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TOP NEWS SAN CLEMENTE SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

Los Molinos Beer Brings New Element to Storied District

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

Nestled within the quaint but bustling Los Molinos Business District, a new brewery of the street’s namesake welcomed hundreds of customers in its first week of business.

Shawn Haven, a fourth-generation San Clemente resident, along with partner and friend Roman Krecu, opened Los Molinos Beer Company to a warm reception from the community last week.

On Saturday, April 16, they saw more than 500 people enter the building, which has been in Haven’s family since 1965.

“It went well,” Haven said of the new business’ opening. “(We saw) a pretty steady flow all day from when we opened to when we closed.”

After previous stints housing businesses concerned with countertops, cabinets, and motorcycles over the years, the building now stands as a brewery that was five years in the making.

Haven, a contractor, and Krecu, a builder, joined forces to make Haven’s dream a reality in the neighborhood where he spent a lot of time during his childhood. The owners wanted to make sure the building, in the oldest business district in town, retained its charm and

Whether a hospital would return to San Clemente has been a longstanding question. Earlier this month, however, the two councilmembers who have been tasked with addressing that very query affirmed that such an endeavor was not an option.

“Financially, it’s just not possible at this point,” Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan said on April 9, when the city hosted the first of two community roundtables concerning the future of health care in San Clemente.

“I don’t know if I can say that more clearly,” he continued. “The city would have to bear essentially all of the financial outlay—actually, the residents (would), through a bond, and the residents would have to pay for the operation of the hospital.” character while revitalizing it at the same time.

Krecu described the community within the Los Molinos District, also known as the “surf ghetto,” as being tight-knit and eclectic, which factored into their decision-making with the design and renovation.

“As you can see with the aesthetics, we took a lot of (that nature) and made this an open environment for anybody to walk in and enjoy it, whether you’re a long-term San Clemente resident or somebody just in for the weekend,” he explained while sitting down with San Clemente Times this week.

They honored their other careers through placing a coal box outside, complementing Haven’s work in geology, and other aesthetic choices. The industrial, contemporary look features white tile, sandblasted wood ceilings, and plenty of visible concrete and steel.

Easy-to-clean tile and drains all over the floor, especially in the brewing area, make the space utilitarian as well.

Haven and Krecu spoke about receiving support from both the City of San Clemente and people within the brewing industry, the latter of which they described as encouraging and wanting the business partners to succeed.

The camaraderie is also part of what attracted Krecu to diving into the beer world, as Los Molinos Beer Company looks to provide the same experience to

Mayor Gene James, Duncan’s fellow subcommittee member, agreed.

With a low baseline of a $200 million bond to construct the hospital, plus the costs of zoning, securing property, and other hassles, let alone trying to operate in an outdated form of inpatient care, James said the prospects are not viable and felt it “would be a burden for our taxpayers.”

He added that he feared many would not be willing to give up their medical provider, and doctors with whom they have developed close ties, to switch to a new system at a new San Clemente hospital.

James and Duncan said they are hoping for legislation that would allow for emergency rooms to exist separate from a hospital, and they want to be prepared to take advantage should such a measure

(From left) Roman Krecu partnered with Shawn Haven to make Los Molinos Beer Company a reality. Photo: Courtesy of Roman Krecu

its customers by educating and speaking at length about their products.

“Any place that I go and travel, a brewery is typically the most unique and real place at any of those spots,” Haven said, adding: “It just feels like you have an inside into the community, more so than (other kinds of places).”

There are currently 10 different beers and four seltzers on tap, with the One 5 One West Coast IPA as Krecu’s favorite and the Belgianade Fruited Belgian as Haven’s top choice. As they brew all of their beers in-house, the Fruited Belgian was developed during their pilot system and gave Haven confidence regarding

become a reality.

During the first roundtable, conducted over Zoom, the two city officials were joined by leaders across several health-related industries in Southern California, including Tammi McConnell, division manager of Orange County’s Emergency Medical Service system, and Randy Black, assistant chief of Orange County Fire Authority’s Emergency Medical Services.

Also participating in the roundtable were Rob Capobianco, division chief of OCFA Operations Division 3, which serves San Clemente among other South County cities; Paul Young, senior vice president of Public Policy and Reimbursement at the Hospital Association of Southern California; and Tatyana Popkova, chief strategy officer of UC Irvine Health.

A video presentation from the city was included during the roundtable discussion that chronicled San Clemente’s recent history of health care, including the city’s interactions with MemorialCare, the former operator of the hospital their future.

“That beer was something that I knew would appeal to a lot of people, and it made me very, very happy to drink it,” he said.

The brewery has already made inroads into the San Clemente community. With more than 1,600 Instagram followers, and word-of-mouth getting many people through the garage doors, the owners certainly believe there is a buzz around town.

Through hosting fundraisers or other events, Los Molinos Beer Company looks to become an active part of the district and the city as a whole.

at 654 Camino de los Mares, and efforts to bring a hospital back.

It told of councilmembers meeting with health care providers and hospital systems that all believed their system couldn’t create a financially viable operational model. It also recalled the request for proposals (RFP) that the city released in January 2020 to seek a contractor to partner with redeveloping the hospital site—an effort that didn’t receive any offers.

The video further discussed the results of the survey that FM3 conducted in December 2021, which indicated that a majority of respondents favored creating a hospital and using taxpayer funds to build it.

Since the city and MemorialCare reached a settlement in June 2019, the hospital subcommittee has mended the previously adversarial relationship and engaged in two-way communication with the provider, according to James and Duncan.

Discussion of Health Care in San Clemente Continues; New Hospital a Non-Starter

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

NEWS NEXT DOOR:

Serra Siding Rail Project Entering New Phase

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

The public will soon have an opportunity to weigh in on Metrolink’s proposed plan to extend a parallel railroad track along Capistrano Beach, as the agency is anticipated to release its Draft Environmental Impact Report for a 60-day comment period.

Referred to as the Serra Siding Project, the plan proposes to extend 1.2 miles of the siding track that runs parallel to the main track in Dana Point from Victoria Boulevard to Beach Road so trains could pass each other.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) expects the project to increase the safety, reliability and efficiency of train service.

OCTA Communications Specialist Eric Carpenter explained that the project aims to address train bottlenecks and delays that occur within the 9.3-mile, single-track segment between Dana Point and San Clemente.

“South Orange County residents

City to Remove Public Comments Webpage Following Criticism over Publishing Private Information

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

More than a year since the November 2020 censure of Councilmember Laura Ferguson, the city has not yet shed all of the fallout from that fall hearing.

Citizens recently took to council meetings to voice frustration with the city after learning that their written public comments relating to the Nov. 23, 2020 censure had been posted without redacting personal information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and home addresses— raising questions on whether the city violated residents’ rights to privacy.

In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, April 19, the City Council approved the removal of the online portal where the comments are published. The vote also directed city staff to redact any personal information—unless otherwise stated by the authors—before attaching those comments to the meeting minutes of the censure hearing.

Prior to the council’s discussion on the matter on Tuesday night, the issue had been previously brought up during the April 5 meeting by residents including Amanda Quintanilla, an outspoken member of the community who had first raised the issue to city officials this past January, calling on them to get the information removed.

“At the last City Council meeting, I requested that your assistants take down this information, and nothing was done,” she said during the early-April meeting. “I’ve sent many emails to all of you and other representatives such as Sen. (Pat) Bates and District Attorney (Todd) Spitzer, so this matter has to be addressed.”

Citing Article One, Section One of the California Constitution—which states, among other things, that all people have the right to privacy—Quintanilla has alleged those residents who submitted comments for the censure had their rights violated when the city published their information.

City Manager Erik Sund disputed such claims, arguing that “there’s been no violation of privacy. …We value privacy, and we maintain that.”

The council discussion and vote follow correspondence that Spitzer’s office sent to residents notifying them that the DA’s office had worked with the city to address their complaints, and further explained that all requested removals of information had been conducted.

A review of the portal where the comments are posted shows that while some of the citizens’ information had been blacked out, others’ personal info remained. Quintanilla has argued that regardless of whether a person submits a request, all the personal info should have been redacted.

In an interview with San Clemente Times this past week, Quintanilla explained that she first knew about the city’s posting in January while she was preparing for an upcoming council meeting and perusing the city’s website.

She noticed two links that took her to the list of public comments from the November 2020 meeting in which she saw several names she recognized and people’s information.

Seeing that the commenters’ information was not redacted, Quintanilla said she quickly grew worried and contacted the people on the list whom she knew, with several of them telling her they were unaware of the information on the website.

One email in particular that was published online was from Ferguson’s son, a minor. In the email, he defended his mother’s First Amendment right to free speech and argued against her censure. When the city published the email, it included his personal email address.

Ferguson told SC Times that she demanded the city take down her son’s identifying information and that of others this past January, but a delay in response led to her contacting the district attorney.

“In my 18½ years with the city, there was never a practice to publish public comments and let alone private identifying information on the government website,” Ferguson said in an email before claiming that the city targeted her son and those who submitted comments in her favor.

The latest argument over citizens’ privacy rights comes years after Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) had also published contact information of those who submitted comment cards for a June 2017 forum.

Quintanilla pointed out that the TCA removed the flagged information within a week.

“Whereas, the city, I mean, it’s been, what, three months now, and they haven’t done anything,” she said. “Of course, they’re going to address it, but it’s just a matter of clicking and deleting. That’s it, and that could be resolved within seconds.”

Beyond getting the city to redact the information, Quintanilla said, Spitzer’s office should conduct a serious investigation into the matter to determine how and why the issue has progressed the way it has.

“(I think) that anybody that opposes or has any concerns with the city, that this could happen to them,” Quintanilla said. “There’s definitely a chilling factor that may affect other communication, a lot of people not wanting to send any emails or make public comments, and that’s not right.”

would indirectly benefit from improved air quality and reduced traffic congestion, as Metrolink strives to attract more riders and meet state and regional environmental goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Carpenter wrote in an email. “A siding track will improve operational performance and enable regular services, making it more desirable for people to use the train rather than drive, now and into the future.”

The project also seeks to replace the 94-year-old railroad bridge that crosses Coast Highway, add fencing along Coast Highway and construct retaining walls.

The project’s estimated cost is approximately $50 million based on the preliminary design. Carpenter explained that about 70% of the project cost is related to the replacement of the Coast Highway bridge.

Carpenter said that Metrolink plans to coordinate with the construction contractor to avoid or minimize any disruptions to train service.

Metrolink and OCTA have said they plan to work with nearby businesses in advance of and during construction to minimize the impact of construction noise, dust and traffic. The construction is estimated to take two years.

“As with any construction project, residents near the project and visitors to the area may experience temporary construction impacts,” Carpenter said. “These impacts may include some noise, dust, and additional traffic. These areas are being studied in the Draft Environmental Impact Report, and mitigation measures to lessen those impacts as much as possible will be identified where appropriate.”

Ahead of an April 2021 Dana Point City Council Meeting, local businesses and residents submitted letters in opposition to the project; however, a public hearing wasn’t held until a subsequent council meeting in July of last year.

In a letter to Metrolink and OCTA, retired Chief of the Los Angeles County Lifeguards Mike Frazer wrote about his experience with extreme coastal storms damaging piers and nearby facilities and infrastructure. He said that the project is destined to be damaged by future storms.

“It makes no sense to be spending $50 million adding infrastructure to an area that continues to experience severe erosion, while at the same time, your agencies are contemplating budgets in the billions (of dollars) to relocate coastal tracks several miles south,” Frazer said in the April 2021 letter.

OCTA last year had extended a Notice of Preparation to the end of July to conduct more public outreach in Dana Point. City Council heard a presentation on the project at its July 20, 2021 meeting.

At the time, Dana Point residents spoke in opposition to the project, citing concerns with coastal erosion at Capistrano Beach, noise and debris impacting visitors, hotels and businesses, as well as construction impacting views.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report will study the potential impacts and concerns raised by residents and business owners, Carpenter said.

“OCTA has heard some of these concerns from residents about construction impacts. It’s important that we do hear from them during this phase of planning,” Carpenter wrote. “Those potential impacts and how they could best be mitigated are being studied as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Report and will be discussed more thoroughly when that report is completed.”

The Draft Environmental Impact Report is scheduled to be available for public review in late May or early June. The public review period will begin once the report is released to the public and will last for 60 days.

Editor’s Note: An extended version of this story can be found at sanclementetimes.com.

(Cont. from page 3) The mayor pro tem said the subcommittee has moved on to try to set policy that responds to residents’ needs.

Multiple urgent care facilities have opened since the hospital’s closure in 2016, James said, and another is on the way, to be built at the Outlets at San Clemente with Providence as the provider.

“They’ve already received the grading permit, and they’re moving forward with (what) I believe is a 7,500-squarefoot health care facility, to include urgent care,” the mayor said.

There are no plans for future emergency services, however.

PARAMEDIC OPERATIONS

Along with responding to fires, OCFA is the city’s advance life support (ALS) and EMS-contracted provider, which has its challenges in getting services down to the southernmost town in the county, division chief Rob Capobianco noted.

With those difficulties intact, the agency always works to be proactive, and the recent additions of paramedic staff in San Clemente have helped maintain the quality of service as well.

“Our emergency command center up in Irvine is constantly evaluating the coverage, and we’re moving resources down to the city so that we can continue to run those back-to-back calls,” Capobianco said. “I can tell you from my years of watching the calls in San Clemente, it is not unheard of for San Clemente to have two, three, or even four calls going at the same time.”

In addition to OCFA functioning properly, it needs complementary hospital systems that are present and ready to receive patients, Tammi McConnell added. The spacing of specialty centers across the county and hospitals’ investment in staff training ensure they meet the “appropriate standards of care” that McConnell’s team requires.

While patients are taken to both Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach and Mission Viejo, the Mission Viejo campus receives the majority of the 3,000 annual transports the county EMS provides. Another 25% go to Laguna Beach, while others are taken to various hospitals around the county.

Despite the impact of the hospital’s closure and the COVID-19 pandemic, Capobianco said response times have remained mostly the same over time because of OCFA’s efforts to maintain proper staffing levels and the addition of paramedic units.

The average time from when calls are entered by dispatchers to when the first vehicle arrives to a scene is 6 minutes, 55 seconds.

“(Staffing) does have a financial impact to it, but it also has an impact on our people, which we think is so important,” Capobianco said. “Our force hiring during COVID was extreme, but that’s the only way we can hold those response times.”

Going forward, there will not be such a significant emphasis on response times, according to McConnell.

It is hard to get out of the mindset that each transport needs to be treated with the utmost urgency as a member of the public and especially as a parent, but that is how the industry is progressing.

“What we find in the actual clinical data (is) there are very few medical emergencies that actually require, you know, a very quick lights-and-sirens response and transport to the hospital,” McConnell said.

Patients are receiving care within half an hour of calling for an ambulance to transport them, which is up to par with paramedic standards, and EMS services don’t want to risk harming others when rushing to arrive to a case.

Popkova added that with technology, in which patients have wearable devices that can be detected, medical data or with the adoption of digital care methods such as telehealth, resources will be better utilized.

Community leaders met with health care professionals earlier this month to discuss what health care in San Clemente will look like in the future. A second community roundtable will be held this Saturday, April 23, at the Community Center. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE

Referring to James’ opinion about the decline of the inpatient model of care, Young concurred, citing a drop in San Clemente residents utilizing inpatient services from 2016 to 2019.

He added that federal and state entities such as the influential Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services are pushing toward an outpatient environment, as it is cheaper for governments to pay for outpatient surgery at a “third to a quarter of the cost” of inpatient stays.

Hospitals spend the majority of their budgets on salary, basic services and compliance costs in operating a 24/7 facility with an emergency room.

“It’s a tough run,” Young said. “I would say 40% of our hospitals, unfortunately, are in the red (in) any given year. Hospitals are not profitable across the board.”

Adding to Young’s sentiment, Popkova said hospital systems are trying to determine how to deliver digital care, handing off patients with other facilities, and collaborate with public and private organizations because of the expense of inpatient environments.

Though the Affordable Care Act created the CMS Innovation Center, which came up with new ideas such as the Acute Hospital Care at Home program born out of the pandemic, the federal authorities’ regulation of the industry allows only for spurts of creativity.

Around the time of the ACA’s passage, health care providers believed the answer to any community’s health care needs was building a hospital regardless of its size or number of beds, according to Popkova.

Now, they ask questions concerning how to best deliver care and how modern technology can cater to communities.

Areas across the country require different models of care, as there are fewer beds per capita in the West region than in the South, and even in California, not all of the beds present in hospitals are currently being occupied. This forces entities to be creative in a rapidly changing industry.

“I’d like to think that California is very, very innovative in the sense of trying to figure out (solutions), because we have things like the UC system, right?” Young added. “We’re looking at trying to develop more outpatient-based care. You look at the fact that health care already consumes almost 20% of our national GDP; I don’t think we want to consume more.”

Beyond San Clemente, there is an increasingly smaller need for general acute care hospitals, and systems are recognizing the need for acute psychiatric hospitals and behavioral health care.

Throughout the industry, more are focusing on what the right kind of health care delivery is necessary, and San Clemente appears to be one of nuCOMMUNITY MEETINGS

SATURDAY, APRIL 23 Challenging Cancer 10-11:30 a.m. The Challenging Cancer group is conducting weekly meetings through Zoom video conferences. The meetings are open to caregivers, people who have a compromised immune system, and people dealing with cancer. To join, email donnavigil2@gmail.com or linda_crdv@yahoo.com. heritagesc.org.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26 Public Safety Committee 3-5:30 p.m. The city’s Public Safety Committee will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting via teleconference and can be streamed through the city’s YouTube channel. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

Because I Love You (BILY) 6:30-8:30 p.m. The organization Because I Love You (BILY), which helps parents navigate through whatever parenting challenges they may be facing (e.g., failure to launch, drug abuse, disrespect), will continue conducting its weekly meetings on Tuesdays via Zoom video conference. For detailed instructions on how to participate, email bilysanclemente@gmail.com.

San Clemente Toastmasters 7-8:40 p.m. The Toastmasters Club invites people to lose their fear of public speaking and have fun at the same time. Join them in person every Tuesday at the Baha’i Center, at 3316 Avenida del Presidente. Visitors welcomed. Call or text Laura Yang at 949.547.6558 with questions. 6463.toastmastersclubs.org.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 Design Review Subcommittee 4-5 p.m. The city’s Design Review Subcommittee will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting via teleconference and can be streamed through the city’s YouTube channel. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

merous communities trying to find the best path.

The next opportunity for residents to take part in health care discussions will occur on April 23 at 10 a.m. The city will hold an in-person Community Roundtable at the San Clemente Community Center, where the public can speak with local leaders on what steps to take next.

Visit san-clemente.org for more details.

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San Clemente Times, Vol. 17, Issue 16. 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 2022. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. San Clemente Times is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, 34932 Calle Del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at San Clemente, CA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: San Clemente Times, 34932 Calle Del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624.

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The Krikorian Is Dead, and So Is My Childhood

When the everyday becomes the never-again, the overlooked becomes the unforgettable.

The reaction of public shock and mourning after the San Clemente Krikorian theater suddenly closed in November of 2017 wasn’t just about the loss of a common amenity, but about the loss of a location that generated so many shared memories.

Your child’s first movie experience. Your first date. Your first job. A time together with your friends on a Friday night. The last time watching something with your grandparent.

It’s often not the what, but the who, and not the how, but the why that matters most when the trivial becomes the iconic. I can neither recall nor estimate how many sporting events I’ve watched on television. I can recall, word for word, the conversations I’ve had with a now-deceased, and intensely missed, loved one during some of those same forgettable games.

You see, it wasn’t about what team won or lost in the background but about with whom I was watching it. It wasn’t about the size of the screen or clarity of pixels or the 7.1 surround sound, but about the reason I was there—to hang out with someone I loved.

These events and places serve as the vehicle of travel on a larger journey, rather than serving as a destination themselves. We didn’t lose a movie theater; we lost a time machine.

We get the English word “nostalgia” from the Greek words “nostos” (homecoming) and “algos” (pain). We feel the pain of longing for a place where we are no longer at. A place, a time, a person, that oftentimes no longer exists. What I would give to pay $35 for an ICEE (mix both flavors), a box of Junior Mints, a box of Milk Duds, popcorn, and THE BUSINESS a free tray on which

BUZZ BY ARROW SANTOS to mix them all together, to sit in those basic seats, clap along with the intro song with all the enthusiasm as if it was the national anthem at a presidential inauguration, watch any movie at all in the entire world, and then go to Wahoo’s and watch a ’90s-themed action sports reel while eating nachos with my friends.

And for those 2½ hours, everything would be right in the world. Back in the days when things made sense. In a simpler, safer past without a thought of pandemics, world wars, or the latest aggravation posted by your neighbors on social media.

Confession: I was just sitting in the Krikorian last week. But it was like a press conference with a politician. Lifeless. Lacking personality. No lights on. And definitely no snacks. Although the 60 liters of 5-year-old soda is still hooked up for easy dispensing, so if you’re really thirsty …

No, I didn’t break in. I have the key on my desk. We’ve been hired by the owners to find a new tenant. I plead for your help in this.

You’ve already shown your strength in creating a thousands-strong army that defied Amazon. Now, we have a mission, one of building, of inviting, rather than dealing out holy damage to deeds done behind closed doors.

Although there are closed doors here, ones we wish to see opened for entirely different reasons. We need to attract a community-invigorating business to occupy this vacant hall, now occupied only by the memories and nostalgia of a previous life.

Can we mourn the loss while also hoping for a new adventure?

All of that to say: tell us your ideas of what type of businesses should go here! We’ll send out the marketing materials and attract those companies to move in. Help us build a future we can’t wait to miss.

Check out the online version of this column at sanclementetimes.com to see what it looks like inside the Krikorian today by taking a virtual tour of the entire building. There will also be a link to clap along and shed a tear while watching the Krikorian intro clip.

Arrow Santos is a San Clemente native, professional writer/photographer, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup enthusiast, and follower of Jesus. As marketing director of WynneCRE, he has shown his dedication to helping small businesses with their commercial real estate needs and protecting San Clemente’s small-town interests through active community participation and reporting on business news topics. Email Arrow at arrow@wynnecre.com or call/text at 949.257.2093. 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.

Letter to The Editor

GARDENFEST 2022

DONNA VIDRINE, San Clemente

Our GardenFest was a huge success! We brought in over $5,500 for Garden Club programs.

Thank you to our hard-working and talented volunteers who worked tirelessly for both our plant and rummage sale.

The local artists added beauty with their paintings, and the “funky garden container” contest added a lot of entertainment to our day.

The activity tables were varied, educational and engaged the community so well from butterflies and native plants to reforestation and green waste recycling.

Many thanks to our local nurseries for their support of our San Clemente Garden Club. We so appreciate the partnership with San Clemente Parks & Recreation.

The city staff once again was so helpful with preparation and take-down. It took a San Clemente Village to make our GardenFest 2022 such a successful event and fun. Join SC Times for Beachside Chat on Friday, April 22, at 8 a.m. Beachside Chat is a spirited, town hall forum on community issues hosted by PFM Managing Editor Shawn Raymundo every Friday. The chat will be held at Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria. All are welcome.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

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