ABOUT SAN CLEMENTE

San Clemente is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of 2005, the city population was 65,338. Located six miles south of San Juan Capistrano at the southern tip of the county, it is roughly equidistant from San Diego and Los Angeles. The north entrance to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (known as the "Christianitos Gate") is located in San Clemente. San Clemente, California is at coordinates 33°26?16?N 117°37?13?W? / ?33.437828, -117.620397

HISTORY
Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the area was inhabited by what came to be known as the Juaneño Indians. After the founding of Mission San Juan Capistrano, the local natives were conscripted to work for the mission. The city of San Clemente was founded in 1925 by real estate developer (and former mayor of Seattle) Ole Hanson who named it San Clemente after a town in Spain. As it were, San Clemente Island was named after the city later since it is directly west of the coast. Hanson envisioned it as a Spanish-style coastal resort town, a "Spanish Village by the Sea." In an unprecedented move, he had a clause added to the deeds requiring all building plans to be submitted to an architectural review board in an effort to ensure that future development would retain some Spanish-style influence (for example, for many years it was required that all new buildings in the downtown area have red tile roofs). It was incorporated in 1928 with a council-manager government.

Nixon's "Western White House" In 1968 President Richard Nixon bought the H. H. Cotton estate, one of the original homes built by one of Hanson's partners. Nixon called it "La Casa Pacifica," but it was nicknamed the "Western White House", a term now commonly used for a President's vacation home. It sits above one of the West Coast's premier surfing spots, Trestles, and just north of historic surfing beach San Onofre. During Nixon's tenure it was visited by many world leaders , including Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev, Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, and Henry Kissinger, as well as businessman Bebe Rebozo. Following his resignation, Nixon retired to San Clemente to write his memoirs. He later sold the home and moved to Park Ridge, New Jersey. The property also has historical tie to the democratic side of the aisle; prior to Nixon's tenure at the estate, H.H. Cotton was known to host Franklin D. Roosevelt, who would visit to play cards in a small outbuilding overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Surfing legacy San Clemente catches swells all year long. Going from South to North, they include Trestles (technically just south of the city line), North Gate, State Park, Riviera, Lasuen, The Hole, Beach House, T-Street, The Pier, 204, North Beach, and Poche. San Clemente is also the surfing media capital of the world as well as a premier surfing destination. It is home to Surfing Magazine, The Surfer's Journal, and Longboard Magazine, with Surfer Magazine just up the freeway in San Juan Capistrano. The city has a large concentration of surfboard shapers and manufacturers. Additionally, many world renowned surfers were raised in San Clemente or took up long-term residence in town, including Hobie Alter, Jr., Shane Beschen, Gavin Beschen, Matt Archbold, Christian Fletcher, Mike Parsons (originally from Laguna Beach), Colin McPhillips, Rocky Sabo, Colleen Mehlberg, Greg Long, Dino Andino, Chris Ward, and many, many others. San Clemente High School has won 6 out of 7 most recent NSSA national surfing titles.

Education The city is served by Capistrano Unified School District. Within the city, there are 5 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1 high school. Elementary Schools: Concordia Elementary, Truman Benedict, Vista Del Mar, Las Palmas, and Lobo Elementary. Middle Schools: Bernice Ayer, Shorecliffs, and Vista Del Mar. High Schools: San Clemente High San Clemente High School is the only high school in San Clemente. Ranked in the top 1.3% of schools nationwide, San Clemente also has an IB (International Baccalaureate) Program, a vast number of AP Courses. The music program also boasts a nationally recognized Vocal Arts Program with award-winning Madrigals, Women's Ensemble, and A Cappella choirs. San Clemente's IB students rank in the top 3% of the World for their IB scores and the program has expanded vastly in the past few years under the direction of Patrick Harris and Kathleen Sigafoos, the IB Coordinators of the School.

* City of San Clemente official website
* The San Clemente Sun Post News, the town's oldest newspaper
* San Clemente Times community newspaper

Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. Its county seat is Santa Ana. According to the 2000 Census, its population was 2,846,289, making it the second most populous county in the state of California, and the fifth most populous in the United States. The state of California estimates its population as of 2007 to be 3,098,121 people, dropping its rank to third, behind San Diego County. Thirty-four incorporated cities are located in Orange County; the newest is Aliso Viejo.

Unlike many other large centers of population in the United States, Orange County uses its county name as its source of identification whereas other places in the country are identified by the large city that is closest to them. This is because there is no defined center to Orange County like there is in other areas which have one distinct large city. Five Orange County cities have populations exceeding 170,000 while no cities in the county have populations surpassing 360,000. Seven of these cities are among the 200 largest cities in the United States.

Orange County is also famous as a tourist destination, as the county is home to such attractions as Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, as well as sandy beaches for swimming and surfing, yacht harbors for sailing and pleasure boating, and extensive area devoted to parks and open space for golf, tennis, hiking, kayaking, cycling, skateboarding, and other outdoor recreation. It is at the center of Southern California's Tech Coast, with Irvine being the primary business hub.

The average price of a home in Orange County is $541,000. Orange County is the home of a vast number of major industries and service organizations. As an integral part of the second largest market in America, this highly diversified region has become a Mecca for talented individuals in virtually every field imaginable. Indeed the colorful pageant of human history continues to unfold here; for perhaps in no other place on earth is there an environment more conducive to innovative thinking, creativity and growth than this exciting, sun bathed valley stretching between the mountains and the sea in Orange County.

Orange County was Created March 11 1889, from part of Los Angeles County, and, according to tradition, so named because of the flourishing orange culture. Orange, however, was and is a commonplace name in the United States, used originally in honor of the Prince of Orange, son-in-law of King George II of England.

Incorporated: March 11, 1889 Legislative Districts: * Congressional: 38th-40th, 42nd & 43 * California Senate: 31st-33rd, 35th & 37 * California Assembly: 58th, 64th, 67th, 69th, 72nd & 74 County Seat: Santa Ana County Information: Robert E. Thomas Hall of Administration 10 Civic Center Plaza, 3rd Floor, Santa Ana 92701 Telephone: (714)834-2345 Fax: (714)834-3098 County Government Website: http://www.oc.ca.gov