August 21, 2014

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www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Cities, Courts Grapple with Group

Home Debate EYE ON SJC/PAGE 8

San Juan Faces Stricter Water Regulations, Authorities on the

Lookout for Bank RobberEYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

City Council Field Set, Meet the

ContendersEYE ON SJC/PAGE 6

S P E C I A L S E C T I O N / PAG E 9

5-YEAR-OLD CANCER

FIGHTER’S WISH COMES

TRUELIVING/PAGE 21

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND RANCHO MISSION VIEJO AUGUST 22-SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 • VOLUME 12, ISSUE 16

San Juan Area HighSchool Football Preview

Local teams gear up for the 2014 season

Junior Garrett Cook and the San Juan Hills football team enjoyed their most successful season to date in 2013. Now they look to reload as they head into the South Coast League. Photo: Steve Breazeale

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTINGEYE ON SJC

San Juan Faces Stricter Water RegulationsTHE LATEST: As California continues to suffer from record drought conditions, San Juan Capistrano residents and busi-nesses will now face stiffer regulations to curb outdoor water usage.

The City Council unanimously passed a new ordinance Tuesday that imposes the restrictions and moved the city into Stage 2 of its water shortage contingency plan. Whereas Stage 1 requirements were voluntary, the new rules are mandatory.

Residents will no longer be allowed to water their lawns or landscaping between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., unless they use special irrigation systems or water by hand, using either a bucket or hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle. Washing off sidewalks or structures is also prohibited, and resi-dents are no longer allowed to wash their cars unless hoses are fi tted with shut-off nozzles. Ornamental water features, such as fountains, are prohibited, unless the water is circulated.

Car washes are no longer allowed to use water for purposes other than cleaning ve-hicles and restaurants are being asked not to serve water unless customers specifi -cally make a request.

WHAT’S NEXT: The city will still allow water to be delivered to construction sites, citing the importance of projects like the ongoing Interstate 5/Ortega Highway interchange project.

The city will be contacting its largest water customers, based on its tiered rate system, and will conduct meetings with homeowner’s associations and the public to inform them of the new regulations and water-saving programs.

FIND OUT MORE: For full details on the regulations, visit www.sanjuancapistrano.org. – Brian Park

Sports Rink Operations to Change After Fraud PleaTHE LATEST: A popular San Juan Capist-rano sports rink will be changing hands after the City Council decided to sever ties with its current operator, who pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud in June.

The council voted unanimously to termi-nate its operating agreement with Michael Schwartz, who pleaded guilty to wire and mail fraud charges in U.S. District Court. Prosecutors say Schwartz, through his company Service First Funding Group, defrauded investors and fi nancial institu-tions of $1.8 million.

The SJC Sports Rink, located at Marco Forster Middle School, is owned by the city and the Capistrano Unifi ed School District. The city entered into an agree-ment with Schwartz to operate the rink in 2012.

Schwartz, who is free on bond, apolo-gized to the council and asked them to wait until his sentencing date, October 20.

“I want to say my apologies for putting everyone into this position,” Schwartz said. “In regards to the facility, I’ve given everything possible.”

Schwartz’s supporters pleaded with the council and praised his extensive work in restoring and operating the rink, which is home to several organized activities, in-cluding roller hockey, lacrosse and soccer.

“Michael has done a tremendous job,” said Glen Miles, lacrosse coach at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School and director of Victory Lacrosse in San Clemente.

WHAT’S NEXT: The community services department will operate the rink until the city fi nds a new operator, City Manager Karen Brust said.

Councilman Derek Reeve assured Schwartz’s supporters that cancelling the agreement would not close the rink.

“This rink isn’t going to be lifted up and disappear. It’s going to be there. It’s simply a matter of who’s going to run it,” Reeve said. – BP

Authorities Searching for San Juan Bank RobberTHE LATEST: Authorities are on the lookout for a man who robbed a San Juan Capistrano bank on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

The robbery was reported around 1 p.m. at Chase Bank, located at 31972 Camino Capistrano. A man walked into the bank and handed a note to a teller, claim-ing he had a gun, according to Lt. Jeff Hallock with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. He then left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The robber was described as a white man, around 25 years old, 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds. He was wearing a white baseball cap, a black hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses.

WHAT’S NEXT: An Orange County bank robbery apprehension task force, made up of an OCSD investigator and FBI offi cials, is investigating the matter. Hallock said Thursday the man does not appear to be a known bank robber.

“They believe this is the fi rst one he’s done or is new to the area,” Hallock said. “The physical description and method of operations isn’t matching other bank rob-beries in the area.” – BP

Capistrano Unified Reduces Annual Levy for TalegaTHE LATEST: Property owners in San Clemente’s Talega neighborhood will continue to pay an annual levy to the Cap-istrano Unifi ed School District for a bond that funded school facilities in the area but will do so at a reduced rate.

The school board voted unanimously, 6-0, on Wednesday, Aug. 13 to reduce the levy for Talega’s community facilities dis-trict—known as 90-2—from 123 percent to 110 percent. Board President John Alpay, a Talega resident, recused himself from the discussion.

Talega residents applauded the reduc-tion. Since December, they had been arguing that the district owed them money after a 2006 refi nancing of the bond and that they were continuing to be overtaxed.

The district and its fi nancial consultant maintained that the refi nance lowered the total bond amount and shortened its length by six years, amounting to a sav-ings for taxpayers.

WHAT’S NEXT: Residents believe the levy amount should only be enough to cover bond payments, since all bond-fi nanced facilities, including Vista Del Mar Elemen-tary and San Juan Hills High schools, have been built. They also sought an end to the amount above bond payments, known as “pay-as-you-go” funds, which go toward facilities needs in the area.

In July, the board received a facilities needs assessment, which included code updates and renovations district-wide. Talega’s CFD showed a current need of $9.7 million along with a balance of about $5 million, according to Clark Hampton, deputy superintendent.

The board voted unanimously to do away with a 2-percent escalator in Talega’s CFD for the coming year, meaning around $65,000 less in the area’s pay-as-you-go fund. – BP

State Passes $7.5 Billion Water PlanTHE LATEST: In light of California’s ongoing drought and after many weeks of negotiating, lawmakers in Sacramento passed a new $7.5 billion water plan to build up the state’s water infrastructure on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

The plan includes the construction of additional reservoirs, supporting new water-saving technologies and cleaning contaminated groundwater.

The legislation will replace a previous bill that was considered too expensive and political.

The bill passed with only one dissent-ing vote in the State Assembly—(R-Twin Peaks) Tim Donnelly—77-1. In the Senate, the bill was approved 37-0.

Assemblywoman Diane Harkey (R-Dana Point) said she is satisfi ed with the new bill. In 2009, she opposed the original $11 billion plan because of “the excessive pork-barrel spending” it contained.

WHAT’S NEXT: The previous plan directed $3 billion to storage projects. The new plan cut it to $2.7 billion and proposed building reservoirs in the agricultural val-ley in Colusa County north of Sacramento and another one in the Sierra Nevada, northeast of Fresno.

In addition to the $7.1 billion that will be newly borrowed, $425 million from older bonds will be redirected to the water priorities stated in the new plan. The re-direction of that money will require voter approval. – Steve Sohanaki

What’s Up With...Five things San Juan should know this week

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch August 22-September 11, 2014 Page 3

Authorities are searching for a man who robbed Chase Bank in San Juan Capistrano Wednesday afternoon. Courtesy of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department

The Capistrano Dispatch August 22-September 11, 2014 Page 5

EYE ON SJC


Mayor Sam Allevato and the San Juan Capistrano City Council recognized outgoing members of the city’s Youth Advisory Board, including Jameson Johnson, who graduated from San Juan Hills High School and will be attending Northeastern Univer-sity in Boston this fall. Photo: Brian Park

CommunityMeetings

DANA POINTThe Dana Point Civic Association will hold

a public forum on Friday, Aug. 22 for Orange County Board of Supervisors Fifth District candidates.

The event will be held at The Coffee Im-porters, 34531 Golden Lantern, in the Dana Point Harbor, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

All are welcome. Free coffee will be pro-vided, courtesy of The Coffee Importers.

Candidates Lisa Bartlett, mayor of Dana Point, and Laguna Niguel City Councilman Robert Ming will be on hand to discuss their election platforms and answer questions submitted in advance via the DPCA’s online survey page.

Questions will not be taken from the au-dience on the day of the forum. Additional forums are scheduled for September and October and will feature South Coast Water District and Dana Point City Council candi-dates, respectively.

SAN CLEMENTESaddleback MemorialCare Health System’s

San Clemente campus may be getting a new look in the next several years.

Steve Geidt, the CEO of Saddleback Me-morial’s campuses in San Clemente and La-guna Beach, said the system would propose razing the current facility on Camino de los Mares to build a new facility on the same site. The potential new facility would be three stories and 103,000 square feet and include a number of additional services.

The current plan would see the hospital close and be demolished in late 2015 and re-open in early 2017.

The site study will include community outreach, in order to help determine the fea-sibility of the project. Saddleback has reached out to city officials with regard to the process and the plan.

The current facility sits on 6.1 acres and is required to have 515 parking spaces. Geidt said the facility might not grow much.

News Next DoorWHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNS

San Juan Celebrates OC’s 125th BirthdayOrange County turns 125 years old this

year, and as the birthplace of the county, San Juan Capistrano will be celebrating with a full day of festivities on Saturday, Sept. 13.

The day begins at 10:45 a.m. at Mission San Juan Capistrano with a “hands around the Mission” ceremony, recognizing the different cultures that helped create Or-ange County. The event will be document-ed with an aerial photo and followed by a blessing by the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation and a ringing of the Mission’s historic bells.

There will be several free events during the day throughout downtown, including wagon rides at the train depot and family-friendly activities at Mission Grill, the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society and Zoomars Petting Zoo.

Melodrama musical performances, mariachis, ballet folklorico dancers and the 1880s reenactment group Spurs and Satin will be performing around town. The Camino Real Playhouse will showcase skits about San Juan’s past and the San Juan Capistrano Library will also host the “Songs of the American West” concert. The Second Saturday Art Fair will be open as scheduled.

Visit www.sanjuancapistrano.org for more or call 949.201.9881.

City Honors Youth Advisory Board MembersThe city of San Juan Capistrano recog-

nized the outgoing members of its Youth Advisory Board during the City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

Cynthia Alexander, community services director, thanked Jacob Jaworski from JSerra Catholic High School and Kali Winn from San Juan Hills High School for their past year of service on the board.

NEWS BITESCOMPILED BY BRIAN PARK

Three of its members, Jameson John-son, Harley Olvera and Nicole Winn, graduated from high school this year. Olvera will be attending Chapman Univer-sity to major in biology and Nicole Winn will be attending Pepperdine University. Johnson, who will be attending Northeast-ern University in Boston to study commu-nications, thanked the city and the board’s adult advisors, Gerald Muir, Joseph Lopez and Gil Leon.

Alexander highlighted several of the board’s projects this past year, including stenciling city storm drains, volunteering with the Economic Preservation Subcom-mittee’s Winter Wonderland event, partici-pating in the San Juan Capistrano Relay for Life and working with the Los Rios Garden Angels to maintain Los Rios Park.

Laura’s House Golf Tourna-ment Raises $40,000

Laura’s House, a nonprofit dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence, raised more than $40,000 during its second annual HOPE Golf Tournament on Monday, Aug. 11 at Marbella Country Club in San Juan Capistrano.

Funds raised will go toward supporting the organization’s emergency shelter and transitional housing programs, a 24-hour domestic violence crisis hotline, legal sup-port services and counseling and educa-tion programs.

Limited Tickets Available for Romance of the Mission Benefit Gala

Limited seating is still available for Mission San Juan Capistrano’s annual Romance of the Mission Benefit Gala on Friday, Sept. 12.

The typically soldout affair is one of the Mission’s largest fundraising events and supports the Mission Preservation Foun-dation’s efforts. Last year, the gala raised around $220,000.

There is also an opportunity drawing open to the public, featuring a gift package that includes a getaway at The Ritz-Carl-ton, Laguna Niguel, a Montana Sporting Club experience and an 18-karat white-gold bracelet donated by Roberto Coin Boutique. Tickets cost $100 each and the winner does not need to be present.

The gala beings at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception in the Mission’s front gardens, followed by a concert at the Great Stone Church and a four-course dinner in the central courtyard. Broadway star David Burnham, who played the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, will perform.

This year’s gala will honor the famed local riding group, El Viaje de Portolá.

For over 50 years, the Portolá riders have met in the spring for a three-day horseback ride at Rancho Mission Viejo. In addition to celebration the American

Have something interesting for the

community? Send your information to

[email protected].

SATURDAY 8.23

Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo 2 p.m. Opening day of the 14th annual Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo. The top 30 cow-boys on the professional rodeo circuit will compete in six events. On Sunday, gates open at 11:30 a.m. Admission is $30 for adults, $10 for kids 4 to 12 years old and free for kids under 3. visit www.rmvrodeo.com.

TUESDAY 8.26

Planning Commission Meeting 6:30 p.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY 8.27

Downtown Farmers Market 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Fresh flowers, produce and spe-cialty foods from around 40 vendors in downtown San Juan Capistrano, on the corner of Camino Capistrano and Yorba Street. Occurs every Wednesday. www.farmersmarketsjc.com.

CUSD Board of Trustees Meeting7 p.m. Capistrano Unified School District Office Board Room, 33122 Valle Road. www.capousd.org.

FRIDAY 8.29

Coffee Chat 8 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues. Occurs every Friday. All are welcome. Mission Grill, 31721 Camino Capistrano. www.facebook.com/sjccoffeechat.

TUESDAY 9.2

City Council Meeting 6 p.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY 9.3

Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monthly breakfast hosted by the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce. $15 for chamber members, $25 for non-members. To RSVP, email [email protected]. The Vintage Steakhouse, 26701-B Verdugo Street. www.sanjuanchamber.com.

FRIDAY 9.12

Next issue of The Dispatch publishes

West and California history, the exclusive ride supports several charitable causes, including an annual gift to the Mission.

George O’Connell, a Portolá member and chair of the Mission Preservation Foundation, will present an award to Por-tolá president Tony Gregory II.

“Cherishing the past and preserving the future is important to members of El Viaje de Portolá,” Gregory said in a release.

Individual benefit gala tickets are $350. For more information or tickets, call Barb Beier at 949.234.1323. For opportunity drawing tickets, contact Pat March at 949.234.1322. For more information about the event, visit www.missionsjc.com.


EYE ON SJC


A Field of NineMeet the candidates forthe San Juan CapistranoCity Council

SBY BRIAN PARK, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

an Juan Capistrano residents will be choosing from a field of nine candi-dates to fill three seats on the City

Council in the November election.All three incumbents, Councilmen Lar-

ry Kramer, Derek Reeve and John Taylor, are running for reelection. They are joined by Greg Acho, Kerry Ferguson, Stephanie Frisch, Pam Patterson, Jan Siegel and Rob Williams.

In the coming weeks, The Dispatch will be providing ongoing coverage of the elec-tion, including publishing the candidates’ responses to our question-and-answer series about issues facing the city, culmi-nating in our special election issue Friday, Oct. 24. If you have questions about what topics should be covered, email [email protected].

Eight of the nine candidates submit-ted ballot statements to the city, which are printed here verbatim. The order is the same as the names will appear on the ballot.

Derek Reeve, Councilman/Consti-tutional Attorney

As a San Juan Capist-rano councilman, I have a proven record fighting for taxpayers, everyday residents, and the consti-

tutional rights of all. I stand against the powerful political establishment to defend residents. I am an independent constitu-tional conservative who has kept every campaign promise.

Voted against every tax and fee increase and opposed incurring more debt and wasteful spending totaling millions of dollars.

Crusaded to remove San Juan Capistra-no from the water business and stop high density development and increased traffic.

Fought for:Christian groups holding bible studies;Term limits;Rule of Law;Resolving lawsuits against the city;

Eliminating Red Light Cameras; Eliminating business taxes.

Re-elect Reeve and we will take back City Hall. The political establishment works for out of town special interests while you sit in traffic figuring out how to pay your water bills. I will address the is-sues that concern residents; water, traffic and debt.

San Juan Capistrano is for everyone, not just political elites who control your tax dollars. If you’re tired of unnecessary water rate increases, burdensome traffic, and overwhelming debt, please join every-day residents and re-elect Derek Reeve. Together, we can fight City Hall!

Councilman, Constitutional Attorney, Small Business owner and parent. USC undergrad/Law; Claremont M.A.

www.Reeve4SJC.com

Pam Patterson, Constitutional Attorney/Businesswoman

As a 19-year resident, I am uniquely qualified to be a member of the San Juan Capistrano City Council. As a Constitution-al attorney, I have real world experience curbing an overreaching government. Government officials and bureaucrats routinely ignore the law in favor of their own agenda. This is why:

Our city has been involved in so many expensive lawsuits;

We have extreme traffic problems in our community; and

Our water bills are skyrocketing.Our city government has failed its fidu-

ciary duty to maintain and enhance the quality of life of city’s residents.

The charm of our beautiful historic town is eroding due to reckless and inappropri-ate development, and has caused conges-tion and traffic issues. I favor responsible development. Projects must enhance rather than have a devastating effect on the surrounding areas. Bad planning further contributes to an already strained

water supply by creating further demand, which will in turn raise already high rates for all our residents.

Our city government has breached this fiduciary duty to our residents. The only way to stop further harm is to elect residents running for office whose hearts are committed to benefit the city, not their own interests. I am such a person.

www.Pam4SJC.com

Greg AchoGreg Acho declined

to submit a candidate statement.

John Taylor, Busi-nessman/Council-member

San Juan Capistrano is experiencing a renais-sance. When I began my term on City Council four years ago, our

downtown was in a recession. Thanks to our revitalization efforts, dozens of new businesses have opened and our city is once again thriving.

As a businessman, I approach govern-ment with the same principles as run-ning a successful company. As a 25-year resident of the Los Rios District, I also embrace our small town atmosphere and historic heritage.

I will continue to:Practice fiscal responsibility – we in-

creased our emergency cash reserve from 8% in 2010 to a healthy 50% today.

Run an efficient staff - we reduced em-ployees from 109 to 87, saving thousands of dollars; annual audits rated excellent.

Keep our city safe - we increased posi-tions in the Sheriff’s Department resulting in the lowest crime rates in years.

Protect our water supply - we obtained $5 million in state grants to upgrade our Groundwater Recovery Plant, producing nearly half the city’s water from our own wells.

Manage traffic - work with other agen-cies to proactively mitigate traffic issues.

I am a leader for positive change, and will continue to steer a course for good government while maintaining respect for others.

www.johntaylorforcitycouncil.com

Robert Williams, Architect/Business Owner

My wife and I chose to raise our three children in San Juan Capistrano. We made it our home because it is

unique in its historic charm and rare in its quality of life. It’s a special community, and

the values and history we have all come to love must be preserved.

As a Planning Commissioner, I fought against development that would ruin our town’s character. These weren’t easy decisions, but I am committed to putting the needs of our residents first. We need thoughtful growth that enhances our com-munity.

As an architect for over 30 years, I understand both the need for development and the importance of maintaining San Juan Capistrano’s character.

As a small business owner, I understand the importance of limited government. City Hall needs to eliminate wasteful spending that jeopardizes our city’s budget.

I’m committed to:Preserving the rural, equestrian and

historical character of our community;Finding traffic solutions that preserve

the flavor of our historic downtown;Fighting against wasteful spending;Making sure we have the best public

safety available.If elected, I will fight to maintain San

Juan Capistrano’s uniqueness. I love our town and would be honored to have your vote. Together we can keep San Juan Capistrano special.

www.RobWilliams2014.com

Stephanie Frisch, Independent Insur-ance Broker

As a small business owner in San Juan Cap-istrano, I know firsthand how important it is to have a responsive, busi-

ness friendly city government to ensure the ongoing financial health of our city.

I have served on the Chamber of Com-merce Board of Directors for six years, including two years as Chairman. I believe my experience and proven leadership capabilities will help guide our city on the important issues that face us.

My focus:Develop and implement a plan to in-

crease downtown parking;Encourage responsible redevelopment

of our downtown commercial corridor;Preserve and maintain San Juan Capist-

rano’s cultural heritage and open space;Continue to foster a receptive and posi-

tive business environment for all new and existing local businesses;

Work with our local law enforcement to ensure residents and guests are provided with a safe community.

San Juan Capistrano is unique -- 40% of our city is open space. We enjoy a small town atmosphere where residents pitch in to help their neighbors, cherish a safe community, and know their local elected leaders. My goal is to maintain what we hold dear and make smart decisions to ensure a bright future for our city.

I would be honored to serve as your representative on the City Council.

www.stephaniefrisch.com

Jan Siegel, Commu-nity Volunteer

I am running for City Council to bridge economic expansion and historical preservation. There are a number of economic developments

that need to go forward within the City in order to maintain viability. At the same time these developments need to fit into the historic landscape of our unique com-munity.

Honored as Chamber of Commerce woman of the year, by the City on the Wall of Recognition, City Volunteer of the Year, Mission Gala Honoree, “Moment In Time” columnist for the Capistrano Dispatch, and member of the Cultural Heritage Commis-sion, I have proven that I can work with all the groups within the City to achieve the betterment of our community.

As a docent for the Friends of the Li-brary Architectural Walking Tour, Mission Volunteer, Museum Curator of the Histori-cal Society, past President of Meridth Can-yon Homeowners Association, and Chair of the City’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Committee, I have shown that I have the vision and work ethic to achieve success for San Juan Capistrano.

I have been endorsed and supported by community leaders including former and current City Council members.

I will bring this creativity, vision, integ-rity, passion, work ethic and experience to the City Council.

I ask for your vote.


EYE ON SJC


SJC Sheriff’s BlotterAll 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 in-cident 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.

Tuesday, August 19

TRAFFIC HAZARD Ortega Highway/Interstate 5 (3:41 p.m.) Two ladders were seen on the eastbound side of Ortega Highway.

TRAFFIC HAZARD Los Rios Street/Calle Santa Barbara (6:45 a.m.) A caller said a broken water line was flooding the sidewalk.

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE Camino Capistrano/ Stonehill Drive (1:08 a.m.) A large black Nissan van, displayed on stilts outside the Nissan dealership, was found with all its doors open.

Monday, August 18

DISTURBANCE Paseo Pamela, 26400 Block (7:26 a.m.) An unidentified person kept hitting a resident’s window with a soccer ball.

DISTURBANCE Westmont Court, 29500 Block (8:36 a.m.) A woman said her roommate kept trying to coax her into a fight.

Sunday, August 17

DISTURBANCE Paseo Carolina, 32000 Block (11:02 p.m.) A patrol check was request-ed for two men and one woman drinking and being too loud.

DRUNK IN PUBLIC Paseo San Gabriel, 26500 Block (2:30 p.m.) A drunken man was reportedly found passed out in front of a resident’s door.

DISTURBANCE Los Rios Street, 31300 Block (3:19 a.m.) A patrol check was needed due to a loud party.

Saturday, August 16

RECKLESS DRIVING Valle Road, 32800 Block (9:39 p.m.) Two cars were spotted drag racing in front of a mobile home park.

DISTURBANCE Camino Capistrano, 32200 Block (4:04 p.m.) Four to five men were skateboarding in front of a salon and refus-ing to leave.

DISTURBANCE- MUSIC OR PARTY Avenida De La Vista/ Oso Road (1:53 p.m.) A loud party with a disc jockey was taking place at Rio Oso Park.

COMPILED BY CATHERINE MANSO

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/ CIRCUMSTANCECalle Chueca/Calle Resplendor (10:52 a.m.) Two 20-year-old men were seen smoking drugs out of a pipe by the community pool.

DISTURBANCE-MECHANICAL Old San Juan Road, 31100 Block (6:28 a.m.) A patrol check was requested for tractors at the horse barn.

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY Paseo Pa-mela, 26400 Block (2:56 a.m.) Dispatch received notice of people drinking alcohol and playing loud music inside a garage.

Friday, August 15

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY Hilltop Way, 30500 Block (11:30 p.m.) A group of around 24 adults were having a loud party. It was reportedly an ongoing problem.

SHOTS HEARD-NO SUSPECT INFORMATIONVia Corta, 26800 Block (9:11 p.m.)A caller reported hearing a gunshot com-ing from a neighboring residence.

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTY Calle Rey-nalda, 31900 Block (7:12 p.m.) Dispatch received notice of a parked truck playing loud music.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCECalle Arroyo, 27400 Block (2:48 p.m.)A man wearing a gray tank top and pants

was seen using a power saw to cut down a “no parking” sign.

ILLEGAL PARKED VEHICLE Imperial Drive, 30000 Block (9:03 a.m.) A parked white Ford with an attached trailer was blocking the sidewalk.

DRUNK IN PUBLIC Calle San Luis, 25600 Block (4:25 a.m.) Around 15 to 20 drunken indi-viduals were being loud in a garage.

Thursday, August 14

DISTURBANCE Calle San Diego, 31000 Block (10:48 p.m.) A patrol check was request-ed for three men who were drinking and being loud in front of a house.

ANNOYING PHONE CALL Calle Chueca, 30800 Block (6:46 p.m.)A woman said her ex-husband had been sending harassing text messages.

DISTURBANCE Del Obispo Street, 32200 Block (6:19 p.m.) A caller said a report-edly “mentally unstable” woman from the neighborhood was going around, knock-ing on other residents’ doors.

ILLEGAL PARKED VEHICLE Via San Vicente, 31100 Block (2:57 p.m.) A man informed sheriff’s deputies of a neighbor’s parked car blocking the entrance to his house for over two weeks.

San Juan Capistrano voters will take to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 4 to elect three members to the City Council. There are nine candidates this year, including all three incumbents, Councilmen Larry Kramer, Derek Reeve and John Taylor. File photo

Kerry Ferguson, Businesswoman/Educator

My pledge is to put my considerable experience as a successful business owner, educator and civic leader to work for you to:

Honor our heritageShape a great futureServe equally every residentI will work for you to hold the line on

taxes, fees and spending, making sure new development doesn’t bring undue impact on our daily living with new pressures on water supplies, parking and traffic. I will treat your tax contributions as a precious resource to be invested wisely with care.

I will work for you to protect the rich his-tory and varied culture that make San Juan Capistrano unique, especially when planning new projects. It is that heritage that creates the charm and romantic aura that we all love and visitors come to see.

I will work for you to help create a vibrant downtown core with the kind of eclectic mix of stores and restaurants, living spaces and redevelopment that will insure long term success for our town.

In short, I will work for everyone, for our heritage, for our future, and to serve every resident. I ask for your vote.

Education: Graduate of USC with BSc in Education

www.kerryforsjc.com

Larry Kramer, Retired Submarine Captain

I understand leadership and decision-making. As a Naval Officer, I commanded three nuclear submarines and a

submarine base with an annual budget over $50 million. As a member of the San Juan Capistrano City Council, I have learned that our citizens want leaders who will listen, gather facts and make informed decisions.

I am a strong believe in community in-volvement. In addition to serving on the City Council for the past four years, I am an ac-tive member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and past President of the San Juan Capistrano Rotary.

My priorities:Make San Juan Capistrano a better place

to live for all the residents;Continue to improve the city’s financial

footing;Improve flow of traffic in and around San

Juan Capistrano;Enhance our open space and make it ac-

cessible to all;Make our town an inviting, safe place to

shop, dine and tour;Insure that we have an adequate supply

of safe drinking water;Preserve the historical atmosphere that is

our city’s trademark.I will continue to put the people of San

Juan Capistrano first, make decisions based on facts, preserve our small town atmo-sphere and conduct myself with integrity and transparency.

Larry KramerCity Council Member/Mayor Pro Temwww.LarryKramerforCityCouncil2014.com


EYE ON SJC


A Sobering DiscussionCities, courts grapple with citizen complaints about residential group homes and sober-living facilities protected, and encouraged, under state and federal law

I

“ the legislature has said if that if we give this license for this kind of facility, your local regulations are trumped ... The legislature has put a lot of ef-fort into boxing us in. ”

—Hans Van Ligten,

San Juan Capistrano City Attorney

BY JIM SHILANDER AND ANDREA PAPAGIANIS, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

n recent months, residents of San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point and San Clemente have expressed increasing

concern about their neighbors—many of them new. For them, the issue isn’t so much the quality of their neighbors but rather the frequency in turnover of these new residents.

These neighbors come and go from residential group homes—some for chil-dren and adolescents, others for disabled adults and many for people recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.

Between the three south Orange Coun-ty cities there are 25 licensed drug and alcohol treatment facilities. This includes residential homes, inpatient and outpatient facilities, according to a report from the state Department of Health Care Services, which provides licensing oversight for such facilities.

These residential treatment facilities are considered single-family residences in the eyes of both the state and municipal governments, so long as no more than six people are residing in the home. Under that foundation, these dwellings are awarded the same freedoms as traditional single-family residences. But they are licensed by the state and therefore must meet certain standards.

As far as municipal rules go though, there is little to no oversight, or even en-forcement measures that can be taken, be-cause city regulations regarding such uses simply do not exist—as group homes, with six or fewer people, are permitted by right in any residential zone.

But area residents aren’t necessarily pleased with that.

In Capistrano Beach, residents have raised issues with a lack of street parking, cigarette butts and late-night noise. But they remained fairly quiet until a young man was found dead inside a neighboring home on Tuesday, July 22. Many watched from their homes and their front lawns as Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived and as the lifeless body was removed from the home.

Officials confirmed a 25-year-old man died in the home, neighbors have referred to as a sober living facility, but the cause of death will not be determined for at least 12 weeks, said Mitchell Sigal, supervising deputy coroner with the Orange County Coroner Division.

In San Clemente, residents near one home on South Ola Vista made the City Council aware of issues they were hav-ing in June, when the five-member body unanimously approved spending $5,000 to support legal battles being waged by New-port Beach over group home regulations.

CITY ATTEMPTS TO REGULATEResidents of Ola Vista said a number of

recent police responses to the home had troubled them. To address their concerns, neighbors encouraged the council to regu-late group homes as much as possible.

In San Juan Capistrano, the City Council discussed the matter on July 15, after receiving a letter from residents Reginald and Phyllis Villamil. The couple said that there were three recovery homes, all less than a mile from one another—that caused several disturbances, including frequent calls to emergency and police services. They expressed additional concerns about deteriorating maintenance and landscap-ing at these homes, their effect on prop-erty values and neighborhood safety.

But the hands of California cities may be tied.

Residential treatment centers are not only protected under state laws but also under federal ones, mak-ing it difficult for local municipali-ties to step up to the enforcement plate.

“The notion, and one can argue whether its any-where near right or wrong, is what the legislature has said if that if we give this license for this kind of facility, your local regula-tions are trumped, as long as they stay under a certain size,” San Juan Capistrano City Attorney Hans Van Ligten told the council. “The legislature has put a lot of effort into boxing us in.”

Group homes, mainly those for the disabled and elderly, were encouraged in the 1970s as a way to keep people living in residential areas, enjoying the lifestyle and interacting with neighbors.

The concept was expanded in 2000 when 60 percent of California voters passed Proposition 36, or the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act—a law cheered by public health and criminal justice advocates as a way to keep low-level drug offenders out of the state prison system and a means to get them into treat-ment and recovery facilities.

Since the law’s implementation in July 2001, an estimated 700 treatment facilities have been licensed by the state, accord-ing to numbers from the California Drug Counseling Inc., a nonprofit substance abuse treatment center in Pasadena.

With a rise in residential treatment facilities, however, came a rise in resident complaints.

In 2008, the city of Newport Beach passed a zoning ordinance regulating, and in some cases limiting to services of, group homes.

Before the ordinance, group homes were operating freely in residential areas. But after receiving complaints from residents, much like the ones being heard in south county today, the City Council passed an ordinance that forced many group homes out of.

“They cared less about their interac-tion with neighbors,” said Newport Beach City Attorney Aaron Harp, of temporary residents. The city heard complaints from long-time, and long-term, residents about the facilities turnover and how it changed their neighborhood. The city itself was more concerned with homeowners chang-ing a traditional residential use into a commercial one, he said.

Newport Beach’s ordinance impacted group homes, such as treatment centers, sober living facilities, boarding-houses, sororities and fraternities, by prohibit-ing new group homes from operating in most residential areas and requiring existing homes to go through a permit-ting process that new ones would be subject to.

While the law’s lan-guage was neutral, group home owners fought the

ordinance in court arguing that the zoning rules targeted sober living homes unfairly.

In 2007, before the ordinance was ad-opted, Newport had 72 group homes. By 2013, there were just 27.

Two treatment organizations operating in Newport Beach, Pacific Shores Proper-ties LLC and Newport Coast Recovery LLC, sued the city in 2009 after their permits were denied. The judge presid-ing over the case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, ruled in favor of the city.

Operators appealed that decision. In September 2013, three justices with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unani-mously ruled Newport Beach discriminat-ed against homes for recovering addicts in enacting and enforcing its group home ordinance.

The appellate court also found the trial court erred in not considering evidence proving the city’s “sole objective in enact-ing and enforcing its ordinance was to discriminate against persons deemed to be disabled under state and federal hous-ing discrimination laws,” Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote in his opinion.

The federal Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act extend to persons recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, Reinhardt wrote.

The court has opened the door for liability issues for cities, Harp said, since the ordinance’s language was non-dis-criminatory. He believes the court read prejudiced intent where it was not.

Five appellate court judges, who did not hear the case, issued a dissent.

Newport Beach now has plans to submit a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court. Five cities have signed on in support of New-port’s appeal, including San Clemente, Laguna Beach, Claremont, Costa Mesa and Bradbury.

The city expects to know if the Supreme Court will take up the case sometime in the fall, Harp said.

RESIDENTS RAISE CONCERNS LOCALLYCounselors with Sovereign Health, a

treatment facility located in the Talega Business Park of San Clemente, refers those who have left the facility for drug and alcohol dependency to residential homes to continue their treatment, said the organiza-tion’s spokeswoman Penny Alvarez.

However, the organization only refers clients to homes that have been licensed by the state. Other homes, such as sober living homes, are not licensed by the state. There are an estimated 30 unlicensed sober-living or other group facilities oper-ating in San Clemente, according to Brent Panas, the city’s code compliance officer.

A number have popped up recently in the southwest area of the city, he said.

Lisa Gaskin lives near one such home. Gaskin believes there are “different

levels” of such facilities. Some, she noted, regularly have residents picked up in a sin-gle vehicle, while others have “cars parked all over the street, many from out of state.” People were “constantly changing,” she said, with turnover sometimes coming in less than a month.

But a larger issue is a lack of neighborli-ness, she believes.

On a recent day, Gaskin reported, an open window led to her overhearing graphically crude language. Another time, she said her son was watching television upstairs when he heard loud vomiting coming from a neighboring home.

The family is now considering moving away.

Similar complaints have been heard throughout neighboring cities.

But with the final outcome of Newport Beach’s case still to be determined, it is likely local residents will be left with little recourse until a final decision is made—possibly one coming from the nation’s highest court. CD

The San Juan Hills High School football team’s script could hardly have read better in 2013. The Stallions were led by a strong

group of seniors who played beside each other for four years, culminating in an impressive undefeated run through the Sea View League. The Stallions set a school record for most wins in a season (10), captured the fi rst league title in school history and won a playoff game. Because of their efforts, San Juan Hills

was moved from the Sea View League to the South Coast League over the offseason. The new league features established football powerhouses, like Mission Viejo and Tesoro high schools, along with El Toro, which has always been a threat in the high school football scene. Dana Hills rounds out the league. It is a league schedule the likes of

which the Stallions have never seen. But that hasn’t stopped the team from building on their momentum from last year and preparing for the new chal-lenge.Head coach Aaron Flowers said that

the Stallions are preparing the same way they always have, by taking things one step at a time.The Stallions lost a large group of

San Juan Hills High School

SCHEDULE

8/29 Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, 7 p.m.

9/5 Canyon SJHHS, 7 p.m.

9/12 Capistrano Valley CVHS,

7 p.m.

9/19 Marina SJHHS, 7 p.m.

9/25 Los Alamitos LBCC, 7 p.m.

10/4 Beckman

SJHHS, 7 p.m.

10/17 El Toro*

SJHHS, 7 p.m.

10/24 Mission Viejo* MVHS, 7 p.m.

10/30 Dana Hills* DHHS, 7 p.m.

11/7 Tesoro*

SJHHS, 7 p.m.

*-- League game

a team leader and echoed his coach’s views on the Stallions need to fi nd an identity if they are to improve on last year’s efforts. “Since we did lose a lot of guys last

year we have a lot of new kids coming up. It’s great, I love the opportunity to play with new kids because we have the chance to build as a team,” Mis-cione said. Paving the way for Miscione up front

will be returning senior guard Jake Nel-son, the lone returner on the Stallions offensive line.Senior receiver Kolton McCluskey

caught 30 receptions for 504 yards and two touchdowns in 2013 and will return to lead the receivers. The Stallions defense will feature

senior returning corner Griffi n Grutz, a reliable player who had 49 tackles and one interception last season. San Juan Hills’ linebackers were a key

part of their stingy defense last season and return one starter, senior Jacob Venegas. Venegas was second on the team in total tackles last year with 73 and tallied two sacks. The South Coast League stretch is

weeks away and the focus will be on a tough road matchup with Thousand Oaks in the season opener. When the team takes the fi eld against the Lancers, Flowers and his staff plan on getting a lot of players into the game to fi gure out what works and what doesn’t. “We’re hoping we can continue the

momentum just by working hard on a daily basis. It’s going to be a game by game process for us,” Flowers said.

some things we can do but we don’t know. We’re going to fi nd out with Thousand Oaks (on Aug. 29) about who we are,” Flowers said. “That’s why I’m excited and fascinated to see how this team is going to develop into their own identity because we had kids who graduated last year who played a ton as sophomores, juniors and seniors. So now it’s a new identity. To see that come together is pretty cool.”Junior quarterback Patrick O’Brien

will lead the Stallions offense in 2014. O’Brien has only played the position for the past two years but is under the watchful eye of Flowers, a former stand-out quarterback himself. Senior running back Mike Miscione

was among the team’s leading rushers last season, taking 134 carries for 833 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. He also caught 32 passes and scored four touchdowns as a receiver. The versatile Miscione has developed into

standout seniors last year and only re-turn seven starters, which left multiple spots on the fi eld open for competition. San Juan Hills has used the offseason to fi ll those spots and work on building new team chemistry, something the Stallions thrived on last year. Heading into their fi fth game of last

year, a Sept. 27 tilt against Fullerton, the Stallions were winning games but did not have an identity, according to Flowers. The intensity in practice and preparation was not there. But following that week’s 28-21 loss, the team refo-cused and hit their stride. They began clamping down on defense and built their identity around that. With so many new faces, the 2014

version of the Stallions still have a lot to fi gure out, according to Flowers. Luckily for them, it’s still very early. “We don’t know our strengths yet. I

think that’s kind of the interesting thing with this team. We feel like there are

2014 DISPATCH FOOTBALL PREVIEW

he 2014 high school football season kicks off on Friday, Aug. 29. As usual, there are plenty

of storylines to get caught up on and games to look forward to.

San Juan Capistrano Area High School Football PreviewLocal teams gear up for new season

www.thecapistranodispatch.com2014 Dispatch Football Preview

TBY STEVE BREAZEALE

for more successful seasons and are looking for consecutive playoff berths.JSerra Catholic and St. Margaret’s

Episcopal School enjoyed plenty of suc-cess in 2013 and will have to regroup if they are going to continue their winning ways.San Juan Hills High School will enter

waters never before tested by a Stal-lions football program as they enter the formidable South Coast League for the fi rst time in school history. For in-game updates, scores, news

and more for all of the San Juan area football teams, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports all season long.

Two of the San Juan Capistrano area schools, Capistrano Valley Christian and Saddleback Valley Christian, have spent the offseason working with a new head coach. The two rivals are primed

Senior quarterback Patrick O’Brien, right, will lead the San Juan Hills offense in 2014. Photo: Steve Breazeale

Schedule

8/29 Cabrillo Cabrillo, 7 p.m. 9/5 Chino Hills Saddleback College, 7 p.m.9/12 Huntington Beach HBHS, 7 p.m.9/19 St. Bonaventure Saddleback College, 7 p.m.9/26 St. Paul JSCHS, 7:30 p.m.10/10 Santa Margarita* Saddleback College, 7 p.m.10/16 St. John Bosco* San Juan Hills, 7 p.m.10/24 Mater Dei* Santa Ana Stadium, 7 p.m.10/30 Orange Lutheran* OLHS, 7 p.m.11/7 Servite* Saddleback College, 7 p.m.*-- League game

BY STEVE BREAZEALE

The injury bug has made its way into the JSerra Catholic High School football training camp.

Some of the injuries are more minor than others, but the biggest of them all came at the expense of returning senior middle linebacker David Eugenio. The Lions leading tackler in 2013 suffered a broken foot during the offseason, which will sideline him for 6-8 weeks, according to head coach Jim Hartigan.

Eugenio had a team-high 97 tackles last year and was named to the second team All-



Trinity League. Hartigan expects Eugenio to be back in time for Trinity League play. Senior Aaron Mathews fi gures to be Eugenio’s replacement.

Eugenio wasn’t the only impact player from last year’s seven-win season to go down with an injury, as standout receiver Ethan Aguayo is nursing an injured hamstring. Hartigan said he does not anticipate Aguayo, who also plays cornerback, to be sidelined for long.

Their middle linebacker may be injured, but the Lions have a wealth of players returning on defense that could make an impact during their tough preseason schedule.

The defensive line will again be a strength for the Lions this season. Four players from last year’s line return, including D.J. Bailey, Brody Barrett and Joe Monroe. Bailey had a breakout junior season, racking up 52 tackles and a team-high seven sacks. The Lions strength and size at the line was a major fac-tor all last season and Hartigan expects even bigger things out of the unit in 2014.

“The defensive line has gotten better. We’ve gotten stronger up front,” Hartigan said. “The inside guys, Barrett and Monroe, are both over 300 (pounds) so they’re good sized kids.”

Junior cornerback Isaiah Diego-Williams and free safety Connor O’Brien will patrol the Lions’ secondary.

The Lions lost standout playmaker Casey Eugenio to graduation, which makes fi nding his replacement a priority this offseason.

Eugenio, the team’s former running back and punt/kick returner, was a huge threat to opposing defenses all season. Hartigan said they have not decided on who will be the Lions running back yet.

This season will mark the last go around for returning senior quarterback Nick Robinson. Robinson earned the starting job as a sopho-more and has steadily progressed since. In his fi rst year, Robinson threw fi ve touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He drastically improved on that ratio last season, throwing for 2,140 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. Robinson’s ability to maintain possession of the ball on offense gave the Lions a puncher’s chance in the Trinity League last year, when they won two games.

Aguayo, when healthy, along with Diego-Williams and Sam Fillipi, will be the go-to receivers for the Lions.

Despite fi nishing with a 7-3 overall record and fi nishing in a three-way tie for third place in the Trinity League, the Lions were not awarded an at-large berth into the CIF-SS football playoffs, a process which heavily re-lies on strength of schedule. This year, the Li-ons will play arguably the toughest preseason schedule in school history and one of the most diffi cult schedules in the area. Games against Huntington Beach, the reigning CIF-SS Southwest Division champions, Chino Hills and St. Bonaventure highlight the preseason slate. After preseason, things only get tougher when the Lions enter the Trinity League.

“Our schedule has gotten tougher … You really have to do some special things to get to eight (wins) and, more importantly, you think how we are going to get into the playoffs,” Hartigan said. “We may get there with six wins, it all depends what happens with the rest of the league. But league will be tough. We’ll hopefully get a wild card but there are no guarantees unless you’re top-3, which is what we’re shooting for.”

JSerra Catholic High School

JSerra will play one of the most daunting schedules in school history in 2014. Photo: Steve Breazeale

On paper, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School appears to have all of the pieces they need to win a 10th consecutive league title and make another deep playoff push.

The Tartans return 13 starters from a team that appeared in the CIF-SS Eastern Valley Division championship game.

A main strength of last year’s team was the defense, which held teams to one score or fewer four times, including a shutout. Despite losing three All-CIF defenders to graduation, eight players return on defense to make up what has become a stingy unit.

Junior cornerback Nick Shanks, senior Preston Ellis and All-CIF senior middle line-backer Dalan Cragun bring valuable varsity experience.

The Tartans are still fi guring out who will be their starting quarterback. Ellis, sophmore George Krantz and senior Ryan O’Hare are currently battling for the spot. But one thing is certain—whoever it is will have plenty of offensive weapons surrounding him.

Five players return to the Tartans offense, which scored plenty of points in 2013. St. Margaret’s eclipsed the 40-point threshold on offense 10 times last year, including a pair of 55 and 56-point performances. The offense was effective, averaging just over 38 points per game during their 14-game schedule, including the playoffs. Graduated quarterback Josh Davis fueled the Tartans prolifi c passing attack while Oscar Gomez took care of things on the ground.

Gomez, now a senior, burst onto the scene as a junior in the Tartans fi rst game of the season. Gomez rushed for 360 yards and six touchdowns against Village Christian School

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

SCHEDULE

9/5 Capistrano Valley Christian CVHS, 7 p.m.

9/12 The Webb Schools SMES, 7 p.m.

9/19 Whittier Christian SMES, 7 p.m.

9/26 Laguna Beach LBHS, 7 p.m.

10/2 Douglass TBA, 7 p.m.

10/10 Sage Hill* SHHS, 7 p.m.

10/17 Brethren Christian* SMES, 7 p.m.

10/24 Crean Lutheran* SMES, 7 p.m.

11/7 Calvary Chapel* SMES, 7 p.m.

*-- denotes league game

on Sept. 6 and didn’t stop there, earning All-CIF honors for his standout season.

Gomez had an impressive season despite missing three games to injury. Head coach Rod Baltau said that Gomez piled up over 1,600 yards last year in seven games, which makes the possibility of a 2,000-yard sea-son for him in 2014 seem within reach.

Shanks, who also plays running back and wide receiver, fi lled in very well when Go-mez was injured early last season. Shanks rushed for 257 yards in a game against Whittier Christian and seemed to be on a roll before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the year.

With both Gomez and Shanks healthy and back in the mix, Baltau can deploy multiple formations on offense.

“They’re both going to get carries. We are going to try and get them on the fi eld at the same time as much as possible,” Baltau said. “We have several guys where we want to make sure to get the ball in their hands. That’s a good problem to have.”

All-CIF wide receiver Fernando Delgado returns to add depth to the Tartans skill positions.

St. Margaret’s secret weapon lies in return-ing senior kicker Charlie Beall, who Baltau says has 50-plus-yard fi eld goal range and almost assures the Tartans a touchback whenever he kicks off.

The Tartans preseason schedule is fi lled with several promising games, including a tilt against Laguna Beach on Sept. 26. Their competition in the Academy League fi gures to be Brethren Christian, who fi nished sec-ond in league last year, and Sage Hill.

Sophomore George Krantz is one of three St. Margaret’s players vying for the starting quarterback position. Photo: Steve Breazeale

Junior receiver/cornerback Nick Shanks is a part of a large group of talented skill players at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. Photo: Steve Breazeale



Saddleback Valley Christian will be under the guidance of fi rst-year head coach Brian Pearsall in 2014. Pearsall comes to Saddleback Valley Christian after having spent the past several years as the defensive line coach for both Santa Margarita and Corona del Mar high schools. Last year, Pearsall was a part of the Sea Kings coaching staff that guided the program to the CIF-SS Southwest Division title. Pearsall said he came to campus with

the intention of meshing into what had already been hardwired into the Warriors football program—a winning tradition.The Warriors will keep their spread of-

fense and 4-3 defensive scheme, which served them well in 2013. The War-riors compiled a 9-3 overall record last season, including a perfect 4-0 record

Saddleback Valley Christian SCHEDULE

8/29 Windward WHS, 3:30 p.m.

9/12 Garey SVCS, 7 p.m.

9/19 Chadwick HS

9/26 California City SJHHS, 7 p.m.

10/3 Aliso Niguel ANHS, 7 p.m.

10/10 Capistrano Valley Christian SJHHS, 7 p.m.

10/18 The Webb Schools* TWSHS, 1 p.m.

10/24 Southlands Christian* SJHHS, 7 p.m.

10/31 Fairmont Prep* SJHHS, 7 p.m.

11/6 Santa Clarita Christian* Canyon, 7 p.m.

*-- denotes league game

for football this season and will try to use his 6-foot-1 height and athleticism to be a lockdown corner.

Bethea, who graduated, and the spot is up for grabs in camp. Pearsall isn’t sure who the starter will be yet but said Mo-lina has made a strong case for himself.In all, the offense returns six starters,

including three offensive linemen. Morris also doubles as the team leader

on defense at safety. One of the team’s most productive de-

fensive players, junior Jonathan Bunnel, returns to lead the defensive line. Bunnel had a standout year as a sophomore, av-eraging 7.6 tackles per game to go along with a team-high 16 sacks.The Warriors preseason schedule fea-

tures two matches against larger division schools. They open their season with a road game against Windward of Los Angeles. The fi fth game of the preseason will be against Aliso Niguel, a public school that plays in the Sea View League. until after training camp.Morris will be the other player to start

both ways after securing a starting role at safety. He picked off two passes last season and returned one of them back 27 yards for a touchdown. Junior cor-nerback Avery Bright gave up basketball

in the San Joaquin League. Behind a powerful running and passing game, the Warriors were primed to make a deep playoff run but lost in the fi rst round of the CIF-SS Northeast Division Champi-onship. “I defi nitely see a drive. They’re hun-

gry,” Pearsall said. “Everyone felt like they went home too early last year and they want to prove a point. We’re just hoping to build on that momentum go-ing into the season.”The Warriors return their starting

quarterback Jake Markum. Markum had an effective junior season, passing for 1,528 yards and 24 touchdowns.Saddleback Valley Christian’s receiv-

ers group barely felt a hit to graduation. Seniors Sawyer Caso-Nogle (271 yards, eight touchdowns), Caleb Ward (409 yards, six touchdowns), Charlie Mor-ris (576 yards, seven touchdowns) and junior David Molina (388 yards, four touchdowns) all return. In years past, Saddleback Valley Chris-

tian has always had a prolifi c running back that lights up scoreboards. They had it last year in the form of James

When Dan Dodd stepped down as the head football coach at Capistrano Val-ley Christian School, the administration turned to his defensive coordinator and pupil Eric Preszler to fi ll his mentor’s shoes. Preszler has been on the Eagles coach-

ing staff the previous three years learn-ing under Dodd, a veteran coach whose career includes stints at Texas Christian University, Tulane and Utah State. Preszler learned a lot from the man he assisted on the football fi eld and has been with the Eagles since they were an 8-man football team.Preszler has been on campus since his

current crop of seniors were freshmen, which he feels has made his transition to head coach seamless. “It’s been a nice transition. I was for-

tunate to be able to take over for a guy like (Dodd). They know me and I know

Capistrano Valley Christian

SCHEDULE

8/29 Maranatha Christian CVHS, 7 p.m.

9/5 St. Margaret’s CVHS, 7 p.m.

9/13 Tri-City Christian TCCHS, 1 p.m.

9/19 Linfi eld Christian CVHS, 7 p.m.

10/3 Crean Lutheran CLHS, 4 p.m.

10/10 Saddleback Valley Christian SJHHS, 7 p.m.

10/17 Southlands Christian* CVHS, 7 p.m.

10/25 Fairmont Prep* Yorba Linda, 12:05 p.m.

11/1 Santa Clarita* CVHS, 7 p.m.

11/7 The Webb Schools CVHS, 7 p.m.

*-- League game

some huge steps going from 8-man to where we are,” Preszler said. “But now it’s ‘What’s the next thing you can do?’ That was the next step for us, to beef up that preseason schedule so we can (take the next step).”

and 30 touchdowns last season. What Babick is to the offense, Sukut is

to the Eagles’ defense. The free safety was second on the team in tackles last year (73), had one sack and one inter-ception. Sukut holds offers from BYU, San Diego State University and Arkan-sas State, according to Preszler. The Eagles have had success against

preseason and league opponents in the past, but where they have fallen short of late is in the playoffs.The Eagles were eliminated from the

postseason in the fi rst round for a sec-ond consecutive year last season. They also fi nished runner-up to crosstown rival Saddleback Valley Christian in the San Joaquin League standings.Preszler and his staff addressed this is-

sue in the offseason by scheduling pre-season games against larger schools, like St. Margaret’s Episcopal, Tri-City Christian of Oceanside and Crean Lutheran. All three of those opponents will bring much deeper lineups to the table when they square off against the Eagles. Preszler sees the matchups as an opportunity for the Eagles to become battle tested by the time playoffs roll around.“The whole concept is that we need

to get those games and get developed, challenged and pushed to take this program to the next step. We’ve had

them,” Preszler said. “We’re doing some of the same stuff offensively and defen-sively so they’re not having a whole new system to learn … at the end of the day everyone was comfortable with that.”The Eagles will feature two of the

biggest playmakers in southern Orange County this season in quarterback Riley Babick and junior safety/wide receiver Ben Sukut. Babick has been the offensive foun-

dation on which the Eagles success is built upon. Since Babick’s fi rst start as a freshman, the Eagles have moved up to 11-man football and put up a combined 22-8 record. He threw for 2,152 yards



Junior KC Thompson and the Capistrano Valley Christian football team will play a tough preseason schedule this season. Photo: Steve Breazeale

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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 refl ect those of The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, email us at [email protected]

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTSSOAPBOX

The Capistrano Dispatch August 22-September 11, 2014 Page 17 www.thecapistranodispatch.com

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The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 12, Issue 16. 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 2014. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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FOLLOW THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

Letters to the EditorTROUBLED BY SONGS DECOMMIS-SIONING PLAN

Roger Johnson, San ClementeSouthern California Edison’s draft of

their decommissioning plans should not lull residents into a false sense of security (“Edison Provides Early Timeline for SONGS Decommissioning,” The Dispatch, Aug. 8-21).

It is doubtful that Edison can move all radioactive fuel from pools to stor-age casks by 2019, and it is disturbing that Edison is determined to buy unsafe storage casks because they are cheaper. Also buried in the report is an admission that until 2032, Edison might be releas-ing as much radioactivity into the air and ocean as they did when the reactors were operating full blast.

What Edison doesn’t want everyone to realize is that this facility will soon become a nuclear waste dump—Yucca Mountain, ZIP code 92672. Thousands of tons of uranium and plutonium will be sitting right here in casks on a concrete pad next to Interstate 5 until 2049. At that time, the Department of Energy is supposed to take it away but only if a deep underground repository is built. There are no plans to build one, and experts are skeptical that such a facility will be built. The nation’s only facility in New Mexico was closed a few months ago, after fi res, explosions and radiation leaks.

Even more troubling is the lack of action by local politicians, ranging from

city councils to our Congressman Darrel Issa. None has protested our becoming a nuclear waste dump. They should be demanding that all San Onofre nuclear waste should be moved to a remote and safer temporary location. No one is will-ing to take a stand or even contact the offi cials who are delighted that residents and politicians are meekly going along with the plan to turn south Orange County into a nuclear waste dump. Going along with Edison’s “plan” is no plan at all.

AN OPEN LETTER MR. BYRNES

Tom Scott, San Juan CapistranoWe have an election coming in Novem-

ber and we have nine candidates vying for three open slots. Mr. Byrnes, please resign your position now and make that

The Urban Village Hotel Project—A CommentGUEST OPINION: San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Roy Byrnes

four open slots.You are no longer an asset to our com-

munity. Stop now with your accomplish-ments from 50 years ago still remembered and let someone who can think 50 years in the future fi ll that spot.

Your voting record is consistently, “It’s too complicated. I don’t understand it so I abstain.” We need a council person who does the research and understands the issue before coming to the dais.

Please, resign now before you do more damage to San Juan Capistrano.

While I support the hotel, the homes undermine San Juan’s historic town center

Southern California Edison hopes to complete the demolition of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station by the end of 2032. The process is estimated to cost $4.4 billion, according to a draft decommissioning report released late July. File photo

ecisions made by our City Council are often diffi cult and generate a great deal of emotion. The pending

Urban Village hotel project is complex because it involves two sharply different parts.

On the one hand, there’s a superior ho-tel which I strongly support because it will aid our commercial life. The other part of the project—the “evil twin”—imposes 30 townhouse units which are utterly inconsistent with our city’s heritage. That portion of the project needs help. It’s a mediocre housing project which is out of phase with the traditions of San Juan Cap-istrano. It looks like Legoland to me.

I voted against this project as a means of saying, “Mr. Developer, the people of

DSan Juan deserve better than a Legoland housing tract which has been shoe-horned into their historic town center.” It’s as simple as that.

Some folks disagree with me but it isn’t clear whether they object to my

support for the hotel or they object to my disapproval of the housing tract. I’m just a reasonable fellow, trying to help—voting my conscience expecting that people will understand and won’t be fooled.

The choices are stark. This townhouse tract will destroy our historic town center. Yet, we need the four-star hotel. I urge the developer to rework his project so that we

can all move forward together.Roy L. Byrnes, M.D. is a 55-year resident

of San Juan Capistrano. He was elected to the City Council December 2012. Byrnes previously served on the council from 1972 to 1976, including two years as mayor. From 1959 until his retirement in 1994, Byrnes was a certifi ed pathologist, working with physicians, clinics and hospitals in Or-ange County. Byrnes was also an associate clinical professor of pathology at UC Irvine.

By Roy Byrnes

PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

EDITORIAL

Picket Fence Media Group Senior Editor,City Editor, DP Times> Andrea Swayne

City Editor, SC Times> Jim Shilander

City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch> Brian Park

Sports Editor> Steve Breazeale

ART/DESIGN

Senior Designer> Jasmine Smith

ADVERTISING/MULTI-MEDIA MARKETING

Picket Fence Media Associate Publisher> Lauralyn Loynes(Dana Point)

> Susie Lantz (San Clemente)

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Real Estate Sales Manager> Michele Reddick

OPERATIONS

Finance Director> Mike Reed

Business Operations Manager> Alyssa Garrett

Accounting & Distribution Manager> Tricia Zines

SPECIAL THANKSRobert Miller, Jonathan Volzke

CONTRIBUTORS Allison Aplin, Megan Bianco, Catherine Manso, Dana Schnell, Steve Sohanaki, Tim Trent

YOUR EVENT PLANNERGETTING OUT


For our full calendar, visit the “Event Calendar” at www.thecapistranodispatch.com.

Have an event? Send your listing to [email protected]

Saturday | 23THE ARK OF SAN JUAN RESCUED PET ADOPTIONS 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dogs and puppies at PetsPlus, 32022 Camino Capist-rano. Noon-4 p.m. Cats at PetSmart. 33963 Doheny Park Road, San Juan Capistrano, 949.388.0034, www.arkofsanjuan.org.

WILDFLOWER HARVESTING AND AR-RANGING 1 p.m. A hands-on workshop on sustainable wildcrafting techniques and fl oral arranging at The Ecology Center. $20 for members, $30 for non-members. 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano. To purchase tickets or for more informa-tion, visit www.theecologycenter.org or call 949.443.4223.

Sunday | 24RED PIG GARDEN TOOLS10 a.m. Visit The Ecology Center’s sustain-able store, Tools for Change, and learn all about their latest featured product, Red Pig Garden Tools. Free. 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano. For more in-formation, visit www.theecologycenter.org

CASA CINEMA: FROZEN6:30 p.m. Disney animated movie Frozen under the stars in the Casa Romantica Courtyard. Bring your family, picnic, blan-kets or portable chairs for a memorable night at the Casa. Tickets free, but RSVP’s are required. A limited number a tickets are available on a fi rst come, fi rst serve ba-sis. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949.498.2139, www.casaromantica.org.

Tuesday | 26KNITLIT BOOK CLUB6 p.m.-7 p.m. Bring your knitting project and join in on a lively discussion of the lat-est book, which will be available after the meeting. KnitLit meets the last Tuesday of each month. San Juan Capistrano Library, 31495 El Camino Real, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

$2 TUESDAYS AT THE SWALLOW’SEnjoy $2 tacos, shot specials and domestic drafts at The Swallow’s Inn. Phil Vander-most will perform live. 31786 Camino Cap-istrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

Wednesday | 27STRETCH AND STRENGTH6 p.m. This partnership between I Heart Yoga in the Park and the Mission San Juan Capistrano brings yoga enthusiasts togeth-er to help in the fi ght against cancer. $10

The ListWhat’s going on in and around San Juan

donation. Proceeds benefi t Relay for Life San Juan Capistrano. 26801 Ortega High-way, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1321, www.iheartyogainthepark.com.

Thursday | 28MISSION READERS BOOK DISCUSSION10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Join other readers for a lively informal book discussion at the San Juan Capistrano Library. Copies of the book will be available for checkout 31495 El Camino Real, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

Thursday | 04GARDEN ANGELS8:30 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 more. Bring gloves and wear close-toed shoes. 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

Saturday | 06BACKYARD SKILLS: FOOD PRESERVA-TION 1 p.m. Learn recipes, procedures, safety tips and techniques behind preserv-ing, canning and fermenting various foods. Participants can taste various preserved foods, including fi g balsamic preserves,

COMPILED BY STAFF

pickled onions and zucchini jam. $12 fee goes toward The Ecology Center. The Center for Living Peace, 4139 Campus Drive, Irvine. For tickets and more infor-mation, visit www.theecologycenter.org or call 949.443.4223.

MUSIC UNDER THE STARS6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Jumping Jack Flash, tribute band to The Rolling Stones, performs as part of Mission San Juan Cap-istrano’s popular summer concert series. Enjoy live music and dancing in the Mis-sion’s central courtyard. Proceeds benefi t Mission preservation efforts. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. 26801 Ortega Highway. Tickets and reserved tables available. Call 949.234.1317 or visit www.missionsjc.com.

Sunday | 07GRANDPARENTS DAY NATURE WALK8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Celebrate National Grandparents Day with an easy hike at The Reserve/Richard and Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy. Register by 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6. To RSVP, directors or more info, visit www.rmvreserve.org.

RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT: Kawamata Seafood

n avid surfer, world-traveling backpacker and seasoned sushi chef, Yusuke Kawamata, a native of

Osaka, Japan is living his dream. With a love for sunshine, the outdoors and being close to the ocean, he found a great little spot in Capistrano Beach to bring his expertly crafted poke to the people.

The doors to Kawamata Seafood opened May 2014, just steps from the bluff over-looking the beaches of Dana Point, and has since become popular among poke afi cionados.

“The most important thing to me is serv-ing ‘Ja-waiian’ (Japanese/Hawaiian style) poke, having fun and offering people my genuine spirit,” Kawamata said.

An admired and creative sushi chef with a spontaneous sense of humor, Kawamata loves to mix with the customers. He also adheres to two of his strongest guiding principles—always strive to be the best and honor all people, he said.

Kawamata Seafood offers an ocean-to-table poke experience. The fl avors are fresh, bold, crisp and affordable. The daily poke meals include your choice of ahi tuna, salmon, octopus, imitation crab or combi-

AYusuke Kawamata. Photo: Andrea Swayne

nation specials. The No. 1 Special is ahi tuna served over white rice, brown rice or green salad. A topping of his original blend secret dressing is included, or choose from shoyu, wasabi or spicy mayo. Side dishes, sashimi and snacks—including Spam musube—as-sorted beverages and bottled water are also offered.

Limited indoor counter seating is avail-able but sitting outside at an umbrella table adds favorably to the experience and is reminiscent of some of the great poke stands in Hawaii.

26881 Camino de Estrella, Capistrano Beach, 949.248.1914 CD

A Hawaiian-style poke stop delights in Capistrano BeachBY SAMANTHA HAMMER, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

PRICE RANGE: Regular size poke bowl $8.50, large $11.50PAYMENT ACCEPTED: Cash onlyHOURS: Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Lorraine Bracco and Ray Liotta in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 crime drama Goodfellas. The West Coast Film Fes-tival will be showing the fi lm, including a documentary interview with Scorsese, on Thursday, Aug. 28 at the Regency Theatre in San Juan Capistrano. Courtesy of Warner Bros.

WEST COAST FILM FESTIVAL • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27The opening day of the fourth annual West Coast Film Festival at the Regency Theatre includes Gigi at 2 p.m., Heartbreak Ridge at 4:30 p.m. and All the President’s Men at 8:15 p.m. The festival runs fi ve consecutive days through Sunday, Aug. 31. Featured screen-ings also include the theatrical premiere of the last interview with Grace Kelly, To Catch a Thief and Goodfellas on Aug. 28, The Wizard of Oz on Aug. 29, A Clockwork Orange on Aug. 30 and Amadeus (at the St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Performing Arts Center) and The Shawshank Redemption, on Sunday, Aug. 31. There will also be several special presentations and screenings. For the full schedule, including venues, or to purchase tickets, call 949.489.7771 or visit www.westcoastfi lmfest.com.

EDITOR’S PICK

SUBMIT YOUR CLASSIFIED AD ONLINE AT WWW.THECAPISTRANODISPATCH.COM

CLASSIFIEDS

GARAGE SALE LISTINGS ARE FREE! Email your listing to [email protected]

Deadline 5pm Monday. No phone calls.

PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD

HERECall 949.388.7700, ext. 104

or email [email protected]

BUSINESS DIRECTORYBUSINESS DIRECTORY

FOR SALE

LOCALS ONLY BUSINESS LISTINGS

LIST

LOCALS ONLY

USE LOCALS ONLY

In print and online 52 weeks a year.

View online at www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Call at Debra Wells for pricing at 949.589.0892 or email

[email protected]

AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

Oasis Air Conditioning & Heating27126 Paseo Espada, Suite 1604, 949.420.1321, www.oasisair.com

BANKING

Independence Bank32291 Camino Capistrano, Suite A, 949.373.8963, www.independence-bank.net

EDIBLE LANDSCAPING

Organics Out Back949.354.2258, www.organicsoutback.com

ELECTRICIANS

After-Hours ElectricCa Lic #697355714.396.2188, 949.573.8386,www.bbb.org

Excel Electric32238 Paseo Adelanto E-I, 949.493.7769, www.excelelectric.com

ELECTRIC CONTRACTORS

Excel Electric - CA #79386032238 Paseo Adelanto E-I, 949.493.7769, www.excelelectric.com

HOME ORGANIZATION

Karen Fischer, Professional Organizer, Get Organized and Move!949.355.3487, www.getorganizedandmove.com

JEWELER

Abby’s Fine Jewelry Design32382 Del Obispo, Ste. C-3, 949.493.3632, www.abbysdesigns.com

MOLD REMOVAL

Jarvis Restoration31942 Paseo Sagrado, 949.362.5388, www.jarvisrestoration.com

PHOTO & DIGITAL LAB

San Juan Photo & Digital32301 Camino Capistrano, 949.661.5668, www.sjcphotodigital.com

PLUMBING

Chick’s Plumbing949.496.9731, www.chicks-plumbing.com

ROOF MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Bryan Krueger Enterprises, Inc.33208 Paseo De Cerveza, Ste. B, 949.212.0499

SCHOOLS

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

TILE & STONE INSTALLATION/RESTORATION

Yorba Linda Tile & Marble, Inc. 714.757.3490, CA License #789312www.yorbalindatilemarble.com

WATER DAMAGE

Jarvis Restoration31942 Paseo Sagrado, 949.362.5388, www.jarvisrestoration.com

WOMEN’S CLOTHING & HANDBAG BOUTIQUE

Dress Well Boutique33712 Calle Miramar, 949.922.8044, www.DressWellBoutique.com


HARLEY HANDLE BARSChrome, 8-inch, T Bars (drag specialties). Slight curve back. $70. Can send pictures. Text or call 949-633-3860 for more info.

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch August 22-September 11, 2014 Page 21

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

PROFILES OF OUR COMMUNITYSJC LIVING

hat young girl doesn’t dream of being a sparkling Disney prin-cess? Or even a world-famous

actress or singer? How about a veterinar-ian?

For one girl who’s been battling cancer for the past 11 months caring for animal is more important than being a princess, and thanks to the Make-A-Wish Founda-tion and a San Juan Capistrano business, she got to do just that.

On Monday, Aug. 18, 5-year-old Nomi-nee Guerrero from Placentia got to be real life veterinarian for a day, a wish she made through the foundation’s Orange County and Inland Empire branch. Guer-rero, along with her mother and father, arrived at the Veterinary Medical and

as dating after 50 become this cal-loused?Pattie emailed, “I’ve been single

for six years. With most of the men I’ve met, they would just not call after one or two dates. Some were honest and direct and would tell me in person or by phone that they weren’t feeling a connection. If I wasn’t feeling a connection, I would be honest and tell them directly or in a phone call.

“In May, I met a man I liked, felt a connection, and he said the same. After our dates, he would text, asking when we could meet again. He’d text to confi rm ar-rangements. In two months, we talked on the phone two or three times. I found this curious but suspended judgment to get to know him better and to let things evolve.

“After our last date, he texted me the next morning to say he didn’t think we had

Aspiring Veterinarian Makes a Wish

Breaking up by Text Message: A Classless ActPersonal courtesy still matters but texting big news undermines that

W

H

Surgical Group in San Juan Capistrano and was greeted by Make-A-Wish volunteers who gave her a pink stethoscope and a custom-fi t lab coat.

First, “Doctor” Guerrero toured the facility and met all of the animals in their cages. After that, she removed some stitches from a dog that had previously undergone surgery and then proceeded to perform routine checkups on other visiting pets.

“We’re also going to let little Nominee look at animal organs with our ultra sound device,” said surgeon Kenneth A. Bruecker.

Guerrero has three dogs at home that she spends time with all day.

“It’s strange because she doesn’t play much with dolls,” said Guerrero’s mother, Urla Silvia. “At home she gets bored with

enough in common. I was disappointed because I found him interesting and fun to be with but was more disappointed that he broke up in a text.

“Is texting how we communicate with one another now? I know it’s easier than a phone call, but it doesn’t feel right.

Am I too old fashioned?”The invention of cell phones has been

a mixed blessing. On the one hand, they have streamlined our lives, making us more effi cient and able to have instant communi-cations, updates and information. Texting plays a big role in that.

On the other hand, cell phones are a curse. Texting is a large part of that curse. We all know how dangerous texting can

Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 5-year-old Nominee Guerrero got to spend the day as a veterinarian at Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group in San Juan Capistrano. Guerrero, who has been battling cancer for the past 11 months, loves animals and would like to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Photo: Steve Sohanaki

ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50

By Tom Blake

BY STEVE SOHANAKI, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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 diffi cult. Level: Medium

Sudoku

See today’s solution in next week’s issue.

Last week’s solution:

BY MYLES MELLOR

be in a car. We all have experienced rude people in public places yacking away on their cell phones so loudly everybody nearby can hear. And people can be so pre-occupied when using their cell phones that they walk into you on the sidewalk or in the aisle of the supermarket, oblivious that they are being so rude.

Is Pattie old fashioned? I don’t think so. It’s nice that there are people like Pattie who feel that personal courtesy still matters when something as important as a breakup occurs.

Pattie’s former friend took the spineless way out. Why not a brief and courteous phone call instead of a text? It was just “type a few words, hit send and poof, rela-tionship over.” Move on.

Emily Post, the author of Etiquette, which is in its 18th edition, would have been horri-fi ed by modern-day cell phone etiquette.

I asked Greta, my life partner of 16 years, for her opinion about Pattie’s situation. She said, “They only dated a couple of months. He was a texting sort of guy. While getting that text was disappointing to her, she should not have been surprised that he broke up that way. She will be better off. It was OK how he did it.”

I disagree. I’m going to send Greta a text right now and tell her so.

The singles age 50-plus meet and greet gathering for this month is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 28, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Tutor and Spunky’s Deli, Dana Point. Carl the DJ will be spinning the tunes. Come early to get a seat. Call (don’t text) Tom at 949.248.9008 for information.

For more dating advice and stories visit, www.fi ndingloveafter60.com and to com-ment, send en email toTom at [email protected]. CD

the dolls and dresses the dogs up instead.”Guerrero was diagnosed with acute lym-

phocytic leukemia last September. After enduring chemotherapy once a week and spinal taps once a month for about nine months, Silvia said she’ll be in mainte-nance for the next year and a half.

Guerrero was originally referred to the Make-A-Wish foundation by a social worker at Kaiser Permanente.

“I was surprised when she wished to be a vet,” Silvia said. “I knew she loved ani-

mals but she’s only 5, so I expected her to ask for toys. You just don’t expect a child that young to want to be a vet.”

After performing several checkups on dogs and cats, Guerrero said she was very happy she got to visit the hospital and wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.

“I really like checking the animals be-cause I like checking their ears and paws,” Guerrero said. “I like dogs but my favorite animals are the cats.” CD

Page 22 www.thecapistranodispatch.com

STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

Members of the Anaheim Ducks pose for a photo during last year’s Getzlaf Shootout golf tournament. Photo: Shanda Photographic

Getzlaf Golf Shootout Tourney Returns to Monarch Beach

ATHE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

naheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf will host the fourth annual Getzlaf Golf Shootout tournament

to benefi t CureDuchenne at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point on Sept. 7.

CureDuchenne is a nonprofi t organiza-tion that raises awareness and funds for research to fi nd a cure for Duchenne mus-cular dystrophy, a muscle-wasting disease that affects one in every 3,500 boys. Typi-cally, boys are diagnosed with the disease at age 5, are limited to a wheelchair by 12 and most don’t survive past their mid-20s, according to a press release.

All proceeds from the tournament will directly benefi t CureDuchenne.

Getzlaf, an Olympic gold medalist and NHL All-Star, will be joined by current and former NHL players, including his teammates Cam Fowler, Dany Heatley and Ryan Kesler. In years past, members of the Los Angeles Kings have attended the tournament as well.

Foursomes for the tournament cost $2,800, which includes an athlete or celeb-rity as a fi fth golfer. Those who purchase a foursome also get eight tickets to the pre-golf dinner reception on Sept. 6 at Sutra in Newport Beach. There will also be a live and silent auction at the event.

Last year’s fundraising efforts totaled $300,000.

“My wife, Paige, and I are proud to support CureDuchenne and their efforts

to fi nd a cure for this devastating disease,” Getzlaf said in a press release. “Duchenne boys are on a race against time and they need our help.”

To register for the tournament or to donate to CureDuchenne, visit www.cure-duchenne.org/getzlafgolf. CD

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf will host a golf tournament in Dana Point to raise funds for Cure-Duchenne. Photo: Shanda Photographic

August 21, 2014

Documents

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largest water customers

outdoor water usage

ornamental water features

san juan capistrano

san juan hills football

city council field set

new regulations