May 12, 2023

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TOP NEWS SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

OC Community Celebrates New Financial Advisory Center at Kinoshita Elementary

BY COLLIN BREAUX

Families in San Juan Capistrano looking for fiscal guidance can turn to a “financial empowerment” center at Kinoshita Elementary School.

Community dignitaries celebrated the new center on Wednesday, May 10, with a ribbon-cutting at the campus. The center was made possible through a partnership between Orange County United Way, Capistrano Unified School District, and Pacific Life Foundation—the last of which is contributing $750,000 toward the site over a five-year period.

The Kinoshita Elementary resource is part of Orange County United Way’s SparkPoint OC program, which provides low-income families with access to free personal financial coaching and resources. The San Juan site is the second SparkPoint OC location in South Orange County and eighth overall in Orange County.

Orange County United Way CEO Sue Parks said the program started in 2012. “It’s a program about accountability.

Mission San Juan Capistrano Prepares for Upcoming Field of Honor Ceremony, Fundraising Gala

BY COLLIN BREAUX

One of the most well-known venues in South Orange County is gearing up for signature events happening soon and later this year.

Mission San Juan Capistrano and Homefront America, a local nonprofit that advocates for military servicemembers and veterans, are again hosting the Field of Honor recognition for Memorial Day weekend.

American flags will be displayed on the Mission grounds from May 23-29. Each flag will be in honor of a servicemember, veteran, first responder, or other hero.

“We are profoundly grateful to have Mission San Juan Capistrano as our partner to bring this extraordinary

It’s a program about having goals,” Parks said. “It’s a program about personal responsibility.”

Families can use the center to identify the financial tools they have available, get individual coaching, and receive fiscal training.

“All of this will help increase income,” Parks said. “There’s close to 3,000 households that we’ve helped here in Orange County with this program.”

Orange County United Way has previously worked with CUSD through a similar program at RH Dana Elementary School in Dana Point.

“With this (Kinoshita Elementary site), I feel we are bringing that overarching component that we need in life, in order for our families to reach to their potential, for our children to reach their potential,” Principal Jacqueline Campbell said.

Cary Johnson, CUSD Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, said the collaboration can change

the life trajectories for parents and students.

“It takes a community, a village, to have a school be successful,” Pacific Life Foundation President Tennyson Oyler said. “That’s something as a parent and

volunteer at my kid’s school that I’ve seen firsthand. This is why we’re excited to be here today, to have SparkPoint join this school. If we can help families be successful, we know the kids are going to be successful.”

release said. Mission visitors will be able to see the flags with general admission tickets.

Later in the year on Sept. 22, the Mission will also hold the annual Romance of the Mission Gala, the venue’s big fundraiser.

This year’s gala honorees are local financial institution Farmers & Merchants Bank and the Walker family, which runs the bank.

“Giving back to organizations that provide such a powerful service to the community is a privilege,” Farmers & Merchants Bank Chairman/CEO Daniel K. Walker said. “We value the Mission’s preservation and stewardship of its historical site, as well as the events that bring our neighbors together and create a strong sense of community.”

display of patriotism to the community,” Homefront America Founder and President Mamie Yong Maywhort said. “I personally cannot think of a better home than this beautiful historic landmark to

pay respect to those who sacrificed so much for our cherished freedoms.”

Sponsorships begin at $50 per flag, with all proceeds benefiting Homefront America’s charitable programs, a news

The live music at the gala will be provided by Lyric, a female vocal trio. General admission tickets start at $1,000, while opportunity drawing tickets are $100 and include packages at Inn at the Mission San Juan Capistrano and Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort.

Visit missionsjc.com for more information.

Principal Jacqueline Campbell celebrates a new financial advisory center for families on campus during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Wednesday, May 10. Photo: Collin Breaux

American flags will be displayed at Mission San Juan Capistrano for Memorial Day weekend, as usual.

Photo: Collin Breaux

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Water Works – What’s on Tap?

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR WATER COMES FROM?

Do you know there are lots of stages and processes that go into providing this precious resource? You may be among the many who take water for granted. While here in San Juan Capistrano, we are blessed to have creeks, streams, and wells (underground water) most of our water is purchased and imported from hundreds of miles away from the Colorado River or the State Water Project.

Why are we buying imported water despite record rainfall and abundant underground water? Remember those “stages and processes” from earlier? The answer is, in part, the complexity of getting water from its source to your home.

In the early 2000’s, following a trend, the city of San Juan Capistrano saw an opportunity to get into the water business given the availability of groundwater and the potential to generate more revenue for the city. In 2003, the city built the San Juan Capistrano (SJC) groundwater processing plant. But by 2021, given the complexity and demands of operating a water system, the city selected the nearby Santa Margarita Water District to provide water and sewer service to residents and businesses.

When SMWD took over, the inherited SJC groundwater processing plant had aged and was in disrepair (as was much of the water system in the city), so the district invested $7 million in infrastructure, repairs, upgrades, and maintenance during the first year. The District overall plan calls for investments of more than $20 million over the next five years. Earlier this year, the district devoted an additional $1.74 million investment when the roof of the plant’s clear well unexpectedly caved in. Although currently out of service, the SJC groundwater plant served over 2.5 million gallons of water daily at

its peak, and when up and running after completion of the renovations, it will serve 5 million gallons of safe, high-quality drinking water every day.

Once the groundwater processing plant is back online (doubling the daily output of treated water), what is the internal process that takes place to ensure you receive safe high quality drinking water from your tap? Not surprisingly, it’s complicated.

While groundwater has fewer contaminants than surface water, you wouldn’t want to drink either without rigorous processing and testing. Processing includes removing rocks, sediment, and sand, as well as other impurities and such elements as iron, manganese, and arsenic. Once the water is cleaned up for use, SMWD conducts rigorous testing both before it’s provided to customers and all year long to ensure quality. While bottled water became popular in the 1970’s because of improvements in plastic bottling and the convenience it offers, the water from your tap today is purer because of the rigorous processing and adherence to government standards.

The good news is that the need to purchase and import so much of our water will be reduced when the SJC groundwater plant is fully functional again. SMWD will offer tours of the plant so the public can better appreciate the complexity of getting groundwater from wells, processing it, and supplying it to your home and business.

Water we up to next? Tap into the conversation and be on the lookout for upcoming articles on What a Hydrogeologist does; What’s filtered out of our water and what is added; How is sewage treated; How are water rates determined and; What is the “tiered rate structure?”

San Juan Officials Look to Work with Residents to Modify Community-Created Bird Park

BY COLLIN BREAUX

San Juan Capistrano residents enjoy going out to community-installed birdhouses on the San Juan Creek trail, near the intersection of Via Sonora and Calle Arroyo.

The City of San Juan Capistrano is looking to modify the bird park for safety reasons and enlisting the community’s help in doing so.

City officials held a meeting with residents at the site of the bird park on May 3 to outline their plans and address concerns that the makeshift bird park would go away. Mayor Howard Hart said the city is committed to keeping the bird park.

“Even if everybody agrees that this was a great volunteer park, we would still have to alter it from its current condition, because they don’t meet city safety standards,” said Councilmember Troy Bourne, whose district, District 2, represents the area. “When we’re doing bike trails, we don’t put rocks that close to it. We don’t install pavers this close to it.”

The bird park has been around for decades. It currently has a variety of birdhouses, including numerous ones on a table with wooden shelves and others on a smaller sit-down table.

“It’s just a really fun little place where families gather, children come,” resident Julia Swanson said. “They paint these houses. They bring them down here, and it’s something that’s really special to our community. Every single time I drive by here, there’s someone here either putting up a birdhouse or kids playing or somebody’s sitting at a bench.”

Swanson said she was pleased with

Ortega Equestrian Center Riders Continue to Win Big in Shows

BY COLLIN BREAUX

Young competitors who train in horse riding at the Ortega Equestrian Center in San Juan Capistrano are keeping to a recent trend of placing high in regional competitions.

Makenzie Raphael, 8, won first place in the Surf City Western Series showmanship walk/trot youth/amateur category

the city’s response.

“I think that they are going out of their way, not just to tear it down and leave nothing,” Swanson said. “I think that’s really kind of awesome.”

The park also has benches and what Bourne said is “volunteer masonry,” meaning community-installed stones—the latter of which will not be permitted.

The bird park will be altered by this summer. Residents will go through formal city channels—such as the Parks, Equestrian, and Community Services Commission and city staff—to work out the exact details of the new park.

Some current aspects of the bird park may be able to stay, such as the birdhouses, native plants, and the park being visible from the street.

“All of those things, we can incorporate into a legal, safe park,” Bourne said after asking residents what they want to keep at the park. “We would replace some of the volunteer furniture with some city-purchased furniture that’s mounted appropriately.”

“We would take some of these plants off from immediately adjacent to the trail and move them five feet or more back from the trail, so the kids have a chance to fall without hitting their head on the rock or a plant or something like that,” he continued.

However, the so-called “frog pond” further down the trail, which has a community-installed bridge over the creek and bench, will be removed because it is a “vector” for potential disease from insects, among other reasons, Hart and Bourne both said.

“When we alter the flow of water, in the heavy rains, now you’ll see there’s a 12- to 18-inch drop-off adjacent to the paved trail,” Bourne said. “As volunteers, we’ve altered it to create the pond.

while on her pony, Starlight.

Her mother, Shannon Raphael, said Makenzie is preparing for the 2023 American Shetland Pony Club/American Miniature Horse Association national Area VII competition. The Pacific Coast Miniature Horse Club is hosting the competition in Norco from May 26-28.

“At this next show, she will show Starlight in the Open Halter Obstacle Mini category,” Shannon Raphael said.

As for Cora Bro Dollar, who has already nabbed wins at various shows, she earned a gold buckle in the West Coast Ranch Horse World Show on April 30 in the Green Rider division, competing mainly against adults. The show was

We’ve dammed it up. Now, it’s eroding and undermining the trail.”

The frog pond was created about six to eight months ago, Swanson said. Her 8-year-old daughter, Kirra Swanson, wrote a letter to Bourne and Public Works Director Tom Toman urging them to preserve the frog pond after the city had posted a sign saying they would take it down.

“I posted on Nextdoor and a lot of people who really wanted to save these places (responded),” Julia Swanson said. “We thought when we got back from spring break that the frog pond was going to be gone, but then we came back to another notice about this meeting. I’m really proud of my daughter.”

There are also safety concerns if someone traveling the trail, including kids on bikes, fall and hurt themselves, Bourne said.

“None of us want that to happen and not just because we don’t want to get sued,” Bourne said. “At the same time, the tragedy is not that we lose $2 million as a city. The tragedy is that the kid hits his head on the rock, and we deserve to pay $2 million because he has to recover.”

The city can allocate funding for the modified park once details are hashed out, Bourne said. That funding is ex-

held at California Ranch Company in Temecula.

“She was, by far, the youngest competitor in the division, but earned a gold buckle and World Champion title in Ranch Rail on our family horse, Sally’s Haidan A Pistol, aka Belle,” her mother Erin Dollar said. “She also earned a Reserve World Champion title in Ranch Riding.”

Her daughter’s regular wins are “all the more impressive” considering she only started her show career this past November, Erin Dollar said.

Erin Dollar, who also rode alongside her daughter, won a reserve world title in Ranch Rail for the Green Horse division.

pected to come at the start of the new fiscal year.

“I would expect that this is not going to be a line-item budget,” Bourne said. “I think this is going to be a council discretionary allocation of funds, so be gentle.”

The city does not want to set a precedent in which residents can create makeshift parks without going through an official process, Bourne said.

“If you make this one awesome and another neighborhood comes and says, ‘We want to do something like that,’ then we in our district can say, great, the process is go to the Parks Commission, explain what you’re trying to do. We make sure it’s safe, make sure there’s funding, and then we move on,” Bourne said.

However, Hart said the city is not looking to micro-manage the park once it’s modified and will leave it up to residents to self-police the area.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

TUESDAY, MAY 16 City Council

5 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano City Council will hold a regularly scheduled meeting open to the public. Nydegger Building, 31421 La Matanza Street. sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

CUSD Board of Trustees

7 p.m. The governing board for the Capistrano Unified School District will meet to decide on local education matters. CUSD Headquarters, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano. capousd.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 19

Coffee Chat

8:30 a.m. A 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.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

Learning English Class

10-11:30 a.m. The La Playa Center is hosting free English classes for adults on Wednesdays. Students will be provided materials and workbooks. La Sala Auditorium, 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. crossculturalcouncil.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 26

The next print issue of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.

A makeshift birdhouse park that residents created on the San Juan Creek trail has drawn the attention of city officials, who want to modify the area with community input so the park meets safety and code standards.

Photo: Collin Breaux

2 Trials, 2 Fates: Inside the Dana Point Harbor Murder Case

BY MEGHANN CUNIFF FOR THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

In the 3½ years since FBI agents smashed through the door of a San Juan Capistrano condominium to interrogate a murder suspect, one thing has never been in dispute: Oct. 14, 2019 was a beautiful night at the Dana Point Harbor.

A full mo on hung over the Pacific Ocean as Sheila Marie Ritze, Hoang Xuan “Wayne” Le and Tri “James” Minh Dao made their way out past the jetties on Ritze’s 20-foot fishing boat called Sea Koenig.

It was 70 degrees with no wind, and the three were embarking on a trip that Ritze had taken many times before.

Except this time, all the other fishing boats had finished their fun hours ago. It was now close to midnight, and the three were alone on the water and farther out than normal—nearly 3 miles from shore—when gunshots rang out.

Dao ended up dead in the water, his body spotted by a fisherman in Oceanside three days later. Le and Ritze took the boat back to the harbor that night, then embarked on a stakeout of Dao’s girlfriend using a GPS tracker that culminated in their arrest by federal agents a week before Christmas.

Prosecutors say Le thought he could collect money Dao owed him through the life insurance money he believed the girlfriend, Natalie Nguyen, would collect for Dao’s death.

Le and Ritze have been in jail ever since. Le faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder following a 17-day trial that ended in December 2021.

who took the stand in his own defense in November 2021, only to be convicted on all counts.

And it’s a story told through courtroom appearances by Le’s meth-dealing associates, Ritze’s ex-husband, friends and former coworkers, as well as her ex-motherin-law and friend, Sandra Ritze.

The two used to call each other MIL and DIL to signify mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but Sandra Ritze became a key prosecution witness after telling FBI agents that both Le and her former daughter-inlaw had spoken of murder plans during a trip to Las Vegas with Dao for a Billy Idol concert two weeks before the fateful boat trip.

“ If you’re going to kill somebody, where are you going to take them?

A public place? A crowded shopping center?

A stadium? A grocery store? No. You’re going to take them somewhere where nobody else is around. Where others are unlikely to intrude. Where others are unlikely to witness what you’re

Ritze, now 43, managed to secure a different fate after a nine-day trial that ended in April 2022 with the jury acquitting her of first-degree murder but convicting her of second-degree murder, nixing any assurance that she’ll spend the rest of her life in prison.

The veteran judge who presided over her trial sentenced her last month to nearly 22 years in prison, eight fewer than prosecutors had requested but 12 more than her defense attorney’s recommendation.

Prosecuted under federal maritime law, Dao’s murder is a story backdropped in South Orange County, with alcoholism and a child custody battle taking center stage in Le’s and Ritze’s trials at the federal courthouse in Santa Ana.

It’s a story told through the testimony of Le himself,

“If you’re going to kill somebody, where are you going to take them? A public place? A crowded shopping center? A stadium? A grocery store?” Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Scally told jurors in his closing argument in Le’s trial.

“No. You’re going to take them somewhere where nobody else is around. Where others are unlikely to intrude. Where others are unlikely to witness what you’re planning on doing,” Scally continued. “James Dao was taken out on a boat, one with two other people on it, more than three miles from shore in the middle of the night.”

MISSING BROTHER LEADS TO FBI’S INVOLVEMENT

The son of Vietnamese immigrants, Le earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Fullerton in 2004 but eventually spiraled into a daily cycle of alcohol, meth and crack cocaine, as well as a largescale drug-dealing business that frequently took him to Las Vegas.

That was how he met Dao and his younger brother, Alex Dao, who, according to various testimony, ran a gambling house in Irvine and had worked as a paid FBI informant.

Le’s lawyer, Craig Wilke, emphasized Dao’s FBI connections, telling jurors in Le’s trial that Alex Dao had essentially called in a favor to his FBI handler after his brother went missing, which led to the federal investigation. The call followed Le telling Dao that he hadn’t been out on the boat with his brother that night. Wilke said the lie was driven by Le’s fear of Dao.

“Wayne knew that once Alex got involved, if Alex learned that Wayne had gotten in this fight with James and left him out in the ocean, there would be retribution,” Wilke told the jury during the 2021 trial.

WOMAN’S LIFE MARKED BY ABUSE, ALCOHOLISM & FISHING

Le’s connections to South County are loose and stem mostly from his fast friendship with Ritze, who owned a condo in San Juan Capistrano and was a property manager at Team Property Management in Dana Point. She’d grown up in an alcoholic and abusive household, which she left at age 17 to live with a boyfriend who abused her. They did drugs together, and their child was taken from them and put up for adoption.

Ritze racked up convictions for burglary and prostitution while feeding her methamphetamine addiction, along with convictions for meth, cocaine and marijuana trafficking. After she left prison in 2005, she met Micah Ritze, and the two married and had a daughter while Ritze’s career in property management advanced.

“Ms. Ritze was able to escape her demons, for a time,” her attorney, David Wiechert, wrote in his sentencing recommendation. “Unfortunately, Ms. Ritze could not elude her demons forever.”

Ritze plunged into alcoholism after her mother committed suicide in 2014, and she had a years-long affair that ended her marriage. Her ex-husband testified

Pictured are screenshots from court records showing Sheila Marie Ritze enjoying time with her daughter. Ritze’s defense counsel entered the images, taken from social media, as exhibits in a sentencing recommendation.

planning on doing, ”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Scally

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for the prosecution, and jurors heard a covert recording her co-workers had taken of her in 2019 in which she said she would take people on her boat and “they are not gonna come back.”

Wiechert wrote in his memo that Ritze’s alcoholism also “began to creep into her workplace at Team Property Management” in late 2018, “and her coworkers routinely noticed that she was inebriated when she came into work.”

She met Le in early 2019 when she was in the midst of what prosecutors described in their sentencing memorandum as a “downward spiral” that included her divorce, a drunken car crash and an altercation with employees at a Burger King drive-through that ended with Ritze charging into the restaurant and threatening to bomb it.

Le and Ritze denied being romantically involved: Le testified that he later heard that “she liked me, but I didn’t know.”

“I just looked at her as a friend and as a business partner,” he said.

He also looked at her as someone who loved fishing.

“She talked about fishing a lot. About her boat, and that was her hobby,” Le said.

Le and Ritze had fished together off the Dana Point Harbor three or four times before they took James Dao with them: Le’s May 31, 2019 fishing license was entered as evidence in his trial. He called Ritze a “fish finder” in his testimony and said she insisted everyone get a license if they wanted to fish with her.

“She knew how to navigate the boat really well, so she knew how to find the fish,” Le testified.

LAS VEGAS TRIP FOR BILLY IDOL CONCERT PROVES

PIVOTAL

Ritze also knew how to find lobster. She and Le had fished for the decadent at least once before embarking on the deadly trip with Dao, with Le testifying that Ritze bought him a lobster fishing license in late September 2019.

Photos from Ritze’s Facebook page showed them smiling and holding their catches.

A week later, Le and Ritze traveled to Las Vegas with Dao, as well as Le’s friend and fellow drug dealer, Shawn Whalin, in what ended up being a key weekend for prosecutors trying to prove that Le and Ritze conspired to murder Dao.

It was during that weekend, prosecutors alleged, that Le and Ritze hatched their plan to kill Dao, with Whalin testifying that Le told him of the murder plot during that trip. Sandra Ritze also testified that she asked Sheila Ritze who Dao was when they met in the lobby of the Palms Casino. She said that Ritze replied, “Don’t worry about it; we’re going to be offing him this weekend.”

Whalin, however, contradicted that testimony when he told jurors in Ritze’s trial that Dao and Sandra Ritze never were in the lobby together. Wiechert made Sandra Ritze’s credibility a key focus of his case, arguing to the jury that she was lying to try to incriminate her ex-daughter-inlaw to ensure she can continue to spend time with her granddaughter.

Wiechert insisted Sheila Ritze knew nothing of any plan involving Dao, and that she was essentially a victim of an abusive relationship with Le when she drove the boat back to the harbor and left Dao in the water.

He emphasized that Sandra Ritze joined Sheila Ritze at the Billy Idol concert after she supposedly heard of the murder plot, and a cellphone video shows the two laughing and having fun. Jurors requested to rewatch the video while deliberating.

Wiechert, who lives and works in San Juan Capistrano, cited Ritze’s abusive childhood when asking that she receive a lenient sentence of 10 years in prison.

“Belts were Ms. Ritze’s father’s instrumentality of choice, and he would regularly hit her and her siblings with them whenever he was in a foul mood, which was often,” Wiechert wrote. “Police presence was constant at her home while growing up, but she was strictly trained by her parents into staying silent and carrying on as if nothing happened, an eerie foreshadowing of Ms. Ritze’s mute reaction after witnessing Le shoot James Dao on her boat.”

A ‘POSER’ GANGSTER & AN ALLEGED FIGHT OVER MONEY

The weather conditions the night Dao died were easily established for the jury: Prosecutors and defense attorneys stipulated to a statement being read to the juries in both trials that “on October 15, 2019, at 12:00 a.m. midnight, the air temperature in Dana Point, California was 66 degrees Fahrenheit, the water temperature in the Pacific Ocean off the cast of Dana Point, California, was 68 degrees Fahrenheit; and the moon was full.”

Dao’s cause of death also was not disputed: A medical examiner testified that Dao’s cause of death was drowning with gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma as factors.

But Le denied ever intending to kill Dao, instead describing for the jury how Dao suddenly brandished a gun after Le refused to loan him $2,000. Dao grew angry after Le cursed at him, Le said, and pressed his gun into Le’s stomach before Le tried to grab it out of his hand.

A shot went off, Le testified, and the men continued struggling before a second shot went off. Le said he hit Dao over the head with a broomstick and tried to throw him overboard in self-defense. He said Dao fell in the water and continued screaming that he was going to kill Le, as Le urged Ritze to drive the boat back to the harbor.

“I was scared, so I told Sheila, ‘Let’s go. Let’s get away from this area,’ ” he testified.

Le said Ritze was confused and didn’t know what was going on and was so panicked that she vomited.

But Le told a starkly different story to his friends, whom prosecutors described as “convicts with long records.”

“Wayne had never been to prison himself, but each one of these guys … were all convicts with long records,” Scally told the jury in Le’s 2021 trial.

But the men “knew Wayne is not a real gangster,” Scally said, referencing Le’s “wangster” nickname. “They knew he was a poser.”

Scally and his co-counsel, Greg Staples, relied heavily on the men’s testimony to try to persuade jurors that Le intended to kill Dao.

‘THAT TRAGIC NIGHT … HAS CONTINUED TO HAUNT ME’

Ritze, meanwhile, was sentenced by Judge David O. Carter to 21 years and eight months in prison on April 17 after a two-hour hearing that focused on her level of involvement in Dao’s murder.

Wiechert argued that jurors spoke clearly when they convicted Ritze only of second-degree murder. Those jurors didn’t hear from Le’s friends like the jury in Le’s trial did, but they did hear recordings of two interviews Ritze gave investigators after her arrest.

She first described Le as “really nice” and said he “helps a lot of people.” She also said she had “no clue” why investigators were interested in Le, and she denied knowing Dao prior to the boat trip, despite their earlier trip to Vegas.

“In the week following her arrest, she sent defendant Le two letters in the mail, commiserating with him about how horrible it was that they had been arrested,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.

Ritze apologized to Dao’s family in a letter to Carter and said “that tragic night … has continued to haunt me.”

“I can’t change what happened that traumatic evening,” Ritze wrote. “I can only say how sincerely sorry I am to the family who has now suffered a great loss due to the tragedy that occurred.”

A volunteer Christian minister in the Santa Ana Jail said in a letter that Ritze is “making the most of her time” in jail and has a good rapport with staff and fellow inmates. She said Ritze “appears to be … a positive influence to the women around her.”

Ritze’s 12-year-old daughter also wrote to Carter, telling him, “I need your help.”

“My mom has been gone for a long time. Can you please let her come home soon? She is an awesome mom, and I need her in my life. I miss my mom and love her very much. I want to live my life with my mom in it each day,” the girl wrote.

But Carter also heard from a woman who wanted no leniency for Ritze: Dao’s mother, Anh Tran. She attended every proceeding in both Le’s and Ritze’s cases, including each day of both trials. She and Dao’s siblings requested that Ritze spend the rest of her life in prison.

She also wrote directly to Ritze.

“You are a mother, so how could you not feel any pain about the loss of another mother’s child? You not only helped Wayne Le execute my son, but you have destroyed the lives of his two young daughters and my life,” Tran wrote.

“Every day is a living nightmare for me,” Tran continued. “You have robbed me of the time with my son. You have robbed all of us of this chance for a life with our loved one. My son did nothing to you to deserve this!”

Carter described Ritze’s conduct as “horrific and horrendous” and noted its “callousness.” After serving 262 months in prison, Ritze is to be on probation for five years.

Le, now 42, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17. Meghann Cuniff is a legal affairs journalist who watched both trials. You can subscribe to her work at www.legalaffairsandtrials.com. CD

This photo of Wayne Le on a precious lobster fishing trip with Sheila Ritze was entered as evidence in his 2021 murder trial.

City Officials Discuss Sports Park Improvements, Public Safety, Parking During Budget Discussion

BY COLLIN BREAUX, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

The City of San Juan Capistrano is looking to upgrade turf at the town’s sports park on Camino Del Avion since the area is frequently used for community events.

Discussion about the planned renovation came up during a budget workshop held on May 2 with the City Council. The city is gearing up for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2023-24 city budget and ironing out details for such as part of an annual process.

“As many of you know, our sports park is definitely in need of some attention,” City Manager Ben Siegel said. “We’ve received complaints. First of all, it’s heavily used by numerous groups on a year-round basis. It does not get enough rest.”

The city’s Fourth of July celebrations are held at the sports park, as well as the Rotary Club’s annual car show. The sports park is also the site for youth athletic events.

City representatives want to explore other site options for the car show and rethink aspects of the Fourth of July celebrations, such as the carnival and equipment storage for such, Siegel said.

“The fields haven’t been renovated in over 20 years,” Siegel said. “What it needs is new turf and irrigation and, really, a major capital project. Then, we’re going to require some more maintenance if the council is inclined to support this project and more rest.”

The potential new turf would not be artificial.

The presented draft budget estimates $2 million for the sports park renovation. The project would also include redoing the park lighting to “more focused” LED lighting.

Councilmember John Campbell said $2 million is a “significant investment in one facility.”

“This $2 million number concerns me about the sports park,” Campbell said.

Public Works Director Tom Toman said the sports park is the park that city staff hears the most about in the community, though funding has always been an issue.

“That’s the one that hosts our major tournaments,” Toman said.“It would be a good place to focus our resources.”

The city is also looking to add a new deputy from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which the city contracts with for law enforcement services, to patrol the downtown area and elsewhere as needed from Thursday through Sunday.

“We think it’s warranted based on the new development, new residents in town, activity in downtown, private investment, number of visitors here on the weekend,” Siegel said.

The cost for the deputy would be $307,000 and funded through paid parking revenue, though Siegel said that number is not what the deputy would earn.

“That’s fully loaded. That’s full overhead and everything else associated with the benefit load,” Siegel said.

Councilmember Sergio Farias said an extra deputy is “worthwhile.”

Discussions also dovetailed into the possibility of a parking pass for San Juan residents. Currently, anyone

who goes to the downtown area is required to pay for parking in most lots in the area, including around Trevor’s at the Tracks, at a rate of $2 an hour. The paid parking is limited to three hours.

Some residents and officials, including Campbell during last year’s election, have called for a program in which residents can pay for a regular parking pass beforehand by registering with the city.

Mayor Howard Hart said he hoped the city would get to a point with parking revenue where they could afford administering residential passes.

“One of the arguments against parking pass program for residents was the administration costs,” Hart said. “The residents of San Juan Capistrano, quite honestly, are screaming for this. I hear it everywhere—not the least of which is every time I go home.”

Siegel said administering residential passes is “very complicated,” because three of the four downtown lots are privately owned.

“How that revenue and expenditure would be allocated is tricky, if you even have a willing private property owner,” Siegel said. “I don’t think you would have supportive property owners, necessarily, but even if we did, I don’t think that’s something we can turn on overnight.”

Siegel recommended doing a wider study on downtown parking, including expanding parking, permits for employees, and other facets of the matter.

Councilmember Troy Bourne said an entire meeting could be held about parking and that there is not a consensus among the City Council about a parking pass.

“Downtown parking, if we want to do a holistic study evaluating this in the near term, I’m open to doing that,” Bourne said. “Like (Hart), I face opposition to paid parking in my own house. I have a few licensed drivers who liked it before when they could park anywhere they wanted for free for as long as they wanted.”

Paid parking was instituted at the request of local business owners, because employees and other people previously could park in spots all day long, which meant

customers couldn’t access the businesses, Bourne said.

The $2 fee is designed to be a “nuisance,” so spaces are more available, Bourne said.

Campbell suggested hiring paid officers to enforce paid parking rules instead of the volunteers who do so now on a limited basis.

“There’s really no enforcement,” Campbell said. “We lack someone who can enforce rules.”

Other suggestions made by councilmembers include talking with the Capistrano Unified School District about providing more school resource officers on campus and enhancing school safety after residents asked for the city’s help, since the city expects to have a surplus for next year’s city budget; enhancing funding for the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley; increasing street sweeping to reduce the amount of trash and gravel perceived; and sprucing up Paseo Adelanto opposite the coming River Street Marketplace and backside of Historic Town Center Park.

Regarding the expected $7.2 million surplus, Siegel said that is more a matter of the city having a “balanced budget” and may not be an ongoing occurrence.

“The city’s revenues on an ongoing, recurrent basis are sufficient to support our ongoing expenditures,” Siegel said. “As of this year—Fiscal Year 2022-23—our revenues will be higher than expenditures, which is a good thing. It wasn’t always like that. Over the past couple of fiscal year, we’ve had good years, and our revenues have been higher than recurring expenditures.”

“I wouldn’t consider it, unfortunately, a structural surplus. I think that’s primarily related to the benefit we’ve seen over the past few years in some unique circumstances in terms of high sales-tax returns,” Siegel continued.“We had an infusion of cash from the federal government in terms of the American Rescue Plan Act. Overall, we’ve had some reduced expenditures. Litigation has been down.”

Though there has been a gradual increase in property-tax revenues over the past 10 years, there is a “leveling off” in the growth of property-tax revenues as projected in Fiscal Years 2022-23 and 2023-24, City Finance Director Ken Al-Imam said.

“Sales-tax revenues are a little bit more volatile than property-tax revenues,” Al-Imam said. “We’ve had a mixed performance of sales-tax revenues over the past 10 years or so. In early years, there was mixed performance, a lot of volatility, followed by stronger performance in Fiscal Years 2020-21 and 2021-22.”

The growth in sales-tax revenue for the next few years is projected to be “very nominal and essentially flat,” Al-Imam said.

The City of San Juan Capistrano currently has 55 fulltime staff members, Siegel said.

Other city governments have “overcommitted” to ongoing expenditures and get into a structural deficit, Siegel said.

City staff will return to the City Council on Tuesday, May 16, for further budget discussions incorporating councilmembers’ suggestions. CD

City staff is looking to improve the turf and other features at the San Juan Capistrano Sports Park because of the area’s heavy usage, at a price tag of $2 million. Photo: Collin Breaux

Esencia School Instructor Honored as Teacher of the Year by OC Department of Education

BY COLLIN BREAUX, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

Esencia K-8 School teacher Leslie Whitaker was instructing her students as usual in her classroom on April 27 when she got a surprise.

Representatives from the Capistrano Unified School District and Orange County Department of Education walked in to inform Whitaker that she was one of six recipients for the OCDE Teacher of the Year awards.

While being recognized by fellow educational professionals left her speechless, Whitaker was also overwhelmed and “really excited” to see her family (including her son, who attends Esencia K-8 in Rancho Mission Viejo) in her classroom to celebrate the occasion.

“It is a pretty amazing feeling to be honored in this way,” Whitaker said. “I think there’s so many amazing teachers out there, so to have this moment in time is pretty incredible.”

Whitaker is the only CUSD teacher who is a finalist for this year’s countywide awards. The six finalists will go on to be honored in November with cash prizes during a gala at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim and have a chance to apply for the California Teacher of the Year award in August, an OCDE news release said. Whitaker is no stranger to awards, as she was also a state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2020 and 2022.

Her family kept this year’s distinction a secret.

“Actually, the night before, I saw an article about the OC Artist of the Year,” Whitaker said. “I just saw OC of the Year and I said, ‘Oh, they already announced it.’ I just figured I’d find out in a newspaper article. It was funny—it was the very next day that all these people came, and I was, ‘Oh, my gosh!’”

Whitaker said seeing her family in her classroom, including her in-laws, was a shock since they usually don’t visit where she works.

She has been teaching in CUSD since 1999 and worked as a teacher at various schools, including Wagon Wheel Elementary School in Coto de Caza and Chaparral Elementary School in Ladera Ranch.

“I worked as a coach down at the

district office, a math coach,” Whitaker said. “I worked at OCDE on a special project, mostly supporting/coaching in math.”

Whitaker was on the planning committee for Esencia K-8, which opened in 2018, and is the lead teacher for third grade on campus.

“Also, I just support anyone in the school that wants support,” she said.

To that end, Whitaker maintains an open-door policy with her classroom—meaning other teachers and leaders from the district and county are welcome to come in and see what goes on.

“I do mentor teachers a lot. I’ve had 19 student-teachers in my career,” she said. “I work a lot with UCI. I’ve had entire UCI classes come in and watch me teach, so they can see effective math practices.”

Doing so helps people realize what kids are capable of in terms of learning, according to Whitaker.

“Sometimes, we get stuck in what we think they can or cannot do,” she said. “When you see it happening live, when you see how kids know how to have respectful conversations, they can use academic language, they engage in each other’s ideas and they’re comfortable with it—when people see that live, they see something that is attainable.”

While walking around the Esencia campus, Whitaker is prone to checking on and being greeted by students. The kids are what she likes about being a teacher.

“I tell the kids that every morning,” Whitaker said. “It doesn’t matter how tired I feel. When I see them, I’m ready for my A game. They bring the smiles to me.”

She checks in with her students during the day and teaches them ways to bring up their mood if they start the day tired and not feeling their most energetic.

“They’re my inspiration,” Whitaker said. “They help me be a better teacher. My whole goal is impact and impacting

education as a whole. One of the pieces I love about teaching is I’m constantly learning.”

That learning includes finding out what kids need and what she needs to do to improve.

“I’m learning from the kids about how they see different ideas and different areas of the curriculum, and how I can better craft their tasks and what they do to engage with their learning to suit what they need,” Whitaker said.

The atmosphere at Esencia K-8 is like a family to Whitaker.

“I feel like that’s another thing that translates into the classroom,” she said. “We’re here together. We talk about how we are this special community and that we’re proud to be in this community and what it means to a responsible citizen in this community.”

As for what’s on the horizon, Whitaker is looking forward to the fall banquet in Anaheim and plans to apply for the state award.

“I’m just trying to take each moment as it comes,” she said. “I’m not sure I even see the trajectory clearly, but I am very excited about having this opportunity to represent our school and our district— and our county now.” CD

EVENTS AT THE RANCH

MAY 18

READING TIME AT THE RANCH

9-10 a.m. Kids are invited to participate in nature-themed reading time at Ranch Camp in the new Rienda village in Rancho Mission Viejo. Rosy the snake will also be there for additional entertainment. Kids are also welcome to play games. The event is recommended for children 2 to 6 years of age. thenaturereserve.org.

MAY 20

VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION AND TRAINING

9-10:30 a.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 at The Ranch House. Sign up at thenaturereserve.org.

Esencia K-8 School teacher Leslie Whitaker will be honored during a gala at the Disneyland Hotel in November.

Photo: Collin Breaux

GUEST OPINION | Citizen’s Climate Education by Patti Maw

As we move toward summer and well-deserved holidays, you may be booking flights to faraway places. As part of this process, you might notice your airline offering you the opportunity to buy carbon offsets for your travel.

This sounds like a great idea—pay a few bucks to fly without impacting the environment; why not? Unfortunately, these offerings are an example of “if it sounds too good to be true, it is.” Until we develop better biofuels or batteries for commercial aviation, or perhaps bring back the zeppelin, there is no way to fly the friendly skies without spewing CO2.

Other mo des of travel have less impact, so if you can, take your trip instead by car (preferably electric or hybrid) or train. If you must board a plane, then a nonstop journey is the kindest option, because takeoffs are the most polluting part of a flight.

Upgrading to the forward cabin takes a bigger toll on both your wallet and the environment than flying coach, because more fuel is needed to lift

the larger space around a first- or business-class seat (plus the weight of the glassware, silverware, and food being carried onboard for your convenience).

If you must go airborne to reach your destination, then buying carbon offsets for your flight is better than not buying them. Their purpose is to try and cancel out the amount of carbon your flight will generate by funding carbon-reducing projects somewhere else on the planet.

Note that this should be a carbon removal that wouldn’t have happened otherwise, so paying someone to save a tree they weren’t planning to cut down anyway doesn’t count.

It is difficult to determine if the offsets available through your airline meet this standard, and an accurate offset amount likely costs more than the airline will charge you.

If you’re serious about reducing

your travel impact, you can purchase independently audited Quality Assurance Standard-certified carbon credits directly through sites such as clear.eco.

Using its calculator, you can even go beyond “carbon neutral” to “carbon negative” by removing more than your trip will generate, if you are so inclined.

The bottom line is, the only sure way to offset the carbon generated by airplane travel is to avoid emitting that pollution in the first place. While you’re planning, consider that many people choose to travel to California for summer vacation, and we’re already here. CD

Patti Maw is a member of the South Orange County Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Education/Lobby. She has lived in San Juan Capistrano for 10 years and firmly believes that life is amazing and that nature is beautiful.

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The List

What’s going on in and around town this week

Get a curated list of the weekend’s best events sent straight to your inbox every Friday!

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FRIDAY | 12

FARMERS MARKET IN SAN JUAN

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Enjoy the farmers market in town every Friday. Check out the produce, breads, cheeses, artisan craft vendors, and more. Farmakis Farms, 29932 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.364.1270. farmakisfarms.com.

LIN E DANCING FRIDAYS

10-11 a.m. Join Age Well Senior Services for line dancing every Friday at San Clemente’s senior center. No partner required. For a $5 donation, learn some easy and fun line dances to get you moving. Carrie Wojo teaches all over South Orange County and makes it easy to stay active and have fun. Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente. 949.498.3322.

YOUTH PROGRAMMING AT THE NOBLE PATH FOUNDATION

4:30 p.m. The Noble Path Foundation hosts events multiple times a week to get youth and young adults out and about and participating in safe, productive activities. There will be an improv lesson from 4:30-5:30 p.m., and TGIF Night starting at 6 p.m.—the theme being video games on numerous consoles. The Noble Path Foundation, 420 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.234.7259. thenoblepathfoundation.org.

‘FRI-YAY FUN’ WOOD WORKSHOP

6-9 p.m. Craft your own wood sign, plank tray, or photo frame with this fun DIY workshop. Customize your project

SUNDAY | 14 LONGINES FEI NATIONS JUMPING CUP

Noon. Equestrian riders will compete in this qualifying event for a chance to go on to an international final being held in Barcelona, Spain later this year. A VIP brunch will also be held. Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, 30753 La Pata Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.371.6158. usanationscup.com.

with designer paints and non-toxic colors. Participants can register online beforehand. AR Workshop San Juan Capistrano, 31107 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite B2, San Juan Capistrano. 949.482.1362. arworkshop.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT STILLWATER

9 p.m. Live music is featured at this popular South Orange County venue. The ’80s cover band Wayward Sons will perform. StillWater Spirits & Sounds, 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point. 949.661.6003. danapointstillwater.com.

SATURDAY | 13

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. 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.

STRAWBERRY U-PICK

9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The Ecology Center is providing a chance to pick fresh berries. While baskets will be provided, participants are also welcome to bring their own. After you finish collecting a harvest, head over to the Farm Stand to pay for what you picked. Cost to attend is $9. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano. 949.443.4223. theecologycenter.org.

MOTHER’S DAY FINE ART SHOW

9:30 a.m-5 p.m. Join the Dana Point Fine Arts Association for its annual Mother’s Day Fine Art Show, running through Sunday, May 14. Artwork will be displayed in the Dana Point Harbor. Dana Point Harbor, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point. info@danapointfinearts.org.

DANA POINT PUBLIC LIBRARY: FOREIGN FILM SCREENING

2 p.m. Join the Dana Point Public Library for a screening of the German film Storm. The film follows a prosecutor for the International Tribunal in The Hague as she travels to Sarajevo for a case, risking her and her sister’s lives and finding traitors everywhere around them. Dana Point Public Library, 33841

Niguel Road, Dana Point. 949.496.5517. ocpl.org.

LIVE TH EATER AT CAMINO REAL PLAYHOUSE

7:30 p.m. For one last weekend, watch a live performance of the Agatha Christie murder mystery The Mousetrap at San Juan Capistrano’s local theater. Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.489.8082. caminorealplayhouse.org.

SUNDAY | 14

MOTHER’S DAY CRUISE AT DANA WHARF

10 a.m. Join Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching aboard the OCean Adventure catamaran for a trip out of the Dana Point Harbor. “MOM-osas,” champagne, fresh seasonal pastries and muffins will be served. Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point. 949.496.5794 ext. 7. danawharf.com.

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH AT THE OUTLETS

10 a.m.-1 p.m. Treat the women in your

Enjoy a horse show at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park during the Longines FEI Nations Jumping Cup on Sunday, May 14. Photo: Courtesy of Longines Fédération Équestre Internationale

life to the Outlets at San Clemente’s “Bubbles, Blooms & Brunch” celebration, complete with mimosas, bouquets and giveaways. The Ballet Academy & Movement of San Clemente will headline the live entertainment, joined by a local three-piece band. Each guest will receive a bouquet, a $10 voucher for an Outlets gift card and a VIP Lounge Day pass. Outlets at San Clemente, 101 W. Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente. outletsatsanclemente.com.

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH AT INN AT THE MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Ysidora Restaurant & Lounge is hosting a three-course meal for Mother’s Day. Celebrate the day in Downtown San Juan Capistrano. Cost is $65 per person. Inn at the Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26907 Old Mission Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.503.5720. ysidora.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT PADDY’S

6-9 p.m. Listen to some live music and dance, perhaps after enjoying fish and chips and a pint. Country band High Country will perform. Paddy’s Station, 26701 Verdugo Street, Suite B, San Juan Capistrano. 949.661.3400. paddysstation.com.

MONDAY | 15

BRIDGE GAME

12:30 p.m. The South Orange County Bridge Club hosts bridge games, Monday through Saturday. The club is a nonprofit owned by the members and welcomes people to use their minds and develop new friendships. They also offer classes for bridge players of different levels. 31461 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite 205, San Juan Capistrano. galesenter@cox.net.

TUESDAY | 16

STORYTIME AT THE SJC LIBRARY

10:30-11 a.m. Bring the kids to storytime, held every Tuesday morning. Children will get to read books and sing songs. The event is geared for the 2- to 6-year-old age range. San Juan Capistrano Library, 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.1752. ocpl.org.

TRIVIA TUESDAY

6:30 p.m. Test your knowledge every Tuesday night. Teams of two to six people are welcome to join in for a chance to win prizes. Call beforehand to reserve a table. Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria, 31781 Camino Capistrano, Suite 201, San Juan Capistrano. 949.429.3599. selmaspizza.com.

THURSDAY |

18

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO DOCENT SOCIETY MEETING

1-3 p.m. Madame Helena Modjeska

Historic Home docent Rob Brown will discuss the actress, historic property in Orange County, and Modjeska’s connection to San Juan Capistrano at 2 p.m. during a San Juan Capistrano Docent Society meeting. San Juan Capistrano Community Center, 25925 Camino Del Avion, San Juan Capistrano. sjcdocentsociety.org.

FRIDAY | 19

FRIDAY NIGHT AT SWALLOW’S

9 pm.-1 a.m. Put on your cowboy hat and boots and get ready to enjoy all the Western-style fun at one of San Juan Capistrano’s best-known dive bars and country music spots. 33 Thunder Band will perform. Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m. Swallow’s Inn, 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. swallowsinn.com.

SATURDAY | 20

LIVE MUSIC AT TREVOR’S

11 a.m. The Battles will perform. Enjoy the entertainment on the outdoor patio while you chow down on food and sip drinks. Trevor’s at the Tracks, 26701 Verdugo Street, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.9593. trevorsatthetracks.com.

Sunday, May 21

CONCERT AT THE COACH HOUSE

8 p.m. Enjoy some rollicking sounds over dinner at this intimate and popular South Orange County venue. The Cars tribute act Heartbeat City will perform. Tickets are $20. Doors open at 5 p.m. The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.496.8930. thecoachhouse.com.

WEDNESDAY | 24

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.

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‘Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret’

BY MEGAN BIANCO

There are some classic novels that seem as if they might never be adapted to film. One book that took more than 50 years to appear on the big screen is Judy Blume’s 1970s children’s literature classic Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.

The main reason we’re just now getting a screen version is because Blume is, apparently, really picky with this particular book of hers. But the combination of writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig and producer James L. Brooks was enough for her to have a change of heart, and movie fans can now be thankful for that.

Are You There, God? not only lives up to expectations from fans, but it is also one of the better coming-of-age features recently.

Our protagonist is 11-year-old sixth-grader Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson), who has a typical childhood of elementary school and summer camp on the East Coast in 1970.

Her parents, non-practicing Christian Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and secularly Jewish Herb (Benny Safdie), decide to move from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs for Herb’s upgraded job offer.

Things move pretty fast as Margaret’s adolescence suddenly approaches

puberty. New friends, new feelings, new questions and new scenery all for her final year before junior high.

Though we get the usual themes with adolescent-set movies, what makes It’s Me, Margaret stand out from other tales in its genre is the interfaith setting. Margaret’s parents don’t raise her with either Christianity or Judaism, feeling she should have the freedom to choose her personal beliefs “when she’s older.”

Little did they expect, their young daughter actually becomes curious about religion on her own, setting out to see which culture she identifies with the most. These scenes where Margaret learns her different faith options are the strongest in the film, as are the narration sequences in which she speaks to God like an imaginary friend with awkward phrasing and pausing, since she hasn’t been properly explained how prayer works.

Fortson delivers a strong performance in her first starring role, and the supporting cast members are charming, as well. Craig seems to be carving out a nice little niche of her own teen girl dramedies between Are You There, God? and The Edge of Seventeen (2016).

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret is a nice little time for kids, parents and grandparents of all generations. CD

Photo: Courtesy of Dana Hawley/Lionsgate Films AT

GARAGE SALES

SAN CLEMENTE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE

SAT - MAY 20TH 8AM-2PM

Just above the SC High School Pico/ Presidio up and over the Hill. Miguel, San Carlos, La Cuesta and all the streets in between. Look for signs. Call Janet Montandon for info 949-291-4820

COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE – COASTAL SAN

JUAN CAPISTRANO MEREDITH CANYON NEIGHBORHOOD. 5/20, 8AM-1PM

Camino Las Ramblas and Via De Agua, then follow signs. Lots of stuff & good deals. Many homes participating.

GUEST OPINION | Moments in Time by

Jan Siegel

THE EARLY DAYS OF JUDGE RICHARD EGAN

This is the start of a three-part series on the life and times of Judge Richard Egan, whose death was 100 years ago in 1923. Egan’s life in San Juan Capistrano touched so much of our history that one column would not do him justice.

Richard Egan arrived in San Juan Capistrano in 1868. He was born in Ireland in 1842. Orphaned at age 10, he was brought by relatives to the United States to be educated. When the Civil War divided the country, he served as a blockade runner in the Confederate Army. To avoid capture, he was able to get on a ship bound for Europe.

He eventually returned to Ireland, but wanted to return to the United States. He had met a fellow Confederate in Paris, and they both wanted to find a place where the war between the North and South could be forgotten. In 1866, they sailed around Cape Horn to

FROM

versary of the Ramona Pageant held in Hemet, California. The play is based on the Helen Hunt Jackson book Ramona.

In 1883, Jackson had been commissioned by the United States Department of Interior to prepare a report on the area’s Native Americans who had lived on Mission grounds.

a manner that worked for her friend Harriet Beecher Stowe with Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Jackson stated that “every incident in Ramona is true.” She just used literary license in telling the story. The impact of Ramona opened up the county’s attention to the world of California’s Spanish Mission heritage.

San Francisco. They were looking for a place to settle.

They wound up in the most Mexican of Southern California towns, where English was practically an unknown language, but shortly after arriving, his friend decided that San Juan Capistrano was too remote.

The post office had recently opened. Egan recalled, “The padre and I were the only ones here who could talk English.”

Egan was well-read and spoke five languages: French, Italian, Polish, Spanish, and English.

There is also another anniversary this year that involves Egan.

The year 1923 marks the 100th anni-

According to historian Ellen Lee, “Upon reaching San Juan Capistrano, she was denied access to the Mission archives by a priest who said her credentials had no jurisdiction over San Juan Capistrano.”

Undaunted, Jackson next went to see the local alcalde to explain her problem. The alcalde went with her back to the Mission, and he explained to the priest that her cause was just and that she should be allowed to stay at the Mission and do her research. The alcalde was Richard Egan.

Helen Hunt Jackson did stay at the Mission doing her research, not only for the government but also for the book she would write the following year, Ramona. The book was the result of the report Jackson submitted to the government, and some of her recommendations were put into a bill which passed the Senate but died in the House.

That is when she decided that a novel might be a better way of explaining the plight of Native Americans. She wanted to move people’s hearts in

Currently, the Historical Society has a small exhibit in the windows of the Silvas Adobe with artifacts from the Pageant and copies of Ramona books with illustrations.

More on Egan’s life in San Juan Capistrano next month. CD

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.

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.

Three-year-old Boone is a happy guy who just loves to have fun. Whether you’re going on a hike or just playing fetch in the yard, he’s always ready to be your favorite sidekick. Plus, when it’s time to settle down, he makes a wonderful snuggle buddy. Come meet Boone, and you’re sure to fall in love.

If you are interested in adopting Boone, 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. CD

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

SOLUTION:

WEEK’S

LAST

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

THE ARCHIVES This photo depicts the San Juan Capistrano Library being built in 1982.

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.

Courtesy of the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library

THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

MOMENTS IN TIME BY JAN SIEGEL

SAN JUAN PREPS ROUNDUP

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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

JSerra Baseball Resurgent Again, Hosts Quarterfinals on Friday

Playoff pressure? Back-to-back, onegame elimination situations? That’s nothing new for these Lions.

JSerra got nearly another complete-game performance on the mound in the second round on Tuesday, May 9, and three home runs in the fifth inning to continue their late-season surge and defeat Etiwanda, 6-1, in the Division 1 second round at JSerra Catholic High School.

The defending CIF-SS Division 1 champion Lions will host Sierra Canyon in the quarterfinals on Friday, May 12.

This season, JSerra, which opened the year with 18 players with NCAA Division 1 commitments, started the season 3-5, including losses in its first four Trinity League games. The Lions then, once again, turned on the jets to advance to the championship game of the National High School Invitational, clinched a playoff spot on the league’s final day and earned the No. 4 seed in CIF-SS Division 1. Read this full story at thecapistranodispatch.com.

CVC Baseball Punches Up in Division 2, Falls in Second Round

Capistrano Valley Christian got a strong six innings on the mound by Michigan State commit Hunter Long, diving plays in the outfield by Jake Beauchaine, self-created offense on the basepaths by Indiana commit Hayden Carlson and a five-run fifth inning to pull away from Temecula Valley, 7-1, in a first-round game at San Juan Sports Park.

CVC then hosted No. 1 seed Aquinas in the second round on Tuesday, May 9, and lost, 3-2.

With 13 straight league titles and a Division 2 playoff win under its belt, Capistrano Valley Christian isn’t going unnoticed as a baseball program growing in prominence. The Eagles have four NCAA Division 1 commits on the roster in seniors Hunter Long (Michigan State), Hayden Carlson (Indiana) and Adrian Blanchet (USC) and junior Andrew Johnson (USC).

Read this full story at thecapistranodispatch.com.

Hurtado Tosses 2 No-Hitters in JSerra Softball’s First Playoff Wins

Junior Eva Hurtado has made an indelible mark on JSerra softball history in less than a week.

The Lions captured their first two CIFSS playoff wins in program history with back-to-back no-hitters from Hurtado in an 8-0 win over Warren on May 4 and a 7-1 win over Canyon on Tuesday, May 9.

Hurtado posted nearly identical statlines in both games with no runs, no hits, six strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter against Warren, then one run, no hits, six strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter against Canyon.

JSerra hosted No. 1 seed Moorpark in

the Division 2 quarterfinals on Thursday, May 11. Results were not available at press time, but if the Lions advanced, they would travel to California High of Whittier or Great Oak in the semifinals on Saturday, May 12.

San Juan Hills Girls Lacrosse Falls in First CIF-SS Quarterfinal

Relentless was the only word to describe the San Juan Hills girls lacrosse team on Monday night, May 8.

After visiting Crescenta Valley went up, 3-0, in the early minutes of the CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinals, the host Stallions did not turn and run. San Juan Hills clawed its way back to a one-goal deficit on seven different occasions on Monday, but the No. 4 seed Falcons did just enough to stave off the comeback.

Crescenta Valley led by three goals four separate times, as the Falcons held off San Juan Hills’ charges, 15-14, in the third round of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs at San Juan Hills High School.

San Juan Hills won two playoff games for the first time in program history, advancing to its first CIF-SS quarterfinal.

Read this full story at thecapistranodispatch.com.

St. Margaret’s Boys Volleyball, JSerra Track, Boys Tennis Play for CIF-SS Titles

The defending CIF-SS Division 4 champion St. Margaret’s looks to complete a dominant run in the Division 3 playoffs on Saturday, May 12. The No. 1 seed Tartans have swept their first four playoff matches and face No. 3 seed El Segundo for the Division 3 championship at 9:30 a.m. at Cerritos College.

The JSerra track and field program could potentially sweep the Division 3 championships in the CIF-SS Finals on Saturday at Moorpark High School. The Lions girls are heavy favorites with 24 entries and 18 athletes qualifying for the finals. The JSerra boys will be in a tighter race with 12 entries and 10 athletes qualifying.

JSerra boys tennis, the No. 2 seed in Division 2, will take on No. 1 seed Sage Hill for the CIF-SS championship on Friday, May 12, at 11:20 a.m., at the Claremont Club.

CVC’s Powell Wins CIF-SS Golf Southern Regional; 4 More Qualify for Finals

Capistrano Valley Christian golfer Luke Powell shot at 7-under-par 67 to win the CIF-SS Southern Individual Regional by one stroke at the Los Serranos Country Club South Course in Chino Hills.

Powell and four other San Juan Capistrano golfers qualified for the CIF-SS Indi-

vidual Championship on Thursday, May 18, at River Ridge Golf Course in Oxnard. San Juan Hills’ Ryder Rasmussen (71) and Bradley Smolinski (73), as well as St. Margaret’s Keegan Carnell (72) and Jack McGrory (72). also qualified.

San Juan Hills’ Schmitt Wins CIF-SS Swim Title; 13 Entries Qualify for State

San Juan Hills senior David Schmitt blazed an Orange County record to win the CIF-SS Division 1 100-yard butterfly championship in 46.47 seconds on May 5. Schmitt also qualified for the state championships in the 200-yard individual medley, and the Stallions’ 200-yard medley relay team also qualified for state.

JSerra’s Ryder Dodd (200-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly), Bode Brinkema (50-yard freestyle) and the Lions’ 400yard freestyle relay, 200-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay teams all qualified for state in Division 1.

On the girls side, JSerra’s Sydney Willson (200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle), Ava Withey (200-yard freestyle) and the Lions’ 200-yard medley relay team also qualified for state.

San Juan Hills girls lacrosse won two playoff games for the first time in program history, but the Stallions fell in the CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinals.

Photo: Zach Cavanagh

The JSerra baseball team is on another late-season surge, as the Lions smacked three home runs in one inning over Etiwanda in the Division 1 second round. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

THE COACH HOUSE

www.thecoachhouse.com

TICKETS and DINNER RESERVATIONS: 949-496-8930

5/12 QUEEN NATION (Queen TribuTe)

5/13 THE ENGLISH BEAT

5/14 HALEY REINHART

5/19 JOHN CAFFERTY

& The BEAVER BROWN BAND

5/20 HEARTBEAT CITY (The Cars TribuTe)

5/21 LET’S HANG ON! (Frankie Valli & The Four seasons TribuTe)

5/26 METAL SHOP

5/27 BLINK 180TRUE & GREEN TODAY (blink 182 & Green Day TribuTes)

5/28 BOBBY GRAY

6/1 TOAD THE WET SPROCKET

6/2 THE RISING (bruCe sprinGsTeen TribuTe)

6/3 JUDY COLLINS

6/4 THE MOTHER HIPS

6/7 THE OUTLAWS

6/8 BLACK SABBITCH (all Female blaCk sabbaTh TribuTe)

6/9 AL Di MEOLA

6/10 SHAWN COLVIN

6/11 The Snacks / Richard Stekol Band

Missiles of October / The Code

6/15 JULIAN MARLEY / Tomorrow’s baD seeDs

6/16 AL JARDINE anD his enDless summer banD

6/17 AMBROSIA

6/18 PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE

6/24 PRINCE AGAIN (prinCe TribuTe)

6/25 THE WAILERS

6/28 JOHN CRUZ

6/29 YYNOT (rush TribuTe)

6/30 THE SWEET

7/1 MICK ADAMS & THE STONES