August 10, 2018

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OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE FOUNDED IN 2002

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

AUGUST 10–23, 2018 • VOLUME 16, ISSUE 15

A Slice of Ranch Life in South Orange County Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo returns with competition, concert and vendors E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 6

Visitors to the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park at San Juan Capistrano will be able to travel back to a time when Orange County was dotted with ranches and cowboys roamed the land during the 18th Annual Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo. Photo: Scott Schmitt

San Juan Capistrano Chamber Welcomes New CEO SJC LIVING/PAGE 32

Developer Completes First Phase of Renovations on Historic Home EYE ON SJC/PAGE 10

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Q&A: Local Lacrosse Player Named College All-American SPORTS/PAGE 34

GO TO THECAPISTRANODISPATCH.COM FOR THE LATEST NEWS, EVENTS AND SPORTS

EYE ON SJC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

that’s currently leaning and sick would be removed and that the planter areas within the park would be filled with native, drought-tolerant landscaping and woodchip cover.

Some of the current sidewalk would be replaced with brick pavers similar to what’s currently in parts of the downtown area, he said.

Now that the project has been approved by the council, staff will issue a purchase order in the amount of $67,000 to the United Building and Development Services, LLC to get started.

WHAT’S NEXT: The project will be completed in fall 2018, which is ideal for establishing new California native plantings, according to a city staff report. —AG

One person was hospitalized for smoke inhalation following a fire at a San Juan Capistrano condominium complex. Photo: Eric Heinz

What’s Up With...

Five things San Juan should know this week Design Review Committee to meet more regularly THE LATEST: The city’s Design Review Committee will be meeting twice a month instead of once a month after the city council unanimously approved the change during its Aug. 7 meeting.

The committee will also no longer be receiving detailed staff reports on the projects but rather a verbal staff presentation with an accompanying checklist that shows a proposed project is consistent with the city’s design guidelines.

The item was brought before the council at the suggestion of City Councilman Derek Reeve who said he wanted to streamline the process to make it easier for development applicants to get their projects completed.

“Recently we’ve had a couple of incidences where the bureaucracy, the regulation of the Design Review Committee actually created such frustration and delays that we actually had applicants literally withdraw projects or even get to the point where they have to consider the withdrawal of a project and we’re talking about rather simple projects, by the way, such as signs, just because the delay cost them money. Time is money.”

Reeve said that because the Design Review Committee meets only once a month, The Capistrano Dispatch August 10-23, 2018

if a project was sent back to the committee by the planning commission it could result in that project being delayed for a month or two months more.

City Councilwoman Kerry Ferguson expressed concerns about eliminating the written staff report, saying that she frequently read the reports to see whether she needed to attend a meeting or watch it online later.

“I suppose there are one or two other people who do that as well so I’d hate to see the written report eliminated because I think it serves a purpose,” she said.

WHAT’S NEXT: City Manager Ben Siegel noted that though the written staff reports would be condensed into a checklist, the plans themselves would still be included in an agenda put out in advance of a meeting.

—Alex Groves

Renovation approved for Arce Park THE LATEST: The City Council unanimously approved changes to a small park located at the corner of Del Obispo and Alipaz streets that included converting a small turf area into a drought tolerant garden, paving the area with concrete bricks and improving two Americans with Disabilities Act ramps.

Assistant Public Works Director Tom Toman told the city council that the very small park is actually what is commonly referred to as a parklet.

Toman told the council that when the city began implementing some water conservation restrictions in 2015, city staff were directed not to water the area and let the grass turf die off. The plan has been to return to the area to improve it with some sort of beautification.

He said that a large sycamore tree

More candidates join San Juan Capistrano City Council race THE LATEST: The San Juan Capistrano City Council race was heating up this week with a total of 13 people who had pulled nomination papers to run as of Thursday afternoon, Aug. 9.

Seats for District 2, District 3, and District 4 are up for election this year.

The race for District 3 was by far the most crowded, with a total of six people who pulled papers. Incumbent City Councilmembers Kerry Ferguson, Derek Reeve and Pam Patterson have all pulled nomination papers, as had residents Robert Hagstrom, Joyce Raya Anderson and Cody Martin.

Residents Troy Bourne, Bryan Samuelson, Rich Sanders and Jack Hunt had pulled papers for District 2 and residents John Taylor, Anthony Miller and Jeff Vasquez had pulled papers for District 4.

Potential candidates for City Council were first able to obtain nomination papers on Monday, July 16. A person must obtain between 20 and 30 signatures from residents in the district they live before filing.

The filing deadline is Aug. 10.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Capistrano Dispatch will periodically update an online article with the list of residents who pull nomination papers. More information can be obtained by calling the City Clerk’s Office at 949.493.1171. —AG

Fire at condominium complex hospitalizes one THE LATEST: One person was hospitalized Wednesday, Aug. 8, following a fire at a condominium complex in San Juan Capistrano.

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The fire was reported a little after 4 p.m. in the 26300 block of Eastview Court.

Orange County Fire Authority Batallion Chief Jeter McAlpin said the two-alarm fire initially began in a single-car garage before spreading to the interior of one of the condos.

Orange County Fire Authority officials said that a man had been hospitalized for smoke inhalation during the incident.

San Juan Capistrano resident Julie Lambla, who lives three doors down from where the fire happened, said she saw another neighbor rush into the home and get a man in his 80s or 90s out.

She said she could see smoke “spilling out of the garage door” and later saw the man being taken away in an ambulance.

WHAT’S NEXT: Firefighters will be investigating the cause of the fire. —AG

Historical Society Opens Exhibit on Pirates THE LATEST: The San Juan Capistrano Historical Society will be holding an exhibit on pirates and two special events for the 200th anniversary of the Raid on San Juan Capistrano by Argentinian patriot and alleged pirate Hipólito Bouchard.

The exhibit opened Sunday, Aug. 5 and lasts through Sunday, Nov. 18 at the Arley Leck House on the society grounds at 31865 Los Rios Street.

It will include items from the personal collection of Bob Minty, a Dana Point Historical Society board member and San Juan Capistrano Historical Society member. He’s also part of the Living History group: re-enactors who play past local historical personalities and engage with audiences.

The exhibit is open 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday of each week. It’s free, but donations are appreciated to help the San Juan Capistano Historical Society in its historic preservation programs.

WHAT’S NEXT The exhibit will culminate in two events on Saturday, Nov. 3 and Sunday, Nov. 4.

On Nov. 3, a group of Living History “pirates” will recreate a historic walk from Dana Point to San Juan Capistrano to “sack” the town. The walk will begin at the Trabuco Creek Trail at Descanso Park and end at Los Rios Park. They’ll then camp overnight on the Historical Society grounds.

On Nov. 4, the public is invited to see Bouchard — played by a re-enactor — put on “trial” at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center at 25925 Camino Del Avion.

A jury will then decide whether Bouchard is a patriot, a pirate or a privateer. —AG www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

Community Meetings MONDAY, AUG. 13 Youth Advisory Board Meeting 5:30 p.m. The city’s Youth Advisory Board will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 15 SJC Skate Park Coalition Meeting 6 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Skate Park Coalition will be holding a meeting to discuss fundraising efforts for a planned city skate park. All are welcome. San Juan Capistrano Community Center, 25925 Camino Del Avion.

THURSDAY, AUG. 16 Paleontologists observing construction at the Prima Deshecha landfill site discovered the fossilized bones of a whale from 4 to 7 million years ago. Photo Courtesy of Orange County Waste and Recycling

NEWS BITES COMPILED BY STAFF

Paleontologists discover whale bones in San Juan Capistrano landfill Paleontologists finished extracting the fossilized bones of a prehistoric whale from a San Juan Capistrano landfill Thursday, July 26, and those bones will soon be off for further study.

The whale bones are thought to be 4 to 7 million years old and are possibly from a previously undiscovered species of prehistoric whale, according to Orange County Waste and Recycling spokeswoman Kristina Hamm.

They were first discovered late last month at Prima Deshecha Landfill as a Paleo Solutions paleontologist watched crews excavate a portion of the landfill slated for use. That’s when the paleontologist first spotted a large bone.

Hamm said the paleontologist was at the landfill site as part of a requirement of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

“CEQA mandates that we have paleontologists and archaeologists on site anytime we do any digging,” she said.

More paleontologists arrived and got to work. They uncovered what appears to be a partial skull with a lower jaw as well as a snout, ribs, limb bones and portions of a backbone.

The fossils have been wrapped in a The Capistrano Dispatch August 10-23, 2018

plaster and burlap jacket to stabilize them for when they’re transported.

Hamm said they’re currently still on the Prima Deshecha site but will eventually be transported to the Paleo Solutions lab for further research.

Geraldine Aron, president of Paleo Solutions, was at the dig site for about four days and helped with stabilizing and extracting the bones.

She said paleontologists were surprised by how large the whale bones were and that there were several bones all together to extract.

“Sometimes what happens when these whales die, they kind of float out to the ocean and they get scavenged so their bones get very separated and spread out,” she said.

Aron said the area where the whale bones were found is called the Capistrano Formation, which was once a deep ocean basin where sediment collected and turned into rock. That rock was then uplifted because of tectonic activity. She said whale fossils have been found a number of times within the formation.

An OCWR news release notes that the fossil, “has the potential to provide new information on the paleo-environment and biodiversity of the late Miocene and early Pliocene of Southern California.”

Blaze chars thousands of acres in Orange, Riverside Counties A 51-year-old man was in custody this week in connection with a more than

9,000-acre blaze that had charred acreage in Orange and Riverside Counties and sent up a huge plume of smoke visible in San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point and San Clemente.

Forrest Gordon Clark was arrested and booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, one count of making felony threats and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.

Clark was arrested two days after the Holy fire broke out in the area of Holy Jim Canyon and Trabuco Creek roads in the Cleveland National Forest. The blaze, reported at 1:17 p.m. Monday, quickly consumed thousands of acres and prompted evacuations for people living in Holy Jim Canyon, the Trabuco Recreation Residence Tract and the Blue Jay and Falcon campgrounds.

Two firefighters were hospitalized for heat-related injuries while fighting the blaze Monday night.

Firefighters tried to stop the blaze from moving into neighboring Riverside County, but by midweek the blaze had moved in and prompted the closure of Highway 74 and the evacuation of nearby communities.

The communities of Painted Hills, McVicker Canyon, Rice Canyon, Horsethief Canyon, El Cariso, Rancho Capistrano, Blue Jay, Indian Canyon, Glen Eden, Sycamore Creek and Mayhew Canyon were under evacuation as of press time.

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, the fire was an estimated 9,614 acres and had been five percent contained.

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

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Los Rios Park Garden Angels Meeting 8:30-10:30 a.m. This group meets weekly on Thursdays to take care of the certified butterfly garden at Los Rios Park. No experience is needed, but those planning to attend should bring gloves. For more information, visit www.goinnative.net or call 949.606.6386.

FRIDAY, AUG. 17 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.

MONDAY, AUG. 20 Parks, Recreation, Youth and Senior Services, Trails and Equestrian Commission Meeting 5:30 p.m. The city’s Parks, Recreation, Youth and Senior Services, Trails and Equestrian Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. www. sanjuancapistrano.org.

TUESDAY, AUG. 21 Utilities Commission Meeting 8 a.m. The city’s Utilities Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit www. sanjuancapistrano.org.

FRIDAY, AUG. 24 The next edition of The Dispatch publishes.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

A slice of ranch life in South Orange County Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo returns with competition, concert and vendors

BY ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

rodeo may not be the first thing that comes to mind when a person thinks of bustling, urbane Orange County, but one of the larger rodeo events in the country takes place here every year.

The 18th annual Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo will feature world champion cowboys and will take place on Aug. 25 and 26 at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park at San Juan Capistrano.

The top 30 contestants in each of six professional Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) events will compete for their chance to win prize money from a $180,000 purse.

The six events in this year’s rodeo are bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, tie down roping and team roping.

Gilbert Aguirre, executive vice president of ranch operations at Rancho Mission Viejo, said all the events have practical applications at actual ranches.

For example a person might tie down a calf in order to be able to provide it medical treatment or remove something bothersome such as a burr.

Aguirre said that rodeos started as a competition between ranchers to see whose cowboys were the best at certain skillsets. Over time it evolved into the spectator sport it is today.

South Orange County and other parts of Southern California were once occupied by many ranchers. Aguirre said he and members of the O’Neill/Avery/Moiso family that own the Rancho Mission Viejo land wanted to introduce people to that history and ranching culture so they started the rodeo 18 years ago.

“We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to share with South Orange County Rancho Mission Viejo, our ranching heritage and the world of Rodeo.

The values which we cherish are those of the ranching world,” Tony Moiso, chairman and chief executive officer pf Rancho Mission Viejo, said. “The Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo allows us to keep our region’s cowboy culture alive while honoring the old cowboy tradition of ‘passing the hat’ in support of a sick child The Capistrano Dispatch August 10-23, 2018

A cowboy competes in the 17th annual Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Scott Schmitt

or needy friend. Over the past 18 years, we’ve contributed $2.1 million dollars to local charities and we’re pretty proud of that.”

This year funds from the event will go to support JF Shea Therapeutic Riding Center, The Boys and Girls Club of Capistrano Valley and The Children’s Hospital of Orange County at Mission Medical Center.

“The ranch does not make one dime off this rodeo and in fact it costs us money,” Aguirre said. “And the fact that we give back to the community, that’s the best thing we can do.”

The rodeo this year will host the top 30 people in each of the six different events and the first place winner from each of the events will be able to take home $10,000, according to Aguirre.

There will be monetary prizes, in smaller amounts, up to seventh place, he said.

Aguirre said the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo is an important competition in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association season. A person’s placement within rankings is dependent on how much money

they’ve taken home from competitions and the RMV Rodeo is one of the higher paying ones.

“If you win our rodeo you could get catapulted into the top 15 and go to Las Vegas and be in a position to win lots of dollars,” he said.

Aguirre is referring to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December, the biggest and most lucrative competition for PRCA contestants. The finals only accept the top 15 people in each of the different events as of the end of the regular season, which is Sept. 30.

There’s lots to do at the rodeo beyond just seeing the different events, according to Senior Vice President of Ranch Operations Lissa Freese.

She said that there will be nearly 50 vendors as well as food trucks at the event so people can try on some Western-themed apparel or enjoy some gourmet food between events.

She said a concert and dance will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday. Band Grand Junction takes the stage and will perform their signature country music. Freese said it’s a

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nice conclusion to the first day’s events.

“Most people kind of walk out of the stands from watching the rodeo and right into the concert,” she said.

For younger visitors there will be a variety of activities that include face painting, a rock wall and pony ride. Freese said one of her favorite things is seeing the younger crowd get acquainted with Orange County’s western heritage.

“It’s very, very fun to walk through the audience and through the vendor area and see these little kids that have never seen a horse, to be able to see horses or ride a pony and see that cowboys are real, ranches are real and it’s very fun to expose them to what Tony and Gilbert do every day,” she said.

Admission for the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo is $30 for adults and $10 for kids 4 to 12. Kids 3 and under get in free. Gates open at 1 p.m. on Aug. 25 and 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 26.

The Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park at San Juan Capistrano is located at 27174 Ortega Highway. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

A contestant at the ready at the 17th annual Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo. Photo: Scott Schmitt

Getting in the Rodeo Spirit

All around San Juan Capistrano, businesses are getting ready for annual event

BY ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

ll around San Juan Capistrano, businesses are getting ready for anannual event.

The Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo may still be a couple weeks away, but local organizations and businesses are getting in the Western spirit and have either held, or will hold, some pre-rodeo events.

Gilbert Aguirre Speaks at Bad to the Bone

Gilbert Aguirre, executive vice president of Rancho Mission Viejo, spoke to rapt audiences about the historical and philanthropic aspects of the rodeo at a Chamber of Commerce Breakfast at Bad to the Bone Barbecue on Thursday, Aug. 2.

Aguirre told attendees that the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association sanctions roughly 700 events per year and that the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo is the fourth highest paying for contestants behind the Las Vegas finals and rodeos in Cheyenne, Wyoming and San Antonio, Texas.

He said the event is also a large fundraiser that has raised more than $2 million for various charities.

Aguirre also took time to address how the cattle are treated, noting that they’re only roped once during the rodeo and then afterward are raised as part of the herd on the ranch.

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Country Music to Flow at Historic Town Center Park

For those getting into the full countryWestern spirit in advance of the event, there will be a free country music concert put on by the city for San Juan Summer Nights.

The city will be hosting the band the Doo Wah Riders.

The band recently celebrated their 40th anniversary and have a sound described on their website as “high energy country with a Cajun twist.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to the event. 31852 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

949.493.1171.

El Camino Real to Host Concert in Honor of Rodeo

In honor of the Rodeo, the Camino Real Playhouse will be hosting Rusty Richards and his son Jason Richards for their concert, “Honoring the Horse.”

Rusty Richards was part of the Western singing group the Sons of the Pioneers for more than 40 years.

He and his son will be supplying the audience with a bevy of cowboy songs, poetry, stories and Western music at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 21.

Tickets for the event are $30 and can be purchased by going to http://caminorealplayhouse.tix.com. 317776 El Camino Real.

949.489.8082.

Grand Junction to Play the Swallows Inn

If you want to get a preview of the Rodeo’s entertainment while enjoying an ice-cold beer, head on over to the Swallows Inn on Friday Aug. 24.

The bar will be hosting the band Grand Junction. The Orange County natives are known for performing country music with a “honky tonk” edge as well as some classic rock tunes.

The concert is free. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. www.swallowsinn.com. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

The 650-square-foot Constable Stroschein House, also known as the “Little Yellow House,” is currently being used as an office and meeting space. Photos: Alex Groves and Jake Griffith

Developer completes first phase of renovations on historic home Constable Carl Stroschein House gets fresh coat of paint and some upgrades

BY ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

historic building in San Juan Capistrano recently got a little bit of TLC with help from the developer of a neighboring project.

The 650-square-foot Constable Carl Stroschein House, also known as the “Little Yellow House,” has a new coat of paint, a spruced up yard and some indoor renovations after developer Bill Griffith and his family finished the first phase of a planned restoration.

The Griffiths, owners of the adjacent Plaza Banderas Hotel site, began leasing the building with the right to eventually buy it in March of this year and completed the first phase of renovations last month.

They had been trying to obtain the building and get it fixed up since last year.

The Capistrano Dispatch August 10-23, 2018

Griffith said the home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, had been vacant for some time after a man who had lived there died and it had fallen into disrepair as a result. Both exterior and interior fixes were needed.

So the Griffiths met with the man’s family members who now owned the home to determine what their goals for it were and whether they’d be willing to sell it.

Griffith said that it was his work on other historic San Juan Capistrano buildings such as the Egan House and Esslinger Building that won the family over.

“There were several people interested in the property but we were selected to take it over and restore it,” Griffith said.

“Our immediate goal until the hotel was

completed was to stabilize it and improve its exterior appearance.”

In addition to redoing the front and back yard areas and painting the home a creamy shade of yellow called “solar wind,” crews replaced rotting and termiteriddled wood inside the home.

A shed to the rear of the property, also on the Historic Register, was fixed up and painted yellow as well.

The building is currently being used as a site office and meeting space during construction of the Plaza Banderas project until a more permanent use for the site can be decided.

Though the home looks quite different than it did even a few months ago, Griffith said the fixes are only the first phase of planned renovations.

He said the next phase will involve coming up with a permanent use for the home that ties in with the hotel and decorating it to match that use.

According to a news release from project spokesman Laer Pearce, the home was built in 1915 on what was then a 40-acre ranch by Carl Louis Stroschein for himself and his new bride Ruth.

Stroschein would eventually go on to become Constable for the San Juan Township, a position similar to being a sheriff.

It was his job to keep the peace, prevent

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unrest and investigate public offenses committed within the township.

The township’s boundaries ran north to El Toro, east to San Juan Hot Springs, south to the San Diego County Line (except for San Clemente), west to the ocean and north to South Laguna.

Stroschein was elected as constable in 1938 and held the position until 1953. His 15 years in office are more than any other Constable of San Juan Township, according to Orange County records.

Today the home sits on a portion of land that is much more modest than a 40-acre ranch - a 60-foot by 100-foot lot flanked one side by a couple of decades-old orange trees.

Griffith said he has a deal in place with the family members who used to live in the home as children.

“If we ever decide to relocate or replace those orange trees, they asked that they have first dibs on them because they had been there so long,” he said.

Though Griffith says he has many different ideas on how he would like to decorate the very small home, he says that whatever’s done with the home should keep with its modest origins.

“The outside is quaint, but it’s not grandiose in any way so the inside would have to be thematically similar,” he said. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

Olamendi’s Ultra-Premium Tequila recently earned a Platinum A+ rating from the Beverage Tasting Institute.

Photo: Daniel Ritz

News Next Door

WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNS

DANA POINT

Olamendi Family Strikes Platinum Earlier this year, 216 tequila producers boldly submitted their tequilas to the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) in Chicago to see how they stacked up against the competition. When the dust settled and the scores were posted, Olamendi’s UltraPremium Tequila earned a score of 96 (third highest) and a Platinum A+ rating.

Founder Jorge Olamendi Sr., over 20 years ago, acted on his dream to create the best and purest tequila on the market.

“Our 100 percent pure, organic ultrapremium tequila has been handcrafted to be the best of the best. BTI’s recognition of our achievement is both rewarding and humbling,” Olamendi said.

Almost 50 years ago Jorge Olamendi Sr., a young and inspired chef, moved to San Clemente armed with nothing more than his mother’s recipes and a passion for creating a new restaurant.

Jorge attributes his success to a commitment to quality and to serving his guests as family. In continuing his passion for quality, he set out to craft his own tequila, one he could proudly serve his customers and friends as the best there is.

“We’re a local company with deep roots in our community, we are proud of our country, our community and our tequila,” Olamendi stated proudly.

20 years later, Jorge is ready to hit the market with his whole line of estate Page 11

grown, 100 percent pure blue agave organic tequilas. Olamendi’s Tequila has earned both USDA and EOCC certifications for organic to add to its kosher designation as well.

No stranger to industry recognition for excellence, Olamendi’s Tequila has been the recipient of Restaurant Hospitality Magazines “Best Cocktail in America” three years running. —Daniel Ritz SAN CLEMENTE

San Clemente Residents Hold Protest at North Beach A group of residents held a small protest on the corner of N. El Camino Real at the gateway to North Beach on Saturday, July 28, in an attempt to get more recognition for their cause to remove the homeless and transient populations out of encampments in San Clemente.

People held signs that read “Honk if you love and miss North Beach” and other signs asking the City Council to take more action, although the government is in some ways tied and subject to certain laws and litigation.

The city of San Clemente is still waiting the results of a federal lawsuit against the County of Orange that is deciding the ways in which cities can govern the homeless populations.

Many ideas have been floated about at City Council meetings and public meetings. Most people in San Clemente, such as the group at North Beach, don’t want people to starve, but they also point to the possible dangers of fire hazards from people inhabiting the canyons of San Clemente, where foliage is either dried or dying. — Eric Heinz www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

Letters to the Editor CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE, SHOW US WHAT YOU STAND FOR —TINA AUCLAIR, San Juan Capistrano Thank you for being willing to serve your city as a city councilmember. Your time and effort are truly appreciated by the citizens of San Juan Capistrano. Now that you’re asking for our vote we want to know what you plan on doing for our city.

We want to know how you intend to bring much needed revenue to the city while protecting the character and charm that makes San Juan unique. We want to know how you will fight for our equestrian businesses, historic downtown and open space.

Tell us what you stand for. If your platform is solid enough to win then you shouldn’t need to treat an opponent with contempt and cattiness.

Please don’t participate in any smear campaigns against your opponent for something they’ve done that you and your contributors do not agree with. We are tired of that type of politics. We voters want to know what you will do for the city, not what your opponents had for lunch or who their friends are. If you stand on what you can contribute to the city, share your vision of our future and treat your opponents as the neighbors they are, you will get our attention, support and ultimately our votes.

Now that we vote by district elections in San Juan you are asking for your neighbor’s votes. The very people you see in the mornings taking their children to school; those same folks you see when walking your dog or grocery shopping. Have enough respect for them to believe they can sort out the issues, given the facts, without the vitriol of dirty politics. Please understand that your neighbors will seek those facts and are very capable of making up their own minds. Try truth and integrity in place of spin and hypocrisy. You will gain votes either way but true, long term support comes from aligning yourself with citizens that believe in you and what you can do for our city - not how dirty you can get during the election. A foundation built on sand will shift.

Be the candidate that stands firmly with their back to the mud, not the one with the dirty hands. This shows discipline, self-control, civility and even kindness -- all The Capistrano Dispatch August 10-23, 2018

attributes that make a good city council member.

TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THE TOLL ROADS

A POEM TO SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO —CAITLIN FITTER, San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano Old Grandpa of California Story Teller, Maker of Adobe Small, Rustic, Historic City of Swallows

—JENNIFER NICHOLSON GELLER, San Clemente If you’re not outraged by the future extension of the 241 Toll Road because you “don’t get involved in politics” or “it will never happen,” it is time to reconsider. This isn’t a game of politics but your quality of living, your children’s health and your home values are at stake. The threat is real and the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) is moving forward.

Toll roads in Orange County have never served the vast majority of motorists, only those who can afford to pay. Did you know we (through Caltrans) are footing the ongoing maintenance bill for these roads that most of us don’t or can’t use? We were duped into paying for the toll roads through development fees, loss of open space and public lands, in addition to some of the highest tolls in the country. Due to TCA mismanagement and faulty projections, these roads may never be free as they were ultimately intended.

Now, the TCA wants to bulldoze through our town. Although they deny having chosen a specific route, there is no denying that their efforts are locked on a proposed route that would wind straight through the center of town.

This route would destroy thousands of homes, divide our city and come dangerously close to parks and schools.

Most visible would be its encroachment on and over San Clemente High School. The toll road will blaze through miles of the city’s open space. The TCA has been secretive and dishonest in their attempt to push their road through, strategically pitting us against other groups.

Although their 2016 settlement with the Surfrider Foundation and the Save San Onofre Coalition “saved” Trestles, the foundation made a sour deal, agreeing not to take a position on any future proposed routes. This effectively pushed the TCA back to reconsider the San Clemente route that they themselves had rejected years earlier due to the destructiveness of the route.

There has been an amazing groundswell of support from local citizens and public officials to stop the toll road, but it is still very much a David-versusGoliath effort. Educate yourself, write a letter, display a lawn sign, donate to www.gofundme.com/stop-the-toll-road.

They tell me you are colorful, and I believe them, for I have seen the mariachis, and the women in their bright dresses, swaying to the music on the streetsides.

They tell me you are problematic, and I believe them, for I have seen the screaming fire trucks and police cars race down the street to save the innocent.

They tell me you are proper, and I believe them, for I have sipped tea, pinkies up in Los Rios Teahouse, my teapot comfortably wrapped in a cloth, blanketed in flowers.

I turn to those that call my city ugly, and grimy, and I say to them: you will not find another city as spirited, as diverse, as notable, as San Juan Capistrano.

Swallows Day, The Mission, The Egan House The tourists pushing through the town, squeezing to see everything there is to be seen, Children dancing in the streets, History haunting downtown, Hustling, bustling, watching, Stories being told, and retold, and retold, Los Rios Street, the Train Station The click clack of horse shoes The laughter of couples The culture, the colors, the history City of Swallows Small, Rustic, Historic Story Teller, Maker of Adobe Old Grandpa of California San Juan Capistrano

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY 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.

Page 12

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

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Alex Groves, 949.388.7700, x108 agroves@thecapistranodispatch.com SPORTS Zach Cavanagh, 949.388.7700, x110 zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Debra Wells, 949.388.7700, x104 dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, x107 tzines@picketfencemedia.com GENERAL MANAGER Alyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@picketfencemedia.com

PICKET FENCE MEDIA Real Estate Sales Executive > Jennifer Guy

PUBLISHER Norb Garrett EDITORIAL City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Alex Groves

ART/DESIGN Art Director > Jasmine Smith

City Editor, DP Times > Daniel Ritz

Graphic Designer > Chelsie Rex

City Editor, SC Times > Eric Heinz

OPERATIONS

Sports Editor > Zach Cavanagh Special Projects Editor > Andrea PapagianisCamacho ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes > Susie Lantz (San Clemente) > Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Finance Director > Mike Reed General Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Tim Trent

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 16, Issue 15. 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 2018. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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www.thecapistranodispatch.com

e m o c Wel Redesigning a home can be a fun endeavor but also one riddled with questions about the best paint colors, the best design materials and the best decorative accents to use. A novice home designer might even wonder what the best house plants are for sprucing up a space. Fear not, because Picket Fence Media has the answers. This year’s INSIDE OUTSIDE has information on both interior and exterior design for a variety of purposes and price points. It also has information on various South Orange County shops and realtors who can help you with your design objectives. Whether you want to redesign your home with the latest trends, get it ready for sale or find that perfect piece of wall art that sparks a conversation, this edition of INSIDE OUTSIDE has everything that you need.

Home Sale

Prep 101 CHECK-LIST FOR WHAT TO FIX

BY Alex Groves

S

izer and open windows to air the space out.

Weintraub said another trick of the trade is to bake some sort of treat such as cookies before a showing.

“I’ve been through plenty of open houses where someone has just prior baked some chocolate chip cookies and you can smell them,” she said.

Let in more light // Letting more light into a space can help make it more welcoming.

Echelberger recommended that where possible, homeowners get rid of heavy draperies and window coverings that could possibly obstruct light from coming in.

It’s also not a bad idea to have someone come in and professionally clean the windows to get the optimal amount of light in, according to Julie Merlino.

elling a home can sometimes be a daunting and overwhelming task, especially since home buyers shift their tastes with the changing times.

That said, there are some rules of thumb that realtors recommend to make your home more alluring to a potential buyer and can be as simple as eliminating gaudy wall colors to changing up outdated furniture.

Don’t overlook the outdoors // In Southern California, the outdoors is frequently an entertaining space and sellers often forget to turn their lackluster backyards into a selling point, Echelberger said.

He said they should trim up bushes and trees, put down top soil where needed and put out some nice outdoor furniture.

Ensure curb appeal // A buyer’s first impression is very important so making sure a home looks in good repair from the outside and has curb appeal is top priority, according to realtor Tracy Weintraub of Surterre Properties.

Weintraub recommends a home seller look at the outside of their home and take stock of what needs to be done. A new coat of paint? Is anything broken?

Could plants be trimmed?

Distinctive Coast Properties agent Julie Merlino recommends to her clients to make sure that outdoor planter areas have a fresh coat of mulch and some flowers to add color to the landscape.

Get your house professionally staged // All the realtors agree – getting a home professionally staged can go a long way to helping a person sell their home faster than they might otherwise sell it.

“If you use a home stager, you will sell it quick and you will sell it for top dollar,” Merlino said.

There are different levels of staging. Echelberger said the most expensive form of staging can run anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 and involves removing the furniture from a home and replacing it with furniture and accessories that are a better fit and which give a buyer that “model home” feel.

Different pricing packages exist, however, and people who would like to take a more modest approach can have a stager rearrange existing furniture and only replace a few items.

People who don’t want to get their homes staged should at least have a designer consultation to get a list of things that should be replaced or moved, according to Echelberger.

He said the consultation could run as much as $150 but a lot of high-end real estate companies offer it as a built-in service.

“I can guarantee something will come out of that meeting that they’ll get a benefit from in the sale of their house,” he said.

Repaint the walls // Local realtor and resident Doug Echelberger, lead agent of the Echelberger Group, Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty and an experienced agent of over 20 years, says it’s important to look at the colors of your walls and determine if they need to be changed.

“There are a lot of colors left over from the early 2000s that just seem to turn buyers off,” Echelberger stated. “Buyers are still really into much lighter colors – shades of white, even shades of white-grey.”

He also noted that lighter colors have the added benefit of making a space look larger and more open.

Jennifer Katke, whose business specializes in getting homes sale-ready, shared a similar sentiment.

“You can walk into a home and just the color alone can make you feel anxious,” Katke said. “What we want to do is, when you walk in, we want it to be light, bright and inviting.”

Toss that stained carpeting // If you have stained carpet or worn flooring, it’s not a bad idea to replace it.

Echelberger shared that for some homes, vinyl laminate flooring may not be a bad option. He noted the material doesn’t have the negative connotations it once did.

“Because the product has gotten so good,” he said, “in fact, a lot of it is waterproof right now so you are able to run it into the bathrooms and really make it look like a high-end expensive wood flooring.”

Get rid of messes and bad odors // Removing clutter is an essential step to help keep the space feeling open and clean, according to Doug Echelberger.

Odors are another important area that a homeowner needs to be cognizant of when selling their home. Pet odors can irk potential buyers and it’s a problem that Weintraub says she comes across frequently.

She recommended that people find a good deodor-

Have professional photos of your home taken // Having a professional photographer come into your for-sale home and work their magic can be a big leg-up in selling, especially in today’s social media-driven world.

“The thing that’s changed so dramatically over the last five years is photos and impressions that people have,” Echelberger said. “They live off of Instagram and Facebook and Pinterest, and so for a lot of these properties to get them the correct exposure you really have to have some great shots.”

Check those lightbulbs // Echelberger said he’s also seen lots of instances of homeowners with different types, shapes and sizes of lightbulbs throughout their homes that they’ve collected over the years.

“You’ve got to change them all out to LED or you’ve got to change them all out to be consistent because they just look goofy,” he said.

Echelberger recommends LED lights because he says they get bright right away whereas older models don’t. He stated that’s a problem during a house showing because a person can be in and out of a room before the bulb gets to full brightness.

The

Green Room HOW TO STYLIZE YOUR HOME BY USING PLANTS, OUTDOOR MATERIAL

BY Eric Heinz Plants used as decoration create a life force. They help oxygenate rooms; they can bring a pacifying element to private spaces; plants can also provide pieces that help show or decorate a home. But where to start?

We spoke with some local experts and found some helpful information for designing your home with natural elements.

Stylizing Your Home with ‘Natural Elements’ Marie Waisner, an owner and CFO of Melrose in the OC Lifestyle in San Clemente, has decorated her home with many different plants. As a designer, Waisner said she enjoys looking at different ways to utilize all space in her home with the natural elements.

“The practicality of it is that you want to work in these spaces that are open to the backyard or to a porch, and you’re trying to blur the lines (between outdoors and indoors),” Waisner said.

Layering is an important design tool in beginning to decorate as well as lighting in order to make it visually appealing, Waisner said. She said she tries to balance the space the natural elements use.

“You don’t need to put a lot of things in here, it’s just to create a harmony,” Waisner said.

“You want contrasting elements of brass and cement or rope, but try to keep it open.”

Using metals could be the next trend coming, Waisner said, but varieties of plants will surely stay in fashion.

“You can use a lot of small succulents to create an impact or use just one large item,” she said. “Succulents will be here for a while. People are creating walls and using them in so many different things, they’ll trend for a while.”

Helpful Tips and Ideas Melissa “Missy” Anderson, the owner and creative director of Roots Living Art Design in San Clemente, said there are many ways for plants other elements to culminate pleasantly.

“It’s always about the client’s needs first and foremost—what they try to achieve in the space and with the current décor, and we try to match with that so we’re not over-styling,” Anderson said. “We consult with them to find their needs. It’s hard to overdo it with plants, but their shape and function add to the space rather than something that’s less attractive. The most important thing to recognize is what level of care you can provide for your plants. If it’s not much, choose plants that are easier to maintain or something like an air plant, but every plant is a living organism so it needs care.”

Anderson said some of the easiest plants used to decorate the home include Sansevieria, also known as “mother-in-law tongue,” which is a high-oxygen-producing plant.

“It actually cleans the air and gives the home a more modern esthetic,” Anderson said. “Dracena marginata has a little red in the leaves that highlight colors in the home. We try to make it aesthetically pleasing with color or pattern and the design. The biggest point is to balance the plant material so that it feels alive and lived in.”

Anderson said giving the plant something to work with is also beneficial for design, installations with driftwood or other items add to the whole ambiance.

“We do that with a lot different elements and metals and different unique pottery,”

Melrose in the OC Lifestyle

Roots Living Art Design

Roots Living Art Design

she said. “It can add a different element and something unique to the space that wasn’t there.”

Anderson said when decorating Salon Blue in San Clemente, she put together a large interior living wall with plants hanging vertically. She’s chiseled into volcanic rocks to make a plant bed, with the plants growing and living within the human-made home.

Living chandeliers are another interesting way to decorate. With plants hanging down in a center space, people can mount them and design them in their own way.

“We wrapped one in with a copper pipe holder and a metal salt that turned it turquoise and juke rope and pulleys, and we were able to raise and lower it to make maintenance on it and then tied it back up on the wall,” Anderson said.

Benefits of Interior Design with Plants More Oxygen // A few plants like orchids, succulents and epiphytic bromeliads take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

Place these type plants in bedrooms to refresh air during the night.

Releasing Water // Plants release moisture vapor, which increases humidity of the air around them. Place several plants together and you can increase the humidity of a room.

Purifying Air // Plants remove toxins from air, such as formaldehyde (present in rugs, vinyl, cigarette smoke and grocery bags).

Source: www.bioadvanced.com.

LOC A L

KN OW LE D GE

Wallpaper: Everything You Need To Know About This Comeback Design THE HISTORY You may think of wallpaper as a “thing of the past,” but trendy wallpaper is making a serious comeback, and the modern-day wallpaper brands—Cole and Company, Magnolia Home, Brewster Wallcoverings—offer styles to spruce up any space.

Knowing Native

MIKE EVANS AND TREE OF LIFE NURSERY EXPLAIN WHY RESIDENTS SHOULD EMBRACE THEIR NATIVE CALIFORNIA PLANTS

Tree of life nursery

BY Daniel Ritz

S

itting inside an old barn, soaking in the early afternoon heat at Tree of Life Nursery early one afternoon, founder Mike Evans pointed out the small brown bats returning home to rest behind an antique painting hanging on one of the walls.

“Muir, I believe it was one of the transcendentalists, said that it’s less about going out into the mountains, and more about inviting the mountains into you,” Evans said with a smirk.

Although Evans is quick to quote the late innovative California naturalist John Muir, he is equally as quick to point out you do not have to travel to exotic locations such as Muir’s favorite stomping grounds, Yosemite National Park, in order to experience true nature, and appreciate its inherent benefits.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks,” Muir said.

Evans believes that most people in this modern world don’t know how much they need to foster their connection to a natural world.

“One of the disadvantages, but most beautiful parts of our local natural environment is that it doesn’t smack you in the face,” Evans said. “There’s a lot of hot words like ‘mindfulness’ and ‘gratefulness,’ that people are turned onto at the moment, but I think we simply need to pay attention to the beauty that surrounds us and realize that it’s through its simplicity that we can learn to survive.”

“I think a lot of us are suffering from ‘nature deficit disorder,’” Evans continued. He voiced that although current generations grow up with “the internet in their pockets,” that can actually be an asset. He spoke of

smart-phone applications that can identify plants simply by taking a photograph.

“Commonly, with social media and the glamorization of grandiose, “wild” adventures, people overlook the available beauty beneath their feet,” Evans said. “I think connecting, and understanding the beautiful nature that surrounds us starts with simply getting outside and surrounding ourselves with it. Be still, be quiet and be calm. Be attentive.”

Evans suggests one appreciates the simplicity and durability of the native chaparral, integral to its evolutionary success.

Evans compares the appreciation of native plants to recent changes in the food industry.

“We at Tree of Life Nursery are focused on educating the people, one by one, and starting a genuine grassroots movement because that is the only way the powers that be are going to begin to listen,” Evans said, suggesting that government agencies and homeowners associations utilize different agricultural models for financial reasons. “The only way native, local California plants are going to be returned, will be when the people ask for it. Costco doesn’t carry organic food types because they want to, they carry them because people in the last decade started demanding it.”

Tree of Life Nursery hosts a variety of classes and seminar discussions on native ecology most weekends at their farm on Ortega Highway, just west of Caspers Wilderness Park in San Juan Capistrano. They also offer a wide variety of native plants for sale. You can learn more on www.californianativeplants.com.

THE TRENDS Bright and bold metallics like gold and silver add an extra touch of luxury. For a current and trendy look, introduce warmer colors such as bronze, copper and rose gold. Metallics give off a sleek and stately look ideal for dining rooms and foyers. Keep in mind: less is more with this trend, so cover just one wall as a focal point.

Oversized floral patterns are currently in vogue, creating a unique atmosphere in any room—and a true conversation starter! Add character to a room by adding large scale prints or soft, vintage-inspired botanicals.

Keep in mind: the best home décor stores will show you wallpaper designs to suit any personality—delicate, exuberant, even subtle patterns.

Organic shapes and nature designs bring the outside IN to your home. Think organic elements like geodes and crystals, and other patterns emulating natural stones. Keep in mind: don’t forget to look up! Throw a whimsical paper above your head to cover the ceiling of any room and frame the room in a chunky crown molding for a real WOW. 3-D patterns that look all-too real are popular this year, including brick patterns, shiplap, hand-carved panels, reclaimed wood, or tin ceiling tiles. Perfect for the home or a stylish office building — the texture will create a dramatic impact.

Keep in mind: at Peppertree Lane, you will see wallpaper inspired by white bricks, chevron patterned reclaimed wood and more. Use in-store wallpaper displays as inspiration for your own space!

THE HOW-TO: EASY AS 1-2-3 1) Peppertree Lane at Outlets at San Clemente has a few hundred wallpaper styles to select from and offer services to narrow down the search for that perfect wallpaper. Wallpaper rolls range in price from $100 up to $200 per roll.

2) Next step, we order samples and have clients tape them to the wall for a few days, making sure they are in love with the commitment they are about to make!

3) Last step, we order wallpaper and schedule our installer—all that’s left is years of enjoyment!

THE FAN FAVORITE Bree Kennedy designed the VIP Lounge at Outlets at San Clemente with wallpaper to capture the essence of what it means to live near the ocean, including the rhythmic movement of sand and waves. It is one of our proudest installations to date!

Wild

Inside

SIX WAYS TO WELCOME THE OUTDOORS INSIDE YOUR HOME

BY Daniel Ritz Shore Gardens

While even one succulent is a step in the right direction, why not take it a step further and update the interior of your home or office to a more natural state.

We asked experts at Plant Depot in San Juan Capistrano and Shore Gardens in San Clemente for their best suggestions for bringing the wild inside.

1.

Get on Your Level

3.

Live Large

5.

Let it all Hang Out

Don’t go crazy. If you’ve never run more than two miles, you probably wouldn’t sign yourself up for running a marathon tomorrow, would you? Same goes with welcoming the wild into your home. If you don’t have a green thumb or a lot of time on your hands, be realistic and choose plants that suit your lifestyle. There is something for everyone.

Local Recommendation: Eternity Plant:

If you’re short on time and/or patience and don’t want to find yourself taking care of hundreds of little flowerpots, go for large plants. Not only will they cut down on your plant watering time, they can also play a vital part in the interior of your home or office. Placed strategically, they have the power to create more privacy and visibly divide the space into designated sections. Local Recommendation: Fiddly Fig

One simple little trick to making your space into one of those envy inducing Instagram picture perfect plant homes: layering. The key is to not only have plants of differing heights, but to also place them on different levels. Stage one large potted plant on the floor, some crawling plants hanging from the ceiling, and then some on your shelf or various tables throughout. Local Recommendation: Pothos

2.

4.

6.

Bling your Bedroom

If you’re used to seeing plants exclusively on living room windowsills and kitchen counters, go out of your comfort zone and experiment with placing some greenery in your bedroom. Plants are proven to improve sleep quality, help air purification and make you feel more tranquil. Turn your bedroom into the oasis of peace and quiet you desire.

Local Recommendation: Snake Plant

Don't Forget the Bathroom One of the best ways to wow a guest is having plants in the bathroom. For some reason, most bathrooms are kept quite sterile of anything living, but we say - go for it. There are a number of plants that prefer growing in dark and humid environments, so having no windows with natural sunlight should not be a problem. Local Recommendation: Calathea

Big Improvements, Small Packages Gardening is not simply a one size fits all case of “go big or go home.” If you don’t fancy anything dramatic, go for smaller plants - they might be smaller in size, but are no less effective. This will also give you the opportunity to experiment with a larger variety of different species in the same amount of space! Local Recommendation: Raphis Palm

Making the most of

Your Wall Space

BY Alex Groves

E

very once in a while, a home could use some sprucing up and one of the easiest ways to make a visual impact is making changes to the walls.

Those pondering the best way to decorate their walls can remain calm and not fret. Picket Fence Media recently spoke to Haideh Mehr, artist and cofounder of the Dana Point store Bella Bazaar. The store sells art and decorative items and the staff there can be requested for interior design projects.

From paint to decorative elements, Mehr went over what’s needed in 2018 to be trendy while also making sure a home fits an owner’s individual style.

Paint & Accents

Some of the hottest color trends this year are metallic, deep onyx and ultra violet, but warm greys and neutral tones remain the most popular, according to Mehr.

Mehr said it’s also fun to play with textural elements.

Limewash paints give walls an aged patina look for rustic charm. Textural wallpaper or wood planks are also fairly popular and can be used on one wall as an accent.

Art by Haideh Mehr

Mehr said Bella Bazaar can turn that surfboard into something extra special.

“We’ll take their old surfboard and paint a great scene on it or do a cool design on it and that looks amazing and takes up a good amount of wall space,” she said.

Macramé

Las Catrinas SJC

3D Art Pieces

Mehr said three dimensional artworks that jut out from otherwise flat walls are currently in style.

Some examples include metalwork, shelving topped with decorative accents, hanging baskets and containers with cascading plants.

The pieces can be items that make a statement about what a homeowner loves. A music lover might hang up a guitar and a surfer might place an old surfboard up.

Macramé, a form of ornamental knotting, was a fad in the ‘70s and was used for everything from wall decorations to tablecloths. A decade later it had fallen out of style.

The textile has since had a resurgence and a search of Instagram will yield pictures of macramé planter coverings, macramé dresses, macramé bracelets and of course – macramé wall decorations.

Trendy mall stores such as Urban Outfitters and smaller boutique shops alike sell these pieces in every shape, size and color. Mehr said it’s another great way to add texture to an otherwise barren wall in a space such as a bedroom, but should probably match existing décor within the home.

that as you walk into the home there’s a mirror,” she said.

Original Art Pieces & Photographs

Mehr said it’s always worth it to find that one of a kind item that makes a statement.

She said South Orange County is full of places for people to find unique and individually-crafted artwork

Mirrors

Have a wall that you’re not sure what to do with? Try a mirror.

A mirror not only fills space, but can also change the lighting of a room and make it feel larger.

Mehr recommends placing a mirror in an entryway, and not just because it looks good there.

“If people are into Feng Shui (a mirror) bounces off any negative energy so it’s kind of good

Plant Depot

LOCAL

KNOWLEDGE

Don’t Get Left in the Dark When Going Solar

from niche stores such as Bella Bazaar and San Juan Capistrano’s Las Catrinas, to San Clemente’s monthly Village Art Faire.

One of a kind paintings, drawings, woodwork and metal work can be found at the locations and can add a truly unique flair to any space For people who want to decorate with something more personally meaningful, photos can make for a nice addition.

Mehr said photos of a place a person got married, a place that resonates with them or even a great family photo can liven up a space.

Keeping items that you like just because something is trendy, doesn’t mean it speaks to everyone.

Mehr said she’s had to redo homes where a person decorated with what’s popular, only to want to change it again because it didn’t fit their style or their personality.

She said when in doubt, people should go with their gut and pick the things they like.

“Most people don’t realize that the things they’re drawn to have some kind of connection whether it’s the style, whether it’s the feel – it does have some kind of connection and it tends to always go together one way or another,” she said. “I always say don’t ever buy something that’s the trend if you don’t love it.”

for more information Contact Haideh Mehr at Bella Bazaar Bella Bazaar (located in Dana Point Harbor) 34467 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA 92629 949.429.6200 // bellabazaar.com

Over 15,000 homeowners in San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) utility territory have gone solar this year, and the a t ma orit are li el unaware of the financial impact the will experience a a re ult of new olar rate . t pical homeowner may lose tens of thousands of dollars in saving o er the lifetime of their olar power tem if it i not de igned to con ider the new olar rule and rate . nder former olar rule it wa imple for companie to de ign a olar power tem that re ulted in a bill utilit bill. olar compan loo ed at how much energ a hou ehold u ed on an annual ba i and de igned a olar power tem to produce that ame amount of energ per ear regardle of when the tem produced energ or when the home con umed energ . ince pril olar cu tomer in territor ha e been on new olar rule which include placement on a mandator time of u e rate. n in depth anal i i now needed to de ign a olar power tem becau e with time-of-use rates, SDG&E charges more for the electricity depending on when a home u e energ in a da not u t how much the home u e in a gi en month. now charge olar home on time of u e . for electricit con umed during the da time off pea hour and . for energ con umed in the e ening on pea hour . olar doe n t wor at night when the utilitie want to charge more o a batter allow homeowner to tore their olar power and u e it when electricit i mo t expen i e. tem not e uipped with a batter will not be able to mitigate the e new charge a effecti el a tem with batterie according to outhern alifornia ba ed ulli an olar ower. t pical famil who goe olar with a batter a e roughl o er a ear period. f their neighbor goe olar without a batter at the ame time the neighbor will pa hundred of dollar per ear in additional una oidable co t . er ear u ing a ix percent rate e calation the famil without a batter will ha e mi ed out on in a ing . an local olar companie are a ing batterie are unnece ar or are onl for bac up power and that patentl fal e batterie allow olar cu tomer to maximi e their return on investment,” said Daniel Sullivan, founder and pre ident of ulli an olar ower he ma orit of familie going olar in outhern alifornia ha e no idea about the huge financial impact the e new rate are going to ha e becau e their olar compan doe n t full comprehend it therefore the e companie do not teach people the importance of incorporating a batter . or more information about olar paired with energ torage the public i in ited to attend the an lemente olar ducation erie on ctober th at the an lemente ommunit enter. o learn more about thi e ent i it www. olar eminar.info.

LOCAL

KNOWLEDGE

California Real Estate Market Check-Up! ccording to the chief real e tate economi t at the alifornia ociation of ealtor e lie ppleton oung he reat ece ion i officiall o er due to o man factor in alifornia economicall . e added bac all . million ob plu an additional . million ob . . nemplo ment ha dipped below percent for the fir t time in more than a decade . he toc mar et i near all time high acro mo t major indices . ntere t rate remain near hi toric low for mortgages . he tate go ernment i currentl running a budget urplu e en if it re t on a er narrow ba e . alifornia remain a er popular de tination for the re t of the world with nearl million international travelers this year . ome price o erall continue to ri e not fall he factor abo e how that tabilit i bac in the real e tate mar et including in an lemente. dditionall the ban toda are er trict for all loan and ha e been li e that for almo t ear . lient we re helping toda ha e a lot of e uit now a ed up and continue to be pa ing down loan amount and adding to their e uit po ition. he following are example worth mentioning. f ou bought a hou e in the ear and ha e been pa ing that down for almo t ear ou hould be in a ituation where ou ha e at lea t percent or more e uit po ition. ou can refinance to lower our pa ment ignificantl . e al o ha e a lot of client who bought in era and e en with a low down pa ment of percent or percent tho e client are in a percent or more e uit po ition ince price ha e gone up about percent ince the bottom of the mar et. o t people are u ing thi e uit to get a bigger home or one with a better location. e al o ha e a lot of people down i ing and pa ing ca h for the next propert to be mortgage free. he e are all rea on wh the local real e tate mar et will continue to be table for the fore eeable future. f ou are intere ted in bu ing or elling plea e contact u e are a third generation famil owned bu ine and ha e been er ing the communit for more than ear rac ing up thou and of re idential and commercial ale and purcha e . mail u at info conradreale tate.com i it u online at www.conradreale tate.com or call u at . .

Picket Fence Media's

Where to buy

2018 Home Decor Picks

1. Palm leaf pillow • $50

BELLA BAZAAR (Dana Point Harbor) 34467 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA 92629 949.429.6200 • bellabazaar.com

OUR FAVORITE INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS & WHERE TO FIND THEM AT LOCAL SHOPS

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BY Chelsie Rex

ummer may be coming to an end; however, these design trends will make you want to un-pack your bags from that end of summer trip & plan your next ‘stay-cation’. Whether you’re looking to re-design your entire home or just add a few statement pieces- these current design trends are sure to transform your living space into a stylish retreat that you’ll want to ‘vacation’ at year-round. From Coastal to Bohemian-here are a few of our favorite things.

2. Coffee table • $1,599

PEPPERTREE LANE 101 W. Avenida Vista Hermosa suite 558, San Clemente, CA 92672 949.441.7275 • peppertreelane.net

5.

3. Fur bench • $375

MELROSE IN THE OC LIFESTYLE 150 #D Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, CA 92672 949.366.0561 • melroseintheoc.com

4. Blue velvet chair • $2,200

1.

THE WAREHOUSE ON DEL MAR 112 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, CA 92672 949.388.0027 • @thewarehouseondelmar

5. Chandelier • $420

SEA & SKY 24625 Del Prado Ave, Dana Point, CA 92629 949.276.7833 • seaskyhome.com

6.

6. Mid Century Sofa • $389

SC FURNITURE & MATTRESS 109 Calle De Los Molinos, San Clemente, CA 92672 949.492.5589 • southcoastfurniture.com

3.

7. Rug • $250

LAS CATRINAS SJC 31742 Los Rios St San Juan Capistrano, California 92675 949.441.7182 • lascatrinassjc.com

2.

8. Hanging macrame • $229.99

PLANT DEPOT 32413 San Juan Creek rd.

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 949.240.2107 • plantdepot.com

9.

9. Ottoman • $460

TUVALU HOME 222 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672 949.542.8242 • tuvaluhome.com

4.

7.

8.

GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

The List What’s going on in and around town

COMPILED BY STAFF

HAVE AN EVENT? Submit it to The Dispatch by going to www.thecapistranodispatch.com, and clicking “Submit an Event” under the “Getting Out” tab.

Photo: Walt Disney Pictures

At the Movies: ‘Christopher Robin’ Grows Old

Friday | 10 CREATIVE KIDS PLAYHOUSE PERFORMS THE KING STAG 3:30 p.m. See middle and high school aged teens from the Creative Kids Playhouse performThe King Stag at the Historic Town Center Park in San Juan Capistrano.

The play is a spoof of Shakespeare that comes complete with mistaken identities, a love triangle, sword fights, magic and more. Tickets are $10 for children age 7 and up. Children 6 and under are free.

31852 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. www.creativekidsplayhouse.com

BY MEGAN BIANCO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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EDITOR’S PICK

Saturday | 11 2ND SATURDAYS NATIVE AMERICAN STORYTELLING 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Join Jacque Tahuka Nunez, an Acjachemen descendent and storyteller, at Mission San Juan Capistrano every second Saturday of the month as she leads a cultural presentation that includes song, dance, storytelling and hands-on activities. The event is free with paid admission to the mission; $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $7 for children.

26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano.

949.234.1300. www.missionsjc.com LIVE AT THE COACH HOUSE: SINBAD 8 p.m. Comedic legend Sinbad will be taking his act to The Coach House. With a comedy career spanning three decades, Sinbad has had leading roles in such films as Jingle All The Way and Good Burger.

He’s also appeared on the hit FX series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Tickets are $35. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.496.8930. thecoachhouse.com

Sunday | 12 GUIDED NATURE HIKE 8-9:15 a.m. Join an Orange County Parks Ranger for a one-mile hike around Bell Canyon in Caspers Wilderness Park.

The Capistrano Dispatch August 10-23, 2018

The first annual Bark in the Park event will have people and their dogs watching the movie Best in Show at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano. Image courtesy of the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition.

SATURDAY, AUG. 11: FIRST ANNUAL BARK IN THE PARK 6:30 p.m. Sometimes, man’s best friend needs a night out. Take your pooch with you to see the movie Best in Show for the first annual Bark in the Park event at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park at San Juan Capistrano. The event was put together by the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition and Blenheim Facility Management. Guests are invited to pack a blanket or a comfortable beach chair as well as picnic dinner for the movie. There will be a “disc dog” exhibition as well as prizes for the best looking canine-human “couples.” Admission is free.

30753 La Pata Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.234.1696.

Parking is $5, the hike is free. 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.923.2210. www.ocparks.com/caspers.

Monday | 13 KOI FISH FEEDING 12:45 p.m. Everyday visitors are welcome to help Mission San Juan Capistrano feed their koi fish in both courtyards. Fish food is free for Mission Preservation Society members and $1 for non-members. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.234.1300. www.missionsjc.com.

Wednesday | 15 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO RESIDENT APPRECIATION DAYS AT THE MISSION 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Every Wednesday, San Juan Capistrano residents receive free admission to Mission San Juan Capistrano with a $10 purchase made in the Mission

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(Cont. on page 26)

win-films effect strikes again.

Every once in a while, two movies will be released not far apart from each other with very similar themes or plot. In this case, it’s Winnie the Pooh-related. Last autumn, we had Goodbye Christopher Robin, a straightforward, typical biopic on A.A. Milne’s career that was just okay and a little depressing. Now we have Disney’s Christopher Robin, which isn’t about the real people behind the iconic characters but rather grownup sequel of sorts.

Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, the classic children’s characters Pooh, Piglet, Eeyeore, Tigger and Co. are without their human friend Christopher Robin because he’s chosen to grow up. Christopher (portrayed by Ewan McGregor) is now middle-aged and has his own family, including wife Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) and daughter Madeline (Bronte Carmichael).

Summer’s just around the corner and it’s apparent Christopher is going to choose work over spending time with the family. That’s when he gets a surprise visit from some old friend.

Marc Forster’s Christopher Robin takes a cue from Steven Spielberg’s Hook (1991) by having an iconic character grow up, become a workaholic in the “real world” and get a wakeup call from the make-believe world. But for all its flaws, Hook did manage to be memorable and produce a sense of wonderment. While Christopher is cute, it also treads the line on charming and boring. It is intriguing to see the classic Disney design of Milne’s character with CGI for the first time.

But we can also see why Pooh works best with short films rather than a full-length feature. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT (Cont. from page 25)

with a $10 purchase made in the Mission store. Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano. For more information, go to www.missionsjc. com or call 949.234.1300.

Saturday | 14 SAN JUAN SUMMER NIGHTS FEATURES DO WAH RIDERS 6-8 p.m. Join country band the Do Wah Riders for an evening of musical fun and dancing at the Historic Town Center Park in downtown San Juan Capistrano for the San Juan Summer Nights concert series.

The event is free. There will be food, beer and wine available for purchase. Be sure to bring a lawn chair, blanket and jacket.

31852 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

Thursday | 16 OC PARKS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: THE WHITE BUFFALO 6-8 p.m. The County of Orange and OC Parks welcome back the annual outdoor summer concert series with a free concert at Bluff Park at Salt Creek Beach. Matt Costa opens for singer-songwriter The White Buffalo. Doors will open at 5 p.m.

Free and open to the public of all ages.

Concert goers 21 and over can purchase beer and wine at the beer tent. 33333 Pacific Coast Hwy. http://www.ocparks. com/events.

ON THE MENU

Saturday | 18 LIVE AT THE COACH HOUSE: IRON BUTTERFLY 8 p.m. Heavy Metal band Iron Butterfly became a staple of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s rock scene with their albums Heavy and In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. The band was known for heavy sounds and lyrics that fit the revolutionary time period they became famous in. They performed alongside such acts as The Doors, The Grateful Dead and The Who. Tickets are $25. 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

949.496.8930. thecoachhouse.com

Monday | 20 COUNTRY DANCING AND ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR 6-10:30 p.m. Stop by the Swallow’s Inn for country dancing with DJ Patrick and a happy hour that lasts all day. Enjoy a steak dinner for $13 when you are finished with the dance floor. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. www. swallowsinn.com.

Wednesday | 22 OLD CAPISTRANO CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET 3-6 p.m. Stop by and check out some locally grown, organic produce and artisan goodies at a farmers market that has been going strong for more than 15 years. Free admission. Historic Town Center Park, 31852 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

949.493.4700. www.farmersmarketsjc.com

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA AT BASANTI

BY THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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eople packed tables inside of San Juan Capistrano restaurant Basanti on a recent Saturday as the fragrant smell of spices wafted in from the kitchen.

It’s been more than a year since the restaurant opened at a strip mall along the Ortega Highway and started serving up Northern Indian cuisine and business has been excellent.

The Chicken Tikka Masala, one of the lunch entrees, is not only an extremely filling option, but it’s also rich and loaded with flavor.

The tender, tandoori-roasted chicken comes slathered in a creamy butter and tomato sauce with sides of freshly cooked naan bread, rice and a salad.

For those looking for something less ubiquitous to Indian restaurants than Chicken Tikka Masala, Basanti has a varied menu of dishes from Himalayan Momos

The Capistrano Dispatch August 10-23, 2018

(a kind of stuffed dumpling) to Shrimp Vindaloo.

Basanti is open for lunch from 11 a.m.

– 2:30 p.m. daily. It’s open for dinner from 5-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Basanti

27221 Ortega Highway, Suite G, San Juan Capistrano.

949.276.2166 www.basantirestaurant.com Page 26

SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

Ilse Byrnes, a longtime docent at the Montanez Adobe, is retiring from her volunteer role, but she said she still plans to help if needed and doesn’t plan to stop her usual work of getting structures around town onto the National Historic Register. Photo: Alex Groves

Longtime Adobe Docent Retires, but Still Plans to Protect Area’s History ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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hose who have taken a trip to the Montanez Adobe on Los Rios Street recently may have noticed that a familiar face was missing there: Ilse Byrnes, a longtime docent at the adobe, recently “retired” from her volunteer role there after many years of sharing the building’s history with visitors.

After some health issues, Byrnes decided it was time to hang up her hat and give being a docent a break, but she said she plans to still help with historical preservation projects as needed.

People who have worked with Byrnes in her docent role say they will miss seeing her infectious enthusiasm for the area’s history on a regular basis.

Lorie Porter, director for the Montanez Adobe, said Byrnes would show up to her volunteer shift at the adobe every Saturday for the last 10 years at least.

“She has loved doing anything histori-

The Capistrano Dispatch August 10–23, 2018

cal,” Porter said. “She said the adobe was her home away from home.”

She said Byrnes would enthusiastically greet anyone who came into the adobe and start telling them about the building’s history. Those visitors loved it.

“With her accent, which is wonderful, and her easy way of talking to people it was more like, instead of a tour guide, somebody sitting down with someone who was interested and just sharing what our town is like,” said Porter.

Byrnes’ work at the adobe is just the latest in a string of things she’s done to honor and preserve the area’s history.

She’s responsible for getting many of the city’s historic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including all of the Los Rios District.

Born and raised in Switzerland, Byrnes moved to Los Angeles, where her uncle served as Consulate General of Switzerland. She later married Roy Byrnes in

1954.

By the late 1960s Byrnes and her husband were living in San Juan Capistrano and she became actively involved with helping members of the historical society preserve the area’s old structures.

“Number one, I’m from Europe and historic preservation is very strong-going,” she said “I saw too many old buildings here in town that were old but interesting, but they were bulldozed down from the Mr. Developer and that sort of got me involved too,” she said.

Porter recalled that in those days there weren’t any agencies actively working on preserving the area’s historic structures so it was Ilse that was paying all the fees and postage necessary to get something certified as historic.

“When I look at a historical land or one of our historical trails, every single time I think of certain individuals in this community who are responsible for that still being

Page 27

there,” Jerry Nieblas, a local historian who has known Byrnes for years, said.

“She’s in the top 10 list.”

Since Byrnes has left other volunteers have continued to carry on the docent torch, but Porter said there hasn’t been anyone quite like Byrnes.

“Many times, our docents, including myself, we will kind of wait to see if people are really interested,” Porter said.

“If they just want to walk in and out then that’s fine. But she would go right up to them and start talking. She wanted them to know the history.”

Asked whether Byrnes’ semi-retirement will have a big impact on San Juan Capistrano, Porter said it will.

“It definitely will,” she said. “She is the one who put all of our historic buildings on the national register. If we hadn’t had Ilse, I would guess some of those buildings would have been torn down for sure.” CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING

A teen does a trick with his skateboard at the San Juan Capistrano Sports Park on Saturday, Aug. 4. Photo: Alex Grovess.

San Juan Capistrano Skate Park holds first ‘Skate Jam’ ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

D

ozens of teens and their families descended on the San Juan Capistrano Sports Park on Saturday, Aug. 4, for an event aimed at raising funds and awareness for a city-approved skate park.

Skate Jam, the San Juan Capistrano Skate Park Coalition’s first official event, had vendors, ramps for kids to skate on and a live band.

Kids of varying ages could be seen doing tricks and jumps on the ramps on both scooters and skateboard as their parents watched cautiously. Others rode down the parking lot or perused the various vendor booths that had been set up.

Peter Carey, president of the coalition, said the event was about raising awareness for the coalition’s efforts and the various ways that people can donate, including putting change in change jars to purchasing bricks that will be laid down when the park is constructed.

“We’ve got a lot of people showing inter-

The Capistrano Dispatch August 10-23, 2018

est and we’ve got a lot of people saying they want to get involved, they want to help,” Carey said. “The reality is, that everything’s in place. The city has approved the site, the drawings are in there…the thing we need is money.”

The San Juan Capistrano City Council approved conceptual design for a sports park to be completed by Spohn Ranch, Inc., of Los Angeles for the northwest end of the San Juan Capistrano Sports Park. The design includes local skateboard history and an area for beginner skateboarders.

But the city currently is still looking for a funding source for the $2 million necessary to complete the project, which has spurred Carey and his cohorts to fundraise.

The have set up the coalition as a nonprofit, held regular board meetings and regularly pushed out information about fundraising efforts to the public.

For Carey, it’s personal. Not only do his kids skate, but he was once a skater himself and remembers having difficulty pursuing

his hobby.

“We all remember skating as kids,” he said. “We remember getting kicked out of places, getting chased by cops. Now our kids, we’ve got to take them outside of town to go skateboarding.”

Bob Parks, another coalition board member, said getting the skate park going was in large part about ensuring the safety of the kids that do it.

He pointed to recent skateboard fatalities in the area as a part of a problem he feels could be curbed if kids had a designated place to go rather than streets and parking lots.

“This is a problem,” he said. “If you live in this city, you should be backing these kids up. They can’t afford to get hurt anymore.”

Both an incumbent city councilwoman and a city council candidate were at the event to show their support.

City Councilwoman Kerry Ferguson was on hand with large-scale renderings of the project for visitors to view.

She said she has supported the skate park since attending a Youth Advisory Committee board meeting and hearing what parents had to say.

“The parents came up to speak and they said, ‘please build the skate park,’” Ferguson recalled. “’I wanted one when I was a

Page 28

kid and now my kids want one.”

Ferguson said the design should bring the “best of both worlds.”

She said the skate park is shaped in a way that it shouldn’t detract from the park’s existing fields. She also noted that parents who have one child playing in a field and another playing in the skate park should have easy visibility of both.

Cody Martin, 18, who is running for District 3, said he wanted to show support because he believes having a skate park could benefit the youth population in San Juan.

“I will support anything that can get our kids off the streets, get them off drugs … and give them opportunities so they can do something productive,” Martin said. “I think a skate park is the right way to go.”

Carey said he fully believes the park will get built eventually, despite its hefty price tag.

“It’s going to get done,” he said. “You have way too many people behind it now.

It’s just a matter of when and how, but we really definitely need some big investors to come in.”

The San Juan Capistrano Skate Park Coalition will be having another board meeting at 6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 16, at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, 25925 Camino Del Avion, San Juan Capistrano. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING GUEST OPINION: Branching Out by San Juan Capistrano Library Staff and the Friends of the Library

Library Gallery Features Work of Local Artist

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id you know that the San Juan Capistrano Library has an art gallery?

When architect Michael Graves designed the building more than 35 years ago, he envisioned a place that encouraged visitors to stay awhile, with a sequence of varied spaces to explore. One of these is a long, narrow corridor that invites wanderers to enter and peruse the revolving art exhibits that adorn the walls.

The current display in this gallery features pieces by local artist Allison Adams. Alice was born in Dana Point into an artistic family where self-expression was encouraged. Her paintings have been exhibited in Los Angeles and Orange County galleries and, early next year, she is looking forward to a solo exhibit of her “Groundbreaking Girls” series at the Women’s

Museum of California in San Diego.

About her art, Alice says she wants “people to look a painting in the eyes and recognize something not only in the subject but also in themselves.” Please plan a visit to the library to take in this lovely exhibit. Patrons are also invited to an upcoming reception with the artist on August 30 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.

The month of August is also time for many of our local students to return to school. As part of preparing for the new academic year, make sure a library card is on the list of required school supplies.

Libraries provide a variety of invaluable free programs, services and resources for students of all ages to help them succeed in school and beyond.

A library card provides access to every-

thing libraries have to offer, and not just in the library to borrow materials and use library computers. With a library card you can access a wide range of online resources from home. It allows you to download e-books and music; read digital magazines; use research databases and online learning tools; and much more. Begin the school year right with a visit to the library and the helpful staff will be happy to assist you in getting started right away.

Lastly, a big thank you to all who have supported and participated in this year’s summer programs. With over 350 kids and 75 teens joining in, the summer reading program was very successful thanks to our community sponsors, Friends of the Library and book-loving community. During the 6 weeks of Lunch at the Library,

2430 lunches were served, and a good time was had by all. Thank you to Hilda, Laura, Jean, Joana and Kristin with Capistrano Unified School District for making this valuable program possible.

Visitors have also enjoyed over 15 storytimes and 5 special programs, highlighted with the opportunity to meet Paco the sloth (with Pacific Animal Productions) and making light-up wands for Harry Potter Day. The painting program for adults was also a big hit, and the next one is awaited with great anticipation! 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

Students turn Patriot, Privateer or Pirate? All About Hipolito Bouchard parking spaces ipolito Bouchard raided the coast Revolution he was a young boy and grew to deposed by the French, the Viceroy in into works of art of California and in particular San adulthood in the aftermath of revolution. By Buenos Aires, having been appointed by HWas heJuana patriot, Capistrano in 1818. the time he was 19 he was already providthe Spanish King was considered to lack at JSerra privateer or pirate? ing for his family. His father had died and any political authority.

GUEST OPINION: Moments in Time by Jan Siegel

The San Juan Capistrano Historical Society and the Dana Point Historical Society are going to spend the next four months trying to answer that question.

An exhibit at the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society features a pirate collection and focuses on the Bouchard raid.

On Saturday, November 3, the “Bouchard pirates” will be camped on the grounds of the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society for the night after coming up from Dana Point and “sacking” the town!

On Sunday, Nov. 4 both Historical Societies will hold a trial with Bouchard as the defendant to answer the question. The event is free to the public and will be held at the CommuMOMENTS IN nity Center in San Juan TIME Capistrano.

By Jan Siegel According to Webster’s Dictionary a patriot is “a person who loves and loyally or zealously supports his own country.” The definition of a privateer is, “a person in command of a ship owned and equipped by one or more persons, and licensed by a government to seize or plunder the ships of an enemy in war.”

The definition of a pirate is, “a robber of ships on the high seas.” I referenced a dictionary from 1904 so that the definitions would be more suitable for an 1818 person and event.

So who was Bouchard?

Andre Paul Bouchard was born in France in 1780. At the time of the French

The Capistrano Dispatch August 10–23, 2018

his mother was left with two young boys besides Andre. Bouchard was restless and decided to join the French navy. His first assignment did not go well. His ship was captured by Lord Nelson and he was held prisoner for a short time before going back to France. His second did not fare much better. He was assigned to a ship that was to go to Haiti and help put down a revolution by the slaves. When Napoleon decided to abandon Haiti and all other lands in the New World, Bouchard had had enough of naval life. His mother had remarried a very cruel man and Bouchard saw no future for himself in France. But he was not sure where he would go. He spent some time in the United States but eventually found his way to Buenos Aires.

Once he arrived in Buenos Aires, he reinvented himself. Andre Paul disappeared and Bouchard chose to be called by his younger brother’s name Hippolyte but with a Spanish spelling of Hipolito. The change was made to keep his emotional ties to his homeland, even though he realized he would never return to his family.

The European flavor in Buenos Aires, and the multitude of cultures and languages made Bouchard feel welcome. He quickly picked up on the Spanish language.

At this time England was at war with Spain while France and Napoleon moved to take over Spain. French rule in Spain was not well received in Buenos Aires.

Having thwarted the English, the locals decided to take on the Spanish. What they wanted was independence from European rule. Since the Spanish King had been

It was the perfect climate for a new political order. This was debated in the local assembly and without a shot being fired, the assembly deposed the Spanish and set up Primera Junta, the first assembly on May 25, 1810. The new government was now known as the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata. But the new government lacked any military authority. All of the naval leaders were Spanish loyalists. So a call was made by the Assembly for any able bodied men with naval experience to come forward.

This is what Hipolito Bouchard had been waiting for all his life. As a noncommissioned sailor in the French navy, he now positioned himself as Captain and commanded his first ship, “25 del Mayo” named for the new government. Hipolito Bouchard was 30 years old.

This is the first of a two part article on the Raid of San Juan Capistrano in 1818.

See the conclusion of the life of Hipolito Bouchard next month. In the meantime, you can spend a “Moment in Time” visiting the Pirate exhibit at the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society.

Jan Siegel is a 28-year resident of San Juan Capistrano. She served on the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for 13 years.

She was named Woman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2005. 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

Page 30

Students at JSerra Catholic High School paint up assigned parking spaces with designs they came up with. Photo: Nicole Morrison

BY ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

parking lot outside of JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano became a blank canvas for the school’s seniors on Saturday, Aug. 4.

The teens came up with a design for, and painted, their reserved senior parking spots as part of annual tradition that has taken place the last eight years at the school.

Parents, siblings, relatives, friends and alumni all turned out to help the seniors paint up their spots during the 12-hour paint fest, according to a news release from school spokeswoman Nicole Morrison.

Morrison also noted that only 167 parking spots are available annually and that groups of students line up as early as 4 a.m. every June to make sure they get a parking space next to their friends’.

Underclassmen at the school look forward to their own turn to paint a parking space in years to come and local neighbors enjoy seeing students come up with new artwork every year. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

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

A Senior Woman Blames Men for Relationship Problems

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his January, I wrote an online column about LAT (living apart together) relationships. In the article, I quoted a male reader, who said the 1976 song “I’d Really Like to See You Tonight” by England Dan and John Ford Coley, described his relationship with his woman friend perfectly.

A woman, age 69, whose name I am withholding, emailed a response to the man’s comment.

She wrote, “The older and wiser I become, the more I understand how it’s been a man’s world, and that song started irritating me, when I realized it was about a noncommittal, friend-withbenefits arrangement, which men are always looking for. It’s the same for senior men as young men.

Somewhere in their middle ages, men are able to commit and settle into a real relationship, albeit many cheat even when committed. Then after the divorce, which they usually blame the wife for, they go back to their youth when it ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50 was all about ‘getting

By Tom Blake some’ with no commitment.

I’ve spent the last couple of years dumping guys (in their 60s) who made it clear that’s all they want. It has made me feel I am not worthy of a man’s true love and commitment.

The LAT (living apart together) relationship is perfect for men. They can do whatever they want when you’re apart.

The woman may be sitting in her own house, painting pictures, but I doubt if the man is doing that; he’s probably on the dating sites checking out the candy store (as men have told me they see it), especially now when there are so many single old ladies to single old men. I am not cynical, just realistic.”

Note from Tom: Regarding LAT relationships, more senior women than men tell me they prefer a LAT-relationship arrangement.

She continued, “I have nice male friends who still are old-fashioned enough to want a traditional relationship, and that’s what I would like.”

“If you’re going to spend most of your time with someone anyway, why not have the financial benefits of sharing expenses and the legal benefits of having the doctors consult your significant other in an emergency?

The Capistrano Dispatch August 9–22, 2018

I don’t see why two people can’t live together and still have their separate interests and separate rooms, etc. To each his own, but personally I want someone I can go to sleep with every night and wake up with every morning, and not wonder if it’s ok to call them because they might be busy doing whatever.

I don’t blame men for their wandering eye because it’s biologically programmed in them to spread their seed and produce children, so the urge to mate is very strong. What I’ve seen is that a woman needs to keep a man close to her and be available because, as the Stephen Stills song says, ‘If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.’

I interpret those lyrics to mean that men need to be near the one they love, or their eye wanders, a natural thing, but this behavior can ultimately break up the relationship.

With every man I meet, there is always something ‘wrong,’ and I’m just getting lonelier and more independent.

The last one I recently met at one of the places I go to dance. It was the first time in four-five years I felt a real connection with someone, and he was so into me.

After a couple of days of dancing and some long phone conversations, he found out I am four years older than he, and he said he needs to have someone in their 50s. I am 69 and he is 65. I couldn’t believe it! So, life goes on...”

Remember, that email was sent to me in January.

This week, she emailed, “I have removed myself from all dating sites and decided I’m over the whole thing of trying to find a man; all of them have been crazy in one way or another.”

Comment from Tom: When people blame others for their lack of dating success, the first action they need to take is to look in the mirror.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point resident and a former Dana Point businessman who has authored several books on middle-aged dating. See his websites www. findingloveafter50.com; www.vicsta.com and www.travelafter55.com. To receive Tom’s weekly online newsletter, sign up at www.findingloveafter50.com. Email: tompblake@gmail.com. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media.

If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com

San Juan Chamber Welcomes New CEO

BY ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

T

he San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new CEO early last month.

George Peppas officially started his new position on July 1 after working at the Ocean Institute and Sub Zero Ice Cream.

He also owned his own restaurant in Indiana.

Peppas said he is excited to be at the helm of the chamber, which is dedicated to San Juan Capistrano’s economic development and enhancement.

On a day-to-day basis, Peppas will be meeting with business and individuals to help them meet their needs and help “make positive change in San Juan.”

He said a goal of his tenure will be to bring more businesses into San Juan, but to do so without losing anything else.

“We can always use growth, but the biggest thing is keeping San Juan historical and not ruining the historical aspect of it,” he said.

Peppas is filling a position left vacant by the departure of previous CEO Mark Bodenhamer.

Bodenhamer, who worked as CEO for seven years, left in 2017 to move to the San Francisco Bay when his wife, Tallia

Hart, was hired as the CEO for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

Peppas said he’s not only been happily welcomed by members of the community Photo: Courtesy but also by his colleagues within the chamber and by the chamber’s board.

“I think they’ve been looking for someone to give a little bit of guidance, direction,” he said. “It’s hard to have a direction without anyone in this position. We have a very supportive board and that’s probably the most important piece is that the board does listen.”

Peppas said he’s hoping to receive feedback from members of the community on any projects the chamber undertakes.

“We encourage them to contact us if they have questions or concerns,” he said.

“We really want to listen to everyone, we want to hear everyone and give everyone an opportunity. This is their city as well.”

Peppas can be reached at 949.493.4700 or at george@sanjuanchamber.com. CD

Pet of the Week: Sulu THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

S

ulu is a gentle soul looking for a fresh start in life. At 9 years old, Sulu was abandoned by his family and left at the shelter. With the help of shelter volunteers and a couple of friendly dogs, he is slowly but surely learning to trust again. Sulu would greatly benefit from a family that could spend lots of time with him and teach him new tricks. If you would like to know more about Sulu, please call the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617 or visit with him at 221 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. CD

Sulu. Photo: Courtesy of the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

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 SOLUTION:

Page 32

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad online at www.thecapistranodispatch.com FOR SALE CUSTOM AREA RUGS You pick style, color and size. Typically made in 2 weeks. Stainmaster nylon, wool, polyester or designer carpet. Carpet showroom in Lantern District of Dana Point.

Carpet and flooring remnants also available - all shapes, sizes and kinds of flooring.

We sell tile too! Mike, Lantern Bay Carpets, 949-240-1545.

GARAGE SALES GARAGE SALE – SATURDAY AUGUST 11TH 7 am. 1312 Felipe, San Clemente, CA.

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE! Email your listing to info@thecapistranodispatch.com Deadline 5pm Monday. No phone calls.

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

HELP WANTED PART-TIME COPY EDITOR WANTED Picket Fence Media is hiring a part-time copy editor to copy edit the group’s three community newspapers, special sections, magazines and websites. Candidates must have 5+ years professional newspaper/magazine copy editing experience, be fluent in AP Style, be fast, courteous and professional. Qualified candidates must be able to work onsite at the Capistrano Beach office location. Qualified candidates only should email agarrett@ picketfencemedia.com.

OTHER STUFF THE SCHENKENBERGER’S NEED SOME HELP Steve Shenkenberger, husband and father of five young boys, was riding his mountain bike on Super Bowl Sunday when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Laguna Niguel. The family is need of donations for ongoing medical expenses and childcare. Please consider donating at www.gofundme.com/ the-schenkenbergers-medical-bills.

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

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STAMPS! Buying Large U.S and International Stamp Collections Nick 619-672-0434

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Do you want to reach 24,150+ people in the San Juan Capistrano area?

949.388.7700 ext. 104 The Capistrano Dispatch August 10–23, 2018

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Q&A: Local Lacrosse Player Named College All-American

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

N

ick Shanks has a notable history of athletic excellence in the tri-city area.

As a young boy, Shanks led the Dana Point-based Patriots Junior All-American football team to a Super Bowl title, and later, his San Clemente flag football team won a State Championship. In high school at St. Margaret’s in San Juan Capistrano, Shanks won CIF and State titles in football and lacrosse while being a high honors student.

Now in college, Shanks took his talents to the east coast and as a sophomore for Tufts University in Massachusetts, he was named a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division 3 FirstTeam All-American in lacrosse while being named to the Dean’s List.

The The Capistrano Dispatch spoke with Shanks about his accomplishment and his local history: Capo Dispatch: Congratulations on the All-America selection, Nick. What did it mean to you to receive the honor?

Shanks: It was great that a lot of the other college coaches out there saw what I was bringing to the table. I’m very appre-

Star-Spangled Sophomore JSerra sophomore selected to USA Baseball 15U World Cup squad

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

F

rom an initial group of 72, to second group of 34 and to a final roster of 20, JSerra sophomore Cody Schrier has been selected to the USA Baseball 15U National Team for the 2018 World Baseball Softball Confederation U-15 Baseball World Cup. “It’s a huge accomplishment,” Schrier said fresh off a flight from USA Baseball’s training center in North Carolina to Panama and a seven-hour bus ride to the site of the World Cup in David. “It means so much. I feel really honored to be recognized.”

This is Schrier’s third time through the USA Baseball program, with stints on the 12U and 14U teams.

The Capistrano Dispatch August 10-23, 2018

ciative. It’s a high honor. It was cool to see my name on there with some of my other teammates. My real goal is a national title.

Do you think the national title is a realistic possibility?

I think it’s realistic. Wesleyan, the national champions, we beat them twice.

Tufts is a perennial powerhouse in Division 3 and has one twice in the last six years. It’s definitely in our sights. That’s the mantra going forward in the program.

What brought a California kid out to the east coast? Was it just the higher level of lacrosse?

It’s a great school, one, academically. I also knew I wanted to play lacrosse in college. There’s only a handful of teams west of the Mississippi that have programs. I wanted to find the right fit academically and found that in Tufts. It’s the polar opposite from Southern California, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

What do you remember most about playing youth sports in South Orange County?

From the youngest age up to high school, you’re playing against the best competition in the country. With the Patriots for Junior All-American, I played

“I think it’s a testament to his family and obviously, Cody himself,” JSerra coach Brett Kay said. “Anything USA-based is such a great honor. I wouldn’t say he had the type of year he wanted to, but we knew he was one of our best players and that he was going to have this opportunity going forward.”

Schrier, a San Clemente native, is the fourth JSerra player in the last six years to represent Team USA following Colton Plaia in 2012, Chase Strumpf in 2013 and Royce Lewis in 2014 and 2016. Schrier made the JSerra varsity roster as a freshman last season and committed to USC in November of his freshman year.

Kay praised Schrier’s athleticism, aggressive baserunning and power to all fields.

“He can do anything,” Kay said. “I can play him anywhere on the field and trust him. I know how he’s going to adapt in any kind of environment. I think that goes a long way in development of a young player.”

The USA Baseball 15U National Team Trials were an aggressive seven-day process to cut the roster from the prospective 72 to the final 20. Schrier’s JSerra teammate and fellow sophomore Gage Jump was also in the initial trial group.

“It was a grind,” Schrier said. “Early morning, late nights. I was sore and

Tufts University sophomore midfielder Nick Shanks (20) was named a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division 3 First-Team All-American. Shanks grew up playing sports in Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Courtesy

against Juju Smith-Schuster, who’s now on the Pittsburgh Steelers. I played baseball against Sam Darnold. Whether you played against them or alongside them, it was really cool. We spend a lot of time at the beach, but we take our sports seriously.

What’s your best memory from playing sports in South Orange County?

My junior year at St. Margaret’s we won the CIF championship in football and the State title in lacrosse. That was pretty

unbeatable. We felt like we couldn’t lose.

This little school was a force on the state level. Playing for the Patriots, even with my college experience, the biggest crowd I’ve ever played for was against the Inglewood Cherokees at Mission Viejo High School. The whole stadium was filled. To think that was just for a bunch of sixth graders, to see how the whole community came out to support and just appreciate the game was really special. CD

JSerra sophomore Cody Schrier was selected to the USA Baseball 15U National team for the 2018 World Baseball Softball Confederation U-15 Baseball World Cup. Photo: Courtesy of USA Baseball

sweaty. Just knowing the hard work paid off is special.”

Team USA opens the World Cup on Friday, Aug. 10 against China with group games against Germany, Chinese Tapei, Brazil and host Panama each of the following four days. The Super Round playoffs

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begin on Aug. 16 with the World Championship Final on Aug. 19 “I’m just soaking in the whole experience,” Schrier said. “Seeing all the other countries at the hotel, playing against teams from other countries, making brothers on this team.” CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com