April 29, 2016

YOUR NO. 1 SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS, SPORTS AND MORE

L O C A L N E W S Y O U C A N U S EApril 29-May 5, 2016

VOLUME 9, ISSUE 18

www.danapointtimes.com

Cycling Festival Expands to Two-Day Event

10th annual Dana Point Grand Prix Sport & Family Festival will include foot races, entertainment and more

E Y E O N D P/ PAG E 1 1

The Dana Point Grand Prix Sport & Family Festival takes to the Lantern District streets April 30 and May 1. Photo: Andrea Swayne

Was Strand Beach Ever Private?EYE ON DP/PAGE 4

Harbor Patrol Deputies Save Three People

in Water RescueEYE ON DP/PAGE 3

Local Schools Transitioning to Specialized

Education ModelsEYE ON DP/PAGE 3

Inside: Dana Point Grand Prix Official Event GuideSPECIAL SECTION

DPDana Point LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

EYE ON DP


What’s Up With...Five things Dana Point should know this week

Dana Point Times April 29-May 5, 2016

R.H. Dana Elementary School in Dana Point is among a group of CUSD schools transitioning to specialized, academy-style focused education. Photo: Eric Heinz

Harbor Patrol Deputies Save Three in Water RescueTHE LATEST: Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a call at 5:12 p.m. on Monday reporting three people adrift at sea.

According to Dana Point Harbor Patrol Deputy Anthony Larios, the call came from a woman whose sister had called her screaming for help and saying she was drowning. The informant said her sister called her after an attempt to dial 9-1-1 on a cell phone did not go through and that all she knew was that her sister was in the water somewhere in the Dana Point area.

Deputy Larios, piloting the Harbor Patrol fire boat, and Deputy Terry Smith responded and requested air support from the OCSD helicopter.

“We decided to head out toward the area of Capo Beach, just on a whim,” Larios said. “It was a good hunch because we located an overturned personal water craft off of Olamendi’s Reef, about 200 yards from shore, even before air support arrived.”

The deputies found three victims in the water, clinging to a rented capsized PWC, Larios said.

The 37-year-old woman, her 13-year-old son and 15-year-old nephew were all wearing life jackets and all three displayed signs of hypothermia.

“When we got to them, they were all shivering badly and barely able to talk,” Larios said. “We got them onboard, wrapped them in blankets and requested medics to meet us at the fuel dock.”

The mother and son are from Ladera Ranch, and the nephew was visiting from New Hampshire.

The victims told deputies their rented PWC capsized when a wave hit them and they estimated they had been in the water for about 45 minutes. The wind at the time was 15 to 20 mph with choppy 3- to 5-foot seas, Larios said.

All three were transported to San Cle-mente Hospital and released a few hours later with no serious injuries.

WHAT’S NEXT: “It was really good to see that all three were wearing life jackets. Had they not been, the situation could have been much worse,” Larios said. “I’d like to remind everyone participating in open wa-ter activities to practice marine safety. Even for those who believe they are great swim-mers, it’s always important to have a per-sonal floatation device.”—Andrea Swayne

CUSD Examines Facilities Funding, Viability of a District-wide BondTHE LATEST: On April 25, Capistrano Unified School District Superintendent Kirsten Vital hosted a forum at San Clem-ente High School that identified potential funding sources to meet the estimated $800 million in facility maintenance costs required in the district.

Some of the future funding opportuni-ties discussed include seeking Commu-nity Funded Districts and a district-wide School Facilities Improvement District.

The options presented Monday night were the result of a community commit-tee consensus report, which was initially presented to CUSD in December following four meetings where committee members discussed district facilities, school funding and public information research.

At the April 27 CUSD Board of Trustees meeting, Vital summarized the findings discussed during the Monday forum,

specifically focusing on the committee’s recommendation that the district “pursue all possible funding options, including studying the feasibility of a general obliga-tion bond.”

“Late this week and early next week, we’ll be conducting a second poll … to mea-sure the community’s possible commitment to any kind of assessment,” Vital said.

WHAT’S NEXT: “A special board workshop is being planned for May 18, for us to look at the poll results and our options moving forward,” Vital said Wednesday night. “I expect that the board will be examining this throughout … May and then finally in June.”—Eric Heinz/Allison Jarrell

Vector Control Board Could Revisit Aerial Spraying Next Month THE LATEST: The board of trustees for the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District voted on April 21 to deny the district manager the ability to initiate spraying of mosquito areas suspected to foster West Nile Virus. The board could, however, revisit the issue at next month’s meeting.

The district does not do any aerial spraying at this time. Last year, the board wanted to start the process of aerial spray-ing but couldn’t get airspace clearance from Disneyland or approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

WHAT’S NEXT: The next MVCD meeting will be Thursday, May 19. For more infor-mation, visit www.ocvcd.org. —EH

Local Schools Transitioning to Specialized Education ModelTHE LATEST: A group of local elementary schools are getting an educational make-over, following what Capistrano Unified School District is calling an “elementary schools reimagining process.” Principals from seven elementary schools, including R.H. Dana, attended the CUSD Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday night to pres-ent their school’s new educational focus.

District staff said the reimagining pro-cess began by engaging stakeholders to determine each school’s educational focus and creating “three-year blueprints for implementation, a list of priority needs and a brand promise for the launch of their re-imagined school.”

Vital told the board that the process came from challenging conversations this year about how to reinvigorate under-en-rolled schools in the district. She said the district believes investing in these schools will result in more families choosing these

programs and returning to their neighbor-hood schools.

Local schools and their new focus include: R. H. Dana Elementary School, Science and Technology; Del Obispo Elementary School, College and Career Readiness/AVID; Kinoshita Elementary School, College and Career Readiness/AVID; Lobo Elementary School, STEAM; Marblehead Elementary School, Environ-mental Studies.

R.H. Dana Principal Christina Portillo said the new R.H. Dana Science and Tech-nology Academy will offer “a next genera-tion science standards education, with a state-of-the-art technology experience.”

“Through our one-on-one laptop Chromebook program, students will be engaged in a highly interactive environ-ment that focuses on critical thinking, communication, creativity and collabora-tion,” Portillo said.

WHAT’S NEXT: The district’s policy regarding renaming the schools and po-tentially adding the word “academy” will go before the board on May 11.—AJ

Capo Unified Holds First Hearing of New Graduation RequirementsTHE LATEST: After holding three board workshops to discuss revised high school graduation requirements, the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees held the first public hearing of the new requirements on April 27.

The last time the district’s high school graduation requirements were revised was in February 2009. Major proposed chang-es include the removal of the California High School Exit Exam, which is no lon-ger required or offered by the district; an increase in math requirement from 20 to 30 credits starting with the class of 2020; the removal of reading skills development classes, which are no longer offered; and additional flexibility for College and Career Planning (CCP) and health classes, so that students may take both courses over the summer through various district-approved providers and/or accredited institutions.

The majority of trustees voiced concerns with the first draft of the policy, including the staff recommendation that students need a GPA of 3.75 or higher to opt out of CCP, which would be implemented in fall 2016. Trustee John Alpay suggested that rather than penalizing students for their grades throughout middle school, it would be best to look at only eighth grade GPAs.

WHAT’S NEXT: No board actions were taken, as the item was only a first reading. Vital said staff will bring back edits and options for moving forward with the new policy at a future meeting.—AJ

any Dana Point Times read-ers have reacted with strongly worded oppositions to comments

made in recent news stories by city staff and councilmen that suggest Strand Beach was once a private beach.

The question prompted research into the past status of the beach and revealed a clarification of the public/private status of Strand along with interesting informa-tion about a small section of beach that remains technically “private” to this day.

Perception of the meaning of the term “beach” as used when talking about Strand Beach has led to much of the disagreement and confusion surrounding references to the “beach” as having been private in the past. References to Strand as having been a private beach prior to de-velopment by Headlands Reserve LLC are correct, however only in reference to the land (dry sand) on the inland side of the mean high tide line. Likewise, comments saying the “beach” has never been private are also correct, but only in reference to the stretch of sand between the mean high tide line to the water (wet sand).

Although public access from wet sand to water has long been considered public property, public access between the mean high tide line to the ocean has only been legally protected since the 1976 passing of

www.danapointtimes.comDana Point Times April 29-May 5, 2016

EYE ON DP

Strand SemanticsWas Strand Beach private prior to development by Headlands Reserve LLC?BY ANDREA SWAYNE, DANA POINT TIMES

Mthe California Coastal Act by the California State Legislature.

The private Strand Beach (from the high tide line inland) was dedicated to the county as a public park in 2004 as part of the Headlands Development and Conser-vation Plan, which was certified by the California Coastal Commission that same year. The dedication of the private land to public use by Headlands Reserve LLC was a condition of approval for the develop-ment of the area.

Beachgoers accessing Strand Beach through the area—the former mobile home park site is now home to the Strand at Headlands neighborhood—before its 2004 public dedication were trespassing through private land.

County lifeguards patrolled the area—often used by surfers and other beachgo-ers—prior to 2004 as it was adjacent to Salt Creek Beach, a stretch of sand long operated by the county.

Careful study of a map (above) used in the Headlands Development and Con-servation Plan to answer this question revealed a small strip of beach—between the South Switchback Trail south to the cove where the Headlands juts out into the water—was never dedicated to public use, and therefore remains, technically “pri-vate” to this day,but only from the mean high tide line inland. DP

The white shaded section of this map used in the Headlands Development and Conservation Plan shows a small stretch of sand at the south end of Strand Beach was never dedicated to public use. Photo: City of Dana Point

Dana Point Times April 29-May 5, 2016 www.danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

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

COMPILED BY ANDREA SWAYNE

Sunday, April 24

DISTURBANCE Priscilla Drive, 24600 Block (8:58 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for kids on skateboards playing “ding dong ditch.” The caller’s doorbell had been rung twice at the time of the call.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCESDel Obispo Street, 34000 Block (6:18 p.m.) Two men in their 20s were seen “possibly smoking marijuana” under the scoreboard at the back of the field. Both subjects were wearing dark clothing and one was sport-ing a man bun.

CITIZEN ASSIST Street of the Park Lantern/Dana Point Harbor Drive (4 p.m.) A woman’s son fell in the park and scraped his left forearm and elbow. First aid was administered.

CITIZEN ASSIST Del Prado Avenue, 24500 Block (3:35 p.m.) A “hoodlum” was in front of Luxe Restaurant. The subject wasn’t trespassing or causing trouble; the caller just didn’t want him in the area.

BURGLARY REPORT Street of the Violet Lantern, 33700 Block (12:05 p.m.) A black Honda Accord was broken into the previ-ous night. There were no witnesses.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCESBuccaneer Street, 32900 Block (11:59 a.m.) A man reported residents of the so-ber living home next door were urinating in the courtyard of his home.

DISTURBANCE Pacific Coast Highway, 34300 Block (9:25 a.m.) A homeless man was sleeping in front of Jack’s Surfboards and refusing to leave.

Saturday, April 23

DISTURBANCEStonehill Drive/Seaside Drive (10:31 p.m.) A number of juveniles were on the play-ground shooting BB guns.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLEPalisades Drive, 26500 Block (8:47 p.m.) A

patrol check was requested for two people talking on cell phones inside of a dark-col-ored SUV. The caller was concerned due to the location being a “drug house.”

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Street of the Amber Lantern, 33900 Block (7:37 p.m.) A bicy-clist fell off of his bike and was bleeding from the head. The caller said the cyclist was unconscious but breathing.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCESDana Point Harbor Drive, 25300 Block (7:30 p.m.) A man approached the caller and asked for a ride, stating there were two men chasing him and it was “a matter of life or death.”

DISTURBANCE Via Sacramento, 26400 Block (6:59 p.m.) “Juvies” were on the roof screaming and “flipping off cars.” The caller said some of the kids had skate-boards and two of them were girls.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCESVia Corvalian, 33500 Block (4:12 p.m.) A woman said her ex-roommate was trying to break into her home. A 21-year-old man, who said his occupation is skateboarding, was arrested and booked into Central Men’s Jail. Bail is set at $50,000.

DISTURBANCE Pacific Coast Highway/Crown Valley Parkway (10:52 a.m.) Two men in their 20s were in fisticuffs in the alley behind Chase Bank at Monarch Bay Plaza.

DRUNK DRIVING Pacific Coast Highway/Del Obispo Street (1:55 a.m.) A man in a white Ford van fell asleep in the drive-thru. The caller woke the man and found him to be extremely intoxicated. The drunken man drove off quickly and was last seen mak-ing a left onto Del Obispo.

Friday, April 22

DRUNK IN CAR Pacific Coast Highway/Del Obispo Street (3:19 p.m.) A woman driving a maroon Scion was seen passed out at the wheel, in the left turn lane.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLEStreet of the Golden Lantern/Camino Del Avion (2:08 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for a man in a beige Toyota Camry who was seen drinking from a bottle of Cuervo and then throwing it in the median.

DISTURBANCE Street of the Golden Lantern/Camino Del Avion (8:55 a.m.) A man in dirty clothing and no shoes was seen car-rying a mattress in the parking lot next to Ralphs. The caller said the man was talk-ing to himself and may have had “mental issues.”

Thursday, April 21

ILLEGAL PEDDLING Doheny Park Road, 33900

Block (6:03 p.m.) A “scruffy looking” man who appeared to be homeless was “ag-gressively asking for money, pounding his sign and pointing at people.”

STOLEN VEHICLE Ocean Ridge, 33200 Block (5:17 p.m.) A woman was pulling into her complex when she saw her daughter’s new car, a black 2000 Toyota 4Runner, be-ing driven away by a woman with blonde hair.

TRESPASSING Pacific Coast Highway/Street of the Crystal Lantern (12:47 p.m.) A man called police after seeing a possibly mentally ill man chasing and threatening people with a broomstick. An unemployed 48-year-old man was arrested and released on April 25. The District Attorney refused to prosecute.

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE Street of the Golden Lantern, 34600 Block (10:37 a.m.) A man reported seeing “red splatter” on the passenger side window and windshield of a white Ford pickup. The caller saw the vehicle drive in and park but was unsure where the driver was.

DISTURBANCE Street of the Golden Lantern, 34600 Block (9:41 a.m.) A man was standing outside a business yelling at the caller’s father. Per the informant, the man was very angry and had been standing in front of the business for the past week.

Wednesday, April 20

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Coral Reach Street, 33300 Block (11:55 p.m.) A man was seen putting gloves on and then trying to open the caller’s vehicle. A neigh-bor yelled at the man and he left in a sedan.

CITIZEN ASSIST Marquesa, 0 Block (8:16 p.m.) A woman told deputies she thinks her house is being bugged because after she called the homeowners’ association to complain about her neighbor, the neighbor also called the HOA to complain about her.

DISTURBANCE Pacific Coast Highway, 34400 Block (1:38 p.m.) A caller from the South Coast Water District asked deputies to clear out the transients from behind the location.

Tuesday, April 19

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Ritz Cove Drive, 0 Block (4:33 p.m.) Some-one was flying a drone up to windows of houses in the area.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCESPacific Coast Highway/Del Prado Avenue (4:23 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for a tan RV with a “foul odor” coming from it. The caller thought the odor was possibly that of a dead body inside the vehicle.

Community Meetings

TUESDAY, MAY 3

TBID Meeting1 p.m.-3 p.m. The Tourism Business Im-provement District meets at City Hall, 33282 Golden Lantern, 949.248.3500, www.danapoint.org.

City Council Meeting6 p.m. Dana Point City Hall, Council Chamber, 33282 Golden Lantern, 949.248.3500, www.danapoint.org.

Dana Harbor Toastmasters7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Fine-tune your public speaking skills each Tuesday at Capo Beach Church, 26975 Domingo Av-enue, Capistrano Beach, 949.492.7181, 1707.toastmastersclubs.org.

South Orange County Toastmasters Meeting7 p.m.-8:40 p.m. Practice becoming a more confident communicator on Tuesdays at Dana Point Community House, 24642 San Juan Avenue, Dana Point, 949.429.1794, 3944816.toastmastersclubs.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4

Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club7 a.m.-8:30 a.m. Join members of the volunteer-centered club for breakfast and a meeting each Wednesday at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point, www.monarchbeachrotary.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 5

Coastmasters Toastmasters Club7 a.m.-8:30 a.m. Practice your public speaking skills every Thursday at the OC Sailing & Events Center, 34451 Ensenada Place, Building B, 6658.toastmastersclubs.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 6

Action Associates7:30 a.m. Action Associates, one of the oldest (nearly 30 years) business net-working groups in Dana Point, meets every Friday morning. Only one mem-ber per profession is allowed. Email [email protected] for meeting location and admission information.


EYE ON DP

Have something interesting for the community? Send your information to [email protected].

Ninety Nines, Inc. Runs Essay Contest for Free Flying LessonsThe Orange County chapter of Ninety

Nines, Inc., an international organization of licensed women pilots, is offering free fly-ing lessons to the winner of a youth essay contest. Interested male and female future pilots between the ages of 14 and 18 should submit essays on why they want to learn to fly.

Winners will receive flying lessons from top flight instructors. The essays must be between 300 to 500 words, and in English. Students must include their name, address, phone and school in their submission. For more information on entries, go to www.oc99s.sws99s.org. The deadline to submit an essay is May 15.

Assisteens of Capo Valley Rose Medallion BallThe Assisteens of Capo Valley Rose

Medallion Ball will be held on Sunday, May 29 at 6 p.m., at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa in Dana Point.

The ball is an end-of-the-year presenta-tion of the achievements of the Assisteens. This year, the organization will honor 17 senior girls from three different local high schools, including San Clemente High School and JSerra Catholic High School. For more information, call 949.939.0346.

SC Area Republican Women, FederatedFundraiser The San Clemente Area Republican

Women, Federated will hold a Fashion Show Luncheon fundraiser, featuring spring and summer fashions from Chico’s, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11. The event will be held at Talega Golf Club, 990 Avenida Talega, San Clemente.

Opportunity drawings as well as silent and live auctions will be available for bas-kets and prizes.

SCARWF fundraising efforts will provide scholarships for qualified graduating high school students applying to college from San Clemente, Dana Point, Camp Pendle-ton and the surrounding area.

All are welcome. RSVP is required by May 5. Fee is $50. For reservations, mail a check payable to “SCARWF” to P.O. Box 3512, San Clemente, CA 92674. Call 949.361.9345 for more information.

COMPILED BY STAFF

NEWS BITES

Beachgoers at Lower Trestles check out the dead whale carcass on April 26. The square chunk missing from the body is where NOAA scientists removed a blubber sample for testing. Photo: Sebastian Mendes

The body of a dead gray whale washed up on the beach at Lower Trestles in San Onofre State Park on Sunday. Photo: Sebastian Mendes

urfers and other beachgoers got a smelly reminder of the morbid part of the circle of life when the body of

a dead whale washed up on the beach at Lower Trestles in San Onofre State Park on Sunday. By Tuesday evening, California State Parks was working on finalizing an agreement with a contractor to remove the carcass in pieces and move it by truck to the landfill, but a final time frame for its removal had not been set.

The California gray whale, estimated to be more than 40 feet in length, had been spotted a few days before landing on the beach by Dana Point fishing and whale watching boat captains.

According to Dana Wharf Sportfish-ing & Whale Watching general manager Donna Kalez, boat captains first spotted the whale on Friday, found no obvious sign of injuries to the body and reported it to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a death most likely the result of natural causes. Captains also reported spotting the body of a sec-ond dead gray whale floating just off the coast of San Clemente and Dana Point in the past few days and said they expected it to also wash up soon in the area.

On Monday, Rich Haydon, South Sector superintendent of California State Parks’ Orange Coast District, said State Parks had begun the process of deciding on the method to be used for the removal of the carcass.

“Best practice includes three options—burial in place, towing it out to sea or a land-based removal,” Haydon said. “We have pretty much ruled out a burial in place, since the area is full of cobblestones and there is not a lot of beach area. Ocean burial can be problematic with a carcass as decomposed as this one is, due to the likelihood of it rupturing and falling apart,

Dead Whale Washes up at Lower TrestlesFour days after landing on the beach at Lowers, removal of a gray whale carcass beginsBY ANDREA SWAYNE, DANA POINT TIMES

S

and land-based removal is governed by the size and type of heavy equipment we can get onto the beach.”

The size of the animal would require its body to be parted into smaller sections to be trucked out for land-based removal, and larger equipment than State Parks has would need to be brought in for the job.

“There’s really no easy solution here,” Haydon said. “Our boat is not strong enough to tow it off the beach, the high tides have not been sufficient to get enough water under it to float it and our heavy equipment is not large enough to lift it.”

An additional kink in the possibility of towing the whale out for burial at sea was wind predicted to pick up to 25 knots or more by Monday evening.

At 1:30 p.m. Monday, NOAA scientists arrived on the scene to take samples from the animal, and the whale was released to

State Parks for removal shortly thereafter.Entrails, believed most likely from the

second whale, began showing up along local beaches on Monday, the bulk of the material landing in San Clemente, between the Pier/T Street area and Riviera Beach.

“We have it on good authority that the second whale has broken into two pieces and is floating (just off the coast of San Cle-mente) out near Seal Rock,” Haydon said. “The city (of San Clemente) followed the traditional best practice used for decades—burying the washed up entrails in place.”

Despite numerous attempts, San Clem-ente city officials could not be reached for comment.

Tuesday evening, with burial in place not being an option at Lowers for the first whale and the window allowing for suc-cessful water burial closed, Haydon said the decision to remove the whale by truck was essentially the only viable option. State Parks would have liked to have been able to lift it whole and remove it all at once, he said, but the weight, inaccessibility of the location and state of decomposition has made it impossible. The body is too heavy for a crane or other equipment that could fit under the bridge to access the beach.

“We are in contact with a contractor NOAA has used in the past and working on an emergency contract to get it done,” Haydon said on Tuesday at 5 p.m. “This is not going to be pretty. Even if we could get heavy enough equipment in to lift it whole, it would most likely rupture and make a huge mess on the beach. We will dismember it on site, load it into lined dump trucks and haul it to the landfill. It’s not going to be pretty but that’s the best we can do, other than leaving it as it is. We are asking people to stay out of the area at this time.” DP

DPDana Point VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

SOAPBOX

Dana Point Times April 29-May 5, 2016 www.danapointtimes.com

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Dana Point Times, Vol. 9, Issue 18. The DP Times (www.danapointtimes.com) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the SC Times (www.sanclementetimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (www.thecapistranodis-patch.com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

EDITORIAL

Group Managing Editor> Matt Cortina

Senior Editor, DP Times> Andrea Swayne

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Special Projects Editor > Andrea Papagianis

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ADVERTISING/MULTI-MEDIA MARKETINGPICKET FENCE MEDIA

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SPECIAL THANKSRobert Miller Jonathan Volzke

CONTRIBUTORS Megan BiancoMelissa Calvano Evan Da SilvaDebra HolmCameron SadeghiTim Trent

CORRECTION: A letter to the editor in last week’s issue ran in print with a mistake in the headline referring to the incorrect ballot measure. The correct title for the letter by Bill Petersen is: “Vote Yes on Measure H, Don’t Let Dana Point Become the Apartment Armpit of Orange County.” The incorrect headline never appeared online. We regret the error.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at [email protected] or send it to 34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624. Dana Point Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the infor-mation written by the writers.

MAYOR, CITY MANAGER INCORRECT ABOUT STRAND BEACH

BONNIE WELLBAUM, Dana Point

A statement made by City Manager, Doug Chotkevys twice in the April 8-14 issue of the DP Times is completely incor-rect. The same statement was made by Mayor John Tomlinson in the April 15-21 issue.

The statements referring to Strand Beach as previously or formerly a private beach are completely incorrect.

Strand Beach has never been a private beach. It has been a public beach for the 40 years I've lived here.

Is there any way you can print a correc-tion or something to let the people of Dana Point know Strand Beach has always been public?

EDITOR’S NOTE: The confusion regarding the public/private status of Strand Beach comes from the interpretation of the word “beach.” When speaking of Strand as a formerly private beach, the mayor and city manager were correct, but only in reference to the land on the inland side of the mean high tide line. Public access to the land from the mean high tide line to the water (wet sand) has been protected since the Califor-nia State Legislature passed the California Coastal Act in 1976. Before the beach (from the high tide line inland) was dedicated to the county as a public park as part of the Headlands Development and Conservation Plan (certifi ed by the California Coastal Commission in 2004), beachgoers accessing Strand Beach through the area—formerly occupied by a mobile home park, now the site of the Headlands at Strand develop-ment—were trespassing through private land. The dedication of the private land to public use by Headlands Reserve LLC was a condition of approval for the development. Even though the beach was technically pri-vate, county lifeguards patrolled the area—adjacent to the county operated Salt Creek Beach—as it was often utilized by surfers and other beachgoers. Read more on page 4.

DANA POINT CITY COUNCILMAN’S PERSONAL ATTACK ON PUBLIC SPEAKER WAS INAPPROPRIATE

PAUL N. WYATT, Dana Point

During the Public Comments segment of the April 19 Dana Point City Council meeting, Councilman Joe Muller respond-ed to a speaker with a personal attack. The councilman’s behavior was unprofessional, discourteous and unacceptable.

Letters to the Editor

The Mayor opens the Public Comments segment of each City Council meeting by reminding the speakers that all remarks are to be directed to the City Council and shall not consist of any personal attacks. The Mayor further reminds the mem-bers of the public that they are expected to maintain a professional, courteous decorum and recently has asked that they refrain from any clapping and cheering. I believe that the members of our City Council deserve this respect and I even more strongly believe that speakers de-serve this same respect from the members of the council.

If all the citizens of Dana Point always agreed with the action of their City Coun-cil, the council meetings could just be love fests; but that is unlikely. The public portion of each City Council meeting is purposely to allow the citizens to express the support for, or disagreements with, the actions of the council. In the many council meetings that I have attended on watched on the television broadcast, I have rarely seen the council respond in any way to public comments and I have never seen the council change their action based on these comments. While this is frustrating to the speakers at times, it is accepted and does not result in personal attacks of the members of the council.

In the April 19 council meeting, a mem-ber of the public was granted permission to speak. The speaker expressed concern on the title and wording of Measure I, the City Council sponsored ballot measure. She expressed her belief that by creating a city-sponsored measure with the stated intent of negating the citizen-sponsored measure, the council had created confu-sion. She further stated that by using a title for the city-sponsored measure that was not backed up by the text of the mea-sure, the council was intentionally mislead-ing the voters of Dana Point. In delivering her remarks, the speaker was professional and courteous.

Councilman Muller responded to the speaker by calling her out by name, stating that her comments were offensive and that she attended every council meeting and presented public comments that were offensive to the council and saying he had no idea where she was coming from making such comments. Furthermore, his statement that “Measure H started this,” sounded like it came from an 8-year-old, not a city councilman. While no one expected Councilman Muller, nor certain other members of the council to agree with the speaker, the personal attack was unprofessional, discourteous and unac-ceptable; in other words, inappropriate. Such actions have a chilling effect on members of the public who have not only a right, but a civic duty to speak up when they believe the council is not represent-ing citizens’ interests.

VOTE YES ON MEASURE H

DIANE HOWARD, Dana Point

As I walk and drive around town I've no-ticed something a bit strange. Every sign I have seen for “Yes on H” has been in front of a private home. Every sign I have seen for “Yes on I” has been in front of a com-mercial building. That tells me a bit about who would benefi t from each measure.

I did not sign the petition for the group that put Measure H on the ballot. I spoke at length with the signature collectors outside the supermarket and told them that we didn't need extra legislation and protections because we had the new plan for downtown, that it had taken years to put together and get approved and of course the new developments would follow the rules and regulations as set forth. I see now that I was wrong.

The very fi rst developments are trying to get around the plan and the City Council took the amazing step of putting a compet-ing issue on the ballot, costing the city taxpayers more money. I will be voting yes on Measure H.

THANKS DANA POINT, GOODWILL

LYNNE CONGER, DHHS Dolphin Force Foundation

Dana Hills High School students and the Dana Hills High School Foundation thank the city of Dana Point and Goodwill for generously donating the fi nancial proceeds from the Feb. 20 waste collec-tion event held at DHHS to the Dolphin Force Foundation. Rebates are received for properly recycled e-waste. This dona-tion supported the purchase a cart of 40 laptops for use in DHHS classes, bringing us closer to our goal of providing one cart of laptops for every academic department. The e-waste event is a great example of a successful city/nonprofi t/educational partnership and we look forward to more in the future. Thank you to the Dana Point community for your support. For more information, visit www.dolphinforce.com.

APRIL 30-MAY 1: DANA POINT GRAND PRIX SPORT & FAMILY FESTIVAL8 a.m.-6 p.m. This year’s 10th annual Grand Prix of Cycling has been expanded to two days and renamed the Dana Point Grand Prix Sport & Family Festival. Saturday events include a 1K Family Fun Run, the Killer Cove 5K Challenge run, a free concert by Flock of 80s and the Light Up the Lantern Del Prado Bike Fun Ride of Lights. The first 750 en-trants for the Ride of Lights will receive a free light kit for their bikes. Registration begins Saturday at 5 p.m. at Dana Point Hardware. The Kids’ Zone, expanded Expo Village and amateur and professional cycling races will be held on both days. Registration fees are required for all races. Visit the Grand Prix website or check out the official event guide included in this issue of the DP Times. Dana Point Lantern District, on Del Prado Avenue and in the Santa Clara neighborhood, 949.248.3597, www.danapointgrandprix.com.


YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNERGETTING OUT

Friday | 29 SADDLEBACK BIG BAND7:30 p.m. The Saddleback College Big Band hits the McKinney Theatre stage with an eclectic program of student compositions and world premieres. Tickets are $10 general admission or $7 for students and seniors (presale only). 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, 949.582.4656, www.saddleback.edu/arts.

Saturday | 30DANA POINT FARMERS MARKET9 a.m.-1 p.m. Seasonal produce, flowers and much more at La Plaza Park each Sat-urday. 949.248.3500, www.danapoint.org.

DONUTS WITH GROWNUPS10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Kids, bring your grownups and enjoy some donuts.

The ListWhat’s going on in and around town this weekCOMPILED BY STAFF

Scenes from last year’s Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast at Sea Canyon Park. Photos: Andrea Swayne

Dana Point Grand Prix Sport & Family Festival. Photo: Andrea Swayne

DPDana Point

(Cont. on page 10)

EDITOR’S PICK

Dana Point Library, 33841 Niguel Road, Dana Point, 949.496.5517, www.ocpl.org.

MARY LOU HEARD MEMORIAL GARDEN TOUR10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday, April 30 and Sun-day, May 1. The tour features 38 gardens from Capistrano Beach to Long Beach, La Habra and Yorba Linda. The event is free but donations to the Sheepfold Shelter in Fullerton—a shelter for women and chil-dren in crisis—will be accepted. Locally, the garden at 34809 Calle Del Sol in Capistrano Beach will be featured. For more informa-tion, visit www.heardsgardentour.com.

EASTER SEALS DREAMMAKERS EVENT11 a.m.-4 p.m. Easter Seals DreamMak-ers host their 12th annual fundraising event catered by Panda Express. The benefit event also includes live music by Acoustic for a Change and silent and live auctions featuring items such as artwork, restaurant gift certificates, golf and spa packages, chef supplies, beauty baskets, children’s items and more. The com-munity is invited and admission is free. OC Sailing & Event Center, Dana Cove Room, 34451 Ensenada Place, Dana Point Harbor, 949.584.1117, [email protected].


GETTING OUT

JOHN MAZZA COLLECTION: NEW EXHIBIT OPENS AT SHACC11 a.m. This historic surfboard exhibit, “Treasures,” will feature surfboards from the personal collection of John Mazza, surfing aficionado and Malibu resident. The boards represent the evolution of surfing and surfboard technology with examples ranging from the 1910s to the 1980s. Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, 110 Calle Iglesia, San Clemente, 949.388.0313, www.surfingheritage.org.

ORGANIC SOIL & COMPOSTING METHODS1 p.m.-3 p.m. The Ecology Center presents a workshop that explores how you can apply ecological principles and compost to ensure the health of your garden’s soil. Attendees will receive compost samples as well as informational hand-outs to comple-ment the subjects covered in the work-shop. Admission is $30 for members, $40 for non-members. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

ART WALK AT THE MISSION2 p.m. In recognition of National Preserva-tion Week, Mission San Juan Capistrano is offering a docent-guided 45-minute tour during which visitors will learn about the collection of rare paintings related to the Mission’s history, dating back to the 1700s. Walks cost $3 for adults and $2 for children in addition to paid admis-sion. Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

CLIF MILLER7:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Live music at Harpoon Henry’s, 34555 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.493.2933, www.windandseares-taurants.com/harpoonhenrys.

TIJUANA DOGS9 p.m. Live music at StillWater Spirits & Sounds, 24701 Del Prado Avenue, Dana Point, 949.661.6003, www.danapointstillwater.com.

Sunday | 01CINCO DE MAYO FIESTANoon-4 p.m. San Clemente’s 26th annual Cinco de Mayo event features live enter-tainment performed by Mariachi Zacateca, Family Style and Grupo Dilema. The cel-ebration also includes authentic Mexican fare, a beer garden, children’s activities and games. Max Berg Plaza Park, 1100 Calle Puente, San Clemente, 949.361.8264, www.san-clemente.org.

ORANGE COUNTY WINE CRUISE5:30 p.m-7 p.m. Climb onboard a Dana Wharf luxury catamaran for this 90-min-ute wine cruise around the Dana Point Harbor. Tickets are $49. Every Friday and Sunday. Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 888.224.0603, www.danawharf.com.

For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.danapointtimes.com.

Have an event? Send your listing to [email protected]

(Cont. from page 9)

Monday | 02TRAIL CLEARING AND WEEDING7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Volunteer with The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo to help keep the trails clean and clear weeds. Bring work gloves if you have them. Drinks and snacks provided. Ages 10 and up. The Richard and Donna O’Neil Con-servancy, call for directions, 949.489.9778, www.rmvreserve.org.

CAPT. DAVE’S WHALE WATCHINGTimes vary. Trips available every day of the week. Get up close to marine life aboard a Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari trip. Prices vary. Call for more information. 24440 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.488.2828, www.dolphinsafari.com.

Tuesday | 03HALF-PRICE WHALE WATCHING10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Hop on-board this two-hour cruise to see dolphins, whales and other marine life in the wild. $22.50. Half price on Tuesdays but trips are available every day of the week. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watch-ing, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.5794, www.danawharf.com.

TACO TUESDAYS AT SUNSETS4 p.m. Tacos for $2 and $3, margaritas and tequila for $5, $4 Mexican beers and a DJ starting at 7 p.m. Sunsets Bar & Grill Capo Beach, 34700 Pacific Coast Highway, Capistrano Beach, 949.276.8880, www.sunsetsbar.com.

Wednesday | 04 DOWNTOWN SJC FARMERS MARKET3 p.m.-7 p.m. Fresh flowers, produce and specialty foods from around 40 vendors in downtown San Juan Capistrano, every Wednesday on the corner of Camino

Capistrano and Yorba Street. www.farmersmarketsjc.com.

FREE COMEDY AT MOLLY BLOOM’S 9:30 p.m. Every Wednesday, free comedy at Molly Bloom’s, with food and drink specials. 2391 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.218.0120, www.mollybloomspub.com.

UPCOMING: SATURDAY, MAY 7OCEAN FRIENDLY GARDENS EVENT9 a.m.-noon. Surfrider Foundation South OC Chapter and Capo Cares host a free, all-ages event. Talk titles include “Ocean Friendly Gardens and Our Micro Cli-mate,” and “Learn How to Grow Food with Almost No Water.” A succulent swap will also be held. Christ Lutheran Church, 33522 Camino Capistrano, San Clemente. RSVP to [email protected].

SJC HISTORICAL SOCIETY FIESTA DAY10 a.m.-2 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Historical Society is hosting the third annual Fiesta Day, where visitors can walk along historic Los Rios Street and see what life was like in the 19th and 20th cen-turies. Event includes docent led tours of historic homes, exhibits, demonstrations, crafts, games, piñatas and more. San Juan Capistrano Historic Society, O’Neill Mu-seum, 31831 Los Rios Street, 949.493.8444, www.sjchistoricalsociety.com.

THE ROSE SOCIETY’S 25TH ELEGANT AND ENCHANTING GARDEN TOUR10 a.m.-4 p.m. This year’s tour features four unique private gardens—two in San Juan Capistrano and two in San Clem-ente. Advance tickets are $25 and may be purchased at www.rosesrosesroses.org or 949.837.2141. Advance tickets may also be purchased at Dana Point Nursery, 34100 Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point. A complimentary $10 gift certificate will be included with each ticket purchased at the nursery. On the day of tour, tickets may also be purchased for $30 at 3 Maracay in San Clemente, one of the featured homes.

COMEDY NIGHT AND OPEN HOUSE AT AVENTURA7 p.m.-11 p.m. Aventura Sailing Associa-tion presents an evening of entertainment headlined by comedian Joey Kola and hosted by Joey Bielaska. Kola’s television credits include “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Late Show with David Let-terman,” and Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend.” Doors open at 7 p.m. for an open house event where guests can meet Aven-tura members and learn about the club’s sailing classes, charters and member so-cial activities. Tickets are $25 and include two house drinks. A light hors d’oeuvre menu will be available. Seating is lim-ited. Make a reservation and pay online. Aventura Sailing Association, 24707 Dana Drive, Dana Point Harbor, 949.493.9493, www.aventurasailing.com/events.Joey Kola. Photo: Courtesy

EDITOR’S PICK

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At the Movies: ‘The Huntsman’ Struggles with Winter’s War

he Huntsman: Winter’s War is the most unnecessary cash grab of a sequel since Mock-

ingjay, Part 2. Just from watching the movie you can guess the moviemak-ers probably watched Frozen, Oz: the Great and Powerful and Robin Hood and then smooshed them all together in one movie set in the universe of Snow White. Except Kristen Stewart isn’t coming back this time, and we now are focusing all of our attention on the huntsman character played by Chris Hemsworth.

The movie opens with a flashback sequence that shows the evil queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) actually had a sister all along, named Freya (Emily Blunt). While Ravenna has a magical mirror, Freya has the power to freeze things with her mind. When Freya’s heart is broken, she moves far away and builds her own icy kingdom and army, which includes Eric (Hems-worth) and Sara (Jessica Chastain).

Theron, Blunt and Chastain are three of the most acclaimed ac-tresses working in Hollywood today, and even they can’t make up for the inconsistent tone and awful pacing. The huntsman character is just not interesting enough to warrant his own movie, and there are too many references to a character we never see (Snow White). The most out-of-place, yet entertaining, elements of Winter’s War are two dwarfs played by Rob Brydon and Nick Frost provid-ing the comic relief that is right out of an Edgar Wright film. Hemsworth has been struggling to find success outside of Marvel since 2014, and it looks like he’s going to have to keep looking. DP

BY MEGAN BIANCO, DANA POINT TIMES

Photo: ©Universal Studios

O F F I C I A L E V E N T G U I D E

We are proud to once again put on this event raising both awareness and money for outstanding local charities.

What began back in 2007 as the Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling has become recognized as one of the nation’s largest single-day professional criterium bicycle races. Now spread over two days, these races are offi cially sanctioned by USA Cy-cling as part of their National Pro Road Tour calendar—the men’s classic PRT is slated for 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. These races will see top criterium talents and amateurs alike compete in the city’s newly-completed downtown Lantern District on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1.

This year we have expanded the Grand Prix to include fun and competitive par-ticipatory events that are geared toward increasing the health conscientiousness and activeness of participants. With local athletes seeking a unique experience to add to their repertoire of events, we’ve added a challenging running event, the Killer Cove 5K, to Saturday’s event lineup. We hope this event, too, becomes a Dana Point tradition.

On Sunday, our most popular riders hit the closed-circuit course. Around noon, area youth are invited to participate in free bike events hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley. Registration opens

Race Schedules - Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1

Events - Saturday, April 30

SAT

UR

DA

Y, A

PRIL

30

SUN

DA

Y, M

AY

1

CATEGORY

Jr Women 15-18Jr Men 15-18, Cat 1-3Women Cat 3/4Cat 5/PublicCat 4/5Women Pro 1/2John Johnson Family Men Pro Classic PRT

55+ Cat 1-445+ Cat 1-3Cat 4Youth Events35+ 1-3Women Pro 1-3Cat 3Mens Pro 1/2

START TIME

noon12:35 p.m.1:20 p.m.1:55 p.m.2:25 p.m.3:05 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

9:30 a.m.10:20 a.m.11:15 a.m.

12:05 p.m.12:45 p.m.1:50 p.m.2:55 p.m.3:55 p.m.

DURATION

0:300:400:300:250:351:00

1:30

0:450:500:450:351:001:000:551:15

PLACES

3363612

20

6106

ALL1010712

ENTRIES

7575757575125

150

125125125ALL125125125125

PURSE VALUE

medalsmedals$250

medals$250

$2,000

$12,000

$250 $1,000 $500

medals$1,000 $1,000 $750

$2,000

Sunday at 9 a.m. for kids in four differ-ent age groups. All entrants will receive a free T-shirt and a medal for participating. We’ll also have a kids’ zone featuring face painting and cool displays hosted by the 5th Marine Regiment of Camp Pendleton.

The DPGP Sport & Family Festival will also include a unique Fan Zone Expo Village on Del Prado Avenue where guests can explore a fun leisurely environment with up close sports action and live enter-tainment. Relax and experience the many sports and leisure products and services on offer. We’ll also have food, music, beverages and more—something for the entire family.

Also new to this year’s lineup is the 1K Family Fun Run, a family-fun Bicycle Parade of Lights and a free concert by Orange County’s own Flock of 80s. The fi rst 750 entrants in Saturday’s parade of lights will receive a free light kit for their bikes courtesy of Cycleogical Bike Shop. Registra-tion will be hosted at Dana Point Hardware starting that day at 5 p.m. For a full-list and schedule of the weekend’s events, log on to www.danapointgrandprix.com.

Steven Weinberg, DPGP Founderand Former Dana Point MayorDana Point Community Cycling Foundation

Expo Village & Kids Activities 10:30 am-8pm

Killer Cove 5K Challenge8:30 a.m.

1K Family Fun Run/Walk 10 a.m.

Free Flock of 80s Concert6:30 p.m.

Light-Up the Lantern District Family Fun Parade of Lights 8 p.m.

WELCOME TO THE 10TH ANNUALDana Point Grand Prix Sport & Family Festival

In our 10th year, the Dana Point Grand Prix Sport & Family Festival continues to bring a family-oriented, healthy-lifestyle celebration to Dana Point that offers a unique professional and fun sports experience.

For information on event registration:

VENUE MAP

AREA MAP

5K CHALLENGE

1K FAMILY FUN RUN

here are three writers from the Greatest Generation who achieved fame for their words but backed it

up humbly with deeds. All three are from English-speaking countries and wrote prolifically about everything but their own experiences. Eventually they got around to writing about themselves.

Tony Hillerman (1926-2008) • I first dis-covered Hillerman on a ship in the Middle East during Desert Storm. I bought a pa-perback copy of his book, A Thief of Time, in the ship’s store and quickly devoured it. Hillerman wrote 18 mysteries about the Navajo Tribal Police set in the Four Cor-

ners region, and several have been made into movies. He was a boon to tourism for the area. He wrote nonfiction and other novels as well and was a tireless giver to the people of New Mexi-co and a mentor to many aspiring writers. In 2001, he finally published his biography with a title

that tells you all about the man: SeldomDisappointed. Readers find out Hillerman was a highly decorated combat veteran of the fighting in France and Germany. As a mortarman in the 103rd Infantry Division, he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Chapter 12 of Sel-dom Disappointed is entitled, “How to Get A Bronze Star Without Knowing Why.” Yet his memoir is not a war memoir. The war only takes up a few chapters of his rich and rewarding life.

George McDonald Fraser (1925-2008) • Fraser is known for his Flashman series, which was serialized in Playboy magazine in the 1970s. There are 12 novels in this

new support group for grand-mothers in Orange County who have limited contact with their

grandchildren will meet Thursday, May 12, from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. in Dana Point.

Grandmothers Rising is led by an ex-perienced group facilitator who has also lived estranged from her grandchildren for the last 10 years. Group sessions are intended to provide community support for estranged grandmothers through networking, education and learning tools that will help participants cope with their situation and build self-esteem.

“Our purpose is to create a communi-ty in a safe space to share the injustice, despair and shame we feel,” read a Grandmothers Rising event notice. “It is also a space of healing and hope and reclaiming our status and value as grandmothers.”

For more information and to RSVP for the event, send an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Grand-mothers Rising Reservations.” DP

Dana PointDPDana Point PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

DP LIVING


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PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide vari-ety of opinions from our community, the DP 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 DP Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at [email protected]

READING WITH WRIGHT

By Christopher Wright

GUEST OPINION: Reading with Wright by Christopher Wright

Rosemary. Photo: Courtesy of the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter

Pet of the Week: Rosemary

en-month-old Rosemary is back from foster care and ready for adoption. This little cutie just loves treats and is pretty easy to handle.

She doesn’t mind being held and always enjoys a good petting session. Rosemary has great litter box habits and would do well in a cozy, indoor home.

If you would like to know more about Carter, please call the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617, or visit with him at the shel-ter, 221 Avenida Fabricante in San Clemente. DP

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Writers Who Quietly Served with Words and Deeds

Support Group for Estranged Grandmothers Forms in Dana Point

series written from 1969 through 2005. Flashman is a British officer in the mid-19th century who had the good fortune (or the bad luck) to have been present at every powder keg event of significance. Here are a few of the places/events: The Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny in 1857, Harper’s Ferry with John Brown, and with Custer at the Little Bighorn. Flashman is at heart a coward, a womanizer and a liar, but he is nevertheless a charming scoundrel and a survivor. Time and time again, just when he thinks he will be found out, fate intercedes and he comes out of a disaster with a medal or a knighthood. We have the complete collection at the Dana Point Library. Fraser finally got around to writ-ing his war memoir in 1993, Quartered Safe Out Here: A Recollection of War in Burma. The title has the ironic, self-deprecating, stiff upper lip stereotypically associated with Brits. Fraser was also an infantryman fighting in a theater in which the environ-ment was as much a foe as the Japanese. The great military historian Sir John Keegan has called it “one of the great per-sonal memoirs of the Second World War,” yet too few have heard of it or read it.

Farley Mowat (1921-2014) • I first be-came acquainted with Farley Mowat when I buried my father. I found his biography, Born Naked, in a bookstore and it was just the antidote for a sad week back home. I soon realized I had known Mowat from the movie Never Cry Wolf, so my discovery of his writing was actually a reunion. Born Naked, about Mowat’s childhood of wonder and hilarious adventures in the natural world of Saskatchewan, was a joy to read. His dad was also a librarian—little did I know that would be my calling one day. Mowat was a prolific author of books on

Canada’s environment and an ardent envi-ronmentalist. During World War II, he saw heavy fighting in the Italian theater with the Canadian Army. It was traumatizing, and he was removed from the infantry and placed in intelligence. His wartime memoir, And No Birds Sang, is no ode to glory, but a rather sobering account of his ordeal.

Next month’s column will be my last as I am retiring and moving to New Mexico. It will be about my new home state.

The Dana Point Library’s informal group, the Tea Time Book Club, meets every fourth Monday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and tea is served. Bring your favorite tea cup and join us. Next month’s meeting on Monday, May 23 will feature The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson. For a list of future featured titles, call the library at 949.496.5517.

For more information about upcom-ing events, visit www.ocpl.org. The site also provides access to online databases, ebooks, jobseeker resources and more.

Chris Wright is not sure if he lives to read or if he reads to live. He has been a public librarian with the OC Public Libraries since 2006 and currently works at the Dana Point branch. DP

Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that has been subdi-vided 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: Easy

SudokuLast week’s solution:

BY MYLES MELLOR

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

DANA POINT TIMES

n May, longtime Dana Point residents, Charles “Stan” and Harriet Mudge will celebrate seven decades of marriage,

a rare and remarkable milestone tradition-ally known as the platinum anniversary.

Stan and Harriet met in 1945 while both were serving in the U.S. Navy. They mar-ried in 1946.

The Mudges moved to the Dana Point in 1969 and raised their seven children here. Since then their family has grown to

Stan and Harriet Mudge pose in uniform for a photo in 1946 when they were wed. They will celebrate their 70th anniversary on May 4. Photo: Courtesy of the Mudge family

DP LIVING

A Platinum AnniversaryLongtime Dana Point residents Stan and Harriet Mudge celebrate 70 years of marriageDANA POINT TIMES

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ADDICTION RECOVERYTREATMENT

Body Mind Spirit IntensiveOutpatient Program949.485.4979 [email protected]

ASSISTED LIVING HOME FOR ELDERLY

Assisted Senior Home949.248.9415, www.assistedseniorhome.com

AUTO REPAIR

Dana Point Auto34342 Coast Hwy., Unit B, 949.496.1086

CAFE - DELI

Coffee Importers Espresso Bar34531 Golden Lantern, 949.493.7773, www.coffeeimporters.com

COFFEE SHOP

Coffee Importers Espresso Bar34531 Golden Lantern, 949.493.7773, www.coffeeimporters.com

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Represent.xyz949.274.0590, www.represent.xyz

DANCE/FITNESS

Club Salsa Dance Studio34202 Camino Capistrano, 949.230.0543, www.clubsalsadance.com

HANDYMAN

Beach City Handyman33292 Bremerton St., 810.569.7295, gnarlyconceptdesign.com

HAULING

Cheapest HaulingCall Robert 949.973.6288

ICE CREAM

Coffee Importers Scoop Deck34531 Golden Lantern, 949.493.7773, www.coffeeimporters.com

INSURANCE SERVICES

Patricia Powers24551 Del Prado, Ste. 364, 949.496.1900, [email protected]

State Farm/Ted Bowersox34085 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. 204, 949.661.3200, www.tedbowersox.com

Statefarm/Elaine LaVine34080 Golden Lantern, 949.240.8944, www.elainelavine.net

MASSAGE

Crystal Clyde Intuitive Bodywork32840 Pacific Coast Highway, Ste. E, 949.584.2462, www.crystalclyde.com

MUSIC INSTRUCTION

Danman’s Music School24699 Del Prado, 949.496.6556, www.danmans.com

PET BOUTIQUE

Naked Dog Bistro424 Forest Ave., LB, 949.715.9900,www.NakedDogBistro.com

SCHOOLS

Capistrano Valley Christian Schools 32032 Del Obispo Street, San Juan Cap-istrano, 949.493.5683, www.cvcs.org

WINDOW & DOOR REPLACEMENT

Offshore Construction949.444.6323, www.offshoreconstruction.org

LOCALS ONLY BUSINESS LISTINGS

LISTLOCALS ONLY

USELOCALS ONLY

In print and online 52 weeks a year. View online at www.sanclementetimes.com.

Call at Debra Wells for pricing at 949.589.0892 or email [email protected]

include many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The couple presently resides in Laguna Woods.

Stan and Harriet will renew their wed-ding vows on May 4 with a 9 a.m. mass at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Laguna Hills, where they have been longtime members and sang in the choir for many years.

Following the mass, friends and family will treat the couple to a private brunch celebration in Dana Point. DP

A wayward elephant seal beached itself on the sand at Doheny State

Beach Thursday and was picked up by personnel from the Laguna Beach-based Pacific Marine Mammal Center. According to Doheny State Beach Interpretive Associa-tion board member Ed Neely, the animal had previously been rehabilitated at SeaWorld and released back into the wild a few days ago. Photo: Ed Neely

SCENE{ I N DA N A P O I N T }

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORESPORTS & OUTDOORSDP

Dana Point


Dana Hills High School hosts CUSD Special Olympics Orange County spring gamesTEXT BY STEVE BREAZEALE, PHOTOS BY ALLISON JARRELL, DANA POINT TIMES

ome 230 special education student-athletes were given an Olympic-style welcome at Dana Hills High School

as part of the Capistrano Unified School District’s Special Olympics Orange County spring games on April 25.

Athletes from San Clemente High School, Dana Hills, Marco Forster Middle School, Tesoro High, Newhart Middle School and Niguel Hills Middle School filled the Dana Hills gym for the opening ceremonies. When the athletes entered the gym, 250 student, faculty and parent volunteers were there to greet them and cheer them on as they prepared for the day’s Olympic-style events.

But before the day’s athletic events could begin, everyone had to get loose. A dance party erupted in the gym, with athletes, student volunteers and parents rocking out to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” Later in the morning, Dana Hills sophomore Riley McCoy led the crowd in singing the national anthem.

The athletes then took the field at Dolphins Stadium and participated in the 100-meter dash, 25-meter wheelchair race, long jump, softball toss and standing long jump. There were also hula hoop con-

S

Let the Games Begin

tests and obstacle courses set up for the athletes.

Just over one month ago, CUSD did not have a home venue for the event and it was in danger of being cancelled. Special Olympics Orange County reached out to Dana Hills High School and the two par-ties agreed the school would be a suitable venue for the games. In four short weeks, Dana Hills faculty and student government rallied to pull it off.

In order for the event to take place, Special Olympics Orange County man-dates that each athlete have their own personal volunteer. All 100 members of the associated student union at Dana Hills pledged to volunteer, along with the entire Dolphins football program. Once word spread around campus, even more students wanted to sign up.

“It was really positive. I had random kids that I had never seen or talked to before come up to me and ask to partici-

pate in this,” Dana Hills senior and ASU member Claire O’Melveny said. “All the kids on campus are really excited to see the outcome.”

DHHS co-activities director Brittany Casey said the event showcased the strong relationship between CUSD’s Structured Teaching, Educationally-based, Promot-ing Independence and Student-Centered Instruction (STEPS) program for students with special needs and campuses through-out the district.

“It’s an experience that changes the lives of the participants and the people who are volunteering,” Casey said. “It’s that bond and respect for each other and that camaraderie and the family atmo-sphere … To be able to spread that through CUSD is really important to all of us.”

Casey said Dana Hills is open to becom-ing a permanent host venue for the spring games. DP

Dana Hills senior Catherine Azaula, right, hangs out with Fred Newhart Middle School student Avery Freis during the Special Olympics spring games.

Tesoro High School student Sebastian Hernandez prepares to compete in the softball toss.

Event emcee Merritt Grimm kicks off the Special Olympics spring games with the help of athletes O’Shea Smith, left, and Jonathan Hormuth, both from Dana Hills High School.

Alexa Rojas of Dana Hills High School competes in the 100-meter dash.Tesoro High School student Amanda McClure participates in the softball toss.

Niguel Hills High School student Megan Wesselman smiles as Dana Hills cheerleaders welcome her to the Special Olympics spring games.

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BUSINESS DIRECTORYSan Clemente

DPDana Point

James Allen Blair, 81, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday April 15th at Mis-sion Hospital. Jim was born April 17, 1934 in Wausau, Wisconsin to Harold and Margaret (Staffeld) Blair.

He served in the US Army, graduated from University of Wisconsin, and received his MS degree in Math from Farleigh Dickinson University. He was a lifelong learner and completed coursework at several universities including MIT. He worked as an aerospace engineer for McDonnell Douglas and retired from Boeing as a Researcher/Scientist work-ing on anti-missile defense aircraft. Jim mar-ried Dee Dee (Devoe) Blair in 1974 and they have lived in Orange County for 47 years. Jim loved to smile and never had an unkind word to share. He devoted his life to his family, his country, and his Heavenly Father.

Jim will be fondly remembered by his wife Dee Dee, his four children Jay, Todd, James, and Shelly, his grandchildren Ryan, Torrey, Maddie, and Hanna, his siblings John and Shirley, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Services will be held at Laguna Presbyte-rian Church 415 Forest Avenue on April 30th at 11am. Following will be a celebration of his life at his home in Dana Point.

James Allen BlairOBITUARY

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HERECall 949.388.7700, ext. 102

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS

For in-game updates, scores, news and more for all of the Dana Hills High School spring sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports.

Dolphins Golf Shares League Title, Feagler Crowned League Champion

Dana Hills senior golfer Clay Feagler carded back-to-back rounds of 70 (-2) at Talega Golf Club in San Clemente to claim the South Coast League individual champi-onship on April 26.

Feagler’s two-day score of 140 narrowly edged San Clemente freshman Alex Pak’s score of 141. El Toro’s Randy Vergel de Dios shot 142 to place third.

The Dolphins, who split the South Coast League title with the Tritons, had four golfers place in the top-8 at league fi nals. Feagler, Tanner Podres, Blake Brothers and Cole Griffo will all represent the team at the CIF Southern Individual Regional tournament on May 9 at Skylinks Golf Course in Long Beach.

Baseball Heads Down Important Stretch

With four South Coast League games remaining on its schedule, the Dana Hills baseball team fi nds itself in the middle of a hunt for a playoff berth.

The second-place Dolphins (11-12, 4-3 league) lost to third-place Aliso Niguel 3-2 on the road on April 26 and were sched-uled to host the Wolverines (16-8, 5-4) on April 28. Results were not available at press time.

The fi ve-member South Coast League is

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, DANA POINT TIMES

Dolphin Report

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, DANA POINT TIMES

ark Scott has many fond memo-ries of the Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling. Scott, an Aliso

Niguel resident, had been a fi xture in the Southern California cycling community for over 20 years and is a two-time DPGP champion. Scott won the event in the 35+ Masters division twice and has won over 500 races around the globe.

Just over one year ago, Scott’s life took a complete 180-degree turn for the worse.

Scott, 50, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and has spent over three of the past 11 months in the hospital, receiving chemotherapy treatments in an attempt to fi ght the disease. When he was

M

Dana Point Grand Prix to Host Bone Marrow Drive for Past Champion

tightly bunched at the top of the standings. The Dolphins, Wolverines and Tesoro (14-8, 4-5) are all within striking distance of one another. The league’s top-3 teams are guaranteed a berth in the playoffs.

Dana Hills will travel to play fi fth-place Capistrano Valley on May 4 and host the Cougars on May 6. Two fi nal league games against fi rst-place El Toro are scheduled for May 10 and May 12.

Dana Hills entered its game against Aliso Niguel on April 28 riding a four-game losing skid. The Dolphins lost both games of a nonleague doubleheader against San Clemente on April 21 and a nonleague game against Trabuco Hills on April 25 be-fore falling to the Wolverines on April 26.

Boys Lacrosse Continues Winning Ways

The Dana Hills boys lacrosse team was scheduled to travel to play El Toro on April 28 in a game that would decide the Sea View League title. Results were not available at press time.

A win would vault the second-place Dol-phins (15-3, 6-1) into a tie with fi rst-place El Toro, the defending league champion. Only the top team from the Sea View League is awarded a berth in the playoffs.

The Dolphins have put together a strong season and, aside from an 11-1 loss to El Toro on April 12, have domi-nated league opponents. Dana Hills has outscored the three remaining Sea View League teams by a combined 83-18 mar-gin.

Softball Readies for Final Round of League

The Dana Hills softball team pulled off an important South Coast League win over El Toro on April 26. The Chargers put up four runs in the fi rst inning but the Dol-phins pitching and defense did not allow a run the rest of the way while the offense mounted a comeback.

Trailing by two runs, Dana Hills’ Tori Sickmeier hit a three-run double in the third inning to put the Dolphins on top for good, 5-4. Dolphins starting pitcher Serafi ne Parrish, who was charged with only one earned run, pitched a complete game and struck out seven.

Dana Hills (13-10, 2-2) was schedule to host top-ranked Mission Viejo on April 28. Results were not available at press time. The Diablos bested the Dolphins in extra innings in the teams’ fi rst meeting of the season on April 12.

The Dana Hills boys golf team earned a share of the South Coast League title in 2016. Photo: Steve Breazeale

The Dana Point Grand Prix Sport & Family Festival will host a bone marrow registration drive in honor of past champion Mark Scott. Photo: Courtesy

Boys Track Edges Mission Viejo, Girls Team Falls to Diablos

The Dana Hills boys track and fi eld team defeated South Coast League rival Mission Viejo 72-64 in a dual meet on April 27. The Dana Hills girls track and fi eld team lost 103-33.

The boys distance running team had a great showing at the meet.

The Dolphins swept the 1,600-meter run, picking up all eight available points. Jack Landgraf, Mason Coppi and Jake Ogden placed fi rst, second and third, respectively. Coppi and Ogden also placed fi rst and second, respectively, in the 800-meter run.

Dana Hills also swept the 3,200-meter run, as Landgraf, Brandon Hough and Colin Stein all recorded podium fi nishes for eight additional points.

Max Halvax won the 400-meter run (50.46), Jack Ridder won the pole vault and Jackson Rager won the discus throw.

Dana Hills senior Sienna Serrao placed second in the girls 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:03.07. Senior Claire Kao won the pole vault, clearing the mark of 11-feet-6-inches.

Boys Tennis Places Second in League

An 11-7 victory over Capistrano Valley on April 21 secured a second-place fi nish in the South Coast League for the Dana Hills boys tennis team.

The Dolphins (10-5, 6-2) fi nished the regular season with a 12-6 nonleague win over Laguna Beach on April 25.

The Dolphins had a bounce-back season under fi rst-year head coach Mike McCall. The Dolphins only suffered two losses in league play, both to defending cham-pion San Clemente. The Dolphins were scheduled to compete in the South Coast League fi nals April 26-27. Results were not available at press time.

fi rst diagnosed, Scott said his doctors gave him two to three days to live. Scott, along with others affected by AML, is in need of a bone marrow transplant.

While fi ghting the disease, Scott has part-nered with fellow cyclist Dotsie Bauch to create the Down to the Marrow campaign, which raises awareness and helps people register to become bone marrow donors.

Down to the Marrow will be hosting a bone marrow drive at the Dana Point Grand Prix Sport & Family Festival April 30 to May 1. Individuals in good health between the ages of 18 to 55 that meet eligibility requirements can register as potential donors. The donor test consists of fi lling out paperwork and swabbing the

inside of the mouth. The drive will take place from 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m. on April 30 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 1.

Scott said the cycling community, along with his close family and friends, has helped him in his fi ght against the disease and his desire to spread donor awareness.

“The support has been overwhelming. People from all around the world have come out to support not only myself, but the cancer cause as well,” Scott said. “Without the cycling community’s sup-port, I would not be here today.”

To learn more about becoming a bone marrow donor, visit www.deletebloodcan-cer.org. DP

DPDana Point


SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITYDP SURF


DP SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

he 16th annual World Surf League Big Wave Awards rose to greater heights this year thanks not only to

the daredevil athletes brave enough, and highly skilled enough, to ride the world’s most monstrous waves, but also to the El Niño weather pattern that delivered new challenges throughout the winter season.

The event was held, once again, at the Grove Theater in Anaheim on Saturday, April 23, complete with a Hollywood-style red carpet.

Returning to the top, Greg Long of San Clemente was officially crowned the 2015/2016 WSL Big Wave World Tour champion, his second world title, having also won in 2012. A highlight of the evening was his trophy presentation, which came along with the largest prize of the night—a $100,000 payday Long earned by making the finals at event No. 2, Todos Santos in Mexico, and then clinching the series in February at event No. 3 with an amazing performance at Jaws during the Pe’ahi Challenge in Maui, Hawaii.

In his acceptance speech, Long ex-pressed his sincere appreciation to the sport that has allowed him to follow his

Greg Long of San Clemente accepts his WSL Big Wave World Tour Championship trophy and $100,000 prize on April 23 at the 16th annual WSL Big Wave Awards in Anaheim. Photo: Andrea Swayne

SURF FORECASTWater Temperature: 58-60 degrees F

Water Visibility and Conditions: San Clemente: 4-8’ Poor-Fair, Catalina: 8-14’ Poor-Fair

Outlook: New, better SSW swell builds in for this weekend as small NW swells mix in. Conditions are looking most favorable in the mornings when winds are lightest, before trending onshore each afternoon. Stay tuned and check the full premium forecast on Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook.

BY ANDREA SWAYNE, DANA POINT TIMES

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B

GROM OF THE WEEK BROOKLYN HULSE

Brooklyn Hulse. Photo: Andrea Swayne

Big Payday for World ChampGreg Long of San Clemente accepts $100K prize at WSL Big Wave Awards

dreams—surfing, traveling and meeting so many “incredible and inspiring people.”

“At the end of every winter I say, ‘How does it ever get bigger or better,’” Long said. “I know that I’m around the most incredible people in the world. This sport is only going forward to greater heights.”

Long was also nominated for two Big Wave awards, Barrel of the Year and Over-all Performance of the Year.

Long’s Barrel of the Year nomination was earned via a gargantuan barrel he conquered at Jaws—the ride that ultimately clinched his world title. When the final announcement for the category was made, so was history. For the first time ever, a woman competing on equal footing with the men came away with the award. Hawaiian Keala Kennelly claimed this year’s Barrel

rooklyn Hulse, 17, of San Clemente is relatively new to competitive surf-ing but already making a name for

herself in the Western Surfing Association Championship Tour ranks and as a mem-ber of her school team.

Brooklyn, a senior, joined the San Cle-mente High School team at the beginning of the second semester this year, changing sports from the SCHS varsity tennis team.

Having grown up in a surfing family—her dad George Hulse competed as a pro surfer, and she has two brothers who also surf—Brooklyn began learning to ride waves at an early age but just recently found her passion for the sport.

“My dad taught me how to surf when I

of the Year award for a ride at Teahupoo in Tahiti. As she accepted her award, Kennelly gave thanks to everyone who ever told her she couldn’t do something because she is a woman.

The Men’s Overall Performance Award was given to Shane Dorian (Hawaii), along with Ride of the Year honors.

Long, who came in third for Overall Per-formance this year, previously won Ride of the Year in 2014.

Hawaiian Aaron Gold won the Best Paddle Award and set a new Guinness World Record for paddling into a massive 63-foot wave at Jaws. The Women’s Best Performance Award went to Brazilian Andrea Moller and the XXL Biggest Wave Award went to Yuri Soledad (Hawaii) for a 73-foot ride at Jaws. DP

UPCOMING EVENTSApril 22-24: WSA Championship Tour, Event No. 9, with make-up heats from event No. 6 and No. 7, Dana Point, Salt Creek Beach April 23-24: NSSA Explorer, Events No. 9 and No. 10, Huntington Beach, 9th StreetMay 7-8: Surfing America Prime, Event No. 6, Camp Pendleton, DMJMay 14-15: WSA West Coast Championships, San Onofre State Park, Church BeachMay 19-22: NSSA West Coast Championships, Huntington Beach, PierJune 4: Soul Surf Series, Championship, San Onofre State Park, Church BeachJune 9-12: Surfing America USA Championships, all longboard, adult, SUP and adaptive divisions, Oceanside Harbor, North JettyJune 20-23: Surfing America USA Champion-ships, all youth shortboard divisions, San Onofre State Park, Lower TrestlesJune 11-13: NSSA National Interscholastic Col-lege, High School and Middle School Champion-ships, Dana Point, Salt Creek BeachJune 26-July 3: NSSA Open, Explorer and Airshow National Championships, Huntington Beach Pier

was about 10, but I only started loving it and wanting to get better as a freshman,” she said. “I love competing. I’ve always been a competitive person, in tennis and other sports, and I like that it drives me to be better and want to improve. I am hoping to continue competing in college.”

Now in her first year of WSA competition, Brooklyn is currently ranked No. 14 among a field of 34 in Girls U18 Shortboard.

In school, Brooklyn is an A and B student who is planning to attend either Point Loma Nazarene University or Saddleback College in the fall to pursue a course of study that incorporates her interests in athletics and early childhood development.

“I love working with kids,” she said. “I am on the leadership team at my youth group and really enjoy setting a good ex-ample for underclassmen and making sure they feel welcomed. I also work at Barre 3, looking after clients’ kids while they work out, and I am going to work at JP Surf Camp

during the summer, teaching kids how to surf, so I’m really excited about that too.”

When not concentrating on her studies or working on her surfing, Brooklyn also enjoys skateboarding, beach volleyball and playing tennis with her older brother.

During surf training, with coaching help from dad, Brooklyn is currently working on trying to catch more waves in the first couple minutes of her competition heats and “generating more speed right away when I stand up,” she said.

“I know surfing is going to be something I’ll enjoy for the rest of my life,” she said. “I don’t really know where it’s going to take me over the next few years but hopefully I’ll be on a college team and continuing to progress. We’ll just see where God takes me from there. But it would definitely be my dream to become a professional surfer.”

Brooklyn is known among her friends for her wit, humor, loyalty and Godliness.

“I think trusting in God that everything

will work out and knowing that Jesus died for our sins and that our sins are forgiven is important,” Brooklyn said. “More than anything else, my relationship with God is the most important thing in my life.” —Andrea Swayne

April 29, 2016

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Transcript of April 29, 2016