Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 1-7, 2010



Compiled by Norb Garrett and Jonathan Volzke 

Dana Point Times



As 2009 turns to 2010, we take a look back at the news making headlines in Dana Point over the past 12 months



JANUARY



• CITY CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY On January 3 the Historical Society hosts a 20th Anniversary Celebration aboard the brig Pilgrim, with a re-enactment of the first City Council swearing in ceremony.



• TURMOIL AT THE TOP Capistrano Unified School District trustees place Superintendent A. Woodrow Carter on paid leave, touching off what would be a rancorous year in the 52,000-student district. Hundreds packed the board room in support of Carter, while critics said he failed to properly position the district for a looming budget crisis and improperly inserted a severance clause in his contract.



• HOWORTH NAMED CITIZEN OF THE YEAR Rod Howorth is named Citizen of the Year at the Chamber of Commerce Installation and Awards dinner. Also recognized are Bonnie Moore as Ambassador of the Year, Pacific Western Bank is Business of the Year, Scott Seaver gets President’s Award recipient and Ken Ross is Chairman’s Award.





FEBRUARY



• DP TIMES CELEBRATES FIRST BIRTHDAY One year ago the Dana Point Times was born.



• DANA POINT PILOT DIES IN CRASH Mark Hogland, 48, dies when his single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza crashes shortly after take-off from south Catalina Island. Two passengers who hired Hogland for a sightseeing tour were killed in the crash—Amy Marie Judd of Idaho and Marshall Goldberg of Florida were guests at the Ritz-Carlton.



• VIRGINIA MAN CHARGED IN HARBOR DISAPPEARANCE The District Attorney’s office charges 46-year-old Gary Shawkey of Virginia with murder in the disappearance of business associate Robert Vendrick, 71. Vendrick vanished while on a boat trip with Shawkey in 2008.



• PROUD MARY’S REOPENS Dana Point Harbor hot spot Proud Mary’s reopens a little more than a year after a fire gutted the restaurant.





MARCH



• CARTER FIRED Capistrano Unified Superintendent A. Woodrow Carter publicly addresses trustees during a school-board meeting, saying the 60 allegations of wrongdoing lodged against him were part of a smear campaign. He responded with a 22-page rebuttal. Trustees that night voted unanimously to fire him.



• FESTIVAL OF WHALES ATTRACTS HUGE CROWDS The two-week Festival of Whales draws crowds of more than 20,000 spectators to the city and Dana Point Harbor.





APRIL



• CYCLING TAKES CENTER STAGE

Professionals, amateurs and kids helped make the third annual Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling the most successful yet, with 800 racers and some 12,000 fans.



• WATER SUPPLY WARNING The South Coast Water District declares a “water supply watch” with an eye toward rationing in the summer.  





MAY



• WELCOME TO DANA POINT The city officially opens its new pedestrian bridge and southern gateway.



• NUCLEAR PLANT RECEIVES HARSH ASSESSMENT Regulators from the Nuclear Regulatory Committee tell Southern California Edison executives that safety improvements are coming too slowly at its San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. SCE pledges swift action with new management.



• PLAY BALL Dana Point Youth Baseball celebrates its 40th anniversary. It started in 1968 as Del Obispo Boys Baseball.



• AN “A” FOR BABY BEACH The annual Heal the Bay Report Card gives chronically challenged Baby Beach in the Harbor an “A,” but Doheny Beach received “Fs.”



• BOAT SHOW DRAWS CROWDS The 9th Annual Dana Point Harbor Boat Show provides more than 100 in-water exhibits from regional exhibitors along with a food pavilion and music. 





JUNE



• MAKAR PROPERTY REZONING APPROVED City Council changes use of the 8.9-acre Makar Property, once a mobile home park, from coastal recreation to mixed use. A potential development featuring 176 residential dwellings and 20,000 square feet of commercial space will require Coastal Commission approval.



• ANNIVERSARY FOR COFFEE IMPORTERS One of Dana Point Harbor’s first businesses, Coffee Importers celebrates its 30th anniversary.



• GRADUATING DOLPHINS Dana Hills High School celebrates Graduation Day by sending 706 graduates into the real world.



• STRANDS STAIRCASE REOPENS Almost a year after closing for repairs, the public access to Strands Beach reopens

from the parking lot area at Selva Road.





JULY



• HUGE SWELL HITS Dubbed the “Swell of the Decade,” waves in excess of 20 feet crash over the break wall at Dana Point Harbor and force the closure of the San Clemente Pier for a day.



• HAPPY BIRTHDAY RITZ The five-star Ritz-Carlton celebrates its 25th anniversary. The 393-room luxury hotel originally opened in 1984.



• DOHENY HOUSE OWNERS SUE CITY The owners of the historic Doheny House file a $12 million lawsuit against the city alleging the city denied them their rights and broke city and state laws in turning down their application to destroy the home to make way for future development.



• ST. REGIS CHANGES HANDS Citigroup takes possession of the five-star luxury St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort hotel after the hotel’s owners defaulted on a $70 million loan.





AUGUST



• NEW THEATER AT DANA HILLS HIGH An environmental report determines a proposed two-story, 475-seat performing arts theater proposed at Dana Hills High School will not generate significant noise, traffic or light pollution to neighboring property owners.





SEPTEMBER



• TALL SHIPS INVADE HARBOR Huge crowds turn out for the 25th Annual Toshiba Tall Ships Festival held in Dana Point Harbor Sept. 11-13.



• CUSD ELECTIONS A county committee sets a June election for voters to determine how CUSD trustees are elected. Parents want the change, to pick trustees by local area instead of at large, and support the June date so any change will be in place when three trustees face voters in November. Trustees fight the effort, saying the election should be in November, when it would cost less. They ultimately sue the county.





OCTOBER



• HARBOR PLAN PASSES California Coastal Commission unanimously approves the Dana Point Harbor Revitalization land side plan, which is a decade in the making. The $120-$150 million project will renovate the commercial core of the harbor including public facilities, structures and parking.



• DOLPHINS SHAKE OFF TRITON CURSE Dana Hills High School’s varsity football team breaks a 17-year winless streak against arch-rival San Clemente when it won 38-14. The team also wins a postseason game for the first time since 1992, when they beat Orange Lutheran in the first round, 30-10. They finish 9-3 overall.





NOVEMBER



• CUSD TESTS WELL Despite the political upheaval, the California Academic Performance Index again shows CUSD is the top-ranked large district in the state.



• CURFEW SWEEP Sheriff’s deputies fan out as part of a countywide curfew sweep that nets 67 minors, including one in Dana Point, where the curfew is 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.



• A LOT SHOW UP FOR TURKEY TROT The largest field in Turkey Trot history turns out in perfect conditions for the annual 10k, 5k and children’s races. This year’s field tops 11,000 entrants.



• JACOB DAVIS WINS GROMSEARCH Capo Beach’s Jacob Davis wins the Ripcurl Gromsearch national title at Salt Creek, earning him a check for $500 and the Under 12 national title.





DECEMBER



• NEW MAYOR Steven Weinberg is selected by his fellow council members as Dana Point’s new Mayor.



• STRANDS FUNICULAR OPENS A funicular/inclined elevator opens at Dana Strand Beach providing free access from Dana Strand Road down to the beach. The cog rail system funicular can carry up to eight people at a time.



• MAN CHARGED WITH DAUGHTER’S MURDER Clarence Eugene Butterfield, 56, is indicted on charges of murdering his daughter, Rebekah, 21, and keeping her body in a freezer of his mobile home.



• MLPA RECOMMENDATIONS MADE The California Fish & Game Commission receives five proposals for Marine Protected Areas between Point Conception and the Mexico border at its Dec. 9 meeting as part of the Marine Life Protection Act efforts. No final decisions are made, although local fishing industry representatives voice their displeasure with recommended closures.