April 11, 2013

YOUR NO. 1 SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, EVENTS AND MORE A P R I L 1 1 –1 7, 2 0 1 3

LO C A L

N EWS

YO U

C A N

U S E

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 15

Going Green: the Local Scene This year’s Green Issue highlights environmentally friendly businesses, more SPECIAL INSERT Auto technicians learn how to convert traditional gasoline vehicles to compressed natural gas at CNG United in San Clemente.

Courtesy photo

www.sanclementetimes.com

SONGS Mitigation Reef Producing Kelp but Not Enough Fish

Triton Coaches and Players Take Active Role at Soccer Camp

Planning Commission Tables Proposal for North Beach Rooftop Bar

EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

SPORTS/PAGE 22

EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

EYE ON SC

1

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

SC S a n C le m e n te

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO As traffic conditions worsen along Ortega Highway near Interstate 5, as a result of Caltrans’ $86.2 million interchange project, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will set up a temporary base of operations to better serve San Juan Capistrano’s eastern residents. In a presentation to the city, Lt. John Meyer, the city’s chief of police services, said sheriff’s deputies will be set up at the Best Western on Ortega Highway, between I-5 and Rancho Viejo Road, for staging, restroom breaks, phone calls and report writing.

The use of the location is being provided free of charge by hotel ownership. The Orange County Fire Authority will also be allowed to set up personnel and fire-fighting apparatuses and assets at designated locations in the city, east of I-5. Ambulance services will also stage units near OCFA.

DANA POINT

NEWS

NEXT DOOR WH AT ’S GOIN G O N I N OU R NE IGH BO R I N G TOWNS

The Dana Point City Council officially adopted an ordinance permitting and regulating shortterm vacation rentals last week, amidst boos from about 15 Beach Road homeowners and property managers who pleaded with the council to take more time to consider the implications.

“Our homes are safe and friendly, all we ask is to assist the city in proper language that helps us all achieve our mutual goals,” said Chris Jones, owner of Capistrano Reality. But after five years of work, city staff seemed anxious to move forward with regulations. “From a selfish-staff standpoint, we’ve put a lot of time into this ordinance and have multiple revisions over lots of years … it would be nice to have this part behind us,” said City Attorney Patrick Munoz, who highlighted that there would still be an opportunity for the city and residents to work out issues. The ordinance will take effect in January 2014.

SAN CLEMENTE’S TOP 5 HOTTEST TOPICS

What’s Up With...

1

…the SONGS Reef?

THE LATEST: The artificial reef funded by Southern California Edison to mitigate damage done to the kelp bed near San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station has produced a strong kelp bed. But the fish living there remain smaller than anticipated, meaning the reef has failed to meet “objective standards” for success as determined by a team from UC Santa Barbara monitoring the reef.

The monitoring team presented findings to the public as part of an annual public workshop on the state of the reef, which is located over 153 acres just south of the San Clemente Pier. The California Coastal Commission changed the criteria by which the reef was being judged.

The biggest issue at the reef was the amount of fish, in terms of size. The standing stock of fish at the site has been expected to be at approximately 28 tons, but even in the best year recorded, 2012, the stock found was approximately half that number.

WHAT’S NEXT: Because the fish population was lower than the objective standard, Edison will not receive the mitigation credit for 2012, meaning it would be tacked on after the plant was decommissioned. The other absolute standards were all met by the reef in 2012.

FIND OUT MORE: For the complete story, visit www.sanclementetimes.com. — Jim Shilander

2

…a North Beach Rooftop Restaurant?

THE LATEST: The San Clemente Planning Commission tabled discussion on a proposed rooftop bar and restaurant near North Beach on El Camino real last Wednesday.

San Clemente Times April 11–17, 2013

Neighbors expressed strong concerns about the potential for noise disturbances in the largely residential neighborhood, as well as the lack of parking for the facility.

The proposed restaurant would be placed in a now-vacant commercial building at 1509 North El Camino Real, and would seat up to 131 outdoors until 10 p.m., along with having a restaurant and bar inside. The owner, Dave Gutierrez, also proposed a neon sign for the facility.

WHAT’S NEXT: The plan must still be approved by the City Council before it can move forward. Ghassemi did ask to keep the pole sign, noting that unlike other stations in the city, which had visibility from the freeway, his station sat well below the Avenida Palizada Interstate 5 exit.

Commissioners praised the design of the facility, though they said they could not budge on the requirement to remove the pole sign due to recent precedent.

WHAT’S NEXT: Nearly every commissioner voiced support for the project, noting the need for an outdoor dining facility in the city and the need for dining attractions in the North Beach area. By tabling the proposal, the commission can review it again at a later meeting. The proposed development also received the endorsement of a number of members of the public who spoke or wrote to the commission.

FIND OUT MORE: For more information, visit www.sanclementetimes.com. —JS

FIND OUT MORE: For more on the story, visit www.sanclementetimes.com.— JS

3

…a New Valero Station?

THE LATEST: The San Clemente Planning Commission approved the construction of a new Valero gas station on Avenida Palizada last Wednesday.

Owner Mehdi Ghassemi indicated the proposal had been worked on for more than a decade before receiving approval.

As part of the proposal, the current station, gas pumps and offices will be demolished to allow for the construction of a new station, which will include six pumps, a car wash and a larger convenience store.

Due to the new construction, however, the station will have to remove its large pole sign. The commission also approved allowing the sale of beer and wine at the convenience store.

4

…Farewell to the 2/4?

THE LATEST: The city of San Clemente, the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce and a number of local businesses threw a farewell barbecue for the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, the city’s adopted unit, Saturday.

The unit’s commander, Lt. Col. Rob Weiler, said the unit will be posted to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and stationed on ship in the Pacific for several months, beginning later this spring. Weiler said events like the barbecue provide an important opportunity for Marines to enjoy a day of camaraderie with their families and for Marine families to see each other and exchange information.

“It’s also an opportunity to celebrate with the people of San Clemente and get to tell them how grateful we are for the support,” Weiler said.

Rod Rodriguez, who helped plan the event, said his own experience in the Marine Corps, in the Vietnam-era, taught him the importance of the community supporting a unit.

“They’ve done so much for us, but so do their wives and their families,” Rodriguez said.

Page 3

FIND OUT MORE: For photos from the event, visit www.sanclementetimes.com —JS

5

…the Sea Lion Strandings?

THE LATEST: The National Oceanagraphic and Atmospheric Administration has officially declared the ongoing strandings of young sea lion pups on beaches throughout Southern California to be an “unusual mortality event.”

On a conference call last week, Sarah Wilkin, a marine mammal specialist for the state, said more than 1,100 sea lion pups had come ashore in the first three months of the year between Santa Barbara and San Diego counties. Many rescue centers had become so full, she said, that only the most desperate cases were being taken to the rescue centers. While those in less dire need received “triage” on the beach and were being monitored. The marine centers were able to save 70 percent to 80 percent of sea lions taken in, which was considered a significant success for wildlife rehabilitation, Wilkin said.

WHAT’S NEXT: Wilkin said the current hypothesis for the cause of the influx was that a variety of environmental factors might have been at work to limit the prey for pups.

Beach goers who come upon sickly looking pups are advised to call their nearest rescue center and not to approach the animals, Wilkin said.

FIND OUT MORE: For information on the marine rescue center for Orange County, visit www.pacificmmc.org.—JS

Have a story idea or topic you would like to read about?

••• Send your suggestions to editorial@sanclementetimes.com. www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

CITY AND COMMUNITY CALENDAR Friday, April 12 State of the City 11:30 a.m. Chamber event at the Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club. Cost $47-$57. 200 Avenida La Pata, 949.492.1131, www.scchamber.com.

Dark Friday City offices closed.

TGIF Party 12 p.m. Lunch and entertainment by Rick McCellan at the Dorothy Visser Senior Center. Lunch will be served

by Military Personnel. 117 Ave. Victoria, San Clemente, 949.498.3322.

Saturday, April 13 Document Shredding Event 8:30 a.m.12 p.m. San Clemente Friends of the Library offering a document shredding event at the San Clemente High School parking lot. Cost $5 for each standard size file box.

Monday, April 15 Toddlertime 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Stories for children ages 2-3 with adult participation at the San Clemente Library. 242 Avenida Del Mar, 949.492.3493, www.ocpl.org.

Tuesday, April 16 City Council Meeting 6 p.m. Regular meeting in City Hall Council Chambers. 100 Avenida Presidio, 949.361.8200, www.sanclemente.org.

Wednesday, April 17 Kiwanis Meeting Noon. Meeting at Carrows. 620 Avenida Pico, 949.290.8729, www.sanclementekiwanis.com.

SC Rotary Club Noon. Irons in the Fire, 150 Avenida Magdalena, 949.361.3619, www.sanclementerotary.org.

Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m.

Stories for children ages 3-5 at the San Clemente Library. 242 Avenida Del Mar, 949.492.3493, www.ocpl.org.

SOCGEMS Meeting 7:30 p.m. The South Orange County Gem & Mineral Society meets in the Community Center. 100 N. Calle Seville, 949.498.3069, www.socgems.org.

Thursday, April 18 Bridge 1 p.m. Games at the Dorothy Visser Senior Center. 117 Ave. Victoria, San Clemente, 949.498.3322.

Cholesterol and Glucose Screening 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dorothy Visser Senior Center. 117 Ave. Victoria, San Clemente, 949.498.3322.

San Clemente Times April 11–17, 2013

NEWS BITES

Compiled by Jim Shilander

PROPS, RECOGNITIONS AND MORSELS OF INFO Open House at Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Pacific Marine Mammal Center will be hosting a free open house for its visitor area and upstairs classroom on Sunday, April 28, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the general public to meet the staff and board of directors. PMMC is a nonprofit organization with a mission to rescue, medically treat and rehabilitate marine mammals that are stranded along the Orange County coastline due to injury or illness. Additionally, PMMS works to release healthy marine mammals back to their natural habitat while preserving species diversity, and works to increase public awareness of the marine environment through education and research. The center is located at 20612 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach. Parking is available via shuttle at Laguna College of Art and Design.

Casa Hosting Master Gardener Talk Master gardener Jodie Cook will host a discussion and question and answer session on incorporating edible plants into ornamental landscapes at the Casa Romantica.

The event will take place on April 18 at 7 p.m. It is the third program in Casa Romantica’s 2013 monthly speaker series.

Cook holds a certificate in landscape architecture from the University of California—Berkeley and has also trained at the New York Botanical Garden School of Horticulture.

Tickets to the Edible Landscape presentation are $10 for general admission and $5 for Casa Romantica members. Admission for President’s Circle members, students and children is free.

Book Signing for Interior Decor Author Saturday The Abode, a new vintage furniture store on Avenida Del Mar, will host a book signing Saturday, April 13, with Annie Sloan, the creator of chalk paint and author of paint and decor books. Sloan has written over 20 books, with sales totaling well over $2 million worldwide. Sloan will be signing copies of her latest book, Color Recipes for Painted Furniture and More. The signing is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 228 Avenida Del Mar.

Exchange Club Presenting Art Fundraiser for Boys & Girls Club The Exchange Club of San Clemente will presents its second annual “Art for Kids Sake” art auction and wine tasting event to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area Sunday, April 21, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Casino San Clemente, located at 140 West Avenida Pico. Twenty artists from the

A group of Tiger Scouts from San Clemente Troop No. 112, along with a few younger siblings, paid a visit to the San Clemente Times offices Friday as part of an effort to earn a badge. The boys were interviewed and photographed during a demonstration of how news gets into the newspaper. Photo by Brian Park

San Clemente Art Association will have art available for bid. The event will include live music, wine tasting and other amenities.

Tickets are $40 and are available at www. sanclementeartauction.com, or by calling 949.400.8646.

Kitten Fostering Program Information Session Tuesday The Pet Project Foundation, a partner of the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter, will host an information session for its kitten-fostering program, Tuesday, April 16 in the Friendship Room of the San Clemente Aquatic Center at Vista Hermosa Sports Park. The program puts mother cats and young kittens in homes until they are old enough to be taken in by the shelter and put up for adoption. The class will begin at 7 p.m. For further information, visit www. petprojectfoundation.org.

San Clemente Scout Troop Visits SC Times Ten members of San Clemente Cub Scout Troop No. 112, Den No. 19, visited the San Clemente Times Friday to get a look at how the newspaper gets put together and to share a bit about what they like about scouting.

The scouts were interviewed by members of the staff at Picket Fence Media about what they enjoyed most about being scouts.

“The best thing about being a Tiger Cub is doing activities, like coming here, and other fun stuff,” said Conner Martinez.

“I like learning how to survive in the wild,” Brady Magee said. “I like going on adventures.”

Sergio Ramos agreed.

“I like going on trips, doing activities and building cars for the Pinewood Derby,”

Page 6

Ramos said. “You design a car and then race it. And there’s trophies too.”

Many of the scouts talked about their performance at the event, held recently at Vista Del Mar Elementary.

Nolan Rooker, the winner of the event said simply, “It felt good,” to take the competition.

The scouts received a special mock-up of a front-page of the SC Times to commemorate their visit, as well as a page with their interviews and photographs from the visit.

Hospital Guild Presents Nutrition Talk The April meeting of The Guild at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center at San Clemente will feature clinical dietician Amanda Trimmell. Her topic, “Good Life Eating” will discuss nutritional wellness, healthy snacking, weight control and cancer prevention through nutrition. She will also respond to questions from the floor. Trimmell has a degree in nutritional science from California State University—Long Beach, and is the clinical dietician at Saddleback Memorial Center.

The meeting is Monday, April 15 at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center—San Clemente—in Conference Room C beginning at 11:30 a.m. Lunch is $10 for those who wish to stay and no reservations are required.

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. www.sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

SC Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BY VICTOR CARNO 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 website.

A man called police about a man who had pulled up to his neighbor’s house in a white utility truck and was trying to open the front door. The subject was the neighbor’s pool technician.

DRUNK IN PUBLIC Canada, 100 Block (10:36 a.m.) A woman appeared to be intoxicated at the Homeless Resource Center, and refused to leave.

The caller said the woman was getting into verbal altercations with passersby and had a broken leg in a splint and was carrying a bottle of vodka.

WELFARE CHECK Calle Pastadero, 0 Block (7:58 a.m.) A concerned man contacted police and requested a welfare check on his neighbor, who is in his late 60s and lives alone. The caller said he had seen newspapers pile up for the past two weeks and there were no cars in his driveway.

Monday, April 8

Sunday, April 7

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida Delores/Avenida Santa Margarita (10:56 p.m.) A patrol check was requested following a report of approximately 12 subjects hanging out and being loud in an open field across from the state park entrance.

DISTURBANCE-FAMILY DISPUTE Calle del Cerro, 1000 Block (9:19 p.m.)

A man said he could hear a male and a female yelling in the apartment unit directly above his and said it sounded like the woman was “being thrown around.”

There were two children reportedly in the residence as well.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida Talega/Camino Viento Fuerte (8:47 p.m.) A caller reported a boy, described as being 12 to 15 years old, inside a makeshift casita in a center island. The caller suspected the boy might have been planning to do something.

DISTURBANCE Camino De Los Mares, 600 Block (12:27 p.m.) Police were called in reference to a woman standing in front of the hospital.

The woman was described as wearing a colorful hat and blue jeans, but no shoes.

The woman said her legs hurt due to an accident “a while back,” but the hospital advised police that her legs had been checked out and she was refusing to leave.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Calle del Pacifico, 100 Block (10:46 a.m.)

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Via Cascadita, 2700 Block (7:58 p.m.)

Police were contacted due to several subjects with flashlights going through the Salvation Army’s drop-off items.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE El Camino Real, 2300 Block (7:25 p.m.)

A man was seen walking around a liquor store taking pictures of the outside of the building. The man then sat in a Honda Civic across the street and continued to take pictures. The caller thought that the man might have been casing the store.

DISTURBANCE El Camino Real/Calle Bonito (7:11 p.m.)

A man called police because a man and two 6-year-old boys were seen harassing an injured seal. When the caller had confronted

the man and told him to stop, the man threatened to hit him.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida La Plata, 300 Block (7:07 p.m.)

A woman reported that as she was walking along the trail head behind the dog park, she saw a black Ford Explorer, about a mile away, in a ravine with the lights on. The vehicle was not occupied.

DISTURBANCE El Camino Real/Avenida Palizada (4:18 p.m.) A caller reported a man in the 7-Eleven parking lot who was asking for money. The man threatened the caller because he said hello to the subject.

DISTURBANCE-MECHANICAL Calle Puente, 1100 Block (3:44 p.m.)

Police were notified of a man speaking over a microphone or loudspeaker and disturbing residents in the surrounding area. Police arrived and reported that the man’s activity was permitted and the noise level was not excessive.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENT Calle del Cerro, 1000 Block (12:40 p.m.)

Two men inside of a black Cadillac crashed into a garage, and neither was getting out of the vehicle. An elderly man in the car looked disoriented. The city was requested to come out and check the building.

CITIZEN ASSIST Costa Rugosa, 2300 Block (11:26 a.m.)

A man called police and said he found a broken mason jar in his garden. The man believes the neighbors were the ones who did it because of an ongoing dispute.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Camino de la Estrella, 2700 Block (8:31 a.m.) A woman called police because she had found a bottle outside Mira Costa Church’s doors that appeared to have been set on fire. She was worried for the safety of the church members.

UNKNOWN TROUBLE El Camino Real, 2000 Block (5:48 a.m.)

A woman was found in the bed of a light brown pick-up truck with no pants on

and several bruises. When she was found she was breathing and no one else was around her. It is unknown how she got there.

BURGLARY IN PROGESS Avenida San Diego, 100 Block (4:28 a.m.) A frightened woman reported that someone was trying to break into her house by removing the screen from her window. The woman made the call from her bedroom and said she could still see the subject outside in her backyard. The woman’s husband was also home during this occurrence. No losses or damages were made to the house.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Avenida de la Estrella, 100 Block (4:05 a.m.) A man told police that a black Cadillac located in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn was a stolen vehicle. The caller would not say how he knew it was a stolen vehicle and then quickly hung up on the dispatcher.

Saturday, April 6 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE El Camino Real, 500 Block (10:03 p.m.)

A drunken man was reported stumbling while trying to cross the street. A caller said the man was almost hit by several cars. He was last seen walking toward Avenida Palizada.

BURGLARY IN PROGRESS El Camino Real, 1300 Block (5:06 p.m.)

A woman reported her vehicle was broken into and she was following the suspect in her car, but the line disconnected. She called back and said the suspect had stolen her credit card and driver’s license and was skateboarding down El Camino Real.

DISTURBANCE-FAMILY DISPUTE Avenida Cabrillo, 100 Block (2:20a.m.)

Police received a call from a woman stating her female neighbor came over to the house and her adult son was reportedly beating her up. The neighbor required medical attention for a pain in her shoulder, and the son was arrested.

SOAPBOX VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

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

PRINT AND ONLINE

S a n C le m e n te

San Clemente Times, Vol. 8, Issue 15. 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 2013. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

PICKET FENCE MEDIA

ADVERTISING

SC

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

HOW TO REACH US

Michele Reddick, 949.388.7700, x103 mreddick@sanclementetimes.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, x107 tzines@sanclementetimes.com BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER Alyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@sanclementetimes.com

PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

ART/DESIGN

OPERATIONS

EDITORIAL

Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith

Finance Director > Mike Reed

ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING

Business Operations Manager > Alyssa Garrett

Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale

Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes (Dana Point)

Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines

City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Papagianis

> Michele Reddick (San Clemente)

SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, Jonathan Volzke

City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Brian Park

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Victor Carno, Elysia Gamo, Shelley Murphy, Tawnee Prazak, Dana Schnell

Group Senior Editor > Andrea Swayne City Editor, SC Times > Jim Shilander

Sales Associate Angela Edwards

GUEST OPINION: Village Voice by Wayne Eggleston

Consider the Problems of Parking Two-story structure may create its own difficulties

S

ince my last SC Times column (Vol. 8, Issue 11, March 14) about parking on Avenida Del Mar, there have been discussions and suggestions that the solution to the parking challenge is building an enclosed parking structure.

Before getting too excited, we need to ask three fundamental questions.

1) Are residents and visitors willing to park in a concrete two-story plus structure?

2) What parcel of land would it be built upon in the Del Mar Area?

3) Who is going to pay for an enclosed parking garage and what would it cost?

Let us discuss each issue.

Residents and visitors alike choose to park closest to where they wish to shop.

Currently, there are a number of three-hour and all day parking lots adjacent to Del Mar providing close proximity to the shops and restaurants (go to www.san-clemente. org for the Downtown Parking Brochure).

A parking garage, say at the Community Center, is not centrally located. Currently we have 90-plus spaces there and during the construction those spaces would be lost for two years.

The beach parking fund cannot legally be used for this garage, and there is no current funding available.

The cost of securing a parcel of land on which to build is a real challenge, Wayne Eggleston expensive and no vacant parcels of land around Del Mar are large enough. Additionally, safety concern is paramount to many and an enclosed garage is an issue for some.

An enclosed parking garage would cost approximately $30,000 per space, so even a 100-space one would be prohibitively expensive. Would enough commercial property owners pay for one? I don’t think so. The city would need to charge for garage parking. Meters would have to be installed on Del Mar and on the adjacent streets where parking is now free. Would that then tempt customers to park in the adjacent residential areas, compounding their current parking and traffic problems?

The outlet center, by the way, will have free parking.

So what are the solutions? Currently there are still private parking lots around the Del Mar area the city can lease, as they have done so successfully with many lots. The city, merchants and Downtown Business Association can educate their customers where to park, as was outlined in a number of suggestions in my last article. Daytime employees and owners, if possible, need to park in lots two blocks from Del Mar, freeing up spaces for customers.

Currently, I believe we have, a good balance between our small town feeling and the types and amount of commercial/ service businesses that cater to locals. Do we wish to intensify, and is it a wise idea with the outlet center slated to open in a couple of years? If we intensify, what does that mean additional cars and traffic? Our streets and infrastructure pose real challenges to intensify with increased commercial square footage in this area.

Several decades ago, Laguna Beach had shops that catered to their local residents.

Now one would be hard pressed to find a shop catering to its residents in a service

type atmosphere, as it is mostly tourist– oriented retail. If we lose that small-town positive attribute, we have lost a lot. Drive Pacific Coast Highway on a summer afternoon and see how long it takes you to drive a few blocks along the ocean in Laguna Beach.

Through a combined parking educational effort by the city, merchants and DBA, our parking challenge can be lessened.

Parking, in this case, is a management problem, not a supply problem.

Wayne Eggleston was a three term councilmember 1998-2010, and Mayor, and managed shopping centers, business districts and office buildings for 30 years.

He is currently Executive Director for The Heritage of San Clemente Foundation, The Marine Monument at Park Semper Fi. www.marinemonument.com. SC

peoples’ right to defend themselves.

When the people are afraid of the government, you have slavery. When the government is afraid of the people, you have freedom.

To those who state, “that, with few exceptions, only the military and police should have handguns,” I say there cannot be a policeman to protect everyone.

There are millions of good people in the U.S. who are gun owners. If you take away their guns, only the evil ones will keep theirs, and every home will be an easy and

safe target.

Let those who want to ban guns be the first to put a sign outside of their house stating “There Are No Guns Here.”

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

Letters to the Editor LET THOSE WHO OPPOSE GUNS ADVERTISE THE FACT FIRST EARLE MACNEIL, San Clemente

While the Second Amendment to the Constitution did not specify types of guns, it should be understood that the American Revolution was fought with assault weapons on both sides. The British Army had the latest most lethal weapons of their day (you could define them as an assault weapons), and the colonists had similar weapons as well.

San Clemente Times April 11–17, 2013

Had King George had the foresight, he would have confiscated all the guns from the colonists, and we would now be under the Queen of England.

You might say those in government, who now want to ban all firearms, had they lived then, would have wanted America to be run by England, and now would want America to be run by anarchy.

The writers of the Second Amendment had the foresight to make sure there would never be a King George, president or government that would confiscate the

Page 10

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 reader-submitted 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. www.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

TOMORROW’S ARTISTS TODAY EXHIBIT 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Casa Romantica displays the student art exhibit with works by kids from local schools through April 18. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949.498.2139, www.casaromantica.org.

11

JT DOUGLAS 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Iva Lee’s. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.361.2855, www.ivalees.com.

PASION GITANA- GYPSY KING COVER BAND 8 p.m.

Get onstage and sing at StillWater. 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point, 949.661.6003, www.danapointstillwater.com.

friday

ROUTE 66 8 p.m. Cabrillo Playhouse presents a musical review of the classic ’50s-’60s automotive songs onstage. Tickets $20$25. Shows through May 12. 202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente, 949.492.0465, www.cabrilloplayhouse.org.

12

RAPHAEL 8 p.m. Live music at Wind & Sea Restaurant.

34699 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.6500, www.windandsearestaurants.com.

ANGELIKA WILSON 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Live music and wine tasting at DaVine Food & Wine (wine tasting starts at 4 p.m.). Tasting fee $15 for five wines. 34673 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.493.4044, www.davine-wine.com.

PALMER 8 p.m. The Coach House. Tickets $25. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

KENNY HALE TRIO 8 p.m. Live entertainment at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa’s OverVue Lounge featuring classic rock. 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point, 949.661.5000, www.lagunacliffs.com.

EDDIE B 7:45 p.m.-11 p.m. Live music at The Vintage Steak House, 26701-B Verdugo St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.661.3400, www.thevintagesteakhouse.com.

San Clemente Times April 11–17, 2013

AT THE MOVIES: THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES In December 2010, documentary filmmaker Derek Cianfrance released his first fictional feature, Blue Valentine, with great acclaim and two brilliant performances by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. Now, 2 ½ years later, his highly anticipated second movie The Place Beyond the Pines is out in theaters. The film stars some of the biggest actors in entertainment, and also marks Cianfrance and Gosling’s second collaboration. In the city of Schenectady, N.Y., motorcycle stunt rider Luke Glanton (Gosling) turns to local policeman Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) who pursues of the robber, while his own life unfolds with family issues and the discovery of corruption in his department. Rose Byrne, Dane DeHaan, Bruce Greenwood and Ray Liotta co-star. While Blue Valentine was an intimate portrait of a © Focus Features turbulent couple, Beyond the Pines is both an intimate and epic tale of two fathers and their sons. The long and slow narrative is unfortunately the film’s weakest link, but Cianfrance creates an unusual storytelling style with performances that still manage to save the film. Cooper proves once again he can lead dramas and not just comedies. And a new star is born in DeHaan, who shines as Gosling’s son. —Megan Bianco

SEGHESIO FAMILY VINEYARDS 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Wine tasting at SC Wine Company with Seghesio Family Vineyards- Healdsburg. Enjoy seven tastes for $18; includes a cheese plate and chocolate. 212 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.429.7067, www.scwinecompany.com.

CA$H MOB, SAN CLEMENTE 11 a.m. Meet at the San Clemente Community Market Headquarters with at least $20 and join the group for some shopping to support a local small business, followed by more fun. 1506 Calle Valle, San Clemente, www.sanclementemarket.com.

GIRLS NIGHT OUT 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Ladies are invited to indulge in some beauty, fashion and giveaways from local businesses at Del Mar Beauty. Wine and drinks offered. Benefits Laura’s House. 150 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.492.8180.

BOOK SIGNING 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Local author Kathy Hammond will be signing her new book, The Road to N?, at the Village Book Exchange. 99 Avenida Serra, San Clemente, 949.492.1114.

saturday

COMMUNITY GARDENFEST 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The San Clemente Garden Club hosts Garden Fest at the SC Community Center featuring plant sales, flea market, floral design competitions, educational info and much more.

100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, 949.498.2335.

13

EDITOR’S PICK: DOHENY WOOD CAR SHOW 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

The SoCal Woodie Club presents Doheny Doheny Wood 2012. Photo by Tony Tribolet Wood 2013, a woodie car show at Doheny State Beach. Admission is free. Parking is $15 in the state beach lot or free along PCH. 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2704, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

SECOND SATURDAY ART FAIR 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Local and regional artists feature their arts and crafts. Event includes local musicians, business and restaurant specials, and more in downtown San Juan Capistrano along the streets of Camino Capistrano, Yorba, Verdugo and Los Rios. 949.493.4700, www.sjcartfair.org.

ANNIE SLOAN BOOK SIGNING 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Annie Sloan, best-selling author of more than 20 books on decorative paint techniques, will be signing copies of her latest book, Color Recipes for Painted Furniture and More, at The Abode. 228 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.412.4499.

Page 12

sunday

LEGALLY BLONDE 3 p.m.

Saddleback College presents a musical rendition of Legally Blonde in the McKinney Theatre. $10-$15. 28000 Marguerite Pkwy., Mission Viejo, 949.582.4656, www.saddleback.edu.

14

SAN CLEMENTE FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Fresh produce, flowers and more every Sunday along Avenida Del Mar. Rain or shine.

SUNDAYS AT SUNSET CONCERT SERIES 6 p.m.

The South Orange County School of the Arts jazz band performs in the Dana Point Yacht Club. Tickets $10-$14.

24399 Dana Drive, Dana Point, www.socsarts.org.

MURDER BY THE MISSION 6:30 p.m. Murder mystery dinner theatre at Sarducci’s presented by Camino Real Playhouse. Tickets $59; includes meal. 26701 Verdugo Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

THE SERRA CHAPEL TOUR 11:15 a.m. A brand-new tour at the Mission in honor of Father Junipero Serra, who was born 300 years ago this year. Offered Sundays.

Admission $6-$9. 26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

MARINE WILDLIFE CRUISE 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Ocean Institute cruise to view whales, dolphins, sunfish, sea lions, and other creatures of the sea aboard the RV Sea Explorer.

Cost $35 adults, $22 children. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

YOUTH EXPO 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Expo at the OC Fair & Events Center with activities, workshops, displays and more for youngsters. Free admission all weekend. 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.708.1500, ocfair.com/youthexpo.

(Cont. on page 16) www.sanclementetimes.com

Going Green: the Local Scene Area entrepreneurs provide a myriad of eco-friendly businesses

T

he tri-city area of San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano is home to a community full of environmentally-friendly businesses.

So, as part of this year’s Green Issue, we are taking a look at one entity from each of our three cities “greening” the local business scene.

CNG United Frustrated by a declining real estate market, in 2007 San Clemente resident Michael Laub made a decision to ditch his career as a real estate broker in favor of a new, environmentally friendly venture.

As an entrepreneur, Laub said he felt the need to reinvent himself and write his own ticket. He did just that when creating CNG United, a company focused on the conversion of conventional gasoline-powered vehicles to compressed natural gas and teaching automotive technicians how to convert and repair CNG-powered automobiles.

“I wanted to go into something environmentally friendly and considered solar power, wind power and artificial turf before stumbling across natural gas. I had my ‘ah-ha moment’ that year when gasoline prices topped $4 per gallon and natural gas was only 83 cents per gallon,” he said.

Laub said the idea really took hold when he learned that “natural gas is the first by-product that comes out of the ground when drilling for petroleum, is 80 to 90 percent cleaner, less expensive and an abundant resource right here under U.S. soil.”

Since opening its doors, CNG United has educated nearly 400 technicians on the ins and outs of conversion and that number continues to grow by 15 to 20 per month.

As a general rule, a conversion costs somewhere between $4,500 to $5,000, depending on the vehicle, engine size and the size of tank chosen, according to Laub.

“Big savings in fuel costs add up and the conversion quickly pays for itself. And with the new technology, vehicles maintain the same relative ‘gas’ mileage and performance.”

Technicians visit San Clemente to learn how to convert and repair CNG cars and the company also holds off-site training sessions and has handled conversions for many municipalities and companies.

Recent in-state work includes the conversion of five ambulances in Long Beach, a plumbing fleet in Rancho Santa Margarita, the replacement of about 50 CNG tanks for the city of Hawthorne’s municipal fleet and numerous privateparty conversions and tank replacements.

Next month, Laub’s company will be working with the city of St. Louis, Mo. to provide mechanic training through a program dubbed The St. Louis Project, created to help war veterans and prisoners learn a new, marketable skill.

“We’re also working with a couple of federal prisons in Florida, where we will teach the instructors in the prison how to train the inmates to convert cars,” Laub said. “The benefits are twofold. Not only will prisoners have a marketable skill upon release, inmate labor costs pennies on the dollar and during their time in jail these new skills can be used toward converting the prisons’ fleet of vehicles.”

The training program also provides curriculum to other auto mechanics programs in high schools and colleges.

Wayne Richardson, a Colorado-based auto technician of 25 years and recent CNG student said learning this skill has become a necessity in his business.

“This is the wave of the future. Our fuel consumption in this country demands that we move toward this technology. Many, many of my customers are inquiring about it right now,” Richardson said.

Laub agreed wholeheartedly.

“Based on motor vehicle department reports that show the group of over 150,000 registered CNG vehicles in the U.S. continues to increase along with demand for our training program, the way I see it, we have plenty of room to grow,” Laub said.

For more information about CNG United, visit www.cngunited.com —Andrea Swayne

Goin Native In 2009, after 30 years as a hairdresser, Marianne Taylor decided to make a style change of her own by turning her passion for gardening into her new life’s work.

With help from a business partner, Taylor started Goin Native, a series of gardening classes from a small property near her home in the Los Rios Historic District in San Juan Capistrano.

“The mission statement is to get people aware of sustainability and get them involved in the garden,” Taylor said. “I call myself a teacher and a ‘dirt therapist’ because you learn a lot about yourself when you get your hands in the dirt.”

Goin Native’s Los Rios Garden Angels have planted and care for more than 50 types of native and drought tolerant plant species in Los Rios Park. Photo by Brian Park

But along with classes on planting succulents and cooking organic foods from the garden, Goin Native also provides a public service in the form of some generous green thumbs.

Twice a month, Taylor leads a group of eight to 15 volunteers, known as the Garden Angels, to Los Rios Park, where they do the lion’s share of the work in looking after more than 50 plant species in the 6.5-acre city park.

Since Goin Native started at the same time the park opened, Taylor and her dedicated volunteers have spearheaded many of the landscape changes to the park, specifically in the area surrounding the Montanez Adobe.

“The look that we wanted was to plant it in such a way that it appears as if it was designed naturally without human hands,” Taylor said.

Most of the plants in Los Rios Park are native or drought tolerant species. In addition to California poppies, the park also boasts buddleia, Cleveland sage, purple sage and a variety of succulents.

In recent years, more succulents and drought tolerant plants have been introduced due to severely less rainfall, according to Taylor. Parts of the park feature a timed, drip

system to water plants, but an unusually dry winter season has forced volunteers to use garden hoses more often.

“The plants rely on local rains, but unfortunately, we’re in the middle of a drought, so we’ve been giving them a hand up,” Taylor said. “We’ve also added a few more aloe vera plants because they need a little less water than the drought tolerant plants.”

The Garden Angels have also taken it upon themselves to boost the dwindling numbers of Monarch butterflies and bees. In the case of the butterflies, volunteers have planted milkweed, which is the primary food source for Monarch larvae, or caterpillars.

“We really want the Monarch butterflies to be a specialty here. They’re a migratory species, so we want them to find a pathway here and call San Juan Capistrano their home, just like the swallows,” Taylor said.

For more information about Goin Native or to volunteer with the Garden Angels, visit www.goinnative.net.

—Brian Park

Organic Tree Juice Bar Unlike many juice bar chains, Organic Tree Juice Bar in Dana Point takes an artisanal approach to their products and an environmentally responsible approach to production, packaging and food waste disposal.

Started in 2011 by Brian and Rachel Dunn from Capistrano Beach, the juice bar is located in the back of the Pacific Ashtanga Yoga Shala near Dana Point Harbor.

“Many of our competitors start with ready-made blends,” said Rachel Dunn. “We start with only raw, organic materials and know where all of our food comes from.”

Dunn said the idea for the juice bar was first hatched by her husband Brian Dunn, who has been a wheatgrass, natural foods and yoga enthusiast for years. And while the two were developing their concept for Organic Tree, they worked to create a company that would incorporate the most sustainable methods of operation and the best organic products they could find.

“We make sure to buy as much of our organic produce as we can locally and found one of our main suppliers in San Juan Capistrano, South Coast Farms,” Dunn said.

“Sourcing close to home also cuts down on transportation costs and the related pollution it creates.”

The idea of farm-to-table food and environmentally friendly practices, carry across the company’s entire operation. Juices are served in either compostable cups made from corn starch or reusable glass jars. And the pulp by-product created in the juicing process is returned to South Coast Farms, to be used as compost.

Organic Tree has become a favorite gathering spot where health- and environmentally-conscious locals meet, converse and enjoy the benefits of juicing, a subject that the well-educated staff has an impressive knowledge of.

“Our employees are super mindful and want to do things the right way, the green and healthy way,” Dunn said. “Not only because their bosses say so, but because they feel an inner responsibility.”

Their menu includes juice blends designed to address health issues, provide energy, cleanse and just for enjoyment of the fresh, natural flavors.

The Dunn’s will soon be expanding their business to include a new venture, Organic Tree Landscaping, focused on chemical-free eco-friendly organic landscaping.

To find out more, log on to www.organictreejuicebar. com. —Andrea Swayne

Concordia Rain Barrels, Butterfly Garden a Guide for Local Schools Gardens provide environmentally sound educational opportunities for students

C

oncordia Elementary School students have been getting a personal view of the life cycle of butterflies, vegetables and native flora as part of a partnership with the San Clemente Garden Club since 2008.

Dave Gerhard, principal of Concordia Elementary School, said for the last five years, his students have had the opportunity to get very hands-on in lessons about science and the environment.

“They really enjoy it,” Gerhard said. “They really take great pride in their gardens.”

To water, the school utilizes 11 rain barrels, which are attached to the drainpipes on various school buildings and stored alongside them. While San Clemente doesn’t have the reputation of being a particularly wet city, parent volunteer Kris Ethington noted that the rain barrels more than suffice to keep all of their gardens in bloom.

“It’s surprising how much rain is collected,” Ethington said. “It’s a great supplemental water source.”

Ethington, whose own children have graduated to middle school, has helped to set up similar garden programs at both Shorecliffs Middle School and Marblehead Elementary, and serves as a liaison of sorts as co-chair of the Garden Club’s junior gardeners program.

Current parent volunteer Michelle Johnson said it’s a common site to see students use their recess time to water their vegetable or flower gardens, especially the kindergarten and first graders.

“It’s geared for all of the different age

The rain barrels at Concordia Elementary School trap water for use on drier days in the school’s many gardens, which encourage students to learn about their environment in a hands-on way. Photos by Jim Shilander

groups, which is great,” Johnson said. “And there are native plants all over the school.”

In addition to the vegetable garden, other classes have their own projects. Fourthgraders, for example, study worm composting, and fifth-graders get the most time with the rain barrels, as they paint them every year. Kindergarteners through third-graders get to enjoy getting an even closer look at butterflies, since there are a number of small “butterfly gardens” at the school.

This includes a selection of native plants

important to the entire life cycle of the butterfly, including some to serve as food for caterpillars and as sources of nectar for grown butterflies, Ethington said.

“The kids really love watching the whole life cycle of the butterflies in one place,” Gerhard said.

Gerhard credited Ethington with helping to get the butterfly gardens going and said the school had also worked closely with nearby San Onofre State Park to help students understand butterfly migrations and other interesting tidbits. Among the butterflies that regularly make appearances at the gardens are the monarch, the painted lady and the gulf fritillary.

“It’s a pretty comprehensive program,” Gerhard said.

Ethington said that rain barrels similar to those used at the school are widely available and can cost as low as $20 from suppliers— combined with approximately $30 for the parts to attach it to the home. She suggested those interested in learning more attend one of the regular workshops on making use of rain barrels held by The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, www.theecologycenter.org.

The San Clemente Garden Club will also be providing information about butterfly gardens at its GardenFest event Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the San Clemente Community Center. For more information, log on to www.sanclementegardenclub.com.

—Jim Shilander

At the Harbor: County Works Toward a Clean and Green Facility Harbor Director shares efforts and goals for continually improving environmental practices at one of the area’s most popular recreation destinations

I

n 2005 the Orange County Board of Supervisors created the Dana Point Harbor Department, now called OC Dana Point Harbor, with the goal of having an independent department with the resources to concentrate their efforts on the Dana Point Harbor Revitalization Plan.

One of the unexpected but now welcomed consequences has been OC Dana Point Harbor’s attention to water quality and facility improvements through the Harbor’s Water Quality Improvement Program.

Since 2007—with program goals of source control, diverting runoff, treating runoff, conservation, outreach and education— the department has effectively improved water quality throughout the Harbor.

It should be noted that we are not alone in our efforts and the great work of the city of Dana Point, OC Parks, OC Watersheds, Health Care Agency, South Coast

Water District, Dana Point Earth/Ocean Society, Headlands Reserve, San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Ocean Institute, Harbor operators and numerous

By Brad Gross, director community cleanup volOC Dana Point Harbor unteers combine for our water quality improvement efforts.

Our successes were accomplished by first taking over and improving some already established programs. For example, the Earth/Ocean Society started a “smoker’s outpost” program at some key locations in the Harbor before the establishment of the Harbor Department. There are now more than 30 outposts ringing the walkways of the Harbor. And in early 2008, the Harbor voluntarily participated in the Metropolitan Water District’s Public Sector Water Ef-

ficiency Program where a Harbor-wide audit of water usage and procedures resulted in numerous measures implemented to conserve water and reduce runoff.

Following the audit, several adjustments were made to landscape, such as lowering soil levels in many planter areas and replacing spray irrigation systems with bubblers.

Irrigation systems are frequently inspected and repaired. Low maintenance, yet visually appealing, plants have been chosen for the common areas and landscaping is now trimmed more frequently to minimize the amount of leaves falling into the water. All street and parking lot cleaning is performed using surface cleaners with built-in wash water recovery to eliminate runoff.

Daily trash collection is mandated and bird-proof lids have been installed on trash receptacles to prevent birds from scattering the contents. Pet waste bag dispensers

are conveniently located throughout the Harbor and continually checked for supply.

Fishing line recycling collection stations have been purchased and installed at several locations. There are also provisions for the disposal of oil, oil filters, automatic transmission fluid, engine anti-freeze and coolant, batteries and bilge pads which were not previously available. Also available for boaters are free oil absorbing bilge pads, which can be obtained by visiting any of the marina operators. These pads are placed in the bilges of boats to absorb oil, fuel, etc. as opposed to discharging these items overboard through bilge pumps. Once saturated, the pads are easily recycled via one of our stations.

In coordination with the South Coast Water District, storm drains and sewer lines are inspected routinely for debris, (Cont. on page 6)

Many strategies are employed by the OC Dana Point Harbor Department in an effort to create a more environmentally sound facility. Photo by Andrea Swayne

At the Harbor (Cont. from page 4) obstructions and line integrity. Catch basin inserts have been installed in all drains leading into the harbor to stop debris and trash before it enters. In an effort to prevent line blockages that can lead to sewer spills, quarterly lateral and main line cleaning and maintenance takes place. During construction of the launch ramp in 2006, a trench drain was installed to collect and filter runoff. Grease interceptors have also been installed in several restaurants to collect material instead of letting it flow to the sewer system.

In 2006 both the East and the West Marinas were designated Clean Marinas by the Clean Marinas California Program. The Launch Ramp was certified in 2009 and the OC Sailing & Events Center along with the Dana Point Yacht Club in 2011. The Shipyard received one of the first certifications as a Clean Maritime Facility last year. All these operations continue to exceed the program’s requirements which include solid and liquid waste management, clean boating policies, clean operational practices, emergency action procedures, a recycling program and employee and boater training. The Harbor now strictly enforces the Best Management Practices and has increased education and awareness efforts in order to encourage boaters to take an active role in safeguarding water quality.

Other projects include the Headland’s installation of a storm water diversion system, timers on wash down water supply at the launch ramp, installation of waterless urinals in the new public restroom and the

recent installation of four new boat holding tank pump out stations. The Shipyard will soon be installing a water clarifying system for their facility and the fuel dock is also in the process of upgrades.

In 2009, the Harbor started to conduct biannual underwater cleanups with local volunteer divers removing more than 27,000 pounds of debris from the Harbor’s bottom.

And, as a result of a grant from the Orange County Transportation Authority, one of our proudest accomplishments is the recent installation of six new debris skimmers. The skimmers are strategically placed throughout the Harbor working 24/7 collecting surface debris from the water. Each skimmer collects on average about 7,400 pounds of debris annually.

Ongoing efforts to improve the water quality at Baby Beach have also been successful. Part of the problem in the past was found to be caused by the water coming from outfall out of the Headlands and bird waste. The installation of the Headlands diversion and filter system has taken care of that for the most part. As for the bird droppings, bird proof netting has been installed under the pier and staff members are sent out each day to manually remove droppings off the beach. Also, since the area was dredged in 2008 and the top two feet of sand on the beach removed and replaced with clean fresh sand, documented improvements have been made and can be reviewed in the Heal the Bay annual Beach Report Card. The reports are posted online at www. healthebay.org.

As we look ahead we recognize that we are quickly approaching what will prove to be a challenging but exciting time full of opportunities to execute new and innovated approaches to environmental controls for construction activity during the implementation of the Revitalization Plan. But more importantly, the project will finally allow us to upgrade such items and water supply, electrical supply, sewer capacities, grease interceptors for the restaurants and to lay the foundation for reclaimed water to be used for irrigation.

As you can see, we are never done when working to improve water quality. Please come and enjoy your Harbor. Take a walk, sit on the beach, cruise on your boat, have a meal or go to sea to see a whale. On your way out, if you see a piece of trash on the ground, pick it up. I am sure you will find a trash can with a bird-proof lid close by.

Earth Day Events Saturday, April 13 Doheny State Beach Earth Day Native Planting Project 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Join volunteers at Doheny State Beach to help plant an assortment of native plants, shrubs and trees around the park. Bring a shovel and working gloves, if available. Upon entry to the park, let the gate guard know that you are volunteering. 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

16th Annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Volunteer at San Clemente State Beach or Doheny State Beach for the California State Parks Foundation’s annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup.

More info and registration is available by phone or online. 225 West Calafia Avenue, San Clemente, and, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 888.987.2757, www. calparks.org/earthday.

Community Recycling Event at Dana Hills High School 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Drop off plastic bottles and aluminum cans (no glass please) in the back parking lot of Dana Hills High School near the tennis courts and pool area for students from the school’s chapter of the California Scholastic Federation to collect and sort. Funds collected are distributed by the school’s PTSA for student programs.

Rain or shine. 33333 Golden Lantern Street, Dana Point, www.dhhs.net.

We Are Earth Day Festival 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Join The Ecology Center’s 5th annual Earth Day celebration with live music, fresh local food, eco-activities, the annual spring seedling sale and more.

Free admission. 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org

Thursday, April 18 Earth Day Fair 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Eleventh annual public education and outreach effort at the SJC Community Center Gymnasium with hands-on displays, environmental games, giveaways and more. Exhibitors include the Ocean Institute, Goodwill of Orange County, Green Castles and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley. Call or email environment@sanjuancapistrano.org for more information. 25925 Camino Del Avion, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.4413 www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Saturday, April 20 Doheny State Beach Mother Earth Beach, Creek, Park Cleanup 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Volunteer to help clean up Doheny State Beach, park and San Juan

Creek. Bring work gloves. Meet at Lifeguard Headquarters. Upon entry to the park, let the gate guards know that you are volunteering. 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6172, vwiker@parks. ca.gov, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

E-Waste and Shredding Event 8 a.m.-noon. The city of San Juan Capistrano and Goodwill Industries offer free e-waste disposal and document shredding.

Dispose of old cell phones, computers, TVs and more. Documents will be collected in a lock box for transport to a secure shredding facility. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto, 949.234.4413, www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Ritz-Carlton Earth Day Celebration 10 a.m.-noon. Meet at Salt Creek Beach for a volunteer cleanup event. Supplies provided.

33333 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. The hotel will also be hosting a free Eco-Adventure Garden Tour from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. showcasing sustainable gardening practices and indigenous flora and fauna in the resort’s organic garden. 1 Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point, 949.240.5020, www. ritzcarlton.com.

Sunday, April 21 Ocean Institute Earth Day 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Explore marine wildlife and create eco-friendly crafts. Admission is $6.50 for adults (13 and over) and $4.50 for children (3-12); Children 2 and under and members are free. Volunteer for the beach and harbor cleanup from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and receive free admission. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

Earth Day at Panhe 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Native American celebration at Panhe, the historic village and sacred ceremonial site of the Acjachemen/Juaneno people. Event features singers, dancers, storytelling, food, music, artisans, vendors and more. Free off-site parking and shuttle available at Concordia Elementary. Free admission. San Mateo Campground, San Onofre State Beach. Visit www.sanofoundation.org for more information and directions.

Saturday, May 11 Harbor Underwater Cleanup 8 a.m.-noon. Volunteers needed for OC Dana Point Harbor’s semi-annual Underwater Cleanup. Approximately 60 divers will remove debris from the Harbor floor. Participants receive a T-shirt, food and beverages.

Prizes will be awarded for most unusual items recovered. Participating divers must have current open water or equivalent certification (PADI, NAUI or equivalent) and parental consent if under 18. For more information or to volunteer, call 949.493.6222 or see www.dphunderwatercleanup.com.

What Can One Person Do? Eight great ways to take better care of the earth

I

t’s hard to argue against the sound philosophy behind the three R’s of conservation: recycle, reduce and reuse. It’s all about making good choices to help our communities and the entire planet. By now, many have made a habit of the three R’s by doing things like separating recyclables for disposal, carpooling and turning off lights when leaving a room. Beyond that, what else can we do?

According to environmentally-focused organizations such as the National Forest Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency, most people would like to do more to help the environment but don’t either due to financial

 Prevent chemicals found in unwant-

ed medicines—both prescription and over-the-counter—from entering the waste stream. Instead of flushing unused or expired medications or throwing them in the garbage, dispose of them safely, anonymously and free of charge at the medication drop box at Dana Point Police Services, City Hall, 33282 Golden Lantern.

No appointment necessary.

San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano also periodically hold drug take-back days.

 Visit the San Diego Gas & Electric website at www. sdge.com and search “Your Energy Costs: A Roomby-room Guide” to find out how much everyday electrical appliances use.

When you add up the 18 to 36 cents per hour it takes to power a hair dryer, saving money on electricity is as easy as choosing to air dry every once in a while.  Keep your reusable shopping

bags in the trunk of your car. That way you’ll always have them at the grocery or other store—even on those impromptu stops to grab just a few items on the way home.

 Say “bye bye” to bottled water.

Invest in a filtering pitcher and a selection of reusable water bottles.

With so many fun, sporty and artistic designs to choose from, your water bottle will not only let people know that you care for the environment but can also reflect your personal style.

restrictions—from large and expensive projects like converting a home to solar power—or the belief that minor changes by an individual can’t have much of an impact.

Below is a checklist of inexpensive and easy ways to renew our efforts, in honor of Earth Day 2013 to take more steps toward living a greener life. Most involve minor changes in the way we do things like shop, eat, work and discard unwanted items. So check off a few—or all eight— and make a commitment to incorporate more environmentally sound practices into everyday life. —Andrea Swayne

 Upcycle. Instead of sending unwanted items off to the landfill or to be recycled, why not get creative and think of clever ways to repurpose things. Not only is it good for the environment, it’s trendy too. For instance, an old filing cabinet turned on its side with the drawers removed, becomes an organizer for gardening tools or sporting goods in the garage. Half of an old suitcase fitted with a cushion can become a fun and funky pet bed.

Be creative. Upcycled items can be both functional and decorative, and a simple Google search of the word “upcycle” yields thousands of great ideas.

 Grow at least a portion of your own food. A big yard is not necessary.

Many vegetables and fruits thrive in small containers.  When making purchases,

consider the packaging. Choose products that keep packaging to a minimum and use recycled materials.

 Switch at least five incan-

descent bulbs in your home to energy star-labeled bulbs.

According to the EPA, if every U.S. family did this, it would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to those produced by 10 million cars.

ON THE STREET

What Do You Do to Make Every Day Earth Day? John Saffold, Dana Point There is a balance between the earth being here for human use and enjoyment and humans being caretakers of the earth for future generations. I am very conscious about turning lights off. As long as it’s daylight, no lights are on.

And we only wash clothes and run the dishwasher before 11 a.m. and after 6 p.m., because of the pull on the grid.

So, unless it is an emergency, that is a rule in our house.

Ellen Watters, Dana Point I choose to use ecofriendly detergent and recycle in my home.

If everybody chips in, the world is going to be much cleaner and much better for everyone.

Sharon Stewart, Dana Point It all started around 1991.

It just didn’t make any sense; we mowed the lawn, leaves fell off the trees and we had vegetable scraps from the kitchen, and I knew from reading that by having even a passive compost pile, you could—instead of buying compost—put all of these things back into your garden and keep more waste out of landfills and the water system. More than 20 years later, we still have it. We aren’t running food waste down the garbage disposal and are recycling the grass clippings.

Plus, it has such a great benefit—rich soil with red worms. I put it into my rose beds.

Ernie Koch, San Clemente We are very careful about how much waste we make in the first place.

We don’t throw away as much as other people. A lot of times, we won’t even need to take our trash barrel to the street every week.

We’ll just throw it in with our neighbors’. We’re also trying to be very careful with water, since we have big front and back yards.

Elizabeth French, San Clemente We go through a ton of water bottles, and we’re always sure to take them in for recycling, and we also recycle and reuse everything we can. We also do

our best to try and conserve water and energy, even if it’s just turning off all of the lights when we leave.

Kara Fuentes, San Clemente I’ve been gardening since I was a child and am currently operating three separate gardens—one at my house, one at my friend’s house and one at Saddleback College. My main garden has over 19 different fruits and vegetables. I also like to shop at used clothing stores and will occasionally make my own clothes in order to recycle and stray away from consumerism.

Maggie Kiner, San Juan Capistrano I take out all the bottles, cans and recyclable objects before throwing out my trash. I also have my family on board with recycling. Another way I try to lessen my carbon footprint is to use reusable grocery bags.

Jennah Shmuckler, San Juan Capistrano We have a garden in our backyard, so we get our produce right from there. We just moved here. We lived in Alisa Viejo before, but now we have a yard. We used to have a patio and we just did it in pots. Right now, we just planted watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, squash, basil, oregano, strawberries and cucumbers. I’ve never done the watermelon and I guess they can get up to 25 pounds, so I’m really looking forward to that.

Scott LeFever, San Juan Capistrano My freshmen year (at the University of San Francisco), I joined USF Recycles—kind of like a recycling club. From there I got a job in the recycling department and handled all the recycled material on campus.

Through that experience I got a really interesting take on waste—what people throw away and what’s considered trash. I was actually able to decorate my apartment in San Francisco with stuff that I found. I think that’s really stuck with me down here. I’d prefer, if I can, to buy second hand—something that’s done for someone else—and just give it a second life.

—Compiled by Staff

San Juan Councilman Shows How Water Conservation is Done W

ater conservation is on the minds of many Southern Californians who are feeling the effects of drought conditions and water shortages in their lawns and in their wallets.

The solution? Well, if you ask San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Larry Kramer, if you want to save water and your wallet, consider ditching your lawn.

That’s exactly what Kramer did in his own backyard, where he’s replaced about 700 square feet of grass with decomposed granite, outdoor seating, a fire pit and several varieties of native and drought tolerant plants.

“The grass was just soaking up a lot of water, and it was just sort of sitting there,” Kramer said. “Now I’ve got a nice outdoor area and it’s become very useful.”

Like other local municipalities, the city of San Juan Capistrano has had to tighten its purse strings while tackling the problem of water conservation. In 2008, the city took over the day-to-day operations of the Groundwater Recovery Plant, located adjacent to city hall.

Although the plant has come under fire from some residents who say it’s become too expensive to operate—some going so far as to file a lawsuit against the city—city leaders and water officials have maintained that the plant can supply half of the city’s water needs, minimize the city’s reliance on imported water and promote conservation through a tiered rate structure.

San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Larry Kramer maintains his own compost piles using trimmings and fallen foliage from his backyard. The compost, in turn, helps save water by trapping moisture. Photo by Brian Park

Kramer has been among the most vocal supporters of the plant, both on the council dais and in the local media. Although some residents say the plant and the city’s tiered rate structure unnecessarily increase water bills, Kramer believes more effort must be taken to conserve water.

“If you’re using the same amount of water as before, your bills will go up,” Kramer said.

“My water bills have not gone up. My average for the year is probably less than $100

a month, and that’s because I’ve taken the steps at home to conserve water.”

In addition to removing his backyard lawn, Kramer participated in the city’s toilet replacement incentive program, which provides rebates for customers who replace their old toilets with new, low-flush models.

Kramer has also taken advantage of the Municipal Water District of Orange County’s SoCal Water$mart rebate program, through which he’s installed a “smart”

controller and timer to his irrigation system.

“It adjusts the amount of water depending on the time of the year, the temperature, humidity and so forth,” Kramer said. “If my standard time is six minutes and it’s in the winter time, it’ll water for only three minutes. If it rains, it won’t water at all.”

In addition, Kramer and his wife, Chris, have also planted more than 50 species of native and drought tolerant plants, including dwarf coyote bush, California poppies, Baja bush snapdragon and showy milkweed, which attract monarch butterflies.

“It’s amazing the beauty we have out here with our native plants.”

Kramer also maintains his own compost piles, using dead foliage from his yard.

“When I trim bushes, I shred it all. I have an electric lawnmower, so I catch all the trimmings and it all goes into my compost pile,” Kramer said. “The compost holds water well so we don’t use much water.”

Kramer is currently working on replacing a small hillside in his backyard with native plants. Although he said his front yard is small, Kramer is considering resculpting his lawn to include a swale that can catch water runoff.

As for what his constituents and other south Orange County residents can do to save water and lower their bills, Kramer recommends contacting city offices and regional water agencies for information about conservation and incentive programs.

—Brian Park

Waste No More

Commercial food recycling grows with residential expansion eyed for future

F

rom the ground and back, food scraps from area businesses are making it full circle and returning to the earth they came from, averting being discarded at the county landfill.

What began in 2010 as a year-long pilot program to wean businesses off landfill use, with a $400,000 grant from OC Waste & Recycling, continues today on a voluntary basis, said Maria Lazaruk, senior compliance manager at CR&R. According to CR&R, between January 2012 and February 2013, participating businesses in the cities of Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente diverted approximately 322, 140 and 115 tons—respectively—of food waste from landfills.

That’s a total of 577 tons, or 115,000 pounds of food scraps, from 13 businesses being converted from trash to nutrientbased composts in just 13 months. And the tonnage from Dana Point comes from only three participants—Salt Creek Grille, The St. Regis Monarch Beach and The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel.

“The problem before was that within our culture and the country it was cheaper to trash everything, and for the first time in history, it is finally more expensive to trash than to recycle, which is encouraging more people.” —Danna McIntosh At the Fisherman’s Restaurant in San Clemente, employees there are accountable for nearly 60 percent of the city’s weight collected, said Danna McIntosh, San Clemente’s environmental services coordinator.

Now, the food recycling service—once limited to 41 businesses in Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, Tustin, Laguna Hills and unincorporated areas of the county—is being offered to all restaurants and business that use CR&R trash hauling and environmental services, Lazaruk said.

Just two weeks ago, Albertson’s locations in Dana Point and San Clemente came on board and from the flower, produce, bakery and meat departments, everyone is partaking in the program, McIntosh said.

But expansion of the program has been slow, she added.

“The problem before was that within our culture and the country it was cheaper to trash everything, and for the first time in history, it is finally more expensive to trash than to recycle, which is encouraging more people,” she said, adding it costs businesses half as much to recycle than it does to trash.

McIntosh, who oversaw the beginnings of the food scrap-recycling program, said in an effort to expand the service, the involved cities and CR&R are reaching out to educate area businesses on both the cost and environmental savings.

One motivating factor for business participation, Lazaruk said, could be state Assembly Bill 341, since an estimated 45

percent of restaurant waste comes from food. The bill, which took effect in July, requires all California businesses, generating four cubic yards—or a dumpster—of waste each week, to recycle at least 50 percent of the refuse.

The adopted measure aims to achieve the state’s goal of diverting 75 percent of solid waste from landfills by 2020, something Lazaruk said south Orange County is on track to accomplish.

With CR&R slated to open a new processing facility in Perris next year, Lazaruk said, someday—in the near future—residential curbside pick-up could include food waste.

Right now all food waste is trucked 150 miles to a composting facility in Thermal, 25 miles outside of Palm Springs.

“The hope is that those of us at home can start mixing food waste and green waste, so that will stop being land-filled too,” McIntosh said.

For more information on commercial food recycling, visit www.crrwasteservices.com.

—Andrea Papagianis

GETTING OUT (Cont. from page 12) ASHUN 8 p.m. Live music at Wind & Sea Restaurant.

34699 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.6500, www.windandsearestaurants.com.

monday

BOOK SIGNING 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

San Clemente Wine Company presents Kimberly Carlson, the author of “Out of the Shadows,” signing books at the winery. 212 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.429.7067, www.kimberly-carlson.com.

15

wednesday

WINE DINNER AT VINE 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

A four course wine and food pairing at Vine. Reservations recommended. Cost $40 per person. 211 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.361.2079, www.vinesanclemente.com.

17

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

FAMILY STORYTIME 7 p.m. Bedtime stories at the SJC library for the whole family. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS: APRIL 18

16

JAM SESSION FOR SENIORS 10:15 a.m. Bring your instruments and make music at the Dorothy Visser Senior Center. 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente, 949.498.6524.

HALF-PRICE WHALE WATCHING Noon and 2 p.m.

Dana Wharf offers half-price whale-watching trips and more Tuesdays and Wednesdays this month. 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.5794, www.danawharf.com.

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

VONDA SHEPARD

S

JANINE AND HANS FROM DEEP WATER 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.

COUNTRY DANCIN WITH PATRICK AND FRIENDS 6:30 p.m. Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

tuesday

ON STAGE AT THE COACH HOUSE

SPEAKER SERIES: EDIBLE LANDSCAPE 7 p.m.

Casa Romantica presents master gardener Jodie Cook for a discussion on incorporating edible plants into ornamental landscapes. $10. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949.498.2139, www.casaromantica.org.

“GREASE” - SPRING MUSICAL 6:30 p.m. San Clemente High School Theatre Boosters presents its annual musical “Grease” in the San Clemente High School Triton Center. Performances through April 26. Tickets $10-$12. 700 Avenida Pico, San Clemente, 949.492.4165, www.sctritons.com. *For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.sanclementetimes.com.

Have an event?

Send your listing to events@sanclementetimes.com

Vonda Shepard. Courtesy photo

inger, songwriter and pianist Vonda Shepard is bringing a mix of cover tunes from her five seasons on the TV show “Ally McBeal,” music from her album Solo and newly penned songs to the Coach House, April 25. We caught up with her to discuss her music and what audiences can expect from the show.

SC TIMES: What are fans in

store for?

SHEPARD: For this show I’ll have the trio, which is one of my favorite configurations. We can still have the intimate feeling of the solo show at times, but also with the three of us singing and playing, it really can sound like a full band and we can get the place hoppin’.

What has influenced your musical style?

Soul music, especially Aretha Franklin, Candi Staton, Stevie Wonder, but also the great singer songwriters ...

James Taylor, Carole King, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon …eclectic music by Habib Koite of Mali, Africa is a favorite, as well as Billy Holiday, Duke Ellington and many others.

What’s next for you?

I enjoy great art films, so I have considered doing some scoring in the future. I have worked consistently, but since having a child, my priorities have shifted ... however I still do love to play.

See Vonda Shepard at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on April 25. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. For tickets or dinner reservations, visit www. thecoachhouse.com or call 949.496.8930. —A.J. Bardzilowski

Locals Only

BUSINESS DIRECTORY GRAPHIC DESIGN

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

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

Images/Creative Solutions 949.366.2488 2927 Via San Gorgoinio, Ste. 100, www.imgs.com

GUITAR REPAIRS

APPLIANCES

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

APPLIANCES SERVICES & REPAIRS

949.637.8767

HAIR SALONS

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

949.498.6245

HEATING

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

BEAUTY SUPPLY

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

HOME DÉCOR

South Coast Furniture & Mattress Del Mar Beauty Supply 949.492.8180 109 Calle de los Molinos, 150 Avenida Del Mar, Ste D, www.delmarbeauty.com www.southcoastfurniture.com

949.492.5589

949.943.9081 Mathom House Books 949.361.1633 Complete Business Insurance 647 Camino de los Mares Ste. 108, 83 Via Pico Plaza, www.mathomhousebooks.com Village Book Exchange 949.492.1114 www.HelpYouInsurance.com GIS/Galvez Insurance Services, Inc - 949.240.7445 99 Avenida Serra License # OE75910. 940 Calle Negocio, Ste. 170, www.gisgalvezinsurance.net CHIROPRACTIC CARE 949.276.2956

Lure of Chocolate, Gourmet Foods & Gift www.LureofChocolate.com 949.439.1773 Schmid’s Fine Chocolate 949.369.1052 99 Avenida Del Mar, www.schmidschocolate.com

MATTRESSES 949.492.5589

Jarvis Restoration -24/7 949.362.5388 949.350.4692 1393 Calle Avanzado, www.jarvisrestoration.com Kevin

COMPUTER REPAIR & SERVICES

MORTGAGES

Brian Wiechman, 949.533.9209 San Clemente Computer & Network Services daniel@sanclementecomputer.com 949.276.1581 V.I.P. Independent Mortgage Inc. www.vipmtginc.com/team/brianwiechman

CONCRETE

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

949.361.9656

MOTORCYLE PARTS & SERVICE SC Rider Supply 949.388.0521 520 S. El Camino Real, www.scridersupply.com

MUSIC LESSONS

DENTISTS

949.496.6556 Eric Johnson, D.D.S. 949.493.9311 Danman’s Music School 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

Arcadia Electric www.arcadiaelectric.com

949.361.1045

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

949.492.3459

949.492.5589

GLASS SCRATCH REMOVAL Bayside Window Cleaning, Inc. www.baysidewindowcleaning.com

OFFICE FURNITURE 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

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

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

949.215.2323

949.496.0123

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

949.361.0680

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

714.768.3077

Jarvis Restoration -24/7 949.362.5388 1393 Calle Avanzado, www.jarvisrestoration.com

TUTORING

Tutor Toes 949.429.6222 A to Z Leak Detection 949.499.4464 111 W. Avenida Palizada, Ste. 11, www.tutortoes.com 1218 Puerta del Sol, www.atozleakdetection.com WEBSITE DESIGN Bill Metzger Plumbing 949.492.3558 1218 Puerta del Sol, www.billmetzgerplumbing.com San Clemente Website Design 949.246.8345 Chick’s Plumbing 949.496.9731 www.sanclementewebsitedesign.com www.chicks-plumbing.com

WINDOW CLEANING

PRESCHOOLS San Clemente Preschool 163 Avenida Victoria, www.sanclementepreschool.com

949.498.1025

PRINTING

Bayside Window Cleaning, Inc. 949.215.2323 www.baysidewindowcleaning.com Clear Windows 949.485.8793 San Clemente, www.clearwindows-llc.com

WINDOW & DOOR INSTALLATION

Printing OC 949.388.4888 Offshore Construction 27134 Paseo Espada #B 203, www.printingoc.com www.offshoreconstruction.org

949.444.6323

PSYCHOLOGISTS Manny Tau, Psy.D., PSY14892 888.949.5150 300 S. El Camino Real, Ste. 218, www.drtau.com

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

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS Designer’s Magic Flooring 949.496.1926 Dr. Alice P. Moran, DMD 949.361.4867 (GUMS) 638 Camino de los Mare, Ste. G-105, www.designersmagiccarpetandflooring.com 1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. K, www.moranperio.com

PEST CONTROL

TILE & STONE INSTALLATION Kohler Tile Contracting

WATER DAMAGE

PHOTOGRAPHY

PLUMBING

MOLD REMOVAL

COINS GraCorp Coins & Collectibles www.gracorpcoins.com

LANDSCAPING

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

949.498.6204

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

PHARMACIES

Memories Of Me Photos Costa Verde Landscape 949.361.9656 www.memoriesofmephotos.com License: 744797 (C-8 & C-27) www.costaverdelandscaping.com

CHOCOLATE/CANDY

Jim Thomas Roofing 162 Calle de Industrias

TERMITES

INSURANCE

BOOKS

Christiansen Chiropractic 903 Calle Amancer, Ste. 230, www.christiansenchiro.com

Introducing Lure of Chocolate Fine Chocolate Assortments, Gourmet Desserts and Baking Mixes, Chocolate for Breakfast and Brunch, Sipping Chocolate and Cocoas, Sauces, Toppings, Decadent Treats, Gluten-Free Options, Fine Chocolate for Baking, Melting and Molding, Specialty Gifts and Gourmet Gift Baskets! Free Delivery in SC and SJC. Enjoy The Lure! www.LureOfChocolate.com

ROOFING CONTRACTORS

RESTAURANTS Café Calypso 114 Avenida Del Mar #4

949.366.9386

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 BUSINESS DIRECTORY te Sa n Cl em en

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

CLASSIFIEDS

OTHER INTERESTING STUFF

HELP WANTED

SERVICES

UNITY OF ALISO VIEJO PRESENTS EMERGING WOMEN OF THE 21ST CENTURY A Spiritual Retreat of Renewal for the Spirit, GARAGE SALES Mind, and Body Designed for Women. When: April 19 -20, 2013.

Where: Dana Marina Inn, 24800 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana HOME TREASURES SALE: SATURDAY APRIL 13, 9AM- 3 PM. Point, CA 92629. Presenters and Workshops: Keynote Speaker: Church fund raiser - Home decor items - gently used - china, Rev. Dr. Peggy Price: “The Undefended Heart” Living authenticrystal, pillows, deco items, etc., St.Clements By the Sea, 202 cally finding your own voice and hearing the other. Caroll Michel Avenida Aragon.

Schwartz, Certified True Purpose Coach “Discover Your Divine Purpose” Sylvia Lane, Ph.D., “Change Your Feelings Change Your GARAGE SALE: APRIL 13, 7AM - 1PM 52 VIA SANTA MARIA, SC. SINGLE FAMILY SALES CASH ONLY Life” Colleen Blackford, Certified Yoga Instructor - Yoga Workshop: “Restore and Renew” Music by: Denise Rosier, accomplished soloist & guitarist.For info and RSVP visit: www.unityofalGARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE! Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com. Deadline 5pm Monday. No phone calls. isoviejo.org or Runitystar@aol.com; 949-472-9230 Submit your classified ad online at www.sanclementetimes.com

HELP WANTED Open Position - Office Representative Opportunity At State Farm in Dana Point. For details go to http:// ElaineLaVine.SFAgentJobs.com/j/AJY San Clemente Times April 11–17, 2013

LOCAL HOUSEKEEPER OR OFFICE CLEANING Reliable, affordable, meticulous. Excellent references.

949-456-2376 Page 19

www.sanclementetimes.com

SC LIVING

4

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

SC

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

S a n C le m e n te

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

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

Women Keep Stealing Our Men I n the 18 years I have written articles about finding love after age 50, the No. 1 complaint from single women has been that there are not enough men single men to go around.

I think I know why there is such a shortage of men. Women keep “stealing” them.

Let me explain.

In June, 2012, Tutor and Spunky’s, my Dana Point Deli, started sponsoring monthly meet and greet gatherings for singles age 50-plus. Of course, there were more women than men who attended.

There’s a valid explanation why.

According to the 2010 Census, the ratio of single women in the 60-64 age range to single men is approximately 2.3-to-one. In the 70-74 age range, the ratio widens to approximately four-to-one.

At our events, there’s another explanation why there are more women than men.

Women keep stealing the men. When that happens, the men don’t attend anymore.

My barber Alex attended the first few

San Clemente Times April 11-17, 2013

events and then he stopped. Why? Because a couple of months ago he got to chatting with a woman there and now they are a couple. He says he doesn’t attend anymore because she’s a good cook. What? That’s ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50 one single man stolen

By Tom Blake from our pool of guys.

But there’s more. Alex recruited 93-year-old Dave to come to the meet and greets. Dave was a hoot. He loved to grab the microphone during the break time when we encourage singles to introduce themselves and did impersonations of JFK, Robin Leach and Winston Churchill.

The women loved him.

I asked Alex, “Why isn’t Dave coming anymore?”

Alex said, “He met a woman there who is now his girlfriend and he says she’d kill him if he kept attending.”

I asked Alex, “How old is Dave’s new girlfriend?”

Alex claimed he didn’t know. But I saw Dave leave one of our events with a woman who told me she was 70. Hmmm.

So, that’s two men who found a girlfriend at a meet and greet.

And then there’s Robert. He was the realtor who leased me our first deli location on Pacific Coast Highway next to the old donut shop in 1988. He attended one meet and greet. I saw him on the street a while later. He said he didn’t return because he met a very special woman the one time he was there. Another man stolen.

I know there are other men who have been stolen from our meet and greets; I can’t verify that since I don’t see them anymore.

Thankfully, new men keep showing up.

I’m pretty sure we won’t reach a 50-percent ratio, but at least the ratios won’t be getting worse.

Page 20

Message for single men: There are lots of fine women who attend the meet and greets at Tutor and Spunky’s on the 2nd and 4th Thursday nights of each month, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The next event is next Thursday, April 11.

And on Thursday, April 25, Carl the renowned disc jockey will spin the oldies.

But he doesn’t count in the number of men who attend; he’s happily married.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point business owner and San Clemente resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at www.findingloveafter50.com.

SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared.

The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com

www.sanclementetimes.com

SPORTS

5

& OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES & MORE

SC S a n C le m e n te

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

DR. SEARS TO SPEAK AT SCHS ON DIET RELATED PERFORMANCE, CONCUSSIONS

On April 19, Dr. Barry Sears will be giving a presentation at San Clemente High School concerning sports nutrition and concussions. The presentation will start at 6 p.m.

Dr. Sears has a background in and helped lay the groundwork for research on “Omega-3 fatty acids”, a patent he holds the rights to, which he believes help reduce the risk of brain trauma and injury associated with inflammatory hormones.

After partnering with Zone Health

to help spread the word about his product and how it can help athletes, Sears has decided to make his way to San Clemente to speak with parents and students about their diets and how it relates to performance and injury.

According to Paul Wilk, a consultant for Zone Health whose area of expertise is working with professional sports teams, Dr. Sears has had success treating multiple coma patients and ex-NFL football and ex-MLS soc-

cer players.

“We’re focusing on how diet can make you perform better as an athlete,” Wilk said. “And how you can perform better by bettering your diet and reduce risk of injuries, including concussions. If you want to play a sport you want to limit the risk.”

Sears will also be giving a presentation at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School on April 19 concerning diet and the impact it can have on the future of children. —Steve Breazeale

GRIP Soccer Provides Escape For At-Risk Youth

By Steve Breazeale San Clemente Times

O

n April 8, 40 middle school kids from San Clemente were all on one of the Vista Hermosa soccer fields at the same time, playing the game of soccer.

The sixth, seventh and eighth graders from Bernice Ayer Middle School and Shorecliffs Middle School in San Clemente were invited to take part in the GRIP or, Gang Reduction Intervention Program, three day long soccer session at the sports park during their spring break.

On April 8, after the kids had completed the morning’s passing, dribbling and shooting drills, several guest speakers came to talk to the children, who have been deemed “at-risk” by their respective schools. “(The program) gives us the opportunity to show (the children) that we care. That we love them and we’re focused on making sure they make the right decisions in life,” San Clemente football head coach Jaime Ortiz said.

Ortiz, who was also joined by members of the Tritons soccer coaching staff, stressed the importance of leadership and told the kids to trust their support groups, like their teachers, coaches and families. Tritons soccer standout Gage Zerboni was also in attendance and spoke to the children about his own struggles of growing up as the youngest in a family full of high achieving athletes.

After a quick visit with local firefighters, who gave the

George Jacob Meza, left, and Brian Lopez, middle, participate in a soccer drill with San Clemente High’s Gage Zerboni as part of the GRIP Soccer camp. Photo by Steve Breazeale

kids a tour of their fire truck, the kids got back onto the field to play the 20 against 20 free-flowing game. Zerboni, along with several other members of the Tritons soccer program, mixed it up with the kids and inspired some wide eyes with trick shots and passes.

Event organizer Ed Molina immediately recognized soccer as a useful tool in not only allowing the kids to have fun on their spring break, but to teach discipline and

teamwork. He brought along longtime friend Bob Riddle, an Englishman who played at the highest level in the English Premier League, to help run drills and exercises that enforce those values.

One such drill limited players to touch the ball only three times during the duration of the drill. The next time around they were only allowed to touch it twice and the final time through, only once. The goal was to find an open teammate and move the ball. “(Soccer) provides them with an opportunity to make decisions on the run, on the move, like in life,” Riddle said.

“Decisions, you got to make them, you got to think about them and then you got to make them happen.”

Some of the children, like Angel Lagunas, an eighth grader at Bernice Ayer, play soccer to get away from the distractions that can cause one to go down the wrong path. Lagunas said that instead of taking a can of spray paint and going on a tagging spree around town, he and his buddies lace up their cleats and take to the pitch. The opportunity to come and work on his soccer skills while on his spring break is something that Lagunas and his friends have embraced. “(Soccer) helps us exercise and helps us get away from anything bad. …An example would be something like tagging. You use soccer to get away from that because you’re with your friends and not doing anything bad,” Lagunas said. SC

SCOR E BOAR D WATER POLO

FLAG FOOTBALL

OC WATER POLO WINS TURBO CUP The Orange County Water Polo Club’s boys 12U team entered the 2013 Turbo Cup in Irvine as a No. 4 overall seed and ran the table, going 5-0 overall en route to a firstplace finish in the Platinum Division on March 17.

Eighteen teams from as far south as San Diego and as far north as Los Angeles traveled to the Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine to compete. The San Clemente based OCWPC wound up defeating the top seeded Anteaters from UCI 10-9 in the semifinals and narrowly edged Vanguard from Huntington Beach 13-12 in the finals.

STEELERS FLAG FOOTBALL RECEIVES SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD After the end of their 2013 5 on 5 flag football winter season, the San Clemente Steelers were awarded the Sportsmanship Award. At the end of each season, the league director, referees and coaches all gather to vote on which team displayed the best sportsmanship and this year, the Steelers were chosen.

The Steelers are: Matthew Hooper, Zack Zalta, Mitch Olesinski, Ethan Waters, Aaron Worcester, Thomas Aguilar, Nate Shephard, Turner Tonkovich, Ian Schwab and Justin Kato.

SC TRITONS YOUTH WATER POLO SWEEPS CARLSBAD Following a sixth place finish at the 2013 Turbo Cup in Irvine on March 17, the San Clemente Tritons Water Polo Club played host to the Carlsbad Water Polo Club last week and won every game at all age levels for a clean sweep.

We want to run your scores, results and announcements in “Scoreboard.”

E-mail sports@sanclementetimes.com, fax 949.388.9977, mail or drop off the information to us at 34932 Calle del Sol, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 by each Monday at 5 p.m.

San Clemente Times April 11-17, 2013

Page 22

www.sanclementetimes.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS man laced a ball into a gap for a one-out double. Senior Jake Terkoski followed with a single and Costales shut the door with his biggest hit of the year.

The Tritons have now won 10 games in a row and were set to travel to play Laguna Hills again on April 10. Results were not available at press time.

Next Game: 4/17 vs. San Juan Hilld, 3;30p.m.

Triton Report

By Steve Breazeale

Make sure to follow us on Twitter @ SouthOCsports for in-game updates, sports news and more all season long.

SC BOYS VOLLEYBALL TAKES PERFECT RECORD INTO BREAK The San Clemente boys volleyball team is in the midst of a special season.

They haven’t lost since February 26, their season opener. That February 26 win over Long Beach Poly was the first of what is now 20 straight wins.

The Tritons (20-0, 4-0 league) most recent win came in a 3-0 South Coast League victory over Capistrano Valley on April 4, which means their unbeaten streak will live for a little while longer while the team rests for 11 days before returning for a non-league match against Aliso Niguel on April 16.

The Tritons have racked up the wins behind a balanced effort that has multiple players contributing.

Senior outside hitter Lucas Yoder may get the lion’s share of the sets on offense, but on any given night, it can be another player, like seniors Garrett Costello or AJ Hammer carrying the workload.

The offensive table setter for the group is senior setter Jack Yoder, who put on a show on April 2, tallying a game-high 75 assists to ensure a come-from-behind win over rival Dana Hills.

Senior libero Grant Townsend provides energy and effort at his position and was responsible for extending crucial rallies in the Tritons win over Dana Hills.

Townsend was all over the court in the game and tallied a team-high 21 digs.

Next Game: 4/16 vs. Aliso Niguel, 6:15 p.m.

TRITONS GIRLS SWIM EDGES DOLPHINS Needing a win over rival Dana Hills to stay atop the Sea View League standings, the San Clemente girls swim team benefitted from a late Dolphins relay disqualification to earn an 86-84 meet win. The Tritons are now 2-0 in league competition and are in a three-way tie for first-place with Laguna Hills and San Juan Hills.

Next Meet: 4/16 at Laguna Hills, 4 p.m.

COSTALES DELIVERS WALK OFF AS TRITONS BEAT HAWKS 3-0 With one swing of the bat, San Clemente senior designated hitter Gage Costales erased all the frustration that has built up among Triton hitters who have faced Laguna Hills pitching this season.

San Clemente Times April 11–17, 2013

TRITONS BOYS LACROSSE GRABS PAIR OF WINS The Tritons improved to 9-3 on the season with a pair of non-league wins over Marina and Aliso Niguel on April 2 and April 4, respectively.

In a 12-2 win at Aliso Niguel, the defense set the tone by shutting down the Wolverines offense throughout, forcing 30 turnovers in the game. Stone Sims and Adam Brownell each had four forced turnovers, while Max Lepley, David Anthony, Austin McGowan and Syd Reynolds each had two.

In the Tritons goal, Thomas Ahola made nine first-half saves while Austin Boyer had five saves in the second half.

Sophomore attackman Jack Renard led the offense with four goals and two assists; Peyton Garrett added four goals while Robbie Burns had one goal and five assists.

Against Marina, the Tritons won 18-4.

Austin Streeter led the team with six ground balls and had one goal and four assists. Renard had a career-best five goals and three assists, Burns had two goals and four assists and Garrett had three goals and one assist. Junior Torin Alm had one goal and two assists while Collin Zines added three goals.

Next Game: 4/13 at Nighthawk Open Tournament, San Diego, TBA.

Senior outside hitter Lucas Yoder has led a balanced attack for the San Clemente boys volleyball team, who won their 20th game in a row on April 4. Photo by Tony Tribolet/www.

XPSPhoto.com In the two teams second meeting of the year on April 9, with the score tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning with runners at first and third, Costales swatted a fastball offering from Laguna Hills’ starter Kevin Cunningham and planted it over the left field fence for a walk-off three-run home run and a 3-0 Sea View League win.

The runs scored on Costales’ hit were the first scored by the Tritons (16-3, 4-1 league) against the Hawks (13-7, 2-3) this year, as Laguna Hills took the first meeting 3-0 back on March 15.

After rounding the bases in a hurry, Costales was greeted at home plate by an excited mob of teammates.

“I was just sitting there looking fastball waiting for my pitch,” Costales said. “I was just waiting for it and at 3-1 (in the count) he gave me that fastball right down the middle and that was the pitch. It was amazing. It was the best feeling I’ve

ever had.”

Because of a worn out arm, Costales has been getting playing time exclusively at the designated hitters spot. He started heating up last week while the Tritons were playing in the Anaheim Lions Tournament and head coach Dave Gellatly has had him in the lineup ever since.

Both starting pitchers looked to be in form, setting the stage for what was a dramatic seventh inning.

San Clemente senior pitcher Cody Maples retired the first 14 batters he faced before giving up his first hit with two outs in the fi fth inning. Maples, who is coming off an injury, was on a strict pitch count of 60 and still managed to pitch six innings of one-hit shutout ball. He also struck out four Hawks batters and yielded no walks.

Cunningham used a mix of pitches to navigate his way through the Tritons lineup and did not give up a hit until the seventh inning when senior Brock Eiss-

Page 24

TRITONS GOLF DROPS MATCH TO TITANS, PREPS FOR DIABLOS A two-game series against Tesoro snapped what was a four-match win streak for the San Clemente boys golf team. After defeating their previous four opponents by a combined stroke average of 12.7, the Tritons (6-6, 3-2) dropped two non-league games to the Titans 193-206, 184-215 on April 2 and April 4, respectively.

The Tritons will now return to league play with a two-game series against Mission Viejo on tap for April 16 and April 18.

CHRISTIAN BAILEY WILL WALK ON AT NEBRASKA San Clemente senior wide receiver Christian Bailey has accepted a “preferred walk-on” spot with the Nebraska football team, according to head coach Jaime Ortiz. Bailey was a versatile weapon for the Tritons last season, as he rushed for 271 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns. He led the team with 45 receptions for 535 yards and four touchdowns.

On defense, Bailey was second on the team with 49 total tackles. He also returned punts and kickoffs. www.sanclementetimes.com

SC SURF

6

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

SC S a n C le m e n te

GROM OF THE WEEK Chad Clifton

Age: 14, San Onofre School Chad Clifton has lived at Camp Pendleton for three years, the same length of time he’s been surfing. Chad’s father is a Marine and as a result his family has moved around quite a bit. Camp Pendleton is his favorite place so far, largely due to its close proximity to Lower Trestles. “I’ve always loved the beach no matter where we’ve been. We actually lived here for a while when I was younger, but when we came back three years ago, that’s when I told my dad I wanted to surf,” Chad said. “He got me a board and I have loved it ever since.” Chad taught himself to shortboard just by practicing as much as he can. “I try to go every day if possible. Lowers is only about a 5- to 10-minute walk from my house,” he said.

Chad competes in NSSA Junior, CSF and WSA. He plans to continue with CSF and WSA next year, but will move up to NSSA Explorer. A true board sports enthusiast, when the waves are not cooperating Chad’s favorite alternative is skateboarding. Chad goes to school on base at San Onofre School and is in the eighth grade. He is and ‘A’ and ‘B’ student whose favorite subject is Chad Clifton. Photo by Andrea Swayne science. Although he has yet to decide what sort of career he would like to chase in the future, he definitely wants to go to college. Chad would like to thank his family, especially his dad, for supporting his surfing. “My dad takes me to contests and videos me when I practice and I really appreciate it,” Chad said. —Andrea Swayne

Locals Shine at WSA Season Closer

Surfers compete for late season points at the last regular season event in Oceanside

By Andrea Swayne San Clemente Times

S

urfers gave their all at the ninth and final regular season event of the 2012-2013 Western Surfing Association Championship series in Oceanside, April 6 and 7.

Competition was fierce as surfers— from the U9 Push-in division through Legends 50+—made their last ditch efforts at racking up late season points at Oceanside Harbor’s north jetty.

The weather and waves cooperated providing just the right mix of wind and swell to give the competitors plenty of opportunity to showcase their wave riding talents.

Seven local surfers took home first place trophies, and many more landed spots on the podium, as final season standings were decided.

“It was a great ending to a great season,” said WSA director Marylou Drummy. “We would like to congratulate all of our surfers on the many awesome performances they turned in so far this year and we’re looking forward to seeing more at the West Coast Championships later this month.”

The WSA West Coast Championships are set for April 27-28 at San Onofre State

SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

Park, Church Beach.

For updated rankings among all divisions, log on to www.surfwsa.org.

U14: 3. Lexi Morgan, San Clemente. GIRLS LONGBOARD U18: 1. Rachael Tilly, Capistrano Beach; 2. Teresa O’Connor, San Juan Capistrano; 3. Emmy Lombard, San Clemente. MEN 18-29: 4. Ricky Lovato, San Clemente. OPEN RESULTS MEN: 1. Cody Canzoneri, San Clemente. OPEN WOMEN: 3. Kassy Eldridge, San Clemente.

Local finishers only.

OPEN MEN LONGBOARD : 2. Cody Canzoneri, MICRO GROM BOYS/GIRLS SB U9: 1.

San Clemente. OPEN WOMEN LONGBOARD: Brayden Burch, San Clemente; 3. Bane Corbett, San Clemente. BOYS/GIRLS U10: 1. Jett 1. Tory Gilkerson, San Clemente.

Schilling, San Clemente; 2. Nicholas Coli, San Log on to www.sanclementetimes.com for full results. SC Clemente; 4. Taj Lindblad, San Clemente.

BOYS U14: 1. Gunner Day, San Clemente; 3. Ethan Mudge, Capistrano Beach; 5. Noah Hohenester, San Clemente. BOYS U16: 1.

Brighton Reinhardt, Dana Point; 2. Drew Hemnes, San Clemente; 4. Conner Dand, San Clemente. BOYS U18: 6. Dylan Sonderegger, San Clemente. GIRLS U12: 2. Kirra Pinkerton, San Clemente; 4. Samantha Sibley, San Clemente; 5. Lexi Morgan, San Clemente.

GIRLS U14: 2. Alexxa Elseewi, San Clemente; 4. Samantha Sibley, San Clemente; 5. Tera Richardson, Capistrano Beach; GIRLS U16: Brighton Reinhardt of Dana Point turned in the 6. Alexxa Elseewi, San Clemente. GIRLS winning performance in Boys U16 shortboard at U18:; 3. Kloee Openshaw, San Clemente. the final event of the WSA season, April 6-7 at JR. LONGBOARD U18: 4. Jack Benjamin, the Oceanside Harbor north jetty. Photo by Sheri Crummer/seasister.com San Juan Capistrano. GIRLS LONGBOARD

UPCOMING EVENTS April 13: SSS Orange County Middle School and High School make-up event, Oceanside Harbor April 20-22: SSS High School State Championship, Oceanside Harbor April 20-21: NSSA Southwest Open, Event No. 10, San Onofre State Beach, Upper Trestles April 27-28: WSA West Coast Championship, San Onofre State Beach, Church Beach

SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 55-57 degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: San Clemente: 2-6’ Poor Catalina: 15-20’ Fair Immediate: Blend of northwest and west/ northwest swells plus a south/southwest swell prevails on Thursday for knee-shoulder high waves, (2-4’) at better exposures.

Standout focal points see plus sets. The swell mix eases on Friday, setting up kneechest-shoulder high surf, (2-3+-4’) at the better breaks.

Long Range Outlook: west/northwest wind swell and south/southeast groundswell on Saturday with knee-chest high waves.

New south/southwest swell joins in for knee-shoulder high surf Sunday. Check out Surfline for all the details!