April 12, 2019

INSIDE:

Earth Day Happenings and more in The Green Issue OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE

SPECIAL SECTION FOUNDED IN 2002

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

APRIL 12-25, 2019 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 07

The Big Dig

Trampas Canyon Reservoir project to help sustain water in South County E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 6

An egret sits beside a Santa Margarita Water District retention basin that has created a wetland habitat at Coto de Caza. Photo: Fred Swegles

Court Rules for City in Water Rate Refund Suit EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

Former Councilmember Presses City For Open Space Public Vote EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

thecapistranodispatch.com

Albert Lee to Bring Country and Rock to The Coach House GETTING OUT/PAGE 22

EYE ON SJC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

Five things San Juan should know this week Court Rules for City in Water Rate Refund Suit THE LATEST: A Superior Court judge recently ruled in favor of the city of San Juan Capistrano, as the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit seeking millions in water rate refunds have been barred from moving the case forward.

In the 12-page “proposed statement of decision” released on March 28, the Orange County court states that the plaintiffs’ claims are “barred by the Claims Act” and that the city owed only refunds for bills that were overcharged between August 2013 and July 2014.

The lawsuit stemmed from the city’s 2015 approval to issue refunds to customers who overpaid for water under San Juan’s previous tiered water rates, which the Fourth District Court of Appeals had affirmed as unconstitutional in April 2015.

According to the city, more than $2.7 million in refunds had been issued to the more than 6,500 customers who participated in the voluntary refund program back in 2015. Residents who filed a claim with the city by Oct. 1, 2015 were reimbursed for the rates they had been overcharged between Aug. 28, 2013 and July 1, 2014.

The plaintiffs—Hootan Daneshmand, Lauri McIntosh and Brian Montgomery— argued that they were entitled to a larger refund with reimbursements covering water rates accrued from February 2010 to July 2015, The Capistrano Dispatch previously reported.

The Capistrano Taxpayers Association (CTA) sued the city in August 2012 over the validity of the city’s previous water rates, arguing that the rates weren’t proportional to service costs as mandated under Proposition 218—the statewide initiative voters passed in 1996.

A trial court found that the “city failed to provide sufficient evidence to establish that the rates comported with Proposition 218” and ruled in favor of the CTA in 2013.

The appeals court later upheld the initial ruling, prompting the city to settle with CTA in May 2015.

In the summer of 2015, the city approved the launch of its repayment program, setting aside $4.1 million in order to fund the endeavor. The city required that all claims be submitted by Oct. 1, 2015.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

The city of San Juan Capistrano voted to begin negotiating with Red Tail Acquisitions over proposed plans to develop a camping and “glamping” site on the Northwest Open Space. Photo: Emily Rasmussen

Former Councilmember Presses City to Let Public Vote on Northwest Open Space Use

The repayment would cover overcharged billings between Aug. 28, 2013 and July 1, 2014. Nearly 13,000 refund notices were sent out to ratepayers, according to the latest court decision.

The court also notes that under the Claims Act, “a party suing the city must present a claim to the city within one year of the accrual of the alleged cause of action.” The city has argued that claims for overcharges “accrued no later than the due date for the last bill sent out for water service under the tiered system.”

The final bill covering water services under the previous tiered rates was for June 2014 and was due Aug. 19, 2014, making the one-year deadline Aug. 19, 2015.

According to the decision, the plaintiffs have alternatively argued that the overcharges didn’t actually accrue until the appeals court decision, the settlement agreement with the CTA, and the refund program announcement had all occurred in 2015.

The court sided with the city, stating that it had the “better argument on this issue.”

“Any contention that class members were not aware of their potential claims until they learned of the Court of Appeal decision and/or received notice of the Refund Program falls short of the mark in light of Plaintiffs’ withdrawal of their potential argument asserting delayed discovery,” the decision stated.

“Of course, given the trial court’s decision in 2013, there certainly was information available that would put a reasonable person on inquiry notice of their potential claims,” the court ruling stated.

WHAT’S NEXT: As of press time, the law firm representing the plaintiffs had not returned calls for comment on whether the decision will be appealed.—Shawn Raymundo

THE LATEST: A handful of former city officials continue to voice their opposition to the San Juan Capistrano City Council’s recent decision to negotiate with the developer of a proposed camping and “glamping” site on San Juan Capistrano’s Northwest Open Space.

One of those officials, former councilmember Mark Nielsen, has proposed the idea of taking legal action against the city if it doesn’t allow the public to vote on a potential zone change should the city council move forward with Red Tail Acquisitions.

In early March, the city council voted, 4-1, in favor of going into exclusive negotiations with Red Tail Acquisitions, which has proposed implementing a “traditional camping and ‘glamping’ destination” on part of the site.

Nielsen said he’s been working to “inform the public that this is not an appropriate use of the Northwest Open Space without a vote of the people.”

While actively speaking out against the plans, Nielsen has pushed for a public vote under Measure X, which is triggered when there’s a zoning change request from General Plan Open Space to any other designation.

Currently, the Northwest Open Space is classified as “community park” under the General Plan Open Space Land Use designation. There are several classifications under Open Space Land Use, including “open space recreation,” “community park,” “general open space” and “neighborhood park.”

If Red Tail successfully negotiates its

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plan, it would need to request a classification change from “community park” to “open space recreation,” according to the city. The city has stated that this situation wouldn’t trigger a Measure X vote, because the potential development calls only for changing the land use classification and not the General Plan designation.

Nielsen explained that should the city make a formal decision to proceed with Red Tail without a public vote, he would simultaneously organize a referendum to overturn the council and file a lawsuit, possibly compelling the city to initiate a Measure X vote.

According to the city, voters can challenge legislation approved by the council through a referendum, or petition process, and must be completed within 30 days of the council’s approval.

Nielsen explained that in order to protect the open space from any initial stage of development, he intends to conduct both actions simultaneously because of the time restraints associated with each method.

Rather than submitting a referendum first and seeing how it plays out before filing a lawsuit, Nielsen said the city could have already begun moving forward, allowing the beginning stages of construction.

“If you wait a long period of time, it can create a problem,” he said. “If the city is moving forward . . . as an example, if they’re moving aggressively forward and allow someone to start construction—anything like that—you don’t want to be in a position for them to do so because you haven’t instituted proper safeguards.”

Mayor Pro Tem Troy Bourne, who introduced the motion during the March 5 council meeting to negotiate with Red Tail, said the threat of a lawsuit over the issue “saddens” him, as he campaigned on reducing the city’s legal expenses and exposure to litigation.

“Mark knows that we have not voted to take any action on the Northwest Open Space. We’re simply trying to get as much information as we can about our options so that we can make an informed decision later this year,” Bourne said in an email.

“When we have that information, it will be presented to the public, and I hope they will be very engaged in the decision process. They certainly have more of a vested interest in the outcome than Mark’s lawyers.”

In response to Nielsen’s comments about pursuing legal action, Assistant City Manager Jacob Green said in an email, “The City and legal counsel are still reviewing and analyzing all input received from the public during the Council meeting on March 5.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The city has also planned (Cont. on page 4) thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC (Cont. from page 3) to construct the community park project called Putuidem Village on a portion of the open space site as a cultural center honoring the Native American tribe, the Acjachemen Nation, also known as the Juaneño.

During the April 16 city council meeting, city staff is expected to present conceptual designs of the project for review.

Editor’s Note: An extended version of the story can be found at thecapistranodispatch.com.—SR

Brough Introduces Bill to Limit TCA’s Planning Authority THE LATEST: California Assemblymember Bill Brough has recently introduced state legislation that would vastly restrict the authority of the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), limiting the joint powers authority’s scope and putting a moratorium on incurring additional debt related to the toll roads.

Assembly Bill 1273 aims to bar the TCA from planning and developing any bridge or major thoroughfare after Jan. 1, 2020, as well as turn over the toll roads to the state after the bonds have been paid.

It would also place a ban on new JPAs from being created for the purposes of constructing “bridge facilities or major thoroughfares,” while prohibiting the TCA from “incurring new bonded indebtedness.”

The measure comes amid the TCA’s ongoing proposals to extend the 241 Toll Road through San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. Those proposals intend to connect the 241 to the I-5 Freeway, passing through the cities where nearby neighborhoods and schools could be impacted.

The TCA has also come under fire since an investigative report from the Los Angeles Times last month revealed details on how it had been spending money toward consultant fees. According to the article, some consultants had been paid about $185 an hour, while others were paid $90 per hour, to read and compile new stories regarding transportation.

Responding to the bill’s introduction in a press release, TCA said it “strongly” opposes AB 1273, because it would “strip the local control away from a public transportation agency that has successfully planned, financed, and constructed 51 miles of state highways without the use of tax dollars.”

“TCA understands the importance of funding transportation infrastructure and Orange County’s Toll Roads are funded by the more than 325,000 daily customers who drive the roads,” the press release stated. “This unique funding model to finance current and future roadway projects has proven successful over the The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

last 20 years.”

According to the TCA, it currently has $3 billion in planned projects such as widening toll roads, improving local streets and highways, as well as maintaining free-flow traffic.

“AB 1273 not only prohibits TCA from fulfilling its core mission to enhance mobility in Orange County but also prevents TCA from utilizing its innovative funding to develop traffic relief solutions,” the TCA said in the release.

WHAT’S NEXT: The bill is currently sitting in the Assembly’s Committee on Local Government, where it will need to be heard and passed by late April, according to the assemblymember’s office.—SR

Polling Data Shows CUSD Bond Measure to Fix Schools Has Slim Chance of Passing

The Ballet Folklorico de San Juan Capistrano perform during the Swallows Day Parade on March 23. Photo: Shawn Raymuno

THE LATEST: The Capistrano Unified School District’s proposed bond measure to provide funding for capital facility improvements could fail by a narrow margin in the March 2020 Primary Election, based on feedback from local voters.

Polling data collected by True North Research shows that 54 percent of those surveyed would vote in favor of a bond measure next year, falling 1 percent shy of passing, as bond measures must meet a 55-percent approval threshold.

True North President Tim McLarney presented the data to the Board of Trustees during a workshop meeting at CUSD headquarters on Wednesday, March 27.

One of the biggest takeaways of the poll, he noted, was that it showed CUSD had made progress from its previous bond measure attempt.

In the 2016 General Election, an $889 million Measure M bond to upgrade schools in the district failed, receiving only 45 percent approval. McLarney suggested CUSD launch an aggressive outreach and education campaign if the board decides to move ahead with the 2020 bond measure.

CUSD spokesperson Ryan Burris said the data is encouraging, because it shows the district has made progress in its efforts to communicate the facility needs of the school to parents and the community.

“To see 54 percent is encouraging in a way that we’re doing the right work about communicating with the city leadership, communicating with our families, communicating with our stakeholders and residents,” Burris said.

In late December, CUSD approved plans for True North to conduct the voter surveys and polls.

From Feb. 19-28, the research firm polled 671 district voters who were likely to participate in next year’s general and primary elections. Using a mixed-method

approach, voters were polled over the phone, via email and online.

During the polling, the firm conducted an “initial ballot test” to gauge the community’s support of the potential bond.

A sample ballot question posed to the participants asked how they would vote on a measure to authorize “$152 million in bonds at legal rates, levying 4 cents per $100 assessed value ($9 million annually) for a period of 35 years.”

The sample ballot question used does not actually reflect what the potential bond measure could be in the next primary election.

Nearly 27 percent of the respondents said they would “probably” vote yes, and 27 percent said they would vote “definitely yes.” Close to 19 percent said they would “definitely” vote no and 15.5 percent said they would “probably” vote no. The remaining participants preferred not to answer or said they were “not sure.”

At the start of the poll, voters were first asked what issues of the community were most important to them. According to the data, 84 percent of those polled believed “improving the quality of education in our local public schools” to be either very important or extremely important.

WHAT’S NEXT: Burris said the board is likely to hold an additional workshop and presentation on the potential bond in the coming weeks, so the district can come up with a plan of what the measure might look like should they decide to proceed.

The district, he said, doesn’t need to make a final decision on whether to introduce the measure until this December, but CUSD hopes a decision will be made sooner than that. Burris also said the district may conduct tracking polling in September or October to give CUSD a clearer picture of whether the bond has a chance of passing.

Editor’s Note: An extended version of the

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story can be found at thecapistranodispatch. com. —SR

Swallows Day Parade Connects Southern California Community THE LATEST: San Juan Capistrano was the place to be on Saturday, March 23, as the city welcomed tens of thousands of residents and people from all over Southern California to its 61st Annual Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street Faire.

The non-motorized parade—the biggest of its kind in the nation—celebrated the region’s Western flair while also featuring about 100 entries from various local organizations, cultural groups and school marching bands.

Jim Taylor, president of the Fiesta Association, the volunteer group in charge of putting on the annual event, said about 3,500 people and more than 300 horses marched in this year’s parade.

“The entries were amazing,” Taylor said after the parade.

A couple of crowd favorites Taylor said he enjoyed were the Buccaneers of Tortuga, a pirate-reenactment group, and the California State Firefighters Association, which rode through the parade on horsedrawn steamers.

“Those horses were just having fun, the firefighters were having fun, and the crowd was screaming,” Taylor said.

The annual event, Taylor said, is important for the city, because “it brings the community together” across Southern California.

“We’re guessing it’s over 40,000 people who showed up from everywhere, not just South Orange County,” Taylor said.

Editor’s Note: Head to thecapistranodipsatch.com to read the full story, check out the photo gallery and view the video of this year’s event.—SR thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

The Big Dig Trampas Canyon Reservoir to serve as South County’s largest water project

BY FRED SWEGLES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

O

n 177 acres situated between San Clemente’s Talega community and Ortega Highway, mountainous earthworks are taking shape.

Santa Margarita Water District, which provides water and sewer services to Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza, Las Flores, Ladera Ranch, Rancho Mission Viejo and Talega, is building a 1.6-billion-gallon reservoir.

When completed in 2020, Trampas Canyon Reservoir, less than a half-mile north of Talega, will be able to store recycled wastewater collected from as many as five South Orange County treatment plants.

Officials say the new resource will benefit all of SMWD, plus the district’s partners in San Clemente, South Coast Water District and San Juan Capistrano.

SMWD officials say the recycled water can be used for irrigation, reducing the need to use imported drinking water to irrigate lawns, parks, trees, greenbelts and street medians.

The more water that can be harvested from the supply of waste created by humans, the less water has to be imported and purchased.

REVIVING A RESOURCE

Trampas Canyon will store enough treated wastewater, officials say, to put some of it into the San Juan Creek groundwater basin, restocking an underground aquifer that yields an average 847 million gallons of groundwater per year, yet struggles during dry periods.

The water district plans, in later phases of the project, to percolate treated wastewater from Trampas Reservoir into the groundwater basin. Underground sands will filter it naturally.

Stored underground, the water can then be pumped out and treated with reverse osmosis to provide South Orange County with a new water source: 5.6 billion gallons of what the district calls reliable, local drinking water.

That’s enough to serve 50,000 south county families for a year, the district says.

It’s costing SMWD $123 million to build Trampas Canyon Reservoir. The district is proposing to invest another $21 million to launch the San Juan Watershed Project.

South Coast Water District and San Juan Capistrano are partners with SMWD in phase 1 of the watershed project. Plans could be finalized on May 1 with district certification of an environmental impact report.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

Scheduled for completion in 2020, Trampas Canyon Reservoir is a $123 million project. Photo: Fred Swegles

The recharged groundwater resource figures to benefit a wide area. SMWD serves 170,000 residents across 98 square miles.

San Juan Capistrano, meanwhile, is taking steps to merge its water utility into SMWD. Watershed partner South Coast Water District serves Dana Point, South Laguna and areas of San Juan and San Clemente.

South Coast is a 20-percent contributor to watershed phase 1. San Juan’s contribution is its Groundwater Recovery Plant.

SMWD could offset some project costs by obtaining state or federal grants.

A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT

If you think $144 million is a steep price to invest into the Trampas and San Juan Creek projects, you won’t get an argument from Donald Bunts, Santa Margarita’s deputy general manager.

“But we think it’s that important,” he said. “If you were looking at it for next year, it’s very expensive water. If you are looking at it for the next 30 to 50 years, you’d have to be crazy not to do it. We feel it’s a win-win for the entire community and for the region.”

Roger Butow, executive director of the Orange County environmental group Clean Water Now, said Trampas Reservoir and the San Juan Watershed Project—together with South Coast Water District’s planned Dana Point desalination project— can provide substantial new local sources of reliable water.

The proposed $107 million desalination plant (sometimes referred to as “de-sal”)

adjacent to Doheny State Beach could produce up to 5 million gallons per day, with potential expansion to 15 million gallons daily. An environmental impact report is to be released in May, the district reported.

Officials say the state has awarded the project a $10 million grant, and the project is short-listed for a federal grant of up to $20 million Permits are the next step. The plant could be operational as early as 2022.

South Coast said it looks forward to the San Juan Watershed project, as well.

“We believe a diversified water portfolio is essential to the district’s long-range plans,” SCWD said via email. “SCWD is committed to conservation, water efficiency, recycled water, desalination and stormwater capture to provide its residents with the most cost-effective, safe, droughtproof, high-quality and locally controlled source of water today, tomorrow and into the future.”

SMWD is monitoring the de-sal project and considering joining it, Bunts said.

“The South Coast desalination project may tie into the overall regional supply picture by providing water during portions of the year that South Coast’s demands may not be as great as the production capability of the project, whereby SMWD and/or city of San Juan customers could draw some of the water inland,” SMWD said via email. “Similarly, during the summer months, when South Coast’s demands are greater than the desalination plant can provide, South Coast could use some of the watershed project water.”

As the area’s biggest storage facility, Trampas Reservoir will be the equivalent

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of filling the Rose Bowl with water 19 times, said Nicole Stanfield, Santa Margarita’s public information manager. And the potential yield from the San Juan Watershed project is more than triple that.

MORE SAVINGS: RECYCLE A LAKE

On top of all of this, a project SMWD completed in 2015 is saving the region 445 million gallons of imported water.

The district converted Lake Mission Viejo into California’s first recreational lake to use recycled water as its primary water source.

Santa Margarita built an advanced treatment system that can produce a million gallons of premium-quality recycled water to keep the lake full, healthy and swimmable, Bunts said.

The lake association funded the treatment plant, assisted by a $1 million grant and a low-interest loan from Mission Viejo.

“We built it and operate it for them,” Bunts said. “We own the facility, but they are paying us back . . . (there’s) no cost to the district’s other ratepayers.”

IT’S A REALLY BIG DIG

At Trampas Canyon, bulldozers are moving about 4.29 million cubic yards of earth to build a magnitude of reservoir Bunts said couldn’t be undertaken anywhere else in Orange County, with so little undeveloped space left and resource agencies’ permits being so restrictive.

The fact that a smaller dam already existed at Trampas Canyon made permits easier to obtain. “This was already a dam thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

Clockwise from Left, Donald Bunts, Santa Margarita Water District’s deputy general manager, inspects an inflatable dam at SMWD’s Gobernadora retention basin site at Coto de Caza. Similar inflatable dams are being proposed in San Juan Capistrano to collect urban runoff to recharge a groundwater basin. SMWD is moving 4.29 million cubic yards of earth, spread over 177 acres, to build Trampas Canyon Reservoir. Roger Butow, environmental consultant on SMWD’s 2015 Gobernadora retention basin project, examines an inflatable dam in its deflated state. Photos: Fred Swegles

that we’re just repurposing,” Bunts said.

The former dam provided water for industrial sand mining on land that Rancho Mission Viejo leased to a private company.

Rancho Mission Viejo, developing 14,000 homes, needs water reliability, Bunts said. To that end, the ranch is covering nearly half the cost of Trampas by donating the land and funding environmental projects that regulatory agencies require to offset project impacts.

A partnership between SMWD and San Clemente is a key element of Trampas.

THE SAN CLEMENTE CONNECTION Since developers built some 3,800 Talega homes on land within SMWD’s boundaries, the district has had to pipe Talega’s sewage six miles inland to its Chiquita Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Recycled water produced at Chiquita then was transported in a separate pipe six miles back to Talega to use for irrigation.

“That’s moving water twice,” Bunts said, adding that it is costly pumping and energy use.

In recent years, that pumping also raised a stink. Rancho Mission Viejo began building houses near the Chiquita plant, and new residents began complaining about odors, some of them from the uphill pumping of sewage from Talega.

Santa Margarita launched an outreach with residents to pinpoint and eliminate sources of odors. Meanwhile, the district and San Clemente signed an interim agreement to redirect 670,000 gallons per day of Talega sewage, pumping it downhill into San Clemente’s treatment plant near the The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

ocean instead of uphill to Chiquita.

San Clemente’s treatment plant has the capacity to treat Talega’s sewage and already produces more recycled wastewater than San Clemente can use within the city, Bunts said. Excess recycled water is discarded into the ocean.

As part of a final agreement being worked out, treated wastewater that San Clemente produces but can’t put to use will be pumped to Trampas and stored there. San Clemente can access it. The rest can be used elsewhere in SMWD or to recharge the San Juan Watershed with groundwater to be recovered later as drinking water.

“During the peak summer months, we’re not sending very much water into the ocean,” said David Rebensdorf, San Clemente’s utilities director. “But during the winter and off-season, we’re sending water to the ocean because we don’t have the demand.”

The interconnectivity agreement will finalize terms for covering costs incurred

by San Clemente and for San Clemente’s storage of recycled water at Trampas for use later, under a variety of scenarios.

Those include potential expansion of recycling in San Clemente and potential participation in regional projects such as the San Juan basin recharge, Rebensdorf said.

“Potentially, 10 percent of Trampas could be San Clemente’s water,” Butow said. Moreover, he said Trampas can help revive the San Juan Watershed as a vibrant, sustainable ecosystem and water resource, managed in environmental equilibrium.

COLLECTING EXCESS RUNOFF

The watershed project proposes to build rubberized, inflatable dams on the floor of San Juan Creek and Trabuco Creek.

The dams could be raised during rains to capture some of the urban runoff that flows into the two creeks from streets and storm drains.

Sitting behind the dams, the captured runoff would percolate into the groundwater basin below. Natural sands would filter it, as they do now with any standing water in the creeks.

During big rains, the dams can be deflated quickly to avoid overflowing the creeks’ banks and to let sediment flow to the ocean to help replenish beaches with sand.

In later phases of the watershed project, SMWD proposes to release controlled amounts of recycled water into the groundwater basin from Trampas Canyon, adding just enough at a time to let it percolate underground without impacting surface conditions.

Santa Margarita already operates inflatable dams at Coto de Caza. Operational since 2015, the Gobernadora Multi-Purpose Basin is a system of two inflatable dams, two retention basins for the captured water and pumps to send some of the captured water upstream into Coto de Caza to replace drinking water for landscape irrigation.

A BALANCING ACT

During heavy rain periods, SMWD can gently release water from the retention basins so it can flow downstream at a

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controlled pace, keeping it from eroding banks or damaging habitats or infrastructures, as storm flow otherwise might.

“It’s one of the best projects I’ve ever seen,” said Butow, who served as an environmental consultant on the project.

It captures excess runoff produced by residential watering in Coto de Caza and returns some of it there as recycled water for greenbelts, Butow said. The basin stores the rest, sending controlled amounts downstream to maintain healthy habitats, including wetlands that Rancho Mission Viejo restored to offset impacts of the ranch’s urban development.

“It’s a dance between developing local, reliable water supplies and continuing to be a good environmental steward,” Bunts said.

Gobernadora, located at the confluence of two creeks, has created a wooded wetland reserve that attracts birds and other wildlife. Butow said it’s a multi-benefit resource that Orange County Parks will soon incorporate into a regional trail system. CD

WHY DO ALL THIS? Santa Margarita’s ultimate goal, officials said, is threefold: • Build up and maintain a six-month reserve of drinking water for emergencies.

• Provide local sources to meet 30 to 50 percent of local drinking-water needs.

• Put 100 percent of the recycled water produced at wastewater treatment plants to use.

thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

NEWS BITES

Community Meetings

COMPILED BY STAFF

Ecology Center Launches U-Pick Strawberries Days Spring has arrived, which means it’s strawberry season.

The Ecology Center recently launched its new U-Pick Strawberries days in San Juan Capistrano, allowing the local community to hand-pick and purchase fresh strawberries from its farm.

For $4 a pound, guests are welcome to pick out strawberries from the patch, in addition to enjoying music, workshops and cooking demos over the weekends.

“Our mission is to open the doors of this beautiful farm and build a community around it, such that we can nourish our community,” said Evan Marks, the Ecology Center’s executive director.

The center, which officially started the endeavor in late March, will continue the U-Pick Strawberries days every weekend from now until strawberry season ends, which should be around mid-summer after it gets too hot, Marks said.

However, he said, that doesn’t mean the U-Pick program will end.

Strawberry season will “end, but part of the future vision of this farm is there’s a community experience happening every day,” Marks said, adding, “While it’s strawberries now, it might be apples the next season, so that’s part of the future matrix of the planting . . . building community around the agriculture.”

Marks also noted that after strawberry season, it’ll be time for the Ecology Center and community to celebrate tomatoes and peppers.

During the first weekend of the U-Pick Days, Marks said, the Ecology Center drew about 2,000 visitors. He said the Center is really grateful for the turnout and support the community has shown, not only this endeavor, but for the farm in general.

“People are responding well to it, so we’re grateful,” he said.

U-Pick Strawberries days is open Fridays and Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Visitors can also purchase produce daily from the Ecology Center Farm Stand, which is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Ecology Center is located at 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano.

Zia Jewelry to Close Down Soon After more than 40 years of being in business in San Juan Capistrano, Zia Jewelry is expected to close its doors in the coming weeks.

Teri Chambers, the owner of the familyrun business, decided to close the shop because of rising costs, choosing not to The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

MONDAY, APRIL 15 Parks, Recreation, Youth and Senior Services, Trails and Equestrian Commission 5:30 p.m. The city’s Parks, Recreation, Youth and Senior Services, Trails and Equestrian Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.

Dozens of people came out to the Ecology Center on Saturday, April 6, to pick strawberries from the patch. The Center recently launched its U-Pick Strawberries days in which the community is welcome to purchase fresh strawberries by the pound. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

raise her own store’s prices in order to stay in business.

“We are not sure of the exact day we will close our door; however, until then, we are having a liquidation, going-out-of-business sale,” Chambers said in a prepared statement forwarded to The Capistrano Dispatch.

“We will close when all the jewelry has been sold,” she said.

SJC Chamber Seeks Nominations for Annual Business, Citizen Awards With the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce’s Installation Awards Banquet only a few months away, the organization has begun accepting nominations for this year’s business and citizen honorees.

Chamber members and residents of San Juan are encouraged to participate in the naming of this year’s Business of the Year and Citizen of the Year by nominating worthy shops and individuals in the community.

The Business of the Year is intended to recognize a local company that has displayed a commitment to helping and supporting the community. The businesses must be members of the Chamber in good standing and have exhibited “good business practices, demonstrate exceptional quality of service, contribute to the local economy and growth.”

Nominations for the Citizen of the Year, or Man/Woman of the Year, will be based on the person’s contribution “toward making San Juan Capistrano the best possible community in which to live and work.” The nominee must be a San Juan resident who has participated in activities to promote the “city’s economic, cultural, educational, and social well-being.”

Nominations are due to the Chamber by May 24. The business and person selected for the awards will be honored during the July 11 event at El Adobe de Capistrano.

To request nomination forms, email info@sanjuanchamber.com or call the Chamber at 949.493.4700. Forms can be submitted via email, dropped off or mailed to the Chamber office at 31421 La Matanza

St, San Juan Capistrano.

CUSD Robotics Team Qualifies for World Championship Capistrano Unified’s Districtwide Robotics Team 5199 (Robot Dolphins from Outer Space) recently qualified for the Robotics World Championship in Houston, Texas, along with winning first place at the Los Angeles Regionals FIRST Robotics Competition.

The annual competition is held by the nonprofit FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), which hosts the competitions to “inspire young people to be science and technology leaders,” according to a press release.

Over the course of two days, more than 50 high school teams competed at the FIRST Robotics Competition held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event combined the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology, engaging students in creative problem-solving, teamwork and strategic thinking skills.

This year’s theme was “Destination: Deep Space,” a sample-collecting mission on the fictitious planet Primus. During the competition, alliances made up of three teams competed on a special playing field with robots they had engineered, built and programmed against like-minded competitors. Students worked alongside professional engineers who volunteered their time and professional talents to guide each team.

The Robot Dolphins from Outer Space team is made up of students from Aliso Niguel High School, Capistrano Valley High School, Dana Hills High School, San Clemente High School, San Juan Hills High School and Tesoro High School. The team also includes students from Laguna Beach High School within Laguna Beach Unified School District.

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

Page 8

TUESDAY, APRIL 16 Utilities Commission Meeting 8 a.m. The City of San Juan Capistrano’s Utilities Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 San Juan Capistrano Rotary Club 6:15 p.m. The Rotary Club of San Juan Capistrano meets every Wednesday at the San Juan Hills Golf Club, 32120 San Juan Creek Road. visit sjcrotary.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19 Coffee Chat 8 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues. Occurs every Friday at Hennessey’s Tavern, 31761 Camino Capistrano.

TUESDAY, APRIL 23 Cultural Heritage Commission Meeting 4:30 p.m. The city’s Cultural Heritage Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.

THURSDAY, APRIL 25 Design Review Committee Meeting 4:30 p.m. The City’s Design Review Committee will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.

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

FRIDAY, APRIL 26 The next edition of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.

thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON RMV

NEWS & HAPPENINGS AT THE RANCH

RanchRide Program Connects RMV to South County

BY JENNA ROSS, FOR THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

As the community of Rancho Mission Viejo (RMV) has continued to grow, the need for accessible public transportation has become necessary.

RanchRide, a community benefit program, stepped up to meet the demand with a shuttle and transportation service, and it has continued to grow as the community of RMV has expanded.

RanchRide began as a pilot program in 2014 geared toward residents of Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo to test a new shuttle program and shuttle routes with families and residents of all ages. After a trial-and-error period, the program was relaunched in 2016 as a shuttle transportation system with refined routes and added destinations throughout the community.

RanchRide, a 501c4, was set up as a transportation management association to benefit the community of RMV. The program

was created through partnerships with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and the County of Orange. It provides residents of Rancho Mission Viejo with access to events around Rancho Mission Viejo and in the South Orange County area.

“We consider RanchRide to be a wonderful community benefit. It not only gets riders from point A to point B, (but it also) encourages ride-sharing and it helps develop sustainable mobility habits,” said Amaya Genaro, RMV’s Director of Community Services.

Using the service is free of charge to Rancho Mission Viejo residents, and the current routes include a weekend service that gives residents access to surrounding South Orange County cities, a shuttle service with stops at shopping centers and amenities throughout RMV, as well as a service for special events in the community.

The program has shown growth over the

past year, with a 40 percent increase in event ridership and a 25 percent increase in weekend ridership in 2018, according to Genaro. A total of about 3,000 riders used the program last year for access to local events and as transportation on the weekends.

The RanchRide shuttle service is only one component of a much larger transportation plan for Rancho Mission Viejo. The program puts a large emphasis on “multimodal pathways,” or roads that are accessible throughout the community to connect residents to neighboring communities and cities. These pathways are accessible to walkers, cyclists and neighborhood electric vehicles, or small electric vehicles with a maximum speed of 25 mph, similar to a golf cart.

“Our main goals are alleviating traffic congestion, developing sustainable habits and helping residents explore different mobility options,” Genaro said.

RanchRide continues to expand by adding new routes, such as shuttle services to the Swallows Day Parade and the Festival of Whales this year, and exploring opportunities for transportation alternatives. For more information about routes and schedules, visit ranchride.net.

Events at The Ranch FRIDAY, APRIL 12

Community Meeting

3:30 p.m. This meeting provides an opportunity for Rancho Mission Viejo residents to sit down and chat with community management, a board member and a representative from the Master Developer of the Ranch to discuss issues related to the community.

75 Esencia Dr. SATURDAY, APRIL 13

Native Plants and Their Pollinators

9:30 a.m. Join local biologist Bob Allen at Tree of Life Nursery as he discusses pollinators that support and rely on native plants in Southern Orange County and learn about how to attract local pollinators to your garden.

33201 Ortega Highway. californianativeplants.com.

Spring Fling Egg Hunt

10:30 a.m. Enjoy the annual Spring Egg Hunt at Pavilion Field. The event will feature arts and crafts, face painting, and an opportunity to take photos with the Easter Bunny. For more information, visit ranchomissionviejo.com.

RMV Students Release Classroom -Raised Trout into Trabuco Creek

SUNDAY, APRIL 14

Butterfly Walk

9 a.m. Join local butterfly enthusiast Gary Meredith on a hike through The Reserve, learn how to identify butterflies, and enjoy a beautiful spring hike through The Reserve. Visit rmvreserve.org for more information.

BY JENNA ROSS, FOR THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

Fourth- and fifth-graders from Esencia Elementary School concluded their participation in the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program on March 29 by releasing the rainbow trout they had been raising for 10 weeks into Trabuco Creek.

This is the first year Esencia Elementary has participated in the program, giving students an opportunity to get hands-on experience with a native California species.

Over the course of the program, students also learned about local ecosystems while raising rainbow trout from an egg to a “fingerling,” or a 3-to-5-inch trout.

“My students learned about the habitat and anatomy (of the trout), and engineered our 40-gallon fish tank to be like a river,” said fourth-grade teacher Kristine Cuevas about the program. “They also created a presentation for 13 classrooms to learn from.”

Cuevas has taught the Trout in the Classroom curriculum to students in Capistrano Unified School District seven times. She previously taught at Wagon Wheel Elementary and Laguna Niguel Elementary.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

Lecture: Bees of Orange County

Students from Esencia Elementary release 10-week-old rainbow trout into Trabuco Creek during a class field trip on Friday, March 29. Photo: Jenna Ross

The day of the field trip, students gathered around the Trabuco creek bed and said their goodbyes to their beloved class pets as they released them into the stream. Each of the 51 students was instructed to name a tiny trout and give it some words of encouragement as it was released.

Michael Baker Engineering and the Fly Fishers Club of Orange County (FFCOC) sponsored the field trip. Michael Baker Engineering provided transportation and snacks while FFCOC contributed the trout eggs from Mount Shasta Hatchery and instructional materials to the class.

Michael Baker Engineering had recently

undertaken an environmental restoration project along Trabuco Creek, where it removed Arundo donax, an invasive species of reed.

Richard Beck, a vice president and planning executive with Michael Baker Engineering, discussed the removal process with the students and explained how invasive species can negatively impact the environment.

The field trip was part of a much larger curriculum in which the students studied rainbow trout in depth, helped develop their habitat in the classroom, created art and wrote stories based on the fish.

For more information on the TIC program, visit troutintheclassroom.org.

Page 10

7 p.m. Discover the different types of bees that populate Orange County with Michelle Rivers, who worked for Bumblebee Conservation Trust in the UK. Discover what different types of species exist in the area and how to help these pollinators. rmvreserve.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

Garden Design Basics

Learn about how to change the landscape of your home and create your own native plant garden with Pat Overby and Lisa Coyte, a motherdaughter team specializing in designing gardens based on native plants. Visit californianativeplants.com.

thecapistranodispatch.com

With Our Ears to the Ground There are no mulligans on going green

W

hen the scientific community comes together and gives society copious amounts of data and studies to implore taking better care of the planet, we should listen.

For too long, humans—yes, most of us drove a gas-powered vehicle to work today, and we are writing this on computers powered mostly by nonrenewable energy—have taken advantage of the Earth’s resources and pushed it to the very brink of sustainability. That has to change.

We’re making progress. In San Clemente alone, it was recently reported that residents since 2014 have surrendered more than 875,000 square feet of lawns to xeriscaping that includes natural plants and reduces the need for water consumption. San Juan Capistrano has a preteen who’s collected a staggering amount of recyclable material over the past few years. South Orange County continues to be a hub of multiple environmental groups that are motivated in maintaining the planet by thinking globally and acting locally, as the old adage goes.

But there’s still much that needs to be done. In this year’s Green Issue, we’ve centered our content on issues that can help you reduce your own carbon footprint and help your community, as well as stories about local organizations and entities committed to environmental stewardship.

Please enjoy this year’s edition of the Green Issue with our hope that it will help all of us become more mindful about how we treat our only home.

Photo: Eric Heinz

Solar Power Eclipse New rate changes keep panel owners on alert

Changes to San Diego Gas & Electric began on March 1 to its residential customers’ billing method for time-of-use. That means people will be billed for different costs during different times of the day and year that they use energy.

“A major reason for this shift in energy billing is that California currently has a surplus of energy during the day due to large amounts of renewable energy connected to the grid, such as rooftop solar power,” according to a press release from Sullivan Solar Power in Orange County. “However, as the sun sets and solar systems stop producing, there is a spike in demand from the grid. For this reason, utilities across California are forced to use expensive and inefficient means to meet the evening demand, raising the cost of electricity during this time.”

In order for users of solar power, which is considered a green energy source, to get the most of their dollar, Sullivan suggests mitigating peak charges by storing excess energy produced during the day in a battery and then using that energy when electricity is most expensive from 4-9 p.m. This is known as “load shifting.”

The local solar power company will host a free, educational seminar on May 4 at the Norman P. Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo to teach the public how solar power and batteries can help combat this rate change. To learn more and to register, visit solarseminar.info.

Centered on Environment San Juan Capistrano sustainable organization continues to thrive 10 years later TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ANDREA CLEMETT

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en years ago, Evan Marks founded The Ecology Center, a nonprofit organization in San Juan Capistrano, on a single acre with a vision of creating an oasis of an ecological food future.

The center’s farmland expanded after merging with South Coast Farms in October, acquiring 28 acres with 60 different varieties of organic produce and flowers.

Marks designed a community center that shows different approaches for sustainable living in innovative ways.

“Our mission is to model creative solutions for thriving on planet Earth,” Marks said. “We do this through meaningful experiences that help reimagine humanity and harmony with nature and community. We are a working organic community farm and cultural center.”

Throughout the creative process, The Ecology Center focused on the pillars of success for sustainable agriculture, which are grow, eat and make. In this way, Marks said they are showing—not telling—what the future environment can resemble.

The center’s farm stand sells organic ingredients seven days a week and hosts Eco-Tots, a creative workshop for children, as well as farm tours, DIY workshops, U-pick strawberries days in which families pick berries for $4, community table farm dinners, cooking classes and demos. Beginning the first week of July, the center will host a bi-weekly Summer Supper Sunday series of dinners to celebrate the community and share various ingredients inspired by the chefs.

A handful of chefs from Berkeley to Orange County have partnered with the center to form an advisory board that designs culinary events, cooking classes and chef demos.

One of the chefs is David Pratt, owner of the restaurant Brick in San Clemente, who says he shops at the farm every morning. Pratt said he designs his menus based on what is in season, because it allows for the best quality produce, unlike produce that has traveled on a ship for a month before being sold.

“We are very much a farm-to-table restaurant; much of our menu is influenced by the organic farm,” Pratt said. “The majority of our veggies . . . are ingredients from the organic produce of Ecology Center. The community in San Clemente is focused on healthy, so why not offer it to our customers?”

The Ecology Center also has expanded to a farmland in Encinitas, where a program is being developed that will utilize the crops to provide food for children’s lunches in the community. Both centers are open to the public and offer a co-op volunteer program or annual membership services that include discounted incentives. For a full calendar of events and more information, visit theecologycenter.org.

“The farm is filled with seasonal organic produce, with unique items like gardening tools, local honey, and rainwater collecting kits,” said Nick Huston, a San Clemente resident. “It is a fun stop for my wife and me to spend on a Sunday afternoon to pick up some produce, earth-loving goodies and walk around their biodynamic farming grounds.”

Earth Day

Events

Celebrate the planet by giving back

BY JENNA ROSS

APRIL 13

MOTHER EARTH BEACH, CREEK AND PARK CLEANUP 9 a.m. Meet at the lifeguard headquarters at Doheny State Beach to participate in this cleanup. The cleanup will focus on the beach in front of the campground and the area around San Juan Creek. Please bring your own gloves and a biodegradable trash bag.

APRIL 13

SAN CLEMENTE EARTH DAY CELEBRATION & BEACH CLEANUP 8:30 a.m. Presented by the San Clemente Watershed Task Force and the City of San Clemente, this year’s Earth Day celebration will start with a beach cleanup at the pier and end with a celebration at Parque Del Mar. Activities will include live music, a kids’ tent with arts and crafts, educational and art exhibits, as well as a presentation of Blue Water Business Awards to businesses that make an effort to reduce their environmental footprint.

APRIL 2O

MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO CELEBRATES EARTH DAY a.m. This will e the first arth ay celebration for the Mission. Enjoy a stroll through the gardens while learning about local bees and butterflies, watch some basket weaving demonstrations by Native American basket weavers, or pick some fruit from the Mission’s fruit trees. This event will include educational content from the Orange County Beekeepers Association and Susie Vanderlip, a Monarch Butterfly Citi en cientist.

APRIL 20

EARTH DAY NATIVE PLANTING PROJECT AT DOHENY STATE BEACH 9 a.m. Join the Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association as they plant native species throughout the Doheny Beach Campground. Meet the DSBIA at the oheny tate Beach Campfire Center, and be sure to bring a shovel, work/gardening gloves, drinking water, a hat and sunscreen.

APRIL 20

DANA POINT HEADLANDS CONSERVATION AREA EARTH DAY CELEBRATION 10 a.m. Join the Dana Point Headlands Interpretive Center as they celebrate with a day of education and fun crafts. Come learn about the rare and endangered species of the Dana Point Headlands, water conservation, recycling and Dana Point Native American communities; weave your own basket, get up close and personal with local birds of prey or snakes, get your face painted, or participate in the scavenger hunt.

APRIL 21-22

EARTH DAY WEEKEND AT THE OCEAN INSTITUTE 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Visit Ocean Institute on Earth Day weekend, April 21 and 22, to learn about insects and their essential role in keeping oceans and beaches healthy.

The workshop will host a comparative anatomy lab of shrimp and grasshoppers; make your own bug box, discover why bees are key and more. Register at ocean-institute.org.

APRIL 27

GR8OPPS EARTH DAY CLEANUP Help clean up San Juan Capistrano with Great Opportunities (Gr8Opps), the local charita le nonprofit that emphasi es providing outdoor recreation to at-risk youth populations to help enrich their lives. Meet Gr8Opps at Red Park, where they will give you a bag, gloves and a free T-shirt, and take a walk through Capistrano Villas to clean up the neighborhood. The cleanup will end at Stone Park, where a Dia de los Ninos celebration will be taking place. For more information, visit greatopps.org.

Keeping It 100 Percent Green Community choice programs aim to cut carbon emissions from state’s energy diet

BY ERIC HEINZ

C

alifornia has set the loftiest goal in the country to reduce its carbon emissions and run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, which leaves local governments and organi ations to find ways to help the state accomplish that mission.

Dire reports of climate change have increased in frequency from highly credentialed environmental research groups and facilities, adding to the pressure California and the rest of the globe may face in the coming decade.

Community choice aggregation (CCA) organizations around the state are looking to help local governments establish joint power authorities (JPAs) to give them the opportunity to choose where their energy comes from.

Community choice programs partner with energy brokers to purchase and create renewable energy direct from the source. Additionally, CCAs by law can use the existing infrastructure provided and maintained by companies such as San Diego Gas & Electric.

Energy-use portfolios are put together for each household and business that includes a mix of sources, mostly comprised of renewable sources and some nonrenewable sources.

CCAs would also have local authority over rate and purchasing autonomy as well as other decisions, as necessary, rather than having to attend meetings in San Francisco or Sacramento.

Local Resources on Energy

“If we wait until 2030, we’re not going to meet that goal,” Erkeneff said. “If we start now, we can start putting incentives for people together and micro-grids.” rkeneff said starting five year plans that augment the CCA would help start the process.

San Clemente City Council recently discussed the possi ility of taking the first step when CCA advocates came to public meetings, but they’ve been holding off on approving a technical study. Other south county cities have seemed to do the same, but SOCCA members said cities are just waiting for others to jump into the ring.

The grassroots organi ation held its first workshop in March, during which they explained to local residents and city officials their plan to bring a CCA to South County.

Cities are also able to opt out of the programs at any time they want or when the contract expires.

Administrative costs are also much lower than traditional energy sources, Lawrence said, as the CCAs require fewer employees to operate.

“Even with their worst estimates . . . there’s almost always a cheaper rate for a CCA,” she said.

Background on Community Choice

CCAs were made legal in 2002, when California passed AB 117, but it’s taken awhile for the energy model to reach the south part of the state, and only seven other states have adopted such legislation. Monterey Bay Community Power, for example, was established in 2013 and started operations four years later. Its first num ers were compiled in and the company has been able to garner a 2 percent saving, as compared to when it was with PG&E, which uses mostly nonrenewable energy. Marin Clean Energy has been a sustainable CCA for about a decade.

“It’s not just all JPAs that are forming; some cities are forming their own CCA,” Boden said.

So far, 19 counties throughout the state have at least one CCA established or that county’s government has launched a program. Orange County has cities that have taken action, but no CCA currently operates here.

Erkeneff said CCAs are able to keep their cost lower because they’re able to predict and purchase the energy needed more efficiently through the portfolios compiled by CCA members.

“We can invest revenues back into solar power and wind and other things locally and own those assets,” he said. “When solar panels were (booming), the incentives were to sell the excess energy back to the company” in exchange for credits, Erkeneff said. “That shows that if you hit a certain number of panels in a region, you can be energy-positive by selling it back.”

Boden said because the rates, particularly in solar energy, have fluctuated over the years, it’s not uite as much a financial enefit as it once was for property owners who invested early.

Short-term power contracts that don’t lock CCAs into certain rates can also help keep costs down, SOCCA members said.

Erkeneff said he has heard of some local interest in setting up a JPA, from Rancho Mission Viejo and other nearby South Orange County cities.

“I know there are some success stories coming out of San Diego, where there are some really small CCAs,” Erkeneff said. “I think Dana Point . . . would throw a good chunk of money at (a feasibility study).”

The cost of the studies is about $100,000, depending on the contract firm.

What to Look for Next

SOCCA members are planning to speak with residents in area cities in the near future about CCAs, but there are still some hurdles in getting them on board, Lawrence said.

“I think a lot of cities become apprehensive when talking about energy,” Lawrence said, adding some see it as a daunting proposal to start a new energy company that the city would manage.

Lawrence also said that as the CCAs are nonprofit organi ations, they re not eholden to public investors and, therefore, have an incentive to keep costs lower.

“We have a unique situation where our elected officials haven t een educated on this, and (politically) it doesn’t matter,” she said.

“There are dozens of little cities that are coming together to form CCAs.” SOCCA is also trying to facilitate dialogue among cities to coordinate a JPA. The city of Irvine has already completed its own feasibility study.

Boden said that the goal is to get cities to approve the feasibility study by the end of this year, so they can concentrate on 2021. If that doesn’t happen, based on how the process works, the area would have to wait until 2022 or later.

••• For more information on community choice energy programs, visit cacommunityenergy.org.

South Orange County Community Choice Alliance (SOCCA) formed about a year ago and works as an exploratory program looking to promote CCAs throughout the area.

SOCCA members Selene LawFollow South Orange County rence, Terry Otsuki Kwa, Jackson Community Choice Alliance on Hinkle, Rick Erkeneff and Tyler Boden recently spoke with Picket social media via Facebook, Twitter or Fence Media about their organizaInstagram. The organization will have tion’s endeavors.

“We really need constituents to information on workshops and future double-down on this,” said Stephanie Sekich-Quinn of the Surfrider meetings posted there regularly.

Foundation, which is also working with SOCCA. “I think from a national perspective, California always leads the way. If we don’t do it now, it will be too late.”

The first step is for a CC program to complete a feasibility study that would include all residents and municipalities involved.

After that, it’s about another year of planning, depending on how many cities and entities are involved, and it can take a bit longer.

The Alta Wind Energy Center, the nation’s largest wind facility, located in Tehachapi Pass in Kern County. Photo: Courtesy of the California Energy Commission

Daily Routine Changes to Help Reduce Your

Joanna Clark, a local environmental activist, said the first step toward reducing your carbon footprint is switching out the incandescent light bulbs in your home for fluorescent light bulbs or LEDs. This can save on electricity, which saves on carbon emissions and what you have in your wallet.

Programmable thermostats are also another way to cut back on electricity in your home. Though some can cost more than $200, there are plenty of more affordable options online.

Another simple tip from experts is to also unplug unused electronic items from outlets to avoid “vampire” energy loss. And if you’re not using lights in certain parts of your home, shut them off; this can apply at your office, too. nd speaking of the office, change your print settings to allow for double-sided pages for when you need to print out documents.

One way to greatly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the air is going carless and utilizing other means of transportation, including bicycles, trains or buses.

“I have a bicycle, and whenever I can, I ride around the community without driving my car,” said Frank Larkin, a windows and doors manufacturer. He also said, “I think (riding bikes is) one of the best solutions for the average person, because there just isn’t enough of that.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a typical passenger vehicle, with a fuel economy of about 22 miles per gallon, emits close to five metric tons of car on dioxide annually.

However, for many, especially here in Southern California, that might not be a feasible option. The Carbonfund.org Foundation notes there are certain driving habits that can help save more than a ton of carbon dioxide per year.

Such practices include driving the speed limit and maintaining a steady speed, as well as anticipating stops and starts. Regularly replacing air, oil and fuel filters, and having properly inflated tires, can also make your vehicle more fuel efficient.

Going to back to the importance of offsetting, if using a car is absolutely necessary to get to work, you could propose creating a carpool among some of your co-workers.

But before heading to work, don’t forget to pack a lunch. Meal prepping lunches for the work week can not only save gas on multiple car trips to lunch throughout the week, it can also reduce food waste.

“About one-quarter of all the food prepared annually in the U.S., for example, gets tossed, producing methane in landfills as well as carbon emissions from transporting wasted food,” according to Carbonfund.org.

And the New York Times reports that about 40 percent of the foods Americans purchase ends up being wasted.

If you’re looking for more ways to reduce food waste, you could follow Kramer’s footsteps, as he utilizes a tumbler and a worm bin.

Vermicomposting, or using a worm-composting bin, helps recycle food scraps such as vegetables, tea bags, bread and coffee grounds, to name a few, according to the EPA. If keeping worms inside your home seems a bit much for you, there are simpler solutions.

The Times proposes to avoid buying the same product twice from the grocery store by keeping tabs on what’s in your fridge and making lists. Freezing certain products including produce can extend the foods’ lifespan, and accounting for portion sizes when cooking can prevent throwing out too many leftovers.

Along those same lines, cutting out red meat and switching to vegetarian meals can greatly save on carbon dioxide. Cutting out meat completely isn’t a particularly easy thing to do, so instead consider cutting down on consuming beef in exchange for substituting more chicken and adding some vegetarian meals to your daily routine.

According to the Times, researchers have found that eliminating or reducing red meat from diets would greatly reduce carbon emissions, because red meat production requires a lot of feed, land and water. hile the aris Climate greement was a significant leap in the right direction, governments around the world will need to continue taking steps toward implementing sustainable solutions in order to combat climate change.

In the meantime, you can begin to make a difference by implementing some of these practices to begin reducing your carbon footprint.

CARBON FOOTPRINT

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

W

ith so many of today’s headlines talking about climate change and its effects throughout the world, many Americans have been looking for ways to be part of the solution.

Advocating lawmakers to do more to protect the environment and regulate the oil and gas industry is certainly one way to get involved. But you can also do your part by incorporating more conservative practices in your daily routine.

Many refer to such practices as reducing your “carbon footprint”—a term used to describe the amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, that are emitted from an individual’s activities.

To limit his car on footprint, arry ramer, group leader for the local chapter of Citi ens Climate o y, modified some areas of his home to be more environmentally friendly. He has solar panels on his roof and uses a solar cover to keep his pool heated.

Kramer also uses two rain barrels to catch and recycle rainwater for his plants. Several years, ago, he said, he removed the grass from his home and replaced it with only native plants, with the exception of some non-native plants that were in his yard when he first ought the home.

And last year, Kramer also purchased a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Limiting your carbon footprint doesn’t necessarily mean you have to make renovations to your home, such as installing solar panels or purchasing an electric vehicle, which can e costly. nstead, first take a look at your energy ills to see where you can cut ack the more you save over time, the more pro ects and fuel efficient vehicles you might e a le to afford.

The Carbonfund.org Foundation’s motto is simply “Reduce what you can, offset what you can’t.” This can apply to a myriad of daily activities between home and work.

SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

GUEST OPINION: Assemblymember Bill Brough

Restoring The Toll Roads to its Core Mission

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ransportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) formed in 1986 as a joint powers authority (JPA) by the County and several cities following planning that began in the 1970s identifying the need for new highways. A series of laws were enacted subsequently that created the system.

In 1987, SB 1413 (Seymour) authorized toll roads in Orange County. In 1989, AB 680 (Seymour) authorized the State of California (Caltrans) to test the feasibility of building four privately funded transportation facilities. Language in AB 680 stated “the bill would authorize the department (Caltrans) to lease those facilities to the private entities for up to 35 years. The privately constructed facilities would at all times be state-owned.”

In 1990, SB 1437 (Seymour) added fees collected pursuant to the subdivision map. The bills envisioned that only upon a finding that there is no other adequate funding available from federal, state or other sources, the JPA could toll the roads to pay off the then-$1 billion price tag, then turn the roads over to the people as free roads like Interstate 5.

The toll roads have been collecting tolls on the corridors since 1993 and 1996 and will continue to do so until 2053 and 2050, respectively—not the 35 years as originally planned.

“

”

The original concept has changed dramatically. When opened in the 1990s, the system cost was already up to about $2.4 billion without taxpayer money, actual initial costs of the roads were missed by some $3.2 billion, or about 400%. The current plan has extended debt and increased tolls—at least 12 times since

1996 to pay off the then-$4 billion in debt that is estimated to cost $11 billion under the current debt structure. TCA would have greater debt than the states of Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and North and South Dakota.

The toll roads have been collecting tolls on the corridors since 1993 and 1996 and will continue to do so until 2053 and 2050, respectively—not the 35 years as originally planned. The system was created due to a lack of transportation funding. Now, Orange County residents pay four times for roads. We pay our normal taxes, Measure M2 (a county half-cent sales tax for roads), SB1 gas taxes (.12 cents on gas, .20 cents on diesel and increased registration fees), and we pay to drive the toll roads.

For the past two decades, the toll roads ASSEMBLYhave been planning an MEMBER extension to I-5 south

By Bill Brough of San Clemente and north of Camp Pendleton. The extension was repeatedly denied by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Coastal Commission and by an appeal to the Bush Administration’s Department of Commerce in 2006. These denials ultimately led to TCA paying $28 million into a mitigation fund to settle with environmental organizations and in exchange for their forfeit of opposition.

The settlement also removed the route supported by many of us from building any road.

Since the settlement, TCA has been planning a new route that conceptually passes through the private land of Rancho Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente, ultimately connecting to I-5. Additionally, TCA is planning to connect the 241 to State Route 91 Freeway in Corona. The problem is that the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), which manages I-5, and the Riverside County Transportation Corridor (RCTC), which manages SR 91, are not currently aligned with their efforts. Yet, TCA continues to spend development fees collected on these planning efforts.

Rather than being a toll road operator, which should be their core mission, they

have become a planning agency that is operating outside of their lane, so to speak.

In 2018, AB 382 was heard in the California Senate Transportation Committee. The theme that repeatedly came up by the committee chair was that there needed to be clear delineation as to who the transportation planning authority is in Orange County. The public utilities code is clear. The transportation planning authority in Orange County is OCTA. OCTA is the steward of Measure M2 that has done projects such as the Ortega Highway bridge replacement at I-5, off-ramp improvements and the carpool lane extension to Pico along I-5.

Affordability is a major issue in Orange County. It is very expensive to live here. Fees paid to the toll roads are high. New home construction includes a developer fee for single family homes from $4,126 to $5,797. The 14,000 or so homes being constructed by Rancho Mission Viejo will pay an estimated $130 million to TCA that is ultimately passed along to the new homeowners.

Businesses get hit harder with fees ranging from $4.67 to $8.06 per square foot. All fees have an automatic 2.206% and 2.667% increase each July 1. These fees are all paid by us through our homes and business—and have been for years—for a road, in my opinion, that will never be built.

My bill, AB 1273, removes TCA’s planning authority and stops additional debt. The toll road can still plan by going through OCTA, the county planning authority. The toll roads were built and continue to operate on the backs of homeowners, business fees and toll collection. AB 1273 will return The Toll Roads to its core mission as a toll road operator, pay off the bonds, and turn the roads over to the people as free, which was the original intent.

Bill Brough is the California Assemblymember for the 73rd district, which includes San Juan Capistrano. He was elected in 2014, 2016 and 2018. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media.

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

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The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

Page 21

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GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

On Stage at The Coach House: Albert Lee

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

t 75 years old, Albert Lee is still one of the busiest men in the music industry.

When The Capistrano Dispatch spoke with the legendary, British-born guitar player, he had just returned to London after coming off a 24-show tour throughout Europe.

The country-music rock artist, who has jammed with the likes of The Everly Brothers and Eric Clapton, will have a relatively lax couple of weeks, though, as he’s scheduled to play only three shows in Southern California this month, including a performance at The Coach House on Sunday, April 14.

But in mid-May, he’ll be back in Europe for another spate of concerts.

“It’s a busy day; been a pretty busy couple of days,” Lee said by phone from a friend’s home in London.

The day before the call, he had been on a boat from Holland following the final show of the tour in Hengelo, Netherlands.

He then drove to London, where he spent a couple of nights before flying to his home in Los Angeles.

“I’m always anxious to come home,” Lee said. “I’ve lived in California for over 30 years, and people ask me, ‘Don’t you get homesick?’ Well, not anymore, because I get to tour there three times a year . . . but, you know, California is home.”

Since turning 75 this past December, Lee is treating all of his shows this year as a celebration.

“I’m getting of an age now where I’m still celebrating anything I do,” Lee said, adding, “So anything I do, I’m celebrating the fact that I’m still doing it.”

As a world-renowned guitar player, Lee certainly has a lot to celebrate. Throughout his lifetime, he’s performed alongside several musicians and has received considerable praise from Clapton, who is a legend in his own right.

One highlight of Lee’s career was getting to play with The Crickets, which had been led for a time by famed musician Buddy Holly, who died in 1959.

“When he died, I was 15; I was very traumatized,” Lee said. “I was such a huge fan . . . I followed his music and was a fan of The Crickets.”

Because he was a big fan, Lee was elated for the opportunity to tour and record with The Crickets in 1973. That year, the band put out Remnants, and the following year, they recorded the album A Long Way from Lubbock.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

Photo: Courtesy of Albert Lee

“Well, I thought I was just going to do one show with them,” Lee said. “Well, they seemed to enjoy my playing so much, they asked me to go on tour.” He later noted, “I just love those guys. I get to hang out with them when I can.”

Lee recently released Gypsy Man— A Tribute to Buddy Holly, which was recorded live.

“It was something I thought about (doing) for some time,” he said.

Because he tours a lot in Europe, Lee said he wanted to have a “big box of these Buddy Holly songs” to bring to the shows there. When he plays at The Coach House, he said fans can expect to also hear some of his renditions of the Buddy Holly and The Crickets songs.

During the show, concertgoers can also expect to see Lee perform from the piano, as his musical prowess stretches beyond the guitar. Though he’s become more known as a guitar player, he said his first instrument was the piano, which he still cherishes.

“If I go into a room and there’s a guitar on the couch and a piano, I usually sit down at the piano; it’s always something that intrigues me and inspires me,” he said. “I wish I worked harder at it in the beginning, but obviously I’ve become more accomplished with the guitar; that’s been the main instrument, but I’m still fascinated with the piano.”

In comparing his shows in Europe to the ones in the U.S., Lee said the performances are a bit different, primarily because he uses two bands.

“Yeah, I have two bands; I have a U.S. band in LA and a bunch of young guys here in London. So, it’s the same kind of lineup, but it takes up a different feel,” he said.

“The guys in LA are very experienced . . . but the young guys in London have a lot of enthusiasm and give a different feel than what I’m used to. I enjoy doing both, really.”

Tickets to see Lee at The Coach House are $20 for general admission. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the show scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April. 14.

The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. For tickets or more information, call 949.496.8930 or visitthecoachhouse.com. CD Page 22

GETTING OUT

The List

ACOUSTIC THURSDAYS AT BARNOA 7-9 p.m. Live music every Thursday. A rotating cast of Orange County’s most talented musicians play acoustic covers and original music. Enjoy a great wine selection, craft beers, tasty appetizers and Barnoa’s full dinner menu. Must be 21 and older. Barnoa Wine and Craft Beer Bistro. 831 Via Suerte, San Clemente.

949.388.4378. barnoawinebar.com.

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

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

Saturday | 13 BLOOD DRIVE 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Our community needs generous blood donors, and your donation is used for local patients in local hospitals.

Each time you give blood, you make a positive impact on the community. Each blood donation can save three lives. Thanks to the generosity of blood donors, people at local hospitals get the blood they need when they need it. Photo ID is required; arrive hydrated. Outlets at San Clemente, 101 W. Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente. my.scbloodbank.org.

NATIVE PLANTS AND THEIR POLLINATORS 9:30-10 a.m. California native plants support a large diversity of pollinators, from tiny wasps to acrobatic hummingbirds and everything in between. Many of these pollinators go unnoticed unless everyone stops to look and engage with native gardens and the natural spaces around. Join local biologist and author Bob Allen as he explores the diverse world of pollinators that both support and rely on native plants, and learn how you can attract a wide range of local pollinators to your natural garden.

Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. 949.728.0685.

Californianativeplants.com.

ALL-GIRLS MATH TOURNAMENT 12:30-5 p.m. Open to girls in grades 3-8, the tournament will consist of an individual round of written exams, a team activity of math puzzles, a guest speech and an awards ceremony. Participants must form teams within their grade section: grades 3 and 4 can be in a team, grades 5 and 6 can be in a team, and grades 7 and 8 can be in a team.

Teams of six may be formed beforehand, but it is not required. Students not on pre-made teams will be placed on a team on the day of the tournament. St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. 31641 La Novia Ave., San Juan Capistrano. allgirlsmathtournament@gmail.com. allgirlsmathtournament.org.

SECOND STAGE STAND-UP 7:30-9:30 p.m. The Camino Real Playhouse will feature Brian Kiley, Mark Schumacher, Dave Carlaw and Julie Kidd at its Second Stage Stand-up show. Held in the theater’s Black Box, the room has 28 cabaret-style The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

EDITOR’S PICK Photo: Allison Jarrell

SATURDAY, APRIL 13: SPRING “EGGSTRAVAGANZA” 10 a.m.-noon. The city of San Juan Capistrano, with support from local organizations, is hosting a Spring Eggstravaganza event for kids (ages 2-12) at Los Rios Park. Activities include egg hunts, face painting, puppet show, petting zoo, crafts, games, inflatable bounce house and bunny photos. All activities are free. 31790 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano. Contact the city’s Community Services Department at 949.493.5911 for additional information.

DANCE COLLECTIVE 2019 7:30 p.m. Directed by Deidre Cavazzi and choreographed by both faculty and guest choreographers, this three-night, popular yearly concert showcases Saddleback students in numerous dance styles, including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, hip hop and more. Proceeds benefit concert expenses and student scholarships. The door price for tickets sold in the hour preceding the performance is $15. (Also Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20.) Saddleback College McKinney Theatre. 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. 949.582.4500. saddleback.edu.

Friday | 19 tables and an additional 30 seats in the mezzanine area, creating an intimate setting for guests to see some of the funniest stand-ups working today up close and personal. Ticket prices range from $17.50 to $19.50. Camino Real Playhouse. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

949.489.8082. Comedyintheoc.com.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO GHOST WALK 8-9:30 p.m. As the sun sets on the walls of the ruins of the great stone church, the dead walk the streets of old San Juan Capistrano. Join the newest venture into the dark and the macabre through the historic streets of one of California’s oldest cities. Tours meet just outside the brick visitors’ information booth near the train tracks located behind the Franciscan Plaza Parking Structure at the end of Verdugo Street. 26701 Verdugo Street, San Juan Capistrano. 866.446.7803. hauntedoc.com.

Monday | 15 THE 8TH ANNUAL GOLF AND CROQUET CLASSIC 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The Camino Health Center Auxiliary’s 8th Annual Golf and Croquet Classic gathers community and business leaders to support Camino Health Center and the underserved patients who depend on them for care.

Guests will enjoy a fun day at San Juan Hills Golf Club playing a nine-hole scramble or a round of croquet. The day will conclude with lunch and drawings. San Juan Hills Golf Club. 32120 San Juan Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.365.3843.

Mission4health.com.

Wednesday | 16 WEDNESDAY NIGHT TRIVIA 7:30-9:30 p.m. Enjoy friendly competition and craft beers among friends during the BrewHouse’s weekly trivia night. Food trucks are on site during the trivia contest.

The BrewHouse. 31896 Plaza Dr., Suite D3, San Juan Capistrano. 949.481.6181. thebrewhousesjc.com.

Thursday | 18 BEGINNING BRIDGE LESSONS 9:30-11:30 a.m. Challenge your brain, meet fun-loving people. Lessons are Thursdays through May 9. $90 for series of six lessons.

South Orange County Bridge Center in San Juan Capistrano, 31461 Rancho Viejo Rd. 949.248.1268 or 516.314.1896. southorangecountybridge.center/wordpress.

BAKING FUNDAMENTALS 6-9 p.m. If you’ve ever been intimidated by making homemade baked goods and pastries, this weekly series will break down the basics to help you be successful in your baking endeavors. Each week will focus on a different aspect of pastries, starting with how to measure ingredients perfectly—baking is a science, after all. Please note this class is limited to 12 students only, to ensure the chefs are able to give their full and careful attention to the participants. Please note gluten/egg/dairy-free alterations/substitutions are not available for this series.

Tspoons Cooking School. 31770 Camino Capistrano, Suite D, San Juan Capistrano.

949.218.5218. tspoons.com.

Page 24

FREE SENSORY SCAVENGER HUNT 10-10:45 a.m. Bring your little ones to the Los Rios Park for a free children’s Sensory Scavenger Hunt. You will use the treasure map to find and collect a variety of items. Your child will discover shapes, textures, colors and smells in nature—maybe even find butterflies! Ages 2.5-6 with parent or guardian. Los Rios Park, San Juan Capistrano. To register, call 949.606.6386 or go to goinnative.net.

Monday | 22 JAZZ LAB 7:30 p.m. Join the Jazz Lab Ensemble as it experiments with the music of intergalactic traveler Sun Ra, and also the creative music of Joe Henderson. The door price for tickets sold in the hour preceding the performance is $10. Saddleback College McKinney Theatre. 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. 949.582.4500. saddleback.edu.

Wednesday | 24 MOBILE FOOD PANTRY 9-11 a.m. Saddleback’s Mobile Food Pantry is not just about giving away free groceries. Providing for people’s basic needs through the Food Pantry allows Saddleback Church to have a gateway to share the love and hope of the Gospel.

There are three ways to serve: unloading food from pallets, setting up the food for the shoppers and ministering to the families after they have shopped. The Mobile Food Pantry is on campus every fourth Wednesday of the month. Saddleback Church Rancho Capistrano. 29251 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

949.609.8700. saddleback.com. thecapistranodispatch.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad online at www.thecapistranodispatch.com GARAGE SALES SAN CLEMENTE WOMAN’S CLUB CHARITY RUMMAGE SALE Saturday, April 13, 7:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. 866 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente, 92673. Antique furniture, golf clubs, standing fans, housewares, clothing, baby clothing, Legos, etc.

CAPISTRANO BEACH GARAGE SALE! Saturday April 13, 8:30 -12. 27545 Gable St near Camino Capistrano. Bikes! Toys! Books! TVs! Young adult stuff! College prep materials! DVDs!

HUGE GARAGE MOVING SALE Saturday April 13. 25251 Swanway Ct. Dana Point, CA. Furniture, bedroom sets, antiques, china, books, jewelry, sterling silver, sporting goods.

Small appliances, clothing, tools, potted plants, garden equipment.

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

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

HELP WANTED YARDWORK HELP NEEDED Disabled World War II veteran needs help to clean up small backyard.Please call 949-257-8802

FOR SALE HOME FOR SALE San Clemente FORSTER RANCH One level with Views 3bd/2ba cul-de-sac HUGE gated RV/boat/ car storage,oversized drive 1877sqft $939,000 Call George Abrahamsen#01821448,Tarbell,REALTORS 949-812-9990

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

Do you want to reach 24,150+ people in the San Juan Capistrano area? *2.1 readership per 11,500 copies distributed

Then you need to be in The Capistrano Dispatch. Call us today!

949.388.7700 ext. 104

The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

Page 25

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SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

GUEST OPINION: Wellness and Prevention by Amarii Sandoval, WPC Youth Leadership Member

Youth Can Lead Community Change

I

n February of this year, I had the opportunity to attend the 29th annual National Leadership Forum led by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). The forum was made up of students and adults who wanted to further their knowledge of the many issues our youth face today. Each day, there were new and interesting workshops we attended that addressed ways we can improve our communities.

There were a couple of workshops I thought were the most interesting, and most shocking, which were about suicide among youth. The most striking statistic is that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24.

As a teen, I’ve seen anxiety and depression become more common among my peers, and being a very empathetic person, it’s difficult to realize how many people must feel alone and lost. It is even harder to grasp the reality that so many people have considered or attempted suicide.

Another great part of the experience was getting to meet with a representative from the office of Rep. Mike Levin. Along with other youth coalition members, we got to speak to Robbie Farewell, who is a senior legislative assistant for Congressman Levin.

We spoke about what we do as a coalition and provided information on some of the

biggest issues that San Clemente youth face today. Speaking to Mr. Farewell was a totally new and amazing opportunity for me. Our coalition is very grateful for the time that Congressman Levin’s office gave us and that they expressed wanting to become more involved in what we do.

I am excited to work further with him to improve our community in San Clemente and in Orange County in general.

Overall, attending the National Leadership forum was a very educational and amazing experience that I was glad to be a part of. I’m very thankful for the Wellness & Prevention Center for giving me this opportunity, and I am excited to use what I learned to change our community for the better.

More information on the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of WELLNESS AND America can be found at PREVENTION cadca.org. A list of the

By Amarii nonprofit’s policies are Sandoval outlined within the website and additional resources can be found.

Amarii Sandoval is a junior at San Clemente High School who has lived in San Clemente her entire life. She has been a member of Wellness & Prevention Coalition-led SCShift youth coalition, which focuses on prevention of youth substance use, for one year and enjoys doing work that betters her community.

If you or your teens would like to participate in community change through the Wellness & Prevention Coalition, please send an email to info@www.wpc-oc.org.

Consider signing up for our bi-monthly informational emails at www.wpc-oc.org and scroll to the bottom of the home page. CD

Photo: Sydney Haik

#SWALLOWSDAYPFM PHOTO CONTEST WINNER An Orange County Sheriff rides on horseback during the Swallows Day Parade on March 23. This photo was taken by Sydney Haik, the winner of Picket Fence Media’s Swallows Day photo contest. Haik, a seventhgrade student at Capistrano Valley Christian Schools and one of the event’s National Anthem singers, shared the photo on Instagram using the #SwallowsDayPFM, earning her tickets to The Coach House.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. Keep following @CapoDispatch on Instagram, and we can’t wait to see your photos from next year’s parade! CD

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

Pet of the Week: Sonny Sudoku

Sonny. Photo: Courtesy of the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

BY MYLES MELLOR

E

Solution:

ight-year-old Sonny has come a long way. After first arriving at the shelter in terrible condition, Sonny received lots of care and attention from staff and volunteers. Since then, his happy personality has really begun to shine through. Sonny is silly and energetic and just loves to roll around in the yard during playtime. He is also potty-trained. Won’t you be the one to give this sweet boy a new lease on life?

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

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

Page 26

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING

GUEST OPINION: Then & Now by Rhonda DeHaan

Carl Hankey Legacy Lives on in Hankey-Rowse Cottage

T

o assist private property owners of historic properties, the Mills Act is an important incentive program for the restoration and preservation of historic buildings. The program allows owners of qualifying buildings to receive a property tax reduction to help with costs related to the rehabilitation and maintenance of their buildings.

Owners of historic properties in San Juan Capistrano who do not currently have Mills Act contracts are encouraged to learn more about the program by visiting the city’s website or going to city hall and talking with staff in the Planning Department.

The first Mills Act contract in San Juan Capistrano was with the owners of the Hankey-Rowse Cottage. This historic home was built in 1883 by Joseph Rowse amidst 10 acres of agricultural land.

It was subsequently owned by French priest Alfred Quetu, who purchased multiple properties in 1909 for his ostrich

farm, his Belgian draft horses and other endeavors.

Carl Hankey acquired the property in 1921, saying in an Oral History interview that he “traded an acre and a half in Huntington Beach for the land.”

Residents in Mission Viejo may recognize the name, as a local school “was named for Carl Hankey, a prominent rancher and school board member who played a pivotal role in early local land development,” according to Carl Hankey K-8 Academy.

THEN & NOW Hankey was also

By Rhonda instrumental in completing De Haan the road through to Lake Elsinore and, with Fr. St. John O’Sullivan, suggested naming it Ortega Highway.

The Hankey family owned the home until 1994. Saving the time-worn structure from demolition, contractor Michael

GUEST OPINION: Moments in Time by Jan Siegel

San Juan Celebrates History this Spring Season

N

ow that spring is really here, it is time to get out and enjoy events that San Juan Capistrano has to offer. The Mission, the Historical Society, the Chamber of Commerce, the city and Rotary Club are all ready for the exciting “Moments in Time.”

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Gate House at the Mission.

The Gate House, built in 1919 by Father O’Sullivan, was meant to raise money to help restore the Mission. He charged 10 cents for admission to the Mission and with that money bought supplies for the restoration of Serra’s Chapel, among other buildings. At that time, the Gate House also served as a gift shop. When the Mission was building the new entrance and the gift shop, it found, behind walls, the original Gate House structure with the art on the walls still intact. To

The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

the Mission’s credit, that entire structure was preserved and served as a pathway to the new entrance and gift shop.

One of Father O’Sullivan’s other innovations was to encourage artists to come to the Mission to paint. Many of these works of art are part of the Mission inventory not seen by the public. This was the age of En Plein Air art, a French term for Painting Outdoors. A selection of this art work is now on display and represents a time capsule for what the Mission looked like before cameras and cell phones became popular for tourists.

The exhibit also includes paintings done recently at the Mission. The Mission’s Art Walks every Friday include this new exhibit, which can also be viewed during regular Mission hours.

On Thursday, April 25, at 5:30 p.m., the Chamber and the Los Rios District are

Listed on the city of San Juan Capistrano’s Inventory of Historic and Cultural Landmarks, the Hankey-Rowse Cottage was built in 1883 and currently sits on Via Cristal off of Ortega Highway. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Palmer moved the house about 100 feet from its original location on Ortega Highway so it could be restored. Today, the quaint Victorian structure is listed on the city’s Inventory of Historic and Cultural Landmarks and sits proudly next to its more modern neighbors on Via Cristal.

Rhonda DeHaan enjoys learning about San Juan Capistrano and its history, sharing fun photographic finds along the way. She

is proud mother of two, a freelance writer and a member of the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society Board of Directors. She is also serving her eighth year as member of the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission. CD

once again joining forces for an evening stroll. The shops and the Historical Society will be open. Light refreshments will be available, as well as the opportunity to visit this historic street. Los Rios Street is the oldest residential neighborhood in California and is on the National Registry of Historic Places.

On Sunday, April 28, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., the Historical Society will host its annual Fiesta Day. This popular event will feature Bea Torres and her famous homemade tortillas and salsas, Bob Minty and his whaling exhibit, as well as arts and crafts for children of all ages. Such activities include doll making, a chore table and games MOMENTS from the last century.

IN TIME All of the historic buildBy Jan Siegel ings on the property will be open and docents will give talks on the history of each one. In anticipation of a new exhibit starting in May, Diane Lewis will demonstrate the art of mask making. You can get ready for some summer backyard fun and create adventures for

friends and family by learning how to make masks for any play or costume. The Portola exhibit can still be viewed during Fiesta Day, as well. This annual event is free to the public.

And don’t forget the Annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Rotary and the city of San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, April 13, at Los Rios Park starting at 10 a.m. This event is free to the public and includes face painting and a visit from the Easter Bunny, in addition to the egg hunt.

Welcome to spring in San Juan Capistrano!

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

She was named Woman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2005, Volunteer of the Year in 2011 and was inducted into the city’s Wall of Recognition in 2007. CD

Page 28

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

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

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

San Juan Preps Roundup

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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

There are two weeks to go in the high school baseball regular season, so each game becomes more important than the last.

Let’s check in on the city’s five baseball programs and where they stand going into the biggest games of the season.

San Juan Hills Clinches Playoff Spot With a sweep of rival San Clemente this week, San Juan Hills guaranteed itself one of the Sea View League’s three playoff berths.

The Stallions (14-11, 6-3) got contributions up and down the lineup.

On Monday, April 8, San Juan Hills took down San Clemente at home, 8-1.

Cole Quillin and Robbie Peterson each collected two RBI. Case Ostrom, Carson Lewis and Shane Roberson each had one RBI. Ethan Johannes contributed a double, the only extra-base hit of the afternoon, and scored two runs.

Ostrom also collected his third win of the season, allowing no runs on two hits with one strikeout over 4.1 innings.

Ostrom is second on the team with a 2.10 ERA this season.

The Stallions got a similarly strong start at San Clemente on Wednesday, April 9. San Juan Hills scored three runs in the first two innings and held on for the 3-2 win to clinch their playoff berth.

Liam O’Connor had a two-run single in the first inning, with Johannes, Peterson and Josh Rauterkus each scoring a run for the Stallions. Ethan Pope earned his fifth win of the season, pitching four scoreless innings while allowing four hits and striking out two. Reliever Ryan Lachemann had three strikeouts on the way to recording a seven-out save.

San Juan Hills has four games remaining on the schedule. The Stallions take on El Toro in a nonleague doubleheader at Saddleback College on April 19 and close out the season and league play with games against Aliso Niguel on the road

The Capistrano Dispatch April 12-25, 2019

San Juan Hills swept two games with San Clemente this week to clinch a playoff spot out of the Sea View League. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

behind JSerra.

As reward for its Boras Classic South Championship, JSerra will play the winner of the Boras Classic North on April 27 in San Diego. The Boras Classic Championship has been called a “de facto state championship game” in recent seasons.

on April 23 and at home on April 25.

Aliso Niguel, undefeated in league, beat San Juan Hills at home, 6-4, on March 15.

JSerra Enters Trinity League Gauntlet After an incredible run to the Boras Classic South Championship, JSerra was humbled when it returned to Trinity League play.

Orange Lutheran, ranked No. 1 in CIFSS Division 1 and No. 5 nationally by USA Today, grinded out a 2-1 win over the Lions at JSerra on Tuesday, April 9 and picked up a decisive 4-0 win back in Orange on Wednesday, April 10. The teams close their three-game set on Friday, April 12 at JSerra.

The pair of wins gave Orange Lutheran a three-game lead in the Trinity League standings over second-place JSerra (13-9, 4-3).

With seven games remaining, JSerra, ranked No. 4 in Division 1, will be in for a fight. On April 16, 17 and 20, the Lions take on Mater Dei, which is only 2.5 games behind JSerra despite sitting in fifth place. The Lions close league play on April 23-25 with second-place Santa Margarita, which is just a half-game

CVC, St. Margaret’s battle for San Joaquin League As the season began, it looked as if Capistrano Valley Christian had the strength to run away with the league, but a hot run from St. Margaret’s has kept the race close.

St. Margaret’s (8-5, 4-2) has won eight straight games after an 0-5 start to pull within a game of Capistrano Valley Christian (10-13, 5-1) at the top of the San Joaquin League standings.

St. Margaret’s last loss was to CVC in a 5-3 game on March 4. CVC’s only league loss came against St. Margaret’s, 7-5, on March 8. The teams do not play each other down the stretch, but both will be keenly aware of the other’s results. St. Margaret’s and CVC share a home field at the San Juan Sports Park.

St. Margaret’s can’t look too far ahead as rival Sage Hill sits only a game behind

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in third place. St. Margaret’s beat Sage Hill, 8-1, on Tuesday, April 9 and hosts the Lightning on Friday, April 12. The Tartans’ last two league games are against Southlands Christian, winless in league, on April 15 and April 18.

With its one-game league lead, CVC holds its championship destiny in its own hands. After asserting its league dominance in a 24-1 win over Southlands Christian on Tuesday, April 9, the Eagles close out the season series with Southlands Christian on Friday, April 12. CVC ends its league schedule and season against Sage Hill on April 23 and 25.

SVC Winds Down Season Saddleback Valley Christian has six games remaining on its slate, all in the Academy League.

The Warriors (6-7, 1-2) opened the season with a promising 4-0 start, but then SVC tumbled by losing six of seven games through the month of March.

SVC hosted Avalon on Thursday, April 11, but results were not available at press time. The Warriors have two two-game sets remaining against Calvary Chapel on April 16 and 18 and against Webb on April 24 and 26. CD

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