POCHE PATRIOTS.

Five days after the beach’s landmark stump bearing an American flag proved too stubborn for about 200 people trying to relocate it away from the threat of high surf, heavy equipment donated this afternoon moves it in 30 minutes.

By DAVID BRO / SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER

SAN CLEMENTE – (CA)- Heavy equipment arrived Friday afternoon at Poche Beach and moved a landmark flag-bearing driftwood tree stump to higher, safer ground after hundreds of people had tried unsuccessfully last weekend to move it themselves.

The 6- to 7-ton tree stump across from the Palm Beach Park mobile-home community in San Clemente has flown an American flag since somebody placed one there soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The flag has been replaced periodically through the years by residents of Palm Beach Park and others.

A bulldozer operated by Tommy Sherman of TS Grading is guided Friday by Mark Meintel of Meintel Construction Management as it moves the 6- to 7-ton flag-bearing tree stump up a berm to a safer place on Poche Beach.

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The trunk had become increasingly threatened by high surf that had moved it about 200 feet and sometimes submerged the flag under the waves.

San Clemente resident Joe Wilson organized an effort last Sunday to relocate the stump to higher ground on property owned by Palm Beach Park. More than 200 people tried for three hours to move it by human power and a lot of rope, but the stump was too heavy and too imbedded in the sand. They did manage to tilt it and place plywood boards under it to prepare it for the heavy machinery.

On Friday, it took a bulldozer volunteered by Mark Meintel of Meintel Construction of San Clemente about 30 minutes to relocate the stump and its flag farther from the water’s edge.

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Beach Glass Glamour

 Bring up “Beach Glass’ in a conversation and you need to be ready.  The husbands’ “hrmphhhhh” and the wives’ “whoaaaaaa” will un-doubtedly  bring out the home collection in jars, boxes and maybe the latest cull from a jeans pocket.  Any novice that lives within 5 miles of the beach will tell you that whites and greens abound, all shades of blue are difficult to find and more likely you’ll find a mermaid than the “holy red”. 

 

There can’t be a dashboard, a kitchen sill or a bathroom toothbrush drawer that doesn’t have some kind of beach glass on display.  Most of the time it shines nicely in the sun, reminding us that a walk on the beach is just steps away but then there’s Scott and Elsa Harrison of San Clemente that are working hard to make it more than that.

 

“We were in Hawaii last year” Harrison says, “at this farmer’s market in Kona and I saw this beach glass bracelet…they wanted a ton for it and as I looked at it I thought I could do way better than that”

 

For the last year or so Harrison estimates he and Elsa spend about 20 hours a week hunting, drilling and assembling the beach glass into bracelets with pure silver wire.  Friends were naturally the first recipients and it seems that the Harrisons won’t have a shortage of friends to supply their unique, one of a kind bracelets.  Right now he has 3 designs: the “twist”, the “bangle” and the “bead”.    

 

We took our dog for a walk to Riviera on Memorial Day and spied the Harrisons from our usual spot on the old log next to tower four.  They moved back and fourth up the beach right at the shore line, intent on mining their molten sandy prize.  We watched them for a good 45 minutes before I couldn’t stand it any longer and made my way to ask what was up.

 

He showed me his technique with a homemade rake and basket tool and we philosophized on the finer points of beach glass hunting.  Elsa came by on a return sweep and showed me the product of their efforts.  At one point in the beginning of my conversation with Harrison I realized I knew him.  I explained to Elsa that we had gone to Concordia Elementary and hadn’t seen each other since we graduated from San Clemente High School in 1982.

 

Elsa stood back looking at Harrison as if it were the first time she had seen him.

 

“Wow, you’re old…and you look just like a triton with that rake….well you look like him in every way except for the abs…”she said playfully, smiling and laughing widely.

 

Harrison looked at her and pretended to jibe her with his beach glass rake, adding a “hardy harr harr” before giving up.  Elsa was already in the sand with one hand, another few morsels of glass for the project and Harrison, a little jealous, was right after her to see the score. 

 

You can call Harrison at home and talk to him about the “Sea Glass Designs” bracelets he has for sale.  Bracelets are $45= USD each and you might ask about his tye-dye t-shirts and sarongs for summer.

 

Scott and Elsa Harrison  949-361-9862

 

 

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