Aliso Viejo (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

for "Old

Sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the ancient Greek ' (''sūkomoros'') meaning "fig-mulberry". Species of trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplata ...

") is a city in the

San Joaquin Hills The San Joaquin Hills are a low mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System, located in coastal Orange County, California. They extend in a northwest–southeast direction, starting in the northwest in Newport Beach at the southern edge of t ...

of southern

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...

. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in Orange County to be incorporated since 2000. It is bordered by the cities of

Laguna Beach Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, and a ...

on the west and southwest,

Laguna Hills Laguna Hills (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in south Orange County, California, United States. Its name refers to its proximity to Laguna Canyon and the much older Laguna Beach. Other newer cities nearby—Laguna Niguel and Lagun ...

on the east,

Laguna Niguel Laguna Niguel () is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The name Laguna Niguel is derived from the words "Laguna" (Spanish for "lagoon") and "Niguili" (the name of a Native American village once located near Aliso Creek). As of ...

on the southeast, and

Laguna Woods Laguna Woods (''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 16,192 at the 2010 census, down from 16,507 at the 2000 census, with a median age of 78. Laguna Woods became Orange Count ...

on the north.

History

The planned community of Aliso Viejo's original were once part of the Moulton Ranch, owned by the Moulton family, who took title in the 1890s to land originally granted to

Juan Avila ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

by the Mexican government in 1842. Over the years, portions of the ranch were sold and became Leisure World,

and Laguna Niguel. In 1976, the Mission Viejo Company purchased the remaining 6,600 acres to create a new planned community – Aliso Viejo – with a master plan for 20,000 homes for a planned population of 50,000. The master plan was approved by the

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

in 1979, and homes were first offered for sale in March 1982. Aliso Viejo's first family moved in that November. As part of the project, were dedicated to Orange County as part of the

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is a major regional park in the San Joaquin Hills of Orange County, California in the United States. Comprising of rugged coastal canyons, open grassland, and riparian woodland, the park borders the suburban ...

, and were set aside for local parks, recreation, schools and community facilities. The Aliso Viejo Community Association (AVCA) was set up to manage the local parks and community open space. It was the first community-wide association of its kind in California and has the unique ability to provide a full-range of community services and facilities. Aliso Viejo was the first planned community in California to plan a balance between the projected resident work force and the number of projected jobs within its borders. Pacific Park, the centrally located business park and town center, was expected to ultimately provide more than 22,000 jobs. Every home in Aliso Viejo was located within of Pacific Park, to encourage live-and-work opportunities."Aliso Viejo ... for today and tomorrow" Mission Viejo Company

Incorporation

Aliso Viejo had been an unincorporated community since 1979, and incorporated as a city in 2001 due to the efforts of the Aliso Viejo Cityhood 2000 Committee, which was responsible for introducing an initiative on the ballot for the 2001 special election. Voters passed the initiative with 93.3% in favor of incorporation.

Carmen Vali-Cave Carmen Louise Vali-Cave (born March 29, 1965) was the first Mayor of Aliso Viejo, California. During times in her career she has also been known as Carmen Vali and Carmen L. Vali. City Council Vali-Cave has been a board member for Aliso Viejo Co ...

, the co-founder and president of the committee, became the new city's first

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

. The seal of the city of Aliso Viejo was adopted in 2001 at incorporation. The seal features several mountains, a sunset, a tree, and several buildings. Also, the seal features the slogan "July 2001", in celebration of the city's incorporation date. African American John Steward:''
Home Page
, Board of Director, Division Six, Moulton Niguel Water District; Former Member Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees, is Co-founder/Chief Petitioner to Incorporate the City of Aliso Viejo, CA. John Steward provided organizational skills and political insights to the formation of the Aliso Viejo Citizen Action League which was the genesis of the Aliso Viejo Cityhood Committee. Aliso Viejo is a general law city with a council-manager system of government. Day-to-day operations are handled by a professional

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief execu ...

overseen by a volunteer city council. The City Council of Aliso Viejo consists of five members serving staggered four-year terms. Each year, the Council votes for its next

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

and Mayor ''pro tem''. The current City Council consists of Mayor Mike Munzing, Mayor Pro-Tem Tiffany Ackley, and Council Members David C. Harrington, Ross Chun, and William Phillips . Aliso Viejo Library clock tower

State and federal representation

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...

, Aliso Viejo is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, Aliso Viejo is in .

Politics

Aliso Viejo is a swing city at the presidential level. According to the

California Secretary of State The secretary of state of California is the chief clerk of the U.S. state of California, overseeing a department of 500 people. The secretary of state is elected for four year terms, like the state's other constitutional officers; the officeho ...

, as of October 22, 2018, Aliso Viejo has 27,699 registered voters. Of those, 9,210 (33.25%) are registered Republicans, 8,800 (31.77%) are registered Democrats, and 8,388 (30.28%) have

declined to state Decline to State (DTS) was an affiliation designation on the California voter registration form that allows voters to register to vote without choosing a party affiliation. It is similar to what in other states would be called declaring oneself as ...

a political party/are independents.

Geography

Aliso Viejo is located at (33.575096, -117.725431) in the

of Orange County. According to the

Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all of which is land. Aliso Viejo is one of several cities bordering Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park. Aliso Creek forms part of the city's boundary with

to the south, and

Wood Canyon Creek Wood Canyon Creek is a perennial stream in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, Orange County, California. A tributary of Aliso Creek, it drains a deep undeveloped valley to the west of Aliso Viejo. The Wood Canyon was populated by the Acjach ...

forms part of the city's western boundary. Much of the city rests on the east slope of the

, which are a coastal mountain range extending for about along the Pacific coast.

Demographics

2020

The

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

reported a population of 52,176. The racial makeup was 68.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 2.7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 15.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 18.8%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race.

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

reported that Aliso Viejo had a population of 47,823. The population density was . The racial makeup of Aliso Viejo was 34,437 (89.0%)

(77.8% Non-Hispanic White), 967 (2.0%)

, 151 (0.1%) Native American, 6,996 (14.6%)

, 89 (0.2%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 2,446 (5.1%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2,737 (5.7%) from two or more races.

of any race were 8,164 persons (17.1%). The Census reported that 47,354 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 450 (0.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 19 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 18,204 households, out of which 7,095 (39.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 9,358 (51.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,966 (10.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 791 (4.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 987 (5.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 206 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,416 households (24.3%) were made up of individuals, and 638 (3.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60. There were 12,115

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

(66.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.16. The population was spread out, with 12,395 people (25.9%) under the age of 18, 3,739 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 17,138 people (35.8%) aged 25 to 44, 12,003 people (25.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,548 people (5.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males. There were 18,867 housing units at an average density of , of which 11,049 (60.7%) were owner-occupied, and 7,155 (39.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.6%. 29,819 people (62.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,535 people (36.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 40,166 people, 16,147 households, and 10,689 families residing in what was, at the time, a Census Designated Place (CDP). The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 3,927.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,516.0/km). There were 16,608 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 78.16%

, 10.99%

, 2.06%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

, 0.39% Native American, 0.22%

, 3.51% from

, and 4.66% from two or more races. 11.65% of the population were

of any race. There were 16,147 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.01. The population was distributed with 26.1% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 48.8% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $92,280, and the median income for a family was $99,853. Males had a median income of $61,316 versus $44,190 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $35,244. About 2.3% of families and 2.8% of the population lived below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Companies located in Aliso Viejo include: *3tera, a

cloud computing Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage ( cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over mul ...

software vendor *

AND1 AND1 is an American footwear and clothing company specializing in basketball shoes, clothing, and sporting goods. AND1 was founded on August 13, 1993. The company focuses strictly on basketball and is a subsidiary of Sequential Brands Group. It s ...

, a shoe and apparel company *

Buy.com Rakuten.com/shop was an e-commerce marketplace based in San Mateo, California. Previously known as Buy.com, it was founded in 1997 by Scott Blum. In 2010, it was purchased by Japanese company Rakuten, and rebranded as Rakuten.com.Claire Cain Mil ...

, an online retailer *

Centon Electronics, Inc. Centon may refer to: * Centon (''Battlestar Galactica''), a fictional unit of time from the 1978 ''Battlestar Galactica'' American television series * ''Centon'', a range of photographic equipment sold in the United Kingdom by Jessops">WP:DABREDIR ...

, a manufacturer of computer memory and flash-based storage devices * Fluor, an international construction contractor for

petrochemical Petrochemicals (sometimes abbreviated as petchems) are the chemical products obtained from petroleum by refining. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sou ...

, infrastructure, and environmental projects, headquartered in Aliso Viejo until it was relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex suburb of

Irving, Texas Irving is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in Dallas County, it is also an inner ring suburb of Dallas. The city of Irving is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. According to a 2019 estimate from the United States Census Bureau, ...

in March 2006. Some divisions still reside in Aliso Viejo. *

Ketel One Ketel (Dutch for: ''Pot still'') One is a Distilled beverage, liquor brand of the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Netherlands. Ketel One Vodka is distilled from 100% wheat in copper pot stills, filtered over loose charcoal, and rests in tile-lined ...

, a vodka company *

Marie Callender's Marie Callender's is an American restaurant chain. Its headquarters are in the Marie Callender's Corporate Support Center in Mission Viejo, Orange County, California. As of May 2022, the company has 25 restaurant locations in California, Nevada, a ...

, a restaurant chain *

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

's office after the purchase of DATAllegro *

Nimbus Data Nimbus Data is an American computer data storage software and systems company. Company Nimbus Data develops flash memory solutions.Kerekes, Zsolt"Nimbus Data Systems" 21 November 2012. Retrieved on 28 November 2012. Customers include eBay, Walt ...

, a network storage systems and software company *

Pacific Life Pacific Life Insurance Company is an American insurance company providing life insurance products, annuities, and mutual funds, and offers a variety of investment products and services to individuals, businesses, and pension plans. History Pacif ...

, an insurance company * QLogic, a network storage manufacturer *

Quest Software Quest Software, also known as Quest, is a privately held software company headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, United States. Quest provides cloud management, software as a service, security, workforce mobility, and backup & recovery. The c ...

(formerly

Dell Software Dell Software was a division of Dell with headquarters in Round Rock, Texas, United States. Dell Software was created merging various acquisitions (mainly Quest Software and Sonicwall) by Dell Inc., the third-largest maker of PCs and now a pri ...

), a software manufacturer *

Smith Micro Software Smith Micro Software, Inc., founded in 1982 by William W. Smith, Jr., is a developer and marketer of both enterprise and consumer-level software and services. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Smith Micro maintains multiple domestic and ...

, a software developer * Tamiya America, US subsidiary of the manufacturer of model cars

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits, radio-controlled cars, battery and solar powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints, and various modeling tools and supplies. The company was founded by Yoshio ...

, headquartered in Aliso Viejo until it was relocated to Irvine, CA. *

UST Global UST, formerly known as UST GLOBAL, is a provider of digital technology and transformation, information technology and services, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, United States. Stephen Ross founded UST in 1998 in Laguna Hills. The compan ...

, an IT, Technology and Digital Transformation company *

USWeb USWeb was an interactive design agency founded in 1995 by former Novell executives Joe Firmage, Toby Corey, and Sheldon Laube during the dot com bubble. This included website design, backend engineering, usability, and one of the first SEO marke ...

, an Internet marketing company *

Microsemi Corporation Microsemi Corporation was an Aliso Viejo, California-based provider of semiconductor and system solutions for aerospace & defense, communications, data center and industrial markets. In February 2018, it was announced that Chandler, Arizona-base ...

, a semiconductor company *

Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game industry, video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is ma ...

, a multinational video game and digital entertainment company *

Carbine Studios Carbine Studios was a video game developer and subsidiary of NCSOFT, founded in 2005 by former members of Blizzard Entertainment. They were the developers of the online role-playing game '' WildStar''. History Carbine's founders were 17 former ...

, a video game developer, partnered with NCSOFT * Metagenics, a medical manufacturing company * Meta Solar, a solar energy installation company * Vertos Medical, a manufacturer of surgical instruments used to perform minimally invasive procedures * Ambry Genetics, a health care genetic lab, a subsidiary of parent company Konica Minolta

Top employers

According to the city's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,City of Aliso Viejo CAFR
/ref> the top employers in the city are:

Points of interest

* Aliso Viejo Town Center features a movie theater, a wide variety of casual dining restaurants,

PetSmart PetSmart is a privately held American chain of pet superstores, which sell pet products, services, and small pets. It is the leading North American pet company, and its direct competitor is Petco. Its indirect competitors are Amazon, Walmart, ...

, a

Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...

, a

Ralphs Ralphs is an American supermarket chain in Southern California. The largest subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Kroger, it is the oldest such chain west of the Mississippi River. Kroger also operates stores under the Food 4 Less and Foods Co. names ...

supermarket, as well as other shops. The Town Center also includes Grand Park which is a center for community concerts and events. * The Aliso Viejo Library, a branch of the Orange County Public Library system, opened on January 31, 1998. * Aliso Viejo Golf Course was designed by Nicklaus Design in 1999 and became the Aliso Viejo Country Club with a redesign in 2005. *

Soka University of America Soka University of America (SUA) is a private liberal arts college in Aliso Viejo, California. Originally founded in 1987, it was established on its current campus in 2001 by Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist mo ...

was dedicated on May 3, 2001, with a 103-acre campus and 18 buildings, a $250 million (land and construction) project. * Soka Performing Arts Center, a 1,000-seat concert hall with acoustics designed by Yasuhisa Toyota (who also designed Walt Disney Concert Hall); opened in September 2011. * Renaissance ClubSport is a $65 million property which opened in July 2008. It is Marriott's second hotel and fitness resort created in conjunction with Leisure Sports, Inc. (ClubSport) to fulfill the growing demand by local residents and hotel guests for a healthier lifestyle.

Sports teams

* The

Orange County Gladiators Buzz may refer to: People *Buzz (nickname), a list of people *J. Buzz Von Ornsteiner (born 1967; aka ''Dr. Buzz''), American forensic psychologist and journalist Fictional characters *Buzz, a character in the 1987 American comedy movie '' Reve ...

were an

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

(ABA) expansion team founded in November 2007 until 2009. They played their home games at

Aliso Niguel High School Aliso Niguel High School (ANHS), which is part of the Capistrano Unified School District, is located in the city of Aliso Viejo, California. Most of its students reside in the communities of Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel. The school is a Californ ...

Controversy

"Dihydrogen monoxide" incident

Aliso Viejo city officials famously came close to banning

polystyrene Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a ...

cups in 2004 after a

paralegal A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals i ...

working for the city discovered the dhmo.org parody website and learned that they contain "

dihydrogen monoxide The dihydrogen monoxide parody involves calling water by an unfamiliar chemical name, most often "dihydrogen monoxide" (DHMO), and listing some of water's properties in a particularly alarming manner, such as accelerating corrosion (rust) and ...

", failing to realize that this is simply an alternative name for water.Local officials nearly fall for H2O hoax
" ''

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...

.'' March 15, 2004. Retrieved on September 4, 2008.

William Freund murder-suicide

In October 2005, the city gained national media attention once again when 19-year-old resident William Freund donned a cape and mask, and murdered two of his neighbors, 22-year-old Christina Smith and her father Vernon, before killing himself. Freund had Asperger syndrome and posted on an Internet message board for people with the disorder, in which he talked of suicide and acts of violence. On November 17, 2006, the family of the two victims sued Freund's parents for "wrongful death and emotional distress." Freund lived with his parents at the time of the shooting and had a history of mental disorders including

Asperger syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is a former neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in Interpersonal relationship, social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and re ...

and

attention deficit disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise Development ...

, but the court ruled that Freund's parents were not liable for his actions because he was an adult at the time and the attacks were unforeseen.

School dance ban

In September 2006, Charles Salter, the principal of

, Aliso Viejo's high school, gained widespread media attention when he banned all school dances until further notice. Salter came under fire for his decision. The decision was based on the school's "Welcome Back Dance", at which several students arrived intoxicated, while others engaged in " freak dancing", which Salter views as inappropriate at a school dance. At the end of the month, Salter stood his ground and cancelled the school's annual

Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

Dance, which gained both Salter and the school notoriety.Hernandez, Salvador.
Homecoming dance gets boot
" ''

The Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...

.'' September 29, 2006. Retrieved on March 18, 2007. A story on the school was featured on the national television program, ''

Geraldo at Large ''Geraldo Rivera Reports'', also known as ''Geraldo at Large'', is an American television newsmagazine hosted by Fox News correspondent-at-large and former talk show host Geraldo Rivera. History Debuting in national syndication on October 31, 2 ...

'' and the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

also covered the dance ban. In late November, it was announced that the dances would return to the school, but under new rules that banned "freak dancing".Hernandez, Salvador.
School dances return under new rules
" ''

.'' November 29, 2006. Retrieved on March 18, 2007.

Proposed mail distribution center

In 2008–early 2009, Aliso Viejo residents were protesting the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

's plan to build a large mail distribution facility. The proposed facility would have up to 500 employees and USPS trucks traveling over residential streets 24 hours per day. Residents were concerned about damage to city streets, traffic and the trucks traveling through city neighborhoods. On March 9, 2009, the USPS announced that it would not move forward with plans to build the distribution facility due to the economic outlook at the time.

Emergency services

Fire protection in Aliso Viejo is provided by the

Orange County Fire Authority The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for unincorporated areas of Orange County, California as well as 25 cities within the county that contract OCFA's services. There ...

with ambulance service by Care Ambulance. Law enforcement is provided by the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Aliso Niguel High School

Education

Public K–12

The city is served by

Capistrano Unified School District Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) is the largest school district in Orange County, California, United States. It is the 8th largest district in the state and the 78th largest in the country. The district currently has 54,036 students and ...

, which includes these schools: Elementary * Canyon Vista Elementary School * Don Juan Avila Elementary School * Oak Grove Elementary School * Wood Canyon Elementary School Middle school *

Aliso Viejo Middle School Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) is the largest school district in Orange County, California, Orange County, California, United States. It is the 8th largest district in the state and the 78th largest in the country. The district curren ...

* Don Juan Avila Middle School High school *

Private K–12

*VanDamme Academy *St. Mary and All Angels School *Aliso Viejo Christian School

Higher education

Saddleback College Saddleback College (Saddleback) is a public community college in Mission Viejo, California. It is part of the California Community College system and awards over 300 associate degrees, academic certificates, and occupational skills awards in 19 ...

(

Mission Viejo, California Mission Viejo ( ; corruption of ''Misión Vieja'', Spanish for "Old Mission") is a commuter city in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California, United States. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities eve ...

) *

Irvine Valley College Irvine Valley College (also known as IVC or Irvine Valley) is a public community college in Irvine, California. It is part of the California Community Colleges System. The college inherited its name from the Irvine family and the Irvine Compa ...

(

Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...

) *

Orange Coast College Orange Coast College (OCC) is a public community college in Costa Mesa in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides Associate of Art and Associate of Science degrees, cert ...

(

Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa (; Spanish for "Table Coast") is a city in Orange County, California. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wa ...

) *

Notable natives and residents

Farzad Bonyadi Farzad "Freddy" Bonyadi (born 1959) is an Iranian professional poker player based in Aliso Viejo, California, who has won 4 World Series of Poker bracelets. Bonyadi moved from Iran to America in 1983, where he worked as an executive host in th ...

, professional poker player *

Ryan Coiner Ryan Coiner (born September 7, 1979) is an American former professional soccer forward who played in Germany and Major League Soccer. College Coiner was born in Aliso Viejo, California. He played college soccer at the University of San Diego ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

player for the

Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one ...

Ryan Getzlaf Ryan Getzlaf (born May 10, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Getzlaf played his entire NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks and is the franchise's all-time leading scorer. A first-round selection, 19th overall, at the 200 ...

, center for the

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center. ...

Jim Gilchrist James Walter Gilchrist Jr. is an American political activist and the co-founder and president of the Minuteman Project, an activist group whose aim is to prevent illegal immigration across the southern border of the United States. Early life ...

, politician and founder of the

Minuteman Project The Minuteman Project is an organization which was founded in the United States in August 2004 by a group of private individuals who sought to extrajudicially monitor the United States–Mexico border's flow of illegal immigrants. Founded by J ...

Kenneth Kizer Kenneth W. Kizer is the CEO of Medsphere Systems, a technology company in Aliso Viejo, California. Previously he served as the Under Secretary for Health in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veter ...

, CEO and former Secretary of Health in the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

Ivan Koumaev The second season of ''So You Think You Can Dance'' premiered on May 25, 2006, with new host Cat Deeley. On August 16, Benji Schwimmer was announced as the winner of season 2 and received the grand prize of $100,000, a new hybrid SUV, and a one-y ...

, contestant on the reality series ''

So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...

'' *

Royce Lewis Royce Oliver Lewis (born June 5, 1999) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Twins first overall in the 2017 MLB draft. Lewis made his MLB debut in 2022. Amat ...

, baseball player, first selection of

2017 MLB Draft The 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft began on June 12, 2017. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first 36 picks, including the first round and compensatory picks, were broadcast on MLB Network on J ...

* Jason Martin, indie rock musician *

Marc Maiffret Marc Maiffret is the Chief Technology Officer at BeyondTrust, a security and compliance management company. Maiffret joined BeyondTrust by way of their acquisition of eEye Digital Security, which he co-founded in 1998 along with Firas Bushnaq. M ...

, computer security expert/computer hacker *

McKayla Maroney McKayla Rose Maroney (born December 9, 1995) is a retired American artistic gymnast and singer. She was a member of the American women's gymnastics team dubbed the Fierce Five at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she won a gold medal in the team a ...

, gymnast, 2012 Olympic champion *

Alex Michelsen Alex Michelsen (born August 25, 2004) is an American tennis player. Michelsen has a career high ATP singles ranking of No. 356 achieved on 27 February 2023. He also has a career high ATP doubles ranking of No. 693 achieved on 6 February 2023. H ...

, tennis player, 2022 Wimbledon Boys' Doubles champion *

Kyla Ross Kyla Briana Ross (born October 24, 1996) is a retired American artistic gymnast and current assistant coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks gymnastics team. She is the first female gymnast to win NCAA, World, and Olympic championship titles. Ross w ...

, gymnast, 2012 Olympic champion * Toni Turner, author * Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez, author *

Ashley Wagner Ashley Elisabeth Wagner (born May 16, 1991) is an American former figure skater. She is the 2016 World silver medalist, a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in the team event, the 2012 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final medalis ...

, figure skater, 3-time U.S. champion *

Alicia Leigh Willis Alicia Leigh Willis (born March 1, 1978) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in soap operas. Personal life Alicia was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She is one of four children. Sisters Kimberly and Tiffany, and brother Ryan. Her fat ...

, actress known for her role as

Courtney Matthews Courtney Matthews is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network. She is the daughter of Mike Corbin and Janine Matthews, and the half sister of mobster Sonny Corinthos. ...

on ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...

References

External links

* *
Around Aliso Viejo WebshowOrange County Public Library, Aliso Viejo Branch
* {{authority control 2001 establishments in California Cities in Orange County, California Former census-designated places in California Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 2001