These Florida researchers are giving depressed, anxious people psychedelics

• October 19, 2023

A therapy session with Patricia Brown starts like any other. She leads her clients into a peaceful, quiet room, draped in beige and generic, calming artwork.

Then her clients lie down, close their eyes, put on a blindfold and headphones, and trip for six hours on psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical found in magic mushrooms.

Brown is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and head of clinical operations at CNS Healthcare. CNS in Thornton Park and APG Research near the Central Business District are two global clinical trial sites testing whether microdoses of psychedelics — typically about one-tenth of a recreational dose — can help people with depression and anxiety.

A growing number of clinical trials suggest single doses of psychedelics can have long-lasting impacts on the brain, leading the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue “breakthrough therapy” designations to these drugs beginning in 2017.

These treatments could have untapped potential for helping the estimated one in three people with treatment-resistant depression, meaning they have tried at least two different antidepressants that haven’t worked, said Brown. The clinical trial she’s working on right now targets this group.

“This is the opportunity for us to take treatment for depression and anxiety to the next level,” Brown said.

The rebound in psychedelics’ popularity isn’t without controversy, however. A potentially troubling trend is emerging. From 2018 to 2021, a survey published in the scientific journal Addiction indicates a doubling of recreational psychedelic use in the U.S., with 8% of young adults having tried hallucinogens as of 2021. This is the highest number seen since the 1980s.

Recreational use sparks concern

This isn’t the first time these drugs have been studied for therapeutic benefits. These investigations have taken place since the 1940s, though research halted in the 1970s when the federal government classified these drugs as Schedule 1 due to their potential for abuse.

Over the last few decades, there’s been a resurgence in promising scientific research, continuing the work of 50 years ago. But it’s dangerous to use these drugs outside a medical setting, especially without a guide, said Dr. Robert Molpus, a psychiatrist and addiction researcher.

Molpus leads the CNS Healthcare location of a clinical trial of small doses of LSD on people with anxiety. The study is run by Mind Medicine, a biotech pharmaceutical company seeking approval for its proprietary form of LSD.

“What we have here is pharmaceutical-grade medication produced under very strict tolerances and standards,” said Molpus. “Whatever you buy on the street, it’s not pharmaceutical grade and you actually have no idea what’s in it or what the dose is.”

Psychedelics theoretically alleviate mental illnesses by creating new connections in the brain, according to the National Institutes of Health. Negative connections can be created just as easily as positive ones, Molpus warned.

“The idea is that things are connected wrong because of experience or trauma. And so, what you want to do, is get them reconnected; you want to break this bad connection,” Molpus said. “You don’t want a different set of bad connections. That’s where the therapy piece comes in.”

Licensed mental health counselor Elizabeth Lindell Mendez says recreational psychedelics worsened pre-existing mental illnesses and addiction issues in some of her clients. She worked for six years in community mental health residential and day treatment programs before moving to Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry in Maitland a few months ago.

“When you actively hallucinate, the more you do it, the less likely you might be to come back, especially if you have a hereditary predisposition that you’re unaware of,” she said. “It can actually increase and exacerbate symptoms.”

She emphasized that she hasn’t seen any clients who took these drugs within a controlled medical setting.

The American Psychiatric Association released a statement in 2022 calling preliminary research into psychedelics “promising” but cautioned about a lack of evidence.

“There is currently inadequate scientific evidence for endorsing the use of psychedelics to treat any psychiatric disorder except within the context of approved investigational studies,” the statement read.

Studies combat stigma

Brown is confident that current clinical trials are not dangerous.

“I think there really is a stigma that we have to overcome,” she said.

The ongoing trials at CNS are regulated by the FDA and don’t allow people with psychotic and personality disorders to participate. People with other mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder and people who would take other psychiatric medications during the study can’t participate either.

Brown is working on a randomized clinical trial testing the impact of a single dose of psilocybin. The study, conducted by biotech company COMPASS Pathways, will include therapy before the psilocybin dose, a therapist present for the eight-hour period a patient is high, and additional therapy afterward to process what the participant has experienced and help them integrate what they’ve learned.

Another point to keep in mind is that psychedelics do not typically lead to addiction, said Molpus.

“Can you overuse it? Absolutely, you can. But it’s actually not all that common,” Molpus said. “It can happen, and it does happen, but it’s not like meth or heroin that can really capture and trap people in addiction.”

Decades of research back up that assertion, according to the National Institutes of Health.

A push to roll back restrictions

The FDA labels psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, peyote and MDMA (ecstasy) as having “high abuse potential” and no recognized medical use, hence their Schedule 1 classification.

This designation is theoretically reserved for the most dangerous and addictive drugs in the U.S. In recent years, advocates have questioned it. Molpus labeled psychedelics’ classification “more political than medical.”

Marijuana, too, is Schedule 1, despite decades of evidence of its potential therapeutic benefits. The majority of states, including Florida, have legalized it for medical use.

Amid mounting arguments that these drugs should be more accessible, a handful of countries and U.S. locations like Oregon have decriminalized or legalized MDMA and mushrooms.

In 2021 and 2022, Florida lawmakers introduced legislation that would have ordered state-funded research into the therapeutic applications of psilocybin, ketamine and MDMA for treating conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and migraines. The bills failed to achieve widespread support.

Nationally, more than 60% of U.S. voters support legalizing psychedelic therapy, a 2023 poll done by the University of California, Berkeley, found.

The future of psychedelics

A potential roadmap for magic mushrooms and LSD can be seen with ketamine, another drug with hallucinogenic or psychoactive properties.

Ketamine ‘saved my life’: Depressed, anxious Floridians turn to unregulated psychedelics

The FDA approved a derivative of ketamine called esketamine — manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals and sold as a patented nasal spray called Spravato — in 2018.

It’s only available for people with treatment-resistant depression through a restricted distribution system with strict guidelines.

Ketamine differs from traditional psychedelics, however, because it has been used in medical settings for decades and is not as tightly regulated. Physicians who don’t want to jump through federal government hurdles or work with insurance companies are allowed to prescribe traditional ketamine off-label as a treatment for mental health conditions.

Meanwhile, the only foray into selling mushrooms commercially in Florida so far was unsuccessful.

In 2022, Ybor City’s Chillum Mushroom Hemp Dispensary briefly bypassed Florida’s restrictions by selling psychedelic mushrooms that didn’t contain the banned ingredient of psilocybin. It advertised itself as the first magic mushroom dispensary in the U.S., and was so successful it opened a second St. Petersburg location.

Even though the mushrooms technically didn’t include any banned ingredients, they were not approved to be sold as food. The store tried out a loophole, labeling them as intended “only for education or spiritual purposes,” not for consumption.

This wasn’t enough to stop the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services from shutting down Chillum Mushroom Hemp Dispensary’s sales.

The dispensary reluctantly stopped offering the mushroom in August, according to a statement on its website.

[email protected]; @CECatherman Twitter

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the American Psychiatric Association.

​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS girls volleyball playoffs: Scores from Wednesday’s Division 1 games

• October 19, 2023

CIF-SS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

DIVISION 1

Wednesday

First round of pool play

Pool A

#1 Mater Dei def. #8 Palos Verdes 3-0

#5 Marymount def. #4 Sierra Canyon 3-2

Pool B

#2 Mira Costa def. #7 Los Alamitos 3-0

#3 Huntington Beach def. #6 Alemany 3-0

Tuesday, Oct. 24

Second round of pool play

All games start at 6 p.m.

Pool A

#5 Marymount at #1 Mater Dei

#8 Palos Verdes at #4 Sierra Canyon

Pool B

#6 Alemany at #2 Mira Costa

#7 Los Alamitos at #3 Huntington Beach

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​ Orange County Register 

Capistrano Unified rejects a parental notification policy

• October 19, 2023

Capistrano Unified School District voted against enacting a parental notification policy Wednesday night, the first Orange County school district to outright deny such a proposal.

As it was written, the Capistrano Unified parental notification policy focused on mental health, saying a designated school counselor would notify a student’s family “when they have reasonable cause to believe that doing so will avert a clear and present danger to the health, safety or welfare” of students.

But after being asked for clarification by the student board member during the discussion on Wednesday, Oct. 18, Trustee Lisa Davis said that gender identity would also require notification to parents under the umbrella of this policy.

The board voted 4-2 to reject the policy, with Davis and Judy Bullockus the two yes votes.

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How LGBTQ rights and parental notification bills fared in the California Legislature this year
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified adopts broader ‘student welfare’ parental notification policy
Sex education classes often don’t include LGBTQ+ students. New restrictions could make it worse
Bill to stop California school textbook bans signed by Gov. Newsom

The policy was first presented by Davis during the board’s September board meeting. Then, Davis said, “This policy brings parents into the conversation regarding some of the most important aspects of a child’s life.”

The proposed policy was written with verbatim language that was used in the approved parental notification policy at Placentia-Yorba Linda School District.

Capistrano Unified’s proposed policy said: “Due to the current nationwide mental health crisis exacerbated by the global pandemic, the Capistrano Unified School District recognizes the need for frequent, ongoing and oftentimes immediate communication between school administration, staff, and parents/guardians. Furthermore, with reports of depression, anxiety and suicide rates at an all-time high among public school students, action is needed to address this emerging crisis and support the health and welfare of district students.”

Andrew Fredriksz, a previous school counselor at Capistrano Unified, said that he is against the policy in a letter sent to Board President Krista Castellanos earlier this week.

“While parent rights are extremely important and they should always be contacted regarding life-changing decisions regarding their children, reporting to parents how a student identifies does not fall under life-changing decision-making,” said Fredriksz, now a counselor at Laguna Beach Unified. “The risk of outing a student in a household where they will not be accepted and may have a negative impact on their mental health is a greater concern in this discussion.”

“I have a lot of respect for the board,” said Fredriksz. “They are unfortunately caught in divisive culture politics as are the students.”

Fredriksz said he does not believe a parental notification policy will be enacted at Laguna Beach Unified.

“Laguna Beach Unified does a great job of cultivating a community where everyone is heard — families, students and staff,” said Fredriksz. “There seems to be a foundation of respect between everyone which helps promote productive conversations.”

Orange Unified was the first Orange County school district to adopt the policy in early September, and Placentia Yorba-Linda soon followed suit, becoming the second district to approve the policy last week. Many parental rights activist groups say they will attend Tustin Unified’s next meeting on Nov. 13 to encourage the policy to be addressed there.

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In districts that have adopted these policies, situations that would warrant parent notification include requests to use different names or pronouns or requests to change sex-segregated programs (like athletic teams or changing facilities) that differ from the student’s “assigned biological sex at birth.”

The policies also include notification guidelines if a student reports self-harm, suicidal ideation or injury to others.

Capistrano Unified has 63 campuses, making it the largest district in Orange County. The district includes the cities of San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita.

​ Orange County Register 

Sidney Powell pleads guilty over efforts to overturn Trump’s Georgia loss, agrees to testify

• October 19, 2023

By KATE BRUMBACK

ATLANTA — Lawyer Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to reduced charges Thursday over efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in Georgia, becoming the second defendant in the sprawling case to reach a deal with prosecutors.

Powell, who was charged alongside Trump and 17 others with violating the state’s anti-racketeering law, entered the plea just a day before jury selection was set to start in her trial. She pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors accusing her of conspiring to intentionally interfere with the performance of election duties.

As part of the deal, she will serve six years of probation, will be fined $6,000 and will have to write an apology letter to Georgia and its residents. She also agreed to testify truthfully against her co-defendants at future trials.

Powell, 68, was initially charged with racketeering and six other counts as part of a wide-ranging scheme to keep the Republican president in power after he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. Prosecutors say she also participated in an unauthorized breach of elections equipment in a rural Georgia county elections office.

The acceptance of a plea deal is a remarkable about-face for a lawyer who, perhaps more than anyone else, strenuously pushed baseless conspiracy theories about a stolen election in the face of extensive evidence to the contrary. If prosecutors compel her to testify, she could provide insight on a news conference she participated in on behalf of Trump and his campaign shortly after the election and on a White House meeting she attended in mid-December of that year during which strategies and theories to influence the outcome of the election were discussed.

John Fishwick, a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, called Powell’s plea a “significant win” for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. He noted that Powell is a very high-profile defendant.

“This is somebody who was at ground zero of these allegations and a lawyer who is pleading guilty,” he said. “This is very significant.”

Barry Coburn, a Washington-based lawyer for Powell, declined to comment on Thursday.

Powell was scheduled to go on trial on Monday with lawyer Kenneth Chesebro after each filed a demand for a speedy trial. The development means that Chesebro will go on trial by himself, though prosecutors said earlier that they also planned to look into the possibility of offering him a plea deal.

Jury selection was set to start Friday. Chesebro’s attorneys didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday on whether he would also accept a plea deal.

A lower-profile defendant in the case, bail bondsman Scott Graham Hall, last month pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges. He was sentenced to five years of probation and agreed to testify in further proceedings.

Steve Sadow, the lead attorney for Trump in the Georgia case, expressed confidence after Powell’s plea.

Donald Trump’s Georgia election case

Judge rejects latest try to toss Georgia election charges
Trump co-defendant takes plea deal in Georgia case
Trump won’t be tried with Powell and Chesebro in Georgia election case, a judge rules
Georgia special grand jury recommended charges against Sen. Graham, 2 ex-senators, Michael Flynn
Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case, seeks to sever his case from others

“Assuming truthful testimony in the Fulton County case, it will be favorable to my overall defense strategy,” he said.

Prosecutors allege that Powell conspired with Hall and others to access election equipment without authorization and hired computer forensics firm Sullivan|Strickler to send a team to Coffee County, in south Georgia, to copy software and data from voting machines and computers there. The indictment says a person who is not named sent an email to a top SullivanIStrickler executive and instructed him to send all data copied from Dominion Voting Systems equipment in Coffee County to an unidentified lawyer associated with Powell and the Trump campaign.

Trial dates have not been set for the 16 remaining defendants, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was a Trump lawyer, and Mark Meadows, who was the Trump White House’s chief of staff.

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Where to find the fluffiest souffle pancakes in O.C.

• October 19, 2023

Springy in texture and lightly toasted on both sides, the Japanese souffle pancake, colloquially known as fluffy pancakes, are a joy to behold. Not only are they pleasing on the palate — the airy interior makes them arguably superior to their leaden counterparts that tend to land in the belly with an aching thud — they make for excellent Instagram fodder: more than 160,000 photos are tagged #soufflepancake.

What makes souffle pancakes different from classic flapjacks is the addition of egg whites whipped to form a meringue which is then folded into the batter (hence the “souffle” name). Cooked in a pan or griddle, the souffle pancakes, which also use less flour, rise tall with an ever-so slightly crispy top and bottom and a more delicate interior.

With a new addition coming to Orange County later this year, the nationwide food trend sees no signs of slowing down. Fluffy Fluffy, the largest souffle pancake chain in North America and a division of Fuwa Fuwa Pancakes, will arrive at The District shopping center in Tustin. Look for it to open in late fall of this year.

For those of you who cannot wait, here are some of the best places in Orange County now serving the bouncy sweet treats.

Basilur (Buena Park): In addition to afternoon tea service with pastries, sandwiches and scones, this Buena park coffee and tea house that specializes in serving high-quality Ceylon tea, serves souffle pancakes that come in five flavors: plain, strawberry, blueberry yogurt, tiramisu and Earl Gray. 6920 Beach Blvd., The Source OC, K-129, Buena Park; basilurteacoffee.com

Baum Tea (Irvine): The souffle pancakes here come in varieties that range from strawberry and custard to bear-shaped and matcha topped with Lucky Charms marshmallows. While enjoying the jiggly pancakes, don’t forget to look at the library wall filled with tea cases that look like books. 13955 Yale Ave., suite A, Irvine; instagram.com/baum_tea_coffee

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Burnt Crumbs (Irvine): What began as a food truck has grown into a brick-and-mortar in Irvine, helmed by chef-owner Paul Cao, a Vietnamese-American chef with fine-dining cred (he was sous chef for Michael Mina’s then-Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point). After becoming obsessed with souffle pancakes, Cao attempted roughly 1,000 pancakes before finally perfecting it and adding it to his brunch menu. Ever since, he’s had lines coming out the door for his souffle pancakes, of which he sells an estimated 500 every weekend. Comes in original, blueberry or strawberry iterations. 8549 Irvine Center Dr., Irvine; burntcrumbs.com

Nostimo Cafe (Westminster): Head to Westminter’s Little Saigon neighborhood to find ube souffle pancakes. Super soft and airy, these stacks are topped with ube flavored sweet cream. Other flavors include tiramisu, matcha, Nutellamisu, mango and strawberry. 15568 Brookhurst St., Westminster; instagram.com/nostimocafe.tea

​ Orange County Register 

California Sen. Laphonza Butler makes history as first out LGBTQ Senate Judiciary Committee member

• October 19, 2023

Washington  — California Sen. Laphonza Butler will fill the Senate Judiciary Committee seat left empty by the passing of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a history-making move that also gives Democrats back their razor-thin control of the powerful committee tasked with vetting federal judicial nominees.

Butler, the first known Black lesbian in the Senate, is also the first out LGBTQ member of the Judiciary Committee.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Butler earlier this month to fill the seat left vacant by Feinstein, a longtime California Democrat who died last month at the age of 90.

Since Feinstein’s passing, the committee has been at a 9-9 deadlock between Democrats and Republicans, but with the addition of Butler, the one-member majority will enable them to give a thumbs-up to Biden’s judicial nominees without the help of Republicans on the panel. Those nominees will still need to garner 51 votes in the full Senate to secure confirmation.

For Democrats and progressives, confirming President Joe Biden’s picks has been a key part of their agenda given the fact that Donald Trump reshaped much of the federal judiciary during his four years as president by pushing through scores of conservative judges on lower courts throughout the country and putting three conservative justices on the Supreme Court.

When Feinstein was ill and away from the Senate earlier this year, the panel was also deadlocked, which led some Democrats to call on her to resign.

“I think Sen. Butler’s appointment to the Judiciary Committee is really momentous. She gives Chairman Durbin the majority he needs to resume the confirmation of President Biden’s judicial nominees, which needs to be an urgent priority for the Senate,” said Alex Aronson, a former chief counsel to committee member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat.

Aronson added that the process was particularly critical given how successful Trump was “in stocking the courts with far-right movement ideologues” who were boosted by groups like the Federalist Society.

In total, Congress confirmed 234 Trump judicial nominees during his tenure, according to the American Constitution Society, which tracks the nominations.

During his more than two and a half years in office, Biden has had 147 of his judicial nominees confirmed, including two federal trial court judges who were approved by the Senate on Tuesday: Julia Kathleen Munley for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and Jennifer L. Hall for the District of Delaware.

Since Feinstein’s passing, the committee has held one nomination hearing – for Mustafa Taher Kasubhai’s nomination to the district court in Oregon – but has yet to hold a vote on a pending nominee. There are currently six nominees awaiting a committee vote and five nominees who have yet to have a hearing before the panel, according to ACS.

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Meanwhile, Biden has continued to announce more nominations, with his latest slate reflecting a pledge he made at the start of his presidency to pick diverse candidates for the federal bench.

“These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country – both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds,” the White House said in a statement on Wednesday announcing two new nominees to the Northern District of Oklahoma.

The president said he was nominating Sara E. Hill, a former attorney general for the Cherokee Nation, and John D. Russell, a former trial attorney with the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that Butler would also hold seats on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, as well as the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and the Rules and Administration Committee.

​ Orange County Register 

Long Beach’s 562 LIVE goes old school with a Halloween-themed radio production

• October 19, 2023

Normally, Long Beach’s 562 LIVE Radio plays hip-hop, R&B, pop and dance-club music.

But once a year, on a terrifying night when the monsters and other creatures come out to play, the station pauses its usual programming and becomes Haunted Radio.

“I want people to imagine being around the campfire, around a radio with the lights out and listening to spooky stories,” said Alex Exum, the station founder and narrator of the annual Halloween-themed radio show dubbed Haunted Radio, which will air online from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 31. It will also be available on demand after its original air date. Tickets for the show $9 and can be purchased at 562live.com/halloween.

“It’s all family-friendly,” he said. “So it’s going to be a spooky Halloween event for the whole family that they can enjoy by listening to audio and using theater of the mind.”

The two-hour radio program is an homage to the classic radio dramas that were among the main forms of entertainment in the in the ’20s-’40s, as people gathered around their radios listening to plays created specifically for that specific medium.

“I was an actor before I got into radio and I always loved old radio theater of the ’30s and ’40s,” Exum said. “And I’m now trying to just get anyone interested to keep the art of radio theater alive. It’s a dying art.”

For the Halloween show, which he launched in 2019, Exum does things as old school as possible, using a cast of more than a dozen Long Beach actors as well as sound effects and music to tell a handful of original scary stories. Of course, people aren’t going to be sitting around the radio, but instead can listen on laptops, phones or whatever devices they choose to stream the pre-recorded show.

“We have twist endings, shock scares and some amazing sound effects,” Exum said.

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This year’s lineup is made up of six original stories that include “Bigfoot Speaks: Interview with a Sasquatch!” It’s about a jaded talk show host who doesn’t believe in Bigfoot until he is approached by a man who claims to have captured him and brings the creature in for an interview.

“He has a Bigfoot translator device, which can translate the grunts and groans of the Bigfoot and at the end, you can imagine what will happen,” Exum said.

From there, the show digs into Long Beach’s scary history with “Scary Mary” a ghost that is said to still haunt the Queen Mary. There’s also a terror-themed love story dubbed “Dead Again,” and a murder mystery will then unfold with “Manor of Death,” that is if you dare to sonically step into the forsaken halls of a malevolent mansion.

If you survive that, the story of “The Diabolical Doctor Stein” awaits you with the nefarious experiments of an unhinged scientist that come to life.

But perhaps most terrifying of all, there’s a Karen in the mix.

With the tagline “Do You Know Who I Am?,” the final story of the night is titled “Karen.” It’s a story about a bored suburban housewife trying to find excitement in her dull existence until she loses it and turns her life into a living nightmare.

“Karen is not only a caricature, she’s all of us,” he said. “We’ve all been Karen and she loses her marbles toward the end of the play.

​ Orange County Register 

San Clemente approves final 4-district map for new by-district voting process

• October 19, 2023

The City Council has picked the map for how San Clemente should be carved up into four voting districts for future elections.

On Tuesday, in what was the council’s fourth public hearing, a council majority voted for the map considered the “clearest, easiest and clearly delineated by boundaries.” Those boundaries would form districts from which voters would chose their council representative; all voters would cast ballots for the city’s mayor, who would serve two-year terms.

Map 109 has been the one that has drawn the most support over the past few weeks.

If approved in a second required vote on on Nov. 7, the new districts will go into effect for the November 2024 election.

At that time, the council seats representing the more coastal District 3 and District 4 would be on the ballot and in 2026 voters in District 1 and District 2 would choose their councilmembers. The at-large election for mayor would be held in 2026.

Councilmembers have said creating an elected mayor position chosen by all voters would guarantee residents always have a voice in each election, regardless whether their district was on the ballot. Currently the mayor is chosen each year by councilmembers from among their ranks.

Map 109 includes the Talega and Rancho San Clemente communities as one district and Forster Ranch and Marble Head as another. The other two districts along the coast are divided by Avenida Victoria. One district would go toward North Beach and the other would go south toward Cypress Shores. From there, it would cross the 5 Freeway and go around the golf course toward the Broadmore area.

The switch to by-district elections comes after San Clemente’s at-large system – used for decade – was challenged in July for being “racially polarizing” and diluting the voice of minority groups. In response, the council in August began looking at the change to by-district elections.

In the end, councilmembers Steve Knoblock, Victor Cabral and Rick Loeffler voted for Map 109.

“I like Map 109, it does a good job of keeping the associations together,” Knoblock said. “I think it makes sense; it’s a clean map and keeps population numbers consistent.”

Loeffler agreed, saying, “A resident can look at this and it’s easy to understand; it just seems to me as the most obvious.” Cabral called it the “most straight-forward.”

Duncan and Councilmember Mark Enmeier pushed for a different map that separated Rancho San Clemente from Talega, saying pairing the two was not putting like with like.

“They are very different in terms of how they view their communities,” Enmeier said, adding he lives in Rancho San Clemente. He said other maps worked “really well to create communities that represent San Clemente in the traditional sense of how we look at San Clemente.”

The current two-term limits for councilmembers will be maintained and the at-large mayor will be able to serve up to three terms.

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​ Orange County Register