The Capistrano Dispatch

CAPISTRANO’S NO. 1 SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS AND SPORTS

Final Decision Nears on Juaneno Recognition

Rodeo Draws Big Crowd

Capistrano Woman Wants Kids to Help Kids—With Shoes

EYE ON SJC/PAGE 5

SPORTS/PAGE 30

SJC LIVING/PAGE 21

S E P T E M B E R 1 0 –2 3 , 2 0 1 0 VOLUME 8, ISSUE 17

School Days Campuses ready as Capistrano students return to class E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 6

San Juan Hills High Teacher of the Year Rob Lynde with economics students on the second day of school. Photo by Jonathan Volzke

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

1

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

SAN CLEMENTE Safe Trestles, an open design competition to create safe, low-impact access to Trestles, has just completed Phase 2 of its campaign.

On Monday, Sept. 13, five possible design solutions will be on display at the San Clemente Community Center as well as at the Hurley Pro at Lower Trestles under the San Onofre Foundation tent, courtesy of the Architecture for Humanity and the San Onofre Foundation.

Ideally, the winning entry will be sensitive to the remote and undisturbed nature of the area, providing safe access across train tracks to the beach but without compromising the pristine environment of this jewel in California surf breaks. Anyone can log onto www. safetrestles.com to view and comment on the proposed solutions. The San Clemente Community Center is downtown at 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, 949.361.8264.

NEWS

NEXT DOOR W H AT ’ S G O I N G O N I N OUR NEIGHBORING TOW N S

DANA POINT Reservations are filling up fast for the State of the County Luncheon with Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates at the Doubletree Guest Suites Doheny Beach on September 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event, hosted by the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, is a chance to hear an overview of the top issues at the county level and how it affects business locally. Admission to the catered luncheon is $40 for Dana Point Chamber members and $60 for non-members. Reservations are now being taken on a first come, first served basis. To reserve your spot, call Kelly Straine at the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, 949.496.1555 or send an email to kstraine@danapointchamber.com. The Doubletree is located at 34402 Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point.

San Juan Capistrano’s Top 5 Hottest Topics

What’s Up With...

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…Rulings in CUSD Election Cases?

THE LATEST: Orange County Superior Court judges have ruled on the spate of legal challenges surrounding the ballot statements for various Capistrano Unified School District candidates and Measure H, the trustee-election initiative.

In the first round of decisions, Judge Kim Dunning made some changes to San Clemente resident John Alpay’s ballot statement, but allowed Alpay to keep key points that he is not supported or backed by unions. Alpay is seeking Trustee Mike Winsten’s seat, in a recall election.

Dunning also allowed to remain statements that Measure H, the trusteeelection-by-area initiative, is not backed by the teachers union. Incumbents and opponents of the measure are painting the election as a struggle for control of the district against the union.

But on Friday, the incumbents and Measure H opponents scored a sweep, as ballot statements from Trustees Ellen Addonizio, Anna Bryson, Larry Christensen, Ken Lopez Maddox and Winsten were allowed to stand unchanged.

Judge Michael Brenner heard those cases, and also rejected a challenge to another anti-Measure H statement.

WHAT’S NEXT: All of the challenges are now settled. The election is November 2.

FIND OUT MORE: See the Beyond the Blackboard blog at www.thecapistranodispatch.com —Jonathan Volzke

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…Emotions Rising at Council Meeting?

THE LATEST: Voices—and maybe more— were raised during Tuesday night’s City www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Council discussion about a proposed water surcharge to offset the city’s costs related to the MTBE groundwater contamination.

Although the actual public hearing to consider the surcharge, which could add about 75 cents a month to water bills for each unit of water used, is scheduled for September 21, the council was discussing various options to recover an estimated $3.6 million lost because of the MTBE. But some residents oppose the surcharge, including former City Councilman Dave Swerdlin. Swerdlin leveled criticism at the council Tuesday. When Councilman Mark Nielsen countered his arguments, Swerdlin allegedly flipped him off from the audience.

Swerdlin denies making the gesture, saying he may have raised his hand to speak again, but council members Sam Allevato and Laura Freese said it was unmistakable.

WHAT’S NEXT: The council decided any money from a surcharge would be returned to residents if the city recovers damages from Chevron. The water-rate hearing is at the council’s September 21 meeting. The council meets at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto.

FIND OUT MORE: See the staff report at www.thecapistranodispatch.com. Audio from the exchange will be posted at The Capistrano Insider blog, also on the homepage. —JV

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…Changes at Home Center?

THE LATEST: The perennially struggling Capistrano Home Center will get a new name and a new tenant makeup in hopes of filling some of the vacant storefronts in the center off Del Obispo Street.

The center, designed to house bigticket items such as furniture, has lost a

dozen tenants since 2005 and has nearly 50,000 square feet open now, city Finance Officer Cindy Russell said in a staff report.

Because the city’s redevelopment agency helped fund the center when it was built, the city imposed conditions on the type of businesses that could be there. Now, the center owners are asking for permission to add general-retail to the mix. They also want a new name, although the council was less than thrilled with the proposed “San Juan Capistrano Retail Plaza.”

WHAT’S NEXT: Councilman Tom Hribar said he was open to different uses, but cautioned the center’s parking is less than it would be for a full retail center.

FIND OUT MORE: See the staff report at www.sanjuancapistrano.org —JV

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…Campbell Solves Another Crime?

THE LATEST: Former Capistrano Mayor Collene Campbell is being credited with solving another crime—this one a cop killing more than 75 years old.

Campbell, a crime-victim advocate who is an appointed member of the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, was instrumental in solving the earlier unrelated slayings of her son and brother-in-law, who was killed with his wife.

And when Campbell bumped into an Alhambra police official who mentioned his department had an unsolved murder from 1933, Campbell helped there, too.

Her late Capt. Marion Thompson, was an Alhambra police captain credited with gunning down the suspect in the 1933 slaying of a police officer three years after that crime.

Police then said the case was 99 percent solved, but were waiting for one

more piece of evidence. Although the crime was never listed as solved, Campbell’s press clippings from the time—saved by her mother—were enough for the department to clear the case this month.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Alhambra department was scheduled to honor Campbell at a ceremony on September 9.

FIND OUT MORE: See The Capistrano Insider blog at www.thecapistranodispatch. com —JV

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…Criticism of 9-11 Event?

THE LATEST: Members of Capistrano’s veterans’ organizations say they are not involved in the Indigenous People Celebration set for Saturday in Historic Town Center Park, an event that some in town have criticized for taking place on September 11.

Richard Ybarra, executive director for CREER, said he had worked with a member of the veterans’ groups and believed they would participate when he issued initial news releases. The event will be respectful of the terrorist attacks on the US, he said.

But representatives from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars say they will not participate. And Orrie Brown, a member of SJC Americans and a member of the editorial board of “Common Sense,” told the City Council Tuesday that CREER, a Latino-empowerment group, has “hijacked” 9-11. SJC Americans tried to reserve the same park for a 9-11 event, but CREER already had it reserved.

WHAT’S NEXT: The event begins at 9:11 a.m. on Saturday and runs until 5 p.m. at Historic Town Center Park downtown.

FIND OUT MORE: See www.thecapistranodispatch.com —JV

September 10–23, 2010 • The Capistrano Dispatch • Page 3

Eye on SJC

Feds Near Decision on Capistrano Tribe Juanenos have sought federal recognition for 30 years

By Jonathan Volzke The Capistrano Dispatch

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fter nearly 30 years, the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians will learn in a few weeks whether their petition for federal recognition will be granted.

R. Lee Fleming, director of the Office of Federal Acknowledgement, said the announcement will be made on or before October 4. The decision comes after the Juanenos scrambled to change course in the wake of a preliminary ruling in 2007 that found the tribe did not meet four of the seven criteria for federal recognition.

Federal recognition would allow the tribe to form its own government, enforce laws (both civil and criminal), tax, license and regulate activities, zone, and exclude persons from tribal territories—which can be acquired from the federal government.

The recognition is also a key step in allowing a tribe to operate a casino or other business enterprise.

More than 560 tribes have gained federal recognition, but the process is painstaking and lengthy. San Juan Capistrano Native Americans initially filed for the recognition in 1982, and now more than one group seeks the federal authority. But

SJC Sheriff’s Blotter C o m p i l e d b y J O N AT H A N V O L Z K E All information below is obtained from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Web site (www.ocsd.org) and reflects data available from calls placed from the field by the responding officer(s). An arrest doesn’t represent guilt. The items below are just a sampling of the entries listed on the OCSD Web site.

Thursday, September 9 SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Calita, 33600 Block (9:52 p.m.)

A resident reported a blue truck was slowly driving up and down the street. It might be connected to recent trouble in the neighborhood, the caller figured.

Wednesday, September 8 DISTRUBANCE Camino Capistrano, 32100 Block (8 p.m.)

A store employee reported a group of men were drinking in the parking lot and yelling at customers.

CITIZEN ASSIST Calle San Diego, 31000 Block (8:43 p.m.)

A parent called deputies to say they www.thecapistranodispatch.com

in a June 2007 proposed finding, federal from submitting material for considerofficials said the Juanenos fell short ation in the final determination…Your in four of the seven criteria required request, therefore, is denied.” for recognition. The ruling said then His letter did not indicate how the that only 4 percent of the tribe’s 908 decision might come down. members could show they descended The Juanenos issued a statement as from the original Miscopies of the letter besion tribe. gan to circulate among “The denial of the Fleming’s news city and community came as he rejected Tribe’s request is one of leaders. a request by Juaneno “The denial of the many examples over the Tribe’s request is one tribal Chairman Anthony Rivera for last 160 years of the U.S. of many examples over more time to file the last 160 years of violation of the Tribe’s arguments supportthe U.S. violation of the ing tribal recognition.

Tribe’s due process Rivera apparently told due process and rights and rights as an Indian the Office of Federal Tribe,” says the twoas an Indian Tribe.”

Acknowledgement— page statement posted part of the US Departon the tribe’s website, —Juaneno Chief Anthony Rivera ment of Interior—that www.juaneno.com. the group had a new The statement says attorney and new information. the Juanenos are confident they can “The regulations provide that unsolic- satisfy the requirements for federal recited comments submitted after the close ognition. The seven requirements are: of the response periods will not be conA. That external observers have sidered in a preparation of a final deteridentified the petitioner as an American mination,” Fleming says in a August 17 Indian entity on substantially continuous letter. “This provision in the regulations basis since 1900; precludes petitions or interested parties B. That a predominant portion of the

petitioning group has comprised a distinct community since historical times; C. That the petitioning group has maintained political influence over its members as an autonomous entity since historical times; D. That the petitioner provide a copy of its governing document; E. That the petitioner’s members descend from a historical Indian tribe; F. That a petitioner’s membership be composed principally of people not members of another federally recognized tribe; G. That the petitioner not be subject to legislation forbidding the federal relationship.

The June 2007 proposed finding says the Juanenos failed to qualify on A, B, C and E. Since then, the Juaneno statement says, the tribe submitted a new tribal role— excluding some names on the earlier list—and other documentation.

“The Tribal Council remains focused on the department’s final determination on our petition for federal acknowledgement and we are confident that the department will correctly determine that the Acjachemen Nation should gain federal recognition,” Rivera says in the statement. CD

weren’t letting their 16-year-old daughter back in because she put holes in the wall the night before. Deputies were called back to the home a couple of hours later when dad and the girl were in a fight.

Sunday, September 5

CAR FIRE Imperial Drive, 3000 Block (1:14 a.m.)

A car was fully engulfed in flames. A shots fired call was reported a few minutes later.

Tuesday, September 7 SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES Paseo Adelanto/Del Obispo Street (7:16 p.m.) Three teens threw a bike into the creek.

ANNOYING PHONE CALLS Via Mistral, 26200 Block (5:52 p.m.)

A 12-year-old girl was receiving threatening phone calls.

GRAND THEFT Camino Capistrano, 39200 Block (5:10 p.m.) A golf cart was stolen from the Rancho Capistrano property.

DISTURBANCE Doheny Park Road/Camino Capistrano (4:44 p.m.) A man reported another man took a swing at him in a store parking lot. The caller reported he’d never seen the other man before.

Monday, September 6

DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 32300 Block (2:56 p.m.) A woman was in a restaurant, yelling and scaring customers.

CITIZEN ASSIST Paseo Miraflores, 32900 Block (12:22 p.m.) A man reported his neighbors were blocking off the street for a party. When the caller confronted them, he was threatened, he said.

CITIZEN ASSIST Camino Capistrano/San Diego Freeway (11:07 a.m.) A woman wanted to talk to deputies because her husband struck her 14-year-old son.

DISTURBANCE Ortega Highway, 27100 Block (6:41 a.m.) A man reported a woman in a restaurant threatened to kill him and his family. The woman is at the restaurant daily, the manager said.

DISTURBANCE Don Juan Avenue, 31300 Block (3 a.m.)

A man walking home said he was nearly hit by a black truck, then threatened by the driver. The man knew where the truck was, though.

DISTURBANCE El Camino Real/Acjachema Street (2:02 a.m.) A woman said she was walking with her boyfriend when someone approached him. The woman walked away, but then couldn’t find her boyfriend or the other person was.

THEFT Ortega Highway, 27100 Block (10:27 p.m.) Someone stole a six-pack of cola from a gas station.

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES Eastview Court, 26300 Block (7:03 a.m.)

A woman reported someone left a bottle of liquid on her yard. She was afraid it was a bomb.

VANDALISM Via De Agua, 33600 Block (2:57 p.m.)

A caller reported someone egged their house. One broke a window.

HIT AND RUN Camino Capistrano/San Diego Freeway A tow truck hit a fire truck on the freeway and wouldn’t stop.

DISTURBANCE Steeplechase Drive, 30900 Block (12:30 a.m.) A caller reported hearing two men arguing. One man told the other if he didn’t go back inside, he was going to get a gun and “mess up” his family.

Sunday, September 4 DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 31400 Block (9:14 p.m.) An unruly wedding party of about 40 people refused to leave a business, which is where the reception was held.

September 10–23, 2010 • The Capistrano Dispatch • Page 5

Eye on SJC

School Days

Capistrano public school students return to the classroom Compiled by Kirsten Amavisca, Christina Scannapiego and Jonathan Volzke The Capistrano Dispatch

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tudents returning to public schools in San Juan Capistrano will find everything from new computer labs to new educational programs this year.

At two campuses, San Juan Elementary School and San Juan Hills High, there’s even new classes of students. Because of a dual-immersion program, San Juan Elementary is hosting sixth-grade students this year— the program moves to Marco Forster next year—and San Juan Hills High has its first class of seniors. For first time, officials are planning their first graduation— set for June 22 at the Bren Center in Irvine.

Ambuehl Elementary School Curt Visca, Principal

Ambuehl students were greeted with a remodeled library, a labor of love from PTA volunteers who worked with Visca to create murals and spruce up the campus with a kite theme. Visca, from the popular “Curtoon Time,” also created a “Harold the Eagle” mascot.

Academically, Visca said most of the familiar programs will remain in place and he’s working with teachers to fine-tune them.

On campus, “Funky Fridays” will continue, where Visca dons a “fun” hat and glasses and takes to the playground at lunch to lead students in the chicken dance and other fun events. “It’s good exercise and it helps the kids with following directions,” Visca said. “It’s voluntary, but a lot of kids participate.”

Del Obispo Elementary School Principal Eric Gruenewald

“A lot of what we’re doing this year is to continue the programs we already have,” said Del Obispo Principal Eric Gruenewald, who will have joined the rest of the school in their annual, PTA-sponsored Freedom Walk on Friday in honor of 9-11.

Gruenewald, who is currently in his fifth year as

San Juan Hills Principal Tom Ressler (right) discusses campus issues with Assistant Principal Aaron Flowers on Thursday. Photo by Jonathan Volzke

Principal, said Del Obispo is poised to see a tremendous growth in their Academic Performance Index (API) group and they’re also continuing their Ralph’s Community Partnership this year and are thankful to all the families and relatives who support the school by shopping at Ralph’s. (The barcode is available at www.does.capousd.ca.schoolloop.com.) Students are recognized for their accomplishments and one student is selected to be the Student of the Day and will lead the school in the Pledge of Allegiance. Plus, at any of their three Dragon Award Assemblies each year, a student is recognized for his or her character trait during the trimester with Dragon Dollars, which are given to students for good behavior and selected on a weekly basis.

Del Obispo has, however, revamped some of their awards and committees. A Teaching Assistant Principal will lead a student committee promoting character traits, a program which, similar to their neighbors at Palisades’ program, is loosely based on Coach John Wooden’s children’s book. “That’s one of the biggest things we’re keying on this year as well as our academics, which comes first and foremost,” said Gruenewald. They’re also welcoming a new staff member this year, Katherine Currie.

Kinoshita Elementary School Peggy Baerst, Prinicpal

This September Kinoshita Elementary in San Juan Capistrano celebrates its 10th anniversary, a very impressive accomplishment. Principal Peggy Baerst says they are making much progress with the API scores which measures the aptitude and competence of schools in California. Also this year Saddleback Church donated over 100 backpacks full of new school supplies to the Kindergarteners. Last year Kinoshita had a reading program, complete with competitions and prizes. It was so well received that this year they are adding a similar math program as well. Get prepared for even more competitions and prizes!

Marco Forster Middle School Carrie Bertini, Principal

Bill Hoffman has joined the San Juan Hills High staff to teach AP courses. Photo by Jonathan Volzke

Page 6 • The Capistrano Dispatch • September 10–23, 2010

Principal Carrie Bertini of Marco Forster Middle School is excited about additional student computers and two new computer labs the school has to offer this

year. While starting out a few years ago with only one lab, they’ve added two more in the last two years. The library also has 34 computers for the students to use.

Throughout the year, focus will be placed on the importance of students going to college, and college awareness in general. Right now the school is displaying flags from 24 different universities, and each week Principal Bertini will tell the students a bit about one of the schools. This year, Bertini wants to collect 24 more flags to display.

San Juan Elementary School Sylvia Pule, Principal

According to Principal Silvia Pule at San Juan Elementary, this is the first and only year they will have sixth graders on campus. These students are part of the twoway immersion program, and next year both fifth and sixth graders will transfer over to Marco Forster Middle School where they hope to implement the immersion program as well. San Juan Elementary also received a grant for an afterschool program, distributed through the YMCA. Students can receive tutoring help, eat nutritious snacks, play outside, and go on field trips.

San Juan Hills High School Tom Ressler, Principal

The Stallions start the 2010-11 school year with something brand-new on the 4-year-old campus: seniors.

Principal Tom Ressler said the parking issues are going smoothly, and the school has also added 20 new teachers, with a host of new class offerings. San Juan Hills students can now take 17 AP classes, with offerings ranging from speech and debate to health careers.

Bill Hoffman has moved over from Capistrano Valley High School to teach AP government and economics, a unique offering combing the disciplines. More than 175 students have signed up for it. The school has also brought Bill Kaiser on board to launch its first campus newspaper. Kaiser said the students will get to pick the name of the paper. Something that’s not so new: Parker Tinsley is again the ASB President, marking his third term in four years. “This year will be the best,” he said.

“We’re going to go out with a bang. The board is incredibly dedicated. It’s great to have a good team.” Negeen Sadeghi, meanwhile, is the Stallions’ first-ever Senior Class President. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Eye on SJC

Nine Running for Three Council Seats Crowded field includes two incumbents

By Jonathan Volzke The Capistrano Dispatch

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ine candidates are vying for three San Juan Capistrano City Council seats in November, including incumbents Mark Nielsen and Lon Uso. In coming weeks, The Dispatch will pose each of the candidates questions about issues in town.

This week, here are their ballot statements in the order they will appear on the ballot.

Derek Reeve Constitutional Attorney/Historian http://site.derekreeve.us Help restore leadership and transparency to the City Council. Working as a team, we can ensure public safety, mind the public purse, end secret dealings and make our City Government serve our residents. It’s time for Conservative Common Sense!

As a former Transportation Commissioner and community leader I shall bring leadership, experience, and fiscal responsibility to improve the quality of life in our city. I am dedicated to conserving the rural and historical character of our community. As a Councilman, I pledge: Mitigate Traffic Reduce Development Provide Clean Affordable Water Revitalize Downtown Conserve Open Space Respect Private Property Rights, including No Eminent Domain Fiscal Responsibility, including No New Taxes or Fees Mandate Rule of Law I oppose changing zoning ordinances to allow high density development. We can improve traffic without destroying our historic character.

I shall work to keep our community safe, improve response times and identify illegal aliens arrested.

San Juan Capistrano is unique. I shall fight to maintain the quality of life that is San Juan Capistrano.

Constitutional scholar and professor of political science at Concordia University and Saddleback College. USC undergrad/law; Claremont Ph.D. candidate; attorney, small business owner.

Jim Reardon Technology Executive www.votereardon.com This election will determine future policy for our City, our water service, and local redevelopment. I promise to act from my conservative principles to restore trust and fiscal sanity to City government, stop runaway water fees, and halt wasteful spending that leads us further into debt.

While our civic leaders warn of a financial crisis, millions of dollars have been spent on complex and secretive schemes unrelated to the City’s actual mission. This waste is mortgaging our future, piling up mountains of debt which can only be repaid through future taxes.

Public safety, affordable water, traffic relief, and preservation of heritage are my priorities.

More than 20 years residing in the community, 30 years experience in private business and four years service as a volunteer Board member of a private school serving students with autism and Asperger’s offer me guidance. Working openly as a team, we can preserve what we cherish, adjust to our changing circumstances and leave San Juan Capistrano better place.

I ask for your vote.

John Taylor Businessman www.JohnTaylorforCityCouncil.com I believe that we are on the crest of change in San Juan Capistrano. As a businessman, I believe that San Juan Capistrano must be business friendly. We need to revitalize our downtown to attract anchor tenants and our own citizens to improve our tax base and help struggling businesses.

Development pressures are all around us, and we need to continue to work with other agencies to mitigate traffic problems and manage our open space.

My family and I are very involved in our community. We have lived in Los Rios Historic District for 20 years, I served on the Review Committee and Marianne leads the historic district’s native plant gardening efforts. Our daughter attends Marco Forester Middle School, and our son graduated from Capistrano Valley and is now at USC. I taught agriculture in the Peace Corps, came home and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from UCI. I have been in the property management business for 25 years, specializing in commercial buildings.

Navigating hurdles in the coming years will take team work, perseverance, commitment and leadership. I will wade through the rhetoric and steer a course for good government while maintaining respect for others.

I ask for your vote.

Clint Worthington Locomotive Engineer www.Voteworthington.com I would like your vote for City Council. I have been a resident of San Juan Capistrano for 25 years and it is no secret that I firmly believe that Chevron must cleanup the gasoline that they leaked into our drinking water supply. You have witnessed our water bills quadruple the past six years. These water costs are out of control.

I believe we must do what is necessary to protect the heritage and history here in San Juan Capistrano.

I am a conservative who believes that we need to increase our police resources to stop the gang and graffiti activity that are overtaking our City.

I have been a successful for banker for 26 years and chose six years ago to pursue my dream of becoming a locomotive engineer. In addition to this, I served San Juan Capistrano for 21 years as a volunteer firefighter. As a cyclist I set my goals and set a world record in ultra marathon cycling. This resulted in being featured on every major news program including, Good Morning America and the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

I respectfully ask for your support and thank those of you who cast your vote for me.

Larry Kramer Retired Naval Officer www.larrykramerforcitycouncil2010.com I understand leadership and decision making. As a Naval Officer, I commanded three nuclear submarines and a submarine base with an annual budget over $50 million.

I firmly believe our citizens want and need leadership that will listen, gather the facts, carefully weigh the consequences and make informed pragmatic decisions.

Page 8 • The Capistrano Dispatch • September 10–23, 2010

I love our community and am actively involved in it. I am the Transportation Commission Chairman, an active member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Open Space Planning Sub-committee Chairman, a Downtown Master Planning Committee member and Past-President of San Juan Capistrano Rotary.

My priorities: Ensure our city is on sound financial footing and operates with a balanced budget; Continue to preserve our open space and provide access and usefulness to all; Work hard to improve the flow of traffic through and around San Juan Capistrano; Prioritize our efforts to revitalize our downtown. Make changes that will bring businesses and people to the heart of our city; Preserve our unique rural and equestrian lifestyle.

I will support the best interests of the people of San Juan Capistrano, make decisions based on proven facts, work to preserve our small town atmosphere and conduct myself with integrity and transparency. Please vote for me.

If elected I will serve all SJC residents as best I can. I will work to resolve our groundwater contamination issue. I want to keep open space open, protect our budget, seek new business, and promote harmony to help unite this city. I will not make promises. I will not compromise or bend my philosophy to any political pressure to serve any interests other that our city’s best interests.

If elected I will work to correct/address recent various rate increases, poor legal representation, and City management (or lack thereof).

My vision for an effective City Council is one where Council Members listen to the residents, share knowledge amongst each other, put aside differences, and work collaboratively to create City solutions. I request your vote.

Mark Nielsen Businessman/Councilman www.electmarknielsen.com

You elected me 4 years ago to preserve and enhance our open space, bring business sense and fiscal responsibility to our City, and make government more open to public input. We’ve made great strides, but the job is only half done.

Jess Lopez* As president of multiple software companies, I’ve brought proven experience in turning Retired Police Sergeant www.JessServes.org around troubled businesses to address our City’s structural deficit. We need a plan to Lifelong public service experience in Public improve our financial situation while preservSafety and the Military. I have earned a MS, ing our historic, rural and equestrian character. degree in Social Science from CSU, Fullerton I championed our first-ever 20 year strategic and a BS degree in Public Administration from plan. Since my election, we cut spending $3 USC. I am a skilled multi-cultural communica- million while increasing public safety spending tor who can straddle the socio-economic levels 30%. I dig into details and demand balanced in our City. budgets with good returns on your tax dollars.

I authored Measure X that requires a vote Based on work history and faith-based background my leadership demands I do the right of the people before any open space can be thing. I strongly support Chief Dan Dwyer rezoned by future city councils. Under my and OCSD Sheriff Sandra Hutchinson’s law leadership, we acquired 241 acres of open enforcement policies. I support the Boarder space and submitted $16 million of grants for enhancing open space. I support identifying Patrol and all State and Federal law enforcement agencies working in our City. I am arrested illegal aliens. Those in the country satisfied with our gang injunction, GRIP, Great illegally can’t commit crimes and return to our Opportunities, Sierra’s Pantry, Boys and Girls neighborhoods.

Club and CREER Programs.

I will continue to fight for our unique character and quality of life, while insuring San Juan I promise to serve , protect and preserve without personal advantage or special interest. Capistrano’s I future finances support this goal.

I promise to preserve our Mobile Home Park rent control ordinance. I will not hold our rateLondres Uso payers financially responsible for Chevron’s Councilman/Dentist groundwater contamination.

There are three elephants in the room that I Dear Neighbors, I am proud of the four years promise to address.

I have served. I have worked hard to make First, City Council and City Managers poor fair, balanced and honest decisions during my decision making potentially costing taxpayers term and believe that the great majority have 6.7 million dollars in liability. Second, City Man- been right. There are many projects that I have agers $324,000.00 inappropriate public salary. started that I would like to finish such as the Finally, investigate why is City Council affordDowntown Redevelopment Master Plan. It will ing a free pass and immense freedom to the require the momentum and leadership that I developers of the La Novia Meadows project. have brought to it. I believe that I have the sen*Did not file official ballot statement. sitivity and knowledge of our town to balance our fiscal needs with our historic, equestrian Victor “Jim” Schneider* and agrarian culture.

Geologist As I did not seek or accept endorsements www. jimschneider2010-sjccitycouncil.com or donations from politicians, political parties political organizations, Unions or individual developers with projects before the Council I am a Professional Geologist working to cleanup environmental hazards on a daily basis. have been able to / remain independent of I am also a college instructor of Geology and outside influences. The only endorsement I Oceanography. I understand and analyze vast seek is your vote. I intend to remain true to this data to reach rational conclusions. If elected, I commitment during the election and the comwill apply my skills and knowledge as a scientist ing term, if re-elected. I have been clear on all to resolve our current and future City issues issues and have never dodged tough questions with great understanding. I am a licensed as I believe that I should only be re-elected if contractor able to scrutinize bids, contracts, most of you agree with most of my positions; budgets, and contractors. I read everything. what you see is what you get, no baloney. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX

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VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

Letters to the Community

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

HOW TO REACH US EDITOR STORIES, NEWS, CALENDAR, ETC.

Jonathan Volzke, 949.388.7700, x108 jvolzke@thecapistranodispatch.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

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Andrea Swayne, 949.388.7700, x113 aswayne@thecapistranodispatch.com BILLING Alyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@thecapistranodispatch.com

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 8, Issue 17. The Dispatch (www.thecapistranodispatch ) is published twice monthly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the DP Times (www.danapointtimes.com) and the SC Times (www.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 2010. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

PICKET FENCE MEDIA CEO > Norb Garrett EDITORIAL

City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Swayne

> Sergio Sanchez (San Juan Capistrano)

ART/DESIGN

Sales Associates > Angela Edwards > Buddy Purel

SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, George Mackin

OPERATIONS

CONTRIBUTORS Tawnee Prazak, David Zimmerle

Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith Graphic Designer > Heidi Mefferd

CUT THAT, FOR THIS?

DÉJÀ VU, ALL OVER AGAIN

Page 10 • The Capistrano Dispatch • September 10–23, 2010

Distribution Manager > Andrea Swayne

> Michele Reddick (San Clemente)

—Ann Larson, San Juan Capistrano Oh boy, how things have changed…I know things have changed when I recently took my 10-year-old granddaughter to the San Juan Capistrano library to get her first library card and was told by the staff person behind the front desk that only parents or legal guardians (with legal proof) can get library cards for their children. I know things have changed when I am not allowed to be financially responsible for my granddaughter’s library card and any books she may check out.

I know things have changed when I was challenged whether the address on my license (which was the same listed on my library card application form) was in fact my current address. For the record—yes it is!

I know things have changed when I was told I could accompany my granddaughter with my library card and she could check out books using my card —I said “I work, grandpa does not.” Library staff said grandpa could get a card, accompany my granddaughter and check out books using his card. OK, if that’s the only option I have. But that’s not the experience I had in mind. I wanted to use the library experience as another venue to teach responsibility. I can still teach responsibility, just not the way I envisioned.

I know things have changed when I leave the library feeling like I have been worked over by the library ladies (behind the desk) whose demeanor on this fine day was grumpy, judgmental, condescending—not friendly—must be the California cut back attitude…I know things have changed when I feel “attacked” at the library… silly me, I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t anticipate that the librarians were armed with words and attitudes which they wield like weapons. I’ll be ready for guerilla warfare the next time I go to the library. Sign me “Grounded Grandma,” looking for a better library experience

—Mary and Barry Eidsvold, San Juan Capistrano I feel like I am living in the City of Bell with an overpaid City Manager and an out of touch City Council. I watched at a City Council meeting where they cut my granddaughter’s after-school program and park trash pickup, then saw them talk people into voting themselves a $30 million tax increase to buy open space with fancy flyers with pictures of rolling hills.

Nobody pictured rodeo grounds except for Rancho

Billing/Collections Manager > Alyssa Garrett

Group Editor, Editor, The Dispatch > Jonathan Volzke

Mission Viejo—after the bond measure passed. This City Council paid almost the entire amount of the open space bond money to enrich Rancho Mission Viejo and promote their brand. The taxpayers of San Juan Capistrano are left with the bill for a property we can’t access and quite frankly, wouldn’t want to unless you own a horse. We don’t even have our name on the property or the rodeo, except as the location. Is it worth $27 million to the taxpayers of San Juan Capistrano to promote the cowboy culture of Rancho Mission Viejo?

Instead of concentrating on the culture of San Juan Capistrano, a historic Mission city, this City Council has been distracted by the wealth and power of our neighbor and sucked into the vortex of the Rancho Mission Viejo agenda. Instead of putting the needs of our community in the forefront, our City Council caters to the needs of our wealthy neighbors who send their kids to private schools and need a place to board and ride their horses and hold their rodeos. If horse stables and private schools brought in all the tax revenue they claim, San Juan Capistrano would already be flush.

This City Council continues to pursue and support some things we just don’t need in San Juan Capistrano—more open space, more horse stables and higher water bills. Enough is enough. Open space sounds really nice but it doesn’t solve traffic or fiscal problems. How are we going to pay for more open space?

Another bond measure? San Juan Capistrano has a small population with a large land area that is already 40 percent open space. And now, unbelievably, this City Council is proposing an increase to our already high water bills because of the Chevron MtBE spill.

That is like asking the people of Louisiana to pay for the BP oil spill.

I can think of some things we could use. We need hotels to bring in tax revenue and folks who still have some disposable income. We need businesses to fill all those empty storefronts. Hardworking, ordinary, non-horse owning people need affordable after school programs, affordable water and clean parks. Most of all, we need people on the City Council who won’t cave to the influence of power and money, who can stay committed to the needs of all the people of San Juan Capistrano.

OVERBOOKED

ADVERTISING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

—Virginia Riley, San Juan Capistrano Here we go again, and I think most of us would like to have the Rosan property resolved, but let’s not be led down a path that we might regret not thinking about our town and the whole community that we love and appreciate.

Most of the council members keep talking about having that hometown feel in our community. Making the downtown area have small town atmosphere

Finance Director > Mike Reed

INTERNS Chris Bashaw, Kirsten Amavisca Sacher, Madi Swayne

and then they are looking just a short distance away to put a big box cement building on Rosan property. The Rosan land has to be raised out of the flood plain, Levi height, and then some in order to put a 35-foot plus cement building that will reach half way to heaven. Then there is the traffic and environmental noise, diesel fuel, carbon etc issues on Stonehill. Yet the downtown curb appeal has not changed one bit over the years and so we do not attract profitable businesses after spending money on experts and studies plus salaries.

Have we forgotten about the small businesses that we have depended on for years? My thoughts led me to other businesses, such as Plant Depot, Pacific Roofing Company, Ferguson Enterprises Plumbing, Armstrong Nursery plus other businesses that might be affected.

What will happen to them? I am not alone with these concerns.

The other day when I visited Denault’s, I wondered what would happen to our small town businesses that have served us so well over the years. Peter, the salesman that helped me with my purchase, was so helpful and informative and pointed out “True Value slogan” that we have heard over the years and I could tell he was proud of the company that he worked for. Denaults is a special place to a lot of us. Now I do shop at Home Depot in Mission Viejo off Crown Valley for large items, but for all other items, I go to Denaults. I believe I have purchased from every department at Denaults and have also purchased many items from Ganahl Lumber.

The past councils and planning divisions put all their focus and expense on the auto companies and Home Depot for more than six years. When Home Depot failed we purchased the front acreage back from Home Depot for three times its value. Now we are stuck with that debt. It seems that you keep on zeroing in on this property as the answer to all our financial woes. Will our financial problems go away? Not if we pay our city manager a salary of $324,000 for two contracts for a 30-hour week for a population of 37,000. This is almost close to what we pay our President of the United States!

Dana Point, Capistrano Beach and San Juan Capistrano are small towns and should be kept that way. You all seem to be trying very hard to put a large peg in a small square hole that will not fit. The community believes that you all work very hard doing what you think is best for the community and we do appreciate that, but you might try thinking “out of the box.”

‘HOPE OVER ACCURACY’ —Ian Smith, San Juan Capistrano You’ve got to hand it to Councilman Mark Nielsen, the plea in his re-election article in the last issue of The Dispatch represents the triumph of hope over accuracy as he attempts to convince the voters of this lousy deal.

(Cont. on page 12) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX DAVID SWERDLIN: In My View

Time To Saddle Up For Another Ride Around Town!

H

ey Neighbors, its time to saddle up Little Nelly and take a ride around town again. Its good to see you all, and your bestest-ever ride, Old Gimpy. Thanks for meeting me at one of best feedbags in town, The Red Velvet Asian Cafe in the DAVID SWERDLIN Ortega Business Center.

Where’s Home Depot these days?

Let’s mosey our rides down to the Lower Rosan at Stonehill and Camino Capistrano.

Look yonder, over there on the Lower Rosan. It’s our two most-favorite council guys, Nielsen and Uso. They both seem to be holding a football, fighting about whose turn it is to play Lucy with Walmart. I wonder why ...

Oh my, Neighbor! A news flash just reported Walmart passed on the Lower Rosan site because of the old Advisory Vote on Home Depot; also prominently mentioned were that the leaders of the anti-Home Depot vote are our very own Nielsen and Uso, who are now on the Council. Must be why Home Depot may not want to play football with those two boys on that nice Lower Rosan land. Shucks, that tax base would have been here by now if they hadn’t made such a fuss back then, all to get elected to the City Council.

Can’t say that I blame these here Big Box Boys for being skittish. I’d be leery, too, if I had to deal with folks who yanked that football away by getting elected on the basis of “NO HOME DEPOT,” and now saying they was just kidding. Don’t help they ain’t too good on keeping their word neither.

November Elections For City Council After an unqualified promise to serve only a single four-year term, Mayor Uso announced that he is running for a second term. Old Gimpy here also remembers Uso flip-flopping on a large number of votes, too; makes it hard to know what he stands for, or why we should vote for a guy who can’t keep his word.

And lordy, lord, another tax increase as they want to raise water rates again! Why’d they waste $540,000 of our dollars on a stupid downtown master plan if they need money that badly?

Hey, here comes Young Billy, our buddy with the good memory.

Young Billy here can tell us at least whether Mark Nielsen’s lived up to his 2006 election platform. Nielsen promised a small town equestrian village, No Home Depots, No MoreTraffic, and, finally, complete transparency and openness if elected.

Well, Young Billy, how’d Mark Nielsen measure up?

Seems Nielsen must have got a bit confused by this transparency stuff. First, Nielsen convinces us to vote for a $30 million bond to buy unnamed open space in town. Through a series of secret negotiations, Nielsen then ended up buying us the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding park, out of town. Strangely, we aren’t allowed on the property, nor see the lease, nor be party to the negotiations. Can’t name it, neither.

Sure would have been nice to have an Advisory Vote first before buying that land out of town. Guess Nielsen must have meant transparency Chicago style!

Mark Nielsen also touted “NO MORE TRAFFIC.” So, how come he is now courting Home Depot for the Lower Rosan, which generates a ton of traffic. Didn’t he and Uso say No Home Depot? And, the Meadows/ La Distrito project, who knows how much traffic that will generate on San Juan Creek Road. Won’t be them traffic consultants sitting in traffic jams with us.

Good point, Young Billy. Mark Nielsen also voted for the I-5/Ortega Interchange “Driveway” to dump more traffic onto Ortega and Del Obispo. Didn’t Nielsen say Page 12 • The Capistrano Dispatch • September 10–23, 2010

that improving Ortega will build a “Drive Way” into San Juan Capistrano and flood us with more traffic?

Well, neighbors, Mark Nielsen is still protecting the small town equestrian village-like atmosphere of the historic downtown, isn’t he? Tarnation, Young Billy just reminded me Nielsen fully supports the New Down Town Master Plan to turn our town into “San JuanYuppietrano.”

Shoot. Our two bestest most-favorite Council guys done broke all their campaign promises, and can’t seem to keep their word.

Gosh, maybe its time for a change this November.

I kind of like that Submariner fellow, Larry Kramer, who has served us well on our Commissions. John Taylor, who has preserved history in Los Rios at his expense, is another candidate that thoroughly understands what our little town is all about.

Kind of undecided about the third seat, but it won’t be incumbents Nielsen or Uso, since both are seemingly disconnected pretenders who don’t know from what this town is about when it comes to making decisions.

The New Downtown Master Plan Little Nelly and I got a (horse) laugh out of our Favorite Council guy Uso’s rebuttal to our ride with Old Gimpy and our neighbors through the New Down Town Master Plan a couple of months ago. Mayor Uso smartly criticized dumb old me, (who is not even running), to distract from my message: “The Empress Laura Freese has no clothes the new downtown Master Plan wasted $540,000 of our money. We don’t want no San Juan Yuppietrano.”

Golly gosh, Neighbor, we didn’t move here for downtown San Diego. All my friends want a town where we can raise our families, refresh our souls, and celebrate life with family and friends, away from the intensity and stress of city life.

Too darn bad the Council’s new Master Plan destroys the village-like ambience that we moved here to enjoy. You think there’d be some current Council members who understand that “Family, Community, Tradition” count more than the pursuit of taxes at any Letters (Cont. from page 10) Can we really be expected to believe him. He said he gave us some Straight Talk ? I think not.

Read on.

Take the $27.5 million of our money he caused the city to spend for the Rancho Mission Viejo Company Riding Park et al—a financial disaster that Nielsen defends because the lessee pays us $250,000. When you pay out $27.5 million that brings in $250,000 income annually, that pencils out to a reward ratio of less than 0.7 percent. Disaster? You be the judge.

Additionally, one of the tenants of this “open space” purchase is Sierra Soils, a processing plant that turns horse manure into fertilizer. This has been a constant annoyance. There is traffic noise of the processing and the very bad odors that permeate nearby homes. Recently the OC Department of Environmental Health was called in to review how they handle this hazardous waste.

This property was acquired with way too many restrictions attached. It’s well known that a large part is inaccessible; so again what was the benefit of this purchase? We have also inherited the baggage of a chemically contaminated lemon orchard. Prior

cost to our historic downtown.

Water Rates To Go Up Again The latest news is Uso and Nielsen want to tax us to clean up Chevron’s MTBE mess... I guess Chevron can’t afford it.

What insults me, Neighbor, is that we have to put it in writing to the City Council if we protest this Water Tax. But if we want to increase taxes, we don’t have to do squat. Sounds like more of that there Chicago style politics again.

The Nielsen-Uso Love Child Before we head back to the barn, Little Nelly and I just wanted to bring you up to date on the August meeting that discussed the Meadows-La Novia Distrito project, the lovechild of our Favorite Council Guys, Nielsen and Uso, and SJC’s very own developers.(Nielsen and Uso are the proud parents of this project, chairing the committee to shepherd it through the process.)

Well Partner, here’s the way it came down. 500 horses, a bunch of homes, and a new shopping center with retail, office and commercial buildings at La Novia and San Juan Creek Road, in spite of what the neighbors think. Seems someone said we, maybe, might get a Trader Joe’s, so that was good enough for the Council. (Even us country hicks know that Trader Joe wouldn’t consider that site; Lower Rosan, maybe, but not a neighborhood center.)

If this project gets back to the City Council before November, its a Done Deal, cuz these boys want to have done something before being dis-elected and run out of town.

You’d think they would deal first with the existing vacancies in our existing downtown, but Empress Laura Freese is going to turn down town into “San Juan Yuppietrano” anywho. Sort of makes sense in a confusing way, huh Little Nelly.

Well, the sun’s below the yardarm, and I have to meet with my friend, Gentleman Jack. Little Nelly’s comfy in her barn, so until my next column, Live Well, and treasure your family and friends.

David Swerdlin is former Capistrano Councilman and Mayor. to the city’s purchase, a very large acreage of this land was protected as a natural habitat now under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. The city has acquired and accepted these restrictions and there is no public access for picnics, hiking paths, mountain bikes and general recreation. Why did they all (the council) buy it? You’ll be surprised to learn that there is a significant fire risk to the adjacent homes. The protected wild lands are not separated by the minimum 100 feet of defensible space that the OC Fire Authority requires from home structures. The city says this will be corrected “soon.” We have waited long enough.

Did you know that an underground high-pressure liquid petroleum line traverses under the property north to south in addition to the overhead San Onofre power grid? This surely has negated the value of this property and would surely have limited any future residential development. “The Grand Finale” is the fact that we surrendered the naming of the riding park and agreed to host the RMV Annual Rodeo for free for 50 years. Yes, our City Council unwisely and unanimously bought into all these impediments.

(Cont. on page 14)

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX Letters (Cont. from page 12) I contend the acquisition was not in our best interests. This is an excessive cost in a much declining real estate market. Price seems to be no object when you are spending someone else’s money! So we have two of our incumbents, Nielsen and Mayor Lon Uso who want to be reelected. What say you?

Many citizens have protested that the riding park purchase was negotiated in secret executive sessions which excluded public input. Nielsen finds nothing wrong with this—after all, he says “the negotiations that were occurring were posted on the council agenda.” Does Nielsen understand the meaning of transparency in government? In his latest electioneering column Nielsen says, “As always, I welcome your comments and challenges.” Yet every time these comments have been offered, they are rejected as false claims of naysayers.

Nielsen falsely claims that the Orange County District Attorney declined to pursue the perceived Brown Act violations. Not so fast, please. The truth is, we are told, is that the DA referred the matter to the California Attorney General. Maybe Nielsen hopes that the November election will be over before the AG’s opinion is reported.

Councilman Nielsen tells you “the horse shows and soccer tournaments bring business to our merchants that result in sales tax revenue.” He does not tell you that much of that likely goes to Dana Point and elsewhere. He also fails to mention that virtually all of this money will go to the future Rancho Mission Viejo when the current recession is over. RMV will get income; San Juan Capistrano taxpayers will get bills.

We must have a new leadership team at the helm. We need council members who will safeguard our money, spend it wisely and insure an efficient and much more prudent approach to city government. Unless our voters make this change, we can assuredly expect more of the same........

Dumping the Good Ol’ Boys —Roy L. Byrnes, M.D. Former Mayor, San Juan Capistrano In the August issue of The Dispatch, Patrick O’Brien wrote “Mr. Nielsen, please run again. We need your intelligence.” I humbly disagree. Here’s why Patrick is wrong.

Two years ago we were tricked into voting to give Nielsen et al $30 million of public bond money so that they (not the voters) could select “Open Space” for us to pay for. Now it’s clear that they were deceiving us all along with their scheme to buy the Mission Viejo Company’s “Riding Park” that wasn’t within our city and that we can’t even use!

Remember years ago when voters decided to buy the Kinoshita Farms for agricultural Open Space. That purchase was an open public vote with the good news and the bad news laid out for everyone to evaluate. This same method of open voter approval should have been followed in 2008 but Nielsen and his “Open Space” czars wanted it their way... They slyly changed the rules on us. They deceived us with a “bait-and-switch;” fooling us into giving them a $30 million blank check permitting them to give our money to whomever they pleased.

Why did Nielsen and his Open Space group go to such pains to deny voters the right to pick the specific parcel of land being purchased; or to even know about it? Voter approval had worked well in the past, but not for Nielsen in 2008! He skillfully contrived to keep it secret within his own clique. The result has been disastrous. The city’s “official real property negotiators,” hand picked by Nielsen, were life-long buddies of the seller. They made a deal hopelessly one-sided against the taxpayers of San Juan. No one sitting at these secret Page 14 • The Capistrano Dispatch • September 10–23, 2010

meetings had any regard for the SJC taxpayers. The citizens never even knew what hit ‘em-- wait until they get their next property tax bill.!

Here are three questions which Mark. Nielsen has never answered but Mr. O’Brien should have asked: (1) “Why, Councilman Nielsen, did you craft the 2008 Bond Measure so that the voters were prevented from deciding which land parcel to acquire?

(2). Please explain why a small group of cronies received a $30 million blank check to do with virtually as they wished.

(3) Why did you arrange for these decisions to be made in closed executive meetings rather than in the bright sunshine of a public vote?”

The issue is less about “open space.” It’s about insider dealing, property development and 27.5 million dollars of public money funneled to cronies. San Juan residents now realize that Nielsen and his group have committed a grotesque affront to public trust—reminiscent of the City of Bell. That, Mr. O’Brien, is why I’m speaking out. While you may view Mark Nielsen and his group, Lon Uso and Larry Kramer, as “good ol’ boys,” they have participated in a massive public deception. These three men seem to believe that they, rather than then the citizens, are the only ones capable of making major decisions. This is dangerous elitism. I believe that these three men have forfeited the right to be elected to our City Council in November.

Worried —Patrick O’Brien, San Juan Capistrano I am worried. In recent discussions with friends and longtime residents of San Juan, I also hear their concern. In our sleepy little town, we are seeing a reflection of the national anger and hate. This is not the politics-as-usual dispiriting harangue of former years.

This is something far deeper—nasty, vitriolic, and racial. This is the kind of fury that destroys communities, the kind of misplaced outrage that creates divisions that will never be healed in most of our lifetimes. This is dangerous.

I would caution those who spew hate and racism and targeted anger that this can only end in disaster, for them as well as the rest of us.

All this contentiousness began, it seems, when the CUSD recall came into being several years ago.

Extreme elements, angry at a Board they saw as mishandling the district and themselves, and filled with right-wing, elitist political fervor, they had them recalled, despite the fact that those who would replace them were inexperienced and supported by the most conservative of political thinking. They seemed not as interested in the children, as damning “unions.”

Fascinating. “Unions” that once hallowed word that suggested five-day-work-weeks, fair wages, child labor laws, gender equity, among so many things American has become a pejorative term. The “unions” are celebrated on Labor Day, a national holiday. But the term has for so many become negative. It’s interesting how the extreme right can take a perfectly positive word and turn its connotation to something ugly. “Liberal” is another example. It simply meant open-minded.

George Orwell the famous novelist and essayist, in his “Politics and the English Language,” called the process “demonizing” the opponent. Likewise, Adolph Hitler, the story goes, said, in German, of course, that if you tell a lie often enough everyone will believe it.

Albert Einstein once said: “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” There seems to be a connection among all three.

However, the new slate overplayed their anger and precipitated a counter anger by those seeing the recall as a massive mistake. Now another, more rational group is trying to correct what they see as an error in

judgment. We’ll see how that goes. Will the down and dirty partisan politics be neutralized?

Then along came the” Teabaggers” and “Teapartiers,” the self-proclaimed “patriots” who have yet to show anything but anger. “The something for nothing crowd,” as one national commentator calls them. “I want my Medicare and Social Security, and to hell with everyone else. We hate ‘big government.’”

I heard one of these members at their rally in San Juan. I happened to be passing the park. I stopped to listen for a few minutes. “I…my...mine…the government did this to me and that and etc. etc. etc.” shouted one of the speakers. ” I was struck by his self-identified victimization, as if everyone else and the government had it made, but not he. How sad to see the world through such a simplistic vision. According to the New York Times of a few days ago, these folks and those with their attitude make up almost a third of the modern Republican Party. If this is true, I grieve for the loss of a real political party.

And now we have what might be called the “Arizona Effect”—a harkening back to the days of the Klan and self-victimization along with imaginary threats from “the other.” These are the self appointed border watchers whose mantra is always the same—“Well they broke the law.” As regards to Arizona, even the Sheriff of Tucson says the fear and statistics don’t match the facts. He called it “ginning up fear.” Crime rates in Arizona are not up. They are down. They have been dropping for years.

Yes, “frighten the white folks” to stay in power.

And then, lo and behold, in front of the San Juan Post Office stood two, young, neatly dressed men with The Tea Bagger Poster of Obama with Hitler’s mustache and the words, scrawled in the margins, “Socialist” and “Nazi”—mutually exclusive terms. You can’t be both unless you are a verbal contortionist. I let it go, but the longer I stood waiting to mail a package, the angrier I became. Others in line were also disturbed. “Who in the hell are those guys?” one man asked to no one in particular. But I kept myself under control.

On the way out I stopped by the two twenty somethings and asked each calmly if he had been in the military service? They felt something was up. They looked down, became intensely interested in their shoes.

I continued: “I have, my father has, my brother has, my son has, and you haven’t? Have you served on a city council, helped at the Boys and Girls Club, done ecological cleanups, done anything for your nation or community? Do you know what the word ‘socialism’ means?

Do you know who Hitler was? You obviously didn’t live through WWII as did I. And aren’t you ashamed to be comparing your President and mine with Hitler?”

Heads bowed, no eyes looking up, nothing but a murmur that I couldn’t catch.

“You,” I said again, “should be ashamed of yourselves or your parents or whoever put you up to this. It is poisonous and, quite frankly, un-American.”

No response. I left.

I came back ten minutes later because in my anger, I had forgotten to mail something.

They were gone.

Those in our lovely little village who use unabated hate and irresponsible name calling are a danger to themselves and the community. It is time to step back and really examine what is the basis of your anger. Selfindulgent fury is no substitute for democracy. I fear for San Juan. This is like an infection or worse yet a cancer.

As I said earlier, I am worried. This is dangerous. This is not just free speech. This is a crowded theater where you don’t call “fire” for the fun of it.

To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@thecapistranodispatch.com or send it to 34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624.

The Capistrano Dispatch reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT

YOUR FOURTEEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

THE LIST A day-by-day guide to what’s happening in and around town the next two weeks.

friday10

COMPILED BY TAWNEE PRAZAK

ROMANCE GALA

6 p.m.-11 p.m. Mission San Juan Capistrano hosts its annual Romance event with a gala concert and dinner presented by the Preservation Foundation. Call for tickets and more info. 26801 Ortega Hwy., 949.234.1323, www.missionsjc.com/activities/gala.php.

LARRY FRESCH

7:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Live music at The Vintage. 26701 B Verdugo St., SJC, 949.661.3400, www.thevintagesteakhouse.com.

BRANDT VOGEL

8:30 p.m. Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

NINE4NINE ENT. O.C. MUSIC PROJECT

8 p.m. Presenting Shining Citizen / Call Fire / Wake The Street / Post Hawk at The Coach House. Tickets $12. 33157 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

saturday11 SECOND SATURDAY ART FAIR

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Shop and browse the monthly art event showcasing 60 artists, craftspeople and musicians in downtown SJC along Camino Capistrano, Yorba, Verdugo and Los Rios. 949.493.4700, www.sjcartfair.org.

LIVING HISTORY DAY

11 a.m.-2 p.m. History comes alive at the Mission. Admission $5-$9. 26801 Ortega Hwy., 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

CARE PET ADOPTION

12 p.m.-4 p.m. Capo Animal Rescue Effort hosts a pet adoption every Saturday at PetSmart. A gallery of available pets is online. 33963 Doheny Park Road, 949.240.1735, www.capoanimalrescue.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT SWALLOW’S

2:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Jimmy Z & The Z Tribe kick things off and at 8:30 p.m. Three Chord Justice plays. Swallow’s Inn, 31786 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

COMEDY NIGHTS ON STAGE II

7:30 p.m. Stand-up comedians get some laughs at Camino Real Playhouse. Tickets $12. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

ASTRONOMY NIGHT

7:45 p.m.-9:45 p.m. Explore the night sky with telescopes and astronomers at The Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy. $10 adult, $5 kids, members free. Call for info and directions, 949.489.9778, www.theconservancy.org. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GO SEE DO

26TH ANNUAL TALL SHIPS FESTIVAL

Arrrrr. After all the ballyhoo, the Ocean Institute’s 26th Annual Toshiba Tall Ships Festival—the largest annual gathering of tall ships on the West Coast—is finally landing in Dana Point Harbor September 10 – 12, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Delve into a different world and experience these real, working tall ships and interactive living-history encampments which include blacksmiths, scrimshaw Photo by Andrea Swayne artists, knot tiers and the infamous Port Royal Privateers, who will show you what piracy in the Caribbean was really like. Sea lovers can even board tall ships American Pride, Brig Pilgrim, Spirit of Dana Point, Californian, Curlew, Exy Johnson

sunday12 HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR

1 p.m. SJC Historical Society leads a tour to see Los Rios Historical District, O’Neill Museum, Montanez Adobe, the Mission, Rios Adobe and more. Meet at the train depot on Verdugo Street, SJC, Every Sunday. $2 adults, $1 children. 949.493.8444, www.sjchistoricalsociety.com.

SAVED BY THE MISSION BELL

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Children and adults can listen to Spanish-speaking audio tours at the Mission daily. Admission of $5-$9.

26801 Ortega Hwy., 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

LITTLE RIVER BAND

7 p.m. Popular Australian band lands at The Coach House, also with Connie Rae and The Droppers. Tickets $25. 33157 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

monday13 MOMMY MOVIE MONDAY

10 a.m. Special screening of the movie Going the Distance for parents of infants at the Krikorian, tickets $6.75. 641 Camino de los Mares, San Clemente, 949.661.7469, www.kptmovies.com.

COUNTRY DANCIN’

6:30 p.m. Free dance lessons and DJ Bubba at Swallow’s Inn. Free popcorn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

and Irvin Johnson for a mock cannon battle.

The Ocean Institute will also be open to the public for presentations and hands-on activities, which includes a giant Humboldt Squid dissection (Sunday only), Pirate School and a complete reading of Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s Two Years Before the Mast.

For those who want to remain on land, cost for members is $6.50 for adults, $4.50 for children ages 3–12 and $10 for non-member adults, $8 for non-member children ages 3-12. For tickets, more information, schedule of events and prices for boarding the ships, log onto www.oceaninstitute.org.

The first three people to email us with Dispatch Free Concert Tix in the subject line will receive a pair of free concert tickets from The Coach House to see Lee Ving’s Blues Explosion on September 11. Please include your name and phone number in the e-mail.

E-MAIL: tickets@thecapistranodispatch.com

WIN FREE CONCERT TICKETS!

OLD CAPISTRANO FARMERS MARKET

3 p.m.-7 p.m. Every Wednesday at El Camino Real and Yorba; 949.493.4700.

LADIES SELF DEFENSE CLASS

7 p.m.-8 p.m. Self-defense class for women also with exercises for improving health and fitness. Drop-ins $10. First class free. Zax Studios of Martial Arts, 33155 Camino Capistrano Suite B, SJC, 949.388.5802, www.zaxstudios.com.

thursday16 FIVE LIVE

8 p.m. Special performance at Swallow’s Inn featuring a tribute to the Yardbirds. No cover. 31786 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

WILFAX

9 p.m. Live music at BeachFire Ladera Ranch. 25682 Crown Valley, Ladera Ranch, 949.542.7700, www.beachfire.com.

tuesday14

friday17

PLAY WITH FLOWERS

CONSTITUTION DAY BELL RINGING

10 a.m.-12 p.m. Bring one bouquet and several of recycled containers to Goin Native and learn to build floral arrangements with an expert. Class $50. 31661 Los Rios St., 949.525.0424, goinnative.net.

GOOD NEIGHBORS OF CAPO VALLEY

11 a.m. Enjoy lunch and an entertaining program, and hear about groups in your area of interest. Open to all women in the area.

Irons in the Fire Restaurant, 150 Avenida Magdalena, San Clemente, 949.361.0586.

COASTAL CRUISE DAY

8 p.m. Swallow’s Inn presents a new Tuesday-night special featuring live music by Jonathan Blake, Taco Tuesday, drink specials, beer pong and shuffleboard. 31786 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

wednesday15 SAN JUAN SUMMER NITES CONCERT

6 p.m.-8 p.m. Outdoor summer concert at Historic Town Center Park with live music by The Hodads, food, kids’ activities and more. Free. 31852 El Camino Real, SJC, 949.493.5911, www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Join Mission San Juan Capistrano for a unique bell ringing to celebrate the birthday of the United States. Call for times. Free with admission of $5-$9. 26801 Ortega Hwy., SJC, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

CLEMENTINE SAVES THE SWALLOWS

8 p.m. Camino Real Playhouse presents “a wild, irreverent and raucous look at the golden age of the pioneer...” Not appropriate for children. Shows through Sept. 26. Tickets $18.

31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

THE MOTELS

8 p.m. Hit band from the ’80s at The Coach House also with Ezra, The Hard and The Delta 88’s. Tickets $15. 33157 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

FERNANDO RAMOS

6 p.m.-9 p.m. The solo mariachi guitarist plays at El Adobe every Friday and Saturday night. 31891 Camino Capistrano, 949.493.1163, www.eladobedecapistrano.com.

ELEMENT ZERO

9 p.m. Live music at BeachFire Ladera Ranch. 25682 Crown Valley, Ladera Ranch, 949.542.7700, www.beachfire.com.

(Cont. on page 19) September 10–23, 2010 • The Capistrano Dispatch • Page 17

GETTING OUT

Dispatch Restaurant Spotlight

RATE IT!

By Madi Swayne

The Hot Lunch Lady

31115 Ranch Viejo Road, San Juan Capistrano, 949.218.4300, www.thehotlunchlady.com BEST KNOWN FOR: Turkey wrap and flatbread pizzas MOST POPULAR ITEM: Teriyaki chicken lettuce wrap

Web Extra: Online voters gave

Niki Rafatjoo, a.k.a. the Hot Lunch Lady, has been serving up tasty and healthy meals to private school students in Orange County since 2008. Before opening her new kitchen and storefront in San Juan Capistrano, parents were ordering extra lunches so that they too could enjoy the meals. They are just that good! Now everyone can enjoy items like the popular turkey wrap—Thanksgiving rolled up inside fresh baked Persian flatbread. You can’t make an unhealthy choice here. Every menu item contains at least one kind of seed or nut, for the sustainable and delicious energy they provide, and vegetables are in everything as well. Even the macaroni and cheese is enhanced with squash and sweet potato. “I’m all about using the most nutritious and freshest ingredients,” said Rafatjoo. “There are no preservatives or added colors in anything.” The only thing you won’t find in this kitchen is a fryer. Nothing is ever fried. Ever. And, because dessert is a delicious part of life, The Hot Lunch Lady offers handmade gelato, crafted onsite using the freshest of fruits and a low fat, yet scrumptious recipe.

The Hot Lunch Lady, Niki Rafatjoo. Photo by Madi Swayne

Have you eaten at this restaurant?

Go to www.thecapistranodispatch. com and rate your overall experience. We’ll post the results in next week’s issue of The Dispatch.

PRICE RANGE: $1-$7.75 PAYMENT: Cash, credit card RESERVATIONS: Not necessary HOURS: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Open until 7 p.m. beginning mid-September, 2010.

I Love Bagels

¾ 32545 Golden Lantern, Ste. B, Dana Point, 949.443.3300 (Rated on a scale of 1–5 stars)

Last issue online voters gave

Burger Junkies

½ 415 Avenida Pico, San Clemente, 949.498.5865 (Rated on a scale of 1–5 stars)

ABOUT OUR REVIEWS: In each issue we’ll highlight universally critical points including “Most Popular Dish,” “Best Known For” and “Price Range.” But most importantly, we’re inviting you to participate each week and rate the restaurant based on your experiences. Go to www.thecapistranodispatch.com and under “Restaurant Guide,” rate it from 1 to 5, then share your thoughts on the Dispatch forums.

(Cont. from page 17)

saturday18

tuesday21 LUNCH LOCAL

ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOUR

10 a.m. Discover 200 years of San Juan Capistrano architecture on a 90-minute guided walk that includes adobes, Spanish-era dwellings and modern buildings. Meet at Verdugo Street. Occurs every Saturday. $5 donation. 949.489.0736.

PANNING FOR GOLD

12 p.m.-2 p.m. Try your luck at finding the gold in a custom-designed trough at Mission SJC. Free with admission $5-$9. 26801 Ortega Hwy., 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

PET ADOPTION

10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Ark of San Juan hosts a pet adoption at Pets Plus.

638 Camino de los Mares, San Clemente, 949.388.0034, www.ArkOfSanJuan.org.

EVITTE PALMER

7:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Live music at The Vintage. 26701 B Verdugo St., 949.661.3400, www.thevintagesteakhouse.com.

CASPERS CAMPFIRE PROGRAM

8 p.m.-9 p.m. An hour of learning, games and fun around the campfire at Caspers Wilderness Park. Free; parking $5. 33401 Ortega Hwy., SJC, 949.923.2207, www.ocparks.com/caspers.

CHERYL SILVERSTEIN & JOHN PAUL KEENE 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Vocalist & pianist duo perform jazz & pop standards at Agostino’s. 34700 Pacific Coast Hwy., Capo Beach, 949.661.8266.

sunday19 JANN BROWNE

2:30 p.m. Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

JENNIFER KNAPP

7 p.m. Rising female music star performs at The Coach House. Also with Sasha Evans. Tickets $15 advance, $18 day of show. 33157 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

monday20 4TH ANNUAL DANCE CONTEST AT SWALLOW’S

7:30 p.m. Show off your best moves at Swallow’s Inn. Live music provided by Mark Liddell & The Wranglers. 31786 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

AT THE MOVIES

Not Going the Distance

12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. The San Juan Chamber presents a luncheon event to support the community. Location TBD. 949.493.4700, www.sanjuanchamber.com.

COMPUTER LAB

8:45 a.m. Learn how to operate Computers at the Library. 31495 El Camino Real, SJC, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

BUSINESS NETWORKING MEETING

12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. The Poseidon chapter of Business Network International meets at Sarducci’s every Tuesday; visitors welcome.

26701 Verdugo St.

wednesday22 ROB ELLER

9 p.m. Live music at BeachFire Ladera. 25682 Crown Valley, Ladera Ranch, 949.542.7700, www.beachfire.com.

YOGA WALK

9 a.m. Head to The Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy for outdoor yoga and a walk through nature. Call for info and directions.

Adults $10, kids $5, members free. Call for info and directions, 949.489.9778, www.theconservancy.org.

KARAOKE WITH JOEL & LES

7 p.m. Get on stage and sing or enjoy cheap tacos at Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

thursday23 CAPO BAY LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS MEETING

3:30 p.m. The public is invited to a social and a presentation of the pros & cons of the propositions to be voted on at the November General Election. Held at the Seascape Club House. RSVP. 100 Alondra, San Clemente, 949.492.7675.

LIPSTICK ‘N LEATHER

9 p.m. Live music at BeachFire Ladera. 25682 Crown Valley, Ladera Ranch, 949.542.7700, www.beachfire.com.

*For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.thecapistranodispatch.com Have an event?

Send your listing to editor@thecapistranodispatch.com

©MMIX New Line Productions, Inc.

Shoot a film with nudity and four letter words every scene and what have you got? An R rated movie. And if the Farrelly Brothers and Judd Apatow have proven anything with their resumes, it’s that you can use these uncensored privileges to your advantage for humor on film. Unfortunately, it can also backfire and just end up coming across as crude and vulgar content (rather than crude and vulgar funny content). There’s a fine line between tasteless, yet harmless, humor and by just being crude and gross, that line can easily be missed. Thus is the case with New Line Cinema’s new release Going the Distance.

With a title that sounds like it should be for a cross country drama and a setting/soundtrack that can’t decide if it’s in 1985 or 2005, real life on again-off again couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long tackle a long distance relationship on screen. Erin (Barrymore) works in San Francisco at a newspaper chain while attending grad school, while Garrett (Long) works at a music label in New York City. They meet when Erin is interning for a summer program in NYC and fall for each other instantly. At the end of the season, Erin decides to go back to California and they give long distance dating a shot. When times get difficult with lack of physical communication, they go to their wacky, comic relief friends or family played by Christina Applegate, SNL’s Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

One of the many obvious flaws with Going the Distance is that the characters seem to live in some alternative universe where e-mailing doesn’t exist and people still use landlines regularly.

The ‘80s soundtrack comes off as cliché and safe as every other romcom soundtrack that’s been made in the last two years.

What the film lacks in genuine comedic timing and potential, the creators replace with gratuitous bad language and innuendo without much pun. Director Nanette Burstein, co-director of the critically acclaimed documentary The Kid Stays in the Picture, brings nothing innovative or memorable to the screen for her first comedy feature. And while Barrymore and Long do have decent careers on their hands, Going the Distance might not be one of the better films on their resumes for years to come. SC —Megan Bianco September 10–23, 2010 • The Capistrano Dispatch • Page 19

SJC LIVING

4

LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY CALENDAR friday 9.10 Coffee Chat 8 a.m. The Capistrano Dispatch hosts a spirited town hall forum on community issues. All are welcome. Camino Real Playhouse, on El Camino Real, just south of Ortega Highway. Occurs every Friday.

The committee will consider an OC Arts cooperative proposal for the northwest area of town and will discuss Coastal Conservancy grant funding opportunities and Open Space Foundation proposals. 6:30 p.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto.

tuesday 9.14 CUSD Board of Education Meeting 7 p.m. CUSD Headquarters, 33122 Valle Road, www.capousd.org

saturday 9.11 Second Saturday Art Fair 10 a.m. Downtown Capistrano www.sjcartfair.org

Open Space Committee Meeting

Next regular issue of The Dispatch publishes.

Saturday 9.25 Annual Creek Cleanup 8 a.m.–noon. Los Rios Historical Park.

Volunteers scour Capistrano’s creeks for trash, then enjoy a free Rotary barbecue.

Volunteers also get free T-shirts. See www.sanjuancapistrano.org *Meeting agendas at www.sanjuancapistrano.org

tuesday 9.21

monday 9.13

Friday 9.24

City Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto.

Capistrano Woman Wants Kids to Help Kids Effort will provide needed footwear and teach valuable lessons The Capistrano Dispatch

G Playhouse Ribbon Cutting (LtoR): Bob Yoder, Division President Shea Homes; Scott Larson, HomeAid Orange County Executive Director; Denise Senzig, Stacy Watson, Rachel Doss, Parent; Rod Plunket, Shea Homes (playhouse builder). Courtesy photo

Mission Students Get New Playhouse The Capistrano Dispatch

P

rekindergarten teacher Denise Senzig’s students got a surprise when they started school Monday at Mission Parish School. Sitting in their preschool play yard is a new playhouse.

This is not just any playhouse. It was custom-made by homebuilder Shea Homes. Donated to the school by HomeAid Orange County and Shea Homes, Mission Parish School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Back to School Night, Tuesday, August 31.

“Small group play is essential to a child’s social-emotional development.

This incredible playhouse will give our children a place to role play and stretch their imaginations to create their own adventures,“ Senzig said in a statement.

The playhouse, named “TradePartners’ Farmhouse,” captures the look of a traditional American farmhouse with redwood siding and custom-cut wood roof shingles. The interior is accented with an exposed beam ceiling, hardwood www.thecapistranodispatch.com

floor and oak cabinets. With multiple play areas, children’s imagination can soar. They can pretend to prepare country meals on the granite countertop in the kitchen. Then serve their imaginary food to their friends on a real John Deer table with tractor-motif chairs in the dining area. Or practice reading their favorite story book in the perfect-sized (for any prekindergarten) chair and ottoman nestled in the cozy loft with a working electric fireplace.

Project Playhouse debuted in 1992 and for 19 years Southern California homebuilders, trades, architects and designers have participated helping to raise more than $5.5 million which has enabled the more than 20-year-old nonprofit organization to build or renovate 47 housing developments for homeless men, women and children.

The 2010 playhouses were on display at Irvine Spectrum Center. The culmination of the entire event is a live auction on Friday, September 10. For more information go to www.projectplayhouse.org CD

iving shoes to children in orphanages around the world is a good thing, but Jerri James figures if she can get children in this country to make the donations themselves, it will be a great thing.

Needy children will get new shoes, and children in the United States will learn a valuable lesson: That there’s a responsibility, and a joy, in helping others.

That’s why James, a San Juan Capistrano resident, has launched a campaign to garner donations of 100,000 pairs of shoes. She’s working with Buckner International, a 130-year-old ministry group that has distributed two million pairs of new shoes and socks to children in 68 countries since 1999.

James formed Club Go Be Do—urging children to “Go Somewhere,” “Be a Voice” and “Do Something.” And, as the former head of the ministry department at Saddleback Valley Christian Schools, James has learned it was easier to teach children through stories.

That led her to pen a children’s book, Shoes, a children’s book illustrated by Norma Samuelson—also of San Juan Capistrano. The book tells the story of Margaret Elizabeth, a girl who realizes she has many shoes in her closet and wants to share some with others.

The name of the main character is taken from someone James met on a trip to an orphanage in Guatemala.

James is just back from Peru, where she put shoes on the feet of 100 orphans in 10 homes. Even when she visited another country with her own children—Beth and Joe Osgood—they took toiletries and other items to

Capistrano resident Jerri James has launched a campaign to provide shoes for needy children around the world. Courtesy photo

donate to a local orphanage.

James has created a website, www. clubgobedo.com, that explains the program and provides all the information necessary to join the effort. Kids can join “Club GoBeDo,” and participate in shoe drives, shoe parades, the GoBeDo Birthday Club and the GoBeDo GIVES, where kids can donate their allowances to orphans in need.

And while shoes are the focus now, James has bigger plans. She anticipates a series of books, teaching more values, doing more good.

“I’m just planting seeds,” she said.

“I don’t have to worry about making the seeds grow, that’s God’s work.”

For more information, see www. clubgobedo.com CD

September 10–23, 2010 • The Capistrano Dispatch • Page 21

SJC LIVING JAN SIEGEL: Moments in Time

O’Sullivan Launched Mission School

A

s students start a new term, it is important to remember the vision that Father St. John O’Sullivan had for creating a parochial school among the ruins of the Mission.

Fr. O’Sullivan considered the building of the school the second piece of JAN SIEGEL extensive rebuilding. The first was, of course, the restoration of Serra Chapel, begun in 1922 and completed in 1924. The area where the school started was originally surrounded on all sides by Mission buildings. When Fr. O’Sullivan arrived the entire area was in ruins. At the school’s dedication on June 13, 1929, he stated, “that now the whole north side is rebuilt in such a way that it faithfully corresponds, with the rest of the buildings and adds to rather than detracts from the group. An effort was made to have all the buildings, old and new, form a harmonious whole, and I believe the result has justified the effort.”

Typical of Fr. O’Sullivan, he used the celebration of his Silver Jubilee for this dedication to take credit away from himself. But in his remarks on the life of Fr. O’Sullivan, Fr. Edward Kirk, pastor of St. Basil’s church of Los Angeles and long time friend, stated that “Father O’Sullivan’s arrival at the Mission was marked by the sight of the broken arches of the old mission, the broken hearts of the people of San Juan Capistrano, and the broken health of the Padre himself. But a heart of iron, strengthened by a spirit inspired by the fiery zeal of the founder of the California Mission, served to mend all.

The vision of Fr. O’Sullivan was not of a restoration of the past, but an inspiration for the future. The beautiful building now being dedicated was constructed, not as a memorial, but as a school to educate the citizens of the future.”

However, in continuing to honor the memory of Fr. Serra, Fr. O’Sullivan pointed out in a radio address in 1930, that, “I am happy to say that I have brought back the Franciscan habit to the Mission by engaging the Franciscan Sisters as teachers in the school.” The Franciscans were the missionaries who founded the Missions in California.

The school was free for children of the parish. No charge of any kind was made for books, supplies or tuition. The Mission School started out with four rooms, each room teaching one grade, first through fourth. One additional grade was added each year until the eighth grade. As each grade was added it was added into the existing school rooms, so that eventually each of the four original rooms housed two grades of students.

Above the school rooms were the quarters of Fr. O’Sullivan, the big living room facing the south and the sea. Today, those rooms house the archives of the Mission.

The western part of the building was occupied by the Sisters. Their quarters included a large reception room, a community room, music room, dining room and kitchen on the first floor. On the second floor were seven sleeping rooms and a sewing room, porch and chapel. Today, that area serves as offices for the Mission and the diorama.

Unfortunately, the names of the first students have been lost, but there is a photograph of them in the 50th anniversary yearbook of Mission School. Fortunately for us, Pat Forster has kept the yearbook all these years. The first graduates were Lillian Soto, Grace Sepulveda, Joseph Lopez and Fred Hunn.

You can spend a Moment in Time at the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society BBQ on Sunday, Septem-

DON TRYON: Old San Juan

ber 12 with many of the old- timers or their descendants who remember Fr. O’Sullivan at the Mission School.

Tickets for the BBQ are available at the Historical Society at 31831 Los Rios St. Tickets are $20 per person.

Reservations are needed. Because of rising costs, this year there will be a charge of $1 for water and soft drinks. The photograph will be available at the BBQ. See how many of your relatives you can identify. Maybe we can find out the names of all of the students from that first class.

As we continue to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Fr. O’Sullivan at the Mission, take a Moment In Time to go to the Mission and reflect on the vision that this one person had for our community and how he was able to make that vision a reality. The Historical Society is honoring the O’Sullivan era with an exhibit of photos and artifacts.

Jan Siegel is a longtime downtown tour guide and member of the Cultural Heritage Commission.

Library Gets New Sign

After 27 years, the Capistrano Regional Library should be a bit easier to find, as the Friends of the Library raised $5,500 for a new monument sign for the Michael Graves-designed building.

Pictured left to right are Friends Jennie Green, Librarian Teri Garza, Paula Zintl, Susie Wernet, Jean Vincenzi, Patti Minassian, Elizabeth Foulds, Jeff Singer, Cheryl Uso, Wendy Jenkins, and Dr. Bob Manniello. Courtesy Photo

Tales Of The Historic Town Center Park

O

ne of our town’s most favored places for entertainment, or relaxation, is the Historic Town Center Park on El Camino Real.

Originally it wasn’t intended to be park.

An offer had been made to build a hotel and shops on the vacant lot. The DON TRYON proposal was rejected and later the City Council decided to make it into a park.

This action has proven to be one of the best things going for our village and no one wants to lose any part of it including a proposed road between the Aguilar Adobe and the Camino Real Theatre.

But enough of that bit of enlightenment. There’s a lot of interesting tales about this little bit of land. Originally it was the location of several Mission Indian adobes.

One that remained for many years was the Burrell/ Hunn Adobe on the southwest corner, now long gone, and another, Blas Aguilar Adobe which still stands on the north end of the park. The Burrell Adobe had been the home of Cholo Martina, the village witch and the love of bandito Juan Flores who raided our town in 1857.

About in the center was the location of our village’s most prominent hotel, the Mendelson Mission Inn. Our late Town Patriarch, Dick Mendelson, was a great friend of mine and told me many tales about this location. His uncle who ran the hotel had a grand horse, Flaco, who pulled a little buggy for the family and sometimes a wagon to pick up trade goods or supplies.

Well the good horse passed away after many years and Page 22 • The Capistrano Dispatch • September 10–23, 2010

the family wanted him buried properly and nearby.

They asked the Hunn family who lived next door in the Burrel Adobe to dig a hole and lay him in his grave.

This they did. But when they placed him in the hole, they ran into a problem. His body was stiff as a board and the legs stood straight up out of the grave like four flag poles. They really didn’t want to pull him out and dig the hole deeper so they finally solved the problem by digging two side trenches and turned Flaco on his side so that all the body could be properly buried below the ground level. By the way he is still there in the park.

Just don’t know where.

While the City was trying to decide what to do with this future park, they had an archeological dig performed to determine what was below the ground level.

They did find a several rock foundations and a lot of pieces of old glass and pottery chards. But one day they ran across a lot of bones and immediately thought surely this must be an Indian burial. They called Dick Mendelson for his opinion. It’s a good thing, because he said that location is where his uncle buried a lot of pigs that were thought to have been diseased. It embarrassed the archeological crew but they quickly explained that pig bones do have a lot of human characteristics. The pig bones are still there, too.

The Hunn family who lived in the Burrell Adobe had an old car that need to be disposed of. They didn’t want to haul it away so decided to dismantle the vehicle and throw all the parts, engine, fenders, wheels all down an old water well on the property. It too is still there.

For many decades the hotel was the gathering place for social events. It was really fine in its day and countless visitors, on their way to the San Juan Hot Springs, would stay there rather than the sheds at the Springs. World famous actress, Helena Modjeska, would often leave her horse and buggy at the hotel when visiting Judge Richard Egan and other socialites in town, or when she had to take a train to travel to one of her performances.

When the first movie was made here, famous producer D. W. Griffith and actors Mary Pickford and Max Sennet all stayed here along with their crew. Later other movie crews also chose this hotel for a good respite.

Dick Mendelson use to tell me that when he was just a kid, his friends a little to the north would often float oranges to him down a small creek on the back side of the hotel. After the hotel started to run down, about 1935, and the Burrell Adobe disintegrated, the land remained vacant for a long time. The locals dismantled the old hotel and many parts ended up on old homes located in Little Hollywood near Los Rios. When the Burrell/Hunn Adobe finally melted away, our present town Patriarch Happy Hunn saved one of its doors located now in his backyard. One interesting tale is a spot about where the stage is today, was a little old shack where a poor old soul lived and they called his sanctuary Gilligan’s Island.

I have a photo of him at the O’Neill Museum with a jug in one hand standing in front of his abode.

Don Tryon is a Director and Archivist for the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society and member of the City Cultural Heritage Commission. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING

Making the Rounds Exploring the karaoke culture of South Orange County

By Christina Scannapiego The Capistrano Dispatch

W

hen Hung Tran walks into TakaO—or any other karaoke bar on his “circuit”—the crowd knows that “the Asian Morrissey” or “the Asian Elvis” has arrived. Tran’s circuit (every karaoke-goer has their own) includes Taka-O in San Clemente, Hennessey’s Tavern in Dana Point, Patsy’s Irish Pub in Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo, McLure’s Bar in Irvine, Hogue Barmichael’s in Newport Beach and Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa—the crème de la crème for karaoke spots, according to Tran, where you’ll find plenty of “ringers” (people who are spot on versions of the musical artist they want to emulate). “There’s a Jewel, Alanis Morissette, even an Iron Maiden guy,” he says. To think that a karaoke subculture has brushed with the South Orange County bar scene may seem unlikely but the fact is the once-Asian, now worldwide, phenomenon is alive and kicking at all of our local watering holes—even Swallow’s Inn. Despite, the majority of people who end up embarrassing themselves in the karaoke part of a bar at the end of a long night involving many cocktails, the regulars who frequent karaoke joints usually do so because, well, they’re actually good at it.

And the scene can be quite competitive.

When FunnyOrDie.com (a website that enlists celebrities to star in short, funny videos) recently disguised Jewel as an unrecognizable business woman and sent her into a karaoke bar to perform her own hits—their idea of a practical joke—no one in the crowd seemed too disturbed by the stunt at the time, but a wave of resentment rippled through the community of karaoke aficionados afterwards. “Karaoke is supposed to be fun and entertaining because it lets us amateurs live a moment in the spotlight,” one blogger complains of the prank.

“Karaoke is a scene where an ordinary person can reveal a kind of talent that only celebrities are suspected to have,” agrees another.

“Some people think they’re so good and do Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) or Paradise by the Dashboard Light (Meat Loaf) just to hear their own voices,” Tran says.

“There’s a lot of ego involved.” Though Tran says he’s in it for fun, 15 minutes of fame (or, more like eight or nine minutes—the length of two songs, at most) and to make people laugh, others take it a lot more seriously and enter national karaoke competitions. Either way, both groups are forces to be reckoned with when under the lights and in front of the mic.

But karaoke doesn’t always click right

John Gresham sings karaoke at the Swallow’s Inn. The San Juan Capistrano watering hole, located at 31786 Camino Capistrano, offers karaoke every Wednesday starting at 7 p.m. Photos by Christina Scannapiego

away—singing someone else’s song takes practice. Tran’s penchant for karaoke first sparked in 2005 at Hennessey’s Tavern in Dana Point, watching others perform. “I can do this,” he told himself.

So he gave his first karaoke song ever, I’ll Stop the World and Melt with You—a late ’80s pop song by Modern English—a shot and knew the performance could be better. He went home and sang the tune over and over again, memorizing every nuance and inflection in the number.

“Karaoke’s like learning to surf,” says the Laguna Niguel resident. “You’re not good at first.”

He began memorizing all the songs he liked and incessantly watching artists, like Morrissey, on YouTube.

Soon, not only did Tran have the songs down, but he’d assumed their personas as well, imitating Morrissey and Elvis’ mannerisms right down to their very different accents.

On Halloween night, every year, he even dons his best Elvis get-up for a night of crooning hits by the King.

“Now, when I walk into a bar and people call me Elvis, it’s a great feeling. I just say, ‘It’s not me, man, it’s the voice,’” he jokes.

And though some karaoke impersonators probably hope to take their acts to Las Vegas, for Tran—like so many others—he really just wants to rile up a crowd with some entertainment and humor, which is the reason his routine always includes a little comedy shtick before and after his songs. It’s like making a kind of name for oneself in that proverbial small pond, even if it comes in the form of Alicia Keys, Dolly Parton, Stevie Nicks or Al Green.

“If you come around [the Swallow’s Inn] on Wednesday nights and you’re friendly, social and start singing, you’re

Page 24 • The Capistrano Dispatch • September 10–23, 2010

a star here,” says Josephine, an assistant for the Swallow’s Inn karaoke DJ, Les. Like Tran, years ago Josephine’s friends invited her out to a night of karaoke and picked out some songs for her to sing. Now bar goers beg her for her best Piece of My Heart or Me & Bobby McGee—delivering on her best Janis Joplin imitation; raspy bellowing, hair shaking and all.

Because that minor bout with fame can start to become an addiction, the excitement calls the regulars back every week.

But perhaps even a more popular reason for most people to keep coming back, other than a shot at celebrity, is the idea that Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo wrote about in the Cheers theme song: “Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot … Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name—and they’re always glad you came.” Weekly karaoke nights provide enthusiasts with something fun and different to do at their local watering hole. It’s an event.

“I’m a San Juan guy and this is a San Juan bar,” Jim Gresham says of the Swallow’s Inn after belting out Toby Keith’s patriotic single, American Soldier (a dedication to his daughter, who’d just returned from Iraq), clad in his customary Western attire, complete with white cowboy hat. Greshem comes back every week with more fodder for the singing cowboy with country hits like Confederate Railroad’s Trashy Women.

“It’s like a little family,” Josephine agrees of the San Juan crew. According to Jon Hackathorn, one of Taka-O’s most well known Karaoke Jockeys, not only does he see so many regulars who come to sing in San Clemente on weekends, but a large group of familiar faces also return again and again just to watch and listen to the underrated art.

Sometimes it’s even a place to make new friends. Laguna Niguel resident Karly Mack met her significant other,

John, while singing karaoke at Brio Tuscany Grill in Dana Point, which she dubs “the hot ticket if you want good karaoke.”

John had been bar-hopping with friends and Brio was his final meeting spot to hook up with another buddy.

“I walked in and my friend stopped me and said, ‘There’s a beautiful girl singing karaoke in there with a great voice.’ I looked up and saw that it was Karly,” he recalls. Mesmerized, he didn’t let her out of his sight for the rest of the evening.

“We ended up talking all night,” adds Karly. “And we’ve been inseparable for the past year-and-a-half.”

“Singing’s one of the oldest forms of picking up on a girl, when you think about minstrels and serenading and all that,” Tran says to the romantic side of karaoke, which is probably why he dedicates so many songs to the ladies in the crowd. “Once I got kicked out of Patsy’s because the security guard’s girlfriend liked me too much.”

For those like Mack, with a background in modeling and theatricals, it’s no wonder a crowd would be drawn to her—but love interests aside, her real motivation is a passion for performance.

And whether she’s singing Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, Santana and Michelle Branch’s Game of Love, or any other country or pop song, her image is all her own. Not all karaoke regulars invoke the masters as much as they do their own talents or hopeful budding singing careers.

Kimberly Ewing’s ultimate dream is to record CDs and even write her own songs, eventually. Like so many others, she’s obviously got talent in her voice and hits up the Swallow’s mic every Wednesday night without fail. “I just love to sing,” the 24-year-old says. “I’ve been doing it since I was little. It’s my passion.”

Similarly, Hackathorn had moved to San Clemente from Florida five years ago and discovered the sushi/karaoke establishment since it was the closest bar to his house. Hackathorn’s dad, a minister, had enlisted him into his choir for 10 years and after that, he sang in a band.

He began frequenting Taka-O, pulling off hardcore rap, classic rock, alternative, soul and R&B hits with an uncanny ease.

“I just picked songs I liked and that I could really get into and would gauge the crowd so that everyone has more fun,” he says. Two years later, he ended up with a job as Taka-O’s weekend KJ—and he’s still hands-down one of the San Clemente crowd’s favorites.

Sometimes that knack for singing can come across as scary for newcomers or lay people, though.

“The problem here is that everyone can sing and the people who can’t are intimidated by us,” says Gresham.

But the truth is, everybody’s welcome.

All the regulars and KJs will encourage even the most tone deaf to sing with the utmost sincerity—they are by no means judgmental. After all, it’s all about having a good time for everyone involved because, in the end, the slightly inebriated college student is no less entertaining than the best Elvis rendition. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Local Knowledge Get sound advice from local professionals in their area of expertise

P A I D A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N

Oral Piercing: Is It Worth It? Tongue rings. “Way back in the day” as a teenager, I remember entertaining the idea of getting one.

However, my parents made sure my idea remained just that: an idea. Did you know that oral piercing is making a comeback? Recently, I have been asked some questions about oral piercing and thought I would offer some expert insight.

Piercing, like tattooing, is one of today’s popular forms of “body art” and self-expression. If you’re thinking about getting a piercing – or if you already have one or more – let me share some health risks you should know about.

Your mouth contains millions of bacteria, and infection is a common complication of oral piercing. Just touching your mouth jewelry (tongue barbells and lip and cheek labrettes) can lead to infection. Many people who have piercings tend to regularly touch them – which increases the chance for bacteria to enter the piercing sites. Also, food particles that collect around piercing sites can lead to infection.

Pain and swelling are other possible side effects of piercing. Your tongue – the most popular piercing site in the mouth – could swell large enough to close off your airway! Piercing also can cause uncontrollable bleeding or nerve damage. Damage to the tongue’s blood vessels can cause serious blood loss.

The hoop, ring, stud, and barbell-shaped jewelry can hinder your ability to talk and eat. Some people also develop a habit of biting or playing with their piercings – which can lead to cracked, scratched teeth; gum damage and recession; and sensitive teeth. There may also be a need for restorations, such as crowns or fillings, and additional dental treatment due to piercings.

Consider the potential pitfalls of piercing before getting one. Keep in mind that it will be an added responsibility to your life, and will need regular upkeep. Make sure that you’re committed to the task of taking care of it for the full healing period and beyond.

If you have an oral piercing, pay special attention to it.

Clean the piercing with antiseptic mouthwash after eating, and brush the jewelry when you brush your teeth.

I believe in self-expression. Explore those avenues. However, remember that self-expression in the moment may have long-term health effects in the future.

If you have any questions or comments for me, please go to my website at www.drericjohnson and click “Ask the Dentist.”

Dr. Eric Johnson Aesthetic, Implant, and Comprehensive General Dentistry 647 Camino de los Mares Suite 209 San Clemente, CA 92673 www.drericjohnson.com 949.493.9311

Do you want to reduce your water bill?

Do You Have Problems With Gum Recession?

Gum recession can be caused by a number of things and may or may not need treatment.

Do you want to help protect the environment and reduce runoff?

If the answer is yes, Eco Friendly Lawns is here to help.

Eco Friendly Lawns (EFL) uses a fertilizing system that can work with your exciting in-ground sprinklers or with a standard water faucet (bib). This technique of applying products through the water is called “fertigation” and it saves on water while significantly reducing the risk of fertilizer runoff. EFL and the products we use embrace a new way of thinking about fertilizing. No longer is it necessary to use broadcast fertilizing techniques when you can get a better result for your landscape for less money while virtually eliminating negative environmental impacts. Fertigation (fertilizing through your irrigation system) is a process that is more responsible and a smart way to water and feed your entire landscape.

How Does EFL Reduce Water Usage?

Water is used in the plant’s growing process. The effects of fertigation on the plant’s growth processes are twofold.

If water is applied above ground (i.e. through spray heads), the process of foliar absorption causes nutrientrich water to reach the chlorophyll producing section of the plant directly without going through the root structure. Extensive studies have shown that foliar absorption is the most efficient way to apply the nutrients in a form that is immediately available to the plant. This comes into play when dealing with turf grass since sprinklers and spray irrigation are the predominant means to water grass.

The second growth process, enhanced by fertigation, occurs by increasing systemic (root) absorption of fertilizers and nutrients. Root health and root mass are critical to the health of all plants. Increasing the root mass provides more surface area in the soil, which in turn increases the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients.

Larger, deeper roots result in less overall need for water.

The result is increased plant health and drought tolerance.

With increased uptake efficiency by the plant, water usage can be reduced 20-50% using fertigation. Not only will an EFL system pay for itself, it will pay for the ongoing fertilizing costs funded through your water savings.

Eco Friendly Lawns will be there to help you throughout the year, with our highly knowledgeable lawn experts we will make sure we are using the right blend of natural and organic nutrients to feed your lawn. We will be there to fill and maintain the system making certain your lawn is beautiful, healthy and reaching the goals we have set forth. And most of all, you will have peace of mind knowing you are doing your part to help the environment.

For more information please visit us at efriendlylawns. com.

Eco Friendly Lawns 111 Avenida Del Mar, Suite 210, San Clemente, CA 92672 949.481.1010

CAUSES OF GUM RECESSION INCLUDE: 1) Destructive toothbrushing with a hard toothbrush. Usually there will be grooves worn into the teeth. To prevent future destruction, use a soft toothbrush, preferably electric, and brush at a forty-five degree angle to the gum line with short, firm, strokes.

2) Dental plaque. Ineffective toothbrushing can result in gum recession because bacteria left on the teeth produce enzymes that destroy the gum tissue.

3) Tooth position. People with malocclusions and people who have had braces are at increased risk for recession.

4) Factitious habits like toothpicks and nail biting can cause recession.

5) Genetics. People with a thin biotype are more at risk for recession from the above factors.

REASONS TO TREAT GUM RECESSION: 1) Teeth are sensitive because of exposed dentin.

2) Esthetics is a problem 3) You’re planning on braces and the braces may make the situation worse 4) It appears that the condition is worsening over time.

5) There is no attached tissue. Each tooth should have a zone of firm pink gum tissue around the tooth that is attached. If there is no attached tissue, the tooth is more vulnerable to decay and periodontal disease because it is hard to keep these teeth clean.

HOW IS GUM RECESSION TREATED? 1) The most common treatment is a connective tissue graft. The donor tissue is obtained from the roof of the mouth and put into a “pita-pocket” type incision at the recipient site. The area in the roof of the mouth is prepared with a slit like incision. Tissue is taken from the underside of the slit and closed with sutures. The recovery is usually pretty easy.

2) Free gingival graft. The tissue is taken as a strip from the roof of the mouth and left bare. This technique is generally more painful than a connective tissue graft. If there is an option, most people would prefer a connective tissue graft but there are some circumstances where there isn’t a choice.

3) Cadaver skin. The advantage with this technique is you don’t have a second surgical site and there is no limit to the number of teeth you can treat in one visit.

4) Biological products. There are some products on the market that can be used to promote gum growth.

5) Human placenta. Recently approved by the FDA. Works like gum tissue and multiple sites can be treated at once.

DO YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT GUM RECESSION? GO TO MORANPERIO.COM. USE THE ASK THE EXPERT FEATURE AND DR. MORAN WILL PERSONALLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

Dr. Alice P. Moran 1001 Avenida Pico, Suite K San Clemente, CA 92673 949.361.4867(GUMS) www.moranperio.com

Monthly columns are provided by the companies featured. For more information call Sergio Sanchez at 949.388.7700, ext. 104

Locals Only

B u s i n e s s D i r e c t o r y The only directory featuring San Juan Capistrano businesses exclusively ALSO

ONLINE

AT

W W W.T H E C A P I S T R A N O D I S PATC H .C O M

ELECTRIC CONTRACTORS

Air Conditioning DC Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning www.dcplumbing.net 949.365.9044

Air Conditioning & HEATING

Four-A Electric

949.240.8844 32432 Alipaz, Ste. C, fouraelectric@sbcglobal.net

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

Oasis Air Conditioning & Heating 949.420.1321 31648 Rancho Viejo Rd., Ste. A, www.oasisair.com

Sarah Whitcomb Antique Restoration 949.234.9740 32432 Alipaz, Ste. B, www.sarahwhitcombantiques.com

Assisted Living Del Obispo Terrace 949.496.8802 32200 Del Obispo Street, www.delobispoterrace.com

Attorney 949.248.0260

Lic# 310654

949.661.2054

Banking Comerica Bank 949.234.9683 32022 Camino Capistrano, Suite F3, www.comerica.com Independence Bank 949.373.1570 Marbella Plaza 31107 Rancho Viejo Rd., www.independence-bank.net Pacific Mercantile Bank 949.487.4200 31601 Avenida Los Cerritos, Ste 100, www.pmbank.com

Beauty Salon Charisma Salon & Supply 32301-F Camino Capistrano Curtis Michaels Hair Salon 31882 Del Obispo, Ste. 150, www.curtismichaels.com

949.240.1200 949.240.9240

BUSINESS COMPUTER SERVICES Lightning Technology, Inc. 949.488.0029 32963 Calle Perfecto, http://www.lightningtechnology.com

Community Services CHEC Family Resource Center 31411 La Matanza Street, Suite B

Proudly Serving South Orange County Since 1975

949.443.1970

Bands / Entertainment Evergrove www.evergrovemusic.com

Chick’s Plumbing, Inc.

949.496.9731 www.chicks-plumbing.com

Auto Repair Star Motors 32959 Calle Perfecto

949.489.7742

FLORIST Mother Earth Flowers 949.493.4400 32158 Camino Capistrano, Ste. 105 www.motherearthflorist.com

HOME THEATER Reeltime Sight and Sound 949.240.0555 26381 Via De Anza, www.reeltimesightandsound.com

HYPNOTHERAPY Jennifer Wong, Cht - Certified Hypnotherapist & Meditation Instructor 949.878.6870 30320 Rancho Viejo Rd. Ste. #103, www.positiveenergyhypnosis.com

Insurance Capistrano Health & Life www.capistranohealthlife.com

Alerra Home Health Services 949.545.6646 32332 Camino Capistrano #205, www.alerra.net

Slab leak repair SCP Plumbing/ CuraFlo of O.C. 949.493.2426 27126 Paseo Espada STE. 705, www.curaflo.com

TELEVISION Reeltime Sight and Sound 26381 Via De Anza, www.reeltimesightandsound.com

949-240-0555

WATER DAMAGE Jarvis Restoration 949.362.5388 31942 Paseo Sagrado, www.jarvisrestoration.com

PRINTING

Women’s Clothing Blu:Echo 949.496.4810 31878 Del Obispo (Marshalls Center)

YOGA Adelanto Studio Yoga & Life Arts 32118 Paseo Adelanto, Ste.9, www.adelantostudio.net

949.705.7344

949.697.9454

LIST YOUR BUSINESS IN “LOCALS ONLY” This handy, cost-friendly, go-to reference tool keeps your business in front of potential customers 24/7.

Jeweler

San Clemente Computer & Network Services Sparklean Laundry daniel@sanclementecomputer.com 949.276.1581 31952 Del Obispo

ELECTRICIANS

Schools Capistrano Valley Christian Schools 949.493.5683 32032 Del Obispo Street, www.cvcs.org

Exciting New Audio Tour 949.234.1300 26801 Ortega Highway, www.missionsjc.com

949.661.4080

LAUNDRIES

Construction Services

Mission Parish School 949.234.1385 31641 El Camino Real, www.missionparishschool.org

RestaurantS

Kitchen Design

COMPUTER SERVICES

PRESCHOOLS

EmbroidMe – SJC 949.276.7910 Las Golandrinas Mexican Food 949.240.3440 32241 Camino Capistrano , A102 27124 Paseo Espada #803, www.lasgolondrinas.biz www.embroidme-sanjuancapo.com Skimmer’s Panini Café 949.276.6300 Experience The Mission 31451 Rancho Viejo Rd. #103, www.skimmerspaninigrill.com Historic Mission San Juan Capistrano

Abby’s Fine Jewelry Design 949.493.3632 32382 Del Obispo, Ste. C-3, www.abbysdesigns.com

COMPUTER TRAINING

949.212.0499

SENIOR HOME CARE

A to Z Leak Detection 949.499.4464 www.atozleakdetection.com Pronto Plumbing (El Plomero) 949.246.3589 31878 Del Obispo Ste. 118-227, www.prontodrain.com SCP Plumbing/ CuraFlo of O.C. 949.493.2426 27126 Paseo Espada STE. 705, www.curaflo.com DC Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning www.dcplumbing.net 949.365.9044

Printing OC

949.388.4888 27134 Paseo Espada #B 203, www.printingoc.com

Embroidery

Orange Coast Database Association 949-489-1472 32422 Allipaz St., Ste. B, http://ocdatabases.itgo.com Kitchen & Bath Designs 27231 Ortega Hwy., Unit B

Tony Brown Design & Build e-mail hunkpapa@cox.net

Photo & Digital Lab San Juan Photo & Digital 949.661.5668 32301 Camino Capistrano, www.sjcphotodigital.com

PLUMBING

Antique Restoration

Law Office of Skinner & Skinner 31461 Rancho Viejo Rd., Ste. 103

ROOF MANAGEMENT SERVICES

PHARMACY

The Medicine Shoppe 949.661.9141 Bryan Krueger Enterprises, Inc. 31952 Del Obispo #270, www.medicineshoppe.com 33208 Paseo De Cerveza, Ste. B

949.248.4686

MOLD REMOVAL

949.661.2054 Jarvis Restoration 949.362.5388 31942 Paseo Sagrado, www.jarvisrestoration.com

MORTGAGE

Friess Electric

949.248.4222 Capistrano Health & Life 32332 Camino Capistrano, Suite 102 www.capistranohealthlife.com

949.697.9454

Get your business listed today.

Call Angela Edwards at 949.682.1667 or email aedwards@thecapistranodispatch.com.

Business Directory Classifieds Garage sale listings are FREE! Call 949.388.7700, ext. 103

Submit your ad online at www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GARAGE SALE Community Garage Sale at Hampton Hill HOA Located off Del Obispo and just south of Stonehill Saturday, September 18th 7:00 am to 1:00 pm

HELP WANTED Child Care Needed Light Tutoring in San Juan Capistrano area. Female Preferred, CDL Transporation to/from school/practies. Email: jack@jntmgmt.com/ Call: 714-231-8942

Misc. EDUCATION Services IN-HOME TEACHER I am credentialed and have a Masters Degree in Education. I will develop lessons for students based on their current needs. I have 10 years experience in all grade levels and a high success rate with student grade improvement even with the most reluctant learner. Excellent references upon request.

Call 949-363-8414.

Misc. Health Services

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

FREE PREGNANCY TESTS Confidential services & help when you need it most. Call 218-5777; walk-ins welcome.

1450-B N. El Camino Real, SC. Pregnancy Resource Center

SIDEWALK SALE HOME FURNISHINGS SIDEWALK SALE -- SHINE

by SHO, a local modern beach chic home furnishings company -- featured in numerous home decor magazines -- is having a giant sidewalk sale on Friday, September 10th and Saturday, September 11th from 10:00am- 6:00pm at the SHINE studio, 31511 Camino Capistrano, Ste. A in San Juan Capistrano.

Fabulous designer furniture, art and home accessories will be on sale at closeout prices. Go to www. shinebysho.com www.shinebysho.com to see what SHINE by SHO has to offer.

Do you want to reach 11,500+ people in the San Juan Capistrano area?

Then you need to be in the Capistrano Dispatch.

Call us today!

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

949.388.7700 ext. 104

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

September 10–23, 2010 • The Capistrano Dispatch • Page 27

SPORTS

5

& OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES & MORE

5 BEST BETS FOOTBALL

BASEBALL

Panthers vs. Lions Saddleback College September 10, 7 p.m.

It’s a battle of the big cats as JSerra Catholic High School hosts the Panthers of Orange High in its first game of the regular season. Info: www.jserra.org

SOCCER

SOCCER

VOLLEYBALL

Mariners vs.

Angels, Angel Stadium September 10, 7:05 p.m.

Revolution vs.

Chivas USA, Home Depot Center September 10, 7:30 p.m.

Crew vs. Galaxy Home Depot Center September 11, 7:30 p.m.

The regular season is almost over and though the Angels are struggling in the AL West, they’ll still be ready to face Seattle in the first of a three-game series this weekend.

Chivas USA hit the pitch to take on the New England Revolution at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. Info: www.

The LA Galaxy are back in action at home as they Info: www.jserra.org continue a quest for the cup. However, the guys will have to stay focused on playing past the Columbus crew. Info: www.

homedepotcenter.com

Info: www.losangeles. angels.mlb.com

Trojans vs. Lions JSerra High School September 16, 5 p.m.

The Lady Lions of JSerra host University in its third home game of the 2010 girls volleyball season.

homedepotcenter.com

Stallions Stomp Through Sweetwater In Season Opener The Capistrano Dispatch

T

he San Juan Hills Stallions (1-0) opened the 2010 season with a commanding 49-14 win against Sweetwater High School on September 3. The Stallions took the early 14-0 lead in the first quarter, off two short yardage rushing touchdowns

by Rocky Bragg.

The team then posted 21 points in the second quarter as Bragg caught a 16-yard touchdown pass, while Michael Perryman caught two—one from nine yards out and another that went 60 yards. Quarterback Wil Acromite threw all three strikes. The team then entered the half with a 35-7 lead.

After another two touchdowns in the third quarter, the team threw it in cruise mode and rode out the big win.

On the game, Kyle Bauer led with 53 yards rushing while Dane Gore had 36 and Acromite had 35. Michael Perryman led the receiving unit with 118 yards, while Acromite went 5-of-8 passing with 134 yards through the air. CD

GAM E C A P S U L E S

Photos courtesy Greg Hawkins/www.stallionfootball.shutterfly.com Page 28 • The Capistrano Dispatch • September 10–23, 2010

September 10 vs. Yorba Linda Mustangs

September 16 vs. El Modena Vanguards

Location: Yorba Linda Time: 7 p.m.

2009 record: N/A 09 vs. SJH: DNP Affiliation: Empire Coach: Jeff Bailey 2010 Team Overview: A team that is still a work in progress, the Mustangs (0-1) enter the 2010 season with a big question mark attached to them. This will be their first full varsity season and because of that, no team will have an advantage in knowing how they play and what their tendencies are.

Although Yorba Linda might be relatively unknown in the Empire League, they will have to compete against a well-known Cypress High team that has dominated the league for the past two seasons.

Location: Tesoro Time: 7:30 p.m.

2009 record: 3-7 (1-4 league) 09 vs. SJH: DNP Affiliation: Century Coach: Greg Olquin 2010 Team Overview: The 2009-2010 season was a tough one for the Vanguards (1-0). They were held scoreless in three of their games en route to a three-win season.

But El Modena looks good early on, especially after opening with a 17-13 win against Orange in Week 1 and despite being without one of their biggest producers on the field as quarterback Bryan Stiefel has moved on and graduated. Even though they had a weak defense last year that allowed 354 points in 10 games, the Vanguards should not be a team that the Stallions should overlook in 2010. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo Draws Big Crowd Photos by Scott Schmitt/ San Juan Photo & Digital The Capistrano Dispatch

M

ore than 8,000 people turned out August 28 and 29 to watch the top cowboys in the nation compete in the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo.

The rodeo is the richest two-day event in the country, and this year celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The rodeo, at Antonio Parkway and Ortega Highway, has donated $1 million to charity since it began. The two primary charities are the Shea Center for Therapeutic Riding and the Camino Health Center, both in San Juan Capistrano. CD

Page 30 • The Capistrano Dispatch • September 10–23, 2010

www.thecapistranodispatch.com