December 26, 2014

Santa Claus Visits Marco Forster

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE

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SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

DECEMBER 26-JANUARY 8, 2015 • VOLUME 12, ISSUE 24

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

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Petitioners Protest Downtown Hotel and Villas EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

Tom Blake: Holidays Can Be Hard for the Uncoupled SJC LIVING/PAGE 11

City Council Repeals Spieker Approval EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

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EYE ON SJC

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with skateable art.

Recent progress stems from discussions held in October and November that centered on youth and community leaders from Dana Point and San Juan working to launch a skatepark in the area.

Five things San Juan should know this week

WHAT’S NEXT: Going forward, Muir said public workshops will be held to discuss design features and prepare the project for future approval by the City Council.

—AJ

City Council Overturns Spieker Rezoning THE LATEST: The new San Juan Capistrano City Council voted 4-1 at its Dec. 16 meeting to overturn rezoning for the Spieker Senior Development, known as Laguna Glen, which had been approved by the previous council last month.

After a petition to upend the development’s zoning approval was verified by the Registrar of Voters, the council had two choices: repeal the project’s zoning or allow voters to make that decision with a special election referendum. With former mayor Sam Allevato dissenting, the council majority voted to repeal the approval.

The group of residents that petitioned against Laguna Glen filed 3,458 signatures in November—almost twice as many as needed. The petition came after the council approved rezoning for the development on Nov. 4. At that meeting, Allevato and then-councilmen Larry Kramer and John Taylor voted in favor of rezoning the 35-acre plot of land off Del Obispo Street from agricultural to business use.

Many of the residents who spoke at the Dec. 16 meeting claimed that petition signers were told their signatures would go exclusively toward putting the issue out to a public vote. They asked the council to honor those signatures by letting resident voices be heard in a special election.

Allevato said this is the first time in San Juan council history that the council voted a project down instead of approving an election. Mayor Derek Reeve, mayor pro tem Pam Patterson, Byrnes and Ferguson cited concerns including traffic impacts and the cost of a special election as reasons for overturning the prior approval themselves.

WHAT’S NEXT: Troy Bourne, principal at Spieker, said San Juan Capistrano is the first city to turn down one of Spieker’s projects. He said Spieker is not a litigious group, and answered “no comment” when asked whether the company is considering a lawsuit. Bourne said Spieker is considering a few different options moving forward.

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

Mayor Derek Reeve performed the ribbon cutting honors at the Dec. 10 unveiling of the Serra Gate ramp project. Photo: Courtesy of Mission San Juan Capistrano

Petitioners Protest Downtown Hotel

doesn’t have financial ties to the project.

THE LATEST: A group of citizens opposed to the recently-approved San Juan Hotel and Villas has been actively petitioning against the project. Their goal was to collect 2,000 signatures by Dec. 23 so that the project could go back before the City Council.

Petitioners claimed residents were “left out of the process,” with the hotel’s final approval being made at 3 a.m. on Nov. 19.

They also contend the approval was illegal.

The Urban Village development will be operated by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and include commercial, hotel and residential uses on a 3.17-acre site in the heart of the historic town center. Thirty single-family homes will be situated near the 136-room boutique hotel.

In addition to the petitioning, a group of residents recently filed a lawsuit against the city citing similar concerns. Mark Nielsen, Kenneth Friess, Robert Williams and a group referred to as “Save Our Historic Town Center” contends the council’s approvals violate state planning and zoning law and the city’s municipal code and general plan.

Josh Host, principal at Urban Village, wrote in a letter to The Dispatch that they will fight the lawsuit “vigorously.”

“These signatures have been collected by espousing outrageous lies to unsuspecting residents,” Host wrote. “We have recordings of petitioners saying that ‘the hotel will go in Veteran’s Park,’ that ‘we are putting condos in HTC Park,’ that ‘Forster will be a private, gated street’ and on and on.”

At the Dec. 16 City Council meeting, mayor pro tem Pam Patterson addressed concerns that her participation in petitioning is a conflict of interest. Patterson is actively involved in collecting petition signatures, but she said that according to City Attorney Hans Van Ligten, a conflict of interest does not exist because she

The Capistrano Dispatch December 26, 2014-January 8, 2015

WHAT’S NEXT: The Orange County Registrar of Voters will need to validate petition signatures before the issue can be brought to the City Council.—AJ

Mission Finishes First Phase of Serra Gate Ramp Project THE LATEST: Mission San Juan Capistrano unveiled the completion of its Serra Gate ramp project Dec. 10. The project, which took about four weeks, included rehabilitating the walkway facing El Camino Real by removing stairs in an effort to improve access. The original stairs, walkway and pergola construction dated to 1950. The cost of the project, approximately $80,000, was privately funded by donors.

WHAT’S NEXT: The second phase of the project will begin in 2015.—AJ

Commission Approves Preferred Site for Skatepark THE LATEST: On Dec. 15, the San Juan Capistrano Parks, Recreation & Senior Services Commission unanimously approved El Camino Real Park as the preferred location for a skate-friendly development. The designation was made in order to assist the city’s Youth Advisory Board in planning a skatepark in San Juan Capistrano.

A report prepared by Commissioner Gerry Muir listed several positive attributes of the site, including the park’s minimal patronage, close proximity to public transportation, convenient accessibility to potential users, availability of existing restroom facilities and the long and narrow layout of the park that could accommodate a meandering skate path

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Edison Selects Spent Fuel Storage Vendor THE LATEST: Southern California Edison has selected an underground storage system for its independent spent-fuel storage installation at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

The utility announced Thursday, Dec. 11 that the chosen system—designed by Holtec International, a New Jersey-based firm—will store fuel from reactors 2 and 3 that currently sits in cooling pools. Holtec was chosen over the plant’s current cask provider, Areva.

In October, at a meeting of the utility’s Community Engagement Panel, Kris Singh, CEO of Holtec, said the HI-STORM UMAX system proposed for SONGS would store used nuclear fuel in canisters encased in a 25-foot-thick concrete pad—enough to resist an earthquake. The canisters, which are composed of stainless steel, are topped with a steel and concrete lid weighing about 12 tons. A Holtec system is currently in use at two other California nuclear sites, Humboldt Bay and Diablo Canyon.

WHAT’S NEXT: Edison has plans to remove all fuel from the shuttered plant from cooling pools to dry storage by mid2019. The utility will also partner with a research group to improve its ability to monitor the storage system’s integrity.

But even with the added monitoring and new system, local nuclear activists have concerns.

Donna Gilmore, of SanOnofreSafety. org, said she is alarmed that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal body which oversees the nation’s nuclear operations, had not yet licensed the designs.

Gilmore said the entire project should be reevaluated given the likelihood fuel will be stored on-site indefinitely.

The Diablo Canyon system, she claimed, had met conditions that might lead to stress cracking.

The community panel will hold a meeting in January to find ways to pressure federal lawmakers into finding long-term, nuclear-waste storage solutions.—Jim Shilander www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

Best of the Blotter COMPILED BY STAFF

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.

December DRUNK IN PUBLIC Mission Street, 26600 Block (Monday, Dec. 15, 7:28 p.m.) A drunken man was placed in a taxi and sent on a trip to a friend’s house in Westminster.

FOLLOW UP REPORT Camino Capistrano, 32400 Block (Monday, Dec. 15, 3:30 p.m.) A woman reported her purse was stolen at Vons. The purse was found in a cart.

KEEP THE PEACE Camino Capistrano/Del Obispo Street (Saturday, Dec. 13, 12:41 p.m.) A woman collecting signatures at Vons called to report being harassed by store employees.

November KEEP THE PEACE Paseo Terraza, 31700 Block (Monday, Nov. 24, 3:02 p.m.) A caller phoned deputies when a neighbor was cutting down palm trees and letting them fall onto the caller’s fruit trees. The caller asked him to stop and he refused.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Del Obispo St., 31800 Block (Saturday, Nov. 1, 5:32 p.m.) A man was reportedly standing at the front door in a Halloween mask and told the caller, “It’s not Halloween. This could be a hold up.” When the manager approached him and asked him what he needed, he left on a skateboard towards Ralphs.

October SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Royale Drive, 26500 Block (Thursday, Oct. 30, 7:51 a.m.) A man riding a black bicycle threw trash cans in the street.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE El Camino Real, 31800 Block (Monday, Oct. 20, 12:28 p.m.) While at Historic Town Center Park, a 77-year-old man reported being stalked and assaulted but someone making “jet-like” sounds.

DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 31700 Block (Friday, Oct. 17, 12:36 p.m.) A man, who attempt-

ed to take money from the Starbucks employee tip jar, returned and locked himself in the restroom. He refused to leave.

June

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Calle Santa Rosalia, 31000 Block (Tuesday, Oct. 16, 8:12 p.m.) A man told authorities that a telemarketer threatened to send a bomb to his house.

DISTURBANCE El Camino Real, 31400 Block (Saturday, Oct. 4, 12:43 p.m.) A man was putting his feet in the pool.

September DISTURBANCE Via Madonna/Via Del Cerro (Sunday, Sep. 7, 5:22 p.m.) Two men were driving through a neighborhood painting numbers on curbs without permission, and then asking for payment.

CITIZEN ASSIST Via Belardes, 31900 Block (Wednesday, Sep. 3, 6:48 p.m.) A man said his neighbor had just cursed at him and called him names.

DISTURBANCE-MECHANICAL Old San Juan Road, 31100 Block (Saturday, Aug. 16, 6:28 a.m.) A patrol check was requested for tractors at the horse barn.

August SUSPICIOUS PERSON/ CIRCUMSTANCE Rancho Viejo Road/ Ortega Highway (Friday, Aug. 1, 5:54 p.m.) A caller said there was a beehive at a shopping center on Ortega Highway. The caller said they had been swarmed by the bees.

July WELFARE CHECK Verdugo Street, 26700 Block (Midnight, Friday, July 18.) A woman on the train station platform said she had been waiting there for six hours.

DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 32100 Block (Monday, July 7, 8:10 p.m.) A man wearing a black and white shirt with brown pants was in the parking lot between Rite Aid and Big Lots harassing customers.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Camino Capistrano/Del Obispo Street (Thursday, June 12, 5:17 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for a woman who was begging for money and possibly urinating behind the Goodyear.

INDECENT EXPOSURE Ortega Highway/Hunt Club Drive (3:02 p.m.) A subject in a Jeep Cherokee was seen “mooning” people.

The Capistrano Dispatch December 26, 2014-January 8, 2015

DISTURBANCE Calle San Luis, 26500 Block (Wednesday, June 4, 7:44 p.m.) A woman called and said her friend had pulled her hair.

May SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Calle San Luis/Avenida De La Vista (Wednesday, May 21, 10:01 a.m.) Four men and a woman who had a child were seen smoking marijuana from an apple.

CITIZEN ASSIST Rancho Viejo Road, 30900 Block (Tuesday, May 20, 12:39 p.m.) A man said he had received a call from someone claiming to be an officer or detective from Florida. The man was told one of his employees was a suspect for counterfeiting bills. The man said he could not confirm if the caller was a real officer.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Camino Capistrano/Avenida La Paloma (Wednesday, May 14, 8:50 p.m.) An apparently homeless man turned on a hose behind an urgent care facility and was flooding the alley.

WELFARE CHECK Valle Road/San Juan Creek Road (Monday, May 5, 7:42 a.m.) A woman was seen wearing a nightgown and slippers. The Orange County Fire Authority responded to the scene.

DISTURBANCE Los Rios Street, 31400 Block (Tuesday, May 3, 1:53 p.m.) A woman was outside of her home, yelling and screaming. The caller said she was “having a meltdown.”

This was the second response to the scene. Earlier, the woman had stepped outside and began screaming and throwing rocks.

April SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Vivente De Marlita, 32600 Block (Wednesday, April 30, 5 p.m.) A woman said there was a shirtless bald man in her backyard.

He was screaming at someone on the other side of the fence at the mobile home park. The woman later lost sight of the man, who left in an unknown direction.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Spotted Bull Lane, 29500 Block (Tuesday, April 29, 8:13 p.m.) A man said he had received a counterfeit $10 bill as change from a nearby business. The Secret Service, which investigates counterfeiting, was contacted.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Via Cristal, 31100 Block (Monday, April 28, 5:51 a.m.) A man said someone had

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been in his car. He said nothing had been taken, but he wanted it to be documented.

WELFARE CHECK La Novia Avenue/San Juan Creek Road (Saturday, April 19, 9:09 a.m.) A patrol check was requested for an elderly man who was leaning against a pole. The caller said the man was either sleeping or having a medical issue.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE El Camino Real, 31600 Block (Saturday, April 19, 1:04 p.m.) Police were notified about three boys, in the fourth and fifth grades, who had planned to bring a smoke bomb to school.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Lakeview Road/Village Road (Thursday, April 3, 7:06 p.m.) The driver of a red Honda Accord said he was being followed by undercover officers.

March SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Camino La Ronda/La Novia Avenue (Friday, March 7, 4:59 p.m.) A man, described as being in his late 60s, wearing a plaid shirt and with white hair and a white beard “like Santa,” was seen lying on the sidewalk near a tree.

February SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE San Juan Creek Road/La Novia Avenue (Thursday, Feb. 20, 3:34 p.m.) A man was seen dancing in the middle of the street and later behind the gate of the private community on Avenida La Mancha. The caller said the man was a resident of the community. The dancing man was described as being 6 feet tall with curly brown hair, wearing a red jacket, shirt and jeans.

CITIZEN ASSIST Paseo Barona, 27700 Block (Wednesday, Feb. 19, 10:58 p.m.) A man called and said he thought someone had possibly hacked into his computer and accessed his email.

The man reported no loss, but said some information from a recent deposition could have only been discovered on his computer.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE Ortega Highway/Del Obispo Street (Thursday, Feb. 6, 10:03 p.m.) A drunken transient was seen passed out near Carl’s Jr. Dispatch was told that the transient was “halfway on the sidewalk, halfway into the street and halfway on the grass.”

TRAFFIC HAZARD Stonehill Drive/Camino Capistrano (Wednesday, Jan. 15, 3:35 p.m.) A caller witnessed a truck dropping a load of white powder into traffic lanes. The caller thought the powder might have been drugs. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

NEWS BITES COMPILED BY ALLISON JARRELL

Homefront America Hosts Military Families at Holiday Event On Dec. 13, Homefront America, a San Juan Capistrano nonprofit focused on military outreach and support, held a “Christmas Toy Store” event, where nearly 800 military families arrived at the Capistrano Toyota/Scion to pick out gifts for their children. More than 50 volunteers stocked the toy store the day before, managed registration the day of the event and helped parents select toys for their children in the toy store. Volunteers from the National Charity League Monarch Chapter painted more than 400 faces, and the Laguna Beach Assisteens, Assistance League of Laguna Beach and NCL volunteers were on hand to help the children with arts and crafts. Dickens Carolers from Capistrano Valley Christian School performed holiday classics. Homefront America’s holiday programs will serve nearly 2,000 families this holiday season with gifts, meals and other holiday support.

I-5/Ortega Highway Update On Friday, Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec. 20, demolition took place on the north half of the Ortega Highway bridge. Reconstruction efforts will continue into the New Year. Holiday travel will continue to run smoothly for commuters over the next week as a break from construction and freeway closures continues through New Year’s Eve. There are no Ortega Highway closures scheduled Dec. 24 through Dec. 27 or Dec. 31 through Jan. 3. For complete closure times and more information on the I-5/Ortega Highway Interchange Improvement Project, visit octa.net/Ortega.

Santa Claus Visits 700 Kids at Marco Forster On Dec. 13, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus greeted 700 local San Juan kids atop a fire engine during the Rotary Club’s annual Saturday morning Santa’s visit at Marco Forster Middle School for 5- to 10-yearolds. Two hundred volunteers helped with the event—70 from Marco Forster Middle School, 60 from San Juan Hills High

Prior to their annual Christmas food drive on Dec. 20, the Capistrano Eagles Motorcycle Club passed out flyers at Ralphs. Front row (L to R): Bad Bones Dave, Ralphs employee Tommy Gun, Helga Rivera; back row left to right: Screwy Louie, Spaniard, Ralphs co-manager Mike Sutherland and Eagles President Sparky. Photo: Courtesy of Dave Anderson.

School and 60 from Capo Valley High School—and Principal Carrie Bertini’s students wrapped more than 700 gifts a few days before the event. Santa and Mrs. Claus greeted each child individually and presented each with a wrapped gift. While waiting for their turn to see Santa, student volunteers entertained the kids with games, songs and face painting.

Motorcycle Club Holds Food Drive for Serra’s Pantry

Kyra Carriere, 12, and Hailey Daniels, 7 from Oceanside, work on Christmas cards during Homefront America’s Christmas Toy Store event. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Santa Claus greets 700 kids at Marco Forster Middle School on Dec. 13. Photo: Courtesy of the Rotary Club of San Juan Capistrano.

The Capistrano Eagles Motorcycle Club held its semiannual community food drive on Dec. 20 benefitting Father Serra’s Pantry. The motorcycle club has been a longtime supporter of the pantry, hosting food drives twice a year over the last 12 years. Serra’s Pantry is a nonprofit volunteer group at Mission Basilica Church that provides food and other household items to low-income families in south Orange County. Eagles Club member Dave Anderson said this year Ralphs and Vons allowed the group to distribute flyers about the food drive, which helped spread the word. “The response was tremendous,” Anderson said.

“Many patrons, as they left, donated food.”

Camino Fashion Show Raises More Than $250,000 for Health Center The 2014 Camino Health Center Auxiliary Fashion Show raised more than $250,000 on Nov. 25 to support Camino Health Center in San Juan Capistrano.

More than 400 guests attended the luncheon, held at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel. This year’s runway show featured fashions from Diane von Furstenberg, DKNY, Donna Karan, Façonnable, MaxMara, Saks Fifth Avenue, St. John and more. The Camino Health Center Auxiliary, a support group affiliated with Mission Hospital, was founded in 1984 to raise funds to help support Camino Health Center’s mission of providing quality healthcare to the underinsured and uninsured.

Have something interesting for the community? Tell us about awards, events, happenings, accomplishments and more.

We’ll put your submissions into “News Bites.” Send your information to editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com.

EYE ON SJC Park, for $27.5 million.

JUNE

CUSD Says Farewell to Farley, Welcomes Vital: Capistrano Unified School District Superintendent Joseph Farley retired on June 30.

Farley, an educator for 41 years, developed a reputation as a problem solver. He was credited for reestablishing district stability and was able to restore a full school year in the district. The CUSD Board of Trustees named Kirsten Vital as the district’s new superintendent on June 14. Vital was previously the superintendent of the Alameda Unified School District, in addition to having education experience in Oakland and Los Angeles school districts.

JULY

After more than 15 years, Jonathan Volzke gave up hosting duties for Coffee Chat, a weekly community forum he started as an editor for the Capistrano Valley News and continued as the founder and editor of The Dispatch. Photo: Brian Park

Looking Back on 2014 THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

I

t’s been a tumultuous year for San Juan Capistrano. The last 12 months have been filled with development proposals, lawsuits, road work, water issues, new business and a new City Council majority following the November election. These hot-button topics are still gaining momentum as we enter 2015, but before we dive into the New Year, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest stories of 2014.

JANUARY

Council Says No to Rancho San Juan: The San Juan Capistrano City Council unanimously rejected a bid to build a 100-unit apartment complex in San Juan Hills High School, signaling a victory for the Capistrano Unified School District, parents and nearby residents. While some council members were critical of the school district for what they said was poor planning, ultimately the council expressed sympathy for residents’ concerns that the project would exacerbate already difficult commutes, as well as a larger worry that that students from Ladera Ranch and San Clemente’s Talega community would force San Juan Capistrano students to attend high school outside their own city.

tion gatherers trying to recall the mayor.

MARCH

Ashton Sachs Charged with Murder: Ashton Sachs, the 19-year-old son of a divorced couple found shot to death in their San Juan Capistrano home, was charged with killing his parents. Sachs was taken into custody nearly a month after his parents, Bradford Hans Sachs and Andra Resa Sachs, were found dead in their home, and their 8-yearold son was hit and paralyzed. Authorities said Sachs also shot at but missed one of his two teenage sisters, who were inside the residence at the time of the shooting.

APRIL

End of Toll Road 241 Extension Efforts? The Transportation Corridor Agencies announced the withdrawal of its intent to support of a proposal to extend 241 South to connect with Interstate 5 near Trestles.

Instead, TCA announced that it would focus on its Tesoro extension proposal, which will move the terminus south to the yet-tobe completed Cow Camp Road east of San Juan Capistrano.

Volzke Departs Coffee Chat: Jonathan Volzke, the founder and former editor of The Dispatch, hosted his final “Coffee Chat” on July 11. The weekly community forum began 18 years ago, when Volzke was the editor for the Capistrano Valley News. He gave up his hosting duties to his new job as public information manager for the Santa Margarita Water District. Since leaving The Dispatch in 2012, Volzke has worked for Lake Forest-based Faubel Public Affairs and most recently at Communications Lab. The chat tradition has continued with longtime co-host Erin Kutnick and a rotation of co-hosts.

AUGUST

Byrnes Comments on Recall: Councilman Roy Byrnes compared three fellow councilmen to World War II dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, as well as the Ku Klux Klan, because of attempts to oppose a recall campaign against Mayor Sam Allevato.

Later on, Byrnes apologized for the comparisons, but maintained his belief that Allevato and then-councilmen Larry Kramer and John Taylor acted similarly to Hitler’s intimidation squads while countering peti-

A capacity crowd filled City Hall for the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 30 to discuss the proposed Laguna Glen retirement community.

Photo: Brian Park OCTOBER

Split Council Approves Senior Community: The City Council approved the Spieker retirement community on a 35-acre plot of land off Del Obispo Street. Mayor Sam Allevato and councilmen Larry Kramer and John Taylor voted for rezoning the land from agricultural to business to allow for the development. Councilmen Roy Byrnes and Derek Reeve opposed. The Planning Commission had previously voted 2-1 against certifying the developer’s environmental impact report, citing increased density, impact on traffic and water demand among the proposal’s negatives.

NOVEMBER

Downtown Hotel Project Against the Ropes: The City Council was scheduled to give final consideration to the San Juan Hotel & Villas project, but it never gave itself the chance after a general plan amendment to allow residences in the area failed to pass on a tie vote. Proponents of the general plan amendment, which would have allowed housing in San Juan’s historic downtown, included Mayor Sam Allevato and Councilman Larry Kramer. Councilmen Derek Reeve and Roy Byrnes rejected the amendment, and Councilman John Taylor recused himself because of his residence nearby. Urban Village principal Josh Host vowed to stay committed to the project despite the vote.

Downtown Hotel and Villas Approved: After more than two years of working with city staff and presenting at multiple public hearings, the San Juan Hotel & Villas project was finally approved by the City Council around 3 a.m. on Nov. 19. The project, proposed by developer Urban Village, will be operated by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and include commercial, hotel and residential uses on a 3.17-acre site in the heart of the historic town center. A group of citizens opposed to the recently-approved development is now actively petitioning against the project.

DECEMBER

MAY SEPTEMBER

FEBRUARY

expected to open by the end of January 2015.

New City Park Debuts: The city of San Juan Capistrano unveiled its newest park on May 31—the 12-acre Reata Park and Event Center. Located in the city’s eastern region, the park features recreational space, an equestrian staging area, space for weddings and group events, a network of paths and trails and a restored historic structure that serves as a welcome center. The park was built and funded by the San Juan Capistrano Open Space Foundation. In 2010, the city purchased the 132-acre plot, including the adjacent Rancho Mission Viejo Riding

The Capistrano Dispatch December 26, 2014-January 8, 2015

Major Closure for I-5/Ortega Project: The southbound Interstate 5 on-ramp at Ortega Highway was closed for five weeks, setting off the second of a series of major closures in Caltrans’ massive interchange project.

Following that closure, Ortega was closed for three weeks between the bridge and Del Obispo Street. The northern side of the bridge was then demolished in December.

Demolition of the bridge will allow crews to move forward with completing the northbound loop on-ramp to I-5, which is

Page 6

Senior Community Approval Repealed: The new San Juan Capistrano City Council voted 4-1 at its Dec. 16 meeting to overturn rezoning for the Spieker Senior Development, known as Laguna Glen, which had been approved by the previous council last month. After a petition to upend the development’s zoning approval was verified by the Registrar of Voters, the council had two choices: repeal the project’s zoning or allow voters to make that decision with a special election referendum. With former mayor Sam Allevato dissenting, the council majority voted to repeal the approval. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

GUEST OPINION: Councilman Sam Allevato

Just What is Going On?

I

ask this question because it is truly perplexing why a very small vocal segment of this wonderful community wants to keep our town in the downward spiral of stagnation, vacant storefronts and vacant lots, especially downtown and other areas planned for development.

First it was an In-N-Out Restaurant, which was planned for Del Obispo, but is now an auto parts store where you can watch folks repairing their cars in the parking lot instead. The latest victim of this “sky is falling” mentality is the retirement community planned for the Vermeulen property. The new majority on the City Council voted (4-1) this past council meeting to rescind the approval of the project after a referendum was circulated at Von’s and other places asking people to sign so this issue could be put to a vote of the public. But what does this new majority do? For the first time in San Juan history, they voted to rescind the approvals themselves, denying the public the right to vote on this project as promised by the signature gatherers. Mindboggling to say the least; disingenuous at its worst. This project would have provided much needed housing for our seniors, allowing them to stay in the community they love. Oh, did I mention that this project would have also

paid approximately $10 million in developer fees and would have been the single highest property tax generator in the city, and would have had an aquatics complex for our residents, and with Sam Allevato no significant impact by traffic? Now the opponents of this project want the city to buy this land for ball fields. I ask where the city is going to get the $20-$30 million to buy this land—even if the property owners consented to sell to the city—which they have withheld twice in the past.

Now you are being asked to sign a petition to block a boutique hotel project for our downtown by the same group of individuals that killed the retirement community. In spite of the fact that this hotel would bring new vitality and synergism to the downtown, much new revenue for the city (estimated at $1 million in transient occupancy and property tax annually) and new residents that could actually live, work and shop downtown as our Los Rios residents do, you are being cajoled at Von’s again to sign a petition to block this improvement to downtown. Do you want our downtown to continue to not have any

new development or progress? Or do you prefer the revolving doors of restaurants and businesses that continue to open and then fail due to the lack of commerce downtown, where no new buildings have been built in the last 20 years in spite of the fact that 10 buildings have been knocked down in the same time period?

Do you want more consignment stores and dollar stores for retail businesses or another restaurant that struggles to keep its doors open?

Which project will be next? I predict that the Trader Joe’s shopping center next to the Mission (Goveia Project) will be in the crosshairs next. Why would we want a really successful retailer in our town that our residents would actually use, when we could have the current vacant lot covered with weeds, trash and the unfortunate homeless? I am asking residents to wake up to what is happening before it is too late and our town reverts to the 1950s—no shoppers, no commerce, no revenue and no residents who want to live here any longer. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com.

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

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> Susie Lantz (San Clemente)

EDITORIAL

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Group Senior Editor, City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Swayne City Editor, SC Times > Jim Shilander

Letters to the Editor

City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Allison Jarrell Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale Special Projects Editor > Andrea Papagianis

DEVELOPERS BEWARE

ART/DESIGN

—Richard Toon, San Juan Capistrano Any developer planning to do business in San Juan Capistrano should proceed with caution. On Dec. 16, our newly-elected City Council reversed the position of the prior council and rejected the Laguna Glen retirement project. This followed a petition drive that was orchestrated by the same group of well-organized no-growth citizens that hijacked the recent council election. And now we find that new councilwoman Pam Patterson is part of a group circulating yet another petition to reverse the prior council’s approval of the downtown Urban Village project that involved a boutique hotel and condos. When will it stop? Our surrounding communities continue to attract new business. Dana Point is building a new hotel and San Clemente is building a new shopping mall that will generate much needed tax revenue.

So what about San Juan? Well, we have a new council that was voted in by a wellorganized group who opposed the Laguna

Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith

Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes (Dana Point)

Glen project. Both of the aforementioned projects have been years in the planning, and the developers have worked closely with city planners and have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to make recommended changes to comply with the city standards. And now our new council is dismantling the projects. It is yet another example of the “NIMBY” mentality (not in

The Capistrano Dispatch December 26, 2014-January 8, 2015

my backyard). I sure hope Mayor Reeve and friends can muster their political savvy to find a legal defense fund necessary to defend the anticipated lawsuits.

OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed Business Operations Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, Jonathan Volzke

ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING

An early artist rendering of the proposed Laguna Glen senior living community in San Juan Capistrano.

Photo: Courtesy Spieker Senior Development

Real Estate Sales Manager > Michele Reddick

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Catherine Manso, Dana Schnell, Steve Sohanaki, Tim Trent

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 12, Issue 24. The Dispatch (www.thecapistranodispatch ) is published twice monthly

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

Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

FOLLOW THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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.

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GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

The List

EDITOR’S PICK

SERRA CHAPEL TOUR 11:15 a.m. In honor of Father Serra’s 300th birthday celebration, tour the Serra Chapel, the oldest operating church in California. Tours are every Sunday, $2 for members, $3 for adults and $2 for child non-members, in addition to museum admission. 26801 Ortega Highway, 949.234.1320, www.missionsjc.com/activities/holiday-crafts.php.

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

Saturday | 27 ELLIOT ON THE PIANO 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Live music at The Cellar.

156 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949.492.3663, www.thecellarsite.com.

Tuesday | 06

Sunday | 28 BROKEN RECORDS 1:30 p.m. Live music at Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, SJC, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

MIKE HAMILTON Noon-close. Enjoy live music at Mission Grill each Sunday with guitarist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Hamilton. 31721 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.240.8055, www.mikehamiltonmusic.com.

Monday | 29 MOMMY MOVIE MONDAYS 10 a.m. Moms and dads are welcome to bring their baby along to the theater every Monday at Krikorian Theaters. 641 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente, 949.661.7610, www.kptmovies.com.

Tuesday | 30 KNITLIT BOOK CLUB/DISCUSSION 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Bring your knitting project and join in on a discussion of the latest book, which will be available after the meeting. San Juan Capistrano Library, 31495 El Camino Real, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

Sunday | 04

Kids can make lassos and jump ropes, miniature adobe brick houses, cornhusk dolls/action figures, mini coiled clay pots and arrowhead necklaces at the Mission every day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Jan. 2. Photo: Courtesy Mission San Juan Capistrano

WINTER BREAK KIDS CRAFTS 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Create homemade crafts at Mission San Juan Capistrano. A different craft is featured every day of the week through Jan. 2. Friday’s featured craft is arrowhead necklaces. Parent or sitter must be present to participate. $3 for non-members, $1 for members. 26801 Ortega Highway, 949.234.1320, www.missionsjc.com.

OPEN MIC NIGHT 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Singer/songwriters perfom at the Point Restaurant open mic every Tuesday. Bring your instrument, bring your voice, The Point supplies the sound system. 34085 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point, 949.464.5700, www.thepointrestaurantandbar.com.

Wednesday | 31 SWALLOW’S INN NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 ($25 at the door) and include live entertainment, party favors, a champagne toast at midnight and midnight snacks. Live music performed by Big Fat Steve Band. 31786 Camino Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION 7 p.m.-11 p.m. The Community Outreach Alliance presents a clean and sober New

Year’s Eve celebration featuring food, music, dancing and DJ Jules.

1040 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, www.communityoutreachalliance.com.

NEW YEAR’S EVE MASQUERADE BALL 7:30 p.m. Live music and DJ at Iva Lee’s. $65 per guest includes a three course dinner, masks and beads. Reservations recommended. 555 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949.361.2855, www.ivalees.com.

Saturday | 03 START OFF THE YEAR RIGHT HIKE 8 a.m.-10 a.m. Join the Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo for a winter hike at the Richard and Donna O’Neil Conservancy.

Ages 10 and up. $10 for adults, $5 for kids, free for Reserve supporters and RMV residents. Call for directions, 949.923.2210, www.rmvreserve.org.

HALF-PRICED WHALE WATCHING 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Hop onboard this two-hour cruise to see dolphins, whales and other marine life in the wild. $22.50. Half price on Tuesdays but trips are available every day of the week. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.5794, www.danawharf.com.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME 11:15 a.m. Stories, songs and crafts for kids 3-6 at the San Juan Capistrano Library. Occurs every Tuesday. 31495 El Camino Real, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

Wednesday | 07 MIGRATORY BIRD LECTURE 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Visit The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo to hear about efforts to conserve migratory birds throughout the world and what you can do to help. Ages 8 and up. Free to attend. Participants must be registered by 2 p.m. Jan. 7. The RMV Presentation Center, call for directions, 949.923.2210, www.rmvreserve.org.

For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.thecapistranodispatch.com.

Have an event? Send your listing to events@thecapistranodispatch.com

On Stage at the Coach House: The English Beat

BY CATHERINE MANSO

T

Dave Wakeling of The English Beat. Photo: Bryan Kremkau

he English Beat, starring Dave Wakeling, is coming to The Coach House on New Year’s Eve. The Birmingham-bred band with the infectious reggae, ska, punk and pop sound, is back and ready to celebrate the New Year with fans from south Orange County, Wakeling’s “adopted home.”

The set list will be pulled from the band’s impressive catalog of songs spanning three decades, including such hits as “Save it for Later,” “I Confess” and “Tears of a

The Capistrano Dispatch December 26, 2014–January 8, 2015

Clown.” Songs from General Public, another band Wakeling co-founded, will also be performed—“Tenderness,” and “I’ll Take You There,” included.

The New Year brings a new start for The Beat with the 2015 release of their fourth studio album, “For Crying Out Loud.”

Wakeling promises to reveal a few pieces from the new album—“If Killing Worked it Would Have Worked by Now,” and “The Love You Give Lasts Forever”—songs he says will have the audience dancing.

Members of the current touring band

Page 10

include Rythmm Epkins on drums, Matt Morrish on sax, Kevin Lum on keyboard, Larry Young on bass, Jared Palozolla and Wakeling on guitar.

“I always look forward to the Coach House … I’ve been playing there for decades,” Wakeling said. “From the stage it looks like a fiesta.”

Doors open at 6 p.m. The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $48 and dinner reservations with priority seating are also available.

For tickets, call 949.496.8930 or go to www.thecoachhouse.com. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

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

A 2014 Christmas Message for Singles Holidays can be rough for the uncoupled

E

ach year, the Christmas week column is the most difficult article to write. This year is no exception.

Why? Well, Christmas is a joyous time for families and children and one would expect that a columnist would come up with some joyous message or experience that fits right in with the Christmas spirit.

But my primary focus is on singles age 50+. Yes, married people tell me they read the column as well, and I appreciate that, but my main concern is the singles.

For many of those singles, the December holidays are a sad time—a reminder that they don’t have a significant other in their lives.

Sure, many will get to spend Christmas day with their families and relatives, and that is a treasure. But there is also an emptiness that goes along without having a gift under the tree from or for a lover.

Not to mention that singles are often reminded this time of year by wellmeaning friends and family that they don’t

ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50

By Tom Blake

have a mate. They hear comments like, “What a shame that you don’t have someone to share Christmas with,” or, “You should work a little harder to meet someone.” Most singles just finesse those comments outwardly, but inside, the comments can grind at

them.

The December holidays magnify emotions. Some people decide to get divorced or to break up during this time. It’s probably because they want to start the New Year off heading in a new and different direction. But when that happens, it can be a real downer for both sides of a busted relationship.

I speak from experience. On Christmas Eve, 1993, my wife of six years cleaned out the house and moved out of my life. No notice, just, “See ya later Thomas.” I was

Jaeger. Photo: Courtesy Zuri Pet Spa & Resort

PET OF THE WEEK: Jaeger

H

i there! My name is Jaeger, and I’m a 10-month-old German shorthaired pointer. I’m currently being fostered at the Zuri Pet Spa & Resort, but I’m on the hunt for a funloving forever home. I love being affectionate and I have tons of puppy energy, so I’m looking for a friend who’s ready for lots of playtime and training. If you would like to know more about Jaeger, please contact the Zuri Pet Spa & Resort at 949.429.7222 or thezuripetspa@yahoo.com. Or stop by for a visit at 32423 Calle Perfecto in San Juan Capistrano.

The Capistrano Dispatch December 26, 2014–January 8, 2015

Page 11

pretty shocked, unprepared and angry.

Christmas wasn’t very merry that year.

But out of the ashes came opportunity.

A better life. And it opened the door for me to meet Greta, with whom I’ve been blessed to spend 16 years. That event also launched my writing career, although when it happened, I wasn’t a writer. However, six months later, my first newspaper column was published, titled “Home Alone with Only Dogs for Company.” Since then, I’ve written more than 3,000 columns on Finding Love After 50, published four books, and appeared on the “Today Show” and “Good Morning America.” These things would have never happened had my ex not left.

My message this Christmas for all older singles: adversity and loneliness often lead to opportunity, hope and a new direction in life that can be rewarding and exciting.

But, it’s up to each person to look for that opportunity, seize it, and move forward with a new bounce in his or her step.

Everybody has a talent, all you need to do is find it, and grow it.

I often think this time of year of what a woman reader told me long ago: “I’ve been married and unhappy and single and unhappy. And single and unhappy is better—because I am free to make changes to my life today, tomorrow or next week, without having to go through the divorce process.”

So rejoice in your singleness this Christmas, because a new and exciting life awaits you. Seize the opportunity.

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

For dating information: www.FindingLoveAfter50.com. To comment: tompblake@ gmail.com. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The 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 Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING GUEST OPINION: Moments in Time by Jan Siegel

Celebrating the History of Holiday Traditions

W Flashback Friday

Hot Springs Picnic San Juan Hot Springs, located 13 miles east of town on Ortega Highway, was a popular resort until the mid-1930s. This photo, taken around 1900, shows the dance hall that was later moved to San Juan Capistrano. It was then restored and moved by the city to the end of Paseo Adelanto, and is now used as a community center. The family pictured made this trip by horse and wagon and spent several days at the site.

Photo: Courtesy of the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society

Boys & Girls Clubs Do Homework for the Holidays

O

n Dec. 13, 235 members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley flocked to the San Juan Capistrano headquarters to participate in the organization’s annual Operation Holiday Homework. This year, 100 volunteers made the event possible by helping each child select and wrap gifts for their family members.

Since 2003, Operation Holiday Homework has been the clubs’ driving goal to encourage members to put education first. More than 2,075 families from the San Juan branch have received holiday gifts over the years because a youth in their family made education a priority by doing homework at the Boys & Girls Club.

Club members participate in a homework “power hour” before play time Monday through Thursday, and receive points for staying on task. Two weeks prior to Operation Holiday Homework, their points are tallied up to determine the number of entries they receive for the holiday store

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

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

Maddie Barkate, 13, of San Juan Capistrano, helps 11-year-old Emily Flores, also from San Juan, wrap a present for her sister at the annual Operation Holiday Homework event. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Solution:

to “shop” for gifts.

James Littlejohn, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley, said this year’s event was a huge success thanks to volunteer support, long hours put in by staff, generous gift donations and, of course, the kids getting their homework done. CD

The Capistrano Dispatch December 26, 2014-January 8, 2015

hile we are still in the holiday spirit, Don Tryon and I decided to look back on all of the traditions that surround this time of the year in our community.

Because the Aztecs had a clay pot that was placed on a pole, filled with offerings to the god of war and carried into the temple, it was easy for the missionaries to adopt the Spanish piñata for the native population. The traditional Mexican piñata has seven points, which represent the seven deadly sins. The candies and fruits inside the piñata were instruments of the devil. The idea of a blindfolded person trying to break the piñata was seen as someone having blind faith. Once the piñata was broken, the candies inside were seen as the reward for believing and breaking up evil.

The missionaries brought the tradition of the Christmas crèche to Mexico and California. In South America and Mexico, setting up a Nativity scene is as much a family affair as setting up the Christmas tree in North America and Western Europe. In the Mexican tradition, the Christ child is not put into the scene until after Christmas Eve. Another tradition from Mexico is the poinsettia. Legend says that a poor boy, unable to bring a gift for the baby Jesus, prayed that he could find something. At the spot where he knelt and prayed, a beautiful plant with red leaves sprung up overnight. In Mexico, this plant is called the “Flower of the Holy Night.” The first American ambassador to Mexico in 1825 was Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett. He was so touched by this plant and the story that he brought it back home with him. It was renamed poinsettia in his honor.

German immigrants brought the tradition of the Christmas tree to America.

In 1851, Henry George Rosenbaum, a German immigrant, came to California looking for gold. It was Rosenbaum who first sold miners, far from home, a decorated Christmas tree for $6, and that was how the Christmas tree was introduced to California. In 1868, Rosenbaum moved to San Juan Capistrano and homesteaded about 1,000 acres, which included citrus groves, cattle and parcels of barley and lima beans.

He raised a family of nine children. Many of his descendants still live in the Capistrano area.

The Maya and the Aztecs used chocolate in their religious obserMOMENTS IN vances. The missionaries TIME were familiar with chocoBy Jan Siegel late, so it was a natural culmination to include chocolate in services in order to attract the native people.

The person most influential in bringing chocolate into California was Father Junipero Serra. In the list of objects, materials and foodstuffs, which were shipped to Alta California in 1769 by land and sea, were 576 pounds of chocolate and 11 pounds of pinole, an aromatic powder used in the making of chocolate. Another shipment in 1771 included 224 pounds of chocolate. In 1773, Fr. Serra requested that the port of San Blas remain open to shipping cargo to Alta California “not only for corn, but for chocolate.” Even today, it is normal within the Native American community that after midnight mass on Christmas Eve, in their family’s crèches, the baby Jesus is given a cup of hot chocolate.

And don’t forget that as you host a toast on New Year’s Eve with a glass of wine, it was Fr. Serra that brought the first vines to California. The first vineyards were at our Mission.

However, you spend your holiday, Don and I hope that you will spend a “Moment in Time” and reflect on all the traditions and festivities that make our community so special. Happy New Year. CD

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

Page 12

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

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FOR SALE CASH REGISTER Cash Register for sale-All in working order.

Great for a small or new business. Keys included. $60. Please contact: 949.933.0122

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

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

SERVICES LOCAL HOUSEKEEPER OR OFFICE CLEANING Reliable, affordable, meticulous. Excellent references. 949-573-8733

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

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

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

949.388.7700 ext. 104

LOCALS ONLY BUSINESS LISTINGS AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

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

BANKING

Independence Bank

32291 Camino Capistrano, Suite A, 949.373.8963, www.independence-bank.net

ELECTRICIANS

After-Hours Electric

Ca Lic #697355 714.396.2188, 949.573.8386, www.bbb.org

Excel Electric

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

ELECTRIC CONTRACTORS

PHOTO & DIGITAL LAB

Excel Electric - CA #793860

San Juan Photo & Digital

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

32301 Camino Capistrano, 949.661.5668, www.sjcphotodigital.com

GARAGE ORGANIZING

Karen Fischer, Professional Organizer, Kaos to Calm 949.355.3487, www.mymessygarage.com

JEWELER

Abby’s Fine Jewelry Design

32382 Del Obispo, Ste. C-3, 949.493.3632, www.abbysdesigns.com

PLUMBING

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

WATER DAMAGE

Chick’s Plumbing

949.496.9731, www.chicks-plumbing.com

ROOF MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Bryan Krueger Enterprises, Inc. 33208 Paseo De Cerveza, Ste. B, 949.212.0499

MOLD REMOVAL

Jarvis Restoration

31942 Paseo Sagrado, 949.362.5388, www.jarvisrestoration.com

LIST LOCALS ONLY

USE LOCALS ONLY In print and online 52 weeks a year.

View online at www.thecapistranodispatch.com Call at Debra Wells for pricing at 949.589.0892 or email dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

Jarvis Restoration

31942 Paseo Sagrado, 949.362.5388, www.jarvisrestoration.com

The Capistrano Dispatch December 25, 2014–January 8, 2015

SCHOOLS

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

San Juan Capistrano Sports Year in Review COMPILED BY STEVE BREAZEALE

A

s 2014 draws to a close, we take a look back at the people, stories and moments that made up the sports scene in San Juan Capistrano over the past 12 months.

APRIL

JSerra Soccer Lands Wyss as Head Coach Former U.S. Olympic Development coach Oliver Wyss takes over for Davor Fabulich as the head coach of the JSerra boys soccer team.

JANUARY MAY

Pettis Commits to Washington JSerra standout senior wide receiver Dante Pettis commits to play football for the University of Washington. Pettis’ recruitment is among the more high-profile signings in Orange County.

FEBRUARY

Eagles Basketball Soars to Lofty Heights The Capistrano Valley Christian boys basketball team records their most successful season in school history, reaching the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs. The Eagles lost in the semifinals, but earned a berth in the CIF State Championships for the first time weeks later.

MARCH

Lions Hoops Claim CIF-SS Title The JSerra boys basketball team enters the CIF-SS Division 4AA playoffs as an at-large team and barnstorms their way to the division title with an 83-62 win over Oaks Christian on March 7.

Capo Coyotes Shine in Inaugural Season The Capistrano Coyotes ice hockey team, playing in their inaugural season in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League, blow away the competition to claim the league’s varsity 2A Division with a 9-3 win over Damien on March 7.

Taylor Advances to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying San Juan Capistrano native Owen Taylor shoots a 68 (-4) at Ft. Washington Golf and Country Club in Fresno, Calif. on May 5 to advance to the Sectional Qualifying stages for the 2014 U.S. Open. Taylor, a San Juan Hills High School graduate and current member of the Sacramento State University golf team, was among a group of five golfers from the region who qualified.

Stallions Softball Notches First Playoff Win In their first CIF-SS Division 2 playoff appearance, the San Juan Hills softball team defeated Northwood 7-1 to pick up the program’s first postseason victory.

Warriors Volleyball Dominates in Championship Run May 24 marked the end of a long, successful run by the Saddleback Valley Christian boys volleyball team, culminating with a three-set sweep of Garden Grove to claim the CIF-SS Division 5 Championship. The Warriors ended the season with a sparkling 31-4-1 overall record.

JUNE

No-Hitter Earns Eagles Baseball CIF-SS Championship The Capistrano Valley Christian baseball team reached the championship

The Capo Girls Softball 14U All-Star team won the ASA C State Championship on July 19. Courtesy photo

game of the CIF-SS Division 6 playoffs for a third straight year on June 7. But rather than settle for a third straight runnerup finish, pitcher AJ Discenzo spun a no-hitter against Sierra Canyon in a 5-0 Eagles victory.

JULY

Capo Girls Softball Wins State Championship The Capo Girls Softball 14U All-Star team defeats rival Garden Grove 7-4 to claim the American Softball Association C State Championship on July 19. It was the first time in program history a 14U team had won a state championship. The team ended the year with a 59-4 overall record and went on a stretch that saw them win seven consecutive tournaments.

AUGUST

Stallions Football Enters South Coast League After winning the Sea View League title in 2013, the San Juan Hills High School football team was selected to move up to the South Coast League for the first time in program history. The Stallions went 4-7 on the season, including 1-3 in league play.

They advanced to the first round of the CIF-SS West Valley Division playoffs.

SEPTEMBER

Baltau Resigns as Tartans Head Coach Citing medical reasons, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School head football coach Rod Baltau resigns. In five years, Baltau’s teams combined for a 40-11 overall record, including four league titles.

OCTOBER JSerra running back Edward Vander, right, runs the ball against Bishop Amat in the second round of the CIF-SS Pac 5 Division playoffs. The Lions made their postseason debut in 2014. Photo: Tony Tribolet/www.xpsphoto.com

The Capistrano Dispatch December 26, 2014–January 8, 2015

Page 14

Locals Make Waves at Battle of the Paddle San Juan Capistrano’s Shae Foudy

(Women’s Distance SUP Elite) and Martin Letourneur (Men’s Distance SUP Elite) finish fi fth and 10th in their respective stand-up paddleboard races at the seventh annual Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle at Salt Creek beach Oct. 4-5.

Melo Returns to Coach SJC AYSO Squad Following Death of Son Longtime AYSO Region 87 soccer coach Ivan Melo returns to the sidelines to coach the San Juan Capistrano U16 team seven days after his son, Matthew Melo, and teammate Alex Sotelo died in a car crash on their way home from Knott’s Berry Farm.

NOVEMBER

JSerra Football Makes Playoffs After Landmark Year The JSerra football team had the breakout year the program had been waiting for, going 10-2 on the season including a 4-1 record in the highly competitive Trinity League. The Lions advanced to the CIF-SS Pac 5 Division playoffs for the first time in school history, where they were eliminated by Bishop Amat in the second round.

DECEMBER

Tartans Football Wins CIF-SS, Regional Championships The St. Margaret’s football team goes undefeated on their way to capturing the CIF-SS East Valley Division Championship on Dec. 6, following a win over Grace Brethren. The Tartans then defeated Christian of El Cajon, 48-21, in the CIF State SoCal Regional Division 4 Championship on Dec. 12. The Tartans were scheduled to play for the CIF State Division 4 Championship against Central Catholic on Dec. 19. Results were not available at press time. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com