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GUEST OPINION | Wellness & Prevention by Susan Parmelee

The Inaugural Family Fest Is Coming to San Clemente

Family Fest will be held on April 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jim Johnson Memorial Park in San Clemente. The fun-filled day will have activities that appeal to all ages.

Families from South Orange County will enjoy live stage performances throughout the day, visit one of the many hands-on activity booths, carnival game booths or inflatable play areas, get e-bike safety tips from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, visit food trucks, and learn about community resources available to help young people thrive.

While Family Fest is a day celebrating family, it is also a fundraiser for the Wellness & Prevention Center (WPC) supporting student wellness, and it is made possible by Providence Mission Hospital’s platinum level support.

Families will have the opportunity to visit with more than 20 different wellness, fitness, nutrition, financial literacy, and youth organizations, along with other types of businesses or nonprofits. Contact the WPC to learn how you can take part.

Nonprofits are encouraged to take advantage of the special discount rates.

Family Fest will raise funds to help nity together to reduce youth drug and alcohol use, which is making a positive impact in our community.

Since this is the first year of this ambitious event, the WPC is relying on our passionate and dedicated community members to help make this event a success. There are many opportunities to help in planning the event, recruiting sponsors, and volunteering during the day of the event.

Volunteer opportunities include a wide array of assignments, which serve to connect volunteers with fellow peers and participants while celebrating our families. Visit wpc-oc.org/family-fest/ to learn more or contact info@wpc-oc.org, or make a direct donation at wpc-oc.org/donate.

Susan Parmelee is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and executive director of the Wellness & Prevention Center: wpc-oc.org. She can be reached at susan@wpc-oc.org. SC

support student well-being while also raising awareness about youth mental health challenges in our community. According to the 2021 California Healthy Kids Survey, one in three students in Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) reported experiencing

WELLNESS & sadness or feeling

PREVENTION hopeless, making

BY SUSAN PARMELEE the WPC’s services more important than ever.

Research shows that students who struggle with stress, anxiety, and other strong emotions often turn to alcohol and other drugs as a way to self-medicate. When students use drugs and alcohol at an early age, they miss out on learning healthier ways to work through their emotions.

The WPC was founded in 2013 by local parents wanting to improve the emotional wellness of school-aged children. What started as a school-based, drop-in center has evolved into a unique organization that provides mental health services and substance-use prevention to CUSD schools.

The WPC has mental health professionals on middle school and high school campuses and in other community locations, providing much-needed services and support during and after school regardless of insurance or ability to pay.

Young people are reporting more anxiety and depression as they feel pressure to succeed and respond to ongoing disruptions in their lives. The WPC professionals use evidence-based approaches to empower youth and families to overcome these challenges. The WPC relies on generous support from the community to deliver these services.

Currently, the WPC provides services to San Clemente, as well as the communities of Aliso Viejo, Capistrano Beach, Laguna Niguel, Ladera Ranch, Rancho Mission Viejo, and San Juan Capistrano.

Services are provided at little or no cost to students, and more than 1,000 youth and their families have been served since our doors opened.

The WPC also leads a federally funded Drug Free Community coalition designed to bring sectors of the commu-

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.

GUEST OPINION | Life’s a Beach by Shelley Murphy

STOP THE CLOCKS

It’s that time of year again, and the madness of March is sweeping the nation.

This month, we moved the clock forward and lost an hour of sleep. And, then there’s also the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college basketball tournament stealing our time, too.

Last Sunday, the calendar commanded the tiresome task of setting the clock ahead one hour and springing forward to Daylight Saving Time. That hour is gone for good, but we’ll gain an hour in November with the return to Pacific Standard Time.

The time change in March is challenging, and often so is the correct spelling: it is Daylight Saving (not Savings) Time. A trick to remembering it’s saving, not savings, is associating losing the extra “s” with losing an hour of sleep. two-thirds consensus of the legislature.

A recent poll by the Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research found 75% of Americans agree that it’s time to put an end to the seasonal resets in March and November.

Overwhelmingly, Californians agree they dislike changing clocks twice a year. So, what is the problem? Well, it’s shocking, but people are passionately divided over an early sunrise or late sunset.

I prefer returning to a permanent yearlong establishment of Standard Time. Hawaii hasn’t observed DST since 1945 (another reason it’s paradise). Arizona also opted out in 1944 (except for The Navajo Nation).

I think it’s common sense, in the 21st century, to stop tinkering with the clock.

It’s time to limit the madness of March to the basketball court—establishing a yearlong Standard Time is a slam dunk.

For more than 20 years, Shelley Murphy and her husband have lived in San Clemente, where she raised her two sons. She’s a freelance writer and has been a contributor to the San Clemente Times since 2006. SC

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) says it can take weeks for some people to adjust to the one-hour shift in their sleep schedule.

This week, I’m feeling the lost hour and am a bit fatigued, but I’m not as sleep-deprived as my younger son.

He and his buddies traveled to Las Vegas last Friday for an NCAA conference basketball tournament and a bit of gambling. Sunday morning, he awoke to the sting of losing an hour of sleep and his cash to a casino.

Every spring, we’re reminded of the negative impact of the twice-yearly time change.

Setting the clocks forward to Daylight Saving Time (DST) sacrifices 60 minutes of sleep, but studies show skipping that hour of slumber takes a toll on the body’s internal clock and causes serious side effects.

Researchers refer to the week after the springtime change as one of the most dangerous of the year. There is a significant rise in traffic accidents and fatalities, and a higher risk of strokes and hospital admissions.

A slew of studies supports the toll DST takes on our bodies. The circadian rhythm is the body’s 24-hour clock and disrupting it by even an hour can cause potential health consequences.

DST has been controversial since its introduction more than a century ago. In 1918, the U. S. adopted DST to help conserve energy during World War I, and then did so again in 1942 during WWII. There is growing support to abolish the outdated practice of adjusting the clocks. In 2018, Propo-

LIFE’S A BEACH BY SHELLEY MURPHY sition 7 appeared on the ballot in the California General Election. The proposition would’ve allowed the California State Legislature to regulate DST.

The proposition passed with 60% of voters supporting the change, but that was only the first step in its passage. The proposition stalled, and it failed before reaching Congress.

Today, California lawmakers who are determined to put a stop to the clock foolery may have support for a new bill.

Instead of abolishing DST, like Proposition 7, the new bill, Assembly Bill 7, would implement permanent Standard Time year-round.

According to lawmakers, it might be easier to pass, as it requires passage by the State Legislature and bypasses Congressional red tape.

This new plan is progress, but there’s a catch. Passing the bill still requires a

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.

Photo: Courtesy of San Clemente Historical Society FROM THE ARCHIVES Local artist Lisa Spinelli (far left) delivers the book, Fishcarts to Fiestas, to Historical Society Museum curator Lois Divel (center left), as well as docents Alex Forster (center right) and Taiko Lacey (far right). The book, which the Historical Society published in 2004, is a San Clemente history textbook that’s since become the third-grade local history text.

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 sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com.

ADOPTABLE PET OF THE WEEK

Poppy

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION: Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium

SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Sweet girl Poppy is a 10-month-old kitty who just wants to be loved. Abandoned at the shelter, Poppy is still learning how to fully trust but has come a long way. She is mild-mannered, observant, and does not mind being petted. Poppy gets along well with the other kittens and would love a place in a quiet home with a feline roomie or two. If you are interested in adopting Poppy, please visit petprojectfoundation.org/adoptions/ to download an adoption application form. Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@scdpanimalshelter.org, and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment.

See the solution in next week’s issue.

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GARAGE SALES

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com. Deadline 12pm Monday.

FORSTER RANCH COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE - SATURDAY, MARCH 19 Saturday, March 19, 2022. X st’s Camino Vera Cruz and Camino De Los Mares.

LONG-DRIVEWAY GARAGE SALE - MARCH 26 & 27 Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Furniture, Jewelry, Baskets, Collectibles & Etc. 34342 Calle Naranja, Capistrano Beach (across from Sunset Park)

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