The Capistrano Insider

Pet Parade This Weekend, Meetings Next Week; Bates Says Ortega Snarl Unacceptable

PET PARADE SUNDAY

The San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association will host the annual Kids' Pet Parade on Sunday, March 1 at Cook/La Novia Park in San Juan Capistrano.  (Rain date is Sunday, March 8).  Children between the ages of 5 – 12 can bring their pets in costume for contests including Cutest, Most Original, Best Team Costume (owner and pet), Funniest and Most Obedient.  The “judges choice” winner will be featured in the 51^st Swallows’ Day Parade on Saturday, March 21. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and the judging and pet parade starts at 1:00 p.m.  Each contest has a $3.00 entry fee and all pets must be leashed, haltered or caged during the entire event.  See www.swallowsparade.org for details.

MEETINGS NEXT WEEK

The Open Space Committee meets Monday night, where members will discuss plans for community gardens, enhanced orange groves, picnic areas and a dog park in the northwest area of town. The City Council meets Tuesday, and will take up that topic, too, along with whether to ban overnight parking on Camino Capistrano between La Zanja and Oso Road, and on Alipaz, north of Del Obispo. Both meetings start at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
See The Capistrano Insider Blog for details.

BATES SAYS ORTEGA MESS UNACCEPTABLE

In her weekly newsletter, Supervisor Pat Bates says the mess on Ortega Highway due to the road construction is "unacceptable." The county is exploring options. In the meantime, she says, call South County Roadway Improvement Plan (SCRIP) Community Phone Line at (888) 235-0888 or Orange County Public Works at (714) 834-2694. For details regarding SCRIP, see www.Scrip-OC.com 

It's been impacting school traffic. See her whole post at Beyond the Blackboard

ALSO ON OUR BLOG ROLE

Like American Idol? We have Capistrano resident Morgan Rowan writing a blog on the show at Idol Moments.

And fans of Esteban Galindo can find his work now online, too, at The Snipe Hunt.

This has been a daily news blast from The Capistrano Dispatch. Forward it to your friends and have them sign up by clicking here. To unsubscribe, hit reply to this message with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For advertising opportunities in Capistrano's top community paper or on the website, www.thecapistranodispatch.com, email Diane DiMarco at ddimarco@thecapistranodispatch.com. We've also just launched our "Locals Only" business directory online and in print, giving businesses a low-cost, effective way to reach customers. Call Angela Edwards today at 949.682.1667 to include your business.

Supervisor Bates: Traffic Snarl on Ortega 'Unacceptable'

Supervisor Pat Bates, who represents San Juan Capistrano, included this in her weekly newsletter:

Ortega Highway Widening Project

Construction on the Ortega Highway Widening Project, from San Juan Capistrano city limits to east of La Pata Avenue/Antonio Parkway, began this week. When the Board of Supervisors approved this project, I expressed the importance of providing traffic control measures to ensure construction would create minimal impacts to traffic flow which is already congested at times on Ortega Highway.

The extreme traffic delays that were experienced by drivers this week due to the construction is unacceptable. I directed the project engineer to review the traffic plan and make modifications in the coming days that will improve traffic flow. CHP is assisting in traffic control during peak hours and Caltrans has activated the electronic notification system on the approaching I-5/Ortega Freeway signs to warn of the delays and offer alternate routes. If no reasonable solution can be implemented in the coming days, I will direct staff to explore the possibility of deferring all construction to off-peak hours.

In the interim if you have additional questions or concerns, please report them to the South County Roadway Improvement Plan (SCRIP) Community Phone Line at (888) 235-0888 or Orange County Public Works at (714) 834-2694. For details regarding SCRIP, please visit www.Scrip-OC.com.

Capistrano Open Space Committee Meets Monday

The San Juan Capistrano Open Space Committee -- made up of Mayor Mark Nielsen, Councilman Tom Hribar and a host of community leaders -- meets Monday night at City Hall.

The group will be going over plans for the Northwest Open Space, as well as reviewing the deal that could bring 116 acres of open space from the Crystal Cathedral deal.

Plans for the Northwest Open Space have been discussed for awhile, but the latest show about 200 plots for a community garden near Camino Capistrano and J Serra, enhanced orange groves, a picnic area and moving the planned dog park from it's inital location between Camino Capistrano and the freeway to the west side of the road, in the area now identified as a CARE facility.

The committee meets at 6:30 p.m. The park is on the Council agenda for Tuesday night, too.

Here's the staff report.

Mickadeit on the New Shell Station in Town

OC Register columnist Frank Mickadeit -- I think the entire paper should be written like Frank's column and the Watchdog column -- wrote about the owners of the new Shell station in town.

He framed it as one man's success against Big Oil.

The station -- which has a carwash, flower shop, yogurt and food, oh, and gas -- is open now.

Here's Frank's column.

Ribbon Cutting with the Mayor at The Vintage Steak House

Please join us for the grand opening and ribbon cutting at The Vintage Steakhouse at the Capistrano Depot tonight at 5:30 p.m.  Join Mayor Mark Nielsen as he welcomes this new business to San Juan Capistrano!

This has been a daily news blast from The Capistrano Dispatch. Forward it to your friends and have them sign up by clicking here. To unsubscribe, hit reply to this message with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For advertising opportunities in Capistrano's top community paper or on the website, www.thecapistranodispatch.com, email Diane DiMarco at ddimarco@thecapistranodispatch.com. We've also just launched our "Locals Only" business directory online and in print, giving businesses a low-cost, effective way to reach customers. Call Angela Edwards today at 949.682.1667 to include your business.