May 25, 2023

Monica Esparza, a classical Spanish guitar builder and San Clemente businesswoman, will participate in the International Luthier Festival Guitarra Badalona in Spain next month as the only woman and American invited to the exhibition.

Photo: Shawn Raymundo

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TOP NEWS SAN CLEMENTE SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

Rod’s Tree Service Founder Rod Rodriguez Dies at 82

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

The city of San Clemente lost a beloved community figure earlier this month, as Richard “Rod” Rodriguez, founder of Rod’s Tree Service, died in his home surrounded by family on May 3.

Rodriguez was 82 years old and would have turned 83 on May 5.

In addition to serving in the United States Marine Corps and in the San Clemente Police Department, Rodriguez started his tree trimming, planting and removal business in 1964. The company grew and eventually served as the city’s official tree contractor for decades.

Rodriguez also donated his time to various community events and organizations, such as the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area, Marine barbecues, and

Kiwanis Club pancake breakfasts.

In February 2020, the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce honored Rodriguez with its Outstanding Lifetime Achievement award for his longstanding dedication and service to the town.

Larry Rannals, a Chamber board member and longtime friend of Rodriguez, had recalled how Rodriguez joined the Chamber and quickly became known as the “I’ll volunteer for anything with the Chamber” guy.

In emailed statements to San Clemente Times late Monday afternoon, May 22, city officials and local dignitaries responded to Rodriguez’s passing, all acknowledging his volunteerism to better serve the city.

“He was an icon in this community and the epitome of what service to one’s community means,” Rannals said in the email. “He served our nation as a proud Marine; he served San Clemente and numerous community organizations to make this city better; and he did more to bring joy

Capo Unified Intends to Address Student Mental Health with WideRanging Wellness Plan

BY COLLIN BREAUX

The Capistrano Unified School District is looking to spend approximately $1 million on a multi-tiered plan to handle student mental health and well-being.

The CUSD Cares plan that district staff introduced intends to “positively impact” students by enhancing their sense of connection, school communities, and opportunities for celebration, a staff report said.

The CUSD Board of Trustees unanimously approved moving forward with the plan on May 17.

The various tiers for CUSD Cares include providing services for student well-being and instruction and support for all students, as well as more specific help for students who require more care and interventions.

Specific strategies for all students will include daily mindfulness moments in the classroom, weekly check-ins when it comes to well-being, kindness campaigns in elementary schools, and attendance campaigns emphasizing a “you belong here” message.

As for students who need more help, CUSD will provide wellness rooms in the secondary schools, sensory rooms in elementary schools, and counseling from the

Wellness and Prevention Center at specific school sites.

Statistics cited by staff during a presentation at the May 17 meeting showed 36% of seventh-, ninth-, and 11th-graders in CUSD reported feeling chronic sadness and hopelessness. Of those grade levels, 19% of students seriously considered attempting suicide.

“There is significant and disturbing data at the national, state, and local levels, and in our own district, that students are struggling, that their well-being must be addressed,” said Gregory Merwin, associate superintendent of Education and Support Services.

CUSD Cares is not an entirely new concept and builds upon existing work within the district, focusing on student wellness, Merwin said.

“In our county, a sizeable percentage of emergency room visits encompasses the age group of our secondary students,” said Refugio Gracian, executive director of Cultural Proficiency, Equity, Access and Social Emotional Learning. “Sixty percent of ER visits are for suicidal ideation, and intentional self-harm makes up 40% of ER visits.”

and express appreciation to the Marines and families of Camp Pendleton than anyone else I can think of.”

Mayor Chris Duncan echoed those sentiments, stating, “One of the best ways to judge a person’s character is the effect they have had on others. By this measure, Rod Rodriguez has a place at the highest echelons of San Clemente.

“From the U.S. Marine Corps to the San Clemente Police Department, to Rod’s Tree Service, to the countless city organizations he supported, Rod had an outsized positive influence on the people and institutions of San Clemente,” Duncan wrote. “We are all in his debt and will miss him greatly. His legacy will live on through his incredible family, and the benefits of his selfless service will continue to be felt and appreciated by all of us now and forever.”

Touching on the business’s long-standing membership with the Chamber of Commerce and Rodriguez’s participation on the governing board, Chamber CEO

Susie Lantz recognized the legacy he leaves behind.

“Rod’s legacy of character and integrity lives on through his grandson Rick who currently serves as the Chamber’s Chairman of the Board,” Lantz said in an email. “Our heart is with his wife Gloria, beloved grandsons Jason, Matthew and Joey and the entire Rodriguez family.”

A celebration of life to honor Rodriguez is scheduled for 11 a.m. on June 9 at Doheny State Beach. The event will be open to the public.

CUSD Cares will also incorporate staff well-being with support services and other programs.

Some parts of the program will be implemented immediately, while other parts and the overall scope will be rolled out over the coming years. The steps outlined were based on surveys CUSD conducted with students, staff, Parent Teacher Student Association presidents, and district management in November 2022.

Trustee Judy Bullockus said she had wanted to incorporate the program for a long time.

“You, of course, have my vote,” Bullockus said.“This is something that can’t happen fast enough.”

Trustee Gila Jones expressed concern about students who express suicidal

thoughts and don’t receive immediate assistance.

Trustee Amy Hanacek said parents need to be “allies, not opponents,” as CUSD Cares rolls out, and may realize their children were undergoing crises they previously didn’t know about.

“I support this wholeheartedly,” Hanacek said.“I’ve never been prouder or (more) anxious, because once we get to this, there’s expectations. We are going to have to temper those expectations.”

CUSD Cares can be an “ongoing work in progress” in which staff are welcome to tweak details and check in with trustees on how the implementation is going, Hanacek said.

“I do think this will be our culture,” Hanacek said.

Rod Rodriguez, a beloved community figure, Marine Corps veteran and founder of Rod’s Tree Service, died on May 3 at 82 years old. Rodriguez (pictured here on Feb. 20, 2020 receiving the Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Lifetime Achieve award from longtime friend Larry Rannals) would have turned 83 on May 5. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

The Capistrano Unified School District will facilitate wellness rooms at secondary schools as part of a CUSD Cares program approved by trustees on May 17. Photo: File

Accomplished Acoustic Guitar Maker to Participate in International Exhibition

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

The Rancho San Clemente Business

Park is home to countless companies, warehouses, and office spaces, all of them containing a different story and owned by people on wildly divergent paths in life.

Operating in one of those spaces is Aguas Frescas Festival, a business that refers to itself as the “original ‘Aguas Frescas’ company” and has supplied beverages such as horchata and tamarindo commercially for more than 45 years.

The company is operated by siblings Javier and Monica Esparza, who have spent many years of their adult lives helping to maintain the family operation that was launched by their father.

In most situations, one business or tenant would be all that occupies a single space, but Suite G at 1023 Calle Sombra is an exception.

Each day for the past few months, Monica Esparza, a 58-year-old Ladera Ranch resident, heads up the stairs to her workshop to continue her latest project, a concert guitar meant to be built according to the tradition of Spanish construction and inspired by a beloved figure in the world of guitar making.

The late José Luis Romanillos, who died in February 2022 at the age of 89, was a renowned luthier, or craftsperson specializing in string instruments, who spent more than 60 years crafting and teaching others how to make acoustic guitars suitable for professional performances.

Esparza studied under him from 2004 to 2012.

Now, she is in the final stages of constructing a guitar she’ll exhibit at the upcoming International Luthier Festival from June 16-18 in Badalona, Spain, roughly 20 minutes from Barcelona.

The Badalona Guitar Association organized the event, in which 10 luthiers, including Esparza, accepted a challenge to build a guitar that pays homage to Romanillos.

“There’s going to be a big program, a big festival and presentations, concerts and lectures,” Esparza said. “Ten luthiers from around the world were invited, and I’m the only American and the only woman, apparently. I was always the only woman who studied out there. Not a lot of women are in the craft.”

MONICA’S GUITARS

To anyone else, her workshop might appear difficult to comprehend, as it is filled with innumerable and varying kinds of wood pieces used to construct guitars, structural blueprints, and photos of memories from the past.

Esparza navigates through the space easily, however. She’s spent the past 10 years in Suite G, making the office her second home and unofficial place of business for Monica’s Guitars, where Esparza builds classical and flamenco guitars to clients’ exact specifications. Her 21 years of experience and production have earned her a stellar reputation

in the acoustic guitar world. She’s taught and appeared at festivals and shows from California to Berlin and seemingly everywhere in between.

Before her passion came to fruition, however, it was her time spent under the guidance of the maestro, Romanillos, that set everything else in motion. Esparza spoke with the San Clemente Times about her history with guitars and the renowned maestro.

FORGING A PATH

Her first foray into music began in the fourth grade, when she started to play the violin, later adding the organ to her repertoire as a teenager.

Years later, while on a trip in Mexico with a friend around the early 1990s, she bought a classical guitar despite not knowing how to play or how to even read musical notation. Determined to learn how to play, Esparza began studying at Saddleback College.

She also joined a flamenco group in San Diego as a singer, her pursuits in Spanish music further developing her interest in the construction of guitars.

After studying biochemistry and graduating from Mills College in Oakland, she took an acoustics course at Orange Coast College, during which she built her first guitar, a flamenco.

“I was always into woodworking,” Esparza said, adding: “But also, as a classical guitar player, I was very interested in the music, the instrument. When I moved back to Orange County, I had heard that there was an acoustic class, and that class gave you two years to build molds and to study and put together an acoustic guitar.”

At the end of the two-year period, she wasn’t satisfied with what she had created.

“It was not built the way I knew that it would be built by the traditional Spanish makers, so I started inquiring on how I (could) get myself to Spain and learn under a master builder,” said Esparza. “That’s where my journey started.”

In 2004, she traveled to Sigüenza, a small town roughly 90 minutes from Madrid in the Spanish countryside, to learn from Romanillos after hearing about his workshops.

Each summer, Romanillos invited 20 students from around the world to participate, with every person receiving a bench and spending a month learning from the maestro before finishing the guitar back at home.

Esparza spent months emailing Romanillos’ son, Liam, trying to get into a workshop, which eventually paid off.

“I finally, one day, got in, so I packed my bags, and they sent me my material list and what I had to travel with, and I took off,” Esparza said. “I felt very intimidated. I walked in there, I was the only woman, and I didn’t know what I was up against.”

By the end of the program, however, she was one of only four students to have their guitars strung up, and she had earned an invite from Romanillos himself to come back the next year.

Their friendship developed over the years as Esparza attended workshops again and again, with the maestro asking her to fly out for numerous projects.

In one circumstance, she was the only foreigner to join several local Spanish builders in helping Romanillos on a special project.

“He would have me over to his house for dinner, for interviews in his shop,” she said. “I have pictures where I’m finishing up an instrument in his shop. I felt very honored (and) very privileged to be a part of him and his family.”

Inside her workshop, located within the Rancho San Clemente Business Park, Monica Esparza shows off one of her finished guitars that she’s crafted over the years. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

“ I was always into woodworking … But also, as a classical guitar player, I was very interested in the music, the instrument. When I moved back to Orange County, I had heard that there was an acoustic class, and that class gave you two years to build molds and to study and put together an acoustic guitar. ”

Monica Esparza

His last workshop occurred in 2012, but Esparza tried her best to see him when she went to Europe for other events. She last saw Romanillos in 2015.

PRODUCING SOUNDS

After coming back from Sigüenza, Esparza set up a bench in her garage to finish the guitar she was working on. Eventually, she outgrew the space, as she brought in more machines and piles upon piles of different types of wood.

Esparza said that even the thought of being able to use an organic material such as wood and make music from it is fascinating to her. There is a lot of engineering, the use of hand tools, and knowledge of each wood species’ properties that goes into creating a quality guitar, she added.

Trial and error comprised a significant part of her learning process, Esparza said, reiterating how intrigued she was by the intricate aspects of wood and what went into producing the sounds people hear when guitars are played.

She described the lengthy timetable of constructing a guitar as “organic” and “extremely laborious,” requiring patience, practice and skill.

“Today, there’s factories who, with all sorts of machines, can create an acoustic guitar with practically no human hands touching it,” said Esparza. “Whereas (with) this, we pretty much do everything but cut the tree down.”

COMMUNITY OF ‘GUITAR GEEKS’

Given that the previous Aguas Frescas Festival office space just across the way in the business park was twice the size of the current space, she found an area where her machines could make a lot of noise and she could protect her equipment as necessary.

Additionally, Esparza began teaching guitar-building through the Stringed Instrument Makers of Southern California organization and participating in guitar exhibitions both nationwide and internationally.

Her exposure through those new outlets combined to bring her many people interested in having her construct guitars for them.

Customers who ask her to make instruments just for them appreciate the fact that they will own a custom item, she added, and that they can have a relationship with her during the process.

“They want to be able to really translate their needs, what they’re looking for, the fact that it can have a story,” she said.

Working with Esparza, customers are involved in the measurements and the style of the guitar and what kind of wood it’s made from, so everything is to their liking.

She fields requests from varying kinds of people, including students wanting to upgrade factory-made guitars, serious enthusiasts and professional concert players.

“I remember being at a show up in Northern California called the Hillsboro Guitar Show—a very famous acoustic show,” Esparza said. “Someone came and bought the guitar, and they didn’t even play, but they were just (a) serious collector. It really is a wide range of people that come and choose.”

Her base price for making a custom guitar is $8,000, with the most expensive one she produced costing her client $10,000. Upcharges depend on the type of labor, materials, or other details such as inlays that Esparza includes in the process.

The guitar community is “hardcore,” she said, as many have their own collections and see no end to the number they can purchase.

“It’s a small community, but yet, it’s

not that small at the same time,” said Esparza.

She calls herself and other people she’s met over the years, whether in California, Spain or elsewhere, “guitar geeks,” who discuss what projects they’re working on or what exhibit they’re attending the next each time they see each other again.

RECONNECTIONS AND FAREWELLS

In July 2022, around five months after Romanillos passed, a friend and former student under Romanillos sent her a link to a YouTube video produced by the Badalona Guitar Association, in which the organization summarized a two-hour tribute event featuring speeches from other former students and a guitar recital.

At the end of the event, the organizers decided to put on the larger event now scheduled for June, and the association president sent Esparza an email detailing the plans and inviting her to the festival, given her time spent under the maestro’s tutelage.

She gave significant thought to the invitation before accepting it, as it required a substantial commitment financially and timewise.

Regardless, Esparza is honored and looking forward to the event, she said, although traveling with such precious cargo is always troubling. She added that she is excited to reconnect with old friends.

“I made a lot of friends there throughout the years, including Jose’s wife (Marian Harris),” she said. “I’m

looking forward to seeing her; I’m looking forward to seeing several of my colleagues that I built instruments in workshops with (and) stayed connected every time I would go back.”

Esparza will also travel to Spain with her daughter, Annelisa, a NASA research scientist who lives in Florida and has seen much less of her mother’s pursuits than others.

“It’s a big part of my life that she really hasn’t see in action, because she has studied (and been) out of state for so many years,” said Esparza. “We’re really excited to be able to do this together.”

In addition to applying a shellac wood finish to her guitar at home, she hopes to begin applying French polish by the end of May, glue on the bridge piece and install the tuners in early June, and have the guitar strung up at least a week before she departs for Spain on June 14.

Esparza’s earlier suspicions about the commitment her project required have been confirmed, as she’s had to juggle putting together the guitar along with running the beverage business. She’s also been caring for her father, an octogenarian who only retired in the past 18 months and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Altogether, those situations combine to exert a lot of stress on Esparza, emphasizing the importance of taking a few days to enjoy the beauty of Spain, spend quality time with friends and family, and listen to talented performers. Most of all, she’ll get a chance to say one final goodbye to an old friend. SC

Monica Esparza meticulously applies a varnish to her guitar she’s crafting, a Spanish acoustic she’ll exhibit during the International Luthier Festival in Badalona, Spain from June 16-18. One of 10 luthiers participating, Esparza is the only woman and American to have been invited to the festival, which is meant as a tribute to guitar maker and teacher José Luis Romanillos. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Monica Esparza’s workshop in San Clemente is filled with tools, various woods and machines that she uses to craft her instruments. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

City Seeks County Grant Funding Increase for Trolley Program

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

With an anticipated decline in county funding for trolley services and an increase in anticipated public transportation needs, the San Clemente City Council voted unanimously on May 16 to request more money from the Orange County Transportation Authority.

City staff needed the council’s authorization to send a letter of interest for the OCTA’s 2023 Call for Projects under Project V—the agency’s Community-Based Circulators Program that reimburses county cities for developing additional transit options.

Project V reimburses 90% of the city’s costs for the downtown Red Line route that three trolleys service, and for the Blue Line that travels from the Outlets at San Clemente to Dana Point, which uses two trolleys.

A new OCTA grant is expected to provide the city with about $150,000 less in funding for the next three fiscal years compared to the previous grant covering the current fiscal year, according to a city agenda report. The decrease in funds, the city said, won’t cover service costs related to the city’s trolley program.

“The City can fully operate during FY

2024 at the 90% reimbursement level, however, due to the carryover grant funds from underutilization during (FY) 2020-21,” the city said. “The City has about $700,000 in carryover funds available. These carryover funds will not sustain operations through FY 2027.”

With that in mind, the city drafted the letter that outlined its wishes for future transportation efforts in San Clemente before OCTA opens the award opportunity in November. OCTA is expected to announce awards in spring 2024, in time to plan for Fiscal Year 2024-25.

The letter includes suggestions for modifying the Project V grant standards so the city could replace the incoming grant with a new agreement, receive additional funding and have support for overlapping transit routes.

Since 2020, the city has extended trolley services beyond the traditional summertime schedule that runs from Memorial Day weekend to the final weekend of September. Back in December 2022, the City Council approved another extension for the trolleys to operate on weekends through the remainder of winter and spring.

“The current grant limitation of $550,000 is no longer sufficient to cover operating expenses of existing services,” according to the city’s report. “In FY24, continued operations of the daily summer service plus annual Saturday/Sunday service on one route (Red Line/downtown)

will cost $650,000. That amount is just to maintain the status quo.”

An optimally expanded program, according to the city, would include daily summer service on the Red and Blue lines from May 1 to Sept. 30, service on Fridays through Sundays every weekend of each year, service for up to 10 events, and new Green and Yellow lines heading south toward San Clemente State Beach and east along Avenida Pico, respectively.

The city wrote that $1.3 million would cover the trolley’s operational costs, adding that it desired an annual budget cap of $2 million to continue the SC Rides pickup service and last-mile transportation.

Economic Development Director Jonathan Lightfoot also presented the council with an update on the Green Line pilot route that covers the southern stretch of El Camino Real and was scheduled to end on May 21.

To extend the program into the summer, the city would have to use white shuttle buses provided by the Green Line operator, LAZ Parking. The cost to run two shuttles for 72 hours per week, at $100 per hour, would cost $245,000 for the summer season.

Lightfoot also said the city couldn’t immediately fulfill a suggestion from Mayor Chris Duncan to merge the Green and Blue lines, as the current grant agreement requires 15-minute headways for each stop.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

FRIDAY, MAY 26

Beachside Chat

8-9 a.m. Join San Clemente residents and dignitaries for the weekly Beachside Chat, a spirited, town hall forum on community issues led by a slate of rotating hosts. The chats are held at Dorothy Visser Senior Center, located at 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente. All are welcome.

SATURDAY, MAY 27

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, MAY 30

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, substance misuse, disrespect), conducts its weekly meetings on Tuesdays via Zoom video conference and in person/Zoom the first Tuesday of each month at the Outlets at San Clemente’s Conference Room. For detailed instructions on how to participate, email bilysanclemente@gmail.com.

“The second (problem) is that the grant agreement is specific to the locations and stops,” said Lightfoot.

The city can request minor adjustments to the routes in March and October, but cannot replace an existing line. Lightfoot said that such a suggestion could be included in the city’s letter to OCTA for implementation in FY 2025.

On weekends, the Green Line saw just under 1,000 riders on average, roughly doubling OCTA’s standard for ridership.

The council asked for staff to come back with a report on options and estimates for extending the city’s Green Line service.

Starting on Memorial Day, May 29, the Red Line and the Blue Line trolleys will operate daily, with services running Monday through Friday from noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The San Clemente City Council approved sending a letter to the Orange County Transportation Authority at its May 16 meeting to express interest in raising the funding it receives for its trolley program. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Marine Monument, Pier Bowl

Honoring All Branches of the Military

Memorial Day 2023 at Park Semper Fi

Marine Monument, Pier Bowl

Memorial Day 2023 at Park Semper Fi

Honoring All Branches of the Military

Marine Monument, Pier Bowl

Honoring All Branches of the Military

MEET THE AUTHOR

Barnes & Noble in Aliso Viejo will be hosting an instore event for local author Michele Kwasniewski on Saturday, June 3rd from 1-3pm. She will be signing copies of FALLING STAR, the final installment in her award winning, best selling Young Adult series THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART.

Memorial Day 2023 at Park Semper Fi

Marine Monument, Pier Bowl

Honoring All Branches of the Military

Artwork by Ruth Gooch, San Clemente Ar st & Photographer

Artwork by Ruth Gooch, San Clemente Ar st & Photographer

Memorial Day Remembrance

Barnes & Noble 26751 Aliso Creek Road Aliso Viejo CA 92656 www.michelekwasniewski.com

Memorial Day Remembrance

Monday, May 29, 2023

Memorial Day Remembrance

2:00pm to 3:00pm

Monday, May 29, 2023

Monday, May 29, 2023 2:00pm to 3:00pm

2:00pm to 3:00pm

Guest Speakers: Congressman Mike Levin

Guest Speakers: Congressman Mike Levin Colonel Seth MacCutcheon, USMC Commanding Officer; School of Infantry-West

Colonel Seth MacCutcheon, USMC Commanding Officer; School of Infantry-West

Guest Speakers: Congressman Mike Levin

Honoring: GySgt Bob Harhay, USMC; MSgt Hank Snyder, USMC; Lt. Col. Lewis Avera, USMC

Colonel Seth MacCutcheon, USMC Commanding Officer; School of Infantry-West

Honoring: GySgt Bob Harhay, USMC; MSgt Hank Snyder, USMC; Lt. Col. Lewis Avera, USMC

Band: The Pete Jacobs Band; The Wartime Radio Singers

Band: The Pete Jacobs Band; The Wartime Radio Singers

Guest Speakers: Congressman Mike Levin Colonel Seth MacCutcheon, USMC Commanding Officer; School of Infantry-West

Memorial Day Remembrance

Honoring: GySgt Bob Harhay, USMC; MSgt Hank Snyder, USMC; Lt. Col. Lewis Avera, USMC

For more information on the Marine Monument and Park Semper Fi or to make a tax deductible contribution, visit The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation website at www.marinemonument.com or contact: 949-280-7752 or heritage@marinemonument.com.

For more information on the Marine Monument and Park Semper Fi or to make a tax deductible contribution, visit The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation website at www.marinemonument.com or contact: 949-280-7752 or heritage@marinemonument.com.

Monday, May 29, 2023 2:00pm to 3:00pm

nd: The Pete Jacobs Band; The Wartime Radio Singers

Guest Speakers: Congressman Mike Levin

Sponsored by The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation and City of San Clemente

Honoring: GySgt Bob Harhay, USMC; MSgt Hank Snyder, USMC; Lt. Col. Lewis Avera, USMC

Colonel Seth MacCutcheon, USMC Commanding Officer; School of Infantry-West

Sponsored by The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation and City of San Clemente

Band:

Honoring: GySgt Bob Harhay, USMC; MSgt Hank Snyder, USMC; Lt. Col. Lewis Avera, USMC

FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS 18 AND UNDER

For more information on the Marine Monument and Park Semper Fi or to make a tax deductible contribution, visit The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation website at www.marinemonument.com or contact: 949-280-7752 or heritage@marinemonument.com.

The Pete Jacobs Band; The Wartime Radio Singers

Band: The Pete Jacobs Band; The Wartime Radio Singers

For more information on the Marine Monument and Park Semper Fi or to make a tax deductible contribution, visit The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation website at www.marinemonument.com or contact: 949-280-7752 or heritage@marinemonument.com.

Sponsored by The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation and City of San Clemente

Sponsored by The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation and City of San Clemente

FREE SUMMER MEALS SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO LIBRARY 31495 El Camino Real San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 (949) 493-1752

June 12 - July 20 Mon - Thu | Noon - 1pm

Artwork by Ruth Gooch, San Clemente Ar st & Photographer

Artwork by Ruth Gooch, San Clemente Ar st & Photographer

Conrad Realtors Celebrates 60th Anniversary

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

A decade since celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2013, the family-run Conrad Realtors is still going strong, marking 2023 as its 60th year in business.

Sons Jeremy, Bill and Steve Conrad now lead the way after the real estate firm was first founded by their grandfather, George Conrad, in 1963, and their father Bob took the reins in 1975.

Jeremy and Bill focus on sales, while Steve operates the company’s leasing and property management division, which has grown substantially since opening in 2006.

“We’re probably one of the best around to tell San Clemente’s story, to tell what makes it such a great town, what’s made us want to stay here for multiple decades,” Jeremy Conrad said. “I think that’s helped bring a lot of good people into San Clemente.”

Their experience makes them well-qualified to sell the idea of living in town to prospective buyers, he added.

Many of Jeremy Conrad’s memories of growing up in San Clemente involve the local beaches in some aspect, whether

Council Spurns Private Security for Increased Police Presence

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

Months of discussions regarding how to bring private security personnel to patrol North Beach and other popular San Clemente areas were reduced to ash May 16, with a vote by the City Council.

The council unanimously voted to create a new watch area comprising North Beach and the “T Zone” that four deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will patrol under the watchful eye of Capt. Jay Christian, chief of San Clemente Police Services. Each deputy would require $305,347 of spending for a full year, amounting to just north of $1.22 million for all four, and the city would need to spend $120,953 a month for the deputies, as well as equipment and vehicle costs within the first year.

The vote came as Christian submitted two of his own proposals to increase public safety, in addition to four

it was visiting them with his mother, or surfing every day after school. Upon attending college and playing baseball at California State University, Northridge, he previously entertained the notion of forging his own path away from the family business after seeing how much his parents put into their jobs.

Varying life events pushed Conrad back home, however.

“(CSUN) was my first experience full-time living outside of this small beach community,” he said. “That’s what opened my eyes. I’m like, ‘Holy smokes, San Clemente is an amazing place to live.’ ”

Still, once he graduated, Jeremy Conrad took a job in the Los Angeles area selling copiers and fax machines, and he found success. Near the turn of the 21st century, Jeremy Conrad’s father approached him and advised that he could probably stand to do better in real estate than at his current position.

“Then it hit me, like, ‘What am I thinking? Why not live in San Clemente?’ ” recalled Jeremy Conrad.

While Bob never pressured his son to join, his words provided the boost necessary to kick-start Jeremy Conrad’s real estate career, as he joined the office in 2000 and made Conrad Realtors a third-generation family affair.

Now 23 years into working in town, Jeremy Conrad said that some people

don’t realize how special San Clemente is. Surrounded by the ocean, Camp Pendleton to the south, and the canyons and hills to the east, the city is a “protected area” and a jewel sitting in the furthest south reaches of Orange County. Combined with what he calls a lowkey, easygoing culture different from nearby beach towns such as Laguna Beach or Newport Beach, he says San Clemente is underrated and has more character than any surrounding coastal cities in Southern California.

His office and others working in San Clemente will have to wrestle with the built-out nature of the city’s housing market moving forward, according to Jeremy Conrad. With limited inventory forcing higher prices, those factors, along with the often-emotional process of buying and selling, can make real estate a challenge.

“I think that’s one thing people can sometimes underestimate, is all the emotion that can come out when you’re looking to try and buy your dream house or sell, possibly, one of your largest assets,” he said.

Jeremy Conrad added that he was grateful for San Clemente residents’ loyalty over time.

“I feel like they’ve appreciated the longevity of a family-owned business that’s three generations … and I really want to thank the residents here for supporting us for all these years,” he said.

each month.

City Manager Andy Hall added on May 16 that Allied Universal’s proposal was scalable, meaning it could also provide two officers for 12-hour shifts seven days a week, costing $29,040 per month. The $58,079 option would have totaled $651,612 in a year.

The money would pay for officers, uniforms, vehicles, and equipment, and a supervisor would be present at all times as one of the officers.

Regarding OCSD, Hall reminded the council that the process of hiring new deputies would take a couple of months.

bids from private security firms that the council subcommittee of Mayor Pro Tem Steve Knoblock and Councilmember Victor Cabral considered.

The council had previously authorized a contract worth a maximum of $100,000 per month for three months to work with a private security firm, although the council had yet to officially select a firm.

“I’m glad you submitted your propos -

al,” Cabral said. “Originally, I thought we might do this a little bit less expensively, but if my colleagues are thinking law enforcement is the answer, I’m certainly for it.”

The subcommittee had previously recommended the council authorize a three-month contract with Allied Universal Security Solutions, which would have provided four officers to work 12-hour shifts at a rate of $58,079

Christian’s second proposal consisted of bringing an additional Behavioral Health Liaison Officer (BHL) to supplement the one already in San Clemente and two more deputies for a monthly cost of $95,501 for the first year. The costs for each proposal also included $229,975 for equipment, although costs would drop off roughly 15% in the years thereafter.

A BHL’s main duty, according to Christian, is to provide enforcement and outreach with the local unhoused population, in terms of connecting people with mental health services and county agencies, which requires more training.

(From left) The family-run, San Clemente-based Conrad Realtors, comprising sons Bill, Jeremy and Steve Conrad and father Bob Conrad (center right), are celebrating the local business’ 60th anniversary. Photo: Courtesy of Jeremy Conrad

An Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputy puts police line tape around a portion of a residential complex in December 2017. Photo: File/Eric Heinz

Cabral called all the private security firms “extraordinarily qualified” and had recommended Allied Universal for its scale and scope and ability to adjust according to the city’s needs.

He also highlighted Police Services’ work in North Beach, as Christian had previously committed to increasing the police presence there, and said he wanted to supplement the deputies’ coverage and let people know the city has codes that must be followed by all in town.

“They can’t stand and watch the violations all day,” he said. “(That presence is) what we really need in order to ensure the public is safe at various locations throughout our city.”

Knoblock referenced the reported increase of “criminal activity in North Beach” that hasn’t been addressed to the residents’ liking, saying that Christian’s recent direction in the area helped to alleviate his frustrations of firms not being able to immediately get up and running.

“I think Capt. Christian has martialed his resources effectively, and the results at North Beach are dramatic,” he said, adding: “I haven’t been down there once where there hasn’t been one or two vehicles with deputies not in their car but on the asphalt, walking and doing the job.”

He said that his thoughts on the private security matter have shifted to wanting less security for a smaller time frame and working through the budgeting process to have more deputies on the streets according to Christian’s secondary proposal.

“I’m wondering in my core whether we really need to have this kind of expenditure, to that extent, for a private firm, when the sheriff’s department is doing such a great job presently,” said Knoblock.

Councilmember Mark Enmeier echoed Knoblock’s sentiments regarding the deputies’ efficacy and having one behavioral health officer and more deputies.

He added that he feared that troubles with the landmark case Martin v. City of Boise , which restricts enforcement of overnight camping without viable shelter solutions in town, would continue to be a legal threat, and that he has heard from contacts in town that unhoused people who dispersed from North Beach have moved on to other areas in town.

Mayor Chris Duncan agreed with Knoblock’s desire for more deputies, although he favored creating a new patrol area with four officers.

Cabral also asked Christian to speak about his proposal, since the subcommittee didn’t interview the police chief during the research process.

Christian said that the reasoning

behind creating a new zone for North Beach and the Pier Bowl area was to decrease officer response time, and that adding a behavioral health officer would cover the Saturdays through Mondays that the current officer does not work.

“We could still do the patrol zone, but it wouldn’t be covered seven days a week with two additional deputies,” he said. “But maybe we could have that zone for our busiest times like the weekends, 24 hours a day.”

Christian added that he understood the high costs of law enforcement, of which $305,347 is to bring in each deputy, including their salary, employee benefits, patrol training, and body-worn camera and radio, along with additional equipment and vehicle costs.

A slow season has allowed Christian to direct deputies from other patrol areas to provide an additional presence in the area, but the anticipated influx of tourists and beach visitors to San Clemente will affect the department’s approach, another reason for an additional zone, according to Christian.

He wouldn’t go so far as to recommend one approach over the other even as Cabral pushed for a response.

Christian also took a moment to speak on behalf of his deputies’ training and authority to write citations and transport people to jail, actions private security cannot perform.

The other competing firms included FireWatch Solutions, Gatekeepers Security Services, and High Level Security Solutions.

The San Clemente-based FireWatch indicated it was flexible to work with the city regarding hours and the number of on-site officers, who would be equipped with vehicles and body cameras but are unarmed, according to the subcommittee’s report.

FireWatch has “limited experience” working with government and submitted two proposals: $41,520 per month for two officers to work 12 hours a day, and $126,764 a month for 24-hour services with four officers.

The report identified High Level as the most enforcement-minded company of the candidates, with experience working with government agencies and led by a founder with law enforcement background.

“All of their officers are armed with lethal weapons, used only for defense,” the report read. “In more than 14 years in business, an officer has yet to draw their lethal weapon.”

High Level proposed providing 24hour coverage with two officers at the cost of $94,080 per month.

Gatekeepers, which appeared in front of the council in March, initially proposed operating for 60 days on a 24/7 basis at a monthly rate of $131,400.

Keynote: Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Kim, Commanding Officer, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion

FOR

FOR

SALE

FOR SALE

SALE

FOR

SALE

2158 Calle Ola Verde, San Clemente $845,000

34565 Via Catalina, Capo Beach $1,650,000

34565 Via Catalina, Capo Beach

$1,650,000

$1,650,000

34565 Via Catalina, Capo Beach $1,650,000

2158 Calle Ola Verde, San Clemente $845,000

Dan “DJ” Yeilding Broker Associate

THE

Dan “DJ” Yeilding Broker Associate

Dan “DJ” Yeilding Broker Associate (949) 370-0382

Ocean Close Duplex!. The property lot. Each unit is two stories and 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a private yard with partial ocean views from the 2nd story. Great value add investment opportunity!

Ocean Close Duplex!. The property lot. Each unit is two stories and 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a private yard with partial ocean views from the 2nd story. Great value add investment opportunity!

THE YEILDING TEAM

YEILDING TEAM

This modern Cape Cod end unit is ideally located in the Faire Harbor Marblehead community of San Clemente. The open main level features an intimate dining area, living area, laundry room, guest bathroom and an upgraded kitchen. The 2nd level is comprised of the primary bedroom featuring ocean views, a jack and jill bathroom and a second upstairs bedroom.

Ocean Close Duplex!. The property totals 2,304 square feet on a 6,098 lot. Each unit is two stories and includes 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a private yard with partial ocean views from the 2nd story. Great value add investment opportunity!

THE YEILDING

Ocean Close Duplex!. The property totals 2,304 square feet on a 6,098 lot. Each unit is two stories and includes 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a private yard with partial ocean views from the 2nd story. Great value add investment opportunity!

TEAM

TEAM

THE YEILDING TEAM

THE YEILDING

Dan “DJ” Yeilding

Dan “DJ” Yeilding Broker Associate (949) 370-0382

This modern Cape Cod end unit is ideally located in the Faire Harbor Marblehead community of San Clemente. The open main level features an intimate dining area, living area, laundry room, guest bathroom and an upgraded kitchen. The 2nd level is comprised of the primary bedroom featuring ocean views, a jack and jill bathroom and a second upstairs bedroom.

(949) 370-0382

(949) 370-0382

dan.yeilding@outlook.com

CalBRE #00559105 www.theyeildingteam.com

CalBRE #00559105 www.theyeildingteam.com

CalBRE #00559105 www.theyeildingteam.com

TEAM

Dan “DJ” Yeilding Broker Associate (949) 370-0382

Broker Associate

dan.yeilding@outlook.com

dan.yeilding@outlook.com

(949) 370-0382

Dan “DJ” Yeilding Broker Associate (949) 370-0382

dan.yeilding@outlook.com

dan.yeilding@outlook.com

dan.yeilding@outlook.com

THE YEILDING TEAM

CalBRE #00559105 www.theyeildingteam.com

CalBRE #00559105 www.theyeildingteam.com

CalBRE #00559105 www.theyeildingteam.com

Dan W. Yeilding Broker Associate (949)370-3385 yeildings@hotmail.com

Dan W. Yeilding Broker Associate (949) 370-3385

Dan W. Yeilding Broker Associate (949)370-3385

yeildings@hotmail.com

yeildings@hotmail.com

Dan W. Yeilding Broker Associate (949)370-3385 yeildings@hotmail.com

Dan W. Yeilding Broker Associate (949)370-3385

Dan W. Yeilding Broker Associate (949)370-3385 yeildings@hotmail.com

yeildings@hotmail.com

Dan W. Yeilding Broker Associate (949) 370-3385

yeildings@hotmail.com

HARBOR OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO SHINE A LIGHT ON DANA POINT HARBOR REVITALIZATION PLANS

I’ve loved learning all about the Dana Point Harbor community, meeting local boaters, business owners, and nonprofits that support the many educational activities and events in the harbor.

I’ve spent the past five months learning about and digging into the contracts and planning for the Dana Point Harbor revitalization plans. I’ve met with many constituents, county staff and Dana Point Harbor Partners.

The Dana Point Harbor plays a key role in our county’s local economy, ocean conservation, community recreation, and law enforcement efforts. The state of the harbor must reflect the importance of this county asset to our local boaters, local businesses and residential communities.

My office recently held a town hall to provide the public access to the county and Dana Point Harbor Partners, clear up any misinformation, discuss future plans for Baby Beach and Ocean Institute, and listen to community feedback on ways to improve their experience at the harbor.

During the town hall, we received updates on the commercial revitalization from Bryon Ward with Burnham Ward, the hotel revitalization from Bob Olson with RD Olson, and the marina revitalization from Joe Ueberroth with the Bellwether Financial Group.

My office uploaded the town hall online in case you missed it.

I announced my support for Ocean Institute as a valuable partner, and to keep Baby Beach and the sailing center as publicly run amenities by OC Parks. I’ve

requested a deferred maintenance and improvement plan for future upgrade funding allocations.

your county supervisor ensure transparency and confidence that the revenue generated benefits the needs of a public harbor, and keeps the community informed on all phases of this project.

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

HOW TO REACH US

MANAGING EDITOR

Shawn Raymundo • 949.388.7700, x113 sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com

SPORTS

Zach Cavanagh • 949.388.7700, x110 zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com

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Prior to and during the town hall, we collected questions from the community. We asked and got answers to nearly 100 questions. The three main areas of concern raised among the community included:

BOARD SUPERVISOR KATRINA FOLEY

1. Slip and other boater amenity fees

2. Removal of dock boxes

3. Construction funding, timeline and impacts

I remain committed to finding alternatives to reduce the fees and allow for more gradual increases over time instead of the hammer approach currently utilized. One of the first tasks of the new Dana Point Harbor Oversight Committee, which starts in July, is to review a few options related to fees and storage and provide me with recommendations.

I expect a report back by September.

The committee will meet monthly and prepare public reports each month describing the status of the incoming revenue of DPH, the funding for the project, construction schedule and phasing status, as well as notice about any anticipated closures or impacts.

Working with the oversight committee, county staff and DPHP will help me as

Fly the Greener Skies

As we move toward summer and well-deserved holidays, you may be booking flights to faraway places. As part of this process, you might notice your airline offering you the opportunity to buy carbon offsets for your travel.

This sounds like a great idea—pay a few bucks to fly without impacting the environment; why not? Unfortunately, these offerings are an example of “if it sounds too good to be true, it is.” Until we develop better biofuels or batteries for commercial aviation, or perhaps bring back the zeppelin, there is no way to fly the friendly skies without

spewing CO2.

My advisory oversight committee will inform my office’s approach to this project and will ensure that businesses, county staff, and the community have a voice in the process. Our selection process begins this week with the oversight committee members announced in June.

The harbor remains decades behind in maintenance and ocean conservation best practices. I’m excited about the future revitalization. We must continue to move this project forward as we work out some of the community’s greatest concerns still not addressed.

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at katrina.foley@ocgov.com. Additionally, I will provide updates on my newsletter every week and continue to update my Dana Point Harbor page at d5.ocgov. com/dana-point-harbor-updates. Subscribe at d5.ocgov.com/newsletter. SC

Elected in 2022, Katrina Foley represents the Fifth Supervisorial District on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. She was previously elected to serve the Second District from 2021-2022.

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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EDITORIAL

Managing Editor

Shawn Raymundo

City Reporter, SC Times

C. Jayden Smith

City Reporter, DP Times

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Collin Breaux

Sports Editor

Zach Cavanagh

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Columnists

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ADVERTISING

CITIZEN’S CLIMATE EDUCATION

BYPATTI MAW

Other mo des of travel have less impact, so if you can, take your trip instead by car (preferably electric or hybrid) or by train. If you must board a plane, then a nonstop journey is the kindest option, because takeoffs are the most polluting part of a flight.

Upgrading to the forward cabin takes a bigger toll on both your wallet

(Cont. on page 12)

San Clemente Times, Vol. 18, Issue 21. 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 2023. 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. FACEBOOK.COM/SANCLEMENTETIMES

GUEST OPINION: The Foley Report by Board Supervisor Katrina Foley

GUEST OPINION: Citizens’ Climate Education by Patti Maw

FOLEY REPORT BY OC

Photo: Courtesy of SevenStorm JUHASZIMRUS/Pexels

SOAPBOX

(Cont. from page 11)

and the environment than flying coach, because more fuel is needed to lift the larger space around a first- or business-class seat (plus the weight of the glassware, silverware, and food being carried onboard for your convenience).

If you must go airborne to reach your destination, then buying carbon offsets for your flight is better than not buying them. Their purpose is to try and cancel out the amount of carbon your flight will generate by funding carbon-reducing projects somewhere else on the planet.

Note that this should be a carbon removal that wouldn’t have happened otherwise, so paying someone to save a tree they weren’t planning to cut down anyway doesn’t count.

It is difficult to determine if the offsets available through your airline meet this standard, and an accurate offset amount likely costs more than the airline will charge you.

If you’re serious about reducing your travel impact, you can purchase

independently audited Quality Assurance Standard-certified carbon credits directly through sites such as clear.eco. Using its calculator, you can even go beyond “carbon neutral” to “carbon negative” by removing more than your trip will generate, if you are so inclined.

The bottom line is, the only sure way to offset the carbon generated by airplane travel is to avoid emitting that pollution in the first place. While you’re planning, consider that many people choose to travel to California for summer vacation, and we’re already here. SC

Patti Maw is a member of the South Orange County Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Education/Lobby. She has lived in San Juan Capistrano for 10 years and firmly believes that life is amazing and that nature is beautiful.

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.

Letters to The Editor

RIP, ROD RODRIGUEZ RICHARD CORDER, San Clemente

Rod Rodriguez of Rod’s Tree Service passed away on May 3 at his home in San Clemente. Rod was a San Clemente legend. Rod gave so much to our community, and he faithfully served the city of San Clemente for 56 years.

Ro d served San Clemente as a reserve police officer from the mid-’60s to the late ’70s. Rod opened Rod’s Tree Service in 1965, which provided jobs for approximately 60 San Clemente locals.

I met Rod when I started at SCPD in 1979. I have never met anyone as dedicated as he was to serving the City of San Clemente. I had the pleasure of interacting with Rod’s Tree Service throughout my career and long after I retired.

During the great storms of the early ’80s and ’90s, Rod and his crew were out 24/7 assisting with storm damage all over town. So many times, Rod would be called out in the middle of the night to assist with traffic accidents involving downed trees. Also, for random trees that decided to fall over and block the roadway.

Rod also organized the first Cinco de Mayo event here in town, and he and his family worked these events for as long as I can remember. Rod organized the adoption of the 2/4 Marine Battalion.

He and his grandsons (Ricky, Matt and Jason) put on a yearly barbeque for military members serving our great nation and their families. Rod served our country as a proud Marine. He helped develop Bonita and Linda Lane canyons into parks, including construction of the Boys & Girls Club. Ro d was loved in San Clemente. He was a giver. He served our community faithfully and without hesitation. I will miss you, my brother. Thank you for everything you have done for our community. Thank you for being you.

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.

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The List

What’s going on in and around town this week

SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

THURSDAY | 25

MERMADE MARKET

10 a.m. Stock up on local gifts at the Ocean Institute during this year’s spring Mermade Market. The market will run through Saturday, May 27, with a beer garden featured on Friday, May 26, from 4-8 p.m. The event will feature more than 140 indoor and outdoor makers and food trucks. Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. 949.672.8019. mermademarket.com.

TABLE TENNIS THURSDAYS

10 a.m.-noon. Intermediate to advanced players who are at least 45 years old are invited to play table tennis at the Shorecliffs Terrace Mobile Home Park every Thursday for free. Shorecliffs Terrace, 3000 Calle Nuevo, San Clemente. 949.481.2275.

FRIDAY | 26

LINE DANCING FRIDAYS

10-11 a.m. Join Age Well Senior Services for line dancing every Friday at San Clemente’s senior center. No partner required. For a $5 donation, learn some easy and fun line dances to get you moving. Carrie Wojo teaches all over South Orange County and makes it easy to stay active and have fun. Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente. 949.498.3322.

YOUTH PROGRAMMING AT THE NOBLE PATH FOUNDATION

4:30 p.m. The Noble Path Foundation hosts events multiple times a week to get youth and young adults out and about and participating in safe, productive activities. There will be an improv lesson from 4:30-5:30 p.m., and TGIF Night starting at 6 p.m.—the theme be -

FRIDAY | 26: CASA ROMANTICA REOPENING CELEBRATION

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Celebrate Casa Romantica’s reopening to the public. The nonprofit will partially open with a suggested donation of $5 per person. All donations will help support Casa Romantica’s fundraising efforts. Notable events for reopening day include a Coffee Concert with High Tide Coffee at 10:15 a.m. in the Courtyard, where the Perfect Blend Duo will put on an acoustic performance, as well as a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the reopening at 11:30 a.m. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente. 949.498.2139. casaromantica.org.

ing video games on numerous consoles. The Noble Path Foundation, 420 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.234.7259. thenoblepathfoundation.org.

SATURDAY | 27

HIKE AT SAN MATEO CAMPGROUND

9-11 a.m. Join California State Parks Naturalist Heather Rice to experience a local state park. Meet at the amphitheater for this 3-mile walk from Panhe Canyon to the ocean. Day-use fees apply. San Onofre State Beach, 830 Cristianitos Road, San Clemente.

ANNUAL HAWAIIAN SURF CLUB OF SAN ONOFRE POLYNESIAN FESTIVAL

10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Hawaiian Surf Club of San Onofre is hosting its annual Polynesian Festival at the San Clemente Community Center. The free, family-friendly cultural event will feature Hawaiian and Tahitian dancing and music from the islands. There will also be vendors and teriyaki chicken plate lunch for sale. San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente. 714.369.0475.

GEEKS WHO DRINK TRIVIA NIGHT

7-9 p.m. Left Coast Brewing presents trivia modeled after pub quizzes in Ireland and the United Kingdom, covering everything from Hungary to the Hunger Games. Teams can include up to six people. Winning teams earn bar cash and other priz-

es. Left Coast Tasting Room, 1251 Puerta Del Sol, San Clemente. eventvesta.com.

MIKE STAGGS & THE SOUL

8-11:45 p.m. Memorial Day weekend

kicks off at BeachFire Bar & Grill with a free show by Mike Staggs & The Soul. Enjoy the great beverages, delicious food and tasty rock and roll. BeachFire Bar & Grill, 204 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. beachfire.com.

SUNDAY | 28

SAN CLEMENTE FARMERS MARKET

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Shop for a wide selection of fruits, vegetables and artisanal goods from organic growers along Avenida Del Mar. 949 361 8200. san-clemente.org.

MONDAY | 29

OLD MISSION CEMETERY MEMORIAL DAY RECOGNITION

9-10 a.m. American L egion Post 721 will host a ceremony honoring all veterans interred at the Old Mission Historic Cemetery. Old Mission Historic Cemetery, Los Cerritos Street, San Juan Capistrano.

DANA POINT MEMORIAL DAY

CEREMONY

10 a.m.-noon. The City of Dana Point and the Dana Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9934 will honor fallen

veterans at a Memorial Day Ceremony at Pines Park. Pines Park, 3491 Camino Capistrano, Dana Point. 949.248.1419. vfwpost9934@coxn.net. vfwpost9934.org.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO MEMORIAL DAY RECOGNITION

10 a.m.-2 p.m. American Legion Post 721 will host a ceremony honoring all veterans who lost their lives while serving the country. Lunch will be served while it lasts. Veterans Park, corner of Forster Street and Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE

11 a.m.-noon. The City of San Clemente invites the public to join community leaders on Memorial Day as they commemorate the nation’s fallen veterans. Lt. Col. Christopher Kim, Commanding Officer, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, is the keynote speaker. The program is held outdoors and is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. The city advises guests to arrive early to ensure time to find parking. Those who know a deceased servicemember who resided in San Clemente and should be honored through this observance can email recreation@san-clemente.org with their name, service title, and other special notes. And if you are a member of a local civic/ service organization and would like to participate in the floral display, complete the application at the city’s website. San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Call Seville. 949.361.8264. san-clemente.org.

COUNTRY NIGHT AT H.H. COTTON’S

6 p.m. This popular downtown restaurant offers a night full of country music and line dancing for all ages. Beginners will have the floor from 6-7 p.m., followed by advanced dancers from 7:30-8:30 p.m. The floor will be open to all from 8:30-10 p.m. H.H. Cotton’s, 201 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. 949.945.6616. hhcottons.com.

OPEN JAM

7-10 p.m. Play your own percussion, acoustic or electric instruments every Monday night at Knuckleheads. Amps are allowed, but drums are not. Knuckleheads, 1717 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.2410. knuckleheadsmusic.com.

TUESDAY | 30

STORYTIME AT THE SJC LIBRARY

10:30-11 a.m. Bring the kids to storytime, held every Tuesday morning. Children will get to read books and sing songs. The event is geared for the 2- to 6-yearold age range. San Juan Capistrano Library, 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.1752. ocpl.org.

Photo: File/Keaton Larson

Photo: Courtesy

Welcome to the first edition of South OC Good Eats!

THE FOOD SCENE IN SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY is a standout in Southern California, and we’re celebrating some highlights. Some may be places you’ve certainly heard of and helmed by award-winning chefs. We’ll provide insight into what makes them great. Some others may be under the radar and could open your eyes to something new. From the great side, we profile the three chefs who were named Best Chef in our latest “Best Of” awards in San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. Get to know what shaped their careers and their menus. From the under-the-radar, we spotlight cultural restaurants in our town that showcase the cuisines of Hawaii, Polynesia and Mexico. Find something new to test your palate. Plus, we give a rundown of all the newest local eateries to add to your going-out options, highlight ice cream shops with non-dairy alternatives to indulge your sweet tooth and feature the area’s farm-to-table restaurants to give you the freshest bites around. We hope this section opens your eyes and fills your stomach with the best food South Orange County has to offer.

Keeping it Fresh: The Farm-to-Table Experience

By Collin Breaux

The farm-to-table concept has grown popular in recent years, as restaurant customers now value health and sustainability as much as they do flavor.

In layman’s terms, farm-to-table means restaurants directly utilizing fresh-grown food grown naturally, as opposed to freeze-dried or other traditionally stored ingredients.

This approach has become particularly popular in Southern California, given the region’s interest in environmentalism and health. People are no longer just stopping in a fast-food drive-through for a processed and quick bite to eat or microwaving a frozen meal.

They want food they know is nutritious, natural, and sourced in their area.

South Orange County has its share of eateries utilizing the approach.

FLIGHTS & IRONS URBAN KITCHEN

SAN CLEMENTE

As a family-owned restaurant that serves what it calls “rustic American

cuisine,” Flights & Irons uses seasonal ingredients.

The majority of its food is served in a cast-iron skillet, adding to the natural feel. Menu items include egg dishes, French toast, soups, and salads.

MAISON CAFÉ + MARKET

DANA POINT

Owner and chef Danielle Kuhn brings two decades of culinary experience to her venture, named after the French word for “home.”

Maison serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with an adjacent market full of items where customers can buy if they want to try their hand at replicating a dish. Hummus, salmon, and lentils are some of Maison’s offerings.

Maison also has a beer and wine list, thoughtfully collected from eco-friendly sources.

TREVOR’S AT THE TRACKS

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

Trevor Baird—who, unsurprisingly, founded and owns the well-known Downtown San Juan Capistrano restaurant—of-

ten touts the importance of the farm-to-table model and serving healthy food.

And, as Baird has said before, healthy food—vegetarian cuisine, in particular— can be tasty. That’s why Trevor’s tries to freshen up menu offerings so they have a new twist. The salads, for instance, aren’t just the usual house variety. The “no lettuce” salad, for example, is just that. It instead consists of tomatoes, snap peas, asparagus, and other vegetables.

A small garden yields fresh crops in front of Trevor’s, and Baird is looking to eventually harvest more fresh crops from a future farm area at the Northwest Open Space once development plans for that area get underway with San Juan developer Dan Almquist.

THE ECOLOGY CENTER

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

While not a restaurant per se, this community center is all about farm-to-table— literally, quite often.

In fact, The Ecology Center is a working farm. The crops grown on it are often utilized for the center’s community dinner nights.

Those gatherings are held on Friday nights and feature visiting chefs who cook a multi-course meal using fresh ingredients harvested right off the farm. Since each night features a different chef, the food can vary in taste and texture. On any given night, diners may have an opportunity to sample salads, fruits, vegetables, tacos, and other assorted dishes. Water and adult beverages are served with the food.

Diners are seated at tables to encourage conversation, particularly about sustainability and where their food comes from. Dinner participants may be seated next to folks they already know or people they’ve never met before—the latter of which can be an opportunity to meet a new friend.

Such occurrences are part of The Ecology Center’s commitment to community. Along with the dinners, The Ecology Center also has a farmstand where people can buy food and drinks and where it hosts open strawberry pickings on the weekends, enabling families and other residents to come in and get their own fresh berries from the field.

The Ecology Center hosts Community Table, a Friday night dinner that rotates visiting chefs.

Photo: Collin Breaux

Discover the Area’s Newest Dining Options

By Breeana Greenberg

Since the spring of 2022, many new restaurants, taprooms, and cafés have opened their doors in South Orange County, offering residents and visitors alike a variety of new dining options to try this year. Here’s a rundown of those eateries where readers, residents and visitors can whet their appetites and quench their thirst.

SAN CLEMENTE

Los Molinos Beer Company

The new brewery opened its doors in the Los Molinos Business District on April 16, 2022, offering craft beer, burgers, sandwiches and more.

151 Calle De Los Molinos, San Clemente. 949.599.5029. losmolinosbeer.com.

Beach Hut Deli

The Southern California chain opened its third location in San Clemente’s North Beach Historic District in May 2022, offering sandwiches, salads, beach munchies and more.

1844 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.312.2257. beachhutdeli.com.

Gema

Owner Sarah Resendiz opened Gema in summer 2022, offering authentic Mexican cuisine in an intimate neighborhood environment.

110 South El Camino Real, San Clemente. 714.640.9371. gemarestaurant.com.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

The Rooftop Kitchen + Bar

The Rooftop Kitchen + Bar, offering American comfort cuisine with open-air seating that boasts a bird’s-eye view of downtown San Juan, celebrated its grand opening during the Swallows Day Parade on March 12, 2022.

31781 Camino Capistrano, Suite 301, San Juan Capistrano. 949.503.3358. rooftopoc.square.site.

Pacific Pearl Café

Offering a light breakfast or lunch and a relaxing spot to enjoy a cup of coffee, Pacific Pearl Café opened its doors in late March 2022.

31654 Rancho Viejo Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.312.2906. pacificpearlcafe.com.

Breezy

The island-themed brunch spot celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 5, 2022, offering pancake stacks, avocado toast, acai bowls and more.

31761 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.373.5218. experiencebreezy.com.

Bloom Restaurant + Bar

Bloom celebrated its grand opening across from Mission San Juan Capistrano on Dec. 2, 2022, offering seasonally inspired comfort foods.

31760 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.503.2654. bloomsanjuancapistrano.com.

DANA POINT

Outer Reef

Outer Reef, which opened on April 29, 2022 at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, offers a distinct West Coast spin on favorite dishes from Chef John Tesar’s previous seafood restaurant, Spoon Bar and Kitchen in Dallas.

25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point. 949.487.7555. outerreefoc.com.

Tabay’s Mindful Kitchen

Parked at the intersection of Doheny Park Road and Victoria Boulevard near the 76 fuel station in Capistrano Beach, Tabay’s Mindful Kitchen food truck celebrated its grand opening on July 10, 2022, offering vegan burgers, chili cheese dogs and poke bowls.

tabaysmindfulkitchen.com.

APizza Doho

Marcos Costas, Christopher Christian and his nephew, Anthony Christian, held a soft opening for their East Coast-style pizza restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway on Sept. 21, 2022.

34255 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 101, Dana Point. 949.570.3636. apizzadoho.com.

Delahunt Brewing Taproom + Taqueria

The San Clemente-based brewery celebrated the grand opening of its taproom and taqueria on Sept. 2, 2022, bringing its craft beers and tacos to Dana Point.

34091 La Plaza, Dana Point. 949.503.1348. delahuntbrewing.com.

Young’s Beach Shack

The Ranch at Laguna Beach celebrated the opening of Young’s Beach Shack, a new concession stand at Salt Creek Beach on Feb. 21, 2023, offering locally sourced, coastal cuisine and craft beers and wine.

33521 Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point. 949.388.2430. youngsbeachshack.com.

Maison Cafe + Market

Dana Point Chef Danielle Kuhn reopened Maison Café + Market at its new location in the Prado West Development on April 4, 2023, offering a seasonal menu of organic produce, pastries and fresh coffee.

24501 Del Prado Ave, Dana Point. 949.218.8431. maisondanapoint.com.

Gema. Photo: By C. Jayden Smith

APizza Doho has quickly become a local favorite. Photo: Breeana Greenberg

Beyond the typical restaurants around South County that serve American or Italian fare, hungry residents in Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano have numerous dining destinations at their disposal that offer foods from a wide range of cultures.

Nalu’s Hawaiian Fish Grill & Tutu’s Kitchen, owned by Mike Garrett, seeks to educate visitors about “akamai eating,” which guides followers to eat smart and be faithful stewards of the world around them.

The plethora of char-grilled fish and poke dishes, roast pork meals, soups and other options bear out Nalu’s vision by using fresh and all-natural meats and locally grown produce.

Borne out of a deep connection to Hawaii and a partnership with Tony Trung, who Garrett calls the president of the Nalu’s organization, Nalu’s brings an authentic version of Hawaiian food to the West Coast.

Garrett’s business pursuits in the late 1970s placed him in Hawaii often, where he was introduced to the concept of plate lunches, an island staple, and its own version of “fast food” consisting of two scoops of rice, macaroni salad and meat, such as teriyaki chicken.

“There’s a lot of people that try to copy it,” says Garrett. “It’s not done like (it is) in grandma’s kitchen, and that’s pretty much why we call it Tutu’s Kitchen. ‘Tutu’ is grandma.”

He recalled that whenever he was in Hawaii on business, he always preferred

Cultural Food Abounds in South County

By C. Jayden Smith

to visit more “homely” restaurants rather than the chains.

Trung, a native of Hawaii, handles the food side of the business and spent the company’s early years developing the menu. He traveled back to Hawaii on his own, according to Garrett, to eat at numerous plate lunch restaurants and learn what the best practices would be for Nalu’s to follow.

Those principles include making each item fresh every day and using free-range chicken, grass-fed beef and fresh fish for their food.

Having been involved in the surfing world for more than 40 years, Garrett says he was present in Southern California when surfing manufacturers and magazines were first started as a part of surfing’s introduction to the mainland United States and the rest of the world.

“Being in the surf industry, it’s a small group of people, and I’ve known them all my life,” he says. “Your soul is into it. We want to share that culture with the world, properly, and you want to be authentic.”

Nalu’s found its way to San Clemente

roughly five years ago, says Garrett, as the company was looking to set up shop in a place near the ocean.

Since then, they’ve received significant support from people in town.

“It’s almost like a ministry,” Garrett says. “You get the community involved, and people come in and make it like a family restaurant, basically.”

Their location near the Camino de Estrella exit off Interstate 5 is conducive to receiving visits from travelers heading both north and south along the freeway. Many of them have seen Hawaiian food, Garrett says.

“We’re fast at making the food, and they get it within six minutes,” he says, adding: “I’m in there about three or four days a week, and I’ve never seen someone not like their food.”

From then on, it’s a test of trying to encourage people to try other menu items, as most people find what they like the first time inside and keep ordering the same dish.

“We get a lot of regular customers, and sometimes they get the opposite mahi than (what) they had before,” Garrett says.

“They go, ‘Wow, that was just as good as (the other one), so it’s hard for me to decide.’ That’s one of the things we did with the menu, to make it so that people could come in and get different things.”

Over in San Juan Capistrano, Breezy provides a wide range of breakfast- and brunch-themed foods that remind one of its owners, Jasmin Gonzalez, of spending time on a tropical island.

With Filipino culture carrying the banner, accompanied by Hawaiian and other Polynesian dishes, Gonzalez and her colleagues combined to construct a menu that boasts vibrant and flavorful dishes.

The storefront offers coffee beverages and acai bowls in addition to ube French toast and pancakes, longanisa breakfast bowls and pork adobo breakfast burritos.

“What this really is, is the island foods we grew up on,” Gonzalez previously told The Capistrano Dispatch in October 2022, adding: “We’re not trying to win awards, but mainly trying to introduce our culture and what we grew up with to San Juan Capistrano.”

Over in Dana Point, Lupe’s Mexican Eatery took home the People’s Choice Golden Lantern in the Dana Point Times’ Best of Dana Point edition for 2022.

One of five locations in Southern California, Lupe’s offers a vast and creative menu, including a special birria menu, locally themed and jam-packed burritos, and cocktails.

Take a good look around the South Orange County landscape, and you’ll find plenty of exciting and unique restaurants that will whet your appetite.

The garlic ahi plate at Nalu’s Hawaiian Fish Grill is one of many flavorful dishes visitors can try as an introduction to Hawaiian cuisine. Photo: C. Jayden Smith

ESPRESSO BAR & SCOOP DECK

ESPRESSO BAR & SCOOP DECK

DELI & JUICE BAR

DELI & JUICE BAR

The Main Course

Top-Rated Chefs Take a Flavorful Approach

By Collin Breaux, Breeana Greenberg, and Shawn Raymundo

San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, and San Clemente certainly have a wealth of restaurants and types of food to choose from if you’re looking to eat out. Readers of Dana Point Times, San Clemente Times and The Capistrano Dispatch recently voted for their favorite chefs during Picket Fence Media’s recent “Best of” Awards. We wanted to learn more about these local culinary gurus, so we spent some time hearing about their stories and approaches to food.

ROB WILSON OF GLASSPAR IN DANA POINT

After growing up fishing on his father’s 1965 18-foot Glasspar Seafair Sedan, Rob Wilson paid homage to the vintage boat company when he named his restaurant in Dana Point—Glasspar.

The boat seemed to be “a part of the family,” Wilson says, as he spent most Wednesdays and Saturdays either fishing with his dad out of the Dana Point Harbor or surfing at Doheny State Beach when his father went fishing.

Long before he opened Glasspar, Wilson’s career in the restaurant business started at age 15, when he worked as a dishwasher at the Dana Point Chart House. Wilson worked at the restaurant using a work permit from Dana Hills High School’s culinary department.

“One day, one of the managers came up and said, ‘One of the cooks didn’t show up for work,’ ” Wilson recalls. “And he said, ‘Aren’t you here from a work permit from the culinary department at Dana Hills?’, and I said, ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘Here’s a shirt, here’s a hat, get on the line.’ ”

“And so, I started cooking pretty much a week after I started there, and I just fell in love with it, and I kind of never looked back,” Wilson adds.

From there, Wilson spent 25 years in the luxury hotel sector, working his way to an executive chef position at the Montage in Laguna Beach.

Using his extensive culinary background, Wilson and his wife, Annique Wilson, looked to create a “vintage American seafood hall” when they opened Glasspar in the Dana Marina Plaza in December 2019.

“My wife and I had always wanted to do something of our own, and so we had a couple of concepts we tossed around, and really it was a matter of like our kids were out of the house … and we just wanted to do something in our community that we love,” Wilson says.

Annique Wilson oversees the wine and beverage program, as well as the private dining and catering aspect of Glasspar.

Glasspar offers “creative Californian” cuisine that pulls influences from Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Italy and Peru.

“I try to pull from my experiences in my life and flavor profiles that will be creative,” Wilson says. “I’ve always said that California is kind of a melting pot for cuisine. People say, ‘What is California cuisine?’ Well, it feels fresh, it’s local, it’s a bit lighter, but it is a melting pot.”

When Wilson’s cooking, he always tries to use the ingredients that are in season.

“I always say that if it’s growing in my backyard, it should probably be on my menu,” Wilson says. “So, in summertime, you should have beautiful tomatoes on your menu, and wintertime, you should have more root vegetables. So, I always try to cook within the season.”

Wilson adds that since California doesn’t have very distinctive seasons, he changes the menu three times a year instead of four, letting the summer-fall menu collide into one another.

“I like to cook fresh,” Wilson says. “I like to make food that is flavorful and within the season, and if I can get it as local as possible, that’s what we try to do.”

Wilson adds that he’s very proud of Glasspar’s accomplishments, noting that it’s nice to be recognized by the local community for his and his staff’s efforts.

“I’m very proud that we made it through the past and that we’re here today,” Wilson says. “It’s been a tumultuous ride. It hasn’t been easy for anyone in the restaurant industry, but I think focusing on the future, we want to continue to get better and be creative with our foods.”

“I feel that with every menu that we put out, we get a little better,” Wilson adds.

Rob Wilson looks to emulate a “vintage American seafood hall” in his restaurant, Glasspar, which opened in the Dana Marina Plaza in December 2019. Photo: Courtesy of Glasspar

CHRIS KARTCHNER OF THE CELLAR AND JANE IN SAN CLEMENTE

Growing up in a Las Vegas household in which he was one of six children, Chris Kartchner and his family certainly weren’t going out to eat every night. Though that’s not to say he wasn’t exposed to the fine dining available in Sin City.

“I’m originally from Vegas, and I grew up going to all these nice restaurants and casinos,” he says. “I just grew up eating great food out there.”

Most of the time, though, about four or five nights a week, his mother provided home-cooked meals. When he was still just a child, he found himself in the kitchen beside his mother, helping her cook.

“I would say at age 9, that’s when I kind of started helping her out around the kitchen and stuff,” Kartchner recalls.

Learning how to cook in those formative years, he notes, “I knew I wanted to be a chef at age 11.”

At 27 years old, Kartchner now finds himself in the role of chef at The Cellar and Jane in Downtown San Clemente, achieving that very goal he had set out to accomplish 16 years ago.

And after being in the position for about the past 2½ years, he was recognized this past February as the Best Chef in San Clemente for the annual People’s Choice Ole Awards.

“I was really stoked (to get a Golden Ole), especially with it being a people’s choice thing,” he says, remembering the day he opened the Best of San Clemente issue. “That made me stoked, too, because, I know, I see the numbers here, I know we’re doing well, but it was cool seeing that people really do appreciate it, like notice what I’m doing here. It’s awesome. It’s a great feeling.”

Kartchner’s yearslong journey to become a chef started that year he turned 11. That was when he and the family moved near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where his parents—who had careers in real estate—

began to sell timeshares for some of the major hotels following the stock market crash.

“I lived in Mexico for three years, and I was just cooking constantly down there and learning how to make Mexican cuisine and Latin cuisine, and that was like a big inspiration for me in the kitchen,” Kartchner says.

When he was 12, he applied to attend a magnet school where he could receive formal training to become a chef.

“I didn’t get in, but that didn’t really deter me going forward,” Kartchner recalls of his determination.

Years later and back in the U.S., he notes, he would land his first job in a professional kitchen—by accident.

“I took the first job I could find as a

OSCAR RAMIREZ OF FIVE VINES WINE BAR IN SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

When Five Vines Wine Bar co-owner Suzy Fairchild was looking for someone to handle the food, she decided to call her longtime friend, Oscar Ramirez, in 2018. The two had worked together in the service industry before, and she needed someone she knew and trusted for her Orange County venture.

“She said, ‘I need a chef at my place. Are you interested?’ ” Ramirez recalls.

He accepted her offer and has been practicing his craft alongside his longtime colleague ever since, including through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had new ideas for this place, and I think that’s worked,” Ramirez says.

Five Vines offers finger foods that go well with its main calling card of wine. Current menu items include a hummus dip with carrot and cucumber slices, sal-

dishwasher at Nordstrom Café over at Mission Viejo. And within a month, even still as a dishwasher, I learned how to make everything on their menu, just make it myself like making my lunches when I go on break every day,” he says, adding: “From there, I kind of just kept climbing up the ladder.”

While on that climb, he’s ascended to a variety of roles in restaurant kitchens around South Orange County, including Olamendi’s and Panera Bread, where he was a baker; BJ’s Restaurants and Brewhouse; and Trevor’s at the Tracks in Downtown San Juan Capistrano, where he worked as a fry cook and then kitchen manager.

kitchen since I was 17, so I’ve been in the kitchen about 10 years—most of which I was working 60-, 70-hour weeks, because that’s just how you move up,” he explains. “There’s really no other way to do it. especially without schooling.”

For Kartchner, though, who needs schooling when you have practical, real-world kitchen experience? The recipes and lessons he picked up from his first teacher—his mother—also came in handy.

“When we went to Mexico, that’s when I started cooking often,” he says. “I made some of her recipes. And then, I would say around 18, 19, that’s when I started writing my own recipes, making my own stuff.”

Now as a professional chef, he’s used some of his mom’s recipes, while putting his own unique touch on them. He even incorporated her recipe for a potato and cheese chowder she used to make for the family into the menu at The Cellar.

“That was my favorite growing up. … That’s the recipe I took from her, and now it’s kind of completely different. I just gave it some flair,” he says, adding: “I’ve had it on the menu here, and people loved it.”

Recognizing her son’s talents, Kartchner’s mother will sometimes ask him for help seasoning her homemade soups.

“Having learned to cook and growing up cooking with her, it’s pretty rad now that I can kind of give something back to her after she gave me that livelihood besides raising me,” he says. “She pretty much gave me my career now, which is rad.”

As for his ongoing climb up the ladder, Kartchner acknowledges that he’s in a good place right now professionally, but at some point, after he turns 30, he plans to open his own restaurant.

“I plan to start my own business eventually; I have had people offer to invest,” he says. “But I don’t know, I’m only 27. I’m thinking maybe once I’m 30, I’ll start looking at something like that more seriously. I feel like I still have a lot to learn.”

“I just kind of worked my way up over the years. I’m 27, and I’ve been in the says. “The only thing, maybe, I don’t like is dessert … but I try.”

ads, soup cups, and flatbreads. The food is minimalist but delectable and is also frequently highly rated by readers when the “Best of” contest rolls around.

Five Vines is a popular spot with visitors and locals alike and has come to establish itself as an anchor in the Downtown San Juan business scene.

Ramirez says he can prepare any type of food. On a given weekday, before the nighttime and weekend influx of customers, he can be found diligently chopping lettuce and other ingredients.

“Honestly, I never follow recipes,” Ramirez says. “I make my own.”

He started cooking in 2001 and feels drawn to the kitchen—which, in Five Vines’ case, is upstairs and away from the downstairs bar, and therefore not near the milieu of patrons and other winery employees.

“I like to cook everything,” Ramirez

He offers a laugh when discussing his handling of dessert, underscoring his amiable and laid-back personality.

Ramirez enjoys the family feel of working at Five Vines, which is run by the Fairchild family.

“I like everyone,” he says. “We work so hard together to keep this place going.”

Though not from the area, Ramirez has grown to enjoy working in San Juan.

“The first thing I say, ‘Are you guys really busy? I don’t see many people around here,’ ” he says when recalling his initial conversation with Suzy about coming to work at Five Vines. “She said San Juan Capistrano is a really good area. I agree now, after five years of working here. San Juan Capistrano is a really good city.”

Without formal schooling to be a chef, Chris Kartchner of The Cellar and Jane in Downtown San Clemente has climbed the ladder in the restaurant industry to become a young rising star in South County culinary scene. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Five Vines Wine Bar chef Oscar Ramirez brings an individualistic and free-form approach to crafting the food at the Downtown San Juan Capistrano winery. Photo: Collin Breaux

No Dairy? No Problem

Vegan alternatives still bring the flavor in local ice cream shops

By Zach Cavanagh

AS THE SUMMER MONTHS HEAT UP the sandy shores of South Orange County, many residents and visitors turn to a time-honored cooldown treat—ice cream.

While there are plenty of places in this corner of paradise to get a couple scoops or a cone, there are many who either can’t enjoy the regular dairy version or are simply trying to be more responsible in their choices but would still like to indulge in a rich, creamy, sweet dish.

Luckily, for those looking for alternatives, there are several options in San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano that can service those needs without losing what makes ice cream special.

Paradis Ice Cream, with locations on Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point and on Avenida Del Mar in San Clemente, has plant-based vegan options that stack up with anywhere else’s regular ice cream flavors.

Among the most popular flavors is peanut butter chip, which is made with oat milk, peanut butter and shards of chocolate. While there is definitely a slightly different mouth feel of the vegan options, it is really just slight, and after a couple of spoonfuls, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. It has that smooth richness people expect from a good ice cream.

Flavors like a fresh strawberry, almond chocolate chip and coconut chip are properly labeled to let customers know exactly what goes into these options. Paradis also offers a full vegan sundae, with two flavors of ice cream, vegan chocolate sauce and a vegan chocolate chip cookie.

If you’re looking for something even more densely packed with flavor, further down in San Clemente is Lucky Dog Gelato, which features small, handcrafted batches of gelato made with dairy and non-dairy milks along with locally sourced ingredients.

Lucky Dog Gelato, the 2022 winner in the San Clemente Times’ Best of San Clemente

for Spot to Cure a Sweet Tooth, offers a variety of unique vegan gelato flavors like black rice and sesame, white chocolate and yuzu and carrot, saffron and cocoa nibs, along with traditional staples like chocolate or peanut butter.

Like another location we’ll highlight, Lucky Dog offers sorbettos, which are more fruit-based, as well as Dogelato, which is a veterinarian-approved dog gelato for your furry friends.

Finally, in San Juan Capistrano, before taking your walk across the tracks into the Los Rios District, stop by 3:16 Bakery Shop, which offers gelato and sorbetto as

soon as you step in the door.

The sorbetto at 3:16 Bakery Shop packs a punch with strong fruit flavors up front. The strawberry is fresh and sweet, and the lemon brings an unmatched tartness. You can tell the freshness of the sorbetto as well, as you catch tiny bits of the real fruit in nearly every bite.

There are other vegan options at 3:16 Bakery, with the frozen yogurt dispensers along the back wall.

Whether it’s a rich creaminess or a sharp sweetness, vegan and alternative ice cream options can hit the spot this summer.

Lucky Dog Gelato offers a number of vegan flavors at its San Clemente location. Photo: Courtesy of Lucky Dog Gelato

(Cont. from page 14)

WEDNESDAY | 31

BINGO AT THE SENIOR CENTER

1:30 p.m. Every Wednesday, the Dorothy Visser Senior Center will host Bingo. The center will begin selling cards at 1 p.m., with the game starting promptly at 1:30. The buy-in is $12 for 10 games with four cards and a special pick-your-number game. For more information, contact the center at 949.498.3322. Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente.

Get a curated list of the weekend’s best events sent straight to your inbox every Friday! Sign up for The Weekender at sanclementetimes.com/weekender

AT THE MOVIES:

WHAT’S HAPPENING AHEAD

THURSDAY | 01

SPRING INTO JAZZ WITH CRYSTAL LEWIS

6:30-9 p.m. The Casino San Clemente welcomes back contemporary award-winning jazz songstress Crystal Lewis. This dinner and show features a performance by Lewis, as well as a Cal Fresh-catered dinner menu that includes rosemary garlic chicken or an artichoke fritters vegetarian option, penne pasta with asiago cream, peas and sun-dried tomatoes, plus a tiramisu shortcake. Tickets are $35 per person. Casino San Clemente, 140 W. Avenida Pico, San Clemente. 949.369.6600. thecasinosanclemente.com.

‘BLACKBERRY’ SUCCEEDS ON SCREEN

BY MEGAN BIANCO

On paper, Matt Johnson’s new historical drama, BlackBerry, sounds like a parody of modern biopics. Comedy actors Glenn Howerton and Jay Baruchel as the stars? Who is asking for a movie about the rise of an outdated smartphone in 2023? Why bother when we already have plenty of tech flicks out there?

And yet, shockingly, it’s actually pretty good. The leads are very strong and aren’t out of place, and the humor is appropriate without being too silly. I would even go as far as to say the film probably has the strongest structure out of all the business dramas released recently.

In 1996 Waterloo, Canada, computer engineers Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Doug Fredon (Johnson) are struggling to sell their invention of phone-plus-email that’s also half the size of a portable phone.

Entrepreneur Jim Balsillie (Howerton) suddenly pitches them an offer to get their product off the ground if they hire him as CEO of their tiny tech company, Research in Motion. Within a decade, their device, the BlackBerry, goes from a pipe dream to a major player, with only Apple’s products as their competition in the 2000s.

But with all good things comes temptation—especially for Jim.

What’s interesting about BlackBerry is that it truly is a rise-and-fall tale rather than a success story. Unlike Windows,

Pure Prairie League

BY COLLIN BREAUX

After more than 50 years of playing music, legendary country rock band Pure Prairie League will perform in San Juan Capistrano right before the start of summer.

The band behind hits including “Amie” and “Let Me Love You Tonight” is scheduled to perform at The Coach House on June 18. Bass player and singer Mike Reilly says they always look forward to a West Coast run, because they don’t get out in this area as much as they used to.

“We got a million friends down there,” Reilly says about the band’s fan base and fellow bands in Southern California.

Reilly thinks the concert will be fun, considering the band remains in high spirits after 53 years of performing. In fact, Pure Prairie League is also getting ready to record in the studio again.

The members, however, are not touring as frequently as they were in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as reducing their schedule these days.

“We’re all getting long in the tooth,” Reilly says.

California is a fun spot for the band to tour, because the Golden State has been a historic hub for their country rock style of music, he says.

SHOW DETAILS

What: Pure Prairie League

When: Sunday, June 18. Doors open at 5 p.m.; concert starts at 7 p.m. Where: 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano

For tickets or more info: thecoachhouse.com. Tickets are $30.

to come out and pay their hard-earned dough to watch these old farts play,” Reilly says. “They bring their kids out.”

iPhones and Facebook, very few use a BlackBerry anymore. They started out in obscurity and went back into it after only 13 years.

I also loved Baruchel’s hilarious delivery of, “Why would anyone want a smartphone without a keypad?” Howerton achieves a smooth mix of clever and power-hungry as the owner of RIM. And like with Ben Affleck’s Air, I’m a sucker for opening credits that are a pop culture montage.

I did feel Johnson was a bit too much with his comic relief-heavy role as the third BlackBerry founder, though. I get the sense that the writer-director wanted the part of Fredon to basically feel like the Steve Wozniak of the RIM team, at least on film. But a lot of the time, he came across more obnoxious than endearing.

If you like corporate drama, though, BlackBerry will do the trick. SC

Pure Prairie League was in the middle of the country rock explosion that happened in the ’70s, which took a long time to catch on as a genre, Reilly reflects.

Speaking of the genre’s roots in folk rock, he recalls how fellow stalwarts The Byrds mixed country, folk, and rock around the same time.

“To me, it’s just a wonderful, natural progression,” Reilly says of how country rock has come along.

Pure Prairie League always wanted to play music people could enjoy and sing along to, he says. While Buffalo Springfield took stances on the social issues of the day, Pure Prairie League shied away from political overtones.

“We didn’t feel it was our place to get up on a soapbox,” Reilly says.

He feels a sense of gratitude for being able to continue performing in front of audiences who know their songs and join in for the chorus.

“People, after all these decades, want

The older audience members tend to get transported back to their college days when Pure Prairie League plays the familiar catalog, he says.

As for the new music they’re making, Reilly says Pure Prairie League isn’t trying to make hit records anymore— though that would be nice—or wedded to the big-record labels from their heyday.

“It’s really nice for us to record some of our own songs again,” Reilly says. “We get to do it on our own and take our own time.”

Reilly calls their new songs “good” and says they play them on stage sometimes to gauge how fans will react.

Pure Prairie League won’t be around forever, though. Reilly urges fans to take advantage of the opportunity with the upcoming show at The Coach House.

“I’m not saying we’ll be around another 53 years,” he says, “so take the chance to see us while you can.” SC

Photo: Courtesy of IFC Films/Elevation Pictures

Get ready to sing along with “Amie” and other hit songs when legendary country rock band Pure Prairie League plays at The Coach House on June 18.

Photo: Courtesy of Laura Schneider

GUEST OPINION | Historical Happenings by Christine Lampert

Only 2 Vintage Seaside Hotels

San Clemente and Capistrano Beach have only two vintage beachfront hotels, and one has been shut down for years. Now, they are about to have two authentic vintage beachfront hotels again.

The Beachcomber Inn and the Capistrano Seaside Inn have been the only historic oceanfront hotels available to tourists, but the Capistrano Seaside Inn has been in ruins for years. It’s being renovated now and soon will open as the second historic seaside experience available to visitors.

The Beachcomber Inn sits right next to the beach above the pier in San Clemente. The Beachcomber has maintained its charm since it was built in 1947. It is one of the very few beachside hotels built in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style in South Orange County.

The building is designated as a historic property by the city and is protected from any major changes.

The Capistrano Seaside Inn was built around 1930 and for years was considered one of the best places to stay affordably at the beach, even though one must cross Pacific Coast Highway to get to the beach. It fell into disrepair but soon will reopen again as a historic seaside hotel.

The Capistrano Inn was doing well until the late 1980s. Tourists could catch a ride to the hotel from the train station, and there was even a gourmet French restaurant on its premises. Often, in its earlier days, the inn hosted many famous guests.

Dana Point has newer hotels, but nothing as charming and as close to the beach as these two historic hotels.

When San Clemente was first established in the 1920s, the San Clemente

Hotel on Avenida Del Mar was built for the tourists.

There was also a motel right across the pier where the parking lot is today, but it was demolished years ago.

When Ole Hanson, one of the founding fathers of San Clemente, master-planned the community in the 1920s, he built the San Clemente Hotel on Avenida Del Mar and was in the

process of building a huge resort across the street from T-Street Beach when The Great Depression happened.

He had to stop the design of the project. Today, there are houses above T-Street instead of a resort.

San Clemente was designed as the ultimate resort town with a fishing pier, an Olympic-size swimming pool, horseback riding and many other amenities. It’s amazing that there were so few beachfront hotels.

Years ago, many visitors, including movie stars, passed through San Clemente on their way to San Diego, which

would have been a natural stopping-off point. In the 1920s, the only way to San Diego was along the narrow two-lane Highway 1, also known as El Camino Real.

The journey probably would have taken at least six hours by car. The train tracks along the beach had already been built in the 1880s between Los Angeles and San Diego. The freeway, Interstate 5, which cut through the middle of town, wasn’t built until 1960.

This would have been the ideal location for more beachfront hotels.

Christine Lampert is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and has designed many projects in San Clemente and in California. She has been a professor of architecture at USC, OCC and SCAD Hong Kong. She and her family have lived in San Clemente for more than 46 years. 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.

Overlooking the ocean and San Clemente’s pier and Beach Trail, the Beachcomber Inn is one of only two historic oceanfront hotels available to visitors in San Clemente and Capistrano Beach. Photo: Christine Lampert

Since being built in 1947, the Beachcomber has maintained its charm, as the building is designated a historic property and is protected from any major changes.

GUEST OPINION | On Life and Love After 50 by Tom

Blake

2 Senior Men Discuss the Challenges of Senior Dating

Imet Jim of San Clemente at a grief-sharing session in late March. We were the only two men in the class. We became friends. Last week, we met for breakfast at R.J.’s Café, near Dana Point Harbor, to discuss senior dating challenges we’ve experienced.

Jim and I have a couple things in common. His wife, Pamela, died suddenly at 68 last summer. And my life partner, Greta, died this past October. And because of loneliness, both of us are trying to meet someone.

At breakfast, Jim said, “Now what do I do? Sit at home on the couch missing my lady? Or should I go forward and see what’s out there and test the waters? Some people have told me I should wait for the magical grieving period of a year or two.”

I said, “At our ages, we don’t have time to wait.”

Jim and I agree that the best way for single seniors to meet a potential mate is to get out of the house and interact socially with people.

Some suggested activities and places

Connor

to meet: volunteer, attend church, join a book club, play pickleball, or check meetup.com to attend functions in which you might have an interest. But what if you’re still not meeting enough potential mates?

That’s where online dating comes in. It’s another way to improve your chances of meeting someone. And, yes, every dating site has scammers, so caution is important. And all dating sites deal with outdated photographs and other issues of dishonesty.

However, online dating can still be effective and give one hope that someone is out there for them.

At breakfast, the two of us senior men discussed dating boundaries we’ve learned from our short, later-in-life, dating experiences.

JIM’S AND TOM’S LIST OF SENIOR DATING BOUNDARIES:

1. Distance. How far away do two people live from each other? Within a 20-minute drive or less is desirable. In that way, they can see each other as

Meet Connor, a happy-go-lucky little guy with so much love to give. Though sometimes initially shy, Connor warms up quickly to become a sweet and affectionate pup. He gets along with other dogs and would likely love having another dog with whom to play. Could Connor be the one for you?

If you are interested in adopting Connor, 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. SC

Sudoku- medium- by Myles Mellor

often as they choose and still return to their respective homes on the same day or night, assuming they still drive.

2. Availability. What if you meet someone you like, but her schedule is so full of other activities that you’d be lucky to see her once a week? That’s a problem. Will she free up her schedule enough to make it work?

3. Age gap. Because of our respective ages, Jim (74) and I (83) find this a huge challenge. What’s an OK age difference? Twelve years maximum? Perhaps, but what if the man is older?

Many senior women don’t want to take the chance that their new love will pass away or get sick before they do. A huge burr in some women’s saddle is that senior men are looking for women up to 12 years younger. After a pleasant 35-minute, first-date conversation, a woman, 76, asked me, “What

age range do you search for?” I answered: “71 to 79.” She was aghast and said, “You senior men are all the same.” Then, she looked skyward, and added, “The sun is coming out. I’m going to go swim my laps.” She stood up and left. There was no “thank you” or goodbye. Game over for us.

4. Chemistr y, physical attraction, and affection. These characteristics can’t be faked. For many couples, this is the most important boundary or consideration. If one person is physical, and the other has a low libido, a compatible relationship probably won’t happen. Also, how soon to hug, hold hands and kiss?

5. Who pays? Jim and I agree that the man should pick up the tab for at least the first couple of dates (which is why coffee, or a walk, are such splendid choices). Then, perhaps, the new couple will work out an amenable who-pays plan.

Of course, there are other boundaries as well. Jim and I will discuss those in a future article.

Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and 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.

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.

FROM THE ARCHIVES Miss San Clemente 1957 serenely floats around the corner from El Camino Real to Avenida Del Mar. Our city has many fine historical and cultural traditions, but this one ceased decades ago in response to changing societal values. This photo can be purchased from the San Clemente Historical Society at sanclementehistoricalsociety.org.

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

Photo: Courtesy of the San Clemente Historical Society

ON LIFE AND LOVE BY TOM BLAKE

TRITON REPORT

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

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

SCHS Wins Inaugural Masters

4x800-Meter Relay, Sends 4 Entries to CIF State Championships

Six San Clemente athletes will move on to the final track and field meet of the season, as four Tritons entries qualified for the CIF State Championships out of the CIF-SS Masters Meet last Saturday, May 20, at Moorpark High School.

For the very first time, the 4x800-meter relay was run at a CIF-Southern Section championship meet, and San Clemente won the inaugural boys event with a time of 7:45.93 from juniors Brett Ephraim, Jackson Brownell, Pierce Clark and Taj Clark.

San Clemente had run the event only twice this season, with a first-place finish at the Earl Engman Relays on March 4 and a third-place run at the Arcadia Invitational on April 8. The event was not run at the CIF-SS divisional championships, but the Tritons ran fast enough times to be included in the inaugural field.

The 4x800-meter relay will be the first addition to the CIF State Meet since girls pole vault in 1995. The relay will not have preliminaries, so the Tritons will run straight to the finals on Saturday, May 27, at Buchanan High School in Clovis.

Taj Clark also qualified for state as an individual with a second-place run in the 800 meters. Clark ran a personal near-best time of 1:52.84.

Also joining Clark and the relay on the track at state is UC Irvine-bound senior Juan Chantaca, who ran fifth in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9:01.86.

San Clemente qualified one field athlete: senior Griffin Schwab in the high jump. Schwab cleared a height of 6 feet, 5 inches for a second-place mark.

The CIF State Championships begin with preliminaries on Friday, May 26, at Buchanan High School in Clovis.

Room for 2

Swegles,

Sanden inducted into Sports Wall of Fame

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

Numerous loved ones, supporters and colleagues were on hand to celebrate legendary writer and photographer Fred Swegles and world-record handcycle marathoner Beth Sanden as the pair were honored with induction into the San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame in a poolside ceremony on Saturday, May 20, at the San Clemente Aquatics Center at Vista Hermosa Park.

Swegles, a posthumous inductee, and Sanden were the 28th and 29th additions to the Wall of Fame, which honors those who were born, went to school or reached their achievements in sports while living in San Clemente, including Olympians, professional athletes, champions, coaches, mentors or inspiring contributors. Inductees are selected annually by the Friends of San Clemente Foundation in coordination with the San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame Committee.

After introductory remarks from Friends Foundation CEO Rick Loeffler and San Clemente City Councilmember Victor Cabral, each inductee was presented by a chosen speaker.

Presenting Fred Swegles was Picket Fence Media publisher Norb Garrett. Swegles’ tile for the Wall of Fame was accepted by his sister, Barbara Chamberlain.

“Fred was there for arguably every important moment in his 56 years covering San Clemente,” Garrett said. “He had a knack for photos that captured the moment.”

Swegles, who died last October due to complications from a brain tumor at age 74, was a journalist for more than 50 years at the Daily Sun-Post, Orange County Register and San Clemente Times whose entire life embodied San Clemente and was dedicated to capturing the town’s daily life, especially its surf and sports culture.

“He was a humble guy,” Chamberlain said, “but he would have really appreciated this.”

Swegles, a member of the second graduating class of San Clemente High School, started his career as a reporter for the high school newspaper and went on to be a sports editor while at USC for the school’s Daily Trojan newspaper.

Garrett detailed Swegles’ commitment to documenting the city’s water sports community, particularly his

years covering the Ocean Festival. Garrett also recalled Swegles’ many connections to the surfing community through the numerous local professional surfers down to the city’s groms. Garrett also shared that San Clemente High School athletic director John Hamro credited Swegles for giving exposure and legitimacy to the school’s surf team.

Presenting Beth Sanden was Friends Foundation director John Dorey.

Dorey outlined the mountain of adversity Sanden overcame to reach this stage of her athletic career. Sanden was an avid triathlon competitor when, 22 years ago, she hit some broken asphalt on her bike while training and landed on her back. Her T6 and T7 vertebrae were crushed, which left her an incomplete paraplegic.

Sanden retained some use of her right leg and had a brace on her left leg, and Dorey remarked that the average person wouldn’t ever be able to get back to competing like Sanden had done previously.

“But there’s nothing average about Beth,” Dorey said. Sanden worked her way back to compete as a handcyclist at the 2009 Boston Marathon, and from there would go on to compete in 118 marathons and 70 Olympic sprint triathlon events. Sanden has earned world records as the first disabled athlete to compete in seven marathons on all seven continents, plus the North Pole. She has completed the highest-altitude marathon in the world and also been named USA Marathon and Triathlon Coach of the Year. Sanden recently completed her 13th Boston Marathon in April.

When accepting her honor, Sanden celebrated that she was being inducted alongside Swegles, who documented her story and achievements several times.

“He liked my cookies,” Sanden said. “I’ll use Fred’s words instead of my own.”

Sanden then read from a story Fred had written about her detailing her resolve and commitment to reaching her level of competition. Sanden cited her faith in Jesus and the love of her husband for how she got to where she is today.

San Clemente junior Taj Clark closed out a 4x800-meter relay win at CIF-SS Masters and qualified individually in the 800 meters as one of six Tritons going to the CIF State Meet. Photo Courtesy of Jimmy Su Photography.

Beth Sanden (center with walker) and the late Fred Swegles (represented by his sister Barbara Chamberlain, left of Sanden) were inducted into the San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame on Saturday, May 20. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

THE COACH HOUSE

www.thecoachhouse.com

TICKETS and DINNER RESERVATIONS: 949-496-8930

5/26 METAL SHOP

5/27 BLINK 180TRUE & GREEN TODAY (Blink 182 & Green Day TriBuTes)

5/28 BOBBY GRAY

6/1 TOAD THE WET SPROCKET

6/2 THE RISING (Bruce sprinGsTeen TriBuTe)

6/3 JUDY COLLINS

6/4 THE MOTHER HIPS

6/7 THE OUTLAWS

6/8 BLACK SABBITCH (all Female Black saBBaTh TriBuTe)

6/9 AL Di MEOLA

6/10 SHAWN COLVIN

6/11 The Snacks / Richard Stekol Band

Missiles of October / The Code

6/15 JULIAN MARLEY / Tomorrow’s BaD seeDs

6/16 AL JARDINE anD his enDless summer BanD

6/17 AMBROSIA

6/18 PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE

6/24 PRINCE AGAIN (prince TriBuTe)

6/25 THE WAILERS

6/28 JOHN CRUZ “we Do iT islanD sTyle”

6/29 YYNOT (rush TriBuTe)

6/30 THE SWEET

7/1 MICK ADAMS & THE STONES 7/5 LYLE LOVETT and His Large Band 7/6 GILBY CLARKE & The Keef Richards

OBITUARY James (Jim) Patrick Brady

James (Jim) Patrick Brady, a long time resident of San Clemente, CA, passed away on May 10th, 2023 at the age of 85. Born in Le Mars Iowa on August 2, 1937, James was the youngest of 9 children born of James Leo and Eleanor Ann (Berendes) Brady. He grew up in Marcus, Iowa working on the family farm with his brothers Joe, Jack, Leo, Ronnie, Francis, Matt, Ray, and sister Mary.

Jim will be dearly missed by his family and many friends but will be forever in our hearts. He is survived by his wife MeiFeng, his daughter Michelle and husband Steve, his stepson Riley and wife Dacia; grandchildren, Stephen and wife Amy, Alexa and fiancé Alden, Jack, and Skyler, great granddaughters Autumn and Lily James; his numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be private.

PUBLIC NOTICES

TO ADVERTISE: 949.388.7700, EXT. 111 • LEGALS@PICKETFENCEMEDIA.COM

PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case No. 30-2023-01318125-CU-PT-CJC

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner JENNA MICHELLE RECUPARO filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

Present Name

JENNA MICHELLE RECUPARO

Proposed Name

JENNA MICHELLE BORREGO

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing

Date: 06/06/2023 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: D100. The address of the court is Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Other: Remote Hearing. (To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court’s website. To find your court’s website, go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm.)

A copy of this Order to Show Cause must be published at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in a newspaper of general circulation: printed in this county: San Clemente Times

Date: 04/11/2023

JUDGE LAYNE H. MELZER, Judge of the Superior Court

Published: San Clemente Times May 4, 11, 18, 25, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, RELATIVE TO THE FOLLOWING:

CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FY 2023-24

To consider adopting the City of San Clemente proposed budget for FY 2023-24. A full copy of the aforementioned budget is available by accessing the City of San Clemente website at www.san-clemente.org or by contacting Jake Rahn, Financial Services Officer, at (949) 361-8359.

If you challenge the budget in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of San Clemente at, or prior to, the public hearing.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that said Public Hearing will be held at the meeting of the City Council on June 6, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at City Council Chambers located at 910 Calle Negocio, 2nd Floor, San Clemente.

LAURA CAMPAGNOLO

City Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Council

PUBLIC NOTICE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case No. 30-2023-01317300

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner JOSE RICARDO ESPINOZA CRUZ filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

Present Name

JOSE RICARDO ESPINOZA CRUZ

Proposed Name

JOSE RICARDO ESPINOSA CRUZ

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing

Date: 06/01/2023 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: D100. The address of the court is Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Other: Remote Hearing. (To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court’s website. To find your court’s website, go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm.)

A copy of this Order to Show Cause must be published at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in a newspaper of general circulation: printed in this county: San Clemente Times

Date: 04/07/2023

JUDGE LAYNE H. MELZER, Judge of the Superior Court

Published: San Clemente Times May 4, 11, 18, 25, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDINANCE NO. 1750

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of San Clemente, at its Regular Meeting of May 16, 2023, adopted the following ordinance: Ordinance No. 1750 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA AMENDING AND REPLACING SAN CLEMENTE MUNICIPAL CODE TITLE 3 REVENUE AND FINANCE, CHAPTER 3.40, SECTION 3.40.030 RELATING TO A LOCAL VENDOR PREFERENCE

A full copy of the aforementioned Ordinance is available for review in the City Clerk’s Office, located at 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, California. Persons interested in receiving a copy of the Ordinance are invited to contact the Deputy City Clerk at (949) 361-8303 or by email at jimenezm@san-clemente. org.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the above-referenced Ordinance was introduced at the City Council meeting of May 2, 2023, and was adopted at the Regular City Council meeting of May 16, 2023 by the following vote:

AYES: CABRAL, ENMEIER, KNOBLOCK, MAYOR DUNCAN

NOES: None

ABSENT: None

LAURA CAMPAGNOLO

City Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Council

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

20236661918

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as:

GRACE FOR CHANGE BIBLICAL COUNSELING

2207 VIA IRIS

SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673

Full Name of Registrant(s):

NICHOLAS KALENA

2207 VIA IRIS

SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673

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/NICHOLAS KALENA

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 04/26/2023.

Published in: San Clemente Times May 11, 18, 25, June 1, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

20236662484

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as:

ORIGINAL SPROUT

120 CALLE IGLESIA, UNIT B SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672

Full Name of Registrant(s):

KAHNALYTICS, INC

120 CALLE IGLESIA, UNIT B

SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672

This business is conducted by a CA Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 12/18/2017

KAHNALYTICS, INC./s/DAVID NEIBERT, DAVID NEIBERT, PRESIDENT

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 05/04/2023.

Published in: San Clemente Times May 18, 25, June 1, 8, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT ON JUNE 7, 2023 PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE HELD BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA RELATIVE TO THE FOLLOWING:

Conditional Use Permit 22-398, Togethership Holistic Sport Academy, 1010 Calle Sombra

A request to establish and operate a private middle school for grades 6-8, with a maximum enrollment of 160 students. The school will have an emphasis on academic and athletic education with facilities including 6 classrooms, a basketball court, weight training room, student lounge, homework areas, outdoor area with tables, teacher lounge, work room, conference room, and administrative offices. The existing site is a two story office/warehouse building, zoned Business Park (BP) within the Rancho San Clemente Specific Plan.

Staff recommends that the project be found categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (14 CCR § 15301, Class 1: Existing Facilities).

Conditional Use Permit 23-063, EOS Fitness, 93 Via Pico Plaza, Suite A

A request to establish and operate an approximate-

ly 30,000 square foot full-service fitness center (including locker room facilities and childcare) in existing commercial space within the Pico Plaza shopping center. The site is zoned Community Commercial 2 (CC2) within the West Pico Corridor Specific Plan and Professional Business overlay.

Staff recommends that the project be found categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (14 CCR § 15301, Class 1: Existing Facilities).

These applications are on file at the City of San Clemente Community Development Department, 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, California, and are available for public inspection and comment by contacting the Community Development Department at (949) 3616183. If you challenge these projects in court you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearings described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of San Clemente at, or prior to, the public hearings.

Notice is further given that said public hearings will be conducted by the City of San Clemente Planning Commission and held on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at the San Clemente City Hall Council Chambers, 910 Calle Negocio, 2nd Floor, San Clemente, California. All interested persons are invited to attend said hearings or to provide written communication to the Planning Commission to express their opinion for or against the request.

For further information, contact the Planning Division at (949) 361-6183.

Secretary to the San Clemente Planning Commission

PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case No. 30-2023-01324600-CU-PT-CJC

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner LEILANI MARIN WAI filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

Present Name

LEILANI MARIN WAI

Proposed Name

LEILANI NISHIHIRA JACKSON

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing

Date: 07/06/2023

Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: D100. Room: Remote Appearance. The address of the court is Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court’s website. To find your court’s website, go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm.)

A copy of this Order to Show Cause must be published at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in a newspaper of general circulation: printed in this county: San Clemente Times

Date: 05/09/2023

JUDGE LAYNE H. MELZER, Judge of the Superior Court

Published: San Clemente Times May 25, June 1, 8, 15, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES

TO ADVERTISE: 949.388.7700, EXT. 111 • LEGALS@PICKETFENCEMEDIA.COM

PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case No. 23FL000308

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Sophia Eva Stebbins and David Bonadurer Moore on behalf of Boston Stebbins, a minor, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

Present Name

Boston Stebbins

Proposed Name

Boston McKinney Moore

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing

Date: 06/07/2023 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: L74.

Room: Remote Appearance. The address of the court is Superior Court of California, County of Orange, Lamoreaux Justice Center, 341 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868-3205. (To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court’s website. To find your court’s website, go to www.courts.ca.gov/ find-my-court.htm.)

A copy of this Order to Show Cause must be published at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Clemente Times

Date: 04/13/2023

JUDGE Julie A Palafox, Judge of the Superior Court

Published: San Clemente Times, May 11, 18, 25, Jun 1, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case No. 30-2023-01324363

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner

LUCIANA LEMES CALZADILLA filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

Present Name

LUCIANA LEMES CALZADILLA

Proposed Name

LUCIANA LEMES COSTA MIOT

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing

Date: 07/06/2023 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: D100

Room: Remote Appearance. The address of the court is Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center

Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. (To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court’s website. To find your court’s website, go to www.courts.ca.gov/ find-my-court.htm.)

A copy of this Order to Show Cause must be published at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Date: 05/10/2023

JUDGE LAYNE H. MELZER, Judge of the Superior Court

Published: San Clemente Times, May 25, June 1, 8, 15, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Loan No.: Pichika TS no. 2023-10631 APN: 690282-06 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE UNDER DEED OF TRUST YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 10/8/2021, UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that on 6/14/2023, at 1:30 PM of said day, At the North front entrance to the County Courthouse at 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701, Ashwood TD Services LLC, a California Limited Liability Company, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to the power of sale conferred in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Ramaiah Pichika and Jayalakshmi Pichika, Husband and Wife as Joint Tenants recorded on 10/15/2021 in Book n/a of Official Records of ORANGE County, at page n/a, Recorder’s Instrument No. 2021000634130, by reason of a breach or default in payment or performance of the obligations secured thereby, including that breach or default, Notice of which was recorded 2/9/2023 as Recorder’s Instrument No. 2023000028868, in Book n/a, at page n/a, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, lawful money of the United States, evidenced by a Cashier’s Check drawn on a state or national bank, or the equivalent thereof drawn on any other financial institution specified in section 5102 of the California Financial Code, authorized to do business in the State of California, ALL PAYABLE AT THE TIME OF SALE, all right, title and interest held by it as Trustee, in that real property situated in said County and State, described as follows: Lot 78, Tract 8597, per Map, Book 344, Pages 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of Miscellaneous Maps. The street address or other common designation of the real property hereinabove described is purported to be: 203 Calle Del Juego, San Clemente, CA 92672. The undersigned disclaims all liability for any incorrectness in said street address or other common designation. Said sale will be made without warranty, express or implied regarding title, possession, or other encumbrances, to satisfy the unpaid obligations secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest and other sums as provided therein; plus advances, if any, thereunder and interest thereon; and plus fees, charges, and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of said obligations at the time of initial publication of this Notice is $297,935.62. In the event that the deed of trust described in this Notice of Trustee’s Sale is secured by real property containing from one to four single-family residences, the following notices are provided pursuant to the provisions of Civil Code section 2924f: NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are

risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee’s sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 916-939-0772 or visit this internet website www.nationwideposting.com, using the file number assigned to this case 202310631. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not be immediately reflected in the telephone information or on the internet website. The best way to verify postponement infor-

mation is to attend the scheduled sale. NOTICE TO TENANT: You may have a right to purchase this property after the trustee auction pursuant to Section 2924m of the California Civil Code. If you are an “eligible tenant buyer,” you can purchase the property if you match the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. If you are an “eligible bidder,” you may be able to purchase the property if you exceed the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. There are three steps to exercising this right of purchase. First, 48 hours after the date of the trustee sale, you can call 916-939-0772, or visit this internet website www.nationwideposting.com, using the file number assigned to this case 2023-10631 to find the date on which the trustee’s sale was held, the amount of the last and highest bid, and the address of the trustee. Second, you must send a written notice of intent to place a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 15 days after the trustee’s sale. Third, you must submit a bid, by remitting the funds and affidavit or declaration described in Section 2924m(c) of the Civil Code, so that the trustee receives it no more than 45 days after the trustee’s sale. If you think you may qualify as an “eligible tenant buyer” or “eligible bidder,” you should consider contacting an attorney or appropriate real estate professional immediately for advice regarding this potential right to purchase.

Dated: May 18, 2023 Ashwood TD Services LLC, a California Limited Liability Company Christopher Loria, Trustee’s Sale Officer 231 E. Alessandro Blvd., Ste. 6A-693, Riverside, CA 92508 Tel.: (951) 215-0069 Fax: (805) 323-9054 Trustee’s Sale Information: (916) 939-0772 or www.nationwideposting. com

NPP0435354 To: SAN CLEMENTE TIMES 05/25/2023, 06/01/2023, 06/08/2023

Board Riders National Champs Coming to Lowers

Surf clubs from around the country are set to gather this weekend for a battle royale of epic proportions

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

The 2023 U.S. Board Riders National Championships are coming to Lowers this weekend. Hometown squad San Clemente Board Riders will look to defend its national title, while the Dana Point Surf Club would love nothing more than to play the role of spoiler and upset the country’s top clubs.

The action kicks off with the West Coast Board Riders Wheat Cup Championships on Thursday, May 25, and Friday, May 26. The top three clubs from Wheat Cup will qualify to the National Championships on Saturday.

Dana Point draws first blood on Thursday, when it will face off against Ventura, Northern L.A., Newport Beach and Carlsbad.

“All those teams have great surfers and a strong community surf tradition; it’s going to be great to see all the different generations out there doing their thing,” says Eric Diamond, Dana Point Surf Club president.

In another stacked day of competition on Friday, San Clemente will go up against Santa Cruz, Huntington Beach and Encinitas, as well as one more club

GROM OF THE WEEK

HANA BAKKER

BY JAKE HOWARD

Pumping south swells in Huntington Beach can be a challenge.

Dodging closeouts and battling a nasty current make for some tough heats, but rising to the occasion at last week’s 2023 West Coast Regional Championships was San Clemente’s Hana Bakker, who took the win in the highly competitive Open Girls under-16 division.

A powerful regular-footer, 15-year-old Bakker has been building to this accomplishment and putting in all the hard work to turn those dreams into a reality. In

from a qualifying event.

“It’s such an honor to be able to host an event like this and bring surf clubs from around the country together for some friendly competition,” says Benji Severson, San Clemente Board Riders president. “It would be killer to be able to defend our title and keep the trophy here at home. We’ll see what happens.”

Things get serious on Saturday, May 27, when the National Championships kick off. Clubs from Monmouth County, New Jersey, the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida, have already qualified and will be waiting for whoever emerges from the West Coast Championships.

As noted above, the top three clubs from the West advance. The second- and third-place-finishing clubs will be seeded into the initial Qualifying Round on Saturday, while the No. 1 seed will earn a spot directly into the final round.

The competition is a full-on generational clash, with each team fielding 14 surfers—two per division. The youngest age group is the Under 14 division, and it goes all the way to 50 and Over.

“This is the realization of a dream and

2021, she was named to the USA Surfing Olympic Development Program Team and was a fierce member of the Shorecliffs Middle School squad.

These days, you may find Bakker out ripping Lowers with her friends. A savvy road warrior, she’s also keen to spend time in Hawaii and traveling to the wave pool in Waco, Texas for some training sessions.

With the support from Rumaner Surfboards, she’s got some great boards under her feet. And with Cyber Wetsuits supplying her with killer neoprene, she’s been staying nice and toasty despite the cold water temps this winter and spring.

We can’t wait to see what Bakker does this summer. SC

If you have a candidate for Grom of the Week, we want to know. Send an email to jakehoward1@gmail.com.

a lot of hard work and sacrifice by a lot of people that really believe the future of surfing is local,” explains Don Meek, the Board chair for U.S. Board Riders.

“Just a few years ago, this was just a wild idea,” Meek adds. “It started with a contest between Huntington and Seal Beach, and now look at what it’s become. There are surf clubs around the country that are bringing their communities together. It’s a movement.”

As far as surf goes, the Surfline models appear to be showing a small bump in south swell on Friday, bringing the waves into the 3- to 4-foot range with relatively clean conditions.

The U.S. Board Riders National Championships will air live around the world on FUEL TV, FUEL TV+., the USBRC YouTube Channel, and on The Surf Network.

Finally, a very special congratulations to San Clemente’s Cole Houshmand, who just took the first WSL Challenger Series career victory at the Sydney Surf Pro. A mainstay on the San Clemente Board Riders squad, the win propels him 30 places up the rankings, putting him currently in third after the first two events.

“I’m kind of speechless right now,” Houshmand said afterward. “It all worked out in my favor, and all the hard

work is paying off, so I’m so stoked.” Also in the mix are Jett Schilling, Crosby Colapinto and Kade Matson. The Challenger Series will take the month of June off before coming back with events in South Africa and Huntington Beach. The top 10 surfers at the end of the season qualify for the prestigious Championship Tour. SC

Jake Howard is a local surfer and freelance writer who lives in San Clemente. A former editor at Surfer magazine, The Surfer’s Journal and ESPN, today he writes for several publications, including Picket Fence Media, Surfline and the World Surf League. He also works with philanthropic organizations such as the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center and the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation.

SURF FORECAST

Water Temperature: 61-63 Degrees

Water Visibility: 4-6’’

Thursday: A modest to locally fun mix of S/SSE and SSW swells provides surf in the waist-chest high zone (3-4’ faces) to better exposed breaks as standouts climb upwards of head-high (5’ faces). Light/variable to light southerly wind for mostly clean conditions in the early morning trends to westerly onshores in the afternoon with moderate surface bump for the back half of the day.

Outlook: Size nudges up a bit heading into the end of the week as a new round of SSW swell tops out. Waist-toshoulder-high surf shows for better exposed zones (3-4’+ faces) as standout spots go head-high to a bit overhead on Friday (4-6’ faces) before easing a bit on Saturday. Fresh S swell then builds on Sunday, pushing size up once again, similar to Friday with long-period focal points going a couple of feet overhead on the bigger sets (5-7’ faces) by the evening. Morning conditions look cleanest all weekend long with light/variable to light southerly wind due, trending to moderate SW onshores in the afternoons.

San Clemente’s Cole Houshmand hammers home his maiden WSL Challenger Series win at last week’s Sydney Surf Pro in Australia. Photo: Courtesy of WSL

Hana Bakker. Photo: Courtesy of NSSA

The Future of Women’s Health Providing Woman-Centered Care in One Location

To help provide women with gender-appropriate health care, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is developing the Women’s Health Pavilion to provide women with an elevated patient experience and position itself to meet the growing needs of women in the community.

“With this new building, Saddleback Medical Center is making a commitment to all women,” says Catherine Shitara, chief operating o cer, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. “We are here to provide the necessary health care women need through every stage of their life and, if necessary, guide them through their treatment journey. We believe women in Orange County need this type of health care center close to home.”

The Women’s Health Pavilion, scheduled to begin a phased opening in 2023, will feature the comprehensive Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center. This new breast center will provide women with elevated, personalized care in a spa-like environment to make sure women receive the breast care they need in a calming space.

“At the Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center, women will have access to a multidisciplinary team of fellowship-trained dedicated breast radiologists, oncologists and surgeons whose sole focus is breast care,” says Gary Levine, M.D., medical director, MemorialCare Breast Centers. “Each patient will be given a breast center navigator to help them understand their diagnosis, weigh treatment options, provide education and resources, and coordinate their care with physicians and specialists.”

The Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center will feature the most advanced technology for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Some of this technology includes:

• 3D tomosynthesis digital mammography for precise imaging

• Cryoblation treatment to freeze and destroy early stage and benign tumors

• DEXA bone-density testing

• Ultrasound-guided breast biopsy

The Women’s Health Pavilion will house OB/GYN physicians and services to provide women in the community greater access to care and resources including surgical oncologists who specialize in gynecological cancers. “We think it’s beneficial to form long-term relationships with our patients and their families, so they feel empowered to make informed decisions about their health care,” said Priyal Dholakiya, M.D., MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center.

The Women’s Health Pavilion o ers a variety of women’s specialty care programs, a Community Education Center and mental wellness support, among other services—giving women tools they can use to receive care for their own unique needs. Other programs available at the Women’s Health Pavilion or on campus:

• Pelvic Health & Pelvic Floor Rehab

• Osteoporosis Clinic

• Dietary Counseling

• Survivorship Program

The Women’s Hospital at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is celebrating its 35th anniversary and the opening of its new Obstetric Emergency Department (OB ED) in May. The Women’s Hospital is also embarking on a complete renovation to refresh and upgrade its Labor-Delivery-Recovery-Postpartum (LDRP) suites that will open later this summer. The goal is to partner with all women in their pursuit of living long, healthy lives.

memorialcare.org/womenshealth l memorialcare.org/sbbaby

The Women’s Health Pavilion will provide convenient access to breast care and a range of women’s health services under one roof.

When Experience Counts & Results Matter