The 35-mile trail system that snakes through Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness in San Juan Capistrano offers dozens of scenic vistas. Photo courtesy of OC Parks

A guide to the many popular camping destinations in the area

By Steve Breazeale

It’s about that time for locals to dust off their camping gear in the garage and make a trip to one of the many popular getaway destinations in the area. From San Clemente to San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point and back, a variety of different campsites offer a wide range of exciting and unique activities to get you off the couch and into the surrounding wilderness. Here is a list of some of the most popular camping spots in the area along with some helpful tips on what to do when you get there.

Doheny State Beach
25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive
949.496.6172

For those thinking of booking a summertime camp spot at Doheny State Beach, time is of the essence. A beachfront campsite at one of the most popular campgrounds in the state is a tough ticket. On the first of each month, the 120 sites available for seven months down the road usually sell out within minutes according to Lori Coble, special event coordinator for California State Parks, Orange Coast District.

The reason behind the demand is the park’s proximity to just about everything. A camper on the beach is just a few steps away from the Pacific Ocean and a popular surf break. The park’s snack bar offers kayak, stand-up paddleboard and bicycle rentals. And just around the corner is the OC Dana Point Harbor, which has shopping, restaurants and many more recreation options.

But for those who want to dig a little deeper into the camping scene at Doheny, take a walk up to the nearby Headlands. Five minutes inside the Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center at the top of Scenic Drive will be enough to get one’s bearings before walking the 2-mile-long looping trail around the area. Walkers will encounter postcard-worthy views of the harbor and coastline as well as a preserved sliver of land with indigenous wildlife.
For cyclists, the paved San Juan Creek trail starts right at the beach and heads east for about 5-miles, taking riders into nearby San Juan Capistrano.

Campsites at Doheny during peak season (March 1 to November 30) are $60 per day.

San Onofre State Beach
San Onofre Bluffs is located south of San Clemente on I-5 (Exit Basilone Road)
San Mateo Campground is one mile inland from I-5 (Exit Cristianitos)
949.492.4872

The two camping options at San Onofre State Beach are unique in their own way. On the ocean side of the freeway are the San Onofre Bluffs, which have campsites perched along the cliffs that stretch down the beach. Just a short mile away, on the inland side, is the San Mateo Campground, which is more of a traditional Southern California camping scene. Both sites cost $35 per day.

Those staying at the Bluffs can take one of the six major trails leading down to the beach, where surfing, fishing and hiking are the main attractions.

At San Mateo, campers are nestled into one of the many valleys, where they can explore the area and see all kinds of wildlife.

“San Mateo is what you really picture what a campground is. It’s not an urban campground and you’re out in the boonies,” said Coble. “You get to see the wildlife. That’s a great campground.”

A 1.5-mile nature trail links San Mateo to the nearby Bluffs.

San Clemente State Beach
225 Avenida Califia, San Clemente
949.492.3156

As one would expect, the ocean is the main draw for campers at San Clemente State Beach. The campsites are perched near the bluffs off of Avenida Calafia, with multiple access trails leading down to the water and beach below.

For surfers, the beach is near some prime real estate. To the south lies Trestles and even further down the way is San Onofre State Beach with its well-known surf break. The San Clemente Beach Trail extends from North Beach, past the San Clemente Pier all the way down through San Clemente State Beach and beyond, so walkers can head either north or south on the trail and take in the sights.

Fishermen will also enjoy the area and are a regular sight on the beach. The minimum age to fish at the site is 16 years old.

The going rate for a campsite is $35 and weekends book quickly. The occasional Saturday or Sunday might be available through the state’s reservation website, www.reserveamerica.com, but if one wants to grab a two-day weekend spot, it’s best to plan several months ahead.

Caspers Wilderness Park
33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano
949.923.2210

Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park is only a few miles inland off Ortega Highway, but it looks and feels like another world.

Caspers Wilderness’ 8,000 acres of open space and 35 miles of trail systems make it the largest in the region. For hikers, mountain bikers, campers and equestrian riders alike all of that space can translate into solid day of exploring.

Unlike neighboring parks, reservations for campsites at Caspers can be relatively easy to get. While weekends are busy, especially during the summertime months, it’s not necessary to reserve several months in advance. Just around one month before you make your trip should be enough time to secure a prime spot according to Caspers’ supervising park ranger Dennis Shaffer.

Caspers is also one of the more affordable options for camping in the area, with rates starting at $20 per day for all three of the different campsites. Ortega Flats is for the RV crowd, Live Oak is for tent camping and Starr Mesa is the equestrian zone.

The park’s equestrian offerings help distinguish it from other campsites in Orange County. Each space in the Starr Mesa campgrounds has its own corral, which comes with a $3 per day, per horse fee.

The staff at Caspers provides weekly nature hikes, campfire programs and expert discussions on the ecosystem and wildlife in the area.

For those who want to do their own thing, the trail system at Caspers provides easy to moderate hikes. Shaffer’s favorite trail is the 3.5-mile Loskorn Trail.

“It’s a beautiful hike with really good views. It’s fairly short and you can get on top not only of Coto de Caza but to see most of the park area as well,” Shaffer said.

Chase Masciorini will compete in the CIF-SS Individual tennis championships on May 30. Courtesy photo

By Steve Breazeale

Softball
The Dana Hills softball team couldn’t quite play out their Cinderella story on May 23 as they were shut out by Chino’s Miranda Viramontes in a 10-0 loss in the CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinals.

The Dolphins entered the playoffs as an at-large team out of the South Coast League, and had to win a wild card game just to earn a spot in the bracket.

After defeating Long Beach Poly 6-4 in the wild card game, the Dolphins pulled out wins over Mayfair and South Hills, respectively, to reach the quarterfinals.

It seemed like everything was going the Dolphins’ way, until Chino’s Viramontes threw a complete game one-hitter against them, ending their season.

Boys Tennis
Senior Chase Masciorini won his first two matches in the first round of the CIF-SS Individual Tennis Championships on May 23. Masciorini will now move on to the round of 16, which will be held in Whittier on May 30.

By Andrea Papagianis

Twenty-five fourth graders sit cross-legged, listening intently.

Clad in forest green and white polo shirts they gaze up at their peers—nearly 10 years their senior—sharing stories of high school, extracurricular activities and college applications, a future for these young scholars that isn’t too far away.

“They are on their road to college, and learning about college from a very young age can definitely influence their career path,” said Elisa Slee, Beckman@Science Coordinator, TOSA (teacher on special assignment) for Capistrano Unified School District.

Fostering these impromptu discussions between students is just one vision Slee has for the school district. When class sizes increased in CUSD, hands-on teaching in the district’s 36 elementary schools all but went by the wayside. And with the probability that classroom numbers are likely to rise, Slee said her mission is to get more children out of schoolrooms and into the community, building relationships and gaining practical, interactive experiences to carry them through life.

So, for the second year, Slee has brought together AP Environmental Science students from Dana Hills High School and fourth-graders from Kinoshita Elementary School for a joint backyard skills field trip to The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano.

Located right in their backyard—the center borders Kinoshita’s schoolyard—The Ecology Center’s campus brings textbooks to life and creates a living, breathing laboratory outside the confines of a classroom’s four walls.

“Getting out of the classroom is one of the most wonderful things we can do,” said Dolores Dang, the AP Environmental Science teacher at Dana Hills, who along with Slee, spearheaded the practical skills trip.

“Knowing that this is in their backyard and they can come here, any day, seven days a week, and show their parents, is a great opportunity to see what is going on in the community and to connect with the community.”

Kelsey Bragulla, a junior from Dana Hills, explores the composting process with students from Ms. Andre’s fourth-grade class.

After being students all year, for one day, the juniors and seniors of Dang’s AP Environmental Science classes became teachers. Equipped with their colorful poster boards, research and environmental knowledge, the 60 high school students took over educating 150 fourth-graders.

Pulling from content learned throughout the school year the older scholars became experts in four hands-on practical skills. With prepared lesson plans, on topics from candle making to composting, the newly-established educators aimed to connect their pupils with their surrounding environment, their backyard.

“Each one of these skills they are learning is not only a practical skill, but each one of these practices is deeply connected with the environment,” said Meg Hiesinger, director of educational programs at The Ecology Center. “These are things that are useful because they connect us directly to the source of our materials.”

Dana Hills junior, Maddie McGrath, stands with three of her peers.

Holding a white sign, carrying a figure eight pattern, McGrath does a little jig, demonstrating for the 30 or so young scholars in front of her, the “waggle dance” move scout bees perform to communicate the direction of their food source. With giggles from her audience, and slight pokes from her comrades, McGrath’s spontaneous teaching method has gotten her point across.

“Every great teacher is flexible,” Slee said. “We have to think out-of-the-box.”

Supplied with new knowledge the young students scattered to stations set up under The Ecology Center’s lush trees. Manned by their older peers, the fourth-graders were guided through the steps necessary to craft homemade birthday candles. Stacked in single-file lines, with two six-inch-long strings tied to each other in hand, they took turns dipping string into hot beeswax, one, two, then up to eight times.

Their candles were complete, ready to take home to top their next birthday cake.

“Making the beeswax candles connects the kids to the living bees and gives them the ability to make things for their home, and make tools out of natural materials,” Hiesinger said.

Aside from the composting piles and chickens, the fourth-graders were able to take home their vegetable seedling-filled biodegradable flower pots made from toilet paper rolls and newspaper, and their hand-rolled clay-seed balls. Told by their peer teachers of the fragility of seeds, the students carefully rounded their clay time capsules and left them out to dry, for planting at home.  The ancient practice of extensive planting can now be observed by each student at home, as a rainy spring day will bring the seeds to life.

“Kids love science. I’ve never met a child that wasn’t a natural scientist, that wasn’t curious about his or her world,” said Slee.

After teaching kindergarten and first grade for years, Slee moved from her classroom and Kinoshita into a district-sized teaching space, intended to bring interactive science lessons to students throughout CUSD. As the district’s Beckman@Science Coordinator—a position funded by the nonprofit Beckman@Science Foundation, which has donated funds to all school districts in Orange County—Slee conducts teacher training to increase the use of hands-on inquiry-based science instruction across the district.

One way Slee said she hopes to bring more science to the classroom, is by getting young scholars out of it. With tools, like the “Grow Your Own” program at The Ecology Center, Slee said schools district-wide can utilize what is in their backyards to promote science-based learning.

“Parents want their kids to love to learn, and I’ve never seen kids in a hands-on science lab that aren’t involved or on the fringe, they are right there,” Slee said. “And it’s a great way to learn things and remember things.”

To find out more about The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano, go to www.theecologycenter.org.

By Heather Johnston, Executive Director, Dana Point Chamber of Commerce

Together we can build a stronger economy by dining, shopping and staying locally and supporting our Dana Point merchants.

“Shop Local” is a phrase we’ve all heard before, but one that we’re taking seriously at the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce. So seriously, in fact, that we want to give Shop Local a brand that is unique to our coastal town. We want every resident, business and visitor of Dana Point to constantly be reminded to source their goods locally, from dining, groceries and supplies, to professional services and other wares.

Here’s how we’re asking the community to get involved: the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce is soliciting logo designs that effectively portray Shop Local in Dana Point.

From Wednesday, May 22 through Friday, June 21, we will be accepting logo submissions at email hidden; JavaScript is required. All submissions will be showcased on the Dana Point Chamber’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/danapointchamberofcommerce.

We’ll invite the community to vote on its favorite designs until Thursday, June 27, at which time the three logos with the most Facebook “likes” will be presented to the Dana Point Chamber staff to make the final logo selection. The winning logo will become the brand representation for Dana Point’s very own Shop Local campaign.

The designer of the winning logo will be awarded with recognition and publicity for his or her contribution, as well as a five-course dinner for four, graciously donated by Brio Tuscany Grille.

Your Chamber is encouraging the community to keep dollars here in Dana Point and drive the local economy. Thank you for your support on this endeavor.

In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety 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 hidden; JavaScript is required.

There is a large swath around Fukushima that has been declared ‘uninhabitable’ due to radioactive contamination.

According to sources, Edison ran the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station while knowing that running the plant damaged cooling tubes that carried radioactivity, one of which apparently ruptured. Massive damage, say by an earthquake, could rupture vast numbers of these already damaged tubes, releasing amounts of contamination perhaps approaching that of Fukushima.

My question is, who pays for the property losses?

Your insurance? The government? Edison? Yea, sure.

Say your property has a value of $1 million, realizable when you or your heirs sell it; what agency will replace that value? Does anyone know? Do you understand the dangers involved? I think few realize the dangers that illustrate a further failing of those who should be concerned about residents of this area.

Stop any chance of SONGS restarting—period.

Monday, May 20

DISTURBANCE

Calle Portola, 34500 Block (11:09 p.m.) A man reported his girlfriend’s mother because she is on probation for DUI and was attempting to get into her car and drive. He went on to say that the mother was fighting her younger daughter for the keys so that she could leave. Just 12 ½ hours earlier, the mother reportedly told a fellow employee that she had nothing left to live for. The mother was taken to a hospital.

DISTURBANCE

Pacific Coast Highway/Camino Capistrano (7:31 p.m.) Police received notice of a homeless encampment in the riverbed area near the bike trail. It was reported that the homeless occupants were drinking and being rude to females walking or riding their bikes through the area.

PATROL CHECK

Admiral Way/Coral Reach Street (7:04 p.m.) A woman called from the dog park to report a man whose pit bull was chasing around other dogs. She also said the man grabbed her black Labrador retriever by the ear because the pit bull started charging at her dog.

WELFARE CHECK

Alcazar Drive, 33700 Block (1:46 p.m.) A woman requested a welfare check on her 85-year-old uncle who lives in an upstairs apartment unit. She said that she hasn’t heard from him in over three weeks.

DISTURBANCE

Dana Point Harbor Drive, 25300 Block (1:09 p.m.) An employee of the Dana Point Harbor Inn called police when two woman were heard having a loud verbal confrontation in one of the guest rooms. One of the women walked out to the front of the business and said she feared for her life.

PETTY THEFT REPORT

Street of the Golden Lantern/Camino Del Avion (8:04 a.m.) A woman reported someone had stolen her dog out of her white Lexus SUV in the Starbucks parking lot. She said she had only left for five minutes and described the dog as orange and white and small.

DISTURBANCE-FAMILY DISPUTE

Nottingham Way, 33300 Block (1:57 a.m.) A female reported that her brother and drunken father were involved in a physical fight. When police arrived they found the dad semiconscious on the ground due to a head injury. He was transported to a nearby hospital.

DISTURBANCE-MECHANICAL

Pacific Coast Highway/Crown Valley Parkway (12:22 a.m.) A loud leaf blower was being used in the center near the preschool. The caller said the noise has been an ongoing problem.

Sunday, May 19

INVESTIGATE PERSON DOWN

Street of the Golden Lantern/Pacific Coast Highway (9:13 p.m.) A man was found lying on the ground and holding the door handle of his car.

DISTURBANCE

Pacific Coast Highway, 34200 Block (5:10 p.m.) Three men and one woman, who appeared drunk, were walking in traffic lanes on Pacific Coast Highway. The group kept walking back and forth between the McDonald’s and the Rib Joint.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES

Calle Lago, 26600 Block (3:16 p.m.) A woman called police from inside her car, parked outside her mother’s home. She said when she entered the home she found the bathroom door closed and the light on. She requested a walk-through because her mother away and no one should have been at the house.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-NON INJURY

Crown Valley Parkway/Sea Island Drive (10:44 a.m.) A woman driving a gray Infiniti hit a pole on Crown Valley Parkway, pulled into South Shores Church, and then went inside. The caller thought that the woman could possibly be intoxicated.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLE

Pacific Coast Highway/Camino Capistrano (7:40 a.m.) A man was found passed out in the driver’s seat of his white Ford Explorer pulled over on to the shoulder of Pacific Coast Highway. The vehicle appeared to have been in a collision. A 28-year-old man, who listed his occupation as “server” was arrested and transported to the Men’s Central Jail. Bail was set at $10,000. He remains in custody awaiting a May 29 court date.

By Dale Luther

NSSA West Coast Regional champions gather for a photo with their trophies at the contest in Huntington Beach. Photo by Janice Aragon

By Andrea Swayne

High-flying aerials and progressive maneuvers kept judges’ and spectators’ eyes fixed on the action brought to the south side of the Huntington Beach pier for the 2013 NSSA West Coast Regional Championship, May 16-19.

“The level was on an all-time high at this year’s event,” said executive director Janice Aragon. “The kids really stepped it up with progressive surfing and aerials, which is what I like to see. San Clemente surfers were particularly impressive walking away with eight regional titles, the most of any city including Huntington Beach.”

Aragon added that the south side pier contest area—Huntington Beach’s center stage—serves as a great momentum builder for Nationals, coming up on June 23 and July 3.

Griffin Colapinto, 14, was chosen to receive two special awards—the Outstanding Surfer award and the Maneuver of the Event award—along with his titles in Open Men and Explorer Juniors.

“Griffin was the unanimous choice for the Outstanding Surfer Award. He surfed impressively all four days but it was on finals day where he put everything on the line pushing the envelope with his exciting and dynamic progressive skills,” Aragon said. The Maneuver of the Event was his huge air reverse in the Explorer Juniors final earning a near perfect 9.60 wave score.”

In one of the best and most exciting heats of the entire season, Airshow winner Kevin Schulz put his first points on the board with a backside air reverse in the first few minutes of the heat for a score of 6.00, then with about five minutes remaining, he threw another air reverse, even more massive than the first, earning an 8.33 for the win.

“Airshow is something I’ve been trying to take home a title in for some time, so to finally do it was really awesome,” Schulz said.

(NSSA Airshow competition is unlike traditional contest surfing in that instead of a two-wave total score, the winner is chosen based on a single ride.)

“The Airshow was one of the best and most exciting heats of the contest. All season Kevin has been showing us his tremendous ability with regards to aerial expertise and he nailed the winning air in the final to claim his first regional title,” Aragon said. “He will definitely be one of the contenders for a national title in the aerial division as will Colt Ward who can launch.”

Tia Blanco’s winning performance in the Open Women’s division cemented her position as one of the NSSA’s top female surfers, just as her season-long success at many different venues in all types of conditions.

“She just came off the regular season winning the Southwest Conference Open Women’s title and continued her winning roll here at the Regionals,” said Aragon. “In the Open Women’s final she blew doors with a polished and vertical attack leaving her opponents fighting for second. Her success at this year’s Regionals proves she will be one of the leading contenders for National titles this coming June.  She rips HB Pier and she reads the waves there very well.”

Season titles also went to Kade Matson in Open Mini Groms and Explorer Menehune, Kei Kobayashi in Explorer Boys and Malia Osterkamp in Explorer Girls.

RESULTS: NSSA West Coast Championships, May 16-19, Huntington Beach, Pier

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

OPEN MEN:

1. Griffin Colapinto, San Clemente 16.87

2. Jake Kelley, Newbury Park 12.33

3. Thelen Worrell, Malibu 12.04

4. Andrew Jacobson, Malibu 7.80

OPEN JUNIORS:

1. Thelen Worrell, Malibu 13.17

2. Colt Ward, San Clemente 13.00

3. Colin Deveze, San Clemente 5.64

4. Micky Clarke, Ventura 5.00

OPEN BOYS:

1. Nick Marshall, Encinitas 16.40

2. Tyler Gunter, Newport Beach 12.26

3. Cole Houshmand, San Clemente 11.97

4. Noah Hill, Marina del Rey 11.74

OPEN MINI GROMS:

1. Kade Matson, San Clemente 14.64

2. Sebastian Mendes, Agoura Hills 13.90

3. Hagan Johnson, San Clemente 9.13

4. A.J. Menna, Santa Cruz 7.97

OPEN WOMEN:

1. Tia Blanco, San Clemente 16.00

2. Moana Jones, Haleiwa, Hi 11.73

3. Chelsea Tuach, Barbados 11.67

4. Malia Osterkamp, San Clemente 7.37

OPEN GIRLS:

1. Moana Jones, Haleiwa, Hi 17.43

2. Malia Osterkamp, San Clemente 9.44

3. Kailani Jones, Haleiwa, Hi 8.94

4. Tiare Thompson, La Jolla 8.06

OPEN LONGBOARD:

1. Nick Anderberg, Encinitas 16.46

2. Konrad Wallace, Montara 8.70

EXPLORER CHAMPIONSHIPS

EXPLORER MEN:

1. Jacob Szekely, La Jolla 13.83

2. Remy Juboori, La Jolla 9.96

3. Dryden Brown, Santa Barbara 9.40

EXPLORER JUNIORS:

1. Griffin Colapinto, San Clemente 17.50

2. Takumi Yasui, Saitama, Japan 14.03

3. Thelen Worrell, Malibu 13.50

4. Ethan Carlston, San Clemente 9.60

5. Nolan Rapoza, Long Beach 8.53

6. Jake Marshall, Encinitas 5.50

EXPLORER BOYS:

1. Kei Kobayashi, San Clemente 16.00

2. Jordan Collins, Carlsbad 13.34

3. Jake Marshall, Encinitas 12.94

4. Micky Clarke, Ventura 11.83

5. Griffin Colapinto, San Clemente 11.80

6. Nick Marshall, Encinitas 7.13

EXPLORER MENEHUNE:

1. Kade Matson, San Clemente 15.43

2. Eithan Osborne, Ventura 15.33

3. Nick Marshall, Encinitas 10.60

4. Ethan Mudge, Capo Beach 9.77

5. Tommy McKeown, Oxnard 9.56

6. Dylan Hord, Huntington Beach 8.40

EXPLORER SUPER GROMS:

1. Sebastian Mendes, Agoura Hills 12.83

2. Kade Matson, San Clemente 10.66

3. Keanu Igarashi, Huntington Beach 8.63

4. Kai McPhillips, San Clemente 8.63

5. Taro Watanabe, Malibu 7.80

6. Connor Marshall, Encinitas 2.73

EXPLORER WOMEN:

1. Frankie Harrer, Malibu 14.67

2. Chelsea Tuach, Barbardos 13.60

3. Tia Blanco, San Clemente 12.17

4. Malia Osterkamp, San Clemente 10.67

5. Steffi Kerson, Thousand Oaks 9.06

6. Tiare Thompson, La Jolla 3.82

EXPLORER GIRLS:

1. Malia Osterkamp, San Clemente 16.34

2. Samantha Cendro, Huntington Beach 9.00

3. Tiare Thompson, La Jolla 8.90

4. Alexa Elseewi, San Clemente 8.13

5. Malia Faramarzi, Encinitas 5.07

6. Jada Galland, Rancho Santa Fe 3.27

EXPLORER MASTERS:

1. Eric Sorensen, Long Beach 14.50

2. Kas Alves, Oxnard 10.44

3. Rick Takahashi, San Diego 9.56

4. Ed Custudio, San Diego 9.30

EXPLORER SENIORS:

1. Rick Takahashi, San Diego 13.60

2. Eric Sorensen, Long Beach 12.16

3. Brett Jordan, Ventura 9.90

4. Kas Alves, Oxnard 7.83

5. Curt Harper, Santa Monica 3.17

EXPLORER SUPER SENIORS:

1. Mike Glevy, San Diego 11.84

2. Brett Jordan, Ventura 9.86

3. Mike Lamm, Oxnard 7.57

4. Rick Fignetti, Huntington Beach 6.49

EXPLORER DUKE:

1. Rick Fignetti, Huntington Beach 9.54

2. Terry Carmadella, Huntington Beach 6.74

3. Jim Ferguson, Santa Rosa 4.20

4. Peter Townend, Huntington Beach 1.57

EXPLORER KNEEBOARD:

1. Eric Peterson, Orange 11.84

2. Ed Quinn, Sherman Oaks 10.63

3. Chris Bermudez, Oxnard 7.30

4. Sean Noone, Alisa Viejo 6.90

5. Leonard Miller, Monterey Park 6.14

6. Evan Odom, Vista 6. 07

EXPLORER LONGBOARD:

1. Jake Marcy, Huntington Beach 9.24

2. Larry Schlick, Long Beach 5.33

WEST COAST REGIONAL AIRSHOW CHAMPIONSHIPS:

1. Kevin Schulz, San Clemente

2. Taylor Clark, Encinitas

3. Jacob Szekely, La Jolla

5.5 Brogie Panesi, Pacifica

5.5 Bryce Marino, Huntington Beach

5.5 Colt Ward, San Clemente

PERFORMERS OF THE DAY PRESENTED BY GROM SOCIAL:

Day 1, Nick Marshall

Day 2, Chelsea Tuach

Day 3, Eithan Osborne

Day 4, Griffin Colapinto

OUTSTANDING SURFER AWARD PRESENTED BY HUNTINGTON SURF AND SPORT ($100): Griffin Colapinto

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SURFER OF THE EVENT: Micky Clarke

PERFECT 10 WAVE SCORES: Jake Marshall and Eithan Osborne

MANEUVER OF THE EVENT: Griffin Colapinto

Kevin Schulz. Photo by Regan Gillotte

Age: 17, San Clemente High School

Kevin Schulz’ senior year at San Clemente High School has been full of accomplishments sure to propel him into a bright future as a professional surfer and a college graduate. And thanks to a mixture of work ethic and talent, he won’t have to choose to pursue these goals separately.

Kevin will be one of the first students to attend Boston’s Northeastern University via a pilot online degree program created specifically for professional athletes.

“I’m super excited to have this opportunity to pursue a college along with pro surfing and I plan to study sports medicine and also become a physical therapist or trainer,” he said.

Kevin’s recent successes in surfing include winning the Airshow competition at the NSSA West Coast Regionals, May 16-19 in Huntington Beach, and being chosen MVP at the school surf team awards on Tuesday.

Right now Kevin is concentrating his efforts on finishing up school and spending plenty of time in the water practicing for the upcoming Surfing America USA championships and NSSA Nationals.

As a member of the Surfing America PacSun USA Surf Team travel squad he is also preparing to compete at the ISA World Junior Championship in Nicaragua in a few weeks.

“I really love how so many different cultures and countries are represented at the event,” Kevin said. “I’ve actually been to Rancho Santana in Nicaragua. It’s a left wedge that kind of bounces off a rock. It has a good hollow wave and I’m excited to surf on my forehand.”

In a closed session meeting Tuesday, the City Council rejected a settlement offer from Holistic Health, a Dana Point marijuana dispensary that was shut down in 2011, City Attorney Patrick Munoz confirmed, but would not elaborate on details of the proposed deal.

“They made a settlement offer, we rejected it, and will continue moving forward with the case,” Munoz said. “But in light of the California Supreme Court’s recent ruling, we will be pursuing Holistic Health’s violations of city zoning codes at the upcoming trial.”

In a unanimous decision earlier this month, the state’s highest court gave local jurisdictions the authority to use zoning and land-use ordinances to ban marijuana dispensaries.

When the city began looking into area pot shops, officials alleged they were in violation of the city’s zoning ordinances, Munoz said. But, rather than pursuing that route of enforcement, the city questioned whether or not dispensaries were complying with state law, which bars marijuana dispensaries from operating as for-profit businesses, he said.

Holistic Health, along with other dispensaries, was red-tagged and shuttered in 2011. They city was awarded $2.68 million by an Orange County Superior Court judge in May of that year, but Garrison Williams, former owner of the dispensary, carried his case to the 4th District Court of Appeals, which ruled in his favor.

The appellate court found there were still facts to be tried and the case.

A trial setting hearing in Orange County Superior Court for Tuesday has been continued to Tuesday, June 11. Munoz said he anticipates the trial will likely be set for some time in August or September.