The Capistrano Insider

Capistrano Residents Can Trade Christmas Lights for LEDs

San Diego Gas & Electric

The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) are offering complimentary energy-efficient holiday lights to customers at this year’s first LED Holiday Light Exchange in San Juan Capistrano on Nov. 14. Along with new holiday lights, customers will receive a no-cost Home Energy & Water Savings Kit in an eco-friendly reusable shopping bag! The kit includes a low-flow showerhead and three faucet aerators.

The City of San Juan Capistrano and its community partners are supporting the light exchange, ringing in energy savings and increased safety for the holiday season. SDG&E customers will be able to exchange up to three incandescent holiday light strands for multi-colored LED holiday light strands by simply presenting a copy of their current SDG&E bill or bringing their California ID.

“This is the first exchange in San Juan Capistrano and we expect a strong turnout,” said Mark Gaines, director of customer programs for SDG&E. “During last year’s holiday lights program in San Diego County we exchanged 5,757 LED light strands for 2,500 energy-conscious SDG&E customers. That is an increase of 31 percent from 4,000 LEDs exchanged in 2007!”

LED holiday lights can save customers energy and money, when compared to traditional incandescent holiday lights. They cost up to 90 percent less to run, are cool to the touch, reduce fire risk, and are safer for use both inside and outside the home. LED lights also shine brighter and last up to 100 times longer than incandescent holiday lights.

SDG&E is putting on nine light exchanges in their service territory with the first beginning on Nov. 14 in San Juan Capistrano, and the final taking place on December 5, at the 32nd annual December Nights at Balboa Park. SDG&E will have booths set up for SDG&E customers to attend and exchange their lights. The complete schedule includes:

 

• San Juan Capistrano LED Holiday Light Exchange

Sat., Nov. 14, 2009 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano

At the Library: A Movie and a Concert

Ah, we love our Librarian ...

SJC Library First Friday Film   "Picture Bride"  1994  PG-13  95 mins.  Winner of the coveted Audience Award for Best Dramatic Film at the Sundance Film Festival.  Hawaii, 1918.  She left Japan for a man she had never met, in a new world she couldn't imagine…America.  Two Thumbs Up--Siskel

 Showtime 7 PM, La Sala Auditorium.  Now sponsored by the San Juan Capistrano Rotary Club!!!  Thank You Rotarians!!
  

Greetings SJC Library Fans,
I am happy to report that I survived the month of October and all the jam-packed activities that my work/social calendar had.  In the previous email reminder, I seem to recall mentioning all the "events" I would be accessorizing for. Thanks to my dedicated  shopping prowess resulting in quite an extensive inventory, I don't think I had to repeat an outfit.   Walked the Rotary Ridge Walk, reminisced at a high school reunion that wasn't my class, bid the swallow's adios at Vintage,  spent a weekend in Pasadena at what will probably be my final librarian's convention, and survived my 5th "Day of the Dead" event along with several hundred of my closest friends.  The reunion was why I missed the last outdoor Multicultural Art Series concert for  2009, but I did get a lot of positive feedback from my sparkly outfit and matching gold shoes that I would have worn if I'd been there.   In fact, I just got back from making a little presentation at the city council meeting here in town and the lady sitting behind me said she's the one who held it up and shared the price tag of originally $80 but marked down to $4.97!

The reunion was the most fun and required the least amount of work for me, as opposed to Dia de los Muertos where it all starts with me climbing up on the roof to hang the banner, booking the Mariachi Band, Ballet Folklorico, Aztec Dancers, Face Painter, "skeletal works of art" for the gallery, traditional altars, guys to put up the stage, Indigenous food, and a brand new attraction "House of Skeletons.   It was Sunday October 25 and I worked non-stop from that Friday before morning till I locked up the library and courtyard at 6:30 pm Sunday.  If you weren't among the 700 people who stopped by, we've still got most of the artwork and a couple of the altars on display so if you're joining me this weekend, you can check them out.  I'm packing my overnight bag because Saturday night one of my favorite Multicultural Art Series Performers, Peppino D'Agostino, will be taking the stage in La Sala.  Yes, it's another "double header" for me this weekend which means it's a good thing I've got Thursday off to line up my wardrobe.    Peppino D'Agostino is one of my favorite performers because he's so "how you say" eye candy in Italian?   Well, I'll tell you since I  just babel fish'd it and he's "carmella delliocchio".  Showtimes are at 6:30 & 8:30 pm and tickets are priced at $10 for adults at the door.

 As usual, I've managed to ramble on and didn't even get a chance to tell you how I'm doing in my shoe shopping recovery.  I'm happy to report I only purchased 3 pairs of shoes the entire month, but that probably was helped by the fact that my shopping opportunities were minimal.  I also did a major "return tour" of 13 items which got my Sears charge card in the negative where they owe me money. 

Well, I'd love to keep rambling, especially with details of my reunion encounters and what Real Librarians of Orange County do to fill their evenings when the convention seminars aren't in session.  Guess you'll just have to use your imagination or come join me Friday night for the film and/or Saturday night for Peppino!

Ciao

Teri Garza

No Booze, No Fun? Fiesta BBQ Cancelled

Well, if you were planning on attending the Fiesta Association Kick-Off Barbecue on Saturday, October 3, you've got some free time.

The association, which puts on the Swallows Day Parade and associated activities, has cancelled the barbecue. The event was set for noon to 5 p.m. at Descanso Park in San Juan Capistrano. The picnic is sort of the association's goodbyeto the swallows and a kick off for the coming Fiesta Season ... the big deal at the picnic is selection of the dignitaries: Miss Fiesta, Senor San Juan, Jr. Miss and Jr. Senior San Juan.

The picnic was going to include live music, a horseshoe tournament and tri-tip sandwiches.

It was cancelled, I hear, because of difficulties with the ABC permit for beer and wine at the event.

Not sure yet why they couldn't have had the picnic without alcohol, but I'll check. The selection of the dignitaries, I'm told, will happen at another meeting later this month.

Movies and Concerts at Capistrano Library this Weekend

Actually, I just enjoy posting stuff from our Librarian, Teri Garza, who must be the coolest around ...

From Teri:

Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 PM    "Ghost Town" 2008  Romantic comedy starring Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, & Tea Leoni,  PG-13   

Greetings Film Fans,
  As you can see, I’m already thinking about Halloween with my movie selection that previews this Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 PM.  While there was a request for a scary Halloween film, I opted for the “funny, clever, & heartfelt” ghost story.  The title also seemed a nice connection to what will be the 5^th annual celebration that I have overseen here for “Day of the Dead” which will be Sunday, October 25 from 12 – 5.  Mark your calendar and expect a “lively” email reminder from me in about 3 weeks. 

Sure you could go spend $10 and see Ricky Gervais in “The Invention of Lying” which opens at theaters everywhere this Friday (San Juan not included), plus another $10 for popcorn, drink, & milk duds.OR you can come down to the library auditorium, and for only $2, see a funny Ricky Gervais comedy that you probably missed when it played the big houses in 2008.  He's a dentist who  "dies" for 7 minutes and when he's revived he sees dead people….. ..and they annoy him!   If you come early, you are invited to meet and greet the 3 artists that are currently exhibiting their work in the library’s beautiful gallery.  San Juan Capistrano residents & artists Monique Rea, Michael, Mastagni, and Arturo Guevara are the trio artists whose works hang in the beautiful gallery till October 23. The  Artist’s reception goes from 5:30 pm till movie time at 7 PM.  It’s only 102 minutes long so you're home and in bed early to get an early start to participate in the SJC's Rotary Club 10 K Run & Ridgewalk.  I'll be there because I'm looking for other alternatives to spend my Sat. mornings, rather than pilaging the clearance racks of my favorite retail establishments.   I finally got around to sorting out my August/September "shopcation" finds and realized an intervention for my shopaholic habits was necessary.  Well, I'm happy to report that it's been 5 whole days and I haven't bought a pair of shoes.   Of course I haven't gone shopping in those 5 days.  I'm not working tomorrow, so that will be the real test of my will power. 

I'd really like to fill you in on what else I've got on my calendar for the entire month of October but there just isn't enough time.  Suffice to say it will include a high school reunion, Vintage at the Mission, Librarian's Gone Wild in Pasadena, and Music at The Library.

Which reminds me to remind you that Saturday night the courtyard will be playing host to "Giveway", 4 sisters from Scotland who played here back in 2007 and almost blew the roof off.  Because of that, Bob Slater invited them to come back and play outside in the courtyard where we don't have to worry about the roof. There's a great write up about the show in the OC Register which can fill you in more.  http://www.ocregister.com/articles/music-giveway-vocals-2586031-backing-make   

Well, I see I've worked about 2 hours longer than I needed to today.  If you have any questions, reply back or check the sources at the top of the email.  I'm off tomorrow, but will be back to get the Friday night festivities set up Friday afternoon when I'll check for messages.  Hope you can make it! 

Teri Garza, Recovering Shopaholic and former Shoe Maven

Capistrano Interested in Rodeo Grounds Purchase?

The City Council's closed-session agenda tonight includes a closed-door conversation about the potential purchase of two parcels owned by the Rancho Mission Viejo Co. The properties are only identified by Assessors Parcel Numbers, but one is the Rodeo Grounds at the corner of Antonio/La Pata.

The city is closed-mouthed about a potential deal, which is allowable because it's land negotiations. But the Open Space Committee's finance sub-committee, which includes former Sheriff Brad Gates, Tom Lunnen and Dick Paulsen, has been given wide latitude to approach land owners about potential deals.

The land is technically outside the city boundaries, but could be annexed in with consent of the property owner. City officials, and most residents, have always seen that property as the eastern gateway to the city.

The Ranch has identified the property as "Planned Community" in its approved development plans. Nothing is formalized, but the corner was intended to be some sort of park, while an area between Antonio and the city's eastern limits was seen as potentially holding some sort of congregate care facility and supporting medical offices.

But with those approvals, the land is more valuable, and the county assessor's office taxes it at a value of $34 million.

That would completely tap the city's $30 million open-space bond, of course, and already the Open Space Committee seems to be splitting on whether it's best to spend every cent on acquiring as much property as possible, verses spending the millions it takes to restore open space by removing artichoke thistle and other invasive plants and replanting with natives.

But Rancho Mission Viejo has always thought of Capistrano as its home town, from support of the Mission to owning a good chunk of the best businesses downtown. RMV Senior VP Dan Kelly did say they're talking, though.

"In response to an inquiry from the City of San Juan Capistrano's Open Space Committee, we've agreed to enter into discussions regarding the potential sale of select entitled, undeveloped land," Kelly said. "We're proud of our historic ties to San Juan Capistrano and look forward to forging a win-win agreement with the City."

The council meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto.