press release.

Shively, who works in Carlsbad as deputy editor at Men’s Journal-West, “brings Gillet’s remarkable story to life in this

CHALLENGING CANCER 10-11:30 a.m. Challenging Cancer, a support group for people with cancer and their caregivers, meets every first and third Saturday of the month at Heritage Christian Fellowship, 190 Avenida La Pata, San Clemente. For more information, email donnavigil2@gmail.com or linda_crdv@yahoo.com.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7

BECAUSE I LOVE YOU (BILY) 6:30-8:30 p.m. Meets every Tuesday.

Because I Love You (BILY) is free and can help parents navigate through whatever parenting challenges they may be facing (e.g., failure to launch, drug abuse, disrespect). San Clemente Presbyterian Church. 119 Avenida De La Estrella. bilysc.org.

SUNRISE ROTARY 7:15-8:30 a.m. San Clemente Sunrise Rotary meets every Tuesday at Talega Golf Club Signature Grille. 990 Avenida Talega. scsunriserotary.com.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8

VFW POST 7142 7 p.m. The San Clemente VFW Post 7142 meets on the second Wednesday of the month at the Elks Lodge, 1505 N. El Camino Real. 949.464.8391. vfw7142.com.

gripping narrative, based on exclusive access to Gillet’s logs, as well as interviews with the legendary paddler himself,” the news release said.

The book is available at select book stores and on Amazon.

Have something interesting to submit to our News Bites section?

Submissions are due by 10 a.m. the Monday of the week you’d like published.

Email sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com.

SC SOAPBOX San Clemente

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

New Year/ Decade Resolutions

BY NORB GARRETT, OWNER AND PUBLISHER OF PICKET FENCE MEDIA

Where does the time go? As we enter into a new decade in the year 2020, it feels like yesterday when we were entering the new millennium in 2000 and some were predicting the end of life on Earth as we knew it. So, as we charge headlong into the new decade and make our New Year’s resolutions, here are the things we at Picket Fence Media are committed to: COMMUNITY First and foremost, we’re committed

Letters to The Editor ABOUT THE RECENT OCEAN DUMP OF RADIOACTIVITY ROGER JOHNSON, San Clemente

Everyone should thank the Surfrider Foundation for forcing Southern California Edison (SCE) to warn people about its radioactive discharges into the ocean—something it has been doing in secret for 50 years.

SCE is careful not to claim that the releases are safe. Instead, they say only that they are “allowed” by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a captured regulatory agency, which is funded by the nuclear industry and run for its benefit.

What is allowed is governed by a motivational standard the NRC calls ALARA (Allowable Limits As Low As Reasonably Achievable). The industry calculates dose tolerance with reference to the average statistical adult male, a standard not relevant to women and children who are much more vulnerable. They ignore the human fetus, which is 50 times more vulnerable to low-dose radiation.

The basic problem is that nuclear power plants cannot operate without releasing radioactivity into the environment. They San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

to helping foster a strong, vibrant and respectful community. It’s my firm belief that by informing the public with “Local News You Can Use,” we can inspire more people to get involved in our community— whether through local events, supporting local businesses, getting involved in local politics or volunteering for local organizations and charities. Our communities will be stronger because of it.

UNBIASED INFORMATION SHARING We believe in providing fair and balanced reporting so that you, the readers, can make decisions for yourselves. We are apolitical and don’t take political positions or endorse candidates either locally, regionally or nationally.

I believe strongly that it’s not the role of media to try to influence opinions one way or the other—rather, simply, to do our best to present all sides of an issue and allow you, the reader, to decide for yourself how you feel about it.

of the day, we strive to celebrate our vibrant communities, their people, their history and diverse cultural aspects that define us. We try to have fun doing it and present news and information in ways to make it engaging, informative and educational.

As we enter a new decade, I’m aware and appreciative of the important role our papers/websites/social channels play in our communities. We take that responsibility very seriously and are committed to continuing our mission to provide “Local News You Can Use.” So, please take this opportunity to do everything you can to support your local community, shop and dine locally, get involved in local charities or activities, and engage in local politics. After all, our communities are ultimately shaped and defined by you!

Here’s to a happy and rewarding 2020! SC

phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 sanclementetimes.com

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Shawn Raymundo, 949.388.7700, x108 sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com SPORTS Zach Cavanagh, 949.388.7700, x110 zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Traci Kelly, 949.388.7700, x111 tkelly@picketfencemedia.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

Norb Garrett

HAVING FUN Look, reporting the news means reporting on both the good and the bad, the happy and sad, the wild and the bland. At the end

also have absolutely no solution whatsoever about what to do with the enormous amounts of toxic nuclear waste they generate. Zip code 92672 now has thousands of tons of uranium and plutonium sitting on the beach in thin temporary containers for the indefinite future. We have become the Spanish Nuclear Waste Dump by the Sea. It is no secret that many radioisotopes remain deadly for hundreds of thousands of years. It is, therefore, important for the industry to confuse the public with misleading PR aimed at trivializing ionizing radiation.

They fail to mention that the effects are cumulative. One exposure sounds harmless, but repeated exposure can damage cell DNA and cause cancer, the No. 1 killer in California. The National Academies of Science (NAS) proposed scientific research to study cancer streaks in the 31-mile radius around San Onofre, but in 2015 the powerful NRC blocked the research before it could begin.

The NAS studied low-dose radiation and in 2006 they published the 422-page, BEIRVII report (Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation: BEIR VII Phase 2).

It concluded that the risk of cancer from radiation increases in a linear fashion, and there is no threshold below which there is no risk. This is now widely accepted as settled science by everyone except those in the nuclear industry.

While we await the next 300,000 gallons of radioactive discharges into our ocean, re-

34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624

Owner and Publisher of Picket Fence Media

member the warnings of Jacques Cousteau, the renowned French scientist who said, “A common denominator in every single nuclear accident is that before the specialists even know what happened, they rush to the media saying there is no danger to the public.”

Page 10

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

> Traci Kelly (SC)

EDITORIAL

Real Estate Sales > Traci Kelly (SC)

City Editor, SC Times > Shawn Raymundo Senior City Editor, DP Times > Lillian Boyd City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Collin Breaux Sports Editor > Zach Cavanagh

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.

San Clemente 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.

Join SC Times for Beachside Chat, Friday, Jan. 3 at 8 a.m., Dorothy Visser Senior Center Join the San Clemente Times for Beachside Chat, Friday, Jan. 3, at 8 a.m., Dorothy Visser Senior Center. Beachside Chat is a spirited, town hall forum on community issues, hosted by SC Times Editor Shawn Raymundo every Friday. The chat will be held at Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria. All are welcome.

Columnist > Fred Swegles Special Projects Editor > Andrea PapagianisCamacho Copy Editor > Randall Youngman ADVERTISING/ MULTI-MEDIA MARKETING

> Debra Wells (SJC)

ART/DESIGN Art Director > Jasmine Smith Graphic Designer > Chelsie Rex OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed General Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco and Jake Howard

Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes San Clemente Times, Vol. 15, Issue 1. The SC Times (sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the Dana Point Times (danapointtimes. 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. Printed in the USA.

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30 Ritz Cove Drive, Dana Point Custom built residence located on the second row of the exclusive Ocean Front 24-Hour gate-guarded community of Ritz Cove. Stunning ocean views complement this 7,769 sq ft home situated on an approximately 13,300 sq ft lot. This custom residence contains 6 bedrooms, 6 full baths, 2 half baths and an incredible gourmet kitchen with professional grade appliances, multiple dishwashers, granite counters, tile backsplashes, multiple ovens, a built in refrigerator/freezer and a contiguous family room with a sunken bar area, as well as an informal breakfast bar and breakfast nook area. Other features include a main-floor office/den area with fireplace, an elevator, and a custom lower-level with a game room, sauna, wine-tasting area with wine storage and 2 ensuite bedrooms. Fantastic entertaining rearyard with saltwater pool and BBQ area. Private gated access to Salt Creek Beach, walk to the Ritz Carlton Resort! $6,995,000 GABE SMITH | RealtorÂŽ 949.533.4490 gabesmithrealestate@gmail.com gabesmithrealestate.com DRE LIC #01704776

SC GETTING OUT San Clemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

The List

Monday | 06 PTSD WARRIOR GROUP 7 p.m. Warrior Groups are fellowships for combat veterans and their families to share their experiences, testimonies of healing, compassion and hope in overcoming the invisible wounds of war. PTSD Foundation of America-Southern California, 216 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. 619.362.0642. ptsdusa.org.

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

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

Tuesday | 07

Thursday | 02 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.

Saturday | 04 SAN CLEMENTE BEACH CLEANUP 9-11 a.m. Join Orange County Coastkeeper at Calafia Beach for Coastkeeper and Coastal Playground’s monthly San Clemente Beach Cleanup. Engage with your local community to help protect Orange County beaches and waterways by removing trash from the beach. Learn about ocean pollution and the danger it poses to local ecosystems, citizens and the economy.

Calafia State Beach, 225 West Calafia, San Clemente. 714.850.1965. coastkeeper.org.

SOUTH OC CARS AND COFFEE 9-11 a.m. South OC Cars and Coffee is the U.S.’s largest weekly car meet, attracting a mix of 500-1,000 hypercars, supercars,

EDITOR’S PICK People stand in line at a voting poll in San Clemente on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. Photo: Eric Heinz

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7: VOTE CENTER MOCK ELECTION 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The public is invited to the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ mock election. Voters will have two locations from which to choose: the Registrar’s office in Santa Ana at 1300 South Grand Avenue or at Mission Viejo City Hall located at 200 Civic Center Drive. The mock election will allow voters to experience the full benefits of vote centers, plus interact with the Registrar’s new equipment. 714.567.7600. ocvote.com.

exotics, vintage, classic, muscle and sports cars, hot rods, rat rods, pickups, 4x4s and motorcycles. No registration is required; spectators are welcome. The Outlets at San Clemente, 101 West Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente. southoccarsandcoffee.com.

Sunday | 05

BRUNCH AT RAYA 11 a.m.-2 p.m. A tempting brunch with flowing champagne awaits guests every Sunday morning in RAYA at The RitzCarlton, Laguna Niguel. Start with a fresh fruit martini and a selection of pastries, then enjoy a three-course a la carte menu. Cost is $72. One Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point.

949.240.2000. ritzcarlton.com/lagunadining.

D. YODER FAMILY SUNDAYS 10 a.m-2 p.m. Held on the first Sunday of each month, this free event includes activities and a program thematically based on Casa Romantica’s Casa Captivating programs. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente. 949.498.2139. casaromantica.org.

JANUARY 2020 ART SHOW 2-6 p.m. Start out 2020 by joining the San Clemente Art Association and entering your pieces for jury, cash prizes and sale.

Or just come to the opening at the San Clemente Community Center. 100 North Calle Seville, San Clemente. 949.492.7175. paintsanclemente.com.

THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM 10:30 a.m. Sponsored by Memorial, Dr. Dung Trinh will lead a discussion about the science and benefits behind CBD oil, or Cannabidiol, and how it works. The Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente. 949.498.3322.

Wednesday | 08 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.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS 9-11:30 p.m. Performers of all skill levels are welcome. So come down, grab a drink and go for it. Knuckleheads Sports Bar, 1717 North El Camino Real, San Clemente.

949.492.2410. knuckleheadsmusic.com.

MOLLY BLOOM’S FREE COMEDY WEDNESDAYS 8:30 p.m. Doug James hosts an all-star free comedy show every Wednesday featuring top national acts. Molly Bloom’s Pub, 2391 South El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.218.0120.

At the Movies: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ Doesn’t Rise Very High

BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

I’

m going to throw a bone to J.J. Abrams’ The Rise of Skywalker.

Because while it is very flawed and hokey, it also was the first time this decade that I thought the new additions to the Star Wars brand actually “felt” like the tone of the original classics. In fact, the less you know or care about Star Wars, the more likely you are to enjoy the final installment of the current trilogy. Abrams seemingly chose to film this new movie almost as a one-off, with

San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

viewers not needing to remember much of the events in the previous two efforts.

Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley) is still training to be a Jedi, discovering her family background and trying to figure out Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver) end goal. Kylo is still villainous, and particularly motivated by his own fascination with Rey. Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) are still leading the war against the First Order; and the First Order is being led

by Ren, General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and General Pryde (Richard E. Grant).

While The Rise of Skywalker hits all the cues for a decent blockbuster, its plot is very dull and borderline boring. It’s sad that with all the potential, all the quality world building from 1977-83, that no one knows what to do with this universe outside of the Skywalker family. We do finally get the new, main trio collaborating and working as a team, but it’s hard to appreciate their chemistry. To me, this revamped cultural phenomenon doesn’t end on a high note, or a low one—but, rather, on a fully resounding “meh.” SC

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Photo: Courtesy of LucasFilm/Walt Disney Pictures

sanclementetimes.com

PUBLIC NOTICES

TO ADVERTISE: 949.388.7700, EXT. 100 • LEGALS@PICKETFENCEMEDIA.COM PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20196561638 The following person(s) is doing business as: CAMINO IMMIGRATION SERVICES 849 N BRADFORD AVE PLACENTIA, CA 92871-9287 Full Name of Registrant(s): SOLIDARITY 601 E VALENCIA AVE FULLERTON, CA 92832 BETHANY ANDERSON 849 N BRADFORD AVE PLACENTIA, CA 92871-9287 This business is conducted by an Unincorporated Association.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the Fictitious Business Name or Names listed above on: 10/01/2015 /s/Bethany Anderson This statement was filed with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder On 12/06/2019 Publish: San Clemente Times December 26, 2019 January 2, 9, 16, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20196561102 The following person(s) has (have) abandoned the use of the fictitious business name: SOLID T 8332 COMMONWEALTH AVE. BUENA PARK, CA 90621

The Fictitious Business Name referred to above was filed in Orange County on : 06/20/2017 FILE NO.20176479424 Full Name of Registrant(s): SOLIDARITY 410 LEMON ST FULLERTON CA 92832 This business is conducted by a CA corporation.

SOLIDARITY/s/KEVIN MO WONG, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER This statement was filed with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder on 12/03/2019 Published: San Clemente Times DEC 12, 19, 26, 2019, JAN 2, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20196562621 The following person(s) is doing business as: MDQSS 18 PENDANT IRVINE, CA 92620 Full Name of Registrant(s): ADAM METZGER 18 PENDANT IRVINE, CA 92620 This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the Fictitious Business Name or Names listed above on: N/A /s/ADAM METZGER This statement was filed with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder On DECEMBER 18, 2019 Publish: San Clemente Times JANUARY 2, 9, 16, 23, 2020

SC Locals Only San Clemente

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Submit your classified ad at sanclementetimes.com

GARAGE SALES ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT Body Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program 665 Camino De Los Mares, Ste. 104, 949.485.4979, bodymindspiritiop.com

CHOCOLATE/CANDY Schmid’s Fine Chocolates 99 Avenida del Mar, 949.369.1052 schmidschocolate.com

DENTISTS Eric Johnson, D.D.S. 647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, 949.493.9311, drericjohnson.com Shoreline Dental Studio/ Kristen Ritzau DDS, Dr. Colby Livingston 122 Avenida Cabrillo, 949.498.4110, shorelinedentalstudio.com

DIGITAL MARKETING CONSULTING/SERVICES Kelli Murrow Consulting www.kellimurrow.com 949.573.7725

ELECTRICAL Arcadia Electric 949.361.1045, arcadiaelectric.com Braker Electric 949-291-5812 Lic# 719056 Insured

JEWELRY BUCKLEY & CO. 415 E. Avenida Pico #D 949.218.1184, BuckleyJewelry.com

MUSIC LESSONS Danman’s Music School 949.496.6556, danmans.com

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), moranperio.com

PLUMBING A to Z Leak Detection 1001 Calle Recodo, 949.481.7013, atozleakdetection.com Bill Metzger Plumbing 1001 Calle Recodo, 949.492.3558, billmetzerplumbing.com

San Clemente Times January 2–8, 2020

CLASSIFIEDS

Page 24

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com Deadline 5pm Monday.

No phone calls please.

Buy • Consign • Sell

949.395.5681 (24 hours) Available 7 days a week.

We also offer professional appraisals, auction services, restoration and shipping.

CASH SAME DAY Dee Coleman, CEO/Owner 2485 S. El Camino Real San Clemente Web: classicautosalesoc.com Email: classicautosalesoc@gmail.com

100% positive EBAY Seller since 2001!

HELP WANTED HELP WANTED: MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE We are seeking an immediate hire for a part-time street team marketing representative. Our street team is responsible for opening dialogue with local businesses and maintaining a relationship in order to develop a route list of places that we can display our concert schedules at. Please email in a basic resume to Luna luna@thecoachhouse.com

FOR SALE PROSTHODONTICS Hamilton Le, D.M.D., F.A.C.P. 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K 949.361.4867 (GUMS) moranperio.com

RESTAURANT LIQUOR LICENSE (TYPE 47) Restaurant Liquor License for sale. Call or text 949.510.9724 for more information.

REALTORS “Sandy & Rich” RE/MAX Coastal Homes 949.293.3236, www.sandyandrich.com Scott Kidd, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services 949.498.0487, skidd@bhhscal.com

RESTAURANTS Café Calypso 114 Avenida Del Mar #4, 949.366.9386

SALONS Salon Bleu 207 S. El Camino Real, 949.366.2060, scsalonbleu.com

WEBSITE DESIGN San Clemente Website Design 949.246.8345, sanclementewebsitedesign.com

Do you want to reach 42,000 people in the San Clemente area? *2.1 readership per 20,000 copies distributed

Then you need to be in the San Clemente Times.

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San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

Page 25

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SC SC LIVING San Clemente

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

GUEST OPINION: On Life and Love after 50, by Tom Blake

A 2019 Tribute to Departed Friends

A

s 2019 draws to a close, this column is a tribute to our readers’ friends and loved ones who’ve passed away this year. Two world events in December inspired this topic; both are related to New Zealand.

Why the unusual subject? The idea came to me while stand-up paddleboarding in Dana Point Harbor, with my usual paddling buddy, Russell Kerr, a native of New Zealand. Russell and his wife, Pam, have dual New Zealand/ USA citizenship. He and I discuss world events whenever we are on the water together.

The first event Russell reflected upon was the Dec. 9 White Island volcanic eruption off the ON LIFE AND coast of New Zealand, LOVE AFTER 50 in which 18 people

By Tom Blake perished.

I couldn’t help but think of the friends and relatives of those who died, and how those people are trying to cope from this tragic event.

And the second world event that Russell and I discussed occurred on Dec. 12, with the passing of Peter Snell, New Zealand’s greatest athlete ever, a middle-distance runner, who would have been 81 on Dec. 17.

I never met Peter Snell. Why did his passing sadden me?

In the summer of 1960, I traveled in Europe with four friends. We spent several days in Rome at the Summer Olympic Games. On Friday, Sept. 2, 1960, we watched Peter Snell win the 800 meters track and field event at Rome’s Olympic Stadium.

I was a college cross country runner at the time and admired the grit Snell had shown in that race. Snell broke five world track records in his career. In the 1964 Olympics, he won both the 800- and the 1500-meter events.

Fast forward to 2011, when my partner, Greta, and I were on a cruise around New Zealand’s North and South Islands. One of the ports where the ship docked was Wellington, located at the southern tip of the North Island.

On our way back to the ship after a fun sightseeing day, we stopped in a shop called the Olympic Games Museum. I was curious to see if Peter Snell was featured there. Inside, there was a pair of worn-out track shoes on a podium under glass. I asked a man working there if they were Peter Snell’s shoes. (They weren’t).

The man judged from my accent that I was from the United States. “Why is an American interested in Peter Snell?” he asked. I told him about seeing Snell win the gold medal in Rome.

The man’s name was Terry Daly, the Commercial and Marketing Director for the New Zealand Olympic Committee. He gave me an official New Zealand Olympic Team lapel pin and told me he wanted to give me something else, but it was in his office in Auckland. I told him our ship would be there in two days. He gave me his card and asked Greta and me to come by.

After sightseeing in Auckland, Greta reminded me that we needed to go to Terry Daly’s office. He gave us an Olympic Team jersey autographed by the great Peter Snell.

I was incredibly honored by this Kiwi’s act of kindness.

Snell’s jersey hung on the sports wall of

Every week, the San Clemente Times will showcase a historical photo from around the city. If you have a photo you would like to submit for consideration, send the photo, your name for credit as well as the date and location of the photo to editorial@sanclementetimes.com.

fame at Tutor and Spunky’s, my Dana Point deli, from 2011 until I sold the deli in 2015.

Since then, it’s hung on the wall in our garage.

When Peter Snell passed away, I went to the garage and took down the framed jersey to photograph it.

I took several minutes to ponder Peter Snell’s life, and my life, and how blessed I’ve been, and how fortunate I was to have seen him run.

So, here’s to Peter Snell, and to the people lost in that tragic White Island volcano, and to my Dana Point deli customer, San Clemente police officer Vern McGarry, as well as all of our fellow employees and readers’

friends and loved ones who’ve passed this year. Each one was incredibly special to the people who knew and loved them.

May 2020 be a good year for all of us.

Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and San Clemente resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at findingloveafter50.com. To comment: tompblake@gmail.com. SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com

BY MYLES MELLOR Last week’s solution:

SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

FROM THE ARCHIVES This photo of the Fish’s Resort Hotel taken by Jack Lashbrook is captioned “no homes yet, showing fish carts.” It is unclear when it was taken.

Sudoku

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Harley Quinn hree-year-old Harley Quinn is a gentle soul. She enjoys the quiet life and spends her alone time birdwatching and sunbathing. When she has visitors, Harley shows her affectionate nature and is usually perfectly happy to be in someone’s lap. Harley Quinn would make a great solo pet, but she wouldn’t mind another like-minded cat as a friend.

If you would like to know more about Harley Quinn, please call the San Clemente/ Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617

Contributor: OC Public Libraries

Harley Quinn. Photo: Courtesy of San Clemente/ Dana Point Animal Shelter

or visit with her at 221 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. SC

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

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See the solution in next week’s issue.

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SC LIVING CoastLines by Fred Swegles

Whatever Happened to Trestles State Park?

I

f President Nixon hadn’t bought an oceanfront home on the southern tip of San Clemente in 1969, California might now be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the nation’s first state park dedicated to surfing: “Trestles State Park.”

Fifty years ago this week, San Clemente newspaper readers were greeted by a stunning headline.

In early 1969, the story said, Camp Pendleton and California’s parks department had been in the final stages of completing a deal to transfer 160 acres of Marine Corps land known for producing the best waves on the West Coast.

But when Nixon selected a secluded home on a bluff overlooking Trestles Beach as home for his Western White House, the Navy Department “refused to sign over the proposed park land to the state,” the Jan. 6, 1970 edition of the Daily Sun-Post article said.

NOT NIXON’S CHOICE There was no intent by Nixon to block the transfer, White House Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler told the newspaper. Presidential security made the decision that a public park 100 yards from the Western White House “would cause a serious security problem,” Ziegler said.

Trestles State Park would have occupied a mile of coast bordering San Clemente. The plan was to preserve a San Mateo Creek lagoon and wetland, while providing 200 campsites and 1,800 parking spaces for day use. State Parks Director William Penn Mott “vowed to go to Washington later this month to fight for the park,” the article said.

The White House press secretary “held out hope that an alternate park site could be developed on the Camp Pendleton coast,” the story said.

This was the first of many news stories about the aborted Trestles State Park and its aftermath, generating some of the biggest San Clemente headlines of 1970.

NIXON ORDERS A PARK The next headline, on Jan. 19, 1970, proclaimed “New State Park Okayed by Nixon.”

Reporter Craig Van Note wrote of the president’s announcement that a 160-acre stretch of beach south of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station would replace Trestles State Park.

The new site couldn’t remotely compare to Trestles for surf qualify, state officials admitted, but it would open up new public coastline and provide critically needed San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

On Dec. 26, 2019, a Metrolink train glides past one of America’s premier surf spots atop a concrete bridge that etches out the name Trestles on successive pillars. This concrete railroad bridge was built in 2012 to replace an aging, 70-year-old wooden trestle that gave name to one of America’s premier surf spots, originally known as The Trestle. Photo: Fred Swegles

campsites atop the bluffs.

“The Camp Pendleton property will be swapped straight across for state lands in Northern California,” the article stated.

State officials had hoped to open a rudimentary park that June 15, only to see the land transfer fizzle.

“High level officers are against turning over any of the vast military base for public use because it would set a precedent and COASTLINES launch more public deBy Fred Swegles mand for unused portions of the camp,” a May 15 article declared.

Mott remained optimistic. “It seems to take an awful long time to get these things negotiated,” he said. He disclosed that it took seven years to negotiate a land transfer for Trestles, and it had been on the verge of reality when Nixon moved in next door.

NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE A subsequent article said that negotiations broke down, as the Marines would offer only a lease that would expire when Nixon left office—seven years maximum—or shorter, if the base wanted to revoke it.

State officials rejected that, saying it wouldn’t be worth the expense of developing the park.

In fact, the state wanted to expand the then-proposed 1.5 miles of beachfront to 4.5

miles, making room for 2,000 campsites atop the coastal bluffs.

The state was facing a deficiency of 3,000 campsites in Southern California, officials said. San Onofre’s two closest parks, San Clemente and Doheny, had to turn away 60,000 campers the prior year, the state reported.

Under White House pressure, Camp Pendleton offered a 25-year lease.

“Nixon Enters Fight Over Beach Park,” the next headline announced. Van Note reported that California Gov. Ronald Reagan and U.S. Sen. George Murphy had dined with Nixon in San Clemente. The story said the state was prepared to push for all the land south of the nuclear plant to the Interstate-5 Freeway’s scenic lookout—“land almost totally unused by the Marines because of the high bluffs, deep canyons and proximity to the freeway.”

THE STATE WINS On Sept. 17, a banner headline proclaimed “State Wins On Marine Beach.” It said that the Marines, under Congressional pressure, had tersely agreed to open up 3.5 miles of coast, expected to accommodate 1,000 campsites, from the nuclear plant to within a mile of the freeway lookout point.

“San Onofre State Park will be the largest beach camping park in the nation,” the article said. Discussions to consummate a 25-year lease would begin immediately.

That wasn’t to be the end of it. A 50-year lease would be finalized on Aug. 31, 1971.

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The state reports that the park, which now includes Trestles and a campground and trails inland of I-5, attracts nearly 2.5 million visitors per year. The lease, now covering some 2,000 acres, expires in 2021.

State and federal officials are discussing what comes after that. There have been no public announcements.

A RETROSPECTIVE Contacted recently, San Onofre Parks Foundation’s Steve Long, who retired in 2008 after 30 years as a state parks lifeguard and administrator in San Clemente, said he was aware of a plan for a Trestles State Park. But he hadn’t heard how it ended.

He said he’d heard that “the Marines were saying, ‘Wait a second, we’re in the thick of the Vietnam War,’ ” so they didn’t want to discuss it.

Long was intrigued by the series of 1970 news articles, which can be found on microfilm at the San Clemente Library. He suggested the San Onofre foundation add them to its archives.

Fred Swegles is a longtime San Clemente resident with nearly five decades of reporting experience in the city. Fred can be reached at fswegles@picketfencemedia.com. SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS SC San Clemente

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

New Year, New System?

CIF-SS to propose change to football divisional system

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

C

hange could be coming to the CIF-SS football playoff system.

The CIF-SS is working on a proposal to retool its divisional system and create playoff divisions after the regular season ends to include current regular-season results. The CIF-SS and Football Coaches Advisory Committee will present the proposal to the Southern Section Council at its first 2020 meeting in January.

CIF-SS did a background test run of this system in the 2019 season to get coaches to report scores immediately after the conclusion of each week’s games and gather information for what the new system could look like.

“The biggest question we had,” CIF-SS Commissioner Rob Wigod said in his Message from the Commissioner on Dec. 19, “was whether we could count on our schools to enter every score of every game into the CIFSSHome system. I am happy to report that question was answered, as out of our 378 schools playing 11-Man Football, 376 reported their scores by the end of the 2019 regular season.”

The CIF-SS football playoff system came under scrutiny at the end of the 2019 season, as there were 17 at-large playoff teams with sub-.500 records, including nine 3-7 teams, four 2-8 teams and El Toro in Division 4 at 1-9. Locally, Dana Hills missed the playoffs in Division 12 at 6-4.

The CIF-SS instituted its current competitive equity power rankings system for the fall 2016 season for several sports, with football chief among them. The section used data from the previous two seasons to create a set of power rankings to divide teams into more competitive divisions.

Initially, the system was met positively.

There were less blowouts in early-round playoff games, and it gave some programs that had not been successful in recent seasons the opportunity to play programs of a certain level and win championships.

However, as time has gone on, some issues have arisen.

The higher divisions were created with fewer teams, but as evidenced by 1-9 El Toro, some divisions would not have a full roster of qualifiers to fill all 16 playoff spots. The lower divisions had opposite problems, with a much larger number of teams and occasionally too many qualifiers for their 16 spots.

While Dana Hills was not an automatic qualifier in Division 12, their division had 18 automatic qualifiers for the 16 spots and San Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

The CIF-SS will present a proposal to the Southern Section Council in January to change the football playoff system and create divisions based on current season data.

Photo: Alan Gibby/Zone57

nine league champions fighting for eight home games.

In Division 12 overall, there are 46 teams, which is more than double the number of teams in each of the top 10 divisions. This year, there were five at-large selections in Divisions 3, 5 and 8 and six at-large selections in Divisions 4 and 9.

The cream kept rising to the top, but some saw teams as being “punished” for successive good seasons. Others saw teams being “rewarded” for one great season after years of mediocrity. There were arguments on all sides, but it was clear there was some change needed.

Triton Report

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

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

Tritons Take Holiday Tournaments The San Clemente boys and girls soccer and girls basketball teams were busy over the holiday break, as each

The new proposed system would create power rankings using only current season results. The power rankings would include outof-section and out-of-state teams, which the previous power rankings did not. For example, San Clemente played four Division 1 teams from the San Diego Section this year, and despite four wins on the field, they did not count toward its point totals.

Divisions would then be based on the 178 automatic qualifiers in the 14 divisions. CIF-SS would identify all automatic qualifiers in the rankings and create divisions from the top down.

“For example,” Wigod said, “in each divi-

went to tournament finals with two title-winning performances.

The Tritons boys soccer team (13-01) remained undefeated on the season with a dominant performance in the South Torrance Holiday Tournament.

San Clemente outscored its opponents, 17-2, in the tournament and beat Santa Barbara, 2-1, for the title on Dec. 23.

San Clemente has allowed only three goals in 14 games this season.

The Tritons girls basketball team (141) edged out JSerra for the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic title with a 58-54 win in the final on Dec. 30 in San Diego. Ella Gardiner and Jessie Blaine were named to the all-tournament team.

The San Clemente girls soccer team (9-2-2) took second place at the SoCal High School Classic in Oceanside. The Tritons outscored their opponents, 140, in three games to reach the final, but San Clemente fell to Santa Margarita, 3-0, on Dec. 30. SC

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sion, you begin with the power rankings identifying the first automatic qualifier until you reach the 13th automatic qualifier. That process might include a total of 20 schools to arrive at the 13 qualifiers. Then, you identify the three highest-ranked teams in that division of 20 schools who are not automatic qualifiers from their league, and those three teams would be selected as the at-large teams to complete the 16-team bracket.”

The brackets would then be seeded according to the power rankings and regardless of league affiliation or finish. The higherseeded team will host in the first round and league rivals could also meet in the first round. For example, San Clemente was the No. 2 seed in Division 2 this season, but the Tritons opened the playoffs on the road due to having to play a league champion. In the new system, San Clemente would have hosted as the No. 2 seed.

Wigod said the proposal will include what the 2019 playoffs would have looked like in the new system. It is unclear if that will be released publicly at this time. The new system would also do away with the weekly rankings.

“This new format will require a major cultural change on our membership’s part,” Wigod said, “because schools would not know their divisional placements until the regular season is over.”

While the culture of rankings discussions would be removed, the system would achieve its first goal of allowing every automatic qualifier to reach the playoffs while still leaving some room for at-large bids.

The proposal to the Southern Section Council, a collection of league representatives, will be for a first reading, and there likely will be plenty of tinkering done by the council and the committee of coaches. SC sanclementetimes.com

SC San Clemente

SC SURF

SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Get Ready, Olympics Are Coming This year, for the first time ever, the sport of surfing will be celebrated at the Olympic Games

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

I

n 1928, Olympic champions Duke Kahanamoku and Johnny Weissmuller stepped onto the starting blocks at the San Clemente Beach Club. As part of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials that were taking place at the recently completed aquatics facility, the two gold medalists were headlining the event with an exhibition race, drawing a massive crowd.

Weissmuller was a world-record holder who had earned fame outside the pool playing Tarzan in Hollywood.

Kahanamoku, equally renowned for his swimming, had earned his notoriety by spreading the gospel of wave-riding. In the exhibition showdown between the longtime friends and rivals, Weissmuller won the San Clemente race, but it was the Hawaiian who ultimately left a far greater impression in the local community.

Spending as much time gliding at San Onofre as he did in the pool, Kahanamoku was not just an advocate for Olympic swimming, he also believed that someday surfing would have a place in the Olympic Games. More than 90 years after that swim race, as we usher in 2020, that vision is on the verge of becoming a reality.

The 2020 Olympics will land in Tokyo, Japan, this July, and for the first time, surfing

GROM OF THE WEEK:

ALL OF YOU

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

O

ne of the biggest challenges of putting this surf page together every week is selecting a Grom of the Week.

Some of them land in the paper because of their contest results. Others get the nod based on a recommendation by a friend or parent. And some stand out from the pack because of their commitment to their community and making the world a better place.

But the reality is, there are a lot of amazing groms in Dana Point and San Clemente who haven’t graced these pages and defiSan Clemente Times January 2-8, 2020

San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino will be Tokyo-bound in 2020 as he chases Olympic gold. Photo: Courtesy of WSL

will be included in the program. It’s one of a number of new sports being added to the Summer Games this year, including skateboarding and sport climbing. And, once again, our little utopia down here in South Orange County is featured prominently in the Olympic surfing movement.

As the San Clemente Times has reported, San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino was the first surfer to provisionally qualify for the U.S. Surf Team. That was followed by 2019 World Champ Carissa Moore and 17-year-old Caroline Marks, both of whom have ties to the area.

Originally from Florida, Marks these days calls San Clemente home. And Moore grew up in competition at NSSA

Nationals at Lower Trestles and considers those waves one of her favorite surfing areas in the world. In addition, all three surfers’ boards are shaped by local craftsman Matt Biolos of Lost Surfboards in San Clemente. And the governing body of America’s Olympic movement, U.S.A. Surfing, is also headquartered in San Clemente.

We’ll be getting into the nitty gritty details about Olympic surfing in the months to come, but before we get ahead of ourselves, a quick primer on how we got here.

In terms of qualification, each country will only feature two men and two women in the competition. The top 10 men and top

nitely should have been spotlighted (please reach out if you know one).

So, while we celebrate the New Year and what’s to come, a tip of the cap to every single kid out there who loves getting in the ocean and getting after it. You are the next generation, and you will be the ones leading the charge in the future.

Some will enjoy competitive successes.

Others will become stewards of the seas.

And others will develop a fascination with shaping surfboards or perhaps working in the surf biz. And some will continue to simply surf for the pure enjoyment of it.

Whatever direction life leads, stay inspired, stay stoked and know that as an old bumper sticker read, “There’s nothing a good day of surfing can’t cure.” SC

Photo: Courtesy of PVW

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eight women at the end of the 2019 WSL Championship Tour season get the nod for Tokyo 2020. That group will make up the lion’s share of the Olympic competitors Other Olympic qualifiers have arrived via the 2019 Pan Am Games in Peru and the 2019 World Surfing Games in Japan.

The host country, Japan, also gets a spot for one man and one spot for a woman.

In 2020, there will be only one last option for qualifying for the Tokyo Games.

The 2020 ISA World Surfing Games, held in May, will decide the final five spots for the men and final seven spots for the women.

The actual Olympic competition will take place from July 24 through Aug. 9.

It will feature a 16-day waiting period to ensure quality surf, but the contest will require only two actual days of surfing.

It will be held at Shidashita Beach, or “Shida,” approximately 40 miles outside of Tokyo in the Chiba Prefecture.

With its scattered sandbars, Shida’s waves are good on a variety of swell and tide conditions, making it one of the most popular surfing beaches in Japan.

It’s a point I often hammer on, but the San Clemente/Dana Point/Capo Beach area truly is the hotbed of American surfing. That’s evident in the long and winding road that the sport has taken to get into the Olympics, with local influencers, athletes and ambassadors helping to pave the way throughout.

When it’s time to break out the red, white and blue boardshorts and wave that flag, as surfers from this area, we all have a lot of which to be proud.

There are now seven months before the Games. This will give all the surfers around the world time to train, dial in their equipment and fire it up before they march in the opening ceremonies, representing the sport of surfing for the first time, as well as realizing the dreams of the great Duke Kahanamoku all those years ago. SC

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