November 8, 2013

VOLUME 11, ISSUE 21

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Chamber Comes Out Against

Allevato RecallEYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

Shea Center Riders Named Fiesta’s Junior

Dignitaries EYE ON SJC/PAGE 6

VOTE FOR THE “BEST OF SAN JUAN” AT WWW.THECAPISTRANODISPATCH.COM

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE NOVEMBER 8-21, 2013

FOUNDED IN 2002

San Juan Capistrano will hire an independent investigator to look into allegations of misconduct on the City Council. In reaching their decision, council members exchanged confrontational words, further dividing an already fractured council.

A Council Divided

An investigation into alleged misconduct on the San Juan

Capistrano City Council represents a decisive split on the dais

E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 5

San Juan Hills Football Vies for League Title Against Dana Hills

SPORTS/PAGE 22

THE LATEST: The San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce released a state-ment Tuesday opposing the ongoing effort to recall embattled Councilman Sam Allevato.

The chamber came to its position fol-lowing a vote by its board of directions. In the statement, the chamber cited the estimated $100,000 it would cost to con-duct a special election as an unnecessary expense to the city and residents.

“Conducting a special election will cost the city money that it does not have to spend, which will result in either reduced services or increased burdens on taxpay-ers,” the statement said.

In addition, the chamber said a recall election would subject residents to “divi-siveness of politics.”

“Unfortunately, the tone of campaigns in San Juan Capistrano has become increasingly negative lately … We suffer through it every other year because we have to. This time, it’s avoidable.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The City Clerk’s offi ce said Thursday the petition to recall is still under review. Once it is verifi ed, recall organizers have 120 days to gather signa-tures from 20 percent of the city’s 17,645 registered voters, or 3,529.

FIND OUT MORE: To read the chamber’s full statement and for updates, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. – Brian Park

THE LATEST: The Capistrano Unifi ed

What’s Up With...S A N J U A N C A P I S T R A N O ’ S T O P 5 H O T T E S T T O P I C S

…the Chamber’s Recall Stance?

…CUSD Ranch Agreement?

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1LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTINGEYE ON SJC

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch November 8-21, 2013

…the La Pata Extension? …State Water Plans?

…the SONGSNegotiations?

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THE LATEST: Bids for the La Pata exten-sion project, which proposes to connect San Juan Capistrano to San Clemente, came in well under the expected $85 million price tag, the Orange County Board of Supervisors offi ce said last Thursday, October 31.

The three bids for the project were opened Wednesday, October 30 at the Hall of Administration in Santa Ana. The low bid on the project was $61 million

THE LATEST: The state of California released a water action plan last week with the goal of bringing all of the state’s agencies under a single plan.

John Laird, secretary for the Califor-nia Natural Resources Agency, said the program’s goal was not “to reinvent the wheel” but instead, under the threat of climate change and continued popula-tion growth, to bring all the state’s agen-cies under one goal together to tackle issues as a unifi ed body.

THE LATEST: Southern California Edison released documents this week indicating the manufacturer of steam generators at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station was unable to create a satisfactory plan for repairing equipment after abnor-mal wear was detected.

Edison said Mitsubishi Heavy Indus-tries failed to provide a plan on what could be done to repair worn tubes in its two nuclear reactors, units 2 and 3. Tubes in the latter ruptured in January 2012 ulti-mately leading to the plant’s shut down.

WHAT’S NEXT: The two companies have entered into a contractually man-dated arbitration to settle a dispute over the plant’s operational costs since the shutdown, and costs related to the steam generators.

FIND OUT MORE: To view the documents, visit www.songscommunity.com. – JS

Page 3

SAN CLEMENTEThe San Clemente City Council continued dis-

cussion of the city’s draft General Plan Tuesday and while the end for the discussion is in sight, it

is possible the amount of work ahead will again delay adoption of the document. The council

has been working on revising the general plan since September before, during and after regular business meetings, as well as occasional special dates. However, the council still has several sec-

tions to get though before the plan can be for-mally adopted. Principal City Planner Jeff Hook

said the council had several elements of the plan to get through before it can move to adopt a fi nal

version of the document. While the council is scheduled to meet Wednesday, November 13 to

discuss the general plan with the hope of moving to adopt it at its November 19 meeting, it may be

more likely the council will adopt a fi nal version in December, Hook said.

NEWS NEXT DOOR

DANA POINTSurvey crews were at the OC Dana Point Harbor two weeks ago performing fi eldwork for the county’s application to revamp the city’s port. The $140 million project has been in the works for decades but physical signs of change were absent until this year. In February, wooden story-poles were erected demonstrating the scale of buildings slated to replace existing 1960s structures. With the visit, baseline information for underground utilities and building elevations has been established, moving the project closer to permit hearings with Dana Point, said Harbor Director Brad Gross. The rehab proposal would eliminate 13 buildings, construct seven new retail and offi ce buildings and redo exist-ing structures near the commercial docks. Plans also include a parking structure and a 35,000-square-foot park.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORING

TOWNS1“We are coordinating what’s in place in

one location with clear goals as targets for the different agencies,” Laird said. “We have to focus on the whole picture.”

WHAT’S NEXT: While the document has few specifi c action points, it encourages local efforts to expand recycled water projects and emphasizes collaborative work to solve immediate local water con-cerns. The plan also calls for streamlining the approval process for water sustain-ability projects like the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project.

FIND OUT MORE: For more on the story, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. – JS

from Papich Construction, a Grover Beach fi rm. The highest bid was $90.5 million. A third bid was closer to the low end as well.

San Clemente City Councilwoman Lori Donchak, who serves on the board of the Orange County Transit Authority, said there has been a need for years for the project to relieve traffi c on I-5.

WHAT’S NEXT: The county Board of Supervisors will formally vote to award the bid at an upcoming meeting. Donchak said the county still must do due diligence to make sure the bids are “apples to apples,” especially given the large difference between the bids.

Supervisor Pat Bates called the proj-ect the most signifi cant transportation development in the fi fth district since the widening of the El Toro portion of I-5 and one of the biggest arterial con-nections since the connection of Golden Lantern in Dana Point to inland areas.

The project is expected to break ground in early 2014.

FIND OUT MORE: For more on the story, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. – JS

School District Board of Trustees ap-proved an agreement with the develop-ers of Rancho Mission Viejo Wednesday, providing a framework for the fi nancing of school facilities in Planning Areas 1 and 2, just outside San Juan Capistrano.

The agreement sets up the funding the district will receive from the devel-opers of the property for school facili-ties. The agreement gives homeowners in the development the opportunity to raise additional funding if full state funds are not available for the construction of such facilities.

“This is quite an accomplishment, something great to celebrate,” District Superintendent Joseph Farley told the board.

WHAT’S NEXT: The agreement also sets up a timeline for a study by the district on the needs of high school students in the development, including where they will be housed, whether that means expanding San Juan Hills or Tesoro high schools or setting aside land for a school inside Rancho Mission Viejo.

FIND OUT MORE: See www.thecapistra-nodispatch.com. – Jim Shilander

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch November 8-21, 2013 Page 5

EYE ON SJC

City Council Approves Investigation into Itself

By Brian ParkThe Capistrano Dispatch

The city will hire an independent investigator to look into allegations of legal and ethical misconduct

he political gauntlet was thrown down Tuesday night, and with it went whatever civility was left on

the San Juan Capistrano City Council as a trio of members voted to begin an investigation into the council, stemming from allegations of ethical and legal violations by two others.

The city will now look to hire an independent investigator, likely a retired judge for a contract worth up to $25,000, to look into Councilman Larry Kramer’s allegations of violations by councilmen Roy Byrnes and Derek Reeve. Kramer, who brought up the allegations at the council’s last meeting on October 15, was supported by Mayor John Taylor and Councilman Sam Allevato, who is the target of an ongoing recall effort.

Discussions on the dais were con-frontational and peppered by boos and applause from a standing-room-only audience. The majority of those who came to express their viewpoints, spoke up against the investigation. The gener-ally mild-mannered Taylor appeared agitated at times and at one point, asked the crowd to refrain from boisterous response or face removal from the City Council chamber. Reeve called the threat unnecessary.

Kramer, Allevato and Taylor were unmoved by Byrnes’ and Reeve’s at-tempts to sway them. Byrnes urged the council majority to “not go down this road.” Later, after he was rebuffed by Allevato, Byrnes said, “your pontifica-tions are irrelevant.” Reeve, who called the investigation a waste of taxpayer money, was more defiant, saying neither he nor Byrnes had done wrong. Reeve then fired a warning salvo at the three councilmen by suggesting a change was coming to the council dynamic via a future election.

“Roy and I are loyal public servants to the people and patriots to our nation. But make no mistake, obedience to government and obedience to you is not patriotism. San Juan Capistrano is not an oligarchy. It is part of a republic. A representative democracy,” Reeve said. “Make no mistake, your majority control over the city is coming to an end. I don’t know if it will be next year or a year later, but it’s coming to an end. And I pledge to the residents of our beloved city that are gathered here today that the new majority will be made up of common but dedicated public servants, who will reach across the aisle and give

respect to those who disagree.”Allegations against Byrnes and Reeve

developed from a closed executive meeting on August 6, during which the council apparently decided to remove newspaper racks at city hall and the community center. On October 1, Byrnes disclosed to Kim McCarthy of Community Common Sense, publishers of a monthly newspaper, that the council had voted 3-1 to ban the racks. City At-torney Hans Van Ligten, however, said there was no reportable action from the meeting, and that was enough for Kramer to question whether Byrnes had violated the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting and public records law. Reeve, an attorney, has acted as legal represen-tative for Common Sense in the news-paper rack issue, as well as in public records act issues, and recused himself from the meeting. Still, Kramer suggest-ed Reeve’s role on the council and work with Common Sense conflicted and that he may have violated “his fiduciary duty to the city or any other laws.”

Common Sense members have been highly critical of Kramer, Allevato and Taylor regarding their support for the city’s controversial groundwater recov-ery plant and disputed water rates, in editorial columns and during meetings.

Common Sense Editor Kim Lefner said any discussion to remove newspa-per racks at city property should have included input from the community. Lef-ner and other Common Sense members have said they’ve been unfairly targeted by the city due to their critical opinions. Lefner noted that newspaper racks for The Capistrano Dispatch and the Cap-istrano Valley News, published by the Orange County Register, had existed at city hall long before and were forced to be removed only after Common Sense’s attempt to be included.

“Why was the public not invited to weigh in on this important free speech issue? Don’t you think your constituents have the right to be part of a discussion to ban newspapers on public property?” Lefner said. “In my opinion, this is just another attempt to silence those with whom you disagree. Shielding discus-sions and votes from the public about issues like this runs counter to our founding principles and is just plain wrong. The residents of San Juan de-serve better.”

Former City Council candidate Me-lissa Kaffen was critical of the council majority, saying their decision to re-move newspaper racks was tantamount to “declaring open warfare on the First

Amendment and our right to know the whole story about what you were doing on the council.”

“This council’s intention to indict two duly-elected citizen representatives for daring to challenge a majority decision to ban the Community Common Sense from the public square tells us pretty much everything we need to know about this council majority,” Kaffen said. “It tells us of a deep contempt for the free press and the notion that we the people deserve an honest shake on anything this council does.”

Villa Park City Councilwoman Debo-rah Pauly also attended the meeting to speak against the investigation.

“If any of you press forward with this manufactured charade to silence those who disagree with you, you are in direct violation of your oaths of office,” Pauly said. “I would actually expect something like this in a backward, third-world, dictator-led Communist regime. You bring dishonor on yourself and your city … Please drop this. Drop it like a hot potato. It is radioactive, and it is un-American.”

Some Common Sense members are known to be supportive of the recall attempt against Allevato, and Reeve said the investigation only served to dis-tract people from that effort. San Juan Capistrano resident Jan Siegel, an active volunteer and member of the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission, said it

T

San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Larry Kramer’s allegations of wrongdoing by two fellow councilmem-bers last month has led to the city now investigating the entire body. Photo by Brian Park

was hypocritical for recall supporters to continue their efforts while calling for an end to the investigation, based on cost.

“I’ve had it. I think that these people that are coming forward and complain-ing about how terrible the majority of the City Council is, I find it really interest-ing that they keep raising the fact that this is going to cost $25,000. They don’t seem to care that they’re putting forth a recall election that’s going to cost the city $100,000,” Siegel said.

Steve Behmerwohld, another active volunteer and member of the Parks, Rec-reation and Senior Services Commission, offered a compromise.

“I have to agree with several of the Common Sense people that I think you should agree to disagree,” Behmerwohld said. “But the thing that we’re going through with Derek and Roy, to me, is no different than what we’re going through trying to recall Sam. What I would like to propose is that you stop the investigation of Derek and Roy and you guys stop the recall of Sam, save us $125,000 and agree to disagree and move forward.”

Reeve warned that any investigation would also look into the actions of the entire council, including Kramer, Allevato and Taylor. That was confirmed by As-sistant City Attorney Patrick Munoz.

“I’m fine with that,” Taylor said.“Be careful what you ask for,” Reeve

added. CD

EYE ON SJC


NEWS BITESP R O P S , R E C O G N I T I O N S A N D M O R S E L S O F I N F O

Compiled by Brian Park

Shea Center Riders Named Fiesta’s Junior Dignitaries

The Fiesta Association has announced two Shea Center clients, Brad Marshall and Courtney Yacovone, as their junior dignitaries for the 2014 Fiesta de las Golondrinas season and the 56th Swal-lows Day Parade.

Marshall, 26, has been a rider at the Shea Center for more than 15 years and will serve as Junior Señor San Juan. Yacovone, 16, has been a client at the Shea Center for the past six years and will serve as Junior Miss Fiesta. Both have ridden and walked in the parade with the Shea Center before.

The two will join senior dignitaries Deborah and James Valgean, at several Fiesta Association events in the com-ing months, as well as the Swallows Day Parade, scheduled to take place Saturday, March 22. Jim Curwood, owner of Buy My Bikes in San Juan Capistrano, will serve as grand marshal for the parade.

For more information on the parade and the Fiesta Association, visit www.swallowsparade.com.

VFW Invites Community to Help Honor Veterans

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Serra Post 3801 is hosting a special Veterans Day celebration to honor military veterans Monday, November 11.

The day begins at 11 a.m. with a remem-brance ceremony at Veterans Park, 31872 Camino Capistrano. Then, the VFW will host a barbecue, featuring live music, at nearby Historic Town Center Park, 31806 El Camino Real. Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be served. Veterans and active duty military eat for free. A $5 donation is recommended from non-veteran guests.

To help plan for the event, contact Cathy Salcedo in the City Manager’s of-fice at 949.443.6317 or contact Home-

front America at [email protected] or 949.248.9468.

Local Boy Scouts Earn the High-est Honor

Two local Boy Scouts recently earned the highest rank in the organization, Eagle Scout, for their service to the community.

Alex Davani from Troop 12 in San Juan Capistrano earned his rank after building new ADA-compliant sinks, faucets and drinking fountains at Lutheran Church of the Cross Church and Preschool in Laguna Woods. Davani rebuilt the old sink and faucet unit because children had difficulty reaching them to wash their hands and drink water. For his accomplishment, Davani was honored by Mayor John Taylor and the San Juan Capistrano City Council during their meeting on Tuesday, November 5.

“Alex’s project exemplifies community service. His project is relevant and long standing, and for that, I thank you and the community thanks you,” Taylor said.

Davani has been in the Boy Scouts since he was 6 years old, and although only 21 merit badges are required to earn the rank of Eagle, he has earned 74.

“I think I’ve benefitted from scouting as a whole, and I’ll use these skills as an adult,” Davani said. “I’m glad that the project has made an impact in a lot of kids’ lives now.”

JSerra Catholic High School sophomore Mark Summers, a scout in Troop 636 in Rancho Santa Margarita, will also join the highest rank of the Boy Scouts after completing his Eagle project in October. Summers, with assistance from 21 other scouts and adult volunteers, rehabilitated a section of the Round Valley Loop Trail at San Jacinto State Park by placing boulder steps to help hikers.

Local Boy Scout Alex Davani was honored by the San Juan Capistrano City Council on Tuesday, November 5 after earning his Eagle Scout rank. Photo by Brian Park

Local author Donna Friess has released her new book, Cherish the Light: One Woman’s Journey from Darkness to Light. Courtesy photo

Davani and Summers join an elite group of scouts. In 2012, nearly 58,000 scouts earned the rank of Eagle—the highest number ever, according to the Boy Scouts of America. However, that number still only represents 7 percent of all scouts.

Three City Meetings Canceled for Holiday Season

The City Council and Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency regular meetings scheduled for Tuesday, No-vember 19 and Tuesday, January 7 have been canceled to accommodate holiday schedules, the city announced. The Hous-ing Authority meeting, also on January 7, has been canceled as well.

For more information, contact the City Clerk’s office at 949.443.6308.

Local Author Releases New Book

San Juan Capistrano resident and au-thor Donna Friess’ new book, Cherish the Light: One Woman’s Journey from Darkness to Light, is now available for purchase.

The book is a personal account of Friess’ and her sisters’ struggle to protect their 4-year-old niece from continued abuse at the hands of their father. The book is the sequel to Friess’ 1993 book, Cry the Darkness, for which she appeared as a guest on “Oprah” and other shows.

Friess, wife of former San Juan Cap-istrano city councilman and mayor Ken Friess, taught for more than 40 years at Cypress College and currently works as a life coach. She also volunteers as a facili-tator for the Loss of a Loved One support group at the Community Center in San Juan Capistrano.

Friess’ book is available online, as paperback or eBook, on Amazon.com. For more information about Friess and her

work, visit her website, www.drdonnafriess.com.

Local Dance Team to Perform During Holiday Bowl Halftime Show

The Capistrano Academy of Dance has been invited to perform during halftime of the 2013 National University Holiday Bowl on Monday, December 30.

Local dancers will join other dance, cheer and drill teams from across the country on the field at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Executive Director Elizabeth Kinney will lead a team of 12 students down to San Diego to rehearse with na-tionally acclaimed choreographers.

To help raise funds for the team, con-tact Kinney at 949.294.8480 or email [email protected]. For more information about the Capistrano Academy of Dance, visit their website, www.capistranodance.com.

Shea Center clients Brad Marshall and Courtney Yacovone were named Junior Señor San Juan and Junior Miss Fiesta, respectively, for the 2014 Fiesta de las Golondrinas season and the 56th Swallows Day Parade. Photos courtesy of the Shea Center

Mark Summers, left, a sophomore at JSerra Catholic High School and a member of Boy Scout Troop 636 in Rancho Santa Margarita, recently helped improve a trail in San Jacinto State Park for his Eagle Scout project. Courtesy photo Courtesy photo

Have something interesting for the

community? Send your information to

[email protected].

EYE ON SJC


SJC Sheriff’s Blotter

Monday, November 4

INVESTIGATE PERSON DOWNDel Obispo Street, 31800 Block (10:55 a.m.) The Orange County Fire Author-ity responded to a call about a man on the ground near trash dumpsters.

CAR FIRELa Zanja Street/Camino Capistrano (8:11 a.m.) The Orange County Fire Authority responded to a blue Honda Civic that was on fire. A tow truck was late to the scene because it was stuck in traffic on Interstate 5.

Sunday, November 3

DRUNK IN PUBLICCamino Capistrano/Forster Street (2:37 p.m.) A drunken man, described to be in his 50s and wearing a gray and brown hooded flannel, was seen falling down near the seating area at Veterans Park, across from El Adobe de Capistrano.

RECKLESS DRIVINGLa Novia Avenue/Camino La Ronda (10:21 a.m.) A man was seen riding a dirt bike around La Entrada Trail. The caller said no motor vehicles were al-lowed on the trail.

Saturday, November 2

VANDALISM IN PROGRESSMarina Road, 26300 Block (5:08 p.m.)A woman called after she caught two small children scratching three vehicles with rocks while their parents looked on. The woman said the children and parents lived two houses down.

DISTURBANCEDoheny Park Road, 33900 Block (3:17 p.m.) Two women were panhandling in front of the PetSmart, refusing to leave.

COMPILED BY BRIAN PARK

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 affili-ation 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.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCEVerdugo Street, 26700 Block (1:48 p.m.)A caller, who said he was a conductor, told authorities about a black backpack that had been left at the train depot. The caller hung up, and when dispatch called back, the call went straight to voice mail.

Friday, November 1

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCECamino Capistrano, 32100 Block (11:17 p.m.) A Patrol One security and parking enforcement unit said a transient was refusing to leave a commercial area. Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene and convinced the known transient to leave.

DISTURBANCEVerdugo Street, 26700 Block (7 p.m.)A 25-year-old man, wearing a white shirt and black pants, was seen near Sarduc-ci’s Capistrano Depot, throwing rocks at a sign warning pedestrians to keep off the railroad tracks.

Wednesday, October 30

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCEEl Camino Real, 31400 Block (8:45 p.m.) A caller said they had gone to the library to return a book and found the front door unlocked with nobody inside. Dispatch later reported it was just the cleaning crew.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCECamino Capistrano/Ortega Highway (6:55 p.m.) A suspiciously shaped pack-age was found hidden behind a trashcan near the elevator in the Ruby’s commer-cial center.

HIT AND RUN MISDEMEANOR REPORTOrtega Highway, 27100 Block (2:51 p.m.) A vehicle, described as a white dump truck, hit a white minivan. The offending vehicle was last seen entering northbound Interstate 5.

Monday, October 28

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCECamino Capistrano, 32000 Block (4:58 p.m.) A 20-year-old man with long, curly hair was seen carrying around a fuel container in the Rite Aid and Ross park-ing lot and asking people for money.

Sunday, October 27

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCEValle Road/La Novia Avenue (12:47 p.m.) A woman walking her dogs in the park called after finding a large decom-posing dead animal. The caller was unsure what kind of animal it was.

ANNIVERSARY

u Align Pilates Center, 26850 Ortega Highway, Suite K, 949.481.3577, www.align-pilatescenter.com

In October, Align Pilates Center celebrat-ed their one-year anniversary by offering free classes and special workshops to help introduce and demystify the popular fitness style to the uninitiated.

Pilates is a body conditioning and fit-ness program aimed to return people to their “center.” That is, exercises are geared toward improving core strength and the muscles that support the spine through low-impact moves and routines.

“It’s not just your abdominals. It’s all your stabilizing muscles,” said Cara Fraser, co-owner and instructor. “The idea is to return your trunk to a strong, centered position, and your limbs will follow.”

Unlike yoga, which requires practitio-ners to hold poses for a certain amount of time before moving on to another, Pilates includes several repetitions of various exer-cises, which range from work on strength-building and resistance equipment to mat work that utilizes a person’s own body weight and gravity.

“The biggest advantage of Pilates is that it helps return your body to where it should be, rather than pushing it to cause overde-velopment,” Fraser said. “It’s all about get-ting your body back to being pain free.”

That’s why Pilates is a popular exercise for people going through physical therapy or find traditional forms of exercise too painful or demanding. Fraser and co-owner Nicole Howard are familiar with working with people in pain. Prior to opening up their studio, they worked for eight years under a physical therapist in San Juan Capistrano.

Fraser and Howard have two other instructors on staff, as well as student teachers. Classes range in difficulty, from beginner to more advanced levels, but there are also open classes for all levels, where exercises are modified based on ability.

Business Beat BY BRIAN PARK

News and updates on San Juan Capistrano’s business community

Align Pilates also offers yoga classes on their schedule.

FUNDRAISING

u Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, 949.489.8082

The Camino Real Playhouse is presenting two special fundraising shows in support of the theater’s efforts to ensure their future and the survival of San Juan Capistrano’s performing arts.

Until Sunday, November 10, the play-house is bringing back the popular cabaret-style music revue, Standing Room Only: Best of Broadway. The show features several se-lections from hit Broadway shows, including Spring Awakening, American Idiot and Jesus Christ Superstar.

On Friday, November 15 and Sunday, November 17, Polish actress Ewa Boryczko will be on stage in a solo performance of the play, “Modjeska! The Artist’s Dream.” Boryc-zko will portray Helena Madame Modjeska, the famed Polish actress who rose to fame in America as a leading Shakespearean female performer in the 1880s and 1890s.

Part of the proceeds gathered from the show will go toward the playhouse’s attempt to possibly buy their building.

The playhouse building is owned by the city, which has acted as the successor to the redevelopment agency since the state dis-solved all redevelopment agencies in 2012. Although the city owns the building, the state could retain the property and sell it, according to playhouse co-founder Beverly Blake. Should the city keep the property, plans to develop parts of downtown could relocate the playhouse.

“No matter what happens, we need to be in a position to stay where we are,” Blake said.

The playhouse has set up a fundraising website, through Rally.org, which has earned $7,495 toward a $10,000 goal.

To purchase tickets for the shows or to contribute to the playhouse, visit their web-site, www.caminorealplayhouse.org. CD

The Camino Real Playhouse is asking for the community’s help to possibly buy their building and ensure their future. Photo by Brian Park

The Capistrano Dispatch November 8-21, 2013 Page 10

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTSSOAPBOX

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

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 11, Issue 21. 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.sanclement-etimes.com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

EDITORIAL

Senior Group Editor> Andrea Swayne

City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch> Brian Park

Sports Editor> Steve Breazeale

City Editor, SC Times> Jim Shilander

City Editor, DP Times> Andrea Papagianis

ART/DESIGN

Senior Designer> Jasmine Smith

ADVERTISING/MULTI-MEDIA MARKETING

Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

> Michele Reddick (San Clemente)

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Sales Associates> Angela Edwards

OPERATIONS

Finance Director> Mike Reed

Business Operations Manager> Alyssa Garrett

Accounting ManagerDistribution Manager> Tricia Zines

SPECIAL THANKSRobert Miller, Jonathan Volzke

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Victor Carno, Tawnee Prazak, Dana Schnell, Tim Trent

CITY EDITORSTORIES, NEWS, CALENDAR, ETC.

Brian Park, 949.388.7700, x108 [email protected]

ADVERTISINGPRINT AND ONLINE

Debra Wells, 949.388.7700, x104 [email protected]

DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, [email protected]

BILLINGAlyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 [email protected]

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PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide va-riety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch pro-vides 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 refl ect those of The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at [email protected]

GUEST OPINION: Conscious Living by Meryl Gwinn

N

Seasonal Food for Thought

ovember is a month for slowing down, sweatering up and applying ChapStick relentlessly. At fi rst, I

set out to write about the vibrant autumn colors, the fall farm vegetable harvest (of course) or something similar to evoke the cozy, nostalgic, fl annel-shirt feeling that is “so this season.”

But the truth is, lately, I’ve been think-ing about how rather than slowing, ev-erything seems to be speeding up. We’re super-charged by technology and con-sumed by ever-busier schedules. With that in mind, I decided to take a moment for peace and write a tribute to the practice of mindfulness and simply relaxing into the rich, present moment.

So here’s to the art of the pause, taking time to genuinely engage with one other. Here’s to the idea of being active contribu-tors to a stronger community and a kinder, safer living space for all to enjoy.

Whatever the major culprits contribut-ing to our endless scurrying—smart-phones, marketing bombardment, habitual multitasking—let’s just realize our current state. We’re distracted.

Rather than clear minds and present

CONSCIOUSLIVING

By Meryl Gwinn

participation, we often live in a zone of intensity and anxiety, a swirl of speed and impatience. A friend said to me re-cently, “We have no right to stress ourselves out; to live any way less than in joyful appreciation.” Why live inside a swirl-ing tornado of a million

tasks and thoughts that remove us from what’s happening around us and distract us from being grateful for our current moments?

Who are we to be so preoccupied that we no longer have simple compassion for our neighbors who happen to be driving slower than us or taking a little extra time in the crosswalk?

There is a lot of opportunity for enter-tainment while fully participating in the daily world. The line at the market can truly be comical if we just relax and take it all in. Look up, notice someone and con-sider what they’re about. Say something to make someone laugh. We’re all sharing experiences. Why not engage with those

around us? Connection is, after all, what we’re really looking for. Mother Teresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

Let’s resolve not to check our text messages while driving as a tribute to someone who has suffered because of it. Aside from the obvious safety issue, what’s wrong with simply taking time to think? In each of our psyches there is something profound aching to rise to the surface. Perhaps if we would just pause long enough and give our texting thumbs a rest, some grand ideas could be realized. Since when should we be forever reach-able, anyway? Losing precious moments for ourselves to just “be” could be con-tributing to a major loss of creativity and solutions for the entire system.

How can we be fully effective when we’re fl ipping through radio stations, driv-ing, sipping lattes, checking emails and pondering tomorrow’s schedule? We’ve all caught ourselves there—boy it’s exhaust-ing—and all we’re doing is sitting in a car.

Take some time this month to retreat to a place that is uniquely your own. Observe

your breathing, meditate, walk, quiet your mind, un-clutter your space.

Take the time to really watch the sunset, or the clouds or the waves. Ask a question. Admire someone and then tell them. Smile and notice your appreciation for just being you, here and now, or laugh because you feel like a child after catch-ing yourself smiling at the fl owers. What develops, I believe, is a greater sense of being alive.

Cheers to a season of gentleness, con-nection and engagement. Our communi-ties will be grateful. I’m sure of it.

Meryl Gwinn has a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology, has studied yoga, health, food, and humans around the globe. She is a constant pursuer of natural medi-cine and whole-healing solutions. Gwinn welcomes reader feedback at [email protected]. CD

Sweater weather is here, slow down, connect, enjoy

Letters to the EditorDON’T COUNT THE TOLL ROAD OUTWilliam Conroy, San Clemente

Don’t count the toll road out yet. (See the “End of the (Toll) Road,” The

Capistrano Dispatch, October 25-Novem-ber 7.)

They lost a battle but they will just hunker down like they have before, for their next move. They have too much money invest to quit now.

When they feel you have forgotten them or political powers have shifted

they will rise up again for yet another try.

The toll road will not decrease the traffi c on I-5. It will allow new areas to be developed, increasing the traffi c.

Did the 91 freeway decrease the traf-fi c along its path?

Be on your guard. Watch what politi-cal fi gures support the toll roads.

Protect San Clemente and the neigh-boring beaches and cities from these outside developers.

A YOUNG PERSON’S PLEA FOR POSITIVE LANGUAGEMatthew Herrod, San Clemente

I’m a student at Shorecliffs Middle School in San Clemente. Each day at school, I hear a lot of foul language such as swearing.

I just don’t get how in elementary school I hardly heard swearing and now I hear it every day.

I always think to myself, what is the reason so many people do it? Do they

think they are cool by doing it? I don’t think in any way that swear-

ing is cool. It’s just a way to put people down.

I really wish that swear words didn’t exist or somehow, someway, people would just stop.

I think that everyone should use posi-tive language to make other people feel good.

(Cont. on page 12)

SOAPBOX


TOLL ROAD ARTICLE MISSED THE MARKDuff Wilmoth, San Juan Capistrano

Reading the “End of the (Toll) Road” article (The Dispatch, October 25-November 7), I came away less than enlightened due to a void of trenchant and pragmatic observations from the informed authorities who were inter-viewed. Truth be told, it was an epic miss and I’m feeling a bit under served.

I failed to grasp Mayor Baker’s im-material sound bite on the “art of the deal”—contractual machinations—nor Councilman Allevato’s banal allusion to enhancing local circulation. Nor was Todd Spitzer’s insider name dropping of the governor and state secretary of transportation helpful or pertinent. All three elected officials conveyed tedious information bordering on surrendering their fiduciary duty to their constituents’ welfare. Such is the puffery and civic balm required to mollify the masses regarding difficult issues.

The crux is grappling with a well-executed emergency management plan focused on regional evacuation, impact-ing 500,000 locals, from north Orange County to north San Diego County. There was a complete absence of input from local state Senate and Assembly offices, as well as the municipal emer-gency operations coordinators and the local transportation committee officials who are the front line, vested stakehold-ers insuring for all citizens welfare and safety during major disaster. The com-pleted 241 Route, as envisioned, was selected by a collaborative study group that included the Federal Highway Ad-ministration, Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, the Army Corps of Engineers and Caltrans.

Alas, only the California Coastal Com-mission and Department of Commerce will adjudicate our future here and all else’s conjecture. As precedent, I would point to the effectively managed and very environmentally mitigated SR 73. I recall the vivid clamor that such a road would destroy the beloved San Joaquin Hills wilderness sanctuary. These freeway systems are built by the best transportation engineers in the world and monitored by the most tenacious green groups in America.

Eighty years to build a road is hardly progress. The road is needed if for no other reason than collective safety. Not sure whether the opponents and crit-ics are doomsday preppers or merely getting their mea culpa’s ready post incident that we should have, when we could have adopted an applicable strate-gic view on this project on behalf of our

Letters to the Editor (cont.)fellow citizens’ welfare. None will be in office come 2041. Until then, let’s hold our breath.

I-5 SHUTDOWN: WHERE ARE THE TOLL ROAD OPPONENTS NOW?Penny Maynard, Dana Point

When Interstate 5 was closed Thurs-day, October 24, as a result of a serious accident, and traffic was disrupted from San Clemente/Dana Point to the El Toro Road for more than four hours, where were the voices for alternative solutions to traffic management from organizations whose voices have been the loudest against the 241 Toll Road completion?

Everyone has the right to be against something, but to not offer an alterna-tive solution does not solve an existing problem and doesn’t seem responsible to me.

As long as we continue to have traffic on Interstate 5 in this area and as long as the Rancho Mission Viejo develop-ment (14,000 new homes, 5 million square feet of new commercial develop-ment) remains on track, traffic on I-5 will continue to increase. As long as the Orange County economy and population continue to grow, we need a solution to situations like this.

Since there is no major, alternative route to I-5 in the area, incidents like what happened October 24 will continue to occur, disrupt our lives and impact our safety. Even the NBC Los Angeles reporter Vikki Vargas, sent to cover this accident, said the disruption was because “there is no alternate route” in case of emergency. This was echoed by another individual who was at the scene. We desperately need a major alternative route to I-5 in southern Orange County.

I am an environmentalist and have been all my life but we shouldn’t have to live with situations like these. It’s unacceptable. Many will say the answer is mass transit but don’t identify routes, funding or subsidized sources. Mass transit would also take decades to build. Let’s also remember that hybrid and electric vehicles require roads. Trans-portation planners, elected officials and environmental groups all need to work together now to find a major alternative route to I-5 that is acceptable.

PATIENCE NEEDED FOR ALLTroy Sells, San Clemente

I was unfortunately caught up in the horrible traffic accident traffic on Inter-state 5 near Camino de Estrella, heading south around 2 p.m., Thursday, October 24. I had taken Coast Highway down from Newport Beach due to the traffic

reports about the SIG alert. I later did make the mistake of trying to get back on I-5 south at Dana Point. It was frus-trating for everyone but got much worse quickly when people tried to cut in line at the entrance to I-5. This was simply maddening to watch. It just seemed to get worse as the day went on. People seemed to take on the attitude, “don’t care about you, I’m more important.” I spoke to a few close friends later in the day who mentioned the same issues.

My thought, which I cannot get away from, is how quickly people lost their minds in frustration after just a few hours of inconvenience. How are they going to act when a real emergency hap-pens? Makes one think about how you will have to protect what is yours pretty quickly I fear.

RECALL: IMPRUDENT USE OF TAXPAYER MONEYRuth Clark, San Juan Capistrano

Do we, the tax payers, really want to waste $100,000 or more on a recall of Sam Allevato because two members of the City Council disagree with his vote? He was reelected last year, so he must be doing something right—for example, looking into the future to secure as much clean water as possible in order to protect us from a shortage.

Remember the recall of Gray Davis? We elected Arnold Schwarzenegger, who left our state of California in a finan-cial mess. I think we can put $100,000 to much better use than a recall election. I for one do not want to put all my eggs in one basket. I do not want to depend only on Metropolitan Water. Even if it’s affordable now, it might not be later.

Fifty years ago, when gas was cheap, the school board was looking to pur-chase land for a new high school. The land was in the gully known as the in-dustrial section of San Clemente. There was not a house for miles around. Their theory was that since gas was cheap, it would be less expensive to bus the children to school rather than purchase more expensive land in a neighborhood where they could walk or bike. We had a great location on the palisades, now occupied by the Mormon church and Shorecliffs Middle School, which at that time was unincorporated Orange County. The city of San Clemente told us that unless the school was located in San Clemente, they would not vote for it. Times have changed. Gas is no longer cheap. Kids can no longer afford the high price of a school bus pass and the Capistrano Unified School District can no longer afford to operate many busses due to the sky rocketing price of

gas and maintenance.There will inevitably be a water short-

age. Water will be scarce and prices will be high. More sources will surely be needed to keep up with demand.

I think Sam Allevato’s record over the years speaks for itself. He cares about his constituents and is a sincere, hard-working man. I do not support a recall of Mr. Allevato.

REJECT THE RECALLTom Hribar, San Juan Capistrano

The recent recall effort served against Councilman Sam Allevato needs to be rejected by our residents. High water rates are not a reason to recall a quality council member like Sam Allevato. Our residents need to try and understand the true motivation behind those few who are advocating this recall effort.

Councilman Allevato is only one of 10 individuals who voted to increase the water rates. Former council members Mark Nielsen, Lon Uso, Laura Freese and myself voted unanimously to in-crease our water rates. Additionally, five San Juan Capistrano resident members of our Water Advisory Board all voted to increase our water rates. Rates were increased because the San Juan Capist-rano water operation had approximately a minus $8 million in reserves. The standard reserve of water districts is three-fourths of one year’s operating budget. We needed to go from a minus $8 million to a plus $8 million, so we had to make up a $16 million shortfall. We chose not to “kick the can down the road,” but rather to do the right thing and move toward solving this shortfall.

The council has now ordered a new rate study that will hopefully show the projections are ahead of the eight years that it would take to achieve this finan-cial goal, in which case rates might be able to come down slightly in the future.

It was a pleasure for me to serve on the City Council with Sam Allevato. Mr. Allevato is a dedicated public servant with great personal integrity. Sam has served this city admirably and he cer-tainly does not deserve to be recalled over a decision that was unanimously voted on by all council members and the Water Advisory Board.

Please reject this effort to recall Sam Allevato.

To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at [email protected] 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.


YOUR TWO-WEEK EVENT PLANNER

GETTING OUT

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

AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL GRAVES - SJC LI-BRARY 30TH ANNIVERSA-RY 4 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Renowned architect Michael Graves returns to San Juan Capistrano

to commemorate the library’s 30th birthday in an event that includes docent-led tours, cake, a lecture, a Q&A with Graves and more. Free. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.218.4512, www.ocpl.org.

friday 8

YOUTH GARDEN VOLUN-TEERS 8 a.m.-10 a.m. Students are invited to meet the second Saturday of the month in front of the playground at Los Rios Park to volunteer in the garden

and receive community service hours. Bring gloves, wear close-toed shoes. 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

THE ARK OF SAN JUAN PET ADOPTIONS 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dogs for adoption and noon-4 p.m. cats and kit-tens for adoption at PetSmart. 33963 Doheny Park Road, 949.388.0034, www.arkofsanjuan.org.

saturday9

CAPO FARMER’S MARKET 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Every Wednesday at El Camino Real and Yorba in San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.4700.

RIBBON CUTTING - MISSION FINE ART GALLERY5 p.m. Join the chamber for an offi cial ribbon cutting of the newly renovated Mission Fine Art Gallery. Enjoy complimentary light refreshments and appetizers and peruse fi ne works of art by local artists. 31760 Camino Capistrano, 949.493.4700, www.mission-fi ne-art.com.

NATIVE AMERICAN BAS-KET WEAVING 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Experience the art of basket weaving, a Native American tradition, at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Free

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

MADAME MODJESKA RE-TURNS 8 p.m. Ewa Boryczko shares the extraordinary jour-ney of famous Polish actress Helena Modjeska in this solo performance at Camino Real

Playhouse. Tickets $25, or tickets and post-show recep-tion $40. Another performance Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

monday 11

thursday 14

friday15

saturday 16

wednesday13

A TRIBUTE TO OUR VET-ERANS 2 p.m. Honor our na-tion’s heroes at this ceremony hosted by VFW Serra Post 3801 at Veterans Park, 31872 Camino Capistrano. Follow-

ing will be a barbecue and live entertainment at Historic

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

MACY GRAY 7 p.m. Legendary female artist at The Coach House. Tickets $32.50. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

Have an event?Send your listing to [email protected]

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

sunday 10

Town Center Park, 31806 El Camino Real. Donation $5. Free for veterans and active-duty military. More info: 949.248.9468, [email protected], www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

GARAGE SALE FUN-DRAISER 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Fundraiser for The Ark of San Juan animal rescue near Plant Depot and San Juan Hills Golf, 32219 Via Barrida, San Juan

Capistrano, 949.388.0034, www.arkofsanjuan.org.

CASH’D OUT 8 p.m. Johnny Cash cover band concert at The Coach House, also featuring Second Hand Smoke

THE SERRA CHAPEL TOUR11:15 a.m. Tour at the Mission in honor of Father Junípero Serra, who was born 300 years ago this year. Offered Sundays. Admission $6-$9. 26801 Ortega

Hwy., SJC., 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

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

sunday 17

TRAIL CLEARING AND WEEDING 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Spend time in the beautiful outdoors and volunteer to clear and maintain trails at The Reserve/Richard and Donna

O’Neill Conservancy. Free. 949.923.2210, www.theconservancy.org.

monday 18

LUNCH LOCAL 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Join the Chamber of Commerce for networking and lunch at The Vintage Steak-house. Please RSVP to

[email protected]. 26701-B Verdugo St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.4700, www.sanjuanchamber.com.

tuesday19

FARM TO FORK: ADULT COOKING CLASS 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Visit The Ecology Center to explore the garden, harvest, and prepare a meal alongside a professional chef. For 18 and

older. Cost $40-$50. 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

thursday 21

and Triple Shot. Tickets $15. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.496.8930, www.thecoachhouse.com.

Arguably the most sought after fi lmmaker in current English cinema is Steve McQueen (not to be confused with the Hollywood actor). Despite having only three fi lms under his belt, he has made a major impact. His fi rst two fi lms, Hunger (2008) and Shame (2011), were frank and stark in content and theme. His 12 Years a Slave is in the same vein and bound to mark him in fi lm lore for a long while. In pre-Civil War America, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a free black man with a job and family in New York. While on a business trip with two white men, Solomon is abducted and forced into slavery along with a group of other free black citizens. The story follows his journey, and struggle to hold on to his dignity, through three different households over more than a decade of imprisonment. Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch play two of

Solomon’s masters. Lupita Nyong’o presents a remarkable debut as his fellow slave, and Alfre Woodard, Paul Giamatti and Brad Pitt make small appearances. 12 Years a Slave is based on the real experiences of a man named Solomon Northup, and Ejiofor leads a brutal feature that shows the importance of freedom and respect. We’ve seen slave-themed fi lms before, but not one from an angle like McQueen’s. While Django Unchained made audiences cheer and roar for the protagonist to suc-ceed, 12 Years has viewers sit back and observe the horror portrayed on screen. —Megan Bianco

AT THE MOVIES: ‘12 YEARS A SLAVE’

© Fox Searchlight

4LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY

SJC LIVING

4COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Monday 11.11

Veterans DayCity offi ces closed in observance of Veterans Day. A full city calendar is available online at www.sanjuancap-istrano.org.

Tribute to Veterans 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The public is invited for a free observance at Veterans Park, 31872 Camino Capistrano, www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Tuesday 11.12

Planning Commission Meeting6:30 p.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Ad-elanto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Friday 11.15

Coffee Chat8 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues, hosted by The Dispatch founder Jonathan Volzke. Occurs every Friday. All are welcome. El Adobe Restaurant, 31891 Camino Capistrano.


PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Dispatch provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not refl ect those of the The Dispatch or Picket Fence Me-dia. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at [email protected]

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

Exploring Options after the Death of a Spouse

majority of widows and widowers loved being married. Many want to recapture a similar happiness

and security by remarrying, but by doing so some risk losing a deceased spouse’s pension and health insurance. I suggest they not remarry if it means losing those benefi ts.

Carolyn, a widow of three years, un-derstands the importance of protecting her deceased husband’s pension, and she plans to marry. She’s just got to be a bit patient.

Carolyn said, “I was widowed in March 2010. Although we loved each other very much, our marriage wasn’t as good as it could have been. After he died, I spent the fi rst year adjusting and not seeking any new relationship.

“The death was quite a relief since the fi nal struggle had been so enormous. I grieved like an hour glass, with a little bit of sand going through the neck of the bottle each day. When it was over, I was able to move on. Most of my crying was done beforehand.”

Carolyn continued, “After the fi rst year, I started thinking about a new rela-tionship. My husband was supportive of me seeking a new relationship and told our boys, ‘Your Mother will someday be with someone else. I want her to fi nd a new man. Please be supportive of her when she fi nds someone.’”

Carolyn is turning 55 in a few days. In 2011, she tried Internet dating, but it wasn’t her cup of tea. She just didn’t meet the right man for her. She said, “After feeling discouraged about the online prospects, I looked around. There was a man at my church that I had been aware of for some time. He

Aand I started attending a weekly church meal event. After six months, we started dating.

“I am in love with him,” Carolyn said. “We have been dating for a year and a half. We have been on an internation-al trip together, as well as two domestic trips.

He was dumped twice by previous gals for completely odd reasons.

“There were some aspects to my mar-riage that were very challenging and diffi cult. My new friend and I both have had diffi cult relationships that allow us to connect in a way that is healthy for us both. We allow each other to bring up past diffi culties with no judgment or comparison to our new relationship.”

Carolyn added, “I receive a govern-ment pension that does not allow me to remarry before age 57. I only have two more years to go. We are maintain-ing separate households, I still have one child at home and he has a brother living with him. We have determined that we will either sell my house or rent it out in a couple of years. We will move into his house (he has the better home).”

“I am delighted to have found my match,” Carolyn said. “I would advise people to try the different avenues avail-able for dating, but look around you to see who may be in your immediate path. Waiting has allowed us to take our time with family getting used to the idea. We plan to marry in December 2015. The brother knows he will be moving out by then.”

ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50

By Tom Blake

Carolyn has a good plan: Wait to marry and keep the pension.

To comment, email Tom at [email protected].

The next singles age 50+ Meet and Greet is Wednesday, November 20, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Tutor and Spunky’s Deli, located at 34085 E Pacifi c Coast Highway, Suite 116 in Dana Point. For more information call 949.248.9008 or visit www.tutorandspunkys.com.

Advice for widows: Don’t give up the pension to remarry

Monday 11.18

Parks, Recreation and Senior Services Commission Meeting6 p.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adel-anto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Tuesday 11.19

Utilities Commission Meeting8 a.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adel-anto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point business owner and San Clemente resident who has authored books on middle-aged dat-ing. See his website at www.fi ndingloveaf-ter50.com. CD

Kennedy Film to Premiere in San Juan Capistrano50 years after his assassination, a new film by San Juan Capistrano residents explores Kennedy’s presidency

he founders of the West Coast Film Festival are prepared to share with San Juan Capistrano

their latest project, which explores the presidency of John F. Kennedy.

Veteran film producers Robert Kline and Stephanie Heredia will be premier-ing their new film, JFK Remembered: 50 Years Later, on Thursday, November 21 at Regency Theatre in San Juan Capist-rano. The film explores the 1,000-day presidency of Kennedy through archival footage and interviews with those who knew the 35th president best. The film also includes interviews with former presidents Bill Clinton, who reflects back on his encounter with Kennedy while he was a student visiting the White House, and with the late Ronald Reagan.

The film premieres in San Juan Capistrano one day before the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassina-tion. Kline and Heredia returned to California this week, after traveling to Kennedy’s hometown of Boston, where

T

SJC LIVING

Story by Brian ParkThe Capistrano Dispatch

they held their East Coast premiere of the film at the famous Brattle Theatre in Cambridge.

Like the West Coast Film Festival, JFK Remembered is a labor of love for both Kline and Heredia, who share fond memories of the president.

“Eisenhower was my father’s genera-tion, but Kennedy was mine. He was young, he had a sense of humor, he was a major World War II hero and won the Pulitzer Prize for Profiles of Courage,” Kline said. “Many people said it and I still believe it. When he died, for those of us of that generation, a little bit of us died that day.”

Heredia was just an infant when her mother carried her into the polling booth to vote for Kennedy. Although she was still young when Kennedy was assassinated, Heredia said the moment left a lasting impact on her.

“People say I was young, but I remember where I was in our home. I can still see it now. It was the first time I understood the impact of the news,” Heredia said.

The pair are no strangers to films on Kennedy. Five years ago, Kline

and Heredia produced a Warner Bros. documentary called The Kennedys: America’s Emerald Kings, based on a best-selling book by Thomas Maier. That film focused on five generations of the family, through Kennedy and his brothers, Robert and Ted.

Kline and Heredia worked with Warner Bros. again for this film, which focuses on Kennedy’s time in the Oval Office and includes his leadership dur-ing the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Civil Rights Movement.

“Kennedy is a man and a president frozen in time. He was so young when he died, only 46. When we think of him, we think of someone young, vibrant and charismatic. He inspired me when he ran for president, and when he died, it broke my heart,” Kline said.

Heredia added that the film, despite recalling events 50 years ago, sheds per-spective on similar issues the country faces today.

“If you fast forward to now, we’re dealing with a lot of familiar challenges and stances,” Heredia said. “I think it’s a reinforcement of what an extraordinary, unique president and leader he was and

how he was received and embraced internationally, as well as at home, by both the Democratic and Republican parties.”

Kline and Heredia will be on hand for the premiere, which begins at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.regencymovies.com or by visiting the Regency Theatre box office, 26762 Verdugo Street. CD

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch October 8-21, 2013 Page 20

GUEST OPINION: Moments In Time by Jan Siegel

MOMENTSIN TIME

By Jan Siegel

Fr. Junípero Serra and the Birth of the California MissionsThis month, the Mission and Historical Society celebrate the 300th anniversary of Serra’s birth

his year marks the 300th an-niversary of the

birth of Fr. Junípero Serra, who was born November 24, 1713 on the island of Majorca, Spain. Christened Miguel Jose, Serra came from a family of local farmers, and

as a child, he went to a Franciscan elementary school where he excelled in Latin. In September 1729, Serra became a philosophy student at the Franciscan Convento de San Francisco in Palma because he was too young to start training for the priesthood. It was common practice that upon ordination, priests would choose a new name to replace their baptismal name. Serra chose Junípero, who was a loyal friend and comrade to St. Francis.

For three years, following his ordi-nation, Serra taught philosophy at the Convento de San Francisco, and two of his early students were Francisco Palóu and Juan Crespí. In 1742, Serra received a doctorate in sacred theolo-gy from Lullian University in Majorca. The following year he was appointed professor of theology at the university. He was considered one of the most intelligent of the Franciscan clergy.

Serra’s greatest desire was to be-come a missionary in New Spain. He told his friend Fr. Palóu, “I am the one who intends to make this long journey, and I have been sorrowful because I would have no companion for so long a journey, but I would not on that account turn back from my purpose … In my heart I felt that inclination to speak to you as I was led to believe you would be interested.” Palóu and Crespí both joined Serra on this ven-ture into the New World.

In 1749, after 99 days at sea, Fr. Ser-ra arrived in Vera Cruz in New Spain. He was still more than 200 miles from Mexico City, but with another priest, he decided to walk to Mexico City. The two travelers had no money or guide. It was on this trek that Serra was bit-ten by either a mosquito or a spider. Whatever it was caused swelling and he complained about a “burning itch,” which he scratched. His leg was never the same after this incident. He was always in pain, but it did not keep him from doing whatever he felt was neces-sary to attain any goal.

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SJC LIVING

Mission San Juan Capistrano will celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Fr. Junípero Serra, with a special bell-ringing ceremony and tribute on Sunday, November 24. The Historical Society will also display memorabilia from the 250-year celebration of Serra through December. Courtesy of the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society

In the 20 years he spent in Mexico and Baja California, Fr. Serra used songs and hymns to inspire the Indians. He reenacted the events of religious holidays and choreographed a pastoral nativity play performed by Indian children at Christmas. Serra also learned native languages and composed a native catechism and visual means as a way of attracting the Indians to Christianity. He improved farming and agricultural methods by

introducing new tools, communal plant-ing and harvesting.

Fr. Palóu, who became Serra’s biographer, reported that “not content to mortify his body for its own imper-fections and sins, he also did penance for the sins of others.” Serra would flog himself with bristles or metal wire and burn his flesh “in imitation of St. John Capistran and other saints.”

In 1769, Fr. Serra was in charge of the mission system for Alta California.

He established the first mission in San Diego in 1769. He would go on to found eight more missions in the chain of 21 missions that became part of the California landscape. His legacy includes the mission of San Carlos Bor-roméo de Carmelo, 1770; San Antonio de Padua and San Gabriel Arcángel, 1771; San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, 1772; San Francisco de Asís and San Juan Capistrano, 1776; Santa Clara de Asís, 1777; and San Buenaventura, 1782.

Serra did not just establish missions. He also administered all the needs of all the missions. He ordered supplies and made sure they were delivered. If a ship was lost at sea and supplies were not forthcoming, it was his responsibil-ity to take from a successful mission and send out supplies to the missions in need. He knew exactly what was happening at each of the nine missions in California.

In 1778, Fr. Serra was given the authority to administer the sacrament of confirmation. By the time he died, in 1784, he had traveled more than 5,000 miles and personally baptized and confirmed close to 6,000 Native Americans.

You can spend a Moment in Time and celebrate the life of this remark-able man by visiting Mission San Juan Capistrano and the Serra Chapel, the only church that’s still standing where Fr. Serra said Mass. You can also visit the Mission on Sunday, November 24 for the tribute to Fr. Serra and visit the Historical Society through the month of December to view memorabilia from Fr. Serra’s 250-year celebration. The Historical Society is located at 31831 Los Rios Street.

Jan Siegel is a 26-year resident of San Juan Capistrano. She has served on the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for 11 years and has been a volunteer guide for the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library’s architectural walking tour for 15 years. She was named Woman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2005, Volunteer of the Year in 2011 and was inducted into the city’s Wall of Recognition in 2007. CD

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“I am the one who intends to make this long journey, and

I have been sorrowful because I would have no compan-

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turn back from my purpose.” —Fr. Junipero Serra

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SPORTS& OUTDOORS

5he journey of the San Juan Hills football team has been one of steady growth and improvement. In 2011 the Stallions went a dismal 0-10 on the

season. One year later the Stallions made a splash, winning seven games, including one Sea View League win. For a time the Stallions fi rst, true, home game in their new stadium could be considered the landmark moment for the program. They were playing a winning brand of football and had fi nally arrived, literally, to play in front of their home crowd in the newly chris-tened Badlands Stadium.

But that was last year. This year’s Stallions team is continuing that upward trend.

It’s safe to say that on Friday, San Juan Hills will play the most important game in the program’s history, when they host Dana Hills in a tilt that will decide the league championship.

When breaking down how the Stallions (8-1, 3-0 league) got to this point, head coach Aaron Flowers did not bring up his team’s convincing 29-3 win over reign-ing league champion Laguna Hills on October 11. Nor did he talk about their fourth quarter comeback victory against Dos Pueblos on October 4. Flowers, instead, talked about the team’s lone loss of the season, a 28-21 defeat at the hands of Fullerton on September 27.

“We didn’t prepare well enough. We weren’t ready to play against Fullerton,” Flowers said. “Thankfully they beat us. I think it was the wakeup call we needed … I’m actually glad that happened, because I don’t know if we would prepare the same way that we do now if we had won that game.”

For a team that has faced little adversity in 2013, the loss to Fullerton was an eye opener. It snapped a four-game win streak and league play was on the horizon.

“We all think the loss was a good thing because it gave us a taste of losing. We don’t want that again. It made us practice and work harder,” senior middle linebacker Brennan Walsh said.

The Stallions bounced back and rattled off four wins in a row, including three in league play, setting the stage for Friday night’s game.

History in the MakingBy Steve Brezeale

The Capistrano Dispatch


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Dana Hills features a high-powered offense that is ca-pable of running the ball all night and has the quarter-back and receivers necessary to cause problems in the secondary. Their defense, which is allowing an average of 16 points per league game, is physical.

Flowers said the game will likely be decided by which team wins the battle at the line of scrimmage. The Dolphins have a big, veteran offensive line and an explosive running back in junior Brian Scott who, despite missing three games, has rushed for 699 yards and six touchdowns, averaging just over eight yards per carry.

The Stallions counter with a front line that shut down the Laguna Hills and Aliso Niguel offenses in back-to-back weeks. The Wolverines managed 171 total yards of offense against the Stallions while Laguna Hills mus-tered just under 200 yards. The Hawks were limited to 91 rushing yards.

Flowers believes San Juan Hills’ 43-16 win over Cap-istrano Valley on November 1 was the most complete game they have played all season. It’s good timing for a team preparing to play a game of this magnitude.

On Friday the Dolphins will have the benefi t of rely-ing on championship experience. Last year Dana Hills could have won the league title outright but instead, due to a loss to Laguna Hills, they split the honor three ways. That is a foreign concept for the Stallions, who have never been in a position to play for a league title before. Come Friday, they will know what that feels like, win or lose.

San Juan Hills quarterback Jacob Gibson, left, drops back to pass against Capistrano Valley on November 1. Photo by Scott Schmitt

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

Former San Juan Hills standout cross country runner Brandon Pugh posted a time of 25:27 in the Big West Conference Cross Country Championships on November 2, good enough for a third-place overall fi nish.

Pugh, who qualifi ed for CIF State Championship meets while in high school, is a sophomore on the UC Davis cross country team. Pugh’s efforts helped UC Davis fi nish third as a team, behind champion Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa

BRANDON PUGH FINISHES THIRD AT NCAA WESTERN X-C REGIONALS

UC Davis cross country runner Brandon Pugh placed third at the Big West Conference Cross Country Championships on November 2. Photo by Wayne Tilcock/Davis Enterprise

Barbara. The 8K race was held at the

Fairbanks Memorial Cross Country Course. Pugh, a San Juan Capist-rano native, now advances to the NCAA Western Regionals, set to take place on November 15. If Pugh can post a qualifying time there, he can advance to the NCAA National Championships in Indiana on No-vember 23. Visit www.thecapistra-nodispatch.com for updates.

—Steve Breazeale

“(Dana Hills) has been in this situation before. They’re used to these types of moments and we have to match their intensity,” Flowers said. “I was worried last week but I think we answered the bell against Capo Valley … I think it’s going to be a great high school football game.” CD

San Juan Hills football will play for league title Friday, which would be the program’s fi rst championship

wo bye weeks in a row was not enough time to cool off the Capistrano Coyote ice hockey team. The fi rst-place squad, made up of play-

ers from the Capistrano Unifi ed School District, returned to play in the Anaheim Ducks High School Ice Hockey League with a convincing 8-3 win over Damien on November 2.

Connor Reed scored for the Coyotes (5-0-0) 24 seconds into the game and struck again for a second goal less than two minutes later to make it 2-0.

Damien would respond as the two teams ex-changed goals until the end of the second period, which saw the score stand at 4-3.

The Coyotes were able to pull away in the third by outshooting Damien, 12-5. The Coyotes scored four unanswered goals and cruised their way to their fi fth straight win. Keenan Haase, Max Kamper, Jacob Fricks and Paul Boutoussov all contributed with goals.

Coyotes goaltender Kevin Vernon was sharp in the third period and stopped 20 of 23 shots on the night. Vernon leads the Varsity 2A Division in goals against average (1.50) and save percentage (.954).

“When Vernon is on his game he is unbeatable,” Coyotes head coach Darren Gardner said. “The key to our goaltending success has been effi ciency, lack of rebounds and stops at critical times … all of which have boosted the confi dence level of our team to not be afraid and be aggressive.”

—Steve Breazeale

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BYE WEEK DOES NOT SLOW COYOTES DOWN IN 8-3 WIN

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November 8, 2013