September 13, 2019

INSIDE: 41st Annual Shea Center BBQ & Family Faire SPECIAL SECTION

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE FOUNDED IN 2002

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

SEPTEMBER 13-26, 2019 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 17

2019 San Juan Fall Sports Preview City Teams Push for CIF-SS Playoff Breakthroughs S P O R T S / PAG E 1 6 JSerra boys water polo is in the midst of a quick turnaround and could make some noise in CIF-SS Division 4. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

Agency Challenges State’s Housing Needs Assessment EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

SJC Lawyer, Human Options Offer Legal Aid to Abuse Victims SJC LIVING/PAGE 14

thecapistranodispatch.com

CUSD Trustees Appoint Replacement for Vacant Board Seat EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

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 Southern California Agency Challenges State’s Housing Needs Assessment THE LATEST: Counties and cities across Southern California will collectively need to plan to construct more than 1.34 million new homes over the next 10 years, the state’s housing department recently determined.

Late last month, the California Department of Housing and Community Development released its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), finding that between 2021 and 2029, the six counties in Southern California will need to prepare for the development of 1.34 million additional housing units across four income categories.

However, the Southern California Association of Governments, a public agency representing the region’s six counties including Orange, believes that the assessment is much higher than what’s actually needed and is now questioning the HCD’s methodology.

“We acknowledge that there’s a housing crisis and are committed to doing everything within our authority to help solve it, but the RHNA allocation process has to have integrity,” Kome Ajise, SCAG’s executive director, said in an email. “We will continue to work with the state to ensure that the determination is on the firmest possible technical ground, and that ultimately the needs of our communities are met.”

The housing department submitted the RHNA on Aug. 22. Under state law, SCAG has 30 days from receipt of the assessment to analyze and review it, determining to either accept its findings or file an objection.

In a 48-2 vote on Sept. 5, SCAG’s regional council authorized Ajise to file an objection to the state housing department over its methodology. The council comprises elected officials from Southern California, including Orange County Board Supervisor Donald Wagner. No official from the tri-city area is on the regional council.

“Overall, HCD did not use the appropriate population forecasts for their determination of the SCAG region’s housing The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

CUSD Trustee-elect Krista Castellanos (center) poses for a photo with her supporters following the district’s special meeting to appoint her as a replacement for former Trustee Gary Pritchard’s seat Monday, Sept. 9. Photo: Courtesy of CUSD

needs and did not conduct a reasonable application of the methodology and assumptions pursuant to statute,” the agency states in its council report.

The RHNA breaks the 1.34 million housing needs figure into four income categories: very-low, low, moderate and above-moderate.

About 26%, or nearly 351,000 housing units, are to be designated for very-low income and 15.3% will encompass housing for low-income persons and families.

Moderate-income housing units will make up 16.7%, while the bulk of the housing units—nearly 42%, or 562,252—will be allocated for above-moderate income housing.

According to the RHNA, the housing department’s methodology takes into account the expected population of households, as well as the state’s overcrowding and vacancy percentages by the end of the projection period: October 2029.

“Then we make adjustments based on housing conditions in the region, if that demonstrates pent-up demand for additional housing,” said Tressa Mattingly, information officer for the housing department’s communications office.

The department estimates the number of households in the region to be about 6.25 million in 2021 and to reach more than 6.8 million by 2029.

And using the projection from the Department of Finance, the RHNA estimates Southern California’s population to exceed 20.45 million by October 2029. The region, according to the RHNA, has an overcrowding rate of 10.11%, exceeding the national rate of 3.35%, while its current “for rent and sale” vacancy rate is 2.37%, lower than the standard 5%.

SCAG, however, estimates the population to grow to more than 20.72 million and instead of the 1.34 million homes

needed, the agency’s alternative RHNA proposes the region needing between 821,000 to 924,000 new homes.

“SCAG’S alternative proposed determination provides a more reasonable, current, balanced, and technically robust application of HCD’s stated approach toward determining housing needs,” the agency’s report states.

If the agency later accepts the RHNA, whether that be an updated one from the housing department or not, it will work on an allocation plan to divvy up the housing needs to local jurisdictions.

Currently, the agency is working on its methodology for how to allocate the housing needs to the cities and counties for the 2021-2029 planning period and has been accepting public input. The period for public comments on that methodology closes on Friday, Sept. 13.

For the current planning period of 2014-2021, Orange County was allocated 5,272 units of the total 412,137 units for Southern California, according to Board Supervisor Wagner.

This past June, Wagner, on behalf of the county, submitted a letter to the chair of SCAG’s committee with oversight of the RHNA, requesting that the agency propose a total allocation of 430,000 housing units for the region from the housing department.

Because the RHNA is not yet finalized, the city of San Juan Capistrano said it doesn’t have any comment on the housing department’s 1.34 million figure at this time.

Development Services Director Joel Rojas stated that the city staff has “been actively engaged in the RHNA planning process since October 2018 and will continue to do so until the City receives its final RHNA number sometime before

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October 2020.”

According to the city’s 2014-2021 RHNA allocation, San Juan is responsible for ensuring that it can accommodate 638 total housing units within the current period. Out of that total, 23% are designated for very-low or extremely low-income households, 16% for low income and 19% for moderate income.

Rojas notes that the RHNA doesn’t require jurisdictions “to build or provide the needed housing units,” but rather “only to ensure that they can be accommodated somewhere in the community. It is up to developers to come forward and actually propose and build the needed housing.”

With funds that can only be used for affordable housing, the city is currently working with C&C Development toward the construction of a 75-unit facility for low-income seniors on city-owned property called The Groves.

In regard to SCAG’s methodology for allocating the housing needs for the 20212029 planning period, Rojas said the city has been actively engaged in that process with the agency as well.

City staff, Rojas said, intends “to provide input to SCAG on assessments and methodologies to ensure the City’s local interests are taken into account.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The regional council is expected to consider SCAG’s Final Proposed RHNA Allocation Methodology in early November.—Shawn Raymundo

CUSD Trustees Appoint Replacement for Vacant Board Seat THE LATEST: In a special board meeting Monday, Sept. 9, the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to appoint its newest and seventh member to fill the vacant seat left behind by former Trustee Gary Pritchard.

Krista Castellanos, an Aliso Viejo resident and kindergarten teacher at John Muir Fundamental Elementary, was appointed to represent CUSD’s Area 5 and serve out the rest of Pritchard’s term, which is set to expire in 2020.

“We are delighted to welcome Trusteeelect Castellanos to the CUSD Board of Trustees,” the district said in an emailed statement. “Ms. Castellanos is a tireless advocate for public schools, a public school teacher, a parent in our District, and a leader in PTA.” Castellanos will be sworn in during the district’s next board meeting later this month, according to CUSD spokesperson Ryan Burris.

The trustee-elect was one of four candidates who sought the open Area 5 seat, (Cont. on page 4) thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC (Cont. from page 3) which represents portions of Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel. Jeremy Cogan of Laguna Niguel, Anita Narayana of Aliso Viejo and Jake Vollebregt, an Aliso Viejo resident, were also vying for the position.

According to Burris, each candidate was allowed to make a three-minute statement before taking questions from trustees during the special board meeting Monday night.

Following a public-comment portion, the trustees nominated Castellanos to be considered for the appointment, along with Cogan, the director of Facilities Planning for the Santa Ana Unified School District, and Vollebregt, the director of Regional and Legal Affairs for Moulton Niguel Water District.

Because there were multiple nominations, a candidate must receive a minimum of four votes from trustees in order to receive the official nod for the position.

The voting process can be repeated until there’s a four-vote consensus for one candidate.

During the first two rounds of voting, Burris said, none of the nominated candidates received four votes. At the conclusion of the third round of voting, Castellanos received a total of five votes, earning her the official appointment.

The Area 5 seat became vacant Aug. 9 when Pritchard, who was serving as vice president of the board this year, resigned from his post because he relocated out of the area. The district’s board met in mid-August, deciding to initiate an appointment process to find a replacement, rather than hold a special election.

WHAT’S NEXT: The next Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Sept. 18 at the district’s headquarters in San Juan Capistrano at 7 p.m.—SR

Council to Consider Contract Award for Verdugo Street Beautification THE LATEST: Councilmembers next week are expected to award a contract for the Verdugo Street Beautification project, which could allow the modification plans of the downtown street to get underway this fall.

The city is recommending that city council award the contract to C.S. Legacy Construction, one of four companies that submitted bids for the capital improvement project. Legacy submitted a bid of about $1.72 million, which was the lowest bid the city received. The highest bid received was for nearly $2.58 million from Palp, Inc. The project is expected to cost a total of nearly $2.2 million when taking into account Legacy’s construction bid, contingency costs and other construction-related expenses, according to the city, which has The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

Revised site plans for the River Street Marketplace project will have to go back to the Planning Commission for approval before the city council can certify its environmental report. Rendering: Courtesy of city of San Juan Capistrano

a budget of a little more than $1.5 million earmarked for the plans.

To make up the $690,000 shortfall, the city said it will ask the council to approve the use of coffers from its Successor Agency Non-Housing Bonds, Systems Development Funds and Community Facilities District Funds.

In mid-July, the council voted to approve the remodeling plans and specifications for the capital improvement project, allowing the city to begin accepting bids from potential contractors.

The project intends to make Verdugo Street more pedestrian-friendly by widening the sidewalk and implementing new landscaping, brick paving, lighting and street furniture.

From its entrance at Camino Capistrano to near the end of the cul-de-sac, the street would narrow from 40 feet to 28 feet.

When complete, the south-side sidewalk will widen from 6 feet to 11 feet, while the north-side curb extends from about 5.5 feet to nearly 12.5 feet, according to the city.

WHAT’S NEXT: If the city awards the contract and construction begins in the coming months, the project could be completed by March 2020, the city has previously estimated. The council meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept.

17 at city hall.—SR

Revised River Street Plans to Go Back to Planning Commission THE LATEST: Revised site plans for the River Street Marketplace project will need to go back to the city’s Planning Commission for review and approval before the city council can consider certifying its environmental report.

Dan Almquist, the mover of the development, said the revised configuration of the plans will include the addition of a few small buildings in lieu of its largest struc-

ture—the chief concern among those who had opposed the proposed development.

Based on a draft of that new configuration of the buildings that Almquist recently submitted to the city, city staff has determined that it will need to go through the Planning Commission again, City Manager Ben Siegel told The Capistrano Dispatch on Sept. 4.

“We expect (Almquist) to submit revised plans by the end of next week, and we anticipate presenting the plans to the Planning Commission on September 24,” Siegel wrote in his Sept. 4 email. “The public hearing notice for that meeting will be published next week.”

The submission of the updated plans are the result of weeks-long talks with Jeff Vasquez, whose property on Los Rios Street backs up to the site of the marketplace.

Vasquez had been a staunch opponent of the project, having previously warned city officials that its “commercial activity will drive out residents on Los Rios” and have a “detrimental effect.” In late June, an attorney representing Vasquez submitted a letter to the city urging the council to deny the certification of the project’s Environmental Impact Report.

The council’s consideration of the EIR had been delayed multiple times in recent weeks so Almquist and Vasquez could work on amending the plans. Those talks, Almquist said, led to a compromise and win-win solution.

“Jeff was willing to meet, and I’m grateful to compromise and get this win-win, and I’m excited for this project and to move forward,” Almquist said. “It’s a very important project and very personal to me.”

The previous iteration of the plans, which had already been approved by the city’s Planning Commission, as well as the Cultural Heritage Commission back in May, was set to incorporate five buildings on 65,000 square feet.

Almquist said he and Vasquez reoriented the largest of the five planned build-

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ings—the Marketplace—by separating it into a couple of smaller-sized buildings.

“The Marketplace building has gone down; it’s a little less than half the size of what it was, and the location has changed,” Almquist said, noting that its size had been the primary source of contention.

According to the city, the 23,100-squarefoot Marketplace building would have stood at a height of 35 feet.

“The Marketplace is intended to provide patrons with a variety of unique boutique retail shopping opportunities, such as a juice bar, artisanal baked goods, farm fresh produce, gourmet cheeses, and specialty meats,” the city stated in its May 14 report for the Planning Commission.

“Onsite dining options may include specialty deli and sandwich shops, specialty food stalls, and craft beer and wine.”

During that Planning Commission meeting, Vasquez presented his own renderings of how the building would create an eyesore for Los Rios Street residents. And in its June 28 issue, The Dispatch published a Letter to the Community written

by Vasquez regarding his opposition to the project.

“The Marketplace building is a singlestory structure. Why not make it 20-feettall instead of 40 feet and move all of the buildings away from Los Rios Street to lessen the project impacts on the Historic District?” he had asked in the published letter.

Overall, the project will include both indoor and outdoor dining, featuring “artisan-type” retailers and businesses.

Almquist said that though the structures featured in the plans have changed slightly, the nature of it is still the same.

“I think the character and the intent of the project is exactly the same,” said Almquist, whose firm, Frontier Real Estate Investments, also has an ownership stake in other properties in downtown San Juan Capistrano, including Capistrano Plaza.—SR WHAT’S NEXT: The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Earthquake Jolts South County Cities THE LATEST: Much of South Orange County felt a jolt or a quick shock Tuesday, Sept. 10, as a 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck the other side of the Cleveland National Forest, just outside Lake Elsinore in the early afternoon.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the tremor struck less than a mile east-southeast of the city of Wildomar— roughly 40 miles away from the tri-city area—at about 1.21 p.m., when many were returning to work from their lunch breaks.

The quake, which had a depth of about 8.5 miles, had a weak intensity rating throughout the South County region, according to the Geological Survey.—SR thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

NEWS BITES

Community Meetings

COMPILED BY STAFF

City Appoints Councilmember Taylor as Delegate for Annual Statewide Conference Councilmember John Taylor was appointed by the city council on Tuesday, Sept. 3, to represent San Juan Capistrano at an upcoming annual gathering of city officials from throughout the state next month.

As the city’s delegate, Taylor will attend the League of California Cities 2019 Annual Conference & Expo in Long Beach, where he and other members will meet to vote on resolutions meant to establish the league’s policies.

According to its website, “The League of California Cities is an association of California city officials who work together to enhance their knowledge and skills, exchange information, and combine resources so that they may influence policy decisions that affect cities.”

During the Tuesday meeting, the council voted unanimously in favor of appointing Taylor as the city’s delegate, in large part because he was the only councilmember who already had the conference on his schedule.

“I was planning on going,” Taylor said at the outset of the council’s discussion on the topic.

“Without talking to us?” Mayor Brian Maryott quipped. “I’m just kidding.”

Councilmember Derek Reeve was selected as the alternate if Taylor is unable to attend.

The appointment gave Taylor “full discretion and confidence of the council” on how to vote when it comes to the resolutions. Those resolutions had not yet been provided to the city to disseminate to the public at the council’s meeting.

The conference will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center from Friday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 18.

Three Local Sea Scouts Earn Quartermaster Rank After years of passing through the advancement ranks of Sea Scouting from Apprentice to Able Seamen, three local residents—Mabel Keeler of San Juan Capistrano, Lily Gebauer of San Clemente and Kaden Caliendo of Dana Point—were recently awarded the prestigious rank of Quartermaster.

The formal ceremony took place at The Ranch at Laguna Beach in the presence of the Sea Scouts from the Mariners of Dana Harbor, the youths’ parents, families and friends. Linda Poullier and Jim Wehan, adult advisors in the program, spoke of the The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

MONDAY, SEPT. 16 Parks, Recreation, Youth and Senior Services, Trails and Equestrian Commission Meeting 5: 30 p.m. The city’s commission on parks and recreation will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 17

San Juan Capistrano City Councilmember John Taylor was recently appointed by the city council to represent San Juan Capistrano at the League of California Cities 2019 Annual Conference & Expo in Long Beach. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

many leadership roles these young adults have played over the four years and the inspiration they are to the younger members in the program.

The avid boaters and leaders have taught sailing, led teams in competition and directed the unit’s outreach program in other causes, including building homes in Tecate, Mexico.

Gebauer began boot camp with the U.S. Navy this summer. Due to her Sea Scout Quartermaster rank, she has enlisted with the immediate rank advancement of two pay grades. Gebauer plans to begin college in several years with the full financial support of the Navy.

Keeler has enrolled to begin classes at Saddleback College in the fall and will pursue a career in nursing. Caliendo will attend California Polytechnic State University and plans to major in Environmental Engineering.

Based at the OC Sailing & Event Center in Dana Harbor, the Mariners are a youthled organization of 70 members, aged 14 through 18 years old. Younger members, aged 12 and 13, are known as Mariner Juniors. The program, led by skipper Jim Wehan for the past 42 years, emphasizes excellence in leadership, teamwork and maritime skills for both recreational and vocational purposes. For more information about the program, visit Mariners936.com.

East Entrance to Multi-Modal Parking Lot Temporarily Closed The eastern entrance of the city’s multi-modal parking lot in the downtown corridor will be temporarily closed for about the next two weeks as construction continues at the Capistrano Plaza, according to the city.

As a detour to the parking lot, the west entrance, located between Rancho Capistrano Winery and Trevor’s at the Tracks, has been converted to safely accommodate two-way traffic.

Adjacent business owners were notified of the temporary closure, and signage and traffic control devices are in place to assist motorists, the city noted in the City Manager’s Weekly Update on Thursday, Sept. 5.

CUSD Students Return to Another School Year The Capistrano Unified School District staff and teachers welcomed close to 47,000 students back to their classrooms for the 2019-2020 school year late last month.

“We are excited for the school year and are grateful for the opportunity to educate young people in our district,” Superintendent Kirsten Vital said in a press release from CUSD. This school year marks the launch of the district’s full-day kindergarten classes, CUSD pointed out, noting that it intends to make investments in its students’ academic, social and emotional health by growing college and career pathways.

The district said it will also host a series of events to support parents on critical issues such as social media use, mental health, and suicide prevention.

Several back-to-school photos can be found at the district’s news- and information-based website CUSDInsider.org.

Utilities Commission Meeting 8 a.m. The City of San Juan Capistrano’s Utilities Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.

City Council and Successor Agency Meeting 5 p.m. The city’s governing body will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org FRIDAY, SEPT. 20 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.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 24 Cultural Heritage Commission Meeting 4:30 p.m. The city’s Cultural Heritage Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.

Because I Love You (BILY) Meeting 6:30-8:30 p.m. Meets every Tuesday.

Because I Love You (BILY) helps parents find solutions to any crisis they are experiencing because of their children’s (adults or minors) poor choices. San Clemente Presbyterian Church, 119 Avenida De La Estrella. bilysc.org.

Planning Commission Meeting 6:30 p.m. The city’s Planning Commission will meet at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 27

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

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The next edition of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.

thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON RMV

NEWS & HAPPENINGS AT THE RANCH

Events at The Ranch SEPT. 13

Full Harvest Moon Hike

6:30-8:30 p.m. Take in the moonlit coast live oaks and sycamores on a docent-led hike through The Reserve. Learn more about how people in the past and in the present have harvested food on the land.

The cost to join the hike is $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The Richard and Donna O’Neill Conservancy. 28811 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.489.9778.

SEPT. 20

Hilltop Bar Night & Swirl. Sniff. Sip.

5-9 p.m. The spacious event bar at The Hilltop Club is open every Friday evening, so come grab a drink, then stay to hang out with good friends and close neighbors. 65 Esencia Drive, Rancho Mission Viejo.

949.768.1882. ranchomissionviejo.com/events.

SEPT. 21

Birds of Fall Bird Safari

After lassoing a steer, John Douch prepares to quickly dismount from his horse in order to wrangle the animal as part of the Tie Down Roping competition. Middle (from left to right): Kolby Wanchuk’s body rocks back as his horse bucks; While preparing to make a leap closer toward the fence, a rodeo handler locks eyes with a bull; Atop a bucking bronco, Orin Larsen works to hang on. Bottom (from left to right): Logan Patterson works to hang on to the horse; Dirk Tavenner wrangles a steer to the ground; J.T. Moore tries not to get bucked off a bull. Photos: Shawn Raymundo

Cowboys Compete in Annual RMV Rodeo

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

S

ome of the best cowboys from across the country rolled into San Juan Capistrano and Rancho Mission Viejo late last month to take part in the annual Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo.

The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

More than 9,000 people attended this year’s two-day event at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, where it celebrated its 19th year as a stop in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association season.

The cowboys participated in ranchbased contests such as saddle bronc riding, tie down roping and bull riding, all in the hopes of adding more money into their annual earnings and increase their chances of making it to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas this December.

“We’re the fourth-largest rodeo in the United States. We compete against obviously the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, which is the Super Bowl of Rodeo,” said Gilbert Aguirre, executive vice president of ranch operations at Rancho Mission Viejo.

HERE’S A COMPLETE LIST OF THE WINNERS FROM THIS YEAR’S RMV RODEO: Bareback Riding • Clayton Biglow, Trenten Montero, Tim O’Connell Steer Wrestling • Tanner Milan Team Roping • Clay Smith, Jade Corkill Saddle Bronc Riding • Cort Scheer Tie Down Roping • Haven Meged Breakaway • Jackie Crawford Bull Riding • Jordan Wacey Spears To view more photos and our video coverage of the 2019 RMV Rodeo, visit: TheCapistranoDispatch.com/category/video Page 6

8:30-11:30 a.m. Would you like to learn to identify some of our local feathered friends? Are you ready to start your “life list?”

Enjoy a spring morning with docent and bird expert Gary Meredith while quietly combing The Reserve for the area’s resident and migrant birds. This is a birding 101 event and will partially take place alongside a private road overlooking oak groves, grasslands and more.

Participants will initially drive on the road from site to site to look and listen for a variety of birds and later take a stroll to view other birds on our trails.

Participants are encouraged to wear neutral/natural-colored clothing and to bring binoculars and a field guide. The cost to join the Bird Safari is $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The Richard and Donna O’Neill Conservancy. 28811 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano.

949.489.9778.

thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624

Letters to the Editor

phone 949.388.7700 fax 949.388.9977 thecapistranodispatch.com

CONTROVERSIAL OPEN SPACE CONUNDRUM

RECOGNIZING OSTOMY AWARENESS DAY —CAROL BRINKMAN, San Juan Capistrano

HOW TO REACH US

—ROGER E. BÜTOW, San Juan Capistrano

CITY EDITOR Shawn Raymundo, 949.388.7700, x108 sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com

I attended the first of two workshops hosted by the city a while back. I was blown away that such a simple gesture, such a minor act of reparation for a just, worthy and long overdue purpose, could be met with citizen’s disdain.

Crass promotional commerce like “glamping” on sacred land? This is a form of social injustice, a denial of ethnic rights that should be remedied.

My preference, as stated, was that the Native Americans merit the entire parcel, not a token portion. They know how to be non-abusive eco-stewards. The (Putuidem) Village proper should be surrounded by indigenous, drought-tolerant plantings, thus re-creating high value Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA). The fauna will repopulate what the former owners plowed under.

Couldn’t that natural habitat/environs around the village be used as credited mitigation for other land use projects in the city?

Maybe require future developers of modestto-monolithic- sized projects pay earmarked fees to whittle down the self-imposed debt incurred originally by the city voters?

Grade the land slightly concave. What rain or onsite watering using recycled supplies takes place will be retained, percolate downward if settling depressions and swales are created, lessen erosion and recharge the area’s groundwater. Eventually, any excess will drain sub-surface into the lower San Juan Basin, modestly recharging the city’s wells.

The Village should seek LEED certification, a designed green installation. They could do onsite reclamation for irrigation purposes, thus avoid wasting precious imported supplies of both potable and reclaimed water supplied to the facility. The plants contiguous with the Village could be watered using this so-called “greywater.”

This doesn’t require rocket science; the technologies are existent, not science fiction. This would be a showcase learning center, an example of collaboration.

Blending, melding the cultural history, the old ways with the new, plus significantly reduce maintenance/utility costs.

If designed properly, food and herbs grown there could be on display, used for both Native American rituals but also periodic feasts for visitors. This would be a great educational and promotional opportunity, an attraction that allows non-Native Americans to experience what “living off the land” actually looks and tastes like.

SPORTS Zach Cavanagh, 949.388.7700, x110 zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

Debra Wells, 949.322.4765 debra@wellsadsolutions.com DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

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

PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett EDITORIAL City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Shawn Raymundo City Editor, DP Times > Lillian Boyd City Editor, SC Times > Cari Hachmann Sports Editor > Zach Cavanagh Special Projects Editor > Andrea PapagianisCamacho

Real Estate Sales > Debra Wells (SJC) Multi-Media Assistant > Kendra Burns ART/DESIGN Art Director > Jasmine Smith Graphic Designer > Chelsie Rex OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed General Manager > Alyssa Garrett

Copy Editor > Randall Youngman

Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines

ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING

SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller

Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Tim Trent

> Traci Kelly (SC) > Debra Wells (SJC)

EDITOR EMERITUS Jonathan Volzke

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 17, Issue 17. The Dispatch (thecapistranodispatch) is published twice monthly

by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the DP Times (danapointtimes.com) and the SC Times (sanclementetimes. com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

I am a bag lady! I have an ostomy bag!

That means I had life-saving surgery to remove my cancerous bladder and replace it with an external urine bag called an ostomy that I wear on my stomach. I wear my ostomy with pride because that is the small price I pay to be alive!

Oct. 5, 2019 is Ostomy Awareness Day. Approximately 725,000 to one million Americans have an ostomy. An ostomy is a type of surgery that creates an opening in the abdomen that causes a change in the way urine or stool exits the body.

About 100,000 new ostomy procedures are performed each year.

It is important that ostomates speak out to increase public understanding of this life-saving surgery. Only through continued education and awareness can we erase the myths and stigma that are sometimes associated with having an ostomy. Only by speaking out can we save lives. Unfortunately, some people still delay the decision or choose death over life with an “ostomy bag” due to stigmas and misinformation.

Therefore, I have respectfully requested a proclamation by the City of San Juan Capistrano that declares Oct. 5, 2019 as “Ostomy Awareness Day.”

ENOUGH DELAYS; TIME TO BUILD THE PUTUIDEM VILLAGE CULTURAL CENTER —JOANNA CLARK, San Juan Capistrano The Acjachemen Nation settled this area 12,000 years before our European interloper ancestors invaded and decimated the indigenous Native populations of the Americas with their germs, guns, and steel and stole their land to subdivide and sell.

Their history includes being uprooted from their village home of Putuidem and the surrounding area by Spanish missionaries and brought to the Mission site, treated as a lesser form of a human. They were forced to build the Mission, renamed the Juaneños Band of Mission Indians, and adopt a strange new faith.

To further complicate their lives and dehumanization, the Governor of California called for the extermination of the indigenous population in 1851, and over the next 20 years, 80% of California’s Native Americans were wiped out. Between 9,000 and 16,000 were murdered in cold blood—the victims of a policy of genocide sponsored by the state of California and gleefully assisted by its newest citizens.

In 2003, cultural genocide continued, when the City Council approved the building of Junipero Serra High School on land sacred to the Acjachemen. Today, their sacred burial ground is a soccer field.

In 2016, the City Council approved the Putuidem Village Cultural Center, and after numerous reviews and concessions, the City Council approved plans and specifications

Page 8

for the Center on May 15, 2018. Then, less than a year later, on April 16, 2019, the new City Council voted to table the project until the community has had an opportunity to provide input on what it would like to see in the Northwest Open Space area.

Enough! The sacred sites and lands of the Acjachemen descendants have been plundered, desecrated, and devoured by development over the past 243 years. It is time to end the cultural genocide and build the Putuidem Village Cultural Center; a place where we can all come together and learn.

OUT & ABOUT —MIKE POURARYAN, Laguna Niguel Capistrano Unified School District never ceases to amaze me. In spite of the budget ravages of the last number of years, the district has been able to do wonders in how they have done their utmost to educate children and make a difference in their lives.

This is as the district has worked diligently in close consultations with the community to create a vision for the 21st century.

In my capacity as a member of the District’s Facilities and Finance Advisory Committee, I had the opportunity to see a vision of the future in action as I was given a tour of the latest school in the Capistrano Unified School District: Esencia. Nestled in the hills above Rancho Mission Viejo, it is a modern, state-of-the-art facility that presents a vision of what is truly possible.

When I arrived at the campus to meet with the chief building official, I was blown away by how modern the building was itself. As the official led me and another member of our committee through the campus, I was amazed at the student-centric and teacher-centric vision that is at the core of 21st century teaching. Whether it was the modular cabinets in the main hall that serves as a library, stage or instructional area or the classrooms underscored by the state-of-the-art technological resources, it was a vision of what can be truly possible.

Nelson Mandela once reminded us all, “The true character of society is revealed in how it treats its children.” Esencia is a vision of what can be possible for a community to take care of its children, because they are the future.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

Have something you’d like to say? Email your letter to sraymundo@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. thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

The List

At the Movies: Keira Knightley Keeps ‘Official Secrets’

What’s going on in and around town COMPILED BY STAFF

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

Sunday | 15 SUMMER PICKLEBALL 2:30-5:30 p.m. Come to play indoor pickleball this summer at the San Juan Capistrano gymnasium. The group will meet every Sunday through Oct. 27. New to the game? No problem. Instruction and all equipment will be provided. For additional details and to register, please call the Community Services Department at 949.493.5911. 1 Via Positiva, San Juan Capistrano.

Monday | 16 INTRODUCTION TO BRIDGE 9:30-11:30 a.m. The South Orange County Bridge Center hosts this weekly bridge series that runs every Monday through Oct. 14. South Orange County Bridge Center, 31251 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite 205, San Juan Capistrano, 949.248.1268.

JaneDober@gmail.com. SOCB.Center.

Wednesday | 18 WEDNESDAY NIGHT TRIVIA 7:30-9:30 p.m. Enjoy friendly competition and craft beers among friends during the BrewHouse’s weekly trivia night. Food trucks are on site during the trivia contest. The BrewHouse. 31896 Plaza Dr., Suite D3, San Juan Capistrano.

949.481.6181. TheBrewHouseSJC.com.

SAN JUAN SUMMER NITES 6-8 p.m. Rock cover band The Trip closes out this year’s San Juan Summer Nites concert series. The event will feature food and drink provided by local restaurants, business expo vendors and free activities for kids. There is also special event trolley service from 4-9 p.m. Please visit the trolley service webpage on the city’s website for route details and the downtown parking webpage for additional summer parking options. Historic Town Center Park, 31852 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. SanJuanCapistrano.org.

The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

EDITOR’S PICK Photo: Nick Wall / IFC Films

A young rider demonstrates what he’s learned during a recent Shea Center BBQ. Photo: Alex Groves

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21: 41ST ANNUAL BBQ & FAMILY FAIRE 4 p.m. When the J. F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center opens its gates for its annual BBQ and Family Faire, it continues a 41-year tradition. The BBQ, an elaborate, Western-styled outdoor party at the riding center’s modern eight-acre equestrian facility in San Juan, is a friendly mix of an old-fashioned carnival with games and prizes, spin art, face painting, and a new “10 Things to Do Before Dinner” scavenger hunt around the grounds. The popular petting zoo will return, and there will be horse and rider demonstrations, inspirational stories, country music for dancing, and socializing with Shea Center families and friends. General admission is $55 for adults, $30 for seniors 55-and-older, children 13-and-younger, and persons with disabilities. A family pack, for two adults and two children, is discounted to $155. The Shea Center, 26284 Oso Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.240.8441, ext. 101. SheaCenter.org.

Thursday | 19 OPEN MIC NIGHT 6-9 p.m. Five Vines Wine Bar presents its Open Mic Night every Thursday. Five Vines is looking for musicians, comedians, poets—anyone who wants a mic and an audience. Must be 21 and older. 31761 Camino Capistrano, #11, San Juan Capistrano. 949.800.9145. FiveVinesWineBar.com.

HAUNTED SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO GHOST TOUR 8-9:30 p.m. Join OC Ghosts and Legends for a walking tour of the oldest occupied neighborhood in California—Los Rios Street. San Juan Capistrano is said to be one of the most haunted places in the world. Your tour will be hosted by an experienced and active paranormal investigator. Not only will your guide narrate the ghosts and legends of this historic town, but this tour offers you basic terminology and background of various paranormal theories. Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano. 949.667.1957.

OCGhostsAndLegends.com.

Friday | 20 ‘MURDER ON THE NILE’ 8 p.m. It’s the 1940s. Kay Ridgeway is

cruising on the River Nile. Kay has led a charmed life. Blessed with beauty, enormous wealth, and a new husband, she embarks on a honeymoon voyage down the Nile. Fatal circumstances await when the idyllic surroundings are shattered by a shocking and brutal murder. This production, written by famed mystery novelist Agatha Christie, will mark the start of the Camino Real Playhouse’s 30th season.

Performances for Murder on the Nile will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Oct. 6. Price of admission for regular tickets is $27; tickets for cabaret tables are $37. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

949.489.8082. CaminoRealPlayhouse.org.

Saturday | 21 2019 INNER-COASTAL AND WATERSHED CLEANUP DAY 8:30 a.m.-noon. The City of San Juan Capistrano is participating in the annual creek cleanup event for San Juan Creek and Arroyo Trabuco Creek. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. Parking for the event will be available at City Hall, and lunch will be provided to volunteers. To register, please contact Senior Civil Engineer Jeremy Hohnbaum at jhohnbaum@ sanjuancapistrano.org or 949.324.5029.

SanJuanCapistrano.org.

Page 13

BY MEGAN BIANCO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

I

FC Films’ new feature, Official Secrets, has almost everything going for it to make it a modern, UK equivalent of Alan J. Pakula’s classic political drama, All the President’s Men (1976). It has the real-life basis for the plot, the suspenseful tension of the secrets the leads know, the stellar casting, and the semi-contemporary setting to classify it as both relevant and a period piece. We even get the protagonist updated to a woman, rather than two men. And yet, it still falls a bit short quality-wise.

Set in Cheltenham, England in 2003, the film is centered on Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley) as a British Intelligence whistleblower who receives an email detailing the US government’s requests for help from the UK to gain votes from the UN Council for a war against Iraq.

Katharine is alarmed and feels it’s irresponsible for this possibly illegal action to be kept secret from the people, so she discreetly leaks the memo to a close friend who is associated with the press. At the same time, news journalist Martin Bright (Matt Smith) catches wind of the private email and uses it as his next big scoop.

Matthew Goode and Ralph Fiennes co-star. Official Secrets is based on a real woman who really did risk her career to leak an official memo to the public. Film director Gavin Hood’s experience includes the schlocky Wolverine (2009) and Ender’s Game (2013), as well as the underrated Eye in the Sky (2015).

Secrets showcases some great acting, especially from Knightley and Fiennes. But it suffers from feeling like a big-screen TV movie, with a borderline-overbearing music score and melodramatic third act. CD thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

San Juan Lawyer, Human Options Offer Legal Aid to Abuse Victims

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

T

hroughout her lifetime, Christina Helwig has experienced abuse on multiple levels.

“If you could put a word in front of ‘abuse,’ I experienced it,” said Helwig.

From the time she was a child, Helwig says, she was abused both physically and mentally by her mom.

At “a certain point, the physical (abuse) stopped, but the psychological continued up until adulthood, causing me to completely split off and push that relationship away,” Helwig told The Capistrano Dispatch during an interview in her law office in San Juan Capistrano.

Moreover, Helwig states, she was sexually abused by her uncle.

When she began attending law school, Helwig just wanted to forget her background.

“When you’re coming from a background where you experienced abuse, you want to shove it into a box, you want to pretend it

Pictured is Sara Behmerwohld (left), supervisor for the Human Options Legal Advocacy Program, and attorney Christina Helwig, who partners with the domestic violence shelter and the nonprofit to provide pro bono services to victims of domestic abuse. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

doesn’t exist and kick it down the street as hard as you can, so that it never touches you and you never see it again,” she said.

For the past few years, the abuse survivor-turned-attorney has used her own experiences to help other victims navigate their way through the legal system in the hopes of escaping their abusive partners and relationships.

Partnering with local domestic violence shelters and nonprofits such as Human Options, Helwig, whose firm specializes in immigration law, provides pro bono legal services to those who may not know their rights as victims of domestic violence and abuse.

Human Options, which has offices and family resource centers throughout Orange County, operates an emergency shelter for battered victims of domestic

GUEST OPINION: Moments in Time by Jan Siegel

Society to Honor Basques’ Contributions to SJC

O

n Sunday, Sept. 15, the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society is having its annual Heritage Barbeque on the grounds of the Society on Los Rios Street. The event honors the old-timers who have given so much to the history and culture of our community. This year, the Historical Society is honoring the Basques who have contributed so much over the years to San Juan Capistrano.

The year 1910 is best remembered as the year that Fr. St. John O’Sullivan arrived in San Juan Capistrano and started restoring the Mission. But another person who would have an enormous effect on our community also stepped off a train in San Juan Capistrano in 1910. He was Basque farmer Pierre Lacouague.

Lacouague was not the first Basque to The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

come to the Capistrano Valley, but his son would be the one who kept the records, stories and histories of these families that give us the insight to a way of life for an extremely hard-working group of people.

Jean Lacouague started his project in the 1990s. According to a Los Angeles Times article in 1994, Jean Lacouague planned to give the information that he gathered on the Basques to the Historical Society.

Gwen Vermeulen, the former executive director, stated at that time “that Jean Lacouague’s project will be a wonderful and significant addition to the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society museum and that the Society’s Board of Directors will decide how to publish and present the work.”

Unfortunately, Jean Lacouague never saw the completion of his work on the

violence. Additionally, it also offers bridge housing, transitional programs and legal aid to such victims.

“Our Legal Advocacy Program works with survivors of all different backgrounds,” said Sara Behmerwohld, supervisor for the Human Options program. “In general, survivors are often coming into the legal process having not a lot of information to start and in some cases having been fed misinformation by their abusive partners.”

When it comes to abusers feeding their victims misinformation, Behmerwohld and Helwig both note that such a scenario is oftentimes played out within the immigrant community.

As an example, Helwig says victims who are undocumented will be told by their abusive spouse: “I’m a citizen, I’ll win. They won’t

Basques in the Capistrano Valley. He passed away in 2008, but his widow, Marie, who still lives in the family home on Camino Lacouague, kept all of his notes.

The Historical Society was privileged to be given access to Jean’s files and to complete his vision. The Historical Society will be publishing a pamphlet on the History of the Basques in the Capistrano Valley before the end of the year. Marie will be among the honorees at the Heritage Barbeque.

The Oyharzabals were another influential Basque family in our community. Carmen Oyharzabal, MOMENTS daughter of Eugenie and IN TIME Esteban, will also be among

By Jan Siegel the Society Honorees.

According to Jean Lacouague “The Oyharzabals were the biggest single employer in San Juan at one time.” Lacouague used the Oyharzabals’ old payroll lists of ranch, hotel and store employees to pin down the names and dates for his project. He further stated that the Oyharzabals ran a boarding

Page 14

give (the kids) to you” or “I’ll call immigration if you leave, and I’ll have you deported.”

“They pretend they have that power to pick up the phone and have their wife or husband taken out,” Helwig says.

Legally speaking, according to Behmerwohld, what the abusers are telling their spouses isn’t true. And in California, she adds, there are many legal protections available to certain domestic abuse survivors that don’t exist in other states.

“A big part of what we do is educating survivors of those rights and what their legal resources are,” she said.

One such protection for victims in California is the ability to break out of their rental lease early with a two-week notice and proof of either a restraining order, a police report or a letter from a service provider.

“We know that a lot of times survivors of domestic violence aren’t necessarily going to law enforcement or going to a court to get a restraining order, but if they’re able to access services with our agency or even with any of the other agencies, they can just get a letter from the service provider to do that,” Behmerwohld said. “That’s certainly not a protection in all 50 states.”

Human Options has six family resource centers in Orange County, one of which is in San Juan at the CHEC Family Resource Center located at 27412 Calle Arroyo. That office can be reached at 949.489.7742.

Its legal aid office in Tustin can be reached at 800.834.5001, and its bilingual hotline, able to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week, can be reached at 877.854.3594.

Editor’s Note: An extended version of this story can be found at TheCapistranoDispatch.com. CD

house, had a water district and supplied water to the town.

You can spend a Moment In Time at the Society Barbeque, meeting the Basque families and learning about their contribution to our community. Reservations are a must.

Price for admission is $50 a person. To make your reservation, contact Chevon Vermeulen at the Society by calling 949.493.8444.

Jan Siegel was a 33-year resident of San Juan Capistrano and now resides in the neighboring town of Rancho Mission Viejo.

She served on the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for 13 years, has been a volunteer guide for the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library’s architectural walking tour for 26 years and is currently the museum curator for the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society.

She was named Woman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2005, Volunteer of the Year in 2011 and was inducted into the city’s Wall of Recognition in 2007. CD PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The 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 Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com

thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Cheetah THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

C Cheetah. Photo: Courtesy of San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter

heetah may look like an exotic wildcat, but she definitely has the personality of a loving lap cat. Rather than sprinting through the savannah, she prefers to lounge by your side. Cheetah is 3 years old, gets along great with other kitties, and would make a great fit in just about any home.

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

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR Solution:

Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium

Photo: Courtesy of OC Public Libraries

FROM THE ARCHIVES Aldefonso Lobo, who was referred to as “Tata” and born in 1882, was in his 70s at this birthday celebration among “all the old-timers,” circa 1950s.

Every issue, The Capistrano Dispatch will publish a historical photo. Online, The Capistrano Dispatch will create a gallery of the month’s photos. To submit your historical photo for consideration, provide information about the photo along with your name, date, location and a small description to sraymundo@picketfencemedia.com.

SPORTS & OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

San Juan Hills girls volleyball looks to extend its streak of four straight South Coast League titles and 27 straight league wins and earn CIF-SS playoff success. Photos: Courtesy of San Juan Hills Girls Volleyball

2019 San Juan Fall Sports Preview

City teams push for CIFSS playoff breakthroughs

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

T

he 2019 fall high school sports season is underway, with every team returning to action as of last week.

In our annual season preview, we get you caught up on how a selection of San Juan Capistrano teams have fared early on and their outlook for the rest of the season.

For in-game updates, scores, news and more for all of the San Juan Capistrano high school teams, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports and like our brand new Facebook page South OC Sports.

SAN JUAN HILLS

GIRLS | VOLLEYBALL The San Juan Hills girls volleyball team has established itself as the team to beat in the South Coast League. The Stallions have done that by, well, not being beaten in the South Coast League.

San Juan Hills is coming off its fourth The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

straight league championship and has won 27 consecutive league matches. The most recent three South Coast League titles have been undefeated 8-0 runs, which means that San Juan Hills coach Jessica Papell, in her third season, and this year’s crop of seniors have never dropped a league contest.

“The girls talk about it,” Papell said. “I try and keep them focused on one point at a time, one set at time. It’s a difficult task to not drop a league match in one of the toughest leagues in Southern California.

It’s extraordinary. It’s hard work and a bit of luck.”

With that mark for the senior class, Papell and the Stallions decided not to name a specific set of team captains this year, and instead, San Juan Hills is leaning on its group of six seniors, four of whom are starters.

The senior starters are setter Casi Newman and outside hitters Delaney Fuller, Andie Stone and Grace Colburn.

Newman is a four-year varsity player, and Fuller is a three-year varsity player. Stone transferred to San Juan Hills last season from Texas, and Colburn transferred in this season after online school and playing club volleyball.

Kylee Rogers and Marissa Cooper are the other two seniors for San Juan Hills.

Early on, the Stallions are 13-4 on the season, with strong runs in the California Challenge and Dave Mohs Tournament.

Papell is impressed with how the team has played together.

“In my time at San Juan Hills, this team has the best chemistry and relationships that we’ve had,” Papell said. “The cohesiveness, the ability to communicate without issues.”

While the Stallions, ranked No. 10 in the latest CIF-SS Division 1 & 2 poll, have claimed league success, the next step is a deeper CIF playoff run.

In this stretch of league titles, San Juan Hills’ deepest run was in 2017, with a trip to the CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinals followed by a CIF State Division 1 semifinal appearance.

The problem for the Stallions is the elite competition they face in Division 1.

In both 2017 instances, they lost to the eventual champions, both from the Trinity League in Mater Dei and Santa Margarita. Last season, San Juan Hills lost in the second round to No. 2 seed Redondo Union.

Papell and the Stallions know the challenge they face but are confident in their abilities.

“I think we have the pieces to compete with anyone,” Papell said. “There’s not a team out there we can’t compete with if we work the way we can. I think we have the tools to win a CIF title. They always have the goal of winning a CIF title.”

San Juan Hills opens its defense of its South Coast League title on Sept. 17 at home against Trabuco Hills. The Stallions also host Capistrano Valley on Sept.

24, Dana Hills on Sept. 26 and El Toro on Oct. 8.

Page 16

SAN JUAN HILLS

BOYS | WATER POLO By most measures, the San Juan Hills water polo program has been quite good under head coach Ivan Buich.

After taking over in 2015, the Stallions won back-to-back Sea View League championships in 2016 and 2017, and San Juan Hills is ranked No. 4 in CIF-SS Division 4 this season after being ranked highly in the division for most of last season.

However, the Stallions’ roadblock last season was the South Coast League. San Juan Hills went winless in its first season in the “upper” half of the Coast View Conference, which kept the Stallions out of the Division 4 playoffs despite their ranking and a 9-8 nonleague record.

This season, San Juan Hills has its eyes set on breaking into that South Coast League top three and earning its playoff shot.

The Stallions are already on the right track with a 6-0 record and a title at the Segerstrom Tournament. In the Segerstrom final, San Juan Hills toppled Temple City in overtime, with six goals by senior Max Miller, including the overtime winner.

Miller was far and away the Stallions’ leader on offense last season with 113 goals in 25 games. Miller has 24 goals in six games this season with 14 assists, both team highs.

Senior Jack Baughman has been the No. 2 scorer for San Juan Hills, with a balanced output of 16 goals and 17 assists. Sophomore Nick Lindsay and junior Ryan Clark (Cont. on page 18) thecapistranodispatch.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS Submit your classified ad online at thecapistranodispatch.com GARAGE SALES GARAGE SALE – MOVING ALL MUST GO 34421 Camino El Molino Capo Beach. Cross Street Calle Real/Camino El Molino. Sept. 13 (8 am to 3 pm), Sept. 14 (8 am to 4 pm), Sept. 15 (8 am to 1 pm).

Dressers, night stand, front load washer/dryer, side by side refrigerator ice maker works, costume jewelry, lamps, student desks, curio cabinet, sport equipment, tools, surfboard bags, bikes, boating equipment, lamps, USC clothing and bags like new some never used, ladies clothing, shoes, men’s clothing, patio furniture and more. Treasures for all, come and find yours.

RANCHO ALIPAZ MOBILE ESTATES COMMUNITY YARD SALE 32371 Alipaz Street, SJC, CA. Multiple Homes, Books, kitchen ware, clothing, home decor and more. Saturday, Sept. 21. 8am-12pm.

DEL OBISPO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RUMMAGE SALE - SATURDAY, SEPT. 28TH! Come help our school raise money for science camp by buying our stuff! Everything is either $1, $2, $5, or $10* (except for a few very large items) Come to Del Obispo blacktop any time from 7:30 am - 10 am and get some great deals!

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE Call 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or email debra@wellsadsolutions.com

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

HELP WANTED INSIDE SALES Joe Verde Sales and Management Training, Inc. Inside Sales – Local company 30 years in business. The average salesperson made $190,061 in 2018. Email your resume to employment@joeverde.com.

SALESPERSON & BIKE ASSEMBLER Buy My Bikes Inc. in San Juan Capistrano is looking for a salesperson and bike assembler, full or part-time.

Commission on sales. Hourly wage and paid lunch daily.

Have fun and work in a fast-paced environment. Weekend work a must. Must bee polite, clean, like to learn and do things right the first time. E-mail your information and interest to jim@buymybikes.com or come on in! Tues. Wed. Fri. 1:00 -3:00 p.m. Call 949-493-5611.

32302 Camino Capistrano, Ste. 101. SJC, CA

Call 949.388.7700, ext. 104 or email debra@wellsadsolutions.com

FOR SALE LIQUOR LICENSE + KITCHEN EQUIPMENT Restaurant going out of business. All equipment & Liquor License (Type 47) for sale. Beverage air kegerator $1200 • Arctic air commercial freezer $400 • Cooler refrigerator $700 • turbo air deluxe cooler $500 • True refrigerator $700 • (x2)True refrigerator with Condiment trays $500 • Jade range oven $450 • jade grill $2000 • Dean deep fryer $300 Hatco drawer warmer $200 • Ice maker $200 • & more...

Text or call for details 949.510.9724

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on October 25, 2019, at 9:30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, in Department C16 of the Orange County Superior Court – Central Justice Center, located at 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701, Petitioner Alyssa Garrett intends to apply for an order, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 6000, et. seq., declaring The Capistrano Dispatch to be a newspaper of general circulation for the County of Orange, State of California circulated in the City of San Juan Capistrano.

The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

Page 17

thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS (Cont. from page 16) have also been strong with 12 goals and 17 assists each.

Senior Noah Johnson is the man in the cage for San Juan Hills, with 38 saves this season.

San Juan Hills opens league play at El Toro on Sept. 17 and hosts league favorite San Clemente on Oct. 1. The Stallions host Dana Hills on Oct. 15, El Toro on Oct. 17 and Tesoro on Oct. 28.

JSERRA

BOYS | WATER POLO When JSerra boys water polo coach Brett Ormsby arrived last season, he knew the program needed a bit of a rebuild.

The Lions had back-to-back, 22-win seasons in 2014 and 2015, but the program won only 10 games in 2016, 13 games in 2017 and 6 games in Ormsby’s first season in 2018.

However, Ormsby, a 2004 Olympian for the United States and coach of the USA men’s youth national water polo team, has quickly turned things in a positive direction for JSerra with a 5-0 start and a No. 6 ranking in CIF-SS Division 4.

“It was a program that was populated with a lot of players who wanted to play three months a year,” Ormsby said, “and enjoyed the sport but weren’t real serious about it. We came in, and we’re going to go 12 months a year and train and get stronger. There’s a natural progression that happens when people that want that are attracted there, and people that don’t want that decide it’s not for them.

“The guys that are here want to be here, and that’s why we’re seeing a lot of positive growth.”

It is a very young group for Ormsby, with no seniors and only three juniors on the roster, but the Lions have bought in.

JSerra rolls all its young players through and is getting results.

Drew Vangrin and Gabe Guinane are freshman attackers. Sophomores Waylon Fox and Connor Brough contribute at attack. Junior Lachlan Treister is a team leader in the center.

Jack Helfer is starting in the cage as a

JSerra boys water polo is in the midst of a quick turnaround under coach Brett Ormsby and could make some noise in CIF-SS Division 4. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

freshman goalkeeper.

“We’re fortunate in that we don’t have a superstar,” Ormsby said. “It’s great for team spirit and team chemistry. From game to game, we’re going to have different guys step up.”

Ormsby isn’t ready to say the team is competing against the top of the Trinity League quite yet, but he has the Lions focused on being process-oriented, getting better and competing.

JSerra opens the Trinity League against Santa Margarita on Oct. 3.

ST. MARGARET’S

BOYS & GIRLS | CROSS COUNTRY The 2018 season was as successful as it gets for the St. Margaret’s cross country program.

Both the boys and girls teams won CIF-SS championships in Division 5, with Jackson Adelman taking the boys individual title. The boys went on to win the state title, as Adelman ran as the individual runner-up.

The girls were also strong at the state, but their runner-up result gives that group

motivation going into 2019.

“I don’t know if I need to do anything for them,” St. Margaret’s coach Patrick Bendzick said of motivating the girls. “Missing the state title by six points is usually enough to keep that fire burning. I think they saw an opportunity slip through their fingers. They were very happy for the boys, but they really wanted to win both titles last year. They want this one pretty bad.”

The St. Margaret’s girls, ranked No. 1 in CIF-SS Division 5, have plenty of depth, as they return five of their top seven from last year and add a standout freshman.

Freshman Liesel Blau finished second at the Cool Breeze Invitational on Sept. 6 to pace a winning effort for the Tartans. Juniors Madeleine Arundale, Clair Mullen and Katherine Collier all had strong runs in the top 21.

The Tartans boys, ranked No. 3 in Division 5, take a small step back with graduation losses, but they keep Adelman, who will again pace the team. Adelman has matured as a runner going into his junior season, and that could mean trouble for the rest of the state.

St. Margaret’s girls volleyball is looking for its first league title since 2015, and the Tartans have the ability with a strong senior-led group. Photos: Zach Cavanagh The Capistrano Dispatch September 13-26, 2019

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“He’s more poised,” Bendzick said. “He understands more of what’s around him.

You’ll see more methodical moves out of him this year.”

Junior Calvin Capelle will help up front for the Tartans.

ST. MARGARET’S

GIRLS | VOLLEYBALL The St. Margaret’s girls volleyball team has an experienced group ready to break through and reclaim titles for the program.

The Tartans haven’t won a league title since 2015 or a CIF-SS title since 2012.

“We have a lot of senior leadership on this team,” St. Margaret’s coach Joaquin Acosta said. “I thought we had a chance to be pretty good and do what we did last year.

If things start gelling, I think we can be even better than last year. We’re playing a little bit faster, and it’s been working so far.”

Last season, the Tartans finished two games behind Sage Hill for the San Joaquin League title and advanced to the CIFSS Division 4 quarterfinals.

This year, the Tartans (14-4) and Sage Hill (0-10) look to be headed in different directions to open the season, and St. Margaret’s moves up to Division 3, where the Tartans are currently ranked No. 5.

St. Margaret’s is led by its seniors, including starters Emmy Flornes, Jalyn Chung, Mary Collier, Kyla Cruse and Avery Clarke.

The Tartans are starting a freshman at libero with Makena Lim, but Acosta is confident his senior group can lead the way.

“We have a mature group that understands what we want to accomplish,” Acosta said. “I think that’s what gives us an edge this year.”

St. Margaret’s opens league play by hosting Saddleback Valley Christian on Sept. 18.

The Tartans host Sage Hill on Sept. 26 and Capistrano Valley Christian on Oct. 10. CD thecapistranodispatch.com