San Clemente Artist Rick Delanty Wins National Plein-Air Contest
Using a hometown landmark as his inspiration, award-winning artist Rick Delanty of San Clemente won a national plein-air competition for his painting of the San Clemente Beach Trail.
After his painting titled “Beach Trail, San Clemente,” won a monthly contest for Best Plein Air Landscape in February to place in the Top 30 nationally in the PleinAir Salon Online Art Competition, Delanty’s painting was selected as Best Acrylic Winner during the PleinAir Salon Awards ceremony at the 11th annual Plein Air Convention & Expo in Cherokee, N.C.
Delanty’s painting, a 48x48 acrylic on canvas, was one of 11 national winners among 278 paintings included in the judging. The awards were presented live on stage at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort on May 20.
“The inspiration for this painting was my own experience in running and walking the Beach Trail, and observing the ocean and flora surrounding it,” Delanty told the San Clemente Times in an email. “One day as I walked the Trail, the sun cast the shadow of this large palm tree (near the Calafia end of the Trail) across the path. With such a dramatic contrast of sun and shade, I immediately envisioned the composition. … My goal was to evoke the light, atmosphere and color of this San Clemente scene, and to work at a scale that invites the viewer to ‘walk’ into the painting.”
All of the annual winners from the PleinAir Salon Art Competition will be included in a showcase in the August-September issue of PleinAir Magazine.
San Onofre Community Engagement Panel to Conduct Quarterly Meeting
The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Community Engagement Panel will host various federal and local officials at its Thursday, June 13 meeting, to take place at 5:30 p.m. at The Casino San Clemente.
Rep. Mike Levin will be present to introduce Paul Murray, the deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition. Murray will speak about the federal spent fuel management program’s priorities and efforts to conduct community discussions regarding the eventual location of an interim consolidated spent fuel storage facility.
Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley and San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, co-chairs of the CEP meeting’s co-host Spent Fuel Solutions coalition, will comment on recent meetings in Washington, D.C. with members of Congress.
Southern California Edison will also update the public on the progress of demolition work at SONGS.
Members of the public can attend Thursday’s meeting in person or online via Microsoft Teams. The Casino San Clemente is located at 140 W. Avenida Pico in San Clemente.
Visit songscommunity.com for more information.
‘Groms Rule’ Surf Contest to Return Along with Ocean Festival
The Groms Rule surf contest is back for the 15th time at the 2024 Ocean Festival, with a legacy of great surfers such as Crosby and Griffin Colapinto, Sawyer Lindblad and Jet Schilling.
The contest is for children ages 14 and under, to be held on the north side of the San Clemente Municipal Pier.
On Saturday, July 20, children ages 7 and under will compete in the popular “push in” division and can be assisted by their parents or anyone 18 years old or older. Children ages 10 and under and those between the ages of 11 and 14 can also participate in separate divisions on Sunday.
Birth dates are counted as of the day of the event.
Sign up quickly, as there are limited available spots. Beach signups will only be allowed the day-of and will depend on availability.
Visit oceanfestival.org to register. Call Jack Sutter at 949.609.9963 with questions.
River Street Marketplace in San Juan Expected to Open in Mid-July
River Street Marketplace, the much-anticipated and long-delayed commercial development in the Los Rios District in San Juan Capistrano, is expected to open in mid-July, according to City of San Juan officials.
River Street Marketplace will be a 60,000-square-foot community hub featuring agrarian architecture with six buildings built around a central green park for patrons to gather. The space will feature a number of modern dining concepts, curated retail outlets, local art, a brewery, a butcher and offer varied seating options and shared communal tables for outdoor dining.
Dan Almquist, managing partner of the project’s developer, Almquist Developers (formerly Frontier Real Estate Investments), has signed more than 20 tenants and retailers to occupy the Marketplace.
The project was approved by the San Juan Capistrano City Council in 2019 and broke ground in early 2022 after Almquist purchased the land from Ito Nursery. River Street Marketplace was originally scheduled to open in early 2024, but it has been delayed by inclement weather and the permitting process.
Almquist was unavailable to provide a firm date for the grand opening, as of press time.
Evan’s Memorial Blood Drive in San Clemente on June 22
The “Be a Hero, Become a Donor” foundation is organizing a blood drive on Saturday, June 22, hosted by Golden Hour Holistic Health + Spinal Care, in the parking lot at 1502 N. El Camino Real in San Clemente. Hours are 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
“Evan’s Memorial Blood Drive” is in memory of Evan, who was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy, a metabolic genetic disease in April 2007. A bone marrow transplant, which required dozens of blood transfusions, extended his life before he passed away the day before his 10th birthday. Give blood in Evan’s honor.
To schedule an appointment, visit scbloodbank.org/donate or call 844.380.5220.
NFL Player Needham Organizes Free Youth Skills Camp
Miami Dolphins safety Nik Needham, who started his football career on the junior varsity at San Clemente High, and New England Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins, are organizing a free youth football camp at Buena Park High (where they were teammates) on Saturday, June 22.
There are two camp sessions – one for third-grade through eighth grade at 9 a.m. and one for ages 13-18 at noon. Needham and Hawkins will conduct football drills for the campers, and there will be free pizza and sports drinks, as well as a live DJ.
Needham, who grew up in San Clemente, spent his freshman and sophom*ore years on the SCHS JV football squad before transferring to Servite High and then Buena Park High. He joined the Dolphins in 2019 as an undrafted cornerback out of UTEP.
To register for the camp sessions, go to leaguefinder.usafootball.com.
