December 13, 2013

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OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE DECEMBER 13–26, 2013 FOUNDED IN 2002

VOLUME 11, ISSUE 23

The Debate Over Water San Juan’s controversial Groundwater Recovery Plant and water rates have sparked a recall election and lawsuits E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 6

The city of San Juan Capistrano is currently working to expand its controversial Groundwater Recovery Plant, despite objections from critics who call the plant a bad investment. Photo by Brian Park

Three from San Juan Killed in San Clemente Crash Saturday

San Juan Area Winter Prep Sports Preview: Part 1

INSIDE: Holiday Happenings and Gift Guide

EYE ON SJC/PAGE 9

SPORTS/PAGE 24

PAGE 14

EYE ON SJC

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LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

SAN CLEMENTE Tim Brown was elected San Clemente’s new mayor by his fellow council members at the body’s annual reorganization meeting Tuesday, December 3. Brown was elected to the council in 2010 and has served as mayor pro tem for the last two years, first under Councilman Jim Evert and then Councilman Bob Baker. Chris Hamm was selected as mayor pro tem. With an election next November and three council seats opening up, including his own, Brown sounded a note of contrition upon taking his new seat. “There’s more that unites us than divides us,” Brown said. “In the end, we all love the city of San Clemente.”

Brown said he appreciated the opportunity given to him by his fellow council members, as well as the opportunity to serve and to meet residents he might not have been able to. He also thanked his family.

DANA POINT

NEWS

NEXT DOOR WH AT ’S GOI N G O N I N OU R NE IGH B O R I N G TOWN S

In a series of Dana Point City Council votes last week, the city moved to alter its municipal code and Local Coastal Program to allow short-term vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods.

Debate swirled over the practice’s legality for years, but in April, the council adopted an ordinance permitting and regulating short-term rentals of less than 30 days. Now, such rentals are considered businesses in the city’s eyes.

Beginning in January, rental owners must register and be in compliance with certain health and safety codes. Owners will now also be subject to the same 10-percent tax—transient occupancy tax—that hotels and campsites are. The votes addressed where these businesses can operate, as about 80 percent of vacation rentals fall within the Coastal Zone. Such a use requires an amendment to the city’s LCP, which must be approved by the California Coastal Commission.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO’S TOP 5 HOTTEST TOPICS

What’s Up With...

1

...the New Council?

THE LATEST: San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Sam Allevato, who is the target of an ongoing recall effort, was selected as the city’s new mayor Tuesday, December 3, during the council’s annual reorganization meeting.

Allevato, a 37-year resident of San Juan who was first appointed to the council in 2004, has served as mayor twice before. He was reelected to the council in November 2012.

Allevato found support from his council allies, outgoing mayor John Taylor and Larry Kramer, who was selected mayor pro tem. Councilman Derek Reeve voted against both Allevato’s and Kramer’s nominations while Councilman Roy Byrnes abstained from voting.

In recent months, the council’s fractured relations have fissured further with Kramer’s accusations of legal and ethical misconduct against Byrnes and Reeve. A 3-2 decision to begin an official investigation into Kramer’s allegations was rescinded within a month in favor of seeking the opinion of the state Attorney General’s office.

Allevato, Kramer and members of the community also recognized Taylor for his year of service as mayor.

“He really taught me to soften my rough edges because he truly is a man that really cares about this community,” Allevato said.

“Truly, John, you’ve done a great job. You’ve been an inspiration for our residents.”

Mark Bodenhamer, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, thanked Taylor for his support of the business community.

“Your dedication challenged me and made me better at my job,” Bodenhamer said.

WHAT’S NEXT: The council also selected Kramer as chairman and Byrnes as vice chairman of the city’s successor agency to The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

New Mayor Sam Allevato recognizes outgoing mayor John Taylor for his year at the head of the City Council. Photo by Brian Park

the redevelopment agency. Byrnes was selected chairman of the city’s Housing Authority. Reeve will serve as vice chairman.

The seats occupied by Kramer, Reeve and Taylor are up for election in November 2014.

FIND OUT MORE: For the full story, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com.

- Brian Park

2

...the Newspaper Lawsuit?

THE LATEST: Newspaper racks may be on their way back to City Hall and the Community Center after attorneys for the city and a local newspaper negotiated a deal in court Wednesday.

City Attorney Hans Van Ligten and fellow Rutan & Tucker attorney Philip Kohn entered into negotiations with William P. Tate, attorney for Community Common Sense, publishers of a monthly newspaper in San Juan Capistrano and Mission Viejo, at the request of Orange County Superior

Court Judge James Di Cesare.

“We talked about a location at City Hall to place news racks and roughly the same areas at the Community Center,” said Tate, who noted that the discussion took two-and-a-half to three hours.

In November, Common Sense filed a lawsuit against the city, Mayor Sam Allevato, councilmen Larry Kramer and John Taylor and City Attorney Hans Van Ligten over the council’s closed session decision in August to remove newspaper racks at City Hall and the Community Center. The lawsuit accuses the parties of violating the First Amendment’s protection of free speech.

Common Sense’s lawsuit states the decision to remove newspaper racks came only after they placed their own papers at City Hall and the Community Center while two other newspapers, The Capistrano Dispatch and the Capistrano Valley News, had racks at those sites for at least a decade.

Common Sense Editor Kim Lefner said the decision to remove newspaper racks is another example of the city targeting her paper and its supporters. Lefner also said Common Sense members and businesses who advertise in the paper have been heavily criticized and threatened by the paper’s critics.

“We’ve been called names, we’ve been targeted,” Lefner said. “This is a very small town and the relationships here have been developed over the decades.

So many of these people have been here for a long time and they sort of see it as their town … This is about printing the truth, and they don’t like it. It makes them uncomfortable.”

WHAT’S NEXT: Tate said both sides will present the negotiated deal to their respective clients before returning to court Thursday, December 19. The City Council will consider the agreement Tuesday, December 17.

Page 3

FIND OUT MORE: For updates, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. – BP

3

...a Political Mailer?

THE LATEST: Just prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, thousands of San Juan residents received a politically-charged flier critical of the recall effort against Mayor Sam Allevato and the Capistrano Taxpayers Association’s water rate lawsuit against the city.

The double-sided glossy fliers, 9,500 in all, were produced by Costa Mesa-based political consultant David Ellis and paid for by resident Rob Ferguson’s group, San Juan Cares.

The flier features a photo of resident Clint Worthington, who served Allevato with recall papers in September, lying shirtless on a beach with a woman lying beside him and her arm wrapped around Worthington’s chest. A caption on the photo identifies Worthington as the leader of the recall effort and a headline reads, “Local Beekeeper Celebrates Filing San Juan Capistrano Recall Papers.”

The flier also highlights court documents filed by the CTA seeking $422,120 in attorney’s fees. In August, an Orange County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the CTA and declared San Juan’s water rates illegal, but the city has since filed an appeal.

Worthington objected to the flier’s statement that he filed the motion for attorney’s fees, saying although he was initially part of the CTA, he hasn’t participated in the group’s efforts for several months.

The flier also mentions past, ongoing and potential lawsuits in San Juan, including a 2009 lawsuit from which the Capistrano Unified School District was ordered to pay $653,350 to seven families who appeared on an “enemies list” compiled by former district officials. CTA member and current CUSD Trustee Jim Reardon, who was a plaintiff in the case, is mentioned in the flier.

(Cont. on page 4) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC (Cont. from page 3) In response, Reardon filed a complaint with the state Fair Political Practices Commission, which responded quickly, saying that they found no wrongdoing.

“The FPPC took the position that the mailer attacked lawsuits, not the recall,” Reardon said.

In an interview with The Dispatch in November, Ferguson said San Juan Cares would not be registering with the state as a political action committee.

WHAT’S NEXT: Worthington called the flier a “slick tactic” and said litigation will now be filed against San Juan Cares and the photographer.

FIND OUT MORE: For updates, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. – BP

4

...Rancho San Juan?

THE LATEST: The San Juan Capistrano City Council voted Tuesday, December 3 to delay its decision on whether to allow a developer to build a 100-unit apartment complex near San Juan Hills High School after the developer presented a plan to alleviate traffic concerns in the area.

Traffic consultants and representatives from Mission Viejo-based developer Woodbridge Pacific Group offered a plan proposing to designate two right-turn lanes from La Pata Avenue onto Vista Montana and extend two left-turn lanes on Vista Montana onto La Pata Avenue. In June, Woodbridge Pacific also offered to pay for a new traffic signal in the area.

The proposed development would sit on 4.6 acres of a 9.7-acre parcel of land on the northwest corner of Vista Montana and La Pata Avenue and would include 26 affordable housing units, which would help the city meet its state-mandated quota for low-income housing.

In August, the Planning Commission voted to recommend the council reject the project due to traffic concerns. Commissioners also felt the site wasn’t a suitable location for housing, citing its distance from community support services.

Mayor Sam Allevato and Councilman Larry Kramer disagreed with the commission’s assessment. Kramer said the location could support new housing, especially with the county’s plan to extend La Pata Avenue to San Clemente, and Rancho Mission Viejo’s plan to build a commercial development near Ortega Highway.

WHAT’S NEXT: The council rescheduled their consideration of the project to January 21 to allow city staff time to review the proposed traffic improvements.

While some residents urged the council to approve the project to bring more affordable housing into the city, others said the proposed improvements would not alleviate difficult commutes and that the development would worsen the situation.

Others who spoke said rezoning the land would increase its value in a rumored The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

land-swap with the Capistrano Unified School District.

CUSD Deputy Superintendent Clark Hampton told the council there had been discussion between the developer and the district about acquiring the property, which could be used for additional parking.

FIND OUT MORE: For updates, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. – BP

5

…Juaneños’ Federal Recognition?

THE LATEST: The Juaneño Band of Mission Indians received encouraging news this month regarding their continuing efforts to attain federal recognition.

In a letter sent Tuesday, December 3, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell supported the Juaneños’ petition for reconsideration as a sovereign nation. The Juaneños—also known as the Acjachemen Nation—were denied federal recognition in 2011 by the Bureau of Indian Affair’s Office of Federal Acknowledgement, saying that the tribe failed to meet genealogical, historical and other criteria.

Following a petition for appeal sent by the Interior Board of Indian Appeals, on behalf of the Juaneños, Jewell found errors in the bureau’s final assessment, primarily the bureau’s own acknowledgement that they had overlooked some evidence.

Jewell recommended the Department of Interior reconsider the Juaneños’ petition and suspend consideration until revisions are taken into account.

“This is incredible news for our Nation,” said Juaneño Tribal Council Chairwoman Teresa Romero in a statement. “On behalf of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, I say ‘Om paloov’ (thank you) to Secretary Jewell for her decision.”

Although the tribe is recognized by the state, tribal leaders have fought for federal status for more than 30 years. Tribes that receive federal recognition are considered sovereign nations and may buy land, on which they could govern themselves and receive federal aid and protection.

With 1,941 current members, the Juaneños are the original inhabitants of San Juan Capistrano, as well as parts of Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside counties. Members of the San Juan Capistranobased tribe helped to build the Mission.

Unsuccessful attempts at federal recognition in the past, as well as in-fighting, have led to the fracture and the formation of factions in San Juan and throughout the county.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Department of Interior has 120 days from the date of the letter to reach a final decision on reconsideration of the petition.

FIND OUT MORE: For updates, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. – BP Page 5

EYE ON SJC

The Debate Over Water San Juan’s controversial Groundwater Recovery Plant and water rates have sparked a recall election and lawsuits

By Brian Park The Capistrano Dispatch

F

or the past several months, San Juan Capistrano has been drowning in controversy.

An ongoing recall effort seeks to remove newly appointed mayor Sam Allevato. The city is also in the midst of a legal battle brought on by a concerned group of residents, and from that, another resident has filed a complaint that could be the first step into the deep end of a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

The source of all this controversy?

Water.

For more than half a century, California cities, water agencies and the state have pondered the question of water.

Rising population numbers and environmental concerns threaten to stretch the availability and security of fresh water for residents.

In south Orange County, where the overwhelming majority of municipalities rely on imported water, San Juan Capistrano is one of the few with its own source.

Through the Groundwater Recovery Plant, the city is steadfast in its belief that it can supply more than half of its water demand from its own backyard. The plant’s promise of securing San Juan’s water future, too, has drawn support from the city’s water officials, as well as the council majority of Allevato and councilmen Larry Kramer and Jon Taylor.

However, the plant’s inability to produce as advertised and its high maintenance costs have drawn the ire of many residents, including councilmen Roy Byrnes and Derek Reeve.

San Juan’s water rates landed in the legal crosshairs of two residents, Jim Reardon and John Perry, who formed the Capistrano Taxpayers Association and sued the city in August 2012. A year

San Juan Capistrano Utilities Director Keith Van Der Maaten speaks to guests at the city’s water forum on Tuesday, December 10. Photo by Brian Park

later, an Orange County Superior Court judge found in favor of the CTA and ruled San Juan’s water rates illegal. The city has since appealed the decision, but within three months, a new complaint from resident John D. Jenkins seeks $20-30 million in contested water rate collections returned to ratepayers.

GWRP/water rate supporters and critics have firmly entrenched themselves and have yielded little ground. Outside the echo chamber, many residents have questions that need to be answered before making the decision to sign a recall petition or support a lawsuit.

Critics of the Groundwater Recovery Plant cite the high cost of maintenance. Filters and membranes that clean the groundwater break down more rapidly with increased use. Photo by Brian Park

The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

Page 6

THE BIRTH OF THE PLANT The GWRP was born out of the San Juan Basin Authority, a joint powers authority formed in 1971, currently consisting of four members: the city of San Juan Capistrano and the Moulton Niguel, Santa Margarita and South Coast water districts.

The SJBA manages a 26-mile groundwater basin, which underlies parts of San Juan, Dana Point, Mission Viejo and some unincorporated south Orange County communities. Since its inception, the SJBA has explored the feasibility of projects like the GWRP and shared in its initial costs.

In 1994, with the adoption of the San Juan Basin Groundwater Management and Facility Plan, the GWRP was identified as a project to construct, and in 2002, the city entered into an agreement for construction of the plant for $35 million from municipal bond sales.

The city chose to construct the GWRP over a $50-90 million option to build additional reservoirs around town. The city’s decision was also necessitated by the need to create additional water storage in case of emergencies or disrupted imported water supply.

Local water agencies purchase imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County, which buys water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, or Met. From 2004 to 2012, Met has had an average of just under five planned outages a year, primarily to complete work on the Diemer

Filtration Plant in Yorba Linda, according to Keith Van Der Maaten, the city’s utilities director.

While building reservoirs could have stored up to a week’s worth of water for San Juan—the recommended contingency

by Met—the GWRP provided at least a month’s worth of water.

“In early 2000, it wasn’t pretty. Not just for us, but for all of south Orange County, in terms of how long we could last without Met. We were completely dependent on that,” Van Der Maaten said. “Reservoirs run out of water. So seven days and you’re down. When the city looked at its options, one of the key differences was that the plant actually provided 30-plus storage days because it’s a water supply. It’s new water. The ‘plus’ meaning that if we could curtail demand to a certain level, we could infinitely have water, as long as the GWRP was running.”

LOW PRODUCTION FIGURES When the GRWP came online in 2004, it was billed as having a daily output capacity of five million gallons per day—around 5,000 acre feet annually—and that it would provide half of the city’s water needs during the summer.

The plant met its goal in its first full year of operation in 2006, but it saw dramatic decreases in the next several years and has failed to meet its full capacity since. The plant experienced its lowest period between 2008 and 2011, with the www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC discovery of colored water and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MtBE), a gasoline additive.

“It really impacted our production. It drove it way down, so there were definitely periods of time when we weren’t producing water,” Van Der Maaten said.

The city also had issues with the plant’s operator ECO Resources, a subsidiary of SouthWest Water Company, which had entered into a 20-year contract to design, build and operate the plant. City officials weren’t able to enter the plant and diagnose the problem due to the contract, Van Der Maaten said, but following a settlement agreement, the city took over day-to-day management of the plant in November 2008.

“Since we’ve taken it over, the gates have been opened. We’re inside the plant, we’re seeing what’s going on and we’re fixing things that need to be improved,” Van Der Maaten said. “We’ve gone through a lot of improvements in that plant and, frankly, a little bit of a learning curve.”

Since taking it over, Van Der Maaten said the city has curbed its expectations for the plant to more reasonable levels.

Although the plant could produce up to five millions gallon per day, Van Der Maaten said that’s assuming the system was running at full capacity. He noted that the high output in 2006 was partly due to running the plant at “full bore for a year.”

“It was basically like running a car in the red for a year, saying OK, let’s step on the pedal and show what the plant can do,” Van Der Maaten said.

In the past two years, the GWRP has consistently produced at around 3,800 acre feet per year—the ideal range to operate, according to Van Der Maaten.

“If you’re really talking about a treatment plant being consistent, this is the level you want to run it at,” Van Der Maaten said. “The expectations are probably a little different in that we were sold that a 5 MGD plant means 5 MGD all the time, but in reality, that’s max capacity …

Even if you were in a race, you wouldn’t run your car into the red line all the time.

You want to finish the race, and that’s what we’re doing here.”

RISING COSTS, FINANCIAL WOES Critics say the city’s management of the

Expanding the Groundwater Recovery Plant could push its daily output to more than 7 million gallons of water.

Photo by Brian Park

“Since we’ve taken it over, the gates have been opened. We’re inside the plant, we’re seeing what’s going on and we’re fixing things that need to be improved … We’ve gone through a lot of improvements in that plant and, frankly, a little bit of a learning curve.”

– Keith Van Der Maaten, San Juan Capistrano Utilities Director GWRP shows a series of poor decisions and bad investments.

Perry said ECO Resources’ failure to meet output numbers should have held the company in breach of contract, and in doing so, the city could have dissolved the project and the $35 million could have been paid off through its bond insurer.

“It should’ve been terminated and the bonds should have been paid off, but they decided not to do that, and so what they’ve got now is a self-inflicted wound,” Perry said.

The city is in the process of expanding the GWRP to push its daily capacity to more than seven million gallons. Funding for the project comes from Proposition

50, a bond initiative for water projects approved by California voters in 2002.

“It’s all taxpayer money,” Perry said.

“How many years does it take for somebody to say, ‘Wait a second. How many more millions are we cranking into this?’”

Perry and Reardon both noted that increasing the output of the GWRP may undermine the existing basin. In their final draft of the 2013 Groundwater Management Plan, the SJBA identified replenishing the basin as an urgent need.

“The replenishment cost is quite significant. One of the things you have to realize in all the cost figures is that one of them includes the cost to replenish the basin,” Reardon said. “They’re concerned the basin is being depleted and overdrawn by the plant.”

As more water is drawn from the basin, what’s pulled out can be more corrosive and damaging to the GWRP’s filters and filter membranes.

“As the water gets more salty, as it gets lower and lower and it gets more contaminated, it’ll get more expensive to clean it up,” Perry said.

WATER RATES In 2010, the city adopted a new tiered rate structure that increased water rates by 22 percent in February 2010, another 18 percent in July 2010 and additional

3 percent increases over the next three years.

The city presented its tiered rate structure as a way to promote conservation.

San Juan’s water customers are charged a base rate, but as more water is used, they are forced to pay at a higher tier.

In their lawsuit, the CTA alleged the city’s structure didn’t promote conservation but acted as a penalty. In August, Orange County Superior Court judge Gregory Munoz sided with the CTA’s claim that San Juan’s rates violated Proposition 218, state law that requires rates be relative to the cost of service.

“The law does allow for tiers. It even allow for conservation-based tiers,” Reardon said. “It simply says there needs to be a rational connection.”

In an article in the Association of California Water Agencies, the city’s attorney in the case, Michael Colantuono, wrote, “the city believes the court did not fully understand the city’s rate-making record.”

Munoz also found that the city was illegally charging residents for recycled water, although not all residents had access.

Recycled water currently makes up less than 1 percent of San Juan’s water supply, but by January, the city expects to bring several recycled water sites online, increasing recycled usage to about 10 percent.

The CTA believes the city should provide water to its residents the cheapest way possible—by importing water through MWDOC. “If you look at the wholesale water market today, the city of San Juan Capistrano can buy an unlimited supply from Metropolitan Water District for $900 per acre foot,” Reardon said. “We can buy three times more than we consume. One would rationally ask then how do we justify tiers?”

Van Der Maaten said when all factors of cost are considered, from debt service payments to operating costs, the cost per acre foot of water produced by the GWRP is comparable to MWDOC. “For us, the key is operating the plant leaves us money each year by not having to purchase water” Van Der Maaten said.

“I think what’s unfortunate a lot of times is there’s the thought that the plant itself is the cause of high water costs.” CD

EYE ON SJC

NEWS BITES

Compiled by Brian Park

PROPS, RECOGNITIONS AND MORSELS OF INFO Ricardo’s Place Owner Honored

by Senator Wyland u Sen. Mark Wyland, R-Carlsbad, recognized local restaurant owner Ricardo Beas for his extensive volunteer efforts with the San Juan Capistrano Community Spirit Award.

“Ricardo Beas personifies that which is the very best in community leadership, and he has made a lasting impression on those individuals with whom he has been associated,” read a proclamation from Wyland’s office.

Beas came to the United States when he was 12 and got his first job as a dishwasher at Pete and Clara’s Mexican restaurant when he was 14. After becoming a cook and working at several south Orange County restaurants, Beas bought Pete and Clara’s and opened Ricardo’s Place in 2003.

Beas and his wife Rosa are on the board of directors for ATLAS, a youth soccer program, and the Mariachi For All Capistrano Community Mariachi Program. He and his wife are also supporters of the San Juan Capistrano and Monarch Beach Rotary clubs and the Friends of the Library, for which Rosa also serves on the board. Beas also serves on the board of directors for the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce and the Latino Business Council.

Winter Wonderland Brings Snow to San Juan u Historic Town Center Park in downtown San Juan Capistrano will be transformed into a “Winter Wonderland” on Saturday, December 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The city will be bringing in real snow for kids to play in and sled on, and the event will also include musical performances, interactive games, an ugly sweater contest and an appearance by Santa Claus at Los Rios Plaza. Entry is free.

The event is part of the Economic Preservation Committee’s “Follow the Swallows, Shop Local” initiative. Visitors who get their holiday shopping done in San Juan can bring their receipts to the event to receive free gift wrapping.

The shop local program is also encouraging patronage in San Juan businesses and restaurants through the Shop & Dine Local

Pledge Card program. Residents and visitors can pick up pledge cards at participating business, designated by the “Follow the Swallows” logo. Cards are filled with each purchase, and completed cards can be turned into the Chamber of Commerce for entry into a grand prize drawing the first week of January. Cards can be submitted until December 31.

For more information about the Winter Wonderland event or the Shop Local program, contact the chamber at 949.493.4700. The chamber is located at 31421 La Matanza Street.

Student Mariachi Show Celebrates Biblical Journey of Mary and Joseph u The Mariachi For All Capistrano Community Mariachi Program is inviting the community to a special performance that celebrating the Mexican Christmas tradition, Las Posadas, on Wednesday, December 18, starting at 7 p.m., at JSerra Catholic High School.

Las Posadas is a nine-day celebration that commemorates the Biblical story of Mary’s and Joseph’s search for shelter before the birth of Jesus.

Under the direction of Maestro Juan Manual Cortez, mariachi students will perform music and reenact the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. The performance will be followed by a candlelight procession with prayer and singing, and the event closes with more music and traditional Mexican fare, including tamales and pozole.

The event is part of the program’s 99-cent showcase and is free to attend, although donations are encouraged. The event will take place inside building 1. JSerra Catholic High School is located at 26351 Junipero Serra Road.

For more information, visit their website at www.mariachiforall.org or call Assistant Program Director Alex Ceja at 949.680.8972.

National Charity League Motherand-Daughter Teams Help Serve Thanksgiving Meals u Six mother-and-daughter teams from the Capistrano Coast Chapter of the Na-

‘Best of San Juan’ Voting Closes December 31 u There’s less than three weeks left to get your votes in for the 7th Annual Capistrano Dispatch “Best of San Juan” People’s Choice Horseshoe Awards.

Vote for your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner spot. We want to know who has the best customer service, what’s the

The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

best local tradition and where do you take out-of-town visitors?

Polls close December 31 and results will be published February 14.

Visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com and scroll down to find the link to “Cast Your Vote” on the right-hand side.

Page 8

(From L to R) Mayor Pro Tem Larry Kramer, Ricardo Beas and Sen. Mark Wyland, R-Carlsbad. Wyland honored Beas for his volunteering efforts in the city with the San Juan Capistrano Community Spirit Award.

Courtesy photo

(From L to R) Jan Morris, Nancy Thee, Malena Thee and Alanna Verde, members of the Capistrano Coast Chapter of the National Charity League, helped Family Assistance Ministries to serve Thanksgiving meals last month. Six mother-anddaughter teams from the group participated in the effort. Courtesy photo

tional Charity League lent a helping hand to families in need by serving hot Thanksgiving meals at Family Assistance Ministries in San Clemente on Wednesday, November 27.

NCL members joined with other volunteers to welcome families, serve food and help set up and clean up after the event.

Other NCL volunteers also donated food to the cause.

NCL aims to foster relationships between mothers and daughters through local philanthropic efforts. Mothers and daughters commit to a six-year program, starting when daughters are in the seventh grade, centered on community service. This Thanksgiving was the sixth year that NCL has volunteered to help FAM, a San Clemente-based nonprofit which assists families in need by providing food, shelter and personalized counseling and aid.

In addition to FAM, the local NCL chapter also supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley, Orange County Special Olympics and the Ronald McDonald House of Orange County.

For more information on the group, visit www.nclcapistranocoast.org.

Fiesta Association Opens T-shirt Design Contest u The call is out for interested artists to

submit their designs for the Fiesta Associa-

tion’s official T-shirt for the 2014 Fiesta de las Golondrinas season.

The Fiesta Association is the all-volunteer nonprofit group that organizes the Swallows Day Parade and all other events during the Fiesta de las Golondrinas. The association is looking for the design that best represents the parade. This year’s theme is “New Trails West.”

The designer of the winning submission will receive a $100 cash prize and be recognized at various Fiesta events. T-shirts featuring the design will be sold at Fiesta events, including the 56th edition of the Swallows Day Parade and the Mercado Street Faire, scheduled to take place March 22.

The contest is open to all ages. Designs must be original works of art, should be 12-by-15 inches and may include up to three colors. Entries must be submitted before January 7 by email at sanjuanjudge@cox.net.

All entries may be used in future Fiesta events or publications. Entries can be returned upon request.

For more information on the Fiesta Association and the Swallows Day Parade, visit www.swallowsparade.com.

Allevato Loses Friendly Mayoral Football Bet u Mayor Sam Allevato’s “first official duty” as the new mayor didn’t turn out quite as well as he had hoped.

On Saturday, December 7, the St. Margaret’s Episcopal School football team fell to Jurupa Hills, 42-24, in the CIF Southern Section Easy Valley Division championship game. With the hometown Tartans’ loss, Allevato lost his friendly wager with Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren, who will now host Allevato at the NASCAR Auto Club 400 race at the Auto Club Speedway in March.

Had the Tartans won, Allevato would have invited Warren for a tour of the Mission and lunch in the Historic Los Rios District.

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

EYE ON SJC

Four Killed in Saturday Morning Crash Three from San Juan dead, investigators believe alcohol and speed were factors in the wreck

By Jim Shilander The Capistrano Dispatch

F

our people were killed and a fifth injured in a single car accident early Saturday morning near the corner of South El Camino Real and Avenida Valencia in San Clemente.

Three men and one woman, including the driver of the vehicle, were pronounced dead at the scene, Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Lt. Jeff Hallock said. Authorities responded to the scene around 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Pablo Vargas Diaz, 25, of San Juan Capistrano. Three of the passengers have also been identified as Martin Nieto, 26, of Laguna Niguel, and Lucia Solis, 27, and Luis Silva, 22, both of San Juan Capistrano.

A 24-year-old female passenger, whose name has not been released, was transported to a local trauma center. She is expected to survive.

Hallock said the investigation is ongoing, but speed and alcohol are believed to have been factors in the crash. The department’s major accident reconstruction team is investigating. Hallock said it could be weeks until the final report on

SJC Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BY QUINN CONWAY All information below is obtained from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department website. 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. An arrest doesn’t represent guilt. The items below are just a sampling of the entries listed on the OCSD website.

Wednesday, December 11 BURGLARY REPORT Ortega Highway, 27200 Block (9:44 a.m.)

A caller reported a possible break-in at the cross streets of Avenida Los Cerritos and Rancho Viejo Road. Deputies were dispatched to investigate.

Tuesday, December 10 CITIZEN ASSIST El Camino Real, 31400 Block (7:55 p.m.)

A man at the San Juan Capistrano Library said he thought someone sold his bicycle without his permission.

The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

A makeshift memorial set up at the site of a fatal crash bears remembrances of the four people, all in their 20s, killed in Saturday morning’s car accident on South El Camino Real near Avenida Valencia.

Photo by Jim Shilander

the investigation is released, which should include toxicology reports on the victims.

Don Bolender, the owner of the Christmas tree lot near where the accident took place, and whose fence is now adorned with flowers, photos and candles remembering the victims, said he was sleeping

at the time of the crash. After a 22-hour day, he said, he and a friend fell asleep at approximately 1 a.m. When he awoke at 6 a.m. to take his friend to the airport, Bolender discovered deputies had blocked off the street on either side of the crash site.

Parts of the car and a light pole knocked

DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 3200 Block (5:59 p.m.)

An irate customer was yelling at employees at the front counter of a business.

The manager called to report the erratic behavior.

WELFARE CHECK Ortega Highway/5 Freeway (3:27 a.m.)

A man was stumbling into the street on Ortega Highway. He was described as being in his 30s with no further details available.

DISTURBANCE Via Del Rey, 25600 Block (3:03 p.m.) The caller and his neighbor engaged in a verbal dispute over children playing on city property. Afterward, both returned to their homes. The caller said this was an ongoing issue.

Sunday, December 8

UNDER THE INFLUENCE DRUGS El Camino Real, 31500 Block (2:23 p.m.) A subject at Bridges Community Day School was reported to be under the influence of drugs.

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY Los Rios Street, 31300 Block (1:57 p.m.)

Disruptively loud music was being played from a black pickup. The vehicle was occupied by five men in black hoodies and had been parked near the railroad tracks.

Monday, December 9 TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-NON INJURY Vista Montana, 29200 Block (4:12 p.m.) A silver Mercedes drove into a ditch in front of San Juan Hills High School. The driver and passengers were able to exit the vehicle and walk away from the accident.

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DISTURBANCE San Juan Creek Road, 31800 Block (2:05 p.m.) A group of adolescent boys were shooting Airsoft guns behind a caller’s home. The caller was afraid his home might be hit by the pellets.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE La Novia Avenue/Calle Arroyo (10:08 a.m.) A caller reported seeing 12 vultures circling the air, west of the bridge. The caller suspected there might be something dead there.

Saturday, December 7 DISTURBANCE-MECHANICAL Canyon Crest Road, 26900 Block (10:26 p.m.) A man was doing construction work in his garage. The caller reported that this was creating a disturbance due to the noise.

TRAFFIC HAZARD Stonehill Drive/Camino Capistrano (8:34 a.m.) A crib was left on the Interstate 5 on-ramp, obstructing traffic. It was

down by the crash were strewn throughout the lot, Bolender said, and bits of glass could also be found in some of the trees.

The last several days, Bolender said, have brought a nearly constant stream of mourners to the site. The crowd grew so large on Monday that community resource officers blocked traffic. Although he lives year-round in Washington, Bolender said he could tell the accident had a “profound impact” on the community.

One of the victims, Silva, worked as a barber at Señor Barber in San Juan Capistrano. His father, Jose, is an employee at the Mission.

A viewing for Silva was held Thursday at Lesneski Mortuary in San Clemente, according to a post on the Señor Barber Facebook page. A mass will be held Friday, December 13, at 1 p.m., at Mission Basilica Church. A reception will follow and the family has requested mourners not wear black but colorful clothing.

Friends of Silva organized a benefit Tuesday at El Adobe de Capistrano to help support the families of the four deceased.

An online fundraiser has also been set up at www.youcaring.com/memorialfundraiser/a-proper-farwell/114929. CD Brian Park contributed to this story.

unclear which side of the street the crib had been left on.

Thursday, December 6 SHOTS HEARD Avenida Calita, 33600 Block (8:07 p.m.) A caller reported hearing gunshots near the intersection of Via De Agua and Via La Mirada. No further information was given.

STOLEN VEHICLE Morningstar Lane, 27600 Block (6:58 p.m.)

A caller reported a stolen vehicle. Deputies were dispatched and were able to apprehend a suspect described to be an 18-year-old man with brown hair.

ABANDONED VEHICLE Calle De Bonanza, 33900 Block (9:27 a.m.)

A white truck with an attached trailer had been parked in the same spot at the intersection of Camino Las Ramblas and Via De Agua for a week. The vehicle had Washington plates.

Wednesday, December 4 TRAFFIC HAZARD La Pata Avenue/ Vista Montana (2:54 p.m.)

A large bundle of landscape trash was in the roadway on La Pata Avenue. The trash was creating an obstruction in the intersection on the southbound lanes.

Deputies were able to clear the hazard from the street. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

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

Brian Park, 949.388.7700, x108 bpark@thecapistranodispatch.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Debra Wells, 949.388.7700, x104 dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, x107 tzines@thecapistranodispatch.com BILLING Alyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@thecapistranodispatch.com

34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624 phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 www.thecapistranodispatch.com The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 11, Issue 23. 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 2013. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

ART/DESIGN

OPERATIONS

EDITORIAL

Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith

Finance Director > Mike Reed

ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING

Business Operations Manager > Alyssa Garrett

Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

Accounting Manager Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines

Senior Group Editor > Andrea Swayne City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Brian Park Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale City Editor, SC Times > Jim Shilander City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Papagianis

> Michele Reddick (San Clemente) > Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano) Sales Associates > Angela Edwards

SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, Jonathan Volzke CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Victor Carno, Quinn Conway, Tawnee Prazak, Dana Schnell, Tim Trent

GUEST OPINION: My Turn by Jonathan Volzke

The Only Way We Win is by Working Together

W

e as a nation should applaud Congress this month. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., negotiated a budget that should be palatable to both parties. I watched an interview with Ryan on television and he said the key was simple: both sides agreed they wouldn’t violate their personal principles–and that they’d get something done.

It is the first bi-partisan budget proposal since the Reagan era. I’m sure the extremes at both sides will contend the proposal doesn’t do enough, but House Speaker John Boehner could not have put it better when he angrily told reporters the extreme conservative groups are “using our members and they’re using the American people for their own goals.”

From his lips to Capistrano’s ears.

Capistrano celebrated a wonderful tree lighting event on December 7—Historic Town Center Park was full, the streets were full, shops and restaurants were full. I expect a similar day this Saturday, December 14, when snow is trucked into Historic Town Center Park for a “Winter Wonderland” of sledding and community booths. That event goes hand-in-hand with the Second Saturday Art Fair that will fill the downtown with craft venders and artists. Metrolink is also featuring Capistrano in a promotion that day, which should bring hundreds more to the downtown.

Sadly, though, the thoughts running through many minds these days is “What’s going on in San Juan Capistrano?”

A councilman is facing recall. The city is appealing a Superior Court judge’s ruling in a lawsuit over our water rates. Someone’s filed a multi-million-dollar claim in the wake of that decision. Now there’s a kerfuffle with newspaper racks that has the city back in court.

Seems like things are falling apart at the seams, doesn’t it?

But they’re not. Not at all. We as a comThe Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

munity are simply facing what brought our federal government to a standstill for two weeks in October.

The issues that seem to be tying up the city can be traced back to a small group that seems intent on MY TURN little more than paralyzing

By Jonathan Volzke City Hall—then taking over on claims it’s inefficient or ineffective.

I bumped into a gentleman at Bad to the Bone the other evening. He lives in town and is a successful businessman. He’s busy and knew the headlines. To him, things seemed grave. We had a chance to chat over a cocktail or two, and by the end of our conversation, we’d both learned a bit. I think he understood the nuances a bit, and I certainly understood the city had created a lot of the issues it faces—by failing to communicate more clearly with residents.

He was worried about water. I explained the city’s water rates were derived pretty much the same as done by most cities in the county, if not the state. Setting water rates seems like a simple task, but it’s far more complicated than most realize. A Stanford think tank recently reviewed the Capistrano case and concluded new laws and new strategies are needed statewide.

About Proposition 218—a law that says cities can’t impose taxes or fees without public approval—and the basis for part of the Capistrano ruling and wrote this: “While it remains to be seen whether the ruling will stand and just how far it may ultimately reach, its potential to further complicate the ability of California water agencies to provide reliable, clean water to communities should motivate decision makers in Sacramento and voters throughout the state to come to their rescue.”

Doesn’t sound like our leaders did anything outrageous from that perspec-

tive, does it?

Of course, there’s more noise out there about City Hall news racks and other such issues, but it really comes back to the same group of folks attacking wherever they can, trying a new strategy to gain City Council seats three of them failed to win in earlier elections.

As Rep. Boehner said, these aren’t citizens trying to make Capistrano a better place, it’s a group of people trying to further their own goals. Some say the extreme conservative movement is tearing apart the Republican Party—more than half of the Republican senators running for reelection next year face primary challengers running to their right. Let’s not let

it tear apart our community as well.

San Juan Capistrano resident Jonathan Volzke is a former award-winning journalist for the Orange County Register and founder of The Capistrano Dispatch. He’s since moved on and now works for Communications LAB, a public relations and community outreach firm in Lake Forest. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editor@capistranodispatch.com

Letters to the Editor COUNCIL DRAMA BEGAN WITH SILENCING COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER —Jack Farley, San Juan Capistrano The November 8-21 issue of The Dispatch was devoted in large part to the acrimony and bitterness manifested again in the City Council meeting November 5. I can’t help but to try to nail down the start of this nastiness.

Let’s see. Where to begin? Water rate hikes? A judge ruled them illegal. Groundwater recovery plant costs? We are going to run out of water in the not too distant future. Brown Act violations? Back room deals have been going on for decades. The recall? Ill-timed and expensive, but some think a message must be sent.

In my opinion, all of these issues are important, but none should cause the loss of civility as exhibited in the last council meeting. What could be the root cause of such unrest? Poor leadership? Perhaps.

But maybe, just maybe, it started when a

Page 10

local start-up newspaper critical of City Hall dared to place publications in a rack outside City Hall and was barred from that space by the powers that be. Maybe the citizens of a free country are disgusted when small town politics threaten to stifle the freedom of the press on display in a public place.

Try to imagine what this country would be like if this smarmy tactic were projected at the national level.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU 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

SOAPBOX GUEST OPINION: Susan Wilson, Chairwoman of the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission

South County Governance: The Answers Aren’t So Simple Discussions are taking place to consider the future governance of Orange County’s ‘last frontier’

W

ith most of Orange County now urbanized and the patchwork of city and special district service providers largely in place, the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission still faces one significant challenge in south Orange County: identifying viable long-term governance options for south County’s remaining unincorporated communities—Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Wagon Wheel and the developing Rancho Mission Viejo property, located south of Mission Viejo and east of San Juan Capistrano and planned for 14,000 homes. When fully developed, the Rancho Mission Viejo community will be home to approximately 90,000 Orange County residents.

If history is our guide, why not just allow the remaining south Orange County unincorporated communities to incorporate and become their own cities? Forming new cities was an effective governance solution for growing communities in Orange County in the 1950s and 1960s and again in the 1980s and 1990s. Unfortunately, in 2013, the answer is not that simple. From the state level, the way revenues are allocated to newly formed cities has changed dramatically, making the incorporation of a new city increasingly difficult. The newest city to incorporate in California in July 2011, the city of Jurupa Valley in Riverside County, may also gain the notoriety of being the shortest-lived—and maybe the last—incorporated city in California’s 162year history, according to City Manager Stephen Harding in an article published in Western City magazine. A last minute maneuver to balance the state budget resulted in the elimination of the single most important source of revenue to newly incorporated revenues, vehicle license fees.

Jurupa Valley is now considering filing for disincorporation unless the VLF funding issue is corrected by the state legislature.

Simply stated, the city is running out of money to provide essential services.

As chair of OC LAFCO, I help oversee the network of local governments that provide municipal services to Orange County residents. What a network we have. As the third most populous county in California, we have 34 cities, 27 special districts and the County of Orange, each providing critical services to our county’s three million residents. Once a rural county dotted by orange groves, cattle ranches and vast expanses of open space, Orange County’s population boom started in the 1950s. We grew quickly as the result Page 12

of a post-demand for affordable housing in close proximity to the beach.

From 1950 to 1970 alone, Orange County’s population grew from 216,224 to 1,420,386.

As the population Susan Wilson continued to grow, new unincorporated communities began to spring up in south Orange County—all under the guidance and governance of the county. As these communities matured and reached “build out,” the desire to make their own decisions over land use, budgets and governance issues became increasingly important. Beginning in 1988, a new wave of city formations began with the incorporation of Mission Viejo. Other unincorporated communities soon followed with Laguna Niguel and Dana Point in 1989, Laguna Hills and Lake Forest in 1991, Laguna Woods in 1999, Rancho Santa Margarita in 2000 and Aliso Viejo in 2001—all becoming cities within 12 years.

These cities provided their residents a higher level of municipal services, improved access to local officials and offered an individual identity and long-term vision for their communities.

OC LAFCO can look back over the last 50 years with a level of pride in our success in guiding our local agencies toward providing both effective and efficient municipal services delivery to Orange County residents. While incorporation may not be the short-term answer to the south County governance question, OC LAFCO has undertaken a deliberate and open “visioning” process to explore all viable long-term governance options for this area. The visioning process will likely be a multi-year, phased effort what will include the development of credible financial data and modeling and stakeholder discussions with local government and community leaders.

Susan Wilson is a Mission Viejo resident and is currently the chair of the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission and has served on the commission for 17 years. www.oclafco.org SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editor@capistranodispatch.com www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Holiday Happenings and Gift Guide

Hot Picks

The Gathering of Friends Cookbook “A Year of Holidays” Vol. Six $32.99 TWO DOORS DOWN 32291 Camino Capistrano #B, San Juan Capistrano 949.443.1783

Hawaiian Koa Wood Rings Sale $199 ZIA JEWELRY 31761 Camino Capistrano #3, San Juan Capistrano 949.493.1322 ZiaJewelryOnline.com

Rosy Rings Hand Poured Candles THE NEST 31711 Los Rios Street San Juan Capistrano 949.661.1395

GETTING OUT

AT THE MOVIES: IT’S A LITTLE WEIRD ‘INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS’ Joel and Ethan Coen have been making strange films their entire careers, since 1984. While not weird enough to turn off most audiences, like directors Terry Gilliam or Todd Solondz, the Coens’ movies are often strange enough to keep viewers interested while raising an eyebrow.

The brothers have established a cult following with Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and became Oscar darlings with Fargo, No Country for Old Men and A Serious Man. Their latest feature, Inside Llewyn Davis, like their previous effort True Grit, tries to “normalize” the duo’s movies just a little bit. In 1961 Greenwich Village, a struggling folk musician named Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) sleeps on his friends’ couches regularly, owes money, can’t get his new solo album sold and is still mourning his music partner’s suicide.

As if things aren’t bad enough, Llewyn discovers he’s impregnated Jean (Carey Mulligan), the wife of fellow musician Jim (Justin Timberlake). Garrett Hedlund, John Goodman, Adam Driver and F. Murray Abraham make appearances throughout Llewyn’s short odyssey. Inside Llewyn Davis features some noticeable “Coenisms” but carries a bleak realism that sticks with the audience. Isaac delivers one of the best lead performances of the year, one deserving of some award nods, and T Bone Burnett and Marcus Mumford create one of the great soundtracks of 2013. While Llewyn Davis fails as a successful musician, his story finds a small spotlight to shine. —Megan Bianco

YOUR TWO-WEEK EVENT PLANNER

Courtesy photo

THE LIST

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

friday

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET 8 p.m. The classic holiday play at Camino Real Playhouse. Tickets $24. Shows through December 22 with Thursday, Friday and weekend shows. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

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OCEAN INSTITUTE PARADE OF LIGHTS HOLIDAY CRUISE 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Listen to Christmas music and see the colorfully decorated boats cruising through the Harbor aboard an Ocean Institute cruise. Sweets, hot beverages and wine will be served. Tickets $50 adults, $40 children (age 4-12). 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

saturday

SANTA PAWS EVENT 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Pet Project Foundation hosts the third annual event where pets can have their picture taken with Santa for a small fee at the Dana Point Harbor. All proceeds support the PPF. More info can be found online at www.petprojectfoundation.org.

14

WINTER FESTIVAL AND TREE LIGHTING Noon7:30 p.m. The city of Dana Point presents a holiday event with activities, a tree lighting and more at La Plaza Park. Fees may apply. 34111 La Plaza St., Dana Point, 949.248.3530, www.danapoint.org.

EDITOR’S PICK: Boat Parade of Lights Glowing vessels will brighten the channels beginning at 7:30 p.m. as the 39th annual Boat Parade Lighted boats cut the dark in the of Lights cruises the Dana Point Harbor Boat Parade of Dana Point Harbor for Lights. Photo by Lauralyn Loynes its last night. Decked out boats of all shapes and sizes will parade around the county’s southernmost port, competing for judges’ awards. Holiday event-goers can view the parade from most spots in the Harbor. Visit www.danapointharbor. com for a parade map or call 949.496.5794 for more information.

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT 7 a.m.-10 a.m. Join experienced birders for the annual bird count at The Reserve/ Richard and Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy. Bring binoculars and field guide. $5. Call for info and directions, 949.489.9778, www.theconservancy.org.

SJC FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE 10 a.m.-2 p.m. A wide selection of books offered at great prices in the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library Bookstore parking Lot, behind the library. 31495 El Camino Real, 949.412.4805, www.ocpl.org.

WINTER WONDERLAND 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Holiday event at Historic Town Center Park featuring real snow for kids to play in and sled on, musical performances, interactive games, crafts, ugly sweater contests, prizes and an appearance by Santa at Los Rios Plaza. 31806 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.4700, www.sanjuanchamber.com.

CHRISTMAS TRAIN 4 p.m.-9 p.m. The Christmas Train at Irvine Park Railroad offers rides and other fun holiday activities. Ride tickets $10, available online only. Train runs through December. 23. 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, 714.997.3968, www.irvineparkrailroad.com.

CAPT. DAVE’S BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS CRUISE 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Be a part of the boat parade while enjoying beautifully decorated boats, holiday music and waving to the folks on shore from a Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari vessel. Tickets $25. 24440 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.488.2828, www.dolphinsafari.com.

SECOND SATURDAY ART FAIR 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Shop arts and crafts by local and regional artists. Event also features live music, business and restaurant specials, and more in downtown San Juan Capistrano along the streets of Camino Capistrano, Yorba, Verdugo and Los Rios.

949.493.4700, www.sjcartfair.org.

THE ARK OF SAN JUAN PET ADOPTIONS 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Adoptions every Saturday; call for details.

10 a.m-2 p.m. puppies and dogs for adoption and noon4 p.m. cats and kittens at PetSmart. 33963 Doheny Park Road, 949.388.0034, www.arkofsanjuan.org.

The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

Page 17

SWALLOW’S INN TOY DRIVE 8 a.m.-close. Drop off an unwrapped toy at The Swallow’s Inn to benefit those less fortunate. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

DON MCLEAN 8 p.m. Legendary musician at The Coach House. Tickets $55. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

sunday

SAWDUST ART FESTIVAL’S WINTER FANTASY 10 a.m.6 p.m. Final day to visit the 23rd annual winter art festival with 175 artists displaying and selling original creations including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, clothing and more at the Sawdust Festival grounds. Admission $3-$6.

935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.494.3030, www.sawdustartfestival.org.

15

MIKE HAMILTON Noon-4 p.m. Live music at Mission Grill, 31721 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.240.8055, www.missiongrillsjc.com.

HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR 1 p.m. Meet at the Depot platform for the Historical Society’s guided tour of San Juan Capistrano. Every Sunday. Cost $2-$4. More info: 949.493.8444, www.sjchistoricalsociety.com.

monday

THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER: CHRISTMAS SHOW 8 p.m. Grammy Award-winning group performs holiday favorites at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Tickets start at $39. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2121, www.scfta.org.

16

FRENCH MACARON CLASS 5 p.m. Cooking class with Chef Kat at The Cellar. Fees apply. 156 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.492.3663, www.thecellarsite.com.

SAN CLEMENTE COMMUNITY MARKET HOLIDAY BAZAAR AND OPEN HOUSE 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Share some holiday cheer with the folks of the San Clemente Community Market at a member-owner’s private residence. Listen to live music, browse handmade crafts and enjoy good company. Call or email for more info and location. 949.492.6021, info@sanclementemarket.com, www.sanclementemarket.com.

(Cont. on page 18) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT (Cont. from page 17)

tuesday

LUNCH LOCAL 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Join the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce for lunch and networking at Harlow’s Fine Cuisine & Cocktails. 31111 Rancho Viejo Road, 949.493.4700, www.sanjuanchamber.com.

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DISNEY ON ICE: ROCKIN’ EVER AFTER 7:30 p.m. Disney on Ice brings a rockin’ remix of royalty to Honda Center. Tickets $17-$79. Performances through December 22. 2695 E. Katella Avenue, Anaheim, 714.704.2500, www.hondacenter.com.

friday

20

www.thecoachhouse.com.

GARY HO HO HOEY 8 p.m.

Legendary guitarist plays holiday hits at The Coach House. Tickets $20-$23. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930,

OC ELVIS 8 p.m. Live music at Wind & Sea Restaurant.

34699 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.6500, www.windandsearestaurants.com.

HART & SOUL 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Live music at Adele’s. 2600 Avenida Del Presidente, San Clemente, 949.481.1222, www.adelesatthesanclementeinn.com.

HALF-PRICED WHALE WATCHING Noon and 2 p.m. Two-hour whale watching adventures are half-price year-round at Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. Cost $22.50. Times may vary. 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.5794, www.danawharf.com.

FIESTA ASSOCIATION CHRISTMAS PARTY 6 p.m.11 p.m. The organization’s holiday celebration at the San Juan Hills Golf Club with dinner and more. Tickets $20 per person. 32120 San Juan Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1167, www.swallowsparade.com.

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

MIDNIGHT WHISKEY 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Live at Montego Restaurant and Bar. 27211 Ortega Highway., San Juan Capistrano, 949.481.2723, www.montegorestaurant.com.

wednesday

KARAOKE WITH LES AND JOEL 7 p.m. Every Wednesday at Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

18

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO FARMERS MARKET 3 p.m.–7 p.m. Every Wednesday at El Camino Real and Yorba in San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.4700.

NEWPORT HARBOR CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. The 105th running of the holiday boat parade in Newport Harbor featuring the theme “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree!” Nightly shows through December 22. For route and more information, see www.christmasboatparade.com.

NATIVE AMERICAN BASKET WEAVING 10 a.m.1 p.m. Experience the art of basket weaving, a Native American tradition, at Mission San Juan Capistrano. 26801 Ortega Highway., 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

thursday

GARDEN ANGELS 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Volunteers meet every Thursday in front of the Montanez Adobe at Los Rios Park in San Juan Capistrano to help maintain the garden and more. Bring gloves and wear close-toed shoes.

949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

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LAGUNA BALLET’S THE NUTCRACKER 7 p.m. Annual holiday performance featuring the nonprofit junior ballet company on the McKinney Theater stage at Saddleback College. Shows through December 22.

Tickets $24. 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, 949.582.4656, www.saddleback.edu/arts.

PHOTOS WITH SANTA 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Bring your cameras for a picture and visit with Santa in the retail area of the Dana Point Harbor. Find out more at www.danapointharbor.com.

The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

CHARLES DICKENS CAROLERS 6 p.m.-8 p.m. The spirit of the season comes alive with musical performances at the Kaleidoscope. 27741 Crown Valley Parkway., Mission Viejo, 949.582.1948, www.gokaleidoscope.com.

JERI CURL 9 p.m. Special “old school” concert at StillWater Spirits & Sounds. Cover $5. 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point, 949.661.6003, www.danapointstillwater.com.

saturday

SOUTH COAST SINGERS: SLEIGH BELLS RING 7 p.m. The South Coast Singers present their annual holiday concert at South Shores Church featuring traditional favorites, new tunes and more to celebrate the season.

Tickets $15-$20. 32712 Crown Valley Parkway, Dana Point 949.613.7840, visit www.southcoastsingers.org.

21

FOOD DRIVE Noon-5 p.m. The Capistrano Eagles Motorcycle Club hosts a food drive at Swallow’s Inn. Bring non-perishable food items to support Father Serra’s Pantry. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

UGLY SWEATER CONTEST 8 p.m. Wear your best ugly holiday sweater for a chance to win big at The Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

BERLIN 8 p.m. Berlin rocks The Coach House. Tickets $25. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET 8 p.m. The classic holiday play at Camino Real Playhouse. Tickets $24. Final show December 22. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

JENNIFER KEITH WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 8 p.m.

Jazz at StillWater Spirits & Sounds. $5. 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point, 949.661.6003, www.danapointstillwater.com.

CRAFT FAIR AND FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.3 p.m. Fresh produce, crafted goods, flowers and much more at La Plaza Park in Dana Point every Saturday.

949.248.3500, www.danapoint.org.

Page 18

ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOUR 10 a.m. Discover 200 years of San Juan architecture on a walk that includes adobes, Spanish-era dwellings and modern buildings.

Meet at Verdugo Street. $5 donation supports the Friends of the Library. For more info, call 949.489.0736.

sunday

22

SAN CLEMENTE FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Bundles of flowers, fresh produce and more every Sunday on Avenida Del Mar in downtown San Clemente. Rain or shine.

SERRA CHAPEL TOUR 11:15 a.m. A tour of the Mission in honor of Father Junipero Serra, who was born 300 years ago this year. Offered Sundays. Admission $6–$9.

26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

PHOTOS AND VISITS WITH SANTA CLAUS 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Visit with Santa at the St. Regis Monarch Beach. Free. 1 Monarch Beach Resort, N. Dana Point, 949.234.3200, www.stregismb.com.

monday

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS AT THE MISSION 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Make homemade crafts at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Cost $1-$3, in addition to admission. 26801 Ortega Highway., 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

23

tuesday

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. San Clemente Presbyterian Church holds two family services for the holiday. Communions by candlelight are held at 9:30 p.m.

CHRISTMAS EVE and 11 p.m. 119 Avenida De La Estrella, San Clemente, 949.492.6158, wwwscpres.org.

24

MIDNIGHT MASS 11:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Special midnight Latin mass at Serra Chapel at the Mission. 26801 Ortega Highway., San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

wednesday

25

CHRISTMAS DAY

thursday

26

CHRISTMAS MASS 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. Christmas Day mass at Mission Basilica.

31522 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1360, www.missionparish.org.

THREE CHORD JUSTICE 7:30 p.m. Live music at The Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

BAR VIBRATIONS 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Music at Montego Restaurant and Bar. 27211 Ortega Highway., San Juan Capistrano, 949.481.2723, www.montegorestaurant.com *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 Saturday 12.14

Monday 12.16

Friday 12.20

Winter Wonderland 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. As part of the Economic Preservation Committee’s “Follow the Swallows, Shop Local” program, the city is hosting a free holiday event featuring real snow for children to play in, musical performances, games, an ugly sweater contest, an appearance by Santa and free gift wrapping for guests with receipts from local businesses. Historic Town Center Park, 31852 El Camino Real. For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 949.493.4700.

Parks, Recreation and Senior Services Commission Meeting 6 p.m.

City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Coffee Chat 8 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues, hosted by The Dispatch founder Jonathan Volzke.

Occurs every Friday. All are welcome.

El Adobe Restaurant, 31891 Camino Capistrano.

Tuesday 12.17 Utilities Commission Meeting 8 a.m.

City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

City Council and Successor Agency Meeting 6 p.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Monday 12.23 – Wednesday 1.1 City Offices Closed City Hall and the Community Center will be closed for the holidays, December 23 to January 1.

GUEST OPINION: On Life and Love After 50 by Tom Blake

Finding the Right Time When to reveal health issues to potential mates

A

s we age, many people develop serious health problems.

For singles who are dating, an important consideration is: When do you reveal your condition to a new person you meet and like?

You fear rejection. You are afraid if you reveal your ailment, the person will disappear. And yet you are an honest individual and want to be fair.

When do you have that health conversation? Is there a good time?

Yvonne said, “Maybe not on the first date, but within the first five. At least then your date knows exactly what he or she is dealing with and can decide how to proceed. Some dates will run, and that’s OK. But with honesty up front, there is no sense of having been deceived later on.”

Mary said, “After a few dates and if you sense that it might become an on-going relationship, you owe it to your companion to reveal health issues. It happened to me when I went on lymphoma cancer watch. I told the man I was dating, even before I told my adult children.

“After two years of scans and lab work, I was declared OK. The person I shared this with had cared for his wife for a number of years and I thought he deserved to know so he could leave if this troubled him. He didn’t leave until a year later, for different reasons.”

Daryl met a man online whose profile stated he loved flying his own plane and hiking at his cabin in Colorado.

She said, “He was a nice fellow who was anxious to meet for lunch. I arrived first and was watching out the window when he drove up. The problem was immediately clear when he had difficulty getting out of his automobile. Chunky but not obese, he commented that his knees needed ‘replacing.’

The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

“When I mentioned that I walk every day with my 90-pound pooch, he was frank enough to say he was unable to walk down the block. The lunch was nice. Had he indicated he was scheduling the ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50 surgery, I would

By Tom Blake have kept up a phone relationship, but he was ‘putting off the surgery.’ No way.”

Claire dated a man for two months. She noticed at times he had red blotches on his hands. When she asked about them, he said he had banged his hand on something. Claire said, “Three months into our relationship, he confessed he was dying from a rare type of cancer from which there was no cure. We cried together when he revealed this to me.

“He said each time I came to his house, he hid the calendar that had his doctors appointments on it and his prescriptions, because if I knew about his illness I would break off the relationship. I broke it off because I was beginning to love him and feeling an attachment to him. I did not want to go through losing him.”

Sid, 70, said, “I was a care-taker for my wife for six years before she passed away from breast cancer, and I don’t want to go through that again, especially in my later years. My advice is to have the conversation sooner rather than later and before becoming intimate.”

The consensus: Be honest. Reveal your condition within a few dates.

To share your thoughts, email Tom at tompblake@gmail.com.

The next Meet & Greet for singles age 50 plus is Wednesday, December 18, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Tutor and Spunky’s

Deli in Dana Point. The event will feature Carl the DJ and a fun, white elephant gift exchange. For more details, visit www.tutorandspunkys.com.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point business owner and San Clemente resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at www.findingloveafter50.com

Page 20

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

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING GUEST OPINION: Moments In Time by Jan Siegel

Fr. Serra’s Sweet Tooth for Chocolate Spanish and Native American cultures have long celebrated Christmas with chocolate

A

s we get ready to celebrate the Christmas season, it is important to remember that in the Spanish and Mexican cultures, the Christmas tree, the Christmas wreath and the punch MOMENTS IN TIME bowl were not part of

By Jan Siegel the early traditions.

What was important, however, was chocolate.

The Mayans and the Aztecs used chocolate in their religious observances.

When the Spanish missionaries came to the New World, they were already aware of the power of chocolate within the native populations. The missionaries found chocolate enjoyable, and so it was a natural culmination to include chocolate in services in order to attract the native people.

Even today, it is normal in the Native American community that after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, in the crèches in the family homes, that the baby Jesus be given a cup of hot chocolate.

Perhaps the person most influential in bringing chocolate into California was Fr. Junípero Serra.

When leaving Spain for the New World, Fr. Serra packed chocolate, which had been available in Europe, since it was discovered by early explorers in Latin America, more than 100 years before his birth. In her book, On the Chocolate Trail, Deborah Prinz wrote that when Serra arrived in Mexico City, he “created a set of administrative guidelines for the College of San Fernando, which included chocolate usage and concerns. His rules cautioned against giving women chocolate at any of the meals in the convent, perhaps to avoid possibilities of seduction or tempting distractions … Later, during a terrible cold spell, while founding the second mission at the Monterey Presidio, Father Serra noted ‘chocolate that, thanks God, we were not lacking up to now.’”

Serra carried chocolate with him while tending to the sick and also used it to motivate hard work. Chocolate was part of the welcoming mission hospitality. “Some 44 of Father Serra’s many letters mention chocolate, indicating its importance in the daily life of the missions,” Prinz wrote.

In the list of objects, materials and foodstuffs which were shipped to Alta California in 1769 by land and sea were Page 22

Chocolate was an important part of daily life in the California missions. In San Juan Capistrano, the Mission Store carries several brands of chocolate, including Taza, a Massachusetts-based company that makes chocolate using old fashioned methods.

Photo by Brian Park

576 pounds of chocolate and 11 pounds of pinole, an aromatic powder used in the making of chocolate. In 1771, another shipment for the missions included 224 pounds of chocolate. In 1773, Fr. Serra requested that the port of San Blas remain open to ship cargo to Alta California “not only for corn but for chocolate loads.”

In Fr. Serra’s time, chocolate was stone ground. Today, you can spend a Moment in Time and experience the same kind of chocolate enjoyed by Serra by purchasing a Taza chocolate bar from the Mission Store. Taza, a Massachusetts company, prides itself on making chocolate the old fashioned way.

Whether you toast the holiday season with a glass of wine or a cup of hot chocolate, remember the man who brought both drinks to California.

Happy holidays and a happy New Year to all.

Jan Siegel is a 26-year resident of San Juan Capistrano. She has served on the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for 11 years and has been a volunteer guide for the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library’s architectural walking tour for 15 years. She was named Woman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2005, Volunteer of the Year in 2011 and was inducted into the city’s Wall of Recognition in 2007. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Dispatch provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the The Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS SUBMIT YOUR CLASSIFIED AD ONLINE AT WWW.THECAPISTRANODISPATCH.COM

FOR SALE QUEEN PILLOW TOP MATTRESS AND BOX SPRING Brand New. Never Used. Still in Manufacturers sealed plastic with warranty. $195 Call 949-436-6850 FOR SALE QUEEN EURO PILLOWTOP MATTRESS $150 STILL IN PLASTIC! GREAT BUY! 949-842-9994

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

HELP WANTED MACHINE REPAIR TECHNICIAN – ENTRY LEVEL Job for Machine Repair Technician Trainee. Previous experience at tools a plus but we are willing to train the right person as apprentice trainee. Job requires candidate to repair and maintain industrial machinery.

Must have clean CA drivers license record.

Random drug testing. Local residents from Mission Viejo/San Juan Capistrano preferred.

Send resume via fax to 94.276.4231 or email md-aerospacemts@cox.net.

SALES PERSON WANTED Picket Fence Media, owner of the San Clemente Times, Dana Point Times and Capistrano Dispatch, is looking for an advertising sales rep to join our dynamic team. We’re looking for an organized, hard-working individual with a great personality who can create marketing solutions for local businesses and push for growth in both print and online media platforms. Ideal candidate will have prior experience with media sales. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to Alyssa Garrett at agarrett@sanclementetimes.com.

Call 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or email dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

Locals Only

BUSINESS DIRECTORY The only directory featuring San Juan Capistrano businesses exclusively AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

MOLD REMOVAL

Oasis Air Conditioning & Heating 949.420.1321 27126 Paseo Espada, Suite 1604, www.oasisair.com

PHOTO & DIGITAL LAB

BANKING Independence Bank 32291 Camino Capistrano, Suite A, www.independence-bank.net

949.373.8963

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

PLUMBING

COINS GraCorp Coins & Collectibles www.gracorpcoins.com

949.350.4692

ELECTRICIANS

A to Z Leak Detection www.atozleakdetection.com Chick’s Plumbing www.chicks-plumbing.com

ELECTRIC CONTRACTORS Excel Electric - CA #793860 949.493.7769 32238 Paseo Adelanto E-I, www.excelelectric.com

949.496.9731

San Juan Hills Dog Walking Services 949.542.4981 Safe, Certified, Insured & Bonded, www.sjhillsdogwalking.com

ROOF MANAGEMENT SERVICES

HOME ORGANIZATION

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

Karen Fischer, Professional Organizer, Get Organized and Move!

949.355.3487 www.getorganizedandmove.com

949.212.0499

SCHOOLS

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

LANDSCAPING

The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

949.499.4464

PROFESSIONAL DOG WALKING SERVICES

Excel Electric 949.493.7769 32238 Paseo Adelanto E-I, www.excelelectric.com

Vermeulen’s Landscaping Inc. bvland@cox.net

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

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

949.661.0967

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

TILE & STONE INSTALLATION/ RESTORATION Yorba Linda Tile & Marble, Inc. 714.757.3490 www.yorbalindatilemarble.com, CA License #789312

Page 23

Holiday Sale & Chairty Event! *Top Quality Handbag Sale* - Dooney & Bourke, Tignanello, B.Makowsky and more! By Dress Well Boutique. Co-Hosted with Cam Graeber, Keller Williams OC Coastal Realty (949) 533-7435. Mention your favorite charity and 20% of your total purchase will be donated to the charity of your choice! Saturday November 2nd, 10am-4pm. 33712 Calle Miramar, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 *(OR SHOWING ON OTHER DAYS BY APPOINTMENT)* Call Toll Free (855) 445-9881. www.DressWellBoutique.com

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

WOMEN’S CLOTHING & HANDBAG BOUTIQUE Dress Well Boutique 949.922.8044 33712 Calle Miramar, www.DressWellBoutique.com

LIST YOUR BUSINESS IN “LOCALS ONLY” Call today! Contact Angela Edwards at 949.682.1667 or email aedwards@thecapistranodispatch.com.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS

5

& OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES & MORE

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

TARTANS FOOTBALL RUN ENDS AT CIF FINALS

There was no shortage of drama in the St. Margaret’s football team’s run to the CIF-SS East Valley Division championship game.

First, there was the Tartans’ late goal line stand to defeat Rim of the World, the team that ousted them from the playoffs in back to back years, in the second round.

Then came a 35-28 overtime win over Big Bear in the semifinals that ended on a Tartans fumble recovery.

Big Bear had tied St. Margaret’s four times in the game, but never took the lead. St. Margaret’s senior quarterback

Senior quarterback Josh Davis, 12, and the St. Margaret’s football team advanced to the CIF-SS East Valley Division championship game. File photo

Josh Davis was the offensive catalyst in the game, rushing for 173 yards on 18 carries for four rushing touchdowns.

But in the final game against Jurupa Hills on December 7 the Tartans fell behind 24-7 after the first half and could not recover. They would go on to lose 41-24.

The appearance in the championship game capped off another successful season for the Tartans. They went undefeated in Academy League play and finished the year with a 12-2 overall record. The seniors on the team were the first class of players to play all four years under the guidance of head coach Rod Baltau, who landed the job in 2010.

— Steve Breazeale

San Juan Capistrano High School Winter Sports Preview

By Steve Breazeale and Michael Vogeler The Capistrano Dispatch

T

his is part one of our two-part series of local high school winter sports preview issues. This week, we feature the winter sports programs at Saddleback Valley Christian, Capistrano Valley Christian and St. Margaret’s. Next week’s issue will feature JSerra Catholic and San Juan Hills.

Follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports for in-game updates, news and more.

CAPISTRANO VALLEY CHRISTIAN BOYS BASKETBALL Last Year: The Eagles went 22-5 overall, finishing second in the San Joaquin League standings. They advanced to the first round of the CIF-SS Division 5A Championships.

Players to Watch: Kci Thompson, Peter Abramsky, Diego Smith and Trevor Cantarini Outlook: This version of the Eagles boys basketball team will be the deepest to hit the court in head coach Zach Brogdon’s four-year tenure. For a team that found its groove last year during a 22-win season, the loss of only one senior bodes well for the Eagles chances of maintaining momentum into 2014.

Four starters return for the Eagles, including Abramsky, last year’s leading scorer, Thompson, the starting point guard, and big men Smith and Cantarini.

Brogdon says following the loss of senior RJ Thompson, Smith and Cantarini will be called upon to provide more offense in the paint. With the big men operating down low, that should free up Abramsky, who made 85 3-pointers in 2013, and Thompson to produce outside.

“Having so many returning players really helps us focus on just the execution of our stuff instead of teaching the concepts,” Brogdon said. “We’re really excited for The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

Capistrano Valley Christian’s Diego Smith puts up a jump shot during practice. Photo by Steve Breazeale

the veteran group we have coming back.

We’re looking forward to a really good year.” – SB GIRLS SOCCER Last Year: Capistrano Valley Christian went 6-8-1 overall and finished fourth in the San Joaquin League.

Players to Watch: Emily Shanton, Lauren Messore, Mia Wallace and Alexis Rucker Outlook: After lying dormant for five years, the girls soccer program at Capistrano Valley Christian was revived last season. This year, the upstart team is under the guidance of first-year head coach Jessica McDonnell.

The team’s offense will come from the duo of Shanton, a junior, and Messore, a sophomore. Shanton and Messore operated as the team’s forwards last year and are among the limited number of returning Eagles players.

BOYS SOCCER Last Year: The Eagles went 6-11-3 overall and finished fi fth in the eight-team San Joaquin League.

Players to Watch: Austin Aguas, Josh Anderson and Justin Burger Outlook: The Eagles will look to make a foothold in the San Joaquin League in 2014 under the guidance of first-year head coach David Anderson. Anderson was an assistant on the San Juan Hills staff last year, but joins the Eagles for the new season.

Anderson brings with him a coaching philosophy that revolves around the strength of the midfield and defensive back line. Luckily for the Eagles, they return several starters from last year who fill those positions.

Anderson (center midfield), team captain Burger (midfield) and Jacob Castillo (midfield) all return.

Joining the offensive attack up top is senior forward Sam Sukut, a standout running back for the Eagles football team.

– SB ST. MARGARET’S

Capistrano Valley Christian’s Justin Burger will captain the boys soccer team this season.

Photo by Steve Breazeale

Wallace, a junior, returns as the team’s goalie.

“We’re going to rely on a lot of ball movement from the backfield and speed,” McDonnell said. “They’re dedicated and they’re going to be in really great shape.”

– SB Page 24

BOYS BASKETBALL Last Year: The Tartans came in second place in the Academy League and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 4A playoffs.

Players to Watch: Willie Morrison, Brent Cahill, Matt Nicholas, David Nissenoff and Jameson Edwards.

Outlook: With only one senior lost from last season, experience and depth are non-issues for the Tartans. Four of their five starters return from last year, which head coach Brian Carmer attributes to the team’s great chemistry and confidence.

The Tartans (3-1) have consistency, as well as leadership, throughout their lineup and have a history of relying on multiple players to lead the offense. In 15 of 29 (Cont. on page 26) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS deeper team, thanks to the addition of five more players.

Although they will have a deeper bench to draw from, the Warriors will still rely on familiar faces. A quartet of returning seniors, featuring Seward, McWayne, Perryman and Maddi Bernier remain part of the core starting rotation.

Head coach Jesse Mercado, who enters his second year at the helm, says the team’s defense has been the key to the Warriors 5-0 start to the new season.

The Warriors depth increased over the offseason following the addition of San Clemente High School senior transfer Makenna Gilbert. – SB

(Cont. from page 24) games last season, the Tartans had a different leading scorer on the night.

Seniors Morrison and Edwards will be team captains this season, and both were key components in last year’s deep playoff run.

Junior brothers Brian and Chris Murphy highlight a strong group of underclassmen, and they are joined by freshman Sebastian Much (6-feet-6-inches), who pulled in 24 rebounds in the Tartans first two games.

The goal for the team is to win the Academy league, which has been won by rival Brethren Christian the past two seasons.

“We just have a solid group of guys who buy into what we do. They play well together and enjoy being around each other. It’s just a great group,” Carmer said.

–Michael Vogeler GIRLS BASKETBALL Last Year: St. Margaret’s went 17-8 overall, finishing in second place in the Academy League. They advanced to the second round of the CIF-SS playoffs.

Players to Watch: Juliana Coleman and Yamilli Burgos.

Outlook: The Tartans have high hopes for their season this year. They have six seniors on the roster, who will help to provide experience and leadership.

Head coach Lori Fava scheduled a tough preseason lineup in order to get the team ready for Academy League play, which includes rival Crean Lutheran, as well as Whitney. The team is also playing in the JSerra Tournament later this month, which will feature some of the top ranked teams in the state.

Coleman and Burgos are both four-year starters for the Tartans, and are expected to have big seasons. – MV GIRLS SOCCER Last Year: The Tartans captured the Academy League title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 5 Championships.

Players to Watch: Alexa Barbaresi, Hillary Beall, Blake Crowley, Taylor Short and Sarah Gencarella.

Outlook: The Tartans may have lost eight starters to graduation and transfers, but an influx in young talent has them poised to contend for the league title and yet another deep playoff run.

The Tartans have only one senior, Barbaresi, but are full of rising talent, including a strong crop of freshman.

Beall, a freshman goalie who is in the U14 USA National team pool, notched her first varsity start December 11 when the Tartans defeated Saddleback Valley Christian 5-1. Crowley gave those in attendance a possible glimpse of things to come by recording a hat trick and tallying an assist in the victory.

The young talent will be surrounded by returning players like Short, a junior center back, and Gencarella, a sophomore midfielder.

“We have some retuning players who The Capistrano Dispatch December 13–26, 2013

Saddleback Valley Christian junior midfielder Kara Carlson, 17, jostles for position during a nonleague game against La Harba. Photo by Jennifer Snowball

are going to play a lot of minutes and do well for us and we have freshmen who will be really good,” head coach Johnny Marmelstein said. – Steve Breazeale WRESTLING Last Year: The Tartans went 4-6 on the year, while sending 12 out of their 14 wrestlers to the CIF Masters meet.

Wrestlers to Watch: Jason Kim and Logan Jones Outlook: Head coach Jorge Carrizosa believes that his young Tartans squad won’t let their inexperience get in their way of competing for the dual league title.

There is only one senior on the team, Kim, and two juniors. With mostly all freshmen and sophomores on the roster, the Tartans lack experience, but have still developed since last year, according to Carrizosa.

This year the Tartans will honor the life of Jeff Fohrman, a volunteer coach who passed away last year after battling brain cancer. All of the proceeds from the Jeff Fohrnman Memorial Tournament, set to take place December 20-21, will be donated to brain cancer research at UCI Medical Center. – MV SADDLEBACK VALLEY CHRISTIAN BOYS BASKETBALL Last Year: The Warriors claimed the San Joaquin League title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 5AA Championships.

Page 26

Players to Watch: Eric Rwahwire and Miles Seward Outlook: The defending San Joaquin League champion Saddleback Valley Christian boys basketball team has a lot of promise this season.

The Warriors (3-1) return four starters from last year’s CIF-SS Division 5AA quarterfinals run and could benefit with the addition of transfer Mario Soto to their lineup. Soto is reportedly in the process of transferring from Mater Dei, where he was a part of their state championship effort last season, and is awaiting a ruling on his valid change of residence from the CIF offices.

Leading the way for the up-tempo Warriors offense will be Rwahwire and Seward, two play-making forwards.

It’s early in the season but the Warriors already have impressive wins over Foothill and Mission Viejo, both perennial Division 1AA playoff teams.

“Everybody’s goal is to win CIF so that’s our ultimate goal, as a team, to make it to the finals and win it,” head coach Tom Lewis said. – SB GIRLS BASKETBALL Last Year: The Warriors went 11-13 overall and placed fifth in the San Joaquin League.

Players to Watch: Madelyn Seward, April McWayne and Amaris Perryman Outlook: Last season the Warriors had to compete with only six players on their roster. This year, they will be a much

BOYS SOCCER Last Year: The Warriors placed second in the San Joaquin League and advanced to the second round of the CIF-SS Division 7 Championships.

Players to Watch: Brandon Adickes, David Zamora and Matt Misberg Outlook: The Warriors lost three impact seniors to graduation over the offseason, including the 26-goal scorer Brock Pittman. Looking to fill that void will be team captains Adickes (central midfield) and Zamora (forward).

Head coach Stephen Jennings said the team may be down in the offensive category with the loss of Pittman, but where they have made strides over the offseason is on defense. The backbone of the defensive unit will be junior goalie Minsberg, who Jennings said is a physical presence in the box.

The Warriors (1-3-2) have faced tough competition in the early going and will continue to test themselves at the North Orange County Classic from December 20-21. The Warriors are in Division 7 of the CIF-SS but will face plenty of Division 3 talent at the tournament. – SB GIRLS SOCCER Last Year: The Warriors did not lose a game in league play en route to the San Joaquin League title. They advanced to the second round of the CIF-SS Division 7 Championships.

Players to Watch: Maddie Castle, Syndey Martin, Aubrey Snowball and Katelyn Sonksen Outlook: The Warriors enter the new season as the five-time defending San Joaquin League champions and this year, head coach Josh Cummins is preparing the team not just for the regular season and league play, but for a deep playoff run.

In anticipation for the tough competition that they will face in the postseason, Cummins has scheduled a scrimmage against Newport Harbor and nonleague games against JSerra Catholic and St. Margaret’s in hopes that his squad will gain experience in the process.

The Warriors will rely on the all-around game of Castle, who was second on the team in goals scored last year. Castle’s offensive playmaking abilities will be anchored by the Warriors consistent goalie, Martin, according to Cummins. – SB CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com