December 11, 2015

Online Voting for the Best of San Juan Capistrano Ends Dec. 20

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SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

DECEMBER 11–17, 2015 • VOLUME 13, ISSUE 23

Equality in the Classroom A look at CUSD’s updated nondiscrimination policy through the eyes of transgender student Sid Piravi E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 4

Siddharth Piravi, a sophomore at San Juan Hills High School who identifies as transgender, is one of many LGBTQ+ students who stand to benefit from the district’s revised nondiscrimination policy. Photo: Allison Jarrell

City Council Appoints New Mayor, Pro Tem EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

SVC Football Heads to SoCal Regional Game SPORTS/PAGE 26

Inside: Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide SPECIAL SECTION

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

EYE ON SJC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

Newly appointed Mayor Pam Patterson ran the second half of the City Council’s Dec. 1 meeting.

Photo: Allison Jarrell

What’s Up With...

Five things San Juan should know this week City Council Appoints New Mayor, Pro Tem THE LATEST: The San Juan Capistrano City Council reorganized at its Dec. 1 meeting, appointing Councilwoman Pam Patterson as the new mayor and Councilwoman Kerry Ferguson as mayor pro tem.

Patterson, who formerly served as mayor pro tem after being elected to the council last November, replaces Councilman Derek Reeve at the center of the dais. Reeve thanked his colleagues, staff and the community for the opportunity to serve as mayor.

“During my tenure as mayor, I both learned, as well as reaffirmed, my belief on what it takes to be an effective council member and mayor—be humble, never take credit but give credit to others, accept responsibility when things go wrong, be able to adapt and improvise and always accept that there may be better ways to do things, and never have a closed mind,” Reeve said.

Patterson thanked her colleagues for the vote of confidence, her family for their support and residents for electing her to City Council.

“As mayor, my priorities will continue to be to preserve the village-like character of our community, to meliorate parking, traffic and water issues, to get our financial house in order, to put San Juan The Capistrano Dispatch December 11-17, 2015

residents first, and in doing so, to make San Juan Capistrano the Carmel of the south,” Patterson said.

WHAT’S NEXT: The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting is set for Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. at City Hall, located at 32400 Paseo Adelanto. A special meeting was recently scheduled for Dec. 11 at 1 p.m.

—Allison Jarrell

Council Honors Citizens, Nonprofit of the Year THE LATEST: At the City Council’s Dec. 1 meeting, before departing his position as mayor, Councilman Derek Reeve honored residents for their tireless efforts and dedication to making San Juan Capistrano “an even better place to work, live and play.”

Local businessman Steve Nordeck and City Clerk Maria Morris were recognized

by Reeve as Honorary Residents of the Year. Jim Curwood, owner of Buy My Bikes, and Cindy Russell, the city’s chief financial officer, were both named Citizens of the Year, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Serra Post 3801 was honored as the Service Organization of the Year.

WHAT’S NEXT: For more information on each recipient and their remarks from the meeting, visit www.thecapistranodispatch. com.—AJ

City Council to Discuss Historic Town Center in Special Meeting THE LATEST: A last-minute special City Council meeting called by Mayor Pam Patterson is set to take place today, Dec. 11, at 1 p.m. in City Hall, located at 32400

Paseo Adelanto.

The sole agenda item is the “consideration of a resolution to clarify the Historic Town Center Master Plan regarding the established building height limit and setbacks for new construction on adjoining lots of the Esslinger Building and the Judge Egan House.”

The same item was originally up for consideration at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting, but former Planning Director Charlie View informed the commission that several commissioners faced potential conflicts of interest and would need to contact the California Fair Political Practices Commission before participating in the discussion.

The City Council agenda cites the HTC master plan, stating that, “New buildings on directly adjoining lots (of the Esslinger Building and Judge Egan House) must provide a minimum setback equal to the height of the new structure and such new buildings could not exceed the height of the historic structure.”

“These two properties would be substantially preserved in their existing condition and adaptive re-use of these existing structures would be maintained or could occur consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings,” the agenda reads.

The land in question belongs to local movie producer Steve Oedekerk and is the location for a proposed Kimpton hotel, the plans of which are currently being reviewed by the city’s planning department. Patterson’s agenda states that “applicants for large building projects have consistently misconstrued the plain meaning of the language contained in the above-cited paragraph.”

WHAT’S NEXT: For more on this story, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com.—AJ

CUSD Effectively Rejects Charter School THE LATEST: On Wednesday night, the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees voted 3-3-1 regarding whether to deny a petition to establish the Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts (OCASA) charter school within the district. Former board president Lynn Hatton-Hodson was not in attendance, resulting in a split vote.

CUSD staff’s recommendation to the board was to deny the petition due to issues including an “unsound educational program” and legal concerns.

WHAT’S NEXT: The board discussed several options before and after the split vote, including scheduling a special meeting for all seven trustees to attend and vote again, establishing a memorandum of

Page 3

understanding and approving the petition with conditions or leaving the vote as is and effectively rejecting the petition.

The board chose the latter option, and if no further action on the petition is taken within 60 days, the vote will be considered a “constructive denial,” according to staff.

The three trustees who voted against denying the petition—Vice President Jim Reardon, John Alpay and Gary Pritchard—noted that OCASA has the option to send its petition to the county. All three agreed that the county will likely approve the petition, which they said would eliminate any oversight the district would have had in the process.—AJ

Orange County Officials Release El Niño Information THE LATEST: In the latest chapter of Orange County’s El Niño preparation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Fire Authority and Orange County Public Works released information last week regarding preparing for the incoming winter rains.

The latest forecasts show El Niño will likely peak in January, bringing rain to the area this winter. According to a Nov. 12 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, “the forecaster consensus remains nearly unchanged, with the expectation that this El Niño could rank among the top three strongest episodes … going back to 1950.”

Local agencies are encouraging residents to ready themselves for potential flash flooding by preparing disaster kits; having an evacuation plan; having a family communication plan; making sure valuables, documents and medicines are accessible; ensuring a car is ready to go with at least a half tank of gas and signing up for AlertOC at www.alertoc.com and OCFA texts at https://ocfa.bbcportal.com.

WHAT’S NEXT: Sand and empty sandbags are available now at most OCFA stations and many city yards. The city of San Juan Capistrano is currently providing residents with sandbags—10 per household—at the OCFA Fire Station #7, located at 31865 Del Obispo; City Hall’s Public Works counter, located at 32400 Paseo Adelanto; and the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, located at 25925 Camino Del Avion.

Sand is available at the San Juan Capistrano Library parking lot, located at 31490 El Horno Street, and the San Juan Capistrano Sports Park parking lot.

To view the full El Niño release and list of OCFA stations with sandbags, visit www.bit.ly/1RkkWgu. For more information, follow @OCFA_PIO, @OCSD and @ OCpublicworks on Twitter.—AJ www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

A Call for Equality in the Classroom LGBTQ+ students across the district could benefit from CUSD’s updated nondiscrimination policy

BY ALLISON JARRELL, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

Editor’s Note: This is the second story in a two-part series about the Capistrano Unified School District’s nondiscrimination policy and the challenges faced by the district’s transgender population.

F

or many kids, having a teacher mispronounce their name is a minor annoyance—a fleeting frustration at most—during the course of a school year.

But for San Juan Hills High School sophomore Siddharth Piravi, it’s a perpetual, and at times painful, struggle to be identified correctly by his teachers and peers.

As a transgender student, Sid (née Maya) identifies as a boy and prefers to use he/ him/his pronouns. On top of the typical back to school preparations, this year the Ladera Ranch teen took the time to reach out to each one of his teachers via email to let them know that he prefers to be called Siddharth, or Sid, rather than his female birth name and gender listed on their rosters.

Throughout his middle school and high school years, he’s run into situations where a teacher or student doesn’t seem to understand or respect his gender identity.

“Getting misgendered is a really gross feeling,” Sid said. He recalled an incident last year with a long-term substitute teacher who repeatedly used the wrong pronouns when identifying him. “It lowers your self-esteem, because that’s something that so many people saw me as before, that I never want to think about again. When people misgender me, it’s not that I feel sad or angry; it’s almost just like disappointment. It’s like I’m not going anywhere.”

Policy that Protects Students Despite past experiences, Sid is optimistic that an updated nondiscrimination policy in the Capistrano Unified School District will change the way such interactions play out in the future—for him and other transgender and LGBTQ+ students across the district.

The CUSD Board of Trustees held two readings of the district’s revised nondiscrimination policies on Nov. 18 and Dec. 9.

The board approved the final revisions to The Capistrano Dispatch December 11-17, 2015

Siddharth Piravi, a sophomore at San Juan Hills High School who identifies as transgender, is one of many LGBTQ+ students who stand to benefit from the Capistrano Unified School District’s revised nondiscrimination policy. Photo: Allison Jarrell

the policy during the latter meeting.

A series of three policies under the nondiscrimination umbrella were revised and approved by the board—Policy 0410, which covers discrimination in programs and activities, Policy 4030, which dictates the district won’t discriminate in employment, and Policy 5180, which says the district won’t allow its students to be discriminated against.

According to the district’s documents, the nondiscrimination policy regarding employment was updated just over 11 years ago, while the policies covering programs, activities and students hadn’t been updated in more than 16 years.

Danielle Serio, a Rancho Santa Margarita resident, former CUSD student and current English teacher at San Juan Hills High School, addressed the board during the Nov. 18 meeting. Speaking on behalf of about 50 San Juan Hills teachers and staff, the school’s PTSA and the school’s Queer Student Alliance—of which she is the advisor—Serio recommended the board adopt the proposed new policy with little to no revision.

“As an educator, the most heartbreaking thing a student can say to me is they do not feel safe or comfortable at school,” Serio said during public comment. “Luckily, I work in a district and in a school where that is not something I hear very often. For some students in our district, however, there are still moments when they feel alienated and unwelcomed during the school day—moments that are important and impactful enough that many of these students would rather stay at home than face them regularly.”

Serio continued that because the district’s nondiscrimination policy covering students went unrevised for more than 16 years, gaps have been contrived and educators and administrators are limited from being able to properly address such problems. Serio said the district’s previous “outdated and nonspecific language” in the policies—which were only a few sentences long—only asked teachers “to be careful to avoid unconscious discrimination,” with no resources, procedures or consequences listed.

Page 4

Language from the original Policy 5180 stated that, “School staff and volunteers must be especially careful to guard against unconscious discrimination and stereotyping in instruction, guidance and supervision,” while the new policy includes specific language such as the board prohibiting “unlawful discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, intimidation, and bullying of any student based on the student’s actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.”

The policy defines what’s considered an unlawful discriminatory act, while also prohibiting retaliation against any individual who files a complaint or report. The revisions also include disciplinary actions such as suspension or expulsion for students who severely violate the law or board policy.

The district’s new gender identity inclusive language “has the opportunity to help a number of students across all of our campuses,” Serio said. “It will not only bring CUSD up to date with California state law, but is an important step in the right direction for the continued support and acceptance of LGBT students in Capistrano Unified,” Serio said.

Sid was also at CUSD’s Nov. 18 meeting and spoke before the board as a student and president of the San Juan Hills Queer Alliance. Sid said he welcomed the opportunity to share his story, as he’s no longer afraid to talk about his life, transition and struggles, thanks to the unwavering support of his family and friends.

“I’ve had a difficult experience being transgender at San Juan Hills,” Sid said as he addressed the board. “I, as well as trans students across the district, face an innumerable amount of uncomfortable issues involving being bullied by our peers and misgendered by students and teachers.”

He told trustees about missing “quite a bit of school” last year—his pivotal freshman year of high school—because he wasn’t “motivated to learn and thrive in an environment that was cold and unaccepting of (his) identity.”

In a later interview, Sid said the negative environment he referred to at school wasn’t solely from being misgendered, but also from being intimidated on occasion when he uses the boys’ bathroom in lieu of walking 10 minutes across the San Juan Hills campus to the coed facility. While he’s never felt threatened or fearful, he said tensions are sometimes high when he walks into a bathroom full of people glaring at him.

“Now I know that if there is an incidence of violence or aggression that occurs towards me or any other trans student in a bathroom facility, we’ll have explicit law to back us up instead of some general term that can be manipulated either way,” he said.

(Cont. on page 9) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

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EYE ON SJC ping for clothes together. Today, it’s the “little” things, like shopping trips, that Sid appreciates the most. He remembers the first day he wore hair gel and bought boxers; he remembers the first time he was called “sir” at a restaurant.

“Anything that happened to me (freshman year) felt like the best day of my life,” Sid beamed.

A Call for Equality in the Classroom (Cont. from page 4) Identifying as Transgender at School Sid said life was much simpler in his younger years, when he was labeled a tomboy for playing with trucks instead of Barbie dolls.

“I was just very masculine growing up as a child, but I had no knowledge of what it was to be transgender,” Sid said. “I had no wanting to be a boy or really even a girl—I was just being a kid. No one really cared about what I looked like. But you hit middle school and the peer pressure and influence starts.”

In sixth grade, Sid began realizing that he didn’t look or act like other girls—they were fascinated with wearing makeup, straightening their hair and talking about boys, while he had short hair and wore boy shorts and baggy shirts to school every day. Sid remembers trying, for a time, to conform to what seemed normal by growing long locks and maintaining a more feminine appearance.

“It was just really fake. I didn’t have much depth to myself as a person,” he said. “I wasn’t really sure who I was, but then again, I didn’t think about it too much because I was like, 11 or 12 years old. I thought this was something everyone goes through.”

Sid’s transition began in eighth grade, when he came out as a lesbian to his friends and family. He began facing instances of cyber bullying on the site Ask.

At 15 years old, Sid is a multi-talented musician, playing bass in his free time, trombone in the marching band, baritone in wind ensemble and piano since he was 6. He also plays guitar and sings lead vocals in his own alternative rock band, The Taco Truck. Sid said music has been an outlet for him during his transition and struggles at school. Photo: Allison Jarrell

fm, where peers sent him hateful messages. Rather than becoming depressed about the negativity, Sid said he began embracing who he is and truly understanding the separation of gender and orientation.

“I realized that I was born a male—that’s what it is to be transgender,” Sid said. “We are born the identity we’re supposed to live as. It took me a long time, but the epiphany I had was that I was born in the wrong body, not that my mind was wrong.”

Thankfully, Sid’s epiphany was accom-

panied by support from a new group of friends, his parents and his older sister Chetana. A senior at San Juan Hills, Chetana is the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, which ran a center spread piece on the school’s LGBTQ+ community in March of last year. Sid said it was the first time they had a voice at their own school.

Anu, Sid’s mother, said that while Sid began his transition, his father, Veeps, played a big role in guiding him. He took Sid to his hairdresser and they went shop-

Making a Name for Himself While Sid is happy about the LGBTQ+ community having equal access to bathrooms as well as equal consideration for sports teams under the new state law and board policy, he’s personally most excited about being able to finally change his name in the school’s system, in addition to legally changing his name before he graduates. He can’t wait to see “Siddharth” etched onto his high school diploma.

Sid’s new, chosen name holds a special place in his heart. During a difficult time in his transition, his father told him that he would have been named Siddharth had he been born a boy. His mother said the name is fitting because Sid’s birth name, Maya, is the name of Buddha’s mother, and Buddha’s birth name was Siddhartha.

“Out of Maya was born Siddharth,” Anu said, smiling. “It’s a beautiful story.”

Perhaps it’s also fitting because in Sanskrit, Siddharth means “one who has accomplished his goal.”

“There’s no other name I would have seen myself as,” Sid said. CD

EYE ON SJC

SJC Sheriff’s Blotter

man “stalked” her out to her car the day before. The suspect was described as in his 40s or 50s with thin black glasses and wearing gray “suit sneakers.”

CITIZEN ASSIST Camino Del Avion, 25600 Block (9:55 a.m.) A student brought a toy gun to Marco Forster Middle School.

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.

BURGLARY REPORT Paseo Diana, 28500 Block (3:13 a.m.)

A police officer spoke to two victims whose car windows were smashed. An offduty deputy saw a man drop the missing items and returned them to the vehicle owners. The man was last seen running toward San Juan Creek.

Monday, December 7

Sunday, December 6

DISTURBANCE Paseo Espada, 27100 Block (1:45 p.m.)

A person called from a homecare dentist to report a woman at a nearby rehab facility kicking the door.

BURGLARY REPORT Via Capri, 27200 Block (11:44 p.m.) A man reported that he had left his vehicle unlocked and his wallet was stolen around 11:20 p.m. The man’s PayPal card was used at three locations before he was able to cancel it.

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DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 31500 Block (12:39 p.m.) A caller from San Diego Gas & Electric told police that a male transient, who is known to police as mentally ill, was at a bus stop in front of the tennis courts yelling and looking unstable. The man was seen “almost” hitting a woman.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Camino Capistrano, 33700 Block (10:23 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for a man standing in front of the hotel’s main entrance with a bicycle leaning up against the wall. The caller told police that the

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Camino Capistrano/Del Obispo Street (12:07 p.m.) Three male juveniles were seen acting suspiciously near an ATM machine. They were inserting different cards that didn’t appear to be working.

Saturday, December 5 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES La Matanza Street, 31400 Block (8:43 p.m.) A woman told police that a man was standing in her driveway next to her car.

He appeared to be in his 70s with a white beard and a fisherman hat. The woman called police again four minutes later to advise them that the man walked into her backyard, fell into an empty pool and was possibly injured. Responders said the man appeared to be drunk.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Paseo Rita, 31600 Block (10:56 a.m.) A man reported that a package containing a $100 holiday floral arrangement was taken off of his porch the day before.

Community Meetings SATURDAY, DEC. 12

Architectural Walking Tour

10 a.m. A guided tour of San Juan Capistrano’s historic adobes, Spanishera dwellings and modern buildings.

Occurs every Saturday. Meet at the train depot on Verdugo Street. $5 donation benefits the SJC Friends of the Library. For more information, call 949.489.0736 or visit www.sjcfol.org.

MONDAY, DEC. 14

Youth Advisory Board Meeting

5 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Youth Advisory Board meets at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. Log on to www.sanjuancapistrano.org to see the body’s agenda.

TUESDAY, DEC. 15

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Free Little League Baseball Clinic on Saturday Join the San Juan Capistrano Little League Dec. 12 for a free baseball clinic featuring special guest Dave Anderson, former Dodgers infielder. Anderson spent 10 seasons in the majors, including eight with the Dodgers, and is currently coaching with the Orioles as the minor league infield coordinator. JSerra baseball players will also participate in the clinic.

Clinic times are 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. for 4- to 7-year-olds, and 10:30 a.m. to noon for 8- to 13-year-olds. Participants will learn pitching, catching, throwing, infield and outfield techniques. Register at the event.

Organizers will also be accepting donations of new or used baseball gear in good condition for children in need.

The clinic will take place at Old Majors Field, located at the end of Acjachema Street. For directions to the field or more information, visit www.sjcll.com.

Capistrano Eagles to Host Community Food Drive The Capistrano Eagles Motorcycle Club is set to hold its semiannual community food drive on Dec. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. benefiting Father Serra’s Pantry and San Juan Capistrano families in need. The drive will be held at the Swallows Inn, The Capistrano Dispatch December 11-17, 2015

located at 31786 Camino Capistrano, and includes live music performed by Family Style.

The most needed items include nonperishable food such as canned meats, fish and poultry; canned fruit; canned soup; dry pasta and beans and personal hygiene products.

The motorcycle club has been a longtime supporter of the pantry, hosting food drives twice a year over the last 13 years.

Serra’s Pantry is a nonprofit volunteer group at Mission Basilica Church that provides food and other household items to low-income families in south Orange County.

For more information, contact Rac at 714.321.9923 or the Swallows Inn at 949.493.3188.

Large Animal Response Team in Need of Donations San Juan Capistrano’s Large Animal Response Team, LART, is in need of supplies in order to prepare for the incoming El Niño rains this winter.

American Horse Products, located at 31896 Plaza Drive in San Juan Capistrano, is hosting a donation bucket located in the rear of the store. LART encourages patrons to consider buying and donating an item to the organization’s storage unit and trailer.

Suggested donations include flat or spade shovels, muck racks, half-inch cotton rope, lead ropes, different sized water buckets, feed bags, halters of all sizes, hoof picks, hose reel, hoses, lunge

line, lunge whip, extension cords, small animal carriers or feeding bowls for small animals.

For more information, visit the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition’s website at www.sanjuanequestrian.org or follow the coalition on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SJCCEC.

Fiesta Association Set to Host Christmas Party The San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association will host a Christmas party open to members and non-members at the San Juan Hills Golf Club on Dec. 18 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The local nonprofit brings the community an array of events each year during the three-month Fiesta de las Golondrinas, including the Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street Faire, one of the nation’s largest non-motorized parades.

Admission to the party is $25 per person or $30 for non-members. Attendees can join the association or renew their membership at the event to get member pricing. Dinner includes tri tip, pasta, rosemary potatoes, mixed veggies, salad, dessert, soft drinks, coffee, tea and a nohost bar.

RSVP to missdeborahscakes@sbcglobal. net by Dec. 11. San Juan Hills Golf Club is located at 32120 San Juan Creek Road in San Juan Capistrano.

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

Page 10

Utilities Commission Meeting

8 a.m. The San Juan Capistrano Youth Utilities Commission meets at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. Log on to www.sanjuancapistrano.org to see the body’s agenda.

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 agenda, visit, www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16

Downtown Farmers Market

3 p.m.–6 p.m. Fresh flowers, produce and specialty foods from dozens of vendors in downtown San Juan Capistrano, on the corner of Camino Capistrano and Yorba Street.

Occurs every Wednesday. Visit www.farmersmarketsjc.com or call 949.493.4700 to find out more.

FRIDAY, DEC. 18

Coffee Chat

8 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues. Occurs every Friday at Hennessey’s Tavern, 31761 Camino Capistrano. All are welcome.

Follow Coffee Chat SJC on Facebook for more information.

Next issue of The Dispatch publishes www.thecapistranodispatch.com

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HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS Get Out and Celebrate the Season Friday, December 11

Little Elves Workshop 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Santa’s elves are in need of extra help. Children 3 to 5 are invited to the San Clemente Community Center to make gifts for family and friends, decorate cookies and more. Preregistration suggested.

100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, 949.361.8264, san-clemente.org.

Dana Point Harbor Boat Parade of Lights 7:30 p.m. Snag a waterfront viewing perch for the brightest holiday party around. In its 41st year, this parade— running Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19—celebrates Star Wars. Join the parade aboard a participating vessel with Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari, Dana Wharf Sportfishing or the Ocean Institute. Dana Point Harbor, 949.923.2255, danapointharbor.com.

Holiday Lights Viewing Party 6:30 p.m.–9 p.m. Sip hot cocoa with Santa and watch the Boat Parade.

Guests can build lightsabers, decorate cookies and make ornaments. Celebrate the parade theme and come as a Star Wars character. $15 per person, $9 for children. Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, ocean-institute.com.

Saturday, December 12

Cookie Decorating Workshop 10 a.m.–noon. Cookie decorating workshop at St. Andrew’s by-the-sea. $5 per person, includes continental breakfast, crafts, face painting, photo booth and an appearance by Santa. RSVP to Karen at Karen@sabts.org. 2001 Calle Frontera, San Clemente, 949.492.2537, sabts.org.

Ho Ho Haul Away Sail 1 p.m.–4 p.m. Sail with Santa aboard the Spirit of Dana Point. $50 for adults, $33 for children. Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, ocean-institute.org.

South Coast Singers Holiday Concert 4 p.m. Orange County’s own South Coast singers present the holiday show, “Heav’n and Nature Sing.” $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and students.

St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea, 2001 Calle Frontera, San Clemente, 949.613.7840, southcoastsingers.org.

Choral Concert: Christmas at the Shores 4:25 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The South Shores’ choir performs with orchestra and tableaux, Tickets $10. Show also runs Dec. 13 at 2:55 p.m. and 5 p.m.

32712 Crown Valley Parkway, Dana Point, 949.496.9331, southshores.org.

Tuesday, December 15

SOCSA Holiday Concert 7 p.m. South Orange County School of the Arts students present an evening of holiday entertainment. Beverages and dessert served. Tickets start at $12. Also runs Dec. 16. Dana Hills High School, DHHS Mall, 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, socsarts.org.

Friday, December 18

Christmas at the Cabrillo 8 p.m. Enjoy the Christmas season at Cabrillo Playhouse with holiday favorites in this song and dance holiday revue. Show runs Dec. 18, 19 and 20. $20.

202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente, 949.492.0465, cabrilloplayhouse.com.

Saturday, December 19

Spark of Love Toy Drive 1 p.m.–3 p.m. Bring the family down to Dana Point Jet Ski & Kayak Center for photos with local firefighters, activities for kids, a raffle and free popcorn. Bring an unwrapped toy to donate to the Spark of Love Toy Drive. 34671 Puerto Place, Dana Point, 949.661.4947.

Thursday, December 31

New Year’s Eve Broadway Time!

6 p.m. Ring in the New Year when the ball drops in Time Square at the Camino Real Playhouses’ annual celebration with dinner from Sundried Tomato and dancing. $68. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, caminorealplayhouse.org.

Midnight at the Cliffs 9 p.m. Revel in the final hours of 2015 at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa’s special ballroom celebration featuring the ’80s tribute band Flashback Heart Attack. Tickets start at $125 and include two drink tickets, midnight champagne toast and small bites. 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point, 949.661.5000, lagunacliffs.com.

SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

Letters to the Editor

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

SAD TO SEE CRUSADE BOOK STORE CLOSE ITS DOORS —C.B. Clark, Dana Point I was saddened to read the item in the classifieds about the closing of the Crusade Religious Book and Gift Store after 12 years in San Juan—another blow to the community on Small Business Saturday.

The writing was ‘on the wall’ as it were when a glitzy tacked-on gift shop was placed on the historic Capistrano Mission wall. To me, it seemed an inappropriate place for a commercial store, at the front of the historic Mission complex.

I am sorry that the Crusade store has had to close its doors. It has been our small business of choice through all of its 12 years. For graduations, weddings, funerals and other family events, they have been there for us. I wish them luck and hope they find a community where small business is important.

Our grateful thanks to them.

IN RESPONSE TO JACK CHESTEK —Larry Kramer, San Juan Capistrano This is in response to Jack Chestek’s letter to the editor in The Dispatch on Nov. 27.

Contrary to what Jack wrote, I do not claim to be a water expert. I’m merely a concerned citizen who worries about the long-term fate of the utilities department and water services in San Juan Capistrano.

There were water experts on the city staff, but most of them are now gone.

What Jack called surplus sewer funds most people would call reserves or rainy day funds. These reserves were healthy enough that we were not going to have to raise sewer rates for four years. Those reserves are now being depleted rapidly to pay for the refunds.

How does the city plan to replenish them?

I had never before heard that appealing a ruling would be referred to as screwing the court order, screwing the judge, and screwing the residents. I take offense to that kind of language. Is there no right to appeal under our constitution?

Jack wrote that I approved $23.6 million of “stuff” for the groundwater recovery plant. I believe that most of that money was spent over four years to produce water for the residents to drink, wash and to water their lawns. So the money was used to produce water, which was then used by the residents. So I guess you could say we have nothing to show for it today.

That’s like saying I filled up my gas tank and drove and now I need to fill up again.

What do I have to show for it? In this case, the miles driven, and in the former case, the water produced and consumed.

Any money to make the plant more reliable or expand its capacity was paid The Capistrano Dispatch December 11-17, 2015

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Allison Jarrell, 949.388.7700, x108 ajarrell@thecapistranodispatch.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Debra Wells, 949.388.7700, x104 dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com Homefront America, a San Juan Capistrano nonprofit focused on military outreach and support, serves nearly 2,000 families each holiday season with gifts, meals and other holiday support. Pictured is last year’s “Christmas Toy Store” event held in San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Allison Jarrell

for through grants. Our opponents used to refer to grants as evil. The current City Council refers to grants as free money.

Jack does not know what I meant by “effects.” Very simply, the only ones who will make out from this are lawyers, consultants and a few people who have large lots and waste water. We, the majority of residents, will foot the bill.

TO OUR SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS —Arthur Hasselbrink, Adam & Mamie Maywhort, Homefront America, Inc. We hope your Thanksgiving was surrounded by great friends and family, and may your days ahead be filled with peace, hope and joy.

As another year rapidly draws to a close, we reflect on our past blessings and look forward to the New Year ahead.

One such blessing this year was the celebration of Homefront America’s 10th anniversary—a milestone that would not have been possible without the help of people like you. The trust you have placed in us is something we consider very sacred. We hope we have made you proud and, rest assured, we will continue to work hard to build on that sacred trust.

Your support of time, talent and/ or treasure has made and continues to make a profound difference in the lives of countless military families, especially the children. Ten years ago, Homefront America was an unknown entity. Today, it is a household name among military communities—locally, nationally and abroad.

Indeed, we are proud of this recognition, but we are especially pleased to have accomplished this without paid staff.

This means your hard-earned dollars go directly to benefit the families we serve.

This was our commitment in 2005, and it remains our commitment today.

This holiday season, 1,000 military children will receive gift bags filled with

delightful and fun toys, and another 500 children will have toys (Mattel, Lego, Disney, Milton Bradley, Nerf, Wham-O, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Sharper Image, etc.) to open on Christmas morning.

If you would like to help support our holiday program or learn more about it, simply visit www.homefrontamerica.org.

In closing, as we celebrate this most wonderful time of the year, we would like to pause and say thank you for your support and friendship, and to wish you and yours a happy and safe holiday season.

FERGUSON EMBARRASSED CITY WITH VERMEULEN RANT —Matt Gaffney, San Juan Capistrano Last month the courts handed the city a major setback in the Vermeulen lawsuit— rejecting nearly all the City Council’s arguments. After spending hundreds of thousands on that losing effort, the council is now headed to an even more expensive trial that could cost us millions.

The city’s attorney was barred from defending this case because the firm had already written that the city was likely liable for mistreatment of the Vermeulens, so the council went out and hired another expensive lawyer just to defend this case.

Even before the judge could rule, Councilwoman Kerry Ferguson took to the press to make her flawed case. City leaders are taught (and common sense dictates) that discussing active lawsuits outside closed council sessions is problematic. Publishing the city’s legal strategy in the newspaper a week before the hearing was dumb and reckless. Kerry’s pride and insecurity went a step further when she boldly predicted success just in time to be completely humiliated by the judge’s ruling.

One thing neither Kerry nor the city’s lawyer has ever attempted to do is refute the basic facts of the case. The Vermeulen property was designated for “medium density residential development” in the

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DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, x107 tzines@thecapistranodispatch.com BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER Alyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@thecapistranodispatch.com

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 > Eric Heinz 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

Art Director > Jasmine Smith ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes (Dana Point)

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Melissa Calvano, Evan Da Silva, Debra Holm, Tim Trent

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 13, Issue 23. The Dispatch (www.thecapistranodispatch ) is published twice monthly

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

Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

FOLLOW THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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SOAPBOX

A volunteer with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley helps club members wrap presents for their loved ones at last year’s Operation Holiday Homework—one of the many annual events hosted by the Boys & Girls Club in San Juan Capistrano. The Parks, Recreation, Senior and Youth Services Commission recently voted to discuss the city’s financial support of the clubs at a future meeting. Photo: Allison Jarrell

city’s general plan. The City Council changed the general plan and took those property rights in exchange for a promise of “appropriate compensation”—a promise which they have broken. Kerry now argues that the Vermeulens waited too long to ask the city to keep their promise so they must be farmers forever.

If the city will not compensate the family as they said they would, then it should undo its change to the general plan, return the property rights and not gamble with the city’s financial stability on the hope a legal trick will allow them to break their promises. Rather than playing lawyer in a letter to the editor, will someone on the council please act like a real professional and work to resolve this issue fairly—ideally before we’ve spent millions more?

IN SUPPORT OF CITY’S DONATIONS TO BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS —Shelly Welcome, San Juan Capistrano The Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley is a huge asset to our city. It provides enrichment and a safe place for hundreds of children in our community.

Children are children, no matter where they are from or where they live, and as a citizen and taxpayer of San Juan Capistrano, I am very proud of my city’s commitment to do good in the world.

I am wondering if Commissioner Kim McCarthy’s comments at the Parks, Recreation, Senior and Youth Services Commission meeting on Nov. 16 are just an extension of the opinions she expressed in previous writings about the children and people of our community.

In 2008, McCarthy wrote a letter to the Capistrano Unified School District. In it she stated: “… I have spent a significant amount of time at Marco (Forster), yet I have never been comfortable there. Why? Because this school is operated as if it is a Mexican Public School, not an American Public School.

“The Mexican flag is painted on the multi-purpose room wall next to the portrait of a Mexican man with a quote in Spanish.

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“The messages on the phones are in Spanish, all of the paperwork is in both Spanish and English.”

What Ms. McCarthy failed to mention is that the “paperwork” is provided in Spanish and English because it is parent information material. Printing this material in Spanish and English allows all parents to be informed and better help their children.

Ms. McCarthy also does not mention that the mural in the multi-purpose room that portrays a Mexican man, flag and quote in both Spanish and English was painted by Marco Forster students in 1994 to heal racial tensions after racist flyers signed by the WAR (White Aryan Resistance) were stuffed into 1,200 lockers at Marco Forster.

The man in the mural is Mexican President Benito Juarez. His quote that is painted in Spanish and English reads, “Between individuals as between nations, respect for another’s rights is peace.”

McCarthy wrote in the April 24, 2009, edition of The Capistrano Dispatch: “So, if you are wondering why you see so many pregnant Latinas and male Latinos not at work, with their well-dressed, wellfed, well-accessorized families, driving their new SUV’s or trucks around town, now you will understand. They come over the border, move in with their families, put their kids in school, are fed breakfast and lunch virtually for free, then they are directed to CHEC who hooks them up with tax-payer funded money and services galore.”

As a taxpayer, I strongly support my city’s donations to the Boys & Girls Club. This is a direct and local investment in children.

By donating to the Boys & Girls Club, the city of San Juan Capistrano proves that it is committed to the wellbeing of all children, is caring, is compassionate, is forward thinking and is actively involved in making our community and our world better.

To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@thecapistranodispatch. com or send it to 34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624. The Capistrano Dispatch reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

The List

EDITOR’S PICK

What’s going on in and around town this week

COMPILED BY STAFF

Friday | 11 ‘LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS’ AT SOCSA 7 p.m. South Orange County School of the Arts students present the popular musical about the wacky, fun-filled world of Seymour and his man-eating plant Audrey II. Tickets are $12 to $15 and available online or at the door. Show also runs Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. Dana Hills High School, Porthole Theater, 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, www.socsarts.org.

‘A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS’ 7:30 p.m. The Saddleback College Department of Theatre Arts presents A Charlie Brown Christmas Dec. 4-13 in the Studio Theatre. This holiday play with live music is based on the beloved annual television special including the classic song, “Christmas Time is Here” and the music of Vince Guaraldi. See website for show dates and times. Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 seniors, $10 students and $8 children 12 and under. Studio Theatre, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, 949.582.4656, www.saddleback.edu/arts.

‘A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES’ 8 p.m. The Camino Real Playhouse presents A Child’s Christmas in Wales, a nostalgic story of Christmas day—from its quiet, magical beginning full of thrilling expectations, to bedtime, replete with the joy of a perfect Christmas. Shows run through Dec. 20 on Friday and Saturday

Photo: Allison Jarrell

DANA POINT HARBOR BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19. Watch at water’s edge or take in the view from aboard a Dana Wharf Whale Watching, Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Safari or Ocean Institute harbor cruise as boaters from all around Orange County decorate their vessels with sparkling lights and add costumes, music and animation to fit with each year’s theme and vie for prizes including Judges’ Choice, Best Theme, Best Use of Lights, Most Original and more. This year’s theme, “A Galactic Holiday” promises a variety of Star Wars and related themed boats. Viewing is free from anywhere in the harbor. Dana Point Harbor, 34555 Golden Lantern, 949.496.5794, www.danapointharbor.com.

at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., with an additional show on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

at Rancho Mission Viejo for a Saturday morning walk on the Shady Canyon trail and learn about mistletoe, seasonal fruit such as the “holly berry,” and other native plants and animals of The Reserve. Participants can also decorate and take home their own mistletoe.

Ages 8 and up. Adults $10, kids $5. The Richard and Donna O’Neil Conservancy, call for directions, 949.489.9778, www.rmvreserve.org.

Saturday | 12 MISTLETOE AND WINTER PLANT WALK 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Join The Reserve

WREATH MAKING WITH NATIVE PLANTS 10 a.m.-noon and 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Celebrate the holiday season with your own handmade wreath fashioned out of California native plants. Workshop cost is $35 per wreath. Limit two wreaths per person.

Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is recommended as space is limited. Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.728.0685, www.californianativeplants.com.

On the Stage at the Coach House: Judith Hill

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

fter lending her voice to back up some of the most acclaimed American musicians of all time, soul and funk singer-songwriter Judith Hill is stepping out on her own.

On the heels of her debut album, Back in Time, Hill is making her way to the West Coast for a limited amount of tour dates. Hill, who has been a backup vocalist for Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Michael Jackson, will appear at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Dec. 17.

Hill will be performing songs from her debut album, which dropped earlier this year. Hill says the title of the album, Back The Capistrano Dispatch December 11-17, 2015

in Time, is a callback to her roots.

Hill grew up in a house full of musicians. Her mother played keyboard and her father played bass.

“My family is very soulful … My room was the vocal room for many amazing singers that would record at the studio at the house,” Hill said. “So I was constantly surrounded by soul.”

Hill’s mother and father will be playing alongside her on stage during the upcoming West Coast tour.

Back in Time was produced by pop icon Prince, who reached out to Hill after hearing her give an interview naming him as a major influence. During the recording process, Hill, Prince and her studio musi-

cians would get together and riff, which Hill said made for an interesting, distinct sound that can be heard on the album.

“It started at jam sessions with the band. We jammed on songs that I wrote and came up with some really cool arrangements and just tracked it live in the studio,” Hill said. “It’s a very organic, live music-sounding record.”

Tickets for Judith Hill are $25. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 8 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

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Judith Hill. Photo: Courtesy

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT HOLIDAY CHOCOLATE MAKE AND TAKE 10 a.m.-noon. Join local nonprofit Goin Native Therapeutic Gardens for a delicious and informative class taught by Jeff Stern, founder of Oso Goloso Chocolate. Learn the basics of working with chocolate, and take home a fresh batch of chocolate bark. Topics covered include the origins of chocolate, how chocolate is made and how to temper and work with chocolate for molding and other uses. $60 class fee includes a half pound of chocolate to take home. Goin Native Therapeutic Gardens, 31661 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, www.goinnative.net.

CHILDREN’S CRAFT OPEN HOUSE 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Children under 12 are encouraged to come to the library to make creative seasonal crafts. Some crafts will be suitable for holiday gifts or cards. Adult supervision is recommended. Admission is free. Laguna Beach Library, 363 Glenneyre Street, Laguna Beach, 949.497.1733, www.ocpl.org/libloc/lbch.

SOUTH COAST SINGERS HOLIDAY CONCERT 4 p.m. Join the South Coast Singers, with members hailing from the tri-city area and other south Orange County cities for a holiday show “Heav’n and Nature Sing.” General admission $20, seniors and students $16, children 6 and under are free. Ticket information is

available online. St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea United Methodist Church, 2001 Calle Frontera, San Clemente, 949.613.7840, www.southcoastsingers.org.

Sunday | 13 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 every Sunday with guitarist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Hamilton. 31721 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.240.8055, www. mikehamiltonmusic.com.

CHORAL CONCERT: CHRISTMAS AT THE SHORES 2:55 p.m. and 5 p.m. South Shores Church hosts its 25th Annual choral concert featuring the 75-voice sanctuary choir with orchestra and tableaux, under the direction of Robert T. Perry. Tickets $10.

32712 Crown Valley Parkway, Dana Point, 949.496.9331, www.southshores.org.

LUKAS NELSON AND PROMISE OF THE REAL 7 p.m. Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real performs live at The Coach House with Insects vs. Robots and Robert Jon & The Wreck. Tickets are $17. Doors open at 5 p.m. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

Tuesday | 15 LUNCH LOCAL 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Join the San Juan Chamber of Commerce for a networking lunch at Taqueros Mexican Restaurant, located at 31401 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano. RSVP to claire@ sanjuanchamber.com or call 949.493.4700.

For more information, visit www.sanjuanchamber.com.

SOCSA’S HOLIDAY CELEBRATION 7 p.m. All South Orange County School of the Arts departments collaborate to present an evening of holiday entertainment.

Complimentary beverage and dessert items are served at intermission. Tickets are $12 to $15 and available online or at the door. Show also runs Dec. 16.

Dana Hills High School, DHHS Mall, 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, www.socsarts.org.

Wednesday | 16 HOMESCHOOL FAMILY DAY 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Discount packages for homeschool families 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.

Thursday | 17 SOUTH COAST QUARTET SINGS CHRISTMAS AT CHAPAROSA GRILL 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Christmas favorites performed by the South Coast Quartet at Chaparosa Grill. Let the quartet’s singing get you into the holiday spirit while you dine. Chaparosa Grill, 30271 Golden Lantern, Ste. D, Laguna Niguel, 949.363.9888.

SHOWDOWN 7:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Live music at The Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

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

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

SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

An array of holiday festivities took place across downtown San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, from the official tree lighting at the Historic Town Center Park to family activities at Mission San Juan Capistrano, Zoomars Petting Zoo, Los Rios Park and the O’Neill Museum.

Holiday Cheer Lights Up Historic Town Center PHOTOS AND STORY BY ALLISON JARRELL, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

s with each holiday season, thousands of residents and visitors took to downtown San Juan Capistrano for the city’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 5. The celebration at the city’s Historic Town Center Park was accompanied by activities on Los Rios Street and at Mission San Juan Capistrano, in addition to late-night shopping throughout the downtown area.

Saturday’s festivities included an orchestra performance by Capistrano Valley High School, performances by Anair School of Irish Dance and Ballet Folklorico and a holiday stage production featuring students from Musical Theater University. Kids activities at Los Rios Park, the O’Neill Museum and Zoomars Petting Zoo included hay rides and train rides, a live nativity, photos with Santa and story time with Mrs. Claus. The lighting attracts roughly 10,000 people each year. CD

Sudoku

Pet of the Week: Donald

T

hree-month-old little Donald is ready for a new home. Brought to the shelter as a tiny kitten, Donald and his siblings are now back from foster care and hopeful about finding their forever homes before the holidays. With an adorable face like his, he would make a great addition to the family!

If you would like to know more about Donald or any of his kitten friends, please call the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617, or visit with them at the shelter, 221 Avenida Fabricante in San Clemente. CD

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 The Capistrano Dispatch December 11-17, 2015

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www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING GUEST OPINION: Moments in Time by Jan Siegel

Celebrating the History of Serra Chapel This holiday season, let’s be thankful for the character and historical significance of our town

A

s we get ready to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends, it is important to remember what a wonderful community we call home. San Juan Capistrano is known for many important things, including being the birthplace of Orange County. San Juan is home to Los Rios Street, the oldest residential neighborhood in California; the Rios Adobe, the oldest home in California with the same family living in it; the return of the swallows; the largest non-motorized parade in America; and Serra Chapel, the only church still standing in which Saint Junípero Serra celebrated Mass.

The current site of Serra Chapel is the third church built for the Mission. The first site was abandoned because of lack of water. The second site, which is most likely the same location as the current church, was built in 1878. On Oct. 23, 1878, Fr. Serra celebrated Mass, baptized and administered confirmation.

By 1882, a permanent church was constructed on the site. Fr. William MOMENTS IN Krekelberg wrote in his TIME

By Jan Siegel book, Mission San Juan Capistrano, that “the new Church was larger and more substantial. It had thicker adobe walls and was longer and wider.

Together with its sacristy, the building was about 82 feet long and 19 feet wide.”

Knowing that his health was failing, in 1883 Fr. Serra conducted a farewell tour of the nine Missions he founded. On Oct. 12, 13 and 14, Serra celebrated Mass and administered the sacrament of confirmation in San Juan Capistrano.

The Great Stone Church was built for the growing population and services were held there until the 1812 earthquake destroyed it. Serra Chapel was then back in use by the community. By 1867, the church was in terrible disrepair, but since there was no money for restoration, Fr.

A view of the Serra Chapel on Sept. 23, the day Junípero Serra was canonized. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Mutt merely added a wall to help support the falling church. For some reason, the makeshift repair worked and Serra’s church survived.

In 1910, Father St. John O’Sullivan arrived in San Juan Capistrano. He saw that the old church had been reduced to a storage shed and he was determined to bring it back to its original purpose. Fr. Krekelberg reflected in his book that “it took every bit of O’Sullivan’s charm and infectious enthusiasm along with his careful planning, professional assistance and generous donations to restore the church. It also took 14 years.”

In 1924, the building was once again the Church of San Juan Capistrano. Today, it is still a vital part of religious celebrations for the community.

One of the interesting features of Serra Chapel is the retablo. “The retablo was made of mahogany and cedar, hand-carved, and gold-leafed in the busy, baroque style that was favored in the

17th and 18th centuries,” according to Fr. Krekelberg’s writings. Although this style was favored in the large churches of Spain, it was not favored for the modest adobe-wall Missions. The retablo is probably older than the Mission by several hundred years. In 1906, the Bishop of Los Angeles purchased it for a great cathedral that was planned but never constructed.

So the retablo laid in boxes in storage until Fr. O’Sullivan asked to travel to Mexico to secure a retablo for Serra Chapel. The Bishop remembered the old retablo and offered it to Fr. O’Sullivan. The rest, as they say, is history—our history. This beautiful retablo arrived in San Juan Capistrano in 10 boxes and 396 pieces. Not all the pieces would fit in the chapel, so Fr. O’Sullivan saved the extra pieces, which are now part of Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel in the Mission Basilica. The spiral and golden pillars of the retablo are covered in grapes, so it’s only fitting that this

piece came to San Juan Capistrano, the birthplace of California’s wine industry.

You can spend a “Moment in Time” this holiday season by visiting the Mission and experiencing a place where Saint Serra celebrated mass. We have a lot to be grateful for. I wish all of you a very happy and healthy New Year.

Jan Siegel is a 27-year resident of San Juan Capistrano. She served on the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for 13 years and has been a volunteer guide for the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library’s architectural walking tour for 17 years.

She was named Woman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2005, Volunteer of the Year in 2011 and was inducted into the city’s Wall of Recognition in 2007. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The 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.

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

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

An Ocean Farewell to an Austrian Friend

I

n May, while on vacation in Graz, Austria, my life partner Greta and I had dinner with a couple we had never met.

This meeting came about because Ken, 78, of San Clemente, had emailed, “I have been enjoying your articles in the San Clemente Times. I was interested to see you will be in Graz, Austria, soon. I will be in the Graz area from May 1 until May 9.”

Ken explained that he would be visiting Maria, his woman friend, who lived near Graz. The four of us agreed to have dinner at a restaurant that Maria recommended.

Ken and Maria were so pleasant and comfortable to be with that time flew by that night as we all shared experiences about how we met and became couples, where we had traveled and to where we were traveling next. We were surprised that Ken’s home was on the same street in San Clemente as Greta’s home, a block away.

Maria said she had visited Ken in San Clemente several times and loved it nearly as much as her native Austria.

Two days later, Maria and Ken drove us through southeastern Austria. Maria was the ultimate tour guide and hostess, taking us to the ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50 Burg Riegersburg castle

By Tom Blake and then driving a couple of hours to a favorite restaurant of theirs called Schloss Kaepfenstein.

To conclude our day with Ken and Maria, we were honored to be invited to Maria’s home with its magnificent backyard gardens. Greta and I had made wonderful new friends in Austria and would never forget the warm hospitality extended to us that day.

Ken and Maria planned to be in San Clemente in July, and Greta and I wanted to be as gracious to them as they had been to us. However, Ken informed us that Maria was having some heart issues and needed to remain in Austria. They planned to be in San Clemente in September or October.

Ken and I exchanged emails. On Nov. 1 he wrote: “Maria and I are traveling. We will

be back in San Clemente around Nov. 15.”

And then on Nov. 26, an email from Ken arrived that devastated us: “I am very grieved to inform you that Maria died from a heart attack a week ago.”

A memorial service for Maria was held Dec. 3. Approximately 20 of us, including Maria’s two sons, Christian and Klaus, and their wives boarded the OCeans Adventures Catamaran at dock six in Dana Point Harbor. It was a beautiful, blue-sky day.

The boat headed toward San Clemente.

The engines were shut down within a quarter mile of the San Clemente Pier, and a beautiful, simple service began. A wreath of eco-friendly red roses was released off the stern. In addition, each of us were provided with an eco-friendly rose to release as well.

Everyone watched the roses float away; not a word was spoken for minutes. A majestic seal swam up to the flowers.

An Amtrak train heading south blew its whistle, as if to pay its respects.

I was very impressed with the sensitivity and respect the two OCean Adventures crew members showed toward the family and the care they took to protect the ocean.

On the way back to Dana Point, the crew stopped the boat so we could enjoy a large pod of common dolphins that seemed to be honoring Maria as they swam by.

As the boat headed home, Greta and I agreed how privileged we were to have met and enjoyed this incredible woman from Austria who loved San Clemente and who so embraced life. She will be in our hearts forever.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point resident and a former Dana Point businessman who has authored several books on middle-aged dating. His latest book can be found online at www.smashwords.com. See his website at www.findingloveafter60.com. To comment: tompblake@gmail.com. SC PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, the SC Times 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 SC Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@sanclementetimes.com

Ken Halvorsrude and Maria Moser. Photo: Courtesy of Tom Blake

The Capistrano Dispatch December 11-17, 2015

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

JSerra offensive and defensive lineman Luke Wattenberg was named to the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Photo: Courtesy JSerra Athletics

San Juan Prep Roundup COMPILED BY STEVE BREAZEALE

A

s the 2015 fall sports season comes to an end and the winter season gets underway, we take a look around the San Juan Capistrano preps landscape.

Wattenberg Named to Army All-American Bowl JSerra Catholic senior offensive and defensive lineman Luke Wattenberg was selected to compete in the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Jan. 9.

Wattenberg, a Washington commit, will take the field alongside the nation’s best prep football players on live, national television. The game is set to air on NBC at 10 a.m.

Wattenberg has been a big part of the Lions’ success in recent years. The threeyear starter anchored the offensive and defensive lines as the Lions went 7-3 on the season, recording a 2-3 record in Trinity League play. Wattenberg was named the league’s lineman of the year, according to head coach Jim Hartigan.

“He is a team leader and always puts the team first,” Hartigan said of Wattenberg. “He’s the best lineman I have ever coached … He’s a great person and he will do great things at the next level. I can’t wait to see him play in this great all-star game.”

During a Dec. 1 ceremony on campus, Wattenberg was presented his U.S. Army All-American jersey in front of teammates, coaches, friends and family.

SVC Girls Volleyball State Title Run Ends in Quarterfinals After claiming the CIF-SS Division 3A

Page 24

Championship on Nov. 21, the Saddleback Valley Christian girls volleyball team began their journey toward an even bigger postseason trophy.

Competing in the CIF State Division 3 Championships last week, the fi fth-seeded Warriors drew a tough quarterfinal matchup with No. 1 Valley View. On Nov. 28, Valley View, the eventual state champion, defeated the Warriors in five sets 27-25, 15-25, 21-25, 25-13, 15-7.

SVC defeated Independence of Bakersfield in five sets in the state championship’s opening round.

Stallions Girls Soccer Makes Strong Opening Statement The San Juan Hills girls soccer team defeated two top-10 teams to start their season and will enter the Soccer With Hope Tournament this weekend with a perfect 3-0 overall record.

The Stallions opened their season on Dec. 1 with a 1-0 win over Santa Margarita, the No. 10 team in CIF-SS Division 1. Danielle Satterwhite scored the game-winner for San Juan Hills in the second half.

In a Dec. 3 matchup against Northwood, the No. 5 team in Division 2, Isabella Bellinghausen scored two first-half goals and San Juan Hills hung on for a 2-1 victory.

San Juan Hills improved its winning streak to three games with a 3-0 victory over Mission Viejo out of the South Coast League on Dec. 8. Satterwhite netted two goals and Bellinghausen scored once in the win. Jenna Baum and Marissa Cordero each tallied an assist for the Stallions.

San Juan Hills has two Soccer With Hope Tournament matches scheduled against El Dorado (Dec. 10) and St. Margaret’s (Dec. 12). CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

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949.388.7700, ext. 104 The Capistrano Dispatch December 11–17, 2015

OBITUARY

Janet V. Shute

Janet (Jan) V. Shute, 85, a 40year resident of San Clemente, went home to be with her Lord Jesus Christ and husband of 61 years Richard (Dick) Shute on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015.

Born in Boston, Janet moved to the west coast in the early 60’s camping in a tent with Dick and their eldest 2 children while making the trek from Rhode Island to California. Janet was an inspiration to everyone she met; those who knew her would say she was chatty, fun loving, strong-willed, practical, beautiful, energetic, and a “kick” to be around. Janet loved living in San Clemente, and gushed over the loveliness of everything

Page 25

her eyes took in.

Janet leaves behind her loved ones, son Richard Shute (Oceanside), daughters Lizbeth Mullin (Washington) and Luana Connor (Colorado), 6 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, brother Carleton Thompson (Oregon), and countless friends on the island of Antigua who all know her simply as “Mum.” Dick is no doubt rejoicing as his Janet is shining brightly; together again. We can hear her now, chatting in her effusive way about the unrivaled beauty of Heaven and God’s Glory. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Children of the Americas at www.childrenoftheamericas.org.

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

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS

Wonderful Warriors

Saddleback Valley Christian football team named CIF-SS Champions, head to SoCal regional game

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

s Brendan Chambers headed to a team meeting Dec. 4, the first-year head coach was contemplating how to tell his football players the news he had just heard.

Undefeated Saddleback Valley Christian was preparing to play Grace Brethren in the CIF-SS East Valley Division Championship game and the entire team was gathered to watch film of their next opponent.

Just a few hours before he stepped into the team room, Chambers was told that Grace Brethren had been forced to forfeit the game due to its use of an ineligible player all season long. The coach decided to watch film regardless. But after three minutes of watching tape, he realized it was pointless. Chambers shut off his computer and told the team it had been awarded the CIF-SS Championship.

The room erupted as the players celebrated the fact they brought home the first CIF-SS Championship in school history.

The celebration, however, did not last long.

The Warriors quickly realized they would not be playing Saturday night and a game they had looked forward to playing in all season long was not going to take place.

Hours after news of the forfeit broke, the Warriors received some good news.

They were awarded a spot in a CIF SoCal Regional Championship game. SVC will

THE PATH TO REGIONALS The SVC football team has recorded an impressive 14 straight victories this season.

Some wins have been lopsided while other have been closely contested. In tracing the teams’ steps that led to this weekend’s CIF SoCal Regional title game, one can get a better picture at how the Warriors have emerged as the squad to beat.

A Hot Start (Sept. 3-Oct. 2) SVC’s opening game was against the same Crean Lutheran team the Warriors would face 12 weeks later in the East Valley Division semifinals. The Warriors jumped The Capistrano Dispatch December 11–17, 2015

L to R: Cade Henjum, David Molina, Dalton Lohman and Jonathan Bunnel and the Saddleback Valley Christian football team will host Kennedy in the CIF State Regional Division 5A South Championship on Dec. 12. Photo: Steve Breazeale

host Kennedy of Delano in the CIF Regional Division 5A South Championship at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 at Laguna Hills High School.

“At the start of the year we were talking about how we wanted to get that (CIFSS) ring and get that memory. But we actually never got that memory to play in that game with our brothers,” senior running back Dalton Lohman said. “Now we’re looking forward to our state regional game and our state championship game and to make some good memories there.”

If SVC advances past Kennedy, they will play in the CIF State Division 5A Championship.

Not playing last weekend turned out to be a blessing in disguise for SVC. Several key players are nursing injuries, and the week off offered much needed time to rest tired bodies that are entering their 15th week of the season.

Junior quarterback Cade Henjum suffered a leg injury during the playoff run and did not start in the CIF-SS semifinals against Crean Lutheran. SVC shifted its game plan, putting running back David Molina in a wildcat formation on offense that proved effective. Molina sprained his ankle in that game and has been on the mend. Henjum came in off the bench against the Saints but the effects of his injury are still lingering.

Chambers expects both Henjum and Molina to start against Kennedy on Saturday.

The Warriors offense has been able to put up plenty of points in spite of the injuries, but the team’s defense has been at the center of its success in recent weeks. The Warriors secondary recorded four interceptions against powerhouse St. Margaret’s in the quarterfinals and limited Crean Lutheran to just 14 points, despite the fact the Saints started with the ball in

SVC territory seven times in the semifinals on Nov. 27.

Chambers believes the Kennedy offense will present a challenge the SVC defense has not faced since Week 5, when the Warriors played Capistrano Valley Christian. Kennedy, like the Eagles, runs the ball at a high rate. The Thunderbirds (10-3) quarterback Felipe Sandoval is averaging only 89.4 yards per game, while the teams’ running backs account for 373 rushing yards per contest. The Warriors front seven will be tasked with containing Kennedy’s senior running back tandem of David Zepeda and Rafael Martinez.

“It’s going to be tough for our defense.

I think (Kennedy) is going to come in and try and be ball control, run the clock,” Chambers said. “We have an explosive offense and we want to be on the field. If we can create some stops defensively, I think we’ll be fine.” CD

out to an early 20-7 lead and never looked back.

The 21 points SVC allowed in the 40-21 win over Crean Lutheran was the most they would allow over the next three games. SVC breezed past Malibu, Garey and California Military Academy, respectively, outscoring the three opponents by a combined 147-25 margin.

The Warriors allowed Calvary Chapel to score 27 points on Oct. 2, but SVC running back Dalton Lohman scored three touchdowns and David Molina added two more in a 55-27 rout.

and increased its lead following an 11-yard touchdown pass from Cade Henjum to Molina.

CVCS was able to score its first touchdown of the night midway through the final quarter to cut into SVC’s lead, 13-10, but neither team would find the end zone the rest of the way.

A Rematch With The Tartans (Nov. 20) A 56-17 win over Santa Paula in the opening round of the CIF-SS East Valley Division Championships ensured the Warriors would face St. Margaret’s Episcopal in the quarterfinals. The Tartans defeated SVC in the 2014 East Valley semifinals, but in 2015 the Warriors’ defense propelled them to an upset win.

The SVC secondary recorded four interceptions on the night, none more important than a late third-quarter takeaway that SVC turned into points to increase its lead to 2817 over the Tartans. SVC won the game, and the rematch, 28-25.

Close Call With A Rival (Oct. 10) The annual nonleague game between crosstown rivals SVC and Capistrano Valley Christian came down to the wire after a defensive standoff that lasted three quarters. SVC held a slim 6-2 lead over the Eagles heading into the fourth quarter

March to Nine (Oct. 16-Nov. 6) The Warriors began their march to a ninth consecutive San Joaquin League championship with a resounding 56-8 league win over Southlands Christian on Oct. 16. The Warriors did not let up there.

SVC ran through league play with little to no interference. The defense allowed just over 16 points per game in four contests.

The offense posted its highest output to date in a 66-20 victory over Fairmont Prep on Oct. 24 and scored 50 or more points in all four games.

Page 26

Lifting the Trophy (Dec. 5) Although they did not get to play for the East Valley Championship due to a Grace Brethren forfeit, the Warriors were crowned the CIF-SS East Valley Division champions for the first time in school history on Dec. 5. www.thecapistranodispatch.com