October 26, 2018

Inside: Crib to College A guide to your child’s success SPECIAL SECTION

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE FOUNDED IN 2002

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

OCTOBER 26–NOVEMBER 8, 2018 • VOLUME 16, ISSUE 20

A Path Toward a Paw-sitive Future San Juan Capistrano pet rescue to hold annual fundraiser S J C L I V I N G / PAG E 3 0

Jenn Harris, founder of The Zuri Pet Rescue, sits next to Bardi, a dog she rescued and adopted out. Bardi, once shy, has really come out of his shell, according to Harris. Photo: Alex Groves

City Football Teams Lock Down League Titles, Playoff Spots SPORTS/PAGE 34

Local Educator Receives Award From Mayor SJC LIVING/PAGE 33

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Candidates Discuss Generating Business at San Juan Capistrano Forum EYE ON SJC/PAGE 6

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

EYE ON SJC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

What’s Up With...

Five things San Juan should know this week Historical Guides Resume Walking Tour THE LATEST: A group of tour guides that temporarily suspended their weekly walking tour through the city’s downtown area for about a month have started the tour back up.

The group, The San Juan Historical Guides, resumed the Historical Walking Tour, which takes visitors through Los Rios Street and parts of the city’s historical downtown every Sunday.

The group started giving walking tours 46 years ago as a way to raise funds for the Montanez adobe so it would not fall into disrepair The group was formerly under the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society’s umbrella but is now affiliated with the Aguilar Adobe Foundation, which oversees and takes care of the Blas Aguilar Adobe on El Camino Real.

Guide CJ Devins said the people who go on the tour get to learn about San Juan Capistrano and how its residents saw their lives change rapidly over the course of a little more than 70 years.

“You were an Acjachemen baby on a cradleboard,” she said. “You become Spanish, you become Mexican, you become a Californio, you become a U.S. Citizen and you’re 74 years old. That’s the kind of thing we do on this walking tour—we give them the native, we give them the Spanish, we give them the Mexican, we give them the California and we give them the U.S. and it’s just cool because it happens so quickly and so dramatically.”

Lorie Porter, another member of the group, said people find the tour enjoyable, whether they’re visiting San Juan Capistrano or if they’re residents.

WHAT’S NEXT: The tours meet at the train station kiosk off Verdugo Street. To make reservations or to learn more about the tours, contact: SanJuanHistoricalGuides@ gmail.com —Alex Groves

City, County Strike Agreement over use of Landfill Site THE LATEST: The San Juan Capistrano City Council unanimously approved an

The San Juan Capistrano Historical Guides will be resuming their Sunday afternoon historical city tour after a one-month hiatus. Funds from the tours go toward the maintenance of the Montanez adobe on Los Rios Street.

Photo: Alex Groves

agreement on Tuesday, Oct. 16, for the city to receive payment in exchange for the extended use of a zone within the Prima Deshecha Landfill that’s within city limits.

According to a city staff report, the county is seeking permission from the state of California to extend the use of Zone 1 of the Prima Deshecha Landfill, located within the city limits, beyond its permitted term of December 2019 to approximately 2050.

The reason for the extension is because the capacity of the landfill is more than expected because of recycling and conservation, but that also means that construction of a planned regional park at the site would be delayed.

Because the city will not benefit from a regional park as soon as originally anticipated, the county under the agreement will give the city an equity payment of $6 million, split up over two payments, as well as a host fee of $800,000 a year over the next 10 years.

The city will receive an additional five years of host payments in that amount if it agrees to extend the waste disposal agreement in 2025.

WHAT’S NEXT: Now that the item has been approved by the council, it will come before the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 30. — AG

Stop Signs Approved for SJC Intersection THE LATEST: The City Council on Oct. 16 unanimously approved transitioning a San Juan Capistrano intersection from having only two stop signs to being an all-way stop.

Additional stop signs will be installed at the intersection of Calle Arroyo and Avenida Siega.

Stop signs were already installed on the private street that leads to Oaks Farms on the east side of the intersection and the Mission Trails Equestrian Driveway on

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

the south side.

The city council approval will result in the addition of stops signs on Avenida Siega on the north side of the intersection and Calle Arroyo on the west side.

According to a city staff report, a prior city analysis found that installing additional signs would be unnecessary because of limited traffic through the area and no history of accidents.

However, the report notes that the lack of stop controls on two legs of the intersection created a condition where drivers might not be aware of conflicting movements and could collide.

WHAT’S NEXT: The approximate cost to transition the intersection is $2,000, which will come from the 2018-2019 public works operating budget. — AG

City Council Grants Easement to SDG&E for Undergrounding THE LATEST: The City Council voted 4-1, with Councilmember Pam Patterson dissenting, to grant an easement to San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) so they can install underground electrical utilities through a portion of San Juan Capistrano’s Serra Park.

According to a city staff report, SDG&E is planning on replacing overhead electrical wires and poles that run along the south side of the park adjacent to nine homes with the underground equipment. The report notes that removing the poles will be both an aesthetic and safety improvement.

The undergrounded utilities would be placed within an access road around the periphery of the park that’s currently used both by SDG&E and city staff for park maintenance. The access road runs adjacent to where the above ground poles are currently located.

Steve May, director of Public Works and Utilities, said if the city wished not to

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grant the easement, SDG&E could install electrical utilities along Calle Santa Rosalia and through an existing easement on the north side of the park, but that would be more disruptive because it would go through the turf area of the park.

Councilwoman Pam Patterson expressed concerns about the possible health impact of the poles.

“It’s my understanding that it’s actually more harmful for the residents that live in that area to have them put underground so I think that’s something we should look at before we make a final decision on this,” Patterson said.

She asked Duane Cave, external relations manager for SDG&E, what research he had available to prove the safety of the undergrounding. Cave said he did not have any with him at the meeting but could provide it to Patterson.

WHAT’S NEXT: SDG&E will relinquish its claim to the easement where the current overhead poles are located. — AG

Congressional Candidate Diane Harkey Receives U.S. Chamber Endorsement THE LATEST: Diane Harkey made a special visit to Wind & Sea Restaurant at the Dana Point Harbor on Monday, Oct. 22 to accept the endorsement from the United States Chamber of Commerce.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

Vartan Djihanian, the manager for the Western Region of the U.S. Chamber, spoke before introducing Harkey.

“Diane supports businesses, both large and small, and knows what is crucial to keeping the economy strong and unemployment low in the 49th District,” Djihanian said.

“I have tried my whole life to help people succeed in business. We need to allow businesses to create themselves, so to speak, because (businesses) pay the taxes that we all benefit from and that social programs benefit from,” Harkey said. She went on to cite her experience working in banking and finance for having an intimate understanding of business and the economy.

WHAT’S NEXT: Harkey, a member of the state Board of Equalization, is running for the seat being vacated by retiring Representative Darrell Issa. Harkey faces Democrat Mike Levin, an environmental lawyer, in the Nov. 6 election. —Lillian Boyd www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

NEWS BITES

Community Meetings

COMPILED BY STAFF

Dignitaries Announced for Swallows Day Parade Grand Marshal Silvia Mazzeo Pule is a pretty sure bet to have the biggest, loudest cheering section of anyone appearing in San Juan Capistrano’s 2019 Swallows Day Parade.

For the past 19 years, as principal at San Juan Elementary School, she has participated in the parade with students performing dances or routines, as well as four years as a teacher at the school.

In June, she retired from education, leaving the prospect that she would no longer have a role in the parade surrounded by exuberant children.

Not to worry. The San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association announced on Oct. 20 that she will be the grand marshal for the 2019 parade.

“I was really sad that I wouldn’t get to be in the parade, and here we are!” she said with a smile. “It’ll be nice to see the kids.

When I do the Cougar Paw, everyone just kind of cheers. The cougar is our mascot at San Juan Elementary.”

The 2019 grand marshal selection is in sync with the parade’s theme, “How the West Was Really Won, Celebrating the Women of the West.”

“She is an amazing educator,” said Jim Taylor, Fiesta Association president. “We all know what San Juan Elementary has done for the community. We did a retirement party for her, and I was seeing these kids who went through San Juan Elementary, except now ‘he’s going to Yale, she’s going to Stanford, he’s going to Harvard.’ San Juan Elementary shaped them and prepared them.”

The association issued the announcement at Zoomars during a “Farewell to the Swallows” barbecue. The event recognized the annual October departure of migratory birds that spend the summer in San Juan and then fly 6,000 miles to Argentina to spend the South American summer there.

San Juan’s fiesta parade on March 23 will help welcome the celebrated swallows back.

The association named Tony Leone to serve as Señor San Juan for 2019, while Annabelle Isky will be Ms. Fiesta. At a ceremonial passing of the sash, this year’s Señor San Juan, Jimmy Ferguson, placed a sombrero atop Leone’s head while Nina Leone, Ms. Fiesta of 2018 and sister of Tony, presented Isky with a bouquet of 24 carrots.

“Annabelle has given more to the Fiesta Association than absolutely anyone I can think of,” said Randi Peshkin, Ms. Fiesta of 2009. “If anyone deserves to be Ms. Fiesta, she deserved it 20 years ago . . . 10 years ago . . . five years ago.”

Peshkin cited a multitude of volunteer contributions by Isky over the years. Tony

FRIDAY, OCT. 26 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.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31

Pictured from left are newly announced dignitaries for San Juan Capistrano’s 2019 Swallows Day Parade: Señor San Juan Tony Leone, Grand Marshal Silvia Mazzeo Pule and Ms. Fiesta Annabelle Isky. Photo:

Leone, who goes by the nickname “Seven,” was likewise recognized for multiple roles in producing the parade. “One year,” he said, “I think I marched the parade with family and organizations seven times, and then they had me close the beer stand down.”

Still to be selected are the event’s junior dignitaries, a boy and a girl.

detect leaks at the earliest possible moment – saving our customers water and money.”

The news release states that the infrastructure upgrade is expected to conserve 505 acre-feet of water every year, or nearly 165 million gallons annually.

San Juan Capistrano Seeking Applications for Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee

Moulton Niguel Water District Awarded Grant The Moulton Niguel Water District was recently awarded $300,000 in federal matching funds for an Advanced Metering Infrastructure project, which includes the installation of nine meters in San Juan Capistrano.

The funds were awarded to the district by the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation. Molton Niguel was one of 54 projects in the entire country to receive funding, according to a news release.

The release says Moulton Niguel will install radio transmitters and automated meters at close to 4,900 residential, commercial and fire protection sites within its service area.

In an email, Moulton Niguel spokeswoman Medha Patel wrote that the installation of the new meters will help to identify service leaks and help customers monitor their water usage through an online portal.

“We’re grateful to the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation for investing in the future of Orange County’s water infrastructure,” stated Moulton Niguel Director Larry Lizotte. “Our advanced metering infrastructure program helps our agency

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

The City of San Juan Capistrano is seeking to fill a vacancy on its Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee and is encouraging members of the public to apply.

The committee, comprised of at least five residents, does not have decision-making authority, but reviews recommendations to the City Council on how bond proceeds should be spent and reports on whether that spending conforms to purposes listed under Ordinance 940, approved by voters as Measure Y in 2008. The Committee also reviews audits and bond spending reports.

According to city officials, membership in the committee should be balanced and include individuals with business experience, senior citizens, and professionals in finance, law, construction and accounting.

Current city officials, employees, contractors, commissioners, committee members and contractors will not be allowed to serve on the committee.

Applications for the position can be obtained by visiting www.sanjuancapistrano. org or by visiting City Clerk’s office at 32400 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano. The

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OC READ WALK-IN LITERACY TUTORING 1 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Regional Library will host walk-in literacy tutoring for any adult 18 or older who would like help reading, writing, understanding paperwork or using the internet. Tutoring is conducted through OC Read and sessions last 15-20 minutes.

For more information, visit www.ocpl.org MONDAY, NOV. 5 CITY COUNCIL MEETING 5 p.m. The city’s governing body will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

THURSDAY, NOV. 8 DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE 4:30 p.m. The city’s Design Review Committee will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

FRIDAY, NOV. 9 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.

THE NEXT EDITION OF THE DISPATCH PUBLISHES.

City Clerk will accept them until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26.

For more information on the committee or application, call 949.493.1171.

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

EYE ON SJC

Roughly 100 people attended a candidate forum at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center put on by the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Oct. 18. Photo: Courtesy of Scott Schmitt

Candidates Discuss Generating Business at San Juan Capistrano Forum

BY FRED SWEGLES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

S

even of 10 candidates for three seats on the San Juan Capistrano City Council shared their views at an Oct. 18 forum hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.

Attending were Troy Bourne in District 2, John Taylor in District 4 and Robert Hagstrom, Joyce Anderson, Derek Reeve, Kerry Ferguson and Cody Martin in District 3. Hagstrom is a write-in candidate.

The chamber said it invited all 10 candidates. Not attending were Kim McCarthy from District 2, Pam Patterson from District 3 and Jeff Vasquez from District 4.

About 100 people attended at the Community Center. Among the topics was what each candidate would do to generate new business for San Juan.

Troy Bourne said it’s important to show the business community that projects can win approval. He said that when his company tried to bring business to town, “a mentor of mine who has a lot

more years’ experience here than me said, ‘Troy, that’s a great idea, but San Juan Capistrano is where good ideas go to die.’ As a resident of San Juan Capistrano, that’s tragically sad.” He said the city needs to demonstrate balance with successes at bringing projects to fruition.

John Taylor said one of the biggest impediments to bringing new business to San Juan is that permit applicants may have to spend millions of dollars just to get through the process; it can be an expensive gamble. “So instead, they will go into San Clemente . . . or to Laguna Niguel,” he said. “We have to be businessfriendly. We do have a difference, though.

We are a historic town, so it has to be a delicate balance that has to be looked at in every single case.”

Robert Hagstrom said “what we need to do is stop the lawsuits, and we’ve got to get the City Council to combine the codes for building in downtown San Juan so that the lawyers don’t use the two conflicting

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

codes to file lawsuits against the city and stop all the progress.” He said it is the council’s fault that there are conflicting codes and the council’s fault lawyers can use it against the city. He said the city must build a good environment for businesses to come to town.

Joyce Anderson said the city manager provided her a list of 12 properties seeking permits to develop. She mentioned River Street Marketplace as an example.

“There are a lot of developments,” she said. “I, on City Council, would look at each one individually and see how they could bring the most money to our city and still keep the historical feeling of San Juan Capistrano. There are people looking for permits for everything. We need to look at all of that.”

Derek Reeve said capitalism works well if government butts out, giving businesses an opportunity to do what they do best—bring in money, jobs and services for residents. “When I was on the council

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the first four years,” he said, “I worked with councilmember John Taylor, and we were reducing regulations. We still have a design review process that worked, but we got rid of that extra bureaucracy.” He said the Historic Town Center Master Plan needs flexibility.

Kerry Ferguson said that to attract business, the city needs predictability.

“If that takes putting two codes together, that’s one thing,” she said. “If it takes reviewing, then that’s what it takes. The second thing has to do with the delicate balance . . . between keeping the smallvillage atmosphere and feel to our town, and not letting things get out of hand.”

She said some people think that maintaining a relationship with developers is bad, but it can benefit both parties.

Cody Martin said every project deserves a fair process while protecting San Juan’s history and completing impact studies before the City Council decides.

“We cannot say yes or no to a development too early,” he said. “Looking at new business opportunities, we need to work with the community to see what they want. If I am elected to the City Council, I will always get consensus and make sure it’s something that the community does want and works well.” CD

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SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

GUEST OPINION: Bartlett Bulletin by Supervisor Lisa Bartlett

New Ordinance Creates Addiction Treatment and Recovery Business Registry

P

oorly operated addiction treatment facilities and sober living homes have horrible impacts on our quality of life and public safety in South Orange County. For years, local government has struggled to gain control over sober living homes because outdated federal laws handcuff our ability to regulate the industry. These protections were established to defend vulnerable patients, but instead have created a system that exploits the very people they are meant to serve.

Recent investigations led by the District Attorney’s Sober Living Home Investigation and Prosecution Project uncovered gross abuses in the treatment industry.

It was found that these bad operators solicited dangerous experimental surgeries to vulnerable patients. Eleven suspects are being prosecuted for conspiring in the unauthorized practice of medicine and insurance fraud, among other charges. The investigations revealed that these illicit activities have provided funding for sober living homes.

For the last year, I’ve worked with County Supervisor Michelle Steel,

Letters to the Editor LIFE IS GOOD —BRIAN L. MARYOTT, San Juan Capistrano Life in the 49th Congressional District is good. Our economy is strong, unemployment is low, and businesses are flourishing. That means more people are working, and enjoying and enhancing our local economy. Our high school and college graduates are seeing better opportunities and a brighter future.

Diane Harkey has lived in this district for over 30 years, serving in elected office for over 15 years. She understands our issues, and has helped our district evolve over time into the strong cities and communities they are today.

But, we are all at risk of losing what we hold dear. The democrat’s agenda would

District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and the OC Health Care Agency to enhance our oversight of the addiction treatment industry and sober living homes. On Oct. 16, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the first reading of the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Business Registration Ordinance (Registry Ordinance) with Supervisors Spitzer and Nelson abstaining. The Registry Ordinance will require THE BARTLETT all addiction treatment BULLETIN businesses operating in

By Lisa Bartlett county unincorporated areas to disclose information about their business, investors and all affiliated parties including sober living homes.

This is the first major step in enhancing our oversight of the addiction treatment industry. Our aggressive efforts will allow public agencies to identify the network of addiction treatment companies and better position us to account for sober living homes so we can prevent abuses within the

limit all of us to a government run healthcare system, and one estimated to cost $32 trillion! Sadly, they mock the middle class tax relief, and relief for our employers and entrepreneurs. A democrat-majority Congress would have us facing oppressive taxes and regulations that we simply can’t afford.

Diane Harkey has a sensible and realistic approach to solving so many of the issues we face, and will work across the aisle as she always has done, to get our district and Southern California the federal funding and programs that we need. She has not shied away from tackling some of our biggest problems: expediting the removal of spent fuel at San Onofre; improving access to mental health services for our veterans and our families; and keeping taxes in check so we all can afford to live in this district we love. Her opponent offers no relevant experience, just personal attacks and divisive rhetoric.

At this hopeful but anxious time in our country’s history, we need real experience, practical solutions and a plan. We need Diane Harkey for Congress, 49th District.

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

health care system. Our goal is for successful prosecutions to eliminate illicit funding that sober living homes depend on.

Right now the ordinance only applies to unincorporated Orange County. I am working with county staff to expand the program countywide and include incorporated cities. I encourage our South Orange County cities to partner with the county on this new program. Through partnership, we can ensure those suffering from addiction get the care they need and protect our communities.

Supervisor Lisa Bartlett represents the 5th District on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, (portions of) Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. 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

STREET NAMES ARE BAFFLING —ANA CASTERAN-WINKLER, San Juan Capistrano I have been a resident of San Juan Capistrano for a few years, but I was born and raised in South America, so I am a native Spanish speaker. I must admit that many street names in this town are truly mindboggling. They make zero sense. I would like to know who picks the names of the streets and what their thought process is.

Do they open a dictionary, point to a word with their eyes closed, then add that word to “calle,” “paseo” or “via”? Is that the procedure? I can’t imagine it any other way. Why not stick to English names that make sense?

ENDORSEMENT CLAIM —JAN SIEGEL, San Juan Capistrano In the last issue of the Dispatch, there was a paid political ad by City Council Candidate Jeff Vasquez. In the ad, he stated that he had the endorsement of Ilse Byrnes, author of Los Rios Street Historic District Registry.

(Cont. on page 10)

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SOAPBOX (Cont. from page 8) I was shocked. I have known Ilse for over 25 years, and I was wondering why she would endorse a candidate who performed unpermitted work on his house in the Historic District without a permit. So I called her. Ilse has no recollection of endorsing Jeff Vasquez. And Ilse stated that she had signed no endorsement letter.

Ilse Byrnes will always be the San Juan Capistrano historian. Ilse has been responsible for all 13 structures, including Los Rios Street being placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in the City. To misrepresent what Ilse stands for is not just wrong; it is a lie.

Neither Ilse nor I know what the Los Rios Street Historic District Registry is.

Vasquez could not even get that right. Los Rios Street is on the National Registry of Historic Places as the oldest residential neighborhood in California.

Thank you, Ilse, for all that you have done to protect historic preservation in San Juan Capistrano. That is your legacy.

ILSE BYRNES DID ENDORSE ME —JEFF VASQUEZ, San Juan Capistrano My opponent is desperately trying to discredit me in an attempt to win the District 4 election. The latest from his pro-big development supporters is that I have falsely stated that Ilse Byrnes has endorsed me for San Juan Capistrano City Council.

Ilse and I have been friends for 40 years. As the author the Los Rios Historic District Register, she has devoted much of her life to historic preservation in town.

She is opposed to the River Street project in the Los Rios Historic District.

Ilse recognizes that this plan and other projects in town, owned by the same developer, will destroy our historic charm. These are massive projects that will generate upwards of 7100 vehicle trips per day, creating more gridlock on Del Obispo and Alipaz Street.

Ilse was even threatened with a lawsuit

by Derek Reeve because of her support of his recall. She did not back down, and neither did we.

So, you have to ask yourself why are friends of big development like Taylor and the Scoop, a ridiculous publication filled with false statements, spending so much money and effort to discredit Jeff Vasquez?

Well, I served on the San Juan Capistrano City Council for four years. I know the difference between a lie and the truth. I understand the magnitude of these developments and their impacts. Most residents do not have the time to participate in government and rely on council members to make decisions for them. These decisions will have a direct effect on the lives of San Juan Capistrano residents.

Yes, I have provided a signed document

by Ilse, stating that she does endorse my candidacy. Go to my website at www.electjeffvasquezdistrict4.org. You can hear her endorsement. Watch our videos at Save Los Rios Historic District on Youtube.com. You

will soon realize that what is happening in the Los Rios Historic District will soon happen to our downtown. You should all be alarmed.

With your vote, I can make a difference.

LOOK TO DOCUMENTED FACTS WHEN DECIDING YOUR VOTE —BARBARA SZEMENYEI, San Juan Capistrano Voters will have a choice to elect a council that supports big development, or a council that demonstrates restraint.

Troy Bourne, District 2: When he presented his proposal for 500 units on the Vermuelen land, the Planning Commission rejected his plan as his Environmental Impact Report was flawed. Due to public interest, the council meeting was moved to the school district office. Bourne invited guests from his Carlsbad and Orange County senior developments a half-hour early with box lunches. Residents had to stand. Sam Allevato ran the meeting to 3 a.m. to accommodate Bourne’s project request with a flawed EIR. John Taylor was a yes vote for the project.

Bourne came back with a projection of “maybe” 180 units and more than 1900 car trips a day and a request for General Plan change. The Planning Commission and City Council passed it without a plan. Kerry Ferguson and Derek Reeve: Yes. Pam Patterson: No. Kim McCarthy, District 2: Has been an activist attempting to protect SJC’s history and village character since 2005. In 20082009, she objected to the council’s purchase of Rancho Mission Viejo open space. She teamed with the editor of Community Common Sense paper to expose negative issues involved in running our city’s government.

Pam Patterson, District 3: Voted no on changing our General Plan, no on passing Bourne’s “suggested plan” on the Vermuelen land. She supported two successful referendums opposing big development in 2014, and spearheaded one against the “maybe” 180 units.

Kerry Ferguson, District 3: Voted YES to change the General Plan, voted YES for Bourne’s “maybe 180 units.” She supports the Los Rios mall and the multiplex entertainment center to replace the Playhouse.

Derek Reeve, District 3: Voted yes to change the General Plan, yes for Bourne’s “maybe 180 units.” He supports a multiplex entertainment center.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

Have something you’d like to say? Email your letter to agroves@picketfencemedia.com no later than 8 a.m. on Monday morning. The Capistrano Dispatch reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or information written by the writers. Limit your letters to 350 words or less. Please send with your valid email, phone number and address for verification by staff. Your address and phone number will not be published.

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

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GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

The List

1ST SUNDAYS NATIVE AMERICA STORYTELLING 1-2 p.m. Join Jacque Tahuka Nunez, an Acjachemen descendant and cultural storyteller on 1st Sundays of the month at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Jacque will lead a dynamic cultural presentation describing the lifestyle of the Acjachemen Nation, Orange County’s first people. Corral Quad Central Courtyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano. For more information, go to www.missionsjc.com or call 949.234.1300.

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.

Saturday | 27 ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOUR 10 a.m. Take a walk through 200 years of San Juan Capistrano architecture as part of a 90-minute Architectural Walking Tour put on by nonprofit group The Friends of the Library. Participants will see adobes, Spanish-era homes and modern architecture. Tour must be scheduled ahead of time by calling 949.489.0736. Tour group meets at the train depot on Verdugo Street in San Juan Capistrano.

ST. MARGARET’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL ADMISSION OPEN HOUSE 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Parents and prospective students of St. Margaret’s Episcopal School are invited to attend an admission open house. The open house will go over such topics as academics, athletics and college counseling. Prospective students will be able to tour the campus and visit the Performing Arts Center. For complete details and to preregister, visit www.smes. org. 341641 La Novia Ave., San Juan Capistrano. 949.661.0108, ext. 1248.

1ST ANNUAL HALLOWEEN SKATE JAM 2018 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Have a scary good time at the first ever Halloween Skate Jam, a free event at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center put on by the San Juan Capistrano Skate Park Coalition to raise funds for a future skate park. There will be ramps for kids to skate on as well as contests for best trick and best costume. Vendor booths will be set up at the event as well. 25925 Camino Del Avion, San Juan Capistrano. www.sjcskateparkcoalition.com.

Sunday | 28 THE ZURI PET RESCUE 3RD ANNUAL FUNDRAISER 4-8 p.m. Join the Zuri Pet Rescue as they raise funds toward their efforts of rescuing dogs and cats from kill shelters and getting those animals into forever homes.

Tickets are $20 per person and include

Monday | 05

EDITOR’S PICK Tom Scott, president of the Camino Real Playhouse, plays Father St. John O’Sullivan during an earlier year’s Ghosts & Legends Tour. The tour returns to the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society Grounds Oct. 26 and 27.

Photo: File

FRIDAY, OCT. 26 AND SATURDAY, OCT. 27: GHOSTS & LEGENDS TOUR Tours are at 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each night. Los Rios Street will come alive with the “ghosts” ready to take visitors on a tour and tell them spooky stories about big black dogs, monks who have lost their heads and a lady in white. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children, but there are other ticket options available. To purchase a ticket, visit www.eventbrite.com. 31831 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano.

dinner and a raffle ticket. The James Kelly Band will be providing musical entertainment for the evening. 29222 Rancho Viejo Road. 949.429.7223.

Monday | 29 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.

Tuesday | 30 TACO TUESDAY AT SWALLOWS INN 5 p.m.-12 a.m. The Swallows Inn will be offering food and drink specials in honor of Taco Tuesday. Enjoy $2 Macho Tacos, $2 Bud Light on draft and $2 drink specials.

DJ Bait will be providing musical entertainment throughout the night. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

949.493.3188. www.swallowsinn.com.

Wednesday | 31 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO RESIDENT APPRECIATION DAYS AT THE MISSION 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Every Wednesday, San Juan

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

Capistrano residents receive free admission to Mission San Juan Capistrano 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 | 03 BEWARE OF PLUNDERERS AND PIRATES 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. As part of a commemorative event, “pirates” will gather in San Juan Capistrano’s Descanso Park for a .75 mile walk on Trabuco Creek Trail to Los Rios Park; members of the public are invited to join in. At 11:30 a.m. an actor playing Pirate Captain Hipolito Bouchard will then “plunder and pillage” the town. That’ll be followed by a fiesta for kids at the Blas Aguilar adobe that will include food, games, face-painting and photo opportunities with the pirates. The fun begins at 32506 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano.

Sunday | 04 BOUCHARD ON TRIAL 2:30 p.m. Join the Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano historical societies as they have a mock trial for Hipolito Bouchard at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center to determine whether he is a pirate, a patriot and a privateer. 25925 Camino Del Avion, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.8444.

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KOI FISH FEEDING 12:45 p.m. Every day 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 | 07 YOGA BUNGALOW AT SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO REGIONAL LIBRARY 5:30-6:30 p.m. Enjoy a free yoga session at the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library.

No experience needed; no reservations required. This is part of the Eat. Move.

Grow. Healthy Living Series. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

Thursday | 08 LOS RIOS PARK GARDEN ANGELS MEETING 8:30-10:30 a.m. Join Goin’ Native Therapeutic Gardens volunteers, students and teachers at Los Rios Park in San Juan Capistrano. Help care for and maintain native plants and butterflies while enjoying a little dirt therapy and friendship. 31790 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano.

949.606.6386. www.goinnative.net.

CONCERT: MELANIE TAYLOR & TERRY WOLLMAN 6 p.m. Head to San Juan Hills Golf Club to hear Southern California musicians Melanie Taylor and Terry Wollman perform during this fundraiser for CREER. The organization seeks to develop children, youth and families through educational, cultural, arts, sports and civic programs.

Tickets are $40 for the concert. A $90 VIP ticket provides guests with concert admission, two wine or beer tickets, a pasta bar dinner ticket and an artist CD. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time on www. eventbrite.com. 312120 San Juan Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano. www.thecapistranodispatch.com

CRIB to COLLEGE From the moment a child is born, parents and caregivers want to make sure that child is happy, healthy and on the road to success. In this edition of our annual educational guide, Crib to College, we’ve put together a selection of articles geared to help South Orange County parents navigate their child’s early years, adolescence and ascension into adulthood.

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or starters, we’ll give parents information on some fun South Orange County day trips as well as activities that won’t break the bank. We will also provide important information on preschool, private school and facilities for children with special needs. We’ll also delve into the future with articles on what teens and their parents should know as the teens go after their first part-time jobs and as they prepare for college and vocational training. We hope that parents raising children in the tri-city area of San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano find this guide helpful and informative as they try to give their youngsters the best life possible.

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Find ing

t i F t h g i The R

Choosing the right school is vital to a child’s emotional, academic growth classroom or on the playground; any group o-op, home-based, Montessori, dualactivity is building up those social skills. language or faith-based preschools, Kids learn so much from watching other there are a lot of early-childhood kids and teachers. It’s natural that kids are education options available. Coupled different when their parents are around. with schedules (part-time, full-time When they are gone, kids start coming out and extended care), cost and location, there of their shells and making friends. It’s great are a lot of factors to consider when picking to start to see them grow like that. a preschool for your little one.

While it’s great to have a plethora of opIs it normal for my child to struggle settions, choosing the right learning setting for tling into preschool? your child and family can feel like a If your child isn’t doing well daunting task. Much like selectafter a few weeks, then there ing the safest, positively reviewed could be something wrong. But car seat to protect your precious every kid is different. Some jump cargo, choosing a preschool is one right in, others can have a hard of the most important decisions week here and there. If children parents will have to make. are happy where they are, then We caught up with Heidi Pitkin, they are going to learn and grow a mother of five and 17-year owner … and that is what we want.

HEIDI PITKIN and operator of San Clemente Preschool, to talk about finding the right Can you tell us more about San Clemente preschool fit to make a child’s first out-ofPreschool? the-home, structured educational experience We are a family-centered school and a positive one in which youngsters can grow treat everyone like a family. We schedule emotionally and academically. a lot of events for both our students and our families. Emotionally and academically, What advice do you have for parents lookwe focus on the individual needs of our ing for the right preschool setting? students … preparing them to confidently Tour a lot of different schools. See where enter kindergarten. you get the best feeling and find the best fit, making sure you feel comfortable and where How do you ensure your students are your child could feel comfortable, too. Look ready to enter kindergarten? at the subjects they are teaching and the From language and reading, science goals they have. Sometimes you just know. and sensory play, art and music, social If it is right, it is the best thing in the world. studies, building blocks and construction, You can have the best day knowing that you physical development and dramatic play, don’t have to worry. every single month, every classroom gives students the opportunity to grow. We asHow important is interaction with other sess kids at the beginning, middle and end kids for my child’s development? of the year to see how they are meeting The social part is one of the most importheir goals. All in preparation for their next tant parts of preschool, whether it’s in the level of learning.

BY ANDREA PAPAGIANIS-CAMACHO

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Special Places

CRIB to COLLEGE

for

Special Needs

Beach Kids Therapy Center

BY ALEX GROVES

Raising children can be hard enough, but parents with special-needs children face a variety of challenges, including making sure children are receiving the help required, are getting educated in the best possible way and are enjoying a high quality standard of life in spite of their disabilities. South Orange County has a number of organizations designed to not only help children with the disabilities they may be living with, but make sure they’re having fun in the process. Whether that’s riding horses at the Shea Center’s beautiful 8-acre facility, enjoying extracurricular activities at R H Dana Exceptional Needs Facility, or participating in one of the specially-planned classes at Beach Kids Therapy Center, there’s a lot to do in this corner of the county.

J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center

R H Dana Exceptional Needs Facility

Beach Kids Therapy Center

The J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center in San Juan Capistrano offers a variety of equine-assisted therapy and activities. The center helps people of all ages, but the majority of their clients are youngsters. Shea has programs geared toward more than 75 physical, emotional, social and cognitive challenges for people with disabilities.

Hippotherapy can be beneficial to people with such conditions as developmental delay, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder and functional curvature of the spine, among other conditions.

The movement of the horse can help give riders better balance, core stabilization and postural control.

Riders who previously had difficulty walking have been able to walk more easily after horse-riding sessions.

During the summer months, Shea offers its own summer camp in which children with and without disabilities get a five-day introduction to horseback riding and a chance to appreciate and care for horses.

J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center is located at 26284 Oso Road in San Juan Capistrano. For more information on their programs and services, call 949.240.8441 or visit www.sheacenter.org.

R H Dana Exceptional Needs Facility, which serves special-needs children from birth through fifth grade, has occupational and physical therapists as well as experts in adapted physical education, vision, audiology, mobility and health services.

Those experts work with teachers and other staff to make sure students with specific disabilities have their needs met.

At the school, which shares a campus with R H Dana Elementary School, students receive a general education curriculum and are able to participate in extracurricular and nonacademic activities with nondisabled children when appropriate.

The school helps to make sure a student’s needs are met by using adaptive equipment as well as communication devices and techniques.

Enrollment is based on eligibility for special education and recommendations from Capistrano Unified School District’s Individualized Education Program.

R H Dana Exceptional Needs Facility is located at 24242 La Cresta Drive, Dana Point. For more information, call 949.234.5505 or visit rhdenf-capousd-ca. schoolloop.com.

Beach Kids Therapy Center, which has locations in San Clemente and Laguna Hills, offers occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy for youngsters.

One of the things the center does is bring parents and siblings of patients in to participate in the therapy sessions, said Social Media and Marketing Manager Aubrey Ashford.

She said that’s important because it can help children when they have to do the same kind of exercises at home.

“That way, it’s all uniform and we’re helping them to achieve their highest potential,” Ashford said.

The center regularly holds events. On Oct. 21 they held a free karate class for children with special needs.

Next month the center will be rolling out a program called “Teenship,” which will provide social groups and activities to older children.

Beach Kids Therapy Center is located at 970 Calle Amanecer, Suite A, in San Clemente and 26081 Merit Circle, Suite 107, in Laguna Hills. For more information on their programs and services, call 949.498.5100 or visit www.beachkidstherapy.com.

CRIB to COLLEGE

BY ERIC HEINZ

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f you’re thinking about enrolling your child at a private school in South Orange County—but are hesitant about the price tag—there are some outlets to help with financial burden.

San Clemente Christian School, for example, has an annual tuition of $5,500 plus $550 in fees annually for its youngest students and kindergarten, whereas upper school (past fifth grade) costs $8,000 a year plus $900 in supplies fees.

The school has a system called FACTS, which uses a formula to calculate available assistance based on what a family can afford.

“Each school gives (financial aid) differently,” said Dr. Nicky Magnuson, head of schools at San Clemente Christian School, “but FACTS can put in desired amounts and considers things like how often you vacation.”

The process is pretty rigorous as far as checking to see who is financially in need of assistance, having to scour tax returns and other factors, but Magnuson said they also help children in the community who evidently will need help affording tuition.

“We have a lot of word-of-mouth referrals, and there were students who struggled at public school (who enrolled in San Clemente Christian), and we find ways to figure out to pay for things,” she said.

A common theme of financial assistance for private K-12 schools in South Orange County is using a company to calculate the

Paying for K-12 Private Education

Financial assistance is available for independent schools

financial assistance needs, and most require a meeting with counselors to discuss a budgetary plan with the applicant.

Under these models, it’s critical that families seeking financial aid review their tax filings and proof of income to most accurately reflect the need based on the formulas used by the companies.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano uses School and Student

Services (SSS) to help calculate financial assistance needs and cooperates with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that offers resources for schools outside public districts.

According to the school’s website, nearly $3 million was awarded to families in the 2018-19 school year. St. Margaret’s upper school tuition this school year exceeded

$33,000.

There are some other ways to go about finding financial aid. Under the Trump administration’s 2017 tax reform package, people can now use education savings plans (or 529 plans), up to $10,000 per beneficiary, to be used for tuition at private or public or faith-based K-12 schools. The plans were originally designed to help people save for higher education.

Prior to 2018, state governments were able to decide whether they would allow such plans to be federally tax-deductible for contributions to private schools, although California is not one of the states that recognizes this in its state tax deductions.

The drawback to cashing the 529 plan is that the compounding interest for saving for college would be lost the more the plan is expended. For K-12 education, it can only be used for tuition.

“It’s important to remember that these state tax breaks are only available when the funds are withdrawn to pay for expenses that the state considers qualified, which may or may not include K-12 tuition,” according to SavingforCollege.com. “States are currently reviewing the impact of the federal tax change to determine whether updates to state legislation are required.

If none of those options foot the bill, the NAIS offers various resources on its website, www.parents.nais.org/afford/aboutfinancial-aid/, which includes links to merit scholarships, grants, tuition loans and more.

CRIB to COLLEGE

Explorations

into the

Future

From advisement meetings to extracurricular activities, Capistrano Unified School District is working to help students achieve college and career goals

BY ALEX GROVES

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igh School is an exciting, fun time for students as they gain more independence and continue their march toward adulthood. It’s also the final step before they go to college or begin a career, so preparation is key.

At Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD), students are plotting out the next phase of their lives in a variety of ways.

They’re consulting with academic advisers, attending college fairs and taking classes to figure out where they want to go and who they want to be in life.

Picket Fence Media spoke with Josh Hill, assistant superintendent over secondary education at CUSD, about that process and what the district is doing to help students figure it all out.

ACADEMIC ADVISERS Hill said academic advisers are a student’s “most important point of contact.”

They typically meet with students at least once a year to discuss college planning, career planning and what classes students need to take.

The once-a-year meetings are a great way for the academic advisers to gauge how the students are doing and whether they’re on track to meet their goals, Hill said.

Though they meet with each student at least once a year, the advisers can certainly be available more often if they’re needed to resolve issues, address questions or deal with any kind of special situation that arises.

FUTUREOLOGY Capistrano Unified School District has a special program called “Futureology,” which is designed to give students an additional level of support.

The program is staffed by a coordinator and three counselors.

They meet with families one-on-one and also hold larger group meetings at schools to talk about different topics such as college admissions, financial aid, and SAT and ACT testing.

Futureology provides online resources for families as well. Their website is full of information on many of the same topics they discuss at meetings. There’s also a place where families can schedule a one-on-one meeting.

Parents get a crash course on how to use

the Futureology website early in the school year.

“Every school sends a newsletter, typically every week, and early in the school year we send out information to families with all sorts of resources that are online for parents to access if they don’t have the time or they want to do it on their own,” Hill said.

YEARLY COLLEGE FAIR Once a year the school district hosts a college fair at one of its school sites. This year, the fair was held Oct. 8 at San Juan Hills High School and it featured representatives from 150 colleges, universities, technical and art schools, and military academies.

Students got to meet those representatives. They got to attend presentations put on by the representatives as well as Futureology staff members.

Some of the topics covered included filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to receive financial aid, crafting an effective college essay and reducing anxiety during college admissions.

Hill said Futureology staff were on hand to answer any questions parents and students had between the pre-arranged presentations.

COLLEGE CAREER PLANNING COURSE Students can do a deep dive into college and career options over the course of an entire semester through CUSD’S College Career Planning Course.

The class used to be a graduation requirement but is now an elective. However, many high school freshmen still take the class.

The class teaches its students technology skills, PC-based note taking and research skills, and goal-setting and planning skills.

“In that class, they will complete career interest surveys, they’ll do personality tests, they’ll identify the colleges that they might have interest in that offer programs that they might be interested in taking because it will lead to whatever career they want,” Hill said.

COLLEGE & CAREER ADVANTAGE CUSD partners with Laguna Beach Unified School District for College & Career

Advantage, a Career Technical Education Program.

The program offers students the chance to learn about such career pathways as manufacturing and product development; engineering and architecture; and agriculture and natural resources.

“We have dozens of classes where students get actual hands-on experience from industry-qualified, experienced professionals, both understanding and learning the craft that they’re studying but also being exposed to careers within that field,” Hill said. “That’s a required component of all of our CTE Classes.”

High schools in both districts offer CTE classes; some happen during the school day and some after school lets out. Students can

take the classes at their own school and do not have to go to other schools in the area.

Many of the classes are articulated, which means the students taking them can use the classes to earn high school graduation credit or even community college credit. Some of the classes can be transferred when a student goes to a CSU or UC school.

For more information on the program and its offerings, visit the CCA website at www. ccadvantage.org

OTHER ACTIVITIES Options such as academic advisement, the college fair, and college career-planning courses are district-wide programs, while area schools often coordinate their own events to get students excited about the future.

For example, San Juan Hills High School (SJHHS) recently was a stop on the Road Trip Nation Best Fit College Best Fit Careers Tour.

When the program came to SJHHS on Oct. 2, there were guest speakers covering such topics as college application, admissions and different career options. There was also time for a question and answer session.

Road Trip Nation is a PBS career-exploration and educational program that seeks to help students find their “best fit” colleges and careers. Road Trip Nation began in 2001 as a way for three friends to explore different career options as they traveled the country.

In the 17 years since it started, the program has turned into more of an interactive experience that engages students and provides them with helpful information to make the best choices for their futures.

In a news release, officials from the high school said they found the opportunity to participate in the program exciting, because it fell in line with their school-wide goal of increasing student involvement in activities, A-G courses, AP courses and career pathways.

CRIB to COLLEGE

Day Tripping

Looking for a change of pace?

These four Orange County attractions prove fun for any age Discovery Cube Orange County. Photo: Courtesy

0-5 YEARS OLD

5-10 YEARS OLD

10-14 YEARS OLD

14-18 YEARS OLD

Irvine Park Railroad and Zoo

Pacific Marine Mammal Center

Discovery Cube Orange County

Knott’s Berry Farm

The Irvine Park Railroad located in Irvine Regional Park is a fun-for-all-ages ride and gateway to many of the attractions located in the park.

The railroad itself is a one-third scale train that carries passengers on a scenic view of Irvine Regional Park and the foothills of Orange.

The railroad also hosts several seasonal events throughout the year, such as the popular Pumpkin Patch through September and October, a train ride to meet Santa Claus through December and the Easter Eggstravaganza through April.

The train is open seven days a week, weather permitting, and children 12 months or younger ride free. Admission for all others is $5.

Located right next to the railroad is the Orange County Zoo, which features more local or “regular” animals than you would find at the traditional zoo. There are exhibits for black bears, mountain lions, eagles, hawks, owls, porcupines, coyotes and more.

They also feature a petting zoo where children can interact with goats, sheep, pigs, doves, chickens and pheasants.

The zoo is also open seven days a week, and children 2 years old and younger are free. Admission for all others is $2.

You wouldn’t expect one of your best opportunities to observe and learn about seals and sea lions to be halfway up Laguna Canyon, but tucked away in the canyon is the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

The center takes in injured seals and sea lions along the Orange County coast and cares them back to health for release.

At peak times during the summer, there may be up to 100 seals or sea lions at the center.

There are free public tours to view and learn about the animals, but the center also presents group tours, classes, school programs and a Marine Science Kids Club.

In the summer months, the center also puts on Camp Pinniped for 8- to 12-year olds.

With the summer camp, children get to see how they care for, feed and help the animals. Children get to watch and do simulations of the duties on their own, but they do not get to touch the animals.

Admission is free, but donations to the center are accepted.

If nature is your theme for this day, there are other nature centers in Laguna Canyon such as Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and the Nix Nature Center where you can explore the canyon and surrounding hills learn about local animals and plants.

Unmistakably located off the 5 freeway in Santa Ana, recognized instantly by the giant cube out front, the Discovery Cube, formerly known as the Discovery Science Center, is in its 20th year of operation of providing fun and interactive looks at science.

The Cube offers 10 ongoing exhibits as well as special event exhibits for limited times.

The current special exhibit is based on the Disney Junior show The Lion Guard and runs through mid-January. Kids can learn about the African Savanna and the animals that live there, as well as hands on activities to learn about teamwork and leadership.

In the ongoing exhibits, you can interact with a cloud ring, climb the rock wall and experience an earthquake and hurricane winds. You can also learn about space and space exploration at the planetary research station and mission control.

There’s also the Science of Hockey exhibit presented by the Anaheim Ducks where you can learn about physics while shooting on a virtual goaltender or taking shots as a goalie from a virtual shooter.

Admission for children 2 years old and younger is free, kids 3 to 14 years old are $14.95 and adults are $19.95.

There are plenty of amusement parks and learning experiences to be had in Southern California, but none of them gives you the bang for your buck like Knott’s Berry Farm.

Tickets can be purchased online for as low as $48 for a daily ticket or $95 for a yearly season pass, both prices exponentially lower than the competition.

For learning, kids can learn about the Old West and the early days of California. Explore the Calico Ghost Town and learn from and observe the town blacksmith. You can also pan for gold like early California settlers.

You can get a dose of learning and entertainment from the Mystery Lodge and learn about the culture and stories of western Native Americans presented in show style.

You don’t have to stray far from the Calico Ghost Town for entertainment with the Wild West Stunt Show and the Calico Saloon.

Of course, you can explore the rest of the park and enjoy run-ins with Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang as well as riding thrilling roller coasters like Ghostrider, Silver Bullet, Montezuma’s Revenge, Xcelerator and the brand new Hangtime.

Don’t forget to take a drop from the classic Supreme Scream.

Fun for all ages with some education sprinkled in.

CRIB to COLLEGE

Changing with the Times

Pam Roy of Square One Pathways discusses alternatives to the four-year-track

Groms Online

San Juan Capistrano teen builds social media network for children

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BY ERIC HEINZ

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hildren are going to be exposed to social media at some point in their lives, but there are areas of modern interaction that can be perilous for families.

In order to address this problem, Zach Marks and his father, Daren, decided to create a Facebook-like social media realm for children in kindergar-ten through eighth grade.

That’s when they came up with Grom Social, which its owners say is safe and constantly monitored.

“It’s a way to help kids better prepare for the world, a place where they can feel comfortable,” said Zach, who is now 17 years old. “We spent so much time completing the parent oversight part.”

Kids are allowed to post their own photos and other media, pending approval and examination, or they can create an avatar.

Grom Social promotes online stewardship and etiquette and is declared a bully-free zone. It acts similar to Facebook.

and develop focus before investing the time ana Point resident Pam Roy decided and money in college to ensure that a) the to take action after reading a report degree is needed, b) the value is worth it, that 70 percent of people in the and c) the degree can be completed in 4 United States believe there are opyears or less,” Roy reasoned. portunities in the workforce outside Within the last decade, Roy reasons a of the standard four-year academic college radically and rapidly changing economy has experience, as well as learning that more created “new collar” fields that only need than 50 percent of college freshmen since short-term training for very specific, in2016 will drop out before graduation demand skills. The opening of new training That is why Roy started Square One centers (from boot camps to tech schools to Pathways, a program to prepare MOOCs) has greatly expanded and align high-school students for the opportunities available to the main options at their disstudents to test out and explore posal, in addition to opening www. areas of interest at a lower cost pamroyblog.com, where she has of both time and money. become known as a leading expert For those students not sure in parenting education and career which direction to go, a gap year, planning. apprenticeship or corporate PAM ROY “Although my writing can be training program may better suit viewed as such, I’m not anti-college,” Roy them. said. “I am ‘anti’ the cost (debt) and time it “Let’s take the shortest term and least takes to get a degree compared to outcomes expensive option to figure out your interests for most students and ‘anti’ that all students and programs,” Roy suggested. “Let’s find a are channeled into a sameness model certificate program while you are working. defined by a GPA and the SAT/ACT. I believe What good is that extra million dollars if you that a college degree is just one pathway aren’t healthy and well? We are moving into available today and requires a focus and a collaborative society, the skill sets our kids maturity found in a minority of high school need is changing and collaborative, but they students.” (Studies showed only about are in a place that is teaching conformity. one-third of 10-12th graders are engaged We need to be adaptive.” in school and ACT estimates only 1 in 3 are Pam Roy writes about parenting, educaprepared for college.) tion and career planning on www.pamroyRoy’s “Lifelong Learning” blog argues blog.com. She is the founder of Square One that an outdated and exhaustive education Pathways, dedicated to helping high school program our children are receiving in K-12 is students and young adults find a higher only targeted toward college acceptance. education pathway or career training that “We now need to help students mature optimizes their time and resources.

BY DANIEL RITZ

“If someone tries to set up an account and they’re not a child, and someone asks another child personal information, we will step in,” Darren said.

In order to make an account, a child must have their parent’s permission and Grom Social calls the parent to verify the account.

The company also created and facilitates an app for parents called MamaBear that allows parents to track their child’s online activity.

On the website, children can get help with all kinds of homework as well.

More information can be found on the Grom Social website, www.gromsocial.com.

CRIB to COLLEGE Special Advertising Section

Great Opportunities Local schools and exclusive programs St. Mary’s School

Mathnasium

At St. Mary’s, we start from a simple premise: by nurturing world-sized hearts and educating world-class minds, our students will make an impact on the world.

Now in its 25th year, St. Mary’s is the only accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in Orange County for Early Preschool through Grade 8.

A Reimagined Campus Teaching techniques must be adaptive and flexible, and our newly opened “reimagined” campus was designed with these thoughts in mind. Education is changing, and we are paying attention. Our new home enhances our innovative curriculum and reflects an interactive and hands-on environment.

The St. Mary’s Difference The St. Mary’s community is as diverse as it is united. Our student body represents 12 different countries and 24 languages.

Our teaching reflects our commitment to multiculturalism. We offer three foreign languages—French, Spanish and Mandarin.

Young scholars begin speaking Spanish as early as age 4.

A Standard of Academic Excellence St. Mary’s challenges students to ask “what” and “why” in their quest to deeply understand that they are a part of the answer to “how.” We ignite students’ natural curiosity, stimulating them both intellectually and creatively. Our students are prepared for whatever rigorous high school and college curriculum lies ahead.

A Culture of Compassion Developing students’ character is as critical as developing their minds. St. Mary’s cultivates a campus of inclusivity and compassion.By embracing every faith, culture and point of view, our students benefit from a vibrant and open-minded environment. Our philosophy of inclusivity expands hearts as well as minds.

St. Mary’s students are academically challenged, internationally aware and instinctively compassionate. Come see for yourself at our Admission Open House on November 8.

FIVE SIGNS THAT YOUR CHILD IS STRUGGLING WITH MATH First Step to Solving the Problem Is Identifying It. New math ideas are coming at students every day. Math topics taught in class build on concepts taught in years prior; kids fall behind in math because they lack the prerequisite skills.

If a child is having a hard time keeping up in math, act early.

Five telltale signs that suggest a child is struggling with math: • Math grades are lagging, but student has good grades in other subjects.

• Student demonstrates negative sentiments/low self-esteem regarding math, and expresses boredom or makes comments like, “I’m no good at math.”

• Missing key milestones. Addition/ subtraction should be mastered by the end of 2nd or 3rd grade, multiplication and division by the end of 3rd–4th grade, fluency with fractions at the end of 5th– 6th grade.

• Physical signs like counting on fingers suggest poor retention of number facts.

• Comments from the child’s teacher about “not working up to his or her full potential.”

If a child shows any of these signs, there are things parents can do before the situation deteriorates. Seeking help from the student’s teacher is an obvious first choice. Offering to help more closely with homework is another. And, of course, enrolling in an after-school math program like Mathnasium that specializes in strengthening foundational knowledge while providing homework support is another option that brings professional help and expertise.

Learn how Mathnasium can help your child. Call one of our Learning Centers today!

7 Pursuit, Aliso Viejo, 949.448.9027, www.smaa.org

Mathnasum of Dana Point – (949) 240-6284 Mathnasium of Ladera Ranch – (949) 429-3020 Mathnasium of San Clemente – (949) 481-6284

Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Wellness & Prevention Center

With academic tracks tailored to meet the needs of varied learners; more than 85 clubs and activities; competitive, characterbuilding athletics; and an award-winning arts program—all in a nurturing, Christcentered environment—Santa Margarita students are empowered to grow spiritually, intellectually, socially and morally.

Santa Margarita has the distinction of being the county’s only Catholic International Baccalaureate high school and is ranked as the top Catholic high school in Southern California by The Washington Post. Recognized as a Microsoft Showcase School, the school’s one-to-one tablet PC program provides an immersive educational experience preparing students for college and beyond. With a 14:1 student-to-teacher ratio, students receive individualized attention allowing them to reach their full potential.

The Class of 2018 earned $57.8 million in scholarship offers with 99 percent of the class attending college. Tuition assistance is available with one in four students receiving need-based aid. Visit Santa Margarita’s beautiful 42-acre campus at 22062 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita.

Info: www.smhs.org.

Education: We educate students, parents and community members on the health and wellness challenges that typical teens face on a regular basis, including substance use, nutrition and exercise, body image, and mental health diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. We educate through classroom instruction, community forums, electronic newsletters, classes for parents and teachers, and social media posts.

Mental Health Counseling: We have a team of mental health professionals. Upon intake, our team will assess, diagnose, and provide short-term, solution-focused therapy for students. We also refer students and families to other community resources as needed for additional services, physical health evaluations, and more intensive mental health treatment.

Community Engagement: The W&PC believes in the value of engaging students’ broader communities in prevention and health.

We are the lead agency in a federally funded Drug Free Communities Coalition, whose goal is to implement a ten-year strategic plan to strengthen the community in efforts to help youth lead healthy, drug-free lives.

Bella Collina San Clemente

College Ready

Bella Collina San Clemente is a private, family-friendly golf club where there are no strangers, just friends you haven’t met yet.

The scenic 27-hole golf course, designed by legendary tournament champion Gary Player, also offers an active social calendar, where members enjoy wine dinners, concerts, kid-friendly events, festive holiday celebrations and much more. In addition to single and family golf memberships, Bella Collina San Clemente offers junior golf memberships for children and social memberships for non-golfers. Whether you’re looking to create lasting memories with your family or a place to unwind from the daily grind, Bella Collina San Clemente is the perfect family getaway in your own backyard.

200 Avenida La Pata, San Clemente, 949.333.4830, www.bellacollinasanclemente.com.

info@www.wpc-oc.org, www.wpc-oc.org

College Ready’s mission is to educate one million students that they do not need to go into debt to get a college degree. What students do not know is costing families hundreds of thousands of dollars in loan debt. We offer a proven strategy of how to find the best fit college while graduating without debt. We are a team of professionals driven to help your student succeed both in college and in life. We plan individually with students and their families to build the perfect college match as well as financial fit. Our focus is your student and what he or she aspires to achieve. We are Certified College Counselors from UCSD and come with over 10 years of experience helping students get into the perfect college or university. We enjoy working with students starting their freshmen thru senior year in high school, college-transfer students, and VAPA students and scholar athletes. Every student who hires College Ready has the opportunity to create their own Passion Project and make a difference in the lives of others.

Our goal is to help your student be the best they can be while graduating debt free!

Shellee Howard: collegereadyplan@gmail.com, www.collegereadyplan.com.

CRIB to COLLEGE

First Job

101

Part-time jobs help students learn interpersonal skills, responsibility

BY ALEX GROVES

A

common undertaking for high schoolaged teenagers is having a part-time job; they’ll spend their afternoons and weekends serving coffee, flipping burgers and sweeping up movie theater popcorn.

However, having a job when you’re a teen is a bit more complicated than it may initially appear. There are some things teenagers, who are also students, need to do before they can land that first part-time job and some considerations they need to bear in mind after getting it.

The California Department of Industrial Relations says that in most circumstances, students under 18 who want to work need to obtain a work permit. The permits can usually be picked up from a designated person at the teen’s school.

Josh Hill, an Assistant Superintendent for Capistrano Unified School District, said students with jobs are limited to four-hour shifts on weekdays and eight-hour shifts on weekends. During the summer months when there is no school, minor employees can work up to eight hours a day.

Hill said that because schools issue the permits, they have the right to revoke them if a student’s grades start to decline or they start to have attendance problems, but generally the school district is supportive of a student’s efforts to work.

“We encourage students to work because there are many, many skills, especially soft skills that you learn in that setting that really can only be learned in that setting,” Hill said. “Schools provide a lot of opportunities for students to learn a lot of things, but on-the-job training is really second to none in terms of preparing a student for an actual job someday.”

What are some of the skills students take away from those part-time jobs?

“How to interact with people, even people who aren’t being nice to you,” Hill said. “How to still be polite and pleasant; how to be on time; how to be responsible;

how to complete your work, even when no one’s looking over your shoulder … Some of these lessons we don’t directly teach in our classes, and these are things you do actually learn though, when you’re getting paid by somebody to do a job.”

He said another important thing learned from having a part-time job is the reality of having money and spending it. He said parttime jobs can be a great way for students to learn the value of money and the importance of being fiscally responsible.

Hill said one common issue he comes across is students who want to do everything—they want to play sports, they want to take all AP classes and they want to have a job—but he said sometimes school administrators have to encourage students to take on a little less.

“There are just so many things that you can do and all of it is good and all of it looks good, but unfortunately you can’t do all of it,” he said. “So helping them kind of decide where they should prioritize and kind of invest their time.”

As students get older, they can have a little more control over their schedules, Hill said.

“Our district has a policy that allows students who are in 11th or 12th grade to only take five classes on campus,” he said. “So that gives students … a little bit more time in their schedule to get a job if they want that opportunity or to pursue other extracurricular interests that they might have.”

Hill said that he does worry about the availability of jobs as well as emerging technologies that may replace the need for employees.

“There’s a part of me that hopes that as a society we continue to value opportunities for students to have these kinds of entrylevel opportunities while they’re in high school,” he said. “As everything becomes automated, and there’s a computer welcoming you at McDonalds, then a student isn’t getting the opportunity to learn lessons that they might not learn elsewhere.”

GETTING OUT

On Stage at The Coach House: David Brighton’s Space Oddity

At the Movies: Robert Redford Goes Out as ‘The Old Man and the Gun’

Photo: Eric Zachanowich/Fox Searchlight Pictures

BY MEGAN BIANCO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

Musician David Brighton, who does a David Bowie tribute show, will be performing at The Coach House on Friday, Nov. 2. Photo: Courtesy of David Brighton

BY ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

V

isitors to The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Friday, Nov. 2, will be able to experience what it’s like to go to a David Bowie concert when musician David Brighton – a longtime Bowie tribute artist – takes to the stage and performs a litany of songs.

David Brighton’s Space Oddity will take visitors through Bowie’s expansive and constantly transforming music career from the music he made before Ziggy Stardust to his more recent musical releases. He’ll dress and act as Bowie’s various personas.

In his early years as a musician, Brighton worked as a sideman, but it wasn’t long before he fell into his very first role as a tribute artist: playing George Harrison as part of a Beatles tribute show called “Twist and Shout.”

Brighton would go on to play Harrison in a number of bands for about five years before deciding to do David Bowie.

After all, he said, it didn’t appear that anyone else was doing Bowie tributes, and he and Bowie shared some similarities.

“One of the complaints I got from the labels is I sang too much like David Bowie,” Brighton said with a laugh.

Brighton joked that when he tried to sound different, people at the record labels said he sounded just like Bowie, if Bowie were trying to sound like someone else.

So Brighton embraced his similar sound and began to craft his act.

“I started getting costumes made and studying the videos, studying the records, studying everything on Bowie for actually a number of years before I even did a gig,” Brighton said.

In 2001, he began touring. It wasn’t long before he began amassing audiences across the country and around the world.

He’s performed all over the United States as well as Canada, Mexico, Australia and Europe.

He’s performed with a number of notable artists, including Morrissey, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Chicago.

Brighton is a fan of Bowie’s music, of course, and particularly enjoys the albums he put out through the ’70s.

“Initially it was the songwriting,” he said. “When I first started hearing his songs on the radio, particular songs, it stood out to me as being vastly different than anything I ever heard,” he said.

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

Brighton said it wasn’t just Bowie’s lyrics that made him unique, but also his melodies and chord structures.

“In a world of imitators, here was this absolute individual,” he said.

As Brighton’s act grew, he got to meet the famed artist. The two starred together in a commercial for Vittel mineral water.

He said he remembers Bowie being the “Perfect English Gentleman.”

“He was very gracious and humble and also the consummate performer in that experience,” he said.

Brighton said he has enjoyed the experience of being able to capture Bowie’s theatricality and play some of his greatest songs before audiences.

“It’s been remarkable because, obviously, it’s great music,” he said. “It’s lasted all these decades and it’s got artistic integrity. Bowie was such a game-changer.”

Tickets to go see David Brighton’s Space Oddity at The Coach House are $20. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2.

The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. For tickets or more information, call 949.496.8930 or visit www.thecoachhouse.com. CD

Page 26

s of 2018, Robert Redford is reportedly joining Jack Nicholson and Gene Hackman as the latest classic A-list movie star to retire from films. David Lowery’s recent feature, The Old Man and the Gun, is what Redford claims is going to be his last time as a leading man on screen.

If so, then the Hollywood icon has chosen a fine piece to punctuate his legacy, especially next to some fellow legends as his co-stars.

Loosely based on the true story of real-life criminal Forrest Tucker (here played by Redford), The Old Man and the Gun follows the bank robber during his later years around 1981. Tucker is pushing 75 and is doing what he loves best: breaking the law. He’s spent his whole adult life in and out of prison when he’s not robbing some place. The “overthe-hill” robber keeps getting away with most of his crimes thanks to his sheer, natural charisma—much to the chagrin of Texas policeman John Hunt (Casey Affleck).

Tom Waits and Danny Glover appear as Tucker’s crime posse and Sissy Spacek is a local woman who might be able to tame his illegal tendencies. Lowery has been on a roll the past two years between Pete’s Dragon (2016), A Ghost Story (2017) and now The Old Man. He knows how to take big stories and make them intimate and personal with the characters. This is no exception, and he shows he has an appreciation for the character and star. The Old Man is both an homage to a great career and the confirmation of a newer one. CD

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HELP WANTED HELP WANTED-DANA POINT MARINA INN Dana Point Marina Inn is looking to fill the following opening: Front office/reservations/desk clerks (AM and PM shifts) Housekeeping Supervisors (Full Time - Days) Dana Point Marina Inn Apply in Person at 24800 Dana Point Harbor Dr Dana Point, Ca 92629. 949-496-1203

HELP WANTED-RDA/RDAEF We have a beautiful, modern office, a wonderful patient population, an enthusiastic team and a sincere periodontist dedication to quality care. Three to four days a week, possible leading to full-time.

Previous dental experience, a great attitude and strong work ethic are our first priority. Bilingual is a plus!Please send resume and a paragraph about yourself to: southcountyperio@aol.com

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

OTHER STUFF SENIORS, FIND SOMETHING TO DO Make the most of your free time See the activity in your zip code www.seniorsignin.com MICROSOFT PROJECT TRAINING Onsite or our classroom in San Juan Capistrano.

Orange Coast Database Associates 949-489-1472

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The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

Page 27

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SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

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

The Reach of This Newspaper

M

y partner, Greta, and I are on Day 21 of an 82-day cruise in Asia. Being 6,100 miles away from South Orange County, it’s been easy to wonder if newspaper readers in Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano have forgotten about us.

But then we were surprised. Jim Curwood, the owner of Buy My Bikes in San Juan Capistrano, sent an email, which arrived when we were in Yokohama, the port of Tokyo. Jim said, “I just got back from Ireland. Read your column in The Capistrano Dispatch about your trip: 82 days, wow! Congrats.”

I responded, “Good to hear from you. After we get back, let’s have coffee or an adult beverage. Greta and I are going to Ireland next August on a land tour for 10 days. You can give us some Ireland trip pointers!”

Next, my Stand-Up-Paddleboarding buddy, former Dana Point Chamber of Commerce CEO Russell Kerr, who has traveled the world, sent this email: “Enjoy Singapore, one of the great cities of the world; I was there this spring before I hiked to base camp of Mt. Everest in Nepal.”

And while the ship was en route to Shimizu, Japan, Greta won at Bingo. The game’s director called her to the scorer’s table and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Greta.”

Immediately, another female Bingo player approached and said, “I knew I would find you. There probably aren’t many women named Greta on board. Are you with Tom Blake?”

The woman introduced herself as Nancy Shapiro from San Clemente. She and her husband, Jim, are on the cruise. Nancy explained to Greta that two friends of hers in San Clemente—Scott Seaver and Gale Senter—both had read in the San Clemente Times that Greta and I would be on the Holland America ship, the MS Amsterdam.

Greta and I plan to dine with them one night.

And then, while ashore in Kobe, Japan, while checking email in the port reception area, another email came in from Art and Dorothy Scully, who live in Newport Beach.

The Scullys wrote: “We read your article about the Grand Asia cruise with great interest. I wondered if you had met our cruise friends who are also on your ship. We took a 39-day cruise this summer (round trip Boston to Iceland and Northern Europe).

Our cruise friends and dinner mates were Mardelle and Bill Fleming from Florida.

They are originally from Iowa but lived primarily in New Hampshire before retiring to Florida. Bill was a pharmacist. If you meet them, please tell them hello from Art and Dorothy Scully from Newport Beach! They

will be surprised.”

And then the Scullys added, “We plan to meet your ship when it docks in Los Angeles on Dec.21 and take Mardelle and Bill to LAX for their flight home. Thanks for the fun article.

It made me wish we were on your ship, too!”

I responded to Dorothy and Art, “Haven’t met them yet. But we will leave a note at the front desk. How, with you living in Newport Beach, did you see the article in the newspaper in Dana Point, San Clemente or San Juan Capistrano?”

The Scullys replied: “A friend who lives in San Clemente clipped it out (from the San Clemente Times) and sent it to me.

She thought I would enjoy ON LIFE AND the article since we go on LOVE AFTER 50 cruises (at least one anBy Tom Blake nually). We always go on Holland America. She is one of your fans.”

I left a note at the ship’s front desk for Mardelle and Bill. A day later, they posted a note on our stateroom door (there are about 855 passengers on board, so it’s hard to meet everybody just in passing): “We would love to meet up with you. We hang out in the Lido (deck 8, casual dining room and swimming pool area), and hot tub at around 6 p.m. Bill is always reading in the Lido—ponytail. We have late dinner at 8 p.m. Will call you.”

So Greta and I, who usually dine at 6 p.m. because we’ve been so wiped out from each day’s incredible activities—both ashore and onboard—will pace ourselves so we can have dinner with Bill and Mardelle, who are friends with the Scullys in Newport Beach, who are friends with the people in San Clemente, at 8 p.m.

Confusing, isn’t it?

But it’s good to know readers haven’t forgotten about us. Greta and I will try to get together with these south Orange County-connected fellow passengers over dinner. Should be fun.

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.

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

Photo: Courtesy of the Orange County Archives

FROM THE ARCHIVES Tourist at Mission San Juan Capistrano, circa 1965.

The Capistrano Dispatch regularly publishes historical photos as part of our From the Archives feature in print and online. To submit your historical photo for consideration, provide information about the photo along with your name, date, location and a small description to agroves@picketfencemedia.com.

Pet of the Week: Basil THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

F

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

un-loving Basil is the epitome of curious kitties. When he isn’t play-wrestling with his siblings, he can usually be found exploring every nook and cranny of a room. At five months old, Basil is a teenage kitten who would likely be an easy fit for any family.

If you would like to know more about Basil, call the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617 or visit with him at 221 Avenida Fabricante, San Clemente. CD

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 Last week’s solution:

Page 28

See the solution in next week’s issue.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING

A Path Toward a Paw-sitive Future San Juan Capistrano pet rescue to hold fundraiser to aid in pet adoptions

BY ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

I

t’s been roughly 10 years since avid animal lover Jenn Harris began her mobile pet grooming business while also occasionally rescuing cats and dogs from kill shelters and working to get them adopted.

Business has grown since then, and the Zuri Pet Spa & Resort now has a physical location on Calle Perfecto, where dogs go to get groomed, trained and boarded. Harris’ rescue efforts have grown in pace with the growth of her business.

She has established a nonprofit, The Zuri Pet Rescue, inside the same building, and said she rescues and adopts out anywhere from 100 to 200 animals a year.

She will be holding her third annual fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 28 to support the operation. It will take place from 4-8 p.m. at 29222 Rancho Viejo Road in San Juan Capistrano.

“It’s just going to be a fun event for all of our supporters to get together, eat together, talk about the rescue work we’ve done this past year and what we want to

Concert Event to Support Local Nonprofit Musicians to perform in concert benefiting organization CREER

BY ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

San Juan Capistrano-based nonprofit that offers after-school and summer programs in order to inspire the area’s youth and get them excited about learning will be holding a benefit concert.

CREER Comunidad y Familia will be hosting a musical performance featuring two musicians, Terry Wollman and Melanie Taylor, on Thursday, Nov. 8 at San Juan Hills Golf Club.

Jenn Harris with dogs at The Zuri Pet Rescue on Tuesday, Oct. 16. Photos: Alex Groves

do moving forward,” Harris said.

Harris said visitors to the event will get dinner and receive a raffle ticket for the cost of $20 admission. There will be food trucks on site, including Buqqa and The Cut. The James Kelly Band will be performing.

Harris said the fundraiser helps with such costs as spaying and neutering, vaccines, medical treatment and with the rescue process in general.

Most of the animals the pet rescue tries to get adopted come from an animal shelter in Riverside County, and Harris said every animal can be a “wild card.”

Harris said there are often challenges in rescuing the animals and trying to get them adopted; some have suffered trauma or injuries, and it can take some work by volunteers to help them.

She said the end result is what makes the process worthwhile.

Harris said one example was a German shepherd mix, Bardi, who was extremely shy and somewhat scared of people when he was first rescued.

Now adopted, Bardi frequently returns for doggie daycare at the center and is a bundle of energy. On a recent weekday, he could be seen eagerly approaching volunteers and wagging his tail.

“To rescue this scared little dog that was afraid of everything to running through the door and meeting with everybody and playing with other dogs and having a happy life, I think that’s the most rewarding,” Harris said.

Harris said her organization has a deal in place with people who adopt, so that if things change and they can no longer

care for their dog or cat, they must bring it back to The Zuri Pet Rescue.

“They always have a home here,” she said of the animals. “Always a safe place to come to if the family adopter’s home life changes.”

Though her rescue operation has already grown quite a bit, Harris said she is hoping to see it grow even more.

“I would love to expand the rest of the building and make that side of it the rescue and just make it a center where people can come volunteer, adopt out, be really involved in the dogs’ lives throughout the whole process,” she said.

The Zuri Pet Rescue is located at 32423 Calle Perfecto in San Juan Capistrano. For more information about the organization, or their upcoming fundraiser, visit www.thezuripetrescue.com. CD

Wollman has released seven albums over his career and has worked as a musician, composer and producer. He’s worked with, or directed, a list of artists that includes Dav Koz, Dionne Warwick, Melissa Manchester and Eartha Kitt.

Taylor has recently been performing as part of the Barry Manilow show in Las Vegas.

Tickets for the concert only are $40; a $90 ticket also includes dinner on San Juan Hills Golf Club’s pasta night, two drink tickets and an artist CD. “They are really two elite LA performers who have been nice enough to say, ‘Hey, we’ll come down and perform,’ ” Jeffrey Singer, a board member for CREER, said.

“Our activity is to engage our community so that everybody has a beautiful evening and helps a great cause – what I call a grassroots nonprofit.”

CREER, founded in 2004, serves more than 10,000 at-risk children, from kindergarten to 12th grade, for a year in South Orange County through educational and community programs.

The organization and its volunteers

provide homework clubs, after-school tutoring and a summer program to help students gain learning skills while getting them excited about education and their futures. Proceeds from the event go toward benefiting those programs.

“This is kind of, in my opinion, one of the great things this community is doing,” Singer said. “We’re actually building a bridge between San Juan and Saddleback College for kids who never had college on their radar.”

Angeles Ceballos, executive director for the organization, shared a similar sentiment.

“Creer in Spanish means to believe, so what we’re doing here, is we’re actually showing the kids that they can have a future, showing them that they can believe and actually accomplish their goals if they only want to,” Ceballos said.

Ceballos said that the programs are not just meaningful for the kids who participate in them, but also for the volunteers who help make them happen.

She said volunteers for the organization come from a wide age range, from

adolescents to retired members of the teaching community.

Ceballos said that some of the people discover their love of volunteering through helping students in CREER. “We have kids helping us from junior high that are into the AVID program, for example, or they want to go into Breakthrough and they come in and say, ‘We want to help’ because they need the hours,” Ceballos said. “Well they start with ‘I need the hours’ and that turns into, ‘I want to do this; I love this.”

Ceballos said that teaching and helping the kids is “intoxicating.” She used the example of seeing a child in a math class who might not understand how to solve a problem but, after some helpful instruction, is able to figure it out.

“You can actually see the light that comes out of his eyes,” she said. “It’s amazing. It’s so inspiring.”

For more information on CREER and their programs, visit their website at www.creeroc.org. Tickets for the Thursday, Nov. 8 event can be purchased by visiting www.eventbrite.com. CD

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

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www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING

Local Educator Receives Award From Mayor Preschool teacher retires after career spanning three decades, is recognized

BY ALEX GROVES, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

recently retired school teacher who dedicated much of the past three decades to The Capistrano Unified School District was awarded the mayor’s Educator of the Year Award during a recent City Council meeting.

People in San Juan Capistrano who know Martha Orozco know her as a preschool teacher, though some might know her from playing Mrs. Claus for the San Juan Capistrano Rotary Club’s annual event at Marco Forster Middle School.

Orozco was applauded by all in attendance in the packed city council chambers on Oct. 16, after Mayor Sergio Farias talked about her experience first as a volunteer, and later an educator, for the Capistrano Unified School District.

Jose Pedraza, principal of Kinoshita Elementary – where Orozco most recently

GUEST OPINION: Then & Now by Rhonda DeHaan

An Artist Inspired

C

harles Percy Austin was one of a number of artists that came to San Juan Capistrano to paint the iconic mission and enjoy the hospitality of Father St. John O’Sullivan.

Austin became interested in painting at a young age and decided to pursue a career in the arts rather than follow in his father’s footsteps as a lawyer. He studied in New York and France and embraced the Impressionist painting style. Austin ultimately decided to settle in Southern California after hearing about the warm climate, picturesque landscapes and growing community of plein-air artists.

Martha Orozco of San Juan Capistrano sits at Mission San Juan Capistrano. She works as an usher there during her free time. Photo: Alex Groves

worked – called her the “jewel of San Juan Capistrano.”

“We are very blessed to have you; we’re going to miss you very much,” Pedraza said of Orozco. “And you always know that our casa is your casa.”

Orozco started volunteering at Las Palmas Elementary in San Clemente in the mid-1960s, when her sister was going to school.

She later volunteered at schools in San Juan Capistrano when she had a family of her own, because she wanted to be

involved in her children’s education. She worked as a daycare assistant, classroom aide and administrative assistant.

Orozco started working for the district roughly 32 years ago and started as a teacher’s assistant. Her work at San Juan Elementary School earned her the Golden Apple Award in 1988, and her name was etched on the assembly room wall there alongside names of principals and faculty members.

In her free time, she developed and taught “Los Niños Bien Educados,” a

He arrived in Los Angeles in 1908 and immediately felt at home. It didn’t take Austin long to apply his brush to his new, colorful surroundings. The diverse environment led to paintings of the inviting coastline, distinctive adobes, California missions, desert vistas, as well as figures in traditional Hispanic attire.

A few years after his arrival in Los Angeles, Austin visited Mission San Juan Capistrano, and his heart never really left. He was taken in by the mission’s haunting beauty and graceful arTHEN & NOW chitecture, and he began

By Rhonda De Haan to paint. Austin continued painting the mission and local figures for more than a decade and, in 1922, was married to his wife, Martha, in its courtyard.

The adjacent painting is not only an engaging piece but also the source of some mystery. Austin has portrayed the image of a beautiful woman, but who is she? Titled

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

Charles Percy Austin’s “La Buena Ventura,” circa 1927.

Photo: Courtesy

“La Buena Ventura,” this painting is part of the permanent collection at the Bowers Museum and, according to their documents, the woman depicted is Austin’s wife.

However, others believe that she is Eustalia

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program that sought to help immigrant families to understand the cultural differences and challenges of raising their children in the United States. The program received praise from both community leaders and news outlets.

At the behest of her colleagues, Orozco began working on getting her teaching credentials in the late ’90s and actually ended up attending Saddleback College at the same time as her oldest daughter.

Orozco earned her teaching credentials in 2001, which began 17 years of being a teacher at San Juan, Las Palmas and Kinoshita elementary schools.

Orozco has seen a lot of children over the course of three decades and has seen many of them grow into full-grown adults. She said she often gets stopped in supermarkets or restaurants by adults who ask if she remembers them. Her response? “Of course.”

She’s also seen multiple generations of students over her tenure.

“I have had children who have children who come to me,” she said.

Orozco said she has even seen young children who were once in her classroom grow up and end up working for the school district themselves, a fact that makes her very proud.

And in the end, she said, that’s what her job was all about: helping young children grow into adults who can pursue their passion and lead the world.

“I really believe it’s not the income,” she said. “It’s the outcome. … I’m very blessed.” CD

Soto, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jose Soto of San Juan Capistrano.

And, while we may never know the answer to the question, we can appreciate the works of Austin and his fellow artists who have preserved in paint glimpses into our town’s past. Austin’s paintings can be found at the Bowers and Irvine Museums and as part of Mission San Juan Capistrano’s permanent art collection.

Rhonda DeHaan enjoys learning about San Juan Capistrano and its history, sharing fun photographic finds along the way.

She is proud mother of two, a freelance writer and a member of the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society Board of Directors. She is also serving her eighth year as member of the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission. 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

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

Crunch Time

San Juan Preps Roundup

Football teams enter final week of regular season jockeying for playoff positions

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

For in-game updates, news and more for all San Juan Capistrano high school sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports.

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

I

t’s the final weekend of the high school football regular season, and there are plenty of league championship and playoff scenarios going into Week 10.

Let’s check in on all five San Juan Capistrano programs, see where they sit before the playoff brackets are released on Saturday, Oct. 28, with games to be played Nov. 2.

San Juan Hills, St. Margaret’s Girls Volleyball Fall in Quarterfinals

San Juan Hills The Stallions (6-3, 3-0) have already clinched at least a share of their first league title since 2013.

San Juan Hills earned that with its second straight shutout of league play and its fourth of the season in a 49-0 drubbing of Dana Hills on Oct. 19. The Stallions pulled in three interceptions, including a 15-yard return for a touchdown by Shane Roberson, grabbed a fumble recovery by Tyler Wegis and dragged down three sacks with two by Wegis and one by Cade Albright.

Hudson Jones threw for three touchdowns, and Austin Hogan ran for two touchdowns as the San Juan Hills offense has come alive in league play.

San Juan Hills can clinch the Sea View League title outright with a win at Laguna Hills (3-6, 2-1) on Friday, Oct. 26. As league champion, the Stallions will host a Division 2 playoff game on Nov. 2.

JSerra The Lions (7-2, 2-2) look to be headed for a third-place finish in the Trinity League and a road game to open the Division 1 playoffs.

After dropping 49 points on Servite and 56 points on Orange Lutheran, JSerra was hit hard by Mater Dei, 42-7, on Oct. 19 as the Monarchs got back on track from a beatdown they received from St. John Bosco.

No matter how things shake down this weekend, JSerra should be locked into its

JSerra looks locked into a third-place Trinity League finish and will qualify for the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs that begin on Nov. 2. Photo: Eric Heinz

final spot. The Lions are tied in the league with Orange Lutheran (5-4, 2-2) heading into their season finale on the road against Santa Margarita (3-6, 0-4). The Eagles will be desperately clawing to get into one of the final Division 1 playoff spots, but even if JSerra suffers the upset, Orange Lutheran should fall to Mater Dei. JSerra would hold the tiebreaker.

Third place is the final automatic playoff spot in the Trinity League, but even if all goes wrong and JSerra loses, Orange Lutheran wins and Servite upsets St. John Bosco, the Lions, ranked No. 5 in Division 1, will finish no worse than fourth and should easily claim an at-large bid.

history.

With its thrilling 40-39 win over Fairmont Prep last Thursday, Oct. 18, CVC (81, 3-0) clinched a share of its first league title since winning the eight-man football Express League in 2010 and its first 11man league title since 2000.

The Eagles can clinch the outright Academy League title with a win over Trinity Classical Academy of Valencia (5-4, 2-1) on Friday, Oct. 26, at San Clemente High School. A win would give CVC its first nine-win season since 2013.

A league title would launch CVC into the Division 13 playoffs with plenty of momentum.

St. Margaret’s

Saddleback Valley Christian

The Tartans (8-1, 2-0) have rolled along in the San Joaquin League.

St. Margaret’s, ranked No. 2 in Division 6, played Saddleback Valley Christian (3-5, 2-0) for the league title on Thursday, Oct. 25 at Laguna Hills High School. Results were not available at press time.

The Tartans have already clinched a playoff spot and have their eyes on a CIFSS championship.

After a brutal nonleague campaign, the Warriors (3-5, 2-0) put themselves in position for a Division 12 playoff spot and a chance to play for the San Joaquin League championship.

Due to a bye week and lightning cancellation, SVC went 23 days between games before playing two games in five days against Southlands Christian, a 54-14 win on Oct. 20, and St. Margaret’s on Thursday, Oct. 25.

With three straight wins and a guaranteed second-place finish in league, the Warriors have salvaged their season. CD

The Capistrano Dispatch October 26-November 8, 2018

Capistrano Valley Christian The Eagles have already made some

Page 34

The Stallions and Tartans each had stellar regular seasons and strong playoff placement, but each ran into tough opponents in the CIF-SS quarterfinals on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

San Juan Hills (17-8) rode the momentum of winning its fourth straight South Coast League title straight into a four-set first round win over Vista Murrieta in Division 1. The Stallions’ reward was a quarterfinals trip to No. 2 seed Redondo Union.

San Juan Hills was swept clean by national No. 4 Redondo Union, 25-13, 25-16, 25-19.

The Stallions wait for their state playoff draw next month.

St. Margaret’s (18-11) was the No. 2 seed in Division 4 and looked like it in a firstround sweep of Costa Mesa and a four-set, second-round win over La Habra.

However, when the Tartans hit the road in the quarterfinals, they were hit hard by Pasadena Poly. Poly, ranked No. 10 in Division 4, scored the upset in four sets, 25-19, 18-25, 25-21, 25-22.

San Juan Hills Water Polo Maintains Division 4 Ranking The South Coast League hasn’t been kind to the Stallions, but San Juan Hills has stayed near the top in Division 4 all season long.

The Stallions (9-15, 0-7) are ranked No. 3 in Division 4 and have been in the top-five grouping for nearly the entire season. San Juan Hills has faced tough competition and scored strong nonleague wins.

San Juan Hills is last in the five-team South Coast League, but the Stallions hope their ranking will give them good news when the CIF-SS brackets are released on Saturday, Oct. 27. CD

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