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Rancho Ortega Blog discusses matters of public interest in South Orange County, including the communities of San Juan Capistrano, Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo.

The writings of Don Juan Ortega on the Rancho Ortega Blog are the personal views of the author. This blog is not authored by nor does it have any affiliation whatsoever with any other person, place or entity using the name "Rancho Ortega" (or any similar name).

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http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4673

Two Stories Driving Record Traffic

Sometimes we are not surprised when a particular topic drives a lot of traffic, and sometimes we are. Both the most recent Ladera Ranch robbery and the Talega doll dropper stories are driving traffic to our site at record high numbers. What’s interesting is that previous stories about robberies in Ladera Ranch have not resulted [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4671

All is Well in Talega: Doll Dropper Had Good Intentions

KABC brings us the conclusion of the porcelain doll mystery in Talega. Sheriff’s investigators identified the woman who had left the dolls on the porches of at least 8 families in the Talega community:

The woman told deputies that her daughters were getting older and didn’t play with the dolls anymore, so she thought other [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4667

Creepy Anonymous Doll Dropper in Talega

This is a really strange…and creepy…story out of Talega:

Someone has been leaving porcelain dolls at the homes of families in a gated Talega neighborhood, and it’s really creeping out the parents. … “Families claim [the] dolls resemble their daughters in each case,” [OCSD Lt.] Hallock said.

More at the Patch here.

UPDATED: KTLA has [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4438

OC Weekly Article on Talega Mello Roos Refund Dispute

The OC Weekly published an article — one admittedly written with a distinct viewpoint — about whether Capistrano Unified School District ought to refund a portion of Talega’s Mello Roos tax assessments. We wrote extensively about Mello Roos in this article, wherein we cited the Franchise Tax Board on Mello Roos as follows:

In 1982, [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/3688

CUSD Trustees Urge SJC City Council to Reject Re-Zoning Application Near San Juan Hills HS

Capistrano Unified School District Trustee Jim Reardon has written an op-ed in the San Juan Capistrano Patch articulating why he and his fellow CUSD Trustees unanimously passed a resolution urging the San Juan Capistrano City Council to reject the zoning change application submitted by the developer of a proposed apartment project near San Juan Hills [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/2907

La Pata Gap Closure Project Will Solicit Construction Bids

The Orange County Board of Supervisors recently authorized the county clerk to advertise the La Pata Gap Closure project for bids. Bid opening will be October 23, 2013 and the terms of at least one of the grants requires the County to award the construction contract by December 11, 2013.

For those of you not [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/2707

Register Article on Pin-Hole Leaks in South County

The Orange County Register has published an article on the pin-hole leaks that are plaguing South County, including Ladera Ranch and Talega.

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/786

Update on La Pata Gap Closure Project

Below is an update on the La Pata Gap Closure Project, courtesy of the City of Mission Viejo’s Planning and Transportation Commission (minutes from June 12, 2012):

LA PATA AVENUE GAP CLOSURE IN COUNTY UNINCORPORATED AREA The County of Orange is the lead agency for this project which would extend and widen the existing 1.8 [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/649

The Ranch Plan Promises New Trails and Bikeways

As you may know, Orange County has a “General Plan” that describes its long-term goals for growth and development. The General Plan is comprehensive in that it covers seven core aspects of County life: land use, transportation, housing, conservation, open space, noise and safety. Today, we are going to look at the impact of the [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/340

La Pata Gap Closure Needs Last $9M

The $80-million La Pata extension project to connect the Talega community of San Clemente with Ortega Highway near Ladera Ranch and San Juan Capistrano is short by $9 million.

Full story at the Patch.