VOLUME 11, ISSUE 13

www.thecapistranodispatch.com

Chamber of Commerce Installs New Leadership and Recognizes

Community MembersEYE ON SJC/PAGE 3

Mission San Juan Capistrano Unveils

New Street-front StoreSJC LIVING/PAGE 15

San Juan SportsRink Gets a Much Needed Facelift

SPORTS/PAGE 18

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

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VOICE JULY 12–25, 2013

FOUNDED IN 2002

For the second time in his six-year tenure, JSerra Catholic High School head football coach Jim Hartigan will serve as the school’s athletic director. Photo by Brian Park

Leader of the PrideJSerra’s Jim Hartigan will once again oversee the Lions athletic program

E Y E O N S J C / PAG E 4

THE LATEST: Ringing in a new year for local business, the San Juan Chamber of Commerce installed its new leadership board and president Thursday evening at El Adobe de Capistrano and highlighted outstanding members of the community.

For their involvement in the local fold, Steve Behmerwohld and Kathy Hooper were named man and woman of the year, respectively. Hopper, a second-time recipi-ent, is the fi rst repeat winner of the honor for her work in the town’s time-honored traditions, the Fiesta de las Golondrinas and Swallows Day Parade. Ted Roberts, was named Ambassador of the Year.

San Diego Gas & Electric was recog-nized as the Business of the Year, for being a good neighbor to the city.

WHAT’S NEXT: Carolyn Franks, owner of Zoomars Petting Zoo was named the chamber’s new board president.

FIND OUT MORE: To view photos of the event, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com.—Andrea Papagianis

THE LATEST: A Dana Point man who was facing manslaughter charges stemming from a fi ery car crash that killed his pas-senger at Marco Forster Middle School nearly two years ago died on Saturday.

Alexander Goodrich was found unre-sponsive in his Newport Beach apartment and was taken to Hoag Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Goodrich’s family believes he may have committed suicide,

What’s Up With...S A N J U A N C A P I S T R A N O ’ S T O P 5 H O T T E S T T O P I C S

…the Chamber ofCommerce?

…the Driver of the Marco Forster Jeep Crash?

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1LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTINGEYE ON SJC

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch June 28-July 11, 2013

…SONGS Layoffs?5THE LATEST: Southern California Edison announced last June that the utility had given the fi rst round of notices to over 600 non-union employees that they would be laid-off this summer.

The notice formalized the announce-ment that the company would retire the plant as a power production facility. The company said last month it would be reducing its workforce by 1,100 positions.

The notices, given to employees June 24, give the employees 60 days’ notice that they will be let go.

WHAT’S NEXT: The utility has stated that it will be working with two of its unions, the Utility Workers Union of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, through collective bargaining on how it would reduce its union work-force.

Edison Chief Nuclear Offi cer Peter Dietrich indicated that the utility would host a job fair for displaced workers.

FIND OUT MORE: For updates, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. – JS

…the Drug InterventionSpecialist at Dana Hills?

…Metrolink’s San Juan Program?

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THE LATEST: Dana Point will continue to fund a drug intervention specialist position at Dana Hills High School after the Capistrano Unifi ed School District Board of Trustees approved an agree-

THE LATEST: The Orange County Trans-portation Authority and Metrolink are holding a contest to bring riders on a getaway to San Juan Capistrano.

The weekend getaway “More History Less Traffi c,” includes overnight ac-commodations in the city, tickets to the Mission, breakfast or lunch at Mission Grill, dinner at Sarducci’s and roundtrip Metrolink tickets for two.

OCTA has taken a number of steps to encourage tourism and continued

Page 3

SAN CLEMENTEThe owner of the Miramar Theater and

bowling alley told the San Clemente Planning Commission last week he is “ready to go,” and “ready to do something now.” Owner

Marc Spizziri attended the commission hear-ing for a presentation of a pair of potential plans for the site prepared by the city and

private consultant Westlake Reed Leskosy. Both plans, presented by Peter Rutti of WRL,

call for restoring the screening room of the theater, which was damaged by neglect and

a fi re. One plan included a larger theater facility with removable seating to allow

for other events. Another plan called for converting a portion of the building into an

art gallery. Both plans also suggested varying degrees of retail in the bowling alley, which

suffered signifi cantly from dry-rot and other weather and water related damage.

NEWS NEXT DOOR

DANA POINTFour years after Dana Point installed access gates at Strand Vista Park to the beach below, two lawsuits, pitting the city and a developer against the state and a nonprofi t, are still unresolved. In a 2-1 decision, a state appellate court ultimately re-turned a case between the city and the California Coastal Commission back to a San Diego County trial court to enter a ruling on whether the city acted in good faith when it adopted a Nuisance Abatement Ordinance. The ordinance allowed the city to install gates and implement hours of access to Strand Beach without prior Coastal Commis-sion approval, measures the city has maintained were necessary for public safety. The Surfrider Foundation, which won an earlier ruling in a case against the city that was appealed, has called on leaders to remove the gates, but last week the city fi led a petition for rehearing and could take the cases to the California Supreme Court.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORING

TOWNS1economic health in the city during Ortega Highway construction project, which is expected to last two years. Metrolink be-gan a program in June to encourage rid-ers to visit the city to offer reduced prices at area attractions for those purchasing tickets to the area.

WHAT’S NEXT: The contest is open until July 19 and includes chances to get away to Anaheim, San Clemente and Pasadena.

FIND OUT MORE: See www.octa.net/sanjuancapistrano. — Jim Shilander

ment with the city Wednesday.The position was created in 2009 to

provide support for students battling drug problems or who are at-risk. Former CUSD trustee Mike Darnold has served the role since the program’s inception. Last year, about 10 percent of Dana Hills’ student population approached Darnold for assistance, ac-cording to a district staff report.

Trustee Jim Reardon voted against the agreement, saying that the district should be providing those services, or at least, making sure the specialist was qualifi ed. Both Reardon and Trustee El-len Addonizio also objected because the specialist reports back to Dana Point’s assistant city manager.

WHAT’S NEXT: The board voted 4-2, with Trustee Anna Bryson absent, to ap-prove the memorandum of understand-ing. Trustee Amy Hanaceck said Dana Point was providing a valuable service to the school and should be praised.

FIND OUT MORE: See www.thecapistra-nodispatch.com. – Brian Park

according to Goodrich’s attorney, Calvin Chris Schneider III. An investigation into his death may take up to six to eight weeks while a toxicology report is completed, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Gail Krause.

In August 2011, Alexander Goodrich was behind the wheel of a Jeep that careened down an embankment and crashed into a shed at the San Juan Capistrano school. After the vehicle burst into fl ames, Goodrich was able to escape but was unable to save his friend, Bryan Ferguson, a Dana Point resident. Schneider said Goodrich was devastated by his friend’s death and had fallen into a depression.

The Orange County District Attor-ney’s offi ce charged Goodrich with vehicular manslaughter, saying that he was intoxicated and driving at a high rate of speed. However, Schneider con-tends his client’s vehicle’s throttle had been stuck open and that a computer glitch caused it to over speed.

WHAT’S NEXT: Goodrich was due in court August 9. Schneider said the fam-ily would like to move forward with the case to clear Goodrich’s name.

FIND OUT MORE: For updates, visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. –Brian Park

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch July 12–25, 2013 Page 4

EYE ON SJC

Leader of the Pride

By Brian ParkThe Capistrano Dispatch

J Serra Catholic head football coach Jim Hartigan is a man of perpetual motion.

On a warm, muggy Wednesday morning, he arrives at the school’s ath-letic campus at 6 a.m. to unlock doors, review schedules and go over the day’s itinerary with his coaching staff.

That’s about as easy as the day gets for him.

In no time, his varsity team begins to trickle into the weight room, some still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. Meanwhile, Hartigan stands at the ready, his eyes trained to spot any player in need of some extra motivation.

As soon as the morning weight train-ing sessions concludes around 9:45 a.m., Hartigan hustles out to a practice field to watch the future crop of Lions football players, the junior varsity and freshmen squads, go through 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 passing drills.

At this time last year, Hartigan’s day would have ended with a post-practice meeting with his staff and an afternoon session with the varsity. But in March, athletic director Dave Lawn retired to pursue full-time coaching opportunities and JSerra placed the interim tag on Hartigan. On June 20, rather than hire an outsider, the school announced Har-tigan as its full-time athletic director, in addition to continuing his duties as head football coach.

“Jim knows the school really well … He runs a tight ship and that was one of the reasons we looked to him for this position,” said Amanda Samaan, a spokesperson for the school. “When you hire someone new from the outside, they have that learning curve. Jim has been here and created his own history along the way, so he understands the process and procedures.”

It’s a position Hartigan is already familiar with. Shortly after arriving at JSerra to coach football in 2007, Harti-gan became athletic director and served in that role until 2010. That December, the school offered him the chance to focus solely on football by extending his contract five years through 2015-2016, opening the door for Lawn’s arrival.

Now, in his second go-around, Hartigan said he is better prepared

to oversee the 23 athletic teams at JSerra, where 83 percent of the school’s 1,000-plus student body participates in a sport. Already, Hartigan is jumping from one practice to another, from the football field to the swimming pool and then to the tennis courts. There are also regular meetings with all of his coaches to go over scheduling, upcoming camps, academics, discipline, equipment and facility needs for each sport.

“Planes fly and land all the time. Every day at this place, we’re kicking off, teeing off, everything is just going,” Hartigan said.

In his first tenure as athletic direc-tor, Hartigan said he brought a football coach’s mentality to the position. When meeting with his coaches, he would bring out his dry erase board to list out priorities and objectives as if they were offensive game plans and defensive schemes. Hartigan said he’s still very much detail oriented, but he trusts his coaches and assistants enough to delegate more responsibility.

“A lot of people who are here were with me the last time I was athletic director, so they know how I work,” Hartigan said. “I’m going to try and be everywhere I can, but I’m going to rely on our head coaches to do a good job.”

For Hartigan, the big picture goal is to improve JSerra’s brand name and attractiveness to potential student athletes. Winning is only one part of the equation, and across the board, JSerra’s team have done plenty of that in just under a decade since the school opened: one state title and CIF-Southern

JSerra’s Jim Hartigan will once again oversee the Lions athletic program

Section championship in girls cross country, two pairs of runner-up finishes at the state and CIF levels, nearly 40 CIF appearances and six titles in the Trinity League—one of the most competitive leagues in the country.

Hartigan said he relishes the oppor-tunity to build a program up in its early stages. He became Santa Margarita’s first football coach in 1989 and built the program into one of the nation’s premier programs, winning consecutive CIF-SS championships in 1996 and 1997 and coaching 2002 Heisman Trophy win-ner and N.F.L. first-round pick Carson Palmer. He also coached for five years at Clovis West in Fresno, where he won a CIF-Central Section title in 2004 and coached several players who earned Division 1 scholarships.

“His track record obviously speaks for itself,” said Brandon Huffman, a national recruiting analyst for Fox Sports and Scout.com. “He’s been at two big time schools where athletics were a big part of their vision. He understands it, and I think he’s definitely the person who is capable of doing it.”

Coming to JSerra in 2007 allowed Hartigan and his young family to come back to their south Orange County roots. Professionally, Hartigan said JSerra’s location and potential to draw high-level athletes from a talent-rich area made the decision to move from a good job in Fresno even easier.

“I always felt like this was a diamond in the rough,” Hartigan said. “My com-petitive side wanted to get back into the Trinity League. I knew I could poten-

tially do what I did at Santa Margarita.”JSerra has done well in several other

sports, but the Lions football team has struggled to compete in the Trinity League, against the likes of Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran, Servite, St. John Bosco and Hartigan’s former team, Santa Margarita. Huffman believes JSerra may have been overly ambitious by joining the league so early in their history without having established a reputation.

“They jumped in with the sharks almost from the get-go,” Huffman said. “When you look at a program like Oaks Christian, they got going by beating up on lower-level competition and working their way up to being the peak program they are now. JSerra didn’t give them-selves that time.”

Although the new job will take away from his time with the football team, Hartigan was comfortable with taking on the added responsibilities because he said the program had built quality depth in the last few years and that the next season could be a turning point for them.

“I hate to miss football. There are going to be times that I will be pulled off the field, but we do have a very good staff that knows what my expectations are,” Hartigan said. “There are still a lot of things we need to do, in all sports, to get to the next level, but I’m seeing a lot of similar growth we had at Santa Mar-garita … If we could do the same thing here, that would just be another great school in south Orange County and in the Trinity League.” CD

JSerra Catholic Athletic Director Jim Hartigan was the first football coach at Santa Margarita and the architect behind their initial success. He said he hopes to draw from the experience to produce similar results at JSerra. Photo by Brian Park

SJC Sheriff’s Blotter

Wednesday, July 10

TRESPASSINGCalle Chueca/Camino Capistrano (6:52 p.m.) Four boys were seen hopping the fence into the pool area. The caller said this was an ongoing problem.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCESteeplechase Drive, 30800 Block (6:48 p.m.) A man was seen going door-to- door soliciting his own termite service. The man complied when he was asked to leave the area.

COMPILED BY VICTOR CARNO

BURGLARY ALARM-AUDIBLERancho Viejo Road, 30200 Block (5:22 p.m.) A man was locked into a house he had just moved into because he did not know the code to turn off the infrared alarm system. A deputy went to the resi-dence to let out the trapped caller.

Tuesday, July 9

DISTURBANCEPas Santa Clara, 26500 Block (9:33 p.m.) Authorities were called after a man witnessed five or six juveniles smoking near the Los Rios Apartments.

KEEP THE PEACECamino Capistrano, 33300 Block (4:07 p.m.) A man called authorities after he brought his vehicle to the Ford dealer-ship to get serviced and the vehicle was returned to the caller with damage.

Monday, July 8

FIREWORK VIOLATIONAvenida De La Vista/La Zanja Street (3:35 p.m.) A group of young boys were seen setting off loud fireworks.

Sunday, July 7

DISTURBANCE-MUSIC OR PARTYAlipaz Street, 32500 Block (8:24 p.m.)

Deputies received a noise complaint. When they showed up to the residence, they found a live band playing on the patio of the house.

Saturday, July 6

SHOTS HEARDPeppertree Bend, 32200 Block (11:58 p.m.) A man called authorities and claims to have heard two gun shots go off in his neighborhood.

Friday, July 5

FIREWORK VIOLATIONRidge Road, 29400 Block (11:p.m.) A man claimed to hear fireworks going off behind his house near Trabuco. The caller was concerned that the noises may have been gun shots but was unsure.

FIREWORK VIOLATIONPas Pamela, 26400 Block (9:43 p.m.) Juveniles were seen lighting off fire-works in an alley way near the caller’s residence for about 15 minutes.

ANNOYING PHONE CALLPas Adelanto, 32400 Block (7:04 p.m.) A man called authorities after receiving numerous phone calls from an unknown man. The caller was parked in his white

Toyota Tacoma in front of Capistrano when he contacted authorities.

TRESPASSINGCamino Del Avion, 25500 Block (6:31 p.m.) A group of skateboarders were seen sneaking into Del Obispo Elemen-tary’s school yard. When the juveniles were confronted, they complied and agreed to leave.

Wednesday, July 3

ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCYCamino Capistrano, 31700 Block (7:58 p.m.) Authorities were contracted after a man saw a vehicle leaking fuel. Dis-patch requested a tow-truck and Orange County Fire to report to the scene.

FIREWORK VIOLATIONVia Limon, 31000 Block (6:13 p.m.) A caller informed deputies of two loud explosions being set off directly behind his house, on the dirt path of San Juan Creek Road.

HIT AND RUN FELONYCamino Capistrano/Del Obispo Street (11:47 a.m.) A blue Mercedes Benz was seen running into a parked, green Subaru located in the Union Bank park-ing lot. The Mercedes driver left a card on the Subaru’s windshield.

EYE ON SJC

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 re-ported. 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.

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch July 12–25, 2013 Page 6

VIEWS, OPINIONS AND INSIGHTSSOAPBOX

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

The Capistrano Dispatch, Vol. 11, Issue 13. 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.sanclement-etimes.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 2013. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

PUBLISHER Norb Garrett

EDITORIAL

Senior Group Editor> Andrea Swayne

City Editor, The Capistrano Dispatch> Brian Park

Sports Editor> Steve Breazeale

City Editor, SC Times> Jim Shilander

City Editor, DP Times> Andrea Papagianis

ART/DESIGN

Senior Designer> Jasmine Smith

ADVERTISING/MULTI-MEDIA MARKETING

Associate Publisher > Lauralyn Loynes

> Michele Reddick (San Clemente)

> Debra Wells (San Juan Capistrano)

Sales Associates> Angela Edwards

OPERATIONS

Finance Director> Mike Reed

Business Operations Manager> Alyssa Garrett

Accounting ManagerDistribution Manager> Tricia Zines

SPECIAL THANKSRobert Miller, Jonathan Volzke

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Bianco, Victor Carno, Darian Nourian, Tawnee Prazak, Dana Schnell

CITY EDITORSTORIES, NEWS, CALENDAR, ETC.

Brian Park, 949.388.7700, x108 bpark@thecapistranodispatch.com

ADVERTISINGPRINT AND ONLINE

Debra Wells, 949.388.7700, x104 dwells@thecapistranodispatch.com

DISTRIBUTION RACKS, DRIVEWAYS, SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tricia Zines, 949.388.7700, x107tzines@thecapistranodispatch.com

BILLINGAlyssa Garrett, 949.388.7700, x100 agarrett@thecapistranodispatch.com

HOW TO REACH US

PICKET FENCE MEDIA

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, please email us at editor@capistranodispatch.com

GUEST OPINION: My Turn by Jonathan Volzke

They say a messy desk is a sign of a messy mind, so indulge me in a little desk cleaning.

I supported the City Council decision to eliminate the Design Review Com-mission. I told the council that night that San Juan Capistrano’s reputation as be-ing less than business friendly is largely rooted in the work of the DRC, which was a subcommittee to the Planning Commission.

I sat through many a DRC meeting back in my days as a reporter. The attention to detail commissioners paid to potential projects at fi rst seemed laudable, but after a while, a pattern of over-management became clear. I actually watched commissioners debate the radius of arches on projects, the colors of fl owers in ground covering. I watched project proponents go through three meetings, four meetings … seven meetings—all while paying architects and others to attend or make changes. I saw suggested changes incorporated in plans, only to be changed again at a following DRC meeting.

All of that was before a project went to the Planning Commission, where the project was again “reviewed” for consistency with the city’s standards. Somewhere along the way, the charter of the Design Review Commission was lost: It was set up, city staff told the City Council, “to offer advice to applicants.” That would have worked fi ne—an ap-plicant could hear the “advice” and be free to accept it or reject it, taking their chances with the full Planning Commis-sion or City Council. But somewhere along the way, the DRC took on a power to have applicants jump through hoop after hoop after hoop.

Some of the work they did—on

projects ranging from offi ce parks to hous-ing developments to simple commercial remodels—was excel-lent. But in the end it was just too much.

Now, some I’ve talked to have said this just creates more work

for the Planning Commission, but I hope that wasn’t the City Council’s intent. I’d suggest the message is that city gov-ernment quit worrying about trying to design projects on the dais and focus on ensuring they fi t the city’s written design guidelines. Between planning staff and our commissions—we still have more than any other city around (Laguna Hills doesn’t even have a Planning Commis-sion!)—projects will continue with the quality we’ve come to expect in town.

Bummer that the Metrolink Holiday Toy Train has been cancelled by bud-get cuts. That was always a big night downtown and a lot of fun—but also carried a hefty bill. The Orange County Transportation Authority’s share was $270,000. There’s talk about it coming back through private donations in the future, but Santa will be sticking to the sleigh instead of the train this year. Re-member, the downtown Christmas Tree lighting, another great night, is still on for December 7.

Speaking of City Hall, you’ll be fi nding a little balance in your mailbox soon. The city has revived its newsletter, which will be mailed to residents and provide ac-curate information. I didn’t like when the city did away with the printed edition a few years back. Cities from Westminster to San Clemente publish some sort of City Hall news, so I’m glad we’ll be able

to get the news straight from the horse’s mouth at least once a month. (Oops, twice when The Dispatch is published, of course.)

Something else new: I’m working with a group of folks in town on ways to ensure the reconstruction of the Ortega Interchange doesn’t hurt businesses downtown. One of the items we’ve come up with, borrowing from other places that have successful programs, is a Downtown Host program. The idea is that some friendly volunteers with a bit of knowledge of San Juan Capistrano would make themselves available in the downtown, offering a friendly greeting and any necessary advice to visitors. “Where’s a good place for Italian food?” “Where can I get batteries for my camera?” “Where’s a bathroom with a diaper-changing station?” The Mission has been a great partner in laying the groundwork for the program, and, hon-estly, I’m excited to show off our town a bit. It’s always humbling to see the license plates from states all over the country parked in our downtown.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please call Pat March at the Mission, 949. 234.1322. We plan our fi rst meeting at the Mission on July 24.

OK, now that the desk is clean, better head out to the garage.

San Juan Capistrano resident Jonathan Volzke is the founder of The Capistrano Dispatch and now works for Faubel Public Affairs. CD

A Little Desk CleaningGUEST OPINION: Conscious Living by Meryl Gwinn

IChoose Dirt

t’s sweet summertime and it’s ap-parent, quite literally at fi rst bite, as you sink your teeth into a deep red

strawberry, from the farmers market.Senses are stirred and I’m reminded

of humid Julys in the east navigating prickly blackberry bushes and straw-berry fi elds. “Oh, you’re bored girls? Get a job,” said my mother, and it wasn’t

so bad fi lling up those little green fruit baskets with delicious summer-time indulgence.

Speaking of nos-talgia, right now the food movement is about remembering our health is a direct

correlation of what goes into our bodies. With the compromised state of our con-venience- and dollar-driven global food system, food awareness has become a matter of life or sickness. The truth is, we are what we eat.

So what can we do? A great start is to choose fresh, local and organic seasonal produce. Why? Because things that have come recently from the ground, and moreover, rich, nutrient-dense soil, are more valuable to our health, environment and local economy. Buying organic ensures we’re getting pure produce from well-cared for earth that hasn’t been treated with harmful pesticides. Eating in season puts us back in harmony with nature’s cycles. Before the birth of refrigeration and preservatives, we ate what grew when it grew and were grateful for it—with less chemical side effects.

Purchasing from local farmers allows us to support small family organizations

(Cont. on page 8)

CONSCIOUS LIVING By Meryl Gwinn

MY TURN By Jonathan Volzke

SOAPBOX

Choose Dirt (cont.)(Cont. from page 6)

with honest intentions, and reconnects us with old-world goodness of simpler times. It cuts out the unsustainable process of spraying, packaging, freez-ing and transporting food intended to survive on dehydrating supermarket shelves. Organics are sometimes a tad pricier, but it helps to think of it as health insurance of your personal plan. It’s preventative medicine that’s price-less coverage, and it comes in a variety of colors and fascinating heirloom varieties.

Ninety cents more for poison-free agriculture or a $20 copay—it’s worth considering.

Visiting the farm stand at South Coast Farms is a joyful experience, and it’s here that you will taste the most deli-cious strawberries of your adult life. The 28 acres in San Juan Capistrano is the oldest working farm in Orange County, and its history of salvation from a “strip-mall casualty” fate by the people of San Juan Capistrano is heroic.

Farmer and establisher George Kibby and his crew are enriching the soil con-tinuously to produce healthy, organic crops to feed those who have supported this land since the 1800s. Their Com-

munity Supported Agriculture (CSA) program supplies fresh farm boxes with seasonal produce to members at reason-able prices, supporting a direct relation-ship between farmer and consumer. Boxes come in multiple sizes and can be picked up at a variety of locations weekly or bi-weekly.

Both the stand and the CSA are sup-portive of foods from other local farm-ers in the region as well as non-local options in order to offer a variety of fare. Check out their website for some rich history on organic farming, www.southcoastfarms.com.

Days spent at the farmers market are enhanced by shaking the calloused

hand of the farmer and choosing from his crop of vibrant yet soil-caked car-rots. Imperfection is relatable. Recently at my house the bounty is supplied by friends’ and neighbors’ generously producing citrus and avocado trees and backyard gardens. Designing our meals around what’s available is actually more convenient and twice as fun.

There are loads of people around here growing their own food, restaurants offering local ingredients and inspiring community cooperatives taking root. In San Clemente, a member-owned market is being established to provide high quality foods and education that strengthen economy and ecology while enhancing consumer well-being.

The San Clemente Community Market embraces ideas such as minimal packaging, bulk items and procuring lo-cal produce from several small farms in Orange and San Diego counties. They are currently in the process of establish-ing a store location. Check out their website and see how you can become a member-owner, www.sanclementemar-ket.com.

So let’s get back down to the earth this summer by slowing down and realigning our values, health and habits.

Choose dirt over plastic, open air markets over big box warehouse stores and real smiles over those scary self-checkouts nagging you to, “place the item back in the bag.”

Meryl Gwinn has a Bachelor of Sci-ence degree in Kinesiology, has studied yoga, health, food, and humans around the globe. She is a constant pursuer of natural medicine and whole-healing solu-tions. Gwinn welcomes reader feedback at meryl.gwinn@gmail.com. CD

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Cap-istrano 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 Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editor@capistranodispatch.com

LOCAL FARMER’S MARKETSSan Juan CapistranoWednesdays 3 p.m.-7 p.m., downtownSaturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Del Obispo PlazaDana PointSaturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m.San ClementeSundays 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

VALUABLE WEBSITESwww.farmersmarketorangecounty.comwww.southcoastfarms.comwww.sanclementemarket.com

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

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.

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch July 12–25, 2013 Page 10

YOUR TWO-WEEK EVENT PLANNER

GETTING OUT

THE LISTA day-by-day guide to what’s happening in and around town. COMPILED BY TAWNEE PRAZAK

CAPISTRANO SHAKE-SPEARE FESTIVAL 7:30 p.m. A rowdy outdoor production of “The Merry Wives of Windsor” at Historic Town Center Park. $15. 31806 El Camino Real, San Juan

Capistrano, 949.489.8082, www.caminorealplayhouse.org.

friday 12

ART FAIR 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Art-ists feature their work, also in-cludes musicians, business and restaurant specials and more in downtown San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.4700, www.sjcartfair.org.

MISSION STORE: GRAND OPENING 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Public opening of the brand new Mission Store at Mission San Juan Capistrano. 26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capist-rano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

JULIO MONTERO AND THE FAR SOUTH TRIO 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Concert in the courtyard at the San Juan Capistrano Library. $5-$10. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, www.musicatthelibrary.com.

THE FULLTONES 1:30 p.m. Live music at The Swallows Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

PRESIDENT FORD MEMO-RIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT7 a.m.-2 p.m. Golf event to honor Ford’s centennial birthday at San Juan Hills Golf Course. Golfer fee $150. 32120 San Juan

Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1167.

LUNCH LOCAL 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Join the SJC Chamber of Commerce for lunch at Mission Grill. 31721 Camino Capistrano, 949.493.4700, www.sanjuanchamber.com.

saturday13

sunday 14

monday 15

tuesday 16

Have an event?Send your listing to events@thecapistranodispatch.com

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

SAN JUAN SUMMER NITES CONCERT6 p.m.-8 p.m. Concert and expo in Historic Town Center Park featur-ing music by “Bub” Pop

Rock Bank, kids activities, food and drinks and more. Seating and parking free. 31806 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.5911, www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

RUSTY BLADE’S PIRATE ADVENTURE 2 p.m. A pirate adventure with Rusty Blade for kids to enjoy at the San Juan Capistrano Library. 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

GOOD EATS WITH THE WILDLIFE COMPANY 2 p.m. Interactive kids program with zoo animals at the library. 31495 El Camino

Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1752, www.ocpl.org.

OLD CAPISTRANO FARMERS MARKET 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Every Wednesday at El Camino Real and Yorba Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.4700.

GARDEN ANGEL VOL-UNTEERS 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Volunteers needed every Thursday at Los Rios Park with Goin Native. Bring gloves and clippers. 31661 Los Rios St.,

949.606.6386, San Juan Capistrano, www.goinnative.net.

JIMI NELSON AND THE DRIFTING COWBOYS8:30 p.m. The Swallow’s Inn. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

MISSION’S CLAY CAMP9 a.m.-1 p.m. Camp for kids at the Mission on ceramic hand-building techniques and how to throw clay on the wheel. $300-$330. 26801 Ortega Hwy., San

Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

thursday 25

monday 22

wednesday24

wednesday17

BLUEGRASS/OLD TIME/FOLK MUSIC JAM10 a.m.-2 p.m. Chip DeSon and about eight other pickers perform at The Historic Town Center Park for a live music

event. 31806 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

MUSIC UNDER THE STARS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Live music by Rolling Stones tribute band, Jumping Jack Flash, dining, danc-ing and more in the courtyard of the Mission San Juan Capistrano. Ticket info online. 26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY FOOD DRIVE Noon-5 p.m. Annual community food drive at The Swallow’s Inn to benefi t families in need, with live music and more fun. Also needed: personal hygiene items, school supplies, etc. 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.3188, www.swallowsinn.com.

ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOUR 10 a.m. Discover 200 years of San Juan Capistrano architec-ture on a 90-minute guided walk that includes adobes, Spanish-era dwellings and modern buildings. Meet at Verdugo Street. Occurs every Saturday. $5 donation supports the Friends of the Library. For more info, call 949.489.0736.

BREAK OF DAWN WALK 6:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. Early morning guided summer walk starting at Talega through The Reserve/Richard and Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy. Cost

$5-$10. Call for info and directions, 949.489.9778, www.theconservancy.org.

COMMUNITY TABLE: SUNDAY BRUNCH 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Enjoy a multi-coursed meal with local and sustainable ingredients in The Ecology Center’s court-yard. Cost $40-$45. 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

THE ORIGINALITIES8:30 p.m. Live music at Montego Restaurant and Bar. 27211 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, 949.481.2723, www.montegorestaurant.com.

saturday 20

sunday 21

friday 19

Not many movie viewers seem to be anticipating Disney’s new Jerry Bruck-heimer-Gore Verbinski-Johnny Depp product The Lone Ranger as much as Hollywood might like. Why? Probably because unlike the trio’s last hit franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean, few young viewers have Tonto and John Reid on their radar. Every kid who has visited Disneyland since 1954 knows who the Pirates are, but kids seemed to stop paying attention to the Lone Ranger in 1981. And unfortunately with this version, no one under 55 will care either. In 1869, John Reid (Armie Hammer) returns home to Texas after graduating law school to be-come a Ranger alongside his older brother Dan (James Badge Dale). When Dan is killed by notorious outlaw Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner), John is reluc-tantly paired with an eccentric Native American named Tonto (Johnny Depp) to avenge his brother’s death. Ruth Wilson co-stars as John’s love interest and

Helen Bonham Carter appears as a one-legged brothel owner. Gore Verbinski’s direction is memorable eye candy along with Wilson’s presence, and Hans Zimmer’s ear catching score. Depp’s portrayal of Tonto however, comes across stereotypical and indulgent, next to some pretty corny dialogue from everyone throughout the movie. On top of the fi lm’s irrelevance, it’s also a half hour too long, which could have been spent in production on a western that’s more intriguing. —Megan Bianco

AT THE MOVIES: ‘THE LONE RANGER’ STAYS ALONE

© Disney Studios

4LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY

SJC LIVING

4COMMUNITY CALENDARTuesday 7.16

Utilities Commission Meeting 8 a.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

City Council, Housing Authority & Successor Agency Meeting 6 p.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

Wednesday 7.17

San Juan Summer Nights Concert Series 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The second installment of the popular summer

concert series features the pop rock band BUB. Also includes food ven-dors, a beer and wine garden hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and local businesses. Fun activities for kids as well. Historic Town Center Park, 31852 El Camino Real. For more information, call 949.493.5911.

Friday 7.19

Coffee Chat 8 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues, hosted by The Dispatch founder Jona-than Volzke. Occurs every Friday. All

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch July 12-25, 2013 Page 12

are welcome. El Adobe de Capistrano, 31891 Camino Capistrano.

Tuesday 7.23

Cultural Heritage Commission Meet-ing 5 p.m. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Ad-elanto. www.sanjuancapistrano.org.

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

Friday 7.26

Next regular of The Dispatch publishes

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

ON LIFE AND LOVE AFTER 50

By Tom Blake

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

73 Meant to Be, 72 Me and YouCelebrating an anniversary, kismet in San Juan Capistrano

n June 24, 1998, a woman came into Tutor and Spunky’s, my Dana Point deli, and ordered a

freshly squeezed carrot juice. Then, she went to a table and sat down while her juice was prepared. What struck me about her was the radiance on her face that suggested a warm, inner beauty.

I walked around the counter and said to her, “Would you like to have dinner?”

She said, “That would be lovely.”Three nights later, on Saturday, June 27, 1998, we had

dinner at the Claim Jumper on La Paz. Greta and I have been a couple ever since.

Age wise, Greta and I are close to each other. Six months ago, when we went to check on my Dana Point rental property, the man at the guard shack requested I create a new password for entry. Without think-ing, I just tossed out, “7372,” my age and Greta’s age, respectively. I fi gured that number would be easy to remember.

On June 29 of this year, to celebrate our 15th anniver-sary, we attended an outdoor concert in the courtyard at the San Juan Capistrano Library. My friend Jeff Singer, who is on the board of directors of the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library, had alerted me to a Multicultural Arts Concert Series sponsored by the library on fi ve different summer Saturday nights.

Each concert night, there are 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. performances. We attended the 6:30 p.m. performance, which was titled, “Vagabond Opera,” the name of a traveling ensemble based out of Portland, Ore.

The four men and three women are all incredibly talented. They sang, danced and six of them played mu-sical instruments. One woman played the drums and another belly danced and played the trumpet. The third sang and belly danced. For $10 per person, it was the most lovely and enjoyable anniversary event we could have attended anywhere in Orange County, at any price.

After the concert, I asked Greta what she wanted to do next, although I knew what she was going to say.

O “I want to go to Sarducci’s Capistrano Depot and have dinner outside on the patio and watch the trains go by,” she said. Greta loves Sarducci’s. Owner Tom Bogdanski, who started Sarducci’s with his partner Dennis in 1985, was near the hostess stand and greeted us as we walked in. Now, Tom is the sole owner.

After a lovely, romantic meal, I added a tip to the bill without thinking too much about the amount and then I realized why Greta and I are together—serendipity. The total with the tip was $73.72. As we walked to the parking lot, Greta took my arm, just as she had 15 years before while leaving the Claim Jumper and said, “You see, we’re meant to be.”

Those of us living in south Orange County are blessed to have so many wonderful restaurant and event choices in the greatest place in the world to live.

For information about the remaining three Multicul-tural Arts concert series at the San Juan Capistrano library, visit their website, www.musicatthelibrary.com.

Sarducci’s can be found online at www.capistranode-pot.com.

To comment: tompblake@gmail.com Tom Blake is a Dana Point business owner and San

Clemente resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at www.fi ndingloveafter50.com. CD

SJC LIVING

n 1919, Father St. John O’Sullivan opened up a ticket booth and gift shop at the front of the Mission to help

raise money for a restoration project. Now, 94 years later, the historic Mis-sion has come full circle to realize Fr. O’Sullivan’s dream.

The new gatehouse opened in March and incorporates the ticket booth of Fr. O’Sullivan’s time. Sam U’Ren, the Mis-sion’s preservation manager, supervised the “seismic retrofit, re-plaster and sta-bilization of the building’s infrastructure from floor to ceiling.” The building was brought back to its 1919 roots, and arts and crafts furnishings are in keeping with that era.

The completion of Fr. O’Sullivan’s plan happens on July 13 when the new Mission Store opens to the public. By moving the gift shop to the front of the Mission, it will be easier for visitors to access the store, either before or after touring this historic site. It will also make shopping more accessible to people who just want to purchase Mis-sion and religious memorabilia.

As stated in the Mission’s spring

newsletter, the Jewel:“The Mission Store

will have a variety of products to offer visitors, members and travelers, including re-ligious medals, artwork depicting saints and icons, ornaments, post cards, crosses, devo-tional items, garden-

themed products, vintage California items, architecture-inspired items, swallows-inspired items, silver and gold jewelry, sustainable items and items recycled and reinvented creatively for a second life.

“The store will feature seasonal and holiday items such as Christmas gifts, organic or natural materials items for clothing, caps, bags, wedding, baptism, anniversary gifts, frames, platters, candlesticks and more.”

There will also be a collection of religious and historic books for sale. Many items in the store will reflect not only the Mission period, but the history of San Juan Capistrano as well. There

I

GUEST OPINION: Moments In Time by Jan Siegel

MOMENTSIN TIME

By Jan Siegel

will also be many handmade items from around the world. Fourth graders will still be able to find mementos of their school visits for Mission projects.

Trained volunteers will be working alongside Mission staff in the store. Mission members will receive 10 percent off most purchases, invitations for special events and special shopping passes given throughout the year. If you have not renewed your Mission mem-bership or if you are thinking of becom-ing a Preservation Society member, this is the perfect time to join.

Until August 31, for every $50 guests spend at the store, they will receive a $2 coupon for general admission into the Mission. Discounts become handy for the out-of-town visitors you may have this summer. All proceeds from the store support historic Mission San Juan Capistrano.

The talk of the summer will definitely be about the new Mission Store, which will become a shopping destination for residents and visitors alike. The store is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can spend a Moment In Time now and

be among the first to experience this new addition in our community.

Jan Siegel is a 26-year resident of San Juan Capistrano. She has served on the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for 11 years and has been a volunteer guide for the San Juan Capistrano Friends of the Library’s architectural walking tour for 15 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

The street-front location of the Mission’s new store aims to provide more access for paying visi-tors and regular shoppers. Courtesy of Mission San Juan Capistrano and InGrace Photography

The Mission’s new street-front gift shop offers a variety of mementos for all occasions

What’s in Store at the Mission

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 colum-nists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these col-umns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com

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5STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES & MORE

SPORTS& OUTDOORS

5Serra standout freshman shortstop Chase Strumpf impressed a lot of people out on the baseball diamond

during his fi rst year of high school. At the USA Baseball 15U National

Team Championships in Cary, N.C. in late June, Strumpf kept on impressing and on July 1 was named to the 40-man roster of the 15U National Team Trials.

Strumpf has now made it past the fi rst stage of tryouts for the USA National Team and will head to Cary, N.C. again from July 13-18 with the hopes of being named to the fi nal 20-man 15U National Team roster.

he So Cal Blues girls U19 soccer team may not have a lot of time to practice, given a majority of play-

ers are off competing for their respec-tive collegiate teams during the year, but that apparently is not enough to slow them down.

On June 23, following a 2-0 win over the Hawaiian champion Express team in the fi nals of the U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships, the Blues proved they could still come together and excel on the biggest of stages.

The U19 team went 4-0-1 overall in the regional tournament, ensuring its place in the U.S Youth Soccer National Championships, which kicks off on July

JSerra’s Strumpf on to Next Stage of USA Baseball Tryouts, Cohen Named to Development Team

By Steve BreazealeThe Capistrano Dispatch

By Steve BreazealeThe Capistrano Dispatch

The 15U National Team will compete in the COPABE “AA”/15U Pan Ameri-can Championships in Barranquilla,

22 at Overland Park Soccer Complex in Overland Park, Kan.

The San Juan Capistrano club’s U13 team went undefeated in pool play and made it to the semifi nals, where they lost to the state champions from Colo-

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch July 12–25, 2013 Page 17

J

T

It is an age old adage in the sports world that wearing your country’s colors is a feel-ing that is second to none. San Juan Capist-rano resident Celeste Loyatho has heard the saying countless times but doesn’t shy away from expressing the pride she has when donning the USA’s colors as she heads out onto the roller hockey rink.

On July 15 Loyatho will represent Team USA in the 2013 FIRS World Inline Hockey Championships as they take on Team India at the Honda Center in Anaheim for a 5:45 p.m. start time.

“It’s incredible. You hear everyone say

San Juan’s Celeste Loyatho will represent Team USA in the FIRS World Inline Hockey Championships on July 15. Courtesy photo

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

VERSTEGEN, LOYATHO PLAY IN WORLD INLINE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

JSerra sophomore Sam Cohen was named to the USA Baseball 17U National Development Program. Photo courtesy of JSerra Athletics

JSerra freshman Chase Strumpf was selected to compete at the USA Baseball 15U National Team Trials. Photo courtesy of JSerra Athletics

The So Cal Blues U14 team made it to the U.S Youth Soccer Far West Regional quarterfi nals. Courtesy photo

rado in penalties. The highlight of the U13 team’s

tournament came in the quarterfi nals on June 21 where, playing with only 10 players, they erased an early 0-1 defi cit to go on to win 2-1 on a late, game-win-

ning goal. Goaltender Lauren Brzykcy kept the team in the game with several crucial saves down the stretch, accord-ing to U13 coach Tad Bobak. San Juan residents Emiley Benner and Jennifer McFadden are part of the U13 team.

“It was our fi rst time making it to regionals and we did a tremendous job out there but fell a little short in the semifi nals,” Bobak said. “We are going to use the same approach of pulling ourselves together and overcoming the next obstacle we have in front of us.”

The San Juan Capistrano based club’s U14 team started off hot, winning their fi rst three games by a combined score of 11-0. But they were shut down by Oregon in the quarterfi nals and lost, 1-0. The team punched its ticket to the regionals by not conceding a goal in the Cal State Cup tournament. CD

SO CAL BLUES SEE SUCCESS IN HAWAII

Colombia from July 26 to August 4. Strumpf is currently committed to

UCLA. JSerra sophomore catcher Sam

Cohen was named to the USA Baseball 17U National Development Program on July 8. Cohen competed in the National Team Championships and was selected to the Development Program’s 40-man roster. Two players from that 40-man roster will be invited to the USA Base-ball 18U National Team Trials and eight will be invited to the 2014 USA Baseball Tournament of Stars.

For more information on Strumpf and Cohen’s journey through the USA Baseball selection process visit www.thecapistranodispatch.com. CD

it but there is nothing like wearing you’re country’s fl ag on your chest,” Loyatho said. “It’s a big tournament this year because we are hosting.”

Loyatho plays for the USA Women’s Se-nior team, which lost to team Canada in the fi nals of last year’s contest.

San Juan’s Stephen Verstegen and the Junior Mens team have already racked up an impressive 5-0 overall record in their bracket of play. In fi ve games Verstegen has tallied four goals and six assists. The team was set to play Colombia on July 11. Results were not available at press time. —Steve Breazeale

www.thecapistranodispatch.comThe Capistrano Dispatch July 12-25, 2013 Page 18

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

he Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano played host to the 4th Annual Cal Lax Classic from July 5-7. The tournament is one

of the largest in the area, drawing lacrosse players, coaches and fans from all over the west coast and as far away as Texas.

Each age group (U13, U15, High School) featured two divisions (gold and silver) which ensured that all teams played at least five games. The tournament fea-tured some of the top club teams from the West Coast including the Seattle Starz, Silverfin, Trilogy West, Saddleback Starz, OC Crush and the NC Mavericks.

While the tournament officially kicked off on July 5, with one or two teams playing their first round of games, the bulk of round-robin play started on July 6, where all teams began to compete for playoff seedings.

In the U13 gold division, Silverfin of Thousands Oaks would claw their way to the championship game with two closely contested wins over the Seattle Starz and Saddleback Starz. In the final game Silverfin defeated the team from Seattle 10-9 in a last-second thriller to take the championship. The two teams also met in divisional play, where Silverfin was again victori-ous, 5-4.

The U15 division, however, would belong to the Seattle Starz as they took down Mater Dei head coach Paddy Chester’s Trilogy West team 11-6 in the U15

here still is a lot of work to be done, but the SJC Sports Rink has undergone a major transforma-tion.

Gone are the sagging nets and cracked playing surface that the old rink, which sits behind Marco Forster Middle School, was known for. Quality boards with glass, home and away benches, a retrofitted scoreboard, bleachers and an NHL size rink are now in its place.

Since taking over as owner of the rink just over one year ago, Michael Schwartz and his family, friends and fellow hockey players have put in the time and effort to make the once cartoonish rink into a destination for dedicated hockey, lacrosse and soccer players in the area.

The first thing Schwartz and his team wanted to do was increase the size of the rink to NHL regulations. The cracks in the old playing surface were filled in and paved over. The size was more than doubled and now provides more legitimate options not only for indoor roller hockey players, but also for ice hockey players who want to practice year-round, according to Schwartz. Several local lacrosse teams, like Trilogy West, use the facility.

There are also a steady number of pick-up soccer

San Juan Plays Host to Cal LAX Classic

SJC SPORTS RINK GETS A FACELIFT

By Darian NourianThe Capistrano Dispatch

By Steve BreazealeThe Capistrano Dispatch

T

T

gold championship. The Seattle Starz would go on to defeat the Saddleback Starz 11-4 in the U15 silver divi-sion, completing the two-division sweep.

Finally, in high school action, Silverfin would claim its third title of the day in the high school silver cham-pionship by defeating the Seattle Starz 10-2.

The final game of the tournament would be the high

games that take place on weeknights. Schwartz lets the soccer players use the court on one condition; after they are done playing they have to help him out with an odd chore or two to help fix up the rink.

“I want to say that it’s the best outdoor facility in the world,” Schwartz said. “There are no outdoor facilities

school gold championship, where the NC Mavericks took down the Saddleback Starz 5-3.

The sheer number of people who attended the event, along with the competitive level of play at the Cal Lax Classic shows the rapid growth of lacrosse on the west coast over the past decade and the role San Juan Cap-istrano has played in growing the sport. CD

that have glass. There are no outdoor facilities that have Sport Court surfaces. I think I can actually back it up I guess you could say.”

In October of last year the rink was host to one youth travel team. Since the expansion and upgrade of the fa-cilities there are now 14 teams that call the SJC Sports Rink home. There are teams ranging from 6U to adult teams, including the Breakaway Bullies, a professional outfit that has merged with SJC Uprising, another local professional team.

Aside from travel teams, there is also a regular men’s league that competes every week. Clinics are offered and youth pick-up games are a regular occurrence.

The rink has had a major facelift but there is still work to be done, according to Schwartz.

He has purchased large, gymnasium-styled fold out bleachers that are currently sitting idle on the side-lines, waiting to be installed. There are plans to hang specially made mesh fabric above the locker rooms, benches and bleachers. An all-encompassing net will eventually line the outside of the rink to stop any stray pucks or balls.

Those are the immediate renovations that Schwartz is working on. The ultimate goal of the future, he says, is to have two rinks at the site in order to accommodate the steadily growing numbers.

“There’s going to be a lot more teams with a lot more kids here.” CD

Silverfin Lacrosse Club of Thousand Oaks claimed three out of the six division championships at the CAL Lax Classic in San Juan Capistrano. Photo by Darian Nourian

The SJC Sports Rink has been upgraded to NHL playing size. Courtesy photo