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Downtown San Clemente Restaurants Close Doors

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

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Over Memorial Day weekend, two long-standing Downtown San Clemente restaurants hosted customers for the last time and began the process of closing their doors.

Café Calypso, a traditional gathering place with its open courtyard facing out on Avenida Del Mar, closed after 21 years serving the community, as did Village Mediterranean Rim after 25 years in business.

Chen Yen of Café Calypso told the San Clemente Times that her lease’s termination on May 31, combined with the rising costs of running her business and rent— the latter of which she couldn’t negotiate down—contributed to her decision to close the eatery.

After her family escaped the killing fields of Cambodia during Pol Pot’s reign in the 1970s and landed in Orange County, Yen received an American education and began her professional career working at a donut shop and bakery distribution business run by members of her family.

She stumbled on Café Calypso’s space downtown and took it over in 2002, serving breakfast and lunch to passersby along Del Mar and joining the strong community of business owners in the area.

“They’re pretty much my family,” Yen said of her neighboring business owners.

8 Graduating Seniors Earn Scholarships from Democratic Women’s Group

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

Several local graduating high school seniors received exciting news at last month’s Senior Awards Nights when the Democratic Women of South Orange County (DWSOC) announced the list of recipients for its annual scholarship program.

Sophie Andersen and Talia Penzell of Dana Hills High; Riley Nicole Halsey, Ella Jobst, Kayla McLaughlin and Sofia Sipelis of San Clemente High; and Kate Friess and Anna Villar of San Juan Hills High

“There’s not a day where I pass by anywhere I don’t know. I always (see) somebody, family and friendships that I’ve built throughout the 21 years.”

The courtyard out front that customers have long enjoyed throughout Café Calypso’s lifespan was a major reason for the business’ success, especially in the days before outdoor dining patios became more common in San Clemente.

Inside, however, operations were always troublesome since Yen started using the space that was previously a different café. Being inside a building over 100 years old came with its own problems in addition to having only limited room for kitchen equipment.

“Constantly, it’s (been) a battle for me,” said Yen.

It was time to put an end to those struggles, she said, especially given that Café Calypso’s charm grew ever more banal as visitors to Del Mar can experience al fresco dining at numerous places.

The restaurant’s closure saddens her when she thinks about the time she put into it and her employees, some of whom have worked with her for more than 15 years. But, she said, there is positivity to be found.

Yen has told frequent customers to visit Calypso’s Sunrise Café on El Camino Real, another San Clemente staple she owns, and she’s also been working on finding her former employees other places to work.

Going forward, she is looking to pour more of herself into Sunrise Café and having less to worry about.

“Twenty-one years in the restaurant business (is) a long time,” Yen said. “It’ll give me some time to focus on myself, put in some traveling time, and enjoy life a bit.”

Just across the street, Nour Tillo, owner of Village Mediterranean Rim, talked about coming to San Clemente in 1998 without having ever spent any time in town.

A business opportunity attracted him as a young man, who was coming off a break from operating health-conscious restaurants in Los Angeles. Tillo borrowed $25,000 to take over the restaurant at 123 Avenida Del Mar.

He spent a few months using the previous menu before starting to steadily build upon it with his own knowledge and background, taking time to travel to Santa Monica weekly and find fresh products.

“We just took a lot of dishes from the old Mediterranean, whether from northern Africa (like) tagine or any other thing,” said Tillo. “I changed them in a way, modernized it to use all the California products to create a tapas menu on food that people really enjoyed.”

The last two weeks have been emotional for Tillo, he added, as people have come in and shared love and compassion.

“I really didn’t realize that I was able to affect and leave a huge impact on a lot of people in San Clemente,” he said. “People (actually had) tears in their eyes when they came in. That thing, for me, was honestly one of the most important things I’ve done.”

Over the last “phenomenal, wonderful 25 years,” Tillo also enjoyed the creative aspect of his business, but he felt like now was the time to end the current chapter of his life.

At 66 years old, he still is an athlete, as he likes to cycle and do mountain climbing, and he added that he wants to take advantage of his healthy state while still possible.

“I feel I’m leaving on top, actually,” Tillo said. “That, for me, was very important.” were awarded scholarships from DWSOC.

“Our Scholarship Award Winners for 2023 once again surpassed our expectations of what we envisioned for this scholarship program,” DWSOC President Linda Verraster said in a news release.

“Their leadership in defense of democracy and dedication to volunteer work has already contributed to positive changes in our community.”

With 2023 marking the scholarship program’s sixth year, DWSOC committed to providing eight female students from Dana Hills High, San Clemente High and San Juan Hills High with scholarships of up to $1,000.

At each high school’s Senior Awards Night, hosted on May 17 and May 18, the awardees were notified of their incoming scholarships coming from the group, which pushes for Democratic candidates to get elected in local races.

The recipients were selected for their demonstrated leadership skills and community involvement, as well as “concern for Democratic issues.” All applicants were required to be registered or pre-registered as Democrats.

Andersen earned the distinction of Dolphin of the Year at Dana Hills, and Sipelis was recognized as San Clemente’s Triton of the Year.

In addition to achieving academic titles such as valedictorian, Advanced Placement Scholar, National Honor Society member, and others, the group of young women will go on to study at notable institutions including the University of California, Berkeley, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

“We congratulate these amazing young women, applaud them for their many accomplishments, and wish them well as they continue their extraordinary work in the next phase of their education and careers,” DWSOC said in the release.

Local School Gives Back to Law Enforcement by Establishing Substation

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

In the past few weeks, deputy sheriffs in San Clemente have utilized another location besides the police station to stop, file reports, and rest.

That’s because parents at Our Lady of Fatima Academy in San Clemente recently banded together to provide law enforcement working in town another space to work and relax.

The idea is for deputies to be able to stop at a room in the Catholic school, which serves transitional kindergarteners through eighth-grade students and is located at 105 N. La Esperanza, instead of driving to the police station at City Hall.

Jeff Price, a parent at Our Lady of Fatima, told the San Clemente Times he got involved after first hearing rumblings of the project months back, but he didn’t see a tangible process.

“Then, that Nashville school shooting took place, which struck a chord with myself and my wife because there’s a fair number of similarities between that school and our school,” Price said.

Once he received the go-ahead from school principal Brett Minter and leadership within the Parents of Fatima volunteer organization, he contacted other parents who knew officers at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol to set up conversations that taught him how they

CUSD Announces Leading Candidate for New Superintendent

BY COLLIN BREAUX

The Capistrano Unified School District has announced the leading candidate to fill the role of superintendent.

CUSD trustees are considering Dr. Christopher Brown, who is currently the assistant superintendent for Research, Assessment, and School Improvement at the Long Beach Unified School District, according to a news release.

The Board of Trustees had voted, 4-3, to terminate the contract of previous Superintendent Kirsten Vital Brulte for undisclosed reasons during a special could best support law enforcement.

The parents then pooled resources to create a welcoming environment for officers, stocking the room with a printer, a desk and chairs, ink, a refrigerator, snacks and drinks, a couch and a television.

On May 17, about a dozen officers, including Chief of Police Services Capt. Jay Christian, came to the campus for a small grand opening event.

Price complimented the officers who have used the substation since opening, calling them an “amazing group of people.”

“If you’ve got a bad guy breaking into your house, they’re the ones that you want to show up, because they’ll take them down,” he said. “But they’re also the ones that, if you want to have an officer coming to your school to talk to the first-graders and give them a junior deputy sticker, you’d love it.”

Although Our Lady of Fatima’s current school year is over, with eighth-grade students’ last day being Friday, May 26, the parents will stay involved in ensuring the room remains fully supplied, according to Minter.

He added that the school is working on a schedule for parents to volunteer throughout the summer and the next school year.

Minter said having the presence of officers on campus was “priceless” in that the personnel are building a connection with students. Additionally, the unpredictable nature of when they’ll arrive to the substation helps ward off would-be attackers.

“There was one time a couple days ago that (no officers were there), and all of a sudden, we have three,” said Minter. “They all stop in, sit down for a little bit, or do a report (and) then they grab a beverage and leave. You just don’t know when they are going to show up, (and that’s) a benefit for us, to help keep us safe.”

Price also called the substation a “real win-win situation.”

Given that the service of others is part of the school’s mission statement, which is painted near the steps up to the front entrance, Price called the parents’ efforts a great opportunity to live out their mission, especially for those tasked with protecting the community.

Minter added that the substation is a way to show gratitude to the deputies.

“We talk a lot about service with our students (and) with our community about giving back, and we’ve given back to all sorts of organizations around San Clemente,” said Minter. “We’ve got to give back to our (sheriff’s deputies). They’re our first responders; they do a lot, they keep our community safe, and they work tirelessly, so anything that we can do to help them, (we’ll do).” meeting last December. Clark Hampton has been serving as interim superintendent since then.

Closed-door meetings have recently been held to interview and review candidates.

CUSD trustees were scheduled to visit with LBUSD staff members familiar with Brown on Tuesday, May 30, as part of the superintendent selection process, the district said in the news release.

“Dr. Brown emerged as the top-ranked candidate for the CUSD superintendency after an extensive and competitive recruitment process overseen by Trustees with guidance from Dr. Joseph M. Farley and Dr. Suzette Lovely, consultants with Education Support Services Group, both former superintendents,” the district said in the release.

Brown’s professional experience includes time as a high school director, principal, coordinator, dean, science teacher, and athletic coach.

“His principalship was at the highly acclaimed California Academy of Math and Science, a multidistrict supported magnet school on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills,” the district said. Brown’s role as new CUSD superintendent is expected to be formally approved

PUBLISHER’S LETTER: By Norb Garrett, Picket Fence Media Founder/CEO

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