August 27, 2020

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August 27-September 2, 2020 N EWS

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VOLUME 15, ISSUE 35

Mural, Mural on the Wall PierPride Unveils Mural, Renovated Bathroom at San Clemente Pier E Y E O N S C / PAG E 5

With 1-year-old daughter Malia Goud in her arms, San Clemente resident Andi Goud admires her handiwork after unveiling her mural on the newly renovated San Clemente Pier bathroom during an event hosted by the PierPride Foundation on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Coastal Commission to Consider Parking Changes to Metered Lots EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

OC Removed from State’s Coronavirus Monitoring List EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

sanclementetimes.com

Council Approves Massage Parlor Ordinance EYE ON SC/PAGE 4

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

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SC EYE ON SC San Clemente

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

Five things San Clemente should know this week Coastal Commission to Consider Parking Changes to Metered Lots THE LATEST: Paid-parking hours at some of San Clemente’s coastal lots are likely to increase soon, as the California Coastal Commission (CCC) next month is expected to approve a proposal from the city to implement changes to its metered parking areas.

The CCC on Sept. 9 will consider a coastal development permit (CDP) that, if approved, would allow the city to extend the hours of operation for metered lots at North Beach, Linda Lane, Pier Bowl and T-Street, as well as remove meters at Avenida Calafia and Camino Capistrano.

Currently, the metered lots only require visitors to pay for parking as early as 9 a.m. and as late as 6 p.m. Paid parking specifically at the Pier Bowl and North Beach, the city’s biggest and most popular lots for beach access, ends at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.

Under the proposed CDP, the city would extend the paid parking hours at those four lots from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The hourly parking rate would remain at $1.50. The city would also remove the 15 meters from Camino Capistrano and 12 meters from Calafia, making parking free but with a four-hour limit.

The pending approval comes more than a year since city councilors approved plans to submit the proposal to the Coastal Commission. During a council meeting in May 2019, city staff presented a report on the metered parking areas, prompting councilors to propose the changes.

According to the May 2019 report, the city had collected about $982,000 in revenue from metered parking in Fiscal Year 2018, with more than 90% of those monies coming from the Pier Bowl and North Beach parking lots.

City staff at that time also estimated that increasing the metered parking hours at the Pier Bowl to 10 p.m. would likely give the city an additional $220,000 in annual revenue. Conversely, the city said in the report, if the hourly rate increased to $1.75, while keeping the current metered hours, an additional $103,000 in annual revenue could be expected.

In a report to coastal commissioners for their upcoming meeting, CCC staff noted that the increase in paid hours where the lots will have previously been free “could make access prohibitively expensive for some.”

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

The city’s proposal to extend the paid-parking hours to some of its coastal lots will go before the California Coastal Commission next month for consideration. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

The proposed increase “has the potential to disproportionately impact members of the underserved communities who have less disposable income and fewer options for enjoying public access to and recreation on the coast,” the report said.

The new hours of operation, the report added, could impact service employees of the local restaurants and shops, “particularly those held by low-income individuals or low-wage jobs that may park regularly after 5 p.m. in the area, which even if inexpensive at $1.50 (an) hour could add up quickly if employees need to park every day for an extended period.”

The report goes on to state, however, that that those who want to park for free could find free peripheral parking lots and can also use public transportation such as the city’s summertime trolley to get to North Beach, the Pier Bowl and commercial districts.

WHAT’S NEXT: The CCC’s Sept. 9 meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. and will be conducted via teleconference. The meeting will be livestreamed and can be viewed at coastal.ca.gov.—Shawn Raymundo

OC Removed from State’s Coronavirus Monitoring List THE LATEST: After weeks of staying on the state’s monitoring list for rising coronavirus cases, Orange County was removed from the list on Sunday, Aug. 23, highlighting a reversal from the surge of COVID-19 cases in July that set new records for daily cases and hospitalization rates.

The removal from the watch list came within days of the Orange County Health Care Agency announcing that for the first time in weeks, the county was “below all of (the) State’s data monitoring thresholds” and was, therefore, likely to come off the list.

If Orange County remains off the watch list for 14 consecutive days, schools will be allowed to physically reopen for inperson classes. Simply coming off the list, however, doesn’t reopen other sectors yet, as any other reopenings would require a revised state order.

In a tweet regarding the removal from the watch list on Sunday, Orange County

San Clemente COVID-19 TRACKER

Confirmed cases Deaths

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram for daily local & county statistics. *Information as of 8/25/20. Source: Orange County Health Care Agency

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Board Supervisor Michelle Steel encouraged county residents to continue practicing social distancing and hygiene methods to stem the transmission of the virus.

“We must continue to follow health guidelines on facial coverings, hygiene, and social distancing to keep going in the right direction,” Steel tweeted. “We must all work together as a community to ensure the safe reopening of OC.” For the third consecutive day on Tuesday, Aug. 25—the most available data before San Clemente Times went to print—the county remained off the watch list as it continued to meet the California Department of Public Health’s standards for acceptable levels in all five monitored categories.

The county’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 dropped to 83.3 and its seven-day testing positivity percent was at 5.3% on Tuesday, below the state’s thresholds of 100 per 100,000 and 8%, respectively. The county also reported having 33% of ICU beds available—above the 20% minimum requirement—and 58% of available ventilators—more than the 25% that’s required.

The county’s change in the three-day average of hospitalized patients stayed low, at minus-3%, well below the state threshold of 10%.

On Tuesday, the county recorded 335 new COVID-19 cases, with 15 additional deaths, bringing the cumulative case total to 46,642, while the death toll grew to 912. There were 385 cases of patients hospitalized from the virus, with 113 of them requiring an ICU bed.

Both the hospitalized cases and ICU cases are down to similar numbers last seen in June.

In South County, as of Tuesday, Dana Point’s cumulative case total was reported at 229 and San Clemente’s total was at 412.

On Tuesday, San Juan Capistrano reached a new milestone in total cases, hitting 400.

Amid the rising surge in cases, the state had added the county to the dreaded watch list back in late June, putting in place renewed restrictions on several economic sectors to try stem the wave of cases and hospitalizations.

Restaurants, wineries and movie theaters, among others, within the counties on the watch list had been ordered to close but could operate outdoors. A few weeks later, Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded those restrictions, ordering those same sectors to close indoor operations statewide.

In his July 13 order, Newsom also had ordered the closure of indoor operations for fitness centers, places of worship, offices for non-critical sectors, personal care services (including hair salons and barbershops), and indoor malls within the counties on the monitoring list.

According to county officials on Monday, the governor’s July 13 order is to remain in effect for those economic sectors in Orange County, regardless of it coming off the monitoring list.

“When a county comes off the County Data Monitoring list, they are still subject (Cont. on page 4) sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC (Cont. from page 3) to the statewide closure orders issued on July 13,” the county health office explained in an email. “The closure orders issued July 13 will remain in effect until the State Public Health Officer determines it is appropriate to modify the order based on public health conditions.”

Newsom, during a press conference on Monday, said adjustments to his order will be made and announced in the coming days.

“Real progress was made over the weekend, (and) we had some good dialogue; we’re making some adjustments based on the feedback we received on Saturday and Sunday,” Newsom said. “We had a meeting this morning on those guidelines, and we will be working with other, not only industry, but outside our local health officers and state health authorities, to socialize these guidelines, and we look forward to having them out this week.”—SR and Zach Cavanagh

Council Approves Massage Parlor Ordinance to Target Illicit Activity THE LATEST: A new ordinance to strengthen the city’s regulations related to massage parlors and help bring down human trafficking in Orange County made it through the first reading of the city council on Tuesday, Aug. 18, propping up its eventual passage when councilors meet again next month.

In a unanimous vote, the council approved the first reading of the ordinance, which includes a bevy of amendments to the city’s laws on massage businesses. Those amendments are meant to aid in law enforcement’s efforts to end the network and organizations of human traffickers who force women into sex work at illicit massage parlors.

The ordinance, when officially passed, will give police services additional oversight of the business sector in San Clemente, hold landlords more accountable for tenants operating illicit establishments, and add certain restrictions to legitimate businesses.

The San Clemente-based nonprofit i-5 Freedom Network, which has worked to raise awareness to the issue of human trafficking while also supporting survivors, was instrumental in bringing about the ordinance.

The group, led by Brenda Wells, first implored the city to make the changes to the city’s municipal code back in 2017 after identifying gaps in the laws that allow for human trafficking to exist within illicit massage establishments locally.

Last month, the planning commission unanimously voted in favor of forwarding the ordinance to the city council for approval.

During last week’s council meeting, Councilmember Gene James proposed the addition of a few more amendments, including a local requirement that massage businesses display the state-mandated Human Trafficking Hotline Poster in waiting areas and employee breakrooms, as well as in the massage rooms.

The inclusion of the poster requirement in city code had been a recommendation of i-5 San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

The council voted last week to expand city’s assistance program that has allowed restaurants, retailers, and now other businesses impacted by the pandemic, to shift operations outdoors. Photo: Fred Swegles

Freedom. Jennifer Savage, the city’s senior planner, explained that staff and the planning commission left it out of the ordinance because it’s already a requirement of the state.

“The intent was not to make a duplicative work of the state requirement law,” Savage said, while also agreeing to add the language in the ordinance for the second reading.

Another amendment James added to the ordinance is a requirement that a massage operator make a copy of each customer’s photo identification for their records.

WHAT’S NEXT: The council will convene on Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. for its public session.

The meeting is expected to take place inperson—for the first time since March—at the local community center with social distancing requirements.—SR

City’s Business Assistance Program Expanded to Include Additional Sectors THE LATEST: Following a unanimous council vote last week, the city’s assistance program that has allowed restaurants and retailers to shift operations outdoors has been expanded to also include additional business sectors impacted by the pandemic.

With the council’s vote on Aug 18, other businesses, including barbershops and salons, which had been ordered by the state last month to operate outdoors, will be able to join the list of establishments in San Clemente that have utilized open-air concepts.

This past June, as the state began lifting restrictions on certain economic sectors, the council greenlighted the assistance program to ease some of the city’s zoning regulations related to outdoor services and commercial banners.

Through the program, restaurants, retailers and, now, other businesses can apply for special activity permits offering temporary provisions to create open-air concepts in their parking lots or sidewalks and adjacent on-street parking spaces.

As part of another effort in expanding the program, the council agreed to remove

a previous provision that put a 50% cap on the use of their parking lots for the outdoor operations.

“In implementing the program, we recognized that there are some challenges in maintaining 50% of parking on-site for some of the small businesses,” Economic Development Officer Jonathan Lightfoot explained to the council. “When you have a business with three parking spaces, their limitation would be to use only one of those.”

Approved permits were initially valid until the end of September, but the council’s vote to expand the program last Tuesday also included an amendment to extend those and future allowances through June 30, 2021—a date chosen by Councilmember Chris Hamm.

The council, at Hamm’s request, directed staff to also come back with a series of proposals to further expand open-air dining in and around the downtown corridor.

One proposal city staff will look at, and later present to the council for consideration, is the implementation of a one-way street concept on Avenida Del Mar, having traffic flow westbound in the 100 and 200 blocks.

Another concept that will be drafted by the city is to convert Avenida Victoria, at the Pier Bowl, into a full-time outdoor dining venue. City staff will also prepare a report on establishing standards for outdoor dining and retail at the T-Zone—the intersection of Del Mar and El Camino Real.

The fourth proposal that staff will look into would allow restaurants and retailers to utilize alleyways and bulb-outs on Del Mar for outdoor services. Part of the same proposal would also look to increase parking for bicycles along Del Mar. The council unanimously voted in favor of having staff draw up those proposals for a future meeting.—SR

Sunrise Rotary to Host Virtual Run for Human Trafficking Awareness THE LATEST: The San Clemente Sunrise

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Rotary is set to host a month-long worldwide virtual run through the month of September as a means of raising awareness for human trafficking.

The virtual run, titled “Run Free to End Human Trafficking,” is open to everyone of all ages internationally.

“It was a collaborative effort once COVID-19 hit—looking at what we could do in a virtual way to, one, engage people who are stuck at home and sheltered in place, and, two, reach out for an educational opportunity around the world with bringing human trafficking awareness to the community,” said Sally Guon, president-elect of the San Clemente Sunrise Rotary Club.

With approximately 1.2 million members worldwide, the virtual run aims at garnering 24,901 miles in total, with all participants’ final distances combined. Participants can pledge to complete any distance they wish, individually or as a team.

According to Guon, participants can engage in the virtual run any way possible, coining it “Rock, Run, or Roll.”

“You’re not only aiding in your own health fitness, you’re learning the signs of human trafficking and educating yourself, which is part of the solution, and we’re raising funds to put education programs into the school system for high school and middle school students to raise the awareness,” Guon said. “Many people have the misconception that (human trafficking) is a developing-world problem and that it does not happen in the United States” Due to COVID-19 and statewide lockdowns, human trafficking through online channels has increased, especially in the South County area, including San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, and Newport Beach.

According to Brenda Wells, founder and executive director of i-5 Freedom Network, street-based trafficking has been moved online since the statewide lockdown, with traffickers finding “creative and more aggressive ways” to find new victims.

As a result, San Clemente Sunrise Rotary will be posting educational human trafficking blurbs and featurettes on their social media platforms as another form of outreach.

“When we engage all spokes of the community in the effort—which includes the churches and the schools and law enforcement and the committee members and the business owners, all those things—they all are critical to disrupting and preventing (human trafficking) from happening, not just in our community but everywhere,” said Wells.

San Clemente Sunrise Rotary is currently working within its organization to host more fundraisers and educational means within the community, as other mediums through which to end human trafficking in South County.

The rotary club has already partnered with other rotary clubs in the area, including the Evening Club and the Irvine Club, for the virtual run fundraiser.

“We would like to see that the community get involved with this event as well,” said Guon. “The more people that you bring into the fold, the better.”—Haley Chi-Sing sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

PierPride Unveils Mural, Renovated Pier Bathroom

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

S

everal city officials, dignitaries and local donors on Tuesday, Aug. 25, gathered at the San Clemente Pier to celebrate the completion of the monthslong project to renovate the historic structure’s restroom—an effort led by local nonprofit PierPride Foundation.

“Welcome to our restroom,” an elated PierPride President Eileen Kawas joked to kick off an unveiling ceremony the organization held on Tuesday night. “We did it! Can you believe it? We did it!”

Acknowledging the excitement of many of the PierPride members over the revitalization project, Kawas garnered laughs after teasing Public Works Director Tom Bonigut, who had told her that he “couldn’t believe we’re all getting excited about a bathroom.”

The refurbished bathroom includes

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

all new fixtures, such as sinks, toilets, electric hand driers and partitions, as well as a drinking water and bottle-refill station—all of which, Bonigut said, are ADA-compliant.

Additionally, the restroom features new skylights, painting, walls that are designed to prevent graffiti and a bird deterrent system to keep them from roosting atop the structure, Bonigut explained.

“Short of actually starting from scratch, this is as new a building as you can get without starting over; we pretty much almost gutted the thing,” Bonigut said.

And adorning the exterior of the restroom is artwork by local artist Andi Goud, who was selected by officials from PierPride, the city and the San Clemente Art Association as part of an art contest the nonprofit launched last fall.

A mural by Goud, titled “Open Door Policy” that depicts an octopus walking onto the pier, is now displayed on the bathroom’s utility door. And on the side of the structure, visitors walking up the pier should also notice a large orange “SC.” To help with the overall aesthetics and design of the bathroom, PierPride worked with RSM Design.

“What we did working with the PierPride Committee was help them bring their visions to life, envisioning the col-

ors, the signage, the lighting, the water fountain, and really helping them have some great ideas collaboratively as a whole team,” said Harry Mark of RSM Design.

PierPride, which was formed to help raise money to go toward renovation projects on the historic pier, presented the city with $50,000 in donated funds to help pay for the $150,000 bathroom project.

The group “was formed to fill gaps in funding between what the city could provide and what you and I would like to see on the pier,” Kawas explained. “Every year, we pick a different project. The first year, we went really bold; we painted the pier . . . and this year, we decided to do the restroom.”

Praising PierPride for the donation, Bonigut noted that the council had allocated $150,000 toward the revitalization project, and came in about $20,000 to $25,000 under budget.

“So, with your donation, that really helped stretch our dollars,” he said.

With the restroom project now completed, PierPride is turning its focus to a new project Kawas referred to as “Hope for 2021.” The goal, she said, is to raise another $50,000 for the city to make electrical upgrades so holiday lights could be strung along the pier.

“What does ‘Hope for 2021’ look like?

Imagine you’re in the Pier Bowl, and

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PierPride President Eileen Kawas presents a $50,000 check to acting City Manager Erik Sund during a ceremony to unveil the newly renovated San Clemente Pier restroom on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Photo: Shawn Raymundo

you’re looking down at the pier and it is outlined with holiday lights,” Kawas said.

“So, holiday lights on the pier—that is what Hope for 2021 looks like. Now, in order for that happen, we have to have an electrical upgrade, and that’s what our gift is going to be to the city.”

Kawas said PierPride plans to host the holiday lighting event from Casa Romantica in late October.

“On Oct. 22, we’ll be meeting up at the Casa, and all platinum sponsors will have a hand on the switch and will turn on the lights and flip the switch for the holiday lights,” she said. SC

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San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

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EYE ON SC

NEWS BITES

Community Meetings

COMPILED BY SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Ocean Fest Launches Virtual Art Show to Support Artists With the San Clemente Ocean Festival having to be postponed this year, along with other annual events that provide outlets for local artists to display and sell their artwork, the organizers of the yearly ocean-based contest have created a virtual art show.

Some of Ocean Fest’s artists this year have agreed to participate in the virtual concept in the hopes that it will create opportunities for them to connect with new and returning customers. The virtual art show can be accessed by heading to oceanfestival.org.

There, you’ll “find something fun and different, while helping support local artists,” the organization said in a press release, adding: “It’s never too early to start your Christmas shopping, or find a special treat for someone special.”

2020 Ocean Festival gear is also still available for sale at DeNault’s Ace Hardware and Mikii’s On Del Mar, as well as online at the Ocean Fest’s website.

The Ocean Fest is scheduled to return to San Clemente on July 17-18, 2021, when it will get to celebrate 45 years of the “Greatest Show on Surf.”

For more information, contact Peggy Vance by email at pvscof@yahoo.com or by calling 949.440.6141.

Local Girl Scouts Create Campaigns Advocating for Proper Medication Disposal Two local teens, both members of Girl Scout Troop 1510, recently developed a dual campaign intended to increase awareness and create a system for the proper disposal of expired and unwanted medication, as well as for syringe needles.

Adelina Awtry, who graduated from San Clemente High School this summer, and Isabella Marcovecchio, a Capistrano Valley Christian School senior, launched their campaign as part of their Gold Award Projects and were designed to protect the beaches, oceans and water supply of the San Clemente area by keeping harmful trash off the beach and out of the water.

“Needles thrown directly into the garbage can cause injury, transmit disease and can accidentally end up on our beaches,” Awtry said in a press release. “By making a simple phone call, we can get needles picked up at our homes; it’s really easy!”

The slogans “Save our Gills—Return your Pills” and “Don’t Slash the Trash” have been created in conjunction with a local waste management company and the city of San San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

THURSDAY, AUG. 27

JOINT HOMELESS SUBCOMMITTEE 3-5 p.m. The city’s Joint Homeless Subcommittee will conduct a special meeting via teleconference and can be streamed through the city’s YouTube channel. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

SATURDAY, AUG. 29

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, persons 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, SEPT. 1

(From left) Girl Scout Gold Award Recipients Isabella Marcovecchio and Adelina Awtry developed a dual campaign intended to increase awareness and create a system for the proper disposal of expired and unwanted medication. Photo: Courtesy of Renee Tarnow/Girl Scout Troop 1510

Clemente, according to the Girl Scout troop.

“Adelina and Isabella started the project in 2017, a natural fit because both have always been concerned with the environment and love the ocean,” a Girl Scout Troop 1510 press release stated. “These disposal solutions not only protect the local environment now, but also raise awareness for future generations to come.”

According to the Girl Scout troop, medications, if not disposed of properly, can pollute the water by releasing toxins into the ocean. Not all toxins, the troop said, are filtered by the reclamation plant during the water purification process.

“Teaching younger children about this issue is important,” Marcovecchio said in the press release. “I have younger sisters, and I want them to be aware that we can make a big difference by doing simple things.”

Local Republican Women Host Summer Fundraiser with Council Candidates The San Clemente Area Republican Women Federated (SCARWF) hosted its summer fundraiser on Aug. 20, inviting many Orange County Republicans and city council candidates to attend the event that’s meant to support scholarships for high school area students.

The evening aboard a wine tasting cruise in Dana Point Harbor included local dignitar-

Members of the San Clemente Area Republican Women Federated and acting Mayor Laura Ferguson gather for a photo during the group’s summer fundraiser aboard a wine tasting cruise in Dana Point Harbor on Aug. 20. Photo: Courtesy of SCARWF

ies such as acting Mayor Laura Ferguson, who gave a review on the current state of the city, as well as fellow Councilmember Gene James, who is seeking reelection this year.

Other city council hopefuls Aaron Washington and Bill Hart also attended the event, and each addressed the group with their vision and plans for the city, while also participating in a Q&A session.

According to SCARWF, all of the speakers encouraged those in attendance to stay active in local issues that will improve the quality of life and safety for the residents of San Clemente.

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CITY COUNCIL 6 p.m. The San Clemente City Council will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting via teleconference and can be streamed through the city’s YouTube channel.

949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

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

SAN CLEMENTE TOASTMASTERS 7-8:40 p.m. The San Clemente Toastmasters will continue to meet every Tuesday online through Zoom.

Email fardad.fs@gmail.com to receive a link to join. 858.900.6175 sanclementetoastmasters. toastmastersclubs.org.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2

PLANNING COMMISSION 6-10 p.m. The city’s Planning Commission conducts its regularly scheduled meeting via teleconference and can be streamed through the city’s YouTube channel.

949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

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Submissions are due by 10 a.m. the Monday of the week you’d like published. Email sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com. sanclementetimes.com

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EDITORIAL

ART + DESIGN

City Editor, SC Times Shawn Raymundo

Art Director Jasmine Smith

Senior City Editor, DP Times Lillian Boyd

Graphic Designer Chelsie Rex

City Editor, Capo Dispatch Collin Breaux

General Manager Alyssa Garrett

O P E R AT I O N S

Sports Editor Zach Cavanagh

Group Operations & Production Coordinator Inna Cazares

Columnist Fred Swegles

FINANCE

Special Projects Editor Andrea PapagianisCamacho Copy Editor Randy Youngman ADVERTISING Associate Publisher Lauralyn Loynes

SC SOAPBOX San Clemente

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

GUEST OPINION: Bartlett Bulletin by OC Board Supervisor Lisa Bartlett

Voting During a Global Pandemic

O

n Nov. 3, voters will have the opportunity to go to the polls and exercise their constitutional right to vote during one of the most challenging times in our nation’s history. Faced with the uncertainties of a global pandemic, it is understandable why voters might be hesitant, or feel somewhat apprehensive, about going to a vote center to cast their ballot on election day. As such, I wanted to share with you some of the measures and protocols the Registrar of Voters office has undertaken to ensure in-person voting can be conducted safely and securely.

In consideration of the challenges posed

by COVID-19, the Registrar of Voters released an extensive report on changes and procedures that will be implemented for the Nov. 3 Presidential General Election.

The report covers a broad spectrum of election planning, including: • Candidate filing • Recruitment • Training • Services for voters with disabilities • Language assistance services • Vote-by-mail voting • Vote Center locations • Ballot drop box locations • Post-election audits These changes are necessary in order to safely conduct the election in accordance with public health guidelines and maintain a secure and transparent election. California law requires that in-person voting be pro-

vided for the Presidential General Election.

As the pandemic began to take hold in Orange County, the Registrar’s office moved quickly to implement procedures that would provide safe voting options for all voters and a safe work environment for staff.

Whether a voter prefers to vote at home or in-person THE BARTLETT at a Vote Center, every BULLETIN effort is being made to enBy Lisa Bartlett sure they have a positive experience that promotes health and safety.

Some of the changes include: • Detailed plans for disinfecting, maintaining physical distance, personal protective equipment and increased signage at all in-person voting locations • Increased online training for vote center customer service representatives • Leveraging technology to create remote public election observation opportunities In addition, the Registrar’s office recently opened a 1,125-square-foot Vote Center Lab. As a fully functional, permanent replica of an in-person voting location, the Vote Center Lab was built to serve multiple purposes, such as testing processes and procedures, training election staff, educating the general public and supporting research efforts in a controlled environment. Its timely completion allowed the Registrar of Voters to test new

processes and other changes to existing operations necessary for the Nov. 3 Presidential General Election.

Since opening, the lab has served as a testing site to determine the impact of physical distancing and proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures on wait times for voters. It will also be used for training Vote Center Customer Service Representatives to ensure they receive hands-on practice and experience in a Vote Center environment prior to stepping into an actual Vote Center.

The COVID-19 Election Response Report can be viewed in the Election Library at ocvote.com/election-library.

All voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the Nov. 3 Presidential General Election for safe and convenient voting at home. Voters can check their registration, re-register, and register to vote at ocvote.com. For more information, call 714.567.7600 or visit ocvote.com.

I hope you find this information helpful as you contemplate the options available to you for voting in November. Be safe and stay healthy.

Lisa Bartlett sits on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, representing the 5th District. She was reelected in 2018. 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. The San Clemente Times and Picket Fence Media do not publish content that is defamatory.

Finance Director Mike Reed Accounting & Finance Manager Tricia Zines CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco Jake Howard Tim Trent

Letters to The Editor IT MAY NOT BE A FACT, BUT I KNOW IT’S TRUE

San Clemente Times, Vol. 15, Issue 35. 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 2020. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

MICHAEL SMITH, San Clemente

I feel compelled to respectfully respond to the two gentlemen, namely Jim Smith and Gregg Lancer, and accordingly to both of their letters to the editor published on Aug. 13 in the San Clemente Times.

Seemingly, they both profess that wearing a mask is not effective, uncomfortable and based on their “information” it is, therefore, unnecessary. Gregg says, “If I don’t wear a mask,” he is treated “poorly and negatively.”

I think I might know why that is.

Personally, I seek the highest level of expertise to carefully decide and guide us during this terrible pandemic. Interesting enough, Vice President Mike Pence

recently stated during an interview with Axios on HBO, “The COVID-19 Task Force recommends following the CDC Guidelines, which clearly includes wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and hand washing in public.”

Other notable and respected health experts including Dr. Fauci also support this recommendation. So, gentlemen, it’s no wonder why you are treated so poorly. The good and considerate folks around you are taking the CDC guidelines seriously, and I would suggest that you two do as well.

While I am sorry that Gregg has breathing problems, no one is really happy or comfortable having to wear a mask, but we do so because it’s the right thing to do now.

Gregg, why not wear a shield instead?

Look, if we all follow the real experts’ advice, then, hopefully, we will be able to flatten the current curve spike in COVID-19 cases in SC as shown in the same SC Times newspaper as your letters.

The virus has not gone away. We must take all the precautions possible we can to help stop the spreading. Gentlemen, and

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all you other folks, please wear a mask when in public for us who care.

As you stated, Gregg, “Be kind and patient.” Please remember that if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

Have something you’d like to say? Email your letter to Letters@sanclementetimes.com no later than 8 a.m. on Monday. San Clemente Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or information written by the writers. Limit your letters to 350 or fewer words. Please send with your valid email, phone number and address for verification by staff. Your address and phone number will not be published. The San Clemente Times and Picket Fence Media do not publish content that is defamatory.

Join SC Times for a virtual Beachside Chat on Friday, August 28, at 8 a.m. The chat is hosted by SC Times Editor Shawn Raymundo every Friday. sanclementetimes.com

SC GETTING OUT San Clemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

At the Movies: Why Movie Theaters Can Still Matter in the 21st Century

EDITOR’S PICK Photo: Courtesy of Ocean Institute

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27: MOVE YOUR BOOTY: VIRTUAL RACE Noon. This month-long virtual challenge encourages individuals, families, groups, and corporate teams to get outdoors and get moving in a fun way. Runners, walkers, paddleboarders, and more are invited to sign up and get moving through Sept. 10. Prizes will encourage creativity and fun while creating excitement for the Ocean Institute Virtual Maritime Festival, which kicks off Sept. 11. All race registrants will get an exclusive race T-shirt. Proceeds from this event will support Ocean Institute’s programs at CHOC Children’s (Children’s Hospital of Orange County). Ocean Institute. oceaninstitute.redpodium.com/move-your-booty.

The List

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

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

Saturday | 29 2020 ARTIST STUDIO & GALLERY TOUR 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Join Art Along the Coast for its second weekend, when 34 juried artists from the 2020 Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach open their private studios and gallery venues. Drive at your own pace on this no-cost, self-guided tour through South Orange County, starting in San Clemente on the way up to Santa Ana, where artists will be sharing new art, works in progress, and a glimpse into their creative processes. This is a unique opportunity to view and acquire many works not yet seen by the public from this group of professional painters, sculptors, photographers, and artists specializing in pastel, mixed media, glass and jewelry. For further questions, conSan Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

tact Paul Bond at paul@paulbondart.com. artalongthecoast.org.

LOW-COST PET VACCINE CLINIC 10-11:30 a.m. Pets Plus San Clemente offers low-cost vaccinations for all dogs and cats every month. All veterinary services are provided by Vet Care Vaccination Services, Inc. Vaccination packages, microchips, physical exams, prescription flea control, fecal exams, and diagnostic testing available on-site. All pets must be on a leash or in a carrier. 415 Avenida Pico, San Clemente. 1.800.988.8387. vetcarepetclinic.com.

Sunday | 30 FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Shop for a wide selection of fruits, vegetables and artisanal goods from organic growers at the Community Center/San Clemente Public Library parking lot. 100 North Calle Seville. 949 361 8200. san-clemente.org.

Wednesday | 02 FREE COMM’UNITY YOGA 11 a.m.-noon. YNG Studios is offering a free yoga session with social distancing while following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are no fees or obligations—just

show up with a mat and enjoy yoga for all levels and all bodies. Pose breakdowns and modifications as needed to ensure your safety and comfort. For more information and to reserve a spot, visit yngstudios.com. YNG Studios, 102 South Ola Vista, San Clemente.

BACKYARD OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS 8-10 p.m. Knuckleheads’ backyard has reopened for food, drinks and live music.

Performers of all skill levels are welcome.

If you are a musician, do stand-up comedy or the spoken word, this is the place to be on Wednesday nights. So, come down, grab a drink and go for it. Knuckleheads Sports Bar, 1717 North El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.2410. knuckleheadsmusic.com.

CASS WINE DINNER WITH TED 6:30-8 p.m. Cass Winery is letting Ted off the ranch for his first wine dinner in San Clemente in 2020. He’s fired up and excited to team up with Barnoa Wine Co. There will be featured wines such as Viognier, Oasis Rose, Mourvedre and Vintage Ted. Cost to join the tasting is $25 per person. There will be wine and food sales available and outdoor seating is limited. Call Barnoa for reservations at 949.388.4378 or visit its website at barnoawinebar.com. Barnoa Wine Company, 831 Via Suerte, Suite 106, San Clemente. 805.239.1730. casswines.com.

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BlackWidow. Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures

BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

he past week has made my recurring frustration this year go from the denial of new movie releases—because of an unprecedented pandemic—to an old debate that I’ve seen argued for almost a decade, even before the coronavirus: whether the modern movie theater experience has become less enjoyable and a reason for streaming and home viewing to take over watching films. As a lifelong movie lover and traditionalist, I personally can’t imagine a world without the availability of a big screen with a dark room and snacks—a big part of why this crisis was a huge personal blow for me, on top of other reasons.

The arguments I’ve seen from naysayers about going to the theater to see new movies are pretty consistent: “People are too loud”; “The seats are dirty”; “Late attendees are distracting”; “It’s claustrophobic”; and so on. All of these things, I can agree, are obnoxious. The pro-streaming crowd has been happily predicting that with events such as the pandemic, new movies going straight to VOD or virtual cinemas will now be a norm much sooner. If this does happen soon, I feel the average price to view a movie at home right away will have to be somewhere in the $10-$20 range.

At home, I’m constantly distracted by my thoughts, surroundings and devices. In a theater setting, I can absorb the full film experience with the huge scope and atmosphere of the feature with the dark setting, full sound system and giant screen. This is the common divide among the general public. As was originally standard, TV shows are for the small screen, movies are for the big screen. So, while others are enjoying the few new releases in home viewing formats, I’ll continue waiting for the world to go back to normal, and that includes trying drive-in theaters if one ends up opening close to me. SC sanclementetimes.com

SC n te S a n C le m e

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

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Resources for Students Learning English As the education model transitions toward distance learning, educators adapt their resources for students who are learning English as a second language.

Students are identified as English learners upon taking the English Learner Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). Programs include Structured English Immersion (SEI), which allow for English language development support, as well as either integrated or designated English language development, depending on the student’s proficiency.

For more information on English Learner (EL) support, visit dhhs.schoolloop.com/ elsupport.

Presentations in English, Spanish, Farsi and Mandarin are available for parents at els-capousd-ca.schoolloop.com. Students and families can also find more information on bilingual community service liaisons (BCSLs).

WELCOME TO CRIB TO COLLEGE The COVID-19 pandemic has created plenty of challenges when it comes to education. Children and families, though, are rising to the occasion and still working to ensure the younger generation is getting the best learning experience possible. In this edition of our annual education guide, “Crib to College,” we have information to help guide parents through the tough but rewarding educational journey. The following articles look at what will happen with SATs, services offered by local tutoring centers and other relevant resources. No matter what, a child’s curiosity is a powerful force. We hope this guide helps as you watch them go from an infant in your arms to an adult who makes you proud.

Dual Immersion Programs Capistrano Unified School District has incorporated language immersion instruction since 1992 and currently offers programs in Spanish and Mandarin. The Two Way Immersion program in Spanish is offered at four elementary sites, including at R.H. Dana Elementary School in Dana Point, while the One Way Immersion program in Mandarin is offered at Marian Bergeson Elementary School in Laguna Niguel.

Students from both programs matriculate into middle and high school programs that support them with further study in each of the target languages.

Additional Resources Resources from the California Department of Education (CDE) English Learner Support Division are available to local educational agencies as they support English learner, immigrant, newcomer, and migratory students during distance learning and the transition to schools reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The webpage for Alaz y Voz (californianstogether.com/alaz-y-voz) provides resources to families in Spanish, including home learning resources and information about physical and mental health during times of crisis.

The Future of SAT Testing I

BY COLLIN BREAUX

n the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, what will happen to SAT testing, once a common prerequisite for students applying for college?

The College Board, a nonprofit organization that administers the SAT, will continue to do so. But the University of California Board of Regents recently voted to do away with requiring the SAT in student applications, a move that was in the works for years.

“The August 29 administration is scheduled to proceed as planned. There is limited testing capacity in certain areas due to public health restrictions and high demand,” The College Board said in a statement.

“While the College Board cannot directly San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

control test center capacity and availability, we’re working to ensure as many students as possible are able to test safely.”

Local schools and test centers make individual decisions about whether to administer the SAT, and the College Board is asking test centers to report closures as soon as possible. Students are advised to check directly with their test center, including the test center’s website, on the morning of the test.

It is also recommended that students check college websites for the most current information on application requirements.

The College Board will support higher education members as they transition back to requiring test scores or implement permanent new policies in the long-term as the admission process takes shape postpandemic.

The UC Board of Regents unanimously

voted in May to suspend standardized test requirements, which includes the ACT and SAT, for all California freshman applicants until the fall of 2024. UC will work to come up with a new test in the interim that more adequately reflects the material incoming students are expected to know.

However, UC will eliminate the standardized testing requirement altogether for California students if a new test does not meet specified criteria in time for fall 2025 admission, a press release said.

In March, current standardized test requirements for fall 2021 UC applicants were suspended due to the ongoing health crisis. Tests will be optional through 2022 and test scores from applicants will not be considered in admissions for fall 2023 and fall 2024.

The May vote “marks the culmination of a two-year, research-based effort by UC to

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evaluate the value and use of standardized tests in admissions,” a press release said.

A report in February by the UC Academic Senate discussed numerous aspects of standardized test scores and admission processes, including how African American, Latino, and Native American students are underrepresented.

“Concern has grown in recent months and years that the consideration of standardized test scores in UC’s admissions process might be a contributing cause of underrepresentation in particular of African American and Latino students,” the report said.

Despite many California students coming from Spanish-speaking homes, research has shown that standardized tests “likely underestimate these students’ capabilities because of lack of sensitivity of the tests to issues of language difference,” the report said. sanclementetimes.com

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g n i r o t u T e h t g n i Dur c i m e d Pan

T

BY COLLIN BREAUX

he COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted just about every aspect of daily life and education. What about tutoring?

Local tutoring centers vary on how exactly they’re operating during the ongoing health crisis, but they are continuing to help students. Education has entered uncharted territory as everyone learns on the fly while face-to-face gatherings are discouraged, people communicate remotely and details seemingly change by the day.

Under Pressure Homework Help helps students in all grades and almost all subjects.

They offer in-person tutoring from their Dana Point studio, as well as virtual tutoring.

For the school year, they are also offering homeschool (K-5th grades) and a homework club. They have many tutors ready to help students, and parents, be successful with all of the changes this school year.

In response to the pandemic, Dana Point’s Mathnasium is offering their services inCenter or online with Mathnasium@Home.

Mathnasium@home learning offers flexibil-

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

ity with a student’s schedule and is available anywhere. Mathnasium works to assure that each child advances in their math learning journey at the pace they need to maximize their growth—helping kids stay on grade level and even get ahead through this crisis.

In addition, Mathnasium will be introducing Prime Study Space, a comfortable workspace with a private desk, fast Internet, and power outlet so students can focus on remote classroom learning. Students will be kept safe through strict social distancing, disinfecting protocols, and mask and temperature checks. The program is offered Monday through Friday mornings for four hours, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Prime Study Space is month-to-month; no long-term contract required. Mathnasium’s background-checked facilitators keep them on task, so parents can focus on their day.

Tutoring at the Huntington Learning Center in Laguna Niguel has been surprisingly smooth, said Assistant Director Melissa Ogdon. The franchise location has launched Zoom tutoring and implemented safety

guidelines while staying open for in-person instruction. They never offered virtual learning before the pandemic.

A “good number” of students have stayed with them during the transition, and the center has even had some new students.

Ogdon said the changes were initially challenging, but they got up and running once they figured out the logistics.

“It worked out well,” Ogdon said.

Some of their regular students have been with the Huntington Learning Center for years and normally need extra support.

Students may deal with learning gaps caused by a lack of in-person instruction.

One-on-one help incorporating social distancing is being provided to children.

Huntington Learning Center is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily and primarily focuses on reading, math, writing, study skills and test preparation.

Most of the students they help are still utilizing in-person services and may otherwise get distracted at home if attempting virtual learning, Ogdon said. The center

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was servicing approximately 15 families, as of press time. Students are productive and tend to make progress, Ogdon said.

Meanwhile, the Kumon Math and Reading Center of Aliso Viejo has started to offer in-center classes with limited availability while continuing their online classes, after previously offering only online learning.

Kumon is defined as a supplemental enrichment program, which is a bit different than tutoring. In the words of Center Director Angel Ko, “Instead of waiting until children fall behind, families enroll their kids in the program to get ahead.” Kumon’s programs cover math and reading.

“During the time the center has been closed to visitors, we have invested in numerous safety measures, such as the installation of plexiglass dividers, sanitization stations and more,” Ko said.

The Kumon Center has remained busy during the pandemic, with staff putting in many hours to adapt to the new normal.

Very little in terms of processes has reportedly changed—generally, a student would come to the center and do work, staff would observe and grade the work and then students would leave.

“This stayed the same with virtual classes, besides commuting to and from the center,” Ko said. “Our goal is to keep the experience as consistent as possible for the student.”

Consistency is important for children during this unusual period, Ko said. Parents can count on Kumon activities being something their child is doing every day, since it is so routine-based, Ko said.

In addition, Kumon can be a light for kids during a time when they may be physically separated from their teachers and friends, and away from familiar classroom surroundings.

“It’s important to keep children on track right now because of our efforts to combat the ‘COVID Slide’,” Ko said. “A report released by the NWEA suggests that because of the break from the classroom caused by COVID-19, there’s a risk for some students returning to school in the fall with only 70% of the reading knowledge they acquired from the previous school year, and just half of what they learned in math.”

Incorporating consistent academic enrichment into a child’s education is also crucial due to the uncertainty surrounding what school will be like this year, Ko said.

Editor’s note: These details may change as conditions develop.

sanclementetimes.com

The JuCo Route Community colleges have gained popularity with those looking to save on costs

A

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

s a college education becomes more important and more expensive, and college admissions become more competitive, a prudent option for graduating high school seniors—or anyone getting back into higher education—is the junior college route.

The route is also becoming a popular one.

Freshman applications dropped 5.4% from 2018 to 2019 across the nine campuses of the University of California system, with the declines coming at UCLA, UC Davis, UC Merced, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz. However, the system also saw a 4.8% increase in transfer applications, with UCLA receiving a 12.5% increase in transfer applications from Californian students, according to the Los Angeles Times.

California’s community college system is the largest system of higher education in the country, with nine colleges in Orange County. Saddleback College in Mission Viejo and Irvine Valley College in Irvine make up the two local options in the South Orange County Community College District.

Saddleback College boasts a robust amount of resources for its more than 3,500 students who transfer to four-year universities every year.

Students who choose the junior college route will find two major benefits: significant tuition costs saved and transfer admission guarantees and partnerships with many major universities.

Cost has been seen by many as the biggest contributing factor to the growth in popularity of the transfer route.

According to Saddleback College, students who complete two years at Saddleback save thousands of dollars in tuition at Southern California’s biggest universities.

Based on 2018-19 tuition and fees, Saddleback says those who complete four-year degrees at Cal State Fullerton save more than $11,000, more than $24,000 at UC Irvine and more than $100,000 at USC.

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One of Saddleback’s main goals is to help facilitate those transfers, to make sure the hard hours of effort aren’t wasted in the competitive race for college admissions.

The biggest way the college has done this is with the development of articulation agreements with Cal State and University of California campuses, as well as many major out-of-state and private schools. These agreements assure that the courses taken at Saddleback will transfer to the student’s school of choice, and that the courses will satisfy degree requirements at the chosen institution. Students at Saddleback can earn special Associate Degrees for Transfer in more than 25 majors of varying disciplines.

Beyond just making sure the classes will count at the next school, Saddleback has agreements with several in-state schools, as well as out-of-state and private universities.

Saddleback offers Transfer Admission Guarantees with six UC campuses—Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz—as well as transfer partnerships with 11 institutions, some in only particular programs.

Saddleback has partnerships with Arizona State University, Cal Baptist and Chapman University for Health Services and with Pepperdine University for the Graziadio School of Business and Management, among others.

To assist students with fulfilling their requirements and taking advantage of those guarantees, the Saddleback College Transfer Center offers plenty of resources and counselors that can help through any step of the transfer process.

In the COVID-19 era, even Saddleback College’s transfer center has had to adapt.

In addition to phone and email, students can virtually contact the transfer center via Zoom video calls, and Saddleback and Irvine Valley College will join to host a virtual transfer college fair on Sept. 15.

For more information about transferring through Saddleback College, call 949.582.4328, email sctransfer@saddleback.edu or visit saddleback.edu/transfer. sanclementetimes.com

Ranking

Local Schools

A

BY COSTA BEAVIN-PAPPAS

s the beginning of a new school year begins for many local South Orange County residents, many start their academic careers in first grade while others go off to middle school and high school. It is often difficult to decide where to send your child. The following are the rankings for public elementary, middle and high schools in the region.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS • Moulton Elementary School, located in Laguna Niguel, has 603 students and is ranked #408 in Best Public Elementary School in California.

• Hidden Hills Elementary, located in Laguna Niguel, has 366 students with a student-toteacher ratio of 28 to 1. The school is ranked #529 among Los Angeles area schools.

• Clarence Lobo Elementary, located in San Clemente, has 366 students with a studentteacher ratio of 26 to 1. The school is ranked #603.

• Marblehead Elementary School, located in San Clemente, has 354 students with a student-teacher ratio of 27 to 1. The school is ranked #728 in Best Public Schools in the Los Angeles area.

28 to 1. The school is ranked #739 in Best Schools in California.

• Concordia Elementary School, located in San Clemente, has 575 students in grades K-5 with a student-teacher ratio of 34 to 1.

The school is ranked #494 in Best Schools in California.

• Las Palmas Elementary School, located in San Clemente, has 889 students in grades K-5 with a student-teacher ratio of 30 to 1.

The school is ranked #591 in Best Schools in Los Angeles area.

• Harold Ambuehl Elementary School, located in San Juan Capistrano, has 358 students in grades K-5 with a student-teacher ratio of 28 to 1. The school is ranked #616 in Best Schools in Los Angeles area.

• Kinoshita Elementary School, located in San Juan Capistrano, has 534 students in grades K-5 and a student-teacher ratio of 27 to 1. The school is not listed in any ranking according to Niche.com.

• Esencia Elementary School, located in Rancho Mission Viejo, has 449 students in grades K-5 and a student-teacher ratio of 28 to 1. There are no available rankings for this school according to Niche.com.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

• San Juan Elementary School, located in San Juan Capistrano, has 785 students in grades K-5 with a student-teacher ratio of 27 to 1. The school is ranked #852 in Best Public Schools in the Los Angeles area.

• Vista Del Mar Middle School, located in San Clemente, has 683 students with a student-teacher ratio of 24 to 1. It is ranked #4 among schools in the district and #144 among statewide middle schools.

• Palisades Elementary School, located in Capistrano Beach, has 445 students in grades K-5 with a student-teacher ratio of 28 to 1. The school is ranked #648 in Best Public Schools in the Los Angeles area.

• Niguel Hills Middle School, located in Laguna Niguel, is ranked #9 out of 12 middle schools in the district and #324 out of 2,155 middle schools in the state.

• RH Dana Elementary School, located in Dana Point, has students in grades with a student-teacher ratio of. The school is ranked #3,222 out of 5,288 California elementary schools.

• Truman Benedict Elementary School, located in San Clemente, has 671 students in grades K-5 with a student-teacher ratio of San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

• Bernice Ayer Middle School, located in San Clemente, has 929 students with a studentteacher ratio of 24 to 1. The school is ranked #10 out of the 12 middle schools in the district and #328 out of middle schools statewide.

• Shorecliffs Middle School, located in San Clemente, has 929 students with a studentteacher ratio of of 25 to 1. It is ranked #11 out of 12 middle schools in the district and

#362 out of 2,155 middle schools statewide.

California high schools.

• Marco Forster Middle School, located in San Juan Capistrano, has 1,403 students and is ranked #666 of 2,155 California public schools. The middle school is ranked #12 among middle schools in the district and #666 of the 2,155 middle schools in California.

• San Clemente High School is ranked #5 out of the nine high schools in the district and # 209 out of 1,727 California high schools.

HIGH SCHOOL • San Juan Hills High, located in in San Juan Capistrano, is ranked #3 among the nine high schools in the district and #159 of 1,727 California high schools.

• Dana Hills High, located in Dana Point, is ranked #4 out of the nine high schools in the district and #201 out of the 1,727

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• Junipero Serra High School is an above average, public, alternative school located in San Juan Capistrano. It has 161 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. It ranks #237 in Best High Schools for the Arts in America.

The rankings were compiled through Niche.com and SchoolDigger, websites that use test scores, district boundaries, student/teacher ratios and scores to help parents evaluate the performance and quality of education for schools around the United States.

sanclementetimes.com

Y

BY GINA COUSINEAU

YOU ARE YOUR CHILD’S

NUTRITION INFLUENCER

ou can’t deny that we parents are the ones who control what our children eat the majority of the time, especially in the midst of a pandemic, when we are together 24/7. While I am an evidence- and sciencebased practitioner, when it comes to nutrition and our food choices, there are a whole host of emotions attached to those decisions. And I am not talking about the tantrum your toddler throws when wanting one more cookie, or even your teenager, who has decided to be a vegan this week, when you put chicken on their plate.

If we, the parents, have no idea how to feed ourselves— let’s face it, folks, we were sitting in the midst of an obesity pandemic before COVID-19 hit—how in the world can we feed our kids? I am utterly dismayed by the amount of attention paid to breast/bottle feeding infants in that first year of life, compared to how little care is given to the food we feed our toddlers and Instagram and Facebook: beyond. @mamagslifestyle So, as you are inundated @kids.eat.in.color with trying to keep house, @healthy.mom.healthy.kids homeschool your kids, work, @feedinglittles exercise, and more, I am go@foodsciencebabe ing to suggest you use social @babyledweanteam media to help guide your way with feeding your kids more Podcasts: wholesome food. In all cases, The Nourished Child you really should look to a Liz’s Healthy Table registered dietitian-nutritionist, or a nutritionist like myself, who has a Master of Science in nutrition, to guide your way. Your fitness guru, the author with an MD after their name, or your favorite celebrity, chef, designer or blogger does not have the extensive education and training in the field of nutrition needed to make real-life decisions on what you should consider feeding your family, regardless of the credentials they throw your way.

Resources

TAKE THE ROLE SERIOUSLY

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

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I also believe we must bring the family back around the kitchen table, and it should really start with gathering in the kitchen to prepare a meal. Back in the day, we had Home Economics in school teaching us the basics of running a home.

Today, the ease of grabbing take-away food, paired with our crazy schedules, makes the kitchen obsolete. Here are a few tips to move toward improving your family’s nutrition: 1. Start by including a shopping/cooking lesson to your homeschool routine at least once a week. Great lessons in math, nutrition, economics, planning, dexterity, patience and more are waiting for you here—all critical life skills.

2. Find a family-friendly cooking show to watch together or, better yet, join “Mama G LIVE” for complimentary cooking classes via Zoom. Allow everyone to participate in making a meal plan for the week, choosing their favorite meals, with theme nights leading the way, such as Taco Tuesday and Friday Pizza Night.

3. Eat more plants, choosing minimally processed options, with fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains leading the way. Adding in a variety of dairy will help get the much-needed protein and calcium humans of all ages need for optimum health.

4. And if you need direction, consider hiring one of the professionals I spoke of above to help guide your way.

Variety is the spice of life; it is also the precursor to a balanced diet, which will drive the health of your family.

Gina Cousineau sees clients virtually out of her San Clemente office. Her extensive education (a BS in dietetics and MS in integrative and functional nutrition), chef training, and 30-plus years as a fitness professional allow her to help clients lose weight and improve their health. You can reach her at mamag@mamagslifestyle.com, 949.842.9975, and on Instagram/Facebook @mamagslifestyle. Sign up for complimentary Zoom cooking classes on her website.

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no longer acceptable. Parents are demanding more from their schools. They are considering all options. They are looking to schools for real solutions that address students’ needs right now and make it possible for children to continue learning, growing and thriving in the midst of present challenges.

A globally recognized private school with a new preschool-through-grade-12 campus in San Juan Capistrano, Fairmont offers many programs to meet a wide range of educational needs. Fairmont starts with the student—meeting children where they are—and prepares an educational pathway that takes them farther than they imagined possible.

S PEC I A L A DVE RT IS ING S ECT IO N

Great Opportunities

Imagine What’s Possible.

Expect the Extraordinary.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced educators into uncharted waters. But thinking outside of the box is nothing new for Fairmont. Since its inception in 1953, Fairmont has weathered many storms that have impacted the landscape of education.

Its staying power speaks to the strength of its tried and tested methods, as well as its relentless pursuit of innovation.

prepared for life and leadership.

Schedule a tour today by contacting admissions@cvcs.org, by calling 949.493.5683 or by visiting our website at cvcs.org.

Capistrano Valley Christian Schools The dreams we have for our children are based on hopes for a lifetime of success, happiness, and purpose. At Capistrano Valley Christian Schools, we believe the foundations of those dreams are built on a rich academic program coupled with an emphasis on spiritual and moral development. Our students learn through a program that values and develops critical thinking, innovation, creativity and foundational skills to prepare them for life after graduation.

Though academic success is important to us, it is meaningless unless we also develop students who are positive contributors to our society’s moral fabric. We instill Christian faith, virtue, and character in our children by weaving Biblical principles into every component of our program. The outstanding CVCS staff authentically cares for the students who grace our halls, which creates a deeply connected sense of community, setting us apart from other schools in South Orange County.

In addition to academic rigor and spiritual development, CVCS maintains an athletic program that has won multiple CIF championships while teaching athletes integrity and discipline, and maintains award-winning fine arts and performing arts departments.

Capistrano Valley Christian Schools, founded in 1973, is a nonprofit Christian, college-preparatory, co-ed school serving Junior Kindergarten through 12th grade located in San Juan Capistrano, California.

CVCS provides educational excellence in a Christ-centered environment. The result of a CVCS education is a student who is truly San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

Capistrano Unified School District Welcome Back to the 2020-21 School Year!

By Kirsten Vital, Superintendent, Capistrano Unified School District The start of a new school year is always an exciting time! And, although we opened very differently than what we were all used to, I want to assure you that we remain committed to supporting our students, families, and staff as we begin this adventure together.

This school year will truly be like no other.

However, our promise to provide an extraordinary teaching and learning experience to our 47,000 young people remains the same, whether online or in the classroom.

We are committed to supporting our working families while providing engaging and flexible learning options for all students.

Our rigorous and engaging curriculum will initially be delivered online, and later, as guidelines allow, in the classroom.

We will continue to place a strong emphasis and integration on mental health, emotional support, and social emotional learning, while continuing to foster cultural diversity. Our school counselors will be providing webinars and other resources for our students and families who may be experiencing anxieties or stresses through these challenging times.

We will continue to take proactive and re-

sponsive measures to ensure the health and safety of our students, families and staff, and we will continue to align ourselves with the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency to ensure our schools and classrooms follow all safety protocols.

And, we will continue to innovate our oncampus learning models to be implemented once Orange County meets the California Department of Public Health criteria for reopening.

Thank you for entrusting your child’s education to our CUSD family of educators. We thank you for your patience, support and understanding as we navigate this journey together.

Stay safe and healthy and welcome back!

Fairmont Schools Meeting the Moment: Fairmont Answers Demand for Student-Centered Learning Back to school 2020 is unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. As teachers, students and parents come to terms with our “new normal,” questions remain over what is best for kids. Are children falling behind?

Are remote programs rigorous enough? Will our children suffer long-term consequences from this unprecedented disruption to their education?

These are the questions Fairmont’s team of educators has been wrestling with for months. While the harsh realities are clear enough, the solutions are less obvious.

What is clear is that children can’t wait.

This school year matters.

We also know that “education as usual” is

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Empowering Students and Their Parents Parents have an intuitive understanding of what works best for their child. Fairmont honors parent involvement and comes alongside families to offer guidance in identifying strengths and suggesting programs that maximize student success. Education is not a “one-size-fits-all” proposition. That’s why Fairmont focuses on providing a variety of programs to meet the needs of students: • Traditional School Day Program— Fairmont’s reopening plan offers two options for parents: remote learning via livestreamed classrooms or a fully on-campus alternative. County health authorities recently granted the school a waiver (a testament to its safety protocols), allowing students in grades K-6 to return for on-campus, in-person instruction. For families who have opted to learn from home, the school offers a remote option that balances academic needs with social-emotional learning.

• Fairmont Select Academy—This home education program provides a solution for parents who want the flexibility of a traditional “homeschool” platform, but need the additional support of highly trained educators. Instead of parents and students struggling to navigate educational excellence on their own, they have a team of educators with years of experience at their side, leading the way.

• Fairmont Athletic Academy—What if your elite athlete could receive both academic instruction and athletic training all within their regular school day?

Students enrolled in this innovative program at the San Juan Capistrano campus benefit from Fairmont’s acclaimed faculty and curriculum, while receiving world-class athletic training through its partner, The Treigning Lab. • Fairmont Music & Dance Academy— This program embodies the intersection between the arts and academics.

Students spend half the day receiving a premier Fairmont education and the sanclementetimes.com

other half receiving instruction at OC Music & Dance, a renowned conservatory in Irvine.

• Academic Learning Assistance—One of the core tenets of a Fairmont education is “meeting students where they are.”

The Academic Learning Assistance program empowers, encourages, and enhances student achievement, and promotes success of students who need extra attention.

• Foundations—Foundations is a groundbreaking Fairmont partner school for students with learning challenges, such as dyslexia, ADD, auditory processing, and comprehension difficulties. It is grounded in 30 years of cognitive brain research and moves past traditional symptom management to addressing the root cause.

Fairmont is now enrolling P-12th grade students across its family of schools in Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, North Tustin and San Juan Capistrano. To learn more, visit fairmontschools. com or call 714.790.3989

Kidcreate Studio

Kidcreate Studio is an art studio just for kids. We specialize in classes, camps and parties for children ages 18 months to 12 years. We offer classes in our bright, beautiful studio in Dana Point, as well as live virtual classes, and classes and events on-

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

the-go through our mobile studio.

Kidcreate is a great way to introduce your child to the wonderful world of art.

We provide a positive, self-esteem-building environment for children to explore the visual arts. Kidcreate’s curriculum was designed by art education professionals and offers projects and classes tailored to match the developmental needs of kids at different ages. Toddler classes are fast-moving, energized, playful; preschool classes begin to build in basic art concepts and encourage kids’ growing independence; and schoolaged classes encourage self-confidence and creativity, while taking projects in more sophisticated directions with more advanced materials and techniques. Our age groupings are flexible and allow us to meet the individual needs of children and sibling groupings.

At all of our classes, camps and even birthday parties, kids learn about the elements of art and explore a wide range of artistic styles and lots of different materials.

Some classes are more classical in nature, while others explore fun themes from kids’ popular culture. Children create with paint, clay, and so much more. We love to give little ones the opportunity to get messy with things such as plaster, tie-dye, and slime, which maybe aren’t for every family to try at home.

Exploring art, feeling free to make some messes, and having fun—that’s basically what Kidcreate Studio is all about.

34255 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 113, Dana Point, 949.370.9509, kidcreate.com/dana-point.

South Coast Conservatory’s All-New Kids Club Since COVID has impacted our collective communities, South Coast Conservatory (SCC) has expanded its offerings to include a comprehensive online training program, outdoor classrooms, virtual performances and an all-new “Kids Club.” This exciting program offers tutoring, arts enrichment, physical education and stress management classes to children of students of essential workers starting in September.

949.367.0099, scconservatory.com

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Academic Excellence | Culture of Innovation | Transformative Tartan Experience We believe in our students—their natural curiosity, talents, interests and intellectual vitality. St. Margaret’s surrounds students with a vibrant and engaging learning environ-

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ment that guides their individual development, character, well-being and intellectual pursuits. St. Margaret’s is active and alive with students who are motivated and excited to be here, learning and growing together. From Early Childhood to Upper School, our everyday leaves a lifetime impact on our students.

A vigorous liberal arts academic program and expert faculty challenge and inspire students to discover, learn, grow and excel to their fullest potential. Opportunities abound in arts, athletics, STEAM, experiential and service learning, and leadership.

We advance our academic program with a student-centered innovation process. We invest in new curriculum and teaching strategies, modern technologies, world-class learning environments, community partnerships and collaborations that pave exciting and rewarding paths for students.

St. Margaret’s students are known for their character, poise, thoughtfulness and integrity.

An inclusive, loving community rooted in shared values and our Episcopal identity is the foundation for a transformative student life program that fosters belonging, life skills, purpose and well-being, instills a strong moral compass and inspires responsibility, leadership and service to the world.

St. Margaret’s is a premier, independent school educating 1,245 students, preschool through grade 12. The school’s reputation for the depth and quality of its education brings more than 150 colleges and universities to campus annually to recruit its graduates.

31641 La Novia San Juan Capistrano, 949.661.0108, smes.org. sanclementetimes.com

Local Foundation Funds Educational Programs The San Clemente High School Education Foundation, an academic booster club and all-volunteer organization, works to fund a handful of various programs and services through the local high school that are designed to support high-achieving students and ensure they reach their maximum potential.

Through donations and the philanthropic efforts of the local community, the SCEF has funded after-school tutoring sessions and field trip support, as well as hosting seminars for college applications and curriculums, college and career planning, to name a few. Here are just some of the other services SCEF funds: Freshman Focus Freshman students and their parents can meet with a San Clemente High teacher to develop an educational path toward their college goals.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Test Prep These after-school seminars, held in April, help to prepare students for national and international testing in two dozen advanced subjects.

Academic Decathlon Funding Support SCEF subsidizes expenses for this program, which gives San Clemente High students an opportunity to compete in an academic competition against other high schools.

Classroom Chromebooks Fundraising drives have allowed the SCEF to provide hundreds of students with Chromebooks, providing them access to 21st century technology for learning.

College Essay and Application Workshop Students who need help with drafting their college essays and applications can meet with counselors, advisors and AP English teachers for guidance.

The SCEF is regularly in need of volunteers interested in supporting the academic programs at San Clemente High. To learn more on how to volunteer with the organization, contact info@schsef.org.

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

FINANCIAL PLANNERS:

I

INVEST AND SAVE EARLY FOR COLLEGE EXPENSES

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

t’s never too early to start planning and saving for your child’s college education, according to a couple of the area’s top financial advisors.

“The best way (to save and invest) would be the sooner, the better,” said Corrine LaFollette, a certified retirement counselor and director of Financial Operations for Arlon Enmeier in San Clemente.

Ryan Krause, a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Dana Point, echoes that sentiment, stating that “starting early is paramount.”

“So, realistically, when the child is born, you have 18 years” to save, he said, adding that “the biggest determinant of an investment’s success is your time horizon, as each year has a compounding interest.”

According to the University of California school system, the cost of tuition for an instate undergraduate student attending a UC school in the 2020-2021 school year is $14,100. That’s not factoring in other costs such as books and supplies, room and board and transportation.

When factoring in all of those anticipated expenses for the single year, UC officials estimate the total average cost ranging from $34,100 to $36,700, depending on whether the student is living on or off campus. And the price, of course, nearly doubles for non-California residents.

If those prices are perceived to be steep now, imagine what new parents today will be expected to pay by the time their child becomes an undergrad.

“College prices continue to rise faster than inflation, averaging 5% per year,” Krause said. “While no one can predict if this pace will continue, parents need to understand and incorporate these rising cost estimates into their savings strategies.”

That’s why, Krause stresses, it’s important to start early, even if it’s just by putting in about $50 every month to start.

The next step for parents, he says, is to also make sure they

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know what investment plans are available.

Both Krause and LaFollette agree that a 529 college savings plan is the best investment option, as it’s the most flexible and tax-free as long as the funds are used toward a beneficiary’s qualified educational expenses.

LaFollette explains that anyone—whether it’s the accountholder, a parent, a grandparent, relative or family friend—can each contribute up to $15,000 a year toward the account.

It’s also flexible in that the accountholder can designate the funds to go to a new beneficiary, such as another child or relative for their schooling, if per se, the first child didn’t need to use all of the money or opted not to pursue a higher degree at all.

“It’s so flexible you can move (the 529) over to any sibling, any family member,” she said. “Also, it doesn’t have to be for a four-year college; it can be a vocational school, any institution that accepts federal scholarships like Pell grants,” as an example.

Such qualifying expenses include tuition and fees, supplies, equipment such as computers and laptops, as well as room and board, or rent.

Should an accountholder withdraw funds for non-education expenses, they’d be hit with a 10% tax penalty.

LaFollette and Krause also advise that parents should make sure to find the right balance in their investments, not putting aside all of their savings into their child’s education while neglecting their own plan for retirement.

Parents are “dealing with current expenses, but they’re also trying to fund their own retirements, they’re trying to save for long-term goals, and they know their child’s college is looming; it’s getting closer and closer,” LaFollette said. “So we use the bucket analogy a bit, to make sure you’re contributing into each of the buckets.”

For Krause, what he often sees are parents dealing with regret for not planning ahead of time.

“The biggest thing I see across the board is the regret of (parents) not starting something sooner and not educating or becoming aware of what’s available,” Krause said.

sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

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sanclementetimes.com

SC SC LIVING San Clemente

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

GUEST OPINION: On Life and Love After 50 by Tom Blake

Seniors, Beware: Some Companies Want Your Money

I

n writing this newspaper column, and my weekly eNewsletter blog, I am fortunate to hear from many seniors who are willing to share their questions and experiences.

Some readers have contacted me multiple times over the years. For example, Helen, who lives near Phoenix, has contacted me 19 times in the past 12 years.

On June 6, Helen emailed: “Phil, my significant other, is in the hospital. I have taken care of him physically since we met in 2003. I am trying to get an Arizona long-term care program and VA benefits in place for him.

Today, I hired a company that does that. I feel guilty, ON LIFE AND but at 80 ½, I no longer LOVE AFTER 50 have the physical mobility

By Tom Blake to take care of him.”

I asked Helen about the company she hired to help her get benefits for Phil.

Helen responded: “I looked online for senior living and was contacted by some com-

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

pany that I signed up with for assistance. To begin, they required a $3,000 deposit.”

In mid-August, Helen emailed sad news.

“I lost Phil on June 27. He had been in the hospital for over a month, on hospice the last five days. I miss him terribly. I was stressed out, as he wanted to come home until near the last, and I was physically unable to take care of him.

“Phil is no longer enduring all the problems he had. He would have detested having to live in a nursing home or adult-care center.

“With my lack of decent mobility, everything I do takes so long, but I am very blessed when I look around at what the world is going through.

“Regarding the company that has kept my $3,000, I suppose they are within their rights, but I learned a valuable lesson: Don’t blindly sign any ‘docu-sign’ things that are sent to one’s email without asking for and waiting to fully examine their contents.

“I asked for half the money back and made numerous phone calls and emails.

It was only when I wrote them private

messages on their (Facebook) page that I got a response. I may write to the (Better Business Bureau), but doubt it will do any good, and I do not wish to create a problem. Some things are better put aside.”

Before sending my condolences to Helen, I checked the email archives. Her first email to me was on Oct. 24, 2008. In that email, she wrote, “Phil and I had been to some of the same places while in the military, and both were born in obscure little towns in northern CA and grew up in Oregon about 150 miles apart.”

I shared those first-email memories with her.

She responded: “I no longer feel the need for male companionship. Maybe it’s due to my age, but, also, Phil and I just clicked.

“Life is OK. The most difficult part is when a person has no close relatives or really good friends; it can make one feel insecure.

“I worry about our cat, even if that sounds silly. I can’t catch him to take him to the vet for routine appointments and to get his claws trimmed. He is so bored and

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wants out and misses Phil a lot. So Petey and I are now holding down the fort.”

I responded: “Even with your pain, you have a great attitude. I know you miss Phil terribly—I can only imagine the emptiness you feel after 17 years. But stand tall; you took care of him and were the strong one.

Be proud of what you did.”

A lesson for seniors. Be careful when engaging a company online to help find a senior living place. It can be expensive and a waste of money. Three weeks after Helen signed up, her Phil passed away. Thanks to Helen for sharing her story.

Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and Dana Point resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating.

See his website at findingloveafter50.com. To comment, email 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. The San Clemente Times and Picket Fence Media do not publish content that is defamatory.

sanclementetimes.com

PUBLIC NOTICES TO ADVERTISE: 949.388.7700, EXT. 111 • LEGALS@PICKETFENCEMEDIA.COM PUBLIC NOTICE Order to Show Cause For Change of Name Case No. 01154406 To All Interested Persons: Debora Ann Paz; filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME A. Debora Ann Paz PROPOSED NAME A. Debora Paz Laub The Court Orders that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court of 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 heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objective is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 10/07/2020 Time: 08:30 a.m. Dept.: D100 Window: 44. The address of the court is Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Clemente Times Date: August 12, 2020 JUDGE JAMES J. DI CESARE, Judge of the Superior Court Published: San Clemente Times August 27, September 3, 10, 17, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206581180 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: PALOMAS 486 PLAZA ESTIVAL SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672 Full Name of Registrant(s): JESSICA PINTO 486 PLAZA ESTIVAL SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672 ROSSILINO PINTO 486 PLAZA ESTIVAL SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672 This business is conducted by a married couple.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: n/a /s/Jessica Pinto This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 08/05/2020.

Published in: San Clemente Times August 27, September 3, 10, 17, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1701 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of San Clemente, at its Regular Meeting of August 18, 2020, adopted the following ordinance: Ordinance No. 1701 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, TO END THE AVENIDA LA PATA SUPPLEMENTARY ROAD FEE PROGRAM AND REPEAL CHAPTER 15.64 OF THE SAN CLEMENTE MUNICIPAL CODE. San Clemente Times August 27–September 2, 2020

Persons interested in receiving an inspection copy of the Ordinance are invited to call the Deputy City Clerk at (949) 361-8301 or by email at campagnolol@san-clemente.org. Copies will be emailed or mailed to you at no cost.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the abovereferenced Ordinance was introduced at the City Council meeting of July 7, 2020 and was adopted at the Regular City Council meeting of August 18, 2020 by the following vote: AYES:

HAMM, JAMES, WARD, MAYOR PRO TEM FERGUSON

NOES:

NONE

ABSENT: NONE JOANNE BAADE City Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Council PUBLIC NOTICE

the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objective is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 10/07/2020 Time: 08:30 a.m. Dept.: D100 Window: 44. The address of the court is Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Clemente Times Date: August 14, 2020 JUDGE JAMES J. DI CESARE, Judge of the Superior Court Published: San Clemente Times August 20, 27, September 3, 10, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDINANCE NOS. 1702 and 1703 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of San Clemente, at its meeting of August 18, 2020, introduced the following ordinances: 1. Ordinance No. 1702 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING TITLE 5 AND 17 OF THE SAN CLEMENTE MUNICIPAL CODE (ZONING AMENDMENT 20-069) TO DETER HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACTIVITY, CLARIFY EXISTING PROVISIONS, AND CORRECT ERRONEOUS TEXT. 2. Ordinance No. 1703 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE AND THE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM. Persons interested in receiving an inspection copy of the Ordinances are invited to call the Deputy City Clerk at (949) 361-8301 or by email at campagnolol@san-clemente.org. Copies will be emailed or mailed to you at no cost.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the City Council of the City of San Clemente will consider adopting the aforementioned Ordinances at its meeting of September 1, 2020 at 6:00 p.m., which will be held via teleconference.

JOANNE BAADE City Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Council

Order to Show Cause For Change of Name Case No. 01154856 To All Interested Persons: Angelina Cari Yin; filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME A. Angelina Cari Yin PROPOSED NAME A. Leena Cari Kai The Court Orders that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court of 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 heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objective is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 10/07/2020 Time: 08:30 a.m. Dept.: D100 Window: 44. The address of the court is Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Clemente Times Date: August 14, 2020 JUDGE JAMES J. DI CESARE, Judge of the Superior Court Published: San Clemente Times August 20, 27, September 3, 10, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

Order to Show Cause For Change of Name Case No. 20FL000512

Order to Show Cause For Change of Name Case No. 01154854 To All Interested Persons: Brittany Colleen Hansen; filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME A. Brittany Colleen Hansen PROPOSED NAME A. Brittany Hansen Kai The Court Orders that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court of 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 Page 24

To All Interested Persons: Orla Marie Murphy filing on behalf of Lily Ray Nicole Parker, minor, has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME A. Lily Ray Nicole Parker PROPOSED NAME A. Lily Ray Nicole Fortner The Court Orders that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court of 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 heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objective is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 09/25/2020 Time: 08:00 a.m. Dept.: W10.

The address of the court is Lamoreaux Justice Center, 341 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Clemente Times Date: June 15, 2020 JUDGE LON F. HURWITZ, Judge of the Superior Court Published: San Clemente Times August 13, 20, 27, September 3, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): Anne Tammel, an individual Does 1 to 100, Inclusive, ROES 1 to 100, Inclusive YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTA DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): Arthur G. Newton, an Individual NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. sanclementetimes.com

PUBLIC NOTICES

LO C ALS O NLY

SC

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

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

San Clemente

Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www. sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

CASE NUMBER: (Numero del Caso): 30-2019-01116581-CL-BC_CJC Judge Corey S. Cramin The name and address of the court is: (El Nombre y direccion de la corte es): Superior Court of California, County of Orange 700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701 The name, address and telephone number of plaintiff ’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la direccion y el numero de telefono del obogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Arthur G Newton, Law Office of Arthur G Newton 1502 North Broadway, (714) 560-8300 Santa Ana, CA 92706 DATE: (Fecha) 12-10-2019 David H. Yamasaki, Clerk of the Court, by (Secretario) Jessica Edwards, Deputy Clerk(Adjunto) Published: San Clemente Times August 13, 20, 27, September 3, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE

Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Clemente Times Date: June 26, 2020 JUDGE LON F. HURWITZ, Judge of the Superior Court Published: SAN CLEMENTE TIMES August 6, 13, 20, 27, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE

ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT

To All Interested Persons: Justen Time Maltinsky; filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME A. Justen Time Maltinsky PROPOSED NAME A. Justen Time The Court Orders that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court of 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 heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objective is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 09/15/2020 Time: 08:30 a.m. Dept.: D100 Window: 44. The address of the court is Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Clemente Times Date: July 24, 2020 JUDGE JAMES J. DI CESARE, Judge of the Superior Court Published: San Clemente Times August 6, 13, 20, 27, 2020

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Order to Show Cause For Change of Name Case No. 20FL000456 To All Interested Persons: Vanessa Aidan Bonkoski and Vanessa Aidan Bonkoski on behalf of Aidan Elizabeth Bonskoski, a minor, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME A. Vanessa Aidan Bonkoski B. Aidan Elizabeth Bonkoski PROPOSED NAME A. Vanessa Aidan Lindsay B. Aidan Elizabeth Lindsay The Court Orders that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court of 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 heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objective is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 09/02/2020 Time: 08:30 a.m. Dept.: C59 Window: The address of the court is Central Justice San Clemente Times August 27–September 2, 2020

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SC LIVING GUEST OPINION: Historical Happenings by Tom Marshall

The Plots to Murder Ole Hanson

T

he decade before Ole Hanson became the founding father of San Clemente, he was the mayor of Seattle. World War I was in full swing, with many of our young men serving overseas.

A pandemic also roared across the globe.

The Russian Revolution had brought fear of Communism into the political arena, most notably here in the United States.

Dread of a Communist revolution weighed heavily on the minds of many citizens. At that time, Seattle’s most important industry was its ports.

Goods and passengers arriving and departing daily for and from ports in Asia made a huge impact on the Seattle economy.

HISTORICAL By the 1910s, HAPPENINGS longtime labor unrest

By Tom Marshall was being exploited by Bolshevik sympathizers nationwide. In 1919, three such revolutionaries landed in Seattle for the express purpose of organizing its 105 unions into one powerful, 100,000-member International Workers of the World (IWW) union.

Being a staunch conservative, Mayor Hanson would have none of this.

Unable to reach wage and working condition agreements with the mayor, the union called for a general strike, including the port and dock workers. Inciting hatred of Mayor Hanson and other city leaders, the union staged a huge rally.

A reported 15,000 workers marched on Seattle’s City Hall. According to Ole’s son, Lloyd Hanson, the mob was met by the mayor standing alone on a flatbed truck with a rifle in one hand and an American flag in the other.

“I will fire upon the first man that soils my Stars and Stripes!” shouted the mayor, according to son Lloyd. The younger Hanson notes in his book, The Spanish Village, the leaders then ordered their marchers to go home. William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers jumped on the story, calling Ole “the fighting Norwegian.”

Now the movement went underground.

A plot was hatched to assassinate the mayor. A package was sent to the mayor’s office with a bomb inside. It, however, was opened by a secretary. Fortunately, she opened it from the wrong end and the sand paper and flint never ignited the nitroglycerine.

A second attempt in 1920 involved a union man quietly substituting for an armed guard posted on Ole’s garage roof.

He waited for Ole to sit down at his desk by a window as usual that evening, but fate intervened.

According to Lloyd, “I had croup (cough), so Dad didn’t write that night.”

The union finally relented, a labor agreement was signed and peace restored. Shortly thereafter, Ole Hanson resigned as mayor, finished writing a book, Americanism Versus Bolshevism, and mounted a nationwide speaking tour to promote it.

Money earned on the book and tour allowed him the capital to invest in his new dream—a Spanish village by the sea, or as we know it, San Clemente.

Tom Marshall is a member of the San Clemente Historical Society and a retired journalist. SC

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

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

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

Last week’s solution:

SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

E

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

FROM THE ARCHIVES

San Clemente Founder Ole Hanson, pictured here sitting at his desk, served as mayor of Seattle during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and major labor strife during WWI.

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. The San Clemente Times and Picket Fence Media do not publish content that is defamatory.

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Elsa lsa is an especially sweet little girl who is now available for adoption. A 4-yearold Chihuahua mix, she bubbles over with happy energy. Whether she’s chasing fuzzy toys or cuddled in your lap, Elsa can always put a smile on your face. She would be a great fit in just about any home.

If you are interested in adopting Elsa, please visit petprojectfoundation.org to download an adoption application form.

Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@scdpanimalshelter.org,

Contributor: San Clemente Historical Society

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

and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment. SC

Page 26

See the solution in next week’s issue.

sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

Page 27

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SC LIVING CoastLines by Fred Swegles

A Slice of Life: The Police Blotter

“W

rong Place, Wrong Time,” the headline proclaimed.

SAN CLEMENTE—A large crowd was gathered around a pickup truck, police were told, and there appeared to be a fight.

A police officer was dispatched quickly to the scene, just outside the Halfway House at about 9 p.m. Saturday.

A fight in progress? Quite the contrary, police reported.

“A subject and his spouse,” the officer said, “were doing what a husband and wife are supposed to be doing in a bedroom.”

Only they were in the front seat of a pickup truck in a parking lot.

Police arrested the man on a drunk charge and dispersed the crowd.

As many of you readers will remember, the “police blotter” was, until recently, arguably the most popular section of this newspaper, and of my former newspaper, the Sun Post News.

COASTLINES The Sheriff’s DepartBy Fred Swegles ment no longer releases brief descriptions of police calls that newspapers could publish as a listing.

Readers devoured it, were sorry to see it go.

The above news brief, which I believe I wrote 40 or more years ago, is an example of San Clemente’s old-school “police blotter.”

We didn’t publish any listing of police calls back then. Instead, we’d cherry-pick incidents to publish with a short narrative.

NO WEB ACCESS

There was no police website. No Internet. Reporters did it the old-fashioned way: sit at the police desk and flip manually through incident sheets—every police call for the previous 24 hours—on Rolodex sheets listing the time, place, who handled the call and a description.

For serious crimes or arrests, traffic deaths, injury collisions or other newsworthy incidents, we’d speak with the sergeant or an investigator—whoever could tell us more to craft a story.

If there was a fire, we would walk next door to speak with firefighters.

If we found something inconsequential but interesting, the basic narrative on the Rolodex often was sufficient.

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

Photo: Chelsie Rex

UNDERCOVER BUST

There was plenty of serious news that we covered. My old clipping files include lots of crime stories, some quite dramatic, even stunning. But the vast majority of calls police receive, as you know from reading “police blotter” listings in recent years, don’t turn out to be hardcore. Some can be amusing. No wonder “police blotter” lists became so popular in newspapers.

Back in the day, we just handled them differently.

TRY TO PICTURE THIS

A routine marijuana arrest wasn’t worth a news story. But one narrative on the Rolodex was so out of the ordinary, I wrote it up.

Two undercover officers (who could pass for long-haired hippies) had been driving north on El Camino Real, downtown, in their ratty old undercover car. At a red light, they noticed two occupants of a car to their left, passing a joint.

The officers glanced over. The smokers noticed, held up the joint and smiled.

The undercover officers smiled back.

At the next stoplight, the two smokers held the joint as if to say, “You want some?”

The officers grinned back, gesturing toward the parking lot of what is now Rite-Aid. There was an exchange of some pot.

The undercover officer, reaching for his wallet, instead pulled out his badge.

SMALLTOWN STUFF

No one at the old Daily Sun-Post ever thought of compiling a list of policeblotter items.

Since we published Monday through Friday, we could mine the police blotter daily for any quirky items to appear as news briefs, mixed in with our newsier public safety stories, human interest stories, city council coverage, business pieces, sports, surf and more.

On rare occasions, a funny headline was worth concocting.

I once wrote two short sentences about a bungled attempt to steal a car battery. Headline: “Thief commits assault on battery.”

Another time, flowers were reported stolen from a front yard. Headline: “Begonias begone.”

AND, MEANWHILE . . .

Headline: “Punishment Fits the Crime.”

When two shoplifters were allegedly caught Wednesday afternoon at the Victoria Market, 201 Avenida Victoria, Officer Craig Kelsey and the store’s proprietor reached prompt agreement on how to handle the matter. The two suspects—ages 7 and 8—were taken to their parents to have the sentence pronounced.

“They will return to the store for the next two days to clean the parking lot,” police decreed.

WE ALL SCREAM FOR . . .

One news brief, an 11 p.m. call to police reporting someone screaming as if in pain, brought officers rushing to the scene.

“This was children playing with ice cubes, putting them down each other’s clothing,” the story said.

Another story was titled “Bottle Was the Culprit.”

The suspect in a rock-throwing incident Saturday proved to be a very uncanny fellow. “The suspect,” police said, “proved to be a half-empty bottle of apple juice that had fermented. It had exploded, causing a window to break.”

An apartment dweller had summoned police, “very upset,” to report someone had thrown a rock through her window.

“It turned out the woman wasn’t nearly as broken up about the incident as the suspect,” the story stated.

SUSPECTS’ UNLIKELY DISGUISE?

Three auto theft suspects came welldressed Thursday night, when they checked Page 28

into the San Clemente Jail. They wore peek-a-boo blouses, slacks, makeup, false eyelashes, flashy hairdos, jewelry and perfume. Officers identified them as female impersonators. Police quoted the three San Diego men as saying they were “entertainers” when they were booked on charges of grand theft in connection with a trio of auto thefts here Thursday night.

The story said the suspects had driven two new 1978 automobiles and a used car off the lot at Hal Greene Chevrolet on El Camino Real, right over the curb. Police managed to recover two of the cars and make arrests in San Clemente; the third by another agency in San Diego County.

“Police praised an employee at Mr. Pete’s Restaurant and a Marine passerby for quick reporting of the crime, which led to the arrests,” the story said.

This is a sampling of short articles some four decades ago that more recently might’ve been a one-liner in the police blotter.

EPILOGUE

My final decade or so covering news in San Clemente, I was assigned to work cop shifts at Orange County Register 13 weekends a year, spending my shift making calls to the Sheriff’s Department and every police department around the county, plus other agencies.

It took me little time to realize San Clemente was a relatively peaceful place to live.

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

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SC San Clemente

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Rising Tide

Dana Wharf Sportfishing thrives since summer reopening

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

E

ven a pandemic can’t put a damper on a good fish story.

As a half-day trip prepared to make its return to Dana Point Harbor on Saturday, Aug. 22, Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching’s Reel Fun made one last stop at the reef off the coast of T-Street Beach in San Clemente.

Bass fishing has been great, as the water temperatures have risen up to 78 degrees, and Reel Fun Captain Chris Pica tried to capitalize on that for his anglers.

That’s where Owen Burnside of Coto de Caza entered into this fish story.

Fishing is a sport of skill, intuition and instinct, but there’s also an element of luck in it. Burnside figured into the latter on Saturday.

Burnside’s live sardine bait had been swallowed by a hungry calico bass. And that hooked calico looked appetizing to a passing hungry seabass, which knocked the calico bass off the hook trying to devour it. However, that was folly for the seabass, as the fish hooked itself onto Burnside’s line. It was quite the upgrade for Burnside, as he reeled in the banner catch of the week with this 52-pound seabass (pictured above).

Not everyone is catching 50-pound fish, but post-reopening business has been strong for Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching.

Dana Wharf had to shut down operations on March 17, but since reopening on May 25, business has been booming, which Dana Wharf managing partner Donna Kalez attributes to their loyal customers.

“Every single fishing boat has been sold out to capacity,” Kalez said. “We’ve had zero problems with that. During the closure, we had these dates that we were working off of, and they kept getting moved. But our customers were very resilient.”

Dana Wharf customers with reservations kept working with the new dates, and when they finally came back, they returned to a world of new protocols on the boats to which they had become familiar.

Kalez said the Dana Wharf boats have stringent safety protocols and sanitation standards, and the biggest change

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

Captain Chris Pica (left) of Dana Wharf’s Reel Fun holds a 52-pound seabass caught by Owen Burnside (right) of Coto de Caza on Saturday, Aug. 22. Photo: Courtesy of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching

has been reduced capacity on all of the boats. After Dana Wharf measured all of its boats for mandated 6-foot social distancing, Kalez said almost all the boats are operating at 50% capacity.

While anglers were initially hesitant to jump onto the big-trip boats, Kalez said they saw a rise in demand for private charters, which feature six-person parties on one boat. The “six-pack” charters have proven to be popular, as have the smaller-capacity trips.

“We can’t make up what we lost,” Kalez said. “We just have to continue what we’ve always done. Hopefully, when we get to Stage 4 (of the state’s reopening plans), we can get full boats, but our loyal customers are loving the lower capacity.”

Overall, things are trending back up at Dana Wharf.

After being interrupted in March, the Halibut Derby had a successful conclusion in May, as a January halibut catch of 22 pounds, 5 ounces by Cher Owens held up as the winner.

Dana Wharf also had a successful summer camp for kids in June. Kalez said they had sold out the three weeks of camps in March, and nobody budged off their reservations after the closures.

Next up, Dana Wharf and the city of Dana Point will announce a set of afterschool fishing camps, as a young group of anglers come up to make their own fish stories—believe them or not. SC Page 29

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SC SC SURF San Clemente

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Why Aloha Matters Now More Than Ever

Surfing has a lot of work to do to be more inclusive, but it all starts with how we act in the water

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

his week, we celebrated the 130th birthday of the great Duke Kahanamoku. Regarded as the “father of modern surfing” and Hawaii’s “ambassador of aloha,” Kahanamoku spent his life sharing and teaching people about the benefits of a life in the sea.

“Aloha is the key word to the universal spirit of real hospitality, which makes Hawaii renowned as the world’s center of understanding and fellowship,” Kahanamoku’s business card famously read. “Try meeting or leaving people with Aloha. You’ll be surprised by their reaction. I believe it, and it is my creed.”

Kahanamoku’s dedication to his “universal spirit” resonates especially deep today, as we find ourselves in a time of partisan and social division. As a Native Hawaiian and the first Pacific Islander to earn Olympic glory, Kahanamoku certainly had to contend with racism in a myriad of forms.

“Even his seemingly glamorous move to Hollywood—where he was lured by a promise to play King Kamehameha in a film that never got made—turned into a series of psycho-spiritual beat-downs,” writes author and former Surfer Magazine editor Steve Hawk in a newly published piece on Surfline.com. “This was in the 1920s, before dark-skinned actors were given leading roles, so Duke found himself cast in a series of minor ‘ethnic’ characters.”

Over the weekend, the San Clemente Times received a report of racially motivated violence in the water at San Onofre State Beach. During the incident, according to a witness, three older white men began yelling racial epithets at two Asian men who were attempting to learn to surf.

It was then that another surfer in the area intervened, condemning and admonishing them for their inappropriate behavior. That’s when the situation reportedly escalated. One of the older men allegedly San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

GROM OF THE WEEK

DASH PINEGAR

Dash Pinegar. Photo: Courtesy of Dash Pinegar

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

S Duke Kahanamoku walking on water on a classic Hawaiian olo-style board in his hometown of Waikiki.

Photo: Courtesy of Tom Blake/Croul Family Collection/SHACC

attacked the good Samaritan, putting him in a chokehold while the attacker’s friends looked on and laughed.

This isn’t something that should need to be written, but there is no place for racism or hate in surfing. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. and this kind of nonsense happens more often than most surfers would care to admit.

When protests broke out after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on May 25, surfers around the United States demonstrated their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and pursuit of social equality by staging paddle outs at beaches around the country. One of the largest was held at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas.

“It was a moment that literally saved me; it was transformative,” Selema Masakela told me in an interview last month.

An omnipresent figure in action sports media over the past two decades, Masakela’s impassioned speech served as a flashpoint for several surfers of color who witnessed it.

“Selema spoke and absolutely brought me to tears. It lit a fire under my butt and was super inspiring,” Ryan Harris, a Los Angeles-based surfboard shaper, told me when we spoke earlier this summer.

“I thought nobody was going to listen to me on my platform,” he continued, “because all I do is make surfboards. But that’s where Selema said, ‘That’s why you’re wrong, dude. You’re Black, and you’re a shaper. There’s like, none of you, so people are especially gonna listen to you.’ ” An organization called Textured Waves was instrumental in coordinating the Moonlight Beach paddle out, and they continue to advocate and take steps toward making surfing lineups more

inclusive and accessible to everyone.

The organization’s objective is to “propagate the culture and sport of women’s surfing towards women of color and underrepresented demographics through representation, community and sisterly camaraderie.”

“There is a lot of goodwill out there and a lot of people that want to help, but they don’t necessarily know how to,” Danielle Lyons Black, one of Textured Waves’ founders, explained to me.

“I think the smartest thing for folks to do is first understand that you can’t change everything,” Lyons Black continued. “I think that’s where it gets overwhelming. I think the best thing that people can do is try to be hyper-focused and find something that they’re passionate about. Find that niche that actually is meaningful to them and find a way to contribute through that.”

As heartbreaking as it is to hear that racial violence is plaguing one of our most hallowed surfing grounds, a place where the spirit of aloha is entrenched, a place where Duke Kahanamoku once sat on the sand and held court, it is a stark reminder that the work continues.

“The ocean doesn’t care about color, creed or race,” legendary surfer and oceanographer Ricky Grigg once said.

It’s up to all of us to make sure that’s the case every time we paddle out.

Jake Howard is 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 a number of publications, including the San Clemente Times, Dana Point Times, 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. SC

Page 30

ometimes in the infinite scroll of social media, a post stops you in your tracks.

Such is a recent Instagram post by Texas-based photographer Rob Henson.

Stationed at the BSR Surf Resort in Waco, Texas, he’s seen world-class talent cycle through the wave pool this summer. But out of all the surfers, 14-year-old San Clemente shredder Dash Pinegar caught his eye.

“I met Dash at BSR in May of 2019. Looking back, he was a decent little surfer who you could tell was working on his turns and technique,” recalled Henson. “Fast-forward a year and a half, and Dash is a straight hammer! Solid technique and an air game to match . . . he has been grinding, for sure!”

A distinguished member of the Shorecliffs Middle School surf team, Pinegar scored an NSSA State Title back in March, before surf contests were put on ice because of the pandemic. He’s also a regular frother at the Western Surfing Association events when they’re running and is supported by iconic surf brand O’Neill.

Lately, Pinegar’s been working with world tour surfer Yadin Nicol on his air game, and it’s clearly paying off, as recently attested by stomping the landing of a backflip at the BSR pool in Waco.

Between all the time Pinegar’s spending in both salt water and freshwater, we can’t wait to see what he does next. SC

SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 64-66 Degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: 8-10‘ Thursday: Mix of South/southwest swell and Northwest swell, with waist to chest high surf, (3-4’).

Light/variable early morning winds, rise to an 8-12kt West/northwest sea breeze in the afternoon.

Outlook: On Friday a blend of Southwest swell and Northwest swell maintains waist to chest high waves, (3-4’). The swell combination peaks with waist to shoulder high surf, (3-4’+) on Saturday, then eases Sunday for waist to chest high waves, (3-4’). The pattern of light early morning winds followed by moderate West/northwest afternoon onshore flow continues for Friday and the weekend.

sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

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San Clemente Times August 27-September 2, 2020

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