As appeared in The San Clemente Times Business Buzz column here

Read Our Latest San Clemente Times Column: "Mayor to Announce New Galactic Empire During State of the City Event."

By Jim Wynne & Arrow Santos

On May 5th, at the State of the City luncheon, San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan will reveal his secret proposal to dissolve the city council and, in its place, establish the first Galactic Empire. He will expose his orchestration of the Clone Wars as a means to manipulate the Jedi Council into doing his bidding and show his true identity to be a Sith Lord intent on consolidating his power in a new planet-destroying battle station: the Death Star. As part of this plan, he will become the supreme ruler and emperor of the galaxy.

You know what, I think there may have been a mix-up here. I was reading from the press release for May 4th, “Star Wars Day,” which included the plot of the 2005 Lucasfilm blockbuster “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.” The State of the City occurs one day later, on May 5th. Stand by.

Okay, here we go again.

On May 5th, at the State of the City luncheon, San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan will reveal his presentation on the city’s development, infrastructure, and economic plans. With a growing town population and a shrinking sand population, the inversion of the people-to-beach ratio raises concern about the longevity of San Clemente’s prominent coastal canvas: our beaches. The mayor will look at solutions for the long-term sustainability of this beautiful natural treasure to ensure we still have generations of memories to be made in the sea and on the shore.

With a rich history of surf culture and the birthplace of many wave-riding legends, San Clemente has landed in the global spotlight as the new arena for the World Surf League Finals. Started in 2021, the annual end-of-summer showdown crowns the latest king and queen of surf and caps the nine-month WSL Champion Tour. With massive crowds and worldwide attention, the city council wants to keep the action nuclear but not the waves themselves. Expect to hear the mayor highlight the latest progress on the decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).

As the San Clemente Times reported in 2020, San Clemente is one of California’s safest cities. Safety does not happen by accident. The city council and local residents prioritize public safety and work diligently to ensure we all have a safe and secure place to call home. Mayor Duncan will cover the current issues of top concern for continued health and safety across our town. It requires all of us to take a proactive involvement in our community to keep things clean, safe, and accessible to all. A rising tide lifts all boats; we are fortunate to have such a tight-knit neighborhood that looks out for one another’s best interests. With the help of city leadership, we should all look forward to continuing to create a community we are proud to be a part of.

Without spoiling the entire show, here is a final note from the bottom of the event overview I was provided. “DO NOT INCLUDE, FYI ONLY: Mayor to discuss pickleball popularity and integration by recreation department for explosive future growth.”

What a weird note; not much info to it. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what Mayor Duncan says on the event day.

Overall, this Cinco-De-Mayo-themed luncheon will be a fantastic event to hear about the latest condition of our beautiful city, network with like-minded business owners, city leaders, and neighbors, and enjoy a delicious lunch provided by the wonderful Bella Collina staff. Visit the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce website for more information on attending this event: www.scchamber.com.

Jim Wynne, a San Clemente local, San Onofre Surfing Club president, and father of five, serves as chairman for the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce. As president of WynneCRE, he has shown his dedication to helping small businesses with their real estate needs and protecting San Clemente’s small-town interests through active community participation and reporting on business news topics.

Arrow Santos is a San Clemente native, professional writer/photographer, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup enthusiast, and follower of Jesus. As marketing director of WynneCRE, he has shown his dedication to helping small businesses with their commercial real estate needs and protecting San Clemente’s small-town interests through active community participation and reporting on business news topics. Email Arrow at arrow@wynnecre.com or call/text at 949.257.2093.