San Juan Capistrano embraced its cowboy roots to kick off the first freeway construction project in southern Orange County in more than a decade.
With the aid of a champion whip-cracker and the Orange County Sheriff Department’s horse-mounted unit, officials broke ground on the San Diego Freeway (I-5) South County Improvement Project on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
To illustrate the efforts of city, county and state officials to reduce congestion, whip-cracker Leslie Leone, a San Juan Capistrano resident, marked the official launch of the project by cracking the whip at a banner printed with the words “Whipping Traffic Congestion.”
Before the ceremony began, Leone and her team from Spurs and Satin entertained the guests with their 1880s Wild West outfits and her mastery with the whip. Young children and adults watched and listened with jaws dropped open as the crack of her whip echoed in the air, while she gave others lessons in whip-wielding.
Nancy Ingham, whose character's name is Permelia Elizabeth Lee, and John Fischle, who also goes by “Fish,” of Spurs and Satin have been going to events as Wild West 1880s re-enactors for years and love to watch the reactions of spectators. The group is based in San Juan Capistrano, but they also travel for skit, gun-slinging and whip competitions.
Several attendees, including San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman Carolyn Franks and Caltrans District Director Ryan Chamberlain, were also in touch with those cowboy roots as they donned boots, hats, jeans, plaid and other Western gear to celebrate the groundbreaking event.
Chamberlain and fellow Caltrans officials wore cowboy hats with the Caltrans logo printed on them. Franks, who paid homage to her hometown by wearing boots and a cowboy hat with the word “Zoomars” for the Zoomars Petting Zoo in the town, said she was “very excited to be here today watching our historic town grow.” She said the project was a great opportunity for businesses to grow and to create more jobs.
To begin the ceremony, attendees proudly recited the Pledge of Allegiance led by Orange County Transportation Authority Director Todd Spitzer with help from the Orange County Sheriff Department’s Mounted Enforcement Unit.
During the ceremony, OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson, OCTA board members and others described the need for improvements to I-5 in Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente.
“We are especially excited to mark a major milestone in this area of the county with the start of work on the I-5 South County Improvement Project,” Johnson said.
Johnson added that the project will help relieve bottlenecks along a popular stretch of the I-5 from San Juan Creek Road in San Juan Capistrano to Avenida Pico in San Clemente by adding a carpool lane in both directions, improving the sight distance on the southbound curve north of Pacific Coast Highway, reconstructing the interchange at Avenida Pico, and adding soundwalls at necessary points of the road.
“I’m very excited to see this project get under way and looking forward to bringing much needed congestion relief to all those who travel I-5 through South Orange County,” said OCTA Director Pat Bates, also the Fifth District Supervisor. “This is the first of several Measure M projects planned in coming years that will allow our residents to spend less time in their cars and more time doing all that they enjoy.”
Mission Viejo City Councilman and OCTA Director Frank Ury described how the unpredictable traffic has impacted him when he visits his grandchildren. “There is no more exciting time to be a part of South Orange County than right now.”
This area of I-5 has the distinction of experiencing more traffic congestion on the weekends.
Following the ceremony was the ceremonial tossing of the dirt and the whipping of the banner by Leone. After she launched the event by whipping the banner in half, she moved onto a much smaller target of the groundbreaking ceremony’s program.
Leone wowed the crowd as she split down the middle the eight-inch paper that was firmly held by two members from the Spurs and Satin.