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FRED SWEGLESLet’s fight!For a peaceful little beach town that magazines tout as one of America’s finest places to live, we sure get into a lot of fights.I had to chuckle when compiling a 2003 “News in Review” for our year-end edition of the paper. There was lots of good news, to be sure. But hey, look at all the stuff people argued about mightily:► Taking Jesus’ name out of city invocations. Occasionally it slips back in.► Getting Talega to hide three reservoirs so they won’t spoil the pastoral view from trails in the nearby 1,200-acre land conservancy. Which will be ringed by hundreds of Rancho Mission Viejo houses, if present plans go through.► Whether Rick’s TVop-icana can sell booze on a deck in the Pier Bowl, and whether Schleppy can sell beer and wine at the Cala-fia concession. Rick can, Schleppy can't.► Whether landowner Richard Lee will tear down the town’s former cinema. This movie script is still being written.► Whether Rancho Mission Viejo’s 14,000-home plan is generous in preserving open space or ruinous to south Orange County’s remaining wilderness. It's a heavyweight battle.► Whether the toll road offers a benign, badly needed bypass around San Clemente or a needless devastation of Trestles and the 10th most-visited state park. It'll be a street fight..► Whether the fiesta street festival has become too much of a drunken block party. Dogs were banned this year.► Whether coyotes should be killed in Talega to allay neighborhood fears. A public backlash halted trapping and killing.► What to put at Steed Park: Amphitheater or roller hockey? Hockey.► Should the city quash surf-themed murals and other un-Ole-ish decorations put in privately without a permit at 300 S. El Camino Real? The city has ordered changes.► Illegal twirling barber poles. After a hair-raising outcry, they can twirl.► Marblehead Coastal. After the Coastal Commission finally said yes, spats are reigniting locally over some features of the long-debated plan.► The street sweeper and ticketing. It was moved back to 9 a.m. from 7 a.m. after residents fumed.► Whether the city should pay the chamber $40,000 to promote the town, when the chamber spends so much on political candidates. Chamber get$ the money, 3-2, and may ease off on the politics.► Double-track the beach, over the town’s dead body? The town won► Close Ole Hanson School? An era ended, but Ole's namesake campus gets a lot of use today.► Ticket trespassers along the track? OCTA backed off on this one.► More railroad boulders on the beach? Met-rolink added some but also agreed to some limits.► Poche’s pollution and underpass. The county built a filtration system and took over the access.► Vista Los Mares downzoning. Property owners cried out for restoration of rights and won► Dogs in Talega Park? Dog owners say yes. Some neighbors say no. You'll hear the poop in 2004.► Lighted sports park at Vista Hermosa/La Pata?Could be in for a fight.► Soccer lights at Marblehead Coastal? Reserve your seats for Tuesday.► Ban smoking on the beach and pier? A group is trying to stamp it out.► Big League Dreams at Steed Park? Looks like it... but it’s not over till the Fat Lady sings.
Newspaper Details
San Clemente News
San Clemente, California, US
Thu, Jan 01, 2004
Page 1
Full Page
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USA 16 Mar 2019
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