September 27, 2019

INSIDE: Fall Aging Well for the Young at Heart SPECIAL SECTION

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE FOUNDED IN 2002

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

SEPTEMBER 27-OCTOBER 10, 2019 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 18

Breaking a Leg The Camino Real Playhouse Celebrates 30 Years of Performances E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 7

(Left to right) Tom Scott, Beverly Blake, Leslie Eisner and Darrell Hill head up SJC’s performing arts center, the Camino Real Playhouse, which is now in its 30th season. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Planning Commission Approves Revised River Street Plans EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

Shea Center BBQ Raises Over $1 Million EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

thecapistranodispatch.com

Capo Classics Honored for Senior Basketball Titles SPORTS/PAGE 30

EYE ON SJC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

Five things San Juan should know this week Planning Commission Approves Revised River Street Plans THE LATEST: The city’s planning commission approved modified site plans for the proposed River Street Marketplace development on Tuesday, Sept. 24, sending the plans back to city council for consideration and review.

The commission voted, 4-0-1, in favor of a resolution recommending that the council approve the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed shopping and dining center, which was recently revised to address several concerns that residents near the planned development had raised.

Commission Chair Howard Hart recused himself from Tuesday’s deliberations over the project because, he said, he had previously taken “a very public stance” on it.

The River Street Marketplace, proposed by local developer Dan Almquist, intends to be a “pedestrian-oriented” center on the southeast corner of Paseo Adelanto and River Street.

If completed, it will feature both indoor and outdoor dining, produce stands and other “artisan-type” retailers and businesses.

According to the city, the overall footprint of the project has been reduced to roughly 59,060 square feet from its original design of 64,900 square feet. The plans were also reconfigured to incorporate seven buildings instead of five, several of which were relocated and downsized.

The largest of the five initial buildings, the Marketplace, was planned to be 23,100 square feet, positioned on the south end of the center, closest to the parking lot. Instead, the building will sit on the northwest portion of the lot, right along River Street.

The Greenhouse building, a single-story structure meant to house restaurants and retail shops, will virtually remain where it was initially planned, on the east side of the site, but will be 7,040 square feet instead of 10,900 square feet.

Next to the Greenhouse will sit one of the two new buildings, the Hay Loft, which will include the restrooms and is set to take up about 3,900 square feet of the space. The other new building, the Workshop, is close to the middle of the complex, covering 4,000 square feet.

Two of the original buildings, the Mercantile and the Red Barn, increased in size. The Mercantile went from 18,800 square feet to

With the help of Chris Laullon, left, and Matt Huebert, Ava Mauerhan stands atop “Merry” during the opening ceremony of the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center’s annual BBQ and Family Faire on Saturday, Sept. 21. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

22,443 square feet, while the Red Barn grew from 7,500 square feet to 8,080 square feet.

Both kept their relative positions on the lot.

The city also noted that the number of parking spaces has been reduced from 292 to 242, as the originally planned parking lot on the west side, adjacent to Paseo Adelento, has been reconfigured to accommodate the Mercantile and Workshop buildings.

As a result of the decrease in square footage and lot coverage, the landscape area will increase, with Almquist intending to include more than 250 additional trees, including orchard trees. The orchard trees will line the eastern side of the Marketplace, putting separation between the buildings and homes on Los Rios Street.

“I think that with the larger green area now, maybe even more than before, we achieve our original intent of creating a true community gathering place,” Almquist said at the planning commission meeting.

WHAT’S NEXT: According to City Manager Ben Siegel, councilmembers are expected to consider the EIR for the revised site plans during their Oct. 15 meeting.

EDITOR’S NOTE: An extended version of this story can be found at TheCapistranoDispatch.com.—Shawn Raymundo

Shea Center BBQ Raises More Than $1 million

The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

THE LATEST: The J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center raised more than $1 million at its annual fundraising barbecue on Saturday, Sept, 21, as thousands of guests from all over Southern California visited San Juan Capistrano to support the equestrian facility’s efforts in assisting those with disabilities.

More than 1,600 people gathered for the 41st annual BBQ and Family Faire, where attendees were able to enjoy carnival games, a petting zoo, barn tours and riding demonstrations, as well as participate in a 350-item silent auction.

According to the Shea Center, more than $400,000 of the total money raised is to go toward the Fosheim Rider Support Fund, which directly supports the center’s therapy programs, horse care needs and financial aid.

The Shea Center provides rehabilitative programs for those with disabilities through equine-based therapy, as well as physical, occupational and speech therapy.

The center is supported primarily through the donations of private citizens.

In a press release from Shea, the center expressed a deep appreciation for the generosity of the event’s “sponsors, donors, guests, volunteers, and the many contributors to the Fosheim Rider Support Fund who made the BBQ another outstanding success.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The Shea Center’s 42nd annual BBQ is scheduled for Sept. 19, 2020.—SR

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Brough’s Accusers Call for his Resignation THE LATEST: The founder and CEO of Crime Survivors has called for the resignation of 73rd District Assemblymember Bill Brough in a joint statement with three women who have alleged sexual misconduct.

In an email last month, Brough sent a similar draft of a “Letter to the Editor” that ran in the Dana Point Times titled “Setting the Record Straight” to members of the Orange County Republican Party (OCGOP). The draft of the email, however, named individuals who have alleged sexual misconduct against Brough, while the published letter did not.

In Brough’s letter and email, he criticized the Transportation Corridor Agencies and called the Toll Roads a “train wreck and in need of massive reform.”

“Originally, the system was created due to a lack of transportation funding. Now, my constituents pay four times for roads and this does not include tolls for driving on the toll roads,” the letter states.

On June 17, Orange County Supervisor and Chairperson Lisa Bartlett spoke at the OCGOP Central Committee meeting about an alleged incident of sexual misconduct that occurred in 2011, while both Bartlett and Brough served on Dana Point City Council. She cited the incident (Cont. on page 4) thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC (Cont. from page 3) as reason the party should not endorse Brough in his bid for reelection in 2020.

Brough argues that this was in retaliation for his position regarding the Toll Roads.

Bartlett serves on the San Joaquin Hills and Foothill Eastern TCA Boards.

Crime Survivors is a nonprofit organization that offers resources to victims of crimes, including child abuse, elder abuse, or human trafficking. The group’s founder, Patricia Wenskunas, issued the joint statement on Monday, Sept. 16.

“In the email, Brough inexplicably names his accusers in an effort to publicly shame them and discourage other women from speaking out. Up until that email blast, his accusers had explicitly requested to remain anonymous due to their fear of retaliation. The referenced email blast is attached to this release,” the email states.

In a phone interview with The Capistrano Dispatch, Wenskunas said this kind of behavior re-victimizes someone who is a victim.

“This is very emotionally damaging,” Wenskunas said. “But I want these women and other victims to know they are not alone, they are courageous, and we stand by them.”

The joint statement was made with Bartlett, Jennifer Rodriquez and Heather Baez, who says she filed a harassment claim against Brough in 2017.

“As outlined in my original complaint to the California State Assembly, he made repeated and unwanted advances towards me for years, including inviting me to drinks, dinners, an overnight hotel stay, and an extremely offensive and non-consensual physical contact,” Baez states.

WHAT’S NEXT: When The Dispatch asked if Brough intended to resign, he stated he felt more emboldened than ever to run for reelection.

“As you know from your reporting, the Bartlett and Baez claims were found to be without merit. I have provided that evidence,” Brough said. “The accusers have been publicly meeting with groups and individuals all summer spreading their false allegations against me; clearly, they are not concerned with anonymity.”

Brough alleges that Crime Survivors has been a client organization for Jeff Corless—the CEO of Venture Strategic, a public relations firm. Bartlett hired Venture Strategic to run her campaign for the Board of Supervisors. The firm was later awarded a contract with the TCA, following her election.

A spokesperson for Venture Strategic tells The Dispatch that the firm last worked with Bartlett in 2014, and the firm’s project for the TCA was completed and that the contract ended in June. The firm has not worked for Wenskunas.

Corless was listed as a media contact in a news release regarding the founder for KPC Health being honored for providing space for the first Crime Survivors Resource Center in Southern California. The

release was issued Aug. 15. Corless was not representing Crime Survivors, but was representing KPC Health.—Lillian Boyd

Council Approves Revised Putuidem Village Project THET LATEST: City council voted on Sept.

17 to approve a revised design concept for the Putuidem Village Park Project, picking up with where the city had left off in the spring, when all proposed plans to develop on the Northwest Open Space were tabled.

The Putuidem project, the city’s longstanding plans to construct a cultural venue honoring the Native American Acjachemen tribe, was delayed in mid-April amid concerns over inconsistent language found in the municipal code relating to open space land use and zoning.

“I’m going to make a motion . . . that we immediately proceed with the final design of Putuidem Village to kind of get back to where we were, so that can move forward,” Mayor Pro Tem Troy Bourne said during the Sept. 17 meeting.

Councilmembers voted unanimously in favor of Bourne’s motion, allowing city staff to prepare documents for contractors to eventually bid on the project.

“We are very happy and grateful that the City Council approved the redesigned Putuidem Village Cultural Park in the Northwest Open Space,” Rebecca Robles, an Acjachemen tribal member who has been vocal in her opposition to the project’s delay, told The Capistrano Dispatch in an email on Sept. 18.

“We look forward to enjoying this space and sharing our dynamic Acjachemen history and culture with the community,” Robles continued in the email. “Thank you to all the people who supported and worked to achieve this park.”

The council’s unanimous vote came days after the results of a city-sanctioned survey were released, which found that the majority of respondents in the community favor the construction of Putuidem and want to keep San Juan Capistrano’s Northwest Open Space as is.

Back in June, the city hosted a pair of public workshops to educate San Juan residents about the ambiguous language related to open space in the city’s code.

City officials have pointed out that the city’s various definitions pertaining to open space often conflict with each other. In Putuidem’s case, the project would be considered a “community park,” which allows for soccer fields, picnic areas and museums.

However, questions have been raised about the Putuidem Village possibly being considered a passive recreational facility or an educational center, which is not permitted under the “community park” designation.

While the Northwest Open Space falls under the umbrella of General Open

The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

Space Land Use, it is currently classified as “community park.” Other classifications under Open Space Land Use include “open space recreation,” “general open space” and “neighborhood park.”

In order to iron out those discrepancies, the city has sought the public’s feedback on what to do with the land during the forums. Last month, the city also launched the online survey to get supplemental input that is expected to be used as the basis for amendments to the local code.

Bourne, who had brought forth the issue regarding the inconsistent language, included another direction in his motion to have the city, within six months, correct the zoning on the property where Putuidem will sit, so that it’s in compliance with the local zoning laws.

WHAT’S NEXT: The city’s bid documents are likely to come before the council for approval in November, setting up a potential groundbreaking for early 2020.—SR

Council Approves Contract Award for Verdugo Street Beautification THE LATEST: Beautification plans to remodel Verdugo Street in San Juan’s downtown district could begin by midOctober following the city council’s latest vote to award the project contract to C.S. Legacy Construction.

Councilmembers voted, 4-0, on Tuesday, Sept. 17, to approve a $1.72 million contract award to Legacy, which had submitted the lowest bid during the city’s recent request for bids process. The vote also authorizes a transfer of $690,000 in other city coffers to help pay for the project, estimated to cost nearly $2.2 million.

Just as he has done in previous deliberations over the project, Councilmember John Taylor recused himself from the vote, as his residency is within close proximity of the proposed project and, therefore, could create a potential for financial impact and pose a conflict of interest.

In mid-July, the council voted to approve the remodeling plans and specifications for the capital improvement project, allowing the city to begin accepting bids from potential contractors.

The project intends to make Verdugo Street more pedestrian-friendly by widening the sidewalk and implementing new landscaping, brick paving, lighting and street furniture.

From its entrance at Camino Capistrano to near the end of the cul-de-sac, the street would narrow from 40 feet to 28 feet.

When complete, the south-side sidewalk will widen from 6 feet to 11 feet, while the north-side curb extends from about 5.5 feet to nearly 12.5 feet, according to the city.

The plans also include the addition of string lights hung over the sidewalk and street. The council’s vote approved license

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San Juan Capistrano resident Linda Aguilar, 39, participates in a prayer rally held by several members of Orange County’s tribal community near city hall Tuesday, Aug. 20. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

agreements with the property owners of Capistrano Plaza and Alfa Plaza, which sit along Verdugo Street, to have the string lights affixed to the buildings.

And, with the help of the Rotary Club of San Juan Capistrano, the city will install a four-faced clock in the downtown corridor. The clock, which will be donated to the city by the Rotary Club, will include a plaque inscription that both entities will need to approve in the coming months, according to the city.

In total, the project is anticipated to cost just more than $2.19 million when taking into account Legacy’s construction bid, contingency costs and other construction-related expenses, according to the city, which has a little more than $1.5 million earmarked for the plans—a shortfall of $690,000.

The city’s estimate includes a 16% contingency cost of $275,000 for change orders—work that’s either added to or deleted from the project. The council’s vote also gives City Manager Ben Siegel the authority to approve change orders that don’t exceed the $275,000 contingency.

To make up the $690,000 shortfall, the council voted to tap into the city’s Successor Agency Non-Housing Bonds for $120,000, the Systems Development Funds for another $120,000 and Community Facilities District Funds for $450,000.

Following the Sept. 17 meeting, Siegel said the transfer of those funds won’t negatively impact any other projects the city may be working on.

“We found a few different funding sources that this project is eligible to receive, so it won’t impact or delay any other projects.” Siegel said.

WHAT’S NEXT: According to the city, preconstruction for the project is expected to take place between late-September and mid-October, with actual construction estimated to begin from mid-to-late October.

The city could see the project completed by spring 2020.—SR thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

Breaking a Leg The Camino Real Playhouse Celebrates 30 Years of Performances

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

I

t’s just before 8 o’clock on Friday evening, Sept. 20.

Inside the Camino Real Playhouse, San Juan Capistrano’s signature performing arts center, a hint of excitement is in the air as attendees grab their last-minute drinks and snacks at the concession stand.

Guests mingle about and continue filing in as executive producers Tom Scott and Beverly Blake make their rounds, greeting folks who have come for the opening night of their latest production, Murder on the Nile—Agatha Christie’s murder mystery play written in 1944.

Paintings of Egyptian pyramids adorn the walls of the space while Arabic music plays over the PA system to go along with the theme of this season’s first show, which will run through Sunday, Oct. 6.

At 7:59 p.m., the lights flash, alerting everyone to head to their assigned seats as the play is about to get underway. With everyone settling in, Scott takes the stage to deliver a few opening remarks.

“Thirty years ago, I was sitting in front of an archaic computer—that’s probably in a museum now—trying to figure out what a nonprofit was,” Scott said, garnering laughs from the audience.

“And we got it!” he exclaimed, referring to the Playhouse’s parent organization, South Orange County Community Theatre, receiving its 501c3 status.

On this cool Friday night, the Playhouse wasn’t only launching its production of Murder on the Nile. It was also kicking off the 30th anniversary season of a local community of thespians and volunteers dedicated to performing arts.

LET THE SHOW BEGIN

Thirty years ago, Scott and his wife, BJ Scott, started the nonprofit group South Orange County Community Theatre, which has become primarily known as the Capistrano Center for the Performing Arts. At that time, the idea of having a physical Playhouse was merely a dream for the Scotts, who used to direct performances with fellow thespians in various South County locations.

“My wife (BJ Scott) and I founded the group and did the nonprofit papers in our living room,” Scott told The Capistrano Dispatch in a sit-down interview at the Playhouse weeks before opening night.

“We had no idea where we’re going to house it, and we got the nonprofit certification for the theater in December of ’89,” he added. “Prior to that, we had already start-

Tom Scott, Beverly Blake, Leslie Eisner and Darrell Hill head up San Juan Capistrano’s signature performing arts center, the Camino Real Playhouse, which is now in its 30th season. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

ed some reader’s theatre and performing and building a little bit of a following.”

Before sitting down just to talk about the nonprofit’s backstory, Scott and Blake gave The Dispatch an exclusive tour of the Playhouse, showing off its history as a performing arts center in South County.

The back of the house is a museum of sorts, as rows of shelves containing props and decorations used in previous performances line the backstage area. And along the hallway of the theater, photographs hang on the walls highlighting each season’s series of shows from the last 30 years.

“This is our Walk of Fame right here,” Scott said, pointing to some of the pictures. “This was our early years before we were in the building, when we first started. So, our very first show was Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point.”

Without an official home in the nonprofit’s earliest years, the group of theater actors would perform in Dana Point and Laguna Beach. Many of the members would also come from San Clemente’s Cabrillo Playhouse, of which Scott’s wife was a former president.

“We were wanting to do a theater in San Juan, and that’s when we started the nonprofit organization to form the theater group,” Scott said.

By 1991, the Scotts were able partner with the city to lease the former Pacific Bell office building, off Ortega Highway, along Camino Real—where the Playhouse gets its name.

“Basically, the city essentially gave us the building,” Scott said, adding that a condition of the lease agreement with the city requires the group to pay for all the expenses related to keeping the building’s lights on.

Though it was the group’s newfound

The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

home, it was less than appealing. According to Scott, the foundation of the building was a feed store from the early 1930s before it was converted for Pacific Bell’s offices.

“When we moved in, that’s what it was; it was a derelict office building. The roof was leaking,” Scott said, before Blake chimed in to note that it had been derelict for 13 years before the group took it over.

“There were rats and skunks, all kinds of things—rodents that we had to throw out, and it was really, really something else,” Scott said, completing this thought.

THE FIRST ACT

Both Scott and Blake share extensive backgrounds in arts and theater.

For Scott, who has degrees in math and physics, theater has been a hobby of his since he was a child. One of his earliest experiences in performing arts was in the second grade, when his music teacher in rural Kansas was putting on an operetta and cast him along with several of his classmates as pixies.

“Consider second-grade farm boys from Kansas trying to get them organized . . . she had so much trouble, but she knew I could take care of it,” he recalled. “So, she took me aside one day and said, ‘OK, Tom, you’re going to be the lead pixie, and you’re going to make sure everyone lines up in this order and comes on stage at the right time.’ I like to tell people I’ve been the lead pixie ever since.”

Throughout his career as a teacher of chemistry, physics and math, as well as a computer programmer, Scott continued to imbed himself into various theater groups, performing in plays, building sets and directing shows.

As for Blake, the daughter of a painter, she was raised to be an artist herself and was an art major in college. She ended up doing administrative work in the shipping

Page 7

and transporting industry before moving over to sales and marketing.

During that 35-year stretch of her career, she admits, she didn’t pick up a paint brush.

“Then I painted a few paintings to kind of figure out if I still had it, and I did,” she said.

Blake also recalled of her childhood that while her mother would paint in the early morning, she would listen to records of Broadway show tunes. Listening to such recordings, she said, is how she grew fond of musicals and their stories.

It was around the mid-’90s, Blake said, that she was living in Laguna Niguel and saw her first Playhouse show, which was a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. She would continue attending shows throughout the years, but in 2003 she decided she wanted to work with the group painting their sets.

“This was just a natural fit between my business background and my artistic skills,” she said, pausing for emphasis. “It just worked.”

“I’ve always been involved in theater and enjoyed musicals all my life,” she later added. “So, coming here wasn’t out of the blue, and I was always attending plays here.”

When she first began volunteering, it had only been a couple of days before she was handed a key to the Playhouse.

“On my third day, Tom or BJ brought me a note for somebody who wanted to volunteer, so all of a sudden I was in charge of all the volunteers then, too,” she said. “And two weeks later, I was invited to the board and about a week or two after that, BJ retired.”

PAINTING THE SCENE

BJ Scott retired from the group in 2003 amid health concerns, Tom Scott explained.

To her credit, Scott continued, Blake (Cont. on page 8) thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

NEWS BITES

Community Meetings

COMPILED BY STAFF

JSerra Junior Starts Dance Program for At-Risk Children JSerra Catholic High School junior Hannah Weinmeister founded her nonprofit organization, “Hannah’s Dancers,” as a means of teaching dance to at-risk children in San Juan Capistrano.

The nonprofit currently teaches children of all ages at the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley.

This past summer, “Hannah’s Dancers” welcomed more than 80 students between the ages of 5 and 12 to learn a variety of dance forms, including ballet, jazz and tap.

Each student got a “Hannah’s Dancers” T-shirt, tutu, set of wings, as well as their own pair of dance shoes.

As an Arts Magnet student at JSerra, Weinmeister has participated in the JSerra dance program, as well as studied various dance forms at the Pacific Ballet Conservatory. She is currently a member of the high school’s Pep Squad as well as an active member of various clubs on-campus, including Girl Up and Paws for a Cause.

Weinmeister is also a member of the National Charity League’s Monarch chapter.

As a member, Weinmeister has volunteered at several nonprofits, including the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley. The lack of dance education inspired her to start her own dance program at the club.

At 16, Weinmeister was able to kickstart her nonprofit organization with the help of her mother, Rhonda, while continuing her position as dance assistant instruc-

(Cont. from page 7) “really has helped a great deal in the makeovers of the facility, the painting in the lobby, the painting of the hall here, all kinds of things we have here.”

Scott said that before Blake came along, he would meet with a show’s director about the set pieces he had designed and ask, “OK, I’ve got this color paint and this color paint; what would you like best?”

After Blake officially came aboard as an executive producer, however, the Playhouse saw a major turnaround in its production value, Scott said.

“With the literature, the creativity of the artwork for the shows, the artwork and creativity on the sets, the whole process, picking the shows, working with other people, bringing things together, it really was able to kick things up a lot,” Scott said of Blake.

“Organizationally, she’s very strong at making sure that people are doing their jobs,” he added. “One of the things she’s very strong at is yelling at me, saying,

TUESDAY, OCT. 1 City Council and Successor Agency Meeting 5 p.m. The city’s governing body will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org FRIDAY, OCT. 4

JSerra Catholic High School junior Hannah Weinmeister founded her nonprofit organization, “Hannah’s Dancers,” as a means to teach dance to at-risk children in San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Courtesy of JSerra Catholic High School

tor at the Pacific Ballet Conservatory.

Now as a junior at JSerra, Weinmeister is looking to pursue a dance degree at New York University. She hopes to eventually open her own dance company that will provide classes for underprivileged youth.

Donations can be sent through HannahsDancers.com/donate. All of the donations go to “Hannah’s Dancers” and the continuation of dance education in the organization.

ZOOMARS, Capistrano Toyota to Host Candy Drive for Camp Pendleton Children

living at Camp Pendleton.

Sponsored by Homefront America, the Candy Drive will be collecting Halloween candy donations for children with military parents.

Candy donations can be dropped off at both Capistrano Toyota and ZOOMARS in the Los Rios District. The drive will run from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6. Any unopened candy is welcome and will be taken to Camp Pendleton prior to Halloween.

For any questions or additional information, call 949.248.9468 or email info@ homefrontamerica.org. More information can also be found on Homefront America’s website at HomeFrontAmerica.org.

ZOOMARS Petting Zoo and Capistrano Toyota are partnering to host a 1/11 Marine Battalion Candy Drive for children

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

‘That’s not your job, dammit! Find a volunteer to do that.’ ”

Blake later added that their army of volunteers, both in terms of support staff and reoccurring set of actors, have become a family throughout the years.

“I have a whole family here now, and that’s the thing that everybody who gets involved with us . . . that when they come back here, they’re coming home,” Blake said, noting that the actors regularly audition at other theaters.

THE SUPPORTING CAST Blake notes that while they’re the executive producers, they’re supported by a “massive team” of volunteers.

“We are not the two people that run the theater, we’re just in a position where we’re the last word,” Blake said.

Throughout any given season, the Playhouse has roughly 60 volunteers who help support the production, and that’s not including the actors, according to the producing team.

Additionally, the two give a lot of credit to the group’s artistic director, Leslie Eisner, and managing director, Darrell Hill.

“There’s so much stuff here, a title doesn’t mean that much. She’s artistic director, she does so many more things,” Blake said of Eisner. “Everybody here just carries a lot of weight. It’s just the way things have to be to get things done.”

The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

LESSONS LEARNED Throughout the group’s 30-year run, Scott and Blake said the biggest takeaway has been that taking risks and chances are oftentimes necessary in order to put on a good show.

Citing one example, Blake said she and Scott had met with an artistic director for a musical years back called Into the Woods.

The director wanted to install a track on the ceiling so they can slide tree props from side to side between scenes.

“He told us he wanted tracks, like closet

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

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

TUESDAY, OCT. 8 Planning Commission Meeting 6:30 p.m. The city’s Planning Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.

THURSDAY, OCT. 10 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 FRIDAY, OCT. 11 The next edition of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.

tracks on the ceiling, so we could build trees, just flat images of trees . . . with one tree on each,” Blake said.

“And everything he was asking for, we just kept saying, ‘Yes, we can do it.’ . . . it’s pretty unusual for us to just say ‘no’; we always try to figure it out,” she continued.

“He walked out the door, and I turned to Tom and said, ‘What the hell are we going to do?’ That was so memorable; we did it.”

The moral of the story, Scott said, was to embrace the challenges.

“One of the things that we learned from that experience is don’t be afraid to take a chance,” he said. “And we stick our neck out for new playwrights, for challenging sets. We do amazing things in this little space here.”

Performances for Murder on the Nile will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Oct. 6. For ticket prices and additional information on other upcoming shows for the Playhouse’s 30th season, go to CaminoRealPlayhouse. org. CD thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON RMV

NEWS & HAPPENINGS AT THE RANCH

Los Patrones Sees Further Delays

Events at The Ranch SEPTEMBER 27

Hilltop Bar Night & Swirl. Sniff. Sip.

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

5-9 p.m. The spacious event bar at The Hilltop Club is open every Friday evening, so come grab a drink, then stay to hang out with good friends and close neighbors. This is a Ranch-residentonly event. 65 Esencia Drive, Rancho Mission Viejo. 949.768.1882.

RanchoMissionViejo.com/events.

M

otorists in Rancho Mission Viejo hoping to start taking Los Patrones Parkway down to Cow Camp Road will have to wait a bit longer, as completion of the project has been further delayed because of the heavy rains Southern California received this past winter, The Ranch said.

The southern portion of Los Patrones, extending past Chiquita Canyon Drive, could open in the coming months, as The Ranch is targeting completion in the early part of the fourth quarter this calendar year.

The Ranch had initially anticipated the second phase of the project to be completed by late 2018, before telling The Capistrano Dispatch this past February that the project was still underway because of the heavy rains that had occurred and would instead open in second quarter of the year.

The first phase of Los Patrones Parkway—a new, four-lane arterial highway through Rancho Mission Viejo— opened to the public in September 2018. Photo: Alex Groves

When completed, Los Patrones will connect Chiquita Canyon to Cow Camp. The roughly 3.5-mile stretch of Los Patrones from Oso Parkway to Chiquita was completed and opened to the public in September 2018.

Mike Balsamo, senior vice president of governmental relations for The Ranch, has previously stated the County of Orange

is evaluating some options to extend Los Patrones south past Cow Camp, but nothing has been determined.

Rancho Mission Viejo is paying for the highway, which is expected to give commuters access to job centers on both ends of the road, as well as provide quick access to the SR-241 toll road at Oso Parkway.

Strong Sense of Community Found at the Award-Winning Village of Esencia New homebuyers searching for a wonderful quality of life are moving into the Village of Esencia at Rancho Mission Viejo—recently named America’s “Best Master-Planned Community”—drawn by The Ranch’s award-winning amenities, vibrant social life, breathtaking views and variety of new homes.

“I love the lifestyle here,” said Brittany Ketchum, who purchased a new home with her husband, Kurt, in Aurora by William Lyon Homes. “There is a strong sense of community, and it feels that way.”

She added, “I love going out on my balcony in the morning and taking it all in. It’s open. It’s not crowded. It’s not congested. It just feels peaceful.”

From its scenic South Orange County hilltop location, the Village of Esencia is just a short drive away from miles of idyllic Southern California coastline, museums and preserved historic sites, natural wonders and theme parks. Neighborhoods offer a full range of single-level and multi-story homes ranging in price from

OCTOBER 4

Hilltop Hangouts

On the first Friday of each month, join The Hilltop Club for the ultimate weekend starter—Hilltop Hangouts. Treat yourself at fan-favorite food trucks. Jam out to live concerts and performances.

And let yourself unwind with refreshing cocktails. It all goes down at The Hilltop Club, the village of Esencia’s incredible amenity built for endless good times.

This is a Ranch-resident-only event. 65 Esencia Drive, Rancho Mission Viejo.

949.768.1882.

RanchoMissionViejo.com/events.

OCTOBER 5

International Observe the Moon Night

the $500,000s to more than $1 million.

The beautiful homes were designed for a wide range of lifestyles, including first-time homebuyers, couples, families, adventurous empty-nesters and, at the Gavilan neighborhoods, for residents aged 55 and up.

Residents enjoy access to the robust RanchLife program, which includes a number of fun daily, weekly and monthly events.

Seasonal favorites, community-wide parties, cultural activities, happy hours, on-site programming by local organizations, and more are provided, exclusively for residents.

The National Association of Home Builders honored the Village of Esencia earlier this year with a Gold Award as North America’s Best Master-Planned Community of the Year,

selected from more than 1,300 entries.

At completion, the villages on Rancho Mission Viejo will occupy approximately 6,000 acres or 25% of the historic 23,000-acre Rancho Mission Viejo, Orange County’s last working ranch, which has been held in the O’Neill/Avery/ Moiso family since 1882.

About 17,000 acres, or 75% of The Ranch, will be preserved for ranching, farming and the phased formation of a large habitat conservation area known as The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo.

To learn more, visit RanchoMissionViejo.com or visit the Village of Esencia Visitors Center located within The NorthWalk Neighborhoods at Esencia.

A DV E RT O RI A L The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

Page 9

7:15-9:15 p.m. International Observe the Moon Night is an annual worldwide public event that encourages observation, appreciation, and understanding of the moon. Enjoy an evening outdoors, as you gaze into the heavens, learn about the moon, the constellations, and peer through the telescopes of our volunteer astronomers. RMV Reserve astronomers are all volunteers who enthusiastically share their telescopes and expert sky knowledge with you. Participants should bring warm clothing, red cellophaned flashlight, binoculars, and a beach chair (optional). The Richard and Donna O’Neill Conservancy. 28811 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.489.9778. RVMReserve.org.

OCTOBER 7

Monday Weeding and Restoration

7:30-9:30 a.m. Join Reserve staff for a Monday morning maintaining The Reserve. Participants must be registered by 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6.

The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo Headquarters, 28811 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. 949.489.9778.

RMVReserve.org.

thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS GUEST OPINION: Bartlett Bulletin

by OC Board of Supervisors Chairperson Lisa Bartlett

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

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PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett EDITORIAL City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Shawn Raymundo Senior City Editor, DP Times > Lillian Boyd City Editor, SC Times > Shawn Raymundo Sports Editor > Zach Cavanagh Special Projects Editor > Andrea PapagianisCamacho

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Improvements Arriving at John Wayne Airport

O

range County is known for its great climate, wonderful beaches and exciting attractions. It is what drives many of our visitors year-round, and also makes it a great place to live.

With such a large population and demand for travel, we are lucky to have John Wayne Airport (JWA) located conveniently in our county. John Wayne Airport serves as a transportation hub for visitors and Orange County residents who enjoy the convenience of travel.

John Wayne Airport has been working on a number of great enhancements that will increase the guest experience.

The first major improvement is the new interactive digital wayfinding signage, which is aimed at making air travel more convenient.

The state-of-the-art and easy-to-use touchscreens, along with the smaller touchscreen devices, help our guests locate specific restaurants, retail concessions and amenities throughout the terminal. A traveler can look up a store, see the types of items sold there, and then even see how many footsteps and minutes it will take them to get there from their

current location.

It is truly amazing technology that will help all travelers plan their time before boarding their flights.

Probably my favorite part about the new digital wayfinding transition has been the incorporation of mobile food orders.

Through the new system, you can view menus, order meals for pickup, and even have your meal delivered to your gate.

We added features like this, because we know sometimes traveling can be a hassle, especially if you are traveling with a large group or family, or someone with certain disabilities. These improvements are all about making the experience of flying through our airport simpler, efficient, and accommodating.

Our airport has also developed a four-phase plan to bring new and exciting local food and beverage options. Talking to guests traveling through JWA, THE BARTLETT they always seem to want BULLETIN more options to eat and

By Lisa Bartlett drink.

Recently, we have completed the first phase of the plan, which will bring in a slate of new local concepts to JWA. They are set to open in 2020.

These local concepts include TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, Brodard Express and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. All of these concessions will be in addition to what is currently available at JWA today.

John Wayne Airport has improved customer service through the implementation of free, high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the terminal; launching JWAlive, a music

program featuring live acoustic guitar and piano performances in the terminal; and introducing Helping Hands, a personalized travel assistance program designed to ease the stress associated with airport travel for individuals with hidden disabilities, such as autism.

For two consecutive years, John Wayne Airport has been ranked as the highestrated airport by J.D. Power for customer satisfaction among large airports in North America. This year, “The Points Guy,” a popular travel blogger, ranked JWA in the top 10 airports to travel through in the U.S., and JWA was also named “Best in the U.S.” by Frommer’s. Last year, our airport also won “2018 Best Airport in the U.S.” award from Money Magazine.

All of these accomplishments would not have been possible without the wonderful staff we have at the airport under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Barry Rondinelle, who was named “2019 Airport Executive of the Year” by the Southwest Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives.

As you can see, we have a lot to be excited and proud about at JWA. The stress of traveling can be burdensome, and the county and John Wayne Airport are making great strides in limiting most of those stresses so that your experience—and the experience of those traveling through our county—is enjoyable and memorable.

Lisa Bartlett is the chairperson of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. She was reelected in 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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> Traci Kelly (SC) > Debra Wells (SJC)

EDITOR EMERITUS Jonathan Volzke

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 17, Issue 18. The Dispatch (thecapistranodispatch) is published twice monthly

by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the DP Times (danapointtimes.com) and the SC Times (sanclementetimes. com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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Letters to the Editor NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ADOPTING POSITIVE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE —LARRY KRAMER, San Juan Capistrano I just had a wonderful vacation in Yellowstone Park. What an amazing place. It is difficult to underestimate the foresight shown by officials in the government who established our first national park.

What I also found amazing is how members of the National Park Service are concerned about the effects of climate change on this beautiful park. The

The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

following are the park service’s words, not mine: The park has fewer days of those glittering, silent winter vistas. Wolves have few days of easy hunting for ungulates in the deep snow. Bear hibernation cycles have altered. Spring comes earlier and snow melts out of the mountains more quickly. In summer, the rivers run slower and the water is warmer. Fire season is longer and fires will become more frequent and intense. Forest insect pests have decimated tree populations.

In the future, grizzly bears may have less of their most nutritious foods such as white bark pine nuts and army cutworm moths.

However, I also found the National Park Service is taking positive action by adopting sustainability measures to improve energy efficiency, install renewable energy systems and conserve water.

Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

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

CORRECTION: On page 6 of the Aug. 23 edition of The Capistrano Dispatch, a story on the recycling operator RePlanet closing its locations incorrectly provided a list of alternative places that were believed to provide recycling services. Those locations do not offer such services. thecapistranodispatch.com

WELCOME TO

Aging Well Fall has arrived in South Orange County and so has the latest edition of Aging Well, our biannual guide to assist the local senior community in remaining fit, healthy and motivated. This special section not only provides helpful resources, it also is meant to showcase local seniors who are truly “Aging Well.”

In this issue, we provide our readers with tips on solving a personal finance crisis, how to address osteoporosis and reveals where seniors can find some stellar discounts and deals throughout the tri-city area. We also spoke with a handful of married couples who have been together for decades, asking them to share their secrets to a long-lasting marriage.

Inside, our readers will also find a feature on hearing loss and why it’s important to see a doctor, sooner rather than later, if you’re beginning to have trouble hearing and following along conversations. For more information,

we’ve compiled a list of nearby locations that specialize in hearing loss and hearing aids.

And every now and then, we all need a little inspiration to help us stay active and moving.

So in this issue, we highlight some local residents who are out and about, living their best life. One such resident, an 80-year-old woman from San Clemente, can deadlift 270 pounds.

We also look at how one Dana Point couple decided to sell their home, purchase an RV and travel the country.

So dive right in and read all about what the South County has to offer to its senior community.

5 Local Senior Discounts

M

any businesses across the nation offer senior discounts for various services, including dining and entertainment. To help our readers out, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best places within the tri-city area, ranging from shopping to transportation, that give discounted rates and prices to our aging-well community.

OCTA // The Orange County Transportation Authority offers discounted rates to seniors aged 60 and older, as well as those with disabilities and Medicare cardholders. For a one-time local route fare, seniors have to pay only 75 cents.

A one-day pass purchased on the bus is $1.50, while a prepaid one-day pass is $1.35. And 30-day passes, which regularly cost $69, are lowered to $22.25 for seniors.

REGENCY THEATRE // Seniors “61 and better” can enjoy a movie for $9.50 at the Regency Theatre in San Juan Capistrano. The going rate for a regular matinee showing is $10.50 and the evening showings cost $12.50, but seniors can enjoy the $9.50 rate all day long. This discounted senior fee, however, doesn’t apply to the theater’s VIP screenings.

DENNY’S // AARP members can enjoy 15% discounts on their meals at restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Denny’s. Dana Point and San Clemente both have a Denny’s restaurant.

26762 Verdugo Street, San Juan Capistrano. 661.3456.

RegencyMovies.com.

OC GOODWILL BOUTIQUE // Tuesdays and Sundays are Senior Days at the OC Goodwill Boutique in San Juan Capistrano. That means 10% off all items in the store for seniors aged 60 and up.

31892 Plaza Drive, Unit A-1, San Juan Capistrano.

949.272.0505. OCGoodwill.org.

714.560.6282. OCTA.net.

34242 Del Obispo Street, Dana Point. 949.4383.529.

Avenida Pico, San Clemente. 949.492.2382. Dennys.com.

SAN CLEMENTE GOLF COURSES // Shorecliffs Golf Club and San Clemente Municipal Golf Course offer discounted greens fees for those aged 55 and up, Monday through Friday only.

Shorecliffs: $30 for 18 holes (includes golf cart). SC Municipal: $31 for 18 holes ($20 for residents); does not include golf cart.

501 Avenida Vaquero, San Clemente. 949.492.1178.

ShorecliffsGolfClub.com. 150 E. Magdalena, San Clemente. 949.361.8384. san-clemente.org.

HOW TO BEAT A FINANCIAL CRISIS

YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO GRAY TO GET OUT OF THE RED

BY ZARA FLORES

W

ith any big event or situation in life, it’s best to be prepared, and your finances are no different. However, that’s easier said than done.

So what happens when something comes crashing into your life and leaves you feeling financially unstable? Here are some tips for tackling a personal financial crisis regardless of whether you’re saving for retirement or already there.

There are so many scenarios that could cause a personal financial crisis, such as an injury and dealing with medical expenses, credit-card debt and even a scam.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, seniors are more vulnerable to identity theft scams that can leave your personal financial portfolio and general well-being in shambles.

It’s important to be able to identify the problem at hand and keep an eye out for red-flag offers or calls.

Outside or professional help and resources may be needed to be able to identify the financial problem or the root of the problem you may be facing. For example, a trusted family member or friend may be better equipped to put together a reasonable budget if the problem is overspending and credit-card debt.

Once the problem has been identified, it’s important to take a “slow and steady” approach for optimal results. Be realistic with what you can accomplish in a month and in a year.

If there’s been an injury and insurance doesn’t cover it all, it’s more than likely that a payment plan is an option. Or if it’s credit-card debt, chip in an extra $5 or $10 each week to go toward a payment.

According to Better Money Habits from Bank of America, it’s easier to cut down a little bit on a few monthly expenses rather than to cut down a lot on one expense. Smaller steps will ease you into the solution and potentially even motivate you more.

Lastly, keep yourself accountable. If you have to pick up a side job to keep yourself on track, reference our “Side Jobs for Seniors” for some ideas to keep you going.

It may take a while to get out of the red, but a positive mindset and an honest plan are the healthiest ways to tackle a financial crisis.

Baby Steps to

LIVING WELL

BY SAMANTHA BLANKENBURG

Good health and longevity are certainly first and foremost on our minds as we discuss the aging process.

Nutrition is not only important to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and other age-related disease processes, but for overall health. My philosophy focuses on what I believe are the six pillars of health: Family, Friends, Faith, Food, Fitness and our Feelings.

The importance of spending quality time with family and friends to enjoy life’s natural beauty and blessings, having a sense of purpose and community to explore your faith, understanding how to properly nourish your body to have the ability to explore different areas of fitness and addressing the many feelings that can accompany us as we age within any and all pillars.

Side Jobs for Seniors Many local senior centers have bulletins for volunteering positions or free programs in the area. Job listings can be scarce, so here are some ideas to earn a little extra cash.

Consultant: For those who love their job but are retired or can’t work a full 40 hours a week, becoming a consultant is the best way to use your knowledge and expertise in an employment capacity. Consultants don’t have to work in a niche industry; they can be found in nearly every career field.

Customer service representative: Being a customer service representative is not particularly strenuous on the body, and some positions even allow you to work from home if that’s more comforting. There’s never a shortage of openings for this position.

Pet sitter or dog walker: Depending on breed and size of the pet, being a pet sitter and/or dog walker is beneficial for both parties.

Being around animals is oftentimes relaxing and is beneficial for one’s health. The physical activity required is lower impact and, again, beneficial for both parties involved.

The bottom line is to surround yourself with like-minded people to support you on your journey to a sense of freedom, which in my opinion is the truest definition of health and living well at any age.

Let’s focus on the fitness pillar because, in my professional opinion, it can help connect with all other pillars. Physical inactivity has been identified as the fourth-leading risk factor for global mortality from the World Health Organization. There are three different types of exercise that can help your body transition through new phases of life with grace and independence.

Cardiovascular Exercise: The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity. These activities can be spent walking, running, cycling, or doing recreational sports. Find something that you enjoy and challenge yourself weekly to setting new goals.

Mobility Exercise: Static and active dynamic stretching, core work along with moving as many joints through their full range of motion with control and purpose provide individuals with a healthy mobility exercise plan. Something as simple as doing three sets of 10 sit-ups, but focusing on moving your spine one vertebra at a time each repetition, provides the control and purpose that will show the power of a properly executed mobility exercise.

Resistance Training: The final form of exercise that will improve muscular strength and endurance. There are many tools that can be used, including dumbbells, sandbags, machines etc. Moving against the weight of your body can suffice in some major strength progress like using a bench or a chair simply to sit and stand 10 times in a row. If that is, or becomes too

Photo: Shawn Raymundo

No Limit Lifting Marilyn Katzmark, an 80-year-old San Clemente resident, deadlifts 135 pounds after a strength training session at Pacific Strength on Friday, Sept. 6. According to her trainer, Valerie Hedlund, the certified team leader at Pacific Strength, Katzmark, is actually able to deadlift 270 pounds. Throughout her life, Katzmark has remained active, participating in marathons and paddleboarding. Up until she was 70 years old, she stayed away from weight training and never believed in having an instructor. “I never liked anyone telling me what to do,” she said half-jokingly. “I found out that I was really wrong and that my strength and my wellness and everything I have now, I really owe to strength training and weights.”

Katzmark exercises six times a week, and she encourages others around her age to do the same in order to maintain structure and prevent bone and muscle decay. simple, you can progress yourself from sit to stand to squat to stand and maybe even squat to stand holding an object.

First and foremost, clients who are at risk due to a weakened skeletal system will need the support of their dietary intake to guide their body back into balance. While a consistent and methodical exercise plan will help develop and promote the person’s body through this conditioning process, it will not show the same amount of support unless backed up by a calculated nutrition plan.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation reaffirms my beliefs in the importance of following exercise recommendations to the general population but is of greater importance to the at-risk or diagnosed osteoporosis community.

A weekly exercise program designed to improve posture, hip and back strength, balance and functional movement is crucial to keeping this population safe from unnecessary fractures while providing greater confidence to perform activities of daily living.

No matter where you are in your aging process, start incorporating your six pillars sooner than later.

Samantha Blankenburg owns and operates her own training facility, Everyday Athlete in San Clemente, California. Her studio offers small group and private training to a range of athletes from their early 20s into their late 60s. Samantha B also co-owns and operates an online lifestyle company with Gina Cousineau aimed to offer in person and virtual nutrition, fitness and lifestyle consulting. You can reach out to Samantha B at Samantha.

Blankenburg@gmail.com.

On the Road Again Dana Point Couple Downsizes for the Ultimate Road Trip LILLIAN BOYD

A

bout a year ago, Alan Wickstrom, formerly of Dana Point, sold nearly everything he owned.

After the passing of his longtime colleague, he felt it was time to sell his business. Then came the sale of his house and vehicles.

“The house sold four days after we put it on the market,” Wickstrom said. “Everything happened so fast. We’ve been on an adventure ever since, and we don’t regret it one bit.”

Alan and his wife, Liz, bought a Ford F-350 RV and have been traveling the country for the past year. Their travels have taken them to places such as Austin, New Orleans, Virginia Beach, Ann Arbor and cities in between. Their visits last anywhere between one to three weeks.

“I feel so blessed that my wife has been on board. This has been an extraordinary way to see our country. We’ve had the best time,” Alan said, adding that one of her conditions was for

the RV to come with two restrooms—a feature that he says has been a saving grace.

The Wickstroms purchased a membership for Thousand Trails, a timeshare service for RV travelers. The membership allows them access to more than 190 sites all over the country.

Their travels have offered opportunities to see wildlife, such as wild burros and manatees, and to explore fields of sunflowers in St. Croix, Wisconsin.

“We spent Christmas Day at an RV campsite in the Keys with dozens of strangers in 80-degree weather,” Liz said. “It was the best time.

I’m amazed at how gracious and welcoming the RV community is.”

The Wickstroms say “RVers” have gone out of their way to help each other in moments of need, like when the couple faced flooding in Virginia Beach, or the times they’ve arrived to their site at nighttime.

“Getting to a campsite at night could mean difficulty in parking the . Other folks will

Alan and Liz Wickstrom sold their Dana Point home along with a majority of their possessions in 2018 and have since traveled the country in their RV. Photos: Courtesy of Liz Wickstrom

come out of the woodworks with flashlights to help us park. If the RV needs any repairs, other campers help each other with fixing or direct each other on where to go. We’ve been so lucky,” Alan said.

The Wickstroms encountered a problem in Ann Arbor after Liz lost vision in her right eye and had to stay in the area for seven weeks.

“It just so happened that we were in close proximity to the Kellogg Eye Center, a worldrenowned ophthalmology care center,” Liz said. “I was able to get the surgery I needed to restore my sight. Considering all the remote areas we’ve stayed at or traveled through, we were so fortunate.”

The Wickstroms, along with their beagle and Chihuahua-beagle mix, don’t quite know where their travels will take them next.

“We’re in Parker, Arizona, right now, looking at the Colorado River. Next week, we’ll be headed to Southern California to see family,” Alan said. “After that, we’re thinking of heading back ast. We don’t know where specifically, but that’s part of the adventure.”

DOWNSIZING TAX BENEFITS FOR SENIORS CA Proposition 60 // This allows homeowners over the age of 55 to transfer the assessed value of their current home to a replacement home if that home is within the same county, is of equal or lesser value than the original property, and was purchased or newly constructed within two years of the original property’s sale.

CA Proposition 90 // This broadens the scope of Proposition 60 and allows transfers from one county to another county in California, but it is up to the discretion of the county to authorize such transfers.

Orange County is one of 10 counties in California that has an ordinance enabling the intercounty base-year value transfer.

For more information, visit the website for the California Board of Equalization, boe.ca.gov.

Secrets to a Long-Lasting Marriage

BY CARI HACHMANN

I

n today’s world, many young couples are looking to their elders and past generations for advice on how to maintain a long-lasting marriage. In a time in which 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the U.S. divorce, and fewer people are getting married or are choosing to marry later in life, the tradition of staying together until death do us part can seem a little . . . gloomy. But, how beautiful and reassuring it is when you run into a couple who have made it 30, 40 or even 50 years or more.

The question begs to be asked, how do you do it? We talked with several local couples who have surpassed more than a few anniversaries together, on what their secrets are for a longlasting marriage.

“Love, common goals and interests, along with many other things, have kept us married for 35 years and still going,” San Clemente resident James Hamilton said of he and his wife, Gayle.

Scott and Diana Schmitt of San Juan Capistrano have been married 33 years.

“To me, my marriage to Diana is the best

thing that has ever happened. I believe a strong marriage is built on consistent niceties and support over time,” said Scott. “Chains do not hold a marriage together. It’s threads... hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. I have a wonderful seamstress,” he said.

Dana Point residents Ted and Mary Kay Bowersox met during their sophomore year of college and have now been married 47 years.

“We think having a common background (of faith and values) has been very instrumental in our relationship,” the couple said in an email

they wrote together.

They added, “Mutual respect is always important. Arguments have been very few over the last 50 years, but if you ever have one, try to make up before you go to bed, to get it behind you.”

San Juan Capistrano’s John Bates and his wife, Judy, have been married 61 years.

Bates said, “I believe one of the secrets to our successful marriage is the total trust and mutual support Judy and I have given to our marriage. We are sincerely devoted to each other.”

ADDRESSING OSTEOPOROSIS

BY GINA COUSINEAU

O

steoporosis is often called the “silent disease.” Until a fracture occurs, we are often ignorant of its existence.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) states that after the age of 50, one in two women will have an osteoporotic fracture, while one in four men are also likely to have it. A scary statistic, but the fact is that osteoporosis is generally preventable and absolutely treatable.

This being said, how can we help ourselves at this stage in the game?

We must address risk factors such as family history, a slight frame, early menopause and any fracture after 50. Your doctor will likely recommend a bone density test (DXA), which can uncover the health of your bones.

While a diet rich in wholesome grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruit, lean proteins and healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado) is recommended for all, making sure you are getting appropriate calories, protein, calcium and vitamin D is paramount to prevent both sarcopenia (muscle loss) and osteoporosis (bone loss).

If you tend to miss the mark with food, supplementation can fill in the gaps. The NOF website provides an easy-to-use calcium calculator to help determine your specific calcium supplementation needs.

With regards to vitamin D, it is suggested that the 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in your blood is tested to determine if adequate, and if not, supplementation dosage can be provided. It is important to understand that there is no regulation on supplements of any kind in the U.S. I highly recommend that you look for the “ SP” verified mark on your supplements, or other third-party testing, to make sure the contents match the label.

A Bone Healthy Meal Plan

BREAKFAST BOWL: ½ cup Nonfat Greek yogurt, ¼ cup muesli, 1 cup berries or other fruit, 2 tablespoons walnuts and ¼ cup non/lowfat milk in your coffee/tea MORNING SNACK: one cup soymilk heated for latte and medium orange LUNCH BOWL: 1 cup cooked quinoa,

5 ounces tofu and 2 cups broccoli sautéed with 1 tablespoon olive oil, drizzled with 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

AFTERNOON SNACK: ½ cup cottage cheese, 2 dried apricots, and 6 pecan halves DINNER: chicken thigh; 1 red pepper, 1/2 red onion, 1 small sweet potato, cut in 2-inch pieces and tossed with ½ tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper on sheet pan for 30 minutes at 425 degrees

Learn more about how fitness can help reduce your risk, as well, from Samantha Blankenburg in this issue.

Gina Cousineau, a culinary nutritionist, is the co-owner of the San Clemente based -Mama G’s Lifestyle - with Samantha Blankenburg, offering in person and virtual nutrition, fitness and lifestyle consulting. She elcomes your uestions and comments at . ama s ifestyle.com

HEARING BETTER FOR A HAPPY LIFE

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

H

earing loss is something that eventually will affect a large percentage of us.

One-third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 75 have some hearing loss, according to the Mayo Clinic. That number increases to about half for those older than 75.

The symptoms of hearing loss are pretty simple, beginning with the muffling of speech or other sounds and difficulty understanding words, especially with background noise.

For a lot of folks, the difficulty in treating hearing loss is the failure to accept that you have the hearing loss at all. It may be easy to put the blame on other people not speaking clearly, but if it is happening enough, it may be time to see a doctor and take a hearing test.

The National Institute on Aging recommends seeing your doctor if you have trouble hearing over the phone, find it hard to follow conversations when two or more people are talking, ask people to repeat what they are saying, need to turn up the TV volume too loud for others or can’t understand when women and children speak to you.

The test is a series of beeps at different frequencies to determine the degree of hearing loss.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, there are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural and mixed.

Conductive happens when sounds cannot reach the inner ear due to earwax, fluid or a punctured eardrum. With conductive hearing loss, soft sounds may be hard to hear and loud sounds may be muffled. This can be treated.

Sensorineural comes from inner-ear damage. Soft sounds also may be hard to hear and loud sounds may be unclear. This is the most common type of permanent hearing loss, and hearing aids may help.

Mixed is a combination of both.

If hearing aids are needed, there are two main types.

The cheaper and smaller kinds are a sort of amplification system. This simply takes the noise and increases the volume, but it doesn’t help distinguish the sounds. These can be found in an easily concealed in-ear variety or over-ear variety.

The other is more expensive and larger, but it does help distinguish sounds. These are usually over the ear and are assisted by computer chips to help with the sound quality.

For more information on hearing loss and hearing aids, check with your doctor or these local locations: THE HEARING AID DOCTOR 949.281.8975, 32565 B Golden Lantern, #496, Dana Point.

ROSE HEARING AID CENTERS 949.336.1804, 24981 Dana Point Harbor Dr., E-130, Dana Point.

MIRACLE-EAR HEARING AID CENTER 949.482.0781, 31878 Del Obispo St. Suite 111, San Juan Capistrano.

CONNECT HEARING 949.489.0668, 30250 Rancho Viejo Rd. Suite A, San Juan Capistrano.

HEARINGLIFE HEARING AID CENTER 949.503.6083, 3553 Camino Mira Costa Suite C, San Clemente.

ORANGE COUNTY PHYSICIANS’ HEARING SERVICES 949.276.4008, 675 Camino de los Mares Suite 420, San Clemente.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

STAYING STRONG FOR LIFE!

By alerie edlund of acific Strength If you’re older than 55 and have always gone to a gym, you’re ahead of the game. But, you may need to evaluate your routine and change things up to get results.

Sometimes that means trying something new, adding more cardio or more strength (whichever you’re lacking), or backing off a bit to allow sufficient time to recover.

If you’ve never been a gym rat, you may know you need strength training, but may not know how much or what kind you need. Try this routine at home to get you started: . al to your doctor. Make sure there are no contraindications to beginning an exercise routine.

2. Walk around (your house or your block) for 10 minutes. . a e your shoes and soc s off, so you can feel your feet push into the floor.

Finding the Right Fit Hospice and Palliative Care in South Orange County Aims to Provide Comfort

BY LILLIAN BOYD

F

inding the right care for an aging loved one can come with overwhelming options, particularly when he or she faces a serious illness.

Hospice and palliative care both provide comfort for a patient.

Palliative care can begin at diagnosis and in conjunction with treatment. Hospice care begins after the treatment for serious illness or disease has stopped and it is clear that the patient will not survive the illness. Hospice is typically offered when medical treatment is no longer an option or if a client has six or fewer months to live.

Synergy HomeCare of Coastal Cities is a family-owned-and-operated Home Care Agency that has been serving the Orange County area since 2012. Teresa Chadsey, Synergy’s vice president, says that the service provider’s caretakers offer a variety of care to make clients feel as comfortable as possible for these types of phases in life.

“Our goal is to offer a reasonable alternative to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Our caregivers take a courteous and compassionate approach to every job, and we often participate in continuing education programs in order to improve service,” Chadsey said.

Synergy offers live-in care, 24-hour care, toileting and incontinence assistance, managing difficult behaviors, bathing assistance, errand and transportation assistance, making meal time more enjoyable, light housekeeping, companionship and respite for family caregivers.

“We develop a relationship with our clients and their families. Together, we develop a plan of care that addresses the clients’ daily needs and always focus on helping them maintain their dignity,” Chadsey said.

When searching for the right care provider in terms of hospice or palliative care, Chadsey says it is imperative to choose a California state-licensed agency that is insured.

“Inquire if all employees are background checked,” Chadsey said. “Researching an agency and reading their Google reviews is an effective way to assist in narrowing down your options as well.”

Palliative care may be offered by hospitals, home care agencies, cancer centers, as well as long-term care facilities. Your health care provider or hospital can give you the names of palliative and hospice care specialists near you. Be sure to inform your provider of what causes the most pain, discomfort and stress so that patients can receive care tailored to meet their needs.

. hair S uats Find a dining room chair, stand in front of it, facing away. With your feet on the floor, push mostly through your heel and mid-foot. Reach your butt back. Sit on the chair. Pause for one second. Stand up: shift your weight forward, but not on your toes.

Push through your heel and mid-foot. Stand up tall, straighten your legs. epeat five to 10 times, building repetitions as you’re able. . ushups Place your hands on a tall countertop.

Straighten your arms so your body is straight and angles toward the floor. Bend your elbows so your chest meets the countertop. Push yourself away from the counter to the straight-arm start position. Repeat five to 10 times, building repetitions as you’re able. As this gets easier, move to a lower surface. . eadlift Stand one foot away from a wall, facing away. Reach your butt back to the wall, allowing knees to bend as your butt gets closer to the wall. Gently touch the wall with your butt (do not lean on the wall).

Push your hips forward, straighten your legs, and stand tall. epeat five to 10 times, building repetitions as you’re able. . Bac to the all lan Stand with your back against a wall. Keep heels, butt, shoulders and back of head in contact with the wall. Reach your hands out in front of your shoulders, palms down. Don’t let your shoulders come away from the wall. Open your hands and spread your arms so that the back of your hands touch the wall on either side of your body. Squeeze your shoulder blades. epeat five to 10 times, building repetitions as you’re able.Bonus: While still against the wall, stand tall and slowly turn your head so you can look from side to side. Keep all points of contact with the wall.

Start with two to three rounds of the entire routine, two to three times per week. Once that feels easy, add weight, or start coming to our Silver Strength Class and learn how to build more strength and stay Strong For Life! Marilyn, the 80-year-old who can deadlift 270 pounds started strength training when she was 70! It’s never too late to try something new!

Silver Strength Class: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. at Pacific Strength, 1520 N. El Camino Real, #3, San Clemente. valerie@pacstrength.com. 949.291.6093.

GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

The List

At the Movies: ‘The Sound of My Voice’ Gives Fans an Inside Look at Legendary Musician’s Life

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 | 28 DESIGNING HABITAT IN YOUR GARDEN 9:30-10:30 a.m. Join Colin Dunleavy as he illustrates how planting native plants can provide new life to your garden. They provide a food source and living space for pollinators, birds, and reptiles, which struggle to find food and shelter in urban areas filled with lawns, flower beds, and hyper-organized, over-maintained “landscapes.” With the right plants, it is possible to invite a host of hummingbirds, songbirds and beneficial insects to the garden. Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.728.0685. CaliforniaNativePlants.com.

VINTAGE FINDS & ART POP-UP SHOP 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Check out this pop-up shop offering unique finds, vintage pieces, home decor, art and more. A portion of the sales will go to New Beginnings for Animals, a local nonprofit rescue group that’s dedicated to saving abandoned dogs and cats with a slim chance of survival in high-kill shelters. The pop-up will be held at Las Catrinas SJC, 31742 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano. 949.923.8291.

Sunday | 29 HUNGER WALK 12:30-3 p.m. Join in the tradition for San Clemente’s 32nd annual Hunger Walk.

Bring your friends and family out to support this fun event to raise funds and awareness to stomp out hunger. Sponsored by Family Assistance Ministries. All proceeds go directly to stop hunger in the local area.

Registration and check-in begin at 12:30 p.m. Walk kicks off at 2 p.m. San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente. 949.492.8477. San-Clemente.org.

Monday | 30 INTRODUCTION TO BRIDGE 9:30-11:30 a.m. The South Orange County Bridge Center hosts this weekly bridge se-

EDITOR’S PICK The San Juan Capistrano Greek Festival returns the weekend of Sept. 28 at the city’s community center.

Photo: Brian Park

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28: SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO GREEK FESTIVAL 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Come find your “Kefi” at San Juan Capistrano’s annual Greek Festival, hosted by Saint Basil Greek Orthodox Church. The weekend event evokes the sights, sounds and tastes of Greece. There will be lots of traditional Greek dishes to choose from, including the flavorful lamb chops and souvlaki, a tasty gyro sandwich, or a delicious Greek Village Salad. And for your sweet tooth, there will be plenty of Greek pastries. Enjoy Greek wine tasting and beers in the Sports Taverna while listening to live Greek music. And at this fun-filled weekend for the whole family, there will be plenty activities for kids, as well as shopping. We love animals, but for everyone’s safety and enjoyment, no pets, please. Sunday’s festivities will go from noon to 9 p.m. Admission is $3; kids 12-andunder, active military and first responders get in free. San Juan Capistrano Community Center, 25925 Camino del Avion, San Juan Capistrano. 949.542.3445. SJCGreekFest.org.

ries that runs every Monday through Oct. 14. South Orange County Bridge Center, 31251 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite 205, San Juan Capistrano, 949.248.1268. JaneDober@gmail.com. SOCB.Center.

Wednesday | 02 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.

NATIONAL ‘COFFEE WITH A COP’ DAY 9-10 a.m. Enjoy a cup of coffee with the city’s Chief of Police Services, Lt. Carl Bulanek, along with several of the deputies serving our community. There will be two opportunities to participate, from 9-10 a.m. at the Starbucks located at 27211 Ortega Highway, and from 4-5 p.m. at the Starbucks located at 32022 Camino Capistrano. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and get to know the dedicated and hard-working law enforcement officers who serve San Juan Capistrano. For additional information, please

The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

contact Police Services at 949.443.6369.

SanJuanCapistrano.org.

Friday | 04 ‘MURDER ON THE NILE’ 8 p.m. This production, written by famed mystery novelist Agatha Christie, will mark the start of the Camino Real Playhouse’s 30th season. Performances will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Oct. 6. Price of admission for regular tickets is $27; tickets for cabaret tables are $37. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

949.489.8082. CaminoRealPlayhouse.org.

Sunday | 06 FIRST SUNDAY CAR SHOW 9 a.m. First Sunday Car Show is a San Juan Capistrano free, family-friendly event hosted by The Local Dish Magazine. The car show features food and drinks available for purchase, including $2 tacos and $5 drink specials. There will also be plenty of cars, crafts, demos, sweets, beer and a wine garden. 31115 Rancho Viejo Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.337.3875. TheLocalDishMagazine.com.

Page 23

Photo: Courtesy of CNN Films

BY MEGAN BIANCO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

F

rom 1974-1978, there was no bigger female solo music artist in the U.S. than Linda Ronstadt. Now, with the help of Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the singer herself gets to tell her side of the success story. The Sound of My Voice is a pretty straightforward documentary, direction-wise.

We get all of the usual talking-head commentaries from Ronstadt’s friends and colleagues, while the vocalist is heard primarily through off-camera narration on her life’s backstory.

What made Linda different from contemporaries such as Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Carly Simon is that she wasn’t a songwriter. She didn’t have much interest in creating the words to her songs on paper, but instead took already existing material and put her own spin on it, like with Clint Ballard’s “You’re No Good” and Buddy Holly’s “It’s So Easy.” One thing that might have been a nice addition to the doc would be Ronstadt’s thoughts on being one of the few women in her peer group not writing her own tracks.

The highlights of the new feature are all of the great performance footage and Linda going into detail on her family’s Mexican background and semi-upbringing. Because of the 95-minute runtime, a lot of interesting aspects of her career and life are also compromised in exposure. Even so, it is refreshing that Epstein and Friedman found a way to make the ending bittersweet and hopeful, rather than easily depressing. All in all, I would say The Sound of My Voice is a good starting point for new fans looking to learn about the music legend’s life. But maybe it’s too safe and basic for longtime fanatics. CD thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT

On Stage at The Coach House: Jim Messina

Jim Messina will play The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday, Oct. 3. Photo: Courtesy of George Bekris

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

J

im Messina refuses to be pigeonholed into any one particular genre or style of music.

As a founding member of 1960s country rock group Poco, he and his fellow bandmates, including Richie Furay, have become widely regarded as the pioneers for the genre.

However, for Messina, who was the other half of Loggins & Messina in the ’70s and played with Furay in Buffalo Springfield during the ’60s, he wants to “continue to be an artist of the past, present and future.”

Throughout his years of performing live for audiences, Messina has maintained a set list that includes hits from all of his previous musical acts, using only a fraction of his shows for his own solo works.

But, during a phone call from his Tennessee home, Messina told The Capistrano Dispatch that he wants to incorporate more of his own solo material in 2020, including songs from Under a Mojito Moon: Part 1, his last studio album from 2009 that he recorded with a flamenco guitar.

“I want to move forward in 2020 and start bringing in my solo works and songs,” Messina said. “And again, to get away from—if I may say this—getting away from the country rock image.”

Messina adds that as his musical career moves into the 2020s, he’s finding it difficult to hang his hat on one particular style of music, especially considering his catalogue of works include rock, country, folk, and Spanish.

Messina got his start with Buffalo Springfield in 1966 as the recording engineer for the band’s second album, Buffalo Springfield Again. He was later tapped to produce the group’s follow-up albums, as well as replace Bruce Palmer as bassist.

When the band split in 1968, he and Furay formed Poco, going away from the folk Page 24

rock sound of Buffalo and creating that country rock vibe they’ve become known for. And in 1970, Messina started writing music with Kenny Loggins.

Messina related his current feelings toward his music to the way he felt when he and Loggins formed their rock pop duo, Loggins & Messina.

“The music that I find where I’m at in my life is not country rock; that’s part of my past,” he said. “I think if you move forward to Loggins & Messina, you’ll hear where I was evolving away from Poco, musically. Evolving as a songwriter, as a lyricist, as an instrumentalist.”

Messina later felt a similar way in 2009, when he wrote Under a Mojito Moon, which drew influences from Spanish and Cuban melodies.

With such a vast catalogue of tunes to choose from, Messina acknowledges that he plays what the audience has mainly come to hear during shows, which are many hits from his previous works with Springfield, Poco and Loggins.

Sprinkled into the set will also be some acoustic jams of his. But he notes that the last part of the night is where he likes to get people grooving.

“If we take an intermission, we’ll take a break there, and the next part of the set, for me, is really taking the energy and moving it at an exponential level to where by the end of the show, they’re up and out of their seats and rocking and moving,” he said.

Messina will be bringing those grooves and moves to San Juan Capistrano when he plays The Coach House next month.

Tickets to see Messina on Thursday, Oct. 3, are $39.50. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. For tickets or more information, call 949.496.8930 or visit TheCoachHouse.com.

CD thecapistranodispatch.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

Submit your classified ad online at thecapistranodispatch.com GARAGE SALES MULTI-FAMILY GARAGE SALE EVERYTHING MUST GO! Sat. Sept. 28th 7am - 12pm. 705 El Berro, San Clemente CA 92672. Women/men/kids/baby clothes, shoes, toys, books, bikes, dining & living room furniture, home decor, kitchen & household appliances, inflatable boat, lemonade stand and treats!

FORSTER RANCH COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 8 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Cross streets are Camino Vera Cruz and Camino De Los Mares GARAGE SALE - SEPT. 28TH Capo Beach, 8 am to 12n. Tools, household items, sewing machines, clothes, odds and ends, Side by side Refrig,, washer/dryer (off site). Corner of Calle Juanita & Calle Carmelita.

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE!

Call 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or email debra@wellsadsolutions.com

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

E-mail your garage sale to info@thecapistranodispatch.com DEADLINE 5PM MONDAY. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

HELP WANTED

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

INSIDE SALES Joe Verde Sales and Management Training, Inc. Inside Sales – Local company 30 years in business.

The average salesperson made $190,061 in 2018.

Email your resume to employment@joeverde.com.

HELP WANTED: RDA OR DA Private periodontal practice in San Clemente needs RDA or DA to join our team. 4 days a week. Experience desired but willing to train the right person.

Email ginnyperio@att.net

Call 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or email debra@wellsadsolutions.com

RECEPTIONIST WANTED- THE DISTRICT SALON Responsible, Honest, Hard-working, Friendly. Full Time (Tues- Fri 10-6, Sat 9-4) Please only serious inquiries: 949.248.3406 info@thedistricthairsalon.com.

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on October 25, 2019, at 9:30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, in Department C16 of the Orange County Superior Court – Central Justice Center, located at 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701, Petitioner Alyssa Garrett intends to apply for an order, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 6000, et. seq., declaring The Capistrano Dispatch to be a newspaper of general circulation for the County of Orange, State of California circulated in the City of San Juan Capistrano.

WANTED WANTED: STAMPS! BUYING LARGE Postage Stamp Collections. Call Nicholas 619.672.0434

FOR SALE RESTAURANT LIQUOR LICENSE (TYPE 47) Type 47 Restaurant Liquor License for sale. Text or call for details 949.510.9724 The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

Page 25

thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

GUEST OPINION: Dirt Therapy by Marianne Taylor

It’s Time to Toil in the Soil: The Abundance of an Autumn Garden

S

ept. 23 marked the first day of autumn. Although the scorching heat is still upon us in many parts of Southern California, we know the cooler temperatures are around the corner.

Soon enough, we’ll be able to venture out to our wilted and weed-infested gardens to reboot them with life for an abundant crop for winter. Now is the time to start planning and preparing for those delicious fall crops that will grace our tables in time for the holiday feasts.

If you’re new to gardening or have been gardening for years, I find the autumn vegetable and herb gardens are quite inspiring and invigorating.

There is a plethora of plants to choose from during this season. The benefits from a fall garden do a body good, filled with healthy antioxidants.

Antioxidants can be added to foods to prevent or delay deterioration, from the action of air. (Think lemon juice on an apple preserving it from browning.)

Here’s the best news of all: Antioxidants are naturally found in cruciferous vegetables. What are cruciferous vegetables? They are a diverse group that includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, bok choy, arugula, Brussels sprouts, collards, watercress and radishes. These vegetables grow best in cooler temperatures from fall to winter.

With this healthy fall-winter plant menu, let’s get started for some healthy greens.

Steps to grow a fall garden: New to gardening? You’ll need to shop for supplies either online or at the local nursery, or if you’re handy, you can build your own raised beds.

First, you need to find a sunny loca-

tion that gets at least six hours of sun in the garden or on a patio. I suggest using raised beds that are from a kit, unless you like to build. These kits are ideal and easy to work around.

I personally like beds that come to my waist about 30” high off the ground. These keep critters out and save your back. You will need a few small hand tools, a pair of garden gloves, seeds to sow or plants already in a pack.

It’s important that you have a water source close by; raised beds dry out fast and will do best on a drip system or by hand watering each day.

Best soil is an organic vegetable planting mix.

Once you have all the supplies in place, you need to plan when and where you will place your plants in the garden bed.

If you are planting from DIRT THERAPY a 6-pack or 4” containers,

By Marrianne purchase plants the day Taylor you plant.

Too often, people purchase plants first before preparing the garden beds, and their young plants perish from sitting in their packs for a week or so. Once plants are in place, water thoroughly, visit your garden daily, observe the growth and watch for any pests. (White cabbage butterflies will decimate a garden.)

Use Dawn soap mixed with water in a spray bottle for pest control; never use chemicals. Get in a habit of keeping a garden journal; write the steps you did to begin this garden, add the date and time along with your daily observations. By doing this,

you’ll teach yourself a lot about gardening.

If you’re a seasoned gardener, you know the steps and what these ample autumn vegetables will supply for a hearty and healthy meal. It’s time to prep and clean out the summer harvest and amend the soil for the next season.

Maybe try something new and purchase a whiskey barrel container, creating a themed Italian garden. Now is the time to start from seeds. Be sure to protect the seedlings from the heat, water and watch daily.

If you are planting from the containers, purchase plants the day you plant. Enjoy your therapeutic time toiling in the soil; you

have permission to get lost in the garden.

Happy Fall, y’all!

Marianne Taylor, of San Juan Capistrano, is the founder and executive director of Goin’ Native Therapeutic Gardens, 501c3, teaching gardening and life skills as a way of empowering, engaging and connecting people. Goin’ Native focuses on educating local families, special-needs adults, seniors, at-risk youth and members of the military. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The 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 Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com

Solution:

his happy puppy is Cash, a 6-month-old German Shepherd mix that has come a long way. When initially brought to the shelter, Cash was very scared and mostly hairless due to skin infection and mange. After medical attention and a lot of love, he is growing up to be quite a handsome and healthy pup. Cash is now ready for adoption and can’t wait to find his forever family.

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

The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

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

BY MYLES MELLOR

THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

Cash. Photo: Courtesy of San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter

FROM THE ARCHIVES The title of this photograph is “Picking oranges in sunny California, 1925.” Pictured in the center is Kathleen Newman as a small child.

Sudoku

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Cash

T

Photo: Courtesy of OC Public Libraries

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

thecapistranodispatch.com

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

Why Can’t Senior Men Be ‘Just Friends’?

J

anice, not her true name, age 70, emailed with this question: “Why can’t senior men be ‘just friends’ with a lady?

“I meet a nice man, we get along, share humor and activities we like. But I’m not romantically or sexually attracted to him. I tell him this, he says OK, but he continually tries to pursue romance.”

A year ago, Janice ON LIFE AND met a recent widower LOVE AFTER 50 on Craigslist. He was

By Tom Blake 71 and lived in her city.

She told him she enjoyed his company,

but she was not romantically attracted to him. They stopped dating.

He texted her from time to time, asking to see her. This summer, she agreed to meet him again.

Janice said, “Off he went! On the same train of thought. Again, I explained that I really liked his company and would like to do things together, but that I was not attracted to him in a romantic way.

“He still brought up romance, would hug me, touch me . . . try to get me to change my mind. He even stole a kiss when I only bent in to hug him goodbye.

“This has happened to me four times lately with different men. Why can’t senior men, many who are lonely, be content just being friends without wanting the physical aspect?”

I surveyed readers for their opinions: Richard: “I’m always amused at the ‘surprise’ women report when the men they date want sex. Here’s a bulletin for females in that category: Men date to get sex! That’s not all that bad, because for lots of guys like me, that’s the minimum relationship requirement.”

Sandi: “Men are hard-wired so differently from women. I think by now we know sex is uppermost in men’s thinking process.”

Joel: “Someone who is a good companion

for activities and conversation likely has most all of the qualities for a long-term relationship. When I enjoy a woman, after a while, I want to completely ‘enjoy’ her.

“Women want love before sex; men, sex before love. Men are motivated by lust.”

Henry: “If I wanted a friend to hang out with and not have sex, I’d hang out with guy friends, who wouldn’t have to be wined and dined. Just two, three or more guys lying to each other, laughing about the good old times, discussing our pains and talking about the ones that got away.

“Most older women don’t want sex. If they just want a friend, they can go out with women friends.”

“If a man is interested

in a relationship with a woman, he’ll wait until she’s ready to be physical.

”

—Tom Blake

Tom’s opinion: Most men I know say they enjoy physical contact with women. If a man is attracted to a woman, in addition to doing things together—movies, plays, travel, camping, dinner, walking,

for example—he likely wants the physical contact as well.

If a man is interested in a relationship with a woman, he’ll wait until she’s ready to be physical. Of course, at some point, he may decide the situation is never going to change and he’ll move on to be with a woman who wants romance.

The widower who pursued Janice kept trying because he was attracted to her. He hoped she’d change her feelings and felt she was worth waiting for.

As far as his stealing that kiss—at least the guy had a little fire in his belly at age 71.

I understand Janice’s frustration. And one item she mentioned I agree with: I don’t understand why a man who is lonely, and has no one, isn’t willing to have a friend without benefits.

Wouldn’t that be better than not having a friend at all?

Joel summed up this topic by adding: “It’s a jungle out there.”

Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and San Clemente resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating.

See his website at findingloveafter50.com.

To comment: tompblake@gmail.com. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The 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 Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Golden Age Capo Classics senior basketball players honored for national, world championships

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

T

he Capo Classics, a senior group of basketball players who compete at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center gym, were honored at the San Juan Capistrano City Council meeting on Sept. 3 after a golden summer of championships.

The Capo Classics’ 85+ USA-CAL team won its fifth national age-group championship in New Mexico in June, and two Capo Classic 65+ members won a world championship with Team USA in Finland in August. All were honored at the meeting.

“The senior basketball team has traveled much of the globe,” San Juan Capistrano Mayor Brian Maryott said at the meeting.

“They have more stamina and drive than many folks half their age. Their motto is ‘Age is a mental condition. If you want to be old, you’re old.’ “ Player-manager Bob Messersmith, 86, spoke at the meeting and accepted the honor with his 85+ National Senior Games championship and Capo Classic teammates.

“Twenty years ago, a group of us guys were sitting around and said, ‘Let’s play some basketball competitively,’ ” Messersmith said. “The beautiful part of this is for these 85 (year-old) guys, it’s over for us.

There isn’t anything. We’re waiting for the 90-year-old group.”

Messersmith and the USA-CAL team have won national championships in the

San Juan Prep Roundup

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

For in-game updates, news and more for all of the SJC high school sports programs, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @SouthOCSports

W

ith the football season crossing or reaching the midway point for the five teams in San Juan Capistrano, let’s check in on their seasons so far and where they stand heading into league play:

Capo Classics players Darrell Cavanaugh (left) and Al Rosen won world championships with the USA 65+ team in Espoo, Finland on August 4. The teammates and the national champion 85+ USA-CAL team were honored by San Juan Capistrano City Council on Sept. 3. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

65, 70, 75, 80, and 85 age divisions.

“The city has supported this so tremendously,” Messersmith said. “We have people coming up, the younger guys—I call them all kids—and the Capo Classics are known all around the country. Now, they’re worldwide known.”

Darrell Cavanaugh, 66, of Mission Viejo, and Al Rosen, 73, of San Juan Capistrano, won FIMBA World Maxibasketball Championships with the USA 65+ team in Espoo, Finland on Aug. 4. Marty Heim of San Clemente won bronze with the USA 60+ team.

“From my perspective, it’s a dream come true,” Cavanaugh said. “If you’re a

basketball nut, there’s no higher level of competition, and then to represent your country, it’s unbelievable.”

The USA 65+ team beat Chile by 88 points, Italy by 31 points, Uruguay by 39 points and Brazil by 32 points to reach the final. For the gold, USA edged Russia, 70-66.

“Truly an honor,” Rosen said. “A great team and a great group of men. Once-in-alifetime experience.”

Players such as Cavanaugh and Rosen are the “kids” Messersmith mentioned who will continue to carry the Capo Classics program that Messersmith and his group have firmly established.

“The idea is these guys set the standard for excellence,” Cavanaugh said, “and we’re trying to build and continue with the program of the Capo Classics, have the younger groups follow the path that they followed.”

The Capo Classics program has formed bonds and a community beyond basketball that all of the players value.

“Special opportunity for us to not only play basketball, but get to know guys,” Rosen said. “We’ve all helped each other with different injuries and illnesses. Just the social nature of it has been another addition to the basketball side of it.” CD

SAN JUAN HILLS

JSerra will use its pre-Trinity League bye week to focus on consistency.

The Lions’ wins came over East of Salt Lake City, Utah; defending Georgia Division 7A state champion Milton; Bishop Amat and Division 1-ranked Calabasas.

However, the Lions still haven’t put it all together. Most recently against Calabasas, JSerra dominated in the first half to take a 24-0 lead, but some mistakes let the Coyotes back into the game. The Lions still won, 31-20.

JSerra hosts Santa Margarita for homecoming on Oct. 4 to open the Trinity League.

forfeited due to an ineligible player.

The Tartans (4-0) host Santa Fe Christian on Friday, Sept. 27. St. Margaret’s does not begin league play until Oct. 18 against Saddleback Valley Christian.

The Stallions enter their homecoming week coming off a pair of stinging losses.

After a resounding win over South Hills, 42-7, on Sept. 6, San Juan Hills (2-3) was in position for another statement win over Edison with a 17-0 lead after the first quarter.

Edison then turned the tables and pulled off the comeback, 24-17. Last week, San Juan Hills couldn’t get started against a motivated Tesoro team in a 20-3 loss.

San Juan Hills welcomes in Great Oak of Temecula on Friday, Sept. 27 before the defending Sea View League champions turn to league play at Trabuco Hills on Oct. 4.

JSERRA

The Lions come out on the other side of a talented national nonleague schedule at 4-1, and while the results have been positive,

The Capistrano Dispatch September 27-October 10, 2019

ST. MARGARET’S

The Tartans have found their form with dominant wins over Yucca Valley (38-9) and El Toro (49-16) sandwiched around the program’s first-ever win over a Division 4 team in La Mirada (30-22). St. Margaret’s opening loss to Vista also became a win after Vista

Page 30

CVC & SVC

When Capistrano Valley Christian gets hot, it gets hot.

The Eagles (3-2) have scored more than 30 points in four of their five games and come off back-to-back wins over Glendale (36-7) and Century (41-34). CVC hosts Mark Keppel of Alhambra at Capistrano Valley High School on Friday, Sept. 27 and begins league on Oct. 19 at Webb.

SVC (1-4) has had its expected struggles, but the Warriors did beat Crean Lutheran, 22-7, in their second game. SVC hosts Bishop Montgomery at Trabuco Hills High School on Oct. 5. CD

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