LO C A L
September 17-23, 2020
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CoastLines: A Resort Hotel at T-Street? Ole Had Visions PAGE 18 VOLUME 15, ISSUE 38
Dining In
Restaurants Resume Reduced Indoor Operations E Y E O N S C / PAG E 3
(From left) San Clemente residents Keahna Hall, 25, and Larissa Hewitt, 24, dine in at Rancho Capistrano Winery in Downtown San Clemente on Monday, Sept. 14. Photo: Shawn Raymundo
Hear from This Year’s Special Election Candidates EYE ON SC/PAGE 6
Countdown to Election Day Fewer Than 50 Days Away EYE ON SC/PAGE 9
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Coastal Cleanup Transitions into Monthlong Volunteer Effort EYE ON SC/PAGE 4
San Clemente Times September 17-23, 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 Restaurants Resume Reduced Indoor Operations THE LATEST: Following the county’s move last week from the purple to the red tier in the state’s color-coded, four-tier coronavirus tracking system, restaurants and a few other economic sectors in Orange County received clearance from the state to resume operations with modifications. Some restaurants in San Clemente wasted no time getting their dining rooms set up for indoor seating—currently, the restriction is at 25% capacity—though some restaurant owners concede that most patrons still prefer to dine outside. “Customers like sitting outside, and given that the whole COVID-19 thing isn’t exactly going to go away, I think a lot of people, if they’re going to go out, are going to want to sit outside,” said Kyle Franson, owner of Rancho Capistrano Winery in Downtown San Clemente. When San Clemente Times spoke with Franson on Friday, Sept. 11, he had already reopened his indoor dining space, making available four tables, representing 25% capacity for the restaurant. Franson said the resumption of indoor operations will certainly help Rancho Capistrano on the weekends, when wait times for customers have been at least a half-hour. “The outdoor thing has really saved us actually, and we’re actually operating in the black with the 30 seats we have outside, and this will help further, because there are times on a Friday, Saturday night where we’ll get a 30- to 40-minute wait,” he said. “People, I think, would prefer to sit outside, but right now, given the option, they’re going to take what they can get.” Since early July, San Clemente restaurants have utilized the city’s business assistance initiative that has allowed establishments to expand outdoor dining operations, taking over portions of their own parking lots, as well as some public parking spaces and sidewalks. As Franson noted, outdoor dining has helped keep restaurants operating at a time when they had been ordered to cease all indoor services because of the surge in coronavirus cases over the summer. The increase in cases prompted the state to direct restaurants, movie theaters, entertainment centers, museums, cardrooms, wineries and zoos to close all indoor operations, and transition outdoors, if possible. Under the red tier, which is considered San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
Some restaurants in San Clemente wasted no time getting their dining rooms set up to allow for reduced indoor seating following the county’s move into the red tier for coronavirus cases last week. Photo: Shawn Raymundo
the substantial tier and one risk level below the purple or widespread tier, restaurants could operate indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people (whichever is less). Also, indoor services for hair salons, barbershops and nail salons; and indoor operations for gyms and fitness facilities, with a capacity limited to 10%, have been allowed to resume. For those who still prefer to sit outside, Franson and other restaurant owners and managers noted, the decision is twofold. While some customers are still hesitant to publicly dine inside a restaurant during the pandemic, others are simply preferring to enjoy the weather outside. “As the weather gets cooler, more and more people are going to want to sit inside; we’re looking for ways to heat the outdoors,” said Franson, acknowledging that restaurants have been making significant investments in their outdoor dining concepts. Maya Garcia, manager of Café Calypso, which features a large outdoor patio in the courtyard at the entrance, similarly stated that the dining room is most often used in the winter months. The dining room was reopened last week, but Garcia doesn’t expect it be utilized substantially until it gets colder.
“Basically, people love to sit outside. Some people want to come inside when they have to work on their computers and stuff like that,” she said, later adding: “We basically use this area in the winter time, when it’s cold, because people don’t want to sit outside . . . people love the patio; they want to sit outside and watch people. When it gets cold, when it rains, no one wants to sit outside.” Though the move to partially resume indoor services can be appealing for restaurants looking to stay profitable during the health crisis, Sonny’s Pizza & Pasta operator Julie Ragenovich would prefer to wait until the county is in the orange tier— or moderate risk level—when restaurants can have 50% indoor operations. “Hopefully, we can increase that eventually to 50% inside, but it’s just been hard going back and forth constantly,” Ragenovich said of the state’s response to the virus. She later added, “Hopefully, we can do a little more, possibly more than 25%, especially in the winter. In summer, it doesn’t matter especially, because it’s nice out; people prefer to sit outside.” Ragenovich said when it gets colder, Sonny’s won’t be operating its outdoor services
San Clemente COVID-19 TRACKER
Confirmed cases Deaths
480 5
Est. City Population: 64,000 • Follow us on Facebook & Instagram for daily local & county statistics. *Information as of 9/15/20. Source: Orange County Health Care Agency
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in the parking lot, as it has been doing. “We won’t be doing the parking lot, because I don’t want waitresses walking through in the rain, or the wind,” she said. At Sonny’s, 25% capacity inside just isn’t feasible, Ragenovich said, noting that using a quarter of the dining room would give the restaurant only three to four tables. For now, the restaurant is continuing with its takeout and outdoor dining services. “It’s been very positive. Everyone loves eating outside,” she said, before also noting: “I think people feel safer outdoors.” Despite the setbacks, particularly experienced by restaurants this summer, Ragenovich is remaining hopeful that better things are to come in the New Year, just a few months away. “Hopefully, the madness will end soon,” she said. “I want to say goodbye to 2020 as soon as possible.”—Shawn Raymundo
Council Initiates Path to Audit City’s Legal Bills THE LATEST: The city council on Tuesday, Sept. 15, voted to move ahead with a potential audit of Best, Best & Krieger’s legal bills, which amounted to more than $8.4 million between Fiscal Years 2016 and 2020. In a 3-1 decision, with acting Mayor Laura Ferguson dissenting, the council assembled a subcommittee comprising Councilmembers Kathy Ward and Gene James, who will lead the solicitation process in finding a consultant interested in assessing the city attorney’s costs. The assessment, according to the city, is meant to “identify monies spent, achievements, and suitability of the billing amounts” from BB&K, which has handled the city’s legal representation since 2015. The more than $8.04 million BB&K has charged the city over the past five fiscal years, the city noted, represents general and specialized services, which include “litigation and other non-routine legal services.” In FY 2015-2016, the first year of the city’s contract, BB&K’s total bill was just shy of $1.8 million. The following year, legal costs amounted to more than $1.95 million, while FY 2018 and FY 2019’s bills came out to about $1.66 million and $1.6 million, respectively. This past fiscal year, FY 2020, the city was charged just a little over $1.4 million. A San Clemente Times review of a previous city staff report on legal costs, conducted this past February, found that in FY 2019, the city spent nearly $2.46 million in total legal-related costs, mostly representing litigation and legal services and experts related to the Transportation Corridor Agencies and hospitals. Acting City Manager Erik Sund on Tuesday explained to the council that the legal costs outlined in the report for the most recent meeting didn’t include “larger ticket consultants that go through BB&K.” (Cont. on page 4) sanclementetimes.com
EYE ON SC (Cont. from page 3) WHAT’S NEXT: As part of Tuesday’s vote, the city will solicit proposals from three other firms: Deloitte Legal Management Consulting, Management Partners and RSG. Following the submission of their proposals, Ward and James will be tasked with evaluating the bids and make a recommendation for a contract award to the council. Sund said funding to pay for the consultant will likely come out of the city’s legal services budget. EDITOR’S NOTE: An extended version of this story can be found at sanclementetimes.com. —SR
Coastal Cleanup Day Transitions into Monthlong Volunteer Effort Amid Pandemic THE LATEST: This Saturday, Sept. 18, would have represented the annual Coastal Cleanup Day, when thousands of volunteers up and down the state would normally head to the beaches to pick up trash and debris as part of an international effort to keep the oceans clean. However, with the coronavirus pandemic and safety concerns over mass gatherings still at the forefront of many people’s minds, the California Coastal Commission and its partnering environmental nonprofits have had to rethink the annual event this year. Rather than having volunteers crowd the beaches at once, the CCC and organizations such as Orange County Coastkeeper have encouraged residents to lead their own cleanup effort individually or with small groups of friends during their spare time throughout the month of September. Volunteers are also being asked to not only focus on the beaches but to participate by cleaning up loose garbage around their own neighborhoods, parks and streets, preventing the trash from getting washed out into the ocean through creeks, rivers and storm drains. “It is that last effort before trash goes into the ocean,” OC Coastkeeper Education Coordinator Cristina Robinson said. “Neighborhood cleanups are just as important,” as the debris gets washed away, “going through the storm drain system. Wherever you are, it’s still helpful; it’s still a beach cleanup even if you’re not at the beach.” During the 2019 Coastal Cleanup Day, 4,920 volunteers participated in Orange County, removing 25,681 pounds of trash across 41 miles of coast, according to Coastkeeper. In San Clemente, a total of 222 pounds of trash was picked up at State Beach and another 186.3 pounds collected at the beach around the pier. Over the years of Coastal Cleanup Day, the most frequent items collected by volunteers included cigarettes and cigarette filters, food wrappers and containers, bottle caps and lids, paper and plastic bags, straws, glass and plastic bottles, San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
A volunteer opens a bag to display what she has collected during the 2015 Coastal Cleanup Day at Main Beach in San Clemente. Photo: Eric Heinz/File
beverage cans and construction material, according to the CCC. To continue collecting data on how much trash is being removed this year, the CCC is asking volunteers to download and use the CleanSwell app to record the types of items found, the total weight of collected trash and total distance covered. For those conducting cleanups in Orange County, Coastkeeper is asking individuals and hosts to name their group “Coastkeeper Clean” so the nonprofit can analyze the local data. WHAT’S NEXT: The CCC and Coastkeeper are asking volunteers to maintain social distancing guidelines, wear a face mask, reusable gloves and sunscreen, stay hydrated, only pick up man-made trash, remove recyclable items from the trash collections and leave sharp objects alone.—SR
Coastal Commission Approves Extension of Metered Parking Hours to City’s Coastal Lots THE LATEST: The California Coastal Commission on Sept. 9 unanimously approved the city’s coastal permit application to standardize metered parking in four coastal lots where paid-parking hours would extend to 10 p.m. Pending final approval from the city council, the city would implement new hours of operation for the metered lots at North Beach, Linda Lane, Pier Bowl and T-Street, setting the hours from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Currently, the metered lots require visitors only 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 most popular lots for coastal access, ends at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. The hourly parking rate would remain at $1.50, “which is one of the least expensive rates in coastal cities across California,” Christopher Wright, an associate planner for the city, told the CCC. The commission’s approval also allows the city to remove 15 parking meters from Camino Capistrano and 12 meters from
Avenida Calafia, where parking would be free but with a four-hour limit. Wright noted on Sept. 9 that the changes are not yet finalized, even with approval from the CCC, as the city will first need to adopt amendments to the municipal code, which will require public hearings. In a CCC staff report, the commission noted that the increase in paid hours where the lots will have previously been free “could make access prohibitively expensive for some.” Wright told the commission that the city’s application was in line with the CCC’s environmental justice policies, which is meant to ensure that low-income individuals and families have access to coastal resources. “People of lower income will still have access to free and low-cost parking,” Wright said, later adding: “There’s a large supply of free parking in the city, including visitor-serving commercial districts in downtown, areas of our North Beach and El Camino Real.” Wright also touched on the city’s 2018 study that surveyed free and available on-street and off-street parking in the downtown and North Beach corridors. The studies found that occupancy rates in those areas didn’t exceed maximum effective capacity during the evening hours. In addition, he noted that “there is access to free parking on more than one way” to gain beach access. One way, Wright said, was for visitors to park in the residential areas or in downtown, while utilizing the Beach Trail. “If someone wanted to park in the residential area and then walk along the coastline, they can do that or bicycle,” Wright said, adding that the city’s free, summer trolley service is also an available option to those who park at the Outlets at San Clemente.—SR
Congressional Representatives Call on Caltrans Inspector General to Investigate TCA THE LATEST: Calls for further investigation into the activities of the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) continued to mount, as county congressional officials have looked to the state’s transportation office to pick up where a recent grand jury report left off this summer. Congressional Reps. Mike Levin, Katie Porter and Harley Rouda—all of whom represent portions of Orange County—announced on Sept. 9, that they sent a letter to Rhonda Craft, the inspector general for the California Department of Transportation, asking her to continue investigating the TCA. The request comes a few months after the Orange County Grand Jury released its findings on an investigation into the TCA’s operations. The grand jury had prefaced in its report that it had to cut the investigation short because of the pandemic. “While this report raises grave con-
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cerns regarding the TCA’s activities, the Grand Jury acknowledged it was forced to suspend its investigative operations because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and submit its report early due to its timelimited (impanelment),” the congressional letter to Craft, dated Sept. 3, stated. “As the TCA operates Federal-aid highways within our congressional districts, we urge you to consider launching an investigation to follow up on the Grand Jury report to help ensure that these agencies abide by the intent of their founding legislation and implement policies that would provide for the sunset of their operations,” the letter continued. In the 55-page report released in June, the OC Grand Jury found that the toll road operators have continued to place themselves in road planning projects outside of their legislative purview, despite having fulfilled much of their mandates. The grand jury noted that the TCA’s duties and responsibilities already are under the purview of Caltrans and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). The report had also raised a conflictof-interest claim, noting that an unnamed member of the agencies’ boards of directors “acted favorably on a TCA contract with a firm where he/she had a personal or political interest.” Citing the TCA’s financial documents, the grand jury further reported that the TCA’s actions to refinance their bonds used to fund the construction of the toll roads have led to ballooning interest payments needed to be paid as part of its overall debt—currently slated at more than $11 billion and due for completion by 2053. Rouda (CA-48) said in the announcement that Craft should open the investigation immediately “to hold TCA to account for their impropriety and ineffective use of taxpayer dollars.” “From lobbying Sacramento to lining the pockets of senior management, it is clear that TCA is serving themselves—not the people of Orange County,” he continued. Levin (CA-49) echoed Rouda’s sentiments, stating that TCA has “a responsibility to serve the public interest and use taxpayer dollars wisely,” but “it’s clear that they have failed to meet that responsibility. TCA’s actions undermine public confidence, and the Caltrans Inspector General must hold them accountable.” In an email to San Clemente Times, TCA Media Relations Manager Kim Mohr said that the “TCA rejects the notion of an external audit” and that the “Grand Jury itself stated that it found no evidence of fiscal mismanagement,” “The Agencies have engaged independent CPA firms to conduct annual financial statement audits since 1997,” she added. “The audits have resulted in an unmodified opinion every year, indicating the Agencies’ commitment to ensuring strong internal controls around its financial processes.” The TCA has previously criticized the report, calling it incomplete and contending it contained outdated information.—SR sanclementetimes.com
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EYE ON SC
Hear from the Candidates BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
Leading up to the San Clemente City Council Special Election on Nov. 3, the San Clemente Times is publishing three questions, one every two weeks, that we’ve asked each candidate who is running for the two-year seat. Be sure to look for next week’s edition, when we’ll publish responses to the second question from the General Election candidates. The list of candidates is published according to the random alphabet the California Secretary of State recently drew. SC
WEEK 2 / QUESTION 1
The public-health crisis has upended the livelihood of citizens and businesses throughout the nation, and it is likely to be an ongoing dilemma as we enter 2021. If elected to the council, what economic recovery-based policies and programs would you propose locally to help San Clemente’s businesses and residents?
TYLER BODEN
GEORGE GREGORY
JIM DAHL
JERRY QUINLAN
As a local business owner and a downtown resident, I have seen the strain this pandemic has put on local businesses, on our building and planning departments, and on residents. If elected to the city council, I will work with staff leadership to streamline processes for permitting, and continue to expand upon commerce-promoting strategies like open-air dining. I will also promote continued programming from city staff and organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Business Association, as their efforts have helped businesses and resident organizations navigate the landscape of liability during this health crisis. Furthermore, I believe we should continue to encourage participation from business and property owners in our major business districts, to help address issues that face their business districts, and work together to solve them.
As your councilman “Ladderman,” I would support streamlining the permit process. Although the city may need improvement, most of the problem lies with the state, county, fire and health departments. But council can help. So, my advice is to raise the expenditure limit that triggers mandated upgrades that hinder remodels and improvements and increase cost. These include ADA improvements under grounding, grease traps, trash enclosures for now. I advise businesses to open up their dining areas and let the outside in and extend the inside out by installing lighting fire pits and spacing between your customers. Get the planning department to back off the Spanish architectural revival when it obstructs these preferred business buildouts. I build restaurants and pull permits for a living.
With Gov. Newsom at the control of almost all phases of life in California, it seems that regulations change week to week, day to day, with no end in sight. San Clemente city government has tried to help businesses survive. Outdoor dining on Avenida Del Mar and the T-Zone has helped relieve pressure on the restaurants, but has caused parking problems at the same time. Limited parking has reduced access to other business on Del Mar. I would hope that the city would reject the raise in fees for parking at the pier. There must be a balance for our business interests. With fall and winter coming, tents will be needed to accommodate diners outside. A business-tax holiday and allowing outdoor advertising and sidewalk sales would help with reducing the impact.
I would push city management to expedite our planning and permitting process. As a 15-year former business owner in San Clemente obtaining city permits (reroofing, solar, skylights), a hiatus in strict enforcement of regulations would assist San Clemente property and business owners. Also, many of us have purchased gift certificates from our local stores and restaurants, and this will continue to be supportive and thoughtful to our friends and neighbors such as the SC Gym, Café Calypso and Bear Coast Coffee. I would encourage a partial continuation of the county grant program that has assisted our small businesses with rent and other expenses. In addition, less fearful public notices, which include the total number of COVID-19 tests performed, to include the number of recovered would be a more helpful understanding of our current situation.
DONNA VIDRINE
STEVEN KNOBLOCK
ZHEN WU
LARON RUSH
Small businesses are the core of our economy. I will work tirelessly to lift them up and support them through the pandemic. My No. 1 priority is to prevent the spread of infection and keep SC open for business. My plan includes: • Work with an independent administrator to allocate and distribute federal, state and county resources wisely. Extend that lifeline and then sustain businesses for the long term. Work with city staff to navigate additional funding, grants, opportunities for businesses. Work with our Chamber of Commerce, listen and respond to needs/requests. • Permits for outside dining, signage to promote business to tourists and us! Bring the trolley back permanently. • Listen to business owners. Keep communications open. Be responsive to all SC businesses. Opportunity for all! Economic recovery requires action while COVID-19 is still spreading!
It is inequitable for the citizens to suffer economic hardship—massive job loss and crushed budgets—while our city government goes on as though nothing has happened. To assist our citizens, I would advocate for: • Extending the street and sidewalk restaurant uses for the foreseeable future. • Refund to businesses their license fees for the year and waive new business license fees for at least an equal amount of time as the COVID-19 restrictions exist. • Waive temporary banner restrictions and fees so businesses can promote their operations. • Waive parking meter fees and pet fees for the duration of the lockdown. • Reduce or eliminate building-permit fees for new or existing construction fees paid, dating back to March 2020.
As a 16-year resident, small business owner, and current Planning Commissioner, I will use my land use planning expertise to propose policies and programs as your councilmember to: work with local businesses, DBA, Chamber of Commerce, and staff to stimulate new ideas to help attract customers; streamline permit process; hire a city manager who excels in economic development; further facilitate outdoor dining, shopping, and events; transform Del Mar for enhanced pedestrian experience; establish North Beach Historic District to promote tourism; incentivize developments in underused areas; shop local; implement health guidelines to further contain the virus so businesses and schools can reopen, people can return to work, and citizens can socialize again safely. Combined, they’ll bring more business and job opportunities and achieve long-term economic vitality, resiliency, and sustainability for our Spanish Village by the Sea.
I would say for me it’s about coming together and helping one another out the best way that we can by putting the proper measures in place so that everyone feels safe and secure on what business that we go to. I think there should be a fund created to help out the city, where we the councilmembers come up with a name and we ask the people of San Clemente, because for me, I’m for the people, and it’s only right I can’t just jump into something without asking the people of San Clemente on what they feel and what they want to get done. We work for the community, and if we all come together, then we as a community can accomplish anything. So, let’s ride this wave together.
San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
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EYE ON SC
Countdown to Election Day Fewer Than 50 Days Away
T
ballots at its vote centers. On Feb. 29, three days before the election, ballot collections shot up to just shy of 8,000. More than 22,330 ballots were turned in on March 2, and on election day, 122,118 ballots were returned to the vote centers. The county attributed the trend to a couple of different reasons, one being that voters were “waiting for political activities to occur.” Another explanation offered was the “feeling (of) a sense of urgency as the last day to cast a ballot nears.” The new, vote-by-mail system under the Voters Choice Act was implemented for the first time this past spring amid a shift in voting practices that trended toward mail-in balloting. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, the state has put a larger emphasis on voting by mail. This past June, Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted legislation, Assembly Bill 860, requiring counties to send out vote-bymail ballots to all registered voters. The new law also extends the deadline a county elections office can receive mail-in ballots to 17 days after election day. Previously, the Registrar’s office would accept mailed-in ballots within three days after the election as long as they were postmarked for the date of the election. The Registrar’s office noted that the mailin ballots received within 17 days of this coming election must still be postmarked by Nov. 3. According to the Registrar’s office, voters will be able track their vote through ocvote.com/track. More details regarding this year’s local elections and the voting process will be released on Sept. 24, when the county mails out its Voter Information Guide. The deadline for registering to vote online in California is Oct. 19. SC
BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
he nation is now fewer than 50 days away from the Presidential General Election on Nov. 3, but voters in Orange County can begin to cast their ballots as early as Oct. 5, when the vote-by-mail ballots are scheduled to start arriving in mailboxes. Just like in this year’s Primary Election, voters will have three options when it comes to casting their votes. Voters can either return them to the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ office via mail, take it to a metal drop box or deliver it to a vote center. The more than 100 drop boxes around the county will open starting on Oct. 5 and close at 8 p.m. the day of the election. In San Clemente, there were three drop boxes placed for the Primary. Those locations—the municipal golf course, the Jim Johnson Memorial Sports Park and City Hall—are expected to be used again this fall. As for the vote centers, which are like traditional election-day polling places, they’re scheduled to open for walk-ins beginning on Friday, Oct. 30. During the first four days, the centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. On election day, they will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. At the centers, voters can vote in person, drop off their vote-by-mail ballot, receive a replacement ballot and register to vote or update their registration information, according to the Registrar. According to the Registrar’s office, there will be three vote centers in San Clemente: the San Clemente Community Center, Dorothy Visser Senior Center and The Volarè Resort. Three more will open in San Juan Capistrano, as well as two others in Dana Point. As of Monday, Sept. 14, the county had more than 1.69 million registered voters,
Vote-by-mail drop boxes, like the one pictured here at the Jim Johnson Memorial Sports Park, will be available for voters to cast their ballots in this year’s General Elections beginning Oct. 5. Photo: Shawn Raymundo
with Democrats accounting for 624,003 of them and Republicans making up 583,028. According to voting data from the Registrar, voter turnout in the March 3 Primary reached 50.1%, “the highest for a presidential primary election since 2000.” Of those who participated in the Primary, 82% utilized the mail-in option, while the rest chose to vote in-person. This past spring, the county operated 38 vote centers 11 days before the election, and an additional 150 centers four days prior to March 3. Despite vote centers being open for more than a week ahead of the election, most in-person voters waited until election day to deliver their ballots, data from the Registrar’s office shows. “Few voters visited Vote Centers during the first seven days of early voting and waited until the last weekend prior to Election Day to cast their ballot,” the Registrar’s office said in a report to the California Secretary of State. Between Feb. 22, the first day vote centers opened, and Feb. 28, the county collected a cumulative total of 8,857
Drop Box Locations in San Clemente to Open Oct. 5 San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
San Clemente Municipal Golf Course
150 East Avenida Magdalena
Jim Johnson Memorial Sports Park
560 Avenida Vista Hermosa
San Clemente City Hall
910 Calle Negocio
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CANDIDATE FORUMS San Clemente City Council Races
Ten candidates, including incumbent Councilmember Gene James, are vying for the two four-year seats up for grabs on the San Clemente City Council. Another eight candidates are looking to fill the remaining two years on former Mayor Dan Bane’s seat. On Sunday, Sept. 20, the San Clemente Historical Society will hold a virtual candidate forum via Zoom. San Clemente Historical Society President Larry Culbertson will moderate the event in two back-to-back debates. The first debate will include the 10 candidates running in the General Election, and will be followed by a second debate to include the eight candidates running in the Special Election. The two debates will be recorded Sunday afternoon and then uploaded to YouTube after 6 p.m. for the public to view. The video will be available on YouTube through election day. To access both forums, search YouTube for San Clemente Historical Society City Council Candidate Forum 2020. In early October, the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce will host a couple of Candidate Forums through a virtual webinar. The eight Special Election candidates will have an opportunity to participate in the Chamber’s first forum on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. The second forum, on Thursday, Oct. 8, will feature the General Election candidates.
49th Congressional District Race
Rep. Mike Levin, the Democratic incumbent for the 49th Congressional District, and his Republican challenger, San Juan Capistrano Councilmember Brian Maryott, will participate in a series of forums the week of Oct. 5: MONDAY, OCT. 5, AT 5 P.M. • Hosted by the Voice of OC, which will livestream the forum on its website and Facebook page. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7 AT 6 P.M. • Hosted by the Vista Chamber of Commerce. The League of Women Voters will moderate. Viewing information, TBD. FRIDAY, OCT. 9 AT 5:30 P.M. • Hosted by Pacific Ridge High School and moderated by Voice of San Diego. Viewing information, TBD.
sanclementetimes.com
EYE ON SC
Community Meetings THURSDAY, SEPT. 17
ZONING ADMINISTRATION 3-4:30 p.m. The city’s Zoning Administration will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting via teleconference and can be streamed through the city’s YouTube channel. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org. SATURDAY, SEPT. 19
CHALLENGING CANCER 10-11:30 a.m. The Challenging Cancer group is conducting weekly meetings through Zoom video conferences. The meetings are open to caregivers, people who have a compromised immune system and people dealing with cancer. To join, email donnavigil2@gmail.com or linda_crdv@yahoo.com. heritagesc.org. TUESDAY, SEPT. 22
(From left) Terrel Devoe, 50, and Keith Middleton, 75, members of the San Clemente Veterans of Foreign Wars George E. Smith Post 7142, participate in a plaque dedication ceremony at Park Semper Fi on Friday, Sept. 11. George Smith, the charter’s namesake, was the first San Clemente resident killed in battle during World War II. Photo: Shawn Raymundo
NEWS BITES COMPILED BY SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
Local VFW Dedicates Plaque to First San Clemente Resident Killed in WWII Members of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars gathered at Park Semper Fi on Friday, Sept. 11, for a plaque dedication ceremony honoring the chapter’s namesake, George E. Smith, the first San Clemente resident killed in battle during World War II. San Clemente Veterans of Foreign Wars George E. Smith Post 7142, which recently merged with the Dana Point VFW Post 9934, paid tribute to Smith, who “served his country proudly for almost three years in the United States Navy before paying the ultimate price.” Smith, born in May of 1925 and only 3 years old when he first arrived to San Clemente, grew up in the town as a Boy Scout and musician. His father, Leo Smith, was an architect who spent 12 years as a city councilmember, including three of those San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
years as mayor. Smith had graduated from Capistrano Union High School in San Juan Capistrano in 1942, before enlisting with the Navy in San Diego that same year. “He last visited his home in San Clemente on June 29, 1942,” the VFW said. “The following day, he shipped out to the South Pacific. He was assigned to the USS LST-460.” In 1943 and 1944, Smith spent time in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, participating in multiple amphibious landings at New Georgia, Bougainville, Hollandia and the Philippines, to name a few. The LST-460 participated in its final battle at Mindoro in mid-December 1944. On Dec. 21 that year, 40 kamikaze planes attacked Naval ships off Mindoro, including the LST-460, which took a direct hit. “An eyewitness account reports that the plane hit the bridge and went down through the mess hall and quarters; all the officers were having supper and were killed or wounded,” the VFW explained. “Over 100 men died.” Smith was declared dead on Dec. 26, 1944. The new plaque at Park Semper Fi, where San Clemente’s Marine Monument stands, is meant to serve as “a permanent reminder of our fallen hero.”
Local Artist’s Work Selected for National Show and Awards The National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society has selected the work of San Clemente fine artist Rick Delanty for its 30th annual exhibition at a Florida gallery this fall. During the summer, the Painters Society published a nationwide call to artists working in either oil or acrylic mediums to submit works to its jury for selection and consideration, according to a press release from Delanty. Delanty’s painting “Sashay!” was one of 150 selected for the show, out of 1,168 submissions. “The subject matter for painting was up to each of the individual artists,” Delanty said in the release. “Since I prefer movement and texture in my work, I chose the way water is moving around rocks in a Sedona stream.” Delanty titled his painting “Sashay!” after a back-and-forth swaying movement employed in modeling and dance. “I set up the composition according to that same back-and-forth movement, with as much energy in every brush and knife stroke that I could apply,” Delanty said of his technique. “I’m honored that the
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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.
Society has included my work in this exhibition, whose stated goal is to present the best of representational painting in the oil and acrylic mediums.” The show can be viewed online at noaps.org from Nov. 2 to Nov. 29.
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San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
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SC SOAPBOX San Clemente
VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS
Letters to The Editor FORMER CITY MANAGER CLAIMS BRAD MALAMUD, San Clemente
Former City Manager James Makshanoff resigned in January for a better paying job. Makshanoff was an at-will employee paid over $350,000 per year, likely more than 95% of San Clemente residents. The city entrusted its governance to him. Recently, he raised claims against the city for monetary damages. In my view, shameful doesn’t come close to describing this gambit, which smells of legal extortion, as it’s difficult to imagine any economic damages. Mr. Makshanoff was not a victim. He was in charge. He was the boss. In his own words, he had a good job, informing the council that leaving “was not an easy decision for me.” Why do we know about this claim, as Makshanoff sought confidentiality? Because one brave councilmember thwarted the cover-up over the objection of other councilmembers. Acting mayor Laura Ferguson informed the public of Makshanoff’s claim, and the SC Times, to its credit, ran an informative article (recently). Sadly, Mr. Makshanoff will likely be paid to avoid expensive, protracted and disruptive litigation. Payoffs are based on a “cost-benefit” analysis. But, if Mr. Makshanoff is paid off without a trial, other city employees will seek similar payouts when they leave. It will create a lottery that the city will fund. No payoff should occur without a trial. Makshanoff’s claims and potential lawsuit must end now. I ask Mr. Makshanoff to drop his claim with prejudice (promise not to refile a claim or lawsuit). Mr. Makshanoff, do the right thing.
CO2 FEE CONFUSION San Clemente Times, Vol. 15, Issue 38. 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 September 17-23, 2020
TINA TAYLOR, San Clemente
I read with great interest Mr. Hays’ information on sea levels rising and dangerous CO2 levels. His answer is to charge a fee on
chemicals that produce greenhouse gases (dangerous) and pass that fee along to all U.S. households. If these gases are truly dangerous, how on earth would paying the fee collected to all U.S. households benefit the alleged climate issues and sea level rising concerns? Would this not be the same as saying we are going to charge a fee to all murderers and pass the fee on to everyone? This makes no sense. I’m on board with rules and regulations that curtail dangerous products, but charging a fee, which would still allow them to continue with these “dangerous” chemicals, is absurd. Also, while our government is collecting this fee, do you really think it is going to be passed along to us? All this will do is raise the costs to the consumer and give more money to our government to mismanage. Meanwhile, our sea levels issue will still be the same. I hope H.R. 763 does not pass.
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 readersubmitted 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. In the interest of fairness, SC Times will not publish letters submitted by candidates running for elected offices between the time they file for candidacy and the date of the election.
Virtual Beachside Chat, Friday, September 18, at 8 a.m., via Zoom Join SC Times for a virtual Beachside Chat on Friday, Sept. 18, at 8 a.m. Beachside Chat is a spirited, town hall forum on community issues, hosted by SC Times Editor Shawn Raymundo every Friday. Email Shawn at sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com for a link to the Zoom video meeting.
CORRECTION: A surf column on page 18 of the San Clemente Times’ Sept. 10 edition heralded the work of the Sandy Feet Initiative. The column incorrectly described the group’s work. Sandy Feet is exclusively for the siblings of those with special needs. They provide siblings with a safe place to work through their challenges and joys of having a disabled family member. They currently have events running Thursdays from 4-6 p.m. for ages 7 to 13, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon for ages 14 and up. Events run from now through Nov. 15 at Linda Lane Park in San Clemente. Page 12
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Norb Garrett
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The Vanishing Green Newspaper Racks BY NORB GARRETT, OWNER AND PUBLISHER OF PICKET FENCE MEDIA
In recent weeks, the city’s Public Works department alerted us that they would be removing the green newspaper boxes from Avenida Del Mar as part of a street furniture replacement project. Utilized by the San Clemente Times and other publications, the boxes, we are told, are unlikely to be reinstalled as part of the city’s improvement project. Downtown residents who have relied on those boxes to pick up their weekly edition of the San Clemente Times can still find the paper at SC Times racks we have positioned up and down Avenida Del Mar. If you’re unable to locate a rack, or if you want the paper delivered directly to you, sign up for a subscription and have it mailed to you every Thursday. Call 949.388.7700, ext. 111, and ask for Inna Cazares, who can help you. As always, thanks for reading the San Clemente Times. SC
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San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
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SC GETTING OUT San Clemente
YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER
The List
info@sugarblossombakeshop.com. Sugar Blossom Bake Shop, 204 Avenida Del Mar, Suite F, San Clemente. 949.429.5555. sugarblossombakeshop.com.
What’s going on in and around town this week
Tuesday | 22
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.
EDITOR’S PICK
Thursday | 17 YOGA AT LINDA LANE PARK 9-10 a.m. Join EPIC Yoga for this all-levels, socially distanced yoga at Linda Lane Park. No experience is necessary. EPIC Yoga is eager to keep its outdoor yoga practice going and continue to deepen participants’ connection with the EPIC community. Linda Lane Park, 228 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. 949.558.5111. epicyogasc.com. 866.446.7803.
Friday | 18 HAUNTED LOS RIOS STREET GHOST TOUR 8-9:30 p.m. Join OC Ghosts and Legends for a walking tour of the oldest occupied neighborhood in California—Los Rios Street. Your tour will be hosted by an experienced/active paranormal investigator; not only will your guide narrate the ghosts and legends of this historic town, but this tour offers a basic terminology and background of various paranormal theories. Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano. 949.386.7085. ocghostsandlegends.com.
Saturday | 19 SOUTH OC CARS AND COFFEE 9-11 a.m. South OC Cars and Coffee, dubbed the world’s biggest weekly car meet, attracts a mix of 500-1,000 hypercars, supercars, exotics, vintage, classic, muscle and sports cars, hot rods, rat rods, pickups, 4x4s and motorcycles. Those attending are encouraged to practice responsible social distancing. Face masks are not mandatory but are recommended. No cars in before 8:30 a.m. Cars should enter and leave slowly and quietly—no revving, speeding or burnouts. The Outlets at San Clemente, 101 West Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente. southoccarsandcoffee.com.
Sunday | 20 FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Shop for a wide selection of San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
Casa Romantica hosts its annual Toast to the Casa gala in 2018. Photo: File
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19: ‘TOAST TO THE CASA IN METROPOLIS’ VIRTUAL GALA 6:15 p.m. Real-time live music, fundraising, exclusive content, and more. This virtual fundraiser to support Casa Romantica’s programs for people of all ages and historic preservation of the former Ole Hanson home will feature an engaging program of special performances, engaging encounters with Casa leaders, program highlights, as well as an exclusive livestream concert with Lizzy & the Triggermen. There will also be a cocktail toast to the impact the Casa has made and will make in 2020 and beyond. Learn more about registering for the event at casaromantica.org. 949.498.2139.
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.
is limited. The cost to participate is $39 per person. For questions, email
AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The Dorothy Visser Senior Center is hosting the American Red Cross for a blood drive. Go to redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment. Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente. 949.498.3322.
Wednesday | 23 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.
Monday | 21 UNDERWATER ROBOTICS: ENGINEERS WANTED CLUB 1:30 p.m. High school and middle school students are invited to deep dive into coding concepts and be challenged with creating a device to solve a current ocean problem from around the world. At the end of the program, students will present their creation to the other participants. This program will provide students with hands-on experience to code devices, such as micro-bit and hummingbird boxes. There will be four sessions in which to participate, with the first scheduled from Sept. 21 through Oct. 5, every Monday. Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. Ocean Institute. ocean-institute.org/post/ underwater-robotics. GROOVY RAINBOW CUPCAKE CLASS 3-4:30 p.m. or 5-6:30 p.m. Join Sugar Blossom Bake Shop for this workshop in which participants can learn how to bake cupcakes from a Sugar Blossom designer. The workshop will include six cupcakes, icing, piping bags, fondant, sprinkles and more. There will also be a complimentary beverage and treat. Social distancing will be enforced, and masks will be required. The class size Page 15
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SC SC LIVING San Clemente
PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY
GUEST OPINION: Life’s a Beach by Shelley Murphy
So Long, Summer; Hello, Holidays
T
he Labor Day holiday marks the unofficial end of summer. The first weekend of September I’m often a bit melancholy as I say goodbye to the season—but not this year. Summer was a bummer. Many of my family’s favorite pastimes were shelved, and our perennial vacation was scrapped. We swapped our tropical trip for another senseless staycation. I’m sure it’s well-intended, but I’m weary of the countless commentaries and posts proclaiming creative and innovative ways to celebrate summer, and milestones, during a pandemic. I read one website suggesting “stellar summer activities that are just as wonderful as your traditional summer vacation.” The list included: Have a watermelon seed spitting contest; take a nap in a hammock; have an indoor scavenger hunt; and, wait for it, the best summer fun idea—run a virtual 5K. Labor Day weekend celebrates the culmination of carefree beach bashes and backyard barbecues— LIFE’S A BEACH but not in 2020. Year after By Shelley Murphy year, the holiday also ushers in the onset of pumpkin spice lattes and the informal launch of the holiday season. I’m a calendar keeper and datebook diarist, so not long after Labor Day, I begin planning my holiday merriment. This year, however, much of the holiday season sits in limbo, including many beloved annual traditions.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health banned spooky Halloween carnivals and indoor haunted houses. They also recommend barring kids from trick-or-treating next month. Halloween falls on a Saturday, the night of a full moon, and the weekend Daylight Saving Time ends. Partygoers get an extra hour to revel, but many eerie events—including Knotts’ Scary Farm, Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash, and the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor—are canceled. This year, more than ever, I’m craving the comfort of our family’s Thanksgiving traditions. I cherish our time-honored rituals at Thanksgiving: hosting family gatherings, cooking harvest feasts, and predicting the winners in football rivalries. I’m preparing for my favorite holiday, yet my gut is questioning the likelihood of my plans coming to fruition. My family’s Thanksgiving observance doesn’t include watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but for more than 90 years, countless viewers consider it a Turkey Day staple. This year, Macy’s announced its annual event is a “reimagined” celebration. They’ll follow the format developed for New York City’s Fourth of July fireworks show, and some segments will be virtual. Every year, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off the Christmas season with Santa’s ceremonial arrival. Closer to home, at Dana Point Harbor, the holiday season commences with the annual lighting ceremony that illuminates the Harbor in thousands of festive lights. However, this November, the ritual is canceled. Don’t despair, Dana Point Harbor Partners do plan to hold their 46th Boat Parade of Lights during the first two weekends of December. Although, in a written statement, they warn the parade is subject to change due to pending public health guidelines. Hallelujah, the Harbor’s popular boat rides with Santa are scheduled to continue, albeit with one slight snag this season. In the spirit of social distancing, instead of
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.
sitting on Santa’s lap, young children will wave to St. Nick while sitting 6 feet away from him. Maybe it’s me, but a socially distant and masked Santa doesn’t deliver the magic of the season I so desperately desire this December. Likewise, I’m sure holiday websites will soon pop up offering holly jolly solutions to salvage the most wonderful time of the year. I can imagine their creative lists: hide wrapped gifts throughout the house instead of beneath the trimmed tree; before passing presents, put festive bows on bottles of hand sanitizer; and invite friends and family to a merry and virtual holiday party. I’m tired of reimagining holidays and trading time-honored traditions for work-around celebrations.
This holiday season is shaping up to be special, but for all the wrong reasons. While the holidays may look a little different this year, I’m looking forward to celebrating—especially on New Year’s Eve, as I can’t wait to say goodbye to 2020. For more than 20 years, Shelley Murphy and her husband have lived in San Clemente, where she raised her two sons. She’s a freelance writer and has been a contributor to the San Clemente Times since 2006. SC 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.
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
F
San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Avenida Victoria at the Pier Bowl, circa 1940.
Sudoku
Adoptable Pet of the Week: Dale our-month-old Dale is a playful kitten that is always ready for fun. Whether he’s chasing toys or frolicking with the other kittens, his outgoing personality is easy to spot. If you’re looking to adopt a sweet and spunky feline friend, you can’t go wrong with Dale. If you are interested in adopting Dale, please visit petprojectfoundation.org to download an adoption application form. Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@scdpanimalshelter.org,
Contributor: San Clemente Historical Society
Dale. Photo: Courtesy of San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter
and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment. SC
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See the solution in next week’s issue.
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San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
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SC LIVING
Left: A 1927 plot map shows no San Clemente Pier yet, but does show a 10-acre hotel side overlooking what would later be known as T-Street Beach. Right: An early 1930s plot map shows the pier intact but no hotel—just two new streets and 53 lots, above what would later be named T-Street Beach.
CoastLines by Fred Swegles
LOOKING GOOD
A Resort Hotel at T-Street? Ole Had Visions
N
ext time you visit San Clemente’s T-Street Beach, pause to notice the grand width of streets that lead there. Over the first five years of San Clemente—1925 to 1930—town founder Ole Hanson’s vision for his Spanish Village included a splendorous resort hotel at what is now known as T-Street. Motorists arriving from San Diego or Los Angeles could reach the planned hotel by taking either of two broad avenues—Valencia or Esplanade—from the state highway, El Camino Real. The 10-acre hotel site was to be surrounded by impressively wide streets. How different Ole Hanson’s Spanish Village might have looked if the visionary had managed to build the splendid hotel and its bungalows. A 1927 plot map that Ole drafted during the height of American prosperity—the Roaring ’20s—depicted the hotel site. It would have taken up not just a hillside that COASTLINES overlooks the beach, beBy Fred Swegles tween Paseo de Cristobal and what later became Calle Marina. The site extended all the way back to the corner of Avenida Esplanade and what is now Calle Toledo. Go look for yourself—it was more than four times as big as the grounds of Ole’s exquisite former home known today as Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens. You can view the 1927 map at the Casa. The plot map looks a bit different than the San Clemente we know today. San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
It showed no pier, not built yet. Just the words “tunnel to beach.” A street at that location was named Avenida Vittoria—today, Victoria. Avenida Valencia was shown leading all the way to the hotel site—two blocks downhill from El Camino Real, then continuing over to broad Paseo de Cristobal.
OLE’S VISION
Six months after America’s catastrophic 1929 stock market crash, Ole remained convinced that San Clemente real estate remained rock-solid. He commissioned Kirtland Cutter, designer of several buildings that eventually made the National Register of Historic Places, to prepare drawings. “The sketches show views of a 100-room hotel, surrounded by twelve cottages, each cottage to have four rooms,” El Heraldo de San Clemente reported on May 16, 1930. “The entire architecture is Spanish. The sketches reveal a hotel of rambling two-story construction. Many parties are interested in building a hotel at San Clemente, and for that reason Hanson has had his architect sketch what can be done on the site.” Unfortunately, the article in San Clemente’s weekly newspaper wasn’t accompanied by sketches. “Hotel men up and down the coast agree that no other city offers so many natural advantages for the construction of a high class hotel,” the article said. “San Clemente has bridle trails, the best strand in Southern California, a golf course, beach club and other recreational advantages. The location, halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, is another advantage, it is pointed out.”
On Sept. 5, 1930, Ole announced a deal with Edward Fowler, an entrepreneur from Pasadena who was one of the original investors in the Spanish Village. Fowler, an engineer and architect who had built Spanish-style homes in Pasadena and planned San Clemente’s water system, took out an option to build a million-dollar hotel and bungalows on a site then described as 12 acres. He promised a carefully designed hotel that would fit in with the Spanish Village. “The hotel will comprise a large central building with a number of fine bungalows, this being the present modern type of hotel building,” El Heraldo stated. “The option becomes void if the construction of the hotel does not start within four months, according to Ole Hanson.” Four months passed, and there was no groundbreaking or further mention. Evidently, the deal dissolved. El Heraldo’s biggest headlines that January 1931 touted Santa Fe railway’s construction of a train depot at what is now known as North Beach.
NO FURTHER MENTION
Larry Culbertson, president of the San Clemente Historical Society, has complete volumes of El Heraldo for 1930-31. We see that the newspaper, listing Ole as its publisher, maintained a cheerful tone, forecasting a bright future despite financial mayhem elsewhere in America. The historical society has no El Heraldos for 1932 or 1933. Lois Divel, cofounder of the historical society, has copies covering most of 1934, El Heraldo’s final year. It appears T-Street’s hotel quietly dissolved. At some point in the early 1930s, the site was redesignated as residential. A new San Clemente plot map, no date attached, substitutes 53 residential lots where the resort would have stood. By 1933-34, the Great Depression had hit hard. The city council was forced to drastically cut expenditures and services,
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news articles affirmed. City politics turned bitterly contentious.
OLE’S DEPARTURE
Ole lost his palatial home. Bankers, holding San Clemente’s debts, assumed ownership of real estate. Ole moved back to his pre-San Clemente home, Los Angeles. In 1935, Ole launched a desert housing development at Twentynine Palms. He died in 1940. Through 1934, Ole’s former newspaper, El Heraldo. carried minimal news of him. The Santa Ana Register published several big articles about him. But a search of Register articles at newspaperarchive.com turned up nothing announcing his departure from San Clemente—the only hint being a series of tiny legal announcements on back pages, listing property divestitures. On Aug. 20, 1934, the Register reported that Edward Fowler and H.H. Cotton were among partners in a plan to enhance the beach club at the northern entrance to town, adding other tourist amenities including a casino for dancing and a theater for motion pictures and performances. “Erection of a fashionable resort hotel has been discussed,” the article said. Another group, the article said, was “interested in turning the former Ole Hanson residence into a hotel, with cottages surrounding the home.” No hotels resulted at either location. But in 1937, a posh Casino San Clemente dance hall opened, and in 1938, so did the elegant San Clemente Theatre—neighbors to each other and the beach club. 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
LO C ALS O N LY
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
SC San Clemente
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT Body Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program 665 Camino De Los Mares, Ste. 104, 949.485.4979, bodymindspiritiop.com
ATTORNEY Rosen Law Offices, P.C. 34118 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 5, Dana Point, CA 92629, 949.335.0020, snrosenlaw.com
DENTISTS Benjamin Stevens, D.D.S. 3553 Camino Mira Costa, suite B, 949.493.2391, benstevensdds.com Eric Johnson, D.D.S. 647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, 949.493.9311, drericjohnson.com
ELECTRICAL
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Submit your classified ad at sanclementetimes.com
YOUR BUSINESS HERE! Sign up to be featured as our monthly Locals Only Business Spotlight for only $100! Write-up of 50 words with logo. Four weeks in print and online. Contact Lauralyn at 949.388.7700, ext. 102
REALTORS
Arcadia Electric 949.361.1045, arcadiaelectric.com
“Sandy & Rich” RE/MAX Coastal Homes 949.293.3236, sandyandrich.com
Braker Electric 949.291.5812, Lic# 719056 Insured
Scott Kidd, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services 949.498.0487, skidd@bhhscal. com
MUSIC LESSONS Cello and Bass Academy 310.895.6145, celloandbassacademy.com Danman’s Music School 949.496.6556, danmans.com Rock Club Music School 73 Via Pico Plaza, 949.463.1968, beachcitiesrockclub.com
RESTAURANTS Café Calypso 114 Avenida Del Mar #4, 949.366.9386
SALONS Salon Bleu 207 S. El Camino Real, 949.366.2060, scsalonbleu.com
PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), moranperio.com
PLUMBING A to Z Leak Detection 1001 Calle Recodo, 949.481.7013, atozleakdetection.com Bill Metzger Plumbing 1001 Calle Recodo, 949.492.3558, billmetzerplumbing.com
PROSTHODONTICS Hamilton Le, D.M.D., F.A.C.P. 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), moranperio.com
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San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
GARAGE SALES GARAGE SALE – SEPT. 19TH Saturday, Sept. 19. 7amnoon. 111 W. Avenida Valencia, San Clemente. Proceeds will help buy Pet Food for others ”so no one has to give up their family pet”. Collectibles, Albums, Prints, Clothes, Shoes, Furniture, household goods, linens, plants, pet items & more...
EDITOR’S COLUMN: Cavanagh Corner by Zach Cavanagh
Full Sports Schedule Restores Sense of Normalcy
GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com Deadline 5pm Monday. No phone calls please.
HELP WANTED HELP WANTEDWAREHOUSE POSITION I: Must have experience in shipping and receiving, forklift certified, requires lifting and must have valid Drivers License with a clean driving record. Full-Time, benefits, 401K. ... Please email your resume to: dromero@ndaonline.net To fill out an application please email application request to: dromero@ndaonline.net Phone interviews only after submitting resume and application HELP WANTEDWAREHOUSE POSITION II: Must have experience in shipping and receiving, requires lifting and must have valid Drivers License with a clean driving record. Full-Time, benefits, 401K. ... Please email your resume to: dromero@ndaonline.net To fill out an application please email application request to: dromero@ndaonline.net Phone interviews only after submitting resume and application
After months away, every major sport is in action all at once, giving sports fans a sense of normalcy and a full TV schedule. Photo: JESHOOTS.com/Pexels BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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unday, Sept. 13’s full slate of NFL season openers was incredible, but not just for the thrillers, the comebacks or any of the incredible highlights. It was incredible in how incredibly normal it felt. For months, sports fans and non-fans alike have been yearning for that “sense of normalcy.” In this crazy 2020 with the world on fire, a pandemic lingering, election rhetoric flying and life seemingly on hold for many, what that normalcy was going to be is a bit ethereal and personal. Because of how truly unnormal these times are, you probably won’t realize what that normal is until you’re already in it. For myself as a CAVANAGH sports fan and sports CORNER writer, the summer of By Sports Editor, Zach Cavanagh 2020 was particularly empty without sports to take up my days, nights, conversations or TV schedules. Even when some leagues returned, it still felt far from what it should be, with shortened seasons, entire leagues and playoffs in bubbles and stadiums without fans. However, after the initial shock, I grew accustomed to watching the games in these new surroundings, and, sure enough, my love of sport dragged me in. I was watching games every day and night as if nothing had ever happened to take them away. Strangely enough, the shutdowns due to COVID-19 have actually created a golden age of watching sports from your couch. The early rounds of the NHL and NBA playoffs had games broadcast from breakfast to bedtime here on the West Coast. Page 19
After its own early coronavirus scare, Major League Baseball’s condensed schedule leaves almost no room for days off and doubleheaders seemingly every other day in a race to the finish. Men’s and women’s soccer leagues around the world had games crisscrossing the schedule at all times. This weekend became the zenith of that frenzy, and I think what finally clicked in that normalcy switch in my brain. Thursday, Sept. 10, was the first day in sports history that the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and WNBA all played on the same day. Saturday, Sept. 12, brought the opening of college football for some of the power conference teams, as well as the first matchday of the Premier League season in England. The U.S. Open of tennis crowned its champions over the weekend, and the U.S. Open of golf will hold a major championship this weekend. Sam Darnold is tossing touchdowns for the New York Jets. Kolby Allard is hurling gems for the Texas Rangers. McCall Zerboni is lacing up for the NWSL’s Sky Blue FC. Every major sport from all corners of the globe is in session, and they’re all somewhere on your TV or streaming service. It may be hard to say sports are completely back to normal when you can look in our own backyards and see that youth sports games and the San Clemente High School sports schedule are both a ways away. And I, too, would rather be in the sun at the Big A cheering on Mike Trout or taking in the sparkling new wonder of SoFi Stadium with the Rams. For now, this sports fan will take his full days of watching games on TV with a smile, knowing what it’s like without any of them at all and appreciating the ability to indulge in all of them at once. SC sanclementetimes.com
PUBLIC NOTICES TO ADVERTISE: 949.388.7700, EXT. 111 • LEGALS@PICKETFENCEMEDIA.COM
NORTH BEACH ELECTRICAL AND PARKING LOT LIGHTS City Project No. 11811
proposal for a public works project submitted on or after March 1, 2015 unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations. Furthermore, all bidders and contractors are hereby notified that no contractor or sub-contractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations.
JUDGE JAMES J. DI CESARE, Judge of the Superior Court Published: San Clemente Times August 27, September 3, 10, 17, 2020
Bids shall be submitted electronically through the City’s electronic procurement system (PlanetBids) at: https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal. cfm?CompanyID=28939
Pursuant to Labor Code Section 1771.4, all bidders are hereby notified that this project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations.
Bids must be received by no later than 2:00 p.m. on Thursday October 1, 2020. PlanetBids will not receive any bids submitted after 2:00 p.m., as they will be deemed disqualified. Only electronic bids submitted through PlanetBids will be accepted. Bid tabulations will be available on PlanetBids immediately following the bid closing.
No bid will be accepted from a contractor who has not been licensed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 9, Division III of the Business and Professions Code, State of California. Bidder shall possess a Class “C-10” California State Contracting License in good standing and shall have successfully completed two projects of similar scope for a public agency.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206582936 The following person(s) is doing business as: 1. VETERINARY REHABILITATION & ORTHOPEDIC MEDICINE PARTNERS 6332 CAMINO MARINERO SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673-9267 ADDITIONAL FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME(S): 1B. VROMP Full Name of Registrant(s): CARG OPCO, LLC 6332 CAMINO MARINERO SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673-9267 This business is conducted by DE Limited Liability Company. The registrant commenced to transact business under the Fictitious Business Name or Names listed above on: 04/01/2020 /s/CARG OPCO, LLC /s/BRIAN BURGESS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER This statement was filed with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder On 8/25/2020 Publish: San Clemente Times September 17, 24, October 1, 8, 2020
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE INVITING ELECTRONIC BIDS
Bidders must complete line items information (PlanetBids Line Item Tab), and attach a paper Bid Form, completed in full and signed (PlanetBids Attachments Tab). In addition the Bidder shall attach Subcontractor(s) Listing, Experience Form, Copy of Bid Security, and all other documents required herein (PlanetBids Attachments Tab). The system will not accept a bid for which any required information is missing. Prior to the bid due date and time, all bidders shall submit the original Bid Security to: Chris Tanio, PE City of San Clemente 910 Calle Negocio, Suite 100 San Clemente, CA 92673 The work to be done consists of furnishing all materials, equipment, tools, labor and incidentals as required by the plans, specifications and contract documents for the NORTH BEACH ELECTRICAL AND PARKING LOT LIGHTS CITY Project No. 11811, in the City of San Clemente, California. Reference is hereby made to these Specifications for further particulars, and same are by such reference incorporated herein and made a part thereof, the same as though fully set forth hereunder. Specifications and contract documents are posted in the City of San Clemente PlanetBids System Vendor Portal website at: https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal. cfm?CompanyID=28939 All bidders must first register as a vendor on the City of San Clemente PlanetBids System website to participate in a bid or to be added to prospective bidders list. The contract does call for monthly progress payments based upon the engineer’s estimate of the percentage of work completed. The City will retain 5% of each progress payment as security for completion of the balance of the work. At the request and expense of the successful bidder, the City will pay amounts so retained upon compliance with the requirements of Government Code Section 14402 and the provisions of the contract documents pertaining to “substitution of securities.” NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations, in accordance with Section 1770 of the California State Labor Code and in accordance with the terms of he Southern California Master Labor Agreement, has heretofore established a prevailing rate of per diem wages to be paid in the construction of the above entitled work. The said wage rates are herein referred to and adopted in this Notice as though fully set forth herein, and said scale is made a part of this Notice by reference. Pursuant to Labor Code Section 1771.1, no contractor or sub-contractor may be listed on a bid San Clemente Times September 17–23, 2020
The bidder, by submitting its electronic bid, agrees to and certifies under penalty of perjury under the laws of the state of California, that the certification, forms and affidavits submitted as part of this bid are true and correct. The City of San Clemente reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Dated: To be published: and:
September 3rd, 2020 September 10th, 2020 September 17th, 2020
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE ___________________________ Tom Bonigut Public Works Director / City Engineer
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
Complete your required legal or public notice advertising in the San Clemente Times. EMAIL legals@picketfencemedia.com CALL 949.388.7700, ext. 111
In light of the current situation there will be NO pre-bid meeting held for the North Beach Electrical and Park Lot Lights Project. In-lieu of the pre-bid meeting the City is requiring that any questions in reference to the project be submitted via PlanetBids. The deadline to submit any questions will be Friday, September 25, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. 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 Page 20
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SC n te S a n C le m e
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
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SC SC SURF San Clemente
SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY
Core Strength Everything you need to know to choose a foam blank for your next custom board BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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hen it comes to getting the new surfboard that’s right for you, there are a lot of options out there. In terms of materials and construction, it’s easy to be confused about what you should be looking for. If you’ve graduated from the Costco Wave Storm and are looking for an actual, real surfboard, the conversation begins with what kind of “blank” to use. A blank is the foam core from which a surfboard is made. It’s then laminated with a combination of cloth and resin to provide structural integrity and strength. Replacing the wooden boards of old, Hobie Alter and Gordon “Grubby” Clark were the first to utilize foam surfboard blanks in an economically viable way in the early 1960s. When it comes to surfboard blanks today, there are three basic options of which you should be aware. The three main blank materials that are widely used around the world include Polyurethane (PU), Polystyrene (PS) and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS). Grubby perfected the polyurethane formula, and from the 1960s through the early 2000s, Clark Foam in nearby Mission Viejo was the de facto blank supplier around the globe. The company was forced to close in 2005 after entangle-
GROM OF THE WEEK
ZOEY KAINA
BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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or Lowers regulars, you may have been awestruck this summer by a pint-sized goofy-footer absolutely tearing apart the inside lefts. While you pick your jaws up off the floor, meet 9-year-old Zoey Kaina. Hailing from Hawaii, Zoey and her family have posted up in San Clemente and are making the most of the abundant opportunities that Trestles provides. Earlier this month, the World Surf League posted a video of Zoey ripping the lefts at Lowers on its social media channels. The response was nothing short of inspiring, as some of the best surfers in the world took time to compliment her skills. San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
San Clemente surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson puts the finishing touches on a polyurethane blank. Photo: Jake Howard
ments with the Environmental Protection Agency. This opened the door for new foam manufacturers to experiment with new materials, including expanded polystyrene, which has been a game-changer. No type of foam is particularly better than the other; instead, they all provide different performance characteristics that suit the variety of surf conditions we’re greeted with week in and week out. Polyurethane is the most traditional kind of foam, in use ever since Grubby first cracked the chemical code. One of perks of polyurethane is that it is relatively light, and because of its tight cell structure, it is also very easy with which to work. The fine composition of the foam means that when a shaper runs a
“Woah, those bottom turns, so deep already,” commented two-time world champion Tom Carroll. “One of my favorite goofy-footers!” testified Mitch Colapinto, father of Griffin and Crosby. And then there was Brazil’s Wiggolly Dantes, who succinctly stated, “This girl is gonna be world champion one day.” When she’s not out at Lowers, Zoey’s been spending some time traveling to the BSR Surf Resort in Waco, Texas, where her barrel-riding skills are blossoming and she’s learning to really smash her turns. Enjoying support from the surf industry, she’s been riding some sick shapes from master craftsman Akila Aipa and is also on the Buell Wetsuit program. With so much talent and passion, Zoey’s future is bright. We can’t wait to see where it takes her. SC
planer or sandpaper over the blank, the foam doesn’t bite or come off in chunks. If shaped correctly, the foam will come off in a fine dust. This characteristic gives shapers the ability to fine-tune their board with an attention to detail. The bummer about polyurethane foam is that it’s not environmentally friendly. It’s a petroleum-based product, and recycling the waste material is more expensive and challenging than expanded polystyrene blanks, for example. And the glassing process is also no bueno for the environment, as well. The foam that’s been in use the longest after polyurethane is polystyrene. What you need to know about polystyrene is that it’s most commonly used with epoxy
resins. There were a lot of issues with early epoxy boards, one of the biggest being that polystyrene is inherently hard to shape and requires a lot more time and effort. The epoxy composition does add a little more strength and durability, and the lighter boards go well in small surf conditions. Plus, the offcuts and waste from the shaping process can be recycled. Finally, the biggest growth in surfboard blanks over the past handful of years has been with expanded polystyrene. A derivative of polystyrene foam, its big selling point is that it’s remarkably light. A lot of small-wave boards that you see today are made with expanded polystyrene cores. If you snapped your board in half, you’d notice it’s the same composition of those cheap “styrofoam” coolers at liquor stores. Expanded polystyrene foam is notoriously hard to hand-shape, because the tiny foam balls tend to fall apart when hit by a planer or rougher sandpaper. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some great boards being hand-made with expanded polystyrene foam; it just takes a little more time and diligence to get the shape smoothed out. They’re also one of the more environmentally friendly materials out there. So, there you go, you’re ready to forsake that Wave Storm for a real surfboard. Happy wave hunting! 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
SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 66-68 Degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: 8-10 ’ Thursday: Mix of South/southwest swells and smaller Northwest swell for waist-shoulder-head high surf, (3-4-5’). Light/variable morning winds, rise to a 6-10kt West/northwest sea breeze in the afternoon then ease in the evening. Outlook: On Friday an easing combination of South/southwest swells and smaller Northwest swell rolls in with waist-shoulder high waves, (34’). Light winds Friday morning, shift to moderate onshores for the afternoon. A blend of southerly swells and secondary Northwest swell maintains waist-shoulder-head high zone surf, (3-4-5’), through the weekend. Light morning winds are followed by moderate afternoon West/northwest onshores over the weekend.
Zoey Kaina. Photo: Courtesy of Zoey Kaina Page 22
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San Clemente Times September 17-23, 2020
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