San Clemente news briefs: Volunteers, I-5 closures, ‘Love San Clemente’ and more

By Fred Swegles | fswegles@scng.com | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: July 12, 2017 at 12:08 p.m.

  • Chiquita and she loves to play with other dogs and...

1 of 2

Chiquita and she loves to play with other dogs and is known among her handlers at the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter as an avid snuggler. Only a year old, Chiquita is a fun pup that would fit into just about any home. Visit with her at 221 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente, or call 949-492-1617. (Courtesy of animal shelter)

City salutes volunteers of the year

Kay Lehmacher and Ray Kunkle are the city’s volunteers of the year, honored Friday, July 7 at the Ole Hanson Beach Club.

Lemacher has been a leader with the nonprofit Pet Project Foundation, a San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter volunteer for 12 years and a key shelter fundraiser. Kunkle has been a member of the city’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program since 1997, assisting San Clemente Police Services with such duties as downtown parking enforcement, an information booth at the pier, maintaining safety at special events and vacation home checks.

Other finalists for volunteer of the year were Cass Jones, manager of the Friends of the Library Bookstore; Kathy La Monte, volunteer director of the bookstore; and Dolly Latteier, a volunteer with the San Clemente Garden Club’s civic beautification programs and other community endeavors.

Andrea Workman, a volunteer with the city’s Community Emergency Response Team, received a certificate of recognition.

Mayor Kathy Ward issued a salute to the city’s broad body of volunteers, which also includes chaplains, the Friends of San Clemente Foundation, Heritage of San Clemente Foundation, Courtney’s SandCastle Foundation, code compliance, and the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and Memorial Day o rganizing groups.

Casa receives Arts OC award

San Clemente’s Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is Arts Orange County’s achievement award winner for 2017. It’s one of six awards to be presented at the 18th annual OC Arts Awards on Oct. 17 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

The Casa, celebrating its 15th anniversary in the restored former home of San Clemente founder Ole Hanson, presents nearly 100 multicultural events a year, hosts educational programs, maintains a garden featuring a diversity of water-wise plants and receives more than 35,000 visitors per year, Arts OC said.

Beware of overnight I-5 lane closures

The city is warning motorists of upcoming overnight lane closures on I-5 for removal and replacement of two large overhead signs that span the full width of the freeway at Las Ramblas.

Overnight closure of all southbound I-5 lanes is scheduled for 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 19 between Camino Capistrano and Las Ramblas. Overnight closure of the northbound side from Avenida Pico to Las Ramblas is scheduled for 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 26. Lanes reopen at 5 a.m., the city’s announcement said.

Overnight closures of two inside lanes will also take place on nights before and after the removal and installation. For I-5 updates, see octa.net/i5south.

FAM’s shelves are running low this summer

Family Assistance Ministries calls it “the Summer Slump,” when food donations are down and the San Clemente nonprofit is low in food stocks to provide to the area’s needy.

FAM is asking area residents to mount a food drive and bring non-perishable food to FAM’s warehouse at 1030 Calle Negocio, San Clemente.

Questions? Call Lorraine Hoon at 949-492-8477, Ext. 115, or write to Lorraine@family-assistance.org.

‘Love San Clemente’ week

If you see volunteers out and about this weekend wearing “Love San Clemente” t-shirts, they are from a coalition of local churches performing seven projects.

This is the sixth annual Love San Clemente Week, organized by Pastor Holland Davis of Calvary Chapel San Clemente. The group is doing beautification at Las Palmas Elementary/Serra Preschool, beach cleanups, gardening at Presidio Senior Apartments, maintenance at Gilchrist House, food assistance for Family Assistance Ministries, meal-packing for a Kids Around the World project in Haiti, and family outreach at Max Berg Plaza Park.

Other churches involved include Heritage Christian Fellowship, Cornerstone Community Church, San Clemente Presbyterian, Southcoast Church International and The Shoreline Church.

See lovesanclemente.com.

A Saturday excursion for train lovers

Local residents fascinated with trains can take Metrolink to Los Angeles on Saturday, July 15, to attend the Union Station Summer Train Festival.

There will be vintage train engines, a kids’ zone, model trains, food trucks, vendors, train safety information and live entertainment. Train engines from the 1940s, 50s and 60s will include the Santa Fe 3751 steam locomotive and train cars from Metrolink and Amtrak.

Take Metrolink from either the pier or North Beach. See metrolinktrains.com for Saturday’s schedules. Metrolink’s Weekend Day Pass offers unlimited rides all day for $10.

For details about Summer Train Fest, visit unionstationla.com.

Women’s golf club announces winners

The San Clemente Women’s Golf Club reports that, for the third year in a row, Lori Van Hove is club champion.

She was among 16 participants in a 54-hole competition held at the Municipal Golf Course over three Tuesdays in June. Kate Nielsen was runner-up. First-flight champion was Debbie Hobbs second-flight champion Marianne McAuley, the club reported.