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VOLUME 7, ISSUE 49

Remaking North Beach

Community group looking to overcome past divisiveness E Y E O N S C / PAG E 6 After several years of conflict, the North Beach community is beginning to come together in search of ways to improve their area. Courtesy photo

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NRC to Hear Edison Case for Unit 2 Restart

Triton Soccer Preparing for Big Matchup

Alpay Named New President of CUSD Board

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EYE ON SC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

SC S a n C le m e n te

DANA POINT

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO Unlike its real-life predecessors, Juan, the controversial dinosaur replica at Zoomars Petting Zoo in San Juan Capistrano’s Los Rios Historic District, continues to stave off extinction. The Cultural Heritage Commission on Tuesday, November 27, approved Zoomars owner Carolyn Franks’ proposed revisions to her conditional-use permit which would allow her to keep the 13-foot-tall, 36-footlong structure on her property. The commission’s approval represents the city’s first show of support for the dinosaur since it was installed in June on the former Jones Mini Farm Property. Franks’ revised permit calls for the creation of four distinct areas on her property, in addition to the existing petting zoo. Following the commission’s decision, the Planning Commission will now consider the item once more at a future meeting.

NEWS

NEXT DOOR WH AT ’S GOI N G O N I N OU R NE IGH B O R I N G TOWN S

City Council on December 4 voted unanimously to renew the Dana Point Tourism Business Improvement District, or TBID, and authorized the city manager to execute a $364,000 contract with current advertising agency, Agency 51, for 2013. The TBID was created in March of 2009 through a public/private partnership with the city and its four largest hotels. It amasses funds, via a $3 per night room assessment collected by the member hotels, to be used for branding and marketing the city. The vote also authorized an inaugural USA Elephant Parade—an international event featuring elephant sculptures painted by celebrities then auctioned off to raise awareness for the protection of endangered Asian elephants. According to the item staff report, the TBID is expected to spend roughly $2 million on its marketing efforts in the next year.

SAN CLEMENTE’S TOP 5 HOTTEST TOPICS

What’s Up With... 1

…a SONGS Restart Hearing?

THE LATEST: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will discuss the proposed restart of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on December 18, but will not be doing so locally. A press release sent out by the NRC Monday announced that the regulatory agency would be meeting with Southern California Edison to discuss the utility’s restart plan December 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (1 p.m. to 4p.m. local time), in Rockville, Md. The utility met with NRC officials November 30 to discuss its response to the NRC’s confirmatory action letter, detailing how it planned to respond to the wear found in Unit 2 and the causes of the leakage in Unit 3 this past January. WHAT’S NEXT: The meeting will be webcast live for those unable to attend the meeting in Maryland. The release also states that those interested can also phone into the meeting via teleconference. The release noted that the NRC would be discussing the restart proposal but explicitly stated that no decisions on restarting the plant would be made at the hearing. FIND OUT MORE: The full release, including information about contacting the commission to be on the teleconference can be found at www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/news/2012/12-126.pdf. — Jim Shilander

…the New CUSD Board?

THE LATEST: In its final meeting of the year, the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees welcomed back trustees John Alpay and Gary Pritchard to the dais San Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

and officially swore in new trustees Amy Hanacek and Jim Reardon on Monday, December 10. Alpay, who won his re-election bid in Area 3, which covers San Clemente, was elected board president by a 5-1 vote, with Reardon abstaining. Reardon initially nominated trustee Lynn Hatton for the position, which was supported by trustee Ellen Addonizio’s vote. However, when the vote came to Hatton, she elected to support Alpay. Hatton was later unanimously elected as vice president of the board. Trustee Anna Bryson was unanimously elected as clerk. The reorganization of the board comes off what many voters and trustees called a difficult and contentious election season.

registry currently. Since the first surfing community at Trestles began in the 1930s, and many major developments in surfing had taken place there, the historians consulted by the Surfrider Foundation had said the area was potentially a very good candidate. WHAT’S NEXT: The nomination of the Trestles Historic District will be considered at the State Historical Resources Commission Quarterly Meeting to be held Friday, February 8 at 9 a.m., at the Secretary of State’s office in Sacramento. FIND OUT MORE: For future developments check out www.sanclementetimes. com — JS

WHAT’S NEXT: The next regular board meeting will take place January 7. FIND OUT MORE: To listen to audio from the meeting, visit www.capousd.org. — Brian Park

…a Trestles Historic Designation?

THE LATEST: The California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Historic preservation will consider potentially recognizing Trestles as a historic district. Interested parties received a notice dated December 5 that the agency would be considering the nomination of the area to the National Register of Historic Places. Mark Rauscher of the Surfrider Foundation said the effort had begun after the failure to put the Toll Road in the area. “We recognized after that, that this is really a special place, not just because of the history, but for it’s natural resources,” Rauscher said. Rauscher indicated that there were not many surfing related historic places in the

…Wire thefts at parks?

THE LATEST: San Clemente Police are investigating two recent thefts of large amounts of copper wire at two San Clemente parks. Chief of Police Services John Coppock said the two burglaries had taken place about a week apart. The theft at Vista Hermosa, which likely took place very early in the morning hours of December 2, led to the cancellation of a number of practices and events at the park. He said a theft at San Gorgonio Park had taken place sometime between Friday, December 7 and Sunday, December 9. Coppock said that it appeared the thefts were likely taking place either very late at night or in the early morning hours, since it would likely take some time to accomplish the thefts. He did not indicate whether the incidents were thought to be related. WHAT’S NEXT: Coppock asked that residents around city parks be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. Copper

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theft is an increasingly lucrative criminal activity, Coppock noted. FIND OUT MORE: For future developments in the cases, check out www.sanclementetimes.com —JS

…The Beach Club Renovation?

THE LATEST: At its final meeting in November, the San Clemente City Council tabled a proposal for the renovation of the Ole Hanson Beach Club, citing a desire to get additional architectural review of the project. Recreation Manager Pam Passow said both the public and city staff preferred one of the three designs, noting that the reason for the rehabilitation was to provide an additional space in town for events, as well as to simply provide a renovation to the site that respected its history. Passow noted that the preferred design would allow for a catering kitchen, as well as an elevator that could allow for events as well as comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The site, itself, she said, was still “fairly inefficient.” WHAT’S NEXT: Council members expressed concerns about the preferred design and said they would prefer to see some additional architectural review of the design. We have a real opportunity to make something a little bit better than what we have right now,” Councilman Bob Baker said. “There’s just something about this that’s off to me.” The council will have a study session for the proposal as its first meeting in January. FIND OUT MORE: For the larger story, see www.sanclementetimes.com —JS Have a story idea? Send your suggestions to editorial@sanclementetimes.com. www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC CITY AND COMMUNITY CALENDAR Thursday, December 13 Chat with Pat 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Talk with a senior healthcare expert at the Dorothy Visser Senior Center. 117 Avenida Victoria, 949.498.3322, www.san-clemente.org. Coastal Advisory Committee Meeting 7 p.m. Ole Hanson Room in the Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville, 949.361.8200, www.san-clemente.org. Pajama Storytime 7 p.m. The whole family is invited to wear PJs to the library and listen to stories read by the Sunshine Readers. 242 Avenida Del Mar, 949.492.3493, www.san-clemente.org.

Friday, December 14 TGIF Party 12 p.m. Fun at the Dorothy Visser Senior Center with Harold’s South Coast Dixie Jazz Band. 117 Avenida Victoria, 949.498.3322, www.san-clemente.org.

Saturday, December 15 Christmas Bird Count 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Annual hunt to find birds at The Reserve/ Richard and Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy with experienced birders. Free to attend. Call for info and directions, 949.489.9778, www.theconservancy.org.

Sunday, December 16 Small Works Art Show 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Art exhibit on display with winners announced in the San Clemente Art Gallery at the San Clemente Community Center. Runs through Jan. 3. 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, 949.492.7175, www.scartgallery.com.

Tuesday, December 18 City Council Meeting 6 p.m. The final regular meeting of the year in City Hall Council Chambers. 100 Avenida Presidio, 949.361.8200, www.san-clemente.org.

Wednesday, December 19 Kiwanis Meeting 12 p.m. The local Kiwanis Club meets at Carrows. 620 Avenida Pico, 949.290.8729, www.sanclementekiwanis.com. SC Rotary Club 12 p.m. Irons in the Fire, 150 Avenida Magdalena, 949.361.3619, www.sanclementerotary.org. Planning Commission Meeting 6 p.m. Regular meeting in Council Chambers. 100 Avenida Presidio, 949.361.8200, www.san-clemente.org. San Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

NEWS BITES

Compiled by Jim Shilander

PROPS, RECOGNITIONS AND MORSELS OF INFO Fourteen Bikes Donated to Children By Community Members u An effort spearheaded by community members Pete van Nuys and George Gregory led to the donation of 14 bicycles to the KABC-TV “Spark of Love” Toy Drive. The bikes were donated by local residents and businesses, including Gregory, Cynthia Anderson, Coffee Importers and the Miller family of Dana Point, Ganahl Lumber of San Juan Capistrano, North Beach Green Alternative, Peter Drilling and Contracting, San Clemente Mayor Bob Baker, Urban Bicycle Outfitters, Antoine’s Cafe, Kathleen Ward and Sharon Ruiz, Gary and Linda Hopp, Consolidated Electric, PowerSource Electric and Larry Culbertson.

SCHS Music Programs Presenting Holiday Concerts The San Clemente High School’s Instrumental and Choral Music program is presenting its fourth annual Winter Extravaganza Concert on Wednesday, December 19 and Thursday, December 20. The orchestra, band and choir will all be performing holiday favorites, as well as hosting fundraising events, including a silent auction and a bake sale. Concerts on both nights will be held at 7 p.m. at the San Clemente High School Triton Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door but can be purchased beforehand by contacting tjfernandez@capousd.org or aesoto@capousd.org. u

Information Available on CUSD Spanish Immersion Program u Viejo Elementary School in Mission Viejo invites parents of incoming kindergartners to informational meetings to learn about its Two-Way Spanish Language Immersion Program. Viejo Elementary School is Capistrano Unified School District’s newest school to offer Two-Way Language Immersion Program. In its third year, the program offers students the opportunity to become fluent and literate in both English and Spanish. Students who attend the Two-Way Language Immersion Program receive instruction in both English and Spanish to develop linguistic and academic competence in both languages. Students from the two language groups (native English and native Spanish speakers) attend class together, learn from one another and support each other’s second language acquisition. Viejo Elementary School will hold parent information meetings and tours on Wednesday, December 19 and January 9, 16, 23, and 30, in Room 19 at 8:15 a.m. The Two-Way Spanish Immersion Program is also offered at two other elemen-

Pete van Nuys, left, and Loren Wood of Urban Bicycle Outfitters work to build one of the 14 bicycles purchased by community members for children in San Clemente. The bikes were given out at the Metrolink Holiday Toy Express stop in San Clemente Saturday night.

tary schools: Las Palmas Elementary in San Clemente and San Juan Elementary in San Juan Capistrano. Students can continue their Two-Way Spanish Immersion studies at Marco Forster Middle School in San Juan Capistrano or Bernice Ayers Middle School in San Clemente. Capistrano Unified also offers Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion at Bergeson Elementary School in Laguna Niguel. Las Palmas Elementary will hold parent meetings and tours on Tuesday, December 18 and January 15, 22, and 29, in the Multipurpose Room at 8:30 a.m. San Juan Elementary will hold parent meetings and tours in English on December 13, January 10, 24, 29 and February 7, and in Spanish on Tuesday, January 15, in the Multipurpose Room at 8 a.m. Bergeson Elementary School will hold informational meetings for its Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Program on January 15, 22, 29, and February 12, in the Multipurpose Room at 8 a.m. Parents can contact the school directly to reserve a space for the informational meeting and tour. Children must be 5 years old by October 1, 2013, in order to apply for the 2013-14 school year. For more information contact: Viejo Elementary School in Mission Viejo at 949.582-2424, Las Palmas Elementary School in San Clemente at 949.234.5333, San Juan Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano at 949.493.4533 and Bergeson Elementary School in Laguna Niguel at 949.643.1540 or visit www. capousd.org.

Art Exhibit to feature Paskowitz u The stories of one of San Clemente’s most well known surfing families will be the subject of an art exhibit at the Mint Fine Art Gallery Saturday. “The Paskowitz Experience” will feature art by Joshua Paskowitz, the youngest of the nine Paskowitz children. The Paskowitz family has been called “the first family” of surfing and founded a camp in 1972 to teach surfing, a camp that has produced some of the country’s top surfers. The family was the subject of a documentary film in 2007, and a narrative feature film is being produced about the family starring Sean Penn. Joshua Paskowitz has been sketching since he was a child. He is the co-founder of the organizations Surfing 4 Peace and Rock the Autism. The exhibition will be held from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Doc and Izzy Paskowitz will each be present to sign copies of their books.

Elks Hosting New Year’s Celebration

San Clemente Restaurant Hosting Art Exhibition

u San Clemente Elks Lodge No. 2068 will ring in the New Year twice on December 31. The event, dubbed “New York State of Mind,” will allow celebrants to toast to the start of 2013 at both 9 p.m. (midnight in New York) as well as at midnight Pacific Time. The event also features dinner and live music. The cost is $30 for dinner, while $10 tickets are available for just music and dancing. The party will take place at the Elk’s Lodge at 1505 North El Camino Real. Those planning to attend must RSVP by December 28. For further information, contact 949.361.2651 or 939.1667.

u St. Roy Chef’s Club at The Vine will host an art exhibition by San Clemente artist Louise Howard December 18 at 7 p.m. Hors d’oeuvers and wine will be served. The exhibition runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant is located at 211 North El Camino Real.

Have something interesting for the community? Tell us about awards, events, happenings, accomplishments and more. Forward a picture along, too! We’ll put your submissions into “News Bites.” Send your information to editorial@sanclementetimes.com.

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EYE ON SC

North Beach Community Group Charting Calmer Course Unity a key to creating new life in the area By Jim Shilander San Clemente Times

he future of North Beach has been one of the most divisive issues in San Clemente over the past several years. From the passage of Measure C in 2008 up through last year’s contentious campaign over the Playa Del Norte proposal, Measure A, the future of San Clemente’s gateway on the Pacific Coast Highway has been a major source of debate. But now, an organization made up of residents, business owners and other stakeholders is hoping to move the area forward and to advance the debate beyond the rancor of the last several years. North Beach resident Rey Harju said he’s had 15 to 20 people over to his home regularly over the past year to discuss what could be done to improve the area. That group, which helped form the nucleus of the new North Beach Community Association, decided that the most important things they could do was to reach out to all sides of the past fights. “The most important thing was to get a group together intent on making North Beach a better place,” Harju said. “We’re just collecting ideas that people have. Those ideas will eventually be converted into action items. But nobody’s pushing any big construction projects or anything like that.” Last week, Harju helped to preside over a large community meeting that involved interested parties from across the area, mostly residents like himself. “We had 38 people at the meeting,” Harju said. “Nine were not part of the North Beach community, but the rest were residents, people who work there or own property there. For the most part, it was anyone who’s interested in helping make North Beach better.” One of the keys, Harju said, was to continue to foster the sense of community within North Beach itself, an area that, he said, has sometimes felt like “the Rodney Dangerfield of San Clemente.” “We have some good developments, like the new restaurant at the Casino, places like Knuckleheads, which is like our local ‘Cheers.’ There’s lots of little things going on. Nobody wants to screw up North Beach. Nobody wants to over-develop.” In the past, he said, development efforts in the area had either fallen through because of division or difficult development processes, such as the proposal for the Nixon Library at Marblehead, or had simply not been well thought out. “Our best view of North Beach is probably from the garage of the water treatment plant,” Harju said. “That’s probably one of the most prime pieces of property in San Clemente.” A key part of the effort will also be enSan Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

Events like this past weekend’s Metrolink Holiday Toy Express are seen as key by North Beach community members in getting more activity in the area. Photo by Kevin Dahlgren

couraging community events in the area. The Taste of San Clemente was held last month at the renovated Casino San Clemente. And this past weekend, hundreds of residents from across the area turned out at the Metrolink Holiday Toy Express event, which was purposefully moved to the North Beach train stop rather than the planned stop in the Pier Bowl. The association had food and informational booths that raised money for Courtney’s SandCastle. “That’s the kind of thing we’re looking to do,” Harju said. The group hopes to hold other events, especially concerts, to bring people across San Clemente to the area. City Councilman Jim Evert has been involved with the Association throughout the last several months. “I see a lot of potential there. The problem is that there are obstacles in place,” Evert said. Another major concern is the status of the Miramar Theater. Harju said that at every meeting that the organization had, someone would bring up the status of the theater. Evert said the city had been working with the owners of the Miramar to restore the theater building itself. “On the rest of the property, there needs to be some sort of community restaurant and retail that helps to support the restoration, even if it means tearing down the bowling alley.” A significant recent positive, one that may well be a guide for the Miramar’s restoration, has been the work done at Casino San Clemente, which has been undertaken by the Sadeghi family, who had been behind the proposed Playa del

Norte development. “They’ve done a tremendous job with the Casino,” Harju said. Harju said he’d already held a family wedding and a birthday celebration at the facility, which also hosted the Taste of San Clemente event last month. A small restaurant is planned for the property, which Harju said many in the community are quite excited about. Evert said another factor in creating a sense of community in North Beach was to beautify the area. There were already a number of such efforts underway, many being undertaken by the NBCA, as well as city work. “Renovation of all the small businesses and restaurants is important. One of the most important things in developing an area is to have good restaurants. The Casino is opening a restaurant. There’s a lot of cosmetic things you can do.” The city has had an incentive program for beautification of businesses in other areas, Evert said, which he believed might be successful in helping the effort in North Beach. “The incentive program we had in Los Molinos really went a long way toward getting pride into that community,” Evert said. Amber Gregg is the city’s community development staff member for the North Beach area. She said the city had made grants available to businesses to improve their facades and signage, as well as eased parking requirements in the area. She said it’s clear the city has real potential for growth, and it’s clear that growth was beginning. “The North Beach area is very unique,” Gregg said. “It has great potential and great obstacles. Change has already

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begun in the gateway area, the roads have been repaved, the sidewalks and intersections have been improved with decorative pavers, the Casino has been beautifully restored and is a huge success, and the Ole Hanson Beach Club is currently going through an extensive restoration. We are also seeing an increase in new small businesses such as Bull Tacos and The Riders Club, and existing businesses such as the San Clemente Art Center are improving their properties. Hopefully these improvements will encourage other property owners to also complete renovations and continue this upward trend.” Another major change in the community coming in the next few years will be the housing development portion of Marblehead Coastal, Evert said. However, since that portion of the Marblehead development is still controlled by Lehman Brothers, it may take a little bit more time to sort out than the commercial development closer to Interstate-5. Those who opposed Playa Del Norte also have a set at the table. Former city councilman Wayne Eggleston, who was one of the leaders of the anti-Measure A campaign, attended the community meeting held last week, just to see what was going on. “I didn’t know what to expect when I went there,” Eggleston said. “But I was impressed by what they were doing.” Specifically, he said, the efforts to bring community events and to do small things to beautify the area, such as planting box trees. He also praised the work of the Sadeghi family in their work restoring Casino San Clemente. “The Sadeghis have done a marvelous job,” Eggleston said. All the small things and community events were good ways to encourage development in North Beach he said. “Development that happens organically seems to be better than things that are master-planned,” Eggleston said. He was also happy to see that the group was not about re-litigating the results of last year’s vote. “People said at the beginning of the meeting ‘Not to talk about Playa del Norte, and please don’t talk about Playa del Norte.’ Anytime anyone tried to bring it up, they said the same thing.” Gregg said that unity, and the efforts to overcome past divisions, was very important for the future of the area. “Unity is always very helpful, but you can only create unity through collaboration. The North Beach area has taken a large leap forward in the past couple of months. This association is different than any other in the city, as it includes businesses as well as residents. The members want anyone to be able to join that desire to make North Beach a better place.” SC www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

SC Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BY ARIANA CRISAFULLI All information below is obtained from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department website. The calls represent what was told to the deputy in the field by the radio dispatcher. The true nature of an incident often differs from what is initially reported. No assumption of criminal guilt or affiliation should be drawn from the content of the information provided. An arrest doesn’t represent guilt. The items below are just a sampling of the entries listed on the OCSD Web site.

December 10 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Via Socorro, 200 Block (11:53 a.m.) A caller stated that a man was walking three donkeys and had tried to come onto the campus of a school. The caller said that the man was nice, but thought it was odd he was walking around with donkeys. SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida Presidio, 100 Block (9:30 a.m.) A woman called saying she had met a man a few weeks ago at a bar. She stated that she had let him come back to her apartment, where he had sexually assaulted her. The man was now calling her and making threats that he would come into her apartment and hurt her. The woman said she was scared because the man knew where she lived. ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Pas Vista, 100 Block (4:15 a.m.) A call was made reporting an attempted break-in. The caller, an elderly woman, also reported her husband to be non-responsive. However, she hung up while receiving instructions from the fire department. When the department called back, the line was busy. RECKLESS DRIVING Ola Vista, 400 Block (12:27 a.m.) Reckless driving was reported when someone was doing doughnuts. The informant said that it had happened earlier in the night, and was occurring again.

December 9 DISTURBANCE Avenida Santa Margarita (6:57 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for a shirtless male subject who was on his balcony, screaming into his phone that he wanted somebody killed. SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Vista Encanta, 0 Block (6:31 p.m.) A call was made requesting a patrol check after a suspicious male came to the informant’s door asking to borrow a screwdriver. The informant refused to open the door so no contact was made. San Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

VANDALISM REPORT Via San Gorgonio, 2900 Block (5:55 p.m.) Wires are suspected of being stolen after a report of 19 light fixtures being cut from electrical boxes. The City electricians will survey the damage. DISTURBANCE N. El Camino Real/Avenida Del Mar (3:15 p.m.) A call was made reporting a man sitting at the bus stop, yelling profanities at passersby. The caller could not provide a description of the man. CITIZEN ASSIST Camino de los Mares, 600 Block (1:25 p.m.) An informant called to report a drunken elderly woman in front of Fitness for Women who had urinated in her pants and appeared to be lost. The woman became verbal and irate when the informant tried to help. MEDICAL AID Plaza Estival, 400 Block (12:44 p.m.) A woman called from the Kaiser Psychiatric line saying she needed help for her alcoholism. The woman was slurring her speech and was threatening to harm herself if she was not able to receive help. DISTURBANCE Camino de los Mares, 600 Block (11:39 a.m.) An intoxicated man was brought to the San Clemente Hospital Emergency Room. The patient was being difficult and uncooperative with the hospital staff. DISTURBANCE El Camino Real, 2400 Block (11:01 a.m.) A woman called from a pay-phone outside La Vista Inn to report that the hotel manager had allowed an unknown male to enter her hotel room. WELFARE CHECK Calle Amistad, 100 Block (10:19 a.m.) A woman called to report that her daughter was suffering from psychosis due to past methamphetamine use. The woman requested a check up on her daughter, who was sitting in a car in front of the apartment. The subject was reported as having no weapons or drugs on her at the time of the call. DISTURBANCE Avenida Ramona, 0 Block (4:30 a.m.) An informant reported hearing two intoxicated females who were disturbing the peace in front of the informant’s building. No contact was made with the females. BATTERY REPORT Camino de los Mares (2:29 a.m.) A battery report was made concerning a 22-year-old male at an unknown location in San Clemente. The subject refused to provide details and was adamant about not filing a report against the perpetrator. DRUNK IN PUBLIC E. Avenida Pico (2:54 a.m.) A call was made reporting an intoxicated man in the

McDonald’s parking lot. The man was urinating in the bushes and fell over when attempting to get back into his vehicle. No contact was made with the man. DISTURBANCE-FAMILY DISPUTE Marquita, 100 Block (2:45 a.m.) A man was heard yelling at a female at his residence, telling her to get out. Both subjects appeared to be drunk and irate. PROWLER Avenida Victoria, 500 Block (2:05 a.m.) A woman called to report a man with dark hair who was repeatedly walking back and forth in front of her window and attempting to see into her home. The man was last seen 2 minutes before the call and the woman was told to meet the police in front of her house when they arrived.

December 8 DISTURBANCE El Camino Real. 2400 Block (11:13 p.m.) A report was made concerning a female who was repeatedly entering the Hampton Inn and yelling at the guests in their rooms. The woman was last seen loitering in the parking lot at the time of the call. DISTURBANCE El Camino Real, 1400 Block (11:12 p.m.) A man at the San Onofre Inn was causing a ruckus in his room and banging on the walls of other guests’ rooms. DISTURBANCE El Camino Real, 3400 Block (11:06 p.m.) An informant called to report a man who had picked up a pair of trimmers in his front yard and began walking away. When the informant called after the man, he returned the trimmers. The informant reported it because he was concerned that the man would steal from another’s yard. DISTURBANCE Avenida del Poniente, 200 Block (10:19 p.m.) An informant reported a fight between a man and woman, which turned into battery. The perpetrator was a male who lived in a residence behind Duke’s. The medics on the scene reported that the man was intoxicated and possessed unknown illegal drugs but no weapons.

VANDALISM IN PROGRESS N. El Camino Real/Escalones (7:32 p.m.) A call was made about a male and female causing mischief in the alleyway on Escalones. The female was reportedly vandalizing the walls while the male was playing guitar. SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Calle Campana, 600 Block (7:18 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for nine males who looked like they belonged to a gang. The subjects were loitering near the informant’s building who reported that the subjects had previously vandalized the walls of the building. SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Estacion, 1700 Block (5:27 p.m.) An unruly male transient was reported to be repeatedly jumping from the platform to the tracks at the train station. The caller was concerned for the man because he was unaware of when the next train was coming and could possibly be putting himself in harm’s way. TRESPASSING Via Ameno, 1500 Block (4:54 p.m.) A male and a female were using the spa at the location. The informant reported that this was an ongoing problem with the couple. The couple has been informed that they are trespassing on the property, but they continue to use the spa. DISTURBANCE El Camino Real, 1600 Block (3:39 p.m.) A male transient was seen in the parking lot of the Best Western disturbing the peace. He was reportedly yelling obscenities and attempting to fight the guests. WELFARE CHECK Avenida Calafia, 200 Block (1:38 p.m.) A welfare check was requested when a woman was seen stumbling while pushing a child in a stroller up the hill. The woman appeared to be disoriented and possibly intoxicated. DISTURBANCE Avenida Del Mar, 100 Block (10:57 a.m.) A call was made on a customer at a jewelry store who was upset and insulting an employee and accusing him of “being a cheat.”

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY La Rambla, 300 Block (9:34 p.m.) A loud party was reported with questionable behavior occurring. People at the party were said to be doing drugs, having sex and urinating on the resident’s lawn. The informant reported that this was an ongoing problem for the neighborhood.

DISTURBANCE Avenida Serra, 100 Block (9:25 a.m.) A female caller reported that her boyfriend had just shoved her in the chest. The couple had not been drinking and there were no weapons present. The subject was reported to have been “high on marijuana.”

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY Costa Rustico, 5100 Block (8:30 p.m.) A loud party was occurring next door to the informant’s house. The informant overheard a male at the party saying they have “Hawaii Haze,” which was suspected to be an illegal drug.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Platanar, 2200 Block (7:12 a.m.) A woman reported an unknown male knocking on her door for the last ten minutes. The subject was carrying a red duffle bag and the informant was concerned that the man may be lost.

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SOAPBOX VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

CITY EDITOR Jim Shilander, 949.388.7700, x109 jshilander@sanclementetimes.com

CEO Norb Garrett

PRINT AND ONLINE

S a n C le m e n te

San Clemente Times, Vol. 7, Issue 49. The SC Times (www.sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the DP Times (www.danapointtimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (www.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 2012. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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EDITORIAL Senior Editor, SC Times > Jim Shilander City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Swayne Sports & News Reporter > Steve Breazeale City Reporter, The Capistrano Dispatch > Brian Park ART/DESIGN Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith

ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING

Business Operations Manager > Alyssa Garrett

Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes (Dana Point)

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> Michele Reddick (San Clemente) > Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano) Sales Associate Angela Edwards OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed

SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, Jonathan Volzke CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Shelley Murphy, Tawnee Prazak INTERNS Ariana Crisafulli, Kevin Dahlgren, Darian Nourian, Adam Herzog

THE VILLAGE VOICE: By Wayne Eggleston

Holiday Thanks to All Who Support Marines I t is that holiday time of year to give thanks and recognition to the San Clemente groups who support Camp Pendleton Marine activities. There are so many of them, so please forgive me if I did not mention your group. First, I would like to thank those groups who have made The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation, The Marine Monument, and a nonprofit 501c3, such success this year, of which I am the volunteer executive director. Not only do we have two major ceremonies there each year, including Memorial Day and Veterans Day/USMC Birthday, but Park Semper Fi is also available for Marine weddings, re-enlistment, retirement and memorial ceremonies. This year, we had a Welcome Home Parade for the 2/4 and thousands lined the street down to Park Semper Fi. The city of San Clemente and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (RSVPs) have been terrific with these ceremonies, but also the Chamber of Commerce, San Clemente Garden Club and Glen’s Landscaping and Lighting have been invaluable partners. Thank you. www.marinemonument.com.

I got a lot of my inspiration in designing and building Park Semper Fi from Bertha Henry, who just celebrated her 101st birthday. Bertha was instrumental in the city’s first hospitality center for Wayne Eggleston Camp Pendleton Marines. She is an icon and a San Clemente treasure. The Exchange Club has an annual golf tournament for Marines that supports a variety of Marine causes, including the care of Marine families. The San Clemente Military Family Outreach feeds nearly 1,000 Marine families each year at Thanksgiving. The event is funded by their annual talent show, which is the best talent show in Southern California. Don’t miss it next year, as it is outstanding. The San Clemente Chamber of Commerce hosts an annual barbecue for 2nd Battalion 4th Marines, our adopted unit, helped by many volunteers including the South Coast Detachment Marine Corps League.

The San Clemente Marine Corps Support Group ships 7,200 pairs of socks and 600 blankets to our troops in Afghanistan. The Hogans, a Gold Star family, organize this endeavor. Our former Mayor Jim Dahl and his wife Alice have been the city ambassadors to Marine Corps functions at Camp Pendleton every year and I hope that they continue to do so, as they have been terrific in connecting with the Marines for many years. Sunrise Rotary collects food items and turkeys every year for Marines and their families during the holiday season. The San Clemente Presbyterian Church has adopted their own Marine Corps Unit and provides services to many families each year. What dedication they have had for many decades. The Watershed Task Force hosts a holiday dinner for Marines each year, thanking them for their support in helping to keep our beaches clean. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, along with Eagle Scouts Mason Dove and Collins Jones shipped

hundreds of “goodie boxes” to the 2/4 and HMLA 469 in Afghanistan. I have never seen such organization and commitment by any group in preparing the effort to collect and ship! The Fisherman, Selma’s and Carbonara restaurants have been incredible with their support of Marines and their families. Bob Novello and Tony Carbonara are the absolute best when it comes to donating their food and talents. So what can we do as individuals when we see Marines and their families out for dinner in San Clemente? Personally thank them and anonymously pay for their dinner. It is amazing to see the surprised look on their faces when the waiter tells them their dinner has been covered by a grateful community. In the meantime, for a Tribute to America, go to: www.youtube. com/watch_popup?feature=player_ embedded&v=TnQDW-NMaRs#! SC

the best. Last but not least, thanks to all the NBCA volunteers who made this event happen. We believe North Beach is a special place all year long but Saturday showed that businesses and residents in this part of town are a truly amazing group. Hooray for North Beach!

Orange, about 38 miles away, to have my cars worked on. It was inconvenient for me. I found a new business, Coastal Auto, in the SC Times, where they restore old cars (hot-rods, woodies). I took my old 1946 Mercury woodie, that needed some tender loving care, in. They fixed it up and it runs perfectly now. Being local saved me a lot of time and money.

PLEASE NOTE: The opinions offered here are solely those of the guest columnist and may or may not be shared by the San Clemente Times staff. We appreciate, however, their willingness to share their views, and we invite responses to be sent to letters@sanclementetimes.com.

Letters to the Editor THANKS TO ALL WHO MADE CHRISTMAS TRAIN A SUCCESS ELLY HARRIS, San Clemente

On behalf of the North Beach Community Association (NBCA), I would like to thank all of the North Beach businesses, residents and volunteers that helped make the North Beach Christmas Train event on Saturday evening such a huge success. Bull Taco, Café Rae and Knuckleheads provided food and drink to locals who gathered to watch the train. The Courtney’s Sandcastle team and the pastry girls sold handmade treats. Local Brownie San Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

Troop No. 3007 helped behind the scenes, Rabit Juggling wowed the crowd and Ooh La La Carolers put us all in the Christmas mood. All vendors asked for a small donation and the generous people of San Clemente helped us raise $1,700 for Courtney’s Sandcastle. A special thanks goes out to Pete van Nuys with Urban Bicycle Outfitters for their generous donation of bikes to the Spark of Love Toy Drive and thanks also to all of the local families who donated toys to this worthy cause. Thank you Jim Evert and the staff at the city of San Clemente for making this event possible—you guys are

THANKS TO NEW LOCAL BUSINESS STEPHEN BLAGG, San Clemente

I have lived in San Clemente for 17 years. I love this town. I have restored a few cars, but I had to drive to the city of

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To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@sanclementetimes.com. San Clemente Times reserves the right to edit readersubmitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers. Please limit your letters to 350 words.

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SOAPBOX NEWS FROM THE WATERSHED TASK FORCE: By Donia Moore, Task Force Member

Visions of ...Recycling?!

FR OM THE MI ND O F ZELES KI

Simple Steps for a More Environmentally Friendly Holiday

veryone agrees...it’s hard to believe that the holiday season is already here. While most of us are focusing on shopping in San Clemente for that special gift, some of us are already planning how to recycle all the left over holiday trappings. Since both Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on a Tuesday this year, your regular trash pick-up day will be affected. Collections will be postponed by one day for the rest of the week. Just put out your cart one day later than your regular service day. Christmas tree collection will begin December 26 and continue through January 5. Please remove the ornaments! Want to add a little twist to your holiday recycling plans? Here are a few ideas to limit the amount of recycling needed before the holidays. You know those great reusable cloth bags we’re all taking to the grocery store these days? Take them gift shopping with you and you’ll cut back on hordes of plastic and paper bags. Tell the clerk you don’t need a bag for small or oversized purchases. This will help cut down on the thousands of plastic and paper bags that end up in our landfills every year.

Wrap it up—your holiday gifts in recycled or reused wrapping paper or funny papers. And think about saving this year’s wrapping paper to reuse. Some gifts that have big impacts don’t require much packaging, like concert tickets or gift cards. Get creative and have a “make your own decorations” party. Get together with your family and friends and use cookie dough or old Christmas cards to create ornaments. String popcorn or cranberries and make memories. Don’t forget the batteries! Try rechargeable batteries this year and throw in a battery charger too. Did you know that 40 percent of all batteries are sold during the holidays for electronic games and gifts? Using rechargeable batteries cuts down the amount of hazardous materials that go into our landfills, and they’ll save you money in the long run. Dispose of old ones by taking them to City Hall. Ah, those beautiful holiday lights—how we love them. But why not turn them off or, better yet, unplug them during the daylight hours? It will save energy, and it will make your lights last longer so you can enjoy them all season. And then there’s the Christmas tree. If

you love real trees, consider a small potted living Christmas tree that you can replant. There are some varieties that do well in our area—shop our local nurseries for advice. Recycling is not only good for the environment; it’s good for us, too. See how creative you can get about cutting down your recycling needs before you have to

think about recycling your trash. Happy Holidays! Watershed Task Force 949.36.OCEAN (949.366.2326) SCwatersheds.com SC PLEASE NOTE: The opinions offered here are solely those of the guest columnist and may or may not be shared by the San Clemente Times staff. We appreciate, however, their willingness to share their views, and we invite responses to be sent to letters@sanclementetimes.com.

GETTING OUT

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

SC S a n C le m e n te

THE LIST A day-by-day guide to what’s happening in and around town. COMPILED BY TAWNEE PRAZAK

thursday

SUNSET NETWORKING MIXER 5:30 p.m. The Chamber will be collecting gifts for children of military personnel at the San Clemente Inn. Donators will be entered into a drawing for a special prize. Event cost $10-$20. 2600 Ave. Del Presidente, 949.492.1131, www.scchamber.com.

THE NUTCRACKER 7 p.m. Students of Laguna Ballet present the classic production at Saddleback College with shows through Dec. 16. $24. 28000 Marguerite Pkwy., Mission Viejo, 949.582.4656, www.saddleback.edu. ACOUSTIC HOLIDAYS 8 p.m. Holiday concert at StillWater featuring KAT/Wheeland Brothers/Aloha Radio. Cover $5. 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point, 949.661.6003, www.danapointstillwater.com. CASA HOLIDAY EXHIBITION 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Experience the nostalgia of Christmases past with Casa Romantica’s holiday exhibition featuring vintage cookie tins, doll houses, trains and more. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949.498.2139, www.casaromantica.org.

friday

38TH ANNUAL BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS 7:30 p.m. The annual holiday boat parade in the Dana Point Harbor with this year’s theme: “Lights, Camera, Action—Hollywood Holiday.” View for free from the harbor. Runs Friday and Saturday. 949.923.2255, www.danapointharbor.com.

BALLROOM BASH 7:15 p.m. Monthly dancing event at the San Clemente Community Center featuring a lesson on the foxtrot and open dancing to all types of music; for singles and couples. Admission $10, includes complimentary drinks and refreshments. 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, 949.498.0233, www.ballroombash.com. A TUNA CHRISTMAS 8 p.m. Comedy play at Cabrillo Playhouse through Dec. 23. $15-$20. 202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente, 949.492.0465, www.cabrilloplayhouse.org. San Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

AT THE MOVIES:

‘PLAYING FOR KEEPS’ GIVES ROM-COMS A BAD NAME Once upon a time, romantic comedy was a respected film genre. The flicks were even nominated and won Oscars and Golden Globes in decades past. It Happened One Night, Roman Holiday, Manhattan and Sleepless in Seattle all successfully earned acclaim as film classics as well as (or in spite of) being light-hearted rom-coms. Sadly, such films have been near extinct over the last decade. And this week, FilmDistrict’s Playing for Keeps joins the highest rank of mediocrity with the likes of films such as The Ugly Truth and When in Rome. To score points with his estranged son Louis (Noah Lomax) and ex-wife Stacie (Jessica Biel), a former pro soccer player named George Dryer (Gerard Butler) becomes the coach of Louis’ team. But soon George becomes friends with sleazy hanger-on Carl (Dennis Quaid) and pounced on by soccer moms Denise (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Barb (Judy Greer) and Carl’s wife Patty (Uma Thurman). Playing for Keeps is filled with stereotypes and sketchy tropes that are part of the reason romantic comedies have a bad name in today’s cinema. Butler plays yet another formulaic bachelor who doesn’t know how to get his act together and Greer, usually a charming supporting actress, comes off desperate and spastic. While the subplot involving Quaid and Thurman’s marriage is just plain gross. If there’s anything worse than a bad rom-com, it’s a bad rom-com with a wasted all-star cast. —Megan Bianco

SOUTH COAST SINGERS HOLIDAY CONCERT 7:30 p.m. “The Merriest Season of All” concert at South Shores Church. Additional performances Dec. 16 and 22 at various locations. $15-$20. 32712 Crown Valley Pkwy., Dana Point, 949.613.7840, www.southcoastsingers.org.

ASTRONOMY NIGHT 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Gaze into the night sky through telescopes with astronomers at The Reserve/Richard and Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy. Donation $5-$10. Call for info and directions, 949.489.9778, www.theconservancy.org.

HOLIDAY WINE TASTING 5 p.m.-9 p.m. SC Wine Company features tasting of the best wines for the holidays, with complimentary cheese, crackers and chocolate. Try seven tastes for $15. 212 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.429.7067, www.scwinecompany.com

CHRIS CRAM 8 p.m. Live music at Wind & Sea Restaurant. 34699 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.6500, www.windandsearestaurants.com.

NATHAN JAMES 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Live music at Iva Lee’s. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.361.2855, www.ivalees.com.

DANMAN’S KIDS CONCERT 1 p.m.-3 p.m. StillWater presents dozens of kids performing solo, duets, or in front of a backing band. 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point, 949.661.6003, www.danapointstillwater.com.

GEORGE FRYER 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Live music with George Fryer and wine tasting at DaVine Food and Wine (wine tasting starts at 4 p.m.). Tasting cost is five wines for $15. 34673 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.493.4044, www.davine-wine.com.

HOLIDAY TOY EXPRESS 6:45 p.m. Holiday event at the San Juan Capistrano Train Station with a holiday show, lots of lights, and Santa Claus. New and unwrapped toys will be collected for the ABC7 and Southland Firefighters “Spark of Love Toy Drive.” Bring a toy to donate and enjoy the holiday fun! 949.361.8254, www.metrolinktrains.com.

WINE AND MUSIC CRUISE 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Dana Wharf’s cruise on a luxury catamaran with wine, snacks, music and more. Tickets $49. 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.5794, www.danawharf.com.

JONNY LANG AND TOMMY CASTRO 8 p.m. Concert at The Coach House. Tickets $59. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

HOLIDAY PARADE MUSIC CRUISE 7 p.m.-9 p.m. The Ocean Institute hosts a cruise to watch the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights while listening to Christmas music and enjoying hors d’ oeuvres, sweets and hot beverages. $40-$50. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

3 DOORS DOWN AND DAUGHTRY 7 p.m. Concert at The Honda Center with 3 Doors Down, Daughtry and special guest P.O.D. Tickets start at $27. 2695 E. Katella, Anaheim, 714.704.2500, www.hondacenter.com.

saturday

OLD TOWN SAN CLEMENTE CHRISTMAS BOUTIQUE 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Shopping event featuring South Orange County’s creations and handiwork. Also features music and a fashion show. 111 W. Avenida Palizada, San Clemente, scchristmasattendee2012.eventbrite.com.

SANTA PAWS PET PHOTOS 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Have your pet’s picture taken with Santa in the El Torito Courtyard in the Dana Point Harbor for a small fee. Benefits Pet Project Foundation. www.petprojectfoundation.org. NO LIMITED 9 p.m. Live music at Goody’s Tavern. 206 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.492.3400, www.goodystavern.com. Page 14

sunday

LOCAL SUNDAY SESSIONS 6 p.m. Local musicians Meg and Anthony Small, Kyara Kalb, and The Monsoons and Friends perform at Cabrillo Playhouse. $5 donation. Beer and wine served for cash donation. 202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente, www.facebook.com/localsundaysessions.

SAN CLEMENTE FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Fresh produce, flowers and more every Sunday along Avenida Del Mar. Rain or shine. ADOPT A MARINE HOLIDAY DINNER The San Clemente Watershed Task Force and the Holiday Inn Express host 100 Marines for dinner, a comedy show and a drawing. Donations of $25 help pay for a Marine’s evening. More info: 949.366.2326, www.SCwatersheds.com. (Cont. on page 18) www.sanclementetimes.com

GETTING OUT (Cont. from page 14) SANTA’S SUNDAY BRUNCH 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Brunch buffet at Savannah Chop House featuring holiday carolers, a visit by Santa with photo opportunities, and more. $19.95 adults, $10.95 kids under 10. 32441 Golden Lantern, Laguna Niguel, 949.493.7107, www.savannahchophouse.net. SOUL FOOD/MUSIC AND THE FAITH 11 a.m. “No Beginning, No End” will explore the nature of love. The program will feature music and readings. Free. Baha’i Center, 3316 Avenida del Presidente, San Clemente, 949.433.9555. A WONDERFUL LIFE: THE MUSICAL 2 p.m. Final day to see the classic holiday play at Camino Real Playhouse. Tickets $24. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org. DORIS WALKER ACJACHEMEN HISTORICAL WALK 10 a.m.-12 p.m. This walk explores how the Native Americans in this area used common plants and animals and their settlement in the area. Meet at the Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center. 34558 Scenic Drive, Dana Point, 949.248.3530, www.danapoint.org. CHRISTMAS TRAIN Irvine Park Railroad’s holiday train with lots of Christmas fun in each ride. Cost $10 per person. Dates that the train runs: Dec 14-23. 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, 714.973.6835, www.irvineparkrailroad.com.

monday

HOLIDAY “FANTASEA” GINGERBREAD DISPLAY 12 p.m. See the Ritz-Carlton’s gingerbread display, which the pastry team spent more than 400 hours to create. 1 Ritz-Carlton Dr., Dana Point, 949.240.2000, www.ritzcarlton.com.

tuesday

DISNEY ON ICE: DARE TO DREAM 7:30 p.m. Annual holiday show at The Honda Center featuring all your favorite Disney characters on the ice rink. Shows through Dec. 23. Tickets start at $23.50. 2695 E. Katella, Anaheim, 714.704.2500, www.hondacenter.com.

BENNY/FLAMENCO 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Live music at The Cellar. 156 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.492.3663, www.thecellarsite.com.

wednesday

NEWPORT BEACH CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. The 104th holiday boat parade themed “Surf, Sand and Santa” taking place in Newport Harbor with shows Dec. 19 thru Dec. 23. More info: www.visitnewportbeach.com.

LIVE COMEDY 9 p.m. Laughs at Molly Blooms Irish Bar & Restaurant. 2391 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.218.0120, www.mollybloomspub.com. CHERYL SILVERSTEIN 6:30 p.m. Live blues and jazz vocals and piano with holiday tunes at Montego Restaurant and Bar. 27211 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, 949.481.2723, www.montegorestaurant.com. *For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.sanclementetimes.com. Have an event? Send your listing to events@sanclementetimes.com

ON STAGE: AMERICA America is coming to the Coach House to celebrate the holidays. Known traditionally for their iconic rock in the ’70s such as “A Horse with No Name,” and “Sister Golden Hair,” among others, this rock group is coming to the southern California venue to jingle bell rock and promote their new Christmas album. No stranger to the Coach House, vocalist and guitar player Dewey Bunnell describes the group as “a southern California band” and says they’ve played at the venue dozens of times over the years. “It’s an intimate venue, as small as we usually play. We’ve always enjoyed it because we’ve got lots of friends in southern California. It’s nice to be in our home area and to play an intimate venue with our friends,” said Bunnell. Bunnell describes the four-decades-old America as “a real touring band.” The duo has performed their hits all over the world and is still touring to this day. Their next stop is New Zealand. As of now, America is focusing on promoting their newly released Christmas album, Holiday Harmony, which features traditional Christmas songs as well as originals. America will be playing at the Coach House on Friday, December 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $75 and the doors open at 6 p.m. For more information, tickets or dinner reservations, see www. thecouchhouse.com or call 949.496.8930. —Ariana Crisafulli

SC LIVING

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

SC S a n C le m e n te

SUDOKU by Myles Mellor Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium Last week’s solution:

SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION See today’s solution in next week’s issue.

ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50: Tom Blake

The Downside of Long-distance Relationships T he Internet is a valuable tool for singles over 50 to reach out beyond their social circle and meet potential mates who might live a block away, in another city, another state or even in a different country. Without the Internet, meeting these people would likely never happen. The majority of online encounters create long-distance relationships, which can be difficult because it’s hard to get to know the real person when you only see each other occasionally. Plus, you don’t know if someone else is involved. Brenda is 69, divorced, and has been meeting men online for seven years. She is a retired critical care nurse who describes herself as “self sufficient, home owner, great cook, world traveler, art collector, kind, supporting and caring, totally stable.” She said, “I recently met a wonderful man on Chemistry.com. He has a gentle soul and after a 29-year marriage in which his wife offered only criticism, not any kudos for his loving ways, he got both of

San Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

his children through college and then walked out. He knew there had to be a better life with a woman who appreciated him.” Brenda likes that he is not afraid to express his thoughts about the ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50 way she makes him By Tom Blake feel. “Everyone wants to know they are appreciated, even for small spontaneous gestures. You get that warm, fuzzy feeling inside when that happens,” Brenda said. “We have a strong emotional connection. Nothing physical yet; he told me he wanted to go slow and enjoy the ‘get-toknow-you period,’ which is fine with me.” They live 100 miles apart, but still have managed to see each other five times. She was optimistic that they had a future together. They were supposed to meet last Sun-

day night for dinner. She said, “We communicated Saturday morning. Everything was great. He said he would call Saturday at 9 p.m. He didn’t. All kinds of things went through my head: Was he in an accident? Had he lost his phone? Was he with someone else?” Brenda got her answer Sunday morning: “He called to tell me he had a date with another lady and had just gotten home! I didn’t know he was seeing another woman,” Brenda said. “He had no remorse or guilt. He said they were trying ‘it’ out to see if they were compatible in that area! Trust is big with me. He wants us to continue seeing each other.” She asked for my opinion. I knew she was hurt and still had hopes for a relationship. Without question, I thought she should dump him, but instead I said, “Let the dust settle, you will figure it out.” Because of the 100 miles between them,

Page 23

they couldn’t meet face-to-face to discuss what had happened. Brenda pondered the situation for a few hours. Then, she emailed, “I won’t have any connection with him anymore. Being a nurse, and knowing of the increase of STDs in the over-60 age group, I am adamant on testing. What I now know of his promiscuity, I don’t want anything to do with him. It’s not worth my health and safety.” Good decision Brenda. Long-distance relationships can be challenging. To comment: tompblake@gmail.com Tom Blake is a San Clemente resident and Dana Point business owner who has authored three books on middle-aged dating. For dating information: www.FindingLoveAfter50.com. To comment: tompblake@ gmail.com. The next 50-plus singles Meet and Greet is Thursday, December 13, at 5 p.m. at Tutor and Spunky’s Deli. www. TutorandSpunkys.com. SC

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC BUSINESS DIRECTORY te Sa n Cl em en

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call 949.388.7700, ext. 103 or email mreddick@sanclementetimes.com

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

Call 949.388.7700, ext. 103 or email mreddick@sanclementetimes.com

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call 949.388.7700, ext. 103 or email mreddick@sanclementetimes.com

CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad online at www.sanclementetimes.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS FALLBROOK F& B OPERATORS INC. IS ALSO DOING BUSINESS AS SAN CLEMENTE WEDGEWOOD This will serve as notice that Fallbrook F&B Operators Inc. is doing business as San Clemente Wedgewood in the city of San Clemente at The San Clemente Municipal Golf Course Located at 150 East Avenida Magdalena San Clemente, California 92672. Anyone with inquiries regarding this posting should contact Reggie Parks at 949-542-4856.

GARAGE SALES GARAGE SALE DEC 15TH... Christmas decorations, furniture, electronics, clothes, housewares. 8 am to 12 pm. 2385 S Ola Vista San Clemente HUGE GARAGE SALE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 8 A.M.-3 P.M. 307 Poco Paseo, San Clemente. Collectibles, toys, clothing, household items, grom surfboards and more

San Clemente Times December 13â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19, 2012

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www.sanclementetimes.com

Locals Only

BUSINESS DIRECTORY GLASS SCRATCH REMOVAL

AIR CONDITIONING Oasis Heating & Air 949.420.1321 31648 Rancho Viejo Rd. Ste. A, www.oasisair.com

APPLIANCES

Bayside Window Cleaning, Inc. www.baysidewindowcleaning.com

949.215.2323

GRAPHIC DESIGN

South Coast Furniture & Mattress 949.492.5589 Images/Creative Solutions 949.366.2488 109 Calle de los Molinos, www.southcoastfurniture.com 2927 Via San Gorgoinio, Ste. 100, www.imgs.com

APPLIANCES SERVICES & REPAIRS

HAIR SALONS

ASAP Appliance Service 949.361.7713 Kreative Hair Design 3200 Legendario, www.asapapplianceservice.com 173 Avenida Serra

ART GALLERIES

San Clemente Art Association 949.492.7175 100 N. Calle Seville, www.scartgallery.com

BEAUTY SUPPLY

949.498.6245

HEATING Oasis Heating & Air 949.420.1321 31648 Rancho Viejo Rd. Ste. A, www.oasisair.com

Del Mar Beauty Supply 949.492.8180 HOME DÉCOR 150 Avenida Del Mar, Ste D, www.delmarbeauty.com South Coast Furniture & Mattress 949.492.5589 109 Calle de los Molinos, BOOKS www.southcoastfurniture.com Mathom House Books 949.361.1633 83 Via Pico Plaza, www.mathomhousebooks.com INSURANCE Village Book Exchange 949.492.1114 Complete Business Insurance 949.943.9081 99 Avenida Serra 647 Camino de los Mares Ste. 108, CHIROPRACTIC CARE www.HelpYouInsurance.com 949.240.7445 Christiansen Chiropractic 949.276.2956 GIS/Galvez Insurance Services, Inc. 940 Calle Negocio, Ste. 170, gisgalvez@yahoo.com 903 Calle Amancer, Ste. 230, www.christiansenchiro.com

Schmid’s Fine Chocolate 949.369.1052 99 Avenida Del Mar, www.schmidschocolate.com

COINS 949.350.4692 Kevin

COMPUTER REPAIR & SERVICES San Clemente Computer & Network Services daniel@sanclementecomputer.com 949.276.1581

CONCRETE Costa Verde Landscape 949.361.9656 License: 744797 (C-8 & C-27) www.costaverdelandscaping.com

COSMETICS

MUSIC LESSONS

DENTISTS

Danman’s Music School 949.496.6556 Eric Johnson, D.D.S. 949.493.9311 www.danmans.com 647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, Janet Poth - Violin & Viola 949.922.6388 www.drericjohnson.com 413 Calle Pueblo, janpoth@aol.com

ELECTRICAL

OFFICE FURNITURE 949.361.1045

ESTATE PLANNING, PROBATE, TRUST Lange & Minnott 1201 Puerta Del Sol, Ste. 203

949.492.3459

FILM AND VIDEO PRODUCTION Red Point Digital www.redpointdigital.com

FURNITURE South Coast Furniture & Mattress 109 Calle de los Molinos, www.southcoastfurniture.com

PHARMACIES Sea View Pharmacy 665 Camino De Los Mares, #101 www.seaviewpharmacy.com

949.498.6204

SALONS Salon Bamboo 949.361.3348 150 Avenida Del Mar, Ste. A, www.salonbamboo.com Salon Bleu 949.366.2060 207 S. El Camino Real, www.scsalonbleu.com Sanctuary Salon & Spa 949.429.5802 1041 Avenida Pico, Ste. B, www.sanctuarytalega.com

SECOND HAND/THRIFT SHOP South Coast Furniture & Mattress 949.492.5589 109 Calle de los Molinos, www.southcoastfurniture.com The Bargain Box 949.492.2800 526 N. El Camino Real, www.capistranovalley.assistanceleague.org

TERMITES 949.496.0123

Colony Termite Control 949.361.2500 1402 Calle Alcazar, www.colonytermite.com

TILE & STONE INSTALLATION

PHOTOGRAPHY Memories Of Me Photos www.memoriesofmephotos.com

Jim Thomas Roofing 162 Calle de Industrias

949.361.0680

Kohler Tile Contracting

714.768.3077

WATER DAMAGE

Jarvis Restoration -24/7 949.362.5388 PLUMBING 1393 Calle Avanzado, www.jarvisrestoration.com A to Z Leak Detection 949.499.4464 Costa Verde Landscape 949.361.9656 TUTORING License: 744797 (C-8 & C-27) www.costaverdelandscaping.com 1218 Puerta del Sol, www.atozleakdetection.com Bill Metzger Plumbing 949.492.3558 949.429.6222 MATTRESSES 1218 Puerta del Sol, www.billmetzgerplumbing.com Tutor Toes 111 W. Avenida Palizada, Ste. 11, www.tutortoes.com 949.496.9731 South Coast Furniture & Mattress 949.492.5589 Chick’s Plumbing www.chicks-plumbing.com 109 Calle de los Molinos, WEBSITE DESIGN www.southcoastfurniture.com PRESCHOOLS San Clemente Website Design 949.246.8345 MOLD REMOVAL www.sanclementewebsitedesign.com San Clemente Preschool 949.498.1025 Jarvis Restoration -24/7 949.362.5388 163 Avenida Victoria, WINDOW CLEANING www.sanclementepreschool.com 1393 Calle Avanzado, www.jarvisrestoration.com Bayside Window Cleaning, Inc. 949.215.2323 MORTGAGES PRINTING www.baysidewindowcleaning.com Clear Windows 949.485.8793 Brian Wiechman, 949.533.9209 Printing OC 949.388.4888 San Clemente, www.clearwindows-llc.com V.I.P. Independent Mortgage Inc. 27134 Paseo Espada #B 203, www.printingoc.com www.vipmtginc.com/team/brianwiechman WINDOW & DOOR INSTALLATION

MOTORCYLE PARTS & SERVICE AVON 949.370.0433 Annie Kyle, www.youravon.com/anniekyle SC Rider Supply 949.388.0521 Mary Kay Cosmetics 949.248.2868 520 S. El Camino Real, www.scridersupply.com www.marykay.com/madams2

Arcadia Electric www.arcadiaelectric.com

Santa is back! Ho Ho Ho... Here is the deal... A special session with Santa includes session for 1 child, 15 minutes (additional child is $10) Parents and Doggies are FREE! All digital, printable, high-res. images on a CD are yours to keep! November 24 & 25, 11am- 4pm for $79. December 1 & 2, 10:30am- 3:30pm for $89. December 8 & 9, 10:30am- 3:30pm for $99. Reserve your spot! 949.361.0680 or www.memoriesofmephotos.com

ROOFING CONTRACTORS

LANDSCAPING

CHOCOLATE/CANDY

GraCorp Coins & Collectibles www.gracorpcoins.com

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

801.573.2370

South Coast Furniture & Mattress 949.492.5589 109 Calle de los Molinos, www.southcoastfurniture.com

PAINTING KC Painting & Decorating 949.388.6829 3349 Paseo Halcon, www.bringcolorintoyourlife.com

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

PSYCHOLOGISTS

Offshore Construction Manny Tau, Psy.D., PSY14892 888.949.5150 www.offshoreconstruction.org 300 S. El Camino Real, Ste. 218, www.drtau.com

949.444.6323

REAL ESTATE Antonio Fiorello, Forté Realty Group 949.842.3631 San Clemente, www.forterealtygroup.com Marcie George - Star Real Estate South County marciegeorge@cox.net 949.690.5410 McDaniel Gilmore Group - Surterre Properties www.livetalega.com 949.464.3226 “Sandy & Rich” - ReMax www.sandyandrich.com 949.293.3236

REMODEL Designer’s Magic Flooring 949.496.1926 638 Camino de los Mare, Ste. G-105, www.designersmagiccarpetandflooring.com

RESTAURANTS

Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD 949.361.4867 (GUMS) Café Calypso 949.366.9386 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, www.moranperio.com 114 Avenida Del Mar #4 Carbonara Trattoria 949.366.1040 PEST CONTROL 111 Avenida Del Mar, #B, www.carbonara.com 949.492.5589 Colony Termite Control 949.361.2500 The Cellar 949.492.3663 1402 Calle Alcazar, www.colonytermite.com 156 Ave. Del Mar, www.thecellarsite.com

LIST YOUR BUSINESS IN “LOCALS ONLY” This go-to reference tool keeps your business in front of potential customers 24/7. GET YOUR BUSINESS LISTED TODAY. Call Angela Edwards at 949.682.1667 or e-mail aedwards@sanclementetimes.com.

SC LIVING

Unexpected Find Capistrano Beach man discovers first car in junkyard By Jim Shilander San Clemente Times

onnie Laster has restored classic cars for years. But he was never expecting the opportunity to get a second chance at his first car. Laster, who lives with his wife Pam in Capistrano Beach, was given his first car by his grandparents in 1959, when he was 14. Laster’s grandfather, Roy Sharp, originally bought the 1938 Chevrolet coupe in 1942, from a Japanese neighbor who was preparing his family for relocation to a World War II internment camp. The neighbor was trying to get rid of as much as he could, so he proposed a deal. “They wouldn’t sell him the car unless my grandfather also agreed to take their dog,” Laster said. “So we named the car after the dog, Margie.” Laster said his grandfather had originally intended to give the car to his older brother, Eddie, who was about to get his license. “He was going to fix it up, but then he decided he wanted something that would actually run. So he gave the car to me,” Laster said. Since he wouldn’t be a licensed driver for another year or so, Laster set to work fixing up the car, which his grandfather had been driving for 20 years. “I didn’t have my license, so I started tearing the car apart. Any nut or bolt I could take off, I took off. I cleaned everything and put it back together... I had the car painted bright red, and took it down to Tijuana for ‘tuck and roll’ upholstery.” It was in the “Little Red Coupe,” that Lonnie and Pam rode around in when they began dating in October 1961. Less than a year later, Eddie borrowed the car and took a trip to Balboa Island, where he met his own future wife. Lonnie left the car at home when he attended school at UC Santa Barbara, so other family members drove it while he went to school. After graduating, Lonnie took the car back and began raising a family with Pam. Since the car

San Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

Lonnie and Pam Laster of Capistrano Beach in front of the same 1938 Chevrolet coupe that Lonnie drove while the two dated in Anaheim. After selling the car in 1977, Laster discovered it a repair shop in La Crescenta and bought it back.

had only one bench seat, it wasn’t really a practical car for a family of five, so Lonnie and Pam sold the car in 1977. Shortly thereafter, he bought a similar model, this one with two rows of seats, which he also worked to restore. Laster figured he’d seen the last of the old ‘38 Chevy after he’d sold it, but he kept up his hobby of restoring cars that had begun with “Margie.” After beginning work earlier this year on a 1940s Ford pick-up truck, Laster ventured up to a mechanic he’d frequently used on his cars in La Crescenta. It was there he made the discovery that brought him back a lifetime. “I noticed, in the back, with all the junk cars and parts, a car that looked like the one I had.” After getting help

Page 26

with his truck, Laster decided to a closer look at what was there. “I said ‘Oh my gosh, this is my car.’” The car had been sold again in 1988, Laster discovered, and been stored at the mechanic’s, who was a friend of the new owner. “For 25 years, it sat in that same spot,” Laster said. “Nobody had done anything to it. It’d been driven only a little bit. I told the man at the mechanic’s ‘I’ve got to have this car.’” To clinch it, the day he spotted the car, August 27, was his 46th wedding anniversary. The car’s old registration cars were still there to boot. But Laster wasn’t the first person to see something special about the car sitting in the back. Many others, he was told, had made offers to the new owner, but he hadn’t taken any of them up. The new owner was initially reluctant to part with the car, but finally relented after he was sent some of the photographs Laster had taken with the car as a teenager. To make the timing of the discovery even sweeter, Laster had his 50th class reunion coming up. He got to work immediately on the car. He kept the current paint job, the one he’d applied as a teenager, but had repairs done to the electrical system, brakes and everything else on the car that wasn’t in good condition. The motor, he noted, was still pristine. “It runs great, really,” Laster said. The car took two prizes at the car show that accompanied the reunion, where one person said he remembered Laster’s brother dropping him off at school nearly 50 years earlier. “He used to pay my brother 35 cents a week,” Laster noted. “My mother used to take it up to Los Angeles to visit her sister. It seemed like everyone in the family had some connection to it.” There’s still some additional work still to be done to Margie. Laster said the water pump needs to be replaced, and there are still a few oil leaks to plug. But that doesn’t change what having the old car means to him, Laster said. “People find their cars, but they don’t find it in the exact condition it was in 50 years ago.” SC www.sanclementetimes.com

SPORTS

& OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES & MORE

SC S a n C le m e n te

MENTOR, MENTEE TAKE 3RD, 4TH AT TINSEL TRIATHLON

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

Longtime San Clemente resident Beth Sanden competed in the Tinsel Triathlon in Hemet on December 9 and came away with a third place finish in the tri unlimited category. She finished the 5K-run, 12-mile bike ride and 150meter swim in a total time of 1:17:56 and she did it as one of several incomplete paraplegic athletes competing in the field. As an incomplete paraplegic for the past 11 years, as a result of a cycling accident, Sanden has coached and mentored others with similar disabilities from the San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles city areas

San Clemente resident Beth Sanden has inspired others, like Matt Neustadt (background), to compete in Ironman competition. Courtesy photo

through the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which is based out of San Diego. One of her students, Tustin resident Matt Neustadt, competed at

Triton Report

GIRLS WATER POLO • The Tritons girls water polo team went 3-2 at the Villa Park Classic from December 6 to December 8 en route to a seventh place finish. Freshman center Amber McCutcheon’s 15 goals led all scorers in the tournament. McCutcheon also had five assists and four steals. Junior Brigette Kimbrough contributed 11 goals, 13 assists and seven steals in five games played. Next Game: 12/19 at Laguna Beach, 4:15 p.m.

By Steve Breazeale

TRITONS D KEY TO EARLY SUCCESS • Heading into the 2012 season San Clemente boys soccer head coach Mike Pronier wasn’t sure who would make up his back line defense. Highly touted Academy League defender Colin McDermott was on the roster, along with newly converted defensive players from last year’s squad. The veteran coach was trying out different lineups and configurations throughout the offseason, trying to find the right group that would be able to hold down opposing offenses. On paper, the Tritons looked strong from the midfield up, and defense was the proverbial question mark. But now with 10 games under their belts, seven of which were defensive shutouts, the Triton defense has been the surprise of the early season. The Tritons stand at 9-1, thanks in large part to their defensive efforts. After giving up one goal to Corona Del Mar in the season opener on November 27, the Tritons defense clamped down, not allowing a goal until a 3-0 loss against Carlsbad on December 5 broke a streak of roughly 320 minutes of clean sheet soccer. The Tritons have won four straight contests since the loss. “I was concerned about some things in the defense but the defenders have had their moments…They’ve been better than I had planned in the early going,” Pronier said. “There were signs of (the defense) not challenging in the box in the summer…but they’re coming together and they’re still figuring who’s going to be the starters…The kids are focused and they’re getting it done now.” There has also been a battle in the net for the Tritons as sophomore goalie Cole Martinez and Dylan Digiacomo have split time at the position. Pronier has not given the permanent starter job to either of the San Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

the Tinsel Triathlon and finished fourth in the same category. Sanden has a long history in marathon racing, having competed in several high profile events before her injury sidelined her in 2001. But in 2010 Sanden returned to the racing circuit and has since competed in the Great Wall of China Marathon, the Kilimanjaro Marathon in Africa and the Australian-Tasmanian Marathon. She plans to race in a South American, European and Antarctic marathon in the near future, becoming the first paraplegic marathon athlete to compete on all seven continents. —Steve Breazeale

Junior winger Oscar Hernandez and the San Clemente boys soccer team will face Paramount on December 14. Photo by Steve Breazeale

players just yet and will hold off on doing so for the foreseeable future. The Tritons will no doubt need to rely on their defense as they play host to visiting Paramount on December 14 in a game that is slated to start at 5 p.m. at San Clemente High. Paramount comes into the match as the reigning three time CIF-SS Division 3 champion and Pronier has had the team from Los Angeles on his radar since the start of the offseason. The game against the Pirates will be followed by games against Santa Ana and Dana Hills, respectively, before the Tritons head east to play in the Phoenix Arizona Showcase in late December. The frequency of games and quality of opponents faced is all part of Pronier’s plan to ready his team for South Coast League play. “(The game against Paramount) is what I call a ‘Name Game’ for us…They’re a good team with a solid squad that I wanted us to play,” Pronier said. “We’re trying to set a schedule where we can get as diverse as (a team) can.” GIRLS SOCCER • The Triton girls

soccer team (2-0-1) drew to a 0-0 tie on December 6 against Westview. The Tritons then held San Pasqual Academy scoreless in a 1-0 victory on December 7. Nikki Faris notched the goal for the Tritons. San Clemente then played back to back games against Foothill, which led to a 2-0 win on December 8. The teams were set to play on December 11. Results were not available at press time. Next Game: 12/13 vs. Capistrano Valley, 6 p.m. WRESTLING • The San Clemente wrestling squad placed second out of 39 teams at the La Costa Canyon Jimmy Hamada Classic, which took place from December 7 to December 8. 11 Tritons placed in the top-8 of the tournament and Austin Aceves was named the upper weight tournament MVP after winning his four matches in the 220 pound division. Other top ﬁnishers in their respective weight classes include Tim Parten (fourth), Tony Flores (fourth) and Ash Ryan (second). Next Match: 12/14-15 at West Coast Classic, Rosemead, Ca., TBA.

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BOYS BASKETBALL • Sharp shooting from behind the three-point line helped propel the San Clemente boys basketball team to a 77-63 non-league victory over visiting Rancho Buena Vista on December 7 as part of the Orange County vs. San Diego Showdown. The Tritons (3-4) shot a season high 41 percent from beyond the arc and were led by senior guard Jimmy Bankson’s four made 3-point shots. Bankson led all scorers with 20 on the night. The hot shooting quickly faded for the Tritons as they were stifled by ArmyNavy on December 10 in a 77-55 loss. The Tritons trailed by nine points at the half but were outscored by Army-Navy 40-27 in the final two quarters. Next Game: 12/11-15 at Fallbrook Tournament, TBA. GIRLS BASKETBALL • The San Clemente girls basketball team pulled off another narrow victory over a non-league opponent with a 60-58 win over Foothill on December 5 as part of the South Coast Classic. The Tritons (3-2) had three players score in double figures and they were led by senior forward Alexa Johnson’s 17 points. Junior Kathleen Hartman had 11 points and senior Frankie Pinto had 14. The Tritons then defeated Los Alamitos 62-46 on December 6. Los Alamitos’ 46 points were the fewest given up by the Tritons this season. The Tritons three game win streak was then snapped in a 56-49 loss to Woodbridge on December 8. Next Game: 12/13 vs. Edison, 6 p.m. www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SURF

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

SC S a n C le m e n te

GROM OF THE WEEK Malia Ward Age: 15, Cal Prep Academy , San Clemente High School Malia Ward was the youngest, and the only female, caddying for a professional surfer in the lineup at Sunset Beach on Oahu’s North Shore during the Vans World Cup of Surfing, the second of three contests in this year’s Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. As the daughter of professional surfer Chris Ward, Malia was given a nod of confidence by her dad and invited to serve as his official board caddy for his December 2 through 4 heats in the event. Caddies must paddle out on an extra board for their competitor in case the surfer breaks the one they are riding. After handing the board off to the surfer, the caddy must then swim back in unassisted. Should a caddy need assistance returning to the beach, the surfer will be charged with an interference. “It was amazing and it made me feel really brave and tough to be out there with pros like Sunny Garcia and CJ Hobgood,” Malia said. “You have to keep an eye on the beach and always know where you are; make sure you’re not in the contest area where the big waves are breaking. I was excited to be out there watching my dad rip. It was my first time out at Sunset but I hope Malia Ward. Photo by Andrea Swayne to compete there in the future too.” Caddying wasn’t the only memorable experience Malia made during the Triple Crown. She also had the honor of serving as an on-camera webcast host for The Surfing Channel’s coverage of the Surfer magazine Surfer Poll Awards. —Andrea Swayne

Prime Time at T Street

RESULTS Surfing America Prime West, Event No. 3, December 8-9, San Clemente, T Street

Third Prime event of the season held in San Clemente By Andrea Swayne San Clemente Times

he third event of the six-contest Surfing America Prime West series went down December 8 and 9 at T Street Beach in San Clemente with plenty of success for local surfers, a live webcast and a charity toy drive. Two of five divisions and five of 20 trophies were won by local surfers as a worldwide audience looked on via a live webcast. The annual tradition of hosting a Camp Pendleton Marines’ Toys for Tots toy drive also showed the generosity of competitors as they filled the giant ‘toy box’ with new, unwrapped toys as they checked in for their heats. The waves were on the weak side, and true to form for T Street, a bit tricky. But that didn’t hamper the performances by this talented group of surfers as they displayed wave after wave of high scoring maneuvers both critical, in the classic style, and progressive, with high-flying aerials. San Clemente’s Tia Blanco (Girls U16) and Colt Ward (Boys U18) capitalized on the home break advantage, battling their way through heats filled with some of the best surfers under 18 on the West Coast to win

Above: Colt Ward of San Clemente won the Boys U18 division at the Surfing America Prime contest at T Street Beach, December 8-9. Photo by Jack McDaniel

their divisions at the invitation only event. Blanco also took a second-place finish in the Girls U18 and was joined on the podium by fellow San Clemente surfer Malia Osterkamp in fourth. Josh Benjoya of Dana Point took the fourth-place spot in Boys U18. Day two of the event was webcast live through a partnership with iBN Sports Network and The Surf Channel. The playby-play was expertly called by PacSun USA Surf Team coach Ryan Simmons and big wave pro surfer Peter Mel. Surf Channel network reporters were on hand to interview heat winning surfers following each round, as well. If you weren’t able the action live, no worries, all of the exciting footage will be available on demand via a link through the Surfing America website at www.

surfingamerica.org or directly via the iBN Sports Network YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ibnsportsnetwork. The Surfing America website and Facebook page have also been loaded up with great photos from the event, thanks to official photographer Jack McDaniel. Wildcard slots into the upcoming event No. 3 of the three-contest American Pro Surfing Series set for Saturday in Huntington Beach were up for grabs, raising the stakes a bit for the eldest age divisions in the Prime contest. The wildcards were awarded to Girls U18 winner Samantha Lamirand of Cardiff and Boys U18 winner Kanoa Igarashi of Huntington Beach. The next Surfing America Prime West contest is set for January 20 and 21 in Santa Cruz. SC

Surfer’s Journal Supports Local Artists’ Youth Empowerment Program

he Surfer’s Journal, founded by San Clemente residents Steve and Debbee Pezman over 21 years ago, has named nonprofit Loveart& as the recipient of its 1% for the Planet program donation. 1% for the Planet, established by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and Blue Ribbon Flies owner Craig Mathews, challenges businesses to contribute 1 percent of their gross annual sales to environmentally San Clemente Times December 13–19, 2012

conscious nonprofit organizations. Loveart& was cofounded by artists Jennifer Smucker and Shannon Lindsey Frugis to empower under-served youth via free mobile creativity workshops. Loveart& events give participants the opportunity to express themselves through art and craft utilizing recycled materials while promoting environmental advocacy through creativity and outdoor adventure.

The two, in their signature orange Loveart& van, bring workshops to classrooms, community centers and after school programs. They also work with corporate sponsor Cali Bamboo to develop sustainability workshops. For more information, see www.loveartand.org, www.surfersjournal.com and www.onepercentfortheplanet.org. SC

Page 30

BOYS U18: 1. Kanoa Igarashi, Huntington Beach; 2. Parker Coffin, Santa Barbara; 3. Andrew Jacobson, Malibu; 4. Josh Benjoya, Dana Point. GIRLS U18: 1. Samantha Lamirand, Cardiff by the Sea; 2. Tia Blanco, San Clemente; 3. Danielle Wyman, Laguna Niguel; 4. Malia Osterkamp, San Clemente. BOYS U16: 1. Colt Ward, San Clemente; 2. Kanoa Igarashi, Huntington Beach; 3. Jake Marshall, Encinitas; 4. Nolan Rapoza, Long Beach. GIRLS U16: 1. Tia Blanco, San Clemente; 2. Kylie Loveland, Carlsbad; 3. Meah Collins, Costa Mesa; 4. Steffi Kerson, Pacific Palisades. BOYS U14: 1. Eithan Osborne, Ventura; 2. John Mel, Newport Beach; 3. Zach McCormick, Encinitas; 4. Ryland Rubens, Pacific Beach

UPCOMING EVENTS December 22-23: NSSA Southwest Open, Event No. 7, Cardiff by the Sea, Seaside Reef

SURF FORECAST Water Temp: 59-61˚F Water visibility, conditions: San Clemente: 10-12’+ fair; Catalina: 15-25’+ fair-good Immediate: Modest new West-Northwest swell tops out on Thursday with 2-3’+ waves (knee-waist-chest high) at many breaks and slightly larger sets for best winter breaks (mainly in the afternoon). Morning winds are light/variable, but conditions are still jumbled for most breaks. Onshore Southwest to West winds prevail in the afternoon. Long Range Outlook: Modest blend of midperiod West-Northwest swell, Northwest windswell, and minor Southern Hemi swell is backing down Friday and through the weekend. The surf will remain in the 2-3’ range for many breaks, with slightly larger sets at breaks best exposed to the swell combo. Conditions remain a little dicey on Friday, then become more favorable over the weekend. Check out Surfline for details!