By Norb Garrett
Producing a newspaper takes many more people than meets the eye—you know the names and critical importance of our reporters, editors and sales folks—but you likely don’t know some of the folks “behind the scenes” who make it all happen.
One such person is Tim Trent. If you picked up this issue from one of the many racks located around our towns, you can thank Tim, a critical part of our Distribution Department since 2010.
Tim has been faithfully delivering the Times and The Dispatch to racks at hundreds of restaurants, shops, car washes, offices and other high-traffic locations every Thursday and Friday for more than 13 years.
“I love working for The Dispatch,” says Tim. “The owners and staff feel like family to me. I love going around town, delivering the paper and watching people get excited that the newest edition is on the racks. Plus, all of the moving around from rack to rack helps keep me in shape.”
Tim grew up in Glendora, California and moved to San Clemente when he was 15. His parents were in pursuit of cleaner air and a more relaxed lifestyle.
“Once I moved here, I fell in love with surfing and the beach,” Tim says.
Tim has been delivering newspapers since he was 10 years old, when he had his own route delivering the Glendora Press by bicycle. He graduated from San Clemente High School in 1975.
From there, he worked in circulation for local newspapers. He also worked in construction, specializing in masonry, until he opened his own business, Trent Landscape Maintenance, in 1991.
At age 66, he still owns the business and does all the landscape maintenance work himself. He enjoys supplementing his income by delivering papers for The Dispatch every other week.
Tim lives in San Clemente with his wife of 33 years, Elise. They enjoy staying in shape by traversing the many beautiful walking trails and hilly neighborhoods in San Clemente. They also enjoy taking quick trips to Nashville to visit their granddaughter, Ava (age 12), who moved there from San Clemente in 2021.
Before she moved to Nashville, Tim enjoyed sharing his love of surfing with Ava and teaching her to surf at the San Clemente Pier and the Lifeguard Station where he first learned to surf.
Tim and Elise are very active in their church, Faith Lutheran, in Capistrano Beach, where Tim has maintained the church landscaping since 1978. Tim also enjoys golfing at San Clemente Municipal and Shorecliffs Golf Club.
Thanks to Tim for his consistency in getting The Dispatch out to our community’s residents and visitors over the past 13 years. And a special thanks to Elise Trent for her help with this column and for all her support helping Tim get going early on those Thursday and Friday mornings!
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