NEWS BITES

CD | Mission San Juan Capistrano Brings Back VIP Tours

Visitors to Mission San Juan Capistrano can once again check out unseen areas of the historic grounds through VIP tours.

VIP guests will be led by an experienced guide and get to explore a wine vat and private Sacristy of the Ruins in small groups, a news release said. Each VIP guest will also receive a special memento. Trips can be reserved online at missionsjc.com.

VIP tours are offered on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The cost is $35 for adults and $30 for children. Groups are limited to 25 people.

“We are thrilled to bring back weekend guided tours after the program was curtailed by the impacts of the pandemic,” Mission San Juan Capistrano Executive Director Mechelle Lawrence Adams said. “We hope that guests will enjoy seeing the Mission up-close and more personally through this program, leaving with an even better perspective of the importance of this place.”

CD | Volunteers Needed for Walking Tour

The San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library and San Juan Capistrano Historical Society give weekend tours in the downtown area, so people can learn about and see the notable parts of town—and they need volunteers to help guide the walks.

Training will be provided, and schedules are flexible. If interested, contact Ann Ronan at 949.702.3977 or ann@sjctravel.com.

Tours are given on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and last about an hour.

CD | Marie Callender’s Building on Del Obispo Street Gets Demolished

After staying in place on Del Obispo Street since 1980, the Marie Callender’s location in San Juan Capistrano is no more.

The building was recently demolished, and a new In-N-Out Burger location will replace it. The area is currently fenced off, with only rubble remaining on the grounds.

Property landlord Andrew Stroscher said Marie Callender’s vacated the premises in summer 2022. Though Stroscher wanted to facilitate a new Marie

Callender’s location within the vicinity, possibly near the new Target, he said the company told him they would not continue operating in San Juan since the Del Obispo location did not generate enough business.

“The homeless have really descended on that building and damaged it,” Stroscher said.

In-N-Out is still on track to set up shop at the location on 31791 Del Obispo Street and is in the “initial stages of construction,” said Mike Abbate, the company’s vice president of real estate and development.

“Once we break ground on a new location, it usually takes us 8-9 months to build a restaurant and open it for business,” Abbate said. “Because of the amount of construction that still needs to take place, it isn’t yet possible to nail down a precise opening date.”

In-N-Out looks forward to serving customers at the San Juan location, Abbate said.

The San Juan Capistrano City Council rendered a conditional approval for InN-Out Burger to open at the location in February 2022. The decision elicited backlash from some residents due to concerns about expected traffic ramifications.

As for the history of the building, Stroscher said the building is so old that the lease was signed by Marie Callender’s founder Don Callender, who died in 2009 at the age of 81.

Stroscher recalled that the parking lot was full when he was a kid, a far cry from recent times, when the business had not been as busy.

“That was the gut-wrenching part,” he said. “It was a gorgeous building.”

Stroscher also recalled the old build- ing had a private dining room put in at his grandmother’s request where his family—who owns much of the property along that Del Obispo corridor—held business meetings in the 1980s.

“I totally get why everyone’s upset to see it go down,” he said. “It serves a purpose from another time, when we had much larger family restaurants.”

As for In-N-Out, Stroscher said he is “excited” for that to open in the future.

CD | Free Tax Services Available to Low-Income Orange County Residents

Orange County United Way is offering free tax preparation and electronic filing to low- and moderate-income individuals and families through its OC Free Tax Prep program.

Appointments can be made at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center and other regional locations. Multilingual preparers are available in most locations. Households that earned less than $60,000 in 2022 are eligible for free tax filing services.

“Last year, thousands of Orange County community members received free tax preparation services through OC Free Tax Prep, helping to return millions of dollars in tax refunds to local families,” said Susan B. Parks, president and CEO of Orange County United Way. “Our ultimate goal through OC Free Tax Prep is to help stabilize low- and moderate-income families, as well as stimulate the local economy. With help from dedicated volunteers, we look forward to helping even more families this year.”

The program offers two ways of fil-

Community Meetings

SATURDAY, FEB. 11

Citizens’ Climate Education

10:45 a.m.-noon. This nonpartisan climate action group holds monthly meetings on the second Saturday of the month through Zoom video conferences. To receive a link, email larrykramerccl@gmail.com.

FRIDAY, FEB. 17

Coffee Chat

8:30 a.m. A town hall forum on community issues. The first Friday session of the month will be held virtually via Zoom video conference; all other Friday forums will take place in person at Hennessey’s Tavern in San Juan Capistrano, 31761 Camino Capistrano. Follow Coffee Chat SJC on Facebook for information.

Lunch with the Mayor Noon. San Juan Capistrano residents and community members are welcome to attend a lunch with Mayor Howard Hart. Come discuss what’s happening in town. Himalayan Taste Indian Cuisine, 32341 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

TUESDAY, FEB. 21

City Council

5 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano City Council will hold a regularly scheduled meeting open to the public. Nydegger Building, 31421 La Matanza Street. sanjuancapistrano.org.

FRIDAY, FEB. 24 ing—drop-off with an appointment, where an IRS-certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance preparer files for a taxpayer, or where a taxpayer does it themselves online at MyFreeTaxes.com.

The next print issue of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.

CD | The Outpost Announces Gary Allan Concert for March

Country music fans should mark their calendars for March 12, as Gary Allan is scheduled to perform in San Juan Capistrano.

Allan will perform at The OutPost, a venue at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park that is increasingly becoming a country music hub.

Allan is known for hit songs “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain),” “Right Where I Need to Be” and “Watching Airplanes.” Tickets can be purchased at sanjuanoutpost.com.