The Capistrano Dispatch

At its July 21 meeting, the San Juan Capistrano City Council recognized the life and service of former three-term mayor Wyatt Hart. A former security consultant at John Wayne Airport and district director for Congressman Ron Packard, Hart played a crucial role in the San Juan Capistrano community, including, according to his obituary, in securing federal funding for the new site of the city’s Boys and Girls Club. Hart died in February at the age of 89.

As the SJC250 Celebration completes some of its yearlong events. there are still a few ways to continue to celebrate our amazing community. The Historic Trolley Tour has been so successful that the SJC250 Committee is offering four tours on Tuesday, Aug. 4, beginning at 10 a.m. and leaving every hour until 1 p.m. from the parking lot across from the SJC Library. Reservations are requested, as space is limited.

For many residents at Reata Glen retirement community, a lineup of vintage cars wasn’t just a display of polished chrome and classic craftsmanship. It was a chance to revisit the cars they drove, restored and admired throughout their lives.

The San Juan Capistrano City Council has unanimously approved the renaming of Spring Street to Father O’Sullivan Way, honoring the Catholic priest who began the tradition of the Return of the Swallows and is credited with bringing the Mission San Juan Capistrano back to glory in the early 1900s. Through vision, hands-on labor and leadership, Father O’Sullivan became known as the “Great Restorer” of the 20th century, transforming the decaying Mission into the historic landmark it is today.

I recently wrote two columns featuring the GriefShare group in which I belong. One column was titled “The Power and Healing of Grief Groups.” It explained how five of us had met at a grief group session in April 2023 and became friends and started socializing together. That group has grown to 23 members.

There is an old saying that we never truly appreciate something until it’s gone. For many communities across America, that has become painfully true. Long before radio, television, the internet, social media, podcasts and smartphones, there was local news. For more than three centuries, beginning with America’s earliest newspapers, generations of journalists have chronicled the triumphs and tragedies of everyday life.

The Coffee Chat SJC is a weekly civic institution in San Juan Capistrano. Part town hall, part local roundtable and part neighborhood social, it is an opportunity for the community to discuss every hyper-local: from downtown traffic to historic preservation.

Believing deeply that education has the power to transform lives, Mohamed and Gulie Hamir established the Hamir Family Scholarship. This initiative aims to extend life-altering opportunities to the upcoming generation of young women around the world, mirroring the impact education had on their own journeys. In its debut year, the San Juan Capistrano-based family has distributed a total of $50,000 in financial aid, granting $5,000 scholarships to ten graduating Girl Scouts.

Rancho Mission Viejo prides itself on its intergenerational options. The active 23,000-acre ranch and farm, habitat reserve and residential community has again expanded its offerings with The Club at Gavilán Ridge, a 55+ exclusive amenity bringing a slew of new features to the community.

The St. Margaret’s Episcopal School equestrian team has captured the Orange County Interscholastic Equestrian League (OCIEL) Overall School Championship for the second consecutive year. Following their historic first-ever league title during the 2024–2025 season, the Tartans successfully defended their crown for the 2025–2026 season against a competitive field of 37 schools from across Southern California.