February 27, 2020

LO C A L

February 27-March 4, 2020

N EWS

YO U

C A N

U S E

INSIDE: 49th Annual Festival of the Whales Guide SPECIAL SECTION VOLUME 15, ISSUE 9

Ready, Set, Swim Applicants Test Their Mettle in City Lifeguard Tryouts E Y E O N S C / PAG E 6 About 30 teens and young adults dart toward the ocean as they compete for spots on the city’s lifeguard team on Sunday morning, Feb. 23, at the beach near the San Clemente Pier.

Photo: Shawn Raymundo

SCHS Girls Basketball Advances to First CIF-SS Final Since 2007 SPORTS/PAGE 36

Chamber Recognizes Residents, Business Owners EYE ON SC/PAGE 4

sanclementetimes.com

Teen Author Illustrates Living with Hearing Loss EYE ON SC/PAGE 3

GO TO SANCLEMENTETIMES.COM FOR THE LATEST NEWS, EVENTS AND SPORTS

SC EYE ON SC San Clemente

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tember in a 2-2 stalemate, with Ferguson and Councilmember Kathy Ward opposed.

The two had instead advocated for an outright ban in residential and mixed-use areas, while allowing homeowners associations (HOAs) and golf courses to request exemptions.

Councilors revisited the leaf-blower discussion at their late-February meeting, during which Ferguson cited a 1999 Orange County Grand Jury report on the pollution hazards and other impacts caused by the daily usage of two-cycle gasoline-engine leaf blowers.

Ferguson initially proposed initiating a buyback program as part of her suggested ordinance, allocating city coffers to offer rebates for residents who replace their gas-powered blowers with electric ones.

However, with Councilmember James stating he wasn’t willing to support such an initiative, Ferguson backed off that plan.

Five things San Clemente should know this week Teen Author Illustrates Living with Hearing Loss THE LATEST: In March, 13-year-old Harper Gideons of San Clemente will visit various South Orange County classrooms, including one at her former school, Marblehead Elementary, where she’ll spend some time reading to children as part of the National Read Across America Day. On the reading list includes her very own children’s book that she co-wrote with her mother, Valli Gideons, illustrating her life story as a child born with a hearing impairment. Told through Harper’s eyes and voice, Now Hear This: Harper Soars with Her Magic Ears! is an educational book meant to inspire other deaf children to enjoy activities like any other kid.

“It’s educational, and it’s encouraging, and it’s also, hopefully, leaving kids with the idea that they can read it and see themselves and also see what’s possible,” said Valli, who has become an advocate for people with hearing loss.

The elder Gideons, who has authored blogs and other resources to guide parents and their children going through similar struggles, said, “This is the book I wish we would have had.”

Valli explains that Now Hear This, which was released online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble this month, explains how Harper’s ears didn’t work like other children’s and required a cochlear implant to help correct the issue.

The story continues to show how Harper, despite her hearing impairment, can still enjoy activities and sports, such as playing basketball and skateboarding—just a couple of her favorite real-life hobbies.

“I also like to do woodworking in our garage,” Harper said. “And I also like reading and writing and playing with my dogs, and I also like to fight with lightsabers with my brother. I think I’m sort of Anakin Skywalker in my own fantasy world.”

Through the book, Harper and Valli explain, kids can also learn more about how to better communicate with a deaf friend.

For those who have friends like Harper, that includes facing that individual during conversations and not covering your mouth while speaking so they can lip-read.

“I thought (the book) would be a good idea, because some of my friends had questions like how to help more, and people have reached out to my mom, saying, San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

Harper Gideons, 13, and her mother, Valli Gideons, released a new children’s book this month, illustrating the teenager’s life story as a child born with a hearing impairment. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

‘My kid feels out of place, they don’t belong, and don’t know what to do,’ ” Harper explained. “And that kind of made me sad, because I don’t think someone should see themselves as less than someone else because of something you’re born with. So that hit me with the feels.”

Valli was drawn to the idea of writing the book a few years ago, when Harper was in the fifth grade. She said she had started reading through some of her daughter’s writing assignments, coming across one prompt that asked the students what makes them unique.

“It was this whole story about her being deaf,” Valli said, adding: “It was her story.

This was the story . . . but that was kind of the beginning of the inspiration.”

The mother-daughter team got to work drafting the book and reached out to artist Priscila Soares to bring the illustrations and story to life. Soares, who is also deaf, as is her son, is known for creating art inspired by others who have lost their hearing.

WHAT’S NEXT: Harper noted that being an author wasn’t necessarily something she envisioned for herself as a future career, but she definitely has the taste for it now and would like to write more in the future, to see where it takes her.

“I do see myself writing more books, but I don’t know how I can make a career of it,” Harper said. “It’s very hard to do. I wanted to be the J.K. Rowling, but that’s going to be very hard to do.”—Shawn Raymundo

City to Draft Ordinance Temporarily Banning Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers THE LATEST: A proposal to initiate a pilot

program restricting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in certain areas of San Clemente will go before the council for consideration later this year.

During the council’s Feb. 18 meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Laura Ferguson made the proposal for city staff to draw up an agenda report and potential ordinance that would ban the landscaping tool from being used in high-density areas west of Interstate 5 on a one-year trial basis.

“People use these leaf blowers; the gaspowered ones are so polluting, and people have to close their windows on a beautiful day, and a lot of people have their allergies,” Ferguson said, before suggesting the pilot program.

Councilmember Gene James supported Ferguson’s motion, allowing the topic to be agendized for a later council meeting.

Citing residents’ complaints centered on pollution issues and the loud noise created by such devices, the city had previously sought the council’s approval to adopt an ordinance regulating gas-powered leaf blowers.

That draft of that ordinance would have required those who own commercially operated leaf blowers to have their business information displayed on the device. Such information included the business name, address, phone number and business license number.

Those leaf blowers also would have had to be certified by the American National Standards Institute, ensuring they didn’t exceed a 65-decibal noise level, measured from 50 feet.

The city noted that those amendments would have reduced exhaust and noise, as well as helped code compliance staff avoid the use of a noise meter to verify whether the blower violated San Clemente’s noise ordinance.

However, that ordinance died last Sep-

Page 3

WHAT’S NEXT: Per interim City Manager Robert Dunek’s request, the draft of the new ordinance will include a sunset provision to terminate the ban after one year of implementation.—SR

SOS Padilla, Rep. Levin Talk New Voting System, Voter Fraud and Census THE LATEST: Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) sat alongside California Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at Saddleback College to discuss election reform, voting rights and the 2020 Census.

The town hall shed light on Orange County’s transition toward the Voter’s Choice Act for the presidential primary election on March 3. Under the new election model, every registered voter should automatically receive their ballot by mail and have options for how to return their ballot. Voters can either drop off their ballots at any ballot drop box in the county or at any vote center in the county.

“Our democracy is dependent on us participating,” said Padilla. “This new voting system makes voting accessible while maintaining security and integrity.”

Padilla stated he wished to dispel some misconceptions about the upcoming election and voting in general. He emphasized that the California primary election would not be a repeat of the Iowa Caucuses.

The 2020 Iowa Democratic Caucuses, held Feb. 3, experienced a delay in final results due to what a spokesperson described as “quality checks.”

“What took place in Iowa was not an election; it was a caucus,” Padilla explained at the town hall event attended by mostly college students. “Caucuses are funded by political parties. Elections in California are not run by parties.

(Cont. on page 4) sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC (Cont. from page 3) What we’ve learned from Iowa is that Democrats tried to develop an app, and it went haywire. In California, we don’t use apps to cast, count or announce votes.

There’s been a lot of misinformation and speculation about what happened in Iowa.”

The Iowa Democratic Party had used an app named IowaRecorder, developed

by Shadow Inc. The New York Times reported that the app initially yielded data that was inconsistent, flawed and entirely impossible, causing delays in results into the following day.

Padilla also asserted that voter fraud is not common in the state of California.

“Some people believe voter fraud is a problem in California,” Padilla said.

“When we have elections in California, we want everything to be fair. In order to vote, you need to be at least 18 years of age, and you need to be a U.S. citizen.

There’ve been numerous studies, investigations and reports done, and all show the same thing: voter fraud is exceedingly rare.”

Judicial Watch, a conservative activist group, had accused the state of California of having 11 counties with more registered voters than their estimated populations of citizens eligible to vote.

The allegations were picked up by Breitbart, other news sites and tweeted out by Assemblymember Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach).

Judicial Watch had previously alleged that by adding together the active and inactive voter lists in the 11 counties (Orange County was not named in the list), the number of voters is significantly larger than the voting-age citizens within those counties.

In 2017, the organization sent a letter to Padilla claiming it was important to combine active and inactive voters in the tally, because inactive voters can show up and cast ballots.

Padilla had told Los Angeles Times that that kind of math is “baseless,” and “bad math and dubious methodology.” When the LA Times asked Judicial Watch to share its analysis of voter registration in California, Judicial Watch declined “Voter fraud is rare, because our safeguards are working,” Padilla said. “That doesn’t mean we aren’t vigilant. We have options for people to submit complaints.

If you know something is happening that shouldn’t be happening, you can report it.”

Padilla also addressed beliefs that undocumented immigrants are able to obtain a driver’s license or identification and then vote.

“That is not true,” Padilla said. “That is a conspiracy theory.”

WHAT’S NEXT: “There are 20 million registered voters in California,” Padilla said. “No matter your politics, ideology or who you’re voting for, it’s important that we participate in our democracy.”

The 2020 California Primary Election will be held on March 3, but voters can San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

now drop off their ballots at 38 vote centers throughout the county and another 150 locations four days before Election Day.—Lillian Boyd

City Reviewing Hospital RFP Submissions THE LATEST: The city is currently in the early stages of reviewing and evaluating proposals it had received from prospective bidders interested in reopening San Clemente’s hospital, Assistant City Manager Erik Sund told San Clemente Times this week.

Back in December, the council approved the release of the request for proposals (RFP) that sought to acquire interest about resurrecting the blighted hospital on Camino De Los Mares from health care operators and medical service providers.

The RFP was scheduled for release on Jan. 8, with a deadline for proposals for Feb. 3.

Sund, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, was unable to discuss the details regarding the proposals, such as how many were submitted nor the types of organizations and companies that participated. He estimates that city staff will be talking with the council about the proposals in April.

“I think we’re going to be talking to them probably in the April time frame,” he said. “It’ll probably be closed session initially, but then be public as well.”

An initial draft of the RFP, which had been released to the public before being gutted ahead of the council’s Dec. 17 meeting, estimated the cost to renovate the hospital at about $62.81 million. The cost to construct a whole new facility was estimated to be about $163 million.—SR

Chamber Recognizes Residents, Business Owners for Annual Awards Dinner THE LATEST: The San Clemente Chamber of Commerce held its annual installation and awards ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 20, gathering the local business community and dignitaries together to recognize a handful of individuals for their commitment to the city.

Ed Molina, the chairman and CEO of the local nonprofit Community Outreach Alliance (COA), took home the Chamber’s 2019 Citizen of the Year award, and Bella Collina San Clemente was honored with the Business of the Year award.

Former San Clemente Councilmember Lori Donchak presented the Citizen award to Molina, stating that as the head of COA, “he was an agent for change” who “worked with great energy, providing strategic planning and a focus on growing the organization to set the stage for future growth.”

While accepting the award, Molina

After being announced as the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Lifetime Achievement award recipient for 2019, Richard “Rod” Rodriguez of Rod’s Tree Service, Inc. (right) goes in for the fist bump with Larry Rannals on Thursday, Feb. 20 at Bella Collina. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

noted that his father, who died last year, was the biggest influence in his life and thanked his wife Christina for “putting up with those endless hours” of work.

Jim Wynne, senior vice president of Kidder Mathews real estate firm, said the Bella Collina golf club, which hosted the Chamber’s awards dinner, has demonstrated community support for many local organizations by hosting their events.

“Bella Collina’s warm personal approach to business, paired with their love for San Clemente, compels us to endorse them as the go-to venue for all your hospitality needs,” Wynne said.

Mark Zane, the owner of Bella Collina, credited his staff for being a great team deserving of the Business of the Year award.

“In honesty, it’s not me; I think we have the best staff, the best team,” Zane said of the award.

As part of the evening’s events, the Chamber installed its officers and directors for 2020, including new Chairman Burton Brown, who said he would continue fulfilling the Chamber’s mission of helping business owners achieve their goals “by the effective voice and the diverse economic landscape of San Clemente.”

The highlight of the night came when the Chamber announced that Richard “Rod” Rodriguez of Rod’s Tree Service, Inc. was honored with the 2019 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement award.

“The recipient of this award I’ve actually known for 25 years, actually longer than that, and he should’ve received this award at least 10 years ago,” said Larry Rannals, a Chamber board member.

“But let me tell you why. Few men have demonstrated the level of commitment and passion for community service as this year’s honoree.”

After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, being stationed at various locations Page 4

around the world, Rodriguez and his wife Gloria settled in San Clemente in 1964, Rannals noted. Rod and Gloria met when they were in junior high and have been married for more than 60 years.

Rod Rodriguez began working for the city in the parks department before joining the San Clemente Police Department.

He later earned a bachelor’s degree and left the police department in the late 1970s to start Rod’s Tree Service.

“Rod soon joined the Chamber of Commerce and was later elected to the board of directors. He quickly became known as the ‘I’ll volunteer for anything with the Chamber’ ” guy, Rannals joked.

According to Rannals, Rodriguez spearheaded the effort to have the city of San Clemente adopt a Marine battalion at Camp Pendleton and was a strong community advocate for the construction of the Marine Monument at Park Semper Fi. During his acceptance speech, Rodriguez referenced his accomplishments, stating that he was “glad to say that I have helped out a lot of stuff to improve this city and help make it one of the greatest cities in the United States.”

“Everything that I do is something I do for community service. I don’t do it for the recognition, I don’t do anything for people clapping their hands,” Rodriguez said. “But I tell you, I love this city, I’ve been in this city for over 50, 60 years. I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, and I consider myself a native of San Clemente.”

Rodriguez went on to state that he would never move out of San Clemente for any reason, and he added that he was thankful for the award, yet didn’t quite believe he was worth it.—SR EDITOR’S NOTE: To read the extended, full-length versions of these stories, head to sanclementetimes.com. sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

Ready, Set, Swim Applicants Test Their Mettle in City Lifeguard Tryouts

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

About 30 teens and young adults braved the cold ocean waters at the beach near the San Clemente Pier this past Sunday morning, Feb. 23, as they competed for spots with the city’s Marine Safety Division lifeguards.

“When I first got in, it was very shocking, because it was very cold, but you just had to keep going; it was all mental,” 16-year-old Bailey Van Blarcom said of her first time trying out for one of the open city lifeguard positions.

The city held tryouts for all of those who wanted “to come and join Lifeguard Station 56” and “help make a difference in the summer,” explained Marine Safety Officer Ian Burton, explaining you “can’t beat the location, and you get to make a difference in people’s lives, make sure that people get home at the end of the day.”

To qualify for the seasonal lifeguard and lifeguard trainee spots ahead of the coming summer, the 31 applicants were challenged to complete physical tests, starting with a roughly 800-yard ocean swim in under 13½ minutes.

Those who completed the swim within the allotted time then had to complete a 1,200-yard, run-swim-run. From there, the top candidates from the two physical tests were allowed to participate in the interview process.

“For lifeguard applicants, we’re looking for someone who’s motivated, high-integrity character,” Burton said, adding: “We want people that are going to be motivated and want to make a difference in people’s lives.”

Burton said that many lifeguards typically move on to other public-safety professions including law enforcement or fire protection, but some have also transitioned into the medical field and law, as the position is “a great building block for any character you want.”

On Sunday, Van Blarcom, a water polo player at San Juan Hills High School, said she was motivated to try out because she wanted to help people, as well as follow in her father’s footsteps.

“My dad was a lifeguard in New Jersey, and I love the ocean, so I just kind of wanted to go and make a difference and help people,” said Van Blarcom, who was unable to make it to the interview round, completing her swim in just over 14 minutes.

The biggest challenge Van Blarcom came across during the swim, she said, was the transition from land to water and vice versa.

“I feel like I lost a lot of time just transitioning past the short break,” she said.

Choosing to not be discouraged, Van Blarcom said she intends to go out again next year, and in the meantime, she’ll be practicing better and more efficient ways of entering and exiting the water.

As of Monday, Feb. 24, the selection process following Sunday’s interviews was still ongoing, according Burton. SC San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

About 30 individuals participated in the city’s lifeguard tryouts on Sunday, Feb. 23, competing in swimming and running tests at the beach near the San Clemente Pier. Photos: Shawn Raymundo

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sanclementetimes.com

EYE ON SC

NEWS BITES

WHERE TO VOTE IN THE TRI-CITY AREA:

COMPILED BY STAFF

Voting Centers in Orange County Now Open The Orange County Registrar of Voters opened the first wave of vote centers throughout the county on Saturday, Feb. 22, with 150 more scheduled to open this weekend, just days before California’s Primary Election on Tuesday, March 3.

Voters in Orange County who have received their vote-by-mail ballots can either return them to the Registrar’s office via mail, take it to one of the 110 metal drop boxes within the county or deliver it to a vote center.

Thirty-eight vote centers opened this past Saturday—11 days before the election—and an additional 150 centers will open on Feb. 29—four days before election day.

The centers currently open are available to voters between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Between Feb. 29 and March 2, the centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. And on March 3, the centers will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Driver Dies in Multi-Car Crash Authorities responded to a fatal car crash near North Beach, at the intersection of El Camino Real and Calle Valle on Friday, Feb. 22, prompting an hours-long road closure, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

At around 3:15 p.m. that Friday, authorities were called out to the intersection where a male operating a van was observed driving on the wrong side of the road, heading northbound and causing a three-car collision.

According to Jaimee Blashaw, spokesperson for OCSD, the driver of the van died as a result of the collision. The other drivers, she said, didn’t suffer any serious injuries. No other details about the deceased individual, nor the cause of the incident, could be provided as of press time.

City to Host Walking Tour of North Beach City officials, with the help of the San Clemente Historical Society, will host a public walking tour of North Beach on Friday, Feb. 28, highlighting the area’s historic buildings and structures such as the recently purchased Miramar Theater, which is currently being renovated into an event center.

The walking tour comes as the city is preparing to nominate North Beach as a National Register Historic District. The city council last month approved a contract award for GPA Consulting to help the city in its application process.

The tour is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the front lawn of Casino San Clemente San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

Vote Centers are currently open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 29 through March 2, they’ll be open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. March 3, the centers will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

DANA POINT | VOTE CENTERS

SAN CLEMENTE | DROP BOXES

Dana Point Community Center

San Clemente Municipal Golf Course

34052 Del Obispo Street (11-day)

150 East Avenida Magdalena (drive-thru only)

Dana Point Branch Library

Jim Johnson Memorial Sports Park

33841 Niguel Road (four-day)

560 Avenida Vista Hermosa

Dana Point Marina Inn

San Clemente City Hall

24800 Dana Point Harbor Drive (four-day)

910 Calle Negocio

DANA POINT | DROP BOXES

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO | VOTE CENTERS

Dana Point Branch Library

Reata Park & Event Center

33841 Niguel Road

28632 Ortega Highway (11-day center) La Sala Auditorium, 31495 El Camino Real (four-day center)

SAN CLEMENTE | VOTE CENTERS

San Juan Capistrano Community Center

San Clemente Community Center

25925 Camino del Avion (four-day center)

100 North Calle Seville (11-day center)

Capistrano Unified School District

San Clemente Aquatic Center

33122 Valle Road (four-day center)

987 Avenida Vista Hermosa (four-day) San Clemente Library

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO | DROP BOXES

242 Avenida Del Mar (four-day) The Volarè Resort

La Sala Auditorium

111 South Avenida de la Estrella (four-day)

31495 El Camino Real

and progress to the other historic buildings, including the Miramar, the San Clemente Bowling Center, the Ole Hanson Beach Club and the Aquarium Café (now OC Fresca).

At each building, the property owner, a member of the city’s staff, or the San Clemente Historical Society will provide background on the history of the property and its significance to the town, a press release from the city explained.

As part of a $20,000 contract with GPA Consulting, which is being paid for with grant money the state’s Certified Local Government Program awarded the city last year, the firm will also attend the tour.

The walking tour will last approximately one hour, and there is no cost to participate.

City staff and GPA Consulting will be available for further questions and discussion after the tour, the city said in its release.

The city is also encouraging residents to share any photographs or other articles of historic interest related to North Beach to assist in the nomination process. Historic items of interest can be submitted to Jonathan Lightfoot by emailing him at lightfootj@san-clemente.org.

Levin Warns of Misleading ‘Census’ Mailers from GOP Weeks before a nationwide population count is expected to get underway, Rep. Mike Levin, D-CA, is warning citizens about fake U.S. Census documents that the Republican National Committee has reportedly mailed out to residents.

The Los Angeles Times reported this month that documents labeled “2020 Con-

gressional District Census” were mailed out to residents in California and across the country. The envelope, labeled “Do Not Destroy, Official Document,” includes a questionnaire on paper that’s similarly used in the real census.

At the top of the mailer, it notes that it was “commissioned by the Republican Party.” And inside, a letter from National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel asks for donations to the party.

The RNC referred the LA Times to the Trump reelection campaign, which wouldn’t discuss details related to the mailers, other than noting the documents were marked as coming from the national committee.

“The official 2020 U.S. Census is a critically important endeavor—required by our Constitution—to ensure that every person in the United States is counted,” Levin said in a press release.

Levin, who represents the 49th Congressional District that encompasses South Orange County and North San Diego County, noted that the official census determines how much federal funding gets allocated to communities for emergency services, health clinics and schools.

According to Levin, the U.S. Census Bureau doesn’t have recourse to take action against the practice, which he referred to as “deceptive,” because the agency doesn’t own the word census.

“While anyone can take a ‘census,’ or poll, households will not receive the official U.S. Census until March 12, 2020,” he said in the release.

Levin went onto slam the GOP for sending out the mailers, stating that his office would work with Census Bureau officials

Page 9

Community Meetings MONDAY, MARCH 2

CITY COUNCIL 6 p.m. The San Clemente City Council will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting.

100 Avenida Presidio, San Clemente.

949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3

SUNRISE ROTARY 7:15-8:30 a.m. San Clemente Sunrise Rotary meets every Tuesday at Talega Golf Club Signature Grille. 990 Avenida Talega. scsunriserotary.com.

BECAUSE I LOVE YOU (BILY) 6:30-8:30 p.m. Meets every Tuesday.

Because I Love You (BILY) helps parents navigate through whatever parenting challenges they may be facing (e.g., failure to launch, drug abuse, disrespect).

San Clemente Presbyterian Church. 119 Avenida De La Estrella. bilysc.org.

SAN CLEMENTE TOASTMASTERS 7-8:40 p.m. The San Clemente Toastmasters meets every Tuesday, with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. so everyone can greet each other.

San Clemente Baha’i Center, 3316 Avenida Del Presidente. 858.900.6175 sanclementetoastmasters. toastmastersclubs.org.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

PLANNING COMMISSION 6-10 p.m. The city’s Planning Commission conducts its regularly scheduled meeting. 100 Avenida Presidio, San Clemente. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

on the issue.

“The fact that any organization would deceive Americans about this process and undermine the official Census for political gain is disturbing,” he said in the release.

“My office will continue to work with the U.S. Census Bureau to help ensure that the official count is as accurate as possible.”

Information on how to avoid frauds and scams related to the decennial census can be found at 2020census.gov.

Have something interesting to submit to our News Bites section?

Submissions are due by 10 a.m. the Monday of the week you’d like published. Email sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com. sanclementetimes.com

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San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

Letters to The Editor MEASURE H MICHAEL CONLON, San Clemente

No one likes taxes. It’s not because of our gut reaction that someone is taking away our hard-earned money.

Most of us realize that no item for the public good, from national defense and infrastructure to local police, fire, and school services, can be funded simply by generous philanthropic donations, charities, or fundraisers.

Everyone has to contribute their fair share to promote and protect the present and future of our society.

The greatest objection to taxes, however, is the thought of our money being misspent in some distant capital on projects we have no knowledge of, don’t support and have no control over. That’s why I have no problem and am an enthusiastic supporter of Measure H. First, it is vastly upgrading and improving the environment in which our students learn. Even though we may not have children currently in the system, we have an ongoing interest in the future of an educated, civic-minded public, which will continue to bring discipline, expertise, and innovation into whatever field of business or service that we encounter and depend on.

Secondly, the proof of our investment will arise before our very eyes, from retrofitted and renovated modern classrooms at all the local K-12 schools, to additional student service and innovations centers, an aquatic center, and a performing arts theater at San Clemente High School.

Lastly, throughout the project, an independent citizen’s oversight committee, working with the design and construction experts, will guarantee that our money is spent wisely.

Measure H is a thoughtful, worthy investment with obvious, measurable dividends. It’s one that can bridge the gap of the current national divide and unite this community behind a common good.

NEED FOR 5G SMALL CELL TOWERS TONY HAYS, San Clemente

In the San Clemente Times dated February 6-12, the photo accompanying the article “Council Approves Ordinance Regulating Sites for Cell Towers” is somewhat misleading. The photo shows a macro cell site, which is relatively large both in size and power, whereas the ordinance covers small cells—which, as the name implies, are small in size and power.

The antenna and equipment shroud are cylindrical with a maximum diameter of about 15 inches, and a combined height of about 5 feet. Typically, they are installed on the top of the vertical section of an

existing concrete lamp post.

They are fairly easily visible, but a relatively small addition to other things on streets, such as traffic signals, road signs and streetlights themselves.

The installations that the phone companies are requesting will be 4G (i.e., current technology), but they will be upgraded to 5G as cellular systems are upgraded throughout the world.

Compared with 4G, 5G offers several orders of magnitude increase in capacity (the number of connected devices per square kilometer) and transmission rate (in bits per second), combined with about one-fifth the latency (the time it takes a packet of data to travel across a network).

These capabilities will be required for the large-scale operation of autonomous vehicles.

On the personal level, they will relieve us of the boredom of highway driving, and they will also reduce accidents. Vehicles will be connected via 5G towers to artificial intelligence in the cloud to operate the vehicle, and they will also communicate with other nearby vehicles using a special 5G protocol.

This will enable them to travel very closely together, and studies have shown that highways could carry almost three times the level of traffic as compared with today’s highways.

Similar benefits could be achieved on surface streets, especially when vehicle movements are coordinated with traffic signals.

The result is that there would be no requirement for widening Interstate 5 in the foreseeable future, nor for the extension of the 241 Toll Road. So the city of San Clemente should encourage the early adoption of 5G technology.

MEASURE H SHERINE SMITH

My husband and I have lived in San Clemente for more than 30 years. We wholeheartedly support Measure H. I am a retired educator who had a long career in Capistrano Unified School District, starting as a teacher. I also served as a middle school principal, high school principal, and deputy superintendent of education in Capistrano Unified and was later hired as the superintendent of Laguna Beach Unified School District.

Public education is an investment in our students, our communities, our state, and our nation. Great schools are an integral part of great communities, and San Clemente schools reflect our community.

We need Measure H to ensure our children have the same high-quality learning environment as children in other communities, including upgraded classrooms, science labs, and technology.

Join me in voting for Measure H. Our kids deserve it.

DOG PARK LETTERS MARGE SOSA, San Clemente

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I read with interest the two letters regarding the dog park being designated a homeless shelter. We do need a homeless shelter, but the dog park is not a good idea. Likely, most homeless wouldn’t even agree to go there.

First of all, there is no access to anything a homeless person would need: no bus, no food, nor any amenities.

Being so close to a children’s skate/ ballpark is truly foolhardy and dangerous to our young people. Remember, many homeless are mentally ill.

But the number one reason is the fire danger to the Rancho San Clemente Industrial Park and to the whole development.

A fire next to the dog park could spark devastating property damage, costing millions, and spawn many lawsuits—not something our city can afford at this point.

(I was astounded in the same edition of the San Clemente Times to learn of the horribly high legal costs our City has incurred.)

Has the City investigated building a homeless shelter on the same land where they had pitched the tents? That is about the same size as the dog park and does not have the same drawbacks, except the Jim Johnson Child Park, which could be relocated north of the Outlets.

No fire danger. It has access to buses and other amenities. I never see anyone in that park when I drive or walk by.

We have frequented the two dog parks ever since they opened and have made good friends. I can tell you that putting large dogs like German shepherds and pit bulls in a smaller space with poodles and chihuahuas is asking for trouble.

If Ms. Peery thinks the dog parks are not used frequently, she does not go there very often. I rarely go there without seeing dogs. The small-dog section is not suitable or capable of handling our dog population. Early mornings and late afternoons are especially busy.

MEASURE H BOND LISA LUSKY, San Clemente

I could not get to my computer fast enough to respond to Ken Sieracki. It is one thing to not approve of this measure, but to see blatant misinformation was enough to make my hair curl.

San Clemente readers, let me spell out the truth, and if you do not believe me, contact the Board President, Superintendent or even the state laws relating to school bond measures before you believe the fake facts that are being spewed.

First, a community will never be ruined by having quality school facilities.

Students cannot learn in cold, damp or ramshackle buildings. If our students are going to go on to higher education, then they need quality teachers and decent facilities to be able to compete. sanclementetimes.com

SOAPBOX This bond money can only be used for our San Clemente Schools; please do not believe that the money will go to other school districts. It is spelled out in this bond measure, and this is the law.

These renovations will be very beneficial for our community. If we do not pass this bond, then the money will go to other school districts that recognize the importance of good schools. Our community will suffer, as our schools will, too.

Ken states that property values will go down because of these increases in taxes, I beg to differ. Young professionals (doctors, dentists, etc.) will look to buy homes in areas where their children will be housed in updated and cutting-edge facilities. Our property values will soar if we have a good reputation for our schools Teachers are better teachers when they have what they need in their classrooms.

Students learn better and have more respect for their environment when they can take pride in their school.

Please recognize that poorly educated children will be a burden to our society for years to come. Vote yes on this measure and take pride in our schools, for they are an integral part of our community and will bring higher property values and a community that can be proud.

MISLEADING MEASURE H FLYER LINDA MORE, San Clemente

Last Friday, I came home to find an unstamped, hand-delivered anti-Measure H flyer in my mail.

As a retired San Clemente teacher, I am well acquainted with Measure H, and I immediately saw that the flyer was filled with inaccuracies and highly misleading statements.

Therefore, I am writing to urge the citizens who also receive this material to not take its information and suppositions as fact, but to use reliable resources to form their opinions and make their decisions on this vital matter.

Also, I’d like to remind those persons delivering these flyers that they may be subject to a fine for depositing them in a mailbox without postage (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1725).

MEASURE H BILL PRESTRIDGE, San Clemente

There is a lot of false and misleading information about the school bond Measure H in our community. Accusations of mismanagement and alternative bond measures that will fix our schools are floating around.

The real truth is that Capistrano Unified School District has the lowest rate of school levies in Orange County. Our district receives $7.45 for every $100,000 of our home’s assessed value.

The average in Orange County is $38, and in some districts, it is closer to $80.

San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

To put it bluntly, our community has not been paying for the maintenance that San Clemente High School and Las Palmas Elementary School desperately need.

These schools are falling apart. The state does not and will not pay for the maintenance and upkeep of our schools.

Instead, the state leaves that up to each community.

The bond issue that was passed over 20 years ago was spread out districtwide so each school got a little something, but not enough to fix the bigger issues at our oldest schools like SC High, which was built in 1965, and Las Palmas, which dates to the 1920s.

Measure H is only for schools in San Clemente, particularly SCHS and Las Palmas, and has very strict guidelines where the monies will be spent. One can go online and read the reams of information on this.

For those worried about the health of their bank accounts, modern, up-to-date schools will lead to increases in property values in the area. But most importantly, we will not receive matching funds from the state when Proposition 13 passes if we do not pass measure H. To qualify for matching funds, a district must have passed a local school bond. So, if Measure H does not pass, we will be paying higher taxes that will go to other districts that have passed local school bonds.

One last thing, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, for every $1 spent on public schools in a community, home values increased $20.

Do not be penny wise and pound foolish.

YES ON H; LOCAL BOND HISTORY JIM HOLLOWAY, San Clemente

There are some important characteristics that define San Clemente. First, we have justifiable pride and gratitude that we live in a very high quality of life community. Second, we are known as a fiscally conservative town.

With these characteristics in mind, it’s no surprise that San Clemente is generally not supportive of state-imposed taxes, or even regional taxes (i.e., TCA fees).

However, when it comes to local bonds and taxes with specific identifiable local community benefits, it’s a different story.

In the early 1960s, residents passed bonds, which allowed for the purchase of our public beaches from North Beach down to State Beach.

In the early 1990s, residents again approved bonds, which allowed for street improvements throughout the city.

And again in the early 2000s, residents approved a “clean ocean” tax, which helps to keep our ocean water clean and safe.

Given this history, I’m hopeful and optimistic that San Clemente will approve Measure H. About 75% of bond proceeds will be spent on upgrades and new construction at San Clemente High School.

The remaining 25% will be used to

improve the local elementary and middle schools that feed into San Clemente High.

These school improvements will benefit our kids, our community, our businesses, our local economy and our home values.

Measure H is all about our town, our schools.

MEASURE H BOND JIM SIGAFOOS, San Clemente

I feel compelled to respond to a letter opposing Measure H in last week’s San Clemente Times by Mr. Ken Sieracki. Per Mr. Sieracki, over the 30-year course of the bond, an owner of a property valued at $1 million could expect to pay $13,793.

According to the OC Assessor’s Office, the average assessed property value in San Clemente is $557,274, so the average property owner will pay far less. That aside, is $13,793 over 30 years really too much of a sacrifice compared to the value of ensuring our students get the best possible educational environment?

If the owners of a $1 million property can reduce their expenses by just $1.26 per day, less than the cost of one small Starbucks coffee, they would totally fund their bond obligation and have money left over.

Mr. Sieracki also addresses the impact of Measure H on commercial properties, positing that his estimated $1,811 annual cost would be passed on to consumers.

How much would this trivial increase really impact the cost of your Del Mar purchases when spread over the thousands of transactions processed every year?

According to one Del Mar merchant I spoke with, Proposition H would increase his/her costs by less than one-tenth of one percent.

Mr. Sieracki clearly thinks we are unreasonably taxed, yet the Capistrano Unified School District has by far the lowest tax levy for school facilities bonds of any of the 29 districts in Orange County, and even that modest levy expires in just six years.

On a personal note, I graduated high school in 1964. My parents (aka The Greatest Generation) paid much higher taxes as a percentage of income than we do today. Their taxes ensured I went to practically new schools at every level.

Should we deny the same benefits to today’s young people, just to enjoy a few more consumer goods? We want our school facilities to be first-class—this is our town, these are our schools, and we have local control over this issue.

I encourage you to support our students and educators by voting yes on Proposition H.

YES ON MEASURE H STEVE LITCHFIELD, San Clemente

My wife and I have lived here for 20 years and are truly blessed to be raising our three kids in this amazing community of San Clemente. We support Measure H, as it is all about the kids.

This community needs our kids to have

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the best education possible to build futures for themselves and our community.

Local, local, local. All the money stays here in San Clemente and Capistrano Beach. Each of your hard-earned tax dollars will stay in the community, improving facilities for our kids, our community, and future generations.

The mechanism for school funding in the state of California was one of the major reasons for getting behind this bond, as it is the only means of sufficiently upgrading our school facilities to the levels required to be competitive.

While we would love to fix the process itself, we can’t wait any longer for our kids to have proper facilities for STEM education, career training facilities, sufficient safety standards, and modern athletic and theater facilities The community benefits tremendously by not only educating our kids, but having 21st century facilities available to the community to use and enjoy every day.

Our city uses these facilities for local city events, kids’ basketball, flag football, theater and dance recitals. We all will benefit from these facilities as a central place to enjoy and thrive together.

We must have accountability and oversight for this to be successful. As a chief financial officer of a local business, I find this absolutely necessary.

While, by law, these funds must stay local, there should be oversight to make sure that the funding is used as defined by the bond. I urge you to participate and engage in making sure that these funds build the necessary buildings, earthquake upgrades, air conditioning additions, and facilities improvements defined in this bond.

I urge all of you to think beyond today and think of the impact that you can have on this generation of kids and generations to come in this wonderful community.

It’s all about the kids. Vote yes on Measure H.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

Have something you’d like to say? Email your letter to sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com no later than 8 a.m. on Monday morning.

San Clemente Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or information written by the writers. Limit your letters to 350 words or less. Please send with your valid email, phone number and address for verification by staff. Your address and phone number will not be published.

Join SC Times for Beachside Chat, Friday, Feb. 28 at 8 a.m., Dorothy Visser Senior Center Beachside Chat is a spirited, town hall forum on community issues, hosted by SC Times editor Shawn Raymundo every Friday. The chat will be held at Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria. All are welcome. sanclementetimes.com

SC GETTING OUT San Clemente

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

The List

At the Movies: ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’

What’s going on in and around town this week COMPILED BY STAFF

HAVE AN EVENT? Submit it to San Clemente Times by going to sanclementetimes.com, and clicking “Submit an Event” under the “Getting Out” tab.

Thursday | 27 ACOUSTIC THURSDAYS AT BARNOA 7-9 p.m. Live music every Thursday. A rotating cast of Orange County’s most talented musicians play acoustic covers and original music. Enjoy a great wine selection, craft beers, tasty appetizers and Barnoa’s full dinner menu. Must be 21 and older. Barnoa Wine and Craft Beer Bistro. 831 Via Suerte, San Clemente.

949.388.4378. barnoawinebar.com.

Sunday | 01 WALKING TOURS OF AVENIDA DEL MAR 9:15 a.m. This walk, hosted by the San Clemente Historical Society, takes place on the first Sunday of the month. The tour guide will present historic buildings on Avenida Del Mar and those nearby. Shopping is allowed during the narration of the architecture and history of these sites. Some of the historic buildings on the tour include Ole Hanson’s Administration Building, the Bartlett Building, Casa Romantica and the Abode. Please sign up at the Historical Society booth at the top of Avenida Del Mar. The first tour starts at 9:15 a.m. and second begins at 12:15 p.m. 949.492.9684.

SHARING SURF ADVENTURES: FELIPE POMAR AND JEFF HAKMAN Noon-3 p.m. Mark your calendar as Felipe Pomar and Jeff Hakman will be at SHACC for an afternoon of talking and storytelling. It is a special opportunity to have two such legends sharing their adventures and life lessons. Surfing Heritage & Culture Center, 110 Calle Iglesia, San Clemente.

949.388.0313. shacc.org.

Monday | 02 PTSD WARRIOR GROUP 7 p.m. Warrior Groups are fellowships for combat veterans and their families to share their experiences, testimonies of healing, compassion and hope in overcoming the invisible wounds of war. PTSD San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

EDITOR’S PICK

Photo: Courtesy of Lilies Films / Neon Films

BY MEGAN BIANCO, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Photo: File/Eric Heinz

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29: SAN CLEMENTE DAY FISHING DERBY 9 a.m.-noon. Celebrate San Clemente Day at the third annual Youth Fishing Derby. Registration is now open for ages 6-13 years to participate, with free fishing, face painting, crafts, a photo opportunity with special guests, and more. Equipment supplied by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (while supplies last). Volunteers from Fish for Life will be there to assist, and T-shirts are sponsored by Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Watching. In addition, as part of the San Clemente Day celebrations, the Ole Hanson Beach Club will host a free recreation swim from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and the recently unearthed Sister Monument Time Capsule will be on display at the community center. San Clemente Municipal Pier, 601 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente. 949.361.8264 or 949.429.8797. san-clemente.org.

Foundation of America-Southern California, 216 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. 619.362.0642. ptsdusa.org.

children aged 1-7 for a picture book reading every Wednesday in the courtyard.

A Q&A session and a dance will be held after each story. Admission is free. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente.

949.498.2139. casaromantica.org.

Tuesday | 03 BEGINNING HULA CLASS 6:30-7:15 p.m. Have fun and learn basic language, songs, dance steps, motions and meanings. Includes work with poi balls (Maori culture from New Zealand), Hawaiian hula, Tahitian, Samoan music/dance forms. All are welcome. Hula Connection, 3551 Camino Mira Costa, Suite J, San Clemente. 949.842.0662. hulaconnection.net.

Wednesday | 04 TOPS (TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY) 9:30-10:30 a.m. TOPS is an affordable nonprofit weight loss program founded in 1948. Rather than diets and selling food plans, TOPS offers healthful changes you can live with, plus friendship, encouragement and accountability. San Clemente Presbyterian Church, 119 Avenida De La Estrella, San Clemente. 949.492.9428. sandyxlb7@gmail.com.

CASA KIDS: STORY TIME 10-11 a.m. Casa Romantica welcomes

WEDNESDAY NIGHT TRIVIA 7:30-9:30 p.m. Enjoy friendly competition and craft beers among friends during the BrewHouse’s weekly trivia night. Food trucks are on site during the trivia contest.

The BrewHouse. 31896 Plaza Dr., Suite D3, San Juan Capistrano. 949.481.6181. thebrewhousesjc.com.

BLOOM’S FREE COMEDY WEDNESDAYS 8:30 p.m. Doug James hosts a free all-star comedy show every Wednesday featuring top national acts. Bloom’s Irish Bar & Restaurant, 2391 South El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.218.0120.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS 9-11:30 p.m. Performers of all skill levels are welcome. If you are a musician, do stand-up comedy or the spoken word, this is the place to be on Wednesday nights.

So come down, grab a drink and go for it.

Knuckleheads Sports Bar, 1717 North El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.2410. knuckleheadsmusic.com.

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F

or what I hope will be my last article to reference the underwhelming 2019 awards season, I’ll now discuss another overlooked, underrated—by audience standards—quality feature film that was more intriguing than those that won accolades: Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire. One of the best received foreign films of last year is now finally getting a general theatrical release in the U.S. In late 18th century France, Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is a young painter following in her father’s footsteps and is assigned to create a portrait of a young, aristocratic fiancée named Héloïse (Adèle Haenel).

Héloïse’s mother and French-Italian countess (Valeria Golino) thinks an arranged marriage to a wealthy nobleman in Milan will make her life more satisfactory and respectable.

Héloïse disagrees and keeps sabotaging the painters hired for her portrait before the wedding. Stuck together for a week on an island of Brittany, Marianne and Heloise get to know each other in more ways than they were expecting.

Sciamma has grown to be one of the most respected modern French filmmakers for the past decade with critical coming-of-age hits. Now she reunites with Haenel from Water Lilies (2007) for a more mature, regal love story. Portrait has two characters who aren’t exactly uncomfortable with themselves, but know they can’t freely express their feelings given the time period. Haenel and Merlant are stellar as the leads, particularly Merlant, who has to do a lot of reacting and pondering without much dialogue. For a refreshing and bittersweet romance to end February, Portrait of a Lady on Fire would be the top choice. SC

sanclementetimes.com

Greetings

FROM THE DOLPHIN AND WHALE WATCHING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!® Dana Point is excited to once again celebrate the fascinating and awe-inspiring migration of gray whales along the Southern California coast as part of its Festival of Whales, the longest-running whale festival in the world. Now in its 49th year, this annual celebration occurs over two weekends: March 7-8 and March 14-15.

This Festival embraces one of the remarkable aspects of our coastal city, because Dana Point has the best access to where gray whales frequent as they migrate each year between Alaska and Mexico. That’s why Dana Point has been named the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World. If you’re like me, you look forward to the opportunity to glimpse these gentle marine mammals as they travel along our shore, sometimes even capturing sight of a mother and baby. Plus, you’re bound to see so many other wonderful marine wildlife, including humpback whales, fin whales, sea lions, dolphins and so much more!

I also look forward to engaging with our local community and the many visitors who will join us to experience our city. Did you know that the Festival draws more than 50,000

visitors each year over these two special weekends? Its popularity is apparent when you consider that the Festival of Whales truly offers something for everyone.

In addition to whale watching, exciting activities include sand sculpting, live music, the Dinghy Dash, Art in the Park, delicious Harbor eats and lots of learning experiences and educational hands-on activities for all ages.

One of the more colorful activities of the event, the Festival of Whales Parade will begin Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. The City of Dana Point is pleased to announce that the Festival of Whales Parade is moving down to Dana Point Harbor this year. Parade staging will occur on the west end of the Island from Dana Point Yacht Club to Island Way. Attendees can view the parade along Island Way and Dana Point Harbor Drive.

Wrap up the Festival with the Whale of a Concert barbeque and live music at Baby Beach on Sunday, March 15 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In closing, let me share once again how honored the City of Dana Point is to celebrate the Festival of Whales and how much we look forward to two splendid weekends along our beautiful coastline!

—Mayor Richard Viczorek

The Festival of Whales is a part of the fabric of this community. For just shy of 50 years, celebrating the annual migration of California gray whales past the shores of Dana Point has been a tradition that has brought the people of this city by the sea together to witness a magical migration. This migration brings pods of gray whales together in a coordinated effort to continue their 10,000-plus-mile, round-trip journey between the warm birthing and calving waters of Baja Mexico and the cold Arctic feeding waters of the Bering Sea; generation after generation.

For the whales, although it’s simply a part of their instinctive survival behavior, enthusiastic breaches and slapping tail flukes seem to demonstrate a joy in the gathering. For confirmed whale nerds, the sight of these magnificent creatures is a passion, having gained an appreciation via awe-inspiring interactions. For the uninitiated setting out for the first time seeking such interactions, prepare to be amazed. The whales often eagerly swim up alongside boats filled with excited humans, perhaps as curious about us as we are about them. In that moment when our eyes meet, there is communication. And when the water droplets of a spouting whale catch the sunlight just right and the colors of a rainbow turn it into a “rain-blow,” there is magic.

For either pod, cetacean or human, this springtime gathering is about togetherness. In that spirit, this year’s 49th annual Festival of Whales is bringing the city’s opening-day Magical Migration Parade back to the Harbor, where the rest of the Festival’s events are held. The March 7 parade route will begin on the island side of the Harbor and proceed over the Island Way Bridge, terminating at the corner of Dana Point Harbor Drive and Golden Lantern in the Brig Restaurant parking lot. The Pet Project Foundation’s post-parade street fair—“Whales, Tails & Ales”—will also be held in this parking lot. Join us and be a part of what the locals know makes Dana Point the Whale Watching Capital of the World, and incidentally a whale nerd’s paradise.

—Andrea Swayne, Event Coordinator

The Shape of Things to Come Festival of Whales Artist and Logo Are Announced for 2020

By Lillian Boyd Mika Denny’s roots take her back to the Orange County coastline. With childhood visits to the Ocean Institute and residing in Dana Point during her art school days, it’s only fitting that the experiences that shaped her artistry have led her logo design to be selected for the 49th annual Festival of Whales in 2020.

Denny, who currently resides in Santa Ana, submitted an entry in a previous year’s design contest for the festival. The Festival of Whales Foundation Board was very impressed with the submission, says festival coordinator Andrea Swayne.

“This design really stuck out to the Board,” Swayne said.

“Mika’s artwork is the perfect celebratory feel to represent all the fun new additions we have planned for the Festival of Whales in 2020.”

Denny solely used Adobe Illustrator to create her design.

She says it all came down to color and shape.

“I picked out the complementary colors that I know would make the eye happy,” Denny said. “I love playing around with interesting shapes. I love distinguishing shapes within other shapes. And I think that’s pretty evident in this design.”

Denny says she was inspired by Japanese woodblock art for some of the design.

“The splash of the whale tail makes the design pop out,” Denny said. “There are a lot of moving parts to it. The fun part of my creative process is playing around with shapes to create movement.”

Denny was born and raised in Laguna Beach, which has served as prominent inspiration for her love of the ocean and nature.

“Whales, in particular, are such an amazing thing to me,” Denny said. “They are so massive. In Dana Point, they just cruise on by. It’s awe-inspiring. You can’t believe that something that big can exist and be so close to us.”

Denny attended Cal State Fullerton for her degree in graphic design. After retiring from an in-house creative

Mika Denny’s Japanese woodblock-inspired logo design was selected for the 49th annual Festival of Whales. Photo: Courtesy of Mika Denny

director position to be a full-time mom, Denny had more time to dabble in painting, mixed media work, children’s book illustrations and even jewelry-making.

“I’m all over the place with my art. But ever since I was little, I’ve been drawn to it,” Denny said. “I’m so thrilled that something I’ve created is going to be part of something so big. It’s an honor.”

Although a logo design contest has not been held for the past couple of years, the plan is to revive it for the Festival’s golden anniversary event coming up in 2021.

Stay

Golden

Gold anniversary logo contest announced for next year’s 50th Festival of Whales

By Lillian Boyd For the 2021 golden anniversary celebration, the Dana Point Festival of Whales will once again be opening up a logo design contest to the public.

“Fifty years is quite a milestone for a festival that started when the arbor first opened and the very first whale watching boats began taking passengers out to experience the wonders of meeting these giant ocean mammals in the waters off ana oint, said ndrea wayne, event coordinator. t seems only fitting to allow members of the community who have long supported this event to once again have a chance at playing such an integral role in its history.

Don Hansen started the Festival of Whales to bring awareness to the California gray whale. Hansen and his team recognized that until the Festival of Whales started, the public had limited access and knowledge of the whales migrating past Dana Point.

Whale watching at that time was largely a school field trip activity, and most adults did not whale watch, said Donna Kalez, Hansen’s daughter and the General Manager for the company he founded, ana Wharf portfishing Whale Watching. “The festival helped to bring public whale watching to the forefront, and the whale watching tour was born. Don’s love for the gray whale promoted people to come to Dana Point each year. Like the return of the swallows to an uan, the gray whales always return to ana oint.

The Festival quickly became a family tradition. Visitors returned yearly, not just for the gray whales but also for the merchandise, including the logo -shirt, sweatshirts and posters.

Throughout the Festival’s history, the logo has been chosen in a variety of ways. In some years, a local artist was chosen and voluntarily tasked with its design. long the way, there also have been some very high-profile artists commissioned to provide the iconic artwork representing the event. ig names such as world-renowned marine life artist Wyland 1 and ohn an amersveld 010 , creator of the iconic The Endless Summer movie poster as well as album covers for the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling tones, efferson irplane and the rateful ead, have both contributed their talent to the Festival’s collection of logos.

In 2011, an update was made to the original 1992 design in celebration of the Festival’s 40th anniversary.

From 2012 to 2016, art students at Dana Hills High chool were granted exclusive access to a logo design contest open only to them. Then in 2017, the Festival of Whales Foundation Board opened up the logo design contest to the general public for two years. In those years, the Board was introduced to so many great artists and their work, the choice of logo designs for the 2019 and 2020 Festivals was made from among past entries.

Past contestants may resubmit designs they have tried before; however, all entries must adhere to a strict set of guidelines that will include criteria such as using a maximum number of five total colors being submitted as ai, psd or eps file and including an image images of a gray whale, among other requirements. The full list of requirements for submitting print-ready artwork for the 0 1 Festival will be posted on festivalofwhales.com, and information will be available at the Festival.

2009 / Rick Erkeneff Rick Erkeneff is a Dana Point resident, surfer and artist who holds a seat on the South Coast Water District’s Board of Directors. He created the 38th Festival of Whales logo in 2009.

2017 / Alex Ban Brasch Using his love of whales as inspiration for a design, Alex Van Brasch took home the top prize in the 46th Festival of Whales logo design contest.

He used colored pencils and pen, then digitally edited the logo with text and alignment.

2015 / Alec Brady Alec Brady was named the first-place winner in the Dana Hills High School logo design competition. Entries were received through the school’s art department, and the Festival of Whales committee selected the winner as well as four runners-up.

2012 / Carver Moore Carver Moore was the first-place winner in the Dana Hills High school logo design competition for the 41st Festival of Whales. He went on to earn his BFA in Motion Pictures and Television Editing and works as a colorist in Los Angeles.

EVENT MAP

PARADE TIME SHUTTLE ROUTE 7:30 A.M.-NOON MARCH 7 ONLY

GETTING AROUND THE FESTIVAL WALKING DIRECTIONS FROM OCTA BUS STOP For those guests that are utilizing the OCTA bus stops on PCH, you can reach the Festival by walking down Dana Point Harbor Drive to the Harbor’s Golden Lantern entrance area or you can enter Doheny State Beach (direction sign at bus stop near bridge), walk along the barrier fence, then proceed towards the beach to the marked Festival of Whales shuttle stop. Ride the shuttle FREE to all event locations.

PARKING AND FREE SHUTTLE INFORMATION The FREE shuttle runs each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and services most parking lots and event locations. Daily and $3 per hour ($6 min/$15 max) parking is available at Doheny State Beach at the numerous automated payment machine kiosks located throughout the park, or better yet through the Passport Park-

The 2020 Dana Point Festival of Whales merchandise offerings include a colorful array of long-sleeve and short-sleeve T-shirts, zip front and pullover hoodies, trucker hats, backpacks, tote bags, lapel pins, notecards and posters. There’s something for everyone!

Items may also be purchased at select Harbor retailers and festivalofwhales.com.

ing app available for smartphones and tablets at https ppprk.com park . he benefit of the Passport Parking payment application is, in addition to making the initial payment for parking, time can also be added remotely from your phone or tablet. Free parking is available in and around the Harbor, along with paid ($3 per hour/$6 min/$15 max) parking.

PARADE (March 7 only) Parade starts at 10 a.m.

PARADE TIME SHUTTLE (March 7 only) On parade day, a special shuttle route will run from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

HARBOR CRUISE ffered daily during the Festival between ana Wharf and the Ocean Institute from noon to 5 p.m. Round trip tickets are $5 per person. Take in all the great sights from the water! Your captain will share interesting facts and features about the Dana Point area and its fascinating history.

WHALE OF A CONCERT SHUTTLE (March 15 only) FREE shuttle service will extend until 6 p.m.

MERCHANDISE BOOTH LOCATIONS MARCH 7 • Baby Beach • Dana Wharf (in front of ana Wharf portfishing & Whale Watching in the center of the large parking island) • El Torito Courtyard

MARCH 8 • Ocean Awareness Day at Baby Beach • Dana Wharf (in front of Dana Wharf portfishing Whale Watching in the center of the large parking island) • El Torito Courtyard

MARCH 14 • Baby Beach • Dana Wharf (in front of ana Wharf portfishing & Whale Watching in the center of the large parking island) • El Torito Courtyard

MARCH 15 • Near the Concert on the Water at Baby Beach • Dana Wharf (in front of Dana Wharf portfishing Whale Watching in the center of the large parking island) • El Torito Courtyard

WEEKEND ONE

WEEKEND TWO

Whale of a Sand Sculpting Competition

Kids’ Fun Zone

Cardboard Classic Dinghy Dash & Expo

8 a.m.-1 p.m. Baby Beach 15

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Parking Lot on Golden Lantern between Harpoon Henry’s and Dana Wharf 6

8 a.m.-1 p.m. Baby Beach 15

Dana Point Fine Arts Association Show & Sale

Boat Builders’ Brekky and BBQ on the Beach

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Harbor walkway near Mariners Village 6

Wyland Art Lessons in the Wild 9-9:45 a.m. OCean Adventure Catamaran, Dana Wharf Dock 3

Wyland Clean Water Mobile Learning Center 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Baby Beach 15

Festival of Whales Parade 10 a.m. Dana Drive > Island Way > Dana Point Harbor Drive 1-2; Parade Announcer 8

Street Fair, “Whales, Tails & Ales” 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dana Point Harbor Drive and Golden Lantern 2

Marine Mammal Lecture Series 10-11 a.m. Harpoon Henry’s 13

Ocean Institute Education Center 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Ocean Institute 5

Sailing & Stand-up Paddling Clinic 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Westwind Sailing, OC Sailing & Event Center 7

So Cal Woodies Car Show

Ocean Institute Education Center

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Harbor walkway 11

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Ocean Institute 5

The Legendary Corvette Car Show

Sailing & Stand-up Paddling Clinic 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Westwind Sailing, OC Sailing & Event Center 7

The Antique & Classic Boat Society 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Harbor walkway 6

So Cal Woodies Car Show 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Harbor walkway 11

The Legendary Corvette Car Show 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Harbor walkway 11

Art in the Park 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Island Way and Dana Point Harbor Drive 8

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Harbor walkway 11

Art in the Park

10-11 a.m. Harpoon Henry’s 13

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Harbor walkway near Mariners Village 6

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Ocean Institute 5

Ocean Institute Education Center British Invasion Car Show

Kids’ Fun Zone 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Parking Lot on Golden Lantern between Harpoon Henry’s and Dana Wharf 6

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Harbor walkway 11

Just Havin’ Fun Car Club Show 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Harbor walkway 9

Ocean Institute Education Center

10 a.m-5 p.m. Island Way and Dana Point Harbor Drive 12

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Harbor walkway near Mariners Village 6

Ocean Awareness Day 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Baby Beach Park 15

Diamond Dig

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Ocean Institute 5

Art in the Park

British Invasion Car Show 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Harbor walkway 11

Art in the Park 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Island Way and Dana Point Harbor Drive 8

Ninth Annual Clam Chowder Cook-Off 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Baby Beach Park 15

Noon-4 p.m. Baby Beach Park 15

Kids Fishing Clinic and Trip Noon-12:30 p.m.; 12:45 p.m.-5:15 p.m.

Dana Wharf Docks 3

Harbor Music Series

Harbor Music Series Noon-3 p.m. Dana Wharf, Mariners Village 10

Noon-3 p.m. Dana Wharf, Mariners Village 10

Walking Tour of Town Center

Walking Tour of Town Center

p.m. lue antern treet Highway 16

p.m. lue antern treet Highway 16

2-3 p.m. OC Sailing & Event Center 7

Marine Mammal Lecture Series

Dana Point Fine Arts Association Show & Sale

Dana Point Fine Arts Association Show & Sale

Noon-4 p.m. Baby Beach 15

Capt. Dave’s Presents “Entangled Whales: What Can We Do?”

9 a.m.-noon. Doheny State Beach 14

Dana Hills High School & San Juan Hills High School Young Artists Show & Sale

Whale of a BBQ

acific oast

Whale of a Beach Cleanup

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Parking Lot on Golden Lantern between Harpoon Henry’s and Dana Wharf 6

10-11 a.m. Harpoon Henry’s 13

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Baby Beach 15

Whale of a Pizza Party

9 a.m.-9:45 a.m. Dana Wharf Dock 3

Kids’ Fun Zone

Marine Mammal Lecture Series

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Harbor walkway near Mariners Village 6 Noon-2 p.m. Capt. Dave’s Dolphin Deck near Baby Beach 4

Wyland Art Lessons in the Wild

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Island Way and Dana Point Harbor Drive 8

Dana Point Fine Arts Association Show & Sale

Capt. Dave’s Under the Sea Eco Carnival

8 a.m.-noon. Baby Beach 15

Harbor Music Series Noon-3 p.m. Dana Wharf, Mariners Village 10

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Island Way and Dana Point Harbor Drive 8

Harbor Music Series Noon-3 p.m. Dana Wharf, Mariners Village 10

Whale of a Concert on the Water Noon-5 p.m. Baby Beach 15

Whale of a Concert BBQ and Spirits Garden 12:30-4:30 p.m. Baby Beach 15

Kids Fishing Clinic and Trip Noon-12:30 p.m.; 12:45-5:15 p.m. Dana Wharf Docks 3

acific oast

EVERY DAY OF THE EVENT . .

. .

Dana Wharf Whale Watching . .

. .

Campfire Talk with Ranger Serpa: Whales, the Mighty Monarchs of the Ocean

Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari

6:30-7:30 p.m. Doheny State Beach, North Day Use Picnic Area A 14

Ocean Institute

. . . .

. . . .

luff-top viewing at eadlands Nature Interpretive Center

Purple numbers coincide with map locations on opposite page.

Purple numbers coincide with map locations on previous page.

Set Your Sights on Whale Watching While in Dana Point for the Festival of Whales, don’t miss one of the many great options for experiencing sea life up close. Choose from multiple whale watching experiences, offered daily, by land and by sea.

Ocean Institute

Capt. Dave’s Whale Watching Safari

Join the Ocean Institute’s scientists on a whale watching cruise aboard the R/V Sea Explorer. The 2 1/2-hour cruises will start at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on each day of the festival. Test your new knowledge in the search for whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Assist staff in collecting samples of sea floor mud and the smallest organisms on Earth. Tickets are $35 for adults, $15 for children.

24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive. 949.496.2274. ocean-institute.com.

Capt. Dave’s provides trips aboard their customized catamarans, which allow guests to get up close to sea life. The Manute’a offers underwater viewing pods and eye-spy dolphin and whale tram nets. Multiple trips are planned for both weekends. Tickets for the Manute’a are $65 per adult (13 and older) and $45 per child. Tickets for the FAST CAT are $65 per person. 24440 Dana Point Harbor Drive. 949.488.2828. dolphinsafari.com.

Land Locked?

Dana Wharf Whale Watching Hop aboard one of Dana Wharf’s adventure cruises for a chance to catch a glimpse of the huge variety of underwater sea life with their multiple whale watching trips every day.

Cruises depart on the hour and are narrated by expert captains aboard a variety of vessels. Ticket costs vary, ranging from $15 to $55.

34675 Street of the Golden Lantern. 949.496.5794. danawharf.com.

Walk along the bluff-top ana oint ature nterpretive enter s three miles of trails to view the whale migration from above.

The Center is open daily from 10 a.m-4 p.m., and the trails are accessible from 7 a.m. to sunset. 34558 Scenic Drive. 949.248.3527. danapoint.org.

By Lillian Boyd Aura Gonzales has always lived near the ocean, growing up to admire how it impacts our daily lives and how our daily lives impact the ocean.

“I want to be a marine biologist,” Gonzales said. “Being so close to the water has given me a unique appreciation for the ocean.”

Gonzales, a senior, is a student in Randy Hudson’s marine ecology class at Dana Hills High School. She’s already applied to several colleges noted for their marine biology programs. Experiences such as going out at sea on the Dana Pride only a rm her belief she is on the right path. ach year, students from fine arts classes set sail out of the Dana Point Harbor.

The goal is for the students to channel their experience out on the water into their creative projects, which will be displayed and sold during the annual Festival of Whales celebration. Dana Wharf Whale Watching donates a whale watching trip each year to take a group of art and science students from Dana Hills on the trip.

“We just taught about marine mammals, so this trip has been perfect timing,” Hudson said. “We talked about plankton, whales and all mammals in between.” uring the field trip, the students were able to see a gray whale breach several times. Each time the gray whale was sighted, the captain repositioned the Dana Pride to safely follow the whale. Students had their smart phones and DSLR cameras at the ready, aiming to capture the breach.

“It’s so important that young kids get a chance to see these kinds of creatures out in

This year, students from both Dana Hills High School and San Juan Hills High School were given the opportunity to go whale watching through Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. Photo: Lillian Boyd

Cetaceans Inspire Imagination LOCAL STUDENTS LOOK TO THE OCEAN TO GUIDE THEIR INSPIRATION FOR ART, SCIENCE AND BEYOND

the wild,” Hudson said. “Now that we’ve had a chance to see whales breaching, the students have that experience, that connection, and they can relate on a more personable level when we go back to the classroom. Whales are directly impacted by human activity, so it is crucial that this next generation is educated

and develops an appreciation for these great species.”

Students taking classes in multimedia design, ceramics, drawing and painting, marine ecology, as well as digital photography, got to partake in the annual field trip to seek creative inspiration through whale watching.

his year, for the first time ever, students from San Juan Hills High School also were able to enjoy the whale watching experience.

One retired teacher was also able to board the trip as a naturalist for Dana Wharf Sportfishing Whale Watching. ana einer taught at John Malcom Elementary School in Laguna Niguel. Several of her former middle school students were also on the trip, now as high school students.

“I taught for 31 years with Capistrano Unified chool istrict, einer said. started being a naturalist for Dana Wharf in 2018 after I retired from teaching. Now I run into students and families all the time who come out whale watching. It’s wonderful to see the community come together to appreciate these mind-blowing whales migrating along our coastline.”

This year, the students have the opportunity to enter a Dana Point Arts and Culture Commission juried contest to compete for a chance to have their work chosen to be on display at the Dana Point Community Center in April and May. Dana Point City Council will recognize the winners at a City Council meeting. The work will be for show and sale on March 15 at the DHHS/SJHHS Young Artists’ Show and Sale at the Festival of Whales. he annual inspiration field trip fulfills an important part of the Dana Point Festival of Whales Foundation’s mission to share an appreciation for the beauty and majesty of the ocean environment and its inhabitants,” said Andrea Swayne, Festival coordinator. “We hope something as awe-inspiring as the sight of a breaching whale can plant a seed that will grow into a lifetime of environmentalism.”

By Captain Todd Mansur Imagine what life would be like as a gray whale traveling from the Bering and Chukchi Seas all the way to Baja Mexico.

You might have to add a few miles if you decided to start a little bit further north at The North Pole because the food was better. That’s clocking in 5,000 to 7,000 miles one way, all to enjoy a warm swim in the Mexican lagoons, where the whales will continue mating, calving, nursing, and socializing.

It’s an amazing concept if you think about the life of the o cial alifornia marine mammal, the alifornia gray whale, as it migrates from the north to the south and back again, enduring the many hurdles of boats, predators, and massive weight loss and fasting by these majestic creatures. ray whales have a different body shape than those of rorqual whales, such as the blue, humpback, and minke whales, in the way that they eat and travel. It’s almost like comparing a hybrid to a gas-guzzling vehicle averaging a loss of one gallon of fatty lipids for every 16 miles traveled. The gray whale’s shape and lack of multiple ventral grooves do not allow them to pull in large amounts of water like the humpback or blue whale when feeding. he gray whale is different in how they get food as bottom feeders; they focus on amphipods—small shrimp-like organisms that live in the mud, as well as mollusks and tube worms. They get fat and happy creating large reserves of fatty lipids in the Bering Sea, as they can’t eat and travel as they make their migration along the coast to their final destination of Baja Mexico.

Gray whales are recognized in appearance by barnacles, whale lice, gray-and-white-freckled modeling skin, lumpy back, heart-shaped spout, and absent dorsal fin. hey are unique in how they grow their population while mating during their travel. he female ovulates first in ovember, giving opportunity for conception during her southbound migration and, if unsuccessful, also 40 days later.

That would be her second and last ovulation of the year, which would have her mating in the lagoons. Fifty

percent of gray whales will be born north of Los Angeles, with gestation of 12 to 13 months along with their annual migration.

This is why we see numerous calves traveling southbound in waters off outhern alifornia.

The average calf will nurse six to Captain Todd Mansur eight months, with fatty lactation being most important in the first five to six weeks, creating the build-up of blubber and fat protein to keep them warm. It is the hardest thing for them to thermalregulate in their migration back to the cold-water temperature of the Bering Sea, as well as give them the energy and strength needed to travel the 5,000-mile trip to the Bering Sea with their mother. A calf averages 12 feet long at birth and will grow at a rate of two pounds an hour, gaining up to 48 pounds a day. The average calf leaving the lagoons with its mother will be 18 feet long.

I think that people forget how unique the gray whale is.

We are pretty darn lucky here in Southern California to be able to experience these “friendly whales” as they migrate from November to April along our coastline, peaking in our backyard off the coast of ana Point in February and March. ana oint is a landmark for whale sightings due to its weather, underwater canyons,

shallow waters, large kelp beds, and the close proximity of the continental shelf, which creates the “perfect navigational highway,” allowing us to have close accessibility to see the gray whale in its natural state. heir migration is different than any other in how they travel close to our shore, adding 3,500 extra miles to the already long adventure.

In California, we have judicial guidelines to keep these beloved creatures free of risk by honoring their space with a safe distance, just like you would a fire engine with its lights and sirens on—pull over, create space behind, and do not cross paths intentionally in order to protect them.

They were once hunted into near-extinction in the mid1800s and once again in the 1900s. They became overhunted in Southern California and Mexico and were once called the devil s fish, as they became aggressive once they knew they were in unfriendly waters during the whaling period. The history of how they were hunted is not a history we want to repeat. It is one of the natural wonders of the world to see the way the mothers and calves interact in the Mexican lagoons, allowing us to touch and kiss their young, living up to the name “friendly whales.”

Now is the perfect time to come learn more about the California gray whale as we celebrate them during the th annual Festival of Whales here in ana oint. ome wave hi to them aboard a whale and dolphin watching adventure, as they play along our shores. This time of the year is a special time, as we have witnessed so many of them with their young. Come and enjoy a free, pre-trip Marine Mammal Lecture Series about the gray whales from me—your whale expert, Captain Todd Mansur—at Harpoon Henry’s at 10 a.m. on March 14, before you board your whale watching vessel.

Captain Todd Mansur has had a career on the ocean for the past 32 years with Dana Wharf Whale Watching.

Through a variety of experiences, he has had the opportunity to observe hundreds of marine species, both fish and mammals. He is the Director of Marine Mammal Education Programs for Dana Wharf Whale Watching, A Certified Marine Naturalist with the American Cetacean Society, he is on the Board of Directors for the Gray Whale Foundation and leads all field trips and assemblies. For more information, visit danawharf.com and graywhalefoundation.org.

Cetacean Sensation

Dana Point is Officially the “Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World�Ž

By Lillian Boyd ana oint is now, o cially, the olphin Whale Watching apital of the World, thanks to two local women who took on the initiative in 01 . onna ale , of ana Wharf portfishing Whale Watching, and isele nderson, of apt. ave s olphin and Whale afari, teamed up despite the competition between their whale- and dolphinwatching charters in ana oint arbor. nderson and ale will be walking in this year s Festival of Whales parade together for the first time as co-founders of ana oint s newest registered trademark. he duo states that with a variety of year-round whales, more dolphins per s uare mile than anywhere in the world, pristine coastline, calm seas, the first and longest running annual Festival of Whales and a captivating harbor minutes from the open ocean ana oint, alifornia, is indeed the olphin and Whale Watching apital of the World. he Festival of Whales parade will be held on aturday, arch at 10 a.m., and it will begin at ana rive and sland Way in ana oint arbor.

SC SC LIVING San Clemente

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

GUEST OPINION: Life’s a Beach by Shelley Murphy

Leap Year: Celebrate the Extra Day on the Calendar with Family

L

eap Day occurs just once every four years, so its arrival this month is worth celebrating. In a leap year, an extra day, or leap day, is added on Feb. 29.

The purpose of a leap day is to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun by synchronizing the calendar year with the solar year.

On Feb. 29, “leapers”—or “leaplings”— can relish the rare occasion of celebrating their birthday on their actual birth date.

Folks born on a Leap Day like to say they are young at heart, which helps explain a middle-aged leaper claiming to be 10 instead of 40 years old.

Some cultures celebrate leap year, and others consider it an ominous occurrence shrouded in superstition.

Couples in Greece avoid getting married in a leap year, as it’s believed to bring bad luck and divorce.

In Scotland, it’s considered unlucky to be born on Feb. 29, and those born on the day are thought to live a life of suffering.

On Feb. 29, I’ll be celebrating the day, but I’ll find myself navigating uncharted territory.

This weekend, my husband and I will visit our older son, who lives in the Bay Area.

I’m eager to see my son, and in our latest conversation, we discussed possible plans for the trip.

Our talk turned to restaurants, and that’s when my son asked if we’d like to have dinner with him and his girlfriend—and her parents.

(Let me be quite clear: this is a dinner party, not an engagement party. My son assures me if, or when, a betrothal befalls, I’ll be the first to know.)

The invitation caught me by surprise, but in retrospect, it’s time to mark this rite of passage. My son and his girlfriend started dating a couple years ago, and they seem serious. And recently, my son started swapping his pronouns. He now says “we” instead of “I” and “us” in lieu of “me,” which I see as a sign of a committed coupling.

I remember introducing my parents to my husband’s parents, and it’s indeed memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.

My mother-in-law is a nice lady, but after divorcing my husband’s father, she remarried, and her second husband was, shall I say, eccentric. Our dinner was as awkward and strained as I’d feared.

Suffice it to say, our group never dined together again as a sextet.

My son doesn’t seem apprehensive about our approaching dinner date, LIFE’S A BEACH but I’m sure he’s someBy Shelley Murphy what anxious. After all, as a mom, embarrassing my kids is part of my DNA. Truth be told, my son might have cause for concern; I’m not practiced at the art of meeting the parents.

When my boys began dating, we’d lived in our village-by-the-sea for most their lives. And so, I knew countless parents from sporting events, school functions and social gatherings. There was never a need for formal introductions or family dinners.

By the time my kids got to college, I abided by a strict “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and embraced the mantra “ignorance is bliss.”

I knew my dream world of denial would someday end and that this day would come,

Contributor: OC Public Libraries

FROM THE ARCHIVES Mark Faegre and Melissa Shattuck protesting the San Onofre nuclear reactor in 1979.

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

but I didn’t think it would come so quickly.

It feels like days, not decades, ago my beloved little boy and I walked hand-in-hand to the door of his kindergarten classroom. As we neared his classroom, I readied myself for an emotional and arduous goodbye.

We arrived at the doorway of the kindergarten room, and my son dropped my hand like a bad habit. He ran toward the students in the center of the room, without once looking back, as I stood silent in the doorway.

I knew then that he’d boldly blaze his own trail in life, and later hoped he’d someday

Sudoku

San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

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

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Cecily SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

C

BY MYLES MELLOR Last week’s solution:

Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium

find someone to share the adventure.

On Feb. 29, I’ll leap at the invitation to celebrate a memorable milestone with my son.

Shelley Murphy has lived in San Clemente with her husband for the past 21 years, where she raised her two sons. She’s a freelance writer and has been a contributor to the San Clemente Times since 2006. SC

See the solution in next week’s issue.

Cecily. Photo: Courtesy of San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter

Page 29

ecily is the shelter’s longest-tenured resident and has been there for more than 4½ years. As a baby bunny, she and her siblings were abandoned in a local park, and she practically grew up at the shelter.

Cecily is now a sweet adult rabbit who can sometimes be a bit unsure of people entering her space, but once she’s in your arms, she enjoys being petted. She can be a bossy bunny and tells you just what she wants with cute little grunts and thumps. Cecily has good litterbox habits and would make a great house bunny in a loving home.

If you would like to know more about Cecily, please call the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617 or visit with her at 221 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. SC sanclementetimes.com

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE INVITING BIDS ANNUAL TREE MAINTENANCE SERVICES 1. Notice. Public notice is hereby given that the City of San Clemente (“City”) will receive sealed bids for the following project: Annual Tree Maintenance Services.

2. Bid Opening Date. Electronic bids must be submitted prior to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 2020, on the City’s PlanetBids System Vendor Portal, at which time or thereafter bids will be opened and made available online. Bids received after this time will be considered non-responsive. Prospective bidders must first register as a vendor and then bid on this project via the City’s PlanetBids System Vendor portal website at www.san-clemente.org/ vendorbids.

3. Project Scope of Work. The project consists of providing services to maintain City-owned trees, including tree trimming, tree removal and planting, root pruning and root barrier installation, tree and stump removal, tree inventory and management, clean up and recycling and/or disposal of generated green waste, emergency on-call tree services and as-needed Certified Tree Arborist services.

4. Contract Time: This project consists of annual tree maintenance services. The City intends to award an initial three-year contract, with options for up to two additional one-year terms.

5. License and Registration Requirements.

5.1. State License. Pursuant to California Public Contract Code Section 3300, the City has determined that the Contractor shall possess a valid California contractor’s license for the following classification: C-61/D49 Limited Specialty— Tree Service. Failure to possess the specified valid license at the time of bid opening shall render the bid as non-responsive and shall act as a bar to award the contract to that non-responsive bidder.

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

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

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

7. Bid Proposal and Security.

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

7.2. Bid Security. Each bid proposal must be San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

TO ADVERTISE: 949.388.7700, EXT. 100 • LEGALS@PICKETFENCEMEDIA.COM

accompanied by security in the form of cash, certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the total bid amount. Personal checks or company checks are not acceptable forms of bid security. All certified and cashier’s checks must be drawn on a responsible bank doing business in the United States and shall be made payable to THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE. Bid bonds must be issued by a surety company licensed to do business in the State of California and must be made payable to THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE. Bids not accompanied by the required bid security will be rejected. For electronic submittal of bids, the bid security must be received at the City of San Clemente Public Works office, 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92673 no later than the bid opening date and time. The bid security must be submitted in a sealed envelope bearing the name and address of the bidder, and the outside of the envelope must read as follows: OFFICIAL BID SECURITY - DO NOT OPEN Project Name: Tree Maintenance Services Bid Opening Date: March 27, 2020 The bid security shall serve as a guarantee that the bidder will enter into a contract. Such guarantee shall be forfeited should the bidder to whom the contract is awarded fail to enter into the contract within 15 calendar days after written notification that the contract has been awarded to the successful bidder.

8. Prevailing Wage Requirements.

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

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

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

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

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

10. Pre-Bid Meeting. A pre-bid meeting will not be held for this bid solicitation. Refer to the Information for Bidders section on how to submit any pre-bid questions.

11. Information for Bidders. Additional and more detailed information is provided in the Information for Bidders, which should be carefully reviewed by

all bidders before submitting a Bid Proposal.

NOES:

HAMM, JAMES

12. Questions. All questions related to this bid solicitation must be submitted through the City’s PlanetBids System Vendor Portal per the information provided in the Information to Bidders.

Any other contact to City staff regarding this bid solicitation will be referred back to the PlanetBids system.

ABSENT:

NONE

THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS, TO AWARD ALL OR ANY INDIVIDUAL PART/ITEM OF THE BID, AND TO WAIVE ANY INFORMALITIES, IRREGULARITIES OR TECHNICAL DEFECTS IN SUCH BIDS OR IN THE BIDDING PROCESS. ANY CONTRACT AWARDED WILL BE LET TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER AS DETERMINED FROM THE GRAND TOTAL BID PRICE. Issued at San Clemente, California on this 27th day of February, 2020.

City of San Clemente Public Works Department 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92673 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206568518 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1.COST CUTTERS BUENA PARK 1B. COST CUTTERS LAGUNA NIGUEL 8307 LA PALMA AVE BUENA PARK, CA 90620 Full Name of Registrant(s): TAV ENTERPRISES, INC. 411 VIA PICHON SAN CLEMENTE CA 92672 This business is conducted by a CA corporation.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A. /s/TAV ENTERPRISES, INC./ANDREW TYSLER/ PRESIDENT This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 02/20/2020.

Published in: San Clemente Times February 27, March 5, 12, 19, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1690 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of San Clemente, at its meeting of February 18, 2020, adopted the following ordinance: Ordinance No. 1690 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING PORTIONS OF CHAPTERS 17.88 (DEFINITIONS), 17.28 (SPECIAL USES), 17.16 (APPLICATIONS), AND 17.12 (DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS) OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO UPDATE PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL CELL FACILITIES. A full copy of the aforementioned Ordinance is available for review in the City Clerk’s Department, located at 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, California (949) 361-8301.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the abovereferenced Ordinance was introduced at the City Council meeting of February 4, 2020 and was adopted at the City Council meeting of February 18, 2020 by the following vote: AYES:

Page 30

FERGUSON, WARD, MAYOR BANE

JOANNE BAADE City Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Council PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206566624 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1A.THE ORANGE MAGAZINE 1B. SAN CLEMENTE TIMES 1C. GARRETT MEDIA GROUP Full Name of Registrant(s): SAN CLEMENTE TIMES LLC 34932 CALLE DEL SOL STE. B CAPISTRANO BEACH CA 92624 This business is conducted by DE limited liability company.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 01/01/2006 /s/SAN CLEMENTE TIMES LLC/NORB GARRETT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/30/2020.

Published in: San Clemente Times February 13, 20, 27, March 5, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206567986 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: TIER 1 ASSOCIATES 24338 EL TORO #E123 LAGUNA WOODS CA 92637 Full Name of Registrant(s): T1A INC. 24338 EL TORO #E123 LAGUNA WOODS CA 92637 This business is conducted by CA corporation.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A /s/T1A INC./DENNIS BAGLAMA, PRESIDENT This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 02/13/2020.

Published in: San Clemente Times February 20, 27, March 5, 12, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE Order to Show Cause For Change of Name Case No. 20FL000207 To All Interested Persons: Daniel Cucuiat and Melissa Cucuiat on behalf of Joseph Daniel Cucuiat, a minor, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME A. Joseph Daniel Cucuiat PROPOSED NAME A. Giuseppe Daniel Cucuiat The Court Orders that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court of the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objective is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 05/08/2020 Time: 08:30 a.m. Dept.: W10 Window: 44. The address of the court is West Jus sanclementetimes.com

PUBLIC NOTICES tice Center, 8141 13th Street, Westminster, CA 92683-4593. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Clemente Times Date: February 10, 2020 JUDGE LON F. HURWITZ, Judge of the Superior Court Published: San Clemente Times February 20, 27, March 5, 12, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206566573 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: MIKE BARNETT DESIGN 3801 S. ROSS STREET, APT D SANTA ANA, CA 92707 Full Name of Registrant(s): MICHAEL BARNETT 3801 S. ROSS STREET, APT D SANTA ANA, CA 92707 This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A. /s/MICHAEL BARNETT This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/30/2020.

Published in: San Clemente Times February 13, 20, 27, March 5, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206565669 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as:

TMS HIGH PERFORMANCE SALES 647 CAMINO DE LOS MARES SAN CLEMENTE CA 92673 Full Name of Registrant(s): PERFORMANCE SALES & MARKETING LLC 28082 LAS BRISAS DEL MAR SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO CA 92675 This business is conducted by a CA limited liability company.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 12/12/2019. /s/PERFORMANCE SALES & MARKETING LLC, CARY SERKLEW, PRESIDENT This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/22/2020.

Published in: San Clemente Times February 13, 20, 27, March 5, 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20206566643 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: JAMES LOUDSPEAKER 991 CALLE AMANECER SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673 Full Name of Registrant(s): DANA INNOVATIONS 991 CALLE AMANECER SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92673 This business is conducted by a CA corporation.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 01/02/2020. /s/DANA INNOVATIONS, PATRICK MCGAUGHAN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Orange County on 01/30/2020.

Published in: San Clemente Times February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2020

ONLY SC LOCALS B U S I NE SS DIRE CTO RY San Clemente

ADDICTION RECOVERY TREATMENT Body Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program 665 Camino De Los Mares, Ste. 104, 949.485.4979, bodymindspiritiop.com

CHOCOLATE/CANDY Schmid’s Fine Chocolates 99 Avenida del Mar, 949.369.1052 schmidschocolate.com

DENTISTS Eric Johnson, D.D.S. 647 Camino de los Mares, Ste. 209, 949.493.9311, drericjohnson.com Shoreline Dental Studio/ Kristen Ritzau DDS, Dr. Colby Livingston 122 Avenida Cabrillo, 949.498.4110, shorelinedentalstudio.com

DIGITAL MARKETING CONSULTING/SERVICES Kelli Murrow Consulting www.kellimurrow.com 949.573.7725

ELECTRICAL

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949.395.5681 (24 hours) Available 7 days a week.

We also offer professional appraisals, auction services, restoration and shipping.

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GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE Email your listing to info@sanclementetimes.com. Deadline 5pm Monday. No phone calls.

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

REALTORS “Sandy & Rich” RE/MAX Coastal Homes 949.293.3236, www.sandyandrich.com Scott Kidd, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services 949.498.0487, skidd@bhhscal.com

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PLUMBING

San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

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View online at sanclementetimes.com.

Bill Metzger Plumbing 1001 Calle Recodo, 949.492.3558, billmetzerplumbing.com

Contact Traci Kelly for pricing 949.388.7700, ext. 111 or email tkelly@picketfencemedia.com.

Page 31

sanclementetimes.com

SC n te S a n C le m e

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

Page 32

sanclementetimes.com

SC LIVING

CoastLines by Fred Swegles

New Additions Likely to Come to Pair of Commercial Sites

C

hanges could be coming to two key San Clemente commercial sites located next to Interstate 5 Freeway interchanges.

AT PICO AND I-5

The question of what might replace one of San Clemente’s more beloved burger joints—the Burger Stop on Avenida Pico— may be a step closer to an answer.

A sign recently appeared, announcing that the former Burger Stop site has been sold.

“I got a lot of calls on it,” realtor Doug Montaldon said, when I called to inquire about what may be in the offing.

You may recall that there was a public outpouring of COASTLINES love from fans for the Burger

By Fred Swegles Stop when it had to close in 2016. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) needed to demolish it, along with a Shell station next door, to widen Pico.

What was left of the vacated Shell/ Burger Stop site was a 10,000-square-foot lot situated between the Post Office and the

southbound I-5 on-ramp.

In a Nov. 1, 2018 column, I wondered what might go there—if, indeed, the small lot is able to support something feasible.

“The lot occupies one of San Clemente’s premium street corners, Pico at I-5,” I wrote.

The lot’s new owner hopes to develop a building containing two retail spaces—one 1,000 square feet and another 1,600 square feet—with 12 parking spaces, according to a submittal sent to the city.

Prospective tenants haven’t been specified.

SOME TRAFFIC QUESTIONS

The site is pretty small, as I mentioned in my column shortly after the property went up for sale. If it can be creatively designed to offer the public something nice without traffic problems, it can be a win/win.

The city will need to be convinced anything proposed there will be a good fit. That includes parking, circulation within the site and access in and out of the lot onto Pico.

Exit would be right-turn-only.

Stephanie Roxas, senior planner for the city, said more information will be needed for city staff to review.

The first public review of the new owner’s

plan will likely be at a meeting of San Clemente’s Design Review Subcommittee. That can’t be scheduled until city staff gets more info, completes its own review and deems a plan ready to send to the design review panel.

DRIVE-THRU, AT FORMER CRISPINS?

In January, a plan to add a drive-thru eatery to San Clemente’s recently remodeled Stater Bros. shopping center on Camino De Los Mares was reviewed by the design panel.

The Stater Bros. center recently completed a facelift that coincided with the addition of a new restaurant—Café Rio—and reopening of Rose’s Cafe after a fire. The drive-thru is proposed at the other end of the center, on the former site of prior restaurants that most recently included Baker’s Square and Crispins Comfort Food.

The old building would be demolished, replaced by a Spanish-style building shared by two tenants.

Prospective tenants haven’t been specified, Associate City Planner Jonathan Lightfoot said.

BYE-BYE, WALL?

The Stater Bros. center’s owner also owns

neighboring OceanView Plaza and is proposing an upgrade that may excite people who patronize both centers.

Have you ever wished for removal of a wall that separates the two centers? That’s the plan. Removal would allow customers to drive from one center to the other without having to navigate Camino De Los Mares and its traffic signals.

When the design review panel looked at the proposal in January, there was discussion over whether an opening in the wall should be designed as a paseo, for pedestrians only—no cars.

The majority opinion was that letting cars through would be more beneficial.

The Planning Commission could consider approving permits as early as mid-April.

Fred Swegles is a longtime San Clemente resident with nearly five decades of reporting experience in the city. Fred can be reached at fswegles@picketfencemedia.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

Top: The city is considering a proposal to demolish this vacant former restaurant building (right) to replace with a drive-thru.

Bottom left: This vacant lot on Avenida Pico between the Post Office and I-5 has sold and is being proposed as a small commercial site.

Bottom right: The owner of two neighboring Camino De Los Mares shopping centers is proposing to remove a wall that separates them.

Photos: Fred Swegles San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

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sanclementetimes.com

SC SPORTS & OUTDOORS San Clemente

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Final Destination SCHS girls basketball advances to first CIF-SS Final since 2007

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

T

hrough two and a half playoff games, the top-seeded San Clemente girls basketball team looked like everything a No. 1 seed should be and seemed ready to cruise to the CIF-SS Division 2A championship game.

However, Burroughs of Burbank turned it on in the second half of the semifinals on Saturday night, Feb. 22, and made the Tritons earn their spot.

San Clemente fought through the aggressive press of fourth-seeded Burroughs, withstood a comeback push and made key plays in the fourth quarter to survive a semifinal test, 41-29, at San Clemente High and advance to the Tritons’ first CIF-SS championship game in 13 years.

“They (Burroughs) were tough defensively; we knew going in it was going to be a defensive matchup,” San Clemente coach Kerri Husbands said. “They made a great adjustment, really started pressuring. Happy to survive.”

San Clemente (27-3) will play Bishop Amat of La Puente (17-10), which beat No. 3 seed

Triton Report

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

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

Girls Water Polo CIF-SS Runner-Up Again Despite an incredible nine-goal performance by junior Alex Higginson, San Clemente girls water polo was edged by Harvard-Westlake, 13-12, in the CIF-SS Division 2 championship game, and the Tritons took runner-up silver for a second straight season on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine.

It was the third straight CIF-SS title San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

Tritons junior Jessie Blaine (4) fought through illness to score a game-high 14 points and added 12 rebounds as San Clemente girls basketball advanced to its first CIF-SS championship game since 2007.

Photo: Zach Cavanagh

Peninsula, 66-52, in the other semifinal, in the CIF-SS Division 2A championship game on Saturday, Feb. 29, at 2 p.m. in the Felix Events Center at Azusa Pacific University.

General admission tickets are $16, and students with a current school ID and children under 13 are $10. Tickets are available online at aputickets.universitytickets. com/?cid=186 and at the door on Saturday.

San Clemente will play in its eighth CIF-SS championship game and first since its last championship title in 2007. The

Tritons’ 2007 title was the fifth in seven seasons for San Clemente under CIF-SS Hall of Fame coach Mary Mulligan-Crapo, which included four straight from 2001-04.

San Clemente received a standout performance by an under-the-weather Jessie Blaine. The junior Auburn softball commit delivered a game-high 14 points and 12 rebounds while battling an illness.

“She’s such a competitor,” Husbands said after the game. “We’re really worried about her. She went home after shootaround and

game defeat for the San Clemente water polo program, after the boys lost by one goal in the Division 2 final in November and the girls lost in the Division 2 final last season.

The San Clemente girls were playing in their fourth CIF-SS title game, but the Tritons have taken home the gold plaque only once, in 2011.

San Clemente (18-14) earned the No. 3 seed in Division 2 after a rollercoaster season. The Tritons opened the season 3-6 but won 10 of their final 12 games going into the title match, including a clean sweep of the South Coast League for their fourth straight league title.

“We battled back,” head coach Logan Powell said. “We didn’t have a great regular season, but the girls pushed back in the postseason. I’m really proud of them.”

The Tritons erased four two-goal deficits in the game, including forcing a final tie, 12-12, on Higginson’s ninth goal with 1:32 to play. Seventeen seconds later, Harvard-Westlake scored the goal that stood up as the clincher.

Senior Grace Pelkey scored two goals, and junior Lang Csira scored one.

San Clemente now moves on to the CIF SoCal Regionals and will take on La Serna in the Division II first round on Friday, Feb. 28, at Ocean View High School.

had a four-hour nap. She’s always going to give us everything she’s got. Tomorrow, she’s probably going to be exhausted.”

Senior Jolie Johnson had a physical game as she got knocked around, hit the floor to contest nearly every loose ball and scored 11 points, including seven key points in the fourth quarter.

“Jolie was awesome,” Husbands said.

“She’s really been coming on strong. She’s always like that (playing physical). You should see her at practice!”

Senior star Ella Gardiner was held to just four points, all in the first half, but the Fairfield volleyball commit played an instrumental role as Burroughs turned up the press in the second half.

“Ella helps bring the ball up (against the press),” Husbands said. “Between her and Jolie, it makes them really hard to press when they can see over the top.”

San Clemente executed well out of the gates with a 13-6 lead after the first quarter and a 12-4 second quarter for a 25-10 lead at halftime.

Burroughs went to that aggressive press out of the break and nearly turned the tide in the game. The Indians forced turnovers and answered with their own 12-4 third quarter to cut the deficit down to seven points.

However, in the fourth, San Clemente slowed the game down and grinded against the press. Burroughs wore down and couldn’t keep up the full force of their press, as Johnson’s baskets and a 3-pointer from Kyra Stewart nailed down the win for San Clemente.

Stewart scored eight points with two 3-pointers. Riley Brown added four points. SC

Boys Volleyball Starts Season in Strong Form The San Clemente boys volleyball team has come out of the gates pumping on all cylinders to open the 2020 season.

The Tritons (7-1) kicked off their season with five straight sweeps in the Tesoro Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. San Clemente swept two-set tournament matches with Marina, Arcadia and Beckman in pool play and Trabuco Hills and Sage Creek in bracket play to advance to the semifinals.

On Monday, Feb. 24, San Clemente lost a three-set match to reigning CIF-SS and SoCal Regional champion Newport Harbor, which beat the Tritons in the CIFSS playoffs last season, but San Clemente rebounded to beat Laguna Beach in the third-place match.

Junior outside hitter Dane Hillis was named to the all-tournament team.

Page 36

Junior Alex Higginson scored nine goals for the San Clemente girls water polo team, but the Tritons were edged by Harvard-Westlake, 13-12, in the CIFSS Division 2 championship. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

San Clemente avenged its loss to Newport Harbor a day later with a four-set nonleague win on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at San Clemente High School.

The Tritons next play at home on Tuesday, March 3, against Edison at 6:15 p.m. and on Thursday, March 5, at Laguna Hills before opening the Best of the West Tournament in Poway on Friday, March 6. SC sanclementetimes.com

SC San Clemente

SC SURF

SC SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Everyone Loves a Good Surf Movie

SHACC celebrates the history and impact of surf movies in new exhibit

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

E

ver since guys such as Bud Browne, Bruce Brown and John Severson stuck the legs of their tripods in the sand, surf movies have driven and inspired waveriders to paddle out, chase the sun and have a good time.

Whatever generation you grew up in, whether it was the warmth of 16mm film during the ’60s and ’70s, or the grainy VHS tapes of the ’80s, all the way through today’s high-definition, high-resolution digital footage, the allure remains the same.

I would guess that most surfers can point to one or two surf movies that transformed their lives. I know I can. Obviously, at the top of the list for most of us would be The Endless Summer by Bruce Brown.

But for me, shortly thereafter, would be Sonny Miller’s Searching for Tom Curren and Jack McCoy’s Bunyip Dreaming.

As a frothed-out teenage grom, the idea that there were all these waves out there and so many different ways to approach them captured my imagination—so much

Bruce Brown “getting the shot” during an early film project at Malibu. This Saturday, Feb. 29, the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center is celebrating the opening of an exhibit about the colorful history of surf movies. Photo: Courtesy of the Brown family

so that I pursued a degree in English with the original intent of teaching during the year and going on surf trips over summer vacation.

Before I could get a credential, fate and happenstance intervened, as I was offered an opportunity to start writing for Surfline.

That would have been about 1998 or ’99, and 20 years down the track, I’m still writing about surfing and still love a good surf movie.

The point is, yes, surf movies matter. And that’s what makes what the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center is cooking up so special.

Full disclosure, I help out the crew at SHACC

with social media and online stuff.

This Saturday night, Feb. 29, the museum will be celebrating the opening of its newest exhibit, “The Celluloid History of Surf Cinema.”

A look back through the decades at the evolution of the surf movie-making process, the exhibit is an intriguing look at the films that moved us.

“The role that film has played in surfing and surf culture films have played in pop culture is impossible to measure; the two are inextricably intertwined. For generations, surf movies have inspired people around the world to go and chase the dream,”

says Glenn Brumage, executive director at SHACC. “We are delighted to be able to honor those who are directly responsible for sharing the gift of surfing and turned so many people on to the culture and lifestyle.”

The opening of the exhibit is open to the public. There will be all kinds of good stuff happening with entertainment, drinks and, as always, plenty of epic stories. Doors open at 6 p.m.

But, in the words of the character Bear from Big Wednesday, that’s only the lemon next to the pie.

This year, for their annual Ohana Gala, SHACC is honoring surfing’s most influential filmmakers at its annual Ohana Gala. Coming to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on June 6, it will celebrate the lives, careers and accomplishments of some of surfing’s most esteemed filmmakers.

A celebration of the trailblazers that came before us, as well as those who continue to propel the medium forward today, it is a unique opportunity to really take a deep dive into the work of a dedicated few who changed the game for us all.

Honorees, announcements and more details will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.

No other artistic medium has informed and influenced the sport, culture and lifestyle of surfing quite like filmmaking.

From early, grainy black-and-white footage to the schmaltz of beach blanket “surfsploitation” to award-winning productions such as Momentum Generation, surf movies have brought the stoke to the people.

For more information on the exhibit opening this Saturday night and the upcoming Ohana Gala, go to SHACC.org. SC

SURF FORECAST

GROM OF THE WEEK

HANA BAKKER

Water Temperature: 59-61 Degrees F

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Water Visibility and Conditions: 8-12’

I

t’s pretty common for kids around here to learn to surf at a young age, but 2 years old? That’s when San Clemente’s Hana Bakker first jumped on a board at Doheny, and it’s been nothing but good times ever since.

“Surfing inspires me, because surfing is a sport that a lot of people can enjoy, no matter how old or where you came from,” says Bakker, a sixth-grader at Shorecliffs Middle School.

Celebrating her Japanese heritage, it’s her mom that really motivates her.

“I look up to my mom, because she was a National Champion of Japan, and she always helps me be a better surfer and person in general,” Hana says.

These days, you’ll probably find Bakker shredding down at T-Street or Trestles.

Besides her mom, she also looks up to soonto-be Olympian Caroline Marks and rising star Sawyer Lindblad.

San Clemente Times February 27-March 4, 2020

Thursday: Primary South/southwest swell peaks, as a small Northwest swell fills in, for chest to head high waves (4-5’). Light offshore winds in the early morning shift to a light+/locally moderate west sea breeze during the afternoon.

Hana Bakker. Photo: Courtesy of the Bakker family

“They always rip, and I’m always happy to see them in the water,” she explains.

As far as where she thinks surfing can take her, Bakker’s got those surf-stoked dreams.

“I want to be a professional surfer and

help my mom’s business. She is a surf instructor and surf guide,” Hana says.

Considering that she’s only 12 and has already been surfing for a decade, the sky’s the limit for Bakker. SC

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Outlook: For Friday the South/southwest and Northwest swell mix continues with waist to head high surf, (3-5’). Light/variable flow in the morning, turns to a light+ sea breeze for Friday afternoon. The old swell combo eases Saturday then a fresh blend of South/southwest and Northwest swells moves in Sunday, maintaining waist-shoulder+ high waves (3-4’+) through the weekend. Light/variable winds Saturday morning, followed by light+ westerlies in the afternoon. Mainly moderate+ West/ southwest winds due Sunday. For the latest details be sure to visit Surfline.com.

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