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A night with “Eat, Pray, Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert at the Carpenter Center

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A night with “Eat, Pray, Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert at the Carpenter Center

By Emily Henderson

You keep hearing it all around you. “We live in turbulent times;” “We live in frightening times;” “It is a scary time right now in the world.” All of that noise is sweeping around your head, a buzzing that you can not get out of your ear, always whispering, “Remember me? Thinking about me?” It feels as if there is no way to stop it. That is when she walks into the auditorium.

The Karen and Richard Carpenter Center, located on the campus of California State University of Long Beach, held the opening of their 2026-27 theatrical season on Sept. 19, with one of their cherished continuing series,Wit & Wisdom, all “designed to [make the audience] think and laugh,” says Executive Director Megan Kline. The guest? Award winning author and journalist Elizabeth Gilbert.

Best known for her 2006 memoir “Eat, Pray, Love” all about her spiritual and mental journey throughout India, Italy, and Indonesia, after the divorce of her first husband, Gilbert has since gone on to make a name for herself as a prolific writer. The book skyrocketed to international success immediately, landing itself number one on the New York Times Bestseller List for 187 weeks. In 2010, a movie adaptation of Gilbert’s memoir was released, starring Julia Roberts.

Since then, Gilbert has written five books, along with countless essays and blog posts on her Substack, “Letters from Love,” in which herself and other authors write personal narratives from the perspective of unconditional love, on all types of advice.

She has been involved in numerous inspirational tours, including Oprah’s 2016 “The Life You Want” tour, along with her own TedTalk in 2009, all about a person’s “elusive creative genius.” But now, she has taken her tour all the way to Long Beach.

In the midst of the loudness that permeates every fiber of our being, an avenue that the western capitalist society we all live in specifically hones in on is the idea of each person having one specific niche that will ultimately change everyone and everything around us. Sounds easy, right? Gilbert despises this notion, starting her speech talking about how this mindset is “inhumane,” and “spiritually arrogant.”

Gilbert emphasizes that this causes “purpose anxiety” the concept that thinking every individual has one unique ambition causes unneeded stress in an already stressful place. She emphasizes the need to ultimately reject this ideology, and focus on being present in the moment. That is the key to life on Earth.

She gives the example of what her everyday life is like. Where when she can, Gilbert will block out time out of her busy schedule to just “be.” Most of the time, she plays a game with herself called “Most Interesting Path,” in which you are out and about, you let your mind wander, curiosity runs rampant, and then, well, find the most interesting path.

Gilbert participated in this exercise 10-15 years ago, when she was in Santa Monica. She walked out of the building she was staying in, and just kept walking, traversing wherever her imagination took her. It led her to more mundane activities, like looking through a pet shop window at a ferret. But, it also led her to what could have been her destiny.

Gilbert grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Waterbury, Connecticut. A lot of her life was, as she says, “spent holding ladders,” for a father who did, truly, whatever he wanted. So, when Gilbert was on her free-floating escapade, she witnessed something that brought her back to her childhood. Gilbert says she has a “sixth sense” for unsteady ladders, and upon turning a corner, she witnessed a man painting a storefront with none other than an unsteady ladder. Gilbert knew what she had to do. She walked over to the ladder. And held it. For 45 minutes. With the painter not knowing she was there.

Some might call this “a waste of time.” We live in a world where time is money; of the essence; etc. There is no way we can stop for 45 minutes and hold a ladder. It is all about the go, go, go. But is that not the issue at large? Are we so rushed about the future that we forget to look at what is right in front of us? Helping others in need?

Gilbert takes it even a step further, where she goes on to ponder “What if that was her entire purpose?” What if somewhere in the cosmic wilderness, the grand makers of her life decided that as this date and time, she needed to help the painter on the ladder? And everything else was just, whatever? The pressure comes off. We can all finally take a breathe.

With Gilbert, it is always about coming back to the present. Staying true to the moment, while still understanding your own emotions and beliefs. The author proliferates another example, explaining a time around three years ago, when her book was “cancelled.”

During the lockdown of 2020, Gilbert set off on writing a novel of a story she had been wanting to tell for years. Based on the real tale of a family who hid away from the world in the barren Serbian wilderness, Gilbert fictionalized this, adding her own feelings of pandemic isolation. The book was set to release in June of 2023.

But, backlash from Ukrainians under Russian siege felt that the book glamorized Russia during a time where the focus should be put on their hurt.

Gilbert was in London doing press for the tour when the deluge started, her editor asking her if she had “seen Twitter today.” “Never have anyone ask you that,” joked Gilbert. She then quickly goes onto a Zoom call with her publishing and marketing team. They are all freaking out, wondering if they should pull the release or not. So is Gilbert.

But, a moment of understanding comes through to the author, through all of her years of spiritual practices. A moment of clarity. She understands that she cannot go forward with any decisions as of right now. About her psychosomatic attack, Gilbert calmly states, “I have no access to wisdom.” So, she grounds herself in the present, and steps away for a bit.

The novelist eventually checks Twitter, a scary thought to every person, not even those undergoing a panic attack. But, the author knew exactly what to do. Gilbert took a step back, and recentered herself using her favorite mindfulness technique. She asked herself questions about her beliefs in the moment, and flipped the conversation inside of herself, on its head.

She realized that Ukrainians themselves were under attack by the forces of Russia, and that their fear and anger were coming out towards her, as a way to help themselves. An understanding, a reaching out. Gilbert knew what to do.

Gilbert steps back into the Zoom, a clear head guiding her. She understands that the book needs to be held off from release. Her team is flabbergasted, but Gilbert keeps a strong command. “The calmest person in the room has the most power,” she professes. Gilbert and her team create a statement, sent on all social media platforms. The message is simple: “I understand. Thank you for letting me know. I will work on a new book next week.”

What worked is that Gilbert is here, centering herself in the present. Being in the moment is the greatest gift in the world. Do not worry about the future, because right now will count for later on.

Elizabeth Gilbert lives and breathes the moment she is in, and now she wants to profess that to everyone else. And on one late summer night in Long Beach, a crowd in a theatre learned just what it meant to be present. And the world got a little bit quieter.

Time for Rossmoor Community Services District (RCSD) to govern

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Time for Rossmoor Community Services District (RCSD) to govern

By Sue Kaplan

RCSD Was Warned. Why Won’t It Revisit Pickleball at Rossmoor Park?

Three years after RCSD converted one tennis court into four permanent pickleball courts in a small neighborhood park, this is no longer a debate about whether pickleball belongs in Rossmoor. It is about whether RCSD is willing to acknowledge problems resulting from its decision and reconsider that decision when experience warrants it.

Residents raised concerns about cost, noise, traffic, parking, safety, overcrowding and enforcement. Since then, we have sent directors emails, photographs, videos and specific proposals. My own emails to RCSD directors have gone unanswered by the directors themselves. Repeated requests to place pickleball on the agenda for substantive public discussion have been deliberately disregarded, with the Board intentionally refusing to give the community any meaningful forum to address the issue.

Four Courts in the Space of One

Safety alone warrants reconsideration.

Four pickleball courts were squeezed into the footprint of one tennis court. I have sent RCSD photographs and videos showing spectators immediately alongside active courts and in areas players may need when pursuing balls. On at least one occasion, a baby was placed on the court beside her stroller while play continued in close proximity.

As a physician, I have repeatedly warned of the obvious injury risks. Players need room to pursue balls and decelerate, yet up to a dozen+ spectators can crowd inside the court perimeter. Those seated on walkers cannot readily evade errant balls, rackets or fast-moving players; neither can infants and small children. This overcrowded configuration creates a foreseeable safety hazard.

Three-minute public comments amount to speaking at the Board, not with it—remarks are met with silence, without acknowledgment or engagement. They are no substitute for an agendized discussion the Board has repeatedly refused to allow.

Rules Without Enforcement

General Manager Sharon Landers summarized RCSD’s enforcement philosophy in an email to me:

“The District does not have park enforcement staff or personnel assigned to monitor our parks or respond to active rule violations…. While we encourage visitors to follow those rules, the District is not staffed to provide real-time enforcement or immediate responses to reports of violations.”

That is an extraordinary position for the agency operating the park.

RCSD has repeatedly responded to problems with more rules and signs. But without meaningful enforcement, rules become suggestions. A part-time attendant 2 hours in the evening does not solve the problem during the remaining 12 hours the courts are open.

Equal Treatment Is Not Identical Treatment

Landers has also warned that if pickleball hours or operations are restricted, tennis will face comparable restrictions because the activities are treated as racket sports.  

That confuses equality with identical treatment.  

Four pickleball games can occupy the footprint of one tennis game, multiplying players, spectators and noise. Most distinctive is pickleball’s relentless, impulsive “pop-pop-pop”—often likened to a reversing vehicle’s deliberately attention-grabbing beep. The two sports create different impacts and should be addressed accordingly.

More troubling, I believe this position has silenced tennis players who were once vocal fearing retribution and has put a chill on reporting violations.  

Where Was the Due Diligence?

Noise, traffic, parking, spectator space, court density and enforcement were foreseeable.

A professional planning process should have examined objective data, alternatives and operational consequences before making a permanent conversion. Instead, RCSD pushed ahead and left problems to be addressed later.

Three years later, “later” is still happening.

There have been acoustic blankets ineffectively placed, more signs, rules and talk of ambassadors and 2-hour attendants. But the measure of responsiveness isn’t how many remedies RCSD has attempted. It is whether they worked.

The continuing problems raise the more fundamental question: Was putting four permanent pickleball courts into this particular footprint a sound decision?

RCSD now has three years of actual experience. Measure the noise. Evaluate parking and utilization. Examine safety and spectator capacity. Determine whether rules are being followed. Then present the results publicly.

There is also a fiscal question. Taxpayers deserve a transparent accounting of what this project has cost, including conversion, resurfacing, acoustic mitigation, equipment, staffing and subsequent expenditures—and whether less expensive, more flexible alternatives such as portable nets, as many communities use, were adequately considered. 

And Now an Election

These issues make the upcoming RCSD election especially relevant.

I listened closely when candidate Konya Vivanti was asked at the August Board meeting what she would do about pickleball noise and traffic. Her answer was striking because I had heard essentially the same response from her two years earlier.

When Vivanti was running for RCSD in 2024, I spoke with her personally about pickleball noise. My contemporaneous text messages document my account of that conversation: she told me that she regularly played mahjong near the courts and didn’t hear the pickleball noise, stating she heard basketball and tennis more. 

Two years later, asked publicly about noise and traffic, Vivanti again began with mahjong. She had recently been at her “normal spot near the tennis courts, not far from the pickleball,” she said, and “I didn’t hear anything.”

I find the repetition—and the response itself—astonishing.  Pickleball is not silent.

Whether one person notices pickleball while playing mahjong tells us little about what neighboring homeowners experience repeatedly in their homes and yards. Vivanti herself acknowledged that perhaps she was there at a different time and that she isn’t at the park “all day long listening.”

Exactly. If your exposure is admittedly limited, why begin an answer about residents’ noise complaints by saying you don’t hear the noise?

Vivanti then described residual noise and changing activities as “the downside of living near a park.” I found that dismissive. The question is not whether people near parks should expect ordinary park activity. It is what responsibility RCSD assumes when it introduces a substantially different use and neighboring homeowners subsequently report significant impacts.

Vivanti eventually said residents should be heard and that she would investigate what other jurisdictions are doing. Those are reasonable ideas. In my view, they should have been the beginning of her answer, not its coda.

She also raised “possible bias” in previous observations of pickleball noise while acknowledging, “I never saw the real meat of the results of that.”

If a candidate hasn’t sufficiently studied an issue, saying so is preferable to minimizing it. I would have welcomed an answer that began: I need to understand this better. I want to hear from affected residents, examine the evidence and investigate what has worked elsewhere.

Instead, two years later, I heard essentially the same mahjong anecdote. Pickleball noise is not a problem and if there is any noise, homeowners living near a park have to expect that.

Put It on the Agenda

Ultimately, this is larger than one candidate or one recreational activity. It is about governance.

RCSD was warned about many of these issues. It now has three years of experience with the results.

Put pickleball on the agenda. Present the evidence. Account for the money spent. Evaluate safety, noise, parking, enforcement and the four-court configuration itself. Listen to pickleball players, tennis players and neighboring homeowners.

If the evidence shows the configuration is working, demonstrate that publicly. If significant problems remain, be willing to change it.

None of this requires RCSD to be against pickleball.

It requires RCSD to govern.

As voters evaluate candidates for the RCSD Board, they should ask whether a candidate has already minimized or trivialized the very real impacts of pickleball on neighboring homeowners and tennis players—or more broadly to all governing issues whether that candidate is willing to examine objective data, listen to those affected and respond with empathy rather than dismissal. Rossmoor deserves directors who approach this issue with an open mind, not a predetermined conclusion.

Editor’s Note: Opinion pieces are welcomed. During the active campaign reason, anything related to elections are posted on the website.

Forest Lawn to host four Dia de los Muertos events

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Forest Lawn to host four Dia de los Muertos events

Forest Lawn will celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with in-person events at four of its locations, bringing the vibrant traditions of the Mexican holiday to Southern California. For each of the four events, marigolds, handcrafted Catrina and alebrijes (spirit guide) artworks and brightly colored community ofrendas (altars) will transform the Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks into radiant and majestic spaces for remembrance. Folklorico dance and mariachi music performances, arts & crafts, face painting, food, and refreshments will set a lively backdrop for the community to savor the holiday, light candles, place photographs and mementos on altars, and retell stories that keep the memories of generations of loved ones alive.

The free, family-friendly events will take place on Sunday, November 1, 2026, from 12:00–3:00 PM at Forest Lawn’s Covina Hills, Cypress, and Glendale locations, and on Monday, November 2, 2026, from 5:00–8:00 PM at Forest Lawn-Cathedral City.

Highlights for the Día de los Muertos celebrations include:

-Folklorico dance and mariachi music performances
-Bob Baker Marionette performances at Covina Hills, Cypress, and Glendale locations
-Community ofrendas (altars) presentations
-Handcrafted Catrina and alebrijes (spirit animal) art works
-Arts & crafts, face painting, and refreshments
-Food trucks and carts with delicious offerings
-About Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead):

Largest crowd ever attends Los Al Chamber’s 7th Annual “Heroes Luncheon”

David N. Young
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Largest crowd ever attends Los Al Chamber’s 7th Annual “Heroes Luncheon”

If they didn’t know it was an awards show, anyone passing the Rush Park Community Center last Thursday, would have wondered what in the world were so many police and fire vehicles from around the county doing parked in one place as the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce hosted its 7th Annual Heroes Luncheon.

Sparked by an idea from Chamber member Judy Klabouch, who attended Thursday’s event, the First Responder event has become a must-attend event as agencies that employ military officials, law-enforcement officials, firefighters and other first responders gathered to honor their own.

“We are so blessed to be part of a community who really continues to wrap their arms around all of those who serve so selflessly on behalf of all of us,” said Master of Ceremonies Dr. Andrew Pulver said in welcoming the crowd.

The Chamber of Commerce is pleased to once again be able to honor all these brave young men and women,” he said.
Pulver is a former Chamber Co-President and current Superintendent of the Los Alamitos Unified School District.

“We want to thank all of the chamber members who helped donate a meal,” said Pulver.

“Anyone who was coming to lunch today in uniform was going to be having their lunch covered as we were going to make sure to show our love and deep appreciation to our first responders,” he said.

State Sen. Tony Strickland said “we we can never thank these individuals enough because they are the heroes of our community.”

Quoting something he said his father told him, “It is up to every generation to leave the next generation with more opportunity than you had and I will never apologize for giving our public safety officials, our National Defense as well as our police and firefighters the tools they need to keep us safe,” said Strickland.

“There’s a lot of other people who get awards but these people are the heroes of our society,” he added.

Assembly Member Tri Ta, also attending, said although he was born in Saigon, he left Vietnam for America to find freedom.

“That’s why I understand the meaning of freedom, and public safety is the number one priority, and you all have my commitment to work together so that we have a strong commitment to make sure that our neighborhoods are going to be safe,” the Assemblyman said.

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Roldan, 79th Theater Sustainment Command
Officials said this year’s Heroes Luncheon drew one of the largest crowds ever into Rush Park in Rossmoor.

The Chamber allows each command staff at the responsive agencies to select their own “hero” for the year, and each agency sends a high-ranking official to present the awardee with the honor.

In addition, for each awardee, a large group of elected officials and representatives from local agencies await behind to present additional commendations.

For the first time since the inception of the “Heroes” Luncheon, an awardee passed away after being selected by the agency but before last week’s event.

MA1 Ray Asuega, a native of Pogo Pogo, American Samoa, was the honoree this year as selected by the command staff of the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.

Photo by David N. Young
With the photo of the late MA1 Ray Asuega on the screen, U.S. Navy officials Brandon Kinney and Austin Harvey honored his service & dedication to the Navy.

MA1 Ray Asuega was a real U.S. Navy Sailor. He served honorably for 16 years, holding the rank of Master-at-Arms First Class (E-6, an enlisted rank, not an officer). Most recently, he was assigned to the Security Department at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.

Tragically, MA1 Asuega passed away in July 2026 while on leave visiting family. His passing was heavily covered in military and local news.

“Ray could seem intimidating but was genuinely warm with strong military bearing,” said MC Austin Harvey, who said Ray was “always first to volunteer and help.”

MCS Brandon Kinney, who said he accompanied the body back to American Samoa, said the honor meant so much to the family, his wife Miriam and Ray’s entire community.

“Ray was one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met, and when we brought him home, we saw exactly where that selflessness came from,” said Kinney. “He was raised by a family, a community, and a village whose love of country and character shaped who Ray truly was,” he said.

Staff Sgt. Rachel Galbraith presented the “Hero Award” to Sgt. Isabella Suarez, 79th Sustainment Command, stationed at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos.

“All of these years she has delivered critical intelligence, enhancing command decision making, force protection, operational planning and threat analysis,” said Galbraith.

Suarez, she said, “demonstrates her commitment to excellence beyond her primary mission simultaneously. Sergeant Suarez aspires to continue serving in positions of increasing responsibility while mentoring future soldiers and intelligence professionals.”

JFTB Commander Lt. Col. Jubilee Satele, Cal National Guard presented the “Hero Award” to Sgt. First Class Pearl Jane Jardinaso.

Jardinaso, he said, is a “ready-made citizen,” whose primary duties include administrative actions and training. In addition to her primary duties, he said, Jardinaso also does additional work for the unit and installation.

“I haven’t been with the supply Sergeant for years. Supply sergeants handle all the unit’s logistics and support the installation. Last year’s inspection came in at a very low 37 percent. As long as I’ve been in uniform,” he said, “I have never had such a score.”

With Jardinaso doing extra service, this year’s annual survey inspection came around, and “I was just hoping for 60% the mid year 70% to get back out of the red,” he said. “The results of that inspection were 84.5%,” the base commander said. “Beyond my expectations,” he added.

Patrol Lt. Remigio Bembi presented his department’s “Hero Award” to Cal. Highway Patrol Officer Michael Chitjian.

“I have the privilege of recognizing a man whose career is defined by service, dedication, courage, and unwavering commitment to doing what is right,” he said of Chitjian, citing one example among many of his continued commitment.

“The relentless investigative work of Officer Chitjian identified the suspect vehicle and helped coordinate the surveillance and investigative units, and efforts followed when the suspect was located; he fled,” said Bembi.

“The suspect then intentionally rammed multiple vehicles, including a CHP patrol vehicle, but Officer Chitjian never lost sight of the mission, and the suspect was ultimately captured and arrested, without hesitation. It is what happens when skill meets determination,” said Bembi.

Rush Park Community Center in Rossmoor nearly filled to capacity for the event. Courtesy photo

Lt. Col. Rose Rivas of the 40th Infantry Division, based also at JFTB, presented their “Hero Award” to MSC Christopher E. Coleman, the service member with a ‘million-dollar smile.’

“Lt. Coleman and I have actually known him since we were going up the ranks,” she said. “He was a Sergeant at that time when

I was a Lieutenant back in 2012, and it is an honor to present him with this award today,” said Rivas.

“Today, he is the utmost professional soldier, and he is usually always at the right place at the right time and has the ability to influence others to do jobs that they don’t want to do with a smile,” she said.

“And his smile is contagious,” she said as Lt. Coleman indeed, smiled.

Lt. Coleman is currently the chief paralegal for the Judge Advocate section of the infantry division headquarters. He’s responsible for training over 30 soldiers and recently saved the life of a woman using a Heimlich maneuver at a base lunch meeting.

“As I’ve said, he’s usually at the right place at the right time,” said Lt. Col. Rivas.

Los Alamitos Police Department Chief Michael Claborn had the task of presenting his “Hero Award” to Sgt. Nestor Rodriquez, even though Rodriquez, facing health issues, could not attend.

“His nomination consistently reflected his exceptional leadership, unwavering professionalism, and deep commitment to serving both the community and his fellow officers,” said Claborn, “despite facing personal health challenges.”

“He has remained motivated, focused, and committed to serving the community and supporting his fellow officers,” the police chief said. “His professionalism, under the circumstances, speaks volumes about his career and his character,” said Claborn.

“Recently, Sergeant Rodriguez stepped up and served as the acting Detective Sergeant, taking additional responsibility with no hesitation, which demonstrates his selfless commitment,” said Claborn.
Rodriquez exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism and maintains an exceptional work ethic and steadfast dedication to his responsibilities, he added.

Jeff Sibley, Los Al Army Airfield Command, presented their “Hero Award” to JFTB top air traffic controller Mohamad Qasem, who didn’t even know he was getting an Award until he walked through the door and saw his name posted on a screen.

“We got invited, and Mohamad came in with his wife. He walked through the door and he sees his picture at the entrance and it was pretty obvious that he did not know that he had been nominated,” said Sibley.

He said Mohamad is the longest serving air traffic controller in the National Guard Bureau in this country “and it keeps us out of trouble. He knows the regulations, he knows the business and he’s been there he’s done that,” said Sibley.

“Additionally he runs the air traffic control school in our tower. The course, he said, was his startup, his syllabus, his approval, and it went all the way to the Pentagon and all the way to the National Guard Bureau to support the warfighters and the installation,” he said.

“Whatever needs to be done, he’s always able to be counted on and relied on,” said Sibley. “Our inspections are always from the mid 90s to the high 90s in our air traffic control areas. That’s keeping our airspace safe,” he noted.

Given the airspace around the JFTB tower “is the busiest airspace in the country, and Mohamad has a bead on it and keeps us safe.”

Craig Covey, Orange County Fire Authority, presented his agency’s “Hero Award” to OCFA Firefighter Apparatus Engineer Bruce Hale.

Covey said Hale has a reputation for keeping his truck (fire engine) and station in “immaculate condition. His engine is in immaculate readiness and setup when he goes on responses,” said Covey.

“It is laid out perfectly, and his pay-it-forward ethos makes a great contribution to our service,” he said, noting that Hale volunteers with the cadet program, helping to train future firefighters.

Multiple Academy valedictorians came through his pipeline, Covey said, and Hale has had a broad instructional impact, teaching aspiring firefighters to become engineers.

Covey said Hale is “the epitome of a professional engineer, someone I’m super proud to call a friend and even more honored to work with.”

Despite a rousing ovation from the crowd in relation to Covey’s role in the recent Garden Grove chemical fire, which nearly caused a major explosion, the firefighter said it was a group effort.

“I wasn’t alone,” said Covey, naming the many “unified command partners and teams, including hazmat, drone program, communications, law enforcement, public works, cities and local elected state officials, who were all involved.”

Covey said he “merely had the honor of telling the story of what the men and women did at the scene, stressing time and again that the community should recognize all of those members, asking them all to stand for a round of applause.

Capt. Matthew Timmons of the OC Sheriff’s Department presented their “Hero Award” to Deputy Rami Murillo.

“Since starting in the North Patrol Bureau, he has established himself as one of the most productive deputies on our team since January,” said Capt. Timmons. He said Murillo has handled approximately 530 calls for service including about 200 self -initiated activities.

Murillo has made approximately 70 arrests and consistently maintains one of the highest consumed time percentages in our Bureau, said Timmons.

He described a case involving a wanted individual with severe mental health and medical issues. Rami still sought out that opportunity and got that person help through our mental health resources and medical resources. Once that was all complete, he still took that person to jail.

“That’s what we encourage,” said Timmons, “to provide compassion but also ultimately hold people accountable for their crimes.”

UCI Health Los Alamitos CEO Kent Clayton presented their “Hero Award” to Ramandeep Brar, MD.

“A hero is defined by a lifetime of their compassion, leadership, and dedication,” said Clayton, “not a single act. Dr. Brar has provided nearly two decades of exceptional cardiovascular care since 2006, earning a reputation for Clinical Excellence, compassion and integrity,” the hospital CEO said.

“Dr. Brar has been a steady leader throughout the hospital’s growth and transition into UCI Health,” said Clayton, praising Dr. Brar for “being always focused on outstanding patient care.”

Beyond clinical work, she has advanced quality initiatives, mentored physicians and served in leadership roles with professionalism and humanity, the doctor said.

Clayton also thanked the Chamber and those within for “tremendous amount of work” it took to organize and facilitate the event.

SAFER plans lawsuit against Cypress for approving environmental document they say fails to mitigate risks

David N. Young
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SAFER plans lawsuit against Cypress for approving environmental document they say fails to mitigate risks

The Oakland-based law firm for SAFER (Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility) followed through with its hint to file a lawsuit challenging the Cypress City Council’s approval of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that facilitates the buildout of the entire race course site over time.

Meanwhile, Cypress residents angry over the approval process went after the city’s actions and its aging relationship with its law firm at the Council’s Sept. 22 meeting.

After much consternation and controversy, the Council ultimately voted 3-1-1 on Aug. 25 to approve a much-discussed EIR and a development agreement authorizing a plan to build nearly 1,800 single-family residences on what is now the Los Alamitos Racecourse site.

Council members David Burke, Bonnie Peat and Mayor Pro-Tem Chang voted in favor of the plan, while Council member Rachel Strong Carnahan voted no and Mayor Leo Medrano abstained.

Proponents of the development agreement said they made it effective for 15 years because they didn’t know when the development would start; an item was already on the agenda for this week’s (Sept. 22) meeting to authorize a construction project.

Given the letter the Council has received from Victoria Yundt of the law firm Lozeau Drury, LLP, it is unclear what will happen. The Council’s agenda reflects a pending closed-session discussion of the lawsuit challenging the EIR and the Race Course Development Agreement.

The petition will allege that respondents failed to proceed as required by law because the EIR failed to apply feasible mitigation measures and alternatives for the project’s significant and unavoidable air quality, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and historic impacts, according to the letter ENE obtained.

The letter claims the EIR fails to adequately disclose, analyze, and mitigate significant indoor and outdoor air quality and VMT impacts.

While the lawsuit is expected, the Lozeau Drury letter was a “Notice of Intent to File Suit under the California Environmental Quality Act regarding the Environmental Impact Report for the Los Alamitos Race Course Specific Plan 3.0 buildout project.”

Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility (SAFER) intends to file a Verified Petition for Peremptory Writ of Mandate and a complaint under CEQA against the City of Cypress, the City Council, and the real party in interest at Los Alamitos Race Course, challenging the August 25 decision.

In short, the petition will allege that respondents (City of Cypress) failed to proceed as required by law.
The Council was expected to respond in closed session during this week’s meeting, according to their published agenda.

At its most recent meeting, citizens upset about the Council’s approval of the project spoke during the Oral Communications portion.

Tom Moore, a 60-year resident and one of the most outspoken critics of the EIR and the project itself, blasted City Attorney Bill Wynder’s actions, suggesting the city’s 28-year relationship with the firm was too long.

He recounted that when Council asked Wynder what the deadline was to approve the racetrack EIR, the answer was simply “tonight,” which Moore said was delivered “defiantly, with an edge.”

“Instead of an answer, we got a dare, and it shut down debate,” said Moore. He added that half a dozen residents asked him afterward whether Wynder was on the racetrack’s side.

Moore said the city spent more than two years resisting district elections, including 18 months of litigation costing taxpayers over $1 million, yet “when residents wanted more time for an irreversible land use decision, suddenly the answer was tonight.”
Moore recalled that Aleshire & Wynder, the same firm employing former city attorney Fred Galante, told a resident in 2022 that her Facebook comment was “potentially libelous,” prompting the First Amendment Coalition to intervene and call it “intimidation, not dialog.”

“I spent a lifetime around attorneys. My father was a judge. My brother and my son are attorneys. The law is rarely explained in one word. It requires reasoning, authority, and context,” said Moore, who claims the city would have been better off changing law firms.

“This council had a chance to change law firms this past year, and the change you made was moving council meetings from Monday to Tuesday.”

Longtime attorney Fred Galante told the Council then he could not attend on Tuesdays.

Moore said he then asked the Council to issue an RFP for new legal representation, arguing 28 years of history has value, but the firm “has become a recurring source of legal exposure, wasted money, and eroded public trust.”

Moore corrected Councilwoman Peat’s implication that the town center is guaranteed by the Cypress Town Center Commons Specific Plan 3.0, saying a guarantee would have required a binding deadline or firm requirement in the development agreement.

Moore questioned whether the city’s law firm ever told the Council it could lock in a town center deadline and how.
Former Council member Frances Marquez, who opposed the EIR approval, said the Council glossed over environmental concerns and dragged an oxygen tank to the meeting to make her point.

“My father died from chemical exposure,” she said, describing how her father used it 30 minutes each morning and evening because his scarred lungs couldn’t clear phlegm on their own. The device shakes air into the lungs and shakes the body violently to dislodge it. She said it “kept him alive a year and a half longer.”

She pointed to the young families on her block “doing everything exactly right” for their kids, contrasting them with her own failed effort to save her father.

“This isn’t about politics,” she said. “Don’t think of the politics or rushing to get something done. Think about how it impacts families,” she asked.

In other action, the Council voted 3-2 to forgive interest payments for a loan of more than $30 million granted to build Arnold Cypress Park.Finance Director Stephanie Sikkema said waiving interest saves the district roughly $614,000 in this fiscal year alone and that total interest over the life of the loan is $6,381,285.45.

Sikkema said she also preferred finalizing the loan interest issue at this meeting to close out the fiscal year and stay on schedule for the city’s annual audit.

Mayor Pro Tem Chang supported relief, but was worried about the park’s future renovation and upkeep costs, including pickleball courts, lighting, utilities, drainage, and parking.

Councilmember Peat objected to the process, saying she wasn’t prepared to relitigate interest and wanted the item continued for a more robust discussion of all the original scenarios rather than “just saying let’s remove interest.”

Mayor Medrano said he originally wanted a different option without interest, and was voted down, but was still uneasy about reversing the decision and binding future councils to a multimillion-dollar waiver. Burke countered that prior councils “locked in” this council by putting the debt on the parks district in the first place.

For clarification, Burke confirmed his motion forgives interest for the entire life of the loan term, not just one year. It passed 3–2, with Medrano and Peat dissenting.

The Council also unanimously approved a proclamation to observe Hunger Action Month. The council presented a proclamation to Mark Lowry, Director of the Orange County Food Bank, recognizing September as Hunger Action Month.

Medrano cited that roughly 22% of California households (27% of households with children) are experiencing food insecurity and that one in six Orange County residents is experiencing food insecurity; in 2025, the OC Food Bank and Second Harvest provided nearly 73 million pounds of food and over 800,000 distribution visits monthly.

Carol Hart, community leader, paves path for women in Rotary

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Carol Hart, community leader, paves path for women in Rotary

By Rosalie Ha

Carol Hart has always been a civic-minded leader. She attended college at CSU Long Beach before transferring to UC Berkeley, where she earned her BA in history and political science. Shortly after, she found her passion for teaching at a junior high in Newark Unified School District.

Born and raised in South Gate, California, she taught history and government there for seven years before stepping into administrative roles at both the junior and high school levels. Six years later, she joined the Los Alamitos community and served as the Los Alamitos High School principal.

Three years into this role at LAHS, former Superintendent of Schools, Mike Miller, presented her with the opportunity to join the Los Alamitos and Seal Beach Rotary Club. Eager and thrilled at the idea, Hart became the first female member of the Los Alamitos and Seal Beach branch of the organization in the fall of 1987. From that time forward, Hart has made a lasting impact in both the Rotary organization and the community at large.

Hart noted that “when other women joined [the Seal Beach branch of the organization], they took on responsibilities to increase social events and build fellowship within the organization. Over time, responsibility for fundraising projects and Club events were being shared by both the men and women.”

After years of dedication, Hart found herself serving in roles such as board member and club president. Under her leadership, she contributed to many service projects and even created a few of her own. She played a role in developing both the “Wine and Dine” fall fundraiser and Valentine’s Day community event, once again demonstrating what it means to be a true Rotarian.
While Hart has served the Rotary community, the community has also served her.

Hart shared that “there is a sense of accomplishment in growing Club membership and in Rotary’s positive impact on the community” and through Rotary she has found many lifelong friends and is most grateful to have them in her life. “There is a common thread among Rotarians- we share the desire to serve and to leave our campsite better than when we arrived.” Hart embodies the true spirit of a Rotarian.

Today, Carol Hart continues her dedication to the city of Los Alamitos. She serves as a board member for Friends of the Library (in Rossmoor) and remains loyal to her Rotary Tuesdays where she chairs the Philanthropy Committee, helps organize events, and collaborates with nonprofits. On days when she isn’t working to enrich the community, Hart enjoys book and dinner clubs, and most importantly, spending time with her children and six grandkids.

Nearly 40 years later, Carol Hart remains loyal to this organization. Rotary truly wouldn’t be the same without Carol Hart and her love for this community, and we can’t thank her enough for the impact she has made.

Editor’s Note: The name of late Rotarian Dave Ramseyer was incorrectly listed in the print edition as Ramsey. The ENE regrets the error.

Sir Bruno Serato, Celebrity Chef of “The White House” restaurant, understands the power of pasta

David N. Young
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Sir Bruno Serato, Celebrity Chef of “The White House” restaurant, understands the power of pasta

Few in America embody the American Dream more than Chef Bruno Serato.

For nearly four decades, this internationally famous Anaheim chef has been telling his life’s story. Ok, well maybe not his entire story.

“I’ve been telling people my story for decades,” he told ENE in a recent heart-to-heart interview. “But not too many people know my full life story,” he said.

Every morning when he’s in town, Chef Bruno is in the kitchen at 5:30 a.m. to make sure the kids get a hot meal. Courtesy photo

Serato is the Executive Chef of the famed “White House Restaurant” in Anaheim, where presidents have eaten, and where a table reservation promises a culinary journey that reflects Serato’s extraordinary life.

Sir Bruno Serato, Executive Chef, owner of “The White House” in Anaheim.

Just this week, Sir Bruno Serato, often recognized nationally for his humanitarian work, received the “Angels on Earth” award from Angel Light Academy, a nonprofit founded in 1995 by Julia Wilmot and her husband, retired Brig. Gen. Richard Wilmot.
The organization recognizes “individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership and service to their communities.”

In a reflective mood, Serato said during the interview that he was born in France, where his parents had gone after the war to pick potatoes and beets, having left their home in San Bonifacio, near Verona, Italy. The family was poor and had gone hungry. Bruno said he grew up wearing hand-me-downs from the neighbors.

“I wore clothes from people across the street,” he remembers. “I ate pasta every day because it was very cheap for mom and dad, and leftover bread and milk at night was my dinner.”

“I tell people, ‘I’m lucky’. I was lucky enough to be poor, and to grow up that way,” he said. “But guess what? I had no idea we were poor, because we were happy.”

Chef Bruno filling the plates before the 4,000 meals per day head to the delivery vehicles that will deliver them to hungry children. Courtesy photo

As the awards stack up, the memories of growing up poor drive Chef Bruno even harder.

A huge banner hangs over his dining hall proclaiming “12 million meals” have been served to hungry children in the greater Southern California area.

Every morning, even before leaving on long trips to get awards, Chef Bruno is up at 5:30 a.m. and can be seen working in the kitchens to ensure the daily delivery of 4,000 meals made for hungry children.

“We serve an average of four thousand meals every day,” he says. “I’m positive I’m the only restaurateur in the country doing that, and it put me on the map around the world,” Serato said.

What truly carried him onto the world stage came in 2011, when CNN named him one of its Top 10 Heroes of the year — an honor celebrated that December on the internationally televised “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” hosted by Anderson Cooper.

Bruno truly knows “The Power of Pasta.” So much so, he used it to name his recent book.
Courtesy photo

The same year, People magazine named him a “Hometown Hero.” Overnight, a local chef’s quiet mission became a national cause.

Twelve million meals and counting. And, he said, “This is only the beginning.” Serato has started paying the first and last month’s rent to move families out of Beach Blvd. motel rooms and into apartments. He has helped 280 families so far.

“You change their lives,” he says, referring to the poorer families, “and you give dignity back to the parents.”

Serato even built a hospitality academy to teach motel teenagers a trade. It was what his mother would have wanted him to do.

To provide him with a better life, Serato’s parents arranged for him to come to America in 1980, arriving with about $200 in his pocket. He lived with his sister in Walnut, California, where the only job he could get was washing dishes.

But for Bruno, it was like hitting pay dirt. He landed a job at La Vie en Rose, a famous Italian restaurant in Brea. “The only job they could give me was dishwasher. I was the most excited guy ever, because I had a job.”

“In two days, I was a busboy, and after one year they promoted me to waiter,” he said. Bruno knew his customers like the back of his hand. He loved his customers, and they loved him back.

“I tell people even now that I know what I do in my job, and I was very good. Nothing to be proud about, just to say: I was very good, a waiter.”

So good, in fact, he had plenty of job offers. He turned them down. “I decided to stay instead. Do I care about the money? I want to be happy.”

He was promoted to maître d’ as the business flourished, and so did Bruno. His instinct- happiness over money, people over paper- would define everything that followed.

When the owners of the famous Anaheim White House Restaurant decided to sell, many in the community thought Bruno Serato would be right to carry on the tradition.

Serato remembers the first encounter with Jim Stovall, the owner of the White House, who presented Serato with an offer to become owner of the treasured institution.

“I told Jim, ‘I don’t have any money,’” said Serato, recognizing he had turned down better-paying jobs to stay happy at La Vie en Rose.

Serato at the Vatican for a blessing from the Pope.

But Stovall was not deterred.

“He (Stovall) shook my hand and said, ‘That’s real honesty. I’m going to help you.’ A week later, I was inside the restaurant.”

“You know that was the good old days, when people would sell horses and cows on a handshake? That gentleman, Jim Stovall, with no more than a handshake, gave me the restaurant,” said Serato.

Since then, the awards and accolades of the man who started as a dishwasher in America are as numerous as his good works.

In addition, his invention of “white chocolate mashed potatoes” and the dish’s rave review in The New York Times only boosted his notoriety.

“I invented white chocolate mashed potatoes by mistake,” he says with a modest smile, “but it tasted good, so we put it on the menu.”

In 2017, Serato gathered his story and included forty of his recipes in a memoir, “The Power of Pasta: A Chef’s Recipe for Life.”

Suffice it to say, his stature and his star have risen to astounding heights. His restaurant has served two American Presidents, Carter and Bush; superstars like Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Andrea Bocelli; a long list of community leaders; everyday families; and honored patrons.

The Italian immigrant is a true-believing Catholic who was knighted by the President of Italy and blessed personally by Pope Francis.

His mother, Caterina, came to America to visit her son in 2005, says Bruno, and during the visit, she asked to visit the Boys and Girls Club.

Feeding more children in the restaurant. Courtesy photo

There, she watched an eight-year-old eat a bag of potato chips and learned it would be his only dinner; the boy lived in a nearby motel, Bruno remembers.

“She turned to me and said, ‘If he doesn’t have dinner tonight, why don’t you feed him pasta?’” Bruno went back to his kitchen, cooked, and returned to feed the child.

“That was the first time, and when Caterina’s Club was born. It was the first club, first kid, first city, first location.” His now-famous Caterina’s Club was born that day in 2005 and has since served 12-million-plus meals to children.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her,” said Bruno. “Not a day. I never saw her angry with anyone. I never saw her say no to anyone.” So rarely does anyone see Bruno say no to helping.

“Ninety-nine percent of the time I say yes.”

Serato says he is so committed to helping the poor that he sometimes feels guilt for what he has accumulated. So much so that he spoke to a priest.

“I said, ‘Father, sometimes I feel guilty when I eat a filet mignon or a little caviar, knowing so many poor people are out there.’” The priest’s reply: “My friend, never feel guilty if you never forget the people who need you.”

The road hasn’t been smooth. In February 2017, a fire tore through the Anaheim White House, nearly destroying everything and threatening to end his career. At the very least, it cost him a second million-dollar mortgage.

Serato said Sophia Loren called that day because she’d seen it on the news. Heartbroken and stunned, Serato said he summoned the courage to rebuild, knowing the children needed him more than he needed to move on.
He rebuilt, reopened in 2018, then weathered COVID.

In a statement, Serato responded to this week’s latest award, the “Angels on Earth” Award, again indicating that he has not forgotten those who need him.

“I am more than honored to receive the Angels on Earth award alongside these other distinguished recipients,” said Serato, who was recognized with Eric Halvorson, Lynda Bergh Herring, Heather Krohn, Jonathan Chia and Nadia Khodadadi, as well as youth honorees King Vo and Tarun Raj.

Sir Bruno Serato receiving the “Angels on Earth” Award this past week.

“I know each of us works hard in our respective areas to be of service to our fellow community members, and our real reward comes from knowing we are making a positive difference in their lives.”

From poverty in Europe to dizzying heights in America, Sir Bruno Serato has seen it all.

After three decades of White House ownership, the restaurateur is a bit more reflective.

Chef Bruno Serator gives an award to one of the volunteers for their dedication to Caterina’s Club. Courtesy photo

“After thirty-nine years,” he said, “I’m still here, so I must be doing something right.”

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Serato’s Anaheim White House Italian Steakhouse is housed in the historic Truxaw-Gervais House, a 1909 mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The restaurant offers an extensive menu of Northern Italian cuisine, including prime-grade steaks, fresh seafood and a wide selection of pasta dishes. Its extensive wine list, attentive service and elegant setting combine to create an extraordinary dining experience.

St. Isidore plans “Day of the Dead” event in Historical Plaza for Oct. 24

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St. Isidore plans “Day of the Dead” event in Historical Plaza for Oct. 24

Please join us for a special cultural event in celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) at St Isidore Historical Plaza in Los Alamitos, CA on Saturday Oct. 24 from 2:00pm until 9pm. There will be an Altar Display Contest, Face Painting, Folkloric Dancing, dance to Live Music, and delicious food and drinks. We are seeking community partners (i.e. Individuals, Families, local businesses, Clubs, and Groups) to create altar displays to be shown during the El Día de los Muertos festival. For more information you can reach us at 562 596-9918 or you can contact us at st****************************@***il.com.

One of the most important aspects of El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is the creation of a memorial altar for the departed, known as an ofrenda. The altars are truly the heart and soul of this important cultural event. We are seeking community partners (i.e. Individuals, Families, local businesses, Clubs, and Groups) to create altar displays to be shown during the El Día de los Muertos festival. Altar displays are a great opportunity for community members and organizations to represent themselves and to celebrate their ancestors in the tradition of El Día de los Muertos.

St Isidore Historical Plaza is also seeking Vendors for this event. We welcome you to explore vendor opportunities with us. This Fiesta is an opportunity to connect with a diverse community and share in a centuries-old tradition. Vendors can showcase their products and contribute to the event’s cultural atmosphere. This event welcomes vendors such as artisans, vendors selling handmade items, clothing, and original art.

Are you interested in volunteering for this event? We have many opportunities!
For more information you can reach us at 562 596-9918 or you can contact us at st****************************@***il.com.

State Sen. Tony Strickland to speak to Cypress Chamber

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State Sen. Tony Strickland to speak to Cypress Chamber

The Cypress Chamber of Commerce will welcome California Senator Tony Strickland as our guest speaker at our October Networking Breakfast. The event will be held Tuesday, October 13th at the Residence Inn by Marriott at 4931 Katella Avenue, Cypress/Los Alamitos starting at 7:30 a.m. Senator Strickland will review some of the key legislation that was passed or considered during the past legislative session, especially bills that may have an impact on businesses. He’ll also talk about his goals and possible challenges expected in next year’s round of legislation.

Throughout his three decades of public service, Tony has had the honor of serving in both houses of the legislature, as well as Mayor and City Councilmember in Huntington Beach. In 2025, Tony Strickland was elected to Senate District 36, representing parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties. Previously, Senator Strickland served in the Assembly (1998-2004), Senate (2008-12), and as mayor and councilmember of Huntington Beach (2022-24).

Serving as Vice-Chair of the Health and Environmental Quality Committees in Sacramento, Tony continued fighting to make important changes for California. His dedication to fiscal responsibility has earned him a lifetime “A” rating from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and he remains one of the state’s top advocates for spending reform and accountability. Among the Senator’s primary issues of concern, Senator Strickland opposes high-density housing mandates and the legislature’s inaction on crime, homelessness and affordability.
Born in Fort Ord, he is a proud Whittier College alum where he earned a B.A. in Political Science and received the prestigious Nixon Scholar Award. Tony Strickland is married to Carla, a 30-year Huntington Beach resident. He has two children, “Tiny” Tony and Ruby, and two step-children, Graeme and Jameson, and a dog, Winston.

Each Chamber breakfast attendee will also have an opportunity to stand to introduce themselves and share a little about their business before the program begins.

Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online. Cost of the breakfast is $25.00. Attendees are also encouraged to bring along a door prize to promote your product or service. The program will include time for live networking, self-introductions, a breakfast buffet, as well as our guest speaker’s presentation.

The Chamber networking breakfasts, which are open to the public, are held on the second Tuesday of every month. Space at these events is limited. To assure your seat, pre-register on the chamber website: https://www.cypresschamber.org/events/details/2026-october-networking-breakfast-2793

Penguins take center stage for Aquarium First Wednesday lecture Oct. 7

David N. Young
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Penguins take center stage for Aquarium First Wednesday lecture Oct. 7

The Aquarium of the Pacific presents a fascinating evening with Penguins for its Oct. 7, First Wednesday lecture.

“Join us for an engaging evening with Dr. Pablo (Popi) Garcia Borboroglu as we explore the world of penguins. With 19 distinct species, these charismatic flightless seabirds play a large role in ecotourism, contributing billions each year to the global economy. Learn about the habitats, diets, migration patterns, breeding behaviors, and social dynamics of penguin colonies.

Discover how scientists track and study these remarkable creatures,” the Aquarium said in an invitation.

Dr. Borboroglu will also address the significant threats that penguins face, from food shortages and pollution to climate change. Today, more than half of the world’s penguin species have experienced sharp population declines, and are classified as vulnerable, threatened, or endangered. Gain insights into the conservation initiatives and regulations in place to help protect these beloved animals.

After the presentation, guests are invited to enjoy live music, crafts, cocktails and conversations in our art gallery. Beverages will be available for purchase at the event. The program will also be live-streamed and recorded for those unable to join in person.

For almost four decades, Dr. Pablo García Borboroglu—known as “Popi”—has followed penguins across the coasts of Patagonia and beyond, uncovering the challenges they face and turning science into action.

Dr. Pablo Garcia Borboroglu
Courtesy photo

As the Founder and President of the Global Penguin Society, he leads the first international effort dedicated to protecting all 19 species of penguins and the ecosystems they depend on. From helping safeguard over 32 million acres of ocean and coastal habitat to collaborating with local communities, governments, and global partners, his work has directly benefited more than 3.5 million penguins.

A research scientist with Argentina’s National Research Council, Associate Professor at the University of Washington, and Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (“IUCN”), Species Survival Commission (“SSC”) Penguin Specialist Group, he bridges science, policy, and storytelling to drive conservation impact at scale.

His journey from rescuing oil-covered penguins early in his career to shaping international conservation strategies has earned him some of the world’s highest honors, including the Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation in 2009, the Whitley Gold Award in 2010, the Segre/Whitley Fund for Nature Partnership Award in 2014, the Rolex Award for Enterprise, the Indianapolis Prize, and recognition as the 2025 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Popi studied biological sciences at the National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco, received his Ph.D. in biology from the National University of Comahue in Argentina, and was a Duke University Global Fellow in Marine Conservation in 2001.

The Aquarium of the Pacific’s First Wednesdays series focuses on animals, nature and conservation efforts. The events bring scientists, authors, and other experts into its Honda Pacific Visions Theater for an illustrated talk paired with meet and greets and cocktail/social hours with music and crafts. The programs are best suited for high school and college students, young professionals, and adults of all ages.

For more info or for tickets: https://www.aquariumofpacific.org

Cypress High School welcomes new Vice Principal

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Cypress High School welcomes new Vice Principal

By Annie Paccione

Cypress High School’s new Vice Principal Ann-Marie Bernhard is excited to be back on campus and reconnect with students and staff. Before returning to Cypress, Bernhard spent 15 years teaching math before she stepped into a different administration role that eventually led her to become an assistant principal. Even though at first she considered attending medical school to become a dermatologist or anesthesiologist, she found her passion in education.

Building trust with staff, students, and families is one of her biggest priorities. She believes that open and honest communication is the key to a strong relationship. Bernhard said, “Having open and honest communication and being transparent with what’s going on is the number one step to build that trust.” She hopes to continue communicating with the Cypress community and creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable and supported by her.

As she starts the 2026-2027 school year, Bernhard’s main goal is to learn as much as she can about Cypress and the staff. Being new on campus is her current role; she compares the experience to being a new student herself. “I feel like a new student as well,” she said. She is looking forward to new activities and being a part of them.

For Bernhard, one of the most important parts of working in education is seeing growth and change in everyone, not just the students. She enjoys watching people learn, grow, and expand while continuing to learn. Her favorite part of the job is seeing her students’ journey, especially this senior year. She formerly worked with many of them when they were seventh graders at Lexington Junior High.

As she continues to grow in her new role, she hopes to inspire her students to stay true to themselves and follow their dreams. Her advice to her students who want to become leaders is simple: “Always be yourself.” She motivates her students to keep a strong moral compass, stay focused on who they are and what they want to accomplish, and never lose sight of who they are and what they want to be.

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Cypress School District announce two new administrative positions

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Cypress School District announce two new administrative positions

The Cypress School District Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Michelle Watkins and Mrs. Megan Parsons to the district’s Educational Services leadership team.

In a statement released this week, the district announced that Ms. Michelle Watkins has joined the Cypress School District leadership team as the new Administrative Director of Educational Services after holding a variety of roles from classroom teacher to Chief Academic Officer at Westminster School District.

Michelle Watkins, Courtesy photo

Watkins has more than two decades of experience overseeing a wide range of district functions from curriculum and instruction to student services and human resources. Further, she has a proven track record of improving student achievement, building innovative programs, and supporting principals and staff. Ms. Watkins is also a Cypress resident and is excited to contribute in a new way to her local community.

In addition, the Cypress School District announced that Mrs. Megan Parsons is assuming a new role with Cypress this year as she becomes the Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction.

Parsons transitioned to this position after serving as a Teacher on Special Assignment overseeing the district’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) for the last three years.

Megan Parsons, Courtesy photo

Parsons began her career as a classroom teacher in the district and also played a vital role as Interim Principal at Landell at the start of this school year. She is a versatile team player who has a unique understanding of the district’s mission, values, and commitment to student achievement.

In her new position, Megan will continue oversight of the ELO-P program and will be taking on additional responsibilities including support of curricular adoptions, assessment, and professional development.

“We are excited to welcome both of these new leaders,” said Board President Dr. Lydia Sondhi. “Both Michelle and Megan will bring new energy, ideas, and perspective to their new roles, and we know that will translate to increased support for our staff and academic performance for students.”

Both administrators began their new leadership roles on Monday, September 14.

These appointments reflect the district’s ongoing commitment to inspiring and empowering every student, every moment, for every opportunity through exceptional instructional leadership, strong school-community partnerships, and a positive culture that supports student success,” she said.

Los Al fire-tech students form own memories of 9/11 to honor 343 firefighters

David N. Young
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Los Al fire-tech students form own memories of 9/11 to honor 343 firefighters

Early Friday morning, while family members read the names of their loved ones lost on 9/11 two thousand, five hundred miles away in New York, fire technology students at Los Alamitos High School were honoring brave firefighters with their own flag-line memorial.

On the 25th Anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, firefighting professionals from Orange County Fire Authority joined fire tech students and their instructors, gathered around the American flag at LAHS with their own heartfelt memorial.

With old-glory waving in the wind above, students, administrators, and fire professionals solemnly paid tribute to 343 men and women from various fire services who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, in service to others.

“I made sure they understood that these flags represented not just people from the past, but their families. They were husbands and wives, just normal people who answered a call before losing their lives,” said Ryan Weatherman, the fire tech instructor at the school.

The memorial included 343 small American flags, one for each firefighter who died on that tragic day, woven together into a piece of art that read “343.”

On Friday morning, it was placed at the base of the large American flagpole in front of the school’s multi-story administrative building on Cerritos Ave. in Los Alamitos.

According to Weatherman, the project proved moving and instructive, especially for students not yet born when the tragedy occurred.

“We have a fire tech program here. I’m the EMT program director for North Orange County ROP and Los Alamitos. We also teach fire technology here as the students’ elective option, and back there is a student art project for a memorial art project. It’s the number 343 with 343 American flags in it, representing all the firefighters who died on 9/11,” he said on Friday.

“It was a really cool thing for all of these students who are interested in a career in the fire service but weren’t even born and did not witness the 9/11 attack, to kind of imagine and make the sacrifice of these firefighters very real,” he said.
“It (9/11) really changed a lot in the fire service,” he said.

“I think that’s really important that the students understand that (being in the fire service) is not all just about you or being heroes and cool stuff like that,” he said. “It’s about helping your fellow person, helping anybody whenever they call, whatever the need may be.”

“So that’s really important and why we connect the students with the flags, to connect them. When we were putting them together, each flag represented a firefighter, but also their family,” said Weatherman.

Students agreed.

“We were honoring all the firefighters that gave it all at 9/11 and things they did knowing that they might not be going to be able to come home,” said student Cole Michael Hurley.“That they risked all so other people may live is a beautiful thing, and we should honor them,” he said.

Hurley also praised the fact that Los Al High has a fire tech program at all.

“To go into a class where you get to work hands-on with all the equipment is a very cool class, and I’m very happy and very lucky to have a class where I get to be what I want to do in my future,” he said. “I’m very grateful for Los Al to have that.”
Another student, Cole Romero, said, to him, working on the project brought home the bravery and generosity of service demonstrated by the firefighters.

“These men and women knew the risk; they knew what they were doing, they knew they might not come home at the end of the day, but they decided to give up the rest of their lives to save so many more who could have died in Sept. 11th,” said Romero.

“This place (LAHS) is very nourishing, and it teaches you a lot about how the fire department works and how everything goes, and it’s just very, very helpful and very promising to help our futures out,” he added

In addition to an engine company from the Orange County Fire Authority, Supt. of Schools Dr. Andrew Pulver and Principal Cara Vienna looked on as prospective firefighters joined the professionals for the 343-flag memorial.

“This project drove home the point that this job does require a lot, it connected the past with the future and made sure the students knew that you have to study and practice like your life depends on it, because one day it probably will,” said Weatherman.

La Palma PD set to begin enforcement of e-bike ordinances

David N. Young
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La Palma PD set to begin enforcement of e-bike ordinances

Like other cities in Orange County, electric bikes are apparently becoming, or have become a problem in the city of La Palma as it’s police department announced a crackdown and enforcement of their rules.

“The City of La Palma reminds residents and visitors that the City’s ordinance regulating e-bike usage and other electronic mobility devices is in effect, with active enforcement underway by the Police Department as part of an ongoing commitment to roadway and community safety,” it said in a press release on the subject.

According to the city, the La Palma City Council adopted the ordinance in September 2025, following recommendations from the Orange County Grand Jury on health and safety risks associated with the unregulated operation of e-bikes and similar electronic mobility devices.

The ordinance aims to promote the safe and responsible use of e-bikes, motorized scooters, and other similar devices.
“E-bikes have become an increasingly popular means of transportation and recreation, particularly among our youth,” said Interim Police Chief Todd Mattern in the statement.

“We want them to be able to enjoy riding e-bikes, but with that popularity comes responsibility. This ordinance provides expectations for riders and parents and is intended to promote safe, responsible riding to help prevent the kinds of accidents and injuries we have seen in nearby communities,” he added.

Meanwhile, Capt. Jesse Amend, whose job it is within the department to carry out the enforcement, said while there have been problems, the current effort results from recommendations from the Orange County Grand Jury and generally “to stay ahead of the curve.”

“This enforcement is probably more preventative,” said Capt. Jesse Amend, “because we are noticing in the city an increased use of electric bikes. We have definitely had calls related to e-bikes and traffic collisions,” he said.
However, he said the additional e-bike enforcement “is a way for us to get ahead of it before it becomes a serious problem within our community.”

Nevertheless, according to the release, as part of the City’s ongoing public education efforts, new signs have now been installed throughout La Palma, including the Edison Right-of-Way, public facilities, and other public areas, to remind riders of the new regulation.

Riders of e-bikes, motorized scooters, and similar electrical mobility devices should be aware of the following requirements:

  • No riding on sidewalks.
  • Riding is prohibited at public facilities and outside of any roadway or other paved public areas.
  • Riding is also prohibited in public athletic fields and athletic/sports courts.
  • Riders must obey traffic laws, traffic control devices, and operate with due care for pedestrians and other roadway users.
  • No riding in an unsafe manner.
  • Passengers may not be carried on a device designed for only a single user.
  • Riders under 16 may not ride tandem or carry a passenger, regardless of the device’s capacity or ability to do so.
  • Riders may not hold onto or attach themselves to a moving vehicle.
  • In no case shall an operator operate an electric mobility device at a speed greater than 28 miles per hour in any public area.

The ordinance does not apply to or otherwise restrict persons with mobility disabilities utilizing a wheelchair or other power-driven mobility device in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

City officials urge parents and riders to verify that their device legally qualifies as an e-bike.

Generally, devices that exceed legal e-bike power or speed limitations, lack fully operable pedals, or have been modified to exceed those limitations, may instead be classified as e-motorcycles or other motor vehicles. Those vehicles may require a driver’s license, registration, insurance, and other equipment and cannot simply be operated as an e-bike by a child.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has established a specialized unit to address illegal e-motorcycle use. Parents who knowingly allow their children to ride illegal e-motorcycles may be referred to the District Attorney’s Office for review and possible criminal charges.

The La Palma Police Department has focused on education and voluntary compliance as the community becomes familiar with the new ordinance. With signs now installed and ongoing community outreach, officers will enforce violations of the ordinance when observed.

Parents are encouraged to know exactly what type of device their child is riding, understand its speed and power capabilities, and ensure their child is legally permitted and properly equipped to operate it.

Additional information on the ordinance is available at lapalmaca.gov/ebikes.

D.A. charges Cypress man with torturing child and other charges

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D.A. charges Cypress man with torturing child and other charges

A 40-year-old Cypress man has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with torturing a child, sexually assaulting another child at age 14, and also abusing two other children, according to a press release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Douglas Alba, 40, of Cypress, has been charged with one felony count of torture, one felony count of child abuse and endangerment, and four felony counts of a corporal injury to a child.

He has also been charged with two felony counts of sodomy by force of a child 14 years or older, two felony counts of sexual penetration of a child 14 years old by a foreign object by force, one felony count of attempted forcible oral copulation of a child 14 years or older, and two felony counts of a lewd and lascivious act on a child 14 or 15 years old.

Alba faces a maximum sentence of 30 years to life if convicted on all charges, the District Attorney’s office said.
According to investigators for District Attorney Todd Spitzer say Alba is accused of abusing the children for nearly a year.

Authorities say the abuse was discovered only after the 10-year-old child was taken to the hospital last month with black eyes, bleeding to the brain, and bruising all over the child’s body.

Alba was arrested by the Cypress Police Department and is scheduled to be arraigned in Department C55 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. Alba is currently being held at the Theo Lacy Facility on $1 million bail.

“The scars of child abuse go far beyond the physical,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, said in a statement.

“The psychological and emotional trauma these children were forced to endure shocks the conscience. Reports of child abuse have plummeted during the pandemic as children have been kept home and away from mandatory reporters at schools and daycare,” he said.

“We as a community have an obligation to protect the innocent and report any and all suspected child abuse to the authorities. We protect our children by speaking up.”

Deputy District Attorney Mike Hernandez of the Family Protection Unit is prosecuting this case, the D.A.’s office said.

Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast” opens Sept. 22 at Segerstrom Center

David N. Young
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Some actors study their way into a role. Danny Gardner just went home, so to speak.

Long before he strapped on the flaming candlesticks eight times a week, he was the kid who wore the “Be Our Guest” cassette down to static, reciting a maître d’s patter in a living room decades before a stage ever asked him to.

Watching him now, on a Broadway stage, it’s no wonder you get the sense Lumière was never a part he landed. It was a part of a legacy he had long imagined.

Moreover, with his wife and toddler also in the production, there was perhaps never a role so meant for an actor to “feel so much at home.”

The Disney star plays the candlestick-handed Lumière in the Disney Classic “Beauty and the Beast,” which opens Sept. 22 at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa.

Beauty and the Beast, directed & choreographed by Matt West, features Alan Menken’s Academy Award®-winning score, songs by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman (including the Academy Award®-winning title song and the show-stopping “Be Our Guest”), plus songs written especially for the stage by Alan Menken and Tim Rice (including “If I Can’t Love Her” and “A Change In Me”).

Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast” opens Sept. 22 at the Segerstrom.

The production features a book by Linda Woolverton, author of the original screenplay. Stanley A. Meyer designed the sets, Ann Hould-Ward (Tony Award® winner for Beauty and the Beast) designed the costumes, and Natasha Katz designed the lighting.

Based on the 1991 Academy Award®-winning animated feature film, Beauty and the Beast premiered on Broadway in 1994 and still ranks as one of the longest-running shows in the industry’s history. Nominated for nine Tony® Awards, winning for Best Costume Design, Beauty remains one of the highest-grossing Broadway shows of all time.

The title’s visibility and success have expanded globally with productions of the stage show and the smash Oscar®-nominated 2017 live-action film, which grossed over $1B worldwide.

Gardner crosses the country with his wife Emily, who’s in the same cast, along with their young son and the family dog — a household assembled out of hotel rooms, load-in calls, and whatever city the tour happens to be standing in that week. Home, for the Gardners, isn’t a place. It’s something they carry and rebuild nightly, which is what Lumière does for every audience that files in.

“Being able to travel with a family and make memories is amazing. We went to the Grand Canyon, we went to Muir Woods, saw the redwoods,” said Gardner on mixing business with pleasure and traveling with his wife Emily and baby boy Jack.

Courtesy photo
Photo provided by Danny Gardner of wife Emily, son Jack (18-month-old) and dog Maple during a stop at the Grand Canyon on their leisurely drive along their Broadway tou

“Emily’s parents have come out, and my mom’s going to come out when we’re in Costa Mesa,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Gardner.
Back on stage, hospitality is the whole job. Lumière’s entire reason for being is to make a stranger feel welcome the moment they walk in, and that turns out to be something Gardner has been doing off-stage, too.

Long before he strapped on the flaming candlesticks and started welcoming sold-out houses to dinner eight times a week, he was the kid who wore down an old-fashioned cassette tape (now that’s a while back) with the “Be Our Guest” song on it long before any stage thought to ask him for it.

Gardner hardly discovered Lumière. He’d been rehearsing the part, unknowingly, most of his life.

“I’ve loved that song since childhood,” he said of the showstopping song “Be Our Guest.” “As a kid, I wore it out,” he remembers, singing the song at the top of his lungs, hoping somehow, someday a producer might hear him.
Obviously, it worked, and every night on the Segerstrom stage, Gardner will bring the house down with the number. Singing that song, he said, has always been a special part of his life.

“I get a feeling from the bottom of my toes,” he said, reflecting on how perfect the song and Broadway role is to him. So, when Gardner throws his arms wide and sings “Be Our Guest,” it doesn’t play as a showstopper doing its job, it plays as a man who means it.

Gardner is also known as a tap dance man. Like cassettes, most people think tap dancing is long out of favor. Yet, how does that play into the role of Lumière? By audience reaction, most apparently say quite well.

The song-and-dance man was supposed to be a vanishing act. Tap, charm, the full-body workout turns out to be a unique Broadway skillset that, ironically, people keep insisting doesn’t quite exist anymore.

Yet, there he is, Danny Gardner, who rose through the ranks in that unique tradition, singing his heart out, using candlesticks for hands and in the role of Lumière, carrying on with timekeeping precision a technique supposedly long out of date.

“I was always the kid, a middle child, who would come home from school with so much energy that I was bouncing off the walls. I started training when I was five years old. I did acrobatics at first, for one semester,” he said.

“Then, the owner of the school said, ‘we have an all-boys tap class. ‘ I started that and liked it,” said Gardner, “so I stayed with it. From there, I evolved into other dance forms like jazz and ballet.”

Gardner enrolled in Ithaca College as a musical theatre major, got a part in the production “Mame,” and thought, “ooh, this is fun.”

“I just fell in love with it, especially dancing to the “golden age of American music.” Then came Disney and dozens of other roles, and here we are.

In fact, Gardner said that instead of prohibiting the tap, production designers have adapted “Beauty and the Beast” for all the new dances, and they worked tap dancing into “Be Our Guest.”

Imagine that…a candelabra-laden actor with a voice for days, in a Broadway role that lets him tap dance and sing a showstopping number he’s practiced for most of his life. Does it get any better? Gardner thinks not.

Picture Gardner and family on stage, bringing sold-out crowds to a standstill every night on the Segerstrom stage from September 22 until Oct. 11.

He’s the keeper of the tap-dancing flame on stage, and lights it up, literally with his hands and his voice, on the brightest Broadway stage. Then, it’s back into the car with Emily, little 18-month-old Jack in the back seat and dog Maple sticking his head out of the window, and off they go, on to yet another adventure.

For Gardner, it’s more than just a day’s work. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Gardner in “Beauty and the Beast” opens Sept. 22 and runs until Oct. 11 in Costa Mesa at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

SCFTA tickets are available at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, Box Office open Monday (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) and Tuesday– Friday (12 p.m. – 5 p.m.) by phone Mon-Fri., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (714) 556-2787.

Rossmoor Woman’s Club installs new officers, board members for 2026-27

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Rossmoor Woman’s Club installs new officers, board members for 2026-27

The Rossmoor Woman’s Club mission is to give members a place to foster their talents and friendships while serving the community. Sandy Tessier, President, started off the membership year with a breakfast meeting for the general membership at The Grand on September 9. Four new members were installed (see photo) as well as the elected board members for 2026-2027 (see photo). The next membership meeting will be a luncheon at The Grand held on October 14th.

If interested in joining the club or just learning more about it, please attend our Open House on Saturday, Sept. 19th, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact su*************@***il.com or Sandy Tessier js*******@*sn.com for questions and RSVPs.

Photo by Lina Lumme
Front Row left to right: Carole Rankin – Financial Dues Secretary, Del Clark – Holiday Home Tour Chair, Peggy Krynicki – General Meeting Recording Secretary, Sue Goldberg – Garden Tour Chair, Cathy Fagen – Public Relations Officer, Heidi Kent – Board Meeting Recording Secretary, Veronica Gonzalez – Second Vice President (Programs). Back row left to right: Jennifer Lathrop-Hawkins – Third Vice President (Fundraising), Teri Estes – Corresponding Secretary, Lorena Bartlett – Treasurer, Yolanda Vargas – Hospitality, Sue Pagett – Co-Chair Hospitality, Kathy Loch, First Vice President (Dean), Bev Rigney standing in for Barb Murphy – Budget and Finance Officer, and Sandy Tessier – President. Not shown in picture: Pam Pearson and Laura Engerman, Registrar.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts celebrates 40th Anniversary

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Segerstrom Center for the Arts celebrates 40th Anniversary

Campus-wide Day of Performances and Activities for Local Families

For four decades, Segerstrom Center for the Arts has served as a gathering place for extraordinary artistry, meaningful connection, and unforgettable experiences in Orange County. On Sunday, September 13thfrom 2 – 8 pm, the Center invited members of the local community to come celebrate its 40th anniversary with a free, campus-wide celebration for one unforgettable afternoon.

From live performances and interactive activities to behind-the-scenes experiences, artmaking, music, movement, and family-friendly programming, the anniversary celebration offered guests an opportunity to explore the Center and experience the many people, artists, organizations, and communities that helped shape it over the past 40 years.

The celebration also featured special participation from the Center’s resident companies and campus partners, including Pacific Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Pacific Chorale, South Coast Repertory, and UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art. Also included were the Center’s onsite ABT William J. Gillespie School, and Studio D: Arts School for All Abilities.

2:00–6:00pm | Free Community Celebration

  • Audiences spent the afternoon exploring every corner of the Center through performances, workshops, behind-the-scenes experiences, and interactive activities presented by our resident companies and community partners.
  • Attendees could relive the excitement of opening night in Segerstrom Hall with screenings of the 1986 red carpet broadcast, A Night to Remember, courtesy of PBS SoCal; they also enjoyed performances by OCSA ensembles, explored an interactive technology lab, and watched open ballet masterclasses from ABT William J. Gillespie School.
  • They experienced the beauty of live music in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, where Pacific Symphony and Philharmonic Society youth ensembles performed alongside demonstrations of the magnificent William J. Gillespie Concert Organ by David Ball and the Christ Cathedral Organ Scholars. Families also discovered instruments firsthand through the Philharmonic Society’s Music Mobile and Instrument Petting Zoo.
  • In Samueli Theater, Studio D: Arts School for All Abilities transformed the space into a welcoming sensory-friendly environment featuring interactive activities and performances designed for guests of all abilities.
  • Outside on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza, the celebration continued with a festive kickoff by the Mater Dei High School Band, performances by Mariachi Orgullo de UCI, participatory dance lessons inspired by Tuesday Night Dance, a community recorder choir, and Pacific Chorale’s joyful Big Sing—inviting everyone to raise their voices together.
It was a day of fun for families and the new generation of Segerstrom fans. Courtesy photo

On the lower grand staircase in front of the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art families took part in a large-scale hands-on artmaking activity for all ages. They used sculpting techniques to build colorful cardboard plants and flowers to add to a collaborative growing garden installation, inspired by the history of the plaza as a former lima bean field and current exhibitions at the museum. They also headed inside of the museum for drawing activities, delicious snacks, tours of current exhibitions, and more!

Hosted by ABC Eyewitness News anchor David Ono, the evening featured special anniversary moments celebrating the Center’s legacy, presentations of proclamations and honors for the anniversary from local politicians, a high-energy performance by The M80s, and concluded with a spectacular drone show lighting up the sky above the Center.

Local Elected Officials in attendance included City of Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens, Council Member Buley, Council Member Gameros, Council Member Reynolds, City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly, Assistant City Manager Alma Reyes, Orange County Board of Supervisors, Fifth District, Supervisor, Katrina Foley, Assemblywoman, District 73, Cottie Petrie-Norris, Representative Ryan Dack for Office of Congressman David Min.

Local and Segerstrom officials attend 40th Anniversary celebration.

Celebration of life for Sharon Loveless: Her light shone bright and constant

John Underwood
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Celebration of life for Sharon Loveless: Her light shone bright and constant

In past pages of this publication and elsewhere over the years I have celebrated the lives and honored the passing of many notable people. Most had already achieved notoriety on some local or world stage. Some were thrust into the limelight by their own acts of heroism. Some acclaimed for their artistic talents, others who distinguished themselves in public service, and even local community figures for a legacies of giving of their time and treasure to a cause. But heroes come in less obvious packages too. Sometimes the heroes among us cast a small but intense light that shines only for those immediatey around them.

These unrecognized heroes are around us every day performing heroic acts for which they rarely achieve public acclaim. Such a hero was Sharon Loveless who in her 74 years on this earth, over 30 of them in the Los Alamitos community of Carrier Row, loved and was loved as a day care giver first to her own grand children and their immediate friends, and then to a growing flock of neighborhood kids who’s parents had observed Sharon with her well managed brood on their daily marches to the candy store with sometimes 6 or 7 kids in tow. It was a well beaten path the whole neighborhood came out to greet and often stopped to chat with Sharon who became know as the “Mema” of Midway Drive.

But the life of this quiet hero extended far beyond her affinity for children and the adoration she earned from them. This universal attraction to her by generations of children had previously served her well as a counselor in field of detention ministry. Even as a degenerative spinal condition began to erode her career of 20 years in the dental field she sought other ways of serving, offering her loving touch as a volunteer counselor with the Religious Sisters of Charity, an order of Catholic nuns conducting one of the most difficult ministries of teaching bible studies to minors detained at the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey. She served in this role alongside the sisters for almost a decade.

As her spinal condition worsened, restricting even her ability to drive a car, Sharon was determined to seek medical solutions that would keep her vital and able to serve others. She participated in an experimental pain management trial at one of UCI’s university based medical clinics in a new program utilizing Methadone in measured dosages to control pain. This ground breaking pain management study was successful enough to afford her a new lease on life. She poured her newfound energy into advocacy for the mysterious malady of the 1980s called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which traditional medicine was denying as real, but which she as one of millions who suffered in relentless chronic pain know, is as real as it is debilitating.

Courtesy Photo
John Underwood and his wife Sharon enjoy a quiet moment on the dance floor during a community fundraiser. Sharon was a hero for many reasons.

Not willing to just sit back and let others carry the burden of proof to the medical boards and the insurance companies, Sharon accepted an offer to joined a contingency of UC doctors and scientists going to Washington D.C. testifying before Congress as to the validity of this syndrome and the need for treatment of chronic pain’s long term affects on the body, with Sharon offering her lived experience testimony of this crippling syndrome, and how she overcame it.

Ultimately their lobbying efforts were able to establish recognition of CFIDS as a chronic pain aggravated auto immune disorder, diagnosable, treatable and insurable under present day disease codes thanks to the compassionate physicians who championed the diagnosis and the fearless testimony of outspoken sufferers like Sharon who showed that quality of life could be restored with sustained pain management medication.

But Sharon’s quality of life would be placed in jeopardy and her very life challenged once again when in 2009 she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and told only surgical intervention could save her. And again, only UCI and its Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center and its thoracic team of surgeons and followup specialists were equipped to address such an invasive procedure that would require almost all of her esophageal canal to be removed and replaced by the stomach itself, pulled up and attached to the remaining esophagus.

The procedure ( known as a gastric pull-through) would utilize a new form of laproscopic or robotic arm assisted surgery, and again Sharon was fearless in embracing the technology and the promise of yet another lease on life. The seven hour surgery and post-op made for a brutal and slow recovery, but the procedure itself was so successful that no further chemo or radiation were required. This come-back kid was back!

In subsequent years Sharon would need to return to the operating table for even newer and ever evolving adjustments to the new gastric replacement canal (the stomach pulled up) devised and modified by UCI’s Digestive Disease Center head Dr. Kenneth Chang, who told Sharon on many occasions that she is their “star patient” and valued participant in these essentially experimental procedures they were exploring in the field of post-esophagectomy care, outliving the average survival rate of most patients by decades.

As was Sharon’s impusle in all things, she began reaching out to others struggling with esophagectomy recovery, sharing unflinchingly her own post-op limitations and adjustments to such a radical surgical intervention. “My plumbing has no instruction manual,” she used to tell others in the support groups she frequented. “They are writing the manual as we go.” In all the years of her post-op struggles to adjust she was a treasure trove of tips and techniques to others in various support chatrooms on how to live without an esophagus. And occasionally to laugh about it. That’s just who she was.

I should know. I was her husband for 33 years. And childhood sweethearts years before that. Even then I called her “sunshine” because she brought her beautiful smile and a positive vibe into every room she entered even as a young girl which drew me and others immediatey to her. And she brought the irrepressible optimism behind that smile to every challenge life tossed at her.

That is the definition of a hero to me. Not an easy thing to pull off when life is serving up liberal doses of chronic pain, auto immune disease, and cancer. But that’s what heroes do. They take a bad situation and make the best of it. I am deeply grateful to have shared the best of Sharon, and all the rest of her challenged life. Her simple attitude of optimism was my North star that always led me back home to her smiling face, even in the midst of her suffering. I also know the world, and our increasing medical knowledge of it, is a better place for her courage to embrace its cutting edge and sometimes experimental breakthroughs.

But every a hero’s journey must come to an end sometime. That end came for Sharon on September 3, 2026 with a short and sudden pulmonary embolism that crashed her already compromised heart. A heart that gave and gave until it had no more to give. Still, even in death, Sharon is giving back to others in the form of her long established participation in the UCI Willed Body Program originally urged by her UCI surgeon Dr. Ninh Nguyen who says he is anxious to assess “what we obviously got right with patient Sharon.”

He will no doubt assess and learn from Sharon’s final act of giving over her body to research. He will note his technical handiwork that kept her alive for almost two decades after her surgery. But he will have no way to measure the most important factor in Sharon’s longevity, the value of a hero’s heart, that love for life that gave her the courage to look into the face of death, time and again, and smile.

My Sharon must be smiling now, pain free at last and probably already with one foot in heaven, no doubt. I’m just hoping she is looking back right now and holding the gates open for me with her other foot because she probably knows that’s the only way I will make it up there to be with her once again. That’s what a hero does.
Sharon Loveless
June 25, 1951-September3, 2026

Los Al Recreation stages “Senior Expo”

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Los Al Recreation stages “Senior Expo”

The City of Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department hosted the annual MemorialCare Elevate Encore Senior Expo on Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The free event was held at the Los Alamitos Community Center and was coordinated by the Department’s Community Resources Supervisor, Tara Farajian, with assistance from Assistant Recreation Supervisor Gilberto Arteaga-Ceja.

Approximately 39 vendors attended, filling the halls and rooms, including the lobby, topping last year’s 35. A total of 10 sponsors supported the event including Title Sponsor MemorialCare, Presenting Sponsors Syrentis Clinical Research and The Rainbow Cone in Cypress, Gold Sponsor Living Well Home Care, and Community Sponsors Hearing Services West, Home Instead, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Aetna, and Five Star Bath Solutions.

This marked the fourth anniversary of the resource fair. Doors opened a little earlier this year to allow guests to escape the heatwave, but despite the weather, staff welcomed approximately 300 older adults seeking resources and opportunities to connect with others. Resources ranged from financial security information through the Securities and Exchange Commission to caregiving, transportation, mental health, technology, insurance, leisure services and clubs, volunteer opportunities, nutrition, and more.

Over half of the available vendors were local nonprofit, county, or federal organizations. A light complimentary breakfast was also offered, featuring coffee, pastries, sandwiches, cookies, and fruit. The first 150 lucky visitors received a free insulated lunch tote. Expo Bingo also returned, taking participants from table to table, where vendors stamped their cards with colorful daubers. Once completed, the cards could be turned in at the check-in table for a giveaway ticket. Over 15 gift baskets and gift cards were distributed to the winners.

The resource fair remains a vital source of trusted information for the local community, consistently expanding in scope and reach. It serves as a valuable platform for connecting residents with essential resources and encouraging ongoing engagement. For more information about upcoming events and programs, please visit www.cityoflosalamitos.org/recreation or contact the Recreation and Community Services Department at (562) 430 – 1073.

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