March 9, 2018

ONLINE: Official Guide to the 60th Annual Swallows Day Parade SPECIAL SECTION

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE FOUNDED IN 2002

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

MARCH 9-22, 2018 • VOLUME 16, ISSUE 5

Spring Sports Preview High School teams look for success SPORTS/PAGE 16

(Clockwise from left) Max Martinez, Garrett Kuntz, Trevor Peay, Kevin Groeninger, Andy Shin and Andrew Maita have St. Margaret’s boys lacrosse team primed for another run at the Southern Section title. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

CUSD Administration, Students React to Ongoing Gun and School Safety Debates EYE ON SJC/PAGE 6

City Council Initiates Study to Oust Historic Town Center Master Plan EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

CUSD Votes to Remove College and Career Planning From Graduation Requirements EYE ON SJC/PAGE 4

GO TO THECAPISTRANODISPATCH.COM FOR THE LATEST NEWS, EVENTS AND SPORTS

EYE ON SJC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

Five things San Juan should know this week City Council Initiates Study to Oust Historic Town Center Master Plan THE LATEST: At its meeting on March 6, City Council unanimously, with Councilwoman Pam Patterson absent, passed a resolution to study an amendment to the general plan, to study an amendment to the land use code and to study a repeal of the Historic Town Center Master Plan (HTCMP).

In November 2017, city staff identified inconsistencies with the land use policies and regulations within the HTCMP and the city’s general plan, some of which include required yard setbacks and the minimum 2-foot vertical separation required between a building’s ground floor and adjacent sidewalk. The March 6 study initiation will look at inconsistencies between the three documents and the proposed land use amendments.

“We’re not really solidifying anything in concrete tonight, we’re just studying everything,” Councilman Derek Reeve said.

An environmental impact report (EIR) is required of initiation of the proposed general plan and land use code amendments, in addition to the repeal of some or all of the HTCMP. The EIR is estimated to cost between $100,000 to $150,000.

Some of the proposed amendments that the EIR will look at include residential use in the HTCMP area and height restrictions for new buildings adjacent to historic structures.

“There has to be an analysis and that would come back at a later time,” Reeve said.

WHAT’S NEXT: City Council will discuss the proposed amendments and repeal of the HTCMP when the study is completed. —Emily Rasmussen

San Juan Capistrano Appeals CPUC Decision to Allow Demolition of SDG&E Substation Structure THE LATEST: In closed session on March The Capistrano Dispatch March 9-22, 2018

The historic San Juan Capistrano power station where San Diego Gas & Electric hopes to place the substation. Photo: File

6, City Council unanimously voted, with Councilwoman Pam Patterson absent, to pursue an administrative appeal of the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) decision to allow for demolition of the east wing of the substation building as part of the South Orange County Reliability Enhancement (SOCRE) Project by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).

The SOCRE Project—which will expand the current substation in San Juan’s residential Las Brisas neighborhood by rebuilding and upgrading a portion of its transmission infrastructure—aims to create a redundant electrical system that would rely on two substations rather than just the current facility in Talega.

“Last December, the CPUC issued a Notice to Proceed (NTP) to SDG&E allowing for demolition of the east wing of the substation building as part of the SOCRE Project,” Assistant City Manager Jacob Green said in an email. “Staff invoked the city’s right to dispute resolution to prevent SDG&E from beginning demolition of the existing structure without exhausting all requirements of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) mitigation measures.”

CPUC staff agreed to review the city’s concerns and instructed SDG&E to hold off on the building demolition until a determination was issued, Green said.

“Unfortunately, the city was notified that the CPUC staff and legal counsel rejected the city’s arguments and gave SDG&E permission to proceed,” Green said in the email. “Following this CPUC

communication, SDG&E submitted their application to the city for a demolition permit.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The City Council’s position is that SDG&E has not fully complied with the Mitigation, Monitoring, Compliance and Reporting Program (MMCRP) and the EIR, Green said. A demolition permit will not be issued by the city until this issue is resolved and the city attorney’s office will work with city staff to submit the appeal to the CPUC, he said. —ER

San Juan Capistrano Urges Residents to Conserve Water Amidst Water Maintenance Project THE LATEST: The city of San Juan Capistrano is asking residents to conserve their water usage as a three-week water maintenance project is underway from March 19 to April 10.

The city’s main source of import potable water will be shut down starting Monday, March 19, as the Joint Transmission Main of the Joint Regional Water Supply System will be out of service for the three-week period. The city is urging residents to take extra measures to conserve water to ensure the city can provide adequate water services and reserves, a city press statement said.

“The city is requesting voluntary water conservation measures at this time,” Assistant City Manager Jacob Green said in an email. “The city will be assessing our Page 3

water storage levels daily and if the levels cause any capacity concerns, the city will notify the community and consider mandatory water conservation measures.

The city will not be monitoring individual accounts at this point but are hopeful that citywide conservation efforts will be initiated by all residents.”

The Joint Transmission Line of the Joint Regional Water Supply System supplies 50 percent of San Juan Capistrano’s potable water, with the other 50 percent coming from local groundwater production and other sources. Even with additional import sources, the city will need to achieve at least a 20 percent reduction in potable water use during the three-week period to avoid an impact to water service, the statement said.

“This is being done for some critical maintenance that needs to be done on that line,” said Steve May, Director of Public Works and Utilities, at a City Council meeting on March 6.

Landscape irrigation accounts for 50-75 percent of the city’s potable water usage, May said.

The city is requesting that residents discontinue landscape irrigation with potable water beginning March 19, or at least reduce irrigation to the absolute minimum, the press statement said.

WHAT’S NEXT: The city will be shutting down its irrigation in every park and landscape median, with the exception of recycled water, May said at the meeting.

“With these measures, we expect we (Cont. on page 4) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC (Cont. from page 3) can get through this shutdown period without any interruption in water service and still maintain suitable water reserve for fire protection,” May said.

For more information, call the city’s utility department at 949.234.4400. —ER

CUSD Votes to Remove College and Career Planning From Graduation Requirements THE LATEST: The Capistrano Unified School District board of trustees voted to remove College and Career Planning (CCP) as a graduation requirement on Feb. 28.

CCP is a course that works with students with college and career planning and is currently a semester-long class that is partnered with an on-campus health class.

Previously the CCP course was a high school graduation requirement in CUSD, but new revisions include eliminating the graduation requirement, which replaces the five credits associated with CCP and reassigning the five credits under the area of electives, a CUSD staff report said.

“The primary goal of this course it to increase students’ career awareness through career exploration to make informed decisions regarding their future post-secondary goals; educational and career,” the San Juan Hills High School (SJHHS) website said, on their CCP course.

The CCP course outlines a plan for high school students to graduate high school and to meet requirements for applying to colleges or universities. CCP also sparks students’ interests in what they may want to pursue in high school, which offers opportunities to complete career assessments, research career options and colleges and university programs to meet their career goals, the SJHHS website said.

“We’re not getting rid of the class, we’re just saying it’s not a graduation requirement,” President Martha McNicholas said, adding that there are other college and career planning resources in the district, including student advisors.

There are currently 18 teachers who teach CCP on district high school campuses.

Trustee Gila Jones was against removing CCP as a graduation requirement.

“Those of us who sit up here (on the board) are parents of college-bound kids, but not everybody in our district is like us,” Jones said. “Not everybody in our district is an English-speaking parent, not everybody in our district is a parent who went to high school, not every parent in our district is literate. I know parents who can’t read or write in this district— to assume that everybody is in a situation like our families, is not right.”

The board’s first vote read 4-4, which failed the motion to remove CCP as a graduation requirement.

With some mixed emotions and slight The Capistrano Dispatch March 9-22, 2018

confusion amongst trustees, the board called for a second vote.

The second and final vote read 6-2 in favor of removing CCP as a graduation requirement, with trustees Gary Pritchard and Jones against. Trustees Amy Hanacek and Patricia Holloway were the two trustees who switched their vote from against to in favor.

WHAT’S NEXT: For the 2017-18 school year, students will take health on campus and CCP as a partner course unless they enroll in health online or through summer school.

For the 2018-19 school year, students taking health on campus will be required to take CCP as a partner default course, while additional semester-long courses are being developed.

For the 2019-20 school year, students taking health on campus will be able to take semester-long elective offerings as partner courses. —ER

No Democratic 49th District Congressional Candidate Receives Endorsement from Party THE LATEST: San Juan Capistrano’s Mike Levin was the top contender for an endorsement at the California Democratic Convention on Feb. 24 in San Diego, but even he didn’t secure enough percentage points to earn the party’s endorsement for the 49th congressional district.

Levin was endorsed by 53 percent of the party delegates, while San Clemente’s Doug Applegate received 27 percent of the vote and Sara Jacobs of Del Mar received 13 percent. Christina Prejean and Paul Kerr received no votes.

In order to receive an endorsement, a candidate must receive 60 percent of the party’s delegation to vote for them.

The seat in congress has been occupied

by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa since 2000, and has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Democrats are trying to switch that trend, as last year’s election was decided between Issa and Applegate by about half a percentage point.

Prejean stepped down from the race on March 2 in a Twitter announcement.

“In the military, we say ‘One team, One fight,’ and our focus is always on the mission,” Prejean’s tweet read. “As a proud Democrat and progressive, we are on the same team, and our mission is to flip the 49th. That’s why, with such a crowded field of candidates in this race, I’ve decided that the best way to accomplish this mission is for me to step out of the race, to better ensure our chances of flipping the 49th.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The primary election in California, which whittles candidates down to two in a run-off, takes place June 5. The midterm election is Nov. 6. —Eric Heinz Page 4

EYE ON SJC

NEWS BITES

Community Meetings

COMPILED BY STAFF

City Workers Discover Sinkhole A sinkhole was discovered on Avenida De La Vista near Calle Santa Barbara on Feb. 23, while city workers were removing damaged curb, gutter and sidewalk for the Capistrano Villas Pavement Rehabilitation Project.

The sinkhole was about 6 feet in circumference and 5-to-6-feet deep. It was repaired that same day.

“The area of repair is approximately 8-feetby-8-feet,” San Juan Capistrano Assistant City Manager Jacob Green said in an email on Feb. 23. “Crews removed the existing soil in this area and repaired the gap between the two storm drain pipes. The area was backfilled today and new curb, gutter and sidewalk will be constructed by the middle of next week pending weather conditions.”

Mission San Juan Capistrano Director Receives Award Mission San Jan Capistrano Executive Director Mechelle Lawrence Adams was presented the Chairman’s Award by the California Mission Foundation at its annual conference in February.

“Our collective efforts throughout the state have raised awareness of the need to preserve the missions as a means to experience the real and continuing history of the west and allowed us to publicly engage in dialogue about how this history has shaped who and what we are as a community today,” Lawrence Adams said in a press statement.

Lawrence Adams has worked for 15 years in mission preservation and has been involved with projects including the Conservation of the Serra Chapel and Gate House Preservation Project.

“I believe old places like the Mission San Juan Capistrano have purpose,” Lawrence Adams said in the statement. “There is a great need to secure their success by developing an engaged community that ensures their preservation and continued meaning in the generations to come.”

Groundbreaking for New Latter-day Saints Meeting House The groundbreaking of construction for a new church building off of La Pata, near San Juan Hills High School, is welcoming community members to join the start of the new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The ceremonies will be directed by longtime San Juan Capistrano resident Greg Stapley and the new location will be the third Latter-day Saints meetinghouse facilThe Capistrano Dispatch March 9-22, 2018

MONDAY, MARCH 12 Youth Advisory Board Meeting 5:30 p.m. The city’s Youth Advisory Board will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14 The sinkhole was on Avenida De La Vista. Photo: Courtesy of Jacob Green

ity in the region, a press statement said.

“We are thrilled to be building a meetinghouse for our many members and their friends in San Juan Capistrano,” Stapley said in the statement. “This new building will be a community asset and we look forward to hosting civic and interfaith events, as well as regular church services and events there.”

Stapley noted that an agreement in place with Capistrano Unified School District will allow San Juan Hills High School students to use the meetinghouse parking lot for much-needed overflow parking on school days, the statement said.

The event will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 17 at 29273 Stallion Ridge and is expected to have up to 500 attendees. For more information or to RSVP to the groundbreaking ceremony, call Amy Cook at 949.813.0182 or email at amy@ osmondmarketing.com.

San Juan Capistrano Student Makes Spotlight Music Center Awards Semifinals Blake Stevenson, a senior at St. Margaret’s Episcopal High School, is a semifinalist for classical voice in The Music Center’s 30th Annual Spotlight Program based in Los Angeles.

Stevenson is one of 113 Southern California students named as semifinalists for the Spotlight program, a free nationallyacclaimed scholarship and arts training program for teens. The program provides opportunities for Southern California high school students to acquire skills needed to pursue dreams in the performing arts, ranging from the development of performance abilities, to roles in arts management, a press statement said.

The Spotlight program awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually, with grand prize finalists in each category receiving up to $5,000 scholarships, one honorable mention in each category

receiving $1,000 and semifinalists receiving $300. There are seven categories, ranging from acting to jazz instrumental.

Four students from San Clemente also made the semifinalist list.

South Orange County Representatives Unite to Create School Safety Coalition Representatives of several South Orange County cities joined forces with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) and the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) to launch Secure OC Schools, a coalition to combat school gun violence.

In light of the shooting of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that left 17 people dead on Feb. 14, Mission Viejo Mayor Ed Sachs hosted the announcement of the coalition in front of the OCSD Lake Forest Sub Station on the morning of Feb. 26. In addition to OCSD representatives, Sachs was joined

by CUSD Trustee Judy Bullockus, Dana Point Mayor Pro Tem Joe Muller and representatives from a handful of other South Orange County cities.

“Today I’m calling for a commission to get together to talk about securing Orange County schools,” Sachs said. “We need to bring in all elements—police, fire, students, parents, school people, teachers, administrators—everyone needs to come together to come to a resolution.”

Sachs added that teachers need to be trained for situations like school shootings and that different forces such as police and school administrators need to come together find the “gaps” in every aspect of school safety. Sachs’ call-to-action was to create a commission within the next 30 days to lay out guidelines and invite people to share experiences and ideas, via secureocschools.com.

Have something interesting for the community? Send your information to editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com.

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CUSD Board of Trustees Meeting 7 p.m. The Capistrano Unified School District governing body meets at district offices, 33122 Valle Road. To see the board’s agenda, visit www.capousd.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16 Coffee Chat 8 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues. Occurs every Friday at Hennessey’s Tavern, 31761 Camino Capistrano.

All are welcome. Follow Coffee Chat SJC on Facebook for more information.

TUESDAY, MARCH 20 Utilities Commission Meeting 5 p.m. The city’s Utilities Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

City Council Meeting 5 p.m. The city’s governing body will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 Downtown Farmers Market 3-6 p.m. Fresh flowers, produce and specialty foods from dozens of vendors in downtown San Juan Capistrano, on the corner of Camino Capistrano and Yorba Street. Occurs every Wednesday.

Visit www.farmersmarketsjc.com or call 949.493.4700 to find out more.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23 Next issue of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department participates in a school-safety drill, which included a school-shooting scenario, with Dana Point and Capistrano Unified School District officials on March 1. Photo: Courtesy of Ryan Burris

Working to Keep Students, Schools Safe As students prepare for the nationwide walk-out, local officials discuss school safety procedures in the event of a shooting

BY EMILY RASMUSSEN AND DANIEL RITZ, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a fabricated scenario given to law enforcement, school and Dana Point city officials for a school safety drill.

I

t’s 7:50 a.m. on Friday, April 20 and students are rushing into the Dana Hills High School office reporting that gunshots were heard from the east area of the campus. A campus supervisor radios that there is someone shooting a rifle from the roof by the tennis courts toward people in the parking lot and at the street. The campus supervisor also reports that multiple cars have collided on the corner of Acapulco Drive and Golden Lantern.

Within minutes, students are fleeing the mall area and taking sanctuary in the office, due to shots being fired in the mall area of the school. There are reports that numerous students have been shot. After the initial shooting, the shooting stops.

This is the frightening scenario that The Capistrano Dispatch March 9–22, 2018

the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) and the city of Dana Point are using as an example on how to respond to a campus emergency such as a school shooting. The scenario exercise was planned before the Parkland, Florida shooting on Feb. 14 that left 17 people dead.

Although this scenario of a school shooting at Dana Hills is fictional, it is a fear that has besieged student’s minds nationwide.

“Whenever I’m in class, I’ll be zoning out, and I’ll catch myself thinking about what I would do if a shooter came in, like where I would hide,” Olivia Fu, a senior at San Juan Hills High School (SJHHS), said. “It’s a very real threat that I realized became normalized when it shouldn’t be— it’s serious and very relevant to us, it’s not an abstract idea.”

Fears and frustrations of students such as Fu have prompted a nationwide, student walk-out set for Wednesday, March 14 to protest gun violence. Students in South Orange County, including Dana Hills and SJHHS, plan to take part.

Although the SJHHS walk-out will remain on school campus, some 560 students are planning to participate and Fu expects more will join. Fu, 18, said that though many walkouts are pushing for a specific gun-related policy, the walk-out at SJHHS is intended to be a non-partisan demonstration.

“There needs to be some sort of change, we’re just not specifying what that policy change should be,” Fu said. “We’re really trying to make our voices heard, we may be young but we’re powerful. A lot of us can vote and students are a real force.”

Students from nearby high schools in CUSD are making a coalition of walkout organizers, in hopes of keeping the momentum.

Some of these walkout coalition students include Olivia Drury and Maddie Grimes, both juniors at Dana Hills, who

are organizing their school’s walkout.

“We want victims to feel supported. This is all about promoting our main initiatives which are school safety and gun violence prevention. I don’t know too many people against that,” Drury said.

The Dana Hills walk-out is expected to draw hundreds of students and to take place in-between classes on school grounds. Students will gather to honor the Parkland, Florida victims, in addition to every victim of every school gun-violence incident.

Dana Point Chief of Police Services Lt. Russ Chilton spoke with Drury and Grimes prior to the walk-out about making that impact.

Chilton said that his informal sit-down with the Dana Hills juniors was focused on their concerns about safety as well as discussing the lasting impact of their efforts. In a culture of rapidly decreasing attention spans, Chilton encouraged Drury and Grimes to become a part of the civic process and enable their work to have a truly lasting impact.

In accordance with state law, CUSD will not discipline students who choose to assemble, provided they adhere to district and school guidelines including, but not limited to: all activities must be peaceful and respectful, and at no time may students leave the campus, CUSD Chief Communications Officer Ryan Burris said in an email on March 6 to district staff, families and students.

“While CUSD supports the rights of our students to express their beliefs under the state and federal First Amendment rights, as a district we are not sponsoring or advocating any participation in demonstrations,” Burris said in the email.

Drury and Grimes voiced that they feel their schools are safe and they feel supported by the district, but the walk-outs are symbolic of taking responsibility for their own safety and ensuring the protec-

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tion of what Grimes called an “essential experience of your youth.”

“School is something you need to do to grow, and we want to ensure we feel safe (getting our education), and that our leaders know how important this is to us,” Grimes said.

Ensuring students are safe while receiving their education is the issue being tackled by multiple organizations that met at the CUSD office on March 1 to exercise the fabricated school-shooting scenario.

The organizations that met to discuss their plans were: Dana Point Police Services, Orange County Fire Authority, OCSD SWAT, OCSD Bomb Squad, OCSD Juvenile Services, OCSD Air Support, Coroner’s Office, CUSD and Dana Point city manager and staff.

“The relationship between the school sites and (OCSD) is incredible,” CUSD Chief Communications Officer Ryan Burris said. “Each school resource officer knows every inch of the campus, they know each of our principals.”

For nearly three hours, the exercise went over how procedures would play out in real time, Burris said.

“One hundred percent of the time there’s always something to learn and to take away,” Burris said. “This time there was a lot of discussion of what reunification of students and parents would look like, which is helpful if you have a situation where you’re evacuating kids to a different site.”

The scenario contains details of the amount of victims and first responder replies, the details of the suspects and the OCSD’s findings of an early investigation.

“Through that engagement and dialogue, we can assist each other in seeing the strengths and weaknesses (in our plans), what to reinforce and what to make better,” Burris said.

At the CUSD board of trustees meeting on Feb. 28, Superintendent Kirsten Vital said there have been procedures in place for school shootings since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 and a school safety task force has been in place since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.

Going forward, Vital said the school district—one of the first school districts in the county to have a counselor at every school—is working to build a mental health task force to increase mental health services.

The task force is still in the process of being formed, Burris said.

“This is a crisis from a lot of different expert’s perspectives and we will be building engagement in discussion on our mental health: social and emotional,” Burris said. “And, how to increase capacity for that stuff—we spend nearly $4 million a year for support in our schools and it’s not enough.”

At the next CUSD board meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14, there will be a presentation on school safety at the CUSD office at 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS GUEST OPINION: Bartlett Bulletin by OC Supervisor Lisa Bartlett

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

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Emily Rasmussen, 949.388.7700, x108 erasmussen@thecapistranodispatch.com SPORTS Zach Cavanagh, 949.388.7700, x110 zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Debra Wells, 949.388.7700, x104 dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

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PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

EDITORIAL

Real Estate Sales Executive > Jennifer Guy

Group Managing Editor > Rachael Mattice City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Emily Rasmussen

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A New Shelter and New Era for Animal Care in Orange County

W

ith so many different breeds of dogs, have you ever considered which one is your favorite? Labrador retriever? Shih tzu? Boston terrier?

We asked this same question to W. Bruce Cameron, the author of the bestselling book A Dogs Purpose at our South County Pet Expo last year. His response was simply, “a rescue dog,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Here in Orange County, our animal care services began back in the 1940s with a shelter that had 26 dog kennels.

Nearly 80 years later, it’s estimated there are more than 1.4 million companion animals in OC, and more than 15,000 came through the county’s shelter in 2017 alone.

Animal services and rescue animals aren’t always at the forefront of a person’s mind or public policy debates; however, in OC we’re establishing a new foundation and transforming the culture for how the county provides animal services by placing our constituents and pets as the primary mission, creating more effective, efficient and community oriented services.

With these considerations in mind, I am thrilled to announce we will open the doors to the county’s new and modernized animal shelter in Tustin, which will serve our communities’ lost and homeless pets.

The new shelter sets the stage for a new era of animal care in OC.

To design a shelter that benefits our community and functions with animals’ well-being in mind, our county staff and I worked collaboratively with some of the most prestigious consultants and veterinarians to help guide us through the design and development of the new facility. For example, Dr. Jyothi Robertson, of JVR Shelter Strategies, LLC spent months with the county, analyzing current approaches to our shelter policies and practices. The THE BARTLETT assistance of industry BULLETIN experts such as Dr.

By Lisa Bartlett Robertson, allowed us to focus on novel strategic designs and programs to ensure our shelter’s furry companions will see a dramatic improvement over their previous conditions.

The shelter’s cats, for example, are moving from two cramped portables with stacked cages to a climate-controlled building with access to far more natural light and space. The strategic layout promotes stress reduction, which helps to limit common infections among shelter cats.

For our canine companions, we have created daily enrichment programs that will help increase each dog’s adoptability, which include various playgroups and trainings. These programs will decrease

Letters to the Editor

The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) recently commissioned a self-serving survey that showed Orange County loves toll roads and wants more of them. They actually used the term “through-pass” instead of toll road, which indicates the level of lies and deceit that the TCA will use to push their agenda.

A review of the survey by a senior methodologist from the Gallup Corporation showed that the survey was extremely poorly written and little more than a “push poll.” That is, the survey was designed simply to justify the actions of the TCA. No one is surprised, and yet the TCA uses this fake survey to get what they want, not the public.

There’s a new survey on the horizon from Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD). What do you suppose will be the outcome from the survey? Perhaps that our schools need more money and

an animal’s anxiety and significantly increase their adoptability and chances of finding their forever home.

Every year, I’m pleased to host the South County Pet Expo to make animal adoptions more accessible to residents and help pets find a family. The annual event features more than one hundred pet-related businesses, as well as pet owner information and entertaining demonstrations. This year’s Expo will take place Saturday, March 10 from 10 a.m-2 p.m. at Lake Forest Sports Park.

In addition to this event, our partnership with the city of Lake Forest to support the Pet Adoption Center of Orange County is a sustained effort to make adoptions more efficient and accessible in South County.

While there are many pressing issues countywide, the new animal care system highlights what we can do when we turn over every stone in order to make something better. In my years of service as your Orange County supervisor, it has been my pledge to support policies that lead to effective county services that matter to residents.

Supervisor Lisa Bartlett represents the 5th District on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, (portions of) Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch 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 The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media.

If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com.

General Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Tim Trent, Victor Carno

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 16, Issue 5. The Dispatch (www.thecapistranodispatch) is published twice monthly

by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the DP Times (www.danapointtimes.com) and the SC Times (www. sanclementetimes.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.

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The Capistrano Dispatch March 9-22, 2018

AND THE SURVEY SAYS… —Cord Bauer, San Clemente Last year, in response to thousands of calls for more officers in San Clemente and more than one Facebook group being formed simply to talk about crime in San Clemente, the City Council acted. They acted by commissioning the Matrix survey. The survey said that although we’ve got half the officers per capita as our neighboring cities, the most important thing that could be done for safety in San Clemente was increased “dialogue” between our sheriffs and the community. Really? More talk will solve our problems?

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that CUSD knows how to spend it? Perhaps a new bond measure (just like last year) will be released after the survey, in order for CUSD to “continue to bring excellence to our children?”

The next time you see a survey from the state or local government, look beyond the multiple choice questions. Are they trying to find out what you want or are they trying to justify what they want?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@ thecapistranodispatch.com or send it to 34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624. The Capistrano Dispatch 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.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

The List What’s going on in and around town

EDITOR’S PICK

COMPILED BY VICTOR CARNO

Friday | 09 LIVE THEATER: ‘THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN’ 8 p.m. The Camino Real Playhouse presents The Cripple of Inishmaan every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until March 25. The Cripple of Inishmaan delves into the great tradition of Irish storytelling and has been called “An entertainingly boozy brew of humor both sweet and savage,” according to the Camino Real Playhouse press release. Tickets are $20. Camino Real Playhouse. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.489.8082. www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

Saturday | 10 OC WINEFEST 1-5 p.m. The OCWineFest brings wines and brews from around the world to your doorstep in a fun, relaxed environment. The fest also serves up boutiques to browse, gourmet nibbles and artisan merchandise for sale and a chill vibe. The event runs March 10 and 11. A Stone’s Throw Winery, 29943 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.364.2063. www.ocwinefest.com.

SATURDAYS AT THE SWALLOW’S INN 2:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Live music from rotating bands at the Swallow’s Inn. Burgers and wings from Lisa’s Kitchen also are available. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. www.swallowsinn.com.

Sunday | 11 GUIDED NATURE HIKE 8-9:15 a.m. Join an Orange County Parks Ranger for a one-mile hike around Bell Canyon in Caspers Wilderness Park.

Parking is $5, the hike is free. 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.923.2210. www.ocparks.com/caspers.

Monday | 12 COUNTRY DANCING AND ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR 7 p.m.-Midnight. Stop by the Swallow’s Inn for country dancing with DJ Patrick and a happy hour that lasts all day. Enjoy a steak dinner for $13 when you are finished with the dance floor. 31786 Camino Capistrano, The Capistrano Dispatch March 9-22, 2018

Photo: File

MARCH 10 AND 11: 47TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF WHALES 8 a.m. Enjoy the second weekend of the 47th Annual Festival of Whales. Families are welcome to join in on countless activities including the Cardboard Classic & Dinghy Dash. The event also takes place on Sunday, March 11. The art lessons, street fairs and car shows are all weekend long. For a complete list of events, visit www.festivalofwhales.com. Dana Point Harbor. 34555 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.496.1045.

San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. www.swallowsinn.com.

the Dana Point Library’s adult coloring club. Supplies provided. The class occurs every Friday 10 a.m.-noon. 33841 Niguel Road, Dana Point. 949.496.5517.

Tuesday | 13

Saturday | 17

GETTING FRIENDLY WITH FUNGI 7 p.m. Mycologist Joanne Schwartz is holding a lecture at the Guest House in Rancho Mission Viejo about identifying wild mushrooms in Southern California.

Hear tales of fungal folklore all while learning which mushrooms are fine to eat and farm. Admission is free. RSVP for this lecture at rmvreserve.org. 11 Brioso Street, Ladera Ranch. 949.625.6500. www.rmvreserve.org.

EL PRESIDENTÉ BALL 6-10 p.m. The Fiesta Association’s 201 El Presidenté Ball is a Wild Western formal event celebrating the heritage of San Juan Capistrano. Enjoy great food and old-fashioned fun while dancing to live country-western style music at El Adobe de Capistrano, 31891 Camino Capistrano.

Tickets are $75 and can be purchased online, at Fiesta Association meetings or events, or at the door. For more information, visit www.swallowsparade.com.

Wednesday | 14 OLD CAPISTRANO CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET 3-6 p.m. Stop by and check out some locally grown, organic produce and artisan goodies at a farmers market that has been going strong for over 15 years. Free admission. Historic Town Center Park. 31852 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

949.493.4700. www.farmersmarketsjc.com.

Friday | 16 ADULT COLORING CLUB 10 a.m. Bring out your inner artist during

Monday | 19 CASA UP CLOSE: ARTS, EDUCATION AND YOUTH 7 p.m. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens will host a panel of educators to discuss how exposing students to arts education can assist in their educational growth. Executive Director Berenika Schmitz will be joined by Dr. James Dawson, Dr. Ralph Opacic, Gordon McNeill and William Moseley who combine for over 100 years of experience. Admission is $10-$12. 415 Avenida Granada, San

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Clemente. 949.498.2139. www.casaromantica.org.

Wednesday | 21 FIESTA GRANDE 6-9 p.m. Four contests and a night of Wild West entertainment are rolled into one evening of fun at the Fiesta Grandé. Join your friends and make new ones at the Swallow’s Inn, 31786 Camino Capistrano, and enter to win one of the categories being judged. Spectators are welcome. Entrance fee is $5 per person, per category.

Pay when you arrive. Winners will receive a $50 gift certificate from the Boot Barn.

For more information, call 949.493.1976 or visit www.swallowsparade.com.

Thursday | 22 TABLE TENNIS FOR SENIORS 10 a.m.-1 p.m. All seniors 55 or older are welcome to join the Table Tennis Club at the Shorecliff Terrace Mobile Home Park. Any skill level is welcome and entry is free. 3000 Calle Nuevo, San Clemente.

949.481.2275. jnl5555@yahoo.com.

HAVE AN EVENT? Submit it to The Capistrano Dispatch by going to www.thecapistranodispatch.com, and clicking “Submit an Event” under the “Getting Out” tab.

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GETTING OUT

On Stage at The Coach House: Steve Tyrell

BY EMILY RASMUSSEN, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

T

Photo: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

At the Movies: ‘Red Sparrow’ Flies South of Expectations

BY MEGAN BIANCO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

s the 2017 awards season ended with a rather uneventful Oscars ceremony, with The Shape of Water winning “Best Picture” and “Best Director” as well as Three Billboards and Dunkirk getting their share of wins, 20th Century Fox decided to release its latest espionage thriller, Red Sparrow, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Joel Edgerton.

Lawrence has been spending her post-Oscar win since 2013 primarily with studio films that don’t quite meet their potential, and Sparrow unfortunately fits that bill as well.

In modern-day Russia, prima ballerina Dominika Egorova (Lawrence) has her career sabotaged by rival dancers when they conspire to break her leg during a performance. Her uncle, Vanya (Matthias Schoenaerts), recruits her to a special

intelligence agency where she is trained to use her sexuality as a weapon. One of her first assignments involves CIA agent Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton), who is living in Moscow and doing his own investigation on her.

Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker and Joely Richardson make up the rest of the famous cast. Red Sparrow is directed by Lawrence’s Hunger Games collaborator Francis Lawrence and is based on the 2013 novel by Jason Matthews. Unlike last year’s flawed but fun Atomic Blonde, which had exciting action sequences and a catchy soundtrack, Sparrow has a tone problem. It’s just as graphic sexually and violently as Blonde, but way too bleak to be accessible to a mainstream audience.

The atmosphere and characters are so harsh that the film is almost a turn-off.

My advice to Jennifer in the future would be to try indie films again. CD

he captivating tunes of Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Steve Tyrell and his band are returning to the stage at The Coach House on Friday, March 16.

With hits such as “I’ve Got a Crush On You” and “The Simple Life,” Tyrell’s career in singing, songwriting and production spans nearly five-decades.

Most recently, the 73-year-old legend came out with his new album A Song For You, which features a blend of cross-decade songs and melodies.

“This album is a mixture of the great American songbook from the 20s, it has some of the classic songs that I kind of started doing and modern songs,” Tyrell said.

Some of Tyrell’s more modern songs include hits from the 70s and 80s, including the album’s opening song “Someone Like You,” by Van Morrison in 1987. The album’s title is also named after “A Song For You,” by Leon Russell and Willie Nelson in 1979, which Tyrell covers.

Tyrell said his plan at The Coach House is to perform tunes from his new album—which he anticipates will soon make it to No. 1 on Billboard for traditional jazz.

“Each thing is different, like my last album had songs from the Carole King era and the songwriting era from the 1960s,” Tyrell said. “This (new album) is a blend of Leon Russell, Joe Cocker, Jerome Kern, Burt Bacharach—kind of a fusion of all of these different eras.”

At The Coach House, Tyrell said that people can look forward to the audience singing along to classic hits with him and have an overall good time.

With a handful of past performances at The Coach House, Tyrell said that he

Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Steve Tyrell comes to The Coach House on Friday, March 16. Photo:

Courtesy

loves the audience’s fun atmosphere at the San Juan Capistrano venue.

“I’m hoping I have people who come back and forth to that place,” Tyrell said. “Every night that you perform live music is a new night, so it always feels the same basically. You have the expectation to try to be good, lock in on something musical and magical. Every night is different and every venue is different.”

Recently, Tyrell has been traveling all over the nation to a variety of performances ranging from Palm Beach, Florida to jazz cruises. His performances, accompanied by his steady band of piano, bass, drums and guitar, have continued with his repository of multi-generational songs.

“Each one of these songs that I’ll be playing will be great, they’ve weathered the test of time all of these years,” Tyrell said.

The doors open for the show at 6 p.m. and it starts at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 16 at The Coach House, located at 33157 Camino Capistrano. Tickets are $38 and can be bought online at www.thecoachhouse.com. CD

SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

Business Beat

News from San Juan’s business community COMPILED BY EMILY RASMUSSEN

NEW ADDITIONS BAD TO THE BONE BBQ 31738 Rancho Viejo Road, 949.218.0227, www.badtothebone-bbq.com Bad to the Bone BBQ celebrated its grand opening for its new 2,500-squarefoot event center and general store at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 23.

Bad to the Bone BBQ co-founders Marty and Mary Wells celebrated the restaurant’s event center, which includes a full bar and outdoor patio, and its general store, which includes orders for take-out, a press statement said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was followed by a silent auction and opportunity drawing with its proceeds going toward Shelter to Soldier, a local nonprofit organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for veterans, the press statement said.

The Tony Suraci Band took center-stage at the new event center with a rock-andcountry blend of music for patrons.

Bad to the Bone BBQ features barbecue food items such as ribs, tri-tip and pulled pork.

GUEST OPINION: Moments in Time by Jan Siegel

The Return of the Swallows

S

an Juan Capistrano is a very special place. It is special because of its history, its culture and its people. All of these elements come together in March.

The story of the swallows’ return to San Juan Capistrano was first recorded in the book Capistrano Nights by Father St. John O’Sullivan and Charles Saunders in 1930.

The story relates how a padre angered by a hotel keeper destroying swallows nests welcomed the swallows to the Mission.

In the book, the date for the return of the swallows was March 19, St. Joseph’s Day. Every year the story was picked up by the Los Angeles Times and Ed Ainsworth, the state editor, would call the Mission to verify if the swallows had returned, was told they had and printed the story.

The Capistrano Dispatch March 9–22, 2018

Father-daughter dental duo Lawrence Kaban (left) and Kelly Kaban (right) jokingly work on a “patient.” Photo: Emily Rasmussen

Co-founders and community members celebrated the ribbon-cutting on Feb. 23. Photo: Debra Wells

KABAN DENTAL GROUP 32124 Paseo Adelanto, Ste. 2, 949.496.5585, www.kabandentalgroup.com The father-daughter dental team of Kaban Dental Group is serving up smiles and laughs at their family-owned business in San Juan Capistrano.

Lawrence Kaban, who jokingly calls his family’s practice a “necessary evil,” has

been practicing out of the San Juan Capistrano office since 2004. Lawrence took over the Kaban office in 2004 from his alsodentist brother, Gerald, who decided to go back into the Air Force after opening the office on Paseo Adelanto in 1989.

The duo, father Lawrence Kaban, 69, and daughter Kelly Kaban, 30, have been working together since 2017 since Kelly

In 1936, a local broadcaster wanted to see firsthand this return, so he came to San Juan Capistrano with the governor to verify it. Ainsworth also came down for the first time to see for himself the swallows return. Arthur Hutchinson, the pastor of the Mission, was among the group of dignitaries who waited all day for them.

Suddenly, at the end of the day, the broadcaster reported that the “skies were blackened with swallows.” March 19 was now in the history books for San Juan Capistrano.

The Rios family traces back its roots to 1794 MOMENTS when the first Rios built IN TIME the Adobe that is still a

By Jan Siegel Rios residence. In 1953, the family discovered a town banner and decided that it belonged to the Mission.

The Businessman’s Association decided to hold a horseback procession to return the banner to the Mission as part of the Swallows Day tradition. Carriages carried Damian Rios and his wife, followed by a band and many informal riders. The commu-

nity enjoyed this event so much that the following year, 1954, the Businessman’s Association announced the first official Swallows Day Parade. The Businessman’s Association did not last, and it would be 1960, when the newly formed Chamber of Commerce would revive the Swallows Day Parade as part of a two-day celebration called “Fiesta De Las Golondrinas.”

Although since 1960 the parade has been an annual event, this year is not the 58th anniversary—it is the 60th. The first Swallows Day Parade was in 1953, the second in 1954 and the annual events started in 1960. Therefore, this year celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Swallows Day Parade.

The parade has grown from a handful of participants to more than 3,000, celebrating the community equestrian heritage as well. Horses account for making the Swallows Day Parade one of the largest non-motorized parades in the country, including walkers, carriages, carts and marching bands.

Volunteers—people of this community— make this whole event happen.

There are many organizations in town that

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finished dental school.

“Patients really like (the duo) because we joke around a lot and my dad likes telling stories,” Kelly said. “They come for the company and catching up. We work well together, I’m coming out of school with new things I’ve learned and (my father) has all of the experience. It’s a good combination.”

The dentist family’s roots started when Gerald and Lawrence went to Loma Linda for dental schooling, years before Kelly’s graduation also from Loma Linda in 2017.

Since her father was an alumnus, Lawrence was able to hand Kelly the diploma and he also facilitated her first job in dentistry.

Kelly, who studied molecular environmental biology at the University of California-Berkeley, said the switch to dentistry has been great so far because of relationships created with patients.

Some patients—which include prominent San Juan Capistrano families of multiple generations—date back to when Gerald first opened Kaban Dental Group nearly 30 years ago.

“We spend a lot of time with our patients,” Lawrence said. “They become family friends.”

In addition to creating a positive, goodhumored environment—which Lawrence and Kelly agree can reduce anxiety of their patients, especially those who are fearful of dentistry work—every couple of months, the father-daughter team does free clinic dentistry work in Santa Ana for low-income patients.

To learn more about the Kabans, visit their website. CD contribute to this event, including the Rotary Club and Historical Society. The Blas Aguilar Adobe Museum, which focuses on the history of the Acjachemen/Juaneño people, is always open on Parade Day. All of these events center around the return of the swallows. But none of these events could take place without the hundreds of volunteers who work thousands of hours all year round to ensure that March continues to be that very special time in San Juan Capistrano.

Jan Siegel is a 28-year resident of San Juan Capistrano. She served on the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for 13 years and has been a volunteer guide for the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library’s architectural walking tour for 18 years.

She was named Woman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2005, Volunteer of the Year in 2011 and was inducted into the city’s Wall of Recognition in 2007. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch 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 The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@ thecapistranodispatch.com

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING GUEST OPINION: On Life and Love after 50 by Tom Blake

Eight Red Flags if Widow Allows Man-Friend to Move In

I

n 24 years of writing columns about senior romance, I’ve often been asked about senior couples cohabitating. The most recent question in that category came from Sally (not her true name), 69, a widow of four years.

Sally emailed: “I am financially secure, healthy, fit and attractive. I have been doing volunteer work for the last two years, which is how I met the man I am now seeing.”

Sally explained that she met him last spring when he visited the museum where she volunteers as a docent. He lives 34 miles from her. They’ve been dating on weekends since mid-May. He’s 56, 13 years younger. He told her the age difference doesn’t bother him.

“I like the way our relationship is now.

We get a chance to miss one another because we don’t live together,” Sally said. “We have had some misunderstandings but have worked through them and grown in our relationship.

“He is hardworking and loves his sisters and ON LIFE AND 86-year-old mother, who LOVE AFTER 50 live in Kansas. We visited

By Tom Blake them last November.

He is not as financially secure as I and he still works full time, which is good. I am a retired teacher and I own a nice, large, mortgage-free home.

“He has never married. My late husband and I had a solid, loving marriage for 39 years and then he became ill and died suddenly.

“I always felt I would never marry or live with a man again, but I did want to find a special person with whom I could share a

committed relationship.

“My man-friend wants to move in with me; we are ‘discussing’ it. I know what it’s like to be married; he does not. He has had a few live-in relationships of a few years each. What are your thoughts on his moving in with me?”

EIGHT RED FLAGS IF THE MAN MOVES IN: 1. What you have now is a LAT, a living-apart-together relationship, which is becoming more common among seniors who want a partner in their lives, but who also want to keep their independence.

You say you like the way things are now, that you get a chance to miss each other because you don’t live together. Living with a person can change the relationship dynamic from day one. Why risk that?

2. You’ve seen each other only on weekends. Have you tried weekdays as well?

3. You’ve already had differences. Living together isn’t easier; it’s harder. More differences could surface.

4. I worry about his track record, namely, the “few” live-in relationships he’s had, none lasting more than a few years.

Plus, he has never married. How do you know you two will get along living 24/7 under the same roof?

5. The age gap is significant. Why is he interested in a woman 13 years older than him? With all due respect to you and your wonderful qualities, I suspect he likes that your home is paid off and you are financially set. Do you want to risk the financial security you worked so hard to accumulate?

6. Moving someone in is easy. Getting

Photo: Courtesy of Orange County Archives

FROM THE ARCHIVES Pictured is Camino Capistrano in

San Juan Capistrano circa 1962.

Every issue, The Capistrano Dispatch will publish a historical photo. Online, The Capistrano Dispatch will create a gallery of the month’s photos. To submit your historical photo for consideration, provide information about the photo along with your name, date, location and a small description to erasmussen@picketfencemedia.com.

someone to move out can be a nightmare.

Do you want to take that chance?

7. If he moved in, would he commute 68 miles roundtrip to work? Or, would he retire and be around the house seven days a week? That would drive you crazy because you treasure your private time.

8. Why does he want to move in? To live on your money? What about finances?

Would he pay rent and share expenses?

Sally, allowing him to move in is too risky; there are too many issues. Give it time. It’s only been eight months. And, even then, proceed with caution. You’ve got too much to lose and too little to gain.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point resident and a former Dana Point businessman who has authored several books on middle-aged dating. See his websites www.findingloveafter50.com; www.vicsta.comand www. travelafter55.com. To receive Tom’s weekly online newsletter, sign up at www.findingloveafter50.com. Email: tompblake@gmail. com. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch 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 The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media.

If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com

Pet of the Week: Yum Yum Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

The Capistrano Dispatch March 9-22, 2017

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

Last week’s solution:

Y

um Yum is an 8-year-old kitty looking for a new start. Calm and mild-mannered, she enjoys sunbathing and having her fur brushed. Yum Yum is declawed and would do best as the only pet in a quiet home.

If you would like to know more about Yum Yum, please call the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617 or visit with her at 221 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. CD

Yum Yum. Photo: Courtesy

Page 14

See the solution in next week’s issue.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad online at www.thecapistranodispatch.com

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

FOR SALE CUSTOM AREA RUGS You pick style, color and size. Typically made in 2 weeks. Stainmaster nylon, wool, polyester or designer carpet. Carpet showroom in Lantern District of Dana Point. Carpet and flooring remnants also available - all shapes, sizes and kinds of flooring. We sell tile too!

Mike, Lantern Bay Carpets 949-240-1545.

Call 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or email dwells@picketfencemedia.com

IPHONE 6S ultra slim backup battery, auto light charger adapter, mobil seal 2, premium charge/sync cable. All new. All this for $375.

Available in Capo Beach. 760-519-1491

GARAGE SALES SATURDAYS, 10AM TO 1PM AND SUNDAYS 9AM TO 12 THROUGH MARCH. Everything must go. Chairs, tables, household items, clothes, jewelry, tools, patio furniture. Also open during week. 34202 Camino Capistrano, Capistrano Beach.

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE! Email your listing to info@thecapistranodispatch.com Deadline 5pm Monday. No phone calls.

HELP WANTED DANA POINT MARINA INN -NOW HIRING: Front desk help. Two F/T positions open. $12 to $13, per hour. Apply in person. 24800 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or email dwells@picketfencemedia.com

WANTED ROOM WANTED Working, professional, mature female seeking a small room and private bath $450-$500/ month. I am out most of the day. Value and respect privacy. As a professional assistant and certified care assist I can be of assistance when or if needed. Call Joanne 949-632-7312

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

MEMORIAL

Geraldine “Gerri” Knapp A U G 19, 1946 - MARCH 2, 2017

Call 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or email dwells@picketfencemedia.com

Gerri lives on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

The Capistrano Dispatch March 9–22, 2018

Page 15

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Lauren Westcott, Haley Martnick, Victoria Verutto and Caddie Viter have already helped Saddleback Valley Christian bounce back from a winless 2017 and look for league success. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

San Juan Spring Sports Preview

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

s the high school spring sports season gets underway, we profile several San Juan Capistrano-based programs that are primed for big seasons.

For in-game updates, scores, news and more for all of the San Juan teams all season long, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports.

SADDLEBACK VALLEY CHRISTIAN Softball The Saddleback Valley Christian girls softball team wants to make a run at the San Joaquin League title.

That’s not something you often hear from a team that went winless, 0-11, in the previous year, but SVC coach Dave Martin believes his team has built its way there.

The Capistrano Dispatch March 9–22, 2018

“We want people to turn heads, and we want to make a run at league,” Martin said. “I really believe we can, especially with the way the pitching has come around. Little by little, we’re rounding out to become a complete team.”

Pitching was a concern for Martin coming into the season, but he said the work by assistant coach Sonny Peterson with the pitchers has given him confidence.

“He’s taken both of the girls we planned on putting in the circle and developed the heck out of them,” Martin said. “It’s put us in a position where we can compete against just about anybody on our schedule.”

The Warriors’ top pitcher is senior Caddie Viter. Viter sat out last season and is a transfer from San Juan Hills. Martin said she also hits the ball well, fields her position and doesn’t get rattled.

Senior Haley Martnick and juniors Lauren Westcott and Victoria Verruto will be the other big contributors for Saddleback Valley Christian.

Martnick is first base and lead-off hitter, Westcott is the shortstop and Verruto is at catcher.

Martin said some players from last year were concerned about playing time

when new players transferred in.

“The goal is not to replace you,” Martin said. “The goal was to get everybody to rise together. And everybody has. I’m really excited for the season.”

ST. MARGARET’S Boys Lacrosse When it comes to the legacy programs of Orange County lacrosse, the St. Margaret’s boys lacrosse team is one of those near the top.

The 2018 version of the Tartans is right up there with its reputation.

“I like the guys. I like the way we’re playing right now,” St. Margaret’s coach Glen Miles said. “We just really need to stay healthy right now. When the ball moves and we play fast, we’re pretty good.”

St. Margaret’s speed and ball movement was on display in their first game of the season, a 18-8 win at Great Oak High School of Temecula on March 6. The game showcased the ins and outs of the Tartans.

Junior Kevin Groeninger, who scored 55 goals with 54 assists last season, led St. Margaret’s with eight points against Great Oak. Senior midfielder Conrad Hampson Page 16

led the Tartans with five goals. Trevor Peay scored two goals with two assists.

St. Margaret’s has also led at attack by Garrett Kunts, who scored 40 goals and 15 assists last season.

Defensively, seniors Andrew Maita and Max Martinez are captains. Junior Duke Ballard will play a big role as the longstick midfielder.

All these parts together look to have St. Margaret’s in position to contend for the Southern Section title. The Tartans won it all in 2013 and 2015.

“I think the way we like to look at that is ultimately where we want to end up,” Miles said. “It’s not the initial goal going in. The initial goal is embracing the process of improvement, of being successful.

Hopefully, that adds up at the end.”

St. Margaret’s has loaded its schedule up to prepare itself for the big games it hopes to be there for.

The Tartans travel to Corona del Mar on April 11 and host Foothill on April 17.

Boys Volleyball The St. Margaret’s boys volleyball team fell in the CIF-SS Division 4 semifinals last season, but luckily for the Tartans, it wasn’t an ending for most of the group. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS St. Margaret’s graduated just two seniors and returned nine players to be set up for more success in 2018.

“You can only learn some things from experience,” St. Margaret’s coach Jeremy Dailey said. “Losing in the semifinals, if that creates a fire in our guys, that’s something that can only be created through that experience in a tough loss to end the season.”

The Tartans have a strong and balanced roster with players that can interchangeably play multiple positions. Dailey said the biggest challenge for his coaching staff is putting together its most efficient lineup.

The biggest key for St. Margaret’s is junior Ethan Hill. Dailey said Hill is being recruited by many Division 1 programs and is a dynamic player that can change any match. Hill plays outside and in the middle.

Seniors Tyler Aitken and Gavin Clarke also lead for the Tartans. Aitken is an outside hitter, and Clarke is a setter.

St. Margaret’s opens league play on Tuesday March 13 at Brethren Christian.

SAN JUAN HILLS Boys Lacrosse The San Juan Hills boys lacrosse team graduated 12 seniors from last year’s group, but the program continues to grow.

Stallions coach Albert Tat’s program is now in its second year of being a yearround program and not just a springtime activity. San Juan Hills also has its largest program to date with 54 players.

“We have a lot of kids that are motivated,” Tat said. “We have a lot of people that are dedicated to the sport and getting better as a team. (Being year-round) really helped build that kind of teamwork and camaraderie that we’re looking for. They’re forced to become a brotherhood.”

The Tartans look to use the experience gained in a run to the CIF-SS Division 4 semifinals to lead a strong returning group. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

San Juan Hills won its first league games in five years during last year’s campaign. The Stallions were 7-10 overall and 2-6 in league.

With a young team and spending a lot of time establishing fundamentals, Tat keeps his expectations for the team realistic.

“Our expectations right now, because we’re so young, are to be competitive,” Tat said. “Our goal is to stay close in all the games, win the games that we should win knowing that we’re going to get better in the future.”

San Juan Hills is still led by talent at key

positions.

Sophomore captain Josh Mastropaolo is a minutes-eater in the midfield. Tat said he plays Mastropaolo for about 44 of the game’s 48 minutes and puts him in almost every situation.

Junior attackman Justin Supe jumped into the offensive position from midfield.

Supe is the Stallions face-off man, but he wanted to step up and fill the void.

San Juan Hills is held down on the back line by senior goalie Graham Knapp. Tat called him “unbelievable” and a Division 1 prospect.

JSERRA

Justin Supe, Beau Doubleday, Josh Mastropaolo and Graham Knapp (L to R) form part of the largest group of players in San Juan Hills lacrosse program history.

Photo: Zach Cavanagh

The Capistrano Dispatch March 9–22, 2018

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Baseball JSerra baseball is facing a challenge no team in Orange County has ever had. How do you replace a No. 1 overall pick?

The Lions saw shortstop Royce Lewis get drafted first overall by the Minnesota Twins in last year’s MLB draft. While a baseball team is the sum of many parts, the Lions are looking for what they are in 2018.

“They have to understand they’re not him,” JSerra coach Brett Kay said. “We’ve never had that. Orange County has never had that, a kid go No. 1 overall. We’ll never have that again. Whatever your name is in the program, you have to create your own name.”

(Cont. on page 18) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

JSerra likes what its group of pitchers have shown through the fall and winter, but the Lions will need to find an offensive identity to contend in the Trinity League. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

(Cont. from page 17) Kay said that JSerra hasn’t created an identity yet early in the season. Kay isn’t sure how the Lions will create their runs.

“This is the first time in 12 years that I don’t know what type of offense we’re going to run,” Kay said. “Traditionally, I know the west coast, small ball offense.

We don’t bunt very well, and our baserunning isn’t there. It’s hard right now because it’s Jekyll and Hyde. We might score 10 runs or we might get shut out.”

Kay does like his pitching staff so far.

JSerra has a mix of options to put on the mound.

“We don’t have severe power. We’ve got a lot of guys that throw strikes, a mix of three pitches for strikes,” Kay said. “We’re going to come at you with different looks and different arms. They’ve been the one constant this fall and winter. I’m pleased with that. I like our depth.”

The mound itself is a story this season for the Lions.

In the offseason, JSerra installed a full turf field, which includes the diamond and the mound. Some teams have limited the turf to the traditionally grass areas of a baseball field, the outfield and infield.

JSerra has green turf for those areas and brown turf for the basepaths and pitching mound.

“It’s obviously nice. We’re playing when I don’t think anyone else is playing,” Kay said on a drizzly evening after a game The Capistrano Dispatch March 9–22, 2018

against Beckman on March 2. “It’s an adjustment.”

JSerra opened the season with the Newport Elks Tournament. The Lions started with a 1-2 record.

JSerra opens play in a tough Trinity League on April 10 at Servite.

“If we can pitch and play defense and be opportunistic offensively, we’ll have chance,” Kay said.

CAPISTRANO VALLEY CHRISTIAN Softball Capistrano Valley Christian softball coach Shannon Justice is excited about the team she has.

There is a lot of new blood on the Eagles team. So new that some basics are still on the agenda, but it brings a different energy for CVC. “Some of them have never thrown a ball before,” Justice said. “It’s fun because they’re excited to play. It makes it exciting and fun for me. It adds a different element of teaching. They’re athletes, but they’re not softball players yet.”

It’s a lot of fundamentals for Capistrano Valley Christian. That could be frustrating for a seasoned player, but the process has brought a newfound energy for the Eagles.

“There’s no dissention or negativity,” Justice said. “It’s just how do we get better.

They’re all excited and feeding off each

Riley Dungan, Lauren Herber and Alexia Harrison provide experience for a young but energetic group of Capistrano Valley Christian softball players. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

other.”

The strengths of the team are the returners and seniors, and both are in the most important positions.

Pitcher Riley Dungan and catcher Lauren Herber form the battery for CVC, but even the seniors have something to learn as Herber moves from first base.

Justice said she’s been wanting to catch for a while.

Junior Sabel Piper returns in the outfield and is the only Eagle to have played

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the position before this season.

Sophomore Mikaela Arnone also returns to play first base. Her twin sister Alyssa will play at third base.

Sophomroe Alexia Harrison will also play a big role for Capistrano Valley Christian at shortstop. Harrison moved from Ohio and knows the game extremely well.

Capistrano Valley Christian takes on Saddleback Valley Christian on Tuesday March 13 and opens the Express League at Lutheran of La Verne on March 21. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com