April 8, 2022

APRIL 8-21, 2022 | VOLUME 20, ISSUE 7

INSIDE: Special Section

The High Ground The Rooftop Restaurant & Bar Adds to Downtown Culinary Scene E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 3

Restaurateurs Archie Hami (left) and Marc Resnick are behind the new restaurant replacing the old Ruby’s Diner location above Selma’s. Photo: Collin Breaux

thecapistranodispatch.com

City Looks to Start Tackling Street Maintenance Project

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Through the Library Bookstore

Siegel: Commemoration Day on Los Rios Street

EYE ON SJC/ PAGE 4

SOAPBOX/PAGE 23

SJC LIVING/PAGE 29

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

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EYE ON SJC

Shishito peppers are some of the delicacies that customers can order at The Rooftop Restaurant & Bar. Photo: Collin Breaux

What’s Up With...

together in San Juan.

“I’ve mostly been in the bar scene and financial advising team. Marc is the marketing genius behind everything,” Hami said of their business experience.

“He’s one of the most connected people I know. He knows almost everybody. He grew up here.”

Resnick, who’s 45, laughs that he started selling pretzels at the Mission Viejo mall when he was 15.

“I’ve owned and operated restaurants.

I’ve opened multiple locations for different new openings,” Resnick said. “I’ve worked in the hotel side. Been there, done it.”

Both men remarked on how San Juan has grown from when they were kids.

Hami recalls visiting Mission San Juan Capistrano when he was young and how there was “nothing” around.

“Growing up down here, you would pass through San Juan,” Resnick said. “It was never a destination place. Now, you look at what’s going on in Dana Point with the harbor; it’s a destination spot.”

Hami and Resnick reduced seating capacity in the restaurant after acquiring the property to give the space more breathing room for customers.

“We’re trying to give an experience, along with the food and drinks,” Hami said. “You can sit out over here, whether it’s a first date or anniversary. It’s an experience we want people to go home

TOP NEWS SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

The Rooftop Restaurant & Bar Brings ‘Comfort Food’ Cuisine to San Juan Capistrano

BY COLLIN BREAUX

When restaurateurs Archie Hami and Marc Resnick wanted to introduce their new venture, The Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, to the San Juan Capistrano community, they decided to do it on a big day— the Swallows Day Parade on March 12.

The longtime friends, who have more than 50 years of combined experience in the restaurant industry, held a limited VIP soft opening for their new restaurant, which ended up selling out of tickets. The business partners hope conditions will be similarly kind when they have a grand public opening on April 16.

“We want something that’s a little different—a little bit of San Juan Capistrano. We wanted a very cabin, woody feel,” Hami said. “We wanted something more of the American comfort cuisine, with a modern twist to it.”

The Rooftop lives up to its name, with open-air seating that offers a bird’seye view of downtown. The restaurant The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

is located at the former Ruby’s Diner location above Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria & Tap Room, just across the street from Swallow’s Inn. Some small patio tables have several seats placed around them, allowing for intimate group gatherings.

Menu items include chicken pot pies, meatloaf, and shishito peppers, which have a tangy taste from vinaigrette seasoning.

“We want to bring the new world and the old world together, give them some memories of what they were having when they were younger or what they were cooking for their kids—and at the same time, one of the best views of San Juan,” Hami said.

The men are Orange County locals.

Resnick attended Dana Hills High School and now lives in Laguna Niguel, while Hami lives in Lake Forest. Their paths tended to cross in the restaurant industry, so they decided to go into business Page 3

with. They can sit outside and enjoy the weather.”

The Rooftop is also aiming to be a music venue as well, with live music planned for the restaurant—including for the grand opening on April 16, which will feature Yachty by Nature and other acts.

Where The Rooftop now sits actually used to be a community gathering spot called Woodman’s Hall, according to Resnick. He and Hami want to pay homage to that concept of being a place where people can hang out on a Friday night after work.

“We’re a dining experience. We’re a drinking experience. We’re a patio experience,” Resnick said. “We wanted to be right in between the two. That’s our niche, which is what I think San Juan needs, because you go from extremes.”

Hami and Resnick scouted numerous potential sites when searching for the right location, and the downtown spot above Selma’s was the first one they examined.

“We were very, very fortunate. This restaurant was a Ruby’s Diner for 30 years,” Resnick said. “The idea is, we want to have the kids cycle through and work for us as teenagers and have their kids work for us. We want to carry on the tradition that Joe Campbell had here, where it was just a family place.”

Visit rooftopoc.com for more information. thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

City Takes First Steps on Street Pavement Maintenance Project

BY COLLIN BREAUX

The San Juan Capistrano City Council approved plans and specifications for a pavement rehabilitation project scheduled to begin on Camino Capistrano, in what is intended to be a start for addressing a long-standing need for road maintenance.

The unanimous approval was given during a meeting on Tuesday, April 5, and also authorizes city staff to take the project out to bid for construction. City staff expects to come back to the council to award a construction contract in June.

Work is then expected to begin in July or August, and finish in the fall.

Construction work will include the removal of existing failed pavement and construction of new pavement surface for Camino Capistrano between Dana Point at the southern city limit and Laguna Niguel at the northern city limit, according to an agenda report.

City Manager Ben Siegel said the project is a “very significant capital project and investment.”

“This is really the start of a conversation about continued investment in the city’s roads,” Siegel said. “We plan on coming back to the council in May (during a budget workshop) with more information and recommendations for continued residential and arterial projects to occur following the Camino Capistrano project.”

City Engineer Joe Parco gave an overview of the project and recapped how the City Council approved funding for the project this past October, using $7 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

“I think we can all agree that Camino Cap is a major backbone arterial of the city,” Parco said. “It services major business including Costco, auto dealerships, the downtown business district, the Mission, and a variety of schools.

Next to Ortega (Highway), Camino Cap is our city’s busiest street—carrying over 22,000 vehicles per day.”

Construction work will also be done on portions of Stonehill Drive, Avenida Aeropuerto, and Ortega Highway near Camino Capistrano. The length of the resurfaced pavement will be more than six miles.

“We are estimating over 25,000 tons of asphalt to be placed on this project,” Parco said. “The deeper section of asphalt removal will occur in the southern portions of the Camino Capistrano project limits.”

Construction on southern portions will be done at night due to the amount of work required and to minimize traffic disruptions. The northern portion will be done during the day. Work on the project will be done in phases.

“Staff will be coordinating the work with businesses and schools to minimize traffic impacts to those constituents,” Parco said.

The total project budget is estimated to be $10.3 million. To put that cost into scale, the city’s annual budget tends to be around $32 million.

“I just want to point that out as to why people ask why we don’t pave all the roads right away,” Mayor Derek Reeve said. “Roads are extremely expensive in terms of our annual budget.”

Councilmember Sergio Farias said

Legislation on Bike Safety Raises Concerns over Local Control

on March 28.

“The goal for this legislation is to make it safer for cyclists operating on the road and to remove barriers local governments can currently impose that may make it harder for people to choose to ride a bicycle,” Allison Ruff-Schuurman, Friedman’s chief of staff, said in an email.

Among the provisions, the measure proposes to allow riders to cross an intersection displaying a “walk” or “walking person” symbol as long as they yield the right of way to pedestrians or vehicles lawfully within the intersection. Cyclists, however, would still be required to follow bicycle control signals if otherwise directed.

The bill would also require that a car move over to an adjacent lane, if one is available, before passing a cyclist.

Current California law requires that motorists leave at least 3 feet between

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

A bill that aims to get more Californians out of their cars and instead onto bicycles and electric bikes has been introduced in the California State Assembly.

Assembly Bill 1909, introduced by Assemblymember Laura Friedman of the 43rd Assembly District, hopes to increase bicycle ridership and decrease CO2 emissions by increasing safety measures and modifying local government authority on bikes and e-bikes.

The bill passed the Assembly’s Transportation Committee in an 11-2 vote The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

City officials are planning to begin repairing and replacing portions of Camino Capistrano, after years of neglected maintenance led to poor road conditions. Photo: Collin Breaux

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while it will be “odd to see” the project, pavement maintenance is “worthwhile.”

“I’m excited about it,” Farias said.

“Again, this is one of those things I didn’t think I would get to see on my time on this council—spending $10 million on roads.”

Mayor Pro Tem Howard Hart said he is excited about the project, and used a football metaphor to explain the importance of maintaining roadways.

“This is really kind of the blocking and tackling of city government. … Our city staff turned a budget deficit into a budget surplus and got the grants that allowed us to address this issue,” Hart said. “Frankly, our streets are the result of years of neglect due to structural budget deficits. We just couldn’t do it.

The problem with not doing it is the fix gets more expensive over time until we find ourselves digging up 17 or 18 inches worth of asphalt in order to do something which perhaps wouldn’t be that

expensive if we (had) been able to take care of it sooner.”

In other news, the council approved a code amendment and rezoning measures to accommodate construction of the town’s long-awaited skate park near The Ecology Center. The skate park has been discussed for at least a decade, and highly anticipated by residents—some of whom spoke in favor of the project at Tuesday’s meeting. Construction is expected to begin in July, and the project could be finished by this winter.

Tuesday’s meeting was dedicated to Diane Carter, a longtime local equestrian and co-owner of equestrian shop American Horse Products who recently died.

Diane Carter opened American Horse Products with her husband, Jim Carter, in 1999.

“Diane was a tremendous advocate for the equestrian community and a true lover of San Juan Capistrano,” Reeve said.

“Diane will be truly missed.”

their vehicle and a bicyclist when passing.

And if the bill is enacted, municipalities, where cyclists are required to register and license their electric bicycles, would no longer have the authority to prohibit the operation of unlicensed e-bikes.

Pete Van Nuys, the executive director of the OC Bicycle Coalition (OCBC), said the Coalition opposes AB 1909—which, he noted, has been revised a few times since its introduction.

“The idea of removing local control of a burgeoning transportation mode on paths and trails—‘trails’ being too varied, too broad a description, of local recreational, educational, and scenic assets—is irresponsible,” Van Nuys wrote in an email.

The bill was recently revised after the Sierra Club, the environmental nonprofit, and other similar groups

raised concerns about allowing all e-bikes on recreation and hiking trails, Ruff-Schuurman explained.

The latest version of the bill allows local laws to prohibit e-bikes on equestrian trails and hiking and recreation trails, but it bars the cities from banning e-bikes from bicycle paths.

The San Clemente City Council recently received a presentation from city staff on AB 1909. According to the staff report, “adoption of e-bikes increased by 145% from 2019-2020 in the United States, double the number of electric cars.”

The staff report further explained that the demographic of e-bike riders tends to be older adults, “choosing e-bikes over conventional bikes due to physical limitations. Restricting the use of e-bikes on bike paths significantly limits the ability of older adults to (Cont. on page 7) thecapistranodispatch.com

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

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The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

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EYE ON SJC

Cultural Heritage Commission Rejects Proposed Designs for New City Seal, Extends Deadline for Additional Submissions

BY COLLIN BREAUX

Suggestions on a new city seal design for San Juan Capistrano will continue to be accepted from the public through July 15, per the direction of the Cultural Heritage Commission.

The commission agreed to extend the deadline for public submissions during a meeting on March 22. The City Council recently decided to undertake updating the city seal, which currently features Saint Junipero Serra and a Native American boy.

Any new seal design is required to depict aspects of Mission San Juan Capistrano and Native American culture.

City officials are looking at adopting a new design by the end of this year.

Commissioners, who are tasked with making recommendations to the City Council, reviewed proposed designs that were submitted to the city, but didn’t approve any one of them.

“I’m not impressed with any of the ones I’ve seen,” Commissioner Lorie Porter said.

What should go in the design has been discussed and debated by community members, with swallow birds and horses coming up as potential features.

Commissioner Paul Lopez said San Juan Capistrano has many different features that make the town what it is, and the new seal should reflect that.

“We have the history with the

Juaneños and the Acjachemen. We have the rancho life. We have the Mexican period. These are all important parts of our culture. We have equestrian culture,” Lopez said. “I would love to see all of that incorporated into a seal. I don’t know if all of that can fit in there, but if there is some way that we can get more of what our city is about into a seal, I think it would better represent who we are as a city.”

Commissioner Anna Dickinson said some of the current submissions that have lots of details “get a little bit too busy.”

“I think what the city was looking for, from the meeting I was in when they first brought forward the first seal, was to simplify our seal from what it currently is—also update it and make it easier to be seen on cell phones and mobile devices,” Dickinson said.

Councilmember Troy Bourne—who brought forth the idea of updating the seal, along with Councilmember Sergio Farias—said the current seal does not show up well on a smartphone, and wants a new and simpler design to be legible when looking at it on a mobile device.

A default design proposed by Bourne and Farias featuring a bell—a symbol associated with Mission San Juan Capistrano, which has historic bells—has been

(Cont. from page 4) choose bicycling as an alternate mode of transportation to enjoy more mobility, autonomy, and social connection.”

During a March 15 meeting, San Clemente Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan commented on a since-removed provision in the bill that would have banned local governments from prohibiting any class of e-bikes on trails, bikeways and bike lanes, equestrian trails and hiking trails.

“That’s kind of problematic,” Duncan said. “We just passed our own prohibition on the Beach Trail, because it’s just not conducive to having a motorized vehicle on it, electric or not. That’s going to be interesting to see how that comes out as it pertains to us. I don’t see us supporting that.”

San Clemente’s councilmembers passed an ordinance earlier this year prohibiting e-bikes on the city’s beaches, Beach Trail and municipal pier.

Duncan also mentioned Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s legislation, Assembly Bill 1946, as an e-bike safety measure that the city could potentially support.

Horvath’s bill, which was introduced in early February, would establish safety standards and training programs for e-bike users. That bill was passed out of the Assembly Transportation Committee on March 21 in a 15-0 vote, and it is now in the Appropriations Committee.

“We do need to make sure that we have more measures in place to have, particularly, our youth operating e-bikes more safely, and if there was state legislation that helped us get there, that might be helpful,” Duncan said.

In San Juan Capistrano, the city said it has emphasized education in its response to the rise in e-bikes.

The city has installed advisory signs along high-use areas along the San Juan Creek Trail and Las Vaqueras Trail that establish “no passing” zones, instruct bicyclists to “yield to pedestrians and equestrians,” and warn of “bike crossing(s) ahead.”

“While the City’s trail system currently allows for different types of bicycles, including e-bikes, City staff is continually evaluating policies and regulations

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

Saint Junipero Serra is likely coming off San Juan Capistrano’s city seal. City officials are working through bringing about a new seal design, which is required to depict aspects of Mission San Juan Capistrano and Native American culture. Photo: Collin Breaux

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proposed to mixed reactions.

While visibility on a smartphone is the given reason for updating the city seal, Serra’s legacy has come under scrutiny in recent times because of his interactions with Native Americans—the subject of tense discussions among councilmembers during a recent meeting.

Commissioners also discussed reaching out to stakeholders in the community about appropriate details to include in the seal, and giving direction on guidelines to residents who might submit a potential design.

A subcommittee of city officials will work with a graphic designer on refining visual details for a new seal.

related to trail safety, and monitoring various legislation involving e-bikes,” San Juan Capistrano Senior Management Analyst Matisse Reischl wrote in an email.

“However, restricting e-bikes or even imposing speed limits is very difficult to enforce,” she continued. “As a more viable alternative, we have enhanced efforts to educate e-bike users in the community.”

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Dana Point have not taken a position on the legislation.

Over the past year, each of the three South Orange County cities of Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano has held community events to promote safe riding.

In Dana Point, Dana Point Police Services hosted an information session to educate riders on e-bike safety this past November.

That same month, San Juan Capistrano also hosted a free e-bike safety course taught by League of American Bicyclist-certified instructors at City

Hall. City staff plans on offering another safety course in the spring or summer of this year.

The San Juan course offered hands-on skills training in the City Hall parking lot, lectures and discussions, and a onehour guided ride to test participants’ newly learned skills.

Additionally, the City of San Juan Capistrano offers trail safety education materials on its website.

The City of San Clemente is scheduled to host a Bike Rodeo on May 26 in recognition of Bicycle Safety Month. The event will take place from 3-5 p.m. at the Vista Hermosa Sports Park, and it will be split into two age groups.

The Bike Rodeo will run from 3:15 p.m.-4 p.m. for kids 5-8 years old and from 4 p.m-4:45 p.m. for those 9-17 years old. The event is free, but pre-registration through the city’s website is required.

Ruff-Schuurman recently explained that with AB 1909’s recent passage out of the Transportation Committee, the bill will next move on to the Appropriations Committee. thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

NEWS BITES

Riding hosted equine training for the OC Fire Authority’s Urban Search & Rescue’s team this past week, with approximately 90 first responders attending a session on a given day.

“During the training sessions, the OCFA and The Shea Center will share facts and details about equestrian realities that came out of an OCFA rescue that saved the life of Choco, a Shea Center therapy horse who became trapped in San Juan Capistrano’s open space,” a news release said. “OC fire officials used a helicopter to airlift Choco to safety after digging him out from under concrete and exposed rebar, in an extraordinary and extremely technical horse rescue.”

A reunion was also held to thank the firefighters, veterinarians, and equestrian community members who helped in the rescue.

“Our commitment to provide exceptional emergency support services does not stop with the nearly two million people we serve or the structures in which they live and work,” OC Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said. “It also includes the pets, service animals, and livestock that bring tremendous value and joy to our communities, and we are proud to partner with The Shea Center to build upon that commitment.”

COMPILED BY STAFF

CD | San Juan Business

Owner Recognized as Woman of the Year for 73rd Assembly District Assemblymember Laurie Davies selected San Juan Capistrano business owner Julie Beeman as the area’s Woman of the Year for her leadership in South Orange County.

“I am proud to select San Juan Capistrano business owner Julie Beeman as my Woman of the Year for 2022,” Davies said in her announcement. “Julie has been an integral part of the 73rd District for many years and has made invaluable and far-reaching contributions to the welfare and improvement of her community.”

Beeman has served as a charter member of the California Women’s Leadership Association and has served the organization as president for six years. Over the past 25 years, Beeman has advised other women entrepreneurs and mentored students and other professionals entering the workforce.

Davies, in the release, noted that Beeman is a lifelong county resident and entrepreneur who founded VCS Environmental, an environmental firm that specializes in CEQA, biology, regulatory and cultural services for the building and transportation industries.

VCS, Davies added, “provides its municipal and private clients with exceptional service, guiding them through the complicated requirements of local, state and federal agencies,” since 1996, and “now staffs 25 individuals in San Juan Capistrano.”

According to Davies’ announcement, VCS will provide $25,000 in scholarships to students interested in entering the environmental, transportation and/ or planning fields in celebration of its 25th anniversary.

CD | Annual Weed

Abatement Requirements Underway in San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano Property owners in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano have until May 15 to get weeds under control on their grounds, according to public notices sent out by the weed abatement administrator for the two towns.

San Clemente property owners must keep all weeds at a height no higher The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

Assemblymember Laurie Davies honored San Juan Capistrano business owner Julie Beeman (above) as Woman of the Year for her leadership in South Orange County. Photo: Courtesy of the Office of Assemblymember Laurie Davies

than one inch for the rest of the year, while San Juan residential owners must maintain lawns up to three inches and trim all edges. All weeds above six inches must be removed from San Juan lawns.

San Juan residential properties should also be clear of rubbish.

Weeds on undeveloped parcels in San Juan cannot go higher than two inches.

Tumbleweeds must be removed.

Notices sent out about the weed control program said precautions must be taken to reduce fire risks.

“For those properties that remain unabated after that date, the City’s Weed Abatement Contractor will clear the lots as required, and then bill the cost of removal to the property owners,” the notice for San Clemente said.

Similar penalties are in place in San Juan.

If you have questions or want more information call 949.498.9250 if you’re in San Clemente or 949.498.3359 if in San Juan, or email ed@estewartinc.com.

CD | Unidos South OC

Receives Nonprofit Recognition from Assemblymember Davies Unidos South OC, which works to raise the voices and concerns of underprivileged community members in San Juan Capistrano, is being spotlighted for its advocacy efforts.

Unidos has been selected as a 2022 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Laurie Davies.

“Unidos is one of more than one hundred nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assemblymembers for their outstanding contributions to the communities they serve,” a news release said.

The nonprofit was founded in 2017 and offers a homework club and other enrichment activities. It provided groceries to families during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has recently facilitated community members speaking during city council meetings about the need for more affordable housing for local residents.

“We are humbled to be recognized

by Assemblymember Laurie Davies as a 2022 Nonprofit of the Year,” said John Chapman, co-executive director for Unidos. “Everything that Unidos is doing, we are doing hand-in-hand with

CD | Shea Center Hosts

Equine Training Sessions for OC Fire Authority A San Juan Capistrano-based equine therapy nonprofit has stepped up to help prepare regional authorities for horse rescue measures in the future.

The J.F. Shea Center for Therapeutic Page 8

COMMUNITY MEETINGS SATURDAY, APRIL 9

Citizens’ Climate Education 10:45 a.m.-noon. This nonpartisan climate action group holds monthly meetings on the second Saturday of the month through Zoom video conferences.

Email larrykramerccl@gmail.com to receive a link to join.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13

Planning Commission 5 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Planning Commission will hold a scheduled meeting open to the public.

City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. sanjuancapistrano.org.

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

Design Review Committee 4:30 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Design Review Committee will hold a scheduled meeting open to the public.

City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. sanjuancapistrano.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

Coffee Chat 8:30 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues. The first Friday session of the month will be held virtually via Zoom video conference; all other Friday forums will take place in person at Hennessey’s Tavern in San Juan Capistrano, 31761 Camino Capistrano. Follow Coffee Chat SJC on Facebook for information.

TUESDAY, APRIL 19

City Council 5 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano City Council will hold a scheduled meeting open to the public. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. sanjuancapistrano.org.

Because I Love You (BILY) 6:30-8:30 p.m. The organization Because I Love You (BILY), which helps parents navigate through whatever parenting challenges they may be facing (e.g., failure to launch, drug abuse, disrespect), will continue conducting its weekly meetings on Tuesdays via Zoom video conference. For detailed instructions on how to participate, email bilysanclemente@gmail.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

The next print issue of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.

low-income residents, their allies, our donors and volunteers. It takes working together to see both individual and systemic change that will ultimately benefit all of South Orange County.” thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON RMV

SEEN ON THE RANCH

Photos from Rancho Mission Viejo PHOTOS & TEXT BY COLLIN BREAUX, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

Rancho Mission Viejo offers plenty of outdoor space where people can walk on trails and enjoy views of lush green hills. Community residents often ride their bicycles and take their children walking in these designated pedestrian areas. CD

EVENTS AT THE RANCH

APRIL 13

VIRTUAL VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION AND TRAINING 7-8:30 p.m. Take the first step in becoming an official volunteer at The Nature Reserve. Participants will get to learn about the outdoor area’s history, purpose, and other relevant information, as well as how to communicate that to the public. The event will be held over Zoom. Sign up at rmvreserve.org.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

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thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX

GUEST OPINION | A Bit About San Juan by Jessica DiCostanzo

A Tribute to Joyce Hoffman, Equestrian and Surfer

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

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Columnists Fred Swegles Tom Blake Joyce Hoffman and her father, Walter Hoffman, pictured here at Joyce’s statue unveiling in Dana Point on January 27, are considered one of the first families of surfing.

Photo: Breeana Greenberg

T

he purpose of this column is to shine a spotlight on people you may know of but not know their connection to San Juan Capistrano’s equestrian lifestyle. Recently, local surfing legend Joyce Hoffman’s contributions to surfing have been immortalized with a life-sized bronze statue unveiled at Waterman’s Plaza in Dana Point and a new mural celebrating the local surfing culture at Doheny Village. For decades, the World Champion surfer could be found at Poche Beach and other spots, but her day job was running the other family business, TAR Farms Stables.

Joyce grew up around horses. Her family moved to Capo Beach when she was 13. Joyce’s parents purchased a farm and named it TAR Farms, for Tricia & Robin. They quickly got Hoffman a “crazy Arabian” horse that would take

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

off and run home every time she got on.

This led Hoffman to appreciate horses from the ground, rather than on their backs. So, the horse bug passed on to her sister, who became a show jumper, and her mother had a sale barn for jumper horses. Over time, TAR Farms grew into multi-discipline stables and was recently purchased by a local equestrian, and it is now known as Shady Maples Farm.

While Joyce’s sister spent time at the barn, Joyce spent her time at the beach perfecting her skills. In her teens, Joyce went on to win a World Championship, which led to endorsements, world travel and more accolades. Life came full circle when Joyce became the manager of TAR Farms, and oversaw operations for more than 30 years.

As far as living on the farm, Hoffman expressed, “You don’t have to ride horses

(or even want to ride horses) to appreciate the equestrian community. Horses are central to San Juan Capistrano.”

We could not agree more. Horses provide a unique character to our town, from our multi-use trails and open spaces to our world-class Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park. Whether you surf, ride horses or just enjoy seeing horses in a crosswalk, you can appreciate the fact that San Juan Capistrano without horses is simply unimaginable.

Jessica DiCostanzo is a San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition Board Member, lifelong equestrian, and co-founder of equivont.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 Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch .com.

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Special Projects Editor Andrea Papagianis-Camacho Copy Editor Randy Youngman

FINANCE Accounting & Finance Manager Tricia Zines CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Jake Howard

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 20, Issue 7. The Dispatch (thecapistranodispatch) is published twice monthly

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The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

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The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

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THE GREEN ISSUE

WHERE DOES SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY GET ITS WATER? Welcome TO THE GREEN ISSUE

The sound of the beating drum for the nations of the world to act on climate change only grows louder each passing year, as communities around the globe continue to face rising sea levels, drought, record-setting wildfires, floods and heat waves.

Those threats are expected only to worsen, as nations haven’t yet done enough to offer cities, coastlines and farmlands protection, the latest scientific report authored by 270 researchers from 67 countries concluded last month.

The somber findings should serve as a drastic wake-up call.

This month, as the U.S. and other nations observe Arbor Day and Earth Day— two holidays meant to create changes in human behavior, promote better policies to address the warming planet, and inspire hope for our collective future—we publish our annual “Green Issue.”

This yearly special section serves as a reminder of the various ways we in South Orange County can help take better care of the planet and leave our corner looking a little better than before.

In this year’s edition, we talk to one local business owner who’s operated without the use of plastics while helping others in the community maintain a plastic-free lifestyle—all in the hope of reducing waste that can be harmful to marine life.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

We also catch up with Ryan Hickman—now 12 years old—to see how his recycling efforts have taken him around the world. In addition, we list locations where residents can take their bottles and glass for recycling, as well as explore where South Orange County gets its water supply.

And as the state continues to inch closer toward its goal of having only zero-emission vehicles sold in California by 2035, we look at some of the progress that’s been made to reach that ambitious target and show how some local auto dealers are embracing the transition.

Lastly, the issue also offers a look at the new arts-based campaign that the local environmental nonprofit Wyland Foundation started, to remind residents that trash and debris collected in storm drains ultimately make their way to the oceans.

We hope this 2022 issue informs readers of ways to be more in tune with nature and inspires them to practice environmental stewardship in any form that takes.

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

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oughly 90% of the water that South County residents use comes from imported sources.

The other 10%, according to the Orange County Water District—the local authority on groundwater—comes from the area’s small groundwater basins and local water recycling projects.

Our water supply, brought down to us by the Metropolitan Water District, comes from two primary sources: the Colorado River, via the Colorado River Aqueduct, and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers in Northern California, through what’s referred to as the State Water Project.

The Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) purchases that imported water from Metropolitan and then distributes it to its more than two dozen member agencies comprising both city water departments and water districts.

Water districts including South Coast Water District, Santa Margarita Water District and Moulton Niguel Water District, largely serve South Orange County cities, including areas of Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano.

The water districts provide the retail water services to ratepayers within their jurisdictions.

But some cities—and that includes San Clemente—largely manage their own water utilities, distributing the imported water and billing residents.

Up until last year, when the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) approved plans to transfer water utilities over to Santa Margarita Water District, the City of San Juan Capistrano similarly managed its own.

Ongoing environmental concerns exacerbated by drought, as well as worries of supply disruption from potential earthquakes, have encouraged agencies, municipalities and elected officials to diversify the area’s water supply and consider alternatives to reduce reliance on imported water.

In late 2020, Santa Margarita Water District opened its Trampas Canyon Dam and Reservoir on land acquired from Rancho Mission Viejo, south of Ortega Highway, where the agency will maximize recycled water use.

Santa Margarita Water District will use its reservoir to store water in the winter months for use during the summer, and supply irrigation water for San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente.

And other agencies, such as South Coast Water District, also utilize water desalination plants, which adds local groundwater into the distribution system.

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South Coast Water District is currently forging ahead with its longstanding plans to develop the Doheny Ocean Desalination Plant, which would draw water from the ocean, remove all the salt and then distribute potable water to the public.

The agency is looking at potential partnerships, including with City of San Clemente, to help support the desal project that’s estimated to cost about $120 million. thecapistranodispatch.com

THE GREEN ISSUE

Auto Dealers Embrace Electric Vehicle Market

BY COLLIN BREAUX AND SHAWN RAYMUNDO

A

ll new cars and trucks sold in California must be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2035—the mandate set by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020 to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

While automakers have more than a decade to meet Newsom’s statewide target of transitioning California’s transportation industry, local car dealers are already in the thick of embracing the electric vehicle market.

“Until recently, there have been limited options, and the percent of new cars powered solely by electricity has been less than 2% of the market,” said Miles Brandon, owner of Capistrano Volkswagen and Capistrano Mazda. “Momentum really started building in 2021. Last June, 32% of our VW store’s new car sales were EVs.” Not just the dealerships, but automakers as a whole, including General Motors and Ford, are also embracing the transition. News outlets reported last year that GM is looking to produce only electric vehicles by 2035, and it plans to roll out 30 new plug-in models by 2025.

Brandon attributed a number of reasons for the shift, including increasing regulation.

Aside from California’s mandate, countries outside the United States—including China and in Europe—are regulating for internal combustion engines (ICE) to disappear over the next dozen years.

“As environmental requirements tighten and the share of the pie shrinks, the cost to produce an ICE will continually rise at the same time that mass production—together with advancements in batteries—will continThe Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

ually bring down the cost of EVs,” Brandon said.

California’s shift toward an all-ZEV auto industry comes as the state continues to feel the impacts of climate change, largely brought on by carbon emissions and smog from motor vehicles.

According to the state, transportation makes up nearly 50% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions, with medium- to heavy-duty trucks contributing the most vehicle pollution despite only comprising “two million of the 30 million registered vehicles in California.”

“California has made great strides in cleaning up our air, but the Los Angeles region and the San Joaquin Valley still suffer from the worst air quality in the nation,” the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development said in its report on market strategies for zero-emission vehicles. “Greenhouse gas emissions are falling in California as a whole, led by our clean electricity sector, but transportation still accounts for nearly 50% of the total.”

As part of the 2035 mandate, the state has set intermediate goals over the next several years, such as the benchmark to reach five million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030. The market strategies report noted that as of September 2020, there were more than 766,800 zero-emission passenger vehicles and trucks sold in the state.

In late February, the governor’s office reported that more than one million plug-in electric vehicles—cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles—had been sold in California.

Steve Smith, electric vehicle sales manager for the two San Juan dealerships, said con-

sumers are driving a demand in market sales prescription while doing so. after hearing about the benefits, designs, and “Most manufacturers were standing on unique features of electric vehicles—which the sidelines just a few years back, but are can include smooth vehicle turning and easynow all jumping in with plans of being 100% to-use screens that can easily control air conzero-emission vehicles within a decade,” dition temperatures and driving navigation Brandon said. “There are now EVs on the instructions with the few touches of a finger. market that, after available rebates, cost “They are reading about the awards and acabout the same as a comparably sized and colades EVs are receiving in the market. They equipped ICE car.” now see more charging locations wherever Asked their thoughts on the state’s 2035 they go on a daily basis, such as at shopping target, Miles and Smith both said trends tend centers, grocery stores, their local Walmart to start in California. or Target—and usually with prime parking “However, it truly is not just a growing locations,” Smith said. “Consumers now see California or even a U.S. trend in the auto more of them on the road than ever before industry, but a global one,” Smith said. “I and in growing numbers, making the idea of believe—based on consumer demands and transitioning to electric less foreign.” auto manufacturer plans—that, at this rate, The private market is also driving a shift by the time 2035 arrives, most consumers will toward EVs. have already replaced at least one ICE vehicle “Investors aren’t looking at manufacturers’ in their driveway with an electric vehicle, if pasts, but rather investing heavily in companot two.” nies who are taking the lead in building EVs,” Advantages electric vehicles have over Brandon said. “Investments in new battery gas-powered vehicles, as mentioned by Smith technologies and new battery production and Brandon, include annual savings on fuel, facilities are skyrocketing as well.” lower routine maintenance costs, and the Those investments to improve battery convenience of being able to charge an EV at technology—which make up the biggest home as opposed to filling up at a gas station. portion of an electric vehicle’s price tag—are A recent study by AAA found that while what’s needed to also help drive down the owning a new EV was “slightly more expenhigh costs associated with EVs and make sive” than owning a gas-powered automothem a mass-market product, according to bile—about $600 more annually—drivers of Bloomberg.

EVs spend less on fuel and “At current rates and pack maintenance. sizes, the average battery “The electricity required to “MOST cost for a typical EV works drive 15,000 miles per year MANUFACTURERS out to about $6,300, though in a compact electric vehicle the ones that go into premicosts an average of $546, WERE STANDING um models are more,” acwhile the amount of gas ON THE SIDELINES cording to a November 2021 required to drive the same JUST A FEW YEARS report from Bloomberg, distance costs $1,255 (or which also noted that battery 130%) more,” AAA explained.

BACK, BUT ARE pack prices have dropped And when it comes to NOW ALL JUMPING considerably—89%—over vehicle maintenance, EVs IN WITH PLANS OF the past decade. don’t require oil changes or A previous concern air-filter replacements like BEING 100% ZEROregarding the mass gas-powered cars.

EMISSION VEHICLES production or adoption of “If maintained accordWITHIN A DECADE.” EVs has been whether the ing to the automaker’s infrastructure for charging recommendations, electric —MILES BRANDON stations can accommodate vehicles cost $330 less than EVs traveling long distances. a gas-powered car, a total of Both the state and federal $949 annually,” AAA said. government have taken steps to allay those As for what those unfamiliar with electric concerns. vehicles should know, Smith said anyone new As another one of the state’s intermediate to EVs should consider them a “viable option.” goals, California is looking to have 250,000 “Yes, EVs used to be priced—and, of public and shared charging stations and 200 course, many still are—for the wealthy,” Smith hydrogen fueling stations by 2025. said. “However, the costs have come down Nationally, President Joe Biden has set a significantly as EV options have increased goal of establishing a network of 500,000 EV over the past few years.” chargers around the U.S. Funding for that People also need to look beyond the initial goal is coming from the bipartisan Infrastrucpurchase price and instead look at the total ture Investment and Jobs Act enacted last fall. cost of ownership over the term of the lease Brandon says that the quantity of pubor loan, Smith said. lic charging stations and available home “Yes,” Smith added, “you can continue to charging capabilities have already “soared” in wait until the costs come down even more the past few years. over time, but then the current level of EV For instance, public charging stations are incentives at federal, state and local utility available at the Walmart on Avenida Pico in company levels will also continue to decrease San Clemente, where drivers can spend a over time—making the benefit of waiting less short time charging their vehicles and may be and the opportunity for annual savings even even prone to chat with other drivers or fill a greater over time by jumping in now.”

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THE GREEN ISSUE

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

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he Wyland Foundation, a local environmental nonprofit, has launched the Streams of Hope public arts and awareness campaign to bring attention to the importance of maintaining the county’s storm drains, channels, and waterways.

Streams of Hope aims “to promote good water stewardship and give people a way to have fun doing it,” said Steve Creech, president of the Wyland Foundation.

The Wyland Foundation, funded by environmental artist Robert Wyland in 1993, works to protect and preserve the world’s oceans, waterways and marine life. Through community events, educational programs and public art projects, the foundation encourages environmental awareness.

The 29-year-old foundation developed the Streams of Hope campaign to bring awareness to pollution and marine debris in California’s storm drains and waterways.

“That’s really what the Wyland Foundation is all about,” Creech said. “Our goal is clean water, healthy oceans, but when you think about it, we all live downstream from somebody else. Whatever we’re putting into our storm drains will wash into our storm channels and eventually out to sea if it’s not intercepted.”

The Wyland Foundation developed the Streams of Hope campaign in partnership with the Municipal Water District of Orange County, Orange County Conservation Corps and the County of Orange.

It’s also sponsored by other agencies and organizations, including the Metropolitan

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

WYLAND FOUNDATION LAUNCHES STREAMS OF HOPE CAMPAIGN Water District of Southern California, the Orange County Department of Education’s Inside the Outdoors, and KCAL9/CBS2.

Through Streams of Hope, the Wyland Foundation also looks to bring awareness to the county’s Adopt a Channel program.

The program is “really a way for partners across Orange County to get involved and help support the cost of maintaining the storm channels around Orange County,” Creech said. “Orange County Conservation Corps plays a big part in that, because they provide employment and retraining for people, some from tough circumstances, but they get them on their feet and give them their first jobs, and a lot of that is maintaining those storm channels.”

The Streams of Hope campaign reminds residents that the trash and debris collected in storm drains and channels ultimately make their way to the ocean and impact marine life.

“The problems really start upstream, and especially now as our communities get larger and the things that we consume are spread wider across the community,” Creech said.

“It’s one thing if there’s one home and there’s fertilizer running off into the storm channel and the local watershed, but when you’ve got 20 million people doing that, you’re looking at much bigger problems, and they magnify downstream.”

Throughout April, 8-foot by 4-foot, relief-style whale murals will be painted by artists across Orange County in celebration of Earth Month. The murals will be exhibited in shopping centers, City Halls, schools and Orange County storm channels and serve as a reminder of the impact land-based pollution and debris have on the ecosystem and marine life.

The first mural of the series was unveiled at the Festival of Whales in Dana Point and was painted by Huntington Beach artist Dave Reynolds.

The foundation recently announced that there will be three baby whale murals placed around Downtown Disney. The whales were painted by a group of artists from the Laguna Woods Art Association.

“Most of the artists are going to be local to that city, and then that statuette will be sponsored by that water district, painted by local artists and displayed in that area,” Creech said. “We want to keep it really local, because that’s really how we feel like these issues are going to be addressed; it’s locality by locality, neighborhood by neighborhood. That’s how you deal with pollution.”

The Streams of Hope website will be updated with the location and pictures of the murals as they are placed throughout Orange County.

To be a good environmentalist, the Wyland

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Foundation believes that one needs to both care and be informed. This program brings both of those aspects together, Creech said, to remind people of “the beauty around them and also encouraging them to seek out information and ways that they can get involved and take action.”

The Streams of Hope campaign will culminate in a large coastal and waterway cleanup effort on Earth Day and coincides with Wyland Foundation’s National Mayor’s Water Challenge—a friendly competition between U.S. cities to see who can best conserve water, energy and other natural resources.

The Foundation’s website includes a pledge to make “water-wise” choices, as well as actions that individuals, groups and communities can take on to conserve water.

For individuals, some of the recommended actions are conserving toilet water and taking shorter showers, whereas community actions include eliminating plastic straws, organizing hazardous waste collection drives and holding community cleanups.

The Wyland Foundation will soon announce dates for beach and waterway cleanups for the Earth Month celebrations and the Streams of Hope campaign.

“Water pollution affects us all,” Municipal Water District of Orange County General Manager Rob Hunter wrote in a recent press release. “Every piece of trash or harmful chemical that ends up in our waterways encroaches on the fragile ecosystems that support healthy communities. This campaign serves as a reminder that we can all do our part to protect and preserve our natural resources through education, good environmental stewardship, and an action plan.”

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THE GREEN ISSUE

WAYS TO RECYCLE WHERE TO DO YOUR PERSONAL RECYCLING IN SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

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ocations for personal recycling in South Orange County have faced plenty of changes over the past few years.

Back in 2019, rePlanet, California’s largest redemption recycling operator at the time, shut down its 284 locations across the state, including locations in San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. At the time, Consumer Watchdog reported that 40% of California’s redemption centers had closed over the previous five years.

Despite some of those centers being scooped up and taken over by local companies after the rePlanet closures, more redemption centers have closed around South Orange County over the past few years.

However, despite these closures, there are still ways to get your personal recycling done and redeem cans and bottles around the area.

According to CalRecycle, there is only one redemption recycling center in the tri-city South Orange County area: Ponce Recycling in San Clemente, which operates behind the Ralphs at 638 Camino de los Mares.

Ponce Recycling is the company that grabbed some of the rePlanet centers in 2019.

Outside of San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano, Ponce Recycling also has a center in Mission Viejo at 25104 Marguerite Parkway and in Aliso Viejo at 26901 Aliso Creek Road.

There are two other redemption recycle centers just outside the local area, according to CalRecycle. In Mission Viejo, you can visit Next Generation Recycling #2 at 27771 Center Drive, and in Aliso Viejo, there is CRV Recycling Solutions at 26892 La Paz Road.

For more recycling centers outside the The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

immediate area, go to calrecycle.ca.gov/BevContainter/RecyclingCenters.

CalRecycle also provides a list of local stores that offer in-store CRV redemption for your cans and bottles.

In San Clemente, there are two participating Albertsons locations—at 989 Avenida Pico and 804 Avenida Pico—and at the Walmart at 951 Avenida Pico.

In Capistrano Beach, check out Dollar Tree at 34077 Doheny Park Road and Smart & Final at 34091 Doheny Park Road.

In Dana Point, go to Albertsons at 33601 Del Obispo Street, either CVS location at 32575 Golden Lantern or 32900 Pacific Coast Highway, Gelson’s Market at 24 Monarch Bay Plaza or Rite Aid at 24829 Del Prado.

In San Juan Capistrano, look for the Farmers Market at 31109 Rancho Viejo Road, Vons at 32401 Camino Capistrano or either Rite Aid at 32121 Camino Capistrano or 31890 Plaza Drive.

In Rancho Mission Viejo, check out Gelson’s Market at 30731 Gateway Place or Rite Aid at 30551 Gateway Place.

If gathering your bottles and cans and taking them to any of these locations is still too much of a hassle, there are other ways to recycle.

As has been featured previously in The Capistrano Dispatch and in our “Green Issue,” including this year’s, there is the entrepreneurial spirit of 12-year-old Ryan Hickman and Ryan’s Recycling.

Ryan and his dad, Damion, operate a pickup recycling business across Orange County that has been rolling for years. To schedule a pick-up, go to ryansrecycling.com/contact.

In an ever-changing world, there are still plenty of ways to do your part for the planet.

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A Helping Hand

SJC’s Own Ryan Hickman CONTINUES CAMPAIGN TO KEEP SOUTH OC CLEAN AFTER GROWING IN POPULARITY

BY COLLIN BREAUX

Ryan Hickman has been busy since he was last profiled in 2016’s “Green Issue.”

The San Juan Capistrano-based youngster is active in recycling efforts in South Orange County, and he is a champion for sanitation in the local area and beyond.

“I’ve traveled around the country and even around the world speaking about taking care of our environment. I’ve gone to Alaska with Recycle Across America and Subaru to help teach people how to take care of the environment while camping at Denali,” Ryan said. “I was in a ‘Got Milk?’ commercial, I was a TIME magazine Kid of the Year finalist, I’ve gone to Vancouver to speak at ‘We Day’ and toured so many recycling facilities across the country.”

He’s also done plenty of interviews and been on television—including the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. Even with the newfound national exposure, though, Ryan has not deviated from his core cause of keeping the world environmentally clean.

“Now, I’m 12 years old, and I’ve recycled nearly 1.6 million cans and bottles, and I’m still doing beach cleanups every week either after school or on the weekends,” he said. “In 2021, I started a nonprofit named Project3R, and its goals are to help educate people about recycling and taking care of our environment. I’m

excited to teach people about how easy it is to take care of the environment.”

Ryan donates proceeds from his online shirt sales at ryansrecycling.com to help support his friends at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, which he estimates has reached about $15,000 so far.

“My dad and I typically do a beach cleanup every week, and it’s simply walking the beach for 60 or 90 minutes with a bucket and a trash grabber, picking up trash from the sand,” Ryan said. “We find a lot of small plastic items like straw wrappers that are important to pick up, because birds and other sea animals eat our trash, thinking it’s food. I’ve done quite a few large cleanup events, and we get hundreds of people coming out to join us. It’s awesome.”

Ryan has also found toys, which he cleans up and then donates.

The young green steward regularly picks up items, because he wants future generations to be able to enjoy a clean environment.

“I try to raise awareness because when people see it’s easy enough for a 12-yearold kid like me to do it, they can do it, too,” Ryan said.

Follow Ryan Hickman on Instagram @ryans_recycling and Facebook for upcoming cleanup dates and for more information.

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THE GREEN ISSUE

THE IMPORTANCE OF REDUCING DAILY PLASTIC USE

AS THE PUBLIC BECOMES MORE AWARE OF THE DANGER THAT PLASTIC PRODUCTS PRESENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT, UNDERSTANDING WAYS TO ELIMINATE THEIR USE AND THE BARRIERS THAT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM PARTICIPATING CAN PROVIDE HELPFUL INSIGHT.

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

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lastics are an essential part of daily life and are used to protect food, medication, and beauty products that can seem hard to live without.

An estimated 367 million metric tons of plastic were produced in 2020, using various types of polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene resins.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 14.5 million tons of plastic containers were generated in 2018, contributing to 5% of all municipal solid waste (MSW) generation.

Additionally, more than 69% of those containers and packaging products ended up at landfills, and the amount recycled has been inconsistent, spelling trouble for the environment.

Single-use plastics, which can have a lifespan as short as a few minutes, often end up in the oceans and other bodies of water, where they harm animals by blocking their digestive tracts if consumed or by strangulation.

The overwhelmingly negative impact of plastics on the Earth has received massive media attention in recent years. Now that the public has grown increasingly aware of the problem, the next step is to find ways to mitigate these products’ effect, or to eliminate their use altogether.

Colleen Henn, a New Jersey transplant, has already helped some in the San Clemente area maintain their own efforts to live without plastic. Her business, All Good Goods, delivers pantry staples with the expectation of reusing glass jars for all orders.

Before Henn moved to California, she worked for six years with Surfrider Foundation, educating people about the impact of single-use plastics and advocating for legislation to prohibit plastic straws and Styrofoam.

She said that it is easiest for people to understand and empathize with the reality of plastic waste posing problems to marine life. From the beginning of its production stages to the end of its lifespan, otherwise known as the “cradle-tograve” process in the environmental world, there are several hazardous parts.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2022

Fracking is the first step, in which wells are drilled into the earth to then release natural gas liquids— they can contaminate groundwater—that are then collected and sent through a pipeline that also has the potential to leak before ending up in a refinery, where the oils are used to make compounds for plastics.

“Those refineries tend to be in communities of color and have a high incidence of cancers, asthma, a whole suite of health issues due to the proximity of oil refineries,” Henn said. “And that’s all before the plastic is even being used.”

She added that there are also toxic chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, to which consumers are exposed in the form of plastic storage containers and other products.

The affordability of plastics, to make them and to buy them, can overshadow the actual environmental and human health costs of production, as well as the costs of disposal, according to Henn.

Conversely, sustainable and reusable products can initially appear expensive because of the money necessary to make a product sustainably and pay fair wages to those who are a part of the process. As more options become widely available and more affordable, there is the opportunity for the general population to contribute positively.

“I think if you have the capacity and the ability to be able to afford sustainable products, it does pay off in the long run, because a lot of these are made to be used for years and years to come,” Henn said. “Choosing those more sustainable products is a really great way for people to make an impact.”

Another limiting factor that could prevent some from committing to a plastic-free lifestyle is merely access.

“Right now, when you go to the grocery store or when you go to a pharmacy to pick up something, chances are it’s going to be wrapped in plastic,” she added. “Luckily, there are companies out there that are sort of spearheading the change from a single-use plastic business model to a refill business model.”

Progress has been made, but “big wheels turn Page 19

slow,” Henn cautioned.

For more individual efforts, she advised that people avoid trying to throw away every household object that contains plastic, as that can be overwhelming. Instead, identify one area where there may be too much waste, and slowly start from that point by purchasing shampoo bars to replace bottles.

Sustainability can even translate to families participating in arts and crafts activities.

When going to a craft store, avoid purchasing plastics such as glitter, or use mason jars to store unused paint at home.

Henn said that looking at all everyday actions through the lens of sustainability can help people on their journey, as they learn to think of how long they will use a certain product or whether a certain investment is worth the cost.

“I really like the lifestyle of sustainability, and it really is a lifestyle, because you become more minimal and you become more mindful,” she said.

Stores such as Sonora Refillery in Oceanside that sell home items in bulk, in addition to other utensils made out of alternative materials like bamboo, are helping the cause. Henn also recommended Eco Now and Fill Up Buttercup, both refill stations and purveyors of other goods located in Costa Mesa.

She challenged those who may be more able to purchase sustainable products from small businesses to do so, especially with larger corporations’ tendency to follow what successful, local companies do.

Henn said that such actions will go a long way and genuinely improve the lives of those who live sustainably.

“I think there is definitely something to say about just being prepared anytime you leave your house,” she said. “You want to have a reusable water bottle with you, you want to bring cutlery with you, you want to bring a reusable bag with you.”

By consistently practicing these efforts, habits will eventually form, and with the addition of planning ahead, sustainability becomes much easier to achieve, according to Henn. thecapistranodispatch.com

THE GREEN ISSUE

REDUCE AND REUSE

REPURPOSING OR UPCYCLING CAN LESSEN DEPENDENCE ON LANDFILLS

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

W

hile there is plenty good being done by recycling, some argue a better way to make a positive impact on the environment is through repurposing or upcycling.

Where recycling takes materials and breaks them down for reuse, upcycling and repurposing takes items and materials out of that cycle. Instead of contributing to the stream of refuse, one can take items out of that loop and repurpose them into something that can be used around their home.

Things such as aluminum, cardboard and certain plastics can all be recycled, but there’s

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plenty to grab for upcycling. Upcycling and repurposing offer an alternative way to lessen the dependence on landfills.

Old or damaged furniture can be rescued from your own home, yard sales or thrift shops and the like and repurposed into different things around the home. Old dressers can become antique vanities, for example.

A popular example of upcycling is repurposing old metal trash cans. Rather than sending them to a local landfill, these metal barrels can be turned into planters for flowers

or other garden-type displays.

What can and can’t be upcycled might be difficult to determine, and for some items, it might take more creativity than others.

For larger items, there are plenty of businesses and services that can take a look at things such as furniture to determine whether it should be trashed or if it could be repurposed at the home or sold somewhere else. Businesses including OC Junk Hauling can look at those items and haul them where they can be used.

While some large items such as furniture and

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trash cans can be obvious cases for repurposing, there are plenty of smaller everyday items that can be repurposed around the home.

As warmer weather and summer approach, you might be unearthing the pool toys from storage, and you might discover things such as pool noodles are in some disrepair. Instead of tossing the pool noodle, the foam tubes can be cut up and repurposed.

For young families, pool noodles can be excellent cheap forms of baby-proofing the home. The noodles can be cut and sliced to be affixed to sharp, hard edges. Also, as more people remain working from home, some stress can be relieved for those sitting at a keyboard all day by slicing up the pool noodle and used as a wrist rest.

When cleaning out those garages, you might find your electrical cords and other extension cords have formed quite a tangle.

When reorganizing these cords, look for some ponytail bands or paper towel/toilet paper rolls to help store these coiled-up cords and not allow them to get tangled up again.

For plastics, various containers can be reused around the home. A plastic container that once housed a pile of cashews or other nuts can store nails or screws at your work bench for those summer projects. Plastic milk jugs can be sliced in half and used as scoops for items such as dog food.

In ways big and small, people can do their part to lessen their refuse and reuse items all around the home.

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SOAPBOX

GUEST OPINION | by Maureen Gebelein

EARTH DAY 2022: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE …

AT SJC FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOKSTORE! M ost people don’t immediately think of the Friends of the Library Bookstore when they think about ways to improve the environment and combat climate change. But you can start right here in SJC. “Think Globally. Act Locally!”

Reduce.

Spring Cleaning: The SJC FOL accepts donated books, periodicals, CDs and DVDs for resale in our bookstore. The Friends of the Library is a 501 (c)(3) and funds raised go to support the San Juan Capistrano Library. There is a blue donation bin that can be accessed at any time. If you prefer, you can call the bookstore at GUEST OPINION 949.493.2688 to

BY MAUREEN GEBELEIN arrange a drop-off.

The SJC FOL Bookstore is the only bookstore in town, so you can walk or bike to visit us. If you drive, you reduce miles driven by staying local.

Councilmember Sergio Farias, SJC’s

Letter to The Editor TO HONORABLE MAYOR REEVES, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY STAFF AND ESTEEMED RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO BRANDON LOWERY, San Clemente My name is Brandon Lowery, and I have the privilege of being the CEO of USA Surfing, which led USA Surfing to the sport’s Olympic debut, where Carissa Moore won surfing’s first Olympic gold medal.

Upon her historic gold medal win, USA Surfing’s Carissa Moore said, “It’s a dream come true. Winning a gold medal for the United States and Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing means everything.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

Photo: Courtesy of NASA/Unsplash

representative on the Orange County Library Advisory Board, says, “Friends of the Library is a wonderful resource for our community. It gives us the opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint by purchasing previously enjoyed books.

I have fond memories of stopping by the bookstore on my way home and purchasing books about World War II aircraft, dinosaurs, and horror stories from left-over lunch money as a San Juan Elementary school student. More recently, I have been able to enjoy the FOL by taking my own family in to shop.”

Reuse.

Just to see Duke Kahanamoku’s dream of having surfing in the Olympics come true 101 years later is just so special.”

We understand the City Council is seeking proposals for the Northwest Open Space that would benefit the residents of San Juan Capistrano with a proposed community aquatic center and world class wave pool located on the Northwest Open Space Project, as proposed by Pacifico Development.

We would seek to make this location a USA Surfing High Performance training center. USA Surfing applauds the leadership, collaboration and planning behind this project and is excited about its potential to elevate the performances of American surf talent. South Orange County is a prime location due to the premier surf breaks, high number of talented professional surfers in this area, and proximity to the LA 2028 Games.

USA Surfing currently uses wave pools to train athletes and believes

wave pools will be instrumental in the growth and future of surfing. USA Surfing has found training in a wave pool can drastically accelerate a surfer’s progression, particularly for aerial maneuvers. In a matter of a few hours in a wave pool, we have seen growth that would traditionally take months. There are over 100 wave pools in the planning phases around the world. This is a unique opportunity for San Juan Capistrano to have a world-class surf training center that would attract visitors from all over the world.

Community Involvement: With the LA 2028 Games on the horizon, USA Surfing would hope to use the pool and hold training programs for up-and-coming youth in the community. The US National Surf Team has a Junior National Team as well, which would be engaged in supporting and scouting future Olympic athletes in the community.

In closing, we hope the City Council approves this project. Like the US

You are purchasing gently used items, giving them a new home. We recently received some sets of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries, and it was fun seeing those classics going home to be discovered by a new generation of readers.

Recycle.

The SJC FOL is committed to passing on items we can’t use. We fill up Little Free Libraries around town. Books we can’t use are sold to dealers who resell them

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online or pass them on to pulp dealers.

Libraries across the nation celebrate National Library Week April 3-9 this year, which is a time to recognize and highlight the valuable role of libraries in our communities. Although our library is closed for tenant enhancements right now, the bookstore remains open, so the SJC FOL can continue our mission of supporting our community library.

The Friends of the Library Bookstore is at 34195-A El Camino Real in San Juan Capistrano, open Saturday-Thursday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and closed on Fridays. Visit sjcfol.com for information or to donate.

We are always looking for volunteers who share our vision.

Check us out!

Maureen Gebelein is a resident of San Juan Capistrano and is a retired library director from Fullerton Public Library.

Currently on the Board of the Friends of the Library, she is passionate about books, reading and literacy. 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 Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch .com.

Olympic equestrian coach Robert Ridland, who recently brought Olympic medals to San Juan Capistrano, USA Surfing would like to have a long-term relationship with the City of San Juan Capistrano residents and community and support your efforts to bring surfing gold to your community. We envision a great future in this city, which has many connections to surf history and its rich heritage.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Capistrano Dispatch reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or information written by the writers. Have something you’d like to say? Email your letter to cbreaux@picketfencemedia.com no later than 8 a.m. on Monday morning. Limit your letters to 350 words or less. Please send with your valid email, phone number and address for verification by staff. Your address and phone number will not be published.

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GETTING OUT

Editor’s Pick

The List What’s going on in and around town this week THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

Get a curated list of the weekend’s best events sent straight to your inbox every Friday! Sign up for The Weekender at thecapistranodispatch.com/weekender

FRIDAY | 08 LIVE THEATER AT CAMINO REAL PLAYHOUSE 7:30 p.m. Have some laughs and watch actors perform in downtown San Juan Capistrano. Camino Real Playhouse is staging PLAY ON!, a meta comedy about a theater group trying to rehearse a play and dealing with interference by the work’s author. The show runs through April 10. Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

949.489.8082. caminorealplayhouse.org.

FRIDAY NIGHT AT PADDY’S STATION 8-11 p.m. Grab a pint, order some fish and chips, and spend the night at a downtown Irish pub. Eric Clapton tribute act Slow Hand will perform. Paddy’s Station, 26701 Verdugo Street, Suite B, San Juan Capistrano. 949.661.3400. paddysstation.com.

SATURDAY | 09 SEED CONNECTION 9-10 a.m. The Ecology Center is providing this hands-on lab about soil and seeds, so people can learn about gardening, saving seeds, and which food is appropriate to grow in a given season. The event is open The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

Get ready for the Easter season with egg hunts and other spring activities at Los Rios Park. Photo: Courtesy of George Dolgikh/Pexels

SATURDAY | 09 SPRING ‘EGGSTRAVAGANZA’ 10 a.m.-noon. Come enjoy egg hunts, face paintings, a puppet show, and more. The City of San Juan Capistrano is hosting this event, with assistance from local groups. The activities are free and geared toward children ages 2-12. Free trolley services will be provided for the event, north and south of the downtown area and Los Rios Park. Los Rios Park, 31791 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano.

949.493.5911. sanjuancapistrano.org. to all ages, so you can learn something whether you have a kid just developing a green thumb or you are an adult looking to grow more plants in the backyard.

The event is free. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano. 949.443.4223. theecologycenter.org.

SOUTH OC CARS AND COFFEE 9-11 a.m. South OC Cars and Coffee, dubbed the world’s biggest weekly car meet, attracts a mix of 500-1,000 hypercars, supercars, exotics, vintage, classic, muscle and sports cars, hot rods, rat rods, pickups, 4x4s and motorcycles.

Those attending are encouraged to practice responsible social distancing.

Face masks are not mandatory but are recommended. No cars in before 8:30 a.m. Cars should enter and leave slowly

and quietly—no revving, speeding or burnouts. The Outlets at San Clemente, 101 West Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente. southoccarsandcoffee.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT TREVOR’S 3 p.m. Eat some food, grab a drink and unwind while listening to live music at Trevor’s at the Tracks. Jah Mex will perform. Trevor’s at the Tracks, 26701 Verdugo Street, San Juan Capistrano.

949.493.9593. trevorsatthetracks.com.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO GHOST WALK 8 p.m. Learn about the eerie history of San Juan Capistrano as you walk through the downtown area and near Mission San Juan Capistrano. The walk

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is hosted by Haunted Orange County. Attendees are asked to meet at the visitor’s information booth near the train tracks.

Face masks are required on all tours until further notice. 26701 Verdugo Street, San Juan Capistrano. 866.446.7803. hauntedoc.com.

SUNDAY | 10 SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT SWALLOW’S 2-6 p.m. Come enjoy a drink and enjoy some live music at this famous downtown bar. The Big Fat Steve Band will perform. Swallow’s Inn, 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

949.493.3188. swallowsinn.com.

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CLASSIFIEDS

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Submit your classified ad online at thecapistranodispatch.com

GARAGE SALES GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE!

E-mail your garage sale to info@thecapistranodispatch.com DEADLINE 12PM MONDAY. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. MULTI FAMILY GARAGE SALE - SATURDAY, APRIL 9 Daniel Drive, Dana Point (Bible Belt) Saturday April 9 7:30-11:30. Hundreds of items in great condition, some new- great deals on tools (e.g. auto power inverter, cordless pole saw, stud finder), books, arts and crafts supplies, kitchen items and more. Even some free stuff and donuts!! Major cross streets Golden Lantern and Priscilla- Daniel Drive. 7:30am start time.

ESTATE SALE! SATURDAY, APRIL 9 Everything Must Go! Saturday, April 9th from 9am1pm at 100 Via Monte Picayo, San Clemente.

DANA KNOLLS COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE SATURDAY, APRIL 9 Dana Knolls Community Garage Sale This Saturday April 9!! Tools - Clothes - Memorabilia - New Kitchen Ware - Beach / Fishing.

7 AM - Noon 30 Plus Homes will be Participating!

Del Obispo & Blue Fin St. or Stonehill & Palo Alto

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

Call Debra Wells at 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or debra@wellsadsolutions.com

Call Debra Wells at 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or debra@wellsadsolutions.com

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call Debra Wells at 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or debra@wellsadsolutions.com

MOVING SALE - SATURDAY, APRIL 9TH Saturday, April 8, 2022 8am - 1:00pm. Selling, desk, living and dinning room furniture, upright piano, other household goods. Location: 33272 Astoria street, Dana Point CA 92629

HELP WANTED SMOG TECHNICIAN Star Smog Station in San Clemente looking for a full-time smog technician. Please call Danny at 949-235-6366

Do you want to reach 24,150+ people in the San Juan Capistrano + the Rancho Mission Viejo area?

Then you need to be in The Capistrano Dispatch.

Call us today!

Call Debra at 949.388.7700 ext. 104 or debra@wellsadsolutions.com

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call Debra Wells at 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or debra@wellsadsolutions.com

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GETTING OUT

(Cont. from page 24)

WEDNESDAY | 13 TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE BREWHOUSE 6:30-8:30 p.m. The BrewHouse hosts a trivia night every Wednesday. Test your knowledge with friends, or show up solo and join a team. The BrewHouse, 31896 Plaza Drive, Suite D3, San Juan Capistrano. 949.481.6181. brewhousesjc.com.

BACKYARD OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS 8-10 p.m. Knuckleheads’ backyard is open for food, drinks and live music. Performers of all skill levels are welcome. If you are a musician, do stand-up comedy or the spoken word, this is the place to be on Wednesday nights. So, come down, grab a drink and go for it. Knuckleheads Sports Bar, 1717 North El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.492.2410. knuckleheadsmusic.com.

FRIDAY | 15 FARMERS MARKET IN SAN JUAN 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Enjoy the farmers market

AT THE MOVIES

‘The Outfit’ Is a Pleasant Surprise

BY MEGAN BIANCO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

R

ecently, I had the rare occasion in which I went into a new movie release completely blind.

Up until last week, I had never even heard of Graham Moore’s new indie mystery, The Outfit, and I had zero expectations about the quality. Despite being familiar with retro crime flicks as a genre, the lack of exposure to the film helped me legitimately not see some of the twists coming.

The title, The Outfit, refers to two aspects of the story. One is our lead, Leonard (Mark Rylance), being a modest, ordinary tailor working in 1950s Chicago after leaving home in England. The other is that a sector of the mafia is referred to by slang as “the outfit,” and some of Leonard’s clients are, indeed, mobsters.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

in town every Friday afternoon. Check out the produce, breads, cheeses, artisan craft vendors, and more. Farmakis Farms, 29932 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.364.1270. farmakisfarms.com.

‘FRI-YAY FUN’ WOOD WORKSHOP 6-9 p.m. Spend a Friday night crafting a unique item to call your own. Customize a wood sign, bath tray, photo frame, or other item during this hands-on workshop. Registration can be done beforehand online. AR Workshop San Juan Capistrano, 31107 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite B2. 949.482.1362. arworkshop.com.

old cell phone, computer, microwave, or other electronic items? If so, the City of San Juan Capistrano is hosting an event in which you can do so. Come get rid of your defunct items for free. The secure destruction of personal information will also be available, as will compost while supplies last. Reata Park, 28632 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.487.4307. sanjuancapistrano.org.

SUNDAY | 17

LIVE MUSIC AT SAN JUAN HILLS GOLF CLUB 6:30 p.m. Family Style will perform. Have fun, grab some drinks, and dance during this local performance. San Juan Hills Golf Club, 32120 San Juan Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.565.4855. sanjuanhillsgolf.com.

SATURDAY | 16 E-WASTE, SHREDDING AND COMPOST GIVEAWAY 7-10 a.m. Are you looking to get rid of an

CONCERT AT THE COACH HOUSE 7 p.m. Live music is featured at this popular South Orange County venue. Singer-songwriter Marc Cohn will perform.

Tickets are $39.50. Doors open at 5 p.m.

The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.496.8930. thecoachhouse.com.

WEDNESDAY | 20 ‘FLASHBACK WEDNESDAY’ MOVIE NIGHT 7 p.m. Travel back in time when the Regency Theatres’ downtown location screens Dazed and Confused as part of

One night, the older man discovers his young secretary, Mable (Zoey Deutch), is casually dating one of the young gangsters for whom he sews clothes, Ritchie (Dylan O’Brien). Only a day later, Leonard and Mable get caught up in a messy mix-up with Ritchie and his cousin, fellow gangster Francis (Johnny Flynn).

When the credits started rolling at the end of The Outfit, I mentally exclaimed, “Finally! Zoey Deutch made a good movie!”

She fits right in here and holds her own against an Oscar winner (Rylance).

O’Brien shows he is a natural with the oldtimey crime aesthetic, and Flynn proves he does have dramatic range on film. Rylance is stellar, unsurprisingly, and Moore has potential to officially cross over from novels to cinema if he so desires.

Here, as both screenwriter and director with The Outfit, Moore makes great use of only three rooms in one building for the sole locations of the entire plot.

Very much resembling a play on camera, this kind of dialogue-heavy setup can be easily basic and boring cinematically. But Moore successfully captures suspense and builds mystery working with so little.

For a low-key, entertaining movie experience this spring that’s not too challenging and guarantees a mellow audience, The Outfit fits the mood. CD

their “Flashback Wednesdays” series.

Tickets are $10. Regency Theatres San Juan Capistrano, 26762 Verdugo Street, San Juan Capistrano. 844.216.3767. regencymovies.com.

THURSDAY | 21 VIRTUAL SWALLOW LECTURE 11 a.m.-noon. Biological science professor and swallow expert Dr. Charles Brown will give an online lecture about San Juan Capistrano’s famous bird.

The talk is part of Mission San Juan Capistrano’s monthlong virtual Earth Day celebration. 949.234.1300. missionsjc.com.

HISTORIC ADOBE LECTURE 1-3 p.m. Ione R. Stiegler, principal architect for IS Architecture, will speak at a San Juan Capistrano Docent Society meeting. Stiegler is a leading expert in historic adobe and earthen structures and will present her firm’s work in restoring and rehabilitating both the local Blas Aguilar and Montanez Adobes. San Juan Capistrano Community Center, 25925 Camino Del Avion, San Juan Capistrano. 949.551.1914.

Photo: Courtesy of Nick Wall / Focus Features

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SJC LIVING

GUEST OPINION | Moments in Time by Jan Siegel

Save the Date: May 7 on Los Rios Street M

ay is National Preservation Month. This year, the Cultural Heritage Commission is hosting a day on Los Rios Street to not only commemorate the preservation of the oldest residential street in California, but also a tribute to Ilse Byrnes, who nominated and placed the street on the National Registry of Historic places.

Ilse, who recently passed away at the age of 94, was the closest we had to a national treasure. A resident of San Juan Capistrano for more than 50 years, she was the town historian; an avid horsewoman; a member of many commissions, both locally and in Orange County; and active in the Fiesta Association, Historical Society, Blas Aguilar Foundation, and Montanez Adobe. Except for the Mission, Ilse was responsible for putting the other 13 structures in San Juan Capistrano on the National Registry.

The Walking Tour Guides and the Historical Society Docents will be giving tours throughout the day on Los

Rios Street and at the Montanez Adobe.

Presentations will also be given at the train depot on local history of the area. The Camino Real Players will be putting on a short play on the life of Ilse Byrnes at the Historical Society.

As part of the celebration, local fourth-grade school children will participate in MOMENTS IN TIME an essay competiBY JAN SIEGEL tion on the history of San Juan Capistrano. Prizes will be awarded for the top three winners, and their essays will be read at the Historical Society.

Sponsors for the event include Zoomars at River Street Ranch, Regency Theatres, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria & Tap Room, 3:16 Bakery, Ricardo’s, the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society, the Walking Tour Guides, Camino Real Playhouse, the City of San Juan

A family walks down Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Taylor Garrett

Capistrano and the Cultural Heritage Commission.

The event is open, free to the public, and will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Donations will be accepted at the Historical Society and at the Montanez Adobe to insure future preservation in our community.

ADOPTABLE PET OF THE WEEK

JOPLIN

You can spend a “Moment in Time” and learn about our local history and what the city and commissions do to support historical preservation. And you can also learn about how one person can make an incredible difference in their community.

Jan Siegel was a 33-year resident of San Juan Capistrano and now resides in the neighboring town of Rancho Mission Viejo. She served on the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for 13 years, has been a volunteer guide for the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library’s architectural walking tour for 26 years and is currently the museum curator for the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society.

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 Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com.

THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

Say hello to Joplin, a 3-month-old Belgian Malinois who just can’t wait to meet you. One of four pups, Joplin is a happy little guy who loves to spend his days playing with his brother and sisters. Like most Belgian Malinois, Joplin has lots of energy and would do best in a home where he can get lots of exercise and attention with an experienced owner.

If you are interested in adopting Joplin, please visit petprojectfoundation.org/adoptions/ to download an adoption application form. Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@scdpanimalshelter.org, and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment.

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

SOLUTION:

Photo: Courtesy of David Avitia and OC Public Libraries.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

This photo depicts Chief Clarence Lobo and his wife, Bess, at an Acjachemen (Juaneño) tribal gathering in San Juan Capistrano in the 1950s.

Every issue, The Capistrano Dispatch will publish a historical photo. To submit your historical photo for consideration, provide information about the photo along with your name, date, location and a small description to cbreaux@picketfencemedia.com.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

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

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS

SAN JUAN

“We know that we’re going to have to play small ball as we go through each game,” LeVier said. “When we get the leadoff guy on, we’ve got to execute our bunts and move him along. We were successful yesterday, too, with three bunt base hits. A well-placed bunt is tough to defend at any level, especially high school baseball.”

San Juan Hills now looks to take this momentum gained over spring break back into Sea View League play.

The only victory the Stallions had in league play so far was a 2-1 win at San Clemente on March 25. San Juan Hills hosts the Tritons twice in a three-game set next week. The teams play at San Juan Hills on Monday, April 11, at San Clemente on Wednesday, April 13 and back at San Juan Hills on Friday, April 15.

PREP SPORTS

ROUNDUP

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

For in-game updates, news and more for all of the San Juan Capistrano high school sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCSports.

San Juan Hills Bounces Back in Ryan Lemmon Tournament The final weeks of March were not kind to the San Juan Hills baseball program.

The Stallions suffered injuries to their No. 1 and No. 2 pitching arms in seniors Tanner Duke and Ryan Chadwick and opened the Sea View League with a 1-4 record. That difficult stretch continued into the first game of the Ryan Lemmon Tournament with a 10-0 loss to Woodbridge on Saturday, April 2.

San Juan Hills had lost five of six games and was outscored 35-5 in those contests. The Stallions had won seven of their previous nine games before that.

However, as the Ryan Lemmon Tournament continued at the Great Park in Irvine into spring break and the first full week of April, San Juan Hills found

Bringing the Fight Capistrano Boxing Gym throwing punches in the fight against Parkinson’s

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

I

t’s one thing to fight against a disease, but what if someone could literally use their own bare hands to punch and fight against their disease?

That opportunity is being offered for sufferers of Parkinson’s disease at the Capistrano Boxing Gym with its Ready to The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2022

Roundup

success in small ball on the way to a three-game winning streak.

The Stallions beat Bountiful of Utah, 8-4, on Monday, April 4, broke a late tie against Canyon, 7-5, on Tuesday, April 5, and closed out the tournament in big fashion with a decisive win over Irvine, 10-2, on Wednesday, April 6. “(The injuries to Duke and Chadwick) took the wind out of our sails last week,” San Juan Hills coach Bret LeVier said, “so this tournament came at a perfect time

for us to reset a little bit and see who’s going to fill those roles and step up. We brought a few guys up. We had a couple sophomores and a freshman playing. It’s been exciting to see them come in and have success this week.”

San Juan Hills (12-9, 1-4) excelled by embracing the bunt. The Stallions laid down three bunt singles against Bountiful and loaded the bases with bunt singles in a five-run inning against Canyon.

JSerra baseball has responded to a disastrous start in Trinity League play. The Lions opened 1-6 in league with a sweep loss to Santa Margarita, but since then, JSerra has won two out of three from St. John Bosco and swept Servite. JSerra (119, 6-6, No. 9 in Division 1) now locks up once again with No. 3 Harvard-Westlake on Monday, April 11, before gearing up to co-host the prestigious Boras Classic April 19-22.

St. Margaret’s (10-2, 4-0) and Capistrano Valley Christian (11-6, 4-0) clash for the top of the San Joaquin League in the first of three meetings on Saturday, April 9, at San Juan Sports Park. The Eagles and Tartans play again on April 26 and April 28. CD

Fight Parkinson’s Specific boxing classes.

Capistrano Boxing Gym began offering the USA Boxing-endorsed and nurse-designed program in February and is looking to spread awareness for the program and the cause during Parkinson’s Awareness Month in April.

“We are pleased to be offering the Ready to Fight program at our gym,” Capistrano Boxing Gym owner Peter Carey said in a release. “Parkinson’s disease affects so many people in our community, and we believe these classes will help improve the health of those individuals, as well as the quality of life for them and their families and caregivers.”

Boxing and Parkinson’s disease—a chronic and progressive nervous system disorder that causes tremors, stiffness or slowing of movement—have an interesting relationship.

On one side is one of the most famous cases of Parkinson’s in the world: legendary heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. After retiring in 1981 from his boxing

career as “The Greatest,” Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1984, and Ali dealt with his disease and raised awareness and funds for research until his death in 2016.

Some research suggests that head trauma, such as repeated instances in boxing, can increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s, but other research suggests there is no link. Overall, there is no known direct cause for Parkinson’s.

On the other side of the relationship, boxing is being used to help manage and fight off symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Exercise is an important element to reducing the severity of Parkinson’s symptoms to help improve motor control, balance and fitness levels.

“For me, it’s a firsthand education,” said Rudy Garcia, the Capistrano Boxing Gym coach who runs the Ready to Fight Parkinson’s classes. “I get to talk to these folks on a one-on-one basis. It helps manage the symptoms. With medication and the right diet, they function just fine. They’re having a good response.”

Garcia said the hourlong classes begin with a stretching program to help with balance, flexibility and the shuffling of feet that can come with Parkinson’s.

From there, members of the program move to the heavy bag for stamina and endurance, as well as work on focus mitts for punch combinations.

The classes also emphasize work on the speed bag for hand-eye coordination. The classes end with a cooldown to stretch out the muscles once more.

Garcia said the classes currently have eight members, but they would love to see more growth.

“The people that I have in the gym have shown great progress,” Garcia said.

“If I can get 20 people that we can help, then that’s the right thing to do.”

The Ready to Fight Parkinson’s Specific classes are offered Monday through Friday from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

For more information on the Capistrano Boxing Gym or the Parkinson’s classes, go to capistranoboxinggym.com or call 949.276.7776. CD

San Juan Hills baseball rallied with three victories in the Ryan Lemmon Tournament to rebound from late March losses. The Stallions look to take their momentum back into the Sea View League. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

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