April 8, 2016

INSIDE: The Green Issue SPECIAL SECTION

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE FOUNDED IN 2002

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

APRIL 8-21, 2016 • VOLUME 14, ISSUE 7

The Green Issue

Ambuehl Elementary student creates his own recycling business in San Juan SPECIAL SECTION

Six-year-old Ryan Hickman, founder of Ryan’s Recycling, sorts through plastic bottles at his San Juan Capistrano home.

Photo: Allison Jarrell

Council Enlists LAFCO to Determine Future of Water Utilities EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

City Council Maps Out Project Priorities for Upcoming Year EYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

San Juan Prep Baseball Teams Having Big Seasons SPORTS/PAGE 18

YOUR NO. 1 SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS, SPORTS AND MORE

EYE ON SJC

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING Charter School Rejects CUSD’s Conditions

What’s Up With...

Five things San Juan should know this week Council Enlists LAFCO in Determining Future of Water Utilities THE LATEST: On April 5, the San Juan Capistrano City Council voted 3-1-0 to approve staff recommendations and enlist the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission, LAFCO, to initiate a municipal services review (MSR) of the city’s ground water recovery plant.

The vote wrapped up a year-long process that began in March 2015, when the city hired a consultant team—Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck—to explore whether the city should pursue reorganizing its water and wastewater utilities.

The consultant team’s findings were presented to the council Tuesday night and were boiled down to two options: terminate the review process and figure out how to maximize the use of the groundwater recovery plant, or pursue a change in the organization of the city’s utilities. Courses of action proposed for the latter option included enlisting LAFCO to conduct a focused MSR for the city, or having the city file its own application with LAFCO for a specific change.

Several speakers during the meeting’s public comment section asked the council to not enlist LAFCO and voiced concerns about San Juan losing control of such a large asset. Ray Miller, chairman of the city’s Utilities Commission, pleaded with the council to not go with LAFCO and to trust the commissioners—who have more than 100 years of collective engineering experience—to recommend how to proceed. Miller said the commission has “not been involved in the process at all” and that utilizing the commission rather than LAFCO would save the city money.

Mayor Pam Patterson, Mayor Pro Tem Kerry Ferguson and Councilman John Perry voted in favor of proceeding with the staff-recommended LAFCO option. Councilman Sam Allevato voted against the motion, and Councilman Derek Reeve was absent.

WHAT’S NEXT: The approved staff recommendations included appropriating $150,000 from the city’s water fund “to cover anticipated costs associated with the LAFCO review process and relat-ed professional services.”— Allison Jarrell The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2016

City Manager Ben Siegel presents a list of high-priority projects during the City Council’s annual strategic planning meeting on April 4. Photo: Allison Jarrell

City Council Prioritizes Projects for Next Fiscal Year

SCWD Forges Ahead with Desal

THE LATEST: The San Juan Capistrano City Council and City Manager Ben Siegel held the city’s annual strategic planning workshop at the community center on April 4. Siegel presented the council and the city’s new department heads with a budget forecast and goals for the upcoming year. The day-long workshop was open to the public and included about an hour of public comment.

Siegel presented a list of 15 high-priority projects for the coming fiscal year, as well as a list of ef-forts already underway, projects not yet budgeted for and a handful of emerging issues. Council members were asked to prioritize their choices. The top three collective priorities were: improving the city’s street maintenance and rehab program, reorganizing the city’s water and wastewater utili-ties and processing the two hotel projects downtown.

THE LATEST: The South Coast Water District held a March 31 special meeting in Dana Point moving ahead with its proposed ocean desalination plant project.

The scoping meeting provided an overview of the project, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process and collected public input for preparation of the draft Environmental Impact Report.

The 30-day public review period for preparation of the draft EIR concludes April 12.

The desal plant—to be located on the district’s 30 acres near San Juan Creek with three wells on Doheny Beach—was first proposed in 2003 as a means to create a more secure and more locally controlled water supply.

Originally an effort by a group of five agencies, the cities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, Moulton Niguel Water District and Laguna Beach County Water District have since left the project, however all remain interested in the pricing of its future water production.

According to initial estimates, the plant is expected to carry a final price tag of at least $90 million. SCWD, now the lone agency on the project (with technical assistance from MWDOC) is continuing to explore funding options via potential partnerships, grants and more.

SCWD serves Dana Point and South Laguna as well as small portions of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente.

WHAT’S NEXT: Siegel reported that staff is currently working on the city’s budget for fiscal years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Currently, the city’s expenditures are outpacing revenues, which Siegel said is due in part to significant ongoing litigation. Siegel described the city’s situation as a “lean environment” without “a lot of meaningful opportunities to reduce expenditures.” He provided council with some alternative options for raising revenue outside of any future taxes from commercial development, including a new county waste agreement and the potential to implement paid parking, which he said can generate several hundred thousand dollars a year.

A budget workshop is slated for May, and the City Council will adopt the twoyear budget in June.—AJ

WHAT’S NEXT: According to Andrew Brunhart, SCWD general manager, completion of the 5-million-gallon-per-day plant is expected in 2020 and will provide about 75 percent of SCWD’s demand.

—Andrea Swayne

Page 3

THE LATEST: The Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously March 23 to approve, with 42 conditions, an application for Global Business Academy charter school to open its doors within the district.

However, GBA’s attorney, Michelle Lopez, informed the board during the meeting that the charter’s representatives are opposed to the majority of the conditions proposed by the district and would not wait to reject the conditional approval.

Trustees were vocal in their dissatisfaction with GBA’s application for a new charter school at their Feb. 24 and March 23 meetings, citing concerns with the school’s lesson structure, financing and goal of opening for the 2016-2017 school year.

District staff’s initial recommendation on March 23 was to reject the application due to concerns including an “unsound educational program.” Staff’s alternative recommendation was to approve the application with 42 conditions, including delaying the school’s opening to the 20172018 school year and restructuring the proposed educational program.

GBA representatives and speakers maintained that their charter school would make students more competitive in the business world with an innovative technological and entrepreneurial education. Catherine Sanchirico, a GBA founding member, told the board the school has “many affluent backers” so organizers aren’t “worried about money.”

WHAT’S NEXT: GBA has the option to appeal the trustees’ decision to the Orange County Board of Education. —AJ

Parents Protest New CUSD School Schedule THE LATEST: On April 1, organizers of the group Save Our Summer protested the new school calendar adopted by Capistrano Unified School District that would start school Aug. 15 and end earlier in June.

The protest effort called for children not attend school on Friday to gain attention from the district’s Board of Trustees. The reason for the opposition centers on arguments that the calendar makes scheduling for student testing and parent scheduling difficult. There have also been claims by the group that the new schedule includes the hottest months of the year, causing the district to spend an inordinate amount of energy and money on air conditioning.

WHAT’S NEXT: Supporters in favor of changing the schedule said they intend to continue to protest the new schedule at future CUSD meetings. —Eric Heinz www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

Mock DUI Crash Gives Student Drivers a Dose of Reality High school students witnessed the possibly lethal results of driving drunk during demonstration STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALEX PARIS, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

B

lood, smoke and tears—that was the scene on March 29 at San Juan Hills High School during a mock DUI crash on the school’s campus. Presented

by Friends Against Drinking and Driving (FADD), Orange County Fire Authority and the California Highway Patrol, the demonstration—involving student actors and emergency responders—aimed to show students the potentially lethal results of driving while intoxicated.

A crowd of high school students watched in silence as police officers, paramedics and firefighters convincingly reenacted a fatal collision response.

Student actors screamed in apparent denial at the bodies of fellow students that were then covered with a sheet or loaded into an ambulance, while firefighters extinguished a fire and extricated another student actor by cutting the roof off a car.

The scene ended with the arrest of the driver and a tearful eulogy by the friends of the “deceased.”

“We want to show students what happens when you text or drink and drive, so that hopefully they never do it,” said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi, founder and chairman of FADD. This was the 94th mock DUI crash that FADD has organized at Orange County high schools since the group’s first demonstration in 1991. Concialdi founded the nonprofit in 1989 in an effort to reduce the instances of drinking and driving, the consequences of which he witnessed while working as a paramedic.

San Juan Hills senior Devynn Madrid played the role of a drunk driver during the mock crash and described the experience as “very impactful.”

“I experienced emotions I’d never imagined before,” she said.

The demonstration was organized

by FADD, OCFA, CHP, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Care Ambulance Service, the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP), O’Connor Mortuary, Mission Hospital and Quality Towing. CD

San Juan Hills senior Devynn Madrid played the role of a drunk driver who was questioned and arrested during a mock DUI crash at the high school’s campus on March 29.

On March 29, San Juan Hills High School students and local emergency responders reenacted a fatal drunk driving collision on the school’s campus.

Friends of the “deceased” eulogize students who acted as fatalities.

EYE ON SJC

SONGS Panel Discusses Environment, Legislation Bills could help move stored nuclear fuel off SONGS site, but interim storage location is needed

Find Out More For more information about Community Engagement Panel meetings, visit www.songscommunity.com.

BY ERIC HEINZ, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

A

s the federal legislature works through bills that would allow for interim storage of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station’s spent nuclear fuel, local powers are urging representatives to pass the amendments.

Two bills, H.B. 3643 and S.B. 854, would amend the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to allow for interim storage of high levels of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel until the Department of Energy finds a permanent solution for it. The interim storage would have to be approved by permit with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

H.B. 4745 recently was introduced and sent to a House Committee, but it is unknown how far the bill will progress this year.

The original plan was for the spent fuel at SONGS to be stored at facilities such as Yucca Mountain, but when that was blocked by Nevada legislators, Southern California Edison, the majority stakeholder in the nuclear plant, had to come up with a temporary solution—one that currently could keep the spent fuel onsite until 2049.

During the March 24 Community Engagement Panel meeting in Oceanside, panel members said they have been working to gather local support for the bills, which could remove the fuel off the coastal location by 2022.

The CEP was formed as an information liaison between the public and the various interests at SONGS and is not a policymaking body.

Last year the San Diego County Board of Supervisors said they wanted the fuel out of the SONGS site. The city of Oceanside has stated its support of removing the stored spent fuel, and the city of San Clemente passed a resolution to support H.B. 3643 earlier this year.

David Victor, chairman of the CEP, said he spoke with representatives in Washington, D.C., recently regarding the proposed amendment to allow for interim storage.

“There’s a huge amount of activity in the Department of Energy on this topic,” VicThe Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2016

San Diego-based attorney Mike Aguirre challenged the limitations and allowable time to speak during the Community Engagement Panel meeting on Thursday, March 24, in Oceanside. During the meeting, he urged Southern California Edison to “take responsibility” for its part in the establishment and decommissioning of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Photo: Eric Heinz

tor said. “The Department of Energy, the office that is running (newly scheduled) meetings, is now geared up and doing what they can within the limits of federal law to help promote the citing of two or more interim storage facilities.”

One of Victor’s—as well members of the public’s—main concern is transporting the fuel out of the SONGS area. Doing it by railcar has been one of the most practical, officials said.

“The politics on this are shifting a lot, and I think a growing number of folks are starting to realize that if interim storage is presented as a complement to permanent storage facilities, you can do a political deal that will result in new federal law,” Victor said. “There are some open questions as to whether federal law is actually necessary. The idea is to create an echo chamber around … interim storage.”

Victor also said facilities in New Mexico and Texas could take the fuel as soon as 2020 to 2022, if the permitting is approved.

Some of the spent fuel won’t be ready for transport until beyond that time due to the radioactive lifespan in some of the outdated storage materials.

Victor published a memo before the meeting outlining his visit in Washington, D.C. See a link to the memo in this story at www.thecapistranodispatch.com.

PUBLIC URGES FASTER REMOVAL OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL During the public comment portion of the meeting, people spoke about trying to store spent nuclear fuel at an interim facility as soon as possible, but without DOE approval or legislation, it can’t be moved anywhere.

Gary Headrick of San Clemente Green

said he has concerns about being “overly optimistic” regarding what can be done with the spent fuel. He said this process cannot be delayed any longer.

“If we end up in a situation where we’re delaying the process inadvertently because of the review process and CEQA and all those reviews, we’re sitting on 80-plus storage containers (with) questionable integrity,” Headrick said, referring to the Holtec International storage containers that were approved by the California Coastal Commission for interim storage last year. “If we become the default nuclear storage site, then we’re all at risk because once the cracks appear, we may never be able to move these.”

Headrick said he wanted supporters of his point to have their findings be given more credibility from the CEP. San Diego-based attorney Mike Aguirre, who has been in litigation with SCE regarding the use of decommissioning funds collected by the utility provider, said it should be SCE that identifies and utilizes a site for permanent storage under the laws of the federal government.

“Edison should take responsibility for the nuclear waste that it produced from which it derived billions of dollars of income, like every other business,” Aguirre said. “They should have been required to obtain a license from the NRC and find the site.”

The Department of Energy is responsible for the permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW OF DECOMMISSIONING Linda Anabtawi, the SCE senior attorney for licensing and environmental law,

Page 7

The Department of Energy will host a consent-based siting public meeting on April 26 in Sacramento on Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza. Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy John Kotek will give a presentation during the meeting. For more information, visit www.energy.gov. gave a presentation during the meeting regarding the environmental impact reports and permitting required for the complete decommissioning of SONGS. The process is required by law as the structure will be significantly altered on public lands. SCE leases the land from the U.S. Navy as well as the California State Lands Commission.

The decommissioning process will have to go through the California Environmental Quality Act and the federal National Environmental Policy Act environmental impact reports. The report from the federal government could take until 2020 or longer to be completed, Anabtawi said.

“We are somewhat uniquely situated as we are … subject to California Coastal Commission regulations, and we also don’t own the land on which the plant is located,” Anabtawi said.

Part of the decommissioning includes the conduits that took in ocean water for cooling at Units 2 and 3 at SONGS, which extend more than 3,000 feet from the coast and will have to be removed.

During the environmental impact reports, there will be public comment opportunities through letters and public scope meetings that will be announced once the processes start.

“What we’ll be looking at during the EIR process is alternatives,” said Cy Oggins, the State Lands chief of environmental planning and management. “In possibly fall of 2017, the commission will review it.”

If the EIR isn’t certified, the State Lands Commission will have to “go back to the drawing board,” Oggins said. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

SJC Sheriff’s Blotter COMPILED BYANDREA SWAYNE

All information below is obtained from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department website. The calls represent what was told to the deputy in the field by the radio dispatcher. The true nature of an incident often differs from what is initially reported. No assumption of criminal guilt or affiliation should be drawn from the content of the information provided. An arrest doesn’t represent guilt.

The items below are just a sampling of the entries listed on the OCSD website.

Wednesday, March 30 DISTURBANCE Paseo San Gabriel/Avenida De La Vista (6:13 p.m.) A patrol check was requested by a caller who saw eight to 10 “gang types” drinking and loitering in the alley between San Gabriel and San Luis. The caller was concerned because the subjects “tend to cause malicious mischief to vehicles after they are done drinking.”

Saturday, March 26 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Paseo Del Mar, 26300 Block (11:15 p.m.)

A man and a woman were sitting at the front gate. The subjects had a bottle of liquor. The caller was concerned due to recent thefts in the area.

DRUNK DRIVING Camino Capistrano, 31700 Block (10:16 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for a white Ford Expedition last seen eastbound on Ortega Highway from Camino Capistrano. The driver came “staggering out of Swallow’s (Inn)” and yelled at the caller to “Get the f*** out of the way.”

DISTURBANCE Via Mayor, 33200 Block (9:42 p.m.) A large group of “rowdy teens” was congregating near the location.

RECKLESS DRIVING Peppertree Bend/Calle Aspero (7:19 p.m.)

Three teenagers were driving a golf cart in and out of traffic, causing a hazard.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLE Summerfield Lane, 27600 Block (7:24 p.m.) A man living in his beige-colored RV was seen possibly selling things out of the vehicle.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-NON-INJURY Del Obispo Street, 31900 Block (3:26 p.m.)

The driver of a white Toyota “hit a pole in the parking lot and almost ended up driving up into a business.” The caller also indicated the vehicle may have also hit a support beam in the shopping center.

PATROL CHECK Edgewood Road/Village Road (3:11 a.m.)

A crying woman was one of four people The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2016

inside a black BMW. The caller said the other three people were thwarting the woman’s attempts to exit the vehicle.

the hose and drove off, causing damage to the nozzle.

Wednesday, March 23

Friday, March 25 CITIZEN ASSIST Ortega Highway/Interstate 5 (11 p.m.)

A man called to report being battered by bouncers at The Coach House. Coach House personnel also called police reporting the man was drunk and had been kicked out of the bar.

DISTURBANCE Verdugo Street, 26700 Block (10:12 p.m.)

A woman in her 50s “attacked a man with her fists” at Vintage Steakhouse. The man, described as being in his 60s, was bleeding from his hand. It was unclear whether just the man or both of the subjects left in a silver Lincoln Continental.

DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 30300 Block (10:10 p.m.) A resident at Silverado Senior Living punched another resident in the face. The victim had a small laceration but refused medics.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLE Camino Capistrano/Acjachema Street (8:12 p.m.) Two men in an older white Ford truck were being verbal with passersby and looking into vehicles.

PETTY THEFT REPORT Rancho Viejo Road, 31700 Block (5:58 p.m.) A female Bad to the Bone BBQ employee was seen on camera taking a customer’s wallet. She left the store after being confronted about it.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Driftwood Court, 33000 Block (5:47 p.m.)

Two teenage boys were seen walking around looking into windows of houses and possibly placing unknown items on porches.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Paseo San Gabriel, 26400 Block (12:04 a.m.) A 40- to 50-year-old man wearing a black hoodie and jeans was knocking on doors and singing.

Thursday, March 24 WELFARE CHECK Windjammer Drive, 25600 Block (2:38 p.m.) A man called police and said he wasn’t drunk but had taken Xanax and needed a deputy to explain to him “what sexual harassment is.” The man went on to admit he had been drinking a bottle of vodka with his prescription meds.

HIT-AND-RUN MISDEMEANOR REPORT Junipero Serra Road, 26500 Block (7:34 a.m.) A woman was on her cell phone while pumping gas. She forgot to detach

DISTURBANCE Calle Delphina/Calle Reynalda (4:08 p.m.)

A man was seen leaning on a vehicle and looking inside. The caller said the man was “talking to the air” and became verbally combative with an unknown person who came out of a house in the area. A 20-yearold man, who said he works in maintenance, was booked into Central Men’s Jail and released two days later.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN VEHICLE Junipero Serra Road/Camino Capistrano (2:17 p.m.) A patrol check was requested for a silver or gray ’90s model sedan in a parking lot that had items falling out of the trunk. The car had rear-end damage and was being held together with bungee cords. The caller was concerned because the things falling out of the car nearly caused a collision on the freeway.

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY Calle Del Campo, 31200 Block (9:29 p.m.)

The caller fell and couldn’t get up.

CITIZEN ASSIST Paseo Adelanto, 32500 Block (6:49 a.m.)

A man told deputies that for two days in a row when he walked out of his house a woman approached and yelled at him.

Tuesday, March 22 SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Rosenbaum Road/Trabuco Creek Road (7:52 p.m.) A Dodge van was parked on Rosenbaum with someone inside. The van had also been parked in the same spot three nights before. The caller said they know all the vehicles in the neighborhood and “this one does not belong.”

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCES Del Obispo Street, 31800 Block (4:26 p.m.)

A man kept taking his clothes off and then putting them back on behind the pods at the location.

Monday, March 21 UNKNOWN TROUBLE Alipaz Street/Calle Lucana (6:43 p.m.) Deputies made a patrol check after receiving a call with only the sounds of male and female juveniles yelling at each other. The call had come from a group of kids playing soccer, one of whom had a cell phone in their pocket.

Sunday, March 20 DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY Interstate 5/Ortega Highway (11:16 p.m.)

A patrol check was requested on Ortega near a hillside for “the world’s largest rock concert.”

Page 8

Community Meetings TUESDAY, APRIL 12

Planning Commission Meeting

6:30 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Planning Commission meets at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. See the agenda at www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13

Downtown Farmers Market 3 p.m.– 7 p.m. Fresh flowers, produce and specialty foods from dozens of vendors in downtown San Juan Capistrano.

Visit www.farmersmarketsjc.com or call 949.493.4700 to find out more.

CUSD Board of Trustees Meeting

7 p.m. The Capistrano Unified School District governing body meets at district offices, located at 33122 Valle Road. To see the board’s agenda, visit www.capousd.org.

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

Design Review Committee Meeting

4:30 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Planning Commission meets at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. See the agenda a www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

Coffee Chat 8 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues. Occurs every Friday at Hennessey’s Tavern, 31761 Camino Capistrano. All are welcome. Follow Coffee Chat SJC on Facebook for more information.

MONDAY, APRIL 18

Parks, Recreation, Senior and Youth Services Commission 6 p.m. The

San Juan Capistrano Parks, Recreation, Senior and Youth Services Commission meets at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. See the agenda at www.sanjuancapistrano.org

TUESDAY, APRIL 19

City Council, Housing Authority and Successor Agency Meeting 5 p.m.

The city’s governing body meets at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. To see the agenda, visit www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

Next issue of The Dispatch publishes www.thecapistranodispatch.com

EYE ON SJC

Growin’ Native in San Juan

Local nonprofit’s third annual Eco Garden Expo returns to Los Rios Park

Visitors participate in a workshop at the 2015 Eco Garden Expo in Los Rios Park.

Lisa Montes of the Acjachemen Nation shows off one of many gourds she carved at last year’s expo.

A succulent display from last year’s event.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALLISON JARRELL, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

master gardeners.

Goin Native founder and executive director Marianne Taylor is a 25-year resident of the Los Rios Historic District, specializing in garden education, dirt therapy and community volunteerism.

Taylor is an ardent advocate for native landscaping, especially when it comes to educating residents on utilizing droughttolerant native plants. Today, Taylor’s nonprofit continues to educate the community with programs such as the Los Rios Garden Angels volunteer group, the Capistrano Unified School District Adult Transition Workability program, the master gardener program at Reata Park, hands-on cooking and gardening classes with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley, and an array of workshops at Goin Native’s headquarters on Los Rios Street.

Los Rios Park is located at 26436 Paseo Adelanto. Parking for the Eco Garden Expo can be found throughout the downtown area, including the Ramos Street parking lot, the Verdugo Street parking structure and along Camino Capistrano. CD

T

he third annual Eco Garden Expo, presented by local nonprofit Goin Native Therapeutic Gardens, will take place April 23-24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Los Rios Park, located in downtown San Juan Capistrano. The event is free and open to the public.

More than 60 exhibitors will be at this year’s expo, ranging from vertical urban gardening and kombucha brewing, to artisan crafts and organic produce. A variety of hands-on workshops and guest speakers will offer attendees a chance to put what they’ve learned into practice.

The event kicks off on April 23 with special keynote speaker John Kabashima, Environmental Horticulture Adviser Emeritus at the University of California Cooperative Extension. In 1987, Kabashima became a UC environmental horticulture adviser in Orange and Los Angeles counties, and in 1998, he began leading the UC Master Gardener Program in Orange County, training more than 300

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-14, 2016

Page 9

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SOAPBOX

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS

Letters to Picket Fence Media celebrates the Editor 10-year anniversary of the San Clemente Times

EDITOR'S NOTE: By Andrea Swayne

DECOMMISSIONING SAN ONOFRE ON THE CHEAP PUTS US ALL AT RISK GARY HEADRICK, San Clemente

T

he month of March marked the 10th anniversary of the The Capistrano Dispatch’s sister publication the San Clemente Times.

Picket Fence Media launched the SC Times on March 23, 2006 in a hybrid “maga-paper” style, combining traditional news reporting with the forward-looking philosophy of delivering information that would give readers the opportunity to become Andrea Swayne more involved in the community and all of the great things it has to offer.

Delivering on its promise to provide “Local News You Can Use,” the SC Times proved to be a successful model and

the company expanded with the acquisition of The Capistrano Dispatch in 2007 and launched the Dana Point Times in 2008.

As we embark on our second decade of publishing the tri-city area’s most popular and trusted news sources, we’d like to thank those who have made our longevity possible: our treasured readers and advertisers.

We invite you to visit the online edition of this week’s special anniversary edition of the SC Times at www.sanclementetimes. com to take a trip with us down memory lane. CD

Edison’s Community Engagement Panel met last Thursday, March 24, to update the public on plans to decommission the nuclear power plant at San Onofre. The average citizen would have been reassured there was nothing to be concerned about.

Unfortunately, Edison has a history that must be remembered. In 2010 San Clemente Green was contacted by staff who were afraid of retaliation from management for making safety concerns known. We were forewarned about the faulty replacement steam generators that resulted in leaking radiation in 2012. Edison knowingly put us all at risk, ignoring their own expert’s warnings. Edison is now under investigation for a deal leaving ratepayers with most of the $4 billion gamble they lost.

Now they find themselves between a rock and a wet place: the Pacific Ocean.

With nowhere to take radioactive waste, which amounts to 89 times more than was released in the Chernobyl accident, Edison has come up with a risky and experimental solution. Their current plan is to bury the waste in the sandstone bluffs, 100 feet from the waves and only inches above the water table, using containers that were only designed for temporary storage. Rather than spend more money on cast iron canisters that are 20 inches thick, like those used in Europe, they have selected half-inch thick stainless steel containers known to have cracking issues in as few as 17 years. Some of these containers have already been in service for 10 years.

Please join us in calling for the best storage system available. Write to gary@ sanclementegreen.org to be added to the list of concerned citizens. You can find well-documented support for our claims at www.sanonofresafety.org.

To submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in the paper, e-mail us at letters@thecapistranodispatch. com or send it to 34932 Calle del Sol, Suite B, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624. The Capistrano Dispatch reserves the right to edit reader-submitted letters for length and is not responsible for the claims made or the information written by the writers.

Correction: In The Capistrano Dispatch’s March 25-April 8 edition, a story about the City Council voting to approve a year-long moratorium on new sober living homes contained an error. San Juan Capistrano resident Warren Hanselman said residents living on Paseo Terraza knew that a realtor selling a vacant home was in talks with a known sober living facility. Hanselman said he and his neighbors were concerned that a third facility would come to their street. Currently, there is not a third congregate living facility on Paseo Terraza.

Page 10

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

HOW TO REACH US CITY EDITOR Allison Jarrell, 949.388.7700, x108 ajarrell@thecapistranodispatch.com ADVERTISING PRINT AND ONLINE

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

Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, x107 tzines@thecapistranodispatch.com BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER Alyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@thecapistranodispatch.com

PICKET FENCE MEDIA PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

> Susie Lantz (San Clemente)

EDITORIAL

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Group Senior Editor, City Editor, DP Times > Andrea Swayne City Editor, SC Times > Eric Heinz City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch > Allison Jarrell Sports Editor > Steve Breazeale Special Projects Editor > Andrea Papagianis ART/DESIGN

Real Estate Sales Manager > Michele Reddick OPERATIONS Finance Director > Mike Reed Business Manager > Alyssa Garrett Accounting & Distribution Manager > Tricia Zines SPECIAL THANKS Robert Miller, Jonathan Volzke

Art Director > Jasmine Smith ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA MARKETING Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes (Dana Point)

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Melissa Calvano, Evan Da Silva, Debra Holm, Alex Paris, Tim Trent

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 14, Issue 7. The Dispatch (www.thecapistranodispatch) is published twice monthly

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

Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

FOLLOW THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

The Green Issue

Organic Diversion Photo: CR&R

Recycling kitchen scraps, yard waste into energy Vegetable peelings, discarded meat bones and uneaten leftovers are full of life.

San Clemente residents will soon give these items a new purpose.

Kitchen scraps and yard waste become energy starting July 1. Organic waste, from egg shells and banana peels to chicken bones and pizza slices, will divert the landfill and instead be recycled into fertilizer and fuel.

Organic materials account for onethird of all waste in landfills.

Its diversion is key to meeting California waste reduction goals, calling for a 75-percent diversion from landfills by 2020. With a current directive of 50 percent recycling, Californians will have to salvage an estimated 20 million tons of additional waste annually, according to CalRecycle, the

state’s recycling department.

The Costa Mesa Sanitary District launched Orange County’s first residential organics recycling program in June. Today, according to a UC Irvine study, two thirds of Costa Mesa’s single-family households are recycling food scraps. Residents now use a two-bin system. One bin for green waste, the other for trash. Without food, trash bins are mostly filled with recyclables, said CR&R Waste & Recycling Service sustainability specialist Lawrence Jones.

In February alone, the district collected more than 600 tons—or 1.2 million pounds of food waste, Jones said. Those recyclable organic materials are now skipping the landfill and instead being composted in Victorville.

Costa Mesa’s food and yard waste will soon be sent to Perris where the Stanton-based CR&R is finishing a more than $25 million anaerobic digesting facility. Here, microorganisms will break down biodegradable material inside an oxygen-free chamber.

The matter will then be processed into fertilizer and biogas. The fertilizer will eventually be sold to farmers to grow crops, while the fuel will power CR&R’s fleet of collection trucks.

Other municipalities could soon follow Costa Mesa’s lead. San Clemente’s organic recycling service rolls out this summer with Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano expressing interest in implementing the two-bin system. •

In Seas n It’s always spring in California. At least when it comes to our year-round farmers markets. Three days a week, each week of the year, regional growers tout fresh produce at open-air markets in the community. These markets are always in bloom.

San Juan Capistrano Wednesdays: 3 p.m.–7 p.m.

Shop seasonal produce, fresh flowers, specialty foods and more at this weekly market in San Juan’s historic downtown.

Yorba Linda Street at Camino Capistrano. www.farmersmarketsjc.com.

Dana Point Saturdays: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Merchants from across Southern California sell an array of produce, flowers and foods at La Plaza Park. Each first Saturday features a craft fair. Pacific Coast Highway north of Golden Lantern. www.danapoint.org.

San Clemente Sundays: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

This weekly market features dozens of vendors selling seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers and specialty foods and goods each week along San Clemente’s downtown Avenida Del Mar. Whether you’re headed to your local grocer or farmers market, be sure to shop the season. In season now: artichokes, asparagus, beets, mushrooms, spinach, cherries and tangerines. Watch for stone fruits to hit stands soon—peaches, apricots and plums peak in May. •

The Green Issue

Finding Treasure in Trash

San Juan Capistrano 6-year-old starts his own recycling business, aspires to drive his own garbage truck one day STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALLISON JARRELL

If there’s one thing 6-year-old Ryan Hickman loves, it’s sorting.

So when, at the ripe age of 3, his parents, Damion and Andrea, let him come along to return some water bottles at a recycling center, he was thrilled to help.

“He likes to sort pretty much anything, and he liked putting the bottles in the machine,” Damion said. “He probably got two or three bucks, and he was so excited about it. And of course then he got to sort his change, so that meant more sorting.”

For an average 3-year-old, that probably would have been the end of the story. But when Damion returned home from work the next day, Ryan was waiting for him in the driveway. He told his dad that he wanted to show him his new business—or “bidness” in toddler talk.

“I asked him what it was, and he kind of waved down the street and goes, ‘tahdah!’” Damion recalled. “Ryan and Andrea had gone around giving all the neighbors trash bags—he wanted everyone to start saving cans for him.”

That was the beginning of Ryan’s Recycling Company, established in 2012 in the family’s San Juan Capistrano home. first-grader at mbuehl lementary School, Ryan has already earned more than $8,000 by collecting cans and bottles from about 0 customers in five different neighborhoods. His biggest client is the El Niguel Country Club.

Of course, being a 6-year-old entrepreneur comes with some hurdles. Ryan’s parents, grandmother and aunt all help drive him around to collect his recyclables and often make multiple trips to pick up a few carloads at a time. The family’s backyard acts as Ryan’s sorting facility, where he has about eight large trash cans that he sorts containers into— bottles and cans, plastics and glass, they

all have their place. Ryan’s family visits the recycling center every third Sunday, and on the weekends he can often be seen sorting to prepare for those visits with his work gloves on and sporting a blue CR&R hat.

The young businessman said even though he has to dump the occasional “yucky liquids” from some of the collected containers, it’s all worth it—every nickel goes into a savings account and toward his dream of owning his own garbage truck one day. Since he’s got about 10 more years until he can learn to drive, Ryan figures that gives him at least a decade to earn the $70,000 needed to purchase a used truck, or $120,000 for a brand new one.

“Ryan’s one of those really unique kids who has a passion, said his first grade teacher Suzanne Devaney. “He just sees things that need to be done and he does them.”

Since the company’s inception, Damion, a graphic designer, has created business cards for Ryan as well as Ryan’s Recycling T-shirts, which sell for $13 apiece. All the proceeds from the shirts are donated to the acific arine ammal Center—so far they’ve contributed about $1,000.

In a YouTube video posted last July, Damion asks Ryan if other people should start recycling to help save the earth. mm no, Ryan says nonchalantly.

“I got it all handled.”

His answer has changed a bit since then. Ryan said he thinks people should start recycling not only to earn some extra cash, but “because it helps the world, too.” He worries that birds at the beach may eat the trash and “get sick or die.”

“He’s very passionate about it, and he likes to get everybody else passionate about it as well,” Andrea said. “I think he’s rubbed off on all of us now. You find yourself walking past a can on the ground and needing to pick it up instead of walking away and leaving it there.”

For more information on Ryan’s Recycling, visit www.dhdwear.com/ Ryans-Recycling. To see Ryan talk about his recycling efforts, search for “Ryan’s Recycling Company” on YouTube. •

The Green Issue organic food anywhere—from front yards to patios and roof tops to window sills— during container gardening basics class.

D ISC O V E R N A TU R E

The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

Caspers Guided Nature Hike: Sunday, April 17; 8 a.m.–9:15 a.m. Join the park ranger on a 1-mile hike through Bell Canyon’s pristine sycamore and oak savannas. Rain cancels the hike. Hike is held each Sunday. $5 parking fee.

R E C Y C L E GO O D S

33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.923.2210, www.ocparks.com.

Community Shred Day: Saturday, April 16; 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Shred documents at Monarch Bay Plaza for free.

Healing Yoga in the Garden: Monday, April 25; 10 a.m. Restore and balance your body during this 60-minute, gentle practice among the trees with Yoga Trippin’ and Goin’ Native. Yoga is held each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Pacific Coast Highway and Crown Valley Parkway, Dana Point, www.monarchbayplaza.com.

Bulky Item Drop-off: Saturday, May 7; 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Bring e-waste, green waste, appliances, furniture and other items for collection by Goodwill Industries. Shredding services also available at two drop-off locations.

31661 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, www.goinnative.net.

Headlands Nature Tour: Saturday, May 7; 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Explore the region’s ecology and natural history on this 1.5-mile, docent-led tour of the Dana Point Headlands. Walk is held the first Saturday each month.

Nature Interpretive Center, 34558 Scenic Drive, Dana Point, 949.248.3527, www.danapoint.org.

California Native Plants: Tuesday, May 10; 9 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Learn the historic, pre-mission uses of California native plants during this 2-mile hike over steep, uneven terrain. Parking is $3.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.923.2235, www.ocparks.com.

Eco Garden Expo at Los Rios Park April 23 and 24. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Green Scene

Local events to celebrate Earth Day, explore Mother Nature

Mission Garden Tour: Wednesday, May 18; 10 a.m.–10:30 a.m. Tour Mission San Juan Capistrano’s elegant gardens filled with roses, perennials, herbs, succulents and more. Held every Wednesday.

GE T SM A R T

San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, www.sanclementegardenclub.com.

Imaginology: Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead: Friday–Sunday, April 15–17. Discover careers in agriculture, the arts, science and technology at the OC Fair’s hands-on, educational e ploration of robotics, fishing, storytelling, farming and more.

OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, www.ocfair.com.

Grow Your Own! Spring Festival: Saturday, April 16; 10 a.m. Build terrariums, learn how to pickle, get dirty in the garden, pick strawberries, enjoy live music and food to celebrate the season.

The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

Ocean Institute Earth Day: Saturday, April 23; 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Explore marine

GIV E B A C K Civic Beautification: Second Tuesdays, 8:45 a.m. Do your part to maintain San Clemente’s public gardens by joining the San Clemente Garden Club for monthly maintenance at the Pier Garden, Jo Read Memorial Garden, Park Semper Fi and Rose Garden at City Hall. www.sanclementegardenclub.com.

26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.org.

Garden Fest: Saturday, April 9; 8 a.m.– 3 p.m. Peruse the garden flea market while learning about water-smart programs and butterfly habitats at the San Clemente Garden Club’s annual event.

Dana Hills High School, 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point; Palisades Elementary School, 26462 Via Sacramento, Capistrano Beach, www.danapoint.org.

Imaginology at the OC Fair & Event Center April 15–17. Photo: Courtesy

life and native plants, build a butterfly garden, learn about protecting the environment and take part in a harbor cleanup. E-waste will be collected.

24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

Earth Day San Clemente: Saturday, April 23; 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Visit Parque Del Mar at 8:30 a.m. to lend a hand in cleaning up Main Beach. Earth Day festivities kick off at 10 a.m. with music, crafts, displays and more for the whole family.

Parque Del Mar, San Clemente Pier, www.scwatersheds.com.

Eco Garden Expo: Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24; 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Get equipped, inspired and empowered to make eco-friendly gardening choices to save time, water and money.

Los Rios Park, 31790 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano, 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

Backyard Beekeeping: Saturday, May 7; 1 p.m. Learn how critical the honeybee

Earth Day at the Ocean Institute April 23.

Photo: Courtesy

is to our ecosystem and food supply, the equipment needed to start beekeeping, hive tips and more. Cost is $40.

The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

The Magic of Composting: Saturday, May 14; 8:30 a.m. Gain knowledge to naturally return kitchen scraps and yard waste to the earth during this fun workshop. Cost is $10. Register by May 13.

Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo, Dana Point, 949.248.3530, www.danapoint.org.

Casa Wellness Wednesdays: Garden Workshop: May 18; 7 p.m. Join Casa Romantica’s garden director Lisa Chumura in this hands-on gardening workshop. Each guest takes home their own handmade craft. Cost is $35.

415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949.498.2139, www.casaromantica.org.

Container & Patio Gardening: Saturday, May 21; 1 p.m. Pick up tips to grow

Earth Day Restoration, Cleanup: Saturday, April 16; 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Help place native plants, install signage and remove trash from Doheny State Beach. Also, do your part to maintain San Onofre State Beach’s San Mateo Campground by cleaning trails, planting native trees, weeding, painting and more. Bring work gloves, shovel and reusable bag.

Register at www.calparks.org/earthday.

Mother Earth Beach, Creek, Park Cleanup: Saturday, April 23; 9 a.m.– noon. Help clean Doheny State Beach and San Juan Creek. Bring work gloves and reusable bag. Parking fee waived.

Meet at lifeguard headquarters.

25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6172, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

ROOTS Restoration: Saturday, May 27; 9 a.m. Each fourth Saturday take part in the California Coastal Commission’s restoration project to preserve Upper Newport Bay. Remove invasive plants and perform site maintenance. Register at www.coastal.ca.gov.

2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, 949.923.2290.

Los Rios Garden Angels: Thursday, April 21; 8:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

Volunteers meet each Thursday at the Montanez Adobe to maintain native plants and the endangered Monarch butterfly. Bring gloves and clippers.

Los Rios Park, 31745 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

The Green Issue

Shine On Local lights up e-commerce solarpowered mason jar business

Photo: Moonshiner Co.

All it takes is a little light.

Six to eight hours of direct sunlight, that is, to power up a Moonshiner Co. solar mason jar.

Launched earlier this year, this Dana Point-based e-commerce business is just lighting up.

Moonshiner’s marquee product, a 32-ounce mason jar with a solar panel lid, lasts up to 12 hours with one full charge.

This clean, renewable energy source is decorative and portable—an ideal light for an outdoor table, be it in a backyard, campsite, wedding venue or on a boat. It goes where its users go.

“The opportunities to use a solar— powered mason jar are endless,” said Moonshiner Co. co-founder Mike Nusenow. “It is all up to our users’ imagination.”

Tied to a backpack and hung from a bike, Nusenow has taken his Moonshiner from Yosemite to the Dana Point Harbor, with ideas for where the solar-powered

Energy Efficient

Low- to no-cost ways to cut energy usage Simple changes can make all the difference to an energy bill.

This summer, and all year round, make a few adjustments. It doesn’t have to be solar panel installation or replacing every appliance in the house—just a couple alterations here and there will go a long way. You can cut your energy usage and utility bill while helping to increase Southern California’s energy security.

Bump it up: Cooling costs can be cut by 12 percent by raising the air conditioner from 72 to 78 degrees.

Make a switch: On not so hot days, use ceiling and portable fans to stay cool and comfortable.

Power down: Unplug devices like TVs, computers and game consoles

jars can go darting left and right.

It all started with a trip. When cofounder James Sampson traveled home to South Africa he came across a variation of the solar-powered jar. Not seeing anything like it in the states, he brought the idea back. The idea came at the right time for Nusenow. Ready to end his fourhour daily commute, and with a baby on the way, the chief marketing officer at the Los Angeles-based Hudson Jeans, wanted to make a change.

The one-item, start-up was born.

For now, Nusenow is working to get the solar jars in front of consumers. The pair eventually wants to expand Moonshiner products and the company’s global reach.

Looking at what other brands have done internationally, Nusenow said Moonshiner could one day assist individuals worldwide.

Check out Moonshiner Co’s solar-powered mason jars on Instagram, Pinterest and at www.monshinerco.com. •

that draw power when turned off.

Change out: When it comes time to replace lightbulbs, opt for energyefficient options.

Block it out: Lower blinds, install shade trees, awnings or trees to block direct sunlight from windows.

Eat cool: Avoid using the stove top and oven. Instead dine on cold and outdoor grilled meals.

Freshen up: Keep the air conditioning filter clean for optimal efficiency and save on cooling costs.

Shine on: Dim or turn off lights during the day and take advantage of natural light.

Cool down: Setting the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees should be sufficient for most uses.

Visit www.sdge.com for more year-round energy saving tips and to view current rebate programs on lighting, pool pumps, appliances, water heaters and more. You can also download your home’s energy data using SDG&E’s Green Button where you can connect with a third-party app that will help you make choices about saving energy and lowering your bill. See more at www.sdge.com/green-button.

Growing Organic

Tower gardens, raised planters make organic gardening accessible

BY ERIC HEINZ

Southern California’s climate lends itself to gardening all year round. From the patio to the backyard, local businesses are taking the guess work out of organic growing, so residents can make the most of their spaces while supplying fresh fruits and vegetables for the family.

Organics Out Back Chris Garcia, owner of Organics Out Back, has centered his business around environmental awareness, sustainability and accessibility.

Garcia’s grandmother, Frances, had a green thumb. With her teaching—a bit of trial and error, too—Garcia mastered the garden. He’s transformed his passion for gardening into a career—installing raised, edible organic gardens with function and aesthetics in mind.

Chris Garcia, owner of Organics Out Back, stands next to a chicken coop with a raised garden on top in his backyard. Photo: Eric Heinz

Paul Carter stands with multiple Tower Gardens. The gardens are able to grow more produce at a faster rate due to their planting design. Photo: Courtesy

“People in the last couple years are really concerned about what’s going into their bodies,” Garcia said. “With our growth climate, we’re really spoiled here. We can grow just about anything. We tell people it’s good to eat seasonally because you get different nutrients from different plants.”

The main thing gardens need is good soil. That along with a good root system produces good food, he said. Garcia encourages clients to use composting and worm bins to make their organic gardens flourish. He also designs gardens with his client’s needs and abilities in mind.

“The reason we do raised boxes is it’s easier on your back and you don’t have to amend the soil as much,” Garcia said of his raised gardens, designed with chil-

dren, the elderly and disabled in mind.

The company also works with local schools to create gardens and collects extra vegetables from client gardens to donate to area charities.

“I know money can be tight, and the organic food and vegetables can get pushed to the side,” Garcia said. “Organic food at the grocery store is much more expensive than the others, but the health benefits of the ones we grow in our gardens are much healthier.”

Tower Gardens In an effort to lead a more healthful life and share his love for organic gardening with others, local surfboard shaper Paul Carter recently became a Tower Gardens

representative.

The tower gardening system, made by Juice Plus, is designed to grow vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers vertically using aeroponics—a water-only technology used by NASA—and in 30 percent less time than a traditional, in-ground garden.

The tower format, too, means a garden can be grown anywhere from a small balcony, front porch or backyard.

“They grow 30 percent quicker and yield, using 90 percent less water,” Carter said. “The roots are getting watered directly and it’s consistent every 30 minutes. There’s no herbicides or pesticides.”

Fruits and vegetables are ripe in about four to five weeks, Carter said.

Constructed out of a plant-based plastic, the towers are an opaque white color to help keep them cool. The whole irrigation is on a timer. Water, and a special mineral blend, is kept in a reservoir at the bottom of the tower and pumped up.

It then trickles down through the plastic cylindrical tower.

Any kind of vegetable or fruit can be grown in them so long as the climate permits. Each tower costs about $550 and comes complete with all materials needed, but Carter said his tower paid for itself through its produce. Off of five towers, Carter is able to gather 45 pounds of produce in one harvest.

Carter has been traveling to San Diego and other parts of Southern California to teach people about the tower gardens, but his passion is to teach people to eat healthy. •

The Green Issue

Carbon-Conscious Kids

R ead and R euse

Sparking curiosity, encouraging kids to e plore, uestion and wonder Curiosity is at conservations core ow do you spark a child’s innate sense of e ploration and discovery t’s a uestion icki Wiker, oheny State each park interpreter, asks every day.

Wiker is head of the parks interpretive programs. rom coastal clean ups and field trips to arth ay events and native planting pro ects, Wiker engages the community, and its youngest residents, encouraging them to give back, learn about and e plore the local ecosystem. ducational activism at its finest. try really hard to foster a genuine love and understanding in children at an early age so they can embrace a regard and reverence for the other arth and all of her precious creatures, plants, trees and everything that goes with nature, Wiker said. t oheny, Wiker and a team of oheny State each nterpretive ssociation volunteer docents work to engage kids in a fun, hands-on way. t starts in oheny’s visitors center where five large fish tanks and a tide-pool simulator give guests an up-close view of waters ust outside the center’s walls.

California state marine fish, the irabaldi, spiny lobsters and other sea life swim among reefs and kelp forests, mirroring the region’s underwater realm. a idermy creatures from land and sky line the center’s walls and shelves. isplaying historic artifacts give visitors a glimpse at the region’s rich past. he walls of the center, too, engage guests. man is painted in a mural above the tide pool. e’s washing his car in the driveway. Runoff is portrayed traveling down his drive and into the storm drains. rom there, the soaps and oils are seen entering an estuary before flowing into the ocean. simple task with a big impact e posed. t’s those connections Wiker strives to make with young park visitors, who can discover marine diversity in intertidal ones, learn about the life cycle of regional birds, take a field outing to e plore a time when ative mericans lived harmoniously with nature, use their senses to travel around the butterfly garden and learn about the importance of keeping the ocean environment

One Man’s Trash

resh, unky finds hat s what you ll discover ood causes and volunteers, too As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. No telling what you’ll find. ou can keep your unused items out of the trash by donating to stores in the local second-hand shopping scene—where recycling and purchasing second-hand benefits the tri-city, second-hand environment and nonprofit missions. win-win. ere goods uyer s guide are a few options

42

C

,S

iH P

C

reasures

olunteers at this nonprofit storefront, located on the Rodeo rive of thrift stores accept donations onday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays starting at noon. ll donations, and purchases, help provide homeless individuals and families a pathway to success. www.ihopeoc.org.

w ay s t o st ret c h t he l i f e o f y o ur new sp ap er

1

Children interact with oheny State ark naturalist interpreter icki Wiker at the inaugural roheny estival. hoto ndrea Swayne

healthy. try to get kids at a young age to embrace the earth so it becomes a lifelong commitment and dedication to our precious planet, Wiker said. oheny State each hosted the inaugural roheny estival on pril 2. roheny is the brainchild of evan iller, who conceived the idea as a student of the horticulture program at Saddleback College. he free event is family-friendly and horticulturally focused, with educational workshops, guest speakers, games, gardening and cooking demonstrations and live music. f all goes well, iller hopes roheny will become a twice-annual event in spring and fall with classes tailored to growing seasonal crops. went to a lot of classes and events and noticed they were missing the music element and the family element, iller said. t really all starts with the children, so decided to put something together that could engage the whole family. o to www.dohenystatebeach.org for the latest park events, including the upcoming beach cleanup and planting pro ects to mark arth ay. nd be sure to check back for information on summer events like grunion runs and oheny Surf estival. •

a ienda hri t Store C

,S

C

t a ienda, used items serve a greater purpose. Sales of clothing, furniture, housewares, electronics, ewelry, sporting goods and other gently-used items benefit oshua ouse—a one-year, no-cost, faith-based recovery program providing men a safe environment to rebuild their lives. www.latiendathriftstore.com.

ighthouse hri t Store

4

P

H

P

42

P C

CC

S H H

,

With two locations, the ighthouse Charitable oundation ma imi es its reach and offerings. onations and profits of this faith-based organi ation’s thrift store go to ictory ouse, a one-year men’s residential ministry in Capistrano each. www.lcfonline.com.

iles4 utism 6P

V ,S

-4, S

C PS

hrifty finds await at this S C store front where donations and proceeds help support Orange County children with autism. he nonprofit, which started in 2012, has a second location in aguna each. t provides advocacy support for autistic children. www.milesforautism.org. •

Clean indows: It may seem counterintuitive, given the ink newspapers can leave behind on your hands, but old newspapers may outperform cloth in the streak-free window and mirror contest. ake window cleaning a step greener and switch out commercial glass cleaning products with a water and vinegar combo. ust take one part of each, mi , spray and wipe away with yesterday’s news.

2

ipen ruit: We’ve all been there, at the grocery store searching for a ripe avocado to fill tonight’s guacamole craving. f you can keep your stomach at bay, buy the non-ripened piece of fruit and try this wrap it in newspaper. uch like the brown paper bag trick, newspapers are porous allowing air to move in and out while still concentrating the levels of ethylene gas that helps induce ripening.

3

Crush dors: Smelly shoes, musty towels and stinky fridges beware. here’s a newspaper in town. o deodori e food and drink containers—such as lunch-bo es, coolers or water bottles—ball up newspaper, seal it and let it sit overnight. lso, place crumpled up newspaper in wet cleats or running shoes to dry them out and get rid of unpleasant odors. ewspapers also work well in the refrigerator’s fruit and vegetable drawers.

4

Compost aterial: ewspaper is a carbon-rich material. t’s also has a high lignin content—a substance found in the cell walls of plants—according to the Cornell Waste anagement nstitute. t can be slow to decompose. ut, if combined with nitrogen-rich materials such as grass clippings, coffee grounds and kitchen scraps, newspapers can provide a rich addition to your garden compost.

5

i t rap: Show your thoughtfulness by wrapping life’s biggest moments up in ocal ews ou Can se. irthday, engagement, retirement, shower, wedding and holiday gifts are best when wrapped in colorful photos and the latest city news from The Capistrano Dispatch, San Clemente Times and Dana Point Times—wrapping paper that’s e ually environmentally friendly and informative.

6

Seedling Pots: ou’ll need a can for this one—full, empty, whatever you’ve got. ake half a sheet of newspaper folded in thirds and wrap it around the can. Secure with tape. hen, fold one newspaper end over the can. ape it. Slide the can out and viola— you’ve got a perfect home for seedlings and and succulent clippings. ush the pro ect’s greenness by using compost to keep seedlings moist until they’re ready for planting. •

The Green Issue

Watershed Well-Being

Q&A with Jenna Voss, Environmental Engineering Specialist, OC Public Works

oheny State each. hoto

South Orange County lies within the San Juan Creek Watershed, an area of land draining all streams, rainfall and melted snow to a common outlet—in the region’s case, Doheny State Beach.

We talked to watershed expert Jenna Voss, an environmental engineering specialist with OC Public Works, to discuss the health of our watershed.

Picket Fence Media: Can you give us an overview of our watershed and how it relates to our communities?

Jenna Voss: The San Juan Creek Watershed encompasses about 160 square miles and includes portions of Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. San Juan Creek begins in the Santa Ana Mountains area of the Cleveland National Forest and flows to the acific Ocean at oheny State Beach. A large portion of the watershed is public or open space, including Caspers Wilderness Park and Laguna iguel Regional ark. he rest is largely residential and commercial, with some remaining pockets of agricultural use.

San Juan Creek is an important surface water resource; however, the creek also overlies the San Juan Groundwater Basin—a slow-moving, underground river.

Water from San Juan Creek and its major tributaries provides some of the water supply drawn from the basin. f you live or work in one of the watershed cities, you’ll notice San uan Creek flows during the winter months and runs mostly dry in the summer; this is both because flow decreases without rainfall and because the water in the creek is flowing underground.

Is our watershed healthy? What outside factors play into our watershed’s health?

Watershed health—the overall water uality, channel condition and available habitat—is impacted by several natural and man-made factors. For example, there are naturally occurring salts in San Juan Creek Watershed from geologic deposits that enter the creek through high groundwater. hey can increase the amount of salts and decrease overall water uality. Other issues, such as indica-

ndrea Swayne

tor bacteria, are influenced by wildlife and human activity. he county, cities and local stakeholders have conducted source investigations, started a comprehensive program to prevent sewage spills and implemented several projects to combat high bacteria levels. As a result, bacteria levels during high-recreation summer months have significantly improved, as shown by the nonprofit group, eal the ay, in their each Report Card, that awarded oheny an ’ grade during the summer.

Wet weather bacteria levels, however, are still a major challenge for San Juan Creek as rainfall and the associated runoff carries bacteria from the entire watershed area into the creek and out to the ocean.

Residents can help do their part and pick up pet waste and yard clippings prior to rainfall to help prevent downstream bacterial growth, as well as ensuring their trash is properly disposed of, limiting the availability of food to pests or wild birds which can similarly contribute to bacteria levels.

How can we safely interact with and enjoy our watershed?

These are several recreational areas near San Juan, Trabuco and Oso creeks that provide residents a way to en oy their watershed. iking trails near the headwaters in Cleveland National Forest provide opportunities to see the most natural condition of San Juan Creek and its tributaries. f you want to stay closer to home, there is a bike path along San Juan Creek and there are organized creek cleanup events held throughout the year. ou can also en oy San uan Creek at its terminus at oheny State each or one of our other local beaches. aily water uality samples are collected at the beaches from pril through October. ny postings for exceedances of bacterial standards at beaches can be found at www.ocbeachinfo.com. • o read more of oss’ comments on natural and human impacts and how you can support a healthy watershed, visit www.sanclementetimes.com.

The Green Issue

California Greenin’

New eco-laws ban microbeads, call for renewable energy growth

BY ANDREA PAPAGIANIS

California’s lawmakers passed a slew of new environmental laws in 2015 aimed at expanding the state’s renewable energy and banning ivory sales, routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock and microbeads in personal care products. Here’s a snapshot of the state’s newest eco-laws:

Renewable Energy

Heralded as groundbreaking climate change legislation, the Clean Energy and Pollution and Reduction Act of 2015, a.k.a. SB 350, mandates that California receive 50 percent of its electrical power from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, by 2030. The bill also doubles energy-efficiency goals for homes, factories and offices. While intense oil industry lobbying killed a provision to reduce state gasoline use by half, SB 350 delivered a zero-emission vehicle boost by creating incentives for utilities to install more electric vehicle charging stations statewide.

Plastic Microbeads

California joined eight states in banning the sale of facial exfoliators, body washes, toothpastes and other personal care products containing microbeads. The bill, which will take effect in 2020, was preempted by federal legislation requiring companies to stop using beads in their products by July 2017. The Microbeadfree Waters ct of 2015 cruised through both the House and Senate.

Sale of Ivory

AB 96 closed major loopholes in California’s existing ivory ban that allowed the sale of ivory imported before 1977—a measure skirted by illicit dealers through ivory distressing. The bill eliminates two of the nation’s largest ivory markets—Los

Angeles and San Francisco—by making the sale or intra-state importation of ivory illegal. Sales of ivory inlayed in a musical instrument imported before 1975 or in a more than 100-year-old antique are excluded from the ban.

Livestock Drugs

Three measures garnered legislative approval to ban and regulate the use of antibiotics in California livestock. In an effort to prevent the emergence of an antibiotic-resistant superbacteria, Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 27 into law, banning the routine use of antibiotics for livestock. The law also requires antibiotics be veterinarian prescribed for an individual animal. SB 361 requires veterinarians to participate in continuing education regarding antibiotic use and SB 770 regulates medicated feed.

Bills covering water conservation, the state’s Air Resources Board, marijuana industry and oil pipelines were also passed. AB 1288 expands the state’s clean air agency from 12 to 14 members. Three bills—SB 266, SB 643 and AB 243—address inconsistencies in the marijuana industry. Among other things, they direct state agencies to craft environmental regulations for cannabis growers. Also, a duo of bills, SB 295 and SB 414, increase oil pipeline inspections and AB 1 and AB 1164 prohibit localities from fining residents for brown lawns or forbidding drought-tolerant landscaping like artificial turf. •

BUSINESS DIRECTORY LOCALS ONLY

BUSINESS LISTINGS AUTOMOBILE REPAIR

Star Motors

32959 Calle Perfecto, 949.443.1970, www.star-motors.com

ELECTRICIANS

Excel Electric

32238 Paseo Adelanto E-I, 949.493.7769, www.excelelectric.com

ELECTRIC CONTRACTORS

Excel Electric - CA #793860

32238 Paseo Adelanto E-I, 949.493.7769, www.excelelectric.com

PHOTO & DIGITAL LAB

San Juan Photo & Digital

32301 Camino Capistrano, 949.661.5668, www.sjcphotodigital.com

ROOF MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Bryan Krueger Enterprises, Inc.

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

CLASSIFIEDS

1975 VW BUS FOR SALE recently renovated and garaged locally - perfect for weekend surf trips or as a daily driver. Asking $18,500.

Contact 949-355-8549.

MUST SELL!! SEATS 7!

NISSAN PATHFINDER 4x4 2009 Silver with black interior.

Bluetooth CD player. New Bilstein shocks. K&N air filter. In great shape. $13,500 949-633-3860

FOR SALE

GARAGE SALES CAPISTRANO ESTATES COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE! Saturday, April 9 - 8am-noon.

Multiple homes offering items from furniture, clothing, exercise & sports equipment and MORE! This is the first yard sale in 19 years in this community. This is a sale you won’t want to miss and offers close proximity for multiple sales. Gates open at 8am, no early birds will be allowed to purchase. It will close promptly at 12 noon. Don’t miss this great sale.

QUANTUM ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR Value $3,000 for sale for $800 OBO. Call 949-496-9541

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2016

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

NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE SATURDAY APRIL 9TH 8AM-1PM Above San Clemente High School Exit Pico, turn right on Avenida Presidio. Follow Signs.

HELP WANTED SEASONAL PART-TIME BOAT YARD & MAINTENANCE HELP NEEDED (Dana Point Harbor) Weekends & holidays mandatory. Good customer service & handyman type skills. Email Ken@danaharbor.com PART TIME OFFICE HELP NEEDED (Dana Point) Weekends & Holidays mandatory. Good customer service & computer skills. Email resume Laurie@danaharbor.com

Page 11

SCHOOLS

Capistrano Valley Christian Schools 32032 Del Obispo Street, 949.493.5683, www.cvcs.org

BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT

YOUR BUSINESS HERE! Sign up to be featured as our monthly Locals Only Business Spotlight for only $100! Write-up of 50 words with logo.

Submit your classified ad online at www.thecapistranodispatch.com

AUTOS FOR SALE

33208 Paseo De Cerveza, Ste. B, 949.212.0499

SERVICES HANDYMAN CHRIS Flat screen TV’s installed, anything Electrical, Plumbing, Finish Carpentry, Drywall Repairs, Mold and Wood Rot issues, Waterproofing, Decks and Patio covers repaired, Doors, Windows, Kitchens and Baths, Water Damage Restoration, Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication and Much More. Phone Chris – 949 510 6645 WOOD DECK REPAIR WIZZARD Wood Rot Repair Certified Specialist, Wood Decks, Balconies, Patio Covers + Outside Stairs Repaired / Replaced, New Decking Systems, All work Guaranteed. Phone Chris -949 510 6645

Call Debra Wells at 949.589.0892 or e-mail dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

LIST LOCALS ONLY

USE LOCALS ONLY Call at Debra Wells for pricing at 949.589.0892 or email dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT YOUR EVENT PLANNER

The List

Real Playhouse president Tom Scott reprises his portrayal of Will Rogers, beloved American cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, newspaper columnist, social commentator and actor. Discover his life, his loves and his humor in this timeless one-man show. Tickets are $30.

31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

EDITOR’S PICK

What’s going on in and around town

COMPILED BY STAFF

Friday | 08

Monday | 11

ELI LOCKE 8:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Live music at The Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

CAPT. DAVE’S WHALE WATCHING Times vary. Trips available every day of the week. Get up close to marine life aboard a Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari trip. Prices vary depending on the vessel. Call for more information. 24440 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.488.2828, www.dolphinsafari.com.

MUMMIES OF THE WORLD EXHIBIT 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Mummies of the World: The Exhibition includes more than 150 artifacts, real human and animal mummies from across the globe—the largest collection of mummies ever assembled. The exhibit runs through Sept. 5. More information about the exhibit can be found at www.mummiesoftheworld.com. Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, 714.567.3600, www.bowers.org.

Saturday | 09 TRAIL CLEARING AND WEEDING 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Volunteer with The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo to help keep the trails clean and clear weeds.

Bring work gloves if you have them.

Drinks and snacks provided. Ages 10 and up. The Richard and Donna O’Neil Conservancy, call for directions, 949.489.9778, www.rmvreserve.org.

THE MAGIC OF COMPOSTING 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Learn to transform kitchen scraps and yard clippings into “black gold” for your garden at this fun and informative workshop. Back yard composting bins and vermicomposting (composting with worms) kits will be available for purchase. Dana Point residents attending the workshop will receive a $50 voucher toward the purchase of either type of composting bin. Registration by April 8 required. To register call the Community Services and Parks Department at 949.248.3530 or sign up online using code “8771.” Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo Street, Dana Point, janderson@danapoint.org, 949.248.3571, www.danapoint.org.

REPTILIAN BOARD WALK 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Join The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo for a peek into the secret world of native reptiles and some of the other elusive creatures that inhabit the local coastal hills. Weather permitting, participants can expect to see several speThe Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2016

Tuesday | 12 SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY TOASTMASTERS MEETING 7 p.m.-8:40 p.m. Practice becoming a more confident communicator on Tuesdays at Dana Point Community House, 24642 San Juan Avenue, Dana Point, 949.429.1794, 3944816.toastmastersclubs.org.

Sequoia Baird, 2, of Newport Beach, works on a coloring book during last year’s Grown Your Own! Spring Festival at the Ecology Center. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Wednesday | 13

SATURDAY, APRIL 16: GROWN YOUR OWN! SPRING FESTIVAL 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Join The Ecology Center for its annual spring festival—a family-friendly celebration of harvest, gardening and a more abundant future. Activities include terrarium building, pickling, gardening, live music, strawberry picking and more.

Admission is free. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

Weston Burt, 3, of San Juan Capistrano, examines a ball of seeds he rolled during last year’s Grown Your Own! Spring Festival at the Ecology Center.

Photo: Allison Jarrell

cies of native snakes, lizards, amphibians, small mammals and invertebrates. Most of the program will not take place on an established trail; participants will be walking through tall grasses with uneven surfaces underneath. $10 for adults, $5 for children.

Ages 8 and up. Ladera Open Space-East, call for directions, 949.489.9778, www.rmvreserve.org.

FRUIT TREE ORCHARD DESIGN & CARE 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Join The Ecology Center for a workshop that explores the basics of creating and caring for an abundant and healthy backyard fruit tree orchard suited for Southern California’s climate. All attendees will receive informational hand-outs to complement the subjects covered in the workshop, as well as their own free small starter fruit tree. $30 for members, $40 for non-mem-

bers. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

SECOND STAGE STAND-UP 7:30 p.m. The Camino Real Playhouse hosts a lineup of four comedians on the second Saturday of each month. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is $17.50; reservations are recommended.

To purchase tickets, call 949.489.8082 or visit www.comedyintheoc.com. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

Sunday | 10 ‘WILL ROGERS: A ROPIN’ FOOL’ 8 p.m. In a special one-night show, Camino

Page 12

RESIDENT APPRECIATION DAYS AT THE MISSION 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Every Wednesday, San Juan Capistrano residents receive free admission to the Mission with a $10 Mission store purchase. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

Thursday | 14 LOS RIOS GARDEN ANGELS 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Volunteers meet every Thursday in front of the Montanez Adobe at Los Rios Park in San Juan Capistrano to help maintain the garden and enjoy a little dirt therapy. Bring gloves and wear closetoed shoes. Ages 18 and up. Los Rios Park, 31790 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano, 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

READ TO A DOG 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Kids can read to licensed therapy dogs every other Thursday at the San Juan Capistrano Library. Studies have shown that reading to therapy dogs can improve children’s reading skills and self-confidence. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org/libloc/sjc.

(Cont. on page 13) www.thecapistranodispatch.com

GETTING OUT (Cont. from page 12) SAN JUAN CHAMBER NETWORKING MIXER 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Enjoy an evening of networking with the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce at The Ecology Center. $15 for chamber members, $25 for potential members. RSVP to info@sanjuanchamber. com or call 949.493.4700.

Friday | 15 CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. (Also runs April 16 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Lantern Bay Park, 25511 Park Lantern Road). Experience California wine tasting at its finest and enjoy hundreds of the region’s premium vintage wines, microbrews, delicious food samples and lively music. Wines are paired with a variety of fresh gourmet appetizers such as artisan breads, cheeses, olive oils and more. Tickets are $69 to $185. Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, VUE lawn, 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point. For more information, visit www.californiawinefestival.com.

MULTICULTURAL ARTS SERIES: JULIO MONTERO 7 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library’s Multicultural Arts Series continues with house concerts on the third Friday of each month at The Bookstore.

April’s concert features internationally acclaimed harpist Julio Montero, whose music combines rhythms from Latin, American and international repertoires. A reception prior to the concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $15; proceeds benefit the Friends of the Library. The Bookstore, 31495-A El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.2688, www.facebook.com/sjcfriends.

‘THE ODD COUPLE’ 8 p.m. The Camino Real Playhouse presents the classic Neil Simon comedy, The Odd Couple. The play opens as a group of guys assembles for cards in the apartment of divorced Oscar Madison. Late to arrive is Felix Unger, who has just been separated from his wife. Fastidious, depressed and none too tense, Felix seems suicidal, but as the action unfolds, Oscar becomes the one with murder on his mind when the clean-freak and the slob ultimately decide to room together.

Shows run through May 1 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $27. 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

Saturday | 16 ARMED SERVICES YMCA POKER RUN 10 a.m. Registration for the inaugural Armed Services YMCA Poker Run begins at 10 a.m., with the ride beginning at 11 a.m. The event starts at Biggies in San Clemente—stops include Hells Kitchen, The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2016

Doffo Winery and Rainbow Oaks. $25 per rider, $15 for additional rider. There will be prizes and raffles at the finish. Proceeds from the event benefit Camp Pendleton military families. For more information, call 760.385.4921 or email stabrum@camppendletonasymca.org. To register, visit www.camppendletonasymca.org.

HOW TO DRAW NATURE WORKSHOP 1:30 p.m. Sharpen your observation skills as you learn techniques for capturing nature’s beauty during a two-hour workshop at Tree of Life Nursery. Bring a sketchbook, other supplies provided. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration available, walk-ins welcome. $25 for adults, $20 for children. Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.728.0685, www.californianativeplants.com.

DANA POINT SYMPHONY 7:30 p.m. The Dana Point Symphony Orchestra presents event No. 2 of its fourconcert 2016 season with conductor Dean Anderson and featuring Francisco Fullana on violin. Program includes Saint-Saens’ “Introduction Rondo Capriccioso,” Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite,” and Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals.” Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students, seniors and military. Buy tickets online or at the door on a first come, first served basis. Spring ticket special: buy tickets online before April 14 and use the code “SPRING” for a 10 percent discount. St. Edward’s Church, 33926 Calle La Primavera, Dana Point, www.danapointsymphony.com.

Lindi Ortega. Photo: Courtesy

On Stage at the Coach House: Lindi Ortega THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

C

anadian-born singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega released her latest album “Faded Gloryville” in August 2015 and is bringing her powerful voice to the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on April 10.

Tickets for Lindi Ortega are $15. The show is set to begin at 7 p.m. and doors open at 5 p.m.

On “Faded Gloryville” Ortega uses her

Sunday | 17 BIG FAT STEVE BAND 1:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Live music at The Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

LOCAL AUTHOR LECTURE SERIES 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library hosts author Anita Hughes for this month’s third Sunday local author lecture series. Hughes will be launching her book, Island of the Sea: A Majorca Love Story. Admission is free, but RSVP is required as space is limited. The Bookstore, 31495-A El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.2688, www.facebook.com/sjcfriends.

Monday | 18 STORYTIME WITH THE SUNSHINE READERS 6:30 p.m-7:30 p.m. An energetic reading event hosted the third Monday of every month by the National Charity League Sunshine Readers for children off all ages at the San Juan Capistrano Library. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

signature voice and country music-tinged arrangements to paint vivid pictures and scenes.

“I think my records in general are engaging because I write about things that we all face in the human condition. I just think people relate to music that comes from a real place and I always write from that perspective,” Ortega said.

“Faded Gloryville” is Ortega’s fourth full-length album. Ortega has been nominated for two Polaris Music Prizes and two Canadian Country Music Awards.

The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano. Dinner reservations with priority seating are also available. For tickets and more information, call 949.496.8930 or visit www.thecoachhouse.com. CD

Tuesday | 19

Thursday | 21

LUNCH LOCAL 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Join the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce for a networking lunch at Panera Bread. RSVP to claire@sanjuanchamber.com or call 949.493.4700. 31882 Del Obispo, San Juan Capistrano, www.panerabread.com.

THIRD THURSDAY SHOP & DINE SJC 5 p.m.-8 p.m. On the third Thursday of every month, visitors and residents will have the chance to stroll through unique shops, restaurants and galleries in downtown San Juan Capistrano while enjoying in-store entertainment, special events and promotions. For more information, call 949.493.4700, email info@sanjuanchamber. com or visit www.sanjuanchamber.com.

Wednesday | 20 NATIVE AMERICAN BASKET WEAVING 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn about the traditions and culture of basket weaving at Mission San Juan Capistrano. First and third Wednesday of every month. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

Page 13

For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.thecapistranodispatch. com. Have an event? Send your listing to events@thecapistranodispatch.com.

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING GUEST OPINION: Moments in Time by Jan Siegel

San Juan Capistrano Historical Society to Hold Third Annual Fiesta Days with National Preservation Week

M

ark your calendars now for a rare opportunity to take a step back in time and enjoy a fun-filled day in our historic community.

The Third Annual Fiesta Days at the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society is set to take place Saturday, May 7. This year, the program will be accompanied by a celebration of National Preservation Week presented by the Cultural Heritage Commission on Los Rios Street—the oldest residential street in California. The Fiesta Days event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free to the public.

Fiesta Days is a community outreach program for the historical society and includes demonstrations, exhibits, crafts and piñatas. Bea Torres will once again demonstrate her skill at making tortillas and salsa from scratch. Bob Minty will return with more amazing whaling memorabilia, stories and sea shanties played on

the concertina. Nineteenth century games and Native American artifacts will also be available.

Children of all ages will have the opportunity to make shell bracelets and cornhusk dolls, weave baskets and play with piñatas. Attendees will also have the opportunity to guess the use for household items that were common in the 19th century.

In honor of Mother’s Day, the Leck House will showcase an exhibit on MOMENTS IN the women of San Juan TIME Capistrano. Beautifully

By Jan Siegel stitched clothing and artifacts from some of the founding families of our historic town will be on display, in addition to life-size cutouts of some of our notable women. Who knows, you may

be able to take a photo with your greatgreat-grandmother or distant cousin! The O’Neill Museum will be open for guests to see our vast array of local history books, our amazing photographic collection and our old fans from the historic women in San Juan Capistrano.

The Montanez Adobe will also be open, and local historian Ilse Byrnes will be back retelling the story of Polonia Montanez— town midwife, catechism teacher and rainmaker.

The Cultural Heritage Commission will have docents at the Rios Adobe, Los Rios Park and the gardens of the Tea House.

Come and see the new proposed plans for the Native American village at the Northwest Open Space site.

Members of Spurs and Satin, a local 1880s reenactment group, will also be roaming the historic district in their period clothing handing out fliers and adding to

Business Beat COMPILED BY ALLISON JARRELL

New Location

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2016

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 Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com

private dining rooms, a banquet room to accommodate larger parties, plenty of televisions for sports fans and the same warm atmosphere as the preceding restaurants.

“We have been very happy with the warm reception in San Juan Capistrano and look forward to serving the community for years to come,” Miller said.

Selma’s menu offers affordable Italian dining, including dishes like pasta, paninis, homemade appetizers, soups made from scratch and, of course, pizza—from deep dish and thin crust varieties to gluten free offerings. Happy hour is all day on Monday and Tuesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays feature $1 wings.

News from San Juan Capistrano’s business community

FAMILY ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES Community Presbyterian Church 32202 Del Obispo Street 949.492.8477 www.family-assistance.org Family Assistance Ministries, a San Clemente-based nonprofit working to prevent hunger and homelessness in south Orange County, has added satellite services such as food and clothing distribution in San Juan Capistrano.

FAM celebrated the opening of its San Juan distribution center with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on January 28.

The new center, located at the Community Presbyterian Church at 32202 Del Obispo Street, is open to those in need of FAM’s services on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“We’ve been helping people in San Juan Capistrano for 16 years out of our San Clemente office, so our strategic vision was to have satellite services there,” said FAM Executive Director Mary Perdue.

Perdue said the nonprofit strives to support the people who come through their doors so they can become self-sufficient.

FAM offers an array of services ranging from providing necessities such as food and shelter to offering financial counseling

the historic atmosphere.

This opportunity comes but once a year to spend a “Moment in Time” and appreciate our history, our culture and our community. So come and participate at this year’s Fiesta Days in historic San Juan Capistrano.

Jan Siegel is a 27-year resident of San Juan Capistrano. She served on the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for 13 years and has been a volunteer guide for the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library’s architectural walking tour for 17 years.

She was named Woman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2005, Volunteer of the Year in 2011 and was inducted into the city’s Wall of Recognition in 2007. CD

Family Assistance Ministries Executive Director Mary Gray Perdue. Photo: Allison Jarrell

and job coaching.

“We’re honored to help people navigate through their circumstances,” Perdue said. “We don’t tell them what to do; we give them options.”

FAM also provides food, clothing, hygiene products and counseling services through its distribution centers in San Clemente, located at 1030 Calle Negocio, and at San Felipe de Jesus Church in Capistrano Beach. San Clemente distribution days are Monday through Friday and every second Saturday of the month. The Capo Beach site is open on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information on FAM’s services, call 949.492.8477 or visit www.family-assistance.org.

Now Open SELMA’S CHICAGO PIZZERIA & TAP ROOM 31781 Camino Capistrano 949.701.8290 www.selmaschicagopizzeria.com Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria co-owners Eric Miller and Mike Phillips Jr. celebrated the restaurant’s opening with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on March 10.

Local pizza lovers will likely recognize Selma’s from their other locations in San Clemente, Rancho Santa Margarita and Ladera Ranch. The San Juan Capistrano pizzeria features an outdoor patio and seating, a full bar with 20 beers on tap, two

Page 14

Brooke and Sierra Miller, daughters of Eric Miller, help celebrate Selma’s official ribbon cutting.

Photo: Courtesy Eric Miller

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SJC LIVING PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITY

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

We Can’t Let the Terrorists Win

E

ach year, my partner Greta and I take a vacation together—a tradition we’ve kept since meeting in June 1998. We feel getting away is good for our relationship; it rekindles the flame and gives us time to focus only on each other while away from the day-to-day demands of life in south Orange County.

Now that we are retired, we want to travel as much as we can, while we can.

We feel blessed to be able to do so.

This year, we leave for Europe on April 12. To go abroad takes advance planning.

We have booked our accommodations and airplane flights, purchased Rail Europe passes and made train reservations, bought trip insurance and acquired euros.

We are all set to go.

However, we can’t help but think back to the same time of year in 2004, when we were leaving for Spain.

Our itinerary back then was to fly to Madrid and hop a train from Madrid’s Atocha Train Station to go to the Costa del Sol for a week.

While there, we planned to take the premier train to Barcelona and back.

Then, we’d return by train to Atocha. By February, ON LIFE AND we had finalized all of LOVE AFTER 50 the reservations and had

By Tom Blake paid for our Rail Europe train tickets and hotel accommodations. We were excited and couldn’t wait to leave.

But on March 4, 2004, our excitement turned to trepidation. Ten terrorists’ bombs ripped through three Spanish train stations, including Atocha, killing 191 people and injuring more than 1,800. The tracks we would have been on were the ones where the bombs hit.

Our first reaction: This could have happened to us. It’s too dangerous to go to Spain. We asked Rail Europe to refund our money and canceled our Madrid hotel accommodations.

But we didn’t cancel our airplane reservations. We agonized over our decision.

We asked friends, family and acquaintances for their opinions—should we go to Spain as originally planned or simply stay home?

In a 2004 newspaper column, I asked my readers, “If you were in our shoes, would you be on a plane to Madrid a week from Friday?” More than 250 responded. “Go for it” was the overwhelming sentiment.

We went, but traveled in Spain by rental car, which was probably more dangerous than traveling by rail.

On the night we arrived in Madrid, we watched in horror on Spanish TV as the terrorists blew themselves up in their apartment.

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8-21, 2016

So, here we are in 2016. We fly to Germany and then take the train across Belgium to Paris, where we will spend 18 days. We have several day trips by train planned. In May, we travel by train to Italy. With the recent terroristt attacks in Paris and Brussels, we found we are in a similar situation as we were in 2004. Should we go?

We have looked at each other and said, “What do you think?” We have asked friends and family and they encourage us to go.

on March 4, 2004, “ourButexcitement turned to

Tango, Mae and Shelly.

trepidation. Ten terrorists’ bombs ripped through three Spanish train stations, including Atocha, killing 191 people and injuring more than 1,800. The tracks we would have been on were the ones where the bombs hit.

Harper.

”

We have concluded that if we don’t go, we let the terrorists win. Yes, we understand there are risks involved. But there are risks involved every time we get on the Interstate 5 freeway. We will be as careful and as diligent as we can be.

We will let you know how it’s going from over there.

Tom Blake is a Dana Point resident and a former Dana Point businessman who has authored several books on middle-aged dating. His latest book can be found online at www.smashwords.com/books/view/574810.

See his website at www.findingloveafter60. com (Yes, after 60, time rolls on.) To comment: 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 age 50+ singles Meet and Greet is scheduled for Thursday, April 26, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Tutor and Spunky’s Deli in Dana Point. No admission charge. Live music. Call 949.248.9008 for information.

Emmie.

Ruegger.

Pets of the Week: Zuri Pet Spa Pups Looking for Homes THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH, PHOTOS BY ALLISON JARRELL

T

he Zuri Pet Spa & Resort currently has an adorable bunch of canine companions looking for their new forever homes, including Harper, a sweet 2-year-old Yorkie; Emmie, a loveable 1-year-old dachshund mix; and Ruegger, an energetic 3-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback/boxer mix who’s in need of a home with wide open spaces and a family who

can train him. The Zuri Pet Rescue also has a group of puppies up for adoption, including a longhair Chihuahua named Mae and four shorthair Chihuahuas named Coral, Tango, Tide and Shelly.

If you are interested in meeting one of these loving pups, call The Zuri Pet Rescue at 949.429.7222, or stop by The Zuri Pet Spa & Resort, 32423 Calle Perfecto in San Juan Capistrano. For more information, visit www.thezuripetspa.com. 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

Page 16

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

San Juan Prep Baseball Roundup

BY STEVE BREAZEALE, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

S

everal San Juan Capistrano high school baseball programs are having stellar 2016 seasons. Here is a look at two programs in town.

Complete Effort by Tritons Snaps Stallions Win Streak The San Clemente High School baseball team picked a perfect time to have its best game of the season.

The Tritons hit, pitched and defended their way past visiting San Juan Hills 7-0 in a Sea View League game on April 6.

The win pulled San Clemente (11-3-1, 3-1 league) even with San Juan Hills (9-5, 3-1) at the top of the league standings.

San Clemente got five scoreless innings out of its starter, Mike McGreevy, who allowed only three hits. McGreevy did not walk a batter and allowed only one Stallion runner to reach scoring position.

McGreevy gave way to reliever Nathan Fleariau in the sixth inning and the junior left-hander made short work of the Stallions to close out the game.

San Juan Hills was held to just four hits and drew one walk.

Afterward, San Clemente head coach Dave Gellatly called the game the Tritons “most complete effort of the season”.

San Juan Hills entered the game riding a seven-game win streak and had a collective team batting average of .313. But the Tritons pitchers and defense, led by third

Jacob Roberson and the San Juan Hills baseball team were held to just three hits in a 7-0 loss to San Clemente on April 6. Photo: Steve Breazeale

baseman Drew Donovan and shortstop Eric Burckle, stymied the Stallions in their league showdown.

“We were excited to come in here and we knew this was a big ball game and we just didn’t’ play well,” San Juan Hills head coach Jeremey Wooten said. “We have to flush it down and come together as a team and just look forward.”

San Clemente got on the board in the second inning following a solo home run by senior Tanner Brubaker. Brubaker went 2 for 4 and drove in two RBI. San Clemente scored one run in each of the next two innings and broke through for a big three-run fi fth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded in the fi fth, San Juan Hills’ Riley Glenn issued a walk to

Jordan Fitzgerald to give San Clemente a run. Glenn then hit the next batter, Charlie Loust, and, after another Stallions pitching change, reliever Justin Dunham hit Derek Cratty to bring three runs home for San Clemente.

The Stallions entered the game as one of the hottest teams in Orange County. San Juan Hills picked up two league wins over Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo on March 18 and March 22, respectively, and carried the momentum into the Anaheim Lions Tournament on March 26. San Juan Hills went 5-0 at the tournament.

Lions Advance to Boras Classic Finals The JSerra baseball team navigated its way to the championship game of the

Boras Classic tournament on April 1, but fell to Mira Costa 2-1.

The Lions (11-3, 1-0) were one of two host teams for the prestigious tournament, which features a Southern and Northern California bracket. Mira Costa, which won the south bracket, will travel to play the winner of the north bracket at UC Berkley later this season.

JSerra paved its way to the south bracket finals by defeating Santiago of Corona, La Costa Canyon of Carlsbad and El Camino Real.

The Lions are ranked No. 1 in the CIF-SS Division 1 coaches poll and will host Los Alamitos in a nonleague game on April 9 before entering the thick of Trinity League competition next week. CD

Mickey Munoz Mongoose Cup Returns to Dana Point THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

T

Competitors make a turn around a buoy during the 2015 Mongoose Cup. Photo: Mike Muir

The Capistrano Dispatch April 8–21, 2016

he seventh annual Mickey Munoz Mongoose Cup to benefit the Sport of Kings Foundation will take place April 9 at Baby Beach in the Dana Point Harbor. The event will feature some of the top paddleboarders in the nation competing in several events throughout the day.

Proceeds raised at the Mongoose Cup will benefit the Sport of Kings Foundation, a non-profit that helps those in the surfboard manufacturing industry with life threatening and debilitating illnesses.

Mongoose Cup organizers anticipate over 200 SUP competitors to descend upon the harbor to take part in the Sport of King races, one-mile time trial, ‘Luck of the Draw Relays’, prone paddleboard sprints and more. There will also be a waterman

Page 18

expo area and SUP yoga demonstrations.

“The Mongoose Cup provides a great opportunity to immerse in paddleboard sports revelry, competition, culture and community,” Mickey Munoz said in a press release. “Come out with the whole family to learn new paddling skills and techniques, checkout the latest in paddling and surfing products, and enjoy the camaraderie of racing with friends and pros alike.”

Event registration opens at 7:30 a.m. An awards ceremony will be held at 3:45 p.m. followed by an after party at Waterman’s Harbor Restaurant.

For more information on the Mongoose Cup or to register for an event, visit www.sportofkingsfoudnation.com or email event coordinator Barrett Tester at barrett.tester@gmail.com. CD www.thecapistranodispatch.com