November 7, 2014

LO C A L

N EWS

November 7–13, 2014 YO U

C A N

U S E

OC Water Polo Club to Compete in Texas PAGE 24

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 45

Incoming Councilmen Prepare to Serve Three newcomers to city government elected to council seats E Y E O N D P/ PAG E 6 Newly elected City Councilmen Richard Viczorek and Joe Muller congratulate each other on their recent election to the five-member board. John Tomlinson (not pictured) won the third open seat on the council. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Former Harbor Marina Exec Charged with Felony Embezzlement EYE ON DP/PAGE 3

It’s History: Pocket Park Once the Site of Juaneño Indian Ceremonial Grounds DP LIVING/PAGE 20

INSIDE: South County Real Estate Guide SPECIAL SECTION

POLLING HAS BEGUN: VOTE FOR THE BEST OF DANA POINT AT DANAPOINTTIMES.COM

DP EYE ON DP Dana Point

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

current building at the end of 2015 and rebuilding on the same site as an advanced urgent care center. The proposal would eliminate the current emergency room as well. Currently, urgent care centers are not capable of taking patients from ambulances. The potential impact on other area hospitals, as well as the effect on patients from San Clemente, will be among the topics studied by the group.

The immediate concern of many at the meeting, however, was keeping the hospital viable. Current hospital staff said that due to the uncertainty surrounding the future, the hospital had been losing staff.

Orange County Fire Authority Chief Kirk Wells said the OCFA was examining the impact of the proposal and would present finding to the City Council at a later date.

Five things Dana Point should know this week Former Marina Manager Charged with Embezzlement, Funds Misappropriation THE LATEST: Brian Cleveland Dunn was arraigned Monday on charges of misappropriation of public funds and embezzlement while employed as the former general manager of the OC Dana Point Harbor’s commercial core, officials said.

Dunn, 61, of Capistrano Beach, was an employee of Vintage Marina Partners, the company hired by the County of Orange to manage the Embarcadero Marina at the Harbor. He allegedly submitted more than $130,000 in falsified invoices to the county for reimbursement and made unauthorized purchases of more than $440,000 using the VMP company credit card, according to an Orange County District Attorney’s Office press release.

Dunn began working for VMP in 2004.

In 2008 he started a company called Organic Tree Landscaping through which he is accused of purchasing landscaping materials for county projects at the Harbor, marking them up 100 percent and then billing the county for more than $130,000.

He is also accused of using the VMP credit card to pay for more than $440,000 worth of personal expenses, including clothing, travel and improvements to his home in Hawaii.

Dunn is charged with one felony count of misappropriation of public funds and one felony count of grand theft by embezzlement, with sentence enhancements of aggravated white collar crime, property damage and property loss.

If convicted, the charges carry a maximum sentence of 11 years and four months in state prison.

Dunn is currently out of custody after posting $200,000 in bail and has pleaded not guilty.

Contacted by phone on Tuesday, Dunn declined to comment, referring questions to his attorney Gary Pohlson. A phone message to Pohlson has yet to be returned.

WHAT’S NEXT: Dunn’s pre-trial hearing is set for Nov. 20 in Department C-57 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. Senior Deputy District Attorney Brett Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

Former manager of the commercial core at Dana Point Harbor was arraigned on felony charges of grand theft by embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds. Photo: Andrea Swayne

businesses within the Town Center/ Lantern District and must meet approved guidelines.

Brian of the Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case. —Andrea Swayne

City Allows Temporary Signage During Downtown Construction THE LATEST: The City of Dana Point is allowing temporary additional signage in the Town Center Lantern/District during infrastructure construction along Del Prado Avenue, officials said in a notice to area businesses.

Businesses will be allowed either one banner or one metal a-frame sign that conform to the following guidelines: Banners must be no more than 18 square feet in size and must be attached to the building occupied by the business.

A-frame signs shall be black metal with a maximum size of 48 inches high by 32 inches wide. These signs must only be placed on private property.

A-frame sign boards must be on white fiber board or similar material and lettering must be in black, red or blue ink on a white background. All lettering on a sign must be of the same color with the font being in Arial or a similar style and the size a maximum of 10 inches in height.

Signage shall only include the words “Open During Construction” in various arrangements, one directional arrow and the location of parking.

The relaxed guidelines only apply to

FIND OUT MORE: For more information, call the city’s Community Development Department at 949.248.3563 or log on to www.danapoint.org. The city website includes image samples approved for the additional signage.—AS

Hospital Committee Begins Work THE LATEST: Although there were no representatives from Saddleback Memorial Medical Center present at its initial meeting, San Clemente’s new Hospital Advisory Committee met for the first time Tuesday, outlining its agenda going forward in an attempt to further study the hospital’s proposal to eliminate its emergency room facility—the nearest hospital and ER to Dana Point.

The committee includes city of San Clemente staff, along with public safety representatives and hospital staff and is charged with getting information not just about the viability of the proposed changes to the hospital, but also whether there were any options Saddleback could consider to keep the facility open.

Much of the work of the committee will be researching the viability of the current hospital and seeking potential alternatives to the proposal, which includes razing the

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WHAT’S NEXT: Members of the committee, including Dr. Gus Gialamas, and Dr. Steve Cullen, an alternate, said the committee should ask Memorial Care to delay its decision on whether to go forward with the proposal until the end of 2015, to allow more time to research alternatives. Gialamas said the group had also reneged on promises to make economic investments in the hospital and to increase doctor recruiting efforts since it was purchased from a group of doctors.

The committee has two additional meetings scheduled at the San Clemente Community Center, located at 100 Calle Seville, on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. A fourth meeting may also be scheduled. City officials said Saddleback representatives should be at those meetings.

FIND OUT MORE: For more from the meeting, visit www.danapointtimes.com.

– Jim Shilander

Hospital Makes Case to Public THE LATEST: Saddleback Memorial Hospital—Dana Point’s closest hospital and emergency room—began making its case for its proposed changes to its San Clemente campus Thursday at an informational open house at San Clemente Presbyterian Church.

Although attendance may have been dampened by the crane accident that snarled Interstate 5 and side streets in Capistrano Beach and San Clemente at the time, hospital staff answered resident questions and tried to get its rationale behind the proposal out to the public.

CEO Steve Geidt said most of the questions he was asked focused on the loss of the emergency room, especially what (Cont. on page 5) www.danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP (Cont. from page 3) would happen in cases of heart attacks or strokes.

“We’re trying to do our best to talk about not just what we’re proposing to close, but also what we’re proposing to open,” Geidt said. “That takes a lot more imagination.”

Geidt said while the proposed advanced urgent care facility would not currently be able to take paramedic traffic, he said the facility would be open to receiving it if state rules were changed. A number of pilot projects are going on statewide to look at that possibility, including one in Huntington Beach.

Geidt said he was also emphasizing the level of care that was projected for the proposed urgent care center and that the

DP Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BY STEVE SOHANAKI

All information below is obtained from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department website. The calls represent what was told to the deputy in the field by the radio dispatcher.

The true nature of an incident often differs from what is initially reported. No assumption of criminal guilt or affiliation should be drawn from the content of the information provided. An arrest doesn’t represent guilt. The items below are just a sampling of the entries listed on the OCSD website.

SPONSORED BY

Dana Point Police Services www.HideitLockitOrLoseit.com

Monday, November 3 TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-NON INJURY Del Obispo Street/Stonehill Drive (8:58 p.m.) A driver told police that he crashed into a curb after being cut off by a silver Honda Civic.

CITIZEN ASSIST Calle Fortuna, 34700 Block (4:01 p.m.) A woman told police someone she was suing was harassing her on social media.

DISTURBANCE Ritz-Carlton Drive, 0 Block (6:20 a.m.) A caller from Pain Du Monde Café complained to police about a homeless man who has repeatedly been panhandling on the property and refuses to leave.

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY Mariner Drive, 23700 Block (12:12 a.m.) There were three or four people near the pool by the leasing office drinking and being loud.

Sunday, November 2 KEEP THE PEACE Park Lantern Street, 25100 Block (9:12 p.m.) A concerned caller at Laguna Cliffs Marriot requested police assistance when a guest at the front desk attempted to leave without paying his $1,400 room bill.

Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

proposal is “not a done deal.”

San Clemente residents David and Jo Ann Small were among the concerned citizens in attendance. The couple said they were of the opinion the current hospital was a good one for the area and were worried about the loss of the emergency room. They were especially concerned, they said, with the potential for additional wait time on the freeway, though they understood the issues the hospital faced with a lower patient population. The Smalls said a friend of theirs had been severely affected by a stroke as a result of not getting care in time.

WHAT’S NEXT: Additional open houses will be scheduled in the future. The hospital’s board is on track to decide on the proposal in March. – JS

DISTURBANCE Via Lopez, 34200 Block (9:04 p.m.) A caller told police her mom’s boyfriend was engaged in an argument with her 17-year-old brother.

DISTURBANCE Crown Valley Parkway, 32400 Block (7:46 p.m.) A man was “having dinner with two friends and not being loud,” and his neighbor started pounding on the door. The man told police he was refusing to answer his door because he had problems with this same neighbor in the past.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Del Obispo Street, 33800 Block (7:07 p.m.)

Four teenage boys wearing hoodies and “skater clothes” were being disrespectful to passersby.

DISTURBANCE Bridgeport Street, 0 Block (6:47 p.m.) A 14-year-old boy told police there were 15 other teenagers outside trying to pick a fight with him and friend.

DISTURBANCE Dana Point Harbor Drive/ Golden Lantern Street (4:06 p.m.) Three or four men were seen drinking and urinating at the picnic area past the Laguna Crest Resort.

vehicle and then ran off.

DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano/Victoria Boulevard (7:36 p.m.) A caller reported seeing a father abuse his child in his car before the child ran off and hid behind Smart & Final.

DISTURBANCE-FAMILY DISPUTE Acapulco Drive, 33100 Block (6:57 p.m.) A woman reported her husband and 16-year-old boy were involved in a physical altercation with each other. The fighting had stopped and the boy was in his bedroom at the time of the call.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Robles Drive, 33800 Block (6:16 p.m.) Male screaming was heard emanating from the back of a residence. The caller said the subject sounded “irrational, as if he is screaming at a football game.”

DISTURBANCE Camino El Molino, 34400 Block (3:43 p.m.) A caller told police his neighbors are chain smokers and the smoke from their residence is hurting his lungs.

Thursday, October 29

DISTURBANCE Pacific Coast Highway/Crown Valley Parkway (3:04 p.m.) People were seen throwing cantaloupes at passing vehicles.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Bright Water Drive, 0 Block (1:53 p.m.) Police attempted to contact a woman who was threatening to kill her husband with an illegal gun.

DISTURBANCE Via California/Via Lopez (10:43 p.m.) An Uber driver in a GMC SUV choked a passenger, got out of the

THE LATEST: Northbound Interstate 5 was at a near standstill for hours Thursday, Oct. 30 following an accident involving a large crane falling across the freeway near the Avenida Pico off-ramp just south of Dana Point.

The driver of the crane left the roadway and traveled onto the right shoulder, then veered back across traffic, hitting the concrete divider on the left side, which turned the vehicle over onto its side and blocking all four lanes and the center divider. The crane was being taken from a job site in San Diego County to Long Beach.

No vehicles were involved and the

DISTURBANCE Pacific Coast Highway, 34300 Block (2:21 p.m.) A caller told police he tried to talk to a man and a woman who were engaged in a verbal argument and the man spat on him.

DISTURBANCE Atun, 24000 Block (3:11 p.m.) Authorities received a complaint from a caller about a huge party with very loud speakers disrupting the entire neighborhood.

Friday, October 30

Crane Accident Backs Up Traffic on I-5

CITIZEN ASSIST Camino Capistrano, 35000 Block (9:53 p.m.) A woman needed help finding her car keys after she dropped them down a manhole and AAA refused to help her due to liability issues.

DISTURBANCE Calle Loma, 34800 Block (5:44 p.m.) A man informed police about an alarm going off all day at a house that was being fumigated. He was unable to contact the residents.

DISTURBANCE Puerto Place/Dana Point Harbor Drive (5:07 p.m.) An apparently homeless man wearing a yellow aloha

Page 5

driver, a 51-year-old Westminster man, was unhurt. Vehicles were directed onto the right shoulder and onto San Clemente’s surface streets. Traffic backed into San Diego County as a result of the crash and subsequent delays.

California Highway Patrol said the accident was reported at 3:09 p.m. Two cranes had to be brought to the scene to upright the toppled crane, along with several heavy duty haulers and support personnel.

The freeway was reopened at 4 a.m.

WHAT’S NEXT: An alternate northern route around San Clemente and past Dana Point, Avenida La Pata, is currently being extended to San Juan Capistrano. The project is slated for completion in the fall of 2016.– JS

shirt was seen hitting the picnic benches and fire pits with a big stick.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-UNKNOWN INJURIES Pacific Coast Highway/Del Obispo Street (3:49 p.m.)

A caller told police that a white Jeep ran a red light, hit a woman and then took off.

DISTURBANCE Pacific Coast Highway (1:58 p.m.) The manager of McDonald’s complained to police about two homeless men who were sleeping inside the store and refusing to leave.

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY Lapis Avenue, 0 Block (3:49 a.m.) Multiple drunken people were seen staggering around the neighborhood and leaving in vehicles.

DISTURBANCE Lapis Avenue, 0 Block (2:57 a.m.) There was a loud party at a residence in which a man was on the roof and another man was yelling at him not to jump.

Wednesday, October 28 DISTURBANCE Selva Road, 34100 Block (4:34 p.m.) The caller’s ex-girlfriend was outside of his residence trying to kick in the door.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Puerto Place, 34500 Block (1:16 p.m.) A brown sedan was parked at Baby Beach with two dogs inside. The caller suggested animal control may have been needed.

DISTURBANCE Pacific Coast Highway, 34200 Block (1:11 p.m.) A mother and her daughter were involved in a verbal argument at Coast Marketplace and the mother left her and refused to go back to pick her up.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Starboard Lantern Street, 0 Block (10:35 a.m.)

A caller said a man who appeared to be under the influence approached him and asked to use his phone and fax machine.

When the caller refused, the man said he worked for the FBI. www.danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

Dana Point Voters Make Their Choice

to working with them, as well as the two current councilmen, to maintain our city’s positive momentum and to move our city forward,” Viczorek said. “One of the best things about our city is that it is composed of citizens who love it deeply and are willing to donate their time, efforts and abilities to serve and improve it. I am eager to get to work on behalf of Dana Point.

Thank you for placing your trust in me.”

John Tomlinson was pulled away on out-of-town business shortly after getting the good news of his upcoming City Council term and couldn’t be reached for comment.

Muller, Tomlinson and Viczorek win City Council seats, roundup of other races

OTHER REGIONAL ELECTION RESULTS

BY ANDREA SWAYNE, DANA POINT TIMES

San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano City Councils to Welcome a Mix of Incumbents and Newcomers

D

ana Point voters have chosen three newcomers to local politics to fill the three open seats on City Council.

Attorney and Marine Corps Reserve Lt. Col. Richard Viczorek and property management business owners John Tomlinson and Joe Muller were the top three vote-getters out of nine non-incumbent candidates vying for three openings on the council.

They will join Councilmen Carlos Olvera and Scott Schoeffel, who each have two years left in their terms.

The three open seats are being vacated

by Mayor Lisa Bartlett, who was just elected to the Fifth District seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors; Councilman Bill Brough, who has been elected to the California Assembly 73rd District seat and Mayor Pro Tem Steven Weinberg, who is terming out.

Tomlinson was the night’s top votegetter with 2,450 votes, followed by Viczorek’s 2,386 votes and Muller, with 2,333.

Jody Payne and Alan Wickstrom were close behind, tying at 12.3 percent of the vote and a mere 10 votes apart at 2,268 to 2,258.

Nancy Jenkins, Harold Kaufman, Ryan Divel and Chuck Rathbone earned 2,104, 1,852, 1,450 and 1,267 votes, respectively.

At 8:05 p.m. when the mail-in vote was reported, less than 200 votes separated top candidate Tomlinson from then sixth-place Payne and the race appeared to be anybody’s game. Although there was movement among the candidates in the fourth, fifth and sixth positions during the night, the top three held true throughout.

Winners’ Priorities Include Business Growth, Problem Solving

Throughout their campaigns, and in their responses to questions which were part of the DP Times pre-election coverage, the newly-elected councilmen stressed a need to continue the forward momentum toward community development in Dana Point, maintaining and improving the city’s business friendliness and strengthening the local economy.

They agree the city has a history of Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

Dana Point voters cast their ballots on Tuesday at the Dana Hills High School polling place.

Photo: Andrea Swayne

being business friendly, but acknowledge that more can be done in order to attract new businesses and offer assistance to existing businesses, especially in the underserved areas of town, such as Capistrano Beach.

All three feel strongly about turning the attention now being paid to the Town Center/Lantern District and the Harbor toward Capistrano Beach businesses as expediently as possible by resuming the planning process for Doheny Village revitalization.

Muller expressed the need to focus on resident-serving business and strike a better balance between the needs of businesses and residents.

“We have a history of putting the residents before business,” Muller said. “What we need to keep in mind is some of our business owners are also residents. Their needs should be equally important.”

Streamlining the approval process in order to make opening a new business in the city more attractive to prospective business owners is also tops on their to-do lists for the upcoming term.

“Opening a new business in Dana Point should not be a drawn out process as long as the business conforms to existing zoning laws,” Tomlinson said. “Why punish someone who is investing their hard earned dollars in our community with needless delays and red tape? I will do whatever it takes to change the status quo and return common sense to the process.”

All three stressed a need to minimize regulations and keep fees and taxes low.

With regard to Town Center/Lantern District development, they see the Town Center Specific Plan and existing zoning regulations as a good guide for the area that should be followed as revitalization in the area moves forward.

“The Town Center Plan is the main ‘law’ concerning land use and development in that area,” Viczorek said. “Coming together as a community to develop the

Town Center plan was the best way to balance the competing interests of our city.

We should do the same for Doheny Village … always making sure to respect and take into account the various viewpoints of everyone throughout the city.”

The three also expressed support for the recently raised initiative to build a skatepark in Dana Point.

Muller pledged his support, as long as a site can be found that will not create negative impacts on residential neighborhoods, a sentiment shared by Tomlinson and Viczorek.

Tomlinson favors funding construction of a skatepark via private funding and donations or finding a private company to build and operate it. He is opposed to locating it in Sea Terrace Park.

Viczorek favors careful research into all related costs, including liability, before moving forward and also would like to explore private funding/operation for the project.

All are in favor of the direction the current City Council gave to city staff asking that other non-city-owned jurisdictions be explored as site options.

On Being Elected

Muller said he was both humbled and honored to have been chosen to serve on the council and thanked his supporters not only for their financial help, but also for their time, wisdom and direction.

“I will work hard to show the residents trust has not been misplaced,” he said.

“I will continue on the path the current council has set and promote the economic development we need to protect residents and taxpayers. Together we will shape Dana Point’s future.”

Viczorek also expressed gratitude to his supporters and the other candidates for their willingness to serve the community.

“I would also like to congratulate Joe Muller and John Tomlinson on their election to the city council. I look forward

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In San Clemente, voters returned Mayor Tim Brown and Councilwoman Lori Donchak to their second and third terms, respectively. The race was for the third council seat, which was won by Planning Commissioner Kathy Ward, who defeated former four-term councilmember Jim Dahl by 1,133 votes.

Donchak and Brown had been favored to return to their seats. Ward replaces one-term councilmember Jim Evert, who chose not to seek another term. Brown was the leading vote getter, with 7,537 votes to Donchak’s 6,609.

The city is entering an era of change, with an outlet center scheduled to be finished in late 2015 and construction of Avenida La Pata and reconstruction on Interstate 5 and the Avenida Pico interchange and voters largely chose familiar hands to shepherd it through that period.

The remaining contenders were Mikii Rathmann, who finished with 3,268 votes, Ricardo “Rick” Nicol with 2,793 and Fred Olsen with 2,095.

San Juan residents voted for a change in City Hall, ousting council incumbents Larry Kramer and John Taylor from their seats. Voters chose to reelect Councilman Derek Reeve and welcome two newcomers to the dais—Pam Patterson and Kerry Ferguson.

Patterson, an attorney and businesswoman, claimed the first council seat with 3,334 votes, or about 17.8 percent of the vote. Reeve was reelected with 3,152 votes and Ferguson, an educator and businesswoman, took the final seat with 2,802 votes. Both are considered allies of Reeve and the three ran as a trio.

Former council members Larry Kramer and John Taylor fell below Ferguson with 2,139 votes and 1,963 votes, respectively, and architect Robert Williams trailed closely behind with 1,960 votes. Newcomers Jan Siegel and Stephanie Frisch received 1,621 and 1,489 votes. Despite bowing out of the council race in September, Greg Acho received 224 votes.

South Coast Water District

In the South Coast Water District race, www.danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

Dana Point City Councilman Bill Brough celebrated his election to the 73rd District State Assembly seat with supporters on Election Night at Brio Tuscany Grille. Photo: Alan Gibby

newcomers William “Bill” Green and Dennis Erdman won the two open director’s seats—Green with 36.2 percent of the vote and Erdman with 21.3 percent.

Incumbent Bob Moore finished with 15.5 percent, Richard Gardner with 14.3 percent and Norm Denton with 12.8 percent.

Capo Unified Children First Candidates Win One of two incumbents seeking reelection to the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees will return to office, with 52 percent of the vote.

Lynn Hatton will once again serve as Area 6 trustee, a region that includes Mission Viejo, on the seven member board beating out challenger Julie Collier by less than 500 votes.

In the race for San Juan Capistrano’s Area 6 representation, Gila Jones beat out incumbent Ellen M. Addonizio, the last of the “ABC” trustees first elected in 2006.

With 29 of 29 precincts reporting in the race, Jones tallied 59 percent of the vote to Addonizio’s 41 percent.

Area 4 candidate Martha McNicholas took an early lead when mail-in ballot numbers were released at 8:05 p.m.—a lead she held until the end. McNicholas took 57 percent of the vote, topping opponent Craig Alexander who had 42 percent.

The incumbent, Anna Bryson chose not to seek reelection for the area seat that represents a portion of Dana Point.

McNicholas, Jones and Hatton are each endorsed by the Capistrano Unified Children First group that also supports board members John Alpay and Gary Pritchard.

They, along with Amy Hanacek and Jim Reardon, the lone remaining “reform” trustee, were not up for reelection.

Kashkari Concedes to Brown in Gubernatorial Race

The earliest polling results posted Tuesday night showed Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown with a substantial lead over his GOP challenger Neel Kashkari.

As of 9 p.m., Kashkari conceded to Brown before a crowd at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa where he Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

congratulated the unprecedented fourterm governor. During his concession speech, Kashkari urged Brown to utilize his last four years in office to “be the boldest governor in California history” and told supporters that he was “just getting warmed up.”

The 76-year-old’s victory was accompanied by the reelection of two fellow Democrats: Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris.

While Brown will serve a fourth term as governor, Orange County voters overwhelmingly voted against him. County figures from all 1863 precincts show local voters supported Kashkari with 56 percent of the vote to Brown’s 43 percent, or 255,230 votes to 197,124, respectively.

Orange County Republicans Take State Races

Three south Orange County Republican politicians with ties to Dana Point took early commanding leads in their races for higher office and didn’t let up.

Patricia Bates, current Orange County Supervisor for the 5th District, registered 66 percent of the vote against Democrat Gary Kephart in the state Senate 36th District race.

Bates’ seat was being contested by Lisa Bartlett, mayor of Dana Point, and Robert Ming, a Laguna Niguel councilman. With all 438 of district precincts reporting, Bartlett notched a commanding victory with 54.9 percent of the vote.

In the state Board of Equalization 4th District race, Diane Harkey tallied 773,438 votes, or 62 percent of votes cast, to contender Nader Shahatit’s 473,128 votes.

Harkey currently serves as assemblywoman for the 73rd District, a contest that saw Dana Point City Councilman Bill Brough take down lawyer and college professor Wendy Gabriella, with 68 percent of the vote. Brough, who worked on Harkey’s staff, will take over his former boss’ seat, one that was held by Bates for three terms in the late ’90s and early 2000s. DP —Andrea Papagianis, Jim Shilander, Allison Jarrell and Jacqueline DeMarco contributed to this report.

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EYE ON DP

NEWS BITES COMPILED BY ANDREA SWAYNE

Friends of the DP Library to Hold Annual Pre-holiday Book Sale From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, the Friends of the Dana Point Library will be hosting their annual pre-Christmas book sale.

Books, games, puzzles, DVDs, Christmas cards and more will be on sale in the Community Room at the Dana Point Library, 33841 Niguel Road.

Refreshments will be served.

The Friends of the Dana Point Library the all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that runs a book store, stocked with do-

nated books, at the library.

Proceeds from Friends book sales are used by the library to purchase new books, furnishings, programs, and helped to pay for newly installed skylights in the library.

For more information, call 949.489.3956 or log on to www.friendsdanapoint.org.

Common Core Informational Meeting Set for Nov. 10 A panel discussion with critics of the Common Core titled, “Common Core: Confronting the Reality,” will be held Monday, Nov. 10, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Capistrano Unified School District Trustees’ Meeting Hall, 33122 Valle Road in San Juan Capistrano.

The event is underwritten by American Principles Project, Pioneer Institute for

Public Policy Research who are billing it as “the most knowledgeable, but easily understood set of critics of the Common Core that you will ever hear.”

Panelists will be James Milgram, Stanford Math Professor (emeritus); Sandra Stotsky, former top Massachusetts K-12 education official; Bill Evers, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education; Ze’ev Wurman, former senior advisor U.S. Department of Education and Emmett McGroarty of American Principles Project.

The event is free and open to the public but attendees must present an admission ticket. Tickets are available online at www. eventbrite.com/e/common-core-confronting-the-reality-tickets-13863551255.

Have something interesting for the community? Tell us about awards, events, happenings, accomplishments and more. We’ll put your submissions into “News Bites.” Send your information to editorial@danapointtimes.com.

News Next Door COMPILED BY JIM SHILANDER

DRIVER CRASHES INTO COFFEE SHOP

SAN CLEMENTE WOMAN KILLED IN MISSION VIEJO MURDER SUICIDE A San Clemente woman was killed Friday, Oct. 31, by her estranged husband at an apartment complex in Mission Viejo, the second woman from the city in less than a Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Planning Commission Meeting 6 p.m.

Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo Street, www.danapoint.org.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Veterans Day City offices closed.

Veterans Day Service 10 a.m. Dana

Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 9934 and Ladies Auxiliary and the City of Dana Point recognize all Veterans for their service and sacrifices to America.

Strand Vista Park, 34201 Selva Road, 949.248.7696, www.vfwpost9934.org.

Veterans Assistance 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.

On the second Tuesday of every month, Dana Point VFW Post 9934 provides free Veterans assistance at the Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo Ave., 949.275.3142, rfnamevet@ gmail.com, www.vfwpost9934.org.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNS

A driver crashed into Kaylani Coffee on El Camino Real and fled the scene in the early morning hours Tuesday.

Kaylani owner Hank Choi said he received a call from his alarm company at around 1:30 a.m. that a window had broken. When he checked to see what had happened, it was much worse. A driver apparently lost control and hit the sign for both Kaylani Coffee and Flowers and Friends around the curve where El Camino Real begins to move through San Clemente, before crashing into the south wing of the coffee shop.

“I thought it might have been someone jiggling the door or something,” Choi said of his initial thought on receiving the phone call. When he arrived and the car was still in the building, he knew differently.

The driver then apparently ran off, leaving the car, in the building. As of Tuesday morning, no arrest had been made. Police towed the vehicle, a silver Toyota 4-Runner out earlier Tuesday. San Clemente Chief of Police Services, Lt. David Moodie, said the investigation is ongoing and there are leads. No one was injured.

Community Meetings

Dana Harbor Toastmasters 7 p.m.-8:30

p.m. Fine tune your public speaking skills each Tuesday. Capo Beach Church, 25975 Domingo Ave., 949.492.7181, www.1707.toastmastersclubs.org.

South Orange County Toastmasters Meeting 7 p.m.-8:40 p.m. Practice

becoming a more confident communicator. Occurs every Tuesday. Dana Point Community House, 24642 San Juan Ave., 949.280.9777, 3944816.toastmastersclubs.org.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club A driver collided with the Kaylani Coffee building on El Camino Real in the early morning hours Tuesday.

The driver ran off on foot after crashing the vehicle. Photo: Jim Shilander

week to be killed by her estranged husband.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department offices investigators responded to reports of a shooting at the Camden Apartment complex located at 26871 La Alameda at approximately 8:36 p.m., according to a Sheriff’s Department press release. Police discovered the bodies of an adult male and female in the parking area of the complex.

The woman was identified as Linda Sachs Gimbel, 44, of San Clemente. The man was identified as Scott Gimbel of Mission Viejo.

The bodies were discovered outside of Sachs Gimbel’s vehicle. Following the preliminary investigation and evidence Page 8

collected at the scene, the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide.

Investigators believe that during the course of a child-custody exchange, Scott shot and killed Linda with a handgun, before turning the weapon on himself.

The Gimbel’s two children, a 13-year-old daughter and 7-year-old boy, were present but were not injured during the incident.

The handgun believed to be used in the shootings was recovered at the scene.

Cynthia Rosier of San Clemente was killed by her estranged husband, John Dillard, at Bliss Boutique, the Avenida Del Mar shop owned by Rosier on Saturday, Oct. 25. Dillard also killed himself.

7 a.m.–8:30 a.m. Join members of the volunteer-centered club for breakfast and a meeting each Wednesday at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, 25135 Park Lantern, www.monarchbeachrotary.com.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 AND 14

Quarterly Siren Testing Four times a year, each of the city’s sirens is activated individually for a few seconds. The test is completed in each city on a different day, so this short test may be heard in one location for several days. This is only a test. Please do not call 911 unless you have a life-threatening emergency.

949.248.3579, www.danapoint.org/ siren. www.danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

Nancy Tallman, Janet Cook-O’Connor and Ben Gourion Mestman volunteered on Election Day at Dana Point Fire Station 30. Photo: Jacqueline DeMarco

Patriotism at Work

Local poll workers show dedication to democracy as Election Day volunteers

BY JACQUELINE DEMARCO, DANA POINT TIMES

V

olunteers play an integral part in the election process, and although every polling place in Dana Point on Election Day Nov. 4 was covered, this year manning the city’s 14 locations was more of a challenge than usual, volunteers said. They also shared their patriotism and pride for our country as top reasons for choosing to serve as poll workers.

This year was particularly challenging to find volunteers, said John C. Smith, who has been volunteering for 16 years.

“I do this because it is a public service,” Smith said. “If nobody does this, then the election process fails. This year they had a hard time finding people to work the polls.”

Volunteers not only volunteer their time the day of, they attend trainings, provide polling locations, pick up supplies and set up locations. Lana Bernstein, a volunteer since 2002, helped out again this year.

“If we don’t have volunteers, it makes it difficult to come and vote,” Bernstein said. “And we want to exercise our right to vote.”

Any registered voter in the state of California, who is not on parole for a felony conviction or a registered sex offender, can volunteer. Students who are 16 or 17 can also volunteer as a part of the student program.

“It’s giving back to the community,” said Randy Deguzman, a second year volunteer. “I want to be a proud American citizen after emigrating from the PhilipPage 9

pines.”

Janet Cook-O’Connor, a two-time volunteer, was inspired by her mother to work at the polls.

“Well I just feel it’s our right as Americans to do this,” Cook-O’Connor said.

“We have the privilege and freedom to do this. Many other people in the world are denied a free election. My mom did this for a number of years while I was in high school and that was my example. “ Recruiting volunteers is a year-round effort, according to Orange County Registrar’s Office officials. A popular day to attract new help is Election Day. Voters arriving at the polls are offered an opportunity to sign up on the spot for upcoming elections.

After casting her votes Tuesday afternoon, Rita Lapple signed up as a future volunteer. Her patriotism is what inspired her to make the decision, she said.

“I am an American and I love this country and I want to do anything I can to preserve it,” Lapple said, adding that coming to vote at a polling place in person is her preferred method of voting. “One time we voted by absentee and we found out they don’t have an actual count of the absentee ballots until three weeks later and I don’t like it. (Voting at the polls) makes me feel me feel proud to be an American and that’s what every responsible citizen should do.”

For more information about volunteering see www.ocvote.com/volunteer/ volunteer-info. DP www.danapointtimes.com

DP SOAPBOX Dana Point

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

Letters to the Editor CAPO CARES: ABOUT PROLIFERATION OF RECOVERY HOMES BRYAN NOAKES, Capistrano Beach

One of the nicest things about living in Capistrano Beach is that it’s a laid-back community where people are friendly, neighbors attend each other’s parties and kids play together. People pretty much mind their own business and don’t interfere with each other’s lives. There are few homeowners’ associations, no master association or active community groups and, unfortunately until now, no way to alert each other that the neighborhood is changing—fast!

In the past few years, sober living homes have proliferated along the Orange County coast for people who have completed an in-patient treatment program and are spending a month or longer in such a transitional home before returning to “real life.” The appealing beach location enables operators to command pretty exorbitant monthly rents from those recovering from drug and/or alcohol abuse.

In fact, Dana Point, and more especially Capistrano Beach, are “considered by many to be the number one recovery community in the world” according to one facility’s website.

There are several reasons such homes are proliferating: Addicts are protected against discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In California,

The Camino de Estrella gateway to Capo Beach.

Photo: Allison Jarrell

state law permits the location of homes with six or fewer clients with largely no oversight other than codes that apply to any single-family residence. Following passage of a strong ordinance in Newport Beach, which is being challenged in court, many operators fled to more relaxed locations, such as Dana Point and Capistrano Beach.

As of this writing, there are 14 recovery homes and two half-way houses (for those who have been recently released from incarceration) in Capo Beach’s tiny area – just a little over 2 square miles—and at least 10 more houses we suspect may also be recovery homes. They are designated for men or women, and residents occupy beds for 30-, 60-, 90-day or longer periods.

In my neighborhood alone, there are five such homes within half a square mile, some right next door to each other. The homes are also appearing throughout Dana Point.

While we applaud the efforts of any individual to get sober or wean off addictive drugs, the location of so many homes in a small neighborhood can drastically change the residential environment. The extra traffic from visitors; the cigarette smoke and foul language that often waft over backyard fences; the activity of such a large household of unrelated people; and the possible need for medical or police intervention, add a whole new dimension to the neighborhood you thought you lived in.

Residents throughout the community are becoming concerned about this situation. We encourage you to attend the Dana Point City Council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, where we will be urgently seeking help from the council. Please show your support for your neighbors and your concern that the next recovery home could open—right next door to you.

As a member of Capo Cares—the Capistrano Beach neighborhood enhancement committee—I encourage you to contact us at capocares@gmail.com with questions, concerns or more information.

Also, please “like” our Facebook page at Facebook.com/capocares.

To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@danapointtimes.com or send it to 34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624. Dana Point Times reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers.

34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 www.danapointtimes.com

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Andrea Swayne, 949.388.7700, x113 aswayne@danapointtimes.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Lauralyn Loynes, 949.388.7700, x102 lloynes@danapointtimes.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, x107 tzines@danapointtimes.com BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER Alyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@danapointtimes.com

PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

> Susie Lantz (San Clemente)

EDITORIAL

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Picket Fence Media Group Senior Editor, City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Swayne

Real Estate Sales Manager > Michele Reddick

City Editor, SC Times > Jim Shilander City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Allison Jarrell Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale Special Projects Editor, > Andrea Papagianis

GUEST OPINION: Straight Talk by Al Jacobs

We Picked the Wrong Mob

T

he kickoff of “Arab Spring”—a term popularized by the western media— commenced December 18, 2010, as waves of revolutionary activity began to spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Since then a number of longtime rulers were forced from power, most prominently Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen, with Bashar al-Assad of Syria fighting to retain his position. Add to the mix the continuing conflict going on in Iraq since the United States ended the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003.

Who or what has replaced those aging dictators? We might have hoped for representative governments which truly serve its citizens by promoting economic fairness and social justice, but no such luck. Power flows to the groups with the muscle, which include among others,

Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

ART/DESIGN Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith

Hamas, Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, Fatah, Taliban and most recently Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). All are hostile to traditional western values, proclaim fundamentalism under the pretext of STRAIGHT TALK imposing Shania Law, and

By Al Jacobs are actively engaged in the slaughter of Christians, Jews and fellow Muslims. It appears the Shia-Sunni controversy over Muhammad’s successor, dating back to the seventh century ad, rages on.

Let me share a thought. I didn’t admire the old despots: Mubarak, Gaddafi, Saleh, Hussein—you may add Bashar’s father, Hafez al-Assad, as well as Iran’s Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to the list. All were opportunistic secularists who merely milked their positions for fun and profit.

Page 10

Nonetheless, as corrupt as they were, they exercised discretion in how they offended the western world, and particularly the United States. Specifically, we didn’t witness public beheadings of our citizens.

I’ll sum it up: Our government erred in its support of Islamic reform. We should have backed the tyrants in power. Hamlet said it well: Better to “. . . bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of.”

Al Jacobs, a longtime Dana Point resident and a professional investor for nearly a half century, distributes a monthly newsletter in which he shares financial knowledge and experience. It is available at www. onthemoneytrail.com. DP

ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING PICKET FENCE MEDIA Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes (Dana Point)

OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed Business Operations Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, Jonathan Volzke CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Jacqueline DeMarco, Catherine Manso, Dana Schnell, Steve Sohanaki, Tim Trent

Dana Point Times, Vol. 7, Issue 45. The DP Times (www. danapointtimes.com) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the SC Times (www.sanclementetimes. com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (www.thecapistranodispatch.com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

FOLLOW THE DANA POINT T IMES

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the DP Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the DP Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@danapointtimes.com

www.danapointtimes.com

DP GETTING OUT Dana Point

‘Nightcrawler’ Creeps to the Top

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

The List

What’s going on in and around town this week COMPILED BY STAFF

Friday | 07 MIKE HAMILTON 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Enjoy music at Salt Creek Grille with guitarist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Hamilton.

32802 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, 949.661.7799, www.mikehamiltonmusic.com.

NITRO EXPRESS 8:30 p.m. Live music at The Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188.

Saturday | 08 DANA POINT FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Seasonal produce, flowers and much more at La Plaza Park each Saturday. 949.248.3500, www.danapoint.org.

SECOND SATURDAY ART & ANTIQUE FAIR 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Peruse art, crafts and antiques at this monthly fair in historic, downtown San Juan Capistrano. Vendors set up throughout downtown and along Los Rios Street. Call the Chamber of Commerce for more information. 949.493.4700, www.sanjuanchamber.com.

HANDMADE: A MAKER’S MARKET 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Celebrate the local artisanal community as some of the region’s best emerging artists showcase their crafts, from custom furniture and apparel to wildflower arrangements. Free. The Ecology

M

ovie fanatics may strongly suspect Nightcrawler writer/director Dan Gilroy’s inspiration for the film came to him post-double feature screening of Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy and Nicolas Refn’s Drive. The screenwriter’s first effort behind the camera is the project he’s been waiting for and a career turnaround for lead Jake Gyllenhaal. Nightcrawler, not to be mistaken as an X-men spin-off, is one of the creepiest, but essential thrillers of 2014.

Set primarily at night all over Los Angeles, a man named Louis Bloom (Gyllenhaal) has an obsession with succeeding in life, no matter the means or medium. When he discovers a demand for freelance camera work by nighttime television news outlets, Louis finds his calling. He follows an older cameraman, Joe (Bill Paxton), hires homeless assistant Rick (Riz Ahmed) and convinces TV news director Nina (Rene Russo) to air his footage. Very quickly the lines between ethics and honesty become blurred as Louis makes a reputation for himself.

Nightcrawler was released on Halloween, fittingly, with the dark atmosphere and tone, not to mention Gyllenhaal’s “freakiness.” The casting of Paxton and Russo, along with a ’80s inspired score, brings a

Center, 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano. For more info, call 949.443.4223 or visit www.theecologycenter.org.

DOG DAY AFTERNOON LUNCHEON 11:30 a.m. L’Hirondelle restaurant hosts a luncheon fundraiser on the patio to benefit the Ark of San Juan Companion Animal Rescue. Event includes a three-course meal, wine, live musical entertainment, live and silent auction and an opportunity drawing. Tickets $50 per person. Wellbehaved dogs on leash are welcome. Dog treats will be provided. 31631 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.388.0034, www.arkofsanjuan.org.

SAN CLEMENTE MARCHING BAND INVITATIONAL 2 p.m. San Clemente hosts 16 bands from Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties for a marching band competition. Concessions available. Tickets $10, children under 6 are free. Thalassa Stadium, 700 Avenida Pico, www.sctritons.com.

MIKE WALLACE 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Live music at Salt Creek Grille. 32802 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, 949.661.7799, www.saltcreekgrille.com.

RICO BROWN 7:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Live music at Harpoon Henry’s. 34555 Golden Lantern St, Dana Point, 949.493.2933, www.windandsearestaurants.com/harpoonhenrys.

Monday | 10 HELP WITH ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, STRESS, ANGER 10:45 a.m. Recovery International provides help with gaining control over distressing emotions and tools to improve coping

skills. Meetings held every Monday.

Donation requested but not required.

El Toro Library, 24672 Raymond Way, Lake Forest, 949.380.0809, www.lowselfhelpsystems.org.

COUNTRY DANCING 6:30 p.m. Country dancing with DJ Patrick at The Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188.

Tuesday | 11 VETERAN’S DAY SERVICE 10 a.m. The Dana Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9934 and Ladies Auxiliary and the City of Dana Point will recognize all Veterans for their sacrifices and service to America. Strand Vista Park, 34201 Selva Road Dana Point, 949.248.7696, www.vfwpost9934.org.

HALF-PRICED WHALE WATCHING 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Hop onboard this two-hour cruise to see dolphins, whales and other marine life in the wild. $22.50. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.5794, www.danawharf.com.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12: BILINGUAL FAMILY STORYTIME 11:30 a.m. Bring the entire family for stories and rhymes in both English and Spanish at the Michael Graves-designed San Juan Capistrano Library. All ages are welcome.

No registration is required. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org/libloc/sjc.

Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

OPEN MIC NIGHT 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Open mic night every Tuesday at the Point restaurant. Children from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. and adults from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. 34085 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, 949.464.5700, www.thepointrestaurantandbar.com.

Page 19

Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom and Riz Ahmed as Rick in Nightcrawler. Photo: Chuck Zlotnick/ Open Road Films

retro feel to the film, reminiscent of 1980s thrillers. Gyllenhaal, who lost an alarming 25 pounds to fit the desperation of his character, has added another great performance to his portfolio, alongside Donnie Darko and Brokeback Mountain. Gilroy’s steady character study and dedication to stellar cinematography keeps viewers transfixed throughout the picture.

—Megan Bianco

Wednesday | 12 CAPO BEACH FARMERS MARKET 3 p.m.–7 p.m. Visit the area’s latest weekly market where locally-grown, organic produce and regional artisans are featured.

Capo Beach Church, 25975 Domingo Ave., 949.573.5033, www.danapoint.org.

Thursday | 13 CRIMES OF THE HEART 7 p.m. The South Orange County School of the Arts presents their fall play, “Crimes of the Heart,” Nov. 13, 14 and 15. The play is a Southern gothic comedy where three bizarre yet charming sisters face problems but find happiness and meaning in life.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. Porthole Theater, Dana Hills High School, 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, www.socsarts.org.

EDITOR’S PICK

GONE COUNTRY 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Country music and dancing every Thursday at the Point. 34085 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, 949.464.5700, www.thepointrestrauntandbar.com.

For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.danapointtimes.com.

Have an event? Send your listing to events@danapointtimes.com

www.danapointtimes.com

DP DP LIVING Dana Point

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

GUEST OPINION: It’s History by Carlos N. Olvera

Thunderbird Ceremonial Grounds

L

ocated on the east side of Golden Lantern, just north of the entrance to Marinita Townhomes at Ocean Spray, there is a bronze plaque mounted on a brick pillar. The plaque reads “Thunderbird Ceremonial Grounds.” In March 1981, an announcement was made of the future opening of the Marinita Townhomes in Dana Point. The development was to include 118 condominiums built in a Cape Cod style on 36 acres with 60 percent remaining as open space. During the project’s development it was recognized that the grounds at the top edge of a canyon were once a ceremonial area for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation.

The Acjachemen land IT’S HISTORY area encompassed much Carlos N. Olvera of this local area down south to Las Pulgas and as far north as Aliso Creek. The largest concentration lived in the area where the Spanish built the San Juan Capistrano Mission. In 1982 the group filed for federal recognition as a tribe. The group was recognized as a specific tribe by the State of California in 1993, yet their federal application was

The site of a Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation is now a pocket park at the entrance to a townhome community. Photo: Allison Jarrell

denied in 2011. However, an appeal was made and as of Dec. 2013, it was being reconsidered.

When this development was in the approval process in March 1979, 14 acres of the project became a focal point between the developer and the small group of “obscure” Indians. Members of this tribe had been declared extinct and given little respect for over 100 years. So when a dispute came up about a settlement that existed long before the Spanish arrived, it was hard to discuss the past when the present did not allow it to exist.

The Orange County Planning Commission approved the permits and the tentative tract maps. However two appeals were filed, one by the neighboring Thunderbird tract over excessive grading and the other

by a Capistrano Beach resident for ignoring the cultural importance of the site.

Also presented were several letters from individuals and county agencies requesting total preservation of the site. Although the Board of Supervisors approved the permits, discussions continued to try and relocate a feature found there and described as a “rough oval about 3 feet by 6 feet, made up of about 400 cobble stones.”

The area was the site of a ceremonial puberty pit, one of a kind at the time in Southern California.

Puberty pits were constructed for the ceremony of young girls to prepare them for matrimony. It was a fiesta. In the pit a fire was built on top of the rocks, the coals were removed and lined with green foliage and herbs. The girls then were wrapped in a blanket and laid on the vegetation and steam would rise up around them.

They would remain there for several days being tended by the older women. It was believed that the sweating and the steam would carry away bad spirits. This ritual was described as recently as 1889 and unique to Southern California.

The advocates of this discovered pit

wanted to preserve the 14-acre site as a county park while others were willing to relocate the artifacts. The stones found on the site had been cracked by the heat.

They were discovered during an archeological dig as part of the required Environmental Impact Report for the project’s development. The age of the site could not be determined.

In the end, the developer did construct a small park. You may walk down a short winding path to a flat area where benches are available. The relicts were removed to an unreported location. The plaque was installed by the Dana Point Historical Society. It is now a respite for those who wish to reflect on the past, its history and cultures of the area. The rest of the area may change, but this quiet, unused, little “park” will remain the same for now.

Carlos N. Olvera is vice chairman of the Orange County Historical Commission and a Dana Point City Councilman. DP PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the DP Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the DP Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@danapointtimes.com

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR Last week’s solution:

A plaque that reads “Thunderbird Ceremonial Grounds” marks the site as an Acjachemen ceremonial ground and tells the story of the rituals once performed there. Photo: Carlos N. Olvera

Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium Page 20

See today’s solution in next week’s issue.

www.danapointtimes.com

DP LOCALS ONLY BUSINESS LISTINGS

DSaan n Cl a em Poenintet

AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

Oasis Air Conditioning & Heating 31648 Rancho Viejo Rd. Ste. A, 949.420.1321, www.oasisair.com

ARCHITECTURE - PLANNING

Nona AssociatesRaymond J. Nona A.I.A

26901 Camino de Estrella, 949.496.2275, www.raynona.com

AUTO REPAIR

Dana Point Auto

34342 Coast Hwy., Unit B, 949.496.1086

CAFE - DELI

Coffee Importers Espresso Bar

34531 Golden Lantern, 949.493.7773, www.coffeeimporters.com

COFFEE SHOP

Coffee Importers Espresso Bar

34531 Golden Lantern, 949.493.7773, www.coffeeimporters.com

DANCE/FITNESS

Club Salsa Dance Studio

34202 Camino Capistrano Capistrano Beach, 949.230.0543, www.clubsalsadance.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

IMAGES/Creative Solutions

117 Del Gado Road, 949.366.2488, www.imgs.com

ICE CREAM

Coffee Importers Scoop Deck

34531 Golden Lantern, 949.493.7773, www.coffeeimporters.com

INSURANCE SERVICES

Patricia Powers

24551 Del Prado, Ste. 364, 949.496.1900, pat.powers@cox.net

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

YOUR BUSINESS HERE! Sign up to be featured as our monthly Locals Only Business Spotlight for only $100!

PET GROOMING

Dawgy Style

34085 Pacific Coast Hwy, Unit 112, 949.496.3315, www.alphadoggroomshop.com

PLUMBING

Chick’s Plumbing

949.496.9731, www.chicks-plumbing.com

POOL SERVICE & REPAIR

Palisades Pool Service & Repair

Locals Only Buisness Listings

LIST LOCALS ONLY

USE

949.542.7232, allenesommo@cox.net

State Farm/Ted Bowersox

Write-up of 50 words with logo.

Four weeks in print and online.

Corinne Rupert PhD, PsyD, MFT

LOCALS ONLY

Statefarm/Elaine LaVine

Contact Debra Wells at 949.589.0892 or email dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

REAL ESTATE - RESIDENTIAL

In print and online 52 weeks a year.

34085 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. 204, 949.661.3200, www.tedbowersox.com 34080 Golden Lantern, 949.240.8944, www.elainelavine.net

LANDSCAPING

Organics Out Back

449 Avenida Crespi, 949.354.2258, www.organicsoutback.com

LOCKSMITH

Dana Point Lock & Security

949.496.6916, www.danapointlock.com

MUSIC INSTRUCTION

Danman’s Music School

24699 Del Prado, 949.496.6556, www.danmans.com

Kenny’s Music & Guitars

24731 La Plaza, 949.661.3984, www.kennysmusicstore.com

PSYCHOTHERAPY 33971 Selva Rd. Ste. 125, 949.488.2648, www.danapointpsychotherapy.com

Dream Team Properties, Mike Rosenberg, Broker 949.481.1788, www.FindMyOCHome.com

UPHOLSTERY

Jeddy’s Yacht & Home Interiors

34118 Pacific Coast Hwy, 949.240.9569 www.jeddys.com

View online at www.danapointtimes.com Call at Debra Wells for pricing at 949.589.0892 or email dwells@ thecapistranodispatch.com

DP BUSINESS DIRECTORY

DSaan n Cl a em Poenintet

CLASSIFIEDS

Submit your classified ad online at www.danapointtimes.com FITNESS EQUIPMENT PILATES REFORMER Black Aero pilates reformer. Folds up for easy storage. Great workout at home. $175.

949.533.9761

GARAGE SALES GARAGE SALE/CRAFT SALE 33182 Ocean Hill Dr, Dana Point Ca, Misc. furniture, home goods, clothing, some toys, Newly painted and homemade craft items.

Good time to buy for gifts. Saturday, 11/8/14, 8 to 2 pm

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE! E-mail your garage sale to classifieds@danapointtimes.com Deadline 5 p.m. Monday. No phone calls please.

HELP WANTED SURFSIDE TAXI-DRIVERS WANTED Make daily money, average weekly money $600-$800. Drive for the best taxi company in town. We have airport business,local hotels and restaurants!! Call Rob 949-226-9122

SERVICES LOCAL HOUSEKEEPER OR OFFICE CLEANING Reliable, affordable, meticulous.

Excellent references. 949-573-8733

Do you want to reach 10,000+ people in the Dana Point area every week?

Then you need to be in the Dana Point Times. Call us today!

949.388.7700 ext. 102

Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

Page 23

www.danapointtimes.com

DP SPORTS & OUTDOORS Dana Point

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Scoreboard DANA POINT TIMES

WATER POLO

The Orange County Water Polo Club 14U TYR Team will compete in the 2014 TYR Champions Cup tournament in Dallas, Tex. from Nov. 7-9.

The team, which is made up of players from Dana Point and surrounding cities, qualified for the prestigious tournament by placing in the top-2 of their zone qualifying tournament on Oct. 6.

The 14U TYR Team includes: James Stanton, Will Clark, Kaden Likens, Ty Matson and Colton Gregory, Greg Farrier, Preston Sanders, Ryan Farrier, Adam Engelke, Kai Cameron, Alex Lunt, Grayson Wallett, Adler Zachary, Justin Edwards and Marshall Eichenauer. The team is coached by Justin Kroeze and Peter Asic.

The Orange County Water Polo Club 14U TYR Team will play in the TYR Champions Cup Nov. 7-9.

Courtesy photo

Dolphin Report For in-game updates, news and scores for all of the Dana Hills fall sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports.

Dolphins Defeat Tritons in OT for League Title

Dana Point Times November 7–13, 2014

For the first time in program history, the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area will be offering a youth basketball league for children ages 6-7.

For 32 years, the club has been offering leagues for players ranging from ages 8-18.

For the boys and girls 6-7 age division, the league has invested in shorter rims and lighter weight basketballs. Division age will be the child’s age as of Dec. 2, 2014. Cost is $95 for non-members, which includes the $30 membership fee, and $65 for current members.

Sign-ups for all of the club’s leagues will take place Saturday, Dec. 6 at the club, located at 1304 Calle Valle.

WE WANT TO RUN YOUR SCORES, RESULTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS IN “SCOREBOARD.” E-mail sports@danapointtimes.com, fax 949.388.9977, mail or drop off the info to us at 34932 Calle del Sol, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 by each Monday at 5 p.m.

The Dolphins singles players recorded only two points, but the three doubles teams secured all nine possible points, giving Dana Hills an 11-7 victory in the first round.

Dana Hills will travel to play Los Alamitos, the No. 1 team out of the Sunset League, in the tournament’s second round on Nov. 7.

Against JSerra, all of the Dana Hills doubles teams were successful, but the duo of Ayla Fresenius and Jacklyn Melkonian was perfect. Paired together, Fresenius and Melkonian never dropped a game and recorded three straight-set shutouts.

Senior Gressa Foley won two out of three singles points against JSerra.

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, DANA POINT TIMES

It took six minutes of overtime to decide the South Coast League boys water polo champion on Nov. 4 at Dana Hills High School and for the third consecutive year, it was the Dolphins who were celebrating in the pool after a narrow 17-15 victory over San Clemente.

For most of the night it looked like the Dolphins would breeze their way past the visiting Tritons as Dana Hills held a 12-6 edge heading into the fourth quarter.

But San Clemente (15-12, 4-2 league) came roaring back, outscoring the Dolphins 7-1 in the final quarter to force overtime.

The Dolphins (16-10, 7-0), who had led all night, saw their lead melt away in the final minutes and gave up a controversial gametying goal with seconds left in regulation.

Trailing 13-12 with 11 seconds left, San Clemente senior Chase Hamming was looking to score and was fouled. Instead of stopping at the whistle, the game clock continued to run and Hamming forced a pass to Colton Hamming, who put the ball in the net as the clock expired. The offi-

BASKETBALL

Dana Hills High School football players had a pre-game meal with military veterans before their Honor the Valor game. Photo: Tony Tribolet/www.xpsphoto.com

Dolphins Football Honors Veterans in Final Home Game

cials waved off the goal, prompting Tritons head coach Marc Parker to plead his case that there should have been more time.

The officials ruled there was a correctable error and gave San Clemente the ball with three seconds left on the clock.

Chase Hamming lobbed in a shot, which was redirected into the net by Colton Hamming to tie the game 13-13.

In overtime Dolphins’ senior Casey Burns took over, scoring two goals and notching an assist. Dana Hills junior Bennett Williams scored on a backhand shot to put Dana Hills up 16-15 and Burns scored two minutes later to seal the win. “(Burns) hasn’t been one of my go to guys all year long. He’s coming off the bench and he stepped up really well and had some big goals and got excited. It was great to see him do that,” Dana Hills head coach Matt Rosa said.

The Dana Hills High School football team hosted their annual Honor the Valor game on Thursday, Oct. 30. The Dolphins took the field wearing custom camouflage jerseys bearing the name of a military veteran on the back and, following the game against opponent San Juan Hills, presented the 63 veterans in attendance with their jerseys. Veterans and players also took part in a pre-game meal together.

In the two years since the event’s inception the 12th Man Club, a parent booster organization, and the Dolphins football program have raised more than $60,000 for local veteran support groups, including: Dana Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9934, Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group and the Laguna Niguel Military Support Committee.

For a full photo slideshow of the event, visit www.danapointtimes.com.

Dana Hills was led by senior Marko Asic and Burns, who had four goals each.

Senior goalie Riley Zachary had 20 saves.

The Tritons attempted to play a more balanced style of offense rather than defer to Chase Hamming, their leading scorer. The tactic paid off, as Sean Edwards (three goals), Colton Hamming (two) and Josh Mourer (two) all made contributions on offense.

With their first-place finish, Dana Hills is guaranteed a spot in the CIF-SS Division 2 Championships.

Dolphins Tennis Picks Up First-Round Playoff Win The Dana Hills girls tennis team got a huge lift from their doubles teams in their CIF-SS Division 1 Championship opening match against JSerra on Nov. 5.

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DP DP SURF Dana Point

DP SURF IS PRESENTED BY:

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Scary Good Surfing

Local boys go incognito, tear it up at Lowers

BY ANDREA SWAYNE, DANA POINT TIMES

R

yan Martin and Noah Brown donned creepy masks in the spirit of Halloween and set out for a fun session at Lower Trestles.

Surfing America Prime and Western Surfing Association photographer Jack McDaniel caught the action.

“The scary thing wasn’t their masks,

but how good these two are getting,” McDaniel said. “They are definitely on the list of upcoming local groms to watch.

And, props to Kade Matson for bringing the masks to the beach.”

Ryan and Noah found the masks on the beach and later discovered, via and Instagram post, that they belonged to Kade.

Finders keepers? DP

The San Clemente High School surf team celebrates after a recent win at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point.

Photo: Joe Hohenester

GROMS OF THE WEEK

SAN CLEMENTE HIGH SCHOOL SURF TEAM

A masked Ryan Martin takes flight at Lowers. Photo: Jack McDaniel

The San Clemente High School team took their sixth straight win on Oct. 29 over Capo Valley High School at T Street Beach, 113-55. The contest was a backto-back victory for the team, which also beat Dana Hills the day before, 98-70, at T Street. On Oct. 15, they took down Newport 100-68. The first three wins of the season saw SCHS beat Dana Hills, Aliso and Laguna, respectively.

According to Coach John Dowell, season standouts include Colin Deveze, who

UPCOMING EVENTS November 8-9: WSA Championship Tour Event No. 4, Pismo Beach, Pier

Noah Brown and Ryan Martin throw scary shakas at Lowers. Photo: Jack McDaniel

Noah Brown goes vertical at Lower Trestles.

Photo: Jack McDaniel

November 15-16: NSSA Open Event No. 4, San Onofre State Park, Church Beach November 22: San Onofre Surfing Club Ten Buck Chuck, San Onofre State Beach November 22-23: NSSA Open Event No. 5, Newport Beach, 54th Street December 6-7: WSA Championship Tour Event No. 5, San Clemente, Pier December 13-14: Surfing America Prime, Event No. 3, Dana Point, Salt Creek Beach December 20-21: NSSA Open Event No. 6, Cardiff-bythe-Sea, Seaside Reef January 10-11: Surfing America Prime, Event No. 4, Santa Cruz, Steamer Lane January 17-18: WSA Championship Tour Event No. 6, Oceanside Harbor, South Jetty

has won every shortboard heat he’s surfed this season and Rachael Tilly who has done the same in longboard.

“In Newport Rachael broke her longboard midway through her heat after dropping a 9.00 on a well overhead wave that she surfed almost flawlessly,” Dowell said. “This team is surfing really well and has a real positive vibe and a great attitude on the beach. They are all very supportive of one another and it’s fun to be a part of it.”

The team was set to compete with Laguna Beach High School on Nov. 4 at Thalia Street but the contest was canceled due to small surf.

Next up, the team will face Newport High School at T Street on Nov. 12.

—Andrea Swayne

SURF FORECAST Water Temperature: 67-70 degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: Local: 10-15’ Fair-Good Catalina: 15-20’+ Good Friday: Modest mix of SSW swell and NW swell on Thursday for mainly knee- thighwaist-high waves, (1-3’). That bumps up to 2-3’ for Friday. Winds light+ offshore in the mornings, followed by light+/moderate onshore flow each afternoon with sunny and warm conditions.

Longer Range Outlook: Mix of NW and SSW swell continues on Saturday then eases on Sunday. Morning winds remain favorable through the weekend. Check out Surfline for more details and the longer range outlook!

January 17-18: NSSA Explorer, Events No. 3 and 4, Huntington Beach, Pier

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