December 30, 2021 by San Clemente Times

DECEMBER 30, 2021-JANUARY 5, 2022 | VOLUME 16, ISSUE 52

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INSIDE: SC Man Sells Tom Brady Rookie Card, to Share Proceeds with Brea Family EYE ON SC/PAGE 4

Newspapers Were the First Draft of City’s History SC LIVING/PAGE 12

The San Clemente Times rewinds the clock to look back at its coverage of events in 2021. Photos and Graphic: Picket Fence Media staff

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Amazon Scraps Plans for Delivery Facility in SC

Council Adds Special Meeting to Hear Hospital Survey Results

Surf: Nothing Better Than Getting in the Water

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SURF/PAGE 18

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What’s Up With...

Council to Hold Special Meeting on Hospital Survey Results

TOP NEWS SAN CLEMENTE SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

Hours before the City Council will return to the dais for the first time in 2022, San Clemente residents will get to hear the results of a survey regarding the possibility of bringing back a hospital and forming a local health care district. On Jan. 18, there will be a special meeting at 3 p.m. to provide a public setting for the council’s briefing on the survey that the city had asked residents to complete. During the final minutes of the previous City Council meeting on Dec. 21, Mayor Gene James made the motion to create the extra session. “That’s my motion, in anticipation of the survey results, (to) have a special meeting to be briefed on those results, understand those results, and formulate a plan on what we’re going to do with those results,” James said. All the other councilmembers supported James’ motion, with Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan seconding the motion. As none of them was aware of the questions on the survey, they asked City Manager Erik Sund to get them copies of the questions before the meeting, to which Sund agreed. As of press time, the city manager’s office had not responded to requests seeking comment. The survey, created by an independent public research opinion company, was made available to residents at the beginning of this month, through phone calls and emails. Depending on the public feedback, the city could be one step closer to reopening

Amazon has scrapped its plans for a delivery facility on vacant lots within the Rancho San Clemente Business Park. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Amazon Scraps Plans for Delivery Facility in San Clemente BY BREEANA GREENBERG

Amazon has scrapped its plans for a delivery facility within the Rancho San Clemente Business Park, the city announced last week. Deputy Community Development Director Adam Atamian notified the Planning Commission during its Dec. 22 meeting that Amazon’s proposed delivery facility plans, dubbed Project Summer, had been officially withdrawn. Project Summer “is not going to be placed on any future agendas or worked on by staff; it is basically off of our plate at this point,” Atamian said. According to the city’s website, updated in August, the project was still in the early stages of the review process. The project looked to develop two vacant lots, totaling 20.38 acres at Calle Cordillera and Calle Sombra in the Rancho San Clemente Business Park. Greenlaw Partners LLC, the Irvine-based real estate firm that’s listed as the project applicant, had proposed construction of a roughly 105,000-square-foot “e-commerce delivery station with a delivery van queueing area and parking storage San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

for fleet automobiles and vans,” according to the city’s website. While the project has been withdrawn, Amazon or Greenlaw Partners could submit new plans in the future. “I will say that it does not mean that they cannot reapply in the future,” Atamian said. “I think based on a number of factors, they decided to withdraw the application, because it’s what’s in their best interest.” Atamian added that since a potential project could come back, commissioners should keep their opinions on the project to themselves. “We have absolutely no indication that they would reapply, but in the case that that occurs, I just want to make sure that our Commission, they have not weighed in on something that could affect the future.” In an emailed statement from Amazon on Dec. 23, the company said it’s constantly exploring new locations, and that it “weighs a variety of factors” while determining sites on which to develop. “It is common for us to explore multiple locations simultaneously and adjust based on our operational needs,” the company said in the email. “While we have decided not to pursue the site in San Clemente, we continue to assess opportunities to invest and grow across the region. We appreciate the time and attention committed by the City, as well as local community leaders and officials.”

a hospital for the first time since MemorialCare closed the Saddleback Memorial Medical Center on Camino de los Mares in 2016. That closing occurred during the years-long legal battle between MemorialCare and the city, which stemmed from a dispute over whether to have an urgent care facility or one that provided an emergency room and other hospital functions. Through the survey, the city looks to gauge the residents’ temperature on a proposal from San Diego County-based medical system Palomar Health. “The survey is being returned at a rate we did not anticipate,” James told San Clemente Times in a separate interview on Dec. 16. In February 2020, Palomar had proposed issuing a general obligation bond, funded through property taxes, to pay for the medical campus’ relaunch. Palomar also floated the idea of locally forming a health care district, which would be voter-created and funded through tax dollars. The city had previously estimated costs to renovate the former hospital at about $62.81 million, while the construction of a whole new facility was anticipated to cost $163 million. James and the other councilmembers commented on the importance of holding a discussion on the topic of the hospital and survey, which underlined their determination to find a proper time for the meeting. “Once we have these results in hand, we need to move forward,” James said last week. The City Council’s special meeting for Jan. 18 will take place at the San Clemente Community Center on 100 North Calle Seville. The council is scheduled to go into a closed session at 5 p.m. and will hold the regular public session at 6 p.m. The meeting can be viewed live on the city’s YouTube channel.

The San Clemente City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 18—ahead of the next regularly scheduled meeting—to be briefed on the results of a survey regarding a new hospital. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

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San Clemente Man Sells Tom Brady Rookie Card, to Share Proceeds with Brea Family

COMMUNITY MEETINGS TUESDAY, JAN. 4

Dorothy Visser Senior Center 10:30 a.m. The Dorothy Visser Senior Center will host a “COVID Update” with Dr. Trinh, who will answer questions on the new variant and side effects. The center will also host a Grief Support Group, held on the first Tuesday of each month, facilitated by Gayle Heuser, MA, MM, of Silverado Hospice. Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente. 949.498.3322.

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

$75,051. That’s the amount for which a limited-edition card of Tom Brady during his rookie NFL season sold during an online auction that ended at 10 p.m. on Dec. 11. On the surface, that is already a tremendous sum of money, but the sale represents much more to a man who forgot he owned the card in the first place, and to a girl on her way to beginning the rest of her life. Jim Brown is a San Clemente resident who has worked as a private fire investigator since 1982. As originally reported by The Tennessean last month, Brown decided to stop in a nearby sports card shop after work one day in 1992 and buy boxes to give to children at the Orangewood Children’s Home in Orange. It was there that he met Mike Mittrick, the owner of 52 Mantle in Brea, with whom he would grow a working and close relationship over the next eight years. Every time he stopped in Mittrick’s shop, the two would talk about the card donation process and a host of other topics. An important part of the process included saving the better cards, to avoid making children feel hurt if they received a lesser card. “I thought, ‘Well, it’s just going to defeat everything I’m trying to do,’” Brown said. “We went about just kind of pulling these so-called shiny cards out, the ones that might create a problem.” However, once Brown moved to San Clemente near the turn of the 21st century, he would never see Mittrick again. Brown mostly forgot about Mittrick over the next 21 years, as his personal

and professional life grew busy. Once in a while, on the off occasion when he would go through the boxes in his residence that had accumulated with leftover memorabilia, he was reminded of his old friend. “Every time I looked at the boxes, though, I remembered Mike,” he said. “He was blond, he had a baby face when I knew him, he was just a young kid. That’s why, when I found out later that he was in the Army and he drove a tank in Desert Storm, I was completely floored, because I had no idea.” In September of this year, after hearing that several autographed Tom Brady cards had sold for millions of dollars each, Brown remembered that he possessed a special one of his own, and wanted to share this opportunity with the person he knew would understand the gravity of the situation. He started the search for the card shop owner with a barely remembered first name, “Mike” and the words “sports card Brea.” Eventually, he stumbled onto Mittrick’s obituary. The Army veteran had taken his life in 2004, leaving behind

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

would have to pay $17,000, or $8,500 each, to the November election—when three council seats are up for election. The city would also be obligated to pay $5,000 for other related costs such as transportation and publication. San Clemente’s other option is to call a special municipal election that could be consolidated with California’s Primary Election on June 7. Based on the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ estimates, the cost of submitting the two ballot measures as part of the Primary would range from $120,973 to $165,529. While it’s up to the council to decide, city staff noted that adding the measures to the November elections “would be the most economical option, because the

City is already mandated by State law to conduct an election on that date for the purpose of filling three upcoming vacancies on the City Council.” The city has been grappling with the issue of transitioning the city treasurer and city clerk offices to appointive positions since 2018, when there was a separate agenda report that discussed adding the two ballot measures. The topic came up again in May 2020, when the council came to a stalemate. Councilmember Kathy Ward and former Councilmember Chris Hamm opposed the measures’ inclusion on the General Election ballot during a straw poll. The council is expected to address the matter at an upcoming meeting.

Tom Brady plays catch with then-Coach Jim Harbaugh before Michigan’s 45-28 victory over Colorado on September 17, 2016. Photo: Courtesy of James Coller/Maize and Blue Nation

Council to Again Consider Question on Treasurer, Clerk Positions San Clemente residents might not have to elect a city treasurer and city clerk in future elections, as they could become council-appointed positions. The City Council will soon consider adding two ballot measures to the Primary Election in June or General Election in November, asking voters to choose whether the city clerk and treasurer positions should be elected or council-appointed. A city report on the measures came at the request of Mayor Gene James and

a widow and a young daughter. Still wanting to pursue the story, Brown connected with Mittrick’s brotherin-law, who led him to Mike’s wife, Stacy, and their now-18-year-old daughter, a senior in high school in Brea. He emailed back-and-forth with Stacy, telling her about the upcoming auction and how he wanted them all to meet in person once everything was settled, to present a check to the daughter. Brown then worked with a friend of his to sell off the 2000 Leaf Certified Mirror Gold #207 Tom Brady Rookie card on Lelands Sports Auctions, and while he had never before been involved in that process, his nerves were mostly settled. “I just wanted the card to bring a value high enough that I could really effect a change in Mike’s daughter’s life,” Brown said. “I wanted the story to end in kind of a magical way, where her father’s memory could come back and help his daughter at the time she goes off into life and all of that.” He will donate $7,500 from the sale to Mike’s daughter, and he is excited to send over more as he sells his other memorabilia.

“It’s the fact that I can somehow affect this girl’s life, given a situation that I was completely unaware of,” he said. “I have many stories I can tell her about her father, and I really want to be there for her to do exactly what her father would have done. He was a great guy.” Brown was happy that he had the chance to work with Mittrick’s family and continue the story, even after he learned of the veteran’s death. “That turned out to be amazing, because, of course, the daughter’s 18, she’s starting her life; this would go a long way to helping her with college and all that,” he said. “It just seemed natural, like the stars were aligning at this particular moment to make all of this unfold.” With a roster of baseballs signed by Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron, cards of Magic Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr., and a scorecard from the Masters Tournament signed by Tiger Woods, Brown is confident he will have success in earning more money. He looks forward to celebrating with Stacy, the daughter, and dozens of other people at some time in January. Brown also hopes that this story will raise awareness of the plight that veterans all across the country, such as Mittrick, face with PTSD, and that the way it all came together will be an inspiration.

support of Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan and Councilmember Steve Knoblock during their Dec. 7 meeting. The council was initially scheduled to discuss the topic on Dec. 21; however, it was unable to do so because of time constraints. According to the staff report, the city is already looking at paying between $89,276 and $128,933 to consolidate San Clemente’s elections with the County of Orange’s General Election. To add the two measures, the city Page 4

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2021 YEAR IN REVIEW

Looking back at San Clemente’s pandemic recovery and progress of 2021

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nounced plans to speed up vaccine distribution by having a wide range of medical facilities and pharmacies administer the shots. Orange County residents aged 65 and older received eligibility to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. By the month’s end, California had lifted its regional stay-at-home orders amid decreases in hospitalizations and positivity rates. Additional laws went into effect on Jan. 1, raising minimum wage to $14 hourly, restoring voting rights for felons who had completed their sentences, and requiring women to sit on boards of publicly held companies, among others. Within San Clemente, the city’s Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission approved a series of recommendations to the City Council for more restrictions on electric bikes. The city said goodbye to Ray’s Barber Place, while the city’s North Beach corridor was recognized as a historic district.

The Federal Railroad Administration approved the city’s request for another waiver to operate pedestrian warning systems for approaching locomotives, restoring quiet zones along the rail corridor for a three-year period. Photo: Fred Swegles

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

he threat of COVID-19 remained constant into and throughout 2021, as San Clemente, Orange County, and the state progressed through Gov. Newsom’s four-tier monitoring system. Though California would eventually drop restrictions on face masks and social distancing, possible vaccine mandates facing local students and their families received harsh backlash. San Clemente also dealt with numerous battles against the Transportation Corridor Agencies and controversy within the City Council. Yet, the town still took economic strides and provided plenty of heart-warming stories. Check out the biggest stories from 2021:

JANUARY The new year began on a compassionate note, as San Clemente learned how Jay “Sparky” Longley and his company, Rainbow Sandals, donated about $500,000 to local organizations over the holidays. Statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom an-

FEBRUARY county led to advocates calling for the city to build a shelter. The Capistrano Unified School District honored Margi Westling, an English teacher at San Clemente High, as High School Teacher of the Year. City staff and councilmembers got a glimpse of the new Police Services Substation on the second floor of City Hall. The City Council unanimously approved an amendment to San Clemente’s General Plan, recognizing the anticipated continuation of Los Patrones Parkway—the untolled thoroughfare set to extend south, ending just inside the northern city limits. A local teachers union raised concerns over communication of positive COVID-19 cases and other lapses on CUSD campuses.

The City Council approved a yearlong education campaign on e-bikes to protect pedestrians on the Beach Trail. San Clemente’s audible alert system to warn pedestrians of oncoming trains passed a federal inspection, paving the way toward the Federal Railroad Administration granting the city’s continued use of its PAWS (pedestrian audible warning system). The saga involving local conservative activist Alan Hostetter began with the FBI inspecting his San Clemente home following his attendance at the proTrump march on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., where rioters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn President Joe Biden’s Electoral College win. The coronavirus-related death rate dropped in both the state and Orange County, as California approached five million vaccines administered. Near the end of the month, the beloved family-owned Surfer’s Journal celebrated its 30-year anniversary. An increase in homeless deaths in the

MARCH Attorneys representing the family of Kurt Reinhold, a Black homeless man who was shot by Orange County Sheriff’s deputies in September 2020, amended a complaint after a dashcam video of the incident was released. The development in the case occurred as the U.S. House of Representatives passed a police reform bill named in honor of the late George Floyd. The City Council voted to remove a “loyalty oath” in the process of councilmembers reviewing confidential documents. Orange County continued its journey into the state’s red tier regarding coronavirus metrics. In early March, the county’s state-monitored COVID-19 metrics continued to drop steadily. By mid-March, the county slid into the less-restrictive red tier. The CUSD Board of Trustees considered a proposal to lay off 91 positions, 60 of which were stationed in grades K-6, approving a preliminary resolution for the process. A San Juan Capistrano family brought a lawsuit against an off-duty sheriff’s in-

The City of San Clemente’s time with the TCA came to an end, as the City Council voted to formally withdraw from the toll road operators’ governing boards. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

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vestigator for pulling out a firearm while confronting a group of teenagers at San Clemente’s skate park in October 2019. While momentum surged for a recall to remove Newsom, the governor addressed the state by talking about COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, and other plans of action. Shark Tank investors gave $100,000 to a San Clemente family for their Tandem Boogie business. Southern California Edison laid out potential strategies for removing spent nuclear fuel from its San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).

APRIL Orange County moved to the orange “moderate” risk tier, easing restrictions for local business and increasing indoor capacity. Owners Kelly and Roger Sugano retired and shut down Taka-O Japanese Restaurant after 41 years of service. The City Council began the process of removing the city as a member of the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA)—a move it hoped would eventually block the 241 Toll Road from reaching San Clemente. After the state reached 20 million administered vaccine doses, Gov. Newsom announced the four-tier monitoring system would end on June 15 as long as cases kept dropping. Councilmembers voted to restart the summertime trolley program, approving a plan to have it start in mid-May—two weeks ahead of its initial schedule. The city began the process of finding and zoning areas in San Clemente to potentially place more than 982 new housing units as part of its Housing Element update—a process mandated by the state to ensure cities can accommodates those homes and address California’s housing shortage. (Cont. on page 7) sanclementetimes.com

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(Cont. from page 5) CUSD announced middle and high school students could return to campus four days a week for the rest of the 20202021 school year, slowly reaching parents’ demands of a full five-day schedule. By the end of April, the school district planned to reopen campuses full-time for the next school year. The sound of locomotives routinely sounding their horns through town ceased by the month’s end as the Federal Railroad Administration approved the city’s waiver to reestablish San Clemente’s quiet zones along the train tracks.

vote; Councilmember Steve Knoblock had proposed to strip James of the leadership title in the wake of a June 25 confrontation with a sheriff’s deputy that had been recorded. Hundreds of parents and students protested in downtown San Juan Capistrano, voicing their opposition to Newsom’s incoming mandate that required students 12 and older to be vaccinated to attend school in person. The discourse continued when CUSD Trustees urged Newsom to reconsider the mandate. The city of San Clemente, County of Orange and the Orange County Transportation Authority entered into a cooperative agreement that supports three traffic relief projects in South Orange County and prevents the construction of a toll road through town.

MAY The City of San Clemente’s time with the TCA came to an end, as the City Council voted to formally withdraw from the toll road operators’ governing boards, effective on July 1. The council promoted Erik Sund to the role of city manager after eight years of service as the city’s assistant city manager. Councilmembers also voted in favor of proposals to increase revenue at the four concession stands around the city. The development of replacing the historic Bowling Center with a food hall continued with crews excavating the site to make way for the building’s foundation and its underground basement, which restaurants will use for food storage. San Clemente partnered with OCSD to host a Bike Safety Rodeo that educated young riders. Three San Clemente sisters gave back to their city through WiSTEM+, a nonprofit they founded, to encourage young women to pursue STEM careers.

JUNE Local artists started work on murals throughout the city that would honor two San Clemente surfers—Kolohe Andino and Caroline Marks—who earned spots on the team to represent the U.S. during the Tokyo Olympics. Gene James, the city’s mayor pro tem at the time, saw his resolution to declare San Clemente as a Second Amendment Freedom City pass, while unable to reach the term of “Sanctuary City.” The city faced the challenge of celebrating a declining unemployment rate, while the business community struggled to fill open positions. In mid-June, California dropped restrictions on face masks and social distancing, allowing businesses to operate at full capacity. Hostetter and five more men were indicted on conspiracy charges for their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 Capital riot.

JULY The Orange County Board of Supervisors San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

NOVEMBER The project to restore the Miramar Theatre and Bowling Center is expected to revitalize North Beach, making the area an entertainment and recreation hub once again. Photo: Fred Swegles

for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. The city’s lawsuit against the TCA was dismissed, after a Riverside County judge found the city could not prove the toll road operators were looking to extend the 241 through San Clemente.

reached a $195,000 settlement agreement in the lawsuit that accused an off-duty officer of pulling a handgun on teenagers at the Ralphs Skate Court in 2019. Another local woman was arrested in connection to the Jan. 6 insurrection, as 69-year-old Lois Lynn McNicoll was charged with entering a restricted building without lawful authority, among other charges. The CUSD Board of Trustees approved a resolution to request that masks be optional for people on school campuses, but the state kept the mask requirement for students. Local environmental groups pushed for investigations from authorities to find the unidentified source of an oil spill first reported by the captain of a whale watching boat off San Clemente Island in late June. Caltrans announced it would conduct a sweep of a homeless encampment containing dozens of people who sat on an official right of way within San Diego County, just outside San Clemente.

SEPTEMBER As the U.S. military attempted its withdrawal from Afghanistan under heavy controversy, one San Clemente family in Kabul endured an emotional journey to return home. Demonstrators gathered to honor the 13 troops, including 10 Marines from Camp Pendleton, who were killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan the month before. On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, South County residents shared their stories on surviving the day’s tragic events, as well as aiding the cleanup and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. Gov. Newsom defeated the recall attempt that cost California’s taxpayers $276 million. Amtrak and Metrolink shut down train services in South Orange County after movement in the tracks along south San Clemente was found.

AUGUST Congressman Mike Levin announced a caucus to address the storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel from sites nationwide, including SONGS. Calls for providing shelter and affordable housing to San Clemente’s homeless continued. Advocates attended a rally that came just before Caltrans officially conducted its sweep of an encampment off a 5 Freeway exit ramp just past the south end of town. Paul Webb, a 67-year-old San Clemente resident, completed a nearly 3,000-mile bike ride across the country to raise money

OCTOBER Nearly 126,000 gallons of crude oil leaked into the waters off Orange County’s coast, prompting the governor to issue a state of emergency and several beaches to close while crews cleaned up contaminated areas where fish and coastal wildlife were threatened. Gene James retained his position of mayor pro tem after a council majority Page 7

Capital riot defendant Alan Hostetter was granted the opportunity to represent himself in his trial. For the fourth time, San Clemente’s insurance provider denied the city’s request to cover Gene James’ legal expenses in a defamation suit involving a former political associate. The city used all options available to try to overturn the three previous rejections. Protests against a possible COVID-19 mandate for students continued, when families placed hundreds of shoes in front of CUSD offices in San Juan Capistrano to symbolize the number of students who could be taken out of the district. Community members celebrated a new “escape space” for special-needs students at San Clemente High School with a ribbon-cutting.

DECEMBER Santa’s Village by the Sea returned to San Clemente for the first time in two years, as hundreds of visitors attended the Dec. 4 festivities. California reissued a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces starting on Dec. 15; it is scheduled to last a month. The council voted to amend the city’s crossing guard contract and add five guards to the intersections of Avenida Vista Hermosa with the Outlets and the Interstate 5 on/off ramp. The city’s ongoing issues regarding e-bikes came full circle, as the council directed staff to provide ordinances prohibiting cyclists from using e-bikes on the Beach Trail and restricting them on the municipal pier. Amazon ended its plans to construct a 105,000-square-foot delivery facility within the Rancho San Clemente Business Park. SC sanclementetimes.com

SOAPBOX

34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 sanclementetimes.com

Letters to The Editor

HOW TO REACH US MANAGING EDITOR Shawn Raymundo • 949.388.7700, x113 sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com SPORTS Zach Cavanagh • 949.388.7700, x110 zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com

REPLY TO RACHEL WALTER’S LETTER BILL PRESTRIDGE, San Clemente

ADVERTISING Laura Gaffney • 949.388.7700, x103 lgaffney@picketfencemedia.com

We need a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and we need it now. Rachel Walters in her letter said that the vaccine does not prevent people from getting or transmitting COVID. She is right, but if she was reading the newspaper, she would learn that 85% to 95% of hospitalizations for COVID are people who are not vaccinated and that people who are vaccinated are not dying (as often as the unvaccinated). This is putting a tremendous stress on doctors, nurses and hospital staff, and keeping people who need medical treatment from non-COVID issues from getting help. COVID is not endemic; if everyone was vaccinated, COVID would eventually disappear, just like polio. Does “personal freedom” mean not getting a child vaccinated for polio, rubella, measles, whooping cough, mumps, chickenpox, diphtheria and other diseases when they enter public school? If this is the case, we as a society are in real trouble.

DISTRIBUTION Racks, Driveways, Subscriptions Inna Cazares • 949.388.7700, x111 icazares@picketfencemedia.com GENERAL MANAGER Alyssa Garrett • 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@picketfencemedia.com

PICKET FENCE MEDIA CEO/FOUNDER Norb Garrett EDITORIAL Managing Editor Shawn Raymundo City Reporter, SC Times C. Jayden Smith City Reporter, DP Times Breeana Greenberg City Editor, Capo Dispatch Collin Breaux

RESPONSE TO ‘IN DEFENSE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ ALBA FARFAGLIA, San Clemente Thank you, Mr. Greg Young, for writing “In Defense of Public Schools.” I taught in public high school and community colleges for more than 30 years. I taught in Connecticut, Texas, northern Virginia, and southeast Georgia. Most of my colleagues had advanced degrees and were experts in their fields, from physics to physical education, from remedial to AP classes. Homeschooling might work in elementary school, but high school is another story, because the classes are difficult. In most households, both parents work outside the home. They come home after a day’s work, after, at times, a long commute and have to get dinner ready for the family. They don’t have time to help the kids with their assignments. Usually, it comes down to this: Parent: Did you do your schoolwork? Answer: Yes. Parent: OK, then. In reality, they could have been on their screens all day. At least in the classroom, they are off their phones. San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

Sports Editor Zach Cavanagh

Photo: Courtesy of Mat Napo/Unsplash

And what about their social and mental development? The public school is a microcosm of the society. We learn to get along with others from all walks of life. The pandemic has impacted everyone, but more so kids who belong in school. Learning is done in real time. Nothing can replace being in a classroom, because the teacher is right there with you in person. Also, we learn from each other. I believe more harm is done taking kids out of school on account of a vaccine mandate or personal “freedom.” Millions of people all over the world—young, old, middle-aged—have been vaccinated, and, bottom line, the vaccine for COVID, just like any other vaccine, saves lives.

No Beachside Chat This Week. Beachside Chat, a spirited, town hall forum on community issues, will resume on Jan. 7.

Columnists Fred Swegles Tom Blake Special Projects Editor Andrea Papagianis-Camacho Copy Editor Randy Youngman

ADVERTISING Associate Publisher Lauralyn Loynes (DP) Advertising Sales Debra Wells (CD) Laura Gaffney (SC) ART + DESIGN Art Director Jasmine Smith Graphic Designer Chelsie Rex OPERATIONS General Manager Alyssa Garrett Group Operations & Production Coordinator Inna Cazares FINANCE Accounting & Finance Manager Tricia Zines CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Jake Howard

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

San Clemente Times, Vol. 16, Issue 52. The SC Times (sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the Dana Point Times (danapointtimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (thecapistranodispatch.com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. San Clemente Times is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, 34932 Calle Del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at San Clemente, CA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: San Clemente Times, 34932 Calle Del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624.

FOLLOW SAN CLEMENTE TIMES CORRECTION: In the Dec. 23 edition of the San Clemente Times, a CoastLines column on the Chamber of Commerce’s slogan contest misstated the decade and year in which the competition took place. The slogan contest ran in 1991.

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GETTING OUT

Editor’s Pick

AT THE MOVIES

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Goes All In

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

Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Photo: Courtesy of Cottonbro/Pexels

SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

FRIDAY | 31 NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY AT SWALLOW’S 8 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Ring in the start of the New Year with live music by Grand Junction, drinks, and fun times. Tickets are $25 pre-paid and $30 at the door. Swallow’s Inn, 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. swallowsinn.com. NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION AT THE COACH HOUSE 8 p.m. Alternative rock artist Donavon Frankenreiter will perform with funk band Slapbak. Tickets are $55. Doors open at 6 p.m. The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.496.8930. thecoachhouse.com. LIVE MUSIC AT DAILY’S SPORTS BAR 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Guitar-oriented rock dance band Monkey Puddle will be ringing in the New Year at Daily’s. 204 South El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.522.9010. dailyssportsgrill.org. NYE COUNTDOWN AT STILLWATER 9 p.m.-midnight. Dance party band The Rhythm Society will perform. Doors open at 7 p.m. StillWater Spirits & Sounds, 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point. 949.661.6003. danapointstillwater.com. LIVE MUSIC AT THE POINT 9 p.m.-midnight. ’80s and ’90s rock cover band SuperRamp will perform. The Point Restaurant and Bar, 34085 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. 949.464.5700. thepointrestaurantandbar.com.

SATURDAY | 01 VILLAGE ART FAIRE 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The Village Art Faire, hosted San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

FRIDAY | 31 NEW YEAR’S EVE DOLPHIN & WHALE SUNSET SAFARI 2:30-5 p.m. Say hello to 2022 with a special 2½-hour dolphin and whale Sunset Safari aboard Manute’a on New Year’s Eve. Join Capt. Dave’s to watch the sun sink below the oceanic horizon for the last time this year with a complimentary glass of champagne or sparkling cider. Capt. Dave’s Dana Point Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari, 24440 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. 949.577.8403. dolphinsafari.com

by the San Clemente Downtown Business Association and now located on the lawn of the SC Library, offers a variety of work, including photography, fine art, jewelry, ceramics, fused glass, home décor, botanicals, textile art, and more. 242 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. 949.218.5378. info@scdba.org. scdba.org.

SUNDAY | 02 FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Shop for a wide selection of fruits, vegetables and artisanal goods from organic growers at the Community Center/San Clemente Public Library parking lot. 100 North Calle Seville. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

WEDNESDAY | 05 PAINT LIKE SAM HYDE HARRIS 4 p.m. In conjunction with the art exhibition Sam Hyde Harris, Seeing the Unusual, Casa Romantica is hosting a four-week class series with San Clemente-based painter and educator Kelly Gallaher. This class series will explore the different art styles of the famed 20th century California Impressionist artist Sam Hyde Harris. Learn the history of plein air painting and learn in steps how to paint in the style of Sam Hyde Harris with acrylic paints at Casa Romantica. Seating availability is limited for the classes. Admission ranges from $100 to $120. Casa Romantica Cultural Center & Gardens,

415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente. 949.498.2139. casaromantica.org. BIKING CLUB FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND HIGH SCHOOLERS 5-6:30 p.m. Anyone have middle schoolto high school-aged kids who love to bike? Community Outreach Alliance’s biking club meets every Wednesday afternoon at different trails, with professional biker and mentor Mike Russell from Freakshow Aloha. San Clemente High’s COA club, which hosts this free activity thanks to Hardman Classic, has bikes and helmets for participants to borrow. To participate, visit form.myjotform. com/91392099886576. For questions, call or text 949.795.4721. communityoutreachalliance.com/bike-club/. TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE BREWHOUSE 6:30-8:30 p.m. The BrewHouse hosts a trivia night every Wednesday. Test your knowledge with friends, or show up solo and join a team. The BrewHouse, 31896 Plaza Drive, Suite D3, San Juan Capistrano. 949.481.6181. brewhousesjc.com. BACKYARD OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS 8-10 p.m. Knuckleheads’ backyard is open for food, drinks and live music. Performers of all skill levels are welcome. If you are a musician, do stand-up comedy or the spoken word, this is the place to be on Wednesday nights. Knuckleheads Sports Bar, 1717 North El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.2410. knuckleheadsmusic.com.

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on Watts’ third Spider-Man flick, No Way Home, truly proves the power of nostalgia. Movies like this should not be this good. The whole concept of bringing all sorts of characters from previous Spider-Man franchises into one feature is the exact recipe for mediocre, live-action fanfiction. But, shockingly, everyone involved pulled it off. With Tom Holland’s Spidey up against all the superhero’s villains in one film, No Way Home takes meta to a whole new level. After his true identity is publicly exposed by Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) from Watts’ Far from Home (2019), Peter Parker/Spider-Man is now challenged with saving New York, as well as making sure his friends and family aren’t affected by their affiliation with him. Peter’s solution is to ask his superhero colleague, Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), to erase the public’s knowledge of him as Spider-Man from their memories. But when he asks Strange to make exceptions for his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), the wizard’s spell becomes overwhelmed, and instead causes multiple universes to be exposed to each other. Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock and Jamie Foxx’s Electro are some of the villains who return and make their MCU debut in No Way Home. While one would naturally assume characters from multiple series with different tones and direction might be jarring and out of place in one picture, Watts and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers somehow make it work with movie magic. All of the callbacks, crossovers and hypothetical fan service fit into the plot and feel natural. Holland hits all the notes emotionally for Peter in hero mode, as well as in the more dramatic/personal moments; and his chemistry with Zendaya continues to grow, most likely aided by their real-life relationship. Molina and Dafoe appear to be having fun revisiting their famous nemesis roles. Those who enjoyed Sony’s animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) will probably appreciate No Way Home; and those who are fans of any of the Spider-Man screen efforts will get a kick out of this variation. SC sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

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SC LIVING

GUEST OPINION | Historical Happenings by Tom Marshall

Newspapers Were the First Draft of City’s History —Read All About It!

ocal newspapers were there from the very beginning to chronicle our beautiful city’s history, starting with El Heraldo de San Clemente. The front-page headline on the first issue of the weekly paper on Dec. 3, 1926 announced that “San Clemente by the Sea Is Destined to Become Renowned.” It also praised founder Ole Hanson for his vision for the city. While he wasn’t the publisher of the broadsheet, Ole was a not-so-silent financial partner. We get a sense of life here at the very beginning from other stories in that first issue. San Clemente already had its own orchestra, which would perform live on San Diego radio station KFSD. This broadcast was just five years after the first commercial radio station had gone on the air at KDKA in Pittsburgh. As such, few people here had radios. So, Ole purchased one, which he installed at the newly built Club House so that locals could listen. Another headline announced the big news that there would be a “Post Office for San Clemente Very Soon.” One of the first advertisements encouraged people to use more electricity—a far cry from the situation today. The subscription price to the eight-page weekly was just $2 per year. A week later, El Heraldo announced the first factory in San Clemente. It was being built at the top of Avenida Del

Mar, where the Old City Hall building is today. The factory would produce handcarved “office furniture, picture frames and mantel pieces.” Another headline in that second edition proclaimed: “God May Go on Vacation Sometimes, But Real Home Is in San Clemente. Ole HISTORICAL Hanson Says So and HAPPENINGS That Makes It So.” BY TOM MARSHALL That second edition also introduced a local gossip column, Around the Town. One item noted that a Mr. Huteson had been in town since the first lots went on sale, even though his home hadn’t been built yet. “He has been living in tents, rooms, and, we believe, for a few nights hung up on a harness hook in the barn. Mrs. Huteson, who was a little more particular about her place of abode … spent part of her time in Los Angeles.” El Heraldo’s first editorial proclaimed the virtues of Prohibition in the United States—an odd position considering the town’s bootlegging reputation at the time. Subsequent editions announced our first store on Feb. 4, 1927, the San Clemente Sweet Shop. “Sundaes and drugs are for sale, and it features leather padded chairs and a pretty girl to wait on you.” Yikes, how

SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

ADOPTABLE PET OF THE WEEK

Chandler

San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

Meet Chandler, a 9-month-old sweetheart ready for his forever family. Left outside the shelter door as a kitten, Chandler was understandably a shy little guy. Now that he is more settled, the shelter has found him to be a curious and playful kitty that can be quite affectionate once he gets to know you. Chandler is looking for a quieter home that he can finally call his own. If you are interested in adopting Chandler, please visit petprojectfoundation.org to download an adoption application form. Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@scdpanimalshelter.org, and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment. SC

Contributor: San Clemente Historical Society

FROM THE ARCHIVES Pictured is the front page of the first

edition of San Clemente’s first newspaper, El Heraldo de San Clemente, dated Dec. 3, 1926. This photo can be purchased from the San Clemente Historical Society at sanclementehistoricalsociety.org.

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

times have changed. The first wedding in San Clemente was covered in the Feb. 4, 1927 paper. “Miss Gladys McDonald and Mr. Roy McClure tied the knot at the beautiful club house with dinner at Cafe San Clemente.” Next month, we will continue our history of newspapers with more accounts from El Heraldo and other local publications. Happy New Year from all of us at

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

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

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See the solution in next week’s issue.

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PUBLIC NOTICES TO ADVERTISE: 949.388.7700, EXT. 111 • LEGALS@PICKETFENCEMEDIA.COM PUBLIC NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1724 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of San Clemente, at its Regular Meeting of December 21, 2021, adopted the following ordinance: Ordinance No. 1724 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY MANAGER’S AUTHORITY TO APPROVE AND EXECUTE CITY CONTRACTS. A full copy of the aforementioned Ordinance is available for review in the City Clerk’s Office, located at 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, California. Persons interested in receiving a copy of the Ordinance are invited to contact the Deputy City Clerk at (949) 361-8301 or by email at campagnolol@ san-clemente.org. NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the above-referenced Ordinance was introduced at the City Council meeting of December 7, 2021 and was adopted at the Regular City Council meeting of December 21, 2021 by the following vote: DUNCAN, KNOBLOCK, AYES: MAYOR JAMES

WARD,

NOES: FERGUSON ABSENT: NONE JOANNE BAADE City Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Council PUBLIC NOTICE ORDINANCE NOS. 1720 and 1721 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of San Clemente, at its Regular Meeting of December 21, 2021, adopted the following ordinances: 1. Ordinance No. 1720 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, TO APPROVE AND ADOPT AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE MUNICIPAL CODE TITLE 17, ZONING, UPDATING ERRONEOUS PERMITTED USE TABLE PLACEMENT AND DEFINITIONS FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE GENERAL PLAN AND STATE AND FEDERAL LAW. 2. Ordinance No. 1721 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 13.28 OF THE SAN CLEMENTE MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO WASTE DISCHARGE PRETREATMENT AND SOURCE CONTROL PROGRAM. A full copy of the aforementioned Ordinances are available for review in the City Clerk’s Office, located at 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, California. Persons interested in receiving a copy of the Ordinances are invited to contact the Deputy City Clerk at (949) 361-8301 or by email at campagnolol@ san-clemente.org. NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that Ordinance No. 1720 was introduced at the City Council meeting of November 16, 2021 and Ordinance No. 1721 was

San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

introduced at the City Council meeting of December 7, 2021, and were adopted at the Regular City Council meeting of December 21, 2021 by the following vote:

CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad at sanclementetimes.com

AYES: DUNCAN, FERGUSON, KNOBLOCK, WARD, MAYOR JAMES NOES: NONE

GARAGE SALES

ABSTAIN: NONE

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com. Deadline 12pm Monday.

ABSENT: NONE JOANNE BAADE City Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Council PUBLIC NOTICE Dish Wireless LLC is proposing to install new wireless telecommunications antennas on a replacement light pole located near 1304 Calle Valle, San Clemente, Orange Co., CA 92672. The new facility will consist of collocating antennas at a top height of approx. 68ft on a 71ft 5in light pole. Any interested party wishing to submit comments regarding the potential effects the proposed facility may have on any historic property may do so by sending such comments to: Project 6121009900 - MW EBI Consulting, 6876 Susquehanna Trail South, York, PA 17403, or via telephone at (678) 481-6555. PUBLIC NOTICE

Do you want to reach 42,000+ people in the San Clemente area? Then you need to be in the SC Times. Call us today! 949.388.7700, ext. 103

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20216622628 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: CLOSER SKATEBOARDING 905 CALLE NEGOCIO #74261 SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673 Full Name of Registrant(s): CLOSER SKATEBOARDING LLC 905 CALLE NEGOCIO #74261 SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673 This business is conducted by a CA Limited Liability Company The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A CLOSER SKATEBOARDING LLC/S/JAMES M. OWENS/PRESIDENT This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 12/13/2021. Published in: San Clemente Times December 30, 2021, January 6, 13, 20, 2022

Complete your required legal or public notice advertising in the San Clemente Times. • Fictitious Business Notice (FBN/DBA) • Name Changes • Lien Sale • Alcoholic Beverage License • Notice to Creditors • Petitions for Probate • Trustee Sale • Summons – Divorce – Civil • Annual Report • Non-Responsibility • Dissolution of Partnership EMAIL legals@picketfencemedia.com CALL 949.388.7700, ext. 111

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS

2021 San Clemente Sports Year in Review BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

he year began with returns to the field and was highlighted by plenty of regular success as San Clemente athletes and teams adapted to the new normal of 2021. Here is a look back at some of the memorable San Clemente sports moments of 2021:

JANUARY #LetThemPlay

Ten months after high school sports were shut down in California due to the pandemic, student-athletes, parents and coaches held rallies statewide on Jan. 15, including at San Clemente High School, to support a return to play. Cross country was the first sport to return on Feb. 6, and the rest of the outdoor sports were eventually given the OK to return on Feb. 26 and indoor sports on March 5.

FEBRUARY 21 Honored on Signing Day

With a masked-up, family-only ceremony on the field at Thalassa Stadium, San Clemente High School honored its college-bound student-athletes. Seven volleyball players and six football players were among the signees.

MARCH Delayed Football Seasons Begin

More than 16 months after the last San Clemente football game had been played, the Tritons took to the field to open

JUNE

their 2020 football season in the spring of 2021. San Clemente would go 5-0, including a dramatic win over Mission Viejo to claim the South Coast League Championship.

SCHS Boys Wrestling Wins Second Straight CIF-SS Title

The top-seeded Tritons secured eight pins to roundly defeat No. 2 seed Royal of Simi Valley, 52-21, to win their second consecutive CIF-SS dual meet championship. San Clemente had to start its season wrestling outdoors due to pandemic restrictions.

APRIL Capistrano Coyotes Compete in First USA Hockey National Title Game

The Capistrano Unified School District’s combined high school hockey team, the Capistrano Coyotes, advanced to the USA Hockey Division II national championship in Omaha, Nebraska on April 19. The Coyotes qualified for the tournament by winning the CAHA Division 2 state title.

MAY

The Orange County Cup of the Professional Pickleball Association went off in front of more than 3,000 spectators at the weekend event. Nearly 1,000 athletes competed for more than 300 medals in 136 events in varying skill levels and demographics.

JULY

Five Triton Teams Win League Titles

McGreevy Selected in First Round of MLB Draft

San Clemente High School’s boys volleyball, boys tennis, boys basketball, girls lacrosse and girls track and field teams all won their respective league championships in their augmented seasons. Boys tennis won its 10th consecutive South Coast League title and has won 80 consecutive league matches.

Hawkes Flies at County Track Championships

Life Time Rancho San Clemente Hosts Pro Pickleball Event

UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Michael McGreevy was selected 18th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the MLB Draft. The 2018 SCHS graduate was the highest-selected former Triton since 2015.

AUGUST

San Clemente’s Caroline Hawkes won the 200- and 400-meter sprints at the Orange County Championships to be named the sprinter of the meet. Hawkes ran the 200 in 25.38 seconds and the 400 in 57.36 seconds.

Kunz Competes in Olympic Heptathlon

San Clemente resident Annie Kunz finished sixth in the Olympic heptathlon in Tokyo. Kunz won the US. Olympic Trials heptathlon to qualify. The heptathlon consists of 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200-meter sprint, long jump, javelin and 800-meter run.

Goldstone Retires After 22 Seasons

Ken Goldstone stepped down as San Clemente High School’s boys volleyball coach after 22 years in the position and 42 years in public education. Goldstone’s teams won 13 league titles and never finished lower than second place.

San Clemente boys cross country placed four runners in the top 12 and all five scoring runners in the top 20 to handily win the Orange County Cross Country Championship. It was only the beginning of a successful run for the Tritons

NOVEMBER SCHS Boys Cross Country Ends 32-Year State Wait

After winning the South Coast League and finishing fifth in CIF-SS Division 1, the Triton boys cross country team qualified for the CIF State Championships for the first time in 32 years. San Clemente finished fourth in Division I at the state meet.

SCYF Tritons Win Two Pop Warner Regional Titles

SEPTEMBER Pronier Steps Down After 33 Years

DECEMBER

OCTOBER

San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

Wins County Title

The South Coast Youth Football Tritons won Wescon Division 2 Regional Championships in the Mighty Mite and Pee Wee Divisions. The Mighty Mite Tritons beat the Charter Oak Chargers, 28-0, and the Pee Wee Tritons won on a Charter Oak forfeit.

Mike Pronier stepped down as San Clemente High School’s boys soccer coach after 33 years and an incredible amount of success. Pronier’s teams won three CIFSS titles, two CIF State Regional titles and a total of 446 games.

San Clemente football went 5-0 and won the South Coast League in a delayed and shortened 2020 season in spring of 2021. Photo: Alan Gibby/Zone57

San Clemente resident Annie Kunz finished sixth in the Olympic heptathlon. Photo: Courtesy of Tyler Mahon

SCHS Boys Cross Country Page 14

Weatherholt Selected in NWSL Expansion Draft

Dani Weatherholt was the first overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Expansion draft by Los Angeles’ new women’s professional soccer team, Angel City FC. Weatherholt, a 2012 SCHS graduate, was picked from Seattle’s OL Reign and previously played with the Orlando Pride. SC sanclementetimes.com

San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

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ATTORNEY

Aaron Lloyd Bankruptcy Attorney 2377 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.544.9355, lloydlegal.com

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

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Eric Johnson, D.D.S. 647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, San Clemente, 949.493.9311, drericjohnson.com

Arcadia Electric 949.361.1045, arcadiaelectric.com

ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS 3West Environmental, Inc. www.3westenviro.com Residential & commercial inspections for mold, asbestos and lead paint. 310.400.0195

LIST LOCALS ONLY USE LOCALS ONLY Call Lauralyn for pricing at 949.388.7700, ext. 102 or lloynes@picketfencemedia.com

FIREWOOD FOR SALE Jack McKay, Owner 949.449.0445 mckayja29@gmail.com Call for prices. Earning money to purchase my first car. Perfect for campfires, beach fires, home fires.

HOME IMPROVEMENT/ REMODELING

Hoover Construction License B-774675 949.292.6778

MUSIC LESSONS

REALTORS

Rock Club Music School 73 Via Pico Plaza, San Clemente, 949.463.1968, beachcitiesrockclub.com

“Sandy & Rich” RE/MAX Coastal Homes 949.293.3236, sandyandrich.com

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

Scott Kidd, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services 949.498.0487, skidd@bhhscal.com

Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, San Clemente, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), moranperio.com

Dr. Raymond L. Wright Jr., DDS 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, San Clemente, (949)361-GUMS (4867), sanclementeperiodontics.com

PROSTHODONTICS Hamilton Le, D.M.D., F.A.C.P. 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, San Clemente, 949.361.4867 (GUMS), moranperio.com

SALONS

Salon Bleu 207 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.366.2060, scsalonbleu.com

VETERINARY HOUSE CALLS Dr. Damon Goldstein, DVM 626.485.9355, damongoldstein@outlook.com “Personalized Care for your Fur Babies at your Home”

BUSINESS DIRECTORY PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call Lauralyn Loynes at 949.388.7700, ext. 102 or lloynes@picketfencemedia.com

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

Call Lauralyn Loynes at 949.388.7700, ext. 102 or lloynes@picketfencemedia.com

San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call Lauralyn Loynes at 949.388.7700, ext. 102 or lloynes@picketfencemedia.com

San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

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SC SURF

Happy New Year … Just Keep Surfing When it Comes to Health and Happiness, There’s Nothing Better Than Getting in the Water BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

nother lap around the sun together on this crazy blue orb, and as we bear down on the start of 2022, I’d like to wish everyone much health and happiness in the New Year. “The greatest thing in life is health,” once opined the late Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, who famously raised his family on the shores of San Onofre. “Some of the most profound realizations that I came to about health did not derive from medicine, but derived from surfing,” Paskowitz continued. Without a doubt, the connection between surfing, health and happiness is real. It’s one of those things you come to realize as age creeps up on you. When you start surfing as a kid, it’s all fun all the time. The more sun, salt and swell, the better. But in the words of the great bluesman Lightin’ Hopkins: “There ain’t no wise young men.” The appreciation for surfing’s true meaning and benefits is hard-earned over time. The more laps around the sun we enjoy, the more we come to realize the power of riding waves and the importance it plays in our health and happiness. Just look at how many people took to the water in these COVID-19 times to see the joy a day at the beach can bring. Remember when the pandemic first hit, and they closed the beaches? I was bombarded by messages from people explaining how much they truly needed surfing and, like a fish out of water, they simply needed to get in the ocean. These times have certainly taught me a lot. I’m much more appreciative of whatever waves are in front of me, no matter the size or shape. I’m also not as envious as I once was when I see friends scoring warm, perfect surf in the tropics. Of course, I could most definitely use a good surf trip this coming year, but more often than not, I find I’m just happy to have a paddle somewhere around here. “I’m not striving for the ideal surf-

San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

The epitome of style, class and humility, local icon Phil Edwards continues to inspire generations of surfers to get in the water and do their thing. Photo: Courtesy of Bruce Brown Films

er’s paradise anymore, or the perfect life without obstacles. It doesn’t exist,” Jaimal Yogis wrote in his book Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer’s Quest to Find Zen on the Sea. “Not that I don’t have preferences or dreams anymore,” he continued. “But it seems like the idea of paradise is just on the horizon, always, while life is here, under my feet, now. Might as well enjoy it, learn to appreciate the good waves, the paddling, the ferocious storms, and the mundane moments—the quiet lulls between swells.” At present, I’ve been out of the water for the better part of a month after getting stung by a stingray at Poche (it’s what I get for trying to sneak in a surf before a funeral … karma, I suppose). Thankfully, this may be the longest stint I’ve gone in the past 20 years without surfing, but the foot’s finally healed, and I’m anxious to pull the wetsuit back on. I’m sure whenever I do paddle out, I will have once again learned a lesson in appreciation. The ocean’s a good teacher like that. “In regards to surfing, I’ve learned that there is always another wave coming,” shared Gerry Lopez, the original Pipe Master and a bit of a bodhisattva

himself. “Translated, that means there is always tomorrow.” “No matter how badly you get caught inside, if you can just hang in there and keep paddling, the set is going to pass and there will be a lull afterwards,” Lopez added. “So, don’t give up, just take your pounding, wait until the set passes, then make your move.” “There is wisdom in waves. Some surfers see it right away, others never do,” Lopez continued. “To find success in surfing, we must learn to be in harmony with nature. This will bring a sense of peace. By sharing this peace, and contributing to other people’s happiness, we can find the true meaning of life. Keep surfing.” And that’s it, that’s really the secret: just keep surfing. Life is always going to throw wild cards your way, whether it’s a crazy global pandemic or sting from a stingray; getting in the water, paddling out and riding that next wave is what it’s all about. That’s key to health and happiness if you’re a surfer. And to that, I say Happy New Year and happy surfing. Jake Howard is local surfer and freelance writer who lives in San Clemente. A former editor at Surfer Magazine, The Surfer’s Journal and ESPN, today he writes for a Page 18

SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 57-58 Degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: 1-2 Thursday: A South/southwest swell sets up waist-stomach-chest high surf (2-3-4’). Breezy Southeast winds in the morning, shift South for the afternoon. Rain likely. Outlook: A blend of Southwest and Northwest swells keeps waves in the waist-stomach-chest high range, (2-3-4’), on Friday and Saturday, then Sunday’s surf drops to knee-thigh-waist high, (1-23’). Moderate Northwest winds on Friday. Weekend winds will be light; offshore in the mornings, onshore for the afternoons.

number of 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. SC sanclementetimes.com

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San Clemente Times December 30, 2021-January 5, 2022

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