SCT 12/28/2023

DECEMBER 28 - JAUNARY 3, 2024 | VOLUME 18, ISSUE 52

L O C A L

N E W S

Y O U

C A N

DP Harbor Partners

U S E

Gets Green Light for Revitalization Financing EYE ON SC / PAGE 7

Locals Eve to Bring Out South County Bands GETTING OUT / PAGE 12

2023 Year in Review

Environmental Issues, Public Safety Shape Year in San Clemente E Y E O N S C / PAG E 3

It was another eventful year for the city, particularly in areas related to public safety and health of the coastline. Head inside to dive into all the major headlines in San Clemente this year. Illustration: Stephanie Torres

sanclementetimes.com

Council Narrowly Advances New By-District Map

Records, Titles, Firsts Highlight Year in SC Sports

The Story of the 1st Surf Movie

EYE ON SC / PAGE 6

SPORTS / PAGE 20

SURF / PAGE 22

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San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

Celebrating Our 71st Year in Downtown San Clemente Page 2

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EYE ON SC

2023 Year in Review COMPILED BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

Environmental issues took center stage in San Clemente in 2023, whether it was city officials responding to natural disasters or the perpetual dilemma of addressing the city’s eroding shoreline.

The topic of public safety also had a sizable impact on the town, as residents voiced desires to make once-thriving areas comfortable to visit and to have their health and well-being protected from potentially harmful projects.

With many new faces stepping into both new and old roles, San Clemente experienced an eventful year.

Here are select stories that chronicle 2023 in the Spanish Village by the Sea. JANUARY Exactly one year after the tragic passing of firefighter and San Clemente resident Jonathan Flagler because of complications from fighting a fire, the community again met at Vista Hermosa Sports Park to remember a beloved father, husband, and friend.

This time, family members and former colleagues joined for a thoughtful reflection as the City of San Clemente dedicated a memorial bench in Flagler’s honor.

Following the departure of Capt. Tony Benfield as chief of San Clemente Police Services, the city tapped Capt. Jay Christian, a San Clemente resident with 25 years of Orange County Sheriff’s Department experience, to take over the vacant role.

As part of ongoing efforts to protect San Clemente’s beloved shoreline, the city announced the beginning of a Nature Based Coastal Resiliency Project Feasibility Study and the return of the Shoreline Monitoring Program.

The study aimed to determine natural solutions to the continued problem of coastal erosion that has drastically impacted the city’s beaches.

Andy Hall, formerly of Imperial Beach, stepped into the open role of city manager after a unanimous vote from the City Council. With over two decades of city government experience, Hall agreed to a threeyear, $270,000-a-year contract.

And the year got off to a rocky start for the Capistrano Unified School District, as administrators, teachers, parents and students were still reeling from the Board of Trustees’ 4-3 vote just before Christmas 2022 to terminate Superintendent Kirsten Vital Brulte’s contract.

FEBRUARY The Pet Project Foundation donated $350,000 for the renovation of the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter. The project, which began in January, included San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

the replacement of flooring throughout the building and the installation of new kennels.

Park Semper Fi served as the host site for a somber event on Feb. 3, as veterans from around South Orange County met to recognize the 80th anniversary of the sacrifice of the “Immortal Chaplains.”

On that day in 1943, four chaplains of varying faiths on a sinking military ship gave their life jackets to help others escape, holding arms and praying.

The spring season would soon feature a new public transportation option, as the council approved a pilot Green Line route to run in conjunction with the popular downtown Red Line trolley for two months.

The Green Line was to travel from the San Clemente Municipal Pier to San Clemente State Beach along South El Camino Real.

San Clemente residents were disappointed to hear that the yearly summer tradition of fun, competitive lifeguarding events wouldn’t continue in 2023, as the San Clemente Ocean Festival announced the event’s cancellation because of lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is set to return in July 2024.

MARCH Seeking to pay down the city’s outstanding unfunded pension liability, the council voted by a slim margin to allocate onethird of Transient Occupancy Tax revenue toward the liability. TOT is a 10% tax levied on all overnight stays within the city.

Another step toward fighting ongoing coastal erosion occurred when the Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved the beginning of a contracting process for the proposed South Coast Rail Infrastructure Feasibility Study and Alternative Concepts Analysis.

The initiative would study the 7-mile stretch of railroad tracks from Dana Point through San Clemente and ending in an unincorporated area of San Diego County, and help determine future rail planning efforts.

Current and previous generations of Girl Scouts met for a fun exchange of stories and traditions, including seven former members of the San Gabriel Valley’s Brownie Troop 8.

The San Clemente Historical Society invited guests to Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens to celebrate the organization’s 50th anniversary.

A landslide rocked structures in the North Beach area, sending a back patio and other debris tumbling down the hillside. Nearly two dozen residents from four different apartment complexes were displaced, as the structures were all redtagged and the Beach Trail below was temporarily closed.

The council unanimously voted to approve a new contract for legal services with law firm Burke, Williams, Sorenson LLP, ending an eight-year relationship Page 3

The second major landslide of 2023 causes the Casa Romantica Cultural Center & Gardens to temporarily close, after the Ocean Terrace and landscaping slide down the back of the historic property. Photo: Courtesy of Cameron Cosgrove

The City of San Clemente hosts its first Day of the Dead Celebration on Nov. 2, honoring a tradition sacred to the city’s Latino population. Photo: C. Jayden Smith

The City of San Clemente’s fast-tracking of pickleball at Richard T. Steed Memorial Park results in the construction of a temporary facility. Photo: C. Jayden Smith

sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

with Best, Best & Krieger. Elizabeth Mitchell stepped into the role of city attorney for the outgoing Scott Smith.

APRIL Then-Councilmember Gene James’ desire to help local businesses earn more contracts with the city proved successful when the council voted to develop an ordinance establishing a 7% preference for local vendors when they bid on projects. The council would adopt the resulting ordinance in May. By the month’s end, James announced his resignation from the dais, because he was moving to Wyoming. James had served for roughly four years after first winning a seat in the 2019 Special Election.

Passenger rail service on Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains through San Clemente resumed following the completion of a monthslong, $12 million track stabilization project. Movement detected after a storm in fall 2022 had prompted the two rail entities to issue an indefinite suspension of service.

The San Clemente High Dance Team earned first place in the Novelty and Musical Theater division at the United Spirit Association Dance Nationals, in addition to

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

SATURDAY, DEC. 30

Challenging Cancer 10-11:30 a.m. The Challenging Cancer group is conducting weekly meetings through Zoom video conferences. The meetings are open to caregivers, people who have a compromised immune system, and people dealing with cancer. To join, email donnavigil2@gmail.com or linda_crdv@yahoo.com. heritagesc.org.

SUNDAY, DEC. 31

Meaningful Conversations 3 p.m. Join a different kind of conversation, one that welcomes every perspective in a search for the truths that unite us all, as the Baha’i Center discusses the spiritual perspectives offered by the Baha’i Teachings on the fundamental oneness of religion. Baha’i Center, 3316 Avenida del Presidente, San Clemente.

949.779.2878. sanclementelsa@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 3

VA Disabled Claims Clinic 2-4 p.m. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) 9934 will sponsor a Veterans Affairs Disability Claims Clinic at the Dana Point Community Center the first and third Wednesday of each month. Veterans can walk in and meet with a VFW Service Officer and receive information on how to file a claim for service-related medical issues. Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo Street, Dana Point.

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

placing highly in several other categories.

Following City Manager Hall’s presentation of the North Beach Placemaking Plan, the council initiated plans to approve a contract with a private security company for the patrol of North Beach and the “T-Zone” area and to increase the number of hours public beaches are closed at night.

The council also approved a $75,000 contract to investigate movement at Casa Romantica’s Ocean Terrace, as officials noted a gradually expanding crack in the patio.

MAY Shortly after the council’s action, San Clemente grabbed regional headlines when the Casa’s terrace and other landscaping fell 25 feet down the property’s back hillside during a landslide.

Debris moved toward the Beach Trail and railroad tracks below, as well as north toward the neighboring Reef Gate residential complex. The slide caused Casa Romantica to temporarily close and Amtrak and Metrolink to again suspend rail service through the area.

Mayor Chris Duncan addressed the landslide, James’ departure and more at the State of the City event, where Casa Romantica executive director Amy Behrens told the audience that part of the historic property would reopen on Memorial Day weekend.

Duncan joined Rep. Mike Levin and Col. Julie Balten, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Los Angeles District, to sign the Project Partnership Agreement for the San Clemente Shoreline Project. The signing marked an official commitment from the USACE to participate in the sand replenishment effort’s initial phase.

The local nonprofit PierPride Foundation celebrated the 95th anniversary of the San Clemente Municipal Pier with a “yacht party.”

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to award $7.5 million to the family of Kurt Reinhold, the homeless Black man who was shot and killed in San Clemente in September 2020 by a deputy sheriff during an altercation.

Rod Rodriguez, founder of Rod’s Tree Service and beloved community figure, died at the age of 82.

Instead of approving a three-month contract with Allied Universal Security Solutions, the council voted to create a new patrol area within the city for its Police Services personnel. The area, spanning North Beach and the “T-Zone,” required more than $1.2 million in spending on the four deputies needed for a 24-hour watch, in addition to costs related to equipment and vehicles.

A brawl broke out between a group of largely minors and young adults and three off-duty U.S. Marines, leading to the arrests of five juveniles, four males and one female.

A video recording of the altercation showed the group heckling one Marine before an

individual swung at the back of the Marine’s head, prompting the Marine to turn around and charge the group, leading to the subsequent fight.

On the same day as the Casa Romantica’s reopening, OCTA announced the restart of passenger rail service through San Clemente after roughly a monthlong suspension.

JUNE June 6 marked the first meeting for new Councilmember Rick Loeffler, whom the council appointed over two other finalists to fill James’ vacant seat after receiving applications from 23 residents.

Loeffler, 70, had previously served on the Public Safety Committee. He also pledged not to run for reelection in 2024.

Casa Romantica experienced another landslide that forced rail service through San Clemente to stop, only a day after contracted crews had finished grading out the slope impacted by the previous slide in April.

The San Clemente High Drama Department received rave reviews for its performance of Phantom of the Opera, as it took home the Spirit of the Macy Award from the well-regarded award ceremony of the same name.

Leading actors Griffin Croft and Daisy Kopenhefer also won Best Dramatic Actor and Best Dramatic Actress, respectively.

San Clemente resident Charlotte Quintanar, a recent graduate of St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, was featured in the Cannes Film Festival. Her film about the declining worldwide population of bees, Bee the Solution, was featured at the Emerging Filmmaker High School Films Showcase.

The council formalized actions that expanded the city’s beach-closure hours to start at 10 p.m. instead of lasting from midnight to 4 a.m., and authorized a six-month contract worth roughly $300,000 with Allied Universal.

A letter threatening legal action began the city’s long road toward establishing a by-district election system, as the city was forced to respond to claims that the at-large system reduced the voting power of minority groups in San Clemente and violated the California Voting Rights Act. The council also decided to keep the Amphitheater Committee alive after months of inaction, form the Arts and Culture Committee and reestablish the Coastal Advisory Committee.

Dr. Christopher Brown was officially named as the new CUSD superintendent.

In a unanimous vote, the CUSD trustees approved Brown’s $335,000-a-year contract.

Brown was slated to start the job on July 1, with his contract running through June 30, 2027.

JULY After San Clemente’s yearly Fourth of July tradition, the Office Chair Races, neighbor-

Page 4

hood residents and their friends grabbed buckets, brooms and dustpans to clean up water balloons and other debris left over from the large Independence Day event.

The initial phase of the Coastal Resiliency Study indicated four areas of San Clemente’s shoreline were critically affected by erosion. Those areas, or reaches, were Capistrano Shores, Cyprus Shores, the Mariposa Beaches, and Shorecliffs, with Cyprus Shores identified as the most threatened reach.

The back-and-forth topic of passenger rail service through San Clemente continued, as the OCTA announced the completion of a protection wall at the base of the Casa Romantica property.

The 12-foot-high, 250-foot-long barrier protecting OCTA’s railroad right-of-way allowed for the resumption of train service.

The Green Line trolley pilot route proved to be popular and received an extension through September after the council voted to commit more than $200,000 in funding to the initiative.

The city filled the void left by the Ocean Festival’s cancellation by executing its own Ocean Games, a single-day event full of lifeguarding competitions.

A U.S. District Court judge found Alan Hostetter, the face of the anti-lockdown movement in San Clemente during the pandemic, guilty on four counts related to his participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Popular local brewing companies Artifex, Delahunt, and Lost Winds banded together to host “Homies on the Hill” events that celebrated the growth of Rancho San Clemente Business Park as a brewery hotspot.

Continuing the city’s efforts to repair the landslide at Casa Romantica, the council approved a roughly $8.6 million appropriation for additional work to rebuild the back slope with 100-foot tiebacks.

AUGUST The council’s vote to transition the city to a by-district election system did not come without consternation from the councilmembers, as well as the residents.

The decision pushed back the threat of potential litigation, and officially propelled the council toward a slate of multiple hearings in which the elected officials would discuss the preferred layout of districts in San Clemente.

Southern California Edison officials in charge of decommissioning the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station announced that the process was 50% complete during a public tour of the plant.

Ongoing and anticipated next steps included taking apart components of reactor vessel internals, removing large components such as steam generators and removing spent fuel racks.

Amid consideration of how to design a potential 24-court pickleball facility at sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

Richard T. Steed Memorial Park and other projects, City Manager Hall spoke about his approach to planning.

The Citizens Amphitheater Committee met for the first time since its formation the year prior, with members discussing how to best proceed with bringing a new performance site to the city.

SEPTEMBER At the council’s second public hearing regarding the districting process, a majority of councilmembers expressed their interest in a four-district system with an at-large mayor. Other topics included limiting the role of mayor to a two-year term and the announcement that the public could submit their own district maps.

Taking a cue from Oceanside, the city contracted with Leslea Meyerhoff of Summit Environmental Group for its new Coastal Administrator role. The position is intended to oversee coastal management programs, communication with regulatory groups and other agencies, permitting activities, and research of coastal conditions.

San Clemente High became the only South Orange County high school to have its own active Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program, partnering with the U.S. Army. Students from other local schools are allowed to participate in the extracurricular program.

The council transitioned the duty of considering how to secure a performing arts venue in San Clemente to the newly formed Arts and Culture Committee, after the Citizens Amphitheater Committee had four productive meetings.

The city’s yearlong effort to speed up the administrative review process for building permits reached its conclusion with the council’s introduction of a new ordinance.

The ordinance included the simplification of permit procedures and clarification of zoning regulations, and designated the Planning Commission as the appeal body for Zoning Administrator decisions.

Arevon Energy’s attempts to build a 200-megawatt battery storage facility just beyond the limits of the Talega neighborhood received criticism related to fire, health and insurance risks.

OCTOBER The project team behind the ongoing Coastal Resiliency Study presented to the public various potential methods to retain sand along San Clemente’s shoreline.

Sand nourishment up and down the coast topped the list of solutions, as well as the use of artificial devices.

Leaders of the local nonprofit organization Save Our Beaches discussed its efforts to earn 501(c)(3) status and to raise awareness of rapidly eroding beaches in town.

The council took a major step in the districting process by voting to introduce a map to be used for the new by-district elec-

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

tion system. The map included a northern district, an eastern district containing the Rancho San Clemente and Talega neighborhoods, a coastal district, and one for the southern part of town.

Rancho San Clemente residents pushed back against a proposed project to add telecommunications equipment to a cell tower facility, as they felt the project didn’t receive proper scrutiny before moving forward.

The community’s response prompted the council to postpone consideration of approving the project.

NOVEMBER The city hosted its first Day of the Dead celebration, as it invited numerous local groups to perform dances and songs, set up an altar, or ofrenda, to remember dead loved ones, and had traditional refreshments for attendees to enjoy.

“Town Matriarch” Lois Divel, a founding member of the San Clemente Historical Society, died at the age of 95.

After a push to establish pickleball courts at Steed Park, the city opened a temporary eight-court facility and closed the courts at San Gorgonio Park on the same day. However, the council would soon vote to reopen four courts for play, to the chagrin of residents near San Gorgonio Park who had grown weary of the noise.

The council unanimously voted to start the process of extending its outdoor dining program to July 2026, which was made possible through new state legislation.

Tearful family members and friends of 27-year-old Tatum Goodwin, a San Clemente resident, gathered to remember the beloved restaurant worker days after she was found dead in Laguna Beach.

The Laguna Beach Police Department’s homicide investigation led to the arrest and formal charge of 26-year-old Dino Rojas-Moreno on suspicion of murder.

Guests of the San Clemente Historical Society’s 50th anniversary party at Casa Romantica on March 19 enjoy a special presentation by town founder “Ole Hanson” as played by Mike Fitzsimmons. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Nearly two dozen residents from four neighboring structures find themselves displaced after a landslide occurs on March 15. Photo: Courtesy of Cameron Cosgrove

DECEMBER The council appointed Councilmembers Victor Cabral and Mark Enmeier to the positions of mayor and mayor pro tem, respectively, for 2024.

A judge sentenced former San Clemente resident Alan Hostetter to more than 11 years in federal prison for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, which included convictions of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

The council voted to hold a public hearing in January 2024 in which it will reconsider the proposed cell tower project, after the city halted the permitting process to further investigate the history of the site in question.

A host of local officials gathered to mark the San Clemente Shoreline Project’s official start, with the project expected to conclude in January or February 2024.

The San Clemente Shoreline Project begins on Dec. 15, and is intended to bring 250,000 cubic yards of sand to the city’s main beach. Photo: C. Jayden Smith

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EYE ON SC

Council Narrowly Advances New By-District Map

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

After weeks of discussion, Mayor Pro Tem Mark Enmeier and Councilmember Chris Duncan got the district map they long preferred when new San Clemente Mayor Victor Cabral provided them with the majority needed.

The San Clemente City Council voted at its last meeting of 2023, by a 3-2 margin, to introduce an ordinance establishing a map—referred to as Map 111—as the guiding borders for the city’s new by-district election system.

Councilmembers Steve Knoblock and Rick Loeffler voted against the map.

The process of adopting a by-district map follows months of public hearings and council deliberations, which stemmed from potential litigation over a claim that San Clemente’s at-large voting system violated the California Voting Rights Act. Map 111’s introduction came roughly two months after the council had already adopted Map 109. However, it received criticism from the public for its disruption of the Pier Bowl specific plan.

In light of the criticism, the council directed staff to bring back Map 111 for consideration, as well as a new map that included more of the Pier Bowl under what would be District 3. The council on Dec. 5 was faced with selecting either Map 111 or Map 120, the latter of which was posted to the city’s website on Nov. 16.

Unlike Map 109, Map 111 extends District 1 further north and west of the Interstate 5 freeway, extends District 2 to include parts of the Forster Ranch Specific Plan with the Talega neighborhood, and contains a much narrower and longer District 4.

Cabral didn’t voice a specific reason for supporting Map 111 during the Dec. 5 meeting, instead speaking about how he felt the council has been going in the wrong direction regarding the process of selecting a district map over the past two months.

“What California has done is they have

King Tides to Return in the New Year

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

The California Coastal Commission is seeking community participation in the CalSan Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

tried to divide us, and they’ve done it successfully, because now we’re fighting over whether we represent this group, or that group, or this community,” he said.

He added that the council should treat all residents as part of one town and that he would be open to whichever map residents preferred.

Enmeier echoed Cabral’s sentiments and said that with the decision in front of the council, Map 111 better outlined the distinct communities of San Clemente.

“There are arguments to be made for (Map) 120, but for me, especially in the northern part of Map 111, that area fits in really well with the community of the rest of Forster Ranch,” he said.

Additionally, Rancho San Clemente “naturally fits” with the southern area of town, Enmeier continued, especially as the neighborhood is cut off by a ridgeline.

Knoblock referred to the council’s previous discussions of the maps, during which the majority agreed upon the “logical boundaries” of Map 109 that needed a small adjustment. He added that he didn’t see a reason to change and that he supported Map 120.

Loeffler agreed with Knoblock. Loeffler also said that he had “no dog in this fight” and mentioned that in other cities where districts were established, the system essentially worked out despite initial disagreements on which maps were best.

“You’re going to elect somebody in that district to represent you, (and) if they do a good job, they can probably get reelected,” he said. “If they don’t, you’re going to elect somebody different the next time” Similar to what Cabral had voiced earlier, Loeffler said every councilmember would look out for the interests of the entire city, especially as there are few instances of an issue pertaining to only one area or district.

Knoblock motioned to introduce an ordinance with Map 120, with a second from Loeffler, but as Enmeier made a substitute motion regarding Map 111 with Cabral’s support, the vote for Map 111 occurred first.

Following the meeting, San Clemente Times spoke with Sarah Schneider, organizer of the local group Southwest Community Alliance, representing residents that

would be placed in District 4 under the currently adopted system.

Schneider, adhering to the notion that districts shouldn’t separate communities of interest, grew concerned about the council’s direction after learning it had approved Map 111. She called the map an “awkward” one that split her own community down the middle and made District 4 span from Rancho San Clemente down to the “Cove” community.

Schneider also claimed the vote was a deliberate attempt to ensure each sitting councilmember would have a district for themselves.

“The other awkward thing about Map 111 is the very strange split of Forster Ranch, which is an HOA, (in which the residents’ children) attend the same school and they’re all the same builds,” she said.

“I’m not sure why they got split up.”

In response to comments made by the Southwest Community Alliance and other residents, Enmeier reaffirmed his stance in an email to SC Times that Map 120 (and Map 109) incorrectly created a district including both the Talega and Rancho San Clemente neighborhoods.

Additionally, he stated that RSC was connected to Southwest San Clemente due to an eastern ridgeline; that he felt northwest San Clemente historically was more tied to what would be District 1; that he’d heard concerns of residents near the Riviera area that weren’t included in District 3; and that he felt Map 111 was the best for the city, regardless of his political future.

“Before I made my vote, I received an overwhelming amount of public emails requesting Map 111 over Map 120,” Enmeier said. “I was doing my best to represent those constituents.”

The Southwest Community Alliance has voiced its opinions of Map 111 to the council since the Dec. 5 meeting, according to Schneider, and will attend en masse at the next council meeting, when Map 111 is expected to be formally adopted.

“It’s the only way to affect change,” Schneider said of attending the next meeting in January. “You have to have the numbers, you have to have a lot of people speaking up, and you have to show up to City Council meetings.”

More information about the city’s new election system can be found under the District Elections tab at san-clemente.org.

ifornia King Tides Project at the start of the new year, as the state anticipates extreme high tides on Jan. 11 and 12 and on Feb. 9.

With the return of the King Tides, the CCC is asking residents to share photos taken of the extreme high tides to help record changes to the coast and estuaries.

The project helps the commission, as well as its planners and researchers, to plan for future sea-level rise and to understand

what’s vulnerable to flooding today.

Those looking to participate in the community science project are encouraged to find their local King Tide times on the California Coastal Commission’s website.

In a media release, the CCC noted the importance of paying attention to one’s surroundings and to “ensure you are safe and are not disturbing any animals.” It also advised participants to turn on the location

services on their camera phones when visiting shorelines to take photos of the high tides.

The project seeks photos that show the water level compared to landmarks “such as cliffs, roads, buildings, bridge supports, sea walls, staircases, and piers.”

Photos can be uploaded to the California Coastal Commission’s website at coastal.ca.gov/kingtides.

The San Clemente City Council earlier this month voted by a slim majority to advance a new map for the city’s by-district election system. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Page 6

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EYE ON SC

Board’s action today allows us to com-

mence a new landmark and officially beDP Harbor gin construction on the commercial core in January.”

Partners Gets Bryon Ward, president of Burnham Ward Properties—a member of the DP Green Light to Harbor Partners—noted that the revitalization was already well underway Move Forward on the waterside; however, this approval DPHP to move forward with the with Financing for allows landside construction.

“To date, we’ve replaced about 580 Revitalization docks,” Ward said. “What this does, is it

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

As the Dana Point Harbor Partners (DPHP) works toward commencing construction on the landside portion of the $610 million harbor revitalization project, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted on Dec. 19 to approve documents necessary for the partners to enter into a loan agreement for the project.

The approval, granted as a consent calendar item voted on in one fell motion with other routine items, allows DPHP to acquire a $60 million loan to move forward with phases five through seven of the marina revitalization, build the harbor parking structure and extend Golden Lantern Street.

“This past year, we’ve made more progress on the Harbor revitalization than in decades prior,” Orange County Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley said in an email.

“We’ve opened three new phases in our marina, with the fourth completing this month,” Foley continued. “This

City Seeks Local Control, Tighter Regulations on Sober Living Homes

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

The San Clemente City Council recently directed City Manager Andy Hall to send a comprehensive letter discussing local control and sober living homes to Gov. Gavin Newsom and to implement various initiatives aimed at protecting the local community.

At its Dec. 7 meeting, the council unanimously approved the consent calendar item, which follows numerous meetings between city officials and concerned residents regarding how to keep residents safe among a potential influx of new sober living homes.

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

really clears the path forward for us to start on the landside.

“What this estoppel allows us to do is we put into place, basically, a loan that we’re going to tap into to accelerate the development of the landside and also to keep the waterside construction moving forward as well,” Ward continued.

The loan agreement with Citizens Business Bank states that DPHP is “not in breach or default of any of the terms, conditions, or provisions of the ground lease,” is not in default, and that the DPHP “does not have any claims, causes of action, judgments, liabilities or demands of any kind,” against the County about the harbor ground lease.

With the agreement in place, DPHP can begin on the first two phases of the landside construction: the parking structure and extension of Golden Lantern.

“We’re not just going to be building the parking structure, but we’re also going to be reworking the extension of Golden Lantern down into the project based upon the final development plan for the commercial core,” Ward said. “There will

be a surface parking lot at the end of the entrance road, a small surface parking lot that we call, a sort of, our valet droppoint area. All of that will be completed, as well.”

The Golden Lantern extension looks to expand the road down into the revitalized harbor, into the parking structure, featuring a pedestrian pathway and landscaping.

The harbor revitalization is now anticipated to cost roughly $610 million, which Ward explained reflected upgrades to the architecture, design and open space and rising construction costs.

Construction on the parking structure is expected to begin in January and will take roughly 12 months to complete.

Ward noted that while he’d love to

have the harbor revitalization completed by the 2028 Olympics, a lot of the timeline is impacted by outside agencies like the California Coastal Commission, which voted in April to give itself a oneyear extension to discuss the two proposed hotel developments.

“I love the target; I think it’s a meaningful and important target,” Ward said.

“We will have a lot of, most of, the harbor done by that time frame. That is our objective that is based upon our schedule, but a lot of our future phases of the harbor do rely on entitlements and things that are outside of our control.”

“But we remain committed to pushing the project forward as quickly as we can,” Ward said. “We’re just excited to finally be starting the landside.”

Hall prepared the agenda item himself, which earned a word of gratitude from then-Mayor Chris Duncan.

The staff report detailed how state-imposed, land-use regulations limit municipalities from regulating sober living facilities, which house people recovering from addiction and facing other challenges. It also stated that such homes pose a danger to the community by increasing the frequency of activities “not suitable for surrounding residents.”

“Sober living facilities are perhaps the most invasive result of the loss of local control,” the city said in the report. “By right—or, in other words, without any City approval or regulation—companies operating sober living facilities can locate within existing residential neighborhoods.”

The approved actions include staff creating a detailed list of every facility in the city, conducting regular inspections, and “aggressively” enforcing applicable code compliance violations, facility license provisions, and additional regula-

tions from the San Clemente Municipal Code.

Hall will also designate a staff member to “obtain as much knowledge and expertise in regulations of sober living facilities as possible,” becoming the point of contact for residents to address all questions and complaints.

The letter to the governor stated that state laws concerning sober living facilities “directly conflict” with the city’s mission statement of maintaining a healthy and safe atmosphere and preserving the community’s character.

“When state mandates, with no public input, arbitrarily disrupt the adopted plans and programs of cities, the lives of real people are impacted, and residents lose faith in our democratic process,” it continued.

Sober living facilities are more focused on the business aspect rather than surrounding communities, the city claimed.

It added that the facilities’ short-term nature of housing transient people belies the yearslong investment of residents

working to create a positive place to live.

The letter suggested five amendments to state regulations: allowing cities to identify varying factors through which to regulate such facilities; implementing strict penalties, such as loss of license, for violations; including comprehensive background checks in the licensing process and conducting monthly inspections; suspending “ ‘by right’ approval” until after Congress’ consideration of Rep. Mike Levin’s Studying Outcomes and Benchmarks for Effective Recovery (SOBER) legislation; and holding the state itself liable for property damage and other impacts to communities as a result of sober living homes.

“As the elected leader of California, we call on you to end the practice of destroying community character by implementing policies that jeopardize neighborhood safety,” the letter said. “In particular, the restoration of local control of zoning and land use enabled by local police powers should be promoted by your office.”

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted on Dec. 19 to allow the Dana Point Harbor Partners to acquire a $60 million loan for the construction of the landside portion of the revitalization project. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

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EYE ON SC

OCFA Opens First Water Resupply Station in Orange County

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

Orange County Fire Authority firefighters now have a more accessible source from which to gather water with the grand opening of a new helopod, or helicopter water resupply station, which opened on Dec. 15.

The helopod’s opening signifies a partnership between OCFA, Quest Diagnostics as the host site, and Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD), and it marks the culmination of a yearlong effort to establish the first helopod for OCFA use. The device has a capacity of 3,700 gallons of water and can pump 800 gallons per minute, according to OCFA. “It’s there at the Quest property; however, if needed, it can be moved to a location closer to a fire,” said Capt. Thanh Nguyen, OCFA public information officer.“That’s the whole point of this; it’s to reduce the turnaround time for helicopters to get water.”

The new facility was made possible through a $100,000 grant in 2022 from former Fifth District Supervisor Lisa Bartlett.

The Fifth District diverted the money from

Supervisor Foley Distributes Over 600 New Coats to Children in Need

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

After collecting new winter coats over the past month, Orange County Board Supervisor Katrina Foley distributed more than 600 coats to children and youth in need across the county’s Fifth District during the week before Christmas.

From Nov. 15 through Dec. 18, Foley collected new coats in kids’ and youth sizes to help those underserved groups stay warm this winter.

Foley has organized a coat drive in Costa Mesa, where she previously served as a councilmember and mayor, over the past 14 years. This year, Foley expanded the initiative across her supervisorial district.

“I started this tradition 15 years ago, collecting 100 coats on average,” Foley said. “This year, I’m happy to share we San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

its discretionary American Rescue Plan Act allocation of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.

SMWD installed the water facilities and is responsible for their continued maintenance, and OCFA negotiated a $1 annual rental fee for the usage of a parcel owned

by Quest Diagnostics, which sits off Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano.

Previously, OCFA helicopters would find a “dip site,” such as a lake, pond or other body of water, or call in a fire truck from a nearby engine company to get water. Nguyen emphasized the importance of bringing the source closer to helicopters, which can also be done by hooking up the wheeled device to a vehicle and taking it to another location.

Additionally, OCFA can employ an efficient water system with its Helitankers made by Coulson Aviation, which can carry neary 3,000 gallons of water at a time.

“The whole idea is that (the helicopters) come in, they fill (up), and then once they leave, then that tank is resupplied with the water, so it’ll be full by the time the next helicopter comes in,” Nguyen said.

OCFA Fire Chief Brian Fennessy, current Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley, newly appointed SMWD Board President Saundra Jacobs and Warren Spalding, executive director of Esoteric Lab Operations, attended the grand opening event.

Foley spoke about the HeloPod in a weekly email message to constituents: “The innovative and strategic addition to OCFA’s

broke records together with 600 donated new coats for kids just in time for the rain.”

“Thank you so much to everyone who helped make this year’s coat drive a smashing success,” Foley continued. “I feel grateful for the generosity of our fellow community members in helping us keep kids warm this Christmas.”

On Dec. 18, Foley, along with San Juan Capistrano Mayor Sergio Farias, Aliso Viejo City Councilmember Ross Chun, OC Sheriff’s deputies, and OC Fire Authority firefighters, delivered coats at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley.

On Wednesday, Dec. 20, State Sen. Josh Newman, Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens, Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Harlan, Newport Mesa Board President Carol Crane, Costa Mesa police officers, Costa Mesa firefighters, and Costa Mesa High cheerleaders joined Foley at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Orange Coast in Costa Mesa for the coat distribution and a Q&A. On Thursday, Dec. 21, coats were delivered to the Family Assistance Ministries in San Clemente and UNIDOs in San Juan Capistrano. Coats were also donat-

The Orange County Fire Authority celebrated the opening of a new helicopter water resupply station in San Juan Capistrano on Dec. 15. Photo: Courtesy of the Office of Supervisor Katrina Foley

firefighting arsenal comes in response to the increasing challenges posed by what is now a year-round wildfire season and will bolster the agency’s ability to achieve its goal to keep all wildfires 10 acres or less 95% of the time.”

Jacobs spoke about SMWD’s involvement.

“That Ortega corridor is a really beautiful area, and we were proud to be part of that protection,” she said. “We installed 150 feet of pipeline, leading to a new fire hydrant, and the hydrant is connected to a new cistern.”

The HeloPod will constantly be supplied with enough pressure to quickly recharge its water supply after being drained, Jacobs

continued, which can happen in just 12 seconds with smaller helicopters and in 30 seconds with larger ones.

Don Bunts, SMWD deputy general manager, added that the recent extension of the district’s services to the Quest facility brought the possibility of a collaboration among the three parties into view. OCFA had been interested in establishing the facility near the canyons of South Orange County for a long time, according to Bunts.

A second HeloPod station is expected to be established in the near future, according to OCFA’s Nguyen. Foley touched on those plans in her latest newsletter, saying she looks forward to a location in Aliso Viejo.

Orange County Board Supervisor Katrina Foley distributes coats to kids in need at the Costa Mesa Boys & Girls Club on Dec. 20. Photo: Courtesy of Matt Fitt.

ed to children in need at RH Dana Elementary.

Any gently used coats that were donat-

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ed by the community will be brought to the Costa Mesa-Newport Beach homeless shelter and Share Our Selves. sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

County Holds Fentanyl Forum to Educate Residents on Dangers of the Opioid

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

During a fentanyl forum that Orange County Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley hosted, attendees heard stories of overdoses with drastically different endings, depending on whether or not families had access to overdose-reversing drugs.

In addition to sharing information on the county’s new educational campaign, “Fentanyl is Forever,” attendees heard from the Orange County Sher(From left) Mental Health and Recovery RN Edward Darvin, Orange County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Brian Gunsolley and OC Chief of Mental Health and Recovery Services Dr. iff’s Department, a registered nurse Veronica Kelley share their perspectives on the opioid crisis during a fentanyl forum that OC Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley hosted at Capistrano Union High School on Dec. (RN) and the chief of Orange County’s 14. Photo: Breeana Greenberg Mental Health and Recovery Services during the Opioid Crisis Town Hall at the film did not survive the overdose.

Orange County is using its opioid Capistrano Union High School on Dec. the household.

Kelley explained during the event that abatement funds, received through lawHowever, the process to get naloxone 14. deaths due to fentanyl have increased suit settlements, to create the Fentanyl “Today, we’re going to take a critical was difficult. step to protect our communities, espe“My kid was in treatment, and she was across the state from 2018 to 2022, from is Forever campaign, to get naloxone out into the community and to train resicially our kids, from the devastating on medicated assisted treatment, which 786 to more than 6,000.

“Fentanyl is an opioid, so it’s a pain med- dents on how to use overdose-reversing grip of fentanyl, and the county has meant she was on some medication that embarked on a campaign, Fentanyl is would help reduce the cravings to use,” ication,” Kelley said. “It is a pain medica- drugs.

During the event, attendees learned Forever,” Foley said. “Fentanyl, for those Kelley said. “Because she was on that tion that’s prescribed, and it’s prescribed of you who might not know it, is one of medication, I went to my local CVS in in different formats–including a patch. how to administer naloxone from Edward Darvin, a registered nurse specialthe most dangerous drugs on the illegal Huntington Beach, and I said I want Nar- That’s not what we’re talking about here.”

“We’re talking about illicit or illegal fen- izing in mental health and recovery serdrug market, with the equivalent of two can, because I knew that this was something that if she overdosed … because tanyl,” Kelley continued. “Remember that vices, and they had the opportunity to grains of salt enough to kill.”

Foley said that anyone buying drugs she was a person who used substances, fentanyl is 100 times more potent than take naloxone home with them.

“Our specialized town halls on fentanillegally faces a high risk of unknowingly and if she relapsed, I didn’t want her to morphine, and it’s 50 times more potent die.” than heroin.” yl serve as crucial platforms for educareceiving fentanyl.

“I had a lot of trouble at the time getIn October, the Orange County Health tion, fostering dialogue, and distributing “You’ll hear this from our health care agency, as well as our law enforcement ting from CVS Narcan,” Kelley continued. Care Agency launched its Fentanyl is For- life-saving resources like naloxone,” Kelever campaign, which seeks to spread in- ley said. partners here today, fentanyl is in ev- “It was a very stigmatized medication.”

Once she was able to get the medica- formation on the fatal effects of the drug.

Sgt. Brian Gunsolley of OCSD shared ery drug that’s out on the market that’s Orange County saw 750 deaths attribut- that the department is working to get not prescribed by your doctor or from a tion, she taught all of her family members how to administer it, in case her ed to opioids in 2021 and 637 deaths at- ahead of the problem through the Prepharmacy,” Foley said. tributed to the substance in 2022, accord- vention Unit. He also carries Narcan Fentanyl deaths, Foley added, “con- daughter began to overdose. tinue to outpace other causes of death The critical time to use the medica- ing to the California Comprehensive Death with him both on and off duty. amongst our Orange County youth, with tion came at 2 in the morning when her File.

It’s important for parents to have regso many families in our community with daughter came home from treatment, As a part of the campaign, the health ular talks with their kids about the dancare agency has hosted forums to spread gers of drug use, Gunsolley noted. stories.” eyes glazed over.

“These are stories that we hear in “As I laid her down in bed, her breath- awareness to residents and students across “This is something that sometimes the community, and these are not bad ing changed,” Kelley said. “Something the county. we kind of just forget to do, but it’s an kids,” Foley said. “These are not drug ad- was wrong, and so I knew she was prob“We are proud to lead initiatives that important talk, because we live in a soprioritize community well-being,” Kelley ciety with addictive substances, and it’s dict kids. These are oftentimes kids that ably overdosing.”

She called for her younger daughter said in an email. not going away anytime soon,” Gunsolley try drugs one time, and one time is too “By bringing together community mem- said. to bring her the Narcan, and Kelley admany.”

“If you suspect your child is using any Dr. Veronica Kelley, Orange County ministered it. Because she had Narcan bers, collaborative partners, and stakeholdChief of Mental Health and Recovery on hand, her daughter survived the over- ers from various agencies, we create a uni- drugs or experimenting with drugs …

Services, spoke to the crisis from the per- dose, was treated in the hospital and is fied front against the dangers of fentanyl,” get naloxone,” Gunsolley continued. “Put Kelley continued. “These panel discussions that in your house, just in case. You just spective of a clinician and mother of a now in recovery.

During the forum, attendees watched not only inform but empower our com- don’t know if the drug that they’re exdaughter in recovery.

Kelley shared with attendees of the fo- a short documentary, Dead on Arrival, munity to collectively combat this issue, perimenting with might have fentanyl.”

For more information on the Fentanyl rum that she was able to save her daugh- which shared many similar stories of emphasizing the advantages found in colter during an overdose, because she had overdoses. However, in the absence of laboration and shared commitment to is Forever campaign or to find resources, visit fentanylisforeveroc.org.

Narcan, an overdose-reversing drug, in naloxone, children and young adults in health and recovery.”

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

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SOAPBOX

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GUEST OPINION | The Foley Report by Supervisor Katrina Foley

An Update on Transportation, Dana Point Harbor, Public Safety and Our Beaches

H

appy Holidays! As the year ends, my office continues working full speed ahead for you.

This month, I gave remarks on behalf of the Orange County Transportation Authority to the State Senate Subcommittee on LOSSAN Rail Corridor Resiliency during its hearing held in San Clemente.

The LOSSAN Rail Corridor is critical infrastructure for our nation, sitting squarely on the crossroads of sea-level rise and climate change.

OCTA has invested more than $2 billion in securing this rail corridor, all while the county invests millions in shoring up our beaches that protect the rail line and private property from the ocean’s advance.

As a county, we’re committed to stabilizing the rail line while awaiting the state’s necessary leadership for this corridor’s long-term reimagining.

In case you missed it, last week, I joined Congressman Mike Levin, Col. Baker of the Army Corps of Engineers, and the San Clemente City Council as we kicked off the Shoreline Sand Replenishment Project.

This project creates a new, 50-foot-wide beach-sand berm using 251,000 cubic yards of sand secured from the borrow point in Oceanside and deposited at San Clemente State Beach. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our local and federal leaders, we successfully secured this sand for long-overlooked South County beaches.

We must manage our beaches like we manage other infrastructure:

roads, potholes, parks and that helps the county’s buildings. Stay tuned for Continuum of Care our South County Coastal (CoC) better understand Resiliency Plan’s release homelessness in the in early 2024. I pledge to community. To volunteer continue to advocate to save and help shape homeless our beaches. services for the next several At Dana Point Harbor, we years: everyonecountsoc. continue to make progress org. on the revitalization project.

THE FOLEY REPORT

BY SUPERVISOR Finally, thank you to This January, we will break KATRINA FOLEY everyone who helped us ground by building the new spread holiday cheer! I parking structure, beginning hosted my Fifth District the first phase of the Holiday Food Distribution event at The commercial core’s revitalization.

Shea Center in San Juan Capistrano last Additionally, I recently signed off on week, helping nearly 300 families from the extension of the Ocean Institute’s lease until 2065. We continue to negotiate the local community.

We provided food packages, grocery final details but look forward to gift cards, toys, health services, continuing education and adding Coffee vaccinations, and opportunities to enroll Importers at the Ocean Institute. in CalOptima. Thank you to our partners I brought forward an E-Bike Ordinance who made this event a success: The Shea for county unincorporated areas to Center, CalOptima, Unidos South OC, create safety requirements for owning Taco Mesa, Mercy Health and the OC and riding electric bicycles that will Social Services Agency. help protect pedestrians, equestrians, I extend my deepest gratitude to bicyclists and drivers from accidents everyone who generously donated new involving e-bikes. coats for kids. I started this tradition 15 The board unanimously approved, years ago, collecting 100 coats on average. and I directed county staff to work This year, I’m happy to share, we broke with the OC Traffic Committee to records together with 600 donated new draft an ordinance creating new safety coats for kids just in time for the rain. regulations.

Enjoy a safe and happy New Year.

Looking to 2024, I encourage you Elected in 2022, Katrina Foley represents to volunteer next month for the the Fifth Supervisorial District on the county’s “Everyone Counts 2024 Point Orange County Board of Supervisors. She in Time” count of people experiencing was previously elected to serve the Second unsheltered homelessness on a given District from 2021-2022. SC night. The count provides information

San Clemente Times, Vol. 18, Issue 33. The SC Times (sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Times Media Group, 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.

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San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

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SOAPBOX

GUEST OPINION | Food for Thought by Gina Cousineau

All I Want for Christmas Is for You to Optimize Your Health

I

often say I have the hardest job in the world. On the other hand, I do love what I do, seeing how quickly lives can change with a little education and shift in one’s nutrition approach.

The issue remains with the bright and shiny object we are all chasing, aka fast weight loss at any cost. During the holidays, we have lots of distractions to get in our way of thinking clearly.

So my advice this holiday season is to simply hold on. Eat all your regular meals, don’t hoard calories for the special event, fill your plate with more plants, and then join me in the month of January for “Mama G’s Quickstart Guide to Health and Weight Loss.”

Too often, even well-meaning dietitians don’t have the skills to help their clients put the science of evidence-based nutrition on their plates. A “healthy”-looking recipe that tastes great doesn’t mean that it contains the calories and nutrients necessary to reach one’s goal(s).

Letters to The Editor 2073 SAN CLEMENTE TIME CAPSULE PROJECT PUBLICLY THANKS PARTICIPANTS LAURIE GOOCH, San Clemente A heartfelt thanks to each of you who participated in our project. We value the time, energy, effort, thought and care you spent to share with us and with 2073 residents what matters most to you as you live your life in San Clemente.

Warmest thanks to Linda Williams, who during the course of living her own well-rounded life captured all facets of San Clemente. Her photographs brought life and spirit to our display.

And they will convey the same to our counterparts when they open the time capsule in 50 years!

RESPONSE TO LETTER ON HOSTETTER SENTENCING STEVE KNOBLOCK, San Clemente councilmember I had to chuckle when I read the letter sent by a Northern Californian concerning the sentencing of Alan San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

The January experience read the nutrition label along will help you dial in your with the ingredient list. food preferences along I will also take you on a with being able to see what virtual tour of my kitchen appropriate portion sizes can and pantry, as a well-stocked look like, focusing on food pantry and refrigerator/freezinclusion rather than excluer are of great importance in setting yourself up for success sion–the opposite of most in the New Year. Donating diets with their restrictive food stuff that is not needed and punitive approaches.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT to your local food pantry, then Not only will you be given

BY GINA COUSINEAU stocking your shelves with a printable guide chock-full necessary items will make of recipes with international pulling together your favorite meals flair, but I plan to help you navigate your much easier. own kitchen.

I will teach you how long fresh food We will tour a local grocery store; yes, you actually can go into the middle aisles lasts, the importance of food safety, how to avoid food waste, and most importantrather than staying around the perimeter, but understanding how to read a ly, I hope to change your attitude about label is paramount to your success. leftovers, realizing the benefit of quick Being drawn to all the colorful labels and delicious bonus meals from the with the right buzzwords, picture walkrefrigerator and freezer.

You might have heard about the ing down the cereal aisle with your kids, functionality of the “kitchen triangle,” is not how we should choose our food including easy access to the sink, refrigerstuff, but rather understanding how to

ator and stove, and while you can’t necessarily remodel your kitchen, together we can set the stage for more productivity and fun.

We will chat about “must haves,” like a good set of knives, understanding what pots, pans and other cooking supplies will aid in your success, as well as the kitchen items you just can’t live without.

Looking forward to giving you the tools needed to optimize your health.

Happy holidays from Mama G. Gina Cousineau, aka Mama G, is a local nutritionist and trained chef. She provides science- and evidence-based nutrition education, along with teaching basic cooking skills to help her clients embrace a healthy eating pattern to reach weight goals and improved health. You can reach her at mamagslifestyle.com, mamag@ mamagslifestyle.com, or 949.842.8875.

Gina offers a complimentary 30-minute session to talk about your goals and how she can help you achieve them for a lifetime. SC

Hostetter because of his conduct in Washington on Jan. 6.

The writer should be embarrassed by his attempt to use ad hominem antics against me and our esteemed State Assemblymember Laurie Davies for speaking three years ago at a San Clemente beach rally, attended by thousands, supporting President Trump’s reelection.

I was proud to have been asked to speak in support of President Trump and his policies, which made America energy-independent, with low gas prices, practically nonexistent inflation, a thriving economy, no wars and a secure southern border, which has, since Biden took over, fueled the conflagration of crime and drug deaths raging across our country.

At that beach rally, I also mentioned: (abbreviated) “that with over 60 million abortions in the U.S., there is probably not a family in America that doesn’t have an immediate or extended family member that has not silently suffered the hidden pain and gut-wrenching guilt caused by their decision to terminate the life of their child. But the pain can be forgiven and forgotten by faith and repentance in our Lord Jesus, who can forgive and heal all sin. And that the pain and hurt of it will be cast

earthly transportation is so inefficient.

Earthlings can do better than that. In the future, personal car ownership will be unnecessary. If a person wants to go somewhere, he or she will summon a small vehicle with a service similar to Uber or Lyft, but without a driver.

The customer will also be able to state specific requirements, such as the number of people in the party, and if shopping (yes, there will still be some retail shops left), the anticipated space required for purchases.

An EV will show up with the appropriate capacity. For long-distance travel, the customer will be taken to a highspeed rail service that will take him or her at speeds up to 200 mph or so to their destination. At the destination, another personal vehicle will be waiting.

Most garages for existing single-family homes will be converted into exercise rooms, or extra living space. In California, the average distance a car is driven each day is only 34 miles, so transportation as a service would provide much greater vehicle efficiency.

At night, when self-driving vehicles are not being used, they can return to parking lots on the outskirts of town for recharging. None of this will happen soon, but it will happen eventually.

into the deepest part of the ocean forever, never to be fretted over ever again.

There is forgiveness and healing in the Almighty, and if we don’t tell them, who will?”

After my comments at the rally, a woman, I would guess in her mid- to late-50s, came up to me with tears in her eyes, gave me a hug, and said: “Thank you!” Sounds like insurrection, right?

Association fallacy is often employed as an effort to discredit those with whom one disagrees. I am sure most San Clementeans can see through this smoke screen-style attempt at character assassination. I am honored to serve on our San Clemente City Council.

Merry Christmas to you all!

RESPONSE TO ‘SOLVING THE DOWNTOWN PARKING PROBLEM’ TONY HAYS, San Clemente After reading Bill Prestridge’s letter on the need for additional parking in San Clemente, my mind wandered to the prospect of aliens visiting us from another galaxy.

They will see giant 4,000-pound boxes with wheels traveling down asphalt lanes carrying only a 200-pound person. They will scratch their heads (if they have them), and wonder why

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GETTING OUT

Editor’s Pick during the holiday season, people can dive into the hands-on experience of dissecting a squid. An expert guide will lead participants through an exploration of anatomy and adaptations. Dissections are 30 minutes long and cost $5. From 11 a.m. to noon, participants of the aquarium tour can see what it takes to run an aquarium. Attendees can even participate in a shark feeding. The Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. 949.496.2274. oceaninstitute.org.

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

THURSDAY | DEC. 28 LIVE MUSIC AT BEACHFIRE 7 p.m. Live music is featured at this downtown San Clemente restaurant.

Classic rock duo Will & Gary will perform. BeachFire Bar & Grill, 204 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. 949.366.3232, beachfire.com.

FRIDAY | DEC. 29 LIVE MUSIC AT IVA LEE’S 7 p.m. Live music is featured at this San Clemente lounge known for its entertainment. Scott Bronsky & the Fuse will perform. Iva Lee’s Restaurant & Lounge, 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente.

949.361.8255. ivalees.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT STILLWATER 9 p.m. Live music is featured at this popular South Orange County venue. The 80z All Stars will perform. StillWater Spirits & Sounds, 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point.

949.661.6003. danapointstillwater.com.

SATURDAY | DEC. 30 SOUTH OC CARS AND COFFEE 9-11 a.m. South OC Cars and Coffee, dubbed the world’s biggest weekly car meet, attracts a mix of 500-1,000 hypercars, supercars, exotics, vintage, classic, muscle and sports cars, hot rods, rat rods, pickups, 4x4s and motorcycles. No cars in before 8:30 a.m. Cars should enter and leave slowly and quietly—no revving, speeding or burnouts. The Outlets at San Clemente, 101 West Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente. southoccarsandcoffee.com.

SAIL ON THE ‘SPIRIT OF DANA POINT’ AND LEARN SQUID DISSECTION 2-5 p.m. Set sail aboard the schooner Spirit of Dana Point and experience California from the perspective of an early tallship explorer. Join the crew to help raise sail, handle lines and steer the ship, or simply sit back, relax and enjoy San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

WEDNESDAY | JAN. 3

Photo: Breeana Greenberg

SATURDAY | DEC. 30 LOCALS EVE 1 p.m.-midnight. Stillwater Spirits & Sounds will collaborate with Danman’s Music School to host a night packed with local tunes, spirits and shopping small to celebrate South County’s music community. Small vendors will set up tables on the corner of Del Prado and Golden Lantern, and local artists will perform solo-acoustic sets outside. The event will feature a locals open mic from 6-8 p.m., with South County bands hitting the Stillwater stage from 8 p.m.-midnight. StillWater Spirits & Sounds, 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point. 949.661.6003. danapointstillwater.com.

the majesty of sailing the seas aboard a tallship. Must be 4 years or older to sail.

Tickets are $65. For a limited time during the holiday season, people can dive into the hands-on experience of dissecting a squid. An expert guide will lead participants through an exploration of anatomy and adaptations. Dissections are 30 minutes long and cost $5. The Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. 949.496.2274. oceaninstitute.org.

SNOWY NIGHTS AT THE OUTLETS 5 p.m. Bring your family to experience a 15-minute Snowy Nights Snow Show at Center Court. The show will take place at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays going forward this December. The Outlets at San Clemente, 101 W. Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente.

949.535.2323. outletsatsanclemente.com.

GEEKS WHO DRINK TRIVIA NIGHT 7-9 p.m. Left Coast Brewing presents trivia modeled after pub quizzes in Ireland and the United Kingdom, covering everything from Hungary to the Hunger Games. Teams can include up to six people. Winning teams earn bar cash and other prizes. Left Coast Tasting Room, 1251 Puerta Del Sol, San Clemente. eventvesta.com.

from organic growers along Avenida Del Mar. 949 361 8200. san-clemente.org.

NYE COUNTDOWN AT SAN JUAN HILLS GOLF CLUB 6-10 p.m. Ring in the New Year at San Juan Hills Golf Club and watch the East Coast countdown at 9 p.m. There will be a very special guest band, a local favorite, Family Style. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the band going on at 7 p.m. San Juan Hills Golf Club, 32120 San Juan Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano. sanjuanhillsgolf.com.

LOS LOBOS NEW YEAR’S EVE SHOW 9 p.m. Join Los Lobos as they celebrate 50 years of rocking at the popular San Juan Capistrano venue, The Coach House, where they will also ring in the New Year.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is $98.

The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.496.8930. thecoachhouse.com.

TUESDAY | JAN. 2

SUNDAY | DEC. 31

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

SAN CLEMENTE FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Shop for a wide selection of fruits, vegetables and artisanal goods

SQUID DISSECTION & BEHIND THE SCENES AQUARIUM TOUR 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. For a limited time

Page 12

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.

JAZZ INTO THE NEW YEAR 4-5:30 p.m. Enjoy drinks, snacks and a night of fun with guest entertainer Tony Odell Rodgers. RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome. Everleigh San Clemente, 501 Avenida Vaquero, San Clemente. 949.359.4431. liveeverleigh.com.

COUNTRY WEDNESDAY AT STILLWATER 6 p.m. Live music is featured at this popular South Orange County venue. During this Country Wednesday event, learn to dance along with country music for free and join Stillwater for some two-stepping and line-dancing fun. StillWater Spirits & Sounds, 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point. 949.661.6003. danapointstillwater.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.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS 8-10 p.m. Knuckleheads is open for food, drinks and live music. Performers of all skill levels are welcome. If you are a musician, do stand-up comedy or the spoken word, this is the place to be on Wednesday nights. So, come down, grab a drink and go for it. Knuckleheads Sports Bar, 1717 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente.

949.492.2410. knuckleheadsmusic.com. sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

Page 13

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SC LIVING

GUEST OPINION | Historical Happenings by Christine Lampert

once the blacksmith shop, and it is currently renovating the old jail, so it can serve guests in this space as well.

Today, you can park your car inside the old city yard and choose a restaurant in which to dine.

Christine Lampert is a member of the San Clemente Historical Society, as well as the American Institute of Architects (AIA,) and has designed many projects in

Old Town San Clemente

ADOPTABLE PET OF THE WEEK

I

magine driving through San Later, more space was added Clemente in the 1930s or for a city yard and a black1940s on the two-lane road smith shop. The city yard for that was the only way to get the police and the fire station from Los Angeles to San Diego. was used by the city until 1962, Suddenly, there are flashing when a new building was built lights behind you, and you are on Avenida Presidio. The city pulled over for speeding. yard space was used until 1974, HISTORICAL San Clemente had a reputawhen it was purchased and conHAPPENINGS BY tion as being the place where CHRISTINE LAMPERT verted to restaurants and shops. you would get a ticket if you The San Clemente Police didn’t slow down to 25 mph. liked to think that it saved lives In fact, popular comedian Bob Hope by ticketing people for speeding. El made San Clemente famous by comCamino Real, also known as Highway plaining on the radio that the only way 101, was nicknamed “Slaughter Alley,” to not get a ticket was to swim by or fly because so many people died driving over after he was ticketed for speeding on the winding two-lane road between through town.

Los Angeles and San Diego.

The police officer most well-known These were the days before seat belts for these tickets was nicknamed “The and airbags. Tickets were also given for Red Rider.” His real name was Bruce drunk driving, and it’s likely that these Crego, and he had red hair. He handed people spent a night in jail. out more than 5,000 tickets per year, You can visit this historic space at and it is said that his tickets helped to 111 W. Avenida Palizada. It is called support the town of then approximate“The Old Town San Clemente,” and ly 2,000 people. there are now shops and restaurants San Clemente was incorporated in there. It’s been in business since the 1928, and town officials realized right 1970s. away that they would need a fire The old jail cells have always been station and a police station. Within a available for diners. The most recent year, they had built a fire station with a restaurant in the old jailhouse space is volunteer fire crew, and within another Inka Mama’s. It is a popular Peruvian year, there was a “police force” comprisrestaurant that has been in town for ing two officers. years, but moved to the Old Town a few It was years later when an actual years ago. jail was built next to the fire station.

Its main dining room is in what was

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 28 - January 3, 2024

Independence

Photo: Courtesy of San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter

San Clemente and in California. She has been a professor of architecture at USC, OCC and SCAD Hong Kong. She and her family have lived in San Clemente for more than 46 years. SC

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

SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

This blue-eyed beauty is Independence, a gorgeous, red-and-white Dutch dwarf spayed female rabbit. One-yearold Indy is a sweet and curious bunny who enjoys exploring her surroundings.

While she doesn’t like being held for long periods of time, she is treat-motivated and doesn’t mind nice petting sessions. Indy has great litter-box habits and would be a wonderful addition to a quiet home.

If you are interested in adopting Independence, please visit petprojectfoundation.org/adoptions/ to download an adoption application form. Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@scdpanimalshelter.org, and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment.SC

Sudoku

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

Did you know that...

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1 – In San Clemente inventory continues to be historically low with only 72 active listings.

2 – During the first 11 months of 2023, San Clemente had 582 home sales, with an average selling price of $1,777,350, and took an average of 37 days to sell.

3 – In Dana Point there are 78 active listings, with 381 home sales so far this year, with an average sales price of $2,581,100.

Page 14

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SC LIVING

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

Dating Tips for Seniors—Has Senior Dating Advice Changed in 17 Years?

L

ast week, in checking my computer archives, I came across an article I wrote in 2006 headlined,“Tom’s 13 Dating Tips for Seniors.”

I wondered if senior dating advice had changed in 17 years. Here’s the list from back then.

Tom’s 13 Senior Dating Tips from 2006 1. Get off the couch, out of the house and involved in hobbies and activities you enjoy.

By doing so, you’ll meet people with similar interests. Join a club. Volunteer. Travel. Go back to school. Take a part-time job. Mingle with new people.

2. Don’t go out solely for the reason of seeking a mate. You’ll come off as desperate. Go out to enrich your life and have fun. People often meet a mate when they aren’t looking, when they least expect it.

3. Be assertive, not aggressive. Seize every opportunity that comes along to introduce yourself to someone you think is single, and to whom you’re attracted. Be prepared with a conversation icebreaker, something like, “Would you like to have coffee?”

4. Always carry a name card with in the same situation. you, giving potential dates an easy 13. Never give up hope. Senior way to contact you. Include safe, sedating is a numbers game. The cure information: List only your first more you’re out there, the better name, either a phone or answering your chances. service number, or an email address that doesn’t contain your last name.

Six Changes in December 2023 5. Be happy, positive and friendly. ON LIFE AND LOVE A. Cellphones have replaced anAFTER 50 BY Smile. swering machines and answering TOM BLAKE 6. Socialize with friends of both sexservices; they are an imperative es. Women need women friends. dating tool with texting and voice7. Have a nice appearance, firm up and get mail conveniences.

B. The most noticeable change is the drain shape.

8. Don’t take rejection personally. It will matic increase in online dating websites and online dating. It’s estimated that more than happen. Put it behind you and move on.

9. Trust your instincts. Avoid losers, scam- 50% of single seniors have tried internet datmers, and phonies. Beware of romance scams ing. Plus, meetup.com lists a plethora of placoriginating on the internet from Africa and es for seniors to meet others (and maybe a other foreign countries. potential mate).

10. Network with friends, relatives and busiC. Item 6 above mentioned, “Women need ness associates. Repeatedly remind them to women friends.” Now,“Men need men friends” introduce you to their single acquaintances. needs to be added to the 2023 tips list. I don’t 11. Protect your assets. Women need to be know what I would have done after losing in control of their own money.

Greta, my mate of 25 years, if I didn’t have my 12. Realize that you aren’t the only person local guy friends who listened to me vent my without a mate; there are millions of seniors feelings of grief.

▶

1066 Calle Del Cerro Unit#1406, San Clemente

$599,000 Dan “DJ” Yeilding Broker Associate (949) 370-0382 dan.yeilding@outlook.com

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

D. A few local guys who have helped me include Jim Fallon, Talega, a widower after 47 years of marriage. And Mike Stipher, San Juan Capistrano; Alex The Sports Barber, Dana Point; Vince The Hat Man and John Hawkins, both of Laguna Niguel; and Dana Point nextdoor neighbors Alex Torres and Jake Racker.

These guys always ask how I’m doing and are willing to hear about my senior dating woes and experiences.

E. The age difference between partners wasn’t mentioned in the 2006 list of tips. Now that we are 17 years older, and have slowed down, age is always a hot topic. Women often accuse men of wanting a younger woman.

And yet, a woman, 78, wrote me this week to say that her boyfriend is 48.

F. Add to the list: “Men also need to protect their money.”

It will be fun to track the senior dating changes in 2024.

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

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Page 15

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

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

PUBLIC NOTICE

Section 00100 Notice Inviting Bids WRP SOLID HANDELING BUILDING CENTRIFUGE CONVEYOR MODIFICATIONS Project No. 23203 1. Notice. Public notice is hereby given that the City of San Clemente (“City”) will receive sealed bids for the following project: WRP SOLID HANDELING BUILDING CENTRIFUGE CONVEYOR MODIFICATIONS Project No. 23203 2. Bid Opening Date.

Electronic bids must be submitted prior to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 6 th , 2024 , on the City’s PlanetBids System Vendor Portal, at which time or thereafter bids will be opened and made available online. Bids received after this time will be considered non-responsive. Prospective bidders must first register as a vendor and then bid on this project via the City’s PlanetBids System Vendor Portal website at www.san-clemente.org/vendorbids.

3. Project Scope of Work. Modify existing masonry block wall between the Centrifuge Building and the Truck Loading Bay by creating an opening to accommodate the extension of the crossing conveyor through the opening using crossing conveyor spool provided by City/Manufacturer. Re-install trough conveyance equipment under supervision of City and ATARA, the equipment manufacturer.

Provide electrical junction boxes, wiring and conduits to power up and operate the conveyor system.

4. Contract Time: The work must be completed within 60 calander days from the date specified in the written Notice to Proceed.

5. License and Registration Requirements.

5.1. State License. Pursuant to California Public Contract Code Section 3300, the City has determined that the Contractor shall possess a valid California contractor’s license for the following classification(s): Class “ A ’’. Failure to possess the specified license(s) at San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

the time of bid opening shall render the bid as non-responsive and shall act as a bar to award the contract to that non-responsive bidder.

5.2. Department of Industrial Relations Registration. Pursuant to California Labor Code Sections 1725.5 and 1771.1, all contractors and subcontractors that wish to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or enter into a contract to perform public work must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”). No bid will be accepted nor any contract entered into without proof of the contractor’s and subcontractors’ current registration with the DIR to perform public work. If awarded a contract, the Bidder and its subcontractors, of any tier, shall maintain active registration with the DIR for the duration of the Project.

5.3. City Business License. Prior to the Notice to Proceed for this contract, the Contractor shall possess a valid City of San Clemente business license.

6. Contract Documents. Bid documents, including instructions to bidders, bidder proposal form, and specifications (not including other documents incorporated by reference) may be downloaded, at no cost, from the City’s PlanetBids System Vendor Portal website at www.san-clemente.org/ vendorbids. Bidders must first register as a vendor on the City of San Clemente PlanetBids system to view and download the Contract Documents, to be added to the prospective bidders list, and to receive addendum notifications when issued.

shall be made payable to THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE. Bid bonds must be issued by a surety company licensed to do business in the State of California and must be made payable to THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE. Bids not accompanied by the required bid security will be rejected. For electronic submittal of bids, the bid security must be received at the City of San Clemente Public Works office, 910 Calle Negocio, Suite 100, San Clemente, CA 92673 no later than the bid opening date and time. The bid security must be submitted in a sealed envelope bearing the name and address of the bidder, and the outside of the envelope must read as follows: OFFICIAL BID SECURITY - DO NOT OPEN Project Name: WRP SOLID HANDELING BUILDING CENTRIFUGE CONVEYOR MODIFICATIONS Project Bid #: 23203 Bid Opening Date: 2 :00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 6 th , 2024 The bid security shall serve as a guarantee that the bidder will enter into a contract.

Such guarantee shall be forfeited should the bidder to whom the contract is awarded fail to enter into the contract within 15 calendar days after written notification that the contract has been awarded to the successful bidder.

8. Prevailing Wage Requirements.

7. Bid Proposal and Security.

7.1. Bid Proposal Form. No bid will be received unless it is made on a proposal form furnished by the City.

7.2. Bid Security. Each bid proposal must be accompanied by security in the form of cash, certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the total bid amount. Personal checks or company checks are not acceptable forms of bid security. All certified and cashier’s checks must be drawn on a responsible bank doing business in the United States and

Page 16

8.1. General. This project is subject to the prevailing wage requirements applicable to the locality in which the work is to be performed for each craft, classification or type of worker needed to perform the work, including employer payments for health and welfare, pension, vacation, apprenticeship and similar purposes.

8.2. Rates. Prevailing rates are available online at www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR and also available at the City of San Clemente Public Works Department Office at 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92673. Each Contractor and Subcontractor must pay no less than the specified rates to all workers employed to work on the project. The schedule of per diem wages is based upon a working day of eight hours. The rate for holiday and

overtime work must be at least time and one-half.

8.3. Compliance Monitoring. Pursuant to California Labor Code Section 1771.4, all bidders are hereby notified that this project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the California Department of Industrial Relations.

In bidding on this project, it shall be the Bidder’s sole responsibility to evaluate and include the cost of complying with all labor compliance requirements under this contract and applicable law in its bid.

9. Retention. Pursuant to the contract for this project, five percent (5%) of each progress payment will be retained as security for completion of the balance of the work.

Substitution of appropriate securities in lieu of retention amounts from progress payments is permitted pursuant to California Public Contract Code Section 22300. Refer to the contract for further clarification.

10. Performance and Payment Bonds. The successful bidder, simultaneously with execution of the contract, will be required to provide Faithful Performance and Labor and Material Payment Bonds, each in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract amount. Bonds are to be secured from a surety that meets all of the State of California bonding requirements, as defined in Code of Civil Procedure Section 995.120, and is admitted by the State of California.

11. Pre-Bid Meeting. A non- mandatory pre-bid meeting, followed by site visit, will be held at 1:30 P.M. on 10 th of January inside of the City’s Water Reclamation Plant located at 390 Avenida Pico, San Clemente, CA 92672. Enter the Plant through the East Gate (gate closest to I-5 Freeway).

12. Brand Names and Substitution of “Or Equal” Materials. Pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 3400(b), if the City has made any findings designating certain materials, products, things, or services by specific brand or trade name, such findings and the materials, products, things, or services and their specific brand or trade names will be set forth in the Special Conditions.

13. Instructions to Bidders. Additional and more detailed information is provided in the Instructions to Bidders, which should be carefully reviewed by all bidders before

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

submitting a Bid Proposal.

14. Questions. All questions related to this bid solicitation must be submitted through the City’s PlanetBids System Vendor Portal per the information provided in the Instructions to Bidders. Any other contact to City staff regarding this bid solicitation will be referred back to the PlanetBids system.

THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS, TO AWARD ALL OR ANY INDIVIDUAL PART/ITEM OF THE BID, AND TO WAIVE ANY INFORMALITIES, IRREGULARITIES OR TECHNICAL DEFECTS IN SUCH BIDS OR IN THE BIDDING PROCESS. ANY CONTRACT AWARDED WILL BE LET TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER AS DETERMINED FROM THE BASE BID ALONE. Dated

December 19 , 2023

City of San Clemente Utilities Department 390 Avenida Pico San Clemente, CA 92672 END OF NOTICE INVITING BIDS PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. 23 FL000801 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Winona Wong Chavez on behalf of Jaden Jah Hong Hernandez-Wong, a minor filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name JADEN JAH HONG HERNANDEZ-WONG Proposed Name JADEN JAH HONG WONG THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 2/15/2024 Time: 1:30 p.m. Dept: TBD The address of the court is: Lamoreaux Justice Center, 341 The City Drive South, Post

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

Office Box 14170, Orange, CA 92868. Other: Remote. (To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the courts website, go to www. courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm.)

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Clemente Times Other: Proof of Publication to general public deemed complete. Petitioner is ordered to provide service to other parent per Minute Order.

Date: 11/15/2023 JUDGE ZARI HADJIAN, Judge of the Superior Court Published: San Clemente Times December 28, 2023, January 4, 11, 18, 2024 PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. 30-2023-01340912 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner BRIAN ANTHONY AMANTE filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name BRIAN ANTHONY AMANTE Proposed Name MARCUS ATHANASIUS HALIM THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 01/09/2024 Time: 8:30 am Dept: D-100 REMOTE HEARING. The address of the court is: Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the courts website, go to www.courts.ca.gov/ find-my-court.htm.)

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in

Published in: San Clemente Times, December 14, 21, 28, 2023, January 4, 2024

this county: San Clemente Times Date: 11/13/2023 JUDGE LAYNE H. MELZER, Judge of the Superior Court Published: San Clemente Times December 14, 21, 28, 2023, January 4, 2024

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20236678981 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: THANK GOD 23481 BELMAR DRIVE LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA 92677 Full Name of Registrant(s): 1.) STERLING WITBECK 23481 BELMAR DRIVE LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA 92677 2.) GRANT LAWRENCE 24362 LOS SERRANOS DRIVE LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA 92677 This business is conducted by a General Partnership.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the Fictitious Business Name or Names listed above on: 8/1/2021 /s/STERLING WITBECK This statement was filed with the County Clerk on 12/19/2023.

Published in: San Clemente Times, December 28, 2023, January 4, 11, 18, 2024

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20236677736 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: GIGI UNLIMITED 1334 ALTURA SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673 Full Name of Registrant(s): CATHERINE KLARENBACH 1334 ALTURA SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673 This business is conducted by an Individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the Fictitious Business Name or Names listed above on: n/a CATHERINE KLARENBACH/s/CATHERINE KLARENBACH, OWNER This statement was filed with the County Clerk on 12/01/2023.

Page 17

PUBLIC NOTICE City of San Clemente In accordance with the State of California Government Code Section 40804, each city is required to publish a summary of its Annual Report of Financial Transactions. Following is a summary of Fiscal Year 2023 financial transactions for the City of San Clemente, based on the City Financial Statements.

Total Expenditures

Program Revenues

Net Expenditures/ (Excess) Revenues

Governmental: General Government Public Safety Public Works Community Development Beaches, Parks & Recreation Interest and fiscal charges

9,155,337 31,896,587 28,518,102 6,915,744 10,867,814 15,353

874,085 2,776,301 12,030,429 3,985,551 5,135,483 -

8,281,252 29,120,286 16,487,673 2,930,193 5,732,331 15,353

Business: Water Sewer Other

21,256,922 18,333,276 4,353,205

27,932,402 11,103,909 4,146,971

(6,675,480) 7,229,367 206,234

131,312,340

67,985,131

63,327,209

General Revenues Taxes Investment Earnings Miscellaneous Excess/(Deficiency) of General Revenue Over Net Expenditures

62,428,159 1,451,261 134,423 686,634

Beginning Fund Balance/Working Capital, as restated

492,251,964

Ending Fund Balance/Working Capital

492,938,598

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HAPPY

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We wish you a very Happy Holiday season and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Best Wishes,

Your friends at Picket Fence Media San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY We Are Your Personal Injury Lawyers

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PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call Lauralyn Loynes at 949.388.7700, ext. 102 or lloynes@picketfencemedia.com San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

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SC SPORTS

2023 SAN CLEMENTE SPORTS YEAR IN REVIEW

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

I San Clemente boys soccer posted three shutouts in the playoffs to win its fourth CIF-SS championship.

Photo: Zach Cavanagh

t was a trailblazing calendar year for sports in San Clemente.

There were records broken, championships won, landmark performances and marquee events that highlighted San Clemente on a local, state and national level for athletics.

Here is a look back at some of the memorable San Clemente sports moments of 2023:

FEBRUARY SCHS Boys Soccer Wins CIF-SS Division 2 Championship

The Tritons posted another perfect defensive performance to win the program’s fourth CIF-SS championship in a 2-0 win over Long Beach Poly. Finn Linas and Beckham Beauchemin scored to support Ryan Savoie’s clean sheet. San Clemente allowed one goal in four CIF-SS playoff games.

Tritons Girls Wrestling Earns First State Placers, Davis Wins First Girls Masters

San Clemente wrestlers Berlyn Davis (left) and Eden Hernandez became the first Triton girls to place at the CIF State Championships. Photo: Courtesy of San Clemente

San Clemente beach volleyball won its first match in the first-ever CIF-SS playoffs for the sport this spring.

Photo: Zach Cavanagh

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

San Clemente’s wrestling program has always been a pioneer with the strength of its girls teams, and the girls made history in the CIF postseason. Berlyn Davis won San Clemente’s first-ever CIF-SS Masters girls championship with a dominant run, and at the CIF State Championships,

Davis and Eden Hernandez became the first San Clemente girls to place at the tournament in third and sixth, respectively.

MARCH SCHS Girls Lacrosse, Competitive Cheer Earn CIF-SS Academic Championships

By earning the top unweighted, teamwide grade-point averages in their respective sports in the CIF-Southern Section, the San Clemente girls lacrosse and competitive cheer teams were both awarded academic championships. All 27 San Clemente varsity teams finished in the CIF-SS top 25 for their respective sports, including 10 teams in the top five.

APRIL Tritons Beach Volleyball Wins Opening Match of Sport’s First-Ever CIF-SS Playoffs

Girls beach volleyball was introduced as a CIF-sanctioned sport in 2022, and with enough team participation, CIF-SS hosted its first playoffs in the spring of 2023. San Clemente opened those CIF-SS playoffs with a win in the Division 1 wildcard round to cement its spot in history.

The Tritons swept the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 pairs with ease to down Harvard-Westlake, 4-1.

Fred Swegles and Beth Sanden were the 28th and 29th inductees to the San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame.

Photo: Zach Cavanagh

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MAY Fred Swegles, Beth Sanden Inducted to San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame

Legendary writer and photographer Fred Swegles and world-record handcycle marathoner Beth Sanden were the 28th and 29th additions to the San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame at the San Clemente Aquatics Center at Vista Hermosa Sports Park. Swegles, who died in 2022, spent 56 years covering sports and other local accolades for San Clemente newspapers including the SC Times, and Sanden has earned numerous world records as an incomplete paraplegic competing as a handcycle marathoner all over the globe.

SCHS Junior Foursome Wins CIF State Championship’s First-Ever 4x800-Meter Relay

In the first running of the 4x800-meter relay in CIF State Championship history, four Triton juniors–Brett Ephraim, Jackson Brownell, Pierce Clark and Taj Clark–won the event’s inaugural state title by just over a half-second. San Clemente also won the inaugural CIF-SS Masters title in the event to qualify for State. The 4x800-meter relay was the first addition to the CIF State program since girls pole vault in 1995.

Noah Sech Wins CIF-SS Breaststroke Title

With an All-American time of 54.66 seconds, Princeton-bound swimmer Noah Sech won his first CIF-SS championship in the Division 1 boys 100-yard breaststroke.

In 2022, Sech finished fifth in the event and was the first Triton to qualify for the state championships since 2015. On the girls side, Madelyn Phillips and Zoe de Fabrique also qualified for the state championships.

JUNE Pro Pickleball Comes to San Clemente for Back-to-Back Events

San Clemente became the center of the professional pickleball world this June, as Life Time Rancho San Clemente hosted events for the Carvana PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball on consecutive weekends. It was the third straight year of the Orange County Cup and the individual-based PPA Tour coming to San Clemente. For MLP, it was its first season coming to San Clemente for its Season One Finals.

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

nine regular-season games.

OCTOBER Aiden Rubin Sets Single-Game, Single-Season Rushing Records for Triton F ootball

It was an explosive senior season for Aiden Rubin, who grabbed the reins of the starting running back position with full force. On Oct. 6, Rubin set the program’s single-game rushing record with 271 yards on 24 carries with three touchdowns in a 42-13 win at Ayala of Chino Hills. Rubin would go on to run for single-season records of 1,738 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns, including at least 126 yards and a score in each of the last

Life Time Rancho San Clemente hosted multiple professional pickleball events this season for the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

Aiden Rubin set single-game and single-season records for rushing yards and touchdowns as San Clemente football won the South Coast League championship. Photo: Alan Gibby/Zone57

SCHS Football Wins at Mission Viejo for First Time Since 1998

Rubin ran for his third consecutive 240-yard game, the Tritons defense held the Diablos without a third-down conversion, and Max Gonzales iced the game with a pick-6, as San Clemente won on the road at Mission Viejo, 20-10, for the first time since 1998. San Clemente has won three of its past six games against Mission Viejo after a 19-year winless streak. With subsequent wins over Capistrano Valley and Tesoro, the Tritons also claimed the final South Coast League title ahead of the introduction of computer rankings-based leagues next season.

NOVEMBER SCHS Boys Cross Country Wins Back-to-Back CIF-SS Titles, First State Title

The banner year for San Clemente distance running continued from the track in the spring to cross country in the fall. The Tritons’ boys won their second consecutive CIF-SS Division 1 championship by placing three runners in the top 10 and all five scoring runners in the top 25 with the second-best team time across all divisions. San Clemente broke through the next week in Fresno with the program’s first-ever CIF State Championship with three runners in the top 10 and all five scoring runners in the top 27. Brett Ephraim finished third at CIF-SS and second at State. SC

San Clemente’s boys cross country team won its first-ever CIF State Championship after capturing its second straight CIF-SS title. Photo: Courtesy of the Ephraim Family

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SC SURF

THE STORY OF THE 1ST SURF MOVIE Thomas Edison invented a lot of things in his life.

Did he also invent surf movies?

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

A

few years back, late surf photographer Art Brewer, his peers Steve Wilkinson and JP Van Swae, and I were planning to write a book about the history of surf photography.

Unfortunately, the project didn’t go very far, but the intention was to document the evolution of shooting surf from its earliest inception to the hi-def world we’re living in today.

And while there’s not a direct local connection to San Clemente or Dana Point, like the lightbulb and the phonograph, Thomas Edison deserves some credit for creating what might be the first surf film.

In 1906, Edison hired a cameraman named Robert Bonine to travel to Hawaii and film what he saw.

According to reports from the period, he spent an estimated three months in the islands and filmed a number of documentary-style shorts. Bonine captured the first-known footage of Kileauea on the Big Island. He also captured footage of surfers at Waikiki.

There is record of other Edison camera operators in Hawaii prior to this.

In 1898, a short film was produced called Kanakas Diving for Money. Less than a minute long, it doesn’t have any surf footage, but it does feature locals swimming in a harbor, as well as an outrigger canoe contrasted in front of a cargo ship in the background.

When Bonine traveled to Hawaii eight

GROMS OF THE WEEK

EVERY KID WHO RODE A SURFBOARD THIS YEAR

BY JAKE HOWARD

Every week in this space, we celebrate the accomplishments of one local, rising star from the San Clemente and Dana Point surf communities.

As the year comes to an end and we set our sights on what’s to come in 2024, we’d San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

years later, it was on the invitation of the territory’s Promotion Committee. These were colonial days, and there was an effort by the United States to highlight the exotic attributes of this new territory in the South Pacific.

On Aug. 12, 1906, The Honolulu Advertiser ran a story that read, “Moving pictures of canoes and surfboard riding are to be taken off the Moana and Seaside hotels, Waikiki, this afternoon. ... Those who can ride surfboards standing up are wanted to be there in force.”

A follow-up article in The Daily Pacific Commercial Advertiser the following day noted, “Everybody that could get in focus was ‘Bonined’ at Waikiki Beach yesterday afternoon. That is, they were included in some rare pictures taken by Robert Bonine, the moving-picture man of the Edison company of Orange, N.J.” “The water was fairly live with people, and all were in a merry mood, and that, of course, was best for the moving picture. Hawaiian canoes, birch canoes, surfboards and water wings were greatly in evidence,” the article continued.

“There were big rollers yesterday, and it is believed that some good pictures were taken of surf riders standing erect on their boards, as they were shot on the crest of waves toward the shore,” the article added. “These were taken from the end of the Moana pier. ... Mr. Bonine was satisfied, and so was the crowd.”

Bonine’s film was distributed the fol-

like to take a minute to shine a little light on each and every kid who got in the water this year.

Whether you were getting pushed into waves for your first time or chasing a national title, our surf communities are rich and wonderful places because of you. You keep the stoke alive and remind us all how absolutely amazing a day at the beach and in the water with friends and family can be. At the end of the day, it’s what surfing’s all about.

We’re fortunate to live in the premier surf-

Pictured is a single frame from some of the earliest surf footage ever recorded thanks to inventor Thomas Edison.

lowing year in 1907. It’s not believed to be the first-ever footage of people surfing, but it is quite likely the only surviving early footage of people surfing. It illustrates a unique and transitional moment in the history of Hawaii and surfing.

More than 100 years since those first frames were captured, the world’s changed in too many ways to count, and the power of photography and cinematography are now in the hands of everyone with an iPhone.

But there’s something magical about those earliest of images—the innocence and purity of what it must have been like to experience Hawaii at the turn of the century. Before hotels. Before traffic.

Before too many people outside of the islands had even heard of something called surfing.

Jake Howard is a local surfer and freelance writer who lives in San Clemente. A former editor at Surfer magazine, The Surfer’s Journal and ESPN, today he writes for several publications, including Picket Fence Media, Surfline and the World Surf League.

He also works with philanthropic organizations such as the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center and the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation.

ing talent hotbeds in America.

Next year, surfers from the area will set out on the Championship Tour in pursuit of world title glory. And in July, San Clemente’s Griffin Colapinto will try and bring home a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The San Clemente Board Riders and Dana Point Surf Club are two of the best surf clubs in the U.S. Board Riders organization. Built on generations of surfers, the groms are the future.

To all the kids out there, thanks for re-

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Water Temperature: 61-62 Degrees F Water Visibility: San Clemente: 2-4’ Catalina: 15-20’ Thursday: Strong WNW swell fills in through the day, showing most size in the afternoon with widespread surf running in the head high to several feet overhead zone, (5-7’), while top breaks see larger sets. Light/variable winds most of the morning, turn to a light+ westerly breeze for the afternoon.

Outlook: Wave size holds Friday morning, then gradually decreases during the day as the WNW swell eases. Winds remain light on Friday, variable much of the morning, onshore in the afternoon. Another solid WNW swell rolls in Saturday, putting many spots back into head high to easily overhead surf, (5-7’) with bigger sets. The slow fading but still punchy swell maintains those heights into Sunday morning, then waves taper off as the day goes on.

Moderate to breezy west winds lead to poor conditions Saturday. Cleaner conditions on Sunday, with light SSE winds in the morning, shifting to light+ WSW onshores for the afternoon.

Photo: Courtesy of WSA

minding us that the best wave is the next one, and that at its absolute core, surfing is still more fun than anything else and keeps us all forever young.

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

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Beginning a new fitness routine Initially motivated to come in by her husband’s e n c o u r a g e m e n t , Anne stayed because of the continuous results, atmosphere, and support.

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San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

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Courage to care more Apart from her physical accomplishments, like arms that make strangers stop in the street to inquire, Anne has also embraced more self-care.

Page 23

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS From the team at Gary Ward Properties and Trestles Property Management.

Gary Ward, Kayla Merwin, Laura Ventura, Casey Wootan, Brice Neubauer, Malik Schilling, Steve Ward, Michelle Host

Thank you for placing your trust in us. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you and wish you a holiday season filled with joy and love. We look forward to working with you in 2024!

San Clemente Times December 28 - January 3, 2024

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