The Capistrano Dispatch

H A P P Y H O L I D AY S F R O M T H E C A P I S T R A N O D I S PAT C H

d e c e m b e r 2 3 , 2 0 1 1 –J A N U A RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 2 Volume 9, Issue 24

HIGHLIGHTING THE BEST STORIES OF THE YEAR

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 6

Capistrano Teacher Arrested on Sex Charges

Become Part of History: Take a Picture!

Santa’s Helpers Drop in on Shea

EYE ON SJC/Page 3

EYE ON SJC/Page 4

sjc living/Page 21

EYE ON SJC

1

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

SAN CLEMENTE San Clemente dedicated its first two quiet zones at North Beach, Wednesday, December 21. The quiet zones silence the horns of trains passing at the Avenida Estacion and Senda De La Playa crossings. City and county officials took part in the ceremony that unveiled the signs indicating train horns need not sound.

For years, San Clemente has worked to silence or at least reduce the volume of warning sounds coming from passing trains, which were otherwise required to honk.

Since Metrolink acquired its right of way, trains pass through the city as many as 50 times a day and honk along the way, which has affected residents living near the tracks.

The city is worked to develop an audible warning system that sounds for pedestrians at seven more crossings near the beach trail.

NEWS

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

DANA POINT Discussion of proposed plastic bag and polystyrene container bans scheduled for the December 12 city council meeting was postponed after the city was inundated with public opinion in the form of letters, emails and calls. The item was pulled from the agenda to give officials time to sort through the correspondence. Mayor Lara Anderson said the flood of comments caught her off guard. “It’s such a divisive issue,” she said of the proposal that—with environmental groups on one side and the plastics industry on the other—has focused attention on Dana Point in the statewide debate. So far 22 California cities and four counties have bag bans and more cities are taking up the issue since a statewide ban failed in the legislature in July. Officials plan to revisit the item at a January or February meeting.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO’S TOP 5 HOTTEST TOPICS

What’s Up With...

1

... A Teacher Arrested?

THE LATEST: JSerra Catholic High School Spanish teacher and athletics coach Ricardo Aldana was arrested late Wednesday, December 14, for alleged lewd acts with a former student. According to Orange County Sherriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino, the inappropriate conduct with the student, who was then a minor, occurred in Aldana’s Dana Point home in September.

The girl reported the incident to her mother, who contacted authorities on Wednesday. Aldana was arrested that day, booked into Orange County jail, but was later released after posting $100,000 bail.

JSerra officials say they are “outraged and sickened” by the allegations, and fired Aldana Thursday morning.

Authorities fear there may be other victims. Aldana, who taught at the school for seven years, coached girls volleyball as well as boys soccer.

WHAT’S NEXT: The school is reportedly cooperating with authorities in the investigation. In a statement, JSerra spokesman Bill Rams said, “We strongly encourage anybody in the JSerra community with information that might aid the investigation to contact the Sheriff’s Department immediately.” Anyone with additional information is asked to call 855.TIP.OCCS. FIND OUT MORE: See JSerra President Frank Talarico’s letter to the community in the Soapbox section and watch www. thecapistranodispatch.com —Jonathan Volzke/Austin Patrick Reagan

2

... Mayor Holding Office Hours?

THE LATEST: Mayor Larry Kramer is

reviving an on-again, off-again tradition of office hours for the public to meet with him.

The half-hour meetings will be held on Wednesdays between 2 and 5:30 p.m., and those meeting with the Mayor will be able to discuss issues, projects or any matter relating to city affairs. Meetings are available by appointment only and will be held at City Hall.

WHAT’S NEXT: The office hours will start January 4.

FIND OUT MORE:To make an appointment, call Lori Doll at 949.443.6315.

—JV

3

... CUSD Administrators Leaving?

THE LATEST: Facing ongoing budget challenges that have plagued the district for years, Capistrano Unified School District will be facing the future with a new financial team. Deputy Superintendent of Business Services Ron Lebs is leaving to take a similar position in Fullerton Joint Union High School and budget manager Penny Larsen, who’s only been with CUSD since August, is leaving to join the Orange County Department of Education.

Lebs’ last day will be January 20. He started with the district in July 2008, and has guided the district through some $80 million from its general fund budget since then.

WHAT’S NEXT: The district will initiate a regional search for a Deputy Superintendent, Business and Support Services, and will identify an interim appointment while that process is implemented, district spokesman Marcus Walton said.

The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

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

4

... New Trustee Boundaries?

THE LATEST: Capistrano Unified School District Trustees on Monday rejected most proposals for new election districts, focusing on a plan that would create areas by city and high school boundaries.

Trustees were presented with five scenarios drawn up by a consultant. The areas mirrored elementary attendance areas, high-school areas and other criteria. Trustees on Monday said they didn’t want cities covered by multiple trustee districts, such as currently exists in San Juan Capistrano, which has four trustees.

The work was required because of the 2010 Census, which shows 343,291 people in the CUSD boundaries, 17 percent Hispanic. And with the passage of Measure H, voters will only cast ballots for one trustee—the one from their area. Until now, voters cast ballots for all seven.

On December 12, the seven-member board also selected Trustee Gary Pritchard to serve as President, while John Alpay will serve as Vice President and Lynn Hatton will be Clerk of the Board for 2012. The three were elected together in 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT: A public hearing on the boundaries is set for January 9, with a decision in the weeks following.

FIND OUT MORE:See the Beyond the Blackboard blog at www.thecapistranodispatch.com for the maps and more.

—JV

Page 3

5

... Developments in Town?

THE LATEST: The Marriott Residence Inn at Camino Capistrano and Stonehill Drive might open as soon as January, City Manager Karen Brust says in her weekly update.

City staff walked through the hotel on December 14 and noted the carpets, furniture and appliances were almost all in place, according to Brust’s update.

In other development-related news, the City Council has extended the public comments period for the Historic Downtown Master Plan, allowing input on the plan to revitalize downtown up until January 17. A Planning Commission public hearing on the plan is scheduled for January 24, with final City Council consideration in March.

On the plan to double the square footage of Pedro’s Tacos across from the Mission on Camino Capistrano, the Design Review Committee approved the two-story architecture and forwarded the project to the Planning Commission, which will conduct a public hearing on January 10 in consideration for final approval. In other property-related news, the tenant in the city-owned Swanner House, on Camino Capistrano at the north end of town, has given notice and will be moving out.

The house and orange grove is on the National Historic Register. City staff will turn to the City Council for guidance on what to do next with the property.

WHAT’S NEXT: Brust issues her updates weekly, covering the activities of each department in the city.

FIND OUT MORE: Sign up for Brust’s updates at www.sanjuancapistrano.org

—JV

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Eye on SJC

Dispatch Seeks Photos for 50th Anniversary Time Capsule

By Jonathan Volzke The Capistrano Dispatch

ant to be part of Capistrano history? The Capistrano Dispatch and San Juan Capistrano Historical Society are going to make it as easy as snapping a picture.

Working with the Celebration Committee, the Historical Society will bury a time capsule as part of the observance of the 50th anniversary of the city’s incorporation.

So far, items donated for the capsule include a cell phone donated by Ann Foster, A Walking Tour Guide on the City of San Juan Capistrano donated by Historical Society, a copy of the State of the City promotional DVD donated from the Chamber of Commerce and a memo on the buildings and districts on the Register of Historic Places from Ilse Byrnes.

The Camino Real Playhouse chipped in a brochure on the Sideshow Shenanigans melodrama and other materials on the 2011 and 2012 season, while Don Tryon added a current edition of Popular Science magazine. A photo of the Class 2011 from San Juan Hills High School, the school’s first graduates, is also included.

And what time capsule wouldn’t be complete without a T-shirt and bumper sticker from Swallows Inn? But in an effort to capture life in San Juan Capistrano in 2011, The Dispatch would like residents to send in

W

photographs taken during the last week of the year— from December 25 to December 31. We’ll publish a couple of the best in our next issue, but we’ll take all of them over to Scott Schmitt and San Juan Photo and Digital. Schmitt can put the photos into a bound book, which we’ll include in the time capsule.

Email your photos—just one or two each as attachments, please—to jvolzke@thecapistranodispatch. com. You must put “Time Capsule” in the subject line or the photos won’t be considered. The photos can have people in them, but should include a Capistrano scene—a place or activity.

Please identify anybody in the photo in the email body and also say where the photo was taken. When the time capsule is opened decades from now, future residents will be able to compare how various places look then to how they look today.

The photos must be submitted by January 3 so Schmitt has time to assemble the book and get it in the time capsule.

Have fun, and remember, you could represent what people of tomorrow think of Capistrano today.

As for the city’s other time capsule, it was buried in 1976 after the Freedom Train, stuffed with national artifacts, rolled through town.

The capsule has a scrapbook of city residents, a Sears and Roebuck catalog, a map of San Juan Capistrano and a skateboard, among other items. It’s scheduled to be opened in 2076. CD

Halibut Haul

Bradley Parr, 11, of San Juan Capistrano had a fish tale to tell after landing this 31-pound halibut on a Kids Trip with Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. Courtesy photo

Audit Says City Might Need to Increase Rates

By Jonathan Volzke The Capistrano Dispatch

special audit of the city Utilities Department found no evidence of wrongdoing, but said some city staff is stretched too thin to do their jobs well and a water-rate increase might be necessary to dig the water division out of an $8.2 million hole.

The city hired Ralph Andersen & Associates for a maximum cost of $44,920 to do a special review of the Utilities Department. The audit came after Councilwoman Laura Freese called for the audit in answer to repeated complaints and concerns raised by residents Clint Worthington, Jim Reardon, John Perry and others.

The concerns included everything from the cost of San Juan Capistrano’s water to how long the city would control the groundwater recovery plant. All three men write for Capistrano Common Sense; Reardon and Worthington unsuccessfully sought City Council seats in the last election. Perry, in particular, has repeatedly criticized the city for what he says are 113 percent in water-rate increases.

The audit actually says the city was too slow to raise water rates and essentially hid cost increases by using the city’s general fund to supplement the water operations. Typically, water rates should cover the cost of the water operations, while the general fund—financed by property and sales taxes and other income—pays for other city operations, employee salaries and projects.

A

The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

The failure to act dates back to the late 1990s. The report says the water district, then the Capistrano Valley Water District, lost money from 1997 to 2002.

Then, City Councils refused to raise rates until a few years ago.

“Frankly, the city has not adequately increased water rates over the past 14 years examined by this study and in the near term has not been too nimble in addressing unexpected, changing financial and operating circumstances,” the report says.

The report echoes city staffers who say the $8.2 million deficit in the water department was caused by Page 4

customers buying far less water than anticipated when the rates were structured. In addition to that lessthan-expected income, the city’s groundwater plant was hobbled by operational issues and MTBE in the groundwater. That forced the city to buy more imported water than anticipated and cost the city a subsidy from Metropolitan Water District.

The city says the groundwater plant is now working as expected, which is already improving the financial picture. The report recommends the city join with nearby water districts and hire a shared water-rate analyst as well.

As for the groundwater plant, the report confirms the city will continue to control the plant’s operations.

“Although the cost of the GWRP has contributed significantly to the current financial condition of the water utility, it will likely prove to be a positive investment over the long term from both a reliability of service standpoint and a cost of operation once production levels reach the point of being cost effective,” the report says.

The report makes some recommendations about shifting some staff around but says the overall organization is sufficient. It also points out that too many financial errors were made, saying staff was overworked with other projects and assignments. That, too, has been corrected.

See the complete report at www.thecapistranodispatch.com. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Eye on SJC

2011: A Look Back New City Hall leadership emerges from year’s challenges

By Jonathan Volzke The Capistrano Dispatch

F

or Capistrano, 2011 saw the end to some chapters, the beginnings of others.

The city, dragged through the headlines in 2010 for paying an interim City Manager/Utilities Director $324,000, hired permanent people for both those positions. The Chevron dispute over MTBE in the groundwater was put to an end, as was the lawsuit with Caltrans over the widening of Ortega Highway.

In the schools, the acrimonious debate over “corruption” by former school leaders ended, almost quietly, when all of the final charges were dismissed and justices declined any further appeals.

But even as the chapters close, the stories continue. In the schools, state funding issues leave leaders with multimillion-dollar cuts in the year ahead, while Capistrano will address an $8.2 million shortfall in the utilities department and how to move ahead with a plan to revitalize the historic downtown.

regularly saw their meetings stretch pass midnight decide earlier starts might lead to earlier endings. The council moves the meeting start time up 30 minutes, to 6 p.m.

Deputy Karl Goldstrohm, Deputy Mike Rupley, who was Capistrano’s Deputy of the Year for 2010, and Deputy Judy Jackson at the American Legion’s awards ceremony. Photo by Jonathan Volzke

Honored: Capistrano Sheriff’s Deputies Judy Jackson and Karl Goldstrohm are honored by the Saddleback Valley Chapter of the American Legion.

Jackson was cited for her actions that led to the arrest of an attempted-murder suspect and in foiling an ATM burglary, while Goldstrohm, a reserve, was honored for his work fighting gangs.

January

February

Pull the Plug: The City Council discusses the city’s red-light cameras, and the panel informally agrees the electronic cops should be gone when the contract expires in 2012. Statistics show a decline in accidents at the intersections with the cameras, although the numbers of accidents were never alarmingly high.

But council members recognize nobody seems to like the cameras—even though they generate about $240,000 a year for the city.

Back to the Ballot: Residents opposed to the proposed mixed-use, housing and equestrian project at La Novia and Valle Road qualify a referendum for voters.

It’s the third referendum since 2002.

More Honors: Sheriff’s Deputy Thom Spratt, assigned to Capistrano, is honored by the Mission Viejo/Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge.

Another Anniversary: Kinoshita Elementary School celebrates its first decade with a ceremony that includes kids who attended the school, as well as members of the Kinoshita family.

Top Teachers: Capistrano Unified announces its Teachers of the Year, selected by their peers. Kim Weirath from Ambeuhl, Carol Allen from Del Obispo, Teri Arndt from Kinoshita, Martha Garcia-Serrato from San Juan and Eric Takach from Marco make the list, as do Michael Grabowski from Capo Valley High, Robin Mairs from Dana Hills, Greg Young from San Clemente, Betsy Schmitz from San Juan Hills and Rebecca Bailey from Junipero Serra.

James Gibson, a Scout in Troop 724, hangs one of the city’s anniversary banners downtown. Photo by Dan Priest, Assistant Scoutmaster

Celebration: Banners depicting various elements of the city go up on light poles downtown as Capistrano kicks off its yearlong observation of 50 years of cityhood.

An Early Start: Council members who

March Land of the Free: The City Council rejects a proposed daytime curfew that would have made it illegal for kids to be on the streets during school hours, and

The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

could have led to fines against parents who knowingly let their kids violate the ordinance.

Bagged: Saying he wants to make city government more open, Mayor Sam Allevato announces a series of public “Brown Bag Lunches” at City Hall on specific topics. He’s criticized after his first by some who say he is grabbing the spotlight. He offers to let other council members host the additional Brown Bags, but the effort is sacked. Allevato’s then criticized for not seeing them through.

Apple Splits: Four years after joining the city, Deputy City Manager Steve Apple announces his retirement. Apple came on as head of the planning department and left as the City Council was looking for a permanent City Manager. Nearly 90 people applied for that post.

Remembered: About 50 people turn out as the Historical Society unveils a bronze marker for lifelong resident and Juaneno Rita Neiblas.

Nieblas’ plaque is one of many in the Historical Society Garden. Photo by Jonathan Volzke

Parade: Capistrano enjoys another Swallows Day Parade put on by the all-volunteer Fiesta Association. Realtor Steve Weekes led the organization, while Art and Maria Galindo of Las Golondrinas restaurant were Grand Marshals.

The Dispatch’s Jonathan Volzke and Trish McCauley were Señor San Juan and Ms. Fiesta. It was the 53rd parade.

That’s Settled: Chevron agrees to pay $3.1 million to settle any potential claims by Capistrano over decades-old MTBE spills into the city’s groundwater. The discovery of the chemical in city wells hobbled the groundwater recovery plant for years.

Rejected: The federal government rejects a bid by the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians for federal recognition, crushing a decades-long effort by the local Native Americans.

Page 6

The stilt walkers were a favorite attraction, drawing children and onlookers all day long. Photo by Jonathan Volzke

April Under the Knife: The City Council faces $530,000 in budget cuts as property taxes, accounting for 24 percent of the city’s income, dip about $153,000 and vehicle license fees paid to the city also drop by $314,000.

Is There a Doctor in the House?: Peter Bastone, President and CEO of Mission Hospital since 1996, announces his departure. He was visible in Capistrano because of projects with Mission Church and JSerra Catholic High.

Back to Work: Capistrano Unified School District trustees restore five teacher-furlough days cut in earlier contract talks. Trustees say additional money from the state triggered a clause that required the restoration.

Party: The Celebration Committee hosts a huge party in Historic Town Center Park marking the 50th anniversary of incorporation.

Tres Bon!: San Juan Hills High French teacher Betsy Schmitz is the upper-grade Teacher of the Year in Capistrano Unified.

New Leader: Former Capistrano City Manager Dave Adams is brought back to serve as an interim while the council seeks a permanent city leader. Adams takes the chair from Joe Tait, a consultant whose $324,000 a year contract—as City Manager and Utilities Director—put the city in headlines statewide.

Business Boom: After seeing business after business close, Capistrano’s marketplace comes to life as Tuttle-Click Ford opens, Costco begins an expansion and construction on a 130-room Marriott Residence Inn is underway.

May Bad Parents: The District Attorneys’ Office leads an effort to arrest parents www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Eye on SJC

Developers Rick Julian and Robb Cerruti with Jodie Cerruti and project supporter Richard Hill Adams celebrate the passage of “Yes on B” at El Adobe Restaurant in June. Photo by Danielle Johnson

who allow their students to be chronically truant. One of the couples, with a student at Marco Forster Middle School, is from San Juan Capistrano.

New Manager: Karen Brust is hired as San Juan Capistrano’s City Manager.

She was lured away from Del Mar with a $218,000 annual salary.

Among other things, Caltrans agrees to plant three new trees for every tree removed from the scenic portion of the highway.

President Paul: Paul Murai is installed as the Rotary’s 75th president.

June

Film Fest: Residents Robert Kline and Stephanie Heredia work with Regency Theatres to bring the first West Coast Film Fest to Capistrano.

Picking Priorities: Guided by new City Manager Karen Brust, the City Council sets it priorities for the coming year.

Chief among them is getting the city’s financial house in order. The Utilities Department, for example, faces an $8.2 million shortfall.

In-N-Out Out: In-N-Out Burger, which had eyed a parcel on Del Obispo Street just west of Ortega Highway but was frustrated by a lack of City Council support, announces it’s taking its burger stand to go.

End of an Error: The state Supreme Court refuses to hear the final appeal in the series of cases around alleged corruption in Capistrano Unified School District. All charges are dropped against former Superintendent James Fleming and a former assistant superintendent, Susan McGill. Other justices decided it was OK for school officials to compile a list of district critics, which was at the heart of a corruption case against the two.

Saddled Up: The Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo again fills the stands for its 11th annual rodeo, the richest two-day event in the country.

Fundraising Fun: The J.F. Shea Center for Therapeutic Riding holds “SheaFari” at the Montage in Laguna Beach, raising $600,000 for the center, which uses horseback riding as treatment for autism and other ailments.

B will Be: Amid a low turnout, 55.8 percent of the voters approve the mixeduse Distrito La Novia housing-commercial-equestrian project east of Valle Road. Fewer people cast ballots against the project than those who signed the petition to get it before voters in the first place.

Crushing Decision: The City Council upholds a decision to destroy a man’s pickup truck because he left the inoperable vehicle in the driveway of his Avenida Mariposa home, against city codes.

First Grads: San Juan Hills High School graduates 500 students in the new school’s first-ever graduation.

Fill ‘er Up: Costco, open for more than two decades in town, finally adds gasoline islands.

Fatal Shooting: A jewelry-store employee fatally shoots two would-be robbers at Monaco Jewelers at the south end of town.

July Parks Pistol Problem: Councilman Derek Reeve proposes the city lift its ban on unloaded firearms at city parks. The idea is shot down.

Honored: Volunteers Mike D’Arnold, Jean Vincenzi and Matt Gaffney see their names added to the city’s Wall of Recognition.

That’s Settled: The city and Caltrans settle a lawsuit holding up the widening of Ortega Highway east of the freeway.

letters from across the country after The Dispatch reports that residents Chuck and Stephanie Fromm were cited by code-enforcement officers for hosting Bible studies in their home.

Sorry, Sorta: Councilman Derek Reeve says he didn’t mean to offend anyone when he announced at a council meeting that he’d named his dog “Muhammad.” Muslim groups had protested.

Mission Scores a Hit: Mission San Juan Capistrano raises $204,000 during its annual black-tie “Romance of the Mission.” The money is slated for a new gatehouse and entry project.

Utility Man: Keith Van Der Maaten is selected as San Juan Capistrano’s new Utilities Director. He comes from Santa Cruz with 15 years experience, and will earn $132,456 plus benefits.

August

September In the Dark: Capistrano and all of southern Orange County is plunged into darkness during an 8-hour power outage spurred by an error in Arizona.

No major problems are reported, but a Capistrano resident is arrested after allegedly hitting his neighbor during a dispute over generator noise.

Pay to Pray: The city is inundated with

The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

Stephanie and Chuck Fromm have been cited twice for holding Bible studies in their home in the Mission Hills neighborhood. Photo by Jonathan Volzke

October Taking a Toll: The Transportation Corridor Agencies, frustrated in its efforts to build a toll road from Rancho Santa Margarita to the 5 freeway south of San Clemente, announces a new strategy to build it in phases. The first phase, under the new plan, has the road stopping just shy of Ortega Highway.

Sorry, Sorta, Again: Councilman Derek Reeve is again in the news, this time apologizing for what he calls “careless” errors that lead to dozens of passages written by others to appear under his name in a blog. Reeve, an attorney and college professor, says blogs have a different standard, so it really wasn’t plagiarism, but some disagree: he loses his post at Concordia University.

Page 7

Powering Up: San Diego Gas & Electric announces plans to replace an aging substation, and 1928 building, on Camino Capistrano with two 50-foot-tall buildings and new equipment.

Fleming Fights Back: Former schools chief James Fleming, cleared of corruption charges, files a lawsuit against the school district. He says the district reneged on a promise to pay his legal bills and that he’s due back pay. He ballparks the amount at $1.6 million.

November Good Times: The Historical Society asks the public for items to include in a time capsule that will be buried as part of the city’s 50th anniversary of incorporation and opened in 2076.

Historic Decisions: Environmental studies as part of a $500,000 plan to revamp San Juan’s downtown conclude there would be no significant impacts.

That does little to sooth preservationists concerned the plan will destroy the town’s historic character. Unrelated, maybe, is Historic Preservation Manager Teri Delcamp’s announcement she’s leaving Capistrano to take a similar post in Riverside.

It’s Settled: The city and Chuck and Stephanie Fromm settle their dispute over the Fromm’s residential Bible studies. The city drops any fines and agrees to rewrite city codes to allow residential gatherings.

Water Works: The city announces its $32 million groundwater recovery plant, opened in 2005, is beginning to hit production goals. The plant’s production had lagged, first because of operational challenges, then because of MTBE in the groundwater.

December Politics at Play: Council members select Larry Kramer to serve as Mayor, despite apparent assurances from Kramer and political ally John Taylor that Councilwoman Laura Freese would get a turn with the gavel.

Web Work: The City Council agrees to pay $18,000 upfront and $13,000 annually to broadcast City Council meetings on the Internet.

Barn Burner: An apparently electrical issue sparks a fire in an 1898 barn on Del Obispo Street. Firefighters working in high winds prevent the blaze from spreading, but the barn is a complete loss.

Audit Answers: A long-awaited audit of the utilities department, facing an $8.2 million shortfall, doesn’t find any serious flaws in the city, but points out the city’s water rates—already a sore subject among residents—may need to be raised to close the gap. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

f

EYE ON SJC B es t

o

SJC Sheriff’s Blotter 2011

Compiled By JONATHAN VOLZKE All information below is obtained from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department website (www.ocsd.org). The calls represent what was told to the deputy in the field by the radio dispatcher.

The true nature of an incident often differs from what is initially reported. No assumption of criminal guilt or affiliation should be drawn from the content of the information provided.

JANUARY KEEP THE PEACE Calle Resplendor, 30800 Block (Thursday, January 23, 1:18 p.m.) A resident accused a neighbor’s kids of cutting down trees.

It’s an ongoing dispute.

UNKNOWN TROUBLE Mariner Drive/Sandpiper Court (Friday, January 24, 5:05 p.m.) Tip jars were stolen from at least four Starbucks. The crooks fled in a silver Nissan Maxima.

FEBRUARY SUSPICIOUS PERSON Camino Las Ramblas/Avenida Calita (Saturday, February 19, 8:58 a.m.) A passerby to an accident called deputies to report seeing a man in an SUV looking very disoriented. The driver had possibly hit a raccoon that was walking around and looking very disoriented, too.

DRUNK DRIVING Paseo Adelanto, 32100 Block (Tuesday, February 22, 10:22 p.m.) A caller told police he had been watching a woman crawl out of her car and then back into it.

She was trying to start her car and leave but seemed unable to figure it out.

MARCH SUSPICIOUS PERSON Via La Pluma, 33100 Block (Sunday, March 19, 12:26 p.m.) A resident reported a man knocked on his door and asked for a ride to Arizona.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON Calle Pinon, 28300 Block (Tuesday, March 29, 3:46 a.m.) A woman called police after she woke up to find a stranger walking out of her bedroom. She woke up the family, and they were all searching the house with baseball bats. No further information was provided.

APRIL KEEP THE PEACE

Paseo Adelanto, 32100 Block (Saturday, April 2, 2:12 p.m.) Two different people showed up at a tow yard at the same time, both claiming that a car, which had been towed earlier that day, belonged to them.

FAMILY DISPUTE Valle Road, 32800 Block (Thursday, April 14, 3:05 a.m.) Deputies were called when a woman reported her husband, who’d been drinking, was too talkative to let the family sleep.

STOLEN VEHICLE Brookfield Road, 26400 Block (Friday, April 15, 8:40 p.m.) A Range Rover was taken from a driveway. The keys were left in it, and the woman’s husband was following the suspects in another vehicle.

Deputies investigating, however, found the car wasn’t stolen: It was repossessed.

CITIZEN ASSIST Paseo Adelanto, 32500 Block (Friday, April 15, 12:17 p.m.) A man staying in Capistrano for a couple of weeks for a horse show went to the Police Services office to report his wife called him to say she was headed to town to kill him.

CITIZEN ASSIST Paseo de Manuel, 32100 Block (Sunday, April 17, 5:51 p.m.) A woman reported a man was throwing feces and coins in her pool.

GRAND THEFT Calle Winona, 31900 Block (Thursday, May 5, 10:33 a.m.) Someone left $1,500 in an unlocked car. It was stolen.

WELFARE CHECK Eastview Court, 26300 Block (Thursday, May 19, 3:29 p.m.) A concerned neighbor contacted authorities to report a family with two children living without electricity for weeks and only using candlelight.

JUNE CITIZEN ASSIST Del Obispo Street, 31700 Block (Thursday, June 2, 10:53 p.m.) The manager of Del Taco told authorities that an employee was being harassed by his ex-girlfriend, who is an employee of the McDonalds nearby. The ex-girlfriend was now demanding photos of all the female workers of the Del Taco, which many of manager’s female employees were finding threatening.

9-1-1 HANG UP Verdugo Street, 26700 Block (Sunday, June 5, 11:42 a.m.) A woman called from a payphone and said, “They are taking us from Oceanside and dumping us on the train.” Then she hung up.

JULY

DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 31800 Block (Friday, May 20, 10:25 p.m.) A person called 911 to request an ambulance for an injured woman after a fight broke out at a wedding reception.

DISTURBANCE Spotted Bull Lane, 29500 Block (Sunday, May 22, 8:46 p.m.) A woman called 911 during an argument with a homeowner who had told her that she could live there, but then made her stay in a tent in the backyard. The homeowner was trying to take away the woman’s house key during the argument and kept telling her that she was in danger.

The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

VANDALISM IN PROGRESS Horseshoe Bend, 27800 Block (Tuesday, May 31, 8:35 p.m.) A woman called saying her neighbor just broke her floodlight with a stick because it was bothering him.

VANDALISM IN PROGRESS Doheny Park Road, 33900 Block (Wednesday, June 8, 1:59 p.m.) A woman in the Costco parking lot confronted another customer about dinging her car with their door. The customer proceeded to slam their door into the woman’s car repeatedly and then drove off. She was able to take a picture of the car, which was a light blue hybrid Honda Civic.

MAY

DISTURBANCE Del Obispo Street, 31800 Block (Sunday, May 29,12:49 p.m.) A woman holding

a bunch of Teddy bears was outside Ralph’s yelling obscenities at customers and refusing to leave.

CITIZEN ASSIST Via Mayor, 33100 Block (Wednesday, July 6, 12:48 p.m.) A woman just found out her boyfriend had been going to court for fraud against women and she was worried she was going to be the next victim.

PATROL CHECK Blue Fin Drive/Del Obispo Street (Tuesday, July 12, 5:39 p.m.) Authorities were sent to check intersection where a caller reported a swarm of bees. Motorists were panicking and swerving onto oncoming traffic, the caller said.

AUGUST UNKNOWN TROUBLE Calle Aspero, 32200 Block (Tuesday, August 9, 11:29 a.m.) A man with orange hair and wearing only blue-and-white striped boxers threatened the owner of the property with a shotgun.

BATTERY Calle La Bomba, 26600 Block (Sunday,

Page 8

August 21, 9:30 p.m.) A woman reported a neighbor yelled slurs at her, hit her and poured a bloody Mary over her head. She videotaped the entire thing. A 39-year-old man, who said he was unemployed, was taken into custody.

SEPTEMBER DISTURBANCE Calle Villa Clara, 31200 Block (Sunday, September 4, 10:07 a.m.) A man said his wife threw a cup of hot coffee on him and punched him. The man told deputies she got upset when he spit in her face. She left with her young son, but the man refused to tell deputies what kind of vehicle she was in.

WELFARE CHECK Morningstar Lane, 27600 Block (Friday, September 16, 4:59 p.m.) A property owner reported his tenants moved out two months ago and haven’t paid anything, but left their teen-age daughter in the home so she could stay in the school district. The landlord was concerned the girl was living without utilities or anything else.

OCTOBER DRUNK IN PUBLIC Alipaz Street, 32300 Block (Saturday, October 22, 5:17 p.m.) Two female teens were reportedly drunk inside a mobile home park. They were “stumbling around,” the caller reported, and the park manager was in hot pursuit in his golf cart. A few minutes later, dispatchers received another call about two drunk female teens in a nearby neighborhood.

Deputies took one girl to San Clemente hospital.

NOVEMBER TRESPASSING Valle Road, 32800 Block (Monday, November 7 9:57 p.m.) A woman refused to leave a home, even though she didn’t live there.

The caller was locked in his bedroom.

GRAND THEFT Woodcrest Lane, 26400 Block (Monday, November 14, 8 a.m.) A man reported $50,000 was missing from his room. He thinks another renter took it.

DECEMBER DISTURBANCE Horseshoe Bend, 27800 Block (Thursday, December 1, 1:51 a.m.) A woman called to report she’d followed some folks she just met from a bar back to their place. They’d taken her keys away and she didn’t know where she was. As a dispatcher listened, the woman got into an argument with men in the background. Deputies called a taxi to take her back to Orange. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

EDITOR STORIES, NEWS, CALENDAR, ETC.

Jonathan Volzke, 949.388.7700, x108 jvolzke@thecapistranodispatch.com ADVERTISING Debra Wells, 949.388.7700, x104 dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

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

JSERRA PRESIDENT ADDRESS CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS —Frank Talarico, JSerra High School President & CEO Our mission is to provide our students with the highest quality academic, spiritual and co-curricular education, to inspire the pursuit of excellence, to affirm the dignity of each individual to encourage faith and to foster a commitment to service.

It is also our fundamental mission to make sure that each and every student under our care is provided a safe environment in which he or she may grow, learn, socialize and be formed in the Catholic faith. Critical to maintaining this safe environment is our unqualified commitment to ensuring that all members of our community comport themselves according to the teachings and beliefs of the Catholic Church.

Last week, the JSerra community learned of alleged inappropriate and repugnant acts involving one of our teachers and a girl who was a JSerra student until June of 2011. According to published reports, the alleged acts occurred in September 2011.

As CEO, I am responsible for the overall management of JSerra Catholic High School. We followed protocols for addressing this matter when concerns about Mr. Aldana were first presented to the school, including contacting outside legal counsel.

With regard to Mr. Aldana’s hiring and employment status, we conduct comprehensive background checks on all our teachers, which include searching criminal history. Mr. Aldana was appropriately screened, was current on his Live Scan fingerprints and had an unblemished record during his seven-year tenure at JSerra prior to this matter.

We are conducting an internal review of our policies and procedures, and, as CEO, I have made a request to the Board of Directors to commission an independent review that will report back to the Board and JSerra Community to determine if we need to enhance any of our policies and procedures.

The Chairman of the Board has informed me that former California State Secretary of Education Marian Bergeson will chair the external committee. The committee will include three other distinguished community leaders: Dennis O’Neill, former city attorney and mayor of Newport Beach, James Prendergast, senior The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 9, Issue 24. 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 2012. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

PICKET FENCE MEDIA CEO > Norb Garrett

PRINT AND ONLINE

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

EDITORIAL Group Editor, Editor, The Dispatch > Jonathan Volzke

ADVERTISING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Swayne City Editor, SC Times > Stacie N. Galang

> Michele Reddick (San Clemente)

ART/DESIGN

Sales Associates > Angela Edwards

Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith

JONATHAN VOLZKE: My Turn

Happy Holidays, and Thanks H

appy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, San Juan Capistrano.

As 2011 draws to a close, I want to thank everybody for their continued support of The Capistrano Jonathan Volzke Dispatch and our sister papers, the Dana Point Times and San Clemente Times. The papers are completely supported by advertising, and without strong readership, we wouldn’t be able to sell the ads.

vice president and general counsel of the UCC Division of First American Title Insurance Corporation and adjunct professor at Pepperdine and Loyola of Los Angeles Law Schools and retired Orange County Superior Court Judge Pamela Iles, who as both a public defender and a district attorney has handled thousands of child abuse cases and is a nationally recognized expert on the issues of sexual assault, child and elder abuse. They will report back as expeditiously as is practicable.

As the community is aware, outside counselors and campus ministry have provided assistance and comfort to our students, and those counselors remain available.

We continue to fully cooperate with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and other governmental agencies as they continue their investigation into this matter. I have assigned Vice Principal Eric Stroupe to be the direct liaison with these authorities.

JSerra is and has always been a spiritually and academically vibrant community. We can’t help but feel a deep sense of sadness over these events.

As we turn our focus to healing and the Christmas holiday, please keep our former student, her family, our faculty and our entire community in your prayers.

LET THE NUCLEAR TRUTH BE TOLD —Ralph “Pete” Peters, Encinitas, Former director of Research Reactor Program at General Atomics I was very angry after reading the blatantly antiPage 10

Graphic Designer > Heidi Mefferd

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed Business Operations Manager > Alyssa Garrett Distribution Manager > Andrea Swayne SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, George Mackin CONTRIBUTORS Tawnee Prazak, David Zimmerle

A special thanks, too, to our columnists and regular contributors, all of whom work for nothing more than the satisfaction of keeping an eye on City Hall and sharing their thoughts with residents. The paper is stronger because of the variety of voices that grace its pages.

In so many ways, 2011 was a transition year for Capistrano. A new council majority took hold, and City Hall once again found itself with a strong leader in City Manager Karen Brust. Some issues were resolved, but many remain—from the budget to the water department to what will happen with the downtown plan.

And all of that with two council members facing re-election in November. 2011 was a good year, but 2012 should be exciting, too.

Thanks again, Jonathan

nuclear hatchet job by Roger Johnson of San Clemente.

One has a right to challenge the safety of nuclear power, if it’s done rationally, objectively and truthfully.

Who is this guy Johnson? All we know is he was “on the faculty” at Amherst. Maybe he is an expert in Spanish literature? Or perhaps Chinese art? There’s nothing in his writing to indicate he has any expertise relative to nuclear matters. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if he has no technical background at all because he made so many outrageously false statements.

“The NRC has warned that a meltdown at San Onofre could cause 50,000 fatalities.” This false statement was promptly and emphatically refuted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. There was never any such prediction, let alone a warning, from the NRC. “A millionth of a gram of Plutonium-239 can be lethal.”

This decades-old myth spread by Ralph Nader has been thoroughly disproved by many qualified sources.

Further, in its discussion of plutonium toxicity, Wikipedia reports there were 25 workers at Los Alamos who inhaled a considerable amount of plutonium dust during the 1940s, but there has not been a single case of lung cancer among them.

“Eventually a million Japanese may die from Fukushima radiation.” What an outrageous statement. There has not been a single fatality, even among the workers coping daily with the highly radioactive accident debris directly at the reactor site.

(Cont. on page 15) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Chamber Connection

L O C A L T H E S A N

N E W S A N D E V E N T S B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y J U A N C A P I S T R A N O C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

SHOP LOCAL

Support Your Friends & Neighbors • Keep Tax Revenue in Town • Promote Job Growth • Get Unique Gifts • Conserve Energy

Get involved in a Chamber Committee!

E

ach year, hundreds of people in the community pitch in to help accomplish the goals and mission of the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce.

Whether it’s serving on a committee that plans our strategic policy decisions, or simply greeting people as they enter the Vintage Food & Wine Festival (our big annual fundraiser event at the Mission), getting involved with the Chamber is a great way to help enhance our community and give a boost to the local economy.

Are you interested in volunteering with the Chamber? Here are some of the many opportunities to get involved: AMBASSADORS The Ambassadors serve as the goodwill arm of the chamber, providing volunteer support for chamber events as well as city events that the chamber participates in such as San Juan Summer Nites concert series. In addition, Ambassadors visit new member businesses & provide welcome packets to the new members.

Monthly meeting are held on the 1st Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm.

EQUESTRIAN COUNCIL The main mission of the Equestrian Council is to promote equine recreational and educational opportunities using the parks, facilities, volunteers, and local organizations of the San Juan Capistrano area. The council is also active in the promotion of multiuse trails and open space. The San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Council (SJCEC) is dedicated to the preserving & enhancing the equestrian community with Experience, Quality and Congeniality. The Council has launched its own website: www.sanjuanhorses.com.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE The Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) reviews issues of business and public interest in San Juan

Capistrano. The committee vets the issues and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors for organizational policies and positions. The Government Affairs Council believes that effective government depends on the greatest possible participation of those being governed. Meets every forth Wednesday at 8am at San Juan Hills Golf Club.

LATINO BUSINESS COUNCIL The Latino Council is the official ‘liaison’ between the Chamber and the Latino business community in San Juan. The Council’s mission is to encourage commerce across cultural boundaries and to ensure San Juan Capistrano’s diversity is leveraged as a tool for economic development.

The Council plans events, conducts outreach in the community and meets monthly on Monday evenings.

VINTAGE COMMITTEE Help to plan the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce’s Premier Event.

The Vintage is a Farewell to the Swallows Wine and Food Festival. This year’s Vintage is on Saturday, October 1st from 6-10pm. The Committee helps to plan the festivities and we also have a number of day-of-event volunteer positions available as well. It’s the most fun you’ll have volunteering all year!

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS This is a new group for this chamber and it is focused on the young (generally under 40) business professional. It provides a great networking environment to encourage & advance their business careers. Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

These are just a few of the opportunities to get involved at the Chamber. If you’d like to learn more, please give us a call (493-4700) or email (info@sanjuanchamber.com) and we’ll fill you in on all the details.

Check out the NEW Chamber Website!

T

he San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the launch of it’s new, updated website!

The site, www.sanjuanchamber.com, will be more interactive and more useful for San Juan businesses and residents wanting to know more about the Chamber and the local economy. The site was redesigned by Gary

McCarver of Simply Great Webistes.

The Chamber’s main page is just part of our web presence.

The Chamber also oversees the websites for our town’s group of Auto Dealers (www.southocautogroup.com) and the local Equestrian community (www.sanjuanhorses.com).

In addition to the Chamber’s main website, we will be launching two more sites in the coming months. A dedicated

site to promote tourism in San Juan Capistrano is set to launch in spring 2012 and a website that will focuses on events, dining and entertainment in our town will follow a few months later.

Please take a moment to review the new Chamber site when you have a moment. We’d love your feedback on tools and resources that you’d like to see added.

The Chamber is Just a Call or Click Away 949.493.4700 or www.sanjuanchamber.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SHOP SAN JUAN!

S U P P O R T

Y O U R

L O C A L

C H A M B E R

B U S I N E S S E S

The Chamber is Just a Call or Click Away 949.493.4700 or www.sanjuanchamber.com

SOAPBOX MARK NIELSEN: Straight Talk

Let’s Insist on a New Year of Joy and Hope A

s another year comes to an end, there is an unsettled feeling that is hard to shake, in spite of the season being one of joy, hope and good will. The upcoming election in November 2012 certainly underscores a fair amount of the rancor that continues to Mark Nielsen upset local politics. The passing over of Laura Freese for mayor was pretty much explicitly stated to be “political payback” and completely ignored year-old commitments. Council Member Freese has given back to our city unselfishly and she deserves better.

A small group of citizens that supported Councilman Reeve (including two candidates that shared a ticket with him in the last election) continue their attacks on the current council in apparent preparation for next year’s election. While I have never shirked from criticizing the city and councils over the years on various issues, I like to think I have offered alternatives and solutions to problems and not ignored facts or made things up. The current public arguments from this group usually focus only on the negative, continually hint at conspiracies or unethical behavior and offer little in the way of what they would actually do that is practical and more beneficial to the city. Merely saying spend less (but spend more on audits and other attorneys when the facts don’t match up with their agenda) ignores the reality that you cannot govern by merely saying “No.” Yet the impact of the constant stream of negativity leaves many citizens who do not follow City Hall closely with the overall impression

that something must be wrong or at least of concern.

This divisiveness creates an atmosphere that overshadows all the wonderful things that makes San Juan Capistrano so special. Our history, the Mission, our abundant open space, our equestrian character, the true “old fashioned” downtown and the small town camaraderie all set us apart from the rest of Orange County and create a unique “oasis” that makes living here so special. I would hope in this holiday season that everyone would embrace the spirit of goodwill toward our fellow citizen and look at how good we have it compared to so many others.

Often our city is faced with decisions that in the short term will cause discomfort. Instead of reacting in the politically expedient way which would avoid the pain (such as not increasing water rates for over a decade or avoiding planning for a long-term financially sustainable downtown), the city needs to be looking at 10-or 20-plus year horizons and act in the best longterm interests of our citizenry, even if unpopular in the short term. True leadership is not just doing what is popular, but rather convincing others of the right thing to do. The focus of any debate should be on what is the right thing.

That is why efforts like the Long-Term Strategic Plan that we completed while I was on the council must be used each year to keep that 20-plus year perspective of what is needed. The Downtown Plan, while having many items each of us will find objectionable, is still a vital 30-plus-year planning document to stimulate future

planning and active discussion on how to enhance the unique character of our community. Expanding the Groundwater Recovery Plant and determining how our future water needs will be met as water becomes over time more costly and less accessible from sources outside our state should elicit vibrant debate from our community, but for everyone’s sake in a respectful way that is based on fact instead of fear mongering.

As we enter a New Year, let us resolve to fight back against those who would denigrate our community spirit or mischaracterize our city’s quality of life. One can choose to look for any opportunity to chastise and point out anything negative, even creating the complaints that one then later points to as evidence of problems. However, I urge that you choose to look at the positives and build upon those. Where there are negatives, choose to point them out while offering a solution that enhances our unique character and quality of life. And while I suspect my greatest hope for the New Year will be unfulfilled, it would sure be nice to see a new approach to our local elections focus on competing solutions for our future, instead of the usual attacks on character and focusing on concocted past “mistakes” or impure ideology. We will get enough of that in the national elections. Let’s insist on dealing with real solutions on how we will move into our next 50 years of cityhood to preserve and enhance the tremendous asset we are caretaking for future generations.

What a joyful, peaceful and hopeful year that would be!

San Juan Capistrano business owner Mark Nielsen is a former mayor.

Letters (Cont. from page 10)

on him not understanding it.”

How can a nuclear engineer argue that plutonium is not dangerous? Plutonium is one of the most toxic substances on earth. Twenty micrograms of plutonium indeed can be lethal. Invisible microscopic particles of plutonium cause bone, liver and lung cancer.

It is especially dangerous for children and pregnant women. Those within the 50-mile danger zone should realize that San Onofre produces isotopes of plutonium every day.

Mr. Peters is correct that Ralph Nader, whom I never mentioned, overestimated the casualties caused by an airborne release of a pound of plutonium dust. We now know that only 2 million would die. Should we feel safe because Mr. Nader was wrong?

Mr. Peters goes on to ridicule studies, which predict 50,000 casualties from a meltdown. One such study was commissioned by the NRC in 1982 and carried out by the Sandia National Labs. It is called the Calculation of Reactor Action Consequences or CRAC-II study and one scenario estimates 50,000 deaths, 150,000 injuries and $274 billion to $314 billion in property damage, not recoverable by insurance. When the NRC, which is funded by the nuclear industry, learned of these damaging results, it naturally criticized the study. Others point out that the consequences might be much worse today because of huge population increases.

As for highly enriched uranium, Mr. Peters distorts what I said, showing once again that no one can trust statements from the nuclear industry. I never said that the plant had highly enriched uranium. But San Onofre does produce 500 pounds of highly toxic, radioactive waste every day and now stores 2,500 very dangerous radioactive fuel rod assemblies on site. This is why the

City of San Clemente resolved that the 20-year renewal that Edison seeks should be denied until all radioactive wastes are removed. Orange and San Diego counties should not become a Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility. Our equivalent of the uninhabitable dead zone at Fukushima would mean all the way to Crown Valley Parkway. Who other than those in the nuclear industry wants to risk this?

“The 2,500 fuel rods [at San Onofre] have the equivalent of thousands of Hiroshima bombs.” This is the most flagrant falsehood of all. Power reactor fuel rods are made with low-enriched uranium — 5 percent or less — in oxide form. But nuclear bombs would require very highly enriched uranium — 90 percent or more — in metal form. That’s extremely difficult to achieve, even with new un-irradiated materials. It’s what Iran has been struggling to accomplish for many years. So there’s zero relationship between bombs and spent fuel rods. Spent fuel rods give off radiation that could be harmful, but nuclear bombs destroy cities and kill tens of thousands of people. And yet Johnson states the San Onofre spent fuel rods are the “…equivalent of thousands of Hiroshima bombs.”

Johnson is an environmental extremist where the truth goes out the window to accomplish his goal of shutting down San Onofre. It’s difficult to understand why the San Clemente Times editor would allow publication of such an inflammatory piece of false propaganda, clearly aimed at deceitfully inflaming people’s legitimate concerns about radiation.

Nuclear Industry Distorts Data —Roger Johnson, San Clemente It is revealing when those in the nuclear industry resort to personal insults to silence critics of San Onofre.

Mr. Peters wants us to believe that insiders like himself are completely objective and automatic experts while others are not qualified to comment. This reminds me of a famous quote by Upton Sinclair. “It’s difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

Page 15

New and Improved?

—Andy St Laurent, San Juan Capistrano I just read that the new and “improved” junction at J Serra and Rancho Viejo Road has been awarded an honor.

I have to say that it is an improvement, except for the turn lane layout of the southbound Rancho Viejo Road and Junipero Serra. It’s horrible.

The right hand lane is supposed to be northbound I-5 only but everyone uses it to turn right onto Junipero Serra, then cuts across the northbound I-5 lanes to get into the lane that goes under the freeway. After all, who’s going to sit in the correct (left lane for right turn under the freeway and straight on Rancho Viejo Road) when there’s an open lane to their right?

A lot of people assume that is the correct lane for any right turn on J Serra as they don’t see the signs indicating it is northbound freeway only, or they just ignore them for the reason mentioned before. The “northbound freeway only” lane should be for any right turn and the left hand “straight on J Serra” should be “straight on and south bound freeway only.

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 TWO-WEEK EVENT PLANNER

THE LIST

A day-by-day guide to what’s happening in and around town this week. COMPILED BY TAWNEE PRAZAK

friday

THE MOTELS 8 p.m. Concert at The Coach House also with September Born and Connie Rae. Tickets $15.

33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

23

saturday

CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER AT MOZART CAFÉ 4 p.m.8 p.m. Mozart Café is offering a special menu for Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day. 31952 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.0212, www.cafemozart.net.

24

PET ADOPTION 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Ark of San Juan is at Pets Plus with cats & dogs waiting for their second chance.

32022 Del Obispo, 949.388.0034, www.ArkOfSanJuan.org.

MISSION BASILICA CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m., 10 p.m., 10:30 p.m., 12 a.m. Masses at Mission Basilica. 31522 Camino Capistrano, 949.234.1360, www.missionparish.org.

CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE 7 p.m.8 p.m. Join Coast Bible Church for a time of worshipthrough music, devotionals, and a Christmas storybook time for the children, and lighting of candles.

26300 Via Escolar San Juan Capistrano, 949.364.1191, www.coastbiblechurch.org.

sunday

25

missionparish.org.

MISSION BASILICA CHRISTMAS SERVICE 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m. 1 p.m.

Masses on Christmas Day at Mission Basilica. 31522 Camino Capistrano, 949.234.1360, www.

The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

ON STAGE

COACH HOUSE TO RING IN 2012 WITH DADA

ada’s debut album release, Puzzle, burst onto the airwaves as No. 2 on Billboard’s Heatseeker Chart and included a hit song, Dizz Knee Land that climbed the charts in the United States and literally across the world. Critics praised the work of Michael Gurley (guitar/co-lead vocals), Joie Calio (bass/co-lead vocals) and Phil Leavitt (drums), comparing them to everyone from Nirvana to the Beatles. The band was especially known for its harmonizing vocals. Dada was named after a cultural movement in Europe at the start of World War I, using the arts with an anti-war message. Dadaism was anti-bourgeois and anarchist, too. Puzzle went on to sell half a million copies, and Dada toured with the likes of Crowded House and Sting. Dada released follow up albums, but Courtesy photo their record-companies seemed snake bitten, as the first, IRS, went under and then the parent company of the second, MCA Records, was sold. In 1999, Dada played what was to be their final show. But the band has reunited and will start ringing in 2012 at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Puzzle, Dada will play the entire album during the New Year’s Eve show. The Coach House is special to Dada, too: When the band reunited in 2003, they launched a 40-city U.S. tour to support their live CD release, Live: Official Bootleg, Vol. 1, which was recorded at The Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana and released on Coach House Records. Fans are excited, too, because the band is back in the studio working on a new recording. The New Year’s Eve show is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50. Opening for Dada are Groove Kitty and Relative Motion. For more information, see www.thecoachhouse.com or www.dadatheband.com. CD

monday

FUN CRAFTS FOR KIDS 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Mission San Juan Capistrano offers crafts for children during the 2011 holiday school break (appropriate for ages 6-12). Two sessions: December 19-23 & December 26-30. Free for members; $2.00 per child in addition to admission. 26801 Ortega Hwy., 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

26

tuesday

KNITLIT - THE KNITTING BOOK GROUP 6 p.m. The Knitting Book Group at the San Juan Capistrano Library meets the last Tuesday of every month. Bring your knitting or other craft project and we’ll talk about the book “”Envy””

by Sandra Brown. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

27

wednesday

GARDEN TOURS 10:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m. explore the Mission grounds with a tour guide. Free with paid admission of $5–$9.

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

28

saturday

NYE: BROADWAY TIME 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Camino Real Playhouse hosts an early New Year’s Eve party with dinner, dancing, a champagne toast and more all before 10 p.m.

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

31

EVITTE PALMER NYE 7:45 p.m. Live music for NYE at The Vintage Steak House. 26701-B Verdugo St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.661.3400, www.thevintagesteakhouse.com.

OLE: NEW YEAR’S EVE UNDER THE DOME 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m. The San Clemente Historical Society presents a New Year’s Even event at The Casino San Clemente with dinner, dancing and live entertainment.

Tickets $125. 140 W. Avenida Pico, San Clemente, 949.632.5605, 949.498.0116, www.thecasinosanclemente. com.

Page 16

SWALLOW’S NYE PARTY 7 p.m. Celebrate the new year at Swallow’s with live music by Big Fat Steve Band, champagne a toast, party favors and more. Tickets $15 pre-sale; $20 door. 31786 Camino Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOUR 10 a.m. Discover 200 years of San Juan Capistrano architecture on a 90minute guided walk that includes adobes, Spanish-era dwellings and modern buildings. Meet at Verdugo Street.

Occurs every Saturday. $5 donation. 949.489.0736.

OC FAIR NEW YEAR’S EVE BLOCK PARTY 7:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. A casual NYE Party at the OC Fair & Events Center with live entertainment, gourmet food trucks, a casino and more. 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa, 714.708.1500, ocfair.com/block party.

tuesday

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME 11:15 a.m. Children ages 3-6 and their caregivers are invited to join the library for stories, songs, crafts and fun. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

03

wednesday

KARAOKE 7:30 p.m.

Joel and Les host Karaoke at Swallow’s Inn. Plus $2 tacos and free popcorn.

31786 Camino Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

04

UPCOMING: JANUARY 6 FIRST FRIDAY FILM 7 p.m. San Juan Capistrano Library shows the historical documentary “The Last Play at Shea” that chronicles the waning days of Shea Stadium through a tapestry of performance. Fee $2. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.248.5132, www.ocpl.org. *For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.thecapistranodispatch.com.

Have an event?

Send your listing to events@thecapistranodispatch.com www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING

4

LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY CALENDAR friday 12.23

Sunday 12.25

Tuesday 1.03

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

Merry Christmas!

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

City Holidays City Hall will be closed for the holidays Friday, December 23 and Monday, December 26.

Sunday 1.01

Friday 12.30 The city will be closed Friday, December 30 and Monday, January 2.

Happy New Year!

Wednesday 1.11 Transportation Commission Meeting 6 p.m., City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. friday 1.13 Next regular issue of The Dispatch publishes.

* M E E T I N G A G E N D A S AT W W W. S A N J U A N C A P I S T R A N O.O R G

TOM BLAKE: On Life and Love After 50

The Vitality of Sydney, Australia

O

n the first date with my special lady Greta, we found out that we had many common interests, the strongest being a love of travel.

We agreed that if we became a couple, we would strive to travel as much as we could, as long as we were healthy enough to do so. That was 13½ years ago; we’ve upheld that commitment to each other, including a recent trip down under—to Australia and New Zealand.

When we arrived in Sydney after a 17hour flight, we were surprised that we had the energy to do a little sightseeing while trying to stay awake until 8 p.m. or so.

The city of Sydney provides a free shuttle bus that circles the inner city downtown area. With a map in hand, we were able to get orientated on that first day.

Although jet-lagged from our flight, we were determined to stay awake until after 7 p.m. We boarded the shuttle bus and rode to the Circular Quay, a bustling harbor area where the Opera House is located. The first impression of Sydney is a lasting one: It’s an exciting city of 4.5 million people in perpetual motion. From the Opera House, we could see a group of brave souls tethered together who looked like ants climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Doing that was not on our bucket list.

Sydney Opera House. Courtesy photo

On day two in Australia, with a solid night of sleep under our belts, we signed up for a tour of the Blue Mountains, a 4,000square-mile national park an hour and a half ON LIFE AND to the west of Sydney.

LOVE AFTER 50

By Tom Blake Greta and I like the intimacy of small tour buses, so we hired Jim, who served as both driver and tour guide, and joined 18 other passengers.

Jim was a tall, lanky, outback, sort of Crocodile Dundee, guy. Turns out, he was a remarkable dude who cared about his passengers’ safety and the environment at the same time. The trip lasted eight hours and was only $55 each plus tip.

The Blue Mountains are so named because the eucalyptus trees in the park give off a vapor that causes the air from a distance to appear blue.

After a couple of stops, including the viewing of the well-known Three Sisters rock formation and lunch on our own in the mountain town of Katoomba, Jim gave us a choice. We were at an elevation of 2,000 feet. A part of the tour was to visit the forest floor. We could take the steepest incline railway in the world (52-degree angle) down and back up or walk down more than 1,000 steep, slippery steps and ride the railway back up.

Fifteen selected option one. Three others (Simon, a 6-foot-7-inch tall musician from London and two young women students from Hong Kong) plus Greta and I chose option two. Jim joined us. The walk down took about an hour and went through a rain forest and past waterfalls. The views of the Three Sisters rock formation were special. I

The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

Three Sisters. Courtesy photo

was proud of Greta for making the trek.

Our knees and legs ached for three days afterwards.

On the trip back to Sydney, Jim found an area along the road where we viewed kangaroos in the wild.

As we rode back on the bus, Greta and I paused to think how wonderful the world can be when its international inhabitants live in peace. Travel breaks down barriers and creates friendships despite language, religious and political differences.

While Australia and the United States are strong allies, I found it interesting that China and Australia have a favorable bond. On our final day in Sydney, Greta and I visited the Chinese Gardens in the Darling Harbor neighborhood.

The gardens symbolize the amiable relationship between China and Australia.

The gardens are in the midst of the high rises and vitality of downtown Sydney and yet have a serenity about them that calms the nerves and soothes the soul.

From the Chinese Gardens, it’s a short stroll to Paddy’s Market, a covered marketplace where the goods are far less expensive than in the mall stores in

Page 18

Sydney. The market is vast, not as large as the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, but covering a city block or two.

To cap off our stay in Sydney, we had lunch with our Australia travel agent, Michael and his wife Georgia, in an Italian restaurant in the Potts Point neighborhood. We had never met them in person before but that didn’t seem to matter, as the four of us enjoyed a three-hour late Sunday lunch that also served as our dinner. They love to travel as much as we do and that made for endless stories and laughter as we felt like old friends.

Sydney is a remarkable city. It’s booming, unemployment is low and it’s a bit pricey. Public transportation is remarkably convenient.

That’s the scoop for now. It’s off to New Zealand tomorrow, on Holland America’s ship MS Volendam, for new adventures with the same woman who told me she loves to travel 13½ years ago.

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

To comment on his column, email him at TompBlake@gmail.com. See his website at www.FindingLoveAfter50.com. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Locals Only

Business Directory The only directory featuring San Juan Capistrano businesses exclusively

Air Conditioning & HEATING

ELECTRICIANS

Oasis Air Conditioning & Heating 949.420.1321 Excel Electric 949.493.7769 32238 Paseo Adelanto E-I, www.excelelectric.com 31648 Rancho Viejo Rd., Ste. A, www.oasisair.com Friess Electric 949.248.4222 32332 Camino Capistrano, Suite 102 Banking Independence Bank 949.373.8963 ELECTRIC CONTRACTORS 32291 Camino Capistrano, Suite A, Excel Electric - CA #793860 949.493.7769 www.independence-bank.net 32238 Paseo Adelanto E-I, www.excelelectric.com

BUSINESS COMPUTER SERVICES

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

COMPUTER SERVICES

Experience The Mission Historic Mission San Juan Capistrano Exciting New Audio Tour 949.234.1300 26801 Ortega Highway, www.missionsjc.com

Insurance San Clemente Computer & Network Services daniel@sanclementecomputer.com 949.276.1581 Capistrano Health & Life Tired of Waiting I.T. Services 949.922.7727 www.capistranohealthlife.com j.ehle@cox.net

949.697.9454

Jeweler

COINS GraCorp Coins & Collectibles www.gracorpcoins.com

949.350.4692

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

Kitchen Design

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

Get your business listed today.

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

Kitchen & Bath Designs 27231 Ortega Hwy., Unit B

949.661.4080

MOLD REMOVAL Jarvis Restoration 949.362.5388 Chick’s Plumbing

949.496.9731 31942 Paseo Sagrado, www.jarvisrestoration.com www.chicks-plumbing.com Pronto Plumbing (El Plomero) 949.246.3589 MORTGAGE 31878 Del Obispo Ste. 118-227, Capistrano Health & Life 949.697.9454 www.prontodrain.com SCP Plumbing/ CuraFlo of O.C. 949.493.2426 www.capistranohealthlife.com 27126 Paseo Espada STE. 705, www.curaflo.com

PAINTING SUPPLIES

PRINTING

Dunn-Edwards Painting, Inc. 949.234.1201 Printing OC

949.388.4888 31896 Plaza Dr. Unit D-1, Plaza Del Obispo Center 27134 Paseo Espada #B 203, www.printingoc.com

Photo & Digital Lab

GARAGE SALE The Shoreline Church of San Clemente High School Ministry Rummage Sale When: Saturday January 21st 7-10am. Where: 1062 Calle Negocio Suite A San Clemente CA 92673. High School students are raising money for our Winter Trip to Brian Head, Utah. All the money raised from the Rummage Sale goes directly to helping a student get to camp. We have tons of stuff to sell. Please do not come any earlier than 7am. Thanks.

HELP WANTED Experienced screen printer. English a must.

Full-time. FaceFirst, San Juan Capistrano.

949-443-9895

WINDOW CLEANING/ PRESSURE WASHING Bayside Window Cleaning 949.290.8230 www.baysidewindowcleaning.com

949.499.4464 Capistrano Valley Christian Schools 949.493.5683 32032 Del Obispo Street, www.cvcs.org

Adelanto Studio Yoga & Life Arts 949.705.7344 32118 Paseo Adelanto, Ste.9, www.adelantostudio.net

Bryan Krueger Enterprises, Inc. 33208 Paseo De Cerveza, Ste. B

Schools

A to Z Leak Detection www.atozleakdetection.com

WATER DAMAGE Jarvis Restoration

949.362.5388 31942 Paseo Sagrado, www.jarvisrestoration.com

949.212.0499

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

PLUMBING

CLASSIFIEDS

ROOF MANAGEMENT SERVICES

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

YOGA

S u b m i t y o ur c l ass i f i e d a d o n l i n e a t w w w . t hecap i s t ra n o d i spa t ch . c o m

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE! E-mail your garage sale to classifieds@ thecapistranodispatch.com DEADLINE 5PM MONDAY

SJC LIVING

San Juan Leaders Honor Shea Center Riders The Capistrano Dispatch

M

ore than 200 Shea Center riders were honored by Santa’s Helpers last week during the renowned therapeutic riding center’s Rider Recognition Week.

Six San Juan couples, made up of community leaders, played the part and presented awards and gifts to the riders at the conclusion of their therapy program.

Also attending were parents and family members who applauded and took pictures as each rider’s accomplishments were called out. Santa’s Helper couples included, from left, Art and Maria Galindo, Mayor Larry Kramer and wife Chris, Mayor Pro Tem John Taylor and wife Marianne, Council Member Sam Allevato and wife Vicky, Council Member Laura Freese and husband Steve and Shig and Miyeko Kinoshita.

Off Oso Road, Shea serves nearly 500 special needs riders who have disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delay and more than 55 additional diagnoses with equine therapy. CD

Fiesta Membership Mixer Slated for January 13 The Capistrano Dispatch

he San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association will hold its annual membership drive on Friday, January 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at newly remodeled San Juan Hills Golf Club on San Juan Creek Road. The event includes complimentary food with paid membership or renewal, music, door prizes and no host bar.

Membership dues are $30 per year for individuals and $50 per year for families. Members are encouraged to volunteer in Fiesta Association events,

T

including Taste of San Juan, Kids Pet Parade, El Presidente Ball, Fiesta Grande, Hoos’gow Day and the Mercado Street Fair and 54th Swallows Day Parade on Saturday, March 24.

The San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association is an all-volunteer organization that manages and produces the annual Swallows Day Parade and other Fiesta de las Golondrinas events throughout the year. A nonprofit, nonpolitical organization, the Fiesta Association is led by a board of directors and is entirely self-funded through membership dues, donations and various fundraising activities.

Fiesta Association members are well known in the community for their attire in white shirts, black pants, black vest and black felt hat reflective of a cowpuncher between 1850-1900. All volunteers must be members to participate as volunteers in the Fiesta de las Golondrinas events. More than 250 volunteers are needed on parade day to assist with traffic control and parade lineup, in addition to security and booth management at the Mercado Street Fair.

For information about the Membership Mixer, email manonnweiler@yahoo.com or visit www.swallowsparade.org to download information and application. CD

Mission Breaks Ground for Gate House Project The Capistrano Dispatch

istory was in the making when the shovel hit the dirt.

Mission San Juan Capistrano celebrated the onset of the Gate House Preservation Project with a ceremonial ground breaking Wednesday December 14 at the Mission.

Local dignitaries were on hand to witness the start of Phase I of the Gate House Preservation Project, which includes the construction of the Mission’s new group entry, plaza and wall along Camino Capistrano. Those in attendance included San Juan Capistrano Mayor Larry Kramer, Mayor Pro Tem John Taylor, City Manager Karen Brust and city Council Member Sam Allevato.

“This phase of the project is only happening

H

The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

because of the incredible generosity of our leadership and private supporters who believe that the entry of the Mission should be architecturally inviting and preserve its most historic elements at the same time,” Mechelle Lawrence-Adams, executive director of Mission San Juan Capistrano, said in a statement. “We hope to give the community a project that it can be proud of and celebrate for generations to come.”

Mission Preservation Foundation President George O’Connell directed onlookers to take note of the existing Gate House, which was built in the early 1900s.

“The last time a Gate House was built here was 1916,” O’Connell said. “That building right there, Father (St. John) O’Sullivan probably was in that building selling tickets himself.

“I am excited to witness the start of construction on Page 21

the first new building at Mission San Juan Capistrano since the 1950s. Together we are making history and ensuring that this great landmark will be around for many generations to come.”

The Gate House Preservation Project will ultimately accommodate the Gate House and relocate the current gift shop out of the historic 18th Century Sala Building as part of Phase II. The project enhances and protects the most historic elements of the existing Gate House while improving access, safety and staging of thousands of school children who queue on sidewalks that are just four feet wide today. The project also will lengthen the hours of the downtown’s busy period and reinforce its identity by providing a museum store on the street-front after hours. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS

5

& OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES & MORE

5 BEST BETS BOYS BASKETBALL

GIRLS WATER POLO

Sea Kings vs.

Tritons, El Toro High School

Breakers vs.

Tritons, Capo Valley High School

Dec. 22, noon

Dec. 22, 3:15 p.m.

The Tritons square off against the Sea Kings of Corona del Mar in nonleague action at El Toro High School.

Taking their A-game out on the road, the Lady Tritons head to Capo Valley High for a big game against the also visiting Lady Breakers of Laguna Beach.

Info: www.sctritons.com

BASKETBALL

HOCKEY

HOCKEY

Bulls vs. Lakers, Staples Center

Coyotes vs. Kings, Staples Center

Canucks vs. Ducks, Honda Center

Dec. 25, 2 p.m.

Dec. 26, 7 p.m.

Dec. 29, 7 p.m.

The purple and gold hit center court for a clash with Chicago as Kobe Bryant and the Lakers tip-off the 2011-12 regular season on Christmas Day.

After a quick trip north to San Jose, the Los Angeles Kings skate back to home ice hoping for a solid win against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Still searching for its identity on the ice this season, the Anaheim Ducks head home after five games on the road in time to face Vancouver.

Info: www.kings.nhl.com

Info: www.ducks.nhl.com

Info: www.nba.com/lakers

Info: www.sctritons.com

2011 Year in Review The Capistrano Dispatch

at the US Olympic Weightlifting Junior Nationals.

a catcher. He gets a $3 million signing bonus, a club record for a rookie.

JANUARY

MARCH

SEPTEMBER

Coach: San Juan Hills High School looks no further than the administrative offices for a new varsity football coach, giving the job to Vice Principal Aaron Flowers. In his playing days, Flowers was quarterback at Cal State Northridge, picking up Division 1-AA All American honors while leading the nation in total offense.

Iced: The JSerra junior varsity Ice Lions finish the season perfect, at 12-0. The school’s basketball program, meanwhile, advances deep in the state tournament.

Tartan Title: The St. Margaret’s Episcopal School girls soccer team takes the Division 6 title with a 2-0 win over San Dimas.

On the Run: After six months of training, about two dozen students from Marco Forster Middle School complete the Los Angeles Marathon, as part of a “Students Run LA” program. The Rotary is a big supporter of the effort.

Fore the Kids: The Tuttle Click Golf Tournament raises $50,000 for the Capistrano Boys and Girls Club.

Hit ‘Em Hard: Saddleback Valley Christian Schools becomes the first school in the area to have a tackle-football program for middle-school students.

Tri, Tri Again: The first Orangeman Triathlon is held, forcing the closure of some streets in Capistrano as competitors ran and swam in Dana Point, but cycled through San Juan. The event is generally seen as a success.

Kickbacks Alleged: San Clemente High School head football coach Eric Patton is removed from the post amid reports he received kick-backs from a now-defunct athletic-supply company. His supporters staunchly deny any wrongdoing.

ation, but with good reason. Decker was instead at the high school state track finals. Students didn’t miss his pearls of wisdom, though: his address was videotaped and played at graduation.

Eagle-eye: Corkie Birdsall is joking when she suggests her seemingly missing golf ball might be in the cup after her drive on the 16th hole at San Juan Hills Golf Course—but that’s where she found it, recording an ace.

MAY

JULY

Big Hire: Capistrano Valley Christian Schools announce they’ve hired Dan Dodd, Tulane University’s assistant head coach, to lead their squad.

Title Run: The CVCS junior high soccer team of girls and boys plays in the title game for the first time in a decade.

They fall just short, but are winners just the same.

Title Team: The San Juan Capistrano Little League Senior All Star Team wins the District Championship, the first time a SJC team ever took the district final.

APRIL

New head coach Aaron Flowers. Photo by Jonathan Volzke

LACROSSE SCORE: Over at JSerra Catholic, lacrosse players and supporters celebrated the hiring of Kyle Harrison as coach. A three-time college All-American, Harrison was referred to as the “Michael Jordan of lacrosse.”

SIGNING DAY: With 2011 marking the San Juan Hills High first graduating class, football stars Michael Perryman, Ari Uzo-Okereke and Connor O’Modhrain announced their scholarships to Montana State, the Air Force Academy and Wingate University, respectfully.

FEBRUARY Big Lifters: Tim Aney, Coach Chris Wilhelm and Phil Wilhelm from Capistrano Valley Christian School capture the title

Luke Decker. Photo by Alexa DuMity

JUNE No Show: JSerra Catholic School Valedictorian is a no-show at his gradu-

The Capistrano Dispatch December 23, 2011–January 12, 2012

AUGUST Rolled Out: South Coast Roller Derby, an amateur women’s roller-derby program, leaves town after its lease to use the skate rink behind Del Obispo Elementary School is not renewed.

Good Catch: The San Diego Padres sign JSerra graduate Austin Hedges,

Page 22

OCTOBER Rotary Run: More than 145 runners participate in the Rotary’s ridge run in the city’s southeastern open space. Money raised there is split between the Rotary and city.

Cash for the Kids: The Dana Point Community Cycling Foundation donates $10,000 to the Capistrano Boys and Girls Club. The money is from the Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling.

NOVEMBER Big Time: Two JSerra baseball players announce signing with Division I schools: outfielder Tanner Bily will go to UC Davis, while third baseman Nico Darras signs with Cal State Fullerton.

Champions: St. Margaret’s Episcopal School scores more titles, as the girls tennis team captures its fourth consecutive CIF title and the boys cross country team takes a second consecutive state title. JSerra’s girls also took a CIF cross country title. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com