December 23, 2021 by San Clemente Times

DECEMBER 23-29, 2021 | VOLUME 16, ISSUE 51

L O C A L

N E W S

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INSIDE: Special Section

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Trash Talk South Orange County Cities Gear Up for Statewide Organic Waste Regulations E Y E O N S C / PAG E 3

A new state mandate going into effect on Jan. 1 will require Californians to separate organic waste, such as food scraps, from the rest of their trash. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

sanclementetimes.com

Out in the Cold: How SC’s Homeless Population Struggles

Swegles: Where Did a 1980s Slogan Contest Take SC?

SCHS Boys Basketball Turns Practice into Progress

EYE ON SC/ PAGE 3

SC LIVING/PAGE 21

SPORTS/PAGE 24

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EYE ON SC

What’s Up With... TOP NEWS SAN CLEMENTE SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

South Orange County Cities Gear Up for Statewide Organic Waste Regulations BY COLLIN BREAUX

By the time 2022 rolls around, residents and businesses in San Clemente can generally expect to see a small increase in solid waste collection fees— part of a new state law that takes effect for the upcoming year. Back in September, the San Clemente City Council approved the fee increases to adjust rates based upon the consumer price index and landfill disposal costs, as well as to comply with state-mandated services under Senate Bill 1383. The bill, which passed in 2016, is intended to address environmental concerns (particularly regarding methane emissions) by requiring residents and owners of commercial and multifamily properties to subscribe to recycling programs that capture and separate organic waste, such as food scraps, from other trash. The goal is to reduce the amount of green waste disposed at landfills. The program uses what is called Anaerobic Digestion technology to convert organic waste into renewable resources such as fertilizers and gas that powers collection vehicles for CR&R—the waste collection agency that contracts with California cities including Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. A 35-gallon residential solid waste collection receptacle with organics could see a fee increase of 21 cents by Jan. 1, according to a City of San Clemente staff report. Commercial bin services could increase by several dollars. The coming new requirements are something cities in South Orange County are prepared for, including San Clemente. The City of San Clemente implemented the residential single-family home organics diversion program in 2016, explained

Cynthia Mallett, the city’s Environmental Programs Supervisor. “At that time, approximately 4,600 residential accounts requested exemption from the program because they did not generate landscape materials or had space constraints to add an additional cart to the existing trash and recycling carts,” Mallett said. “These accounts will soon be receiving (if they haven’t already) the organics cart, because they will need to participate in the food scrap diversion program beginning Jan. 1, 2022.” Educational information, she further noted, will be disseminated to the affected accounts. An informational chart that will be sent to San Clemente customers after Jan. 1 specifies what can be placed in an organics cart: fruits, vegetables, bread, wood scraps and chips, flowers, and other items. The chart also specifies the items that can be placed in separate recycling and landfill carts—cardboard and glass are considered recyclables, while mirrors and paper towels are deemed landfill trash. San Juan Capistrano is also gearing up for the new requirements, and has taken steps beforehand. San Juan entered into a new franchise agreement with CR&R effective July 1, 2020 that “anticipated the new recycling laws and was structured to ensure compliance, including provisions for expansion of the City’s organic waste disposal programs,” Senior Management Analyst Matisse Reischl said. “Pursuant to SB 1383, the new franchise agreement transitioned all residential customers to a three-cart source separated program that includes a refuse

A new state mandate set to go into effect on Jan. 1 will require Californians to separate all of their organic waste, such as food scraps, from their other trash, by placing them into new organic waste bins, which are being delivered to households and businesses. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Out in the Cold: How San Clemente’s Homeless Population Struggles

cart, a dry recycling cart, and an organics cart (i.e., green waste and food waste mixed),” Reischl said. “The new franchise agreement also discontinued commercial mixed waste bins and expanded commercial service to the source separated system.” As required by the state legislation, the City of San Juan Capistrano adopted its own ordinance implementing mechanisms for future enforcement of the regulations. “While adoption of the ordinance is required by Jan. 1, 2022, SB 1383 allows cities to take an educational and non-punitive approach for the first two years,” Reischl said. “This two-year timeline will allow the City and CR&R to inform and educate residents and businesses about the state mandated requirements with the goal of achieving voluntary compliance.” Dana Point, in the words of Jennifer Anderson—the senior management analyst for the city’s Public Works and Engineering department—is also ready. Dana Point has also passed its own required ordinance pertaining to organic recycling, which was officially approved

in November. Residents in Dana Point have already had organic recycling since January 2020, Anderson said. But the new ordinance formally brings Dana Point into compliance with the new state law. As Anderson noted, SB 1383 is intended to bring about a 75% reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste by 2025. The City of Dana Point is working closely with CR&R when it comes to the recycling programs, and CR&R is “instrumental” in getting the programs out into the community, Anderson said. “We couldn’t do it without our partnership with CR&R,” Anderson said. Maria Lazaruk, senior community relations manager for CR&R, said part of their educational outreach efforts include direct mailing and billing inserts that contain information on the waste recycling requirements. CR&R also has a team of full-time sustainability coordinators who are helping show businesses and restaurants what is recyclable and what isn’t, Lazaruk said. “All three cities have received the program with open arms,” Lazaruk said.

problem that only exacerbates around this time of year, making it difficult for people out in the cold and the ones trying to provide all the support they can.

This time, Fields brought her 80-yearold mother, Seamus’ grandmother, in from England to visit as a Christmas surprise, but the feeling is still bittersweet. The family lived in San Clemente during Seamus’ childhood, when he was a bright young man with a positive future. Fields described him as a kind-hearted, funny, giving, loving person, who still holds those traits somewhere inside him. “He played ice hockey, he was a good (Cont. on page 4)

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

In the midst of the holiday season, as families gather to spend time together and feast within their warm homes, those privileges can be taken for granted. They are privileges that people who are experiencing homelessness badly desire. San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

SEAMUS MAZUR Nadia Fields has lived up north in Santa Rosa, with her husband, for the past seven years. She still tries to come down to San Clemente as often as possible to check in on her 35-year-old son, Seamus, who has been homeless for the past 15 years.

Even in a place with such balmy temperatures in the winter months as Orange County, those subjected to trying to brave the elements simply want the luxury of food, warmth, and shelter. Homelessness is an endless, yearlong Page 3

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EYE ON SC

(Cont. from page 3) student, he’s artistic, he could write, he could cook, he’d make amazing food,” she said, adding: “He was a very creative person.” That all changed at 17, when a skateboarding accident resulted in a fractured skull and a traumatic brain injury. The incident furthered his pre-existing mental health struggles, leading to a lifetime of “falling through the cracks,” as various authorities implored Seamus to reach out and be active in his journey—something he cannot manage. “He became angry (after the accident), and that’s part of the frontal lobe injury that happens when you hit the back of your head; everything goes to the front,” Fields said. “… He doesn’t even understand why he gets so angry. It will just go from zero to 60, and that was never him.” According to his mother, Seamus now lacks the self-awareness, foresight, and mental fortitude to do much more than walk through the city’s streets. “People just see a crazy drug addict,” Fields said, adding that “being his advocate as his mother is not enough, because then they say, ‘Why don’t you cut the cord? When are you going to let him hit rock bottom?’” “There is no ‘rock bottom’ for someone like (him),” Fields continued. “Death is rock bottom.” She detailed the experience they had with Orange County Mental Health Services, in which Seamus was discharged after getting treated for weeks because he showed improvement. Neither of the two felt he was ready to move on. “I see all sides of this—I’ve been doing this (for) 15 years with my son—and he’s been … in and out of jail, in and out of programs,” she said. “Nothing sticks, because the minute he does well, they discharge him, and he’s considered well, and then he’s back out on the street, and it just goes back to the beginning.” Fields said that around this time of the year, what homeless people need most is the ability to stay warm, with pants, sweaters, and tarps to protect them from rain or other harsh weather. “Waterproof jackets with hoods, waterproof shoes, a place to go (to get more clothing),” Fields said. Fields said that she will never give up on her son, and will keep pushing for him to get help in the hope that one day, the floodgates will open and Seamus can start a true recovery. She worries every day and night that she will have spoken to him for the last time on the previous night, constantly fearing the day she receives a phone call that notifies her of her son’s death. “I just hope he doesn’t die,” she said. “I hope he gets the help he needs—and I mean that for all the kids (on the street).” “I really want to say to just give them a San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

Charlie Wolfe looks out over North Beach from the lawn of the Ole Hanson Beach Club on Friday, Dec. 17. The 51-year-old, who’s battled with drug abuse and alcoholism for most of his life, and relies on public transportation to get mental health service appointments, is one of more than 100 homeless people struggling to survive on San Clemente’s streets. Photo: C. Jayden Smith

chance. Even if you help one person, with one thing, on one day, that could change their life.”

throughout the state, such as converting stables, motels, or a car storage facility into a place where each occupant has their own space, however small. While residents may be apprehensive toward directing their taxes into those programs, they provide people with continued shelter, the opportunity to charge their phones or attend to their basic needs, and allow access to mental health services. Mikulec further commented on the lack of consistency or follow-up with outreach staff. Whether dealing with a county, city, or nonprofit organization, when those on the streets do not interact with someone for a week at a time or have to explain their situation repeatedly to a rotating cast of people, the process can become draining and hopeless. Mikulec commented that even with San Clemente committing to hire a second community outreach worker, connecting with the 100 or more people on the streets in addition to handling all the behind-the-scenes work is too much for them to effectively manage. “Even with outreach, even if you get mental health (personnel) to come, even if you’ve got people all over the street wanting to help, there has to be somewhere for the people to go,” Mikulec added. “They are not going to get well on the street.”

DEALING WITH AUTHORITES Both Fields and local advocate Maura Mikulec spoke of the restrictive treatment Seamus and other homeless persons receive, including citations for small crimes such as pushing a bicycle without a headlight or by getting arrested on warrants when they are unable to make a court hearing miles away from them. Without structure that provides reminders for when to take prescribed medicine or where to store things so that they are not lost or stolen, the progress from any help administered to the homeless can erode quickly. Mikulec added that the help must be something people feel comfortable with accepting on their own terms. “If it’s, ‘Well, you can go to some place where you’ll share a room with somebody else in Garden Grove,’ and ‘Come with us, (but) we don’t know you, you don’t know us,’ they’re not going to accept that,” Mikulec explained. In Fields’ eyes, the solution to what she calls a common sentiment of nearby residents that want to rid homelessness from their backyards, is by providing housing. She referred to alternative housing options that are growing in popularity Page 4

Karlie Hunter, the city’s community outreach worker, and the nonprofit City Net, the city’s previous homeless outreach contractor, did not respond to requests for comment as of press time. CHARLIE WOLFE Charlie Wolfe, 51, comes from a long history of San Clemente residents, dating back to his grandfather’s birth in the city during its early days. “My great-grandpa and great-grandma came up (in a) horse and carriage from deep in Mexico to here, and my grandpa worked for the Navy,” he said at North Beach on Friday, Dec. 17. Wolfe has stayed at the Friendship Emergency Shelter in Laguna Beach in recent weeks while he continues to work on setting himself up for future success. He applied to multiple jobs, including one position at a daycare for dogs. “I’m pretty confident,” he said about finding work. “For one thing, I’m not lazy, and I like working; people can’t keep me sitting around for too long.” Wolfe has bus passes to travel across the county to attend his various mental health service appointments and other required showings. The thought of missing or being late to a location because of travel times of upwards of two hours can still provide tremendous stress. Wolfe has struggled with drug abuse (Cont. on page 6) sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

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Trustee McNicholas Takes Over as New CUSD Board President

COMMUNITY MEETINGS THURSDAY, DEC. 23

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.

BY COLLIN BREAUX

The Capistrano Unified School District’s governing board promoted Trustee Martha McNicholas to the role of board president as part of its annual organizational reshuffling held during the Dec. 15 meeting. McNicholas, who represents parts of Dana Point and Laguna Niguel, was nominated by the board to serve as president for 2022. She takes over for former President Judy Bullockus, whose area of representation includes Mission Viejo. “It has been an honor and a privilege to be president of this board in working with my colleagues last year, but I am ready to hand over the reins,” Bullockus said. McNicholas’ term will end in December 2022. She was first elected to the board in 2014 and was reelected in 2018. Trustee Krista Castellanos, who represents parts of Laguna Niguel and Aliso Viejo, was named the new vice president. Castellanos’ term ends in 2024. She was originally appointed to the board in September 2019 to fill a vacancy left by former Trustee Gary Pritchard, who resigned from his post because he relocated out of the area. Castellanos won the 2020 election to keep her seat.

The Capistrano Unified School District’s governing board last week selected Trustee Martha McNicholas to serve as board president for 2022. Photo: File

(Cont. from page 4) and alcoholism for most of his life, and a host of other occurrences led to his homeless status. While he admits to being in better shape than others in his position, he is clearly aware that he needs assistance to get back on track. “A lot of people look at me and judge me, (saying), ‘You look fine, you look this, you look that on the outside,’” he said. “I mean, great, because I (expletive) take care of myself, but at the same time, I’m mentally (expletive) up.” Through his day jobs, he has earned enough to be able to buy quality jackets and other essentials to protect himself. He hopes that the city will do its part in providing a homeless shelter, referring to the Emergency Shelter Coalition’s past attempts to use 10 acres of land for the space. “Here in San Clemente, they think they’re above everybody else,” Wolfe said. The County of Orange this month opened its wintertime emergency shelter at the California National Guard Armory in Santa Ana, where overnight

shelter will be provided to homeless individuals looking to get out of the cold weather. To stay at the shelter, individuals must meet at one of two bus pick-up locations in Sana Ana by the late afternoon each day. Currently, the city offers bus passes to San Clemente’s homeless to get to shelters, but not direct transportation to the Armory’s pick-up locations. On Tuesday night, Dec. 21, Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan, as a late-breaking issue, proposed that the city use some of its Senate Bill 2 grant funds to set up an immediate transportation program to offer homeless individuals with a shuttle to Santa Ana. “We’ve got this shelter available if we want to make a meaningful difference— to particularly our homeless individuals at North Beach—this is a way to do it, by making sure there’s shelter and making sure they’re not just sleeping out, out and about, near the train station,” Duncan said. The proposal, however, failed to get enough support from other councilmembers, some of whom raised concerns over logistics and funding, given

San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

TUESDAY, DEC. 28

Because I Love You (BILY) 6:30-8:30 p.m. The organization Because I Love You (BILY), which helps parents navigate through whatever parenting challenges they may be facing (e.g., failure to launch, drug abuse, disrespect), will continue conducting its weekly meetings on Tuesdays via Zoom video conference. For detailed instructions on how to participate, email bilysanclemente@gmail.com. San Clemente Toastmasters 7-8:40 p.m. The 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.

the rushed nature of the program. The council instead agreed to have city staff come back to the Jan. 18 meeting with a full report on the proposal. NEEDING CONSISTENCY Mikulec has volunteered independently as an advocate and a social worker in South Orange County for 3½ years. In addition to personally connecting with those on the streets, she spends a lot of time advocating for the homeless on a policy level within government. She echoed the sentiment that others living with their condition voiced repeatedly, in that the people are frequently misunderstood. “Community members will often see just one part of them, and sometimes it’s the ugly part of the person,” she said. “We all have ugly parts. Most of us are not only judged by our mistakes or failings, but (the homeless) are much deeper than that.” Mikulec said that if residents took the time to show compassion and try to understand the circumstances the homeless face daily, their perspectives Page 6

would shift dramatically. While acknowledging that help does exist in some forms, she added that whatever is present is not enough. San Clemente plans to hire a second full-time community outreach worker. San Juan Capistrano has staff from Mercy House who work on the streets throughout the week, interacting with homeless persons through various levels of programs. Yet, there continues to be a need to be do more on the homeless’ behalf, according to Mikulec, beyond the way the existing programs and outreach is currently structured. “It’s just not enough help to get them off the street,” she said. Regarding the community’s role in solving the crisis, every action that displays kindness matters, whether by calling on government officials for help or by giving someone a jacket or a drink. “When somebody sees them and shows care for them, it can make a real difference,” Mikulec said. Those looking to learn more about the county’s cold weather shelter can contact 213.220.5636. sanclementetimes.com

SOAPBOX

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San Clemente Times, Vol. 16, Issue 51. 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 2021. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. San Clemente Times is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, 34932 Calle Del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at San Clemente, CA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: San Clemente Times, 34932 Calle Del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624.

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San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

GUEST OPINION | The Business Buzz by Jim Wynne

Great Scott! We Have to Go Back to Christmas Future P eople always say they wish they had a time machine to go back and change the past in order to alter present circumstances, yet rarely consider changing the present to alter future circumstances. Today is tomorrow’s yesterday. This moment, right now, is the closest to the past you’ll ever be and the farthest into the future you’ve ever been. We bemoan the changes that took us away from “the good ol’ days” without doing anything to maintain the best of days in which we currently live. Yes, San Clemente used to be a smaller town. But it is still a small town today. Yes, San Clemente used to be a free-wheeling, Wild West surf wonderland. But it is still a wondrous surf paradise in our backyards today. Yes, San Clemente used to only have small mom-and-pop businesses. But it still has a majority of small mom-andpop businesses today. Yes, San Clemente used to be where all the local kids knew each other by name. But it is still a community where I want my kids to know everyone today. As I get older, the time it takes me to travel into the future passes quicker and quicker; no DeLorean required. I blink, and my youngest kids are two inches taller, my oldest daughter is surviving another week of college finals, and my middle son has been promoted to a new rank in the Marines again. Forget 88 mph; my back hurts just going from the couch to the kitchen and back in 0-60 minutes.

Letters to The Editor IN DEFENSE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION GREG YOUNG, Dana Point As a proud member of CTA and a physics and chemistry teacher at San Clemente High School for the past 24 years, I take offense at Mr. Sedillo’s letter in regard to “You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide.” Contrary to his assertions, CTA does Page 7

I’m more joking than geriatric, but I do feel a profound sense of nostalgia now at 52 years old, thinking back to San Clemente when I was 32. Yet in another 20 years, at 72, I’ll shake my fist at the sky and tell my grandkids that things are no longer the way they were when I was 52. All right, Jim, lay off the eggnog; is this a self-eulogy or a Chamber of Commerce citywide yuletide contemplation? It’s the latter, THE BUSINESS I promise. Like BUZZ Ebenezer Scrooge BY JIM WYNNE and his time-traveling phantoms, I hope to humbly present you the gift of perspective, and with it the ability to change what happens when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come arrives. This holiday season, as we decorate our homes, hang our wreaths, light our candles, and conduct our business in the shadow of the pending Amazon project, unpredictable pandemic times, and political drama of all sorts, consider how your choices today will alter our jolly merrymaking come 2041. Support your neighbors; they are the moms and pops who own the mom-andpop places here. Forget two-day delivery. Try same-day pickup by walking into a shop on Avenida Del Mar or check out one of the front-office retail options in our awesome San Clemente and Talega

business parks. Tell Santa to buy his gifts here in SC, not on the AtoZ. Let our New Year’s resolutions this year be worthy of the Christmas morning we wish to wake up to in two decades. The next time I’m in the future, I plan on having done something to change it. I ask that you join me in less conspiracy, more community. Less fear, more friendships. Less big business, more better business. Less money, more morals. Less Facebook, more face-to-face. Less complaints, more compliments. Less past, more future. Shop small. Stay local. Think positive. Test negative. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours, and on behalf of the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, we wish you all a good night. See you in the future, friends. Jim Wynne, a San Clemente local, San Onofre Surfing Club president, and father of five, serves as chairman for the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce. As senior vice president at Kidder Mathews, he has shown his dedication to helping small businesses with their real estate needs and protecting San Clemente’s smalltown interests through active community participation and reporting on business news topics. Arrow Santos, a San Clemente native, professional writer/photographer, contributed to this column. SC

not prescribe my curriculum nor my method of delivery. CTA, however, does act as an advocate against the very anti-public-school rhetoric that is promulgated by such comments. I completely appreciate and respect that many Californians, at their own expense and effort, either homeschool their children or send them to a private school. I appreciate that this is both a personal and financial commitment. But, what if we do as he suggested: give everyone the tax money individually to educate as they saw fit. Sounds fine on the surface until you think about: how will individuals act with your public funds? Is it financially efficient to

split the funds up in an infinite number of ways? What kinds of schools will your public tax dollars be sent to? What he is also missing is that public schools continue to provide services, such as speech pathology and school psychologists, to students who are homeschooled or attend private schools. In this way, many families who choose private or homeschooling continue to be a part of the services that public schools provide. Most private schools cannot afford these tax-supported services, and without public schools, they would cease to be available for many families. Public schools are what make America (Cont. on page 8)

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com.

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SOAPBOX

GUEST OPINION | Citizens’ Climate Education by Christine Kramer

ADULT BOOKS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE FOR HOLIDAY GIVING

ith Christmas just about a day away, I’ve compiled a list of books as some possible last-minute gift ideas. Many of these book suggestions come from our congressman, Rep. Mike Levin, an environmental attorney, his staffer Colton Roughen, as well as my husband Larry Kramer, who reads voraciously on climate change, and a few from me. John Grant’s 2009 book Debunk It! Fake News Edition: How to Stay Sane in a World of Misinformation, is intended for adults—but useful for teens—and explains how to use critical thinking skills to identify bad evidence and poor arguments. Grant summarizes the rhetorical tricks people use to mislead, and offers advice on dealing with people who intentionally misinform. Roughen suggests 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuyval Noah Harari. “Great comprehensive book about living in this time that also includes some perspectives on the climate and environment,” Roughen describes of the 2018 book. Katharine Hayhoe, a Christian conservative climate scientist, talks about how our choices will determine our future in her 2021 book Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. The author has also led TED Talks and has a series on YouTube for young people called Global Weirding. Andrew J. Hoffman examines what causes people to reject or accept the scientific consensus on climate change in How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate. Shi-Ling Hsu examines the four major approaches to curbing CO2 and demonstrates why a carbon tax is currently the most effective policy in The Case for a Climate Tax: Getting Past Our Hang-ups to Effective Climate Policy. Michael T. Klare’s 2019 book, All Hell

(Cont. from page 7) great. Offering all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, an education is unique among nations. Dismantling that will come at great cost. It’s too simplistic to believe that handing out all of the money to individuals will solve the problems in public education. It would be like using public tax money to build each person a personal road upon which to drive. The lack of efficiency which that would create far outweighs the problems of trafSan Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

Photo: Courtesy of Pexels/Pixabay

Breaking Loose: The Pentagon’s Perspective on Climate Change, shows how the U.S. military sees the climate threat as imperiling the country on several fronts at once. UC Irvine author Shahir Masri answers many common misconceptions about climate change in Beyond Debate: Answers to CITIZENS’ CLIMATE 50 Misconceptions on EDUCATION Climate Change. The BY CHRISTINE KRAMER book is suitable for a younger audience, as it serves as a great first dive into the subject. David Remnick’s The Fragile Earth:

Writing from The New Yorker on Climate Change covers three decades of New Yorker essays about climate change. It includes Bill McKibben’s seminal essay “The End of Nature,” which popularizes both the science and politics of climate change for a general audience. One of Larry’s suggestions is Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life, a book by Edward O. Wilson. The book, he says, “makes the case that about half the Earth should be left natural. It may seem unrealistic until you realize that about 40% of San Juan Capistrano is open space.” Chris Kramer is a longtime resident of San Juan Capistrano and a member of the South Orange County chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby/Education. She and her hus-

fic congestion on our shared highways. Let’s solve problems together, rather than destroying public education.

overturn the results of a presidential election. This was to be accomplished by breaking through barriers, attacking Capitol Police, breaking and entering the Capitol and taking Congress members hostage. Let’s not forget the gallows placed outside the Capitol, which were to be used to hang the Vice President for refusing to reject the results of certain states. How sad that such behavior has been created by conspiracy theories, lies and an inability to accept truth.

RESPONSE TO ‘HOSTETTER CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN TARGET OF FBI OPERATION’ HECTOR HERNANDEZ, San Clemente Alan Hostetter claims the case against him is the result of “outrageous government conduct.” Truly outrageous conduct is the attempting to disrupt and Page 8

band, Larry, have moved 26 times in their married life, including to India (Andhra Pradesh) and Africa (Ghana). She has a MLIS from University of Hawaii and a BA from University of Michigan (Go Blue). 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.

No Beachside Chat This Week. Beachside Chat, a spirited, town hall forum on community issues hosted by SC Times Editor Shawn Raymundo on Friday mornings, will resume on Jan. 7.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY San Clemente Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or information written by the writers. Have something you’d like to say? Email your letter to sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com no later than 8 a.m. on Monday morning. Limit your letters to 350 words or less. Please send with your valid email, phone number and address for verification by staff. Your address and phone number will not be published.

sanclementetimes.com

GETTING OUT

Editor’s Pick

Celebrate the Christmas season at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park during WinterScape. Photo: Collin Breaux

The List What’s going on in and around town this week SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

FRIDAY | 24 HOLIDAY HARBOR LIGHTS Dana Point Harbor Partners is spreading seasonal cheer with the annual holiday light display that will illuminate the Harbor through Jan. 2. Each night throughout the holiday season, the Harbor’s San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

THURSDAY | 23 WINTERSCAPE Times vary. Thursday’s the last day to enjoy live music, appearances by Santa, ice skating, ice curling, and more during this seasonal event at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. 30753 La Pata Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.299.7219. sanjuanoutpost.com. CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE 6:30-8 p.m. Join Calvary Chapel San Clemente for a special evening of song, story and sharing the Christmas message set to candlelight, followed by the Chapel’s annual cookie exchange. Participants can sign up to bring two dozen cookies to share at calvarysanclemente.org. Calvary Chapel San Clemente, 1031 Calle Recodo, San Clemente. 949.228.9117.

magnificent light display will illuminate the evening sky for guests of all ages to enjoy. Themed light exhibits throughout the Harbor will include Candy Cane Lane, a popular “Merry Kiss Me” arch, lighted trees and much more. CAPISTRANO LIGHTS 4-6 p.m. This annual seasonal tradition returns to Mission San Juan Capistrano. Enjoy holiday programs, Christmas tree lightings, a nativity scene, and more on select nights through Dec. 30 at one of South Orange County’s premier historic venues. Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. 949.234.1300. missionsjc.com.

SUNDAY | 26 FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Shop for a wide selection Page 9

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. LOW-COST PET VACCINE CLINIC 10-11:30 a.m. The Feed Barn offers lowcost vaccinations for all dogs and cats every month on various Sundays. 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. 34192 Doheny Park Road. 1.800.988.8387. vetcarepetclinic.com. sanclementetimes.com

GETTING OUT

MONDAY | 27 FOOD CONNECTION 4-5:30 p.m. The Community Outreach Alliance will give away free groceries to those in need without requiring identification. Donated food, including fresh deli items, from Gelson’s, Ralphs, Target, and Walmart, will be available. New volunteers are encouraged. The San Clemente Baha’i Center, 3316 Avenida del Presidente, San Clemente. 949.257.2286. communityoutreachalliance.com.

WEDNESDAY | 29 SAN ONOFRE PARKS FOUNDATION POP-UP SHOP 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Historic Cottage and Visitor Center showcases local history, flora and fauna at this original 1934 ranger’s cottage. A rotating exhibit features the history of San Onofre. Stop in to the San Onofre Parks Foundation’s Pop-Up Shop to say hello, do a little shopping and learn more about the history of the local state parks at San Clemente and San Onofre State Beaches. Historic Cottage and Visitor Center is located within the San Clemente State

San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

Beach Campground at 225 Avenida Calafia, San Clemente. 949.366.8599. admin@sanoparks.org. sanoparks.org. BINGO AT THE SENIOR CENTER 1:30 p.m. Every Wednesday, the Dorothy Visser Senior Center will host Bingo. The center will begin selling cards at 1 p.m., with the game starting promptly at 1:30. The buy-in is $12 for 10 games with four cards and a special pick-your-number game. For more information, contact the center at 949.498.3322. Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente.

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

BIKING CLUB FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND HIGH SCHOOLERS 5-6:30 p.m. Anyone have middle schoolto high school-aged kids who love to bike? Community Outreach Alliance’s biking club meets every Wednesday afternoon at different trails, with professional biker and mentor Mike Russell from Freakshow Aloha. San Clemente High’s COA club, which hosts this free activity thanks to Hardman Classic, has bikes and helmets for participants to borrow. To participate, fill out a registration form online at form.myjotform.com/91392099886576. For questions, call or text 949.795.4721.

communityoutreachalliance.com. TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE BREWHOUSE 6:30-8:30 p.m. The BrewHouse hosts a trivia night every Wednesday. Test your knowledge with friends, or show up solo and join a team. The BrewHouse, 31896 Plaza Drive, Suite D3, San Juan Capistrano. 949.481.6181. brewhousesjc.com. BACKYARD OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS 8-10 p.m. Knuckleheads’ backyard is open for food, drinks and live music. Performers of all skill levels are welcome. If you are a musician, do stand-

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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. LIVE MUSIC AT THE COACH HOUSE 8 p.m. Live music is featured at this popular South Orange County venue. Joe Cocker cover band Mad Dogs and the Englishman will perform. Tickets are $20. Doors open at 6 p.m. The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.496.8930. thecoachhouse.com.

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WINTER 2021-2022

GO. SEE.DO

Welcome to Go.See.Do Our corner of the world is just as beautiful when it’s chilly as when it’s warm—with plenty of activities and events that live up to the festive season. As live theater returns to South Orange County, learn more about your local playhouses and upcoming performances. Get tips for the best spots and time frames to go whale watching right off our coast. We’ve also profiled local recording artists who are well on their way to stardom. For those in search of their next watering hole, check out our guide to South OC’s Great Dive Bars, which includes a quick tour of Turk’s, The Outrigger, Swallow’s Inn and other favorite haunts. We hope that the Go.See.Do winter edition serves as a guide to fulfil your seasonal sense of adventure.

Photo: Courtesy of Casa Romantica

Making Cultural ‘Connections’ at Casa Romantica

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

or its 2021-22 season of programming, Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is spanning the globe to expand the “cultural” side of its name. Casa Romantica introduced its Connections programming in September for a yearlong program that consists of clusters of events related to selected themes. The themes range from the culture of different communities, such as India and China, to the culture of the arts with dancing, music and more. Each of the program’s themes features a variety of events in visual and performing arts. The events are all low-cost or free to remove barriers to allow people of all ages to experience arts and culture and build a stronger bond with Casa Romantica and the community. The themes began with a fall program called “Beyond Bollywood,” in which the center highlighted Indian-American performing artists who showcased traditional and contemporary arts. A centerpiece was the celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. There was an energetic performance by the Blue13 Dance Company and a fusion of Indian music with American blues by Bollywood Blues musician Aki Kumar. The upcoming winter program will celebrate Chinese New Year with events from Jan. 29 through March. This program will be San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

highlighted by several musical performances of traditional Chinese music and a blend of contemporary music. The program begins on Jan. 29 with the Pacific Trio, which presents traditional music of China with the zither, pipa, dizi, er-hu and other authentic instruments. The concert is free with general admission to Casa Romantica. The other headlining musical performances are back-to-back shows by one of the world’s premier guzheng musicians, Bei Bei. The guzheng is a Chinese plucked zither, which has strings stretched over a wooden table. On Feb. 10, Bei Bei will perform on the ancient Chinese instrument, as she had recently on the soundtrack for Disney’s live-action Mulan. Tickets for this event are $25 to general visitors and $20 for Casa Romantica members. Bei Bei will follow up on Feb. 11 with a performance titled “Year of the Funky,” in which she blends her traditional zither skills with contemporary pop/funk music. There is a $12 cover charge for this event. The winter program will also feature a Chinese herb gardening workshop every Tuesday from Feb. 1-22, ink brush painting classes every Wednesday from Feb. 9-March 2 and a classical Chinese dance and drum performance on Feb. 17. This program will be followed in the spring with a celebration of hip-hop as a music and dance form for “The People’s Poetry” from April to May, and the Connections programming will wrap in the summer with “Art in the Gardens” from May to July. Expand your cultural breadth with a trip to Casa Romantica in the coming months. Tickets and classes are available online at casaromantica.org or by calling 949.498.2139. Page 13

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WINTER 2021-2022

They’re all coming in at a different level,” Knowles said. “It’s a good challenge for me, and it’s forcing me to become a better musician and a better singer myself.” Before the pandemic, Knowles constantly traveled to perform at events. These days, she stays in the area more. Her local gigs such as at Casa Romantica are her favorites since she can practically walk down the street to the venue—literally with the Casa. “I’ve just always wanted to sing. I’ve been singing since the day I could speak,” Knowles said. “I love it. I get a high from it. It can distract you from anything that’s going on in your life.”

If you’re eating at a restaurant in downtown San Juan Capistrano, chances are you might get to enjoy the musical stylings of local performer Olivia Rohde. Photo: Alura Delgado

Sweet Sounds

San Clemente musician Lark Knowles enjoys performing for audiences at Casa Romantica and other venues. Photo: Collin Breaux

A Look at Musicians in South OC

BY COLLIN BREAUX

n a fall weekday night, Lark Knowles sits behind a piano and entertains supporters of Casa Romantica with renditions of familiar pop songs. Knowles lives in San Clemente and makes her living as a musician and music teacher. On any given day or night, you can either find her instructing students in her apartment or performing at a venue in Southern California. “I’ve been singing my whole life. I’d always wanted to be a singer, but my family was in the restaurant business in New Jersey,” said Knowles, who has been in San Clemente for four years. “I went to school for hospitality at (the University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and got a babysitting job. I ended up being matched with a family where the mother and father were dueling piano players, and I had never played piano, so I didn’t think that was something I could do.” The couple began training her after hearing her sing, though, and from there, she gradually set upon her current path of playing covers—including requests from the audience. Her first gig came in Las Vegas 14 years ago, when there wasn’t anyone else available to play. “I knew about 12 songs, and I got on stage

San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

at a dueling piano show, and I just did the same 12 songs over and over,” Knowles said. “From there, I just put the pedal to the metal learning songs. The gigs just kept coming, and even though I was a complete musical disaster, I was confident with the crowd and the singing—which is really what dueling pianos is about.” That rapport with people shined through during her Casa Romantica performance, when Knowles chatted and smiled with audience members between songs, which ranged from Oasis to Petula Clark. She enjoys country and female folk, but she is willing to adapt her style to her audience. Knowles describes herself as “entertainer first, singer second, piano player last.” As for her musical teaching, that side of her life picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowles has a full schedule of students from Monday through Friday, and is trying to balance that out with the gradual return of musical gigs. Her tutoring of students—including a session that took place right before her Casa Romantica show—includes tips on vocal singing. Knowles is up to 20 students a week, who range from afterschool kids to homeschoolers during the day and even some adults. “Every kid is so different, and they all have their different strengths and weaknesses.

Over in San Juan Capistrano, Olivia Rohde also keeps busy performing music at local venues—including Rancho Capistrano Winery and Inn at the Mission San Juan Capistrano. Rohde was born and raised in San Juan, and she has been working as a professional musician for nearly 10 years. She loves her hometown, and she won Junior Miss Fiesta with the San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association in 1997. Rohde has been in the Swallows Day Parade numerous times, always announcing her local heritage during gigs. “I do the restaurant circuit here in town. I generally like to keep all of my gigs within one minute of my house,” Rohde said. “Pretty much every restaurant is offering live music, which is great for artists like myself, because I definitely stay busy in San Juan Capistrano. The music is booming. There’s a lot of great musicians from the area, and there’s a lot of variety.” Rohde has two full-length cover albums out, as well as a few music videos. She is also in a band called Sapphire Road, which recently released some new music. Rohde’s go-to on the restaurant circuit is performing covers, from the ’50s through today. She goes from The Mamas and the Papas to Post Malone. “Pretty much all genres, so I have hundreds if not thousands of songs in my wheelhouse. I do take requests, which is a cool thing for a lot of the restaurants, because it gets the crowd interacting and I’m not just the musician shoved in the corner playing background music,” Rohde said. “I’m always up for a challenge.” Rohde also works as a lifeguard (a job she’s been in since 2001), jet ski guide, and

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first responder for aquatic emergencies. She loves to sing because of how it makes her feel and brings people together in a “beautiful ambience with good food.” Rohde played the French horn throughout middle and high school. “No one in my family is musical whatsoever,” Rohde said. “I got a little guitar from Santa when I was just a little kid, and I only knew basic chords. (In) high school, one of my teammates at Dana Hills High School water polo had a boyfriend who would just always hang around and play the guitar, doing Sublime and stuff like that. I say, ‘Hey, let me check it out.’ ” Rohde began practicing chord progressions from there and got involved with surf music bands with friends. She’s also a surfer and skateboarder. Over in Dana Point, Ava August is continuing with her musical career after receiving national exposure on American Idol. Since she last spoke with Dana Point Times earlier this year, August has been writing and working on music with different producers and collaborators, along with spending time in Nashville. “Now I’ve got 40 songs that are in demo form,” August said. “I have all these songs ready to go. They just need to get mixed and mastered.” August is looking at releasing an EP in early 2022, which she said will have a singer-songwriter feel and story-like elements. “I want the EP to appeal to a lot of Gen Z people and 16-year-olds,” she said. On the live performance side of things, she recently sang the national anthem for a Chargers-Rams preseason game. “It was so big,” August said of that performance. “Hearing the crowd chanting was one of the most thrilling things ever.” As for her next steps, August is working on signing with a management company and will sing the national anthem again for a Lakers game in January. “I’m really excited for the future,” August said.

Dana Point-based musician Ava August is working on new music after a successful run on American Idol. Photo: Tiffany Perry Photography

FIND THESE MUSICIANS ONLINE Lark Knowles: larkknowlesmusic.com Olivia Rohde: oliviarohdemusic.com Ava August: avaaugust.com

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GO. SEE.DO

SOUTH COUNTY’S A STAGE

Live Theater Is Back

BY COLLIN BREAUX

hroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no actors on stage at Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano, no audience members to laugh or clap, no crowds heading out to the nearby downtown restaurants to eat before or after performances. The community theater was closed, like many venues during the outbreak, but it has since roared back to life after in-person performances returned in September. Since then, Camino Real Playhouse has had a steady season of comedy shows—the chuckles a welcome reprieve from these stressful times. The San Juan venue will host an international playwriting festival from January 7-16. The event will feature seven 10-minute plays from different playwrights and directors. The festival is suitable for teens and adults, and the audience will vote for the winner. Further ahead in 2022, Camino Real Playhouse will also host performances of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time from Feb. 25-March 13. The stage play is an adaption of the 2003 novel about a 15-yearold boy who works to solve a mysterious death while dealing with behavioral difficulties. Over in San Clemente, Cabrillo Playhouse is

also back to onstage performances. The theater reopened for indoor performances of Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon, the show they had to close down when the pandemic started. “We have since been doing performances inside and are back to a ‘normal’ schedule for our seasons of shows,” said Cabrillo Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Michael Lopez. “Opening on Jan. 14 will be the comedy Play On by Rick Abbot.” Play On is about a performing arts group putting on a play and dealing with an interfering author in the process. The show runs through Feb. 6. “A little over a year ago, when I realized that the pandemic was not going to end anytime soon, I came up with the idea of doing outdoor performances,” said Lopez. “The CDC and Orange County were starting to allow outside dining, and theater with specific regulations, so we were able to come up with a performance space that would allow us to keep live theater going, break even, and keep the Cabrillo going. We were able to do a few shows before the city stopped us and told us we couldn’t.” Visit caminorealplayhouse.org and cabrilloplayhouse.org for tickets and more information.

South OC’s Great Dive Bars South Orange County is certainly an area associated with fine dining, classy cocktails and rich-tasting wines. But for those who aren’t looking for a bougie night out, the three towns here also have plenty of dive bars, where the music is loud, the beers are cheap, and the drinks are stiff. u MULLIGANS Tucked away in San Clemente’s “surf ghetto,” Mulligans is a fun hideaway, perfect for friends and sports fans to gather. The pool tables, of which there are plenty, are free to play and the TVs always have a game on. And when it comes to food and drink, well, there are daily specials on beers and cocktails, and every month, the bar features a specialty burger.

1401 Calle Valle, San Clemente. 949.492.4400. mulligansbarsanclemente.

TURK’S Fishermen, sailors, or those hoping to one day live a pirate’s life flock to Turk’s at the Dana Point Harbor. This waterfront saloon is adorned with nautical antiques, archival photos of Dana Point and other seafaring memorabilia, which helps create the allure of drinking out at sea. Turk’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering daily specials on food and drinks. u

34683 Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.496.9028. turksdpharbor.com.

San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

u SWALLOW’S INN Swallow’s Inn is the quintessential dive bar among the three South Orange County towns. Located just down the street from the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano, Swallow’s Inn has earned its own reputation as a beloved haunt for those who love country music and line-dancing. Just about every night at Swallow’s, there’s bound to be something fun happening, whether it’s live music, karaoke or even country dancing lessons. Swalllow’s outside patio is spacious for those who enjoy the fresh air or need a smoke.

31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. swallowsinn.com.

OUTRIGGER TAVERN Outrigger Tavern, which dubs itself “The Local Dive Bar” in San Clemente, is another fun spot to knock back a few beers or cocktails, which are regularly on special. Patrons can play pool and enjoy the bar’s never-ending-summer atmosphere on the patio area. u

1920 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.1935. outriggertavern.com.

u GOODY’S TAVERN Goody’s in Downtown San Clemente knows how to keep the fun times going, as there’s always something happening. Located in an area colloquially referred to as The Triangle, Goody’s has pool tables and sports on the TVs, regularly hosts karaoke nights, as well as live music with bands and DJs. Goody’s just generally knows how to attract a fun crowd with its bevy of happenings and daily drink specials.

206 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.3400. u OLE’S TAVERN Though Ole’s is well known as a sports bar in San Clemente’s downtown corridor, it certainly fits the bill for what makes a great dive—a full liquor bar, cheap (and strong) drinks, a contingent of locals and a welcoming neighborhood vibe. The tavern, which is a safe haven for Green Bay Packers fans, also offers patrons pool tables and other games, a jukebox, and a plethora of TVs so everyone can watch live sports.

127 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.498.9400.

u KNUCKLEHEADS SPORTS BAR Self-proclaimed as Orange County’s No. 1 dive bar, Knuckleheads, which also promotes that it’s sorry for being open, knows how to not take itself too seriously—perfect for those who aren’t fans of hoity-toity cocktail and wine bars. Located in San Clemente’s North Beach district, Knuckleheads rocks and rolls by offering customers stiff drinks, good food, and billiards, as well as a venue for local artists, musicians and comedians to show off their talent.

1717 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.2410. knuckleheadssportsbar.com. u RED FOX LOUNGE Though technically a lounge, the Red Fox deserves an honorary mention as a dive. This downtown San Clemente bar is a favorite for many locals. The bar is reminiscent of an old-time speakeasy, while the covered back patio gives smokers a cozy place to continue sipping on drinks. And there’s always great music playing.

220 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.3403.

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Photo: Courtesy of Loriannah Hespe/danawharf.com

WHALE WATCHING

Explore Local Shores

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

s the trademarked Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World and a Whale Heritage site, Dana Point offers a unique, year-round opportunity to see dolphins and whales galore. WHAT SETS DANA POINT APART Donna Kalez, of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, and Gisele Anderson, of Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari, assert that Dana Point has the best whale watching scene around. The deep coastal canyons right outside the Dana Point Harbor offer an ideal environment for whales and dolphins, and the water has the perfect depth and temperature. “Everything about it is ambient for these whales, and so they like coming here and bringing their babies by, and it’s actually pretty easygoing,” said Riley Russell, director of Education at the Ocean Institute. On a whale watching tour, passengers may also see common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins and Risso’s dolphins. Unlike other local harbors, Dana Point’s

deep coastal canyons and shorter harbor mean that whales can be seen just outside the harbor, Anderson explained. “We don’t have to go three, four or five miles out to go find them, or north to go find them,” Anderson said. “Sometimes we do, because they’re not just hanging around waiting for us, but because we have these really deep coastal canyons, that’s where the cold water is, and when you have cold water, you have nutrients and phytoplankton, and that feeds plankton and small fish; and when you have small fish, you have dolphins.” More than 450,000 dolphins reside off Southern California, according to Dana Point Whale Watching. Russell added that there’s etiquette among boaters to respect whales; because of this, there typically are never more than three boats around a whale at a time. “There’s a lot of respect for whales here,” Russell said. “And I think you do enough of that type of behavior for decades, whales remember that. So, they like coming to these types of places.” DANA POINT AS WORLD HERITAGE SITE The City of Dana Point was named the

Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World and a Whale Heritage site by the World Cetacean Alliance in 2020. Kalez and Anderson, co-directors of the Dana Point Whale Watching Company, successfully trademarked the city as the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World in 2019. Dana Point is among only a handful of Whale Heritage sites in the world, and the first of its kind in the U.S. Other sites include Hervey Bay, Australia; The Bluff, South Africa; Tenerife-La Gomera Marine Area, Spain; and Algoa Bay, South Africa. “Being the first Whale Heritage Site in the Americas is an amazing accomplishment and serves to further recognize Dana Point and the whales and dolphins that live and visit here the recognition they deserve, as well as send a message to the world that Dana Point is also a place that protects and responsibly watches cetaceans,” Anderson wrote on the Dana Point Whale Watching Company website. Dana Point’s Festival of Whales is the longest-running celebration of the gray whale, the city’s biggest migratory whale. “Dana Point is home to the longest-running festival of whales in the world, and we have never had to cancel a festival, even due to COVID,” Kalez said. “That’s why we were able to obtain the World Heritage Site designation, because they recognized our location as someplace that celebrates whales, and whale watching is in their heritage.” Dana Point will be celebrating the 51st annual Festival of Whales this coming March. Experts believe gray whales travel so closely to the Dana Point shoreline because the Dana Point Headlands serve as a landmark for their journeys. Kelsey Reimer, program development manager at the Ocean Institute, explained that gray whale migration has already begun. “We’ve already started to see a couple come through, and then that will go through March, which is the big Festival of Whales,” Reimer said. “And so, we’ll see them on their path down to Mexico and back up. And so, we kind of get a double showing of those gray whales; they’ll go down pregnant and come back with calves.” WHEN TO SET SAIL Another unique aspect of the local whale watching scene is that Dana Point has an abundance of whales to see year-round, Kalez said. There isn’t necessarily a best time of year to go whale watching; rather, there’s a “best time of year” to see particular species of whales.

GIVE THE GIFT OF NATURE WITH OC PARKS ANNUAL PASSES

HOW TO BOOK u Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari offers whale watching tours daily. Tours can be booked at dolphinsafari.com/cruises. 24440 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point. 949.577.8403. dolphinsafari.com. u Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching offers three 2-hour cruises daily. Tours can be booked at danawharf.com/whale-watching. 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point 888.224.0603. danawharf.com. u The Ocean Institute offers whale watching every Saturday and Sunday, unless the boat is booked for a private event. Tours can be booked at oceaninstitute.org. The Ocean Institute campus is open for general admission from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday through Saturday. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point. 949.496.2274. oceaninstitute.org.

EXPERIENCE HOW DINOSAURS ROAMED THE EARTH

Looking for a holiday gift? OC Parks’ annual passes cover a full year of parking at all OC Parks. The All County Parks and Beaches Parking Pass is $80 for all county-operated parks and beaches. The County Regional and Wilderness Parks Parking Pass costs $55. A stand-alone County Beach Parking Pass is also available for $55. Discounted passes are available for seniors and disabled visitors. Distinguished military veterans are eligible for a nofee pass. Purchase your pass at ocparks.com or at most park offices.

San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

“Dana Point is a year-round destination for whale watching,” Kalez said. “So, it really depends on what you want to see. Right now, we’re entering the gray whale season, so from December until May is when we see the majority of the gray whales, and so our focus is really going to be on the gray whales. And then when they leave, it becomes humpback to fin whales and blue whales, the largest animal on the planet.” As for the best time of day to go whale watching, Anderson explained that comparing sightings from morning, afternoon, and evening cruises, there isn’t a significant difference in one’s chance to sight a whale throughout the day. On occasion, the morning fog makes it a little harder to see, but it’s generally a smoother ride in the morning. “In general, boating is more comfortable in the mornings, because it’s not typically as windy out there or as many waves, so I’d say if you’re someone who wants a more smooth ride to gear towards those earlier morning cruises,” Reimer said. “Although sunset cruises are always beautiful.” For residents who have yet to go out on a whale watching cruise, November through March is a perfect time to watch the migrating gray whales that the city celebrates at its Festival of Whales. “If someone is living here, and they haven’t done this yet, it’s time,” Anderson said. “What are you waiting for? This is the best season to come to see gray whales; it just started with our first gray whale. It’s time to come and see what the world would love to come and experience.”

Jurassic Quest is coming to the Los Angeles Convention Center, Dec. 29-Jan. 2, with more than 100 lifelike dinosaurs, dinosaur-themed rides, live shows, interactive activities, bounce houses, inflatable attractions and more. Visitors will see the dinos that ruled on land and deep-dive into the “Ancient Oceans” exhibit with a moving, life-size, 50-foot megalodon. For more information and tickets, visit jurassicquest.com.

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SC LIVING

A FAMILY AFFAIR

an idea for a busiall of the marketing ness we could start and branding work; together,” recalled David would do all Reese, 18, who was of the physical trash born and raised in can cleaning. San Clemente after They placed an her parents moved order for a customhere from Illinois ized truck built 23 years ago. “I exactly for the job wanted to get my back in June. Built feet wet in the in Arizona by EWI business world, so I Industries (one of figured, why not?” three such builders Reese and David Zebell started Beach City Bin CleanThe idea her dad in the U.S.), the ers this year. Photo: Courtesy Beach City Bin Cleaners pitched her was truck contains its unique to Southern California. own water supply and spray jets at a cost “A client of mine was thinking about of around $110,000. starting a trash bin cleaning service in “COVID really delayed the whole Florida,” said David Zebell, Reese’s father, process,” said David, who had hoped to who works full-time as a contractor with get the business off the ground in the AC&H Services. “Apparently, summertime, but had to they’ve been doing it for a wait until November to pick while in Europe, so I started up the truck and get the researching it and, while it’s proper paperwork processed. happening in all 50 states, “It would have been nice to there’s no one offering it here in the area. have the summer to get started, but it’s There are a couple in San Diego and one all working out fine. We’ve had a really in L.A., but none here. So, it made me great response in the last month or so think we should do it here.” from our hometown of San Clemente.” The father-daughter team got to work Reese and David already have had 59 building a business plan. Reese would do clients—all residential—and, ultimate-

Local Father and Daughter Team Up to Start Trash Bin Cleaning Service BY NORB GARRETT, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

ow many high school seniors do you know who, upon graduating high school, decide to start up a new business with their fathers? We’re not talking about taking over the family business, we’re talking about building a new business from scratch. Well, that’s exactly what Reese Zebell, a 2021 San Clemente High School graduate, did. With a pandemic still raging last winter and the uncertainty of being able to attend college in person, Reese, who was working at Surfside Pizza in Shorecliffs, was open to ideas. “(My dad) came up to me one day with

Lord Hare-ington

BEACH CITY BIN CLEANERS 949.503.4025, beachcitybincleaners.com, @beachcitybincleaners

Sudoku

SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

ADOPTABLE PET OF THE WEEK

ly, want to have around 30 clients per month on a recurring basis. The cost to get trash bins cleaned is $45 for two bins quarterly, $70 for two bins every six months, and $80 for two bins annually. Extra bins are $15 per bin, up to five total. “It works kind of like a gym membership,” said David, who notes that the truck uses biodegradable, environmentally friendly soap, and that the entire process occurs inside the truck thanks to custom spray heads and hydraulic lifts. “We capture all of the dirty water in a hopper. Nothing gets in the street.” As business grows, so will the fleet of trucks, although there’s now an eightmonth backlog on truck orders due to supply-chain issues caused by the pandemic. But for now, Reese and David are focused on making Beach City Bin Cleaners a household name in the San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano areas. “It’s a lot of fun,” said Reese. “People always come out to talk and say hello. It’s going to be a lot of work, but we’ll just work really hard.” SC

This handsome gentleman is none other than Lord Hare-ington, a 1-year-old neutered male Dutch dwarf rabbit. Hare-ington was initially rather timid, but through the loving attention of our volunteers, he has since blossomed into a friendly and interactive rabbit. Lord Hare-ington is litter-box trained, loves to be petted, and would make a great house rabbit for someone looking for an entertaining and sweet bunny companion. If you are interested in adopting Lord Hare-ington, please visit petprojectfoundation.org to download an adoption application form. Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@ scdpanimalshelter.org, and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment.

BY MYLES MELLOR

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION:

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

See the solution in next week’s issue.

Local Real Estate By Local Experts Jeremy Conrad Broker, DRE# 01279209 949.542.8348 Jconrad@conradrealestate.com Bill Conrad Broker, DRE# 01461548 949.542.8349 Billc@conradrealestate.com Steve Conrad Property Manager, DRE# 01297404 949.542.8347 Stevec@conradrealestate.com San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

Did you know that...

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•S an Clemente has its lowest listing inventory in over 20 years. Currently, there are only 28 active listings in San Clemente and neighboring Dana Point has only 44 active listings. •W ith a record year for real estate sales, the average San Clemente sales price is $2,104,000 and took only 36 days to sell. •S o far in 2021, San Clemente has had 8 homes sell over $5 Million, while Dana Point had 55 home sales above $5 Million and Laguna Beach had 74 homes sell in that same range.

Page 19

It’s time to expect more… Established 1963

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

A PLEASANT DECEMBER AFTERNOON

n Dec. 11, I held a book signing for my new memoir, Tutor & Spunky’s Deli. A Dana Point Landmark, which is about my 26 years of opening, operating, and eventually selling the Dana Point deli. During the signing that was held at the shop, I displayed the memoir on a table where customers could see it, as well as four other printed books I’ve written. Nice things started to happen. A couple in their early 40s came in for a sandwich. When they were perusing the books on the table, I heard the guy say to his lady, “This Finding Love After 50 book would be good for mom to read.” I introduced myself and asked, ON LIFE AND LOVE “Is mom single?” BY TOM BLAKE He said, “She’s a new widow. She has no idea what to do. She married right out of high school and has never dated anyone else. Will you sign one for her?” “Of course,” I said. And then he added, “I’m J.J.; I went to Dana Hills High School with your former stepson, Mikey. I’ve eaten at this deli for 30 years. Seeing you brings back great memories of Dana Point.” I autographed the book to his mom and also signed a complimentary copy of the fourth book I wrote, titled How 50 Couples Found Love After 50 for her. And I said, “I suggest she sign up for our free e-newsletter, which could help her through a very difficult time.” Two more women, a mother and daughter, looked at the books displayed on the table as they were waiting for their lunch. The younger woman said, “You wrote these?” “Yes.” She said, “We’re both single, mother and daughter. Why are you here?” I said, “I owned this deli for 26 years.” She said, “You owned a restaurant, and you’re also an author?” San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

I said, “Yes, I was fortunate enough to become a newspaper columnist and have been writing articles on finding love for 25-plus years.” “What newspaper?” she asked. “The Dana Point Times, San Clemente Times, and The Capistrano Dispatch,” I said. The daughter said, “Can you sign two new deli books—one to Lana, who is mom, and one to me, Lana S.” I said, “Lana? As in the movie star Lana Turner?” They nodded. I said, “And this is my significant other, Greta, as in Garbo.” They laughed. Then, a tall man named Jim, mid-70s, came in wearing a Diablos (Mission Viejo High School) sweatshirt. He said he helps out with the basketball program there. I love it—a senior volunteering to help kids. Jim said, “I need three books. A new deli book and two How 50 Couples Found Love After 50 books.” “Why two 50 Couples books?” I asked. “One for me and one for my friend Fred. He’s having trouble meeting women and knows that that book explains how all those couples met.” Jim added, “I came to your meetand-greets here at the deli. Met a nice woman, and we were dating exclusively for a couple of months. But it ended. So, I need one, too.” Several friends and former local businessowners stopped by throughout the day. And later, a woman dressed to the nines arrived. It took a few seconds for my partner, Greta, and me to recognize her. We had met Sally in 2007, while riding the Venice Simplon Orient Express train on a trip from Venice to Paris. I said to Sally, “Why are you dressed so exquisitely?” She said, “I live in a retirement community. Your book signing was an opportunity for me to get out and socialize.” This simple outing reminded me that life is about friends and cherishing old memories. Not many books were sold, but that didn’t matter; seeing old friends and meeting new ones is what was important. And it reminded me of how blessed I’ve been in my life. I’ll see you in 2022. Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at findingloveafter50.com. To comment: tompblake@gmail.com. SC

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, RELATIVE TO THE FOLLOWING: Legal Notice Pursuant to the California Mitigation Fee Act Public Hearing to consider the City of San Clemente’s Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2021 on Mitigation Fees. Copies of the proposed reports may be viewed on the City’s website at https://www.san-clemente.org/departments-services/finance-administrative-services/mitigation-fees. For further information, interested persons may contact Matt Schmelzel, Management Analyst at (949) 218-9601. If you challenge this project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of San Clemente at, or prior to, the public hearing. NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that said public hearing will be conducted by the San Clemente City Council on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. at the San Clemente Community Center Auditorium, 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, California. All interested persons are invited to attend said hearing or to provide written communication to the City Council to express their opinion for or against the

project. For further details, please call or visit the Finance & Administrative Services Department at the above phone number and website where information is on file and available for public inspection. JOANNE BAADE City Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Council PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20216621027 The following person(s) is doing business as: 1. MICHELLE RAMIREZ HOMES 1820 CANARD AVE PLACENTIA, CA 92870 ADDITIONAL FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME(S): 1B. MICHSWEETS_OC Full Name of Registrant(s): MICHELLE RAMIREZ 1820 CANARD AVE PLACENTIA, CA 92870 This business is conducted by an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the Fictitious Business Name or Names listed above on: N/A MICHELLE RAMIREZ/s/MICHELLE RAMIREZ This statement was filed with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder on 11/19/2021 Publish: San Clemente Times December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2021

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SC LIVING

GUEST OPINION | CoastLines by Fred Swegles

We Had a Good Life: Where Did a 1980s Slogan Contest Take San Clemente?

orty years ago, the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce put together a contest that invited Southern California to select a creative slogan for our town. There were hundreds of ideas for San Clemente. And the winner? “San Clemente, The Good Life Comes in Waves.” I do remember the delightful slogan, but I had no idea how long it would be promoting our surf, showcasing our surfers. The winning prize was $300. When I searched back to 1983-84 for news articles, I couldn’t find the name of who had collected the prize. Meanwhile, once the contest was over, the Chamber honored one of our outstanding surfers, Steve Ward, COASTLINES by placing photos of him on the BY FRED SWEGLES cover of a brochure and on the cover of San Clemente’s annual telephone book. I had photographed those photos of him surfing at the pier.

THE HEADLINE FOR OUR ARTICLE The original article that I had written carried a funky headline: “Nixon’s Nest? Pierless City? Pearl of the West?” More than 300 entries had been entered in the contest. Mary Snyder of San Clemente had nominated “Nixon’s Nest.” It didn’t win. Charlotte Woolidge Coombs from Glendale suggested “San Clemente—Closer than Hawaii.” It didn’t win. Or how about these hokey slogans? • “Seashore A-Plenty in San Clemente.” • “Nixon’s Paradise.” • “California’s Hawaii.” • “Car, Rail or Sail to San Clemente.” • “Ole Hanson’s Dream City … Liveable, Loveable San Clemente.” Mission Viejo resident Wes Wright suggested, “Velvet Climate, Champagne Seascape.” “And that’s not the half of it,” I wrote, listing so many ideas. “Some people have sent in as many as 27 slogans on a single entry.”

SO MANY WANTED NIXON Being in the 1980s, many people wanted to link retired President Richard M. Nixon to San Clemente with a winning slogan, even though he had moved from San Clemente to live on the East Coast. At the time of the slogan contest, Nixon had selected a site for his San Clemente Presidential Library on a scenic bluff, overlooking North Beach. It never was to be built. In 1987, Nixon chose to put his library in Yorba Linda, his birthplace.

SOME OTHER IDEAS One key San Clemente entrant in the slogan contest was Karl Wray, former publisher of the Daily Sun-Post, who had since moved to Anaheim to publish the Anaheim Bulletin. San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

Wray submitted 10 slogan ideas, included a key slogan he had used on the Sun-Post’s newspaper masthead for years: “World’s Best Climate.”

HOW ABOUT THESE SAN CLEMENTE GEMS?

“The City Council and the Chamber of Commerce last week unveiled a $30,000-a-year campaign to promote tourism,” the article stated. The reporter wrote that the slogan for the campaign would be financed by two companies to promote “San Clemente … The Good Life Comes in Waves.” “This is a one-of-a-kind business concept,” said Mimi Collier, then executive director of the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce. “We all agree that San Clemente has some fine attributes that should be promoted to the general public.” Collier said that by pooling funds, various groups involved in the effort should be able to bring new tourist traffic, benefit everyone economically and “promote the quality of life that surrounds the city.”

• The High Tide of History. • City of Crimson Sunsets. • The City of Holy Streets. • Where Fantasy Becomes Reality. • Clemency by the Sea. • From Si’ to Shining Sea! Sea San Clemente! • San Clemente, La Ciudad Maravillosa de la Conquista. • San Clemente, the Amnestyville Horror. • San Clemente: A City for all Sea-Suns. • San Clemente—Sea for Yourself. • A “Perfectly Clear” Solution One of the results of San Clemente’s 1980s slogan to Living. contest was this photo of local surfer Steve Ward SC LIFESTYLE QUALITY • Where You Can’t Tell the at the pier to illustrate a map of our town, pub“So few people realize what San Tourists from the Residents. lished by the Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Fred Swegles Clemente has to offer,” said Pau• Avenida Nixon. la Laskell of Centex Homes, one • Nixonia. of the development companies • Ocean City on the King’s quoted in the promotion. Highway. “Most of the general public thinks of San Clemente as • Beauty, Goodness, Order, Ever Present at Our Border. a city halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Few • Near Everything, but Why Go? have visited its wide, clean beaches and experienced its • The Pierless City. small-town charm.” • San Clemente—The Whole Enchilada. The new slogan would appear on posters, brochures • Last Stop on the Way to Heaven. and buttons geared at drawing tourists to the city. • Nixon’s Hideaway. • San Clemente—the City of Surfers. SOME MEMORIES FROM THEN • Suddenly, the Sky & Sea at San Clemente. I can remember seeing advertisements, put out by the • Nixon Villa by the Sea. Chamber of Commerce, containing the slogan and • The City of Forgiveness and Love. nice-looking waves. • The World’s Northernmost Tropical Climate. But, to me, the best was a brochure that featured a • Where the Sun Only Sleeps at Night. photo of San Clemente’s Steve Ward surfing at the pier. • The Lost & Found of Resort Towns. Stanford Manning, publisher of the Daily Sun-Post for • From Serapes to Swimsuits. some 45 years, covered San Clemente superbly. I was a • Ole Hanson’s Dream City … Liveable, Lovable San professional surf photographer, and he permitted me to Clemente. publish Sun-Post pictures I would take of surfing or of other • What’s the Best-Kept Secret on the South Coast? topics about San Clemente, including lots of fun subjects. • Where Summer Spends the Winter. So just figure on it, it came to this: “The Good Life • San Clemente—It’s Beauty and the Beach. Comes in Waves.” Fred Swegles grew up in San Clemente before the freeway. THE WINNING SLOGAN He has 50 years’ reporting experience in the city and can be I searched for a copy of articles about the slogan contest reached at fswegles@picketfencemedia.com. SC and unfortunately couldn’t find any follow-up article I had written to explain “The Good Life Comes in Waves.” 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’ That was so long ago, my clipping is long gone. opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist I did find, online, a Los Angeles Times explanation of 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 our contest’s winner: Page 21

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Page 23

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS

Turning Practice into Progress SCHS boys basketball makes use of practice time, dominates in North/South Challenge BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

he San Clemente boys basketball team was playing just its third game in 17 days when it took the court in the North/South Challenge at Tesoro High School on Tuesday, Dec. 21. Arguments are always made of “rust vs. rest” for big layoffs like that, but for the Tritons, it was a bit of both. San Clemente certainly started off the game rusty, but the benefits of all the extra practice sessions over the past two weeks shined through in the second half. San Clemente went on a 10-0 run to end the first half, an 11-2 run to open the second half, a 9-0 run to end the third quarter and a 12-2 run to close out Portola, 69-43. With the Tritons’ win, the South took a 3-1 lead in the North/South Challenge on the day. “Our defense was spectacular,” San Clemente coach Marc Popovich said. “The word I use to describe how we should play is ‘connected,’ and we were connected out there today defensively. We talked, we moved. We rebounded really well today, and that led to our transition.” Senior Asher Gardiner led all scorers with 20 points and added eight rebounds to be named the game’s MVP. Gardiner was helped down low with a 15-rebound effort from 6-foot-5, 225-pound senior forward Tanner Mehrens, as San Clemente

TRITON REPORT BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

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

SCHS Grad Dani Weatherholt Selected in NWSL Expansion Draft Triton alumna Dani Weatherholt is on her way back to SoCal. Weatherholt, a 2012 San Clemente

San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

San Clemente boys basketball dominated the glass on Tuesday, Dec. 21, as the Tritons outrebounded Portola, 41-19. San Clemente beat the Bulldogs, 69-43. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

(8-4) outrebounded Portola (7-5), 41-19. “That’s Asher at his best,” Popovich said of his 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward. “When he’s able to get out and run, you see he can play in the post, he can play up top, he can drive. When he gets going

in all phases, that really helps us out, and he gets easy baskets for us.” Senior guard Alec Grace knocked down two 3-pointers and was second on the Tritons with 16 points. Senior guard/ forward Charlie Spaeth had 10 points

graduate, was the first overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft by Angel City FC on Dec. 16. Angel City FC is the new Los Angeles team in the National Women’s Soccer League, which begins play in 2022 alongside expansion companion San Diego Wave FC in the now 12-team league. Weatherholt, 27, is a midfielder who was selected from Seattle’s OL Reign. Weatherholt made 24 appearances with OL Reign over two seasons. In 2021, Weatherholt made 20 appearances with 11 starts and 1,040 minutes played. She was a strong midfield presence, with a 65.2% success rate on her tackles and a 81.8% success rate on passes. Weatherholt previously played four seasons with the Orlando Pride, which drafted her in the fourth round of the

2016 NWSL College Draft. Weatherholt made 74 appearances with Orlando and scored three goals. She also had a loan spell from Orlando in Australia with the Melbourne Victory, where she made 12 appearances in the 2018-19 W-League season. Weatherholt was drafted out of Santa Clara University, where she started every game for each of her four seasons with the Broncos. She was named First Team All-West Coast Conference as a senior in 2015-16 and was selected to the WCC’s All-Freshman team in 2012-13. At San Clemente High School, Weatherholt was on the Tritons’ varsity team for all four seasons. San Clemente was the South Coast League champion in her freshman (2009) and senior (2012) seasons, and the Tritons won CIF-SS and

Page 24

and made a team-high six of eight free throws. San Clemente started the season 7-1, and the Tritons looked to be rolling thanks to their strong low-post game. However, San Clemente dropped three consecutive games against tougher competition in the past two weeks. Luckily for the Tritons, the losing streak transitioned into this less-populated portion of the schedule, which allowed Popovich to drill down on what his team needed to work on. Popovich has been pleased with the results, as the Tritons now own back-to-back wins against Yorba Linda on Dec. 17 and Portola on Tuesday. “I think we’ve grown so much in the last two weeks on the defensive end,” Popovich said. “I think the guys are really starting to buy in. Then it’s just a matter of keeping up that momentum and improving each week. The team that wins league is the team that improves every week, and we have to do that.” San Clemente has one last round of tournament play with the Tustin Classic on Dec. 27-30, and the Tritons open their defense of the South Coast League championship on the other side of the new year. San Clemente plays at Trabuco Hills on Jan. 5 and at Mission Viejo on Jan. 7. The Tritons don’t play their first home game of the season until Jan. 14 against University. SC

state regional championships in 2009. San Clemente also made the CIF-SS Division 1 Final in 2011 and 2012.

Soccer Roundup San Clemente girls soccer beat Oceanside, 3-0, with three second-half goals on Dec. 16. Senior Faith Gillett, junior Elizabeth Martin and sophomore Sophia Maselli scored for the Tritons, and senior Emily Sanchez and junior Rylie McLeish combined for their third shutout. San Clemente (3-0-1) has allowed only one goal this season heading into next week’s Excalibur Tournament in Costa Mesa. San Clemente boys soccer (3-0-2) plays in the SoCal Nike Classic in Oceanside on Dec. 27-30. SC

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San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

Page 25

sanclementetimes.com

SC SURF

Hobie vs. Velzy vs. the IRS Boardmaker Rivalry Drives Industry to New Heights BY MATT WARSHAW, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

rudimentary form of surfboard retailing began in 1949, when longtime Southern California surfer and boardmaker Dale Velzy opened a tiny factory-storefront in Manhattan Beach. His operation took off five years later, when he opened a bigger shop in Venice Beach, with fellow shaper Hap Jacobs, and they introduced the wildly popular Velzy-Jacobs “pig” model. Velzy soon had competition from a 21-year-old boardmaker from Laguna Beach named Hobie Alter, who was as sober and organized as Velzy was flamboyant and impulsive. Alter was the son of a successful and politically well-connected orange farmer, and he didn’t begin surfing until he was 16; the summer of that year, he made and sold his first board, and within months he was taking custom orders from friends and diligently plowing balsa in the family garage. Alter built 80 boards during his first three years as a shaper—nothing close to Velzy’s numbers, but more by far than any other Orange County boardmaker. Not only were the boards well-crafted— even at this early stage, before Alter had come up with a decal, before he even signed his work—they were reasonably priced at $45 and always delivered on time, unlike the typical Velzy-Jacobs job. In 1954, after two or three quiet surveillance trips to Velzy’s shop, and with a $1,000 gift from his father, Alter bought a weedy vacant lot in an unincorporated Dana Point/Pacific Coast Highway “retail district” that featured just two other stores. Alter then built an L-shaped building, with a small but bright glass-fronted retail space and a windowless cement-walled factory attached to the back. He’d been the local boardmaker of choice for the past year or so, and his new business, Hobie Surfboards, was in the black from the moment it opened. The factory was designed to make six boards a week, and that was the proSan Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

Dale Velzy (left) and Hobie Alter couldn’t have been further apart as far as their personalities were concerned, but a shared passion for making surfboards—and a friendly rivalry—drove them to take the fledgling surf industry to new heights. Photo: Courtesy of Eos.Surf

duction rate almost exactly: 1,500 Hobie boards sold altogether between 1954 and early 1958, at a time when the total number of surfers in California wasn’t much above 5,000. Almost every board had a see-through fiberglass finish (as did Velzy’s), which allowed the wood grain to show beautifully, and Alter now ink-stamped a tiny “Hobie” logo on the deck near the tail. The boards had to look sharp, as there was virtually nothing else in the showroom—no beachwear, no posters, no wetsuits; not even decals or surf wax. Velzy swooped down from Los Angeles in 1955 to open a new outlet in San Clemente, on Pacific Coast Highway, just five miles south of Hobie’s shop, for the express purpose of siphoning off potential customers driving up from San Diego. And thus began the start of the first great American boardmaker’s rivalry. Customers lined up behind one man or the other, Hobie or Velzy, giving their allegiance not just to a brand but a form of surfing leadership. Alter was earnest and respectable, and his shop was as clean as Alter himself was clean-cut. Velzy smoked cigars, wore a diamond pinky ring, and kept a roll of hundred-dollar bills in his back pocket. In 1957, to celebrate a big sales year, Velzy paid cash for a 300SL Mercedes. Pulling up in front of his San Clemente shop, he’d pop open the driver’s side gullwing door and walk toward the factory, jingling his keys in one hand and holding a half-pint of bourbon in the other. Their salesmanship styles differed, too. In a bit of ad copy, Alter described his

boards as having “evolved through careful and original changes, using proven principles and vast experience.” Velzy, as even his most loyal followers would admit, was a hustler. But a smooth, likable hustler. He’d sidle up to a mink coat-wearing divorcée looking to buy a board for her teenage son, touch her elbow, lean close, lower his voice, and say, “This here’s a good-riding son of a (expletive), ma’am.” True to form, Velzy wasn’t just bad at bookkeeping, but spectacularly bad, as he ignored creditors, snubbed the IRS, and threw away all notices and warnings. Then, in late 1960, his entire mainland operation, five outlets in all, collapsed overnight. Velzy recalled that federal agents “hit all the shops at the same time and padlocked the doors.” Showroom boards, tools and machines, his beloved gullwing Mercedes; everything was confiscated and put up for auction. Local surfers, meanwhile, “broke windows (at the shops), got in and took decals, pencil sharpeners, order blanks, posters, whatever they could put their hands on.” Velzy would return to commercial boardmaking, but he was never again a kingpin. The Velzy Surfboards meltdown was a surf-world sensation, but it didn’t cause any break in the supply line—thanks in part to Alter. Hobie Surfboards had by that time become the sport’s runaway industry leader. Alter’s books were in perfect order, which helped. More importantly, where Velzy had the style and the hand-skills, Alter had vision.

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SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 59-60 Degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: 1-3 Thursday: A combination of North/northwest and South/southwest swells set up kneewaist high surf (2-3’). Light/variable winds in the morning, turn light onshore southerly for the afternoon with rain likely. Outlook: The swell blend maintains waist high waves (3’) through Friday as heavy rain and onshore wind likely develop. For the weekend a small south-southwest swell fills in along with a slight increase in northwest swell. Unsettled weather continues with rain possible and periods of onshore wind.

The sport grew a lot during Alter’s first three years as a commercial boardmaker—but nothing like what was coming, he believed. Building surfboards by the hundreds instead of by the dozen was the goal, and to that end, Alter helped engineer a project that would change boards, literally, from the inside-out. This column is an excerpt from the “Encyclopedia of Surfing.” Writer Matt Warshaw is surfing’s preeminent historian, a former editor of SURFER Magazine and the author of the “Encyclopedia of Surfing,” as well as “The History of Surfing.” To learn more about how you can help support his work, go to eos.surf/donate.SC sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

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San Clemente Times December 23-29, 2021

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