May 26, 2023

JSerra junior Dmitri Susidko hit a walk-off single, and seniors Ben Reimers and Matt Champion combined for eight shutout innings, as the Lions baseball team won

title. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

The Future of Women’s Health Providing Woman-Centered Care in One Location

To help provide women with gender-appropriate health care, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is developing the Women’s Health Pavilion to provide women with an elevated patient experience and position itself to meet the growing needs of women in the community.

“With this new building, Saddleback Medical Center is making a commitment to all women,” says Catherine Shitara, chief operating o cer, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. “We are here to provide the necessary health care women need through every stage of their life and, if necessary, guide them through their treatment journey. We believe women in Orange County need this type of health care center close to home.”

The Women’s Health Pavilion, scheduled to begin a phased opening in 2023, will feature the comprehensive Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center. This new breast center will provide women with elevated, personalized care in a spa-like environment to make sure women receive the breast care they need in a calming space.

“At the Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center, women will have access to a multidisciplinary team of fellowship-trained dedicated breast radiologists, oncologists and surgeons whose sole focus is breast care,” says Gary Levine, M.D., medical director, MemorialCare Breast Centers. “Each patient will be given a breast center navigator to help them understand their diagnosis, weigh treatment options, provide education and resources, and coordinate their care with physicians and specialists.”

The Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center will feature the most advanced technology for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Some of this technology includes:

• 3D tomosynthesis digital mammography for precise imaging

• Cryoblation treatment to freeze and destroy early stage and benign tumors

• DEXA bone-density testing

• Ultrasound-guided breast biopsy

The Women’s Health Pavilion will house OB/GYN physicians and services to provide women in the community greater access to care and resources including surgical oncologists who specialize in gynecological cancers. “We think it’s beneficial to form long-term relationships with our patients and their families, so they feel empowered to make informed decisions about their health care,” said Priyal Dholakiya, M.D., MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center.

The Women’s Health Pavilion o ers a variety of women’s specialty care programs, a Community Education Center and mental wellness support, among other services—giving women tools they can use to receive care for their own unique needs. Other programs available at the Women’s Health Pavilion or on campus:

• Pelvic Health & Pelvic Floor Rehab

• Osteoporosis Clinic

• Dietary Counseling

• Survivorship Program

The Women’s Hospital at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is celebrating its 35th anniversary and the opening of its new Obstetric Emergency Department (OB ED) in May. The Women’s Hospital is also embarking on a complete renovation to refresh and upgrade its Labor-Delivery-Recovery-Postpartum (LDRP) suites that will open later this summer. The goal is to partner with all women in their pursuit of living long, healthy lives.

memorialcare.org/womenshealth l memorialcare.org/sbbaby

The Women’s Health Pavilion will provide convenient access to breast care and a range of women’s health services under one roof.

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TOP NEWS SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

New Owner Wants to Rebrand Cedar Creek Inn

BY COLLIN BREAUX

Longtime Downtown San Juan Capistrano restaurant Cedar Creek Inn is under new ownership and will eventually get a new name.

Orange County restaurateur David Wilhelm is the new owner and confirmed the shift in leadership with an email announcement sent on May 18. Wilhelm purchased the eatery with his friend and partner, Gregg Solomon.

Wilhelm said the previous owners, which included Sally Cochran, contacted him years ago about wanting to sell the restaurant. Rumors of a change in ownership have swirled in the San Juan community for some time.

Wilhelm had been scouting a location for a new restaurant for some time and said the Cedar Creek Inn location

is a terrific spot—not to mention all the business activity percolating in Downtown San Juan.

“I just felt like it was only going to get better as a location,” he said.

According to his bio, Wilhelm has also opened and operated other notable Orange County restaurants, including Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern in Dana Point.

The Cedar Creek Inn name will remain for the rest of 2023, but Wilhelm plans to temporarily shut down the restaurant at the beginning of 2024 to prepare for a rebranding.

The restaurant will eventually be renamed Tavern at the Mission to match his other existing restaurant, Tavern House Kitchen + Bar in Newport Beach. Cedar Creek Inn is across the street from Mission San Juan Capistrano and the boutique hotel Inn at the Mission San Juan Capistrano.

The shift is “necessary,” Wilhelm said.

“They had a great run,” he said in reference to Cedar Creek Inn’s previous operations. “Concepts have a shelf life.”

Cedar Creek Inn’s location in San Juan opened in 1996, after a Laguna Beach location was started earlier in 1989.

Some changes to Cedar Creek Inn’s menu and website have already been implemented, including updated drink and wine offerings.

Implementing such changes will likely be challenging since some people

City Considers Adding Enhancements to Serra Park

BY COLLIN BREAUX

In its current form, Serra Park—a neighborhood recreational area at the corner of Calle Santa Rosalia and Calle Bonita—mostly has grass and walking paths, along with a play structure and bench.

The City of San Juan Capistrano is looking to add new features, though, and will be asking for the community’s input on what they want to see there.

The potential for enhancements was discussed during a Parks, Equestrian, and Community Services Commission meeting on May 15. City staff presented a list of possible upgrades, which included a bike rack, half basketball court, swings, dog enclosure, and connecting the walking path.

Other suggested upgrades by staff include updating the play area and installing shaded areas with barbecue stations.

“Ultimately, there would be design input and further discussion on the costs and bringing this forward for City Council

approval,” Community Services Senior Management Analyst Kristen Hauptli said.

Commission Vice Chair Cody Martin

might “inevitably” mention a favorite item taken off the menu, Wilhelm said.

However, other customers have already given favorable responses to new dishes introduced, he said.

The new owners also plan to add live entertainment for the restaurant’s patio area.

Visit cedarcreeksjc.com for more information.

suggested adding a pickleball court to go along with the basketball court, an idea to which other commissioners were receptive.

“The pickleball courts are kind of getting overrun right now. That’s what I’m hearing from a lot of people,” Martin said. “If we did half a basketball court, to me, it almost makes more sense to just make that a little bit bigger and make that basketball on one side and pickleball on another side.”

Commission Chair Shelly Barker voiced her support for providing shade and general enhancements after visiting the park.

“There seemed to be room to put these various items in place, whichever are prioritized,” Barker said.

The Commission did not make any final decisions on May 15 as far as recommendations to the City Council. Commissioners will continue to discuss the matter at their next meeting and get community feedback beforehand.

“This is the first stepping stone,” Hauptli said. “We’re not committed to anything. Whatever we prioritize is a working list and could still be changing. This just helps staff so when we do go to the community, we are able to present these ideas to them.”

The San Juan Capistrano Parks, Equestrian, and Community Services Commission is considering recommendations for upgrades at Serra Park, which could include a new bike rack. Photo: Collin Breaux

David Wilhelm, the new owner for Cedar Creek Inn, will eventually rename the restaurant as Tavern at the Mission. Photo: File

Sports Park Upgrade Included in Upcoming Fiscal Year Budget

BY COLLIN BREAUX

The City of San Juan Capistrano is on track to spend $2 million to renovate the San Juan Capistrano Sports Park, as the grass is in rough shape because of frequent use by youth sports leagues and community groups, including the Rotary Club’s annual car show.

The sports park upgrade is factored into the city’s upcoming 2023-24 Fiscal Year budget, which the City Council again reviewed on May 16. The council and staff previously held an initial budget workshop on May 2.

The renovation will include new turf and park lighting.

Other plans for FY 2024 include a new deputy patrol for the downtown area at $307,000; a full-time community outreach worker who would interface with homeless people for an initial five-year period at an annual cost of $149,000; and paving for the Los Rios Park parking lot at $400,000.

For a five-year period, the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley is budgeted to receive an annual rate of $103,000 from the city, an increase of $25,000 that the club receives compared to the current fiscal year.

According to a draft of the budget, the city expects to receive approximately $40 million in General Fund revenues and is budgeting $37 million in operating expenditures for FY 2024.

In comparison, the city’s anticipated revenues and planned expenditures for the current fiscal year were budgeted at $37 million and $34 million, respectively, when the City Council approved the 2022-23 Fiscal Year budget last year.

The City Council unanimously approved staff recommendations on moving forward with the budget, which is expected to be adopted around June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

Councilmembers made several suggestions for items to fund or look into during the May 2 workshop, which City Manager Ben Siegel and other staff members addressed during the follow-up discussion on May 16—including Councilmember Troy Bourne’s suggestion that landscaping be enhanced along Paseo Adelanto, adjacent to Trabuco Creek, because the nearby River Street Marketplace is coming in.

“There’s certainly opportunities to beautify that area, especially as we expect more visitation in that area,” Siegel said. “The challenge is that is not city property. That’s Orange County Flood Control District property. Anything the council wants to do would require their approval and any permitting associated with that. We’d like to start conversations with Flood Control and see if they’re even open to that discussion.”

City staff can also reach out to the Capistrano Unified School District after parents asked for help regarding concerns about school safety, particularly about the availability of school resource officers, during the previous workshop, Siegel said.

Councilmember suggestions to enhance trail signage and connectivity and replacing playground equipment

at Bonita Park are matters that can be referred to the Parks, Equestrian, and Community Services Commission, Siegel noted.

“I’d just like to commend staff and the city manager,” Mayor Howard Hart said. “You made an awful lot of sense from stream of consciousness comments made from the dais last council meeting.”

Siegel also addressed the possibility of a parking pass for residents, which some people in the community have been calling for since paid parking has been instituted in downtown lots. Hart also asked about the matter during the first workshop.

“We’d like to explore that further. One of the unique elements of paid parking in San Juan is that on three of the four paid parking lots, they’re actually privately owned,” Siegel said. “There’s an agreement between the owner and city that allows the city to charge for parking and addressed how that is shared and how maintenance is covered, etc.”

The city does not have the ability to automatically institute a pass, but staff can engage the property owners in a discussion about how the pass could work, get their feedback, and lay the foundation for a comprehensive study about parking, Siegel said.

A meaningful study will not cost less than $50,000 and could be more than $100,000, Siegel said.

“It’s something that would require a significant investment of staff time, which we believe is appropriate,” Siegel said.

The city is expected to have a $7.2 million surplus for FY 2024, which begins July 1.

Though the city’s current level of revenues is higher than expenditures, that trend is expected to shift in the future.

“Unfortunately, expenditures are increasing at a rate faster than our revenues,” Siegel said. “For, basically, the next four to five years, we expect revenues to exceed expenditures, but those lines cross about five years from now. … Our best estimate is, five years from now, we will cross into another environment of what I would say (is) a growing structural deficit.”

“That would mean we would have to cut services or spend down the reserve amounts or find a way to increase revenues,” Siegel said. “Keep in mind the changes the council made several years ago to put us in position of a healthy budget basically involved significant cuts, all the way to where I can say services weren’t affected. I believe further reduction in expenditures would impact city services.”

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31

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, JUNE 2

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.

TUESDAY, JUNE 6

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.

THURSDAY, JUNE 8

Design Review Committee

4:30 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Design Review Committee will hold a regularly scheduled meeting open to the public. Nydegger Building, 31421 La Matanza Street. sanjuancapistrano.org.

FRIDAY, JUNE 9

The next print issue of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.

Grass at the San Juan Capistrano Sports Park tends to get worn down due to frequent use, which the city is looking to address with a $2 million renovation that will include new turf.

Photo: Collin Breaux

Water Works - What is filtered out of our water and what is added?

IN OUR LAST ARTICLE, WE DESCRIBED WHERE YOUR WATER COMES FROM AND THE PROCESSES THAT GO INTO PROVIDING THIS PRECIOUS RESOURCE. We also detailed the $20 million investment SMWD will make over the next 5 years to improve the old and outdated San Juan Capistrano groundwater processing plant the District inherited in 2021. The plant is currently out of service, but once it is up and running again, the SJC groundwater plant will double its previous output of safe, high quality drinking water. That amounts to some 5 million gallons (a little over 15-acre feet) daily!

While our drinking water is imported from the Metropolitan Water District, Metropolitan’s sources include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, and underground wells - like the ones in SJC. As water travels over the surface of land or through the layers of the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, undesirable elements, including materials from animal and human activity.

So, what exactly is removed from our drinking water through natural treatment?

The list includes:

• Microbial contaminants including viruses and bacteria.

• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, elements from oil and gas production, mining, and farming.

• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that can come from gasoline

stations, urban storm water runoff, agricultural and septic systems.

• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production or mining activities.

• Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.

If reading about all these contaminants that could be in the water make you nervous, don’t be. These contaminants, along with rocks, sand, silt, and other natural occurring elements are removed as we described in our previous article on processing. Also know that rigorous testing--50,000 plus laboratory tests each year are performed to ensure that safe, high-quality drinking water comes from your tap every time you turn it on.

Second question: what is added to our drinking water?

Primarily, your drinking water is treated with fluoride, an aid in the prevention of tooth decay since 1945. Fluoride is added to all drinking water in the US including water from SMWD. California state regulations limit Fluoride levels to under two parts per million (a little over 16 ounces in a 660,000 gallon Olympic-size swimming pool).

“Water” we up to next?

Tap into the conversation and be on the lookout for upcoming articles with more fascinating facts about your water—how it is processed, how it’s delivered to your home, and how water rates are determined.

Proposed Legislation Aims to Modify Superintendent Dismissal Process

BY COLLIN BREAUX

A pending bill in the California State Legislature is looking to change how school boards would go about dismissing a superintendent.

Senate Bill 494, which Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) introduced, would require school boards to provide more than 24 hours of notice if they want to dismiss a public school district official.

A minimum of a 72-hour notice would be required before a public meeting at which a district superintendent and/or assistant superintendent could be terminated without cause, a news release from Newman’s office said.

“SB 494 will ensure greater transparency and accountability in school district governing board proceedings and ensure stability and transparency in school district governance,” Newman said.

The measure comes after the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees voted last December to terminate the contract of former Superintendent Kirsten Vital Brulte for unexplained reasons. The termination of Brulte’s contract was said to be without cause.

The Board of Trustees is considering candidates for the superintendent po -

Capo Unified Intends to Address Student Mental Health with WideRanging Wellness Plan

BY COLLIN BREAUX

The Capistrano Unified School District is looking to spend approximately $1 million on a multi-tiered plan to handle student mental health and well-being.

The CUSD Cares plan that district staff introduced intends to “positively impact” students by enhancing their sense of connection, school communities, and opportunities for celebration, a staff report said.

The CUSD Board of Trustees unanimously approved moving forward with the plan on May 17.

The various tiers for CUSD Cares include providing services for student

sition and expects that person to begin their role this July.

Newly elected trustees Michael Parham and Gary Davis, who won last November’s races for the respective Area 2 and 4 seats on the board, were among the four trustees who voted to end Brulte’s role as superintendent.

If enacted, SB 494 would prohibit school boards from taking action to terminate a superintendent or assis -

well-being and instruction and support for all students, as well as more specific help for students who require more care and interventions.

Specific strategies for all students will include daily mindfulness moments in the classroom, weekly check-ins when it comes to well-being, kindness campaigns in elementary schools, and attendance campaigns emphasizing a “you belong here” message.

As for students who need more help, CUSD will provide wellness rooms in the secondary schools, sensory rooms in elementary schools, and counseling from the Wellness and Prevention Center at specific school sites.

Statistics cited by staff during a presentation at the May 17 meeting showed 36% of seventh-, ninth-, and 11th-graders in CUSD reported feeling chronic sadness and hopelessness. Of those grade levels, 19% of students seriously considered attempting suicide.

“There is significant and disturbing data at the national, state, and local levels, and in our own district, that students are struggling, that their well-be -

tant superintendent within 30 days after first convening following a board election.

Newman’s office mentioned circumstances similar to CUSD that occurred in the Orange Unified School District, where its board called a special meeting with 24 hours’ notice over the past winter break to dismiss the district’s superintendent and assistant superintendent.

ing must be addressed,” said Gregory Merwin, associate superintendent of Education and Support Services.

CUSD Cares is not an entirely new concept and builds upon existing work within the district, focusing on student wellness, Merwin said.

“In our county, a sizeable percentage of emergency room visits encompasses the age group of our secondary students,” said Refugio Gracian, executive director of Cultural Proficiency, Equity, Access and Social Emotional Learning. “Sixty percent of ER visits are for suicidal ideation, and intentional self-harm makes up 40% of ER visits.”

CUSD Cares will also incorporate staff well-being with support services and other programs.

Some parts of the program will be implemented immediately, while other parts and the overall scope will be rolled out over the coming years. The steps outlined were based on surveys CUSD conducted with students, staff, Parent Teacher Student Association presidents, and district management in November 2022.

“Similar scenarios are being reported throughout the state, with many instances of sudden district leadership changes appearing politically motivated, resulting in avoidable levels of contention, distrust, and disruption in affected school communities,” the release from Newman’s office said.

The State Senate approved the bill on May 15. SB 494 must next be considered by the State Assembly to move forward.

Trustee Judy Bullockus said she had wanted to incorporate the program for a long time.

“You, of course, have my vote,” Bullockus said. “This is something that can’t happen fast enough.”

Trustee Gila Jones expressed concern about students who express suicidal thoughts and don’t receive immediate assistance.

Trustee Amy Hanacek said parents need to be “allies, not opponents,” as CUSD Cares rolls out, and may realize their children were undergoing crises they previously didn’t know about.

“I support this wholeheartedly,” Hanacek said. “I’ve never been prouder or (more) anxious, because once we get to this, there’s expectations. We are going to have to temper those expectations.”

CUSD Cares can be an “ongoing work in progress” in which staff are welcome to tweak details and check in with trustees on how the implementation is going, Hanacek said.

“I do think this will be our culture,” Hanacek said.

Former Capistrano Unified School District Superintendent Kirsten Vital Brulte (right) was dismissed from her role during a specially called meeting by the Board of Trustees. Pending state legislation could modify how school boards can terminate district leaders.

Photo: File/Allison Jarrell

Pickleball Club Continually Raises Money for Nonprofits

BY COLLIN BREAUX

After Frank Fabrega survived an ordeal with cancer, he decided to get involved with Relay for Life as a way to give back.

He helped raise funds for the organization and gained a liking for it.

That passion for giving back ended up blending into his experiences with a pickleball club in Rancho Mission Viejo in which he’s a member, since the group also started taking on fundraising initiatives.

The club raised more than $2,800 for the American Cancer Society with a pickleball tournament in October 2020.

Pickleball enthusiasts in RMV have also raised money for Operation Smile—a nonprofit that helps kids dealing with cleft conditions—and a group that helps people with Parkinson’s disease.

“One of our members here has Parkinson’s that plays with us,” Fabrega said. “Several of our members’ spouses have Parkinson’s. They came to us and told us they go to a program in Laguna Niguel called PEP4U . They asked if

there’s a way we can do a fundraiser for them.”

The club raised more than $11,000 for the Parkinson’s program and has also assisted local military family advocacy group Homefront America and provided kids’ car seats for new moms.

A big fundraiser they hold around the Christmas holiday season raises money to buy toys for underprivileged families. The tournaments around that time have firefighters come out with fire trucks for kids to visit, as well as an appearance by Santa.

“That fundraiser was taken over by the pickleball club at the request of a group that ran it before,” club administrator Drew Maconachy said. “They thought we would have greater success as a large organization raising toys for children throughout Orange County. We turn the Hilltop Club into a Santa’s village.”

Money is raised through entry fees for the charitable tournaments, which usually costs players $20 to $25. With

the Christmas tournament, club members take the families to a store and let them purchase toys with the tournament funds.

“It’s a wonderful way for us to be able to show kids the importance of giving,” Maconachy said.

The holiday games are a fun experience for the players, too, because current firefighters and law enforcement officers have faced off against retired first responders in the club.

“It was a great way to recognize our first responders,” Maconachy said.

The club’s next fundraiser is coming up in June and will be for the Extraordinary Lives Foundation, which provides mental health counseling for children. The group is open to business sponsors for their tournaments, Maconachy said.

The pickleball group has more than 300 players, most of whom participate in the charity efforts, Maconachy said.

As for the group’s regular games, they play on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at pickleball courts in Rancho Mission Viejo. Not even wet courts from light rainfall deters the players, given a handful were paddling away on Wednesday, May 24, following some slight misting.

Using pickleball to help out others through nonprofit fundraising is “terrif-

EVENTS AT THE RANCH

JUNE 3

VOLUNTEER TRAIL CLEANUP

8-11 a.m. Give back by helping to clear and pick weeds in The Nature Reserve. Volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves if they have them. Participants must be registered or on the wait list by Friday, Feb. 17, by 4 p.m. thenaturereserve.org.

FARMERS MARKET

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Enjoy the farmers market held at The Pavilion (2 Tierno Road) on the first Saturday of every month. There will be vendors, food for purchase, and sometimes live music. The event is hosted by the Ladera Rancho Chamber of Commerce. Playtime for kids is available inside The Pavilion Gym during the event. Follow the Farmers Market on The Ranch page on Instagram for updates and more information. laderaranchochamber.org.

NIGHTTIME HIKE UNDER THE MOON

8:30-10:30 p.m. Take an outside stroll in The Nature Reserve under what is expected to be the last full moon this spring. Participants will get to see oak and sycamore trees during their walk. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 8 to 17 years old, and free for Nature Reserve supporters. Sign up at rmvreserve.org. ic,” Maconachy said.

“Frank and his team of people are very actively involved throughout the year,” Maconachy said. “It’s a testament to the community, to be quite honest. I have never lived in a community that has so many clubs and so many ways for residents to participate.”

“This is a community of not only folks like Frank and I—who are a little over 65, or, in my case, a little over 70— but it’s a community open to all age brackets and is very much an inviting community where people are encouraged to participate in so many different ways,” Maconachy continued.

Fabrega said the nonprofits they work with are impressed with how the events turn out.

“Our reward is seeing the smiles on the children’s faces during the holidays,” Fabrega said. “We make it a family atmosphere. We make it fun.” CD

(From left) Margo Fordonski and Frank Wilbur play a game of pickleball in Rancho Mission Viejo on Wednesday, May 24. RMV pickleball club members regularly play in tournaments raising money for nonprofits.

Photo: Collin Breaux

NEW RESTAURANT TO BRING ‘ELEVATED FAST CASUAL’ CUISINE TO RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

BY COLLIN BREAUX

Though Rancho Mission Viejo has seen a lot of home developments and new businesses open in the past few years, the unincorporated area isn’t particularly known as a place for dining out at a restaurant.

The owners behind Oak Ranch Grill are looking to change that.

Brian McTeigue and Jesse Clanton— who live in San Clemente and Laguna Niguel, respectively—are planning to have a soft opening for the new eatery in the Los Patrones Business Park on Los Patrones Parkway this week and a grand opening on May 29.

The restaurant serves what the two described as “elevated fast casual”—an approach that aims to quickly provide high-quality meals to customers and one that is becoming increasingly popular.

McTeigue has experience as a chef and said Oak Ranch Grill has been his brainchild for at least seven to eight years.

“I wanted to branch out on my own. I’ve been in the industry 20 years. We

both have,” McTeigue said.“We wanted to take the fast casual concept and elevate it a little bit. We’re trying to take it to that next level of gourmet but without being a fine-dining restaurant.”

The cuisine is classic American fare. Menu items include a Caesar salad, black bean and bacon soup, pulled pork sandwich, and the Oak Ranch burger.

McTeigue crafted the menu to appeal to Rancho Mission Viejo’s family population so that parents and kids can find something on the menu they like, and perhaps eat there multiple times a week.

“A little barbecue option. An extensive kids’ menu so the kids are happy,” McTeigue said.“You never find good soups anywhere around here, so I wanted to make sure we have a good selection of soups.”

Just about everything on the menu is made from scratch. As for the design, there are several dining tables and a big screen television on the wall for customers to watch sports.

Opening the restaurant has been a “long time coming,” McTeigue said.

“It’s been almost a two-year process to get this place open,” he said.

Along with serving the community, the eatery will fulfill McTeigue’s sense of creative expression since cooking is his outlet.

Oak Ranch Grill plans to offer beer and wines eventually, and work with local vendors and providers when doing so. Pairing food and wine is Clanton’s specialty because, he said, the two can complement each other and turn a meal into an experience.

“After so many years in the industry, I wanted to go a little farther and do a little more,” Clanton said.“We’ve got a great opportunity here. We’ve got tons of houses itching for food.”

Starting Oak Ranch Grill from a blank canvas is “surreal,” McTeigue said.

“We did the design ourselves,” he said. “Every table, every floorboard, every piece of art on the wall is something we put together ourselves. To finally see it all come

together and people coming in here and loving it and appreciating it is cloud nine.”

Clanton said seeing the restaurant come to fruition as envisioned is “pretty awesome.”

“We find ourselves at night, sometimes looking around at night, saying,‘Wow, we did this!’” McTeigue said.

Rancho Mission Viejo’s Vice President of Marketing Stephanie Walker said Oak Ranch Grill is an “exciting new restaurant” that will offer a culinary experience “unique to the area for Rancho Mission Viejo residents and the surrounding Orange County community.”

“We think this will be the go-to local spot for friends and families to share a meal together close to where they live and work, all while enjoying an amazing selection of food and drinks,” Walker said. CD

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(From left) Jesse Clanton and Brian McTeigue want to establish Oak Ranch Grill as a culinary pillar in Rancho Mission Viejo. Photo: Collin Breaux

GUEST OPINION

| by Dr. Michelle Hure

Don’t Get Burned by Sunscreen Myths: Shedding Light on the Truth

Did you really think you’d get through Skin Cancer Awareness Month without a friendly PSA?

While it’s important to talk about skin cancer detection, I think it’s equally important to understand prevention and the myths surrounding it.

According to the World Health Organization, up to 90% of skin cancer cases are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or other sources, such as tanning beds (are people still doing that?!). This means that something as simple as daily sunscreen use can dramatically decrease your risk of skin cancer.

Unfortunately, so much misinformation surrounds sunscreen use. Let’s debunk the most common sunscreen myths I hear.

MYTH #1: I DON’T NEED TO WEAR SUNSCREEN ON CLOUDY DAYS

If you think this May gray means you don’t need sunscreen, think again. Up to 80% of UV radiation passes through clouds. It’s important to wear sunscreen every day, even when it’s overcast or raining.

MYTH #2: SUNSCREEN IS ONLY NECESSARY WHEN HANGING OUT AT THE BEACH

While it’s true that sunscreen is particularly important when spending time outdoors, it’s vital to wear sunscreen every day, regardless of whether you’re planning to spend time in the sun or not. UV radiation can reach your skin through car windows (even tinted ones), work or home windows, and skylights. Brief moments of sun exposure add up over time, increasing your risk of skin cancer.

MYTH #3: SUNSCREEN IS TOXIC AND CAN CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD

While it’s true that some sunscreens contain chemicals that may be harmful to the environment or cause skin irritation, sunscreens are safe and

effective when used correctly. No studies have shown that sunscreen ingredients cause cancer. The sun, however, does. Look for sunscreens that are labeled as “broad-spectrum” and have an SPF 30 or higher.

MYTH #4: SUNSCREEN WILL PREVENT ME FROM GETTING ENOUGH VITAMIN D

Studies have shown that using sunscreen does not significantly impact vitamin D levels in the body, and that people can still maintain adequate vitamin D levels while using daily sunscreen. In fact, you can still be vitamin D-deficient with excessive sun exposure! Safely get your vitamin D through diet and supplements.

MYTH #5: APPLYING SUNSCREEN ONCE A DAY IS ENOUGH

Absolutely no sunscreen works after two hours and even less time if you’re in the water or getting sweaty. Most people don’t use enough sunscreen to get the full SPF coverage or reapply.

Rule of thumb is to use a nickel-sized amount on the face and shot glass for your entire body. Using less sunscreen means that your SPF 30 sunscreen may only be providing an SPF 10, which is far less protective.

Remember, no sunscreen will give you 100% protection from UV radiation. Make sure you make it part of your overall sun protection plan of wearing hats, UPF 50 clothing, sunglasses, avoiding peak hours of sun and, of course, getting your annual skin checks.

Dr. Hure is a double board-certified physician practicing medical, surgical, cosmetic dermatology and dermatopathology at Orange County SkinLab, her award-winning solo private practice clinic near the Los Rios District. She is a native Californian and proud to call San Juan Capistrano home, along with her two young daughters and husband.

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EDITORIAL

Managing Editor

Shawn Raymundo

City Editor, Capo Dispatch Collin Breaux

City Reporter, DP Times Breeana Greenberg

City Reporter, SC Times C. Jayden Smith

Sports Editor Zach Cavanagh

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Tom Blake

Special Projects Editor Andrea PapagianisCamacho

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ART + DESIGN

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Jasmine Smith

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Inna Cazares

Local Distribution

Tim Trent FINANCE

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CONTRIBUTORS

Megan Bianco, Jake Howard

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 21, Issue 10. The Dispatch (thecapistranodispatch) is published twice monthly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the DP Times (danapointtimes.com) and the SC Times (sanclementetimes. com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

SUNSCREEN MYTHS BY MICHELLE HURE

Sunscreen should be worn daily while outside, even when the sun isn’t shining, according to dermatologist Dr. Michelle Hure. Photo: Courtesy of Moose Photos

Welcome to the first edition of South OC Good Eats!

THE FOOD SCENE IN SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY is a standout in Southern California, and we’re celebrating some highlights. Some may be places you’ve certainly heard of and helmed by award-winning chefs. We’ll provide insight into what makes them great. Some others may be under the radar and could open your eyes to something new. From the great side, we profile the three chefs who were named Best Chef in our latest “Best Of” awards in San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. Get to know what shaped their careers and their menus. From the under-the-radar, we spotlight cultural restaurants in our town that showcase the cuisines of Hawaii, Polynesia and Mexico. Find something new to test your palate. Plus, we give a rundown of all the newest local eateries to add to your going-out options, highlight ice cream shops with non-dairy alternatives to indulge your sweet tooth and feature the area’s farm-to-table restaurants to give you the freshest bites around. We hope this section opens your eyes and fills your stomach with the best food South Orange County has to offer.

Keeping it Fresh: The Farm-to-Table Experience

By Collin Breaux

The farm-to-table concept has grown popular in recent years, as restaurant customers now value health and sustainability as much as they do flavor.

In layman’s terms, farm-to-table means restaurants directly utilizing fresh-grown food grown naturally, as opposed to freeze-dried or other traditionally stored ingredients.

This approach has become particularly popular in Southern California, given the region’s interest in environmentalism and health. People are no longer just stopping in a fast-food drive-through for a processed and quick bite to eat or microwaving a frozen meal.

They want food they know is nutritious, natural, and sourced in their area.

South Orange County has its share of eateries utilizing the approach.

FLIGHTS & IRONS URBAN KITCHEN

SAN CLEMENTE

As a family-owned restaurant that serves what it calls “rustic American

cuisine,” Flights & Irons uses seasonal ingredients.

The majority of its food is served in a cast-iron skillet, adding to the natural feel. Menu items include egg dishes, French toast, soups, and salads.

MAISON CAFÉ + MARKET

DANA POINT

Owner and chef Danielle Kuhn brings two decades of culinary experience to her venture, named after the French word for “home.”

Maison serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with an adjacent market full of items where customers can buy if they want to try their hand at replicating a dish. Hummus, salmon, and lentils are some of Maison’s offerings.

Maison also has a beer and wine list, thoughtfully collected from eco-friendly sources.

TREVOR’S AT THE TRACKS

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

Trevor Baird—who, unsurprisingly, founded and owns the well-known Downtown San Juan Capistrano restaurant—of-

ten touts the importance of the farm-to-table model and serving healthy food.

And, as Baird has said before, healthy food—vegetarian cuisine, in particular— can be tasty. That’s why Trevor’s tries to freshen up menu offerings so they have a new twist. The salads, for instance, aren’t just the usual house variety. The “no lettuce” salad, for example, is just that. It instead consists of tomatoes, snap peas, asparagus, and other vegetables.

A small garden yields fresh crops in front of Trevor’s, and Baird is looking to eventually harvest more fresh crops from a future farm area at the Northwest Open Space once development plans for that area get underway with San Juan developer Dan Almquist.

THE ECOLOGY CENTER

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

While not a restaurant per se, this community center is all about farm-to-table— literally, quite often.

In fact, The Ecology Center is a working farm. The crops grown on it are often utilized for the center’s community dinner nights.

Those gatherings are held on Friday nights and feature visiting chefs who cook a multi-course meal using fresh ingredients harvested right off the farm. Since each night features a different chef, the food can vary in taste and texture. On any given night, diners may have an opportunity to sample salads, fruits, vegetables, tacos, and other assorted dishes. Water and adult beverages are served with the food.

Diners are seated at tables to encourage conversation, particularly about sustainability and where their food comes from. Dinner participants may be seated next to folks they already know or people they’ve never met before—the latter of which can be an opportunity to meet a new friend.

Such occurrences are part of The Ecology Center’s commitment to community.

Along with the dinners, The Ecology Center also has a farmstand where people can buy food and drinks and where it hosts open strawberry pickings on the weekends, enabling families and other residents to come in and get their own fresh berries from the field.

The Ecology Center hosts Community Table, a Friday night dinner that rotates visiting chefs.

Photo: Collin Breaux

Discover the Area’s Newest Dining Options

By Breeana Greenberg

Since the spring of 2022, many new restaurants, taprooms, and cafés have opened their doors in South Orange County, offering residents and visitors alike a variety of new dining options to try this year. Here’s a rundown of those eateries where readers, residents and visitors can whet their appetites and quench their thirst.

SAN CLEMENTE

Los Molinos Beer Company

The new brewery opened its doors in the Los Molinos Business District on April 16, 2022, offering craft beer, burgers, sandwiches and more.

151 Calle De Los Molinos, San Clemente. 949.599.5029. losmolinosbeer.com.

Beach Hut Deli

The Southern California chain opened its third location in San Clemente’s North Beach Historic District in May 2022, offering sandwiches, salads, beach munchies and more.

1844 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.312.2257. beachhutdeli.com.

Gema

Owner Sarah Resendiz opened Gema in summer 2022, offering authentic Mexican cuisine in an intimate neighborhood environment.

110 South El Camino Real, San Clemente. 714.640.9371. gemarestaurant.com.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

The Rooftop Kitchen + Bar

The Rooftop Kitchen + Bar, offering American comfort cuisine with open-air seating that boasts a bird’s-eye view of downtown San Juan, celebrated its grand opening during the Swallows Day Parade on March 12, 2022.

31781 Camino Capistrano, Suite 301, San Juan Capistrano. 949.503.3358. rooftopoc.square.site.

Pacific Pearl Café

Offering a light breakfast or lunch and a relaxing spot to enjoy a cup of coffee, Pacific Pearl Café opened its doors in late March 2022.

31654 Rancho Viejo Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.312.2906. pacificpearlcafe.com.

Breezy

The island-themed brunch spot celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 5, 2022, offering pancake stacks, avocado toast, acai bowls and more.

31761 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.373.5218. experiencebreezy.com.

Bloom Restaurant + Bar

Bloom celebrated its grand opening across from Mission San Juan Capistrano on Dec. 2, 2022, offering seasonally inspired comfort foods.

31760 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.503.2654. bloomsanjuancapistrano.com.

DANA POINT

Outer Reef

Outer Reef, which opened on April 29, 2022 at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, offers a distinct West Coast spin on favorite dishes from Chef John Tesar’s previous seafood restaurant, Spoon Bar and Kitchen in Dallas.

25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point. 949.487.7555. outerreefoc.com.

Tabay’s Mindful Kitchen

Parked at the intersection of Doheny Park Road and Victoria Boulevard near the 76 fuel station in Capistrano Beach, Tabay’s Mindful Kitchen food truck celebrated its grand opening on July 10, 2022, offering vegan burgers, chili cheese dogs and poke bowls.

tabaysmindfulkitchen.com.

APizza Doho

Marcos Costas, Christopher Christian and his nephew, Anthony Christian, held a soft opening for their East Coast-style pizza restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway on Sept. 21, 2022.

34255 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 101, Dana Point. 949.570.3636. apizzadoho.com.

Delahunt Brewing Taproom + Taqueria

The San Clemente-based brewery celebrated the grand opening of its taproom and taqueria on Sept. 2, 2022, bringing its craft beers and tacos to Dana Point.

34091 La Plaza, Dana Point. 949.503.1348. delahuntbrewing.com.

Young’s Beach Shack

The Ranch at Laguna Beach celebrated the opening of Young’s Beach Shack, a new concession stand at Salt Creek Beach on Feb. 21, 2023, offering locally sourced, coastal cuisine and craft beers and wine.

33521 Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point. 949.388.2430. youngsbeachshack.com.

Maison Cafe + Market

Dana Point Chef Danielle Kuhn reopened Maison Café + Market at its new location in the Prado West Development on April 4, 2023, offering a seasonal menu of organic produce, pastries and fresh coffee.

24501 Del Prado Ave, Dana Point. 949.218.8431. maisondanapoint.com.

Gema. Photo: By C. Jayden Smith

APizza Doho has quickly become a local favorite. Photo: Breeana Greenberg

Beyond the typical restaurants around South County that serve American or Italian fare, hungry residents in Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano have numerous dining destinations at their disposal that offer foods from a wide range of cultures.

Nalu’s Hawaiian Fish Grill & Tutu’s Kitchen, owned by Mike Garrett, seeks to educate visitors about “akamai eating,” which guides followers to eat smart and be faithful stewards of the world around them.

The plethora of char-grilled fish and poke dishes, roast pork meals, soups and other options bear out Nalu’s vision by using fresh and all-natural meats and locally grown produce.

Borne out of a deep connection to Hawaii and a partnership with Tony Trung, who Garrett calls the president of the Nalu’s organization, Nalu’s brings an authentic version of Hawaiian food to the West Coast.

Garrett’s business pursuits in the late 1970s placed him in Hawaii often, where he was introduced to the concept of plate lunches, an island staple, and its own version of “fast food” consisting of two scoops of rice, macaroni salad and meat, such as teriyaki chicken.

“There’s a lot of people that try to copy it,” says Garrett. “It’s not done like (it is) in grandma’s kitchen, and that’s pretty much why we call it Tutu’s Kitchen. ‘Tutu’ is grandma.”

He recalled that whenever he was in Hawaii on business, he always preferred

Cultural Food Abounds in South County

By C. Jayden Smith

to visit more “homely” restaurants rather than the chains.

Trung, a native of Hawaii, handles the food side of the business and spent the company’s early years developing the menu. He traveled back to Hawaii on his own, according to Garrett, to eat at numerous plate lunch restaurants and learn what the best practices would be for Nalu’s to follow.

Those principles include making each item fresh every day and using free-range chicken, grass-fed beef and fresh fish for their food.

Having been involved in the surfing world for more than 40 years, Garrett says he was present in Southern California when surfing manufacturers and magazines were first started as a part of surfing’s introduction to the mainland United States and the rest of the world.

“Being in the surf industry, it’s a small group of people, and I’ve known them all my life,” he says. “Your soul is into it. We want to share that culture with the world, properly, and you want to be authentic.”

Nalu’s found its way to San Clemente

roughly five years ago, says Garrett, as the company was looking to set up shop in a place near the ocean.

Since then, they’ve received significant support from people in town.

“It’s almost like a ministry,” Garrett says. “You get the community involved, and people come in and make it like a family restaurant, basically.”

Their location near the Camino de Estrella exit off Interstate 5 is conducive to receiving visits from travelers heading both north and south along the freeway. Many of them have seen Hawaiian food, Garrett says.

“We’re fast at making the food, and they get it within six minutes,” he says, adding: “I’m in there about three or four days a week, and I’ve never seen someone not like their food.”

From then on, it’s a test of trying to encourage people to try other menu items, as most people find what they like the first time inside and keep ordering the same dish.

“We get a lot of regular customers, and sometimes they get the opposite mahi than (what) they had before,” Garrett says.

“They go, ‘Wow, that was just as good as (the other one), so it’s hard for me to decide.’ That’s one of the things we did with the menu, to make it so that people could come in and get different things.”

Over in San Juan Capistrano, Breezy provides a wide range of breakfast- and brunch-themed foods that remind one of its owners, Jasmin Gonzalez, of spending time on a tropical island.

With Filipino culture carrying the banner, accompanied by Hawaiian and other Polynesian dishes, Gonzalez and her colleagues combined to construct a menu that boasts vibrant and flavorful dishes.

The storefront offers coffee beverages and acai bowls in addition to ube French toast and pancakes, longanisa breakfast bowls and pork adobo breakfast burritos.

“What this really is, is the island foods we grew up on,” Gonzalez previously told The Capistrano Dispatch in October 2022, adding: “We’re not trying to win awards, but mainly trying to introduce our culture and what we grew up with to San Juan Capistrano.”

Over in Dana Point, Lupe’s Mexican Eatery took home the People’s Choice Golden Lantern in the Dana Point Times’ Best of Dana Point edition for 2022.

One of five locations in Southern California, Lupe’s offers a vast and creative menu, including a special birria menu, locally themed and jam-packed burritos, and cocktails.

Take a good look around the South Orange County landscape, and you’ll find plenty of exciting and unique restaurants that will whet your appetite.

The garlic ahi plate at Nalu’s Hawaiian Fish Grill is one of many flavorful dishes visitors can try as an introduction to Hawaiian cuisine. Photo: C. Jayden Smith

The Main Course

Top-Rated Chefs Take a Flavorful Approach

By Collin Breaux, Breeana Greenberg, and Shawn Raymundo

San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, and San Clemente certainly have a wealth of restaurants and types of food to choose from if you’re looking to eat out. Readers of Dana Point Times, San Clemente Times and The Capistrano Dispatch recently voted for their favorite chefs during Picket Fence Media’s recent “Best of” Awards. We wanted to learn more about these local culinary gurus, so we spent some time hearing about their stories and approaches to food.

ROB WILSON OF GLASSPAR IN DANA POINT

After growing up fishing on his father’s 1965 18-foot Glasspar Seafair Sedan, Rob Wilson paid homage to the vintage boat company when he named his restaurant in Dana Point—Glasspar.

The boat seemed to be “a part of the family,” Wilson says, as he spent most Wednesdays and Saturdays either fishing with his dad out of the Dana Point Harbor or surfing at Doheny State Beach when his father went fishing.

Long before he opened Glasspar, Wilson’s career in the restaurant business started at age 15, when he worked as a dishwasher at the Dana Point Chart House. Wilson worked at the restaurant using a work permit from Dana Hills High School’s culinary department.

“One day, one of the managers came up and said, ‘One of the cooks didn’t show up for work,’ ” Wilson recalls. “And he said, ‘Aren’t you here from a work permit from the culinary department at Dana Hills?’, and I said, ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘Here’s a shirt, here’s a hat, get on the line.’ ”

“And so, I started cooking pretty much a week after I started there, and I just fell in love with it, and I kind of never looked back,” Wilson adds.

From there, Wilson spent 25 years in the luxury hotel sector, working his way to an executive chef position at the Montage in Laguna Beach.

Using his extensive culinary background, Wilson and his wife, Annique Wilson, looked to create a “vintage American seafood hall” when they opened Glasspar in the Dana Marina Plaza in December 2019.

“My wife and I had always wanted to do something of our own, and so we had a couple of concepts we tossed around, and really it was a matter of like our kids were out of the house … and we just wanted to do something in our community that we love,” Wilson says.

Annique Wilson oversees the wine and beverage program, as well as the private dining and catering aspect of Glasspar.

Glasspar offers “creative Californian” cuisine that pulls influences from Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Italy and Peru.

“I try to pull from my experiences in my life and flavor profiles that will be creative,” Wilson says. “I’ve always said that California is kind of a melting pot for cuisine. People say, ‘What is California cuisine?’ Well, it feels fresh, it’s local, it’s a bit lighter, but it is a melting pot.”

When Wilson’s cooking, he always tries to use the ingredients that are in season.

“I always say that if it’s growing in my backyard, it should probably be on my menu,” Wilson says. “So, in summertime, you should have beautiful tomatoes on your menu, and wintertime, you should have more root vegetables. So, I always try to cook within the season.”

Wilson adds that since California doesn’t have very distinctive seasons, he changes the menu three times a year instead of four, letting the summer-fall menu collide into one another.

“I like to cook fresh,” Wilson says. “I like to make food that is flavorful and within the season, and if I can get it as local as possible, that’s what we try to do.”

Wilson adds that he’s very proud of Glasspar’s accomplishments, noting that it’s nice to be recognized by the local community for his and his staff’s efforts.

“I’m very proud that we made it through the past and that we’re here today,” Wilson says. “It’s been a tumultuous ride. It hasn’t been easy for anyone in the restaurant industry, but I think focusing on the future, we want to continue to get better and be creative with our foods.”

“I feel that with every menu that we put out, we get a little better,” Wilson adds.

Rob Wilson looks to emulate a “vintage American seafood hall” in his restaurant, Glasspar, which opened in the Dana Marina Plaza in December 2019. Photo: Courtesy of Glasspar

CHRIS KARTCHNER OF THE CELLAR AND JANE IN SAN CLEMENTE

Growing up in a Las Vegas household in which he was one of six children, Chris Kartchner and his family certainly weren’t going out to eat every night. Though that’s not to say he wasn’t exposed to the fine dining available in Sin City.

“I’m originally from Vegas, and I grew up going to all these nice restaurants and casinos,” he says. “I just grew up eating great food out there.”

Most of the time, though, about four or five nights a week, his mother provided home-cooked meals. When he was still just a child, he found himself in the kitchen beside his mother, helping her cook.

“I would say at age 9, that’s when I kind of started helping her out around the kitchen and stuff,” Kartchner recalls.

Learning how to cook in those formative years, he notes, “I knew I wanted to be a chef at age 11.”

At 27 years old, Kartchner now finds himself in the role of chef at The Cellar and Jane in Downtown San Clemente, achieving that very goal he had set out to accomplish 16 years ago.

And after being in the position for about the past 2½ years, he was recognized this past February as the Best Chef in San Clemente for the annual People’s Choice Ole Awards.

“I was really stoked (to get a Golden Ole), especially with it being a people’s choice thing,” he says, remembering the day he opened the Best of San Clemente issue. “That made me stoked, too, because, I know, I see the numbers here, I know we’re doing well, but it was cool seeing that people really do appreciate it, like notice what I’m doing here. It’s awesome. It’s a great feeling.”

Kartchner’s yearslong journey to become a chef started that year he turned 11. That was when he and the family moved near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where his parents—who had careers in real estate—

began to sell timeshares for some of the major hotels following the stock market crash.

“I lived in Mexico for three years, and I was just cooking constantly down there and learning how to make Mexican cuisine and Latin cuisine, and that was like a big inspiration for me in the kitchen,” Kartchner says.

When he was 12, he applied to attend a magnet school where he could receive formal training to become a chef.

“I didn’t get in, but that didn’t really deter me going forward,” Kartchner recalls of his determination.

Years later and back in the U.S., he notes, he would land his first job in a professional kitchen—by accident.

“I took the first job I could find as a

OSCAR RAMIREZ OF FIVE VINES WINE BAR IN SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

When Five Vines Wine Bar co-owner Suzy Fairchild was looking for someone to handle the food, she decided to call her longtime friend, Oscar Ramirez, in 2018. The two had worked together in the service industry before, and she needed someone she knew and trusted for her Orange County venture.

“She said, ‘I need a chef at my place. Are you interested?’ ” Ramirez recalls.

He accepted her offer and has been practicing his craft alongside his longtime colleague ever since, including through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had new ideas for this place, and I think that’s worked,” Ramirez says.

Five Vines offers finger foods that go well with its main calling card of wine. Current menu items include a hummus dip with carrot and cucumber slices, sal-

dishwasher at Nordstrom Café over at Mission Viejo. And within a month, even still as a dishwasher, I learned how to make everything on their menu, just make it myself like making my lunches when I go on break every day,” he says, adding: “From there, I kind of just kept climbing up the ladder.”

While on that climb, he’s ascended to a variety of roles in restaurant kitchens around South Orange County, including Olamendi’s and Panera Bread, where he was a baker; BJ’s Restaurants and Brewhouse; and Trevor’s at the Tracks in Downtown San Juan Capistrano, where he worked as a fry cook and then kitchen manager.

kitchen since I was 17, so I’ve been in the kitchen about 10 years—most of which I was working 60-, 70-hour weeks, because that’s just how you move up,” he explains. “There’s really no other way to do it. especially without schooling.”

For Kartchner, though, who needs schooling when you have practical, real-world kitchen experience? The recipes and lessons he picked up from his first teacher—his mother—also came in handy.

“When we went to Mexico, that’s when I started cooking often,” he says. “I made some of her recipes. And then, I would say around 18, 19, that’s when I started writing my own recipes, making my own stuff.”

Now as a professional chef, he’s used some of his mom’s recipes, while putting his own unique touch on them. He even incorporated her recipe for a potato and cheese chowder she used to make for the family into the menu at The Cellar.

“That was my favorite growing up. … That’s the recipe I took from her, and now it’s kind of completely different. I just gave it some flair,” he says, adding: “I’ve had it on the menu here, and people loved it.”

Recognizing her son’s talents, Kartchner’s mother will sometimes ask him for help seasoning her homemade soups.

“Having learned to cook and growing up cooking with her, it’s pretty rad now that I can kind of give something back to her after she gave me that livelihood besides raising me,” he says. “She pretty much gave me my career now, which is rad.”

As for his ongoing climb up the ladder, Kartchner acknowledges that he’s in a good place right now professionally, but at some point, after he turns 30, he plans to open his own restaurant.

“I plan to start my own business eventually; I have had people offer to invest,” he says. “But I don’t know, I’m only 27. I’m thinking maybe once I’m 30, I’ll start looking at something like that more seriously. I feel like I still have a lot to learn.”

“I just kind of worked my way up over the years. I’m 27, and I’ve been in the says. “The only thing, maybe, I don’t like is dessert … but I try.”

ads, soup cups, and flatbreads. The food is minimalist but delectable and is also frequently highly rated by readers when the “Best of” contest rolls around.

Five Vines is a popular spot with visitors and locals alike and has come to establish itself as an anchor in the Downtown San Juan business scene.

Ramirez says he can prepare any type of food. On a given weekday, before the nighttime and weekend influx of customers, he can be found diligently chopping lettuce and other ingredients.

“Honestly, I never follow recipes,” Ramirez says. “I make my own.”

He started cooking in 2001 and feels drawn to the kitchen—which, in Five Vines’ case, is upstairs and away from the downstairs bar, and therefore not near the milieu of patrons and other winery employees.

“I like to cook everything,” Ramirez

He offers a laugh when discussing his handling of dessert, underscoring his amiable and laid-back personality.

Ramirez enjoys the family feel of working at Five Vines, which is run by the Fairchild family.

“I like everyone,” he says. “We work so hard together to keep this place going.”

Though not from the area, Ramirez has grown to enjoy working in San Juan.

“The first thing I say, ‘Are you guys really busy? I don’t see many people around here,’ ” he says when recalling his initial conversation with Suzy about coming to work at Five Vines. “She said San Juan Capistrano is a really good area. I agree now, after five years of working here. San Juan Capistrano is a really good city.”

Without formal schooling to be a chef, Chris Kartchner of The Cellar and Jane in Downtown San Clemente has climbed the ladder in the restaurant industry to become a young rising star in South County culinary scene. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Five Vines Wine Bar chef Oscar Ramirez brings an individualistic and free-form approach to crafting the food at the Downtown San Juan Capistrano winery. Photo: Collin Breaux

No Dairy? No Problem

Vegan alternatives still bring the flavor in local ice cream shops

By Zach Cavanagh

AS THE SUMMER MONTHS HEAT UP the sandy shores of South Orange County, many residents and visitors turn to a time-honored cooldown treat—ice cream.

While there are plenty of places in this corner of paradise to get a couple scoops or a cone, there are many who either can’t enjoy the regular dairy version or are simply trying to be more responsible in their choices but would still like to indulge in a rich, creamy, sweet dish.

Luckily, for those looking for alternatives, there are several options in San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano that can service those needs without losing what makes ice cream special.

Paradis Ice Cream, with locations on Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point and on Avenida Del Mar in San Clemente, has plant-based vegan options that stack up with anywhere else’s regular ice cream flavors.

Among the most popular flavors is peanut butter chip, which is made with oat milk, peanut butter and shards of chocolate. While there is definitely a slightly different mouth feel of the vegan options, it is really just slight, and after a couple of spoonfuls, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. It has that smooth richness people expect from a good ice cream.

Flavors like a fresh strawberry, almond chocolate chip and coconut chip are properly labeled to let customers know exactly what goes into these options. Paradis also offers a full vegan sundae, with two flavors of ice cream, vegan chocolate sauce and a vegan chocolate chip cookie.

If you’re looking for something even more densely packed with flavor, further down in San Clemente is Lucky Dog Gelato, which features small, handcrafted batches of gelato made with dairy and non-dairy milks along with locally sourced ingredients.

Lucky Dog Gelato, the 2022 winner in the San Clemente Times’ Best of San Clemente

for Spot to Cure a Sweet Tooth, offers a variety of unique vegan gelato flavors like black rice and sesame, white chocolate and yuzu and carrot, saffron and cocoa nibs, along with traditional staples like chocolate or peanut butter.

Like another location we’ll highlight, Lucky Dog offers sorbettos, which are more fruit-based, as well as Dogelato, which is a veterinarian-approved dog gelato for your furry friends.

Finally, in San Juan Capistrano, before taking your walk across the tracks into the Los Rios District, stop by 3:16 Bakery Shop, which offers gelato and sorbetto as

soon as you step in the door.

The sorbetto at 3:16 Bakery Shop packs a punch with strong fruit flavors up front. The strawberry is fresh and sweet, and the lemon brings an unmatched tartness. You can tell the freshness of the sorbetto as well, as you catch tiny bits of the real fruit in nearly every bite.

There are other vegan options at 3:16 Bakery, with the frozen yogurt dispensers along the back wall.

Whether it’s a rich creaminess or a sharp sweetness, vegan and alternative ice cream options can hit the spot this summer.

Lucky Dog Gelato offers a number of vegan flavors at its San Clemente location. Photo: Courtesy of Lucky Dog Gelato

HARBOR OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO SHINE A LIGHT ON DANA POINT HARBOR REVITALIZATION PLANS

I’ve loved learning all about the Dana Point Harbor community, meeting local boaters, business owners, and nonprofits that support the many educational activities and events in the harbor.

I’ve spent the past five months learning about and digging into the contracts and planning for the Dana Point Harbor revitalization plans. I’ve met with many constituents, county staff and Dana Point Harbor Partners.

The Dana Point Harbor plays a key role in our county’s local economy, ocean conservation, community recreation, and law enforcement efforts. The state of the harbor must reflect the importance of this county asset to our local boaters, local businesses and residential communities.

My office recently held a town hall to provide the public access to the county and Dana Point Harbor Partners, clear up any misinformation, discuss future plans for Baby Beach and Ocean Institute, and listen to community feedback on ways to improve their experience at the harbor.

During the town hall, we received updates on the commercial revitalization from Bryon Ward with Burnham Ward, the hotel revitalization from Bob Olson with RD Olson, and the marina revitalization from Joe Ueberroth with the Bellwether Financial Group.

My office uploaded the town hall online in case you missed it.

I announced my support for Ocean Institute as a valuable partner, and to keep Baby Beach and the sailing center as publicly run amenities by OC Parks. I’ve requested a deferred maintenance and improvement plan for future upgrade funding allocations.

Prior to and during the town hall, we collected questions from the community. We asked and got answers to nearly

100 questions. The three main areas of concern raised among the community included:

1. Slip and other boater amenity fees

2. Removal of dock boxes

3. Construction funding, timeline and impacts

I remain committed to finding alternatives to reduce the fees and allow for more gradual increases over time instead of the hammer approach currently utilized. One of the first tasks of the new Dana Point Harbor Oversight Committee, which starts in July, is to review a few options related to fees and storage and provide me with recommendations.

I expect a report back by September.

The committee will meet monthly and prepare public reports each month describing the status of the incoming revenue of DPH, the funding for the project, construction schedule and phasing status, as well as notice about any anticipated closures or impacts.

Working with the oversight committee, county staff and DPHP will help me as your county supervisor ensure transparency and confidence that the revenue generated benefits the needs of a public harbor, and keeps the community informed on all phases of this project.

The harbor remains decades behind in maintenance and ocean conservation best practices. I’m excited about the future revitalization. We must continue to move this project forward as we work out some of the community’s greatest concerns still not addressed.

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at katrina.foley@ocgov.com. Additionally, I will provide updates on my newsletter every week and continue to update my Dana Point Harbor page at d5.ocgov.com/ dana-point-harbor-updates. Subscribe at d5.ocgov.com/newsletter.

Elected in 2022, Katrina Foley represents the Fifth Supervisorial District on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. She was previously elected to serve the Second District from 2021-2022. PLEASE

GUEST OPINION: The Foley Report by Board Supervisor Katrina Foley

FOLEY REPORT BY OC BOARD SUPERVISOR KATRINA FOLEY

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!

Sign up for The Weekender at thecapistranodispatch.com/weekender

FRIDAY | 26

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.

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 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.

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.

Tony Suraci

MONDAY | 29: MEMORIAL DAY RECOGNITION

10 a.m.-2 p.m. American Legion Post 721 will host a ceremony honoring all veterans who lost their lives while serving the country. Lunch will be served while it lasts. Veterans Park, corner of Forster Street and Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

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 | 27

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.

LIVE MUSIC AT TREVOR’S

11 a.m. Lou Lagoon and Janice Evelyn 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 | 28

LIVE MUSIC AT PADDY’S

5-9 p.m. Listen to some live music and dance, perhaps after enjoying fish and chips and a pint. Local country musician James Kelly will perform. Paddy’s Station, 26701 Verdugo Street, Suite B, San Juan Capistrano. 949.661.3400. paddysstation.com.

CONCERT AT THE COACH HOUSE

7 p.m. Enjoy some rollicking sounds over dinner at this intimate and popular South Orange County venue. Bobby Gray 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.

LIVE MUSIC AT SAN JUAN HILLS GOLF CLUB

4-7 p.m. British Invasion will perform. Stop in to listen and dance, perhaps after playing a round of golf. San Juan Hills Golf Club, 32120 San Juan Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.565.4855. sanjuanhillsgolf.com.

MONDAY | 29

OLD MISSION CEMETERY MEMORIAL DAY RECOGNITION

9-10 a.m. American L egion Post 721 will host a ceremony honoring all veterans interred at the Old Mission Historic Cemetery. Old Mission Historic Cemetery, Los Cerritos Street, San Juan Capistrano.

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.

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

TUESDAY | 30

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.

WEDNESDAY | 31

BINGO AT THE SENIOR CENTER

1:30 p.m. Every Wednesday, the Dorothy Visser Senior Center will host Bingo. The center will begin selling cards at 1 p.m., with the game starting promptly at 1:30. The buy-in is $12 for 10 games with four cards and a special pick-yournumber game. For more information, contact the center at 949.498.3322. Dorothy Visser Senior Center, 117 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente.

YOUTH PROGRAMMING AT THE NOBLE PATH FOUNDATION

4:30-7:30 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. Guitar lessons start at 4:30 p.m., followed by a fitness class at 5:30 p.m. and Creative Collaboration at 6:30 p.m. The Noble Path Foundation, 420 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.234.7259. thenoblepathfoundation.org.

LIVE MUSIC AT STILLWATER

6 p.m. Live music is featured at this popular South Orange County venue. DJ Tom Wellner will perform on Country Wednesday. StillWater Spirits & Sounds, 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point. 949.661.6003. danapointstillwater.com.

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.

H.H. COTTON’S LIVE MUSIC SHOWCASE

7-10 p.m. Every Wednesday, H.H. Cotton’s

THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

American Legion Post 721—headed up by David Berg, seen here—will host Memorial Day events in San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Collin Breaux

will host this live music showcase to feature talented local musicians from around the area and will occur in the restaurant’s Hamilton Room (the back room). H.H. Cotton’s, 201 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. hhcottons.com.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KNUCKLEHEADS

8-10 p.m. Knuckleheads 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.

AT THE MOVIES:

THURSDAY | 01

SPRING INTO JAZZ WITH CRYSTAL LEWIS

6:30-9 p.m. The Casino San Clemente welcomes back contemporary award-winning jazz songstress Crystal Lewis. This dinner and show features a performance by Lewis, as well as a Cal Fresh-catered dinner menu that includes rosemary garlic chicken or an artichoke fritters vegetarian option, penne pasta with asiago cream, peas and sun-dried tomatoes, plus a tiramisu shortcake. Tickets are $35 per person. Casino San Clemente, 140 W. Avenida Pico, San Clemente. 949.369.6600. thecasinosanclemente.com.

‘BLACKBERRY’ SUCCEEDS ON SCREEN

BY MEGAN BIANCO

On paper, Matt Johnson’s new historical drama, BlackBerry, sounds like a parody of modern biopics. Comedy actors Glenn Howerton and Jay Baruchel as the stars? Who is asking for a movie about the rise of an outdated smartphone in 2023? Why bother when we already have plenty of tech flicks out there?

And yet, shockingly, it’s actually pretty good. The leads are very strong and aren’t out of place, and the humor is appropriate without being too silly. I would even go as far as to say the film probably has the strongest structure out of all the business dramas released recently.

In 1996 Waterloo, Canada, computer engineers Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Doug Fredon (Johnson) are struggling to sell their invention of phone-plus-email that’s also half the size of a portable phone.

Entrepreneur Jim Balsillie (Howerton) suddenly pitches them an offer to get their product off the ground if they hire him as CEO of their tiny tech company, Research in Motion. Within a decade, their device, the BlackBerry, goes from a pipe dream to a major player, with only Apple’s products as their competition in the 2000s.

But with all good things comes temptation—especially for Jim.

What’s interesting about BlackBerry is

Pure Prairie League

BY COLLIN BREAUX

After more than 50 years of playing music, legendary country rock band Pure Prairie League will perform in San Juan Capistrano right before the start of summer.

The band behind hits including “Amie” and “Let Me Love You Tonight” is scheduled to perform at The Coach House on June 18. Bass player and singer Mike Reilly says they always look forward to a West Coast run, because they don’t get out in this area as much as they used to.

“We got a million friends down there,” Reilly says about the band’s fan base and fellow bands in Southern California.

Reilly thinks the concert will be fun, considering the band remains in high spirits after 53 years of performing. In fact, Pure Prairie League is also getting ready to record in the studio again.

The members, however, are not touring as frequently as they were in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as reducing their schedule these days.

“We’re all getting long in the tooth,” Reilly says.

SHOW DETAILS

What: Pure Prairie League

When: Sunday, June 18. Doors open at 5 p.m.; concert starts at 7 p.m. Where: 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano For tickets or more info: thecoachhouse.com. Tickets are $30.

that it truly is a rise-and-fall tale rather than a success story. Unlike Windows, iPhones and Facebook, very few use a BlackBerry anymore. They started out in obscurity and went back into it after only 13 years.

I also loved Baruchel’s hilarious delivery of, “Why would anyone want a smartphone without a keypad?” Howerton achieves a smooth mix of clever and power-hungry as the owner of RIM. And like with Ben Affleck’s Air, I’m a sucker for opening credits that are a pop culture montage.

I did feel Johnson was a bit too much with his comic relief-heavy role as the third BlackBerry founder, though. I get the sense that the writer-director wanted the part of Fredon to basically feel like the Steve Wozniak of the RIM team, at least on film. But a lot of the time, he came across more obnoxious than endearing.

If you like corporate drama, though, BlackBerry will do the trick.

California is a fun spot for the band to tour, because the Golden State has been a historic hub for their country rock style of music, he says.

Pure Prairie League was in the middle of the country rock explosion that happened in the ’70s, which took a long time to catch on as a genre, Reilly reflects.

Speaking of the genre’s roots in folk rock, he recalls how fellow stalwarts The Byrds mixed country, folk, and rock around the same time.

“To me, it’s just a wonderful, natural progression,” Reilly says of how country rock has come along.

Pure Prairie League always wanted to play music people could enjoy and sing along to, he says. While Buffalo Springfield took stances on the social issues of the day, Pure Prairie League shied away from political overtones.

“We didn’t feel it was our place to get up on a soapbox,” Reilly says.

He feels a sense of gratitude for being able to continue performing in front of audiences who know their songs and join in for the chorus.

“People, after all these decades, want

to come out and pay their hard-earned dough to watch these old farts play,” Reilly says. “They bring their kids out.”

The older audience members tend to get transported back to their college days when Pure Prairie League plays the familiar catalog, he says.

As for the new music they’re making, Reilly says Pure Prairie League isn’t trying to make hit records anymore— though that would be nice—or wedded to the big-record labels from their heyday.

“It’s really nice for us to record some of our own songs again,” Reilly says. “We get to do it on our own and take our own time.”

Reilly calls their new songs “good” and says they play them on stage sometimes to gauge how fans will react.

Pure Prairie League won’t be around forever, though. Reilly urges fans to take advantage of the opportunity with the upcoming show at The Coach House.

“I’m not saying we’ll be around another 53 years,” he says, “so take the chance to see us while you can.”

Photo: Courtesy of IFC Films/Elevation Pictures

Get ready to sing along with “Amie” and other hit songs when legendary country rock band Pure Prairie League plays at The Coach House on June 18.

Photo: Courtesy of Laura Schneider

Tom Blake

2 Senior Men Discuss the Challenges of Senior Dating

Imet Jim of San Clemente at a grief-sharing session in late March. We were the only two men in the class. We became friends. Last week, we met for breakfast at R.J.’s Café, near Dana Point Harbor, to discuss senior dating challenges we’ve experienced.

Jim and I have a couple things in common. His wife, Pamela, died suddenly at 68 last summer. And my life partner, Greta, died this past October. And because of loneliness, both of us are trying to meet someone.

At breakfast, Jim said, “Now what do I do? Sit at home on the couch missing my lady? Or should I go forward and see what’s out there and test the waters? Some people have told me I should wait for the magical grieving period of a year or two.”

I said, “At our ages, we don’t have time to wait.”

Jim and I agree that the best way for single seniors to meet a potential mate is to get out of the house and interact socially with people.

Some suggested activities and places

Connor

to meet: volunteer, attend church, join a book club, play pickleball, or check meetup.com to attend functions in which you might have an interest. But what if you’re still not meeting enough potential mates?

That’s where online dating comes in. It’s another way to improve your chances of meeting someone. And, yes, every dating site has scammers, so caution is important. And all dating sites deal with outdated photographs and other issues of dishonesty.

However, online dating can still be effective and give one hope that someone is out there for them.

At breakfast, the two of us senior men discussed dating boundaries we’ve learned from our short, later-in-life, dating experiences.

JIM’S AND TOM’S LIST OF SENIOR DATING BOUNDARIES:

1. Distance. How far away do two people live from each other? Within a 20-minute drive or less is desirable. In that way, they can see each other as

Meet Connor, a happy-go-lucky little guy with so much love to give. Though sometimes initially shy, Connor warms up quickly to become a sweet and affectionate pup. He gets along with other dogs and would likely love having another dog with whom to play. Could Connor be the one for you?

If you are interested in adopting Connor, 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- medium- by Myles Mellor

often as they choose and still return to their respective homes on the same day or night, assuming they still drive.

2. Availability. What if you meet someone you like, but her schedule is so full of other activities that you’d be lucky to see her once a week? That’s a problem. Will she free up her schedule enough to make it work?

3. Age gap. Because of our respective ages, Jim (74) and I (83) find this a huge challenge. What’s an OK age difference? Twelve years maximum? Perhaps, but what if the man is older?

Many senior women don’t want to take the chance that their new love will pass away or get sick before they do. A huge burr in some women’s saddle is that senior men are looking for women up to 12 years younger. After a pleasant 35-minute, first-date conversation, a woman, 76, asked me, “What

age range do you search for?” I answered: “71 to 79.” She was aghast and said, “You senior men are all the same.” Then, she looked skyward, and added, “The sun is coming out. I’m going to go swim my laps.” She stood up and left. There was no “thank you” or goodbye. Game over for us.

4. Chemistr y, physical attraction, and affection. These characteristics can’t be faked. For many couples, this is the most important boundary or consideration. If one person is physical, and the other has a low libido, a compatible relationship probably won’t happen. Also, how soon to hug, hold hands and kiss?

5. Who pays? Jim and I agree that the man should pick up the tab for at least the first couple of dates (which is why coffee, or a walk, are such splendid choices). Then, perhaps, the new couple will work out an amenable who-pays plan.

Of course, there are other boundaries as well. Jim and I will discuss those in a future article.

Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at findingloveafter50.com. To comment: tompblake@gmail.com. CD

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

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.

ON LIFE AND LOVE BY TOM BLAKE

SAN JUAN

CAPISTRANO LIBRARY

31495 El Camino Real

JUAN CAPISTRANO LIBRARY 31495 El Camino Real San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 (949) 493-1752

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 (949) 493-1752

June 12 - July 20

Mon - Thu | Noon - 1pm

June 12 - July 20

Mon - Thu | Noon - 1pm

JSerra Students Celebrate End of School Year with ‘Senior Plunge’

A portion of the JSerra Catholic High School got wet on May 17.

However, it wasn’t because of the rain this time. The water instead came from students at the private school who jumped into the school pool.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY COLLIN BREAUX

The unique event is part of an annual tradition senior students take part in to celebrate the end of the school year. The school’s so-called “senior plunge” started as a senior prank in 2009 and has become an official school celebration since, taking place after Senior Mass and an awards ceremony.

School clothes were soaked as usual this year, with students swimming in full uniform. The festivities also included an inflatable slide students could use to ride into the pool, as well as parents and teachers taking photos of the kids as they got in and out of the pool.

Double Up

JSerra baseball walks off Santa Margarita in extra innings for second CIF-SS title

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

Supported by a combined twohit, eight-inning shutout from senior pitchers Ben Reimers and Matt Champion, JSerra junior Dmitri Susidko stepped up at the bottom of the lineup to lace a single down the left field line, score senior pinch runner Jackson Summers from second base and defeat Santa Margarita, 1-0, in walk-off fashion at Blair Field in Long Beach on Friday, May 19.

“What an atmosphere tonight! What a ball game!” JSerra coach Brett Kay said. “Last year, I think we said (Dominic Smaldino’s go-ahead, sixth-inning single over Notre Dame for the CIF-SS title) was the biggest in JSerra history. I think D (Susidko) gets that rank right now. I’m so proud of the boys. I’m so proud of the program. I’m proud of all my coaching staff. What a game. What a victory.”

This is the second CIF-SS championship in program history for JSerra in its third consecutive Division 1 Final. In consecutive seasons, the Lions overcame early-season adversity to storm to the Division 1 title.

In 2022, JSerra opened the season 6-9 overall and 1-6 in the Trinity League before a run of 17 wins in 18 games to earn the No. 2 seed in Division 1 and win the program’s first CIF-SS title.

This season, JSerra opened the season 3-5, including four straight losses to open their Trinity League schedule. The Lions turned another midseason corner to advance to the title game of the National High School Invitational, clinch a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season and post three playoff shutouts on their way to back-to-back CIF-SS championships.

“It’s an unreal feeling,” said Reimers. “I’ve been with this core group of guys my entire life playing on the same team, playing against them my whole life. Last year, obviously, to get there and win one was special, but to be able get back a second time, solidify our legacy as a team is something I’ll never forget. I love this group so much.”

Reimers, a Stanford commit, and

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 Track & Field Sends 9 to State; Girls Win CIF-SS Title

Champion, a Louisiana State commit, threw four innings each with both giving up just one hit. Reimers collected five strikeouts with three walks, and Champion racked up four strikeouts with one walk and two hit batters.

The pair needed to stay sharp on the mound, as Santa Margarita starter Collin Clarke pitched all 7 2/3 innings for the Eagles with eight strikeouts and three hits allowed. Clarke retired 18 consecutive JSerra batters between a two-out single in the first inning and a two-out hit batter in the seventh.

With one out in the eighth inning, Jordan Marian smacked a single into right field, and Summers was subbed in as the pinch runner at first base. Tyler Dunner laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put Summers at second base, and with Clarke’s pitch count at the brink of the 110-pitch limit, Susidko came up for what would be Clarke’s final JSerra hitter, one way or another.

Susidko caught a hanging slider and lined it to left field, and with Summers racing down the third-base line toward home, the Lions spilled out of the dugout to celebrate the winning run crossing home plate for another CIF-SS championship.

“I was just filled with adrenaline,” Susidko said of his game-winning moment. “Like, ‘Wow, I think we won it!’ ”

The CIF-SS Final was the final game of the season for JSerra, as the Lions declined their invitation to the CIF State Regional playoffs. JSerra won the SoCal Regional title after being CIF-SS runner-up in 2021, and the Lions were SoCal Regional runner-up after winning the CIF-SS title last season.

Following a record-setting girls performance at the CIF-SS Division 3 Finals, JSerra track and field sent a horde of competitors to the CIF-SS Masters Meet with a select few punching their tickets to Fresno.

JSerra qualified three boys athletes across five entries, including Masters shot put champion Brendon See, and six girls athletes across three entries, including a second-place finish in the inaugural 4x800-meter relay, at the CIF-SS Masters Meet last Saturday, May 20, at Moorpark High School.

The Lions move on to the CIF State Championships with preliminaries on Friday, May 26, and Finals on Saturday, May 27, at Buchanan High School in Clovis.

See won the shot put with a mark of 63 feet, 10 inches and also finished third in the discus to qualify for state. Jake Stafford also qualified in the discus along with qualification in the high jump. Josh Jornadal is the third JSerra boy going to state with qualification in the long jump.

On the girls side, the Lions finished second in the first-ever 4x800-meter relay in a CIF-SS championship event.

The relay was run by Amerie Johnson, Kaylah Tasser, Brooke O’Brien and Anastasia Snodgrass. The 4x800-meter relay is the first addition to the CIF State Meet program since girls pole vault was added in 1995.

Siena Lambert finished second in the discus to qualify, and Georgia Jeanneret finished sixth in the 800 meters to qualify for state.

CVC’S Luke Powell Qualifies to State Championships

Almost no one is hotter on the links this postseason than Capistrano Valley Christian senior Luke Powell.

Powell, in his third consecutive CIF/ SCGA SoCal Regional appearance on Wednesday, May 24, finished two strokes off the lead with a 6-under-par 68 at Los Serranos Country Club to take third at Regionals and advance to his first CIF State Championships.

Over the course of the CIF-SS/CIF/ SCGA postseason, Powell has carded a collective 18-under-par total through three tournaments, with a win at the CIF-SS Southern Regional and third

places at the CIF-SS Individuals and CIF/ SCGA SoCal Regional.

On Wednesday, Powell rolled in seven birdies, including on four of the Los Serranos Country Club’s par-5s and one on the par-3 No. 6 hole.

Powell will round out his season at the CIF State Championships next Wednesday, May 31, at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach.

JSerra track and field qualified nine athletes to the CIF State Championships, including Masters shot put champion Brendon See. Photo: Courtesy of Jimmy Su Photography

JSerra baseball captured back-to-back CIF-SS championships in its third consecutive Division 1 Final. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

THE COACH HOUSE

www.thecoachhouse.com

TICKETS and DINNER RESERVATIONS: 949-496-8930

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 “we Do iT islanD sTyle”

6/29 YYNOT (rush TriBuTe)

6/30 THE SWEET

7/1 MICK ADAMS & THE STONES

7/5 LYLE LOVETT and His Large Band

7/6 GILBY CLARKE & The Keef Richards

7/7 THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS

7/8 HENRY KAPONO

Summer JUNIOR GOLF CAMPS 2023

Ages 6 - 13

SJH’s Junior Golf Programs provide the foundation for kids to enjoy golf for years to come. Offering summer programs taught by Golf Professionals, our team of Professionals take great pride in educating today’s youth in all aspects of the game.

Camp Includes: hands-on instruction led by PGA Professionals develop golf skills, learn rules and etiquette

Camp: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Week 1: June 12 – 15

Week 2: June 19 – 22

Week 3: July 10 – 13

Week 4: July 17 – 20

Week 5: July 24 – 27