April 10, 2015

INSIDE: The Green Issue SPECIAL SECTION

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE FOUNDED IN 2002

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

APRIL 10-23, 2015 • VOLUME 13, ISSUE 7

Grow Your Own!

Ecology Center program gives CUSD students unique learning opportunities SPECIAL SECTION

Students tend to a vegetable garden at Shorecliffs Middle School, one of 20 Orange County and San Diego schools taking part in the Grow Your Own! program headed by The Ecology Center of San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Police Search for Man Wanted in Fatal Crash that Killed Daughter EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

City Continues to Oppose SDG&E Substation Upgrade EYE ON SJC/PAGE 4

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Easter Fair Brings Family-Friendly Fun to City SJC LIVING/PAGE 15

YOUR NO. 1 SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS, SPORTS AND MORE

EYE ON SJC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

Residents, including Steven Rios and his family, attested Tuesday night to the invasive behavior of some commercial photographers who take portraits of clients on the street, sometimes even trespassing on their property. The new guidelines and fees, along with added signage, would aim to discourage such conduct.

Five things San Juan should know this week

WHAT’S NEXT: A resolution to implement a new $100 annual still photography permit fee passed unanimously. All council members agreed to reevaluate the effectiveness of the program in six months.

Police Search for Man Wanted in Fatal Car Crash that Killed Daughter THE LATEST: The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a man who was involved in a fatal car accident last year that killed his 5-year-old daughter and severely injured his three other children.

On Saturday, March 22, 2014, at approximately 7:35 p.m., Antolin Brito-Soto, 33, of San Juan Capistrano, was involved in a solo-vehicle collision near Camino Capistrano and Junipero Serra Road, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

The collision occurred as Brito-Soto drove his 2002 Ford Explorer westbound on Junipero Serra Road, through Camino Capistrano into an adjacent parking lot and over an embankment.

Brito-Soto’s four children were in the vehicle at the time of the collision. His 5-year-old daughter, Yuliana Brito, was pronounced dead from her injuries at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. His three other children—ages 2, 8 and 12—were seriously hurt and transported to local hospitals to be treated for their injuries.

Based on the preliminary investigation, it was determined Brito-Soto was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision.

In April of last year, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office charged BritoSoto with felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury, driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or more causing bodily injury, and one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison.

Brito-Soto was arrested on his hospital bed at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana the night of the collision and posted his $150,000 bail several weeks later.

He has not returned to court since his arraignment on charges of vehicular manslaughter and child abuse.

WHAT’S NEXT: Brito-Soto is described as a Hispanic male, 5 foot 3 inches tall, 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, a medium build and olive complexion.

He is known to frequent the San Juan The Capistrano Dispatch April 10-23, 2015

FIND OUT MORE: Fore more on this story, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com.—AJ

Antolin Brito-Soto, 33, of San Juan Capistrano, was involved in a fatal car accident last year that killed his 5-year-old daughter, Yuliana Brito. Photos: Courtesy

Capistrano area; however, he has ties to Chicago, Texas and Mexico. Officials said investigators have exhausted resources in those areas and are asking the public for assistance in locating Brito-Soto.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Traffic Bureau at 949.425.1860.

Anonymous tips may also be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855.TIP. OCCS (855.847.6227) or at occrimestoppers.org.—Allison Jarrell

Water Restrictions to Take Effect Statewide THE LATEST: After months of severe drought, Gov. Edmund “Jerry” Brown announced on April 1 that the state would be putting in place mandatory water reductions in cities across the state in order to cut water usage by approximately 25 percent.

The order will replace more than 50 million square feet of lawns into drought-tolerant landscape in partnership with local governments, direct the creation of temporary statewide rebate programs to replace old appliances with more efficient models and to require golf courses, school and government campuses, cemeteries and other high-water users to cut their use of water.

Local water agencies will also be told to adjust rate structures to implement “conservation pricing.” New homes and developments will also be prevented from irrigating with potable water unless water-efficient drip irrigation systems are in use.

WHAT’S NEXT: San Juan Capistrano City Manager Karen Brust said city staff is currently working on drafting water guidelines that will comply with the new restrictions.

The city is also waiting on a District Court of Appeal ruling on whether or not San Juan’s tiered water rates are legal. That decision is expected by April 20.—Jim Shilander/AJ

Council Considers Plans for Northwest Open Space Park THE LATEST: The San Juan Capistrano City Council considered three project options Tuesday night for the Northwest Open Space Community Park Project, and ultimately agreed on a minimalistic land use approach, with amenities including a bathroom, unpaved parking lot, a cultural area and a pavilion with picnic tables and benches. The proposed park sits on about 60 acres in the city’s Northwest Open Space and includes the Dr. Joe Cortese Dog Park and Hamilton Oaks Winery.

WHAT’S NEXT: A council majority agreed that more information would be needed, including further consultations with the Juaneño tribe and discussions on relevant commissions, before approving further plans for the Northwest Open Space, such as a Native American cultural area and other additions. The park project must also go through California Environmental Quality Act review and obtain environmental approvals before the first phase begins.

FIND OUT MORE: For more on this story, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com.—AJ

New Guidelines for Commercial Photography Move Forward THE LATEST: The City Council is optimistic that residents living on the historic Los Rios Street will experience fewer invasive commercial photographers following the first reading of an ordinance that would amend city code and change guidelines and fees for commercial filming and photography in San Juan Capistrano.

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Lobbying Efforts Underway for Hospital ER Bill THE LATEST: Following the March 26 announcement that the MemorialCare board would indefinitely postpone a decision on its proposal to replace its current hospital in San Clemente with a 24/7 advanced urgent care facility, administrator Tony Struthers urged the San Clemente City Council to lead the charge in creating a community coalition to lobby support for twin bills in the state legislature that would allow for a “stand-alone” emergency room at the site.

Struthers said the city could partner with other cities, including Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and Mission Viejo, which had each voted to oppose the closure of the hospital, as well as nonprofit and business groups, including the Save San Clemente Hospital Foundation that opposed the proposal. The Assembly version of the bill is slated to be heard by the health committee in the coming weeks.

WHAT’S NEXT: Representatives from the Save San Clemente Hospital group, as well as San Clemente Mayor Chris Hamm, said they had spent Monday lobbying on behalf of the bill in Sacramento. They reported receiving a mixed reaction, with some lawmakers expressing sympathy for the proposal. However, at least one group, the California Nurses Association, has announced opposition to the proposal.

Don Nielsen, Government Relations Director for the CNA called to proposal a “fraud on the public.” Nielsen said hospitals were required to support emergency departments with a number of services that would not be provided under the proposed outpatient pavilion, noting that the emergency department is currently being bypassed

by Orange County EMS on some calls due to a lack of certain support services at the hospital.—Jim Shilander Have a story idea or topic you would like to read about? Send your suggestions to editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

SJC Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BY ALLISON JARRELL AND JIM SHILANDER

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.

Monday, April 6 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Avenida Terramar, 31200 Block (9:22 p.m.) Four men in hoodies tried to ram into the front door then took off running.

CITIZEN ASSIST Calle La Purisima, 31500 Block (8:21 p.m.) A man believed a neighborhood child may have stolen his house keys.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Calle del Bonanza, 34000 Block (5:13 p.m.) A person in a red Mazda was reported to be “delusional, paranoid, catatonic and selectively mute.”

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Carril de Maderas, 31400 Block (4:12 p.m.) Two men were hanging out in the lot next to the caller’s location. The caller thought they may be living on the lot.

One man was out front playing a guitar.

Sunday, April 5 ANNOYING PHONE CALL Camino Capistrano/La Zanja Street (8:12 p.m.) A woman reported receiving text messages and phone calls from her boyfriend’s ex-wife.

DISTURBANCE Via del Rey, 26000 Block (6:43 p.m.) A caller said bottles were being smashed and a male neighbor had just attacked the caller’s brother. Screaming could be heard in the background.

DISTURBANCE Via Alicia, 32000 Block (4:39 p.m.) A man reported being jumped by two other men inside his house. They stole his wallet and left in a rental car toward Del Obispo Street.

DISTURBANCE-AUTO INVOLVED La Novia Avenue/San Juan Creek Road (1:50 p.m.) Two people were riding motorcycles off road on the horse trail. The caller said the two riders, one wearing a red helmet and another a blue helmet, would probably get off the bridge at La Novia.

TRESPASSING Camino Capistrano, 29600 Block (1:37 p.m.) A train conductor reported, secondhand, that subjects at Hamilton Oaks The Capistrano Dispatch April 10-23, 2015

Winery were taking photos near the train tracks.

TRESPASSING Camino Capistrano, 3200 Block (10:15 a.m.) A transient was refusing to leave the area near the Rite Aid.

Thursday, April 2 TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-NON INJURY Del Obispo Street/Ortega Highway (9:52 p.m.) A woman in a black Dodge truck reported someone had hit her vehicle and left a note, but it was unknown if the information in the note was correct.

DISTURBANCE La Zanja Street, 26500 Block (8:20 p.m.)

A group of men were drinking and blocking access to the alleyway.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Paseo Adelanto, 32500 Block (4:12 p.m.)

A man reported that someone was following him the previous morning.

San Diego Gas & Electric’s proposal to replace an electrical substation in San Juan involves demolishing this historic substation building, which opened in 1918. The building is currently empty, with the actual substation running behind it. Photo by Allison Jarrell

Public Hearings Held for SDG&E Substation Draft EIR City Council and residents near proposed electrical substation continue to oppose project

BURGLARY REPORT Rancho Viejo Road, 31500 Block (2:16 p.m.) A caller reported a burglary occurred the week before.

ALLISON JARRELL, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 31700 Block (12:21 p.m.) A man called rambling about other drunk people disturbing him behind the Swallow’s Inn.

T

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Via Solana, 31200 Block (12:57 a.m.) A woman reported her ex-boyfriend broke into her house and eventually left after refusing to do so earlier.

Wednesday, April 1 ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY San Juan Creek Road/Camino Lacouague (7:16 p.m.) Approximately seven dogs, which appeared to be of the pitbull/boxer breed, were reported off-leash in a park.

The caller said one of the dogs attacked her and she was on her way to the emergency room.

DISTURBANCE Alipaz Street, 32300 Block (6:44 p.m.)

A caller said a couple was fighting in front of a mobile home park office. The girlfriend was reportedly screaming and running after the boyfriend.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Camino Capistrano, 31900 Block (5:04 p.m.) A caller said a man was possibly drunk and asking for money outside of the Black Belt Tae Kwon Do Academy.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Calle Arroyo, 27200 Block (3:38 p.m.) A caller said a woman was looking into car windows and “acting bizarre” in the parking lot, claiming to have just gotten out of the hospital after being in a coma.

he city of San Juan Capistrano is implementing a more aggressive approach to opposing San Diego Gas & Electric’s plan to raze and replace an aging electrical substation with a higher-capacity facility, as residents living in the area surrounding the substation continue to voice health and environmental concerns.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report for SDG&E’s proposal, known as the South Orange County Reliability Enhancement project, was released on Feb. 23, about three years after the company initially filed its proposal with the California Public Utilities Commission. SDG&E spokesman Duane Cave said the project’s goal is to improve power reliability by creating a redundant system that would rely on two substations rather than just the current facility in Talega.

Last month, the CPUC hosted two public hearings in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano to receive public comment on the DEIR. The only “significant” environmental impacts listed in the report are in the categories of air quality, transportation and traffic, and cumulative impacts on transportation and traffic. The DEIR states that these impacts would occur only during the project’s construction phases.

At the San Juan hearing, residents and representatives spoke both in favor and in opposition of the project. Council members from Aliso Viejo and Mission Viejo vocalized their support for the proposal, and were joined by a representative from Mission Viejo Hospital, several business owners and residents who voiced their support for more reliable power in San Juan and south Orange County. Those who spoke out against the project included the Capistrano Unified School District, the city of San Juan Capist-

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rano and residents, many of whom live in the Las Brisas neighborhood adjacent to the substation. Opponents of the project voiced an array of concerns including environmental impacts, the project’s proximity to San Juan Hills High School, the loss of a historic building and concerns about impacts on health due to electromagnetic radiation.

SDG&E’s current substation in San Juan, located at the corner of Camino Capistrano and Calle Bonita, was constructed in 1918 and was last renovated the 1950s. Cave said the old substation doesn’t meet federal and state reliability and earthquake standards, and is reaching the end of its ability to meet the needs of a growing population.

Cave said the proposed project will raze the existing 35-foot-tall substation and replace it with two buildings, which he estimates will be between 40 and 45 feet tall.

Transmission lines between the San Juan substation and the Talega substation would be upgraded from 138,000 volts, 138-kV, to 230,000 volts, 230-kV, and wooden power towers would be replaced with steel poles ranging in height from 135 to 170 feet tall, depending on the location. Even though voltage is increasing, Cave said the number of power lines would remain the same, and the number of towers needed would decrease.

The importance of the SOCRE project, according to SDG&E, stems from the need for reliable power in south Orange County.

A new substation in San Juan with power line upgrades would increase capacity limits, as well as act as a backup for the Talega substation should it go down. If the project receives approvals this year from the CPUC, Cave said construction could begin as early as 2016 and finish by 2019.

Several neighboring cities have come out in favor of the project—most recently (Cont. on page 6) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC (Cont. from page 4) the Mission Viejo City Council approved a resolution on April 6 supporting the upgrade. However, the city of San Juan Capistrano has taken a firm stance against the project as in years past. City Attorney Hans Van Ligten announced at the council’s April 7 meeting that city staff was directed to take an “aggressive position” against the SOCRE project. Van Ligten said a law firm has been hired to assist in preparing California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, comments for the CPUC court proceeding.

The council also approved the allocation of $300,000 to begin “aggressive” participation in the CPUC hearings, focusing on issues surrounding the design and expansion of the substation. Van Ligten said the law firm has hired an energy transmission consultant in order to “come up with an expert opinion in support of the city’s objections.”

Such objections largely concern the topic of electric and magnetic fields, or EMFs. Several Las Brisas residents who live near the substation have claimed such electromagnetic radiation is making people sick in the neighborhood and increasing the incidence and risk of cancer.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, some EMF studies in the 1990s “showed a possible link between EMF field strength and an increased risk for childhood leukemia,” but “their findings indicated that such an association was weak.” The institute’s literature notes that “concerns regarding a possible connection between EMFs and adverse health effects still persists, though current research continues to point to the same weak association.” “[EMFs] are not one of the issues that we look at because it’s an unproven science,” Cave said of the topic during a recent interview. “It’s not an issue that we’re going to be concerned about.”

Councilman John Perry said at Tuesday’s meeting that SDG&E should be concerned about electromagnetic radiation, adding that CUSD is alarmed that the new power line would run underground near San Juan Hills High School. Cave said in an interview that the project complies with California Depart-

ment of Education setback guidelines for transmission facilities.

At the March DEIR hearing in San Juan, Mayor Pro Tem Pam Patterson spoke about similar EMF concerns. Patterson, who identified herself as a resident rather than a councilwoman, suggested that residents refrain from donating to Mission Viejo Hospital due to the organization’s support for the project. She recommended donating any money to pediatric cancer instead.

“I do find it completely questionable that Mission Hospital … that they are absolutely ignoring the health concerns with respect to this project,” Patterson said at Monday’s council meeting. “We have children who already now have brain cancer that live in these neighborhoods, so absolutely I question the integrity of Mission Hospital to come out publicly and be in favor of this when there are other ways to get this power out to these new homes.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Derek Reeve said the council is committed to doing everything they can to fight the project or “to get the best possible mitigation.” In addition to the resolution passed and the money allocated to more aggressively oppose the proposal, Patterson recommended that the council have the city attorney draft a formal letter of opposition.

“We’re fighting an uphill battle,” Reeve said. “There’s a lot of money being thrown around in political coffers, and that’s having a tremendous influence. None of us want to spend this money, but we understand it’s such an important issue to the residents that we really don’t have a choice.”

Despite the city’s ongoing opposition, Cave said SDG&E has been working closely with city officials to make the project a good fit for San Juan, including participating in an aesthetics ad hoc committee and hiring an architect to come up with a design that the former council was in favor of. The goal, Cave said, is to get ratepayers the most costeffective, reliable system possible.

“Reliability is the number one thing customers are looking for in our industry,” Cave said. “We need to meet expectations and demands. It’s our job to keep the lights on.” CD

An overview of the South Orange County Reliability Enhancement project. Courtesy of San Diego Gas & Electric

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www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

NEWS BITES COMPILED BY ALLISON JARRELL

Shea Center Hosts Annual Leaders for Philanthropy Night Chapman University President James Doti joined over 200 guests for the annual Leaders for Philanthropy Night on April 2 at the J. F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center in San Juan Capistrano.

The event in the Shea Center’s Samueli Arena was hosted in collaboration with the Orange County alumni associations of some of the country’s top ranked business schools. James Doti, the evening’s keynote speaker, began his presentation by riding around the arena on horseback, demonstrating body movement and the positive effects of therapeutic riding. Later on, Shea Center riders Andy Aitken and Jillian Butts demonstrated their developed riding skills as their success stories were emotionally told by family members.

Doti spoke of his early lessons learned in his career, his attraction to economic research, and his personal low-key style of fundraising.

The total revenue generated from the evening for the nonprofit riding center was more than $30,000. The Shea Center serves over 780 Orange County clients, addressing more than 70 disabilities.

Presenting sponsors for the evening were Farmers & Merchants Bank and Golden State Foods; the premier sponsor was South County Auto Group.

unteers will be needed on April 18 to help revitalize and cleanup Crystal Cove State Park, located at 8471 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. Volunteers will participate by painting curbs, sweeping ramps, cleaning the beach, beautifying the maintenance yard, power washing monument signs, removing old concrete on the coastal terrace and planting cactus at Pelican Point.

Check-in time is 8:30 a.m., and the work will be done from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A docentled tidepool walk will also be offered.

Registration for the Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup closes April 13. To volunteer, visit calparks.org/earthday or call 888.987.2757. Space is limited, so advance registration is required. Parking fees are waived for Earth Day volunteers.

Last year’s Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup at Crystal Cove State Park. Photo: Courtesy of California State Parks Foundation

Mission Hospital Valiant Women to Host 19th Annual Luncheon

Chapman University President James Doti demonstrates the experience of hippotherapy with sidewalker Christina Hunter, left, and leader Katy White.

Photo by Taryn Griffin

State Parks Foundation Seeks Volunteers for Earth Day Crystal Cove Cleanup This year’s California State Parks Foundation’s Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup will be focused across 27 of the state’s parks on Saturday, April 18.

More than 2,000 volunteers are needed to help with environmental improvement projects statewide.

In Orange County, more than 155 volThe Capistrano Dispatch April 10-23, 2015

Join Valiant Women of Mission Hospital to celebrate women and celebrate life at the 19th Annual Valiant Women Luncheon on Friday, April 24, at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort. Valiant Women seeks to raise $200,000 to support Mission Women’s Wellness Center, Nursing Center of Excellence and the Nursing Scholarship Endowment.

The event begins at 10:30 a.m. with champagne, a silent auction and raffle drawings. A special raffle drawing, limited to 150 tickets priced at $50 each, will provide the opportunity to win a wine-paired dinner for eight at The Winery Restaurant.

During lunch, a fun and spirited team of Mission Hospital doctors and nurses will once again serve as fashion models showcasing spring designs from retailers at The Shops at Mission Viejo. Hair styling and makeup will be provided by Toni & Guy. The event is made possible through the generous support of many sponsors, including presenting sponsor Seabreeze Management Company. Each year the

event sells out quickly, so please make arrangements to attend today by contacting Christy Welch at 949.364.4225 or christy. welch@stjoe.org, or visit www.mission4health.com/vwluncheon.

Larry Thomas Chosen as Partners Bank Senior Vice President Partners Bank of California, an Orange County community bank with headquarters in Mission Viejo, announced the appointment of banking industry veteran Larry Thomas as senior vice president and regional banking manager.

“I am pleased to announce Larry Thomas has joined Partners Bank as Senior Vice President and Regional Banking Manager for South Orange County to include the communities of San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente and Dana Point,” said Rick Mandelbaum, Partners Bank president and CEO. “Larry brings an intimate knowledge of the local market, a wealth of commercial banking experience, and a proven track record of personal success.”

Prior to joining Partners Bank, Thomas was the regional manager of Independence Bank in San Juan Capistrano.

A longtime resident of San Clemente, Thomas has been involved in several local community organizations including Rotary and the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce. Thomas will serve as the incoming chairman for the San Juan chamber, beginning in July, a position he also held in 2008.

Motivational Speaker Michael Roberts, Celebrity Guest Fabio to Speak Local motivational speaker Michael Roberts will be speaking in San Juan Capistrano on April 25 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Historic Town Center Park, located at 31852 El Camino Real. The event is free and open to the public.

Roberts lived his teenage years in San Juan Capistrano and was a graduate of Dana Hills High School. As a motivational speaker, Roberts tells the story of how the divorce of his parents and alcohol and drug abuse led him to attempt suicide.

Following the attempt, he was forced to re-learn how to walk, talk and adapt to a new life.

Special celebrity guest Fabio will also speak at the event about the importance of health and fitness, and guest speaker Dr. Boris Del Cid will present information about the consequences of texting and talking on the phone while driving.

For more information on the event, contact Roberts at 310.890.3348 or mroberts11@aol.com.

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

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Community Meetings TUESDAY, APRIL 14

Planning Commission Meeting

6:30 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Planning Commission discusses area development at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. Log on to www.sanjuancapistrano.org to see the body’s agenda.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

Downtown Farmers Market

3 p.m.–6 p.m. Fresh flowers, produce and specialty foods from around 40 vendors in downtown San Juan Capistrano, on the corner of Camino Capistrano and Yorba Street. Occurs every Wednesday. Visit, www.farmersmarketsjc.com to find out more.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

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.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

Coffee Chat

8 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues. Occurs every Friday at Mission Grill, 31721 Camino Capistrano. All are welcome. Go to www. facebook.com/sjccoffeechat for more.

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

City Council, Housing Authority and Successor Agency Meeting

5 p.m. The city’s governing body meets at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto.

To see the night’s agenda, visit, www. sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

CUSD Board of Trustees Meeting

7 p.m. The Capistrano Unified School District governing body meets at district offices, located at 33122 Valle Road. To see the board’s agenda, visit www.capousd.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 24

Next issue of The Dispatch publishes

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

Letters to the Editor SUPPORT THE SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY RELIABILITY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT —Ann Ronan, San Juan Capistrano, Citizens for Safe and Reliable Power CoChairwoman When we were children, we didn’t like getting a shot at the doctor because it hurt. Most children prefer to eat ice cream instead of vegetables. But as we grew up, we realized the concept of “deferred gratification,” which means we found it beneficial to put up with short-term inconveniences for long-term benefits.

Whether it is getting a vaccination shot, eating your vegetables, or putting up with temporary construction to obtain longterm safe and reliable power for generations to come, the short-term impacts are outweighed by the long-term benefits.

SDG&E has proposed to rebuild the substation in San Juan Capistrano, which hasn’t been upgraded in more than 50 years. Think about how much technology

has improved since “I Love Lucy” ruled the airways and Elvis was king. Without this upgrade, all of South Orange County will be at risk of an increasing number of power outages. Today all of the transmission power for the region runs through the Talega substation. Without a redundant system, a failure at that substation wipes power out for the entire region – which is what happened two years ago.

Please join me in supporting the South Orange County Reliability Enhancement project to ensure safe and reliable power for another five decades. You can learn more at www.reliable-power.org.

OUR HOSPITAL IS A BLESSING AND SHOULD BE SAVED —Joan Henry, Capistrano Beach My family and I have lived in Capistrano Beach for many years and have even watched San Clemente Hospital (Saddleback Memorial Medical Center San Clemente campus) being built. It has been a blessing for everyone. It is in a perfect location with schools, towns and the freeway close by.

I think it is terrible that the larger hospitals in Mission Viejo or Laguna Hills, or farther up the freeway, think they have the right to take away what the hospital in San Clemente has. We may be a smaller

hospital, but we have enough people in San Clemente, Capistrano Beach, San Juan, Dana Point, and the surrounding hillsides, that do not want to have to go up the freeway to the other hospitals when we have a perfectly good hospital close by.

San Clemente hospital can handle anything here, given the chance to replace anything that has been taken away. We need our hospital. Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills are already filled up with no more room to grow, so they don’t want us up there as it is. The housing is growing in that area, and will soon be so populated that they will soon have to be looking around for another hospital site.

It is a shame because in the end, it is the money that is doing all of the talking, and making all of the deals. What is equally sad and stupid is the idea of thinking about building another hospital out at an old dumpsite in the sticks, where no one lives, and which would cost a ton of money when we have a perfectly good hospital here already. I really can’t believe where these people are coming from.

MOTHBALLED NAVY SHIPS COULD HOUSE FLOATING DESAL PLANTS —Rev. Paul Lachlan Peck, Capistrano Beach By now, it must become evident to citizens of California that there is an undeniable need for desalination plants all up and down the coast. While it may take a decade or two to get these plants on line, the work must begin now.

According to current research, utility bills would increase only about $7.49 per month, per family. And, as of the moment, the cost to build a plant is really unknown.

Here’s an idea. How about using some portion of the mothballed naval fleet up and down the coast of California as housing for the desalination machinery?

Has anyone in government thought of this? If so, it is still a mystery to me—and perhaps to everyone else.

The transportation of the desalinated water might be accomplished with underwater pipes and underground pipes to nearby shore storage siloes.

Well, this is an idea, and who knows when an idea’s time has come for fulfillment?

California needs water soon!

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.

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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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PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

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

Real Estate Sales Manager > Michele Reddick OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed Business Operations Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines

ART/DESIGN SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, Jonathan Volzke

Senior Designer > Jasmine Smith ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes (Dana Point)

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

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 13, Issue 7. 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 2015. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

The List

At the Movies: ‘While We’re Young’ Premise Getting Old

EDITOR’S PICK

What’s going on in and around town

COMPILED BY STAFF

Friday | 10 BONNIE AND CLYDE THE MUSICAL 7:30 p.m. Opening night of “Bonnie and Clyde,” a musical presented by the Department of Theatre Arts at Saddleback College at the McKinney Theatre. Directed by Trevor Biship, this thrilling, gritty musical has a non-traditional score combining blues, gospel, and rockabilly music.

Performances run until April 19 and begin at 7:30 p.m. on April 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18, and 2:30 p.m. on April 12 and 19. Tickets are $15 or $10 for students/seniors.

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

BALLROOM BASH COMMUNITY DANCE 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Every second Friday for singles and couples 18 years old and over. The dance takes place in the Fellowship Hall at St. Andrews By-the-Sea United Methodist Church, 2001 Calle Frontera, San Clemente. $10 admission includes a short foxtrot lesson, open dancing in the ballroom, Latin and swing music, refreshments and free parking, www.ballroombash.com.

Saturday | 11 CAMPFIRE PROGRAM 7 p.m.-8 p.m. Every Saturday night, join OC Parks for a campfire program that may include a presentation, wilderness safety, games and activities for children, a live animal demonstration and a chance to visit the Nature Center. Topics may vary weekly. Admission is free, parking is $5 per vehicle. Caspers Wilderness Park.

33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.923.2210, www.ocparks.com/ caspers.

BIG BAND SWING THING 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Saddleback College’s Angels for the Arts presents the Big Band Swing Thing scholarship fundraiser at the Norman P. Murray Center. $25 per person or two tickets for $40. Spaces are limited.

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

SAN CLEMENTE GARDEN CLUB’S ANNUAL GARDENFEST 8 a.m.-3 p.m. GardenFest includes an extensive plant sale and flea market, kid-friendly activities and information on garden-related topics such The Capistrano Dispatch April 10-23, 2015

Photo: Courtesy

BY MEGAN BIANCO

A scene from last year’s We Are Earth Day event at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano.

Photo: Courtesy of Scott Sporleder/The Ecology Center

SATURDAY, APRILL 11: WE ARE EARTH DAY FESTIVAL 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Join the Ecology Center for live outdoor music, free tacos, teepee building, a petting zoo and eco-friendly fun. Admission is $3. 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano, www.theecologycenter. org/events/we-are-earth-day-2015.

as drought solutions. Master Gardeners will also be on site to answer garden-related questions. The event is held at the San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville. For more information, call garden club members Diane Riopka and Teresa Whitney at 949.249.8714 or 949.489.7810.

Sunday | 12 CASPERS NATURE HIKE 8 a.m.-9 a.m. Join OC Park rangers every Sunday morning for an easy 1-mile hike on the nature trail, which takes visitors through grassland, oak woodland, riparian and sandy cactus scrub communities. Admission is free, parking is $5 per vehicle.

Participants should meet at the Old Corral day use area and wear comfortable clothing and hiking shoes. Sunscreen, water and insect repellent are recommended.

Rain will cancel the hike. Caspers Wilderness Park. 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.923.2210, www.ocparks.com/caspers.

GRAY WHALE ADVENTURE CRUISE 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Ocean Institute presents a series of whale watching cruises on its 70-foot R/V Sea Explorer. The cruises will give participants an opportunity to see migrating gray whales, as well as

dolphins, sea lions and other wildlife along the Southern California coastline. Cruises are at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. most days; check the calendar online. $35 for adults, $22 for children age 3 to 12. Ocean Institute members are eligible for discounts. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

Monday | 13 SPRING REFLECTIONS FINE ART EXHIBITION The Saddleback Art League will hold its 16th annual Juried Fine Art Exhibition April 13 through May 22 in the Mission Viejo Library, 100 Civic Center, Mission Viejo. The artists represented in the show will be mostly local residents, many with noteworthy reputations for creative styles and subject matter in a variety of media. Much of the artwork on display will be available for sale.

For more information, visit www.saddlebackartleague.com.

Tuesday | 14 VETERANS’ ASSISTANCE 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m. The Dana Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9934 provides free veterans’ assistance on the second

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here can be a fine line between self-awareness and parodying one’s own work when a filmmaker continues to use the same niche and style throughout his career and the audience calls them out on it. Woody Allen, Tim Burton and Wes Anderson don’t appear phased by criticism and have had their share of hits and misses.

Anderson’s protégé Noah Baumbach may possibly be on his way to a similar predicament after his latest indie feature, While We’re Young.

When 40-something married couple Josh and Cornelia (Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts) meet and quickly befriend 20-something married couple Jamie and Darby (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried) their world is turned upside down. After two decades of settling and going with the flow, the younger couple shows the middle-aged that spontaneity and hipsterisms can be a good thing.

Not only do Jamie and Darby unironically listen to vinyl, watch VHS and read physical books, but Josh and Jamie also happen to be struggling documentary filmmakers looking for inspiration.

Dree Hemingway and Adam Horovitz (of Beastie Boys fame) co-star. Baumbach recruited stars of two of his past films in Greenberg star Stiller and from his sleeper hit Frances Ha, Driver, but to less success. The new film really does feel like a parody of Baumbach characters—extra quirky personalities and awkward line deliveries that feel like an “SNL” sketch in some scenes. Maybe satire is what the filmmaker was going for, but for the most part, the effort looks more like Baumbach was five years too late to cash in on the indie hipster fad. CD

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Life Lessons in the Garden

Grown Your Own! teaches students and adults about sustainability

By Allison Jarrell For students working in the garden at San Clemente’s Shorecliffs Elementary School, their curriculum included mulching in March and an intro to aquaponics in April. These young gardeners now easily articulate how different irrigation methods work and explain the importance of planting native, drought-tolerant species and flowers that attract pollinators.

Jenny Goit, a life science teacher at Shorecliffs, is proud of the knowledge her students are acquiring and implementing in the school’s garden, where, each day, they’re learning about environmental sustainability and responsibility—what it takes to keep a garden growing.

“I think one of the most important things they’re learning is respect,” she said.

Shorecliffs Middle School was one of the first junior highs to join The Ecology Center’s two-year program called Grow Your Own! The initiative, created by the San Juan Capistrano-based nonprofit, is designed to help elementary teachers implement gardens on their school’s grounds.

Since its 2012 inception, 20 Orange County and San Diego elementary and middle schools have joined, including many in Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Meg Hiesinger, director of educational programs at The Ecology Center, said the program began taking form after the center’s founder, Evan Marks, expressed interest in reviving a program centered on garden lessons and nutrition. Hiesinger spearheaded the effort, which has evolved into a two-year, grant-subsidized program that is free to schools selected by The Ecology Center.

“When people think of a garden, they often think about food and nutrition, but it’s a more powerful site of education for kids and adults.”

— Meg Hiesinger

“The program was born out of the needs and expressed desires of the community,” Hiesinger said. “My interest is in building community around the garden.”

With a cost of about $10,000 per school, Hiesinger said the program relies on the support of sponsors—a recent $100,000 grant from the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation enabled The Ecology Center to extend their program offerings to more schools and develop more resources.

Such resources, including mentorship pro-

Events at The Ecology Center We Are Earth Day

Gardening with Native Plants

Zero Waste Lecture

Saturday, April 11; 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Join in an early Earth Day celebration at this annual community festival with free tacos, live music, hands-on crafting, teepee building, farm animals, eco-activities and more. Cost is $3.

Saturday, April 25; 10 a.m.

Learn how to create a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant garden using native, California plants from Mike Evans, a nursery owner specializing in native-plant landscaping. Course costs $30.

Friday, May 1; 6:30 p.m.

Join in on an open forum with Josh Prigge of Fetzer Wines to learn about and discuss how an individual, community and business can commit to creating zero waste.

Tickets are $35.

Organic Gardening Basics

Natural Pest Management

Backyard Beekeeping

Saturday, April 18; 1 p.m.

Learn the basics of organic gardening— planning and maintaining a garden, plant succession, watering, composting, pest control and more—to harvest your own fresh, healthy herbs and vegetables.

Cost is $30.

Sunday, April 26; 1 p.m.

Gain an understanding of easy, natural pest prevention tactics such as using plants and insects to deter pests and making non-toxic remedies at home in order to create a toxin-free, organic garden. Cost is $30.

Saturday, May 9; Noon In this workshop, learn about the lifecycle of honeybees, their importance to the environment’s health, the equipment needed to start beekeeping, hive maintenance tips and more.

Class costs $35.

The Ecology Center • 32701 Alipaz Street • San Juan Capistano • 949.443.4223 • www.theecologycenter.org

grams, school visits, training for teachers and website curriculum, are designed to educate across five core areas of sustainability: food, water, waste, shelter and energy. The program focuses on community building and planning in the fall, designing and building in the winter, seeds and seasonal planting in the spring and maintenance in the summer. Hiesinger said schools are essentially guided in developing and implementing the basic elements of a selfmaintaining, sustainable garden program.

“When people think of a garden, they

often think about food and nutrition, but it’s a more powerful site of education for kids and adults,” Hiesinger said. “It teaches sustainability across all levels. The program is about helping people work together in a functional and real way, which to me, is the foundation of community.”

Mia Ferjulian, an eighth-grade student at Shorecliffs, has been working in the school’s garden for three years now and enjoys the sense of community and teamwork it fosters. She finds it peaceful and soothing, like

“entering a sanctuary.”

“If we work together, we can make a big environmental difference,” Ferjulian said, pointing to a nearby mural in the garden.

“It’s like this picture says—individually we are one drop, together we are an ocean.”

For more information on the Grow Your Own! program and a look at the curriculum, visit www.theecologycenter.org/growyourown or email growyourown@theecologycenter.org. Applications for the 2015-2016 school year will be available on April 30.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Reducing Your Energy Usage Temperatures will soon rise but that doesn’t mean your electric bill has to. By reducing your power usage this summer—and all year round—you can save money while increasing our region’s energy security and lowering pollution being emitted from non-renewable sources.

Installing renewable home energy systems—such as a solar-electric system or small wind turbine—may not be a practical or economically viable option for all, but there are plenty of other low- to no-cost options to decrease your at-home electric usage and therefore reducing your grid dependence. —Andrea Papagianis

Set your thermostat to 78 degrees, or turn off the AC

Use fans and pull down the shades

Run appliances before 11 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

Unplug chargers and power strips

Switch light bulbs out with energyefficient ones

Power down desktops and televisions

Turn off lamps and let in natural light

Wash clothes and dishes in cool water

Invest in energy-efficient appliances

Grill up dinners to avoid heating up the oven

Visit www.sdge.com to view available rebates

Insulate your home to keep it cool and warm

The Un-thirsty Garden Lisa Chmura, lead gardener at Casa Romantica, works with a team of volunteers to maintain the center’s verdant gardens filled with drought-tolerant, native plants, trees and groundcover. Photos: Allison Jarrell

Drought-tolerant plants, flowers and tress that thrive with little care

By Andrea Papagianis Out of necessity, Californian’s are scaling down their water use.

Cuts to lessen consumption of the state’s drought-stricken resource are being made both inside and out. When it comes to the outdoors, water providers from Brea to San Clemente are incentivizing residents to ditch their lush, green lawns for drought-tolerant plants and a groundcover that drinks less water.

We met with local landscape expert Lisa Chmura, lead gardener for Casa Romantica Cultural Center & Gardens, to learn about the water-wise plant life that plays an integral role in the Casa’s bluff-top campus in San Clemente.

These plants, all native to Southern California, Chmura pointed out, thrive in sunny and partly-shaded areas and are evergreen.

Not only will they ensure color thrives in the garden throughout the year, they’ll guzzle far less water than a traditional lawn landscape.

1. Baja California Senna

Latin name: Cassia purpusii. Category: Tree/shrub. Thrives in full to partly sunny conditions. Provides food for the cloudless sulphur butterfly.

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Switching from Green to Brown

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2. Beach Strawberry

Latin name: Fragaria chiloensis. Category: Groundcover. Flowers from March to August followed by edible fruits. Problem Solver: Good for erosion control.

3. California Poppy

Latin name: Eschscholzia californica.

Category: Flower. Grows best in full sun and prefers pool soil. Prominent designation: Official state flower of California.

4. Lance Leaf Dudleya

Latin name: Dudleya lanceolata. Category: Succulent. Grows to 1 foot tall in full sun or light shade. Flower clusters appear on foot-long stalks in spring.

5. Tree Mallow

Latin name: Lavatera purisima. Category: Tree/shrub. Grows up to 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide in full sun. Attracts: Butterflies, hummingbirds and birds.

Before joining the Casa staff last year Chmura was a garden volunteer—a group of green thumbs who help keep Casa gardens pristine. Dedicated garden lovers are encouraged to volunteer in the center’s gardens each Monday at 9 a.m. To become a garden volunteer, apply online at www.casaromantica.org.

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Regional water providers are offering customers lawn-removal rebates—of at least $2 per square foot—in order to increase water efficiency and reduce landscape runoff. The program is available to residents, small businesses and homeowners associations that remove live turf and replace it with drought-friendly, native plants and landscaping. The cities of San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and the South Coast Water District (the water utility for all of Dana Point and portions of SC and SJC) are all participating providers. To take part in the program, residents must apply through the Metropolitan Water District of Orange at www.ocwatersmart.com. Complete applications have to include a copy of a water bill and simple site plan. A site inspection must take place before the project begins.

Ocean Institute Earth Day

Saturday, April 25; 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Make eco-friendly crafts, explore marine life and learn about protecting the environment.

Help at the beach/harbor cleanup from 9 a.m.–11 a.m. for free admission. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

Caspers’ Campfire

Saturday, April 25; 8 p.m.–9 p.m. Every Saturday night, visit Caspers Wilderness Park for this fireside program featuring wilderness safety, games, live animal demonstrations and more. Cost is $5 per vehicle.

33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.923.2210, www.ocparks.com.

Eco Garden Expo

Eco Garden Expo Photo: Brian Park

Earth Day Events EXPLORE // Native Plants Hike

Tuesday, April 14; 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Learn the pre-mission uses of California native plants during this 2-mile hike over uneven terrain. Cost is $3 a vehicle. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, James Dilley Preserve, 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.923.2235, www.ocparks.com.

Earth Day with OCCA

Sunday, April 19; 9 a.m. Come together with Orange County for Climate Action for a full day of inspirational activities to reconnect with the planet. Hike, grab lunch at Native Foods, screen a documentary about climate change and more. Register at www.occlimateaction.org.

Headlands Nature Tour

Saturday, May 2; 9 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

Explore Orange County’s natural history on this 1.5-mile tour of the Dana Point Headlands. Walk occurs the first Saturday each month. Nature Interpretive Center, 34558 Scenic Drive, Dana Point, 949.248.3527, www.danapoint.org.

Caspers Park Nature Hike

Sunday, May 3; 9 a.m.–10 a.m. Join Caspers’ rangers on this 1-mile hike through grassland, oak woodland and cactus communities. Rain will cancel the hike. Hikes are held each Sunday. $5 parking fee. 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.923.2210, www.ocparks.com.

Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3; 9 a.m.

–4 p.m. Explore eco-friendly gardening options and learn about solar power, designing edible gardens, converting organic waste and more. Los Rios Park, 31790 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano, 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

RECYCLE // Community Shred Day

Saturday, April 18; 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Shred sensitive documents at Monarch Bay Plaza for free. Recycle and receive a reusable tote. Corner of Pacific Coast Highway and

Crown Valley Parkway, Dana Point, www.monarchbayplaza.com.

E-Waste Collection

Saturday, May 9; 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Bring your electronic waste to Dana Hills High School to donate to Goodwill Orange County. 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point.

All Goodwill locations in the county accept e-waste. Visit www.ocgoodwill.org to find the nearest collection site.

SHOP // Dana Point Farmers Market

Saturday; 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Vendors sell produce, flowers and more at La Plaza Park. Every first Saturday of the month features a craft fair through 2 p.m. Pacific Coast Highway north of Golden Lantern. www.danapoint.org.

San Clemente Farmers Market

Sunday; 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Merchants from across the region sell a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants and prepared foods each week along Avenida Del Mar at Calle Seville.

San Juan Capistrano Farmers Market

Wednesday; 3 p.m.–7 p.m. This weekly market features more than 30 vendors selling produce, fresh flowers, specialty food items and more. Yorba Linda Street at Camino Capistrano. www.farmersmarketsjc.com.

LEARN // Garden Fest

Saturday, April 11; 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Learn about water conservation, butterfly habitats, school garden programs and more at the San Clemente Garden Club’s annual event.

San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, www.sanclementegardenclub.com.

Earth Day San Clemente

Saturday, April 18; 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Learn how to make a positive difference by reducing litter and pollutants that end up in the ocean. Arrive early to clean Main Beach.

The San Clemente Tree Foundation is giving away 100 trees. Parque Del Mar, San Clemente Pier, www.scwatersheds.com.

Dana Point Farmers Market Photo: Andrea Swayne

VOLUNTEER  Earth Day Planting, Cleanup

Saturday, April 11; 9 a.m.–noon.

Help place native plants, shrubs and trees around Doheny State Beach. Bring your work gloves and reusable bag. Parking fee waived. Meet at Picnic Site A. 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6172, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

Keep It Wild Volunteer Day

Saturday, April 18; 8 a.m.–11 a.m. Help restore wild lands and create a healthier environment by removing invasive plants and planting native ones. Volunteer at Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park or Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. www.ocparks.com.

Earth Day Beach, Creek and Park Cleanup

ROOTS Restoration

Starr Ranch Preservation

Saturday, April 18; 9 a.m.–noon. Help clean up Doheny and San Juan Creek. Bring work gloves and reusable bag. Parking fee waived. Meet at lifeguard headquarters.

25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6172, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

Saturday, April 25 Take part in the California Coastal Commission’s restoration project to preserve Upper Newport Bay. Remove invasive plants and perform site maintenance. Register online at www.coastal.ca.gov. 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, 949.923.2290.

Earth Day Restoration, Cleanup

Garden Angels

Back to Natives Restoration

Saturday, April 18; 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Help maintain San Onofre State Park’s San Mateo Campground by painting bench seating, screen doors and interpretive displays. Also, help plant native plants. Register at www.calparks.org/ earthday or call 888.987.2751 by April 13.

Thursday, April 30; 8:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

Volunteers meet each Thursday at the Montanez Adobe at Los Rios Park to maintain the gardens. Bring gloves and wear close-toed shoes. 31745 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

Saturday, May 9; 9 a.m.–noon. Become a weed warrior by removing invasive plants at Audubon California’s 4,000acre sanctuary. Tools provided. Held Saturday, May 16 as well. 100 Bell Canyon Road, Trabuco Canyon, 949.858.0309, www.starrranch.org.

Sunday, May 24; 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Assist in habitat restoration for animals on Elsinore Peak in the Cleveland National Forest. Meet at Bravo Burgers, at 31722 Rancho Viejo Road, in San Juan Capistrano at 7:30 a.m. www.backtonatives.org.

Visitors play Race to Recycle at Discovery Cube. Courtesy photo

A Call to Eco Action

Challenge asks youth to reduce waste, reuse and recycle

By Andrea Papagianis Personal decisions impacting the environment present themselves every day—choices like taking groceries home in a paper, plastic or reusable bag, or deciding whether a household item is reusable, recyclable or disposable waste. They are basic questions we may think don’t hold much weight.

But with each Californian—all 38.8 million of us—creating an average of 4.4 pounds of waste daily, according to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, these choices matter. That rate of daily disposal amounted to 30.2 million tons of waste entering landfills statewide in 2013—a good deal of which could have been diverted through mindful shopping, recycling and composting.

Since 2011, OC Waste & Recycling and Discovery Cube Orange County have been asking the county’s youngest residents to step back and examine daily decisions.

Eco Challenge, a series of hands-on, interactive exhibits at Discovery Cube empowers visitors to learn how they can make the environment better by reducing waste. Three immersive exhibits—Discovery Market, Eco Garage and Race to Recycle—challenge guests to shop smarter, properly dispose of household hazardous waste and to be wise about trash sorting.

“The goal is to teach them (students) at a young age so they can go home and teach their parents,” said Dan Nasitka, Discovery Cube’s communications manager. “We are trying to have it start at home.”

Dumpster Diversion REUSE Bring your own bag to the grocery store and repurpose any plastic bags COMPOST Decompose food scraps and organic materials to reduce up to 25 percent of household waste GO PAPERLESS Sign up for electronic bill pay, send email invites and unsubscribe from junk mail BUY IN BULK Avoid excessive packaging, which accounts for roughly 1/3 of garbage generated READ THE LABELS Purchase products made, or packaged, with recycled materials RECYCLE Sort through disposables at work, school, home and when you’re out and about DISPOSE Take hazardous waste to a disposal site: Prima Descheca Landfill, 32250 La Pata Avenue, San Juan Capistrano Find more tips for reducing waste at www.calrecycle.ca.gov.

Visitors go on a scavenger hunt in Discovery Market for produce and products with eco-friendly packaging and sort through green, household and hazardous waste in Race to Recycle—a carnival-style game that brings out their competitive side. Lastly, in Eco Garage, guests learn about items they shouldn’t toss in the trash such as paint, insect repellent and aerosol cans.

Discovery Cube is located at 2500 N. Main Street in Santa Ana. Visit www.discoverycube.org for information on tickets, events, exhibits and more.

The Schwörer family, a Swiss family of four traveling the world to shed light on climate change, arrives in Dana Point aboard their sailing vessel, Pachamama. Photo: Jim Shilander

Living ON Mother Earth Swiss family travels globe to inspire a better future

By Jim Shilander Swiss climate scientist Dario Schwörer and his wife Sabine have been traveling the world for 15 years to raise climate change awareness, and in doing so, putting what they talk about into practice.

On Monday, Schwörer, Sabine and two of their four children arrived in Dana Point Harbor. The family will be in south Orange County for two weeks discussing their odyssey “Top to Top”—a journey that has included living at sea and sailing over 70,000 nautical miles aboard the Pachamama, Incan for Mother Earth. The expedition has also seen land and life as the Schwörers climbed six of the world’s highest peaks on six continents, cycled nearly 15,000 miles and welcomed all four of their children.

It is a trip that began in 2000 when the couple decided to visit all the world’s climates from the Arctic to Antarctic after Dario saw his office “melting away.” In Schwörer’s case, it was the literal melting of glaciers in the Swiss Alps, which through extensive training and work as a ski and mountaineer guide he became an expert on the impact climate change had on the European mountain range.

“Climate is also changing at altitude,” Schwörer said. “Our goal was to explore positive solutions for the climate, for the environment, and along the way, go into schools to inspire young people to act.

And we wanted to do it in the most environmentally friendly way possible.”

When their first child was born the couple considered stopping, but their decision to continue was “the best we

could have made,” Schwörer said. They now make their decisions on what paths to take and when to take them based on what’s best for everyone.

“We are always together with our children,” Schwörer said.

For much of their 15-year expedition, the Schwörers have lived at sea, exclusively utilizing human power and nature’s forces of wind and sun. The ship includes a number of solar panels and a pair of small wind turbines in order to generate electricity—just enough to power items and appliances inside the boat.

Apart from one instance when the boat collided with a floating container, the most dangerous part of the journey, Schwörer said, has actually been the cycling portions.

“After 15 years outdoors, you learn to read the signs nature gives you,” he said. “When you’re on a sailboat, you’re dealing with weather and know the ropes.

Climbing, you need to know the knots, but you have base camp and a climbing team.”

One of the biggest obstacles and dangers, he said, was dealing with traffic. “If a driver comes along and he’s drunk, then I can be the best cyclist in the world and it might not make a difference,” he said.

Even though there are risks, Schwörer believes it is important for people to go out and experience nature and people in all their forms.

“We’ve visited more than 100 countries, and this planet is still so wonderful, he said. “There’s so many good people, really good projects, people doing really great stuff for our planet.”

The Schwörers will give two talks while in Orange County. First, they will discuss climate change and their journey at the Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive in Dana Point, at noon on Saturday, April 11. Then, on Thursday, April 16 at 6 p.m. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street in San Juan Capistano, hosts the family for an open forum.

After leaving Dana Point, the family will make their way toward the one peak they’ve yet to climb—Mt. Vinson in Antarctica.

same month one year prior. One month later, in January—considered the state’s driest month— water conservation dropped to 8.8 percent.

On April 1, Brown imposed unprecedented mandatory water restrictions for residents, businesses and municipalities as California marks its fourth dry year. The goal: A 25 percent decrease in water use.

Provisions in the governor’s order include: • Banning the watering of decorative grasses on public medians

When in Drought California takes extreme measures to conserve, protect water supply Last year Gov. Jerry Brown asked the state to cut water usage by 20 percent. To meet Brown’s goal the State Water Resources Control Board implemented emergency regulations for water preservation.

Residential restrictions include bans on: • Washing down sidewalks and driveways • Watering outdoor landscapes in a manner causing excess runoff • Washing a vehicle using a hose without a shut-off nozzle • Running a decorative water feature with no recirculation system • Irrigating turf or decorative landscapes within 48 hours of rain Also, restaurants can only serve water to customers when requested and hotels must give guests the option to not have their towels and linens laundered daily.

A survey of nearly 400 urban water retailers showed residential water savings statewide failed to meet Brown’s set goal from June to November 2014. But in December customers of the state’s largest water retailers cut consumption by 22 percent, compared to the

• Replacing 50 million square feet of lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping • Creating a temporary consumer rebate program for energy-efficient appliances • Requiring colleges, golf courses and cemeteries to significantly cut water usage

Brown’s declaration came as Sierra Nevada snowfall hit its lowest recorded point since 1950 when such readings were begun. According to the California Department of Water Resources, the state’s current snowpack holds only 1.4 percent of water content—just 5 percent of historical average for April 1.

The mandatory restrictions also arrived on the heels of a $1 billion emergency drought relief package approved by state lawmakers and signed by Brown on March 27. The package appropriates funding and accelerates the movement of others to address the state’s immediate—and future—water needs.

About $660 million from the water measure goes toward flood control and $273 million funds additional infrastructure upgrades for water recycling and drinking water quality programs. The remaining monies fund urgent environmental protections, provide food and water supplies to drought-stricken communities and finance conservation education and outreach activities, among others things.

“This funding is just one piece of a much larger effort to help those most impacted by the drought and prepare the state for an uncertain future. But make no mistake, from Modoc to Imperial County, rain is not in the forecast and every Californian must be doing their utmost to conserve water.”

—Gov. Jerry Brown Sixty-six percent of California voters approved Proposition 1 on November’s ballot. The Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 allows the state to sell a general obligation bond worth approximately $7.5 billion for a statewide, comprehensive water plan. —Andrea Papagianis

PROPOSITION 1: THE BREAKDOWN 

Trimming Your Water Usage Orange County residents use a daily average of 140 gallons of water according to the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County.

In order to meet the state’s reduction goal each resident needs to cut at least 28 gallons of water out of their daily usage.

Here are a few ideas and simple changes, that can make a world of difference.

INSIDE Cut showers down to 5 minutes and save

9,000 GALLONS PER YEAR

Installing highefficiency toilets will save

19 GALLONS PER DAY

Launder only full loads and save

30 GALLONS EACH CYCLE

While brushing your teeth, turn off the water to save

2,000 GALLONS EVERY YEAR

OUTSIDE Adjust sprinkler systems to save more than

50 GALLONS DAILY

Trade your lawn in for drought-friendly, native plants and save

120 GALLONS PER DAY

Install a “smart” sprinkler controller and save

15,000 GALLONS A YEAR

$2.7 BILLION // New storage

$900 MILLION // Protecting

$725 MILLION // Water recy-

projects such as dams

and cleaning up

cling and salt-removal projects

$1.89 BILLION // Watershed

groundwater basins

$520 MILLION // Clean and

programs and statewide flood

$810 MILLION // Increasing

safe water programs for

management

regional water supplies

disadvantaged communities

Learn more about lessening water usage at www.saveourwater.com and find out about residential and commercial rebate programs for installing high-efficiency appliances, rain barrels, soil-moisture sensors and more by visiting www.ocwatersmart.com. * Water saving figures obtained from the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County.

GETTING OUT

Sunday | 19

Tuesday of every month at the Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo, 949.275.3142, www.vfwpost9934.org.

33201 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, 949.728.0685, www.californianativeplants. com.

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.

DANA POINT SYMPHONY: MUSIC OF SPAIN 7 p.m. The Dana Point Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 2015 “One World” season with guest conductor Ignazio Terrasi and featuring Jacobo Christensen Fabuel on violin. Program includes Manuel de Falla, La Vida Breve; Juan Colomer, Selections from Ballet Sorrola; Granados, Goyescas Intermezzo and Pablo de Sarasate, Fantasía sobre temas de la pera Carmen Op. 25. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students, seniors and military.

Season tickets (four shows) $60. Buy tickets online or at the door on a first come, first served basis. St. Edward’s Church, 33926 Calle La Primavera, Dana Point, www.danapointsymphony.com.

Wednesday | 15 HOMESCHOOL FAMILY DAY 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Discount packages for homeschool families every third Wednesday of the month at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Packages include child admission, guided tour, audio tour, panning for gold, adobe brick making, koi fish food, Mission Clubhouse ID card and passport explorer. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

NATIVE AMERICAN BASKET WEAVING 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn about the traditions and culture of basket weaving at Mission San Juan Capistrano. First and third Wednesday of every month. Free with paid admission. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

Thursday | 16 SEBASTIAN BACH 8 p.m. Hard rock solo artist Sebastian Bach performs live at The Coach House. Tickets are $25. Doors open at 6 p.m. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.com.

Friday | 17 CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Experience the quintessential California wine tasting and enjoy hundreds of California’s finest vintage wines, delicious food samples and lively music. Wines are paired with a variety of fresh gourmet appetizers like artisan breads, cheeses, olive oils and much more.

Admission is $99 in advance. Marriott Hotel and Resort, VUE lawn, 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point, www.californiawinefestival.com.

Saturday | 18 HABITAT GARDENING WORKSHOP SERIES 9:30 a.m. Join the Tree of Life Nursery for a series of speakers that will inspire you to replace your lawn with beautiful, drought-tolerant native gardens. Today, Mike Evans will speak about creating and caring for native gardens. Admission is free.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 10-23, 2015

SJC FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY WRITER’S WORKSHOP 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library is capping off National Library Week with a “The Way of Story: The Craft and Soul of Writing” writer’s workshop with award-winning author Catherine Ann Jones, who wrote for the TV show “Touched by an Angel.”

Admission is $100 with lunch included.

Those who register by April 12 will receive a 20 percent discount. RSVP is required by contacting 949.218.4512. A lecture and book signing with Jones will follow from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event is free but RSVP is required. San Juan Capistrano Library, 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

BIOLUMINESCENCE CRUISE 8 p.m. The Ocean Institute’s nighttime Bioluminescence Cruise aboard the RV Sea Explorer provides a unique opportunity to learn about and witness the remarkable ability of some marine animals to glow in the dark. Cruises are also scheduled for May 16, June 12 and 13, July 18, Aug. 15, Sep. 19 and Oct. 10. (Oct. 10 cruise begins at 7:30 p.m.). $35 for adults, $22 for children ages 4 to 12.

24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

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. Admission $2-$3. Price is in addition to museum admission for non-members. 26801 Ortega Highway, 949.234.1320, www.missionsjc. com/activities/holiday-crafts.php.

MIKE HAMILTON Noon-4 p.m & 5 p.m. to 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.

CASA CAPTIVATING SEASON: JACOBO FABUEL 3 p.m. Fifteen-year-old Spanish violinist Jacobo Christensen Fabuel joins the Casa Classic series in a special performance with pianist Mitsuko Morikawa. Publicly performing at the age of five, Fabuel has given concerts in San Miniato (Italy 2011), Skive, Thisted, Nykoebing (Denmark 2011 and 2014), Genève (Switzerland 2013) and throughout Spain. General Admission tickets are $25. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente.

For more information, call 949.498.2139, or visit www.casaromantica.org.

Monday | 20 Country Dancin’ with Patrick and Friends 6:30 p.m. Every Monday at The Swallow’s Inn with steak night and happy hour prices. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188.

Tuesday | 21 SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY TOASTMASTERS MEETING 7 p.m.-8:40 p.m. Practice becoming a more confident communica-

tor. Occurs every Tuesday. Dana Point Community House, 24642 San Juan Ave., Dana Point. 949.280.9777, 3944816.toastmastersclubs.org/.

Wednesday | 22 MISSION GARDEN TOURS 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Take a half-hour tour of the Mission’s grounds with the Mission Gardening Angels every Wednesday. Meet at the front gate. Free with paid admission. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

OIL PAINTING WITH VICKI DE SILVA 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Enjoy oil panting lessons with artist Vicki De Silva at San Clemente Art Supply & Custom Framing. Classes run every Wednesday through July 17.

Call for details and pricing. 1531 N. El Camino Real, 949.369.6603, www.scartsupply.com.

Thursday | 23 16TH ANNUAL NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL Celebrated as one of the leading lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival seeks to bring to the best of classic and contemporary filmmaking from around the world to Newport Beach for eight days, April 23-30. The prestigious multicultural event screens over 300 films and prides itself on showcasing the best in new, local, international and critically acclaimed cinema.

Film screenings take place at a variety of theaters in the greater Newport Beach area. For more information, visit www.newportbeachfilmfest.com/2015.

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: Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam

BY ANDREA SWAYNE

ave Mason’s Traffic Jam is coming to the Coach House on Saturday, April 11, to take audiences on a walk through some of the greatest days of rock history with the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and co-founder of the legendary band Traffic.

Along with songs from Traffic—founded with Steve Winwood in 1967—Mason will also share rare historic images and songs of other artists featuring his guitar work.

One of Mason’s favorites, featured at nearly all of his live shows, is Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower.” Mason’s stories include tales from his illustrious career

D

which has also included work with many of rock and roll’s elite—Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, Leon Russell, Fleetwood Mac, to name a few.

The Dave Mason VIP Experience will offer a Dave Mason. Photo: Courtesy limited number of fans a special pre-show encounter with Mason beginning at 5 p.m. The VIP Experience

Page 13

includes a meet and greet and photo taken with Mason, attendance at the sound check, an exclusive tour VIP laminate pass, a personalized autographed photo of Mason, an official tour book and a tour merchandise item.

General admission tickets $55 and $125 for the VIP Experience. (VIP ticket does not include general admission to the show.)

Doors open at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. for VIPs) and show starts at 9 p.m.

The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano.

For tickets and more information, call 949.496.8930 or visit www.thecoachhouse.com. CD

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

GUEST OPINION: Moments in Time by Jan Siegel

Celebrating San Juan’s History with Old-fashioned Entertainment Authentic tortilla demonstrations are one of the many offerings at this year’s Fiesta Days event

O

n Saturday, April 25, the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society will celebrate its third annual Fiesta Days. This is a family gathering event that will offer crafts, exhibits, games and food tasting for people of all ages. You will not want to miss this special event.

One of the exciting events will be a tortilla demonstration and tasting by Bea Torres. According to Bea, the tortilla is experiencing a renaissance throughout Mexico. Soon there will be tortillas in multiple colors. The color of the tortilla comes from the different types of corn. In North America, tortillas are the most popular ethnic bread, surpassing bagels, English muffins and pita bread. Tortillas are more than a food, they are also a utensil.

Besides Native Mexicans, the American cowboys discovered how easy it was to fill the tortilla with meat as a convenient way to eat sitting around the campfire.

Tortillas date back to 10,000 years before Christ. According to Mayan culture, the first tortilla was made for a hungry king by a local peasant from native corn. It was also the main food of the Aztecs when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century.

Corn was the principal diet of the local inhabitants. Often the corn was eaten raw off the cob, but it was also stored and later ground into corn meal, which could be made into corn dough or masa.

Just as many young girls in North

America spent years perfecting their skill at sewing and embroidering, many Mexican girls spent years learning how to make the perfect tortilla. While the ingredients of corn and water for making tortillas are easy, the actual manufacturing is much more difficult. The temperature of the water must be just right, or the tortillas will not come out perfectly. Once the masa is just right, a golf ball-size piece of masa is placed between wet hands, and the process of patting it into a flat thin pancake starts. When the masa is the right size, it is placed on a hot griddle to be quickly cooked on both sides. There is nothing like the taste of a hot tortilla right off the grill.

MOMENTS IN Wheat tortillas were TIME made originally in the

By Jan Siegel northern part of Mexico.

The process of mixing the ground wheat flour and water into a dough was the same as for the corn tortilla.

Tortilla was the name given by the Spaniards to the unleavened flat bread that they found used by the Aztecs. It comes from the Spanish word “torta” which means round cake. The Aztecs called this bread “tlaxcalli.” The Mayans referred to it as “wej.”

You can spend a wonderful “Moment

The Distant Cousins perform live music for dancers during the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society’s second annual Fiesta Day. Photo: Brian Park

in Time” at the Historical Society on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and experience an old-fashioned look at the way things were done over 100 years ago. You will be able to taste handmade tortillas hot off the grill. You will also be able to follow the pathway of Father Junipero Serra as San Juan Capistrano gets ready to celebrate his Sainthood. Enjoy native wildlife, doll

making, piñata breaking, making shell bracelets, fan making, lasso lessons and much more. The event is free to the public. 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

Domingo Belardes demonstrates the use of a pump drill, an authentic tool used by the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, at last year’s Fiesta Days. Photo: Brian Park

The Capistrano Dispatch April 10–16, 2015

Page 14

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SJC LIVING

Children rush the field at the beginning of an egg hunt at South Shores Church.

Marley Bucklin, 5, of San Juan Capistrano, gets her face painted.

Caleb Oakley, 6, of Laguna Niguel, participates in a bunny hop race.

Easter Fair Filled with FamilyFriendly Fun PHOTOS AND STORY BY ALLISON JARRELL, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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bout 350 children swarmed South Shores Church in San Juan Capistrano last Saturday for the church’s second annual Easter Fair event. The free day-long celebration included multiple egg hunts, the telling of the Easter story, a variety of carnival games, bounce houses, face painting, lunch and crafts. The church also accepted Feed the Need donations on Saturday to help feed hungry families in the area. CD

Stephanie Benitez, 5, of San Clemente, poses with her father, Galdino Benitez, after getting her face painted.

Page 15

Kenzie Bucklin, 2, of San Juan Capistrano, shows off her Easter outfit and basket.

Abril and her mother Katia search for Easter eggs.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING

NCL Raises Over $58,000 in Annual Fashion Show THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

T

he Capistrano Coast Chapter of the National Charity League held its 15th annual fashion show fundraiser on March 8 at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point.

The luncheon raised $58,000—the most funds raised in the history of the chapter’s event—through community donations and sales of silent auction and raffle drawing tickets. The proceeds from the fundraiser help provide funds for the 30 philanthropies the chapter supports, such as after-school programs, U.S. military support, food banks and senior citizen activities. Funds raised from the event are also earmarked for college scholarships, given each spring to graduating seniors in need from the community.

The NCL Class of 2018 hosted the event led by co-chairs Lana Erlanson, Wendy Siu and Kelly Swartzbaugh. Attendees at the sold-out event included over 400 NCL members, families and friends, in addition to representatives from several of the philanthropies supported by the NCL chapter. The fashion show theme was “The World Is My Oyster and I Am the Pearl.”

Seventeen NCL “Ticktockers” from the class of 2016, all from local surrounding high schools, were featured as they modeled spring fashions from Blue Eyed Girl in San Juan Capistrano, Camellia Boutique in Dana Point, Daisy Shoppe in Mission Viejo, LF Laguna in Laguna Beach, Macy’s in Mission Viejo, Friar Tux in Laguna Niguel and Elizabeth Dane Jewelry in San Juan Capistrano. Eight male students from various high schools also modeled during the show. The NCL models spent hours of rehearsal time with professional Fashion Show Producer, Pat Perkowski of Fashion Forward Produc-

Model Skye Monroe walks in the 15th annual fashion show fundraiser. Photo: courtesy of the Capistrano Coast Chapter of the National Charity League.

tions, to deliver a flawless fashion show.

Countless hours were dedicated by NCL Capistrano Coast Chapter members including securing sponsorships, soliciting donations and offering behind-the-scenes support for the fundraiser.

National Charity League, Inc. is a mother/daughter organization dedicated to serving local philanthropies while fostering the mother/daughter relationship.

Members participate in philanthropic work, educational activities, leadership development, and cultural enrichment.

The Capistrano Coast Chapter of NCL represents the areas of San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Ladera Ranch and Mission Viejo.

For more information, visit www.nclcapistranocoast.org. CD

Flashback Friday

This photo of Capitan Stanislado Morales and Lucrecia Yorba dates back to 1905 and was used in the book, “For the Soul of Rafael.”

Morales was born in Los Angeles on Oct. 18, 1866. He began working at the Santa Margarita ranch in 1886, and was married to Morena Garcia. He was a vaquero of the old type and could rope, brand, break a bronco, shoe a horse or skin a beef.

Photo: Courtesy of the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society

Oliva 40-home Project Opens in San Juan THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

PET OF THE WEEK: CLIFFORD Clifford is an 18-month-old Jack Russell Chihuahua mix, although his spectacular brindle coat suggests there may be another breed or breeds in his lineage.

Clifford is a very easygoing and cuddly pup being fostered by Camp Bow Wow doggy daycare for the Ark of San Juan Companion Animal Rescue while he awaits adoption. He was found stray but is a quick learner, and in the short time he’s been in foster care he has already learned to sit.

Clifford enjoys group playtime at Camp Bow Wow but his caregivers feel he may prefer to be the only dog in a family with children over the age of 5 in a home setting. He can get a bit jealous when one

The Capistrano Dispatch April 10-23, 2015

other dog, or a small child, competes with him for the attention of a favorite adult person.

To find out more about Clifford or to schedule a visit with him, call Camp Bow Wow, 220 Calle Pintoresco in San Clemente, at 949.218.7387.

O

liva, a new collection of 40 estate-style homes built by The New Home Company, is now open with model homes available for viewing and sales underway.

The development is located on 17 acres at 32281 Del Obispo Street.

Last year, the San Juan Capistrano Planning Commission unanimously approved changes to the project, including the addition of nine homes on an adjacent 4.5-acre lot, that combined create a 40-home community. The original project was approved by the City Council in 2005.

Oliva’s three floorplan options range from approximately 3,900 to more than 5,300 square feet of living space with up to six bedrooms and six and a half baths. The homes are priced in the low to mid $2 million range.

The gated community includes views of rural hillsides, foothills and working ranches, as well as Pacific Ocean vistas.

The company’s offices are located

Page 16

The exterior of a model home in San Juan’s new Oliva development. Photo by Allison Jarrell

within the development and visitors are also welcome to walk in and tour the model homes on their own. Joan Marcus-Colvin, senior vice president of sales, marketing and design for the New Home Company, said the three floorplans embrace a one-story living lifestyle, with the option to add a second story in some homes.

“We did a tremendous amount of consumer research before designing these homes,” Marcus-Colvin said. “When we bought this piece of land, we took a lot of time doing focus groups with neighbors and people in the area and brokers, along with studying the neighborhood, to understand what we could do to become a fabric of the neighborhood. We want to honor architecturally and culturally where we build.”

For more information on the community, visit www.olivanwhm.com. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

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

GARAGE SALES DANA POINT SALE SAT. 4/11/15 8 A.M. Retired K-2 teacher selling teaching supplies, books and other items during neighborhood garage sale. 25512 Saltwater Dr. Dana Point, CA

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

HELP WANTED PART-TIME DENTAL ASSISTANT/ OFFICE ASSISTANT Days needed are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Entry level position. Must be tech savvy and a team player. Please call 949-241-6633 MARKETING & ADVERTISING INTERN Picket Fence Media (San Clemente Times, Dana Point Times and The Capistrano Dispatch) is seeking a polished and enthusiastic advertising intern to start immediately. Enrolled college marketing and communications student required. Must be available Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoons, one to two days a week. Great phone manner and attention to detail a must. Knowledge of sales and eye-for-design a plus. This is a non-paid internship and a great opportunity to obtain some hands-on work experience and college credit (if available through your school). Send resume listing school and work experience to Susie Lantz at slantz@sanclementetimes.com.

No phone inquiries without resume.

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or email dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

LOCALS ONLY BUSINESS LISTINGS AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

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

AUTOMOBILE REPAIR

Star Motors

32959 Calle Perfecto, 949.443.1970, www.star-motors.com

BANKING

Independence Bank

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

ELECTRICIANS

Excel Electric

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

ELECTRIC CONTRACTORS

Excel Electric - CA #793860

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

JEWELER

Abby’s Fine Jewelry Design

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

PHOTO & DIGITAL LAB

San Juan Photo & Digital

32301 Camino Capistrano, 949.661.5668, www.sjcphotodigital.com

After-Hours Electric

Ca Lic #697355 714.396.2188, 949.573.8386, www.bbb.org The Capistrano Dispatch March 27–April 9, 2015

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

YOUR BUSINESS HERE! Sign up to be featured as our monthly Locals Only Business Spotlight for only $100! Write-up of 50 words with logo.

Call Debra Wells at 949.589.0892 or e-mail dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

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PLUMBING

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

SCHOOLS

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

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

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

A New Life Chapter Begins

I

retired January 30, after owning and operating Tutor and Spunky’s Deli in Dana Point for 26 years—a job that kept me very busy.

People ask, “Now that you’ve sold the deli, won’t you get bored? What will you do with all of your free time?”

If the first two months of retirement are an indication, boredom is the least of my concerns. I’ve been busier than a cranberry at Thanksgiving.

When a business in California is sold, there are a myriad of things that must be done. Usually, the seller agrees to train the buyer for a period of time. In my case, I spent 120 hours working with the new owners. And then there were tax returns to be filed and boxes of records packed and stored, many for up to seven years.

People often tell you that, in retirement, you’ll wonder where the time goes. I fall into that group. No boredom yet.

ON LIFE AND My answer to the LOVE AFTER 50

By Tom Blake “What will you do with your time?” question is pretty simple: write, paddleboard and travel.

As far as writing, I plan to continue covering “Life and Love After 50” in both this newspaper and my weekly newsletter. I’ve done that for 21 years and find that love and relationships seem to get even more intriguing and challenging as people age.

Regarding paddleboarding, one of the most important things for retired people is exercise. In anticipation of retirement, last October I decided to give paddleboarding a try. What a gift of beauty we have in south Orange County with our beaches and Dana Point Harbor. Three times a week, at least, I launch from Baby Beach and usually paddle around Harbor Island and back past the yachts and sailboats.

Sea lions and birds enrich the experience.

And, except for the board and the paddle, the sport is free.

This week I was thinking I had become a pretty good paddler; I hadn’t fallen into

the chilly waters in a couple of months, although it seemed others were faster than I. Then, an old-timer paddled by and said, “You’re dragging your leash in the water; it’s slowing you down.”

Yup, he was right. Adding to the drag was a large clump of seaweed. I placed the leash on top of my board and wow, I noticed a difference right away. In retirement, there is a lot to learn.

As far as travel, when I met my life partner Greta 17 years ago, one of the characteristics we had in common was a love of travel.

True, when I owned the deli, we were able to get away on several trips. But, when you own a business back home, you aren’t totally free when you travel because you think about whether the business has enough money, or whether a refrigerator breaks down, or any number of possible problems.

Now, I won’t have to worry about deli issues. Our plan is to travel as much as we can as long as we are able to. Our first trip begins next week. We are off to Austria and Central Europe for seven weeks, which includes a two-week river cruise. If I hear of any romance-after-50 stories on our travels, I will share them with you.

At the least, I will be posting details of the trip on my Travel After 50 blog. So, I will be mixing two of my retirement activities—writing and travel—while we’re gone.

As for paddleboarding, I doubt if that will be possible on the Danube or Rhine rivers. I guess we will be doing a lot of walking instead.

Here is a link to the website: www. travelafter55.com. On the home page, click on the travel blog tab. I hope you will follow us and email your comments.

There will be a singles over 50 meet and greet at Tutor and Spunky’s Deli, Dana Point, on Thursday, April 30, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Carl the DJ will be spinning the tunes. No admission charge. 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.

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR Solution:

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 18

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Shorecliffs Golf Club captured the inaugural South County Cup tournament on March 29. Photo: Courtesy

Shorecliffs Golfers Win Inaugural South County Cup COMPILED BY STEVE BREAZEALE

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olfers representing Shorecliffs Golf Course in San Clemente used home field advantage to best a field of four area golf teams and capture the inaugural South County Cup tournament on March 29.

The Shorecliffs team narrowly edged Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club for a 19-18.5 victory in the two-day event, which was held at Shorecliffs. The match came down to the wire and was decided after the conclusion of the final match of the day.

The South County Cup featured four 16man teams from San Juan Hills Golf Club, San Clemente Municipal Golf Course, Bella

Collina and Shorecliffs competing in match play formats for a perpetual trophy. All players were members of their respective course’s men’s clubs and carried handicap indexes below six. There were also four alternates selected for each group.

Event organizers say next year’s tournament will be held at the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course.

Shorecliffs team members included: Jeff Wells, Darrell Kinzie, Bradford Hunt, Brad Waite, Gary Hunt, Mike Crume, Jerry Maras, David Jonas, Dave Trask, Mark Perkett, Paul Fingal, Mark Johnson, Doug Weatherholt, Ed Blum, Butch Hewitt, Doug Weatherholt Sr. and Frank Bator. CD

Bendzick Hired as New St. Margaret’s Athletic Director THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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t. Margaret’s Episcopal School announced April 2 that Pat Bendzick will be the school’s new athletic director, effective July 1, 2015. Bendzick will replace former athletic director Susie Maga.

Bendzick comes to St. Margaret’s after seven years serving as the athletic director and head cross country and track and field coach at Canyon High School.

Bendzick, a former NCAA Division I collegiate distance runner, began his coaching career in 2001 at the University of San Francisco. He also taught physical education and sports medicine at the high school level the same year, according to a press release. CD

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Pat Bendzick was named the new athletic director at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. Photo: Courtesy

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

Scoreboard THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

YOUTH BASKETBALL The Capo-Dana NJB sixth-grade boys All-Star team, The Nets, placed third at the NJB National Tournament on March 29, signaling the highest finish ever for a Capo-Dana team at the event.

The Nets were formed less than six weeks ago and had one week to practice before entering a tournament schedule that included appearances in the NJB Area and Sectional championships.

The team played four games in two

days at the national tournament and advanced to the event’s semifinals.

In the third-place game, The Nets trailed Los Gatos by 11 points with 1:59 remaining. The Capo-Dana defense forced two turnovers and converted them into points and took advantage of their foul shots down the stretch, eventually taking a two-point lead with two seconds remaining to seal the victory.

The team includes, Logan Jenner, Graycen Greer, Trey Pate, Jacob Marano, Marco Vega, Kai Pourzanjaani, Austin Jenner, David Lee, Devin Carrion and Jordan Shaw. The team’s head coach is Damian Carrion, with assistance by Wayne Vega. CD

Sophomore Jack Owen and the JSerra pitching staff has allowed seven runs over their last six games. Photo: KDahlgren Photography

Lions in Wait The JSerra Catholic baseball team uses patience at the plate to excel

BY STEVE BREAZEALE. THE CAPISRANO DISPATCH

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ne of the more intriguing storylines heading into JSerra Catholic’s matchup against Great Oak in the quarterfinals of the Boras Classic baseball tournament on April 8 was the emergence of the Lions’ standout sophomore pitcher Jack Owen, who earned All-Trinity League honors and went 9-1 as a freshman.

However, by the time Owen, the starter, was slated to take the hill in the second after a brisk 13-pitch first inning, the Lions offense had already staked him to a seven-run lead.

There was no need for Owen to throw any more pitches, as the Lions used a patient approach at the plate to march to a convincing 10-1 victory. JSerra was set to play Alemany in the tournament semifinals on April 9. Results were not available at press time.

Every member of the Lions starting nine reached base against Great Oak and

eight players recorded at least one hit in an offensive eruption that signaled their highest run output in three weeks.

JSerra (11-1) jumped on Great Oak starter Zeke Young early. Back to back RBI hits by junior Chase Strumpf and senior Jake Pries put the Lions up 2-0 in the first inning. In the second, the Lions sent nine batters to the plate, scored two runs on a Great Oak fielding error and scored three more times on a bases loaded triple

by Pries to take a 7-0 lead.

“We swung the bat really well … I think their patience is really good. They’ve been grinding pitchers really good all year,” JSerra head coach Brett Kay said.

“They’re patient and when they get their pitch they attack. It’s been good one through nine, it hasn’t been one guy.”

Strumpf went 2-2 with two RBIs and Pries, who was a home run shy of the cycle, went 3-4 with a double, triple and three RBIs. The offense stole the show on April 8, but the Lions pitching rotation has been a

constant all year long.

The team opened the tournament with a 4-0 victory over Granite Hills and have allowed seven runs over their last six games. Four of those games were in the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C., a tournament that fielded 16 of the best teams in the nation. The Lions went 3-1 over the three-day event.

Against Great Oak, pitchers Reid Connolly, Chase Brown, Colton Hector and

Owen combined to hold the Wolfpack to four hits.

“Going back to (the NHSI) our pitching staff has been really, really good and I’m happy with that. Depth is important, especially going into league next week,” Kay said.

JSerra will open Trinity League play with a road game against Mater Dei on April 15. The Lions are the defending league champions. CD