Gov. Newsom’s mostly boring interview with Hannity

• June 17, 2023

I watched Gov. Gavin Newsom’s interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Monday so you didn’t have to.

It wasn’t really worth it — and I only watched because a cruel editor spiked my original column idea and made me watch this instead.

The interview broke no new ground and was what I would have expected: Lots of posturing and many half truths. Kudos to Newsom for going on Fox News, which he often attacks, for the first time since 2010. But here’s a dirty secret: It’s not really that big of a deal.

Primetime hits on any cable news channel are always challenging, and an hour leaves plenty of time to misspeak or go blank, so it requires a lot of preparation.

Newsom was prepared.

But at the same time, it’s often easier to venture into unfriendly terrain because all you’re looking for are sound bites and conflict. Just argue, dodge and object — Newsom excelled at all three.

It would be substantially harder for Newsom to sit down with California media and answer detailed questions from people who intimately know what’s happening in the state and who would bring up prior false or misleading statements in subsequent interviews.

In other words, Newsom going on Hannity is not nearly as admirable or challenging as if Newsom sat down with the Southern California News Group editorial board, for example, or had regular press briefings with the Sacramento press corps.

Of course, Newsom doesn’t have to look too hard for media allies in California.

Here’s the reaction of Newsom’s interview from John Diaz, former editorial page editor of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Indeed, @GavinNewsom was prepared to roll Hannity’s tired talking points with a rapid-fire succession of facts. Gavin at his absolute best. Great for @FoxNews viewers to see this reality check.”

Such hard-hitting coverage!

While Hannity offered his opinion and was deliberately provocative at times, like insisting on using the term “illegal aliens,” his questions were pretty fair, and Fox News viewers, despite whatever Diaz believed happened, were given no reality check.

California has significant challenges that the Democrats in charge, especially Newsom, can’t seem to fix. That’s not a right-wing conspiracy. Throwing money at problems does not seem to be working.

California struggles with literacy, K-12 education, crime, poverty, cost of living, homelessness, housing, water and energy and nothing seems to be getting better.

While Newsom did have answers for questions on some of these topics and others, the answers were insufficient in light of the results and often lacked very important context.

For example: Newsom told Hannity he cut homelessness in San Francisco as mayor by a third. This is a far cry from his promise to end homelessness in the city within a decade, but, as Newsom argued, at least he tried.

Except that’s not really what happened. As PolitiFact wrote in 2018 when Newsom was using a similar talking point (claiming a 40% reduction back then), much of his progress came from bussing thousands of people out of town. And as is painfully obvious, San Francisco’s homelessness problem is as bad as ever.

Related Articles

Newsom also ignored key context when he applauded President Joe Biden for creating more jobs than the past three Republican presidents combined.

Big if true! Except it’s not, really. Though Biden has enjoyed a solid run of jobs numbers during his term, the vast majority of jobs created were COVID-recovery jobs that came once government stopped keeping businesses shuttered.

On California’s economy, Newsom sidestepped questions about high taxes and cost of living by highlighting things like California’s abundant “venture capital,” which of course means nothing to the millions of Californians living in poverty.

As for his fearlessness, Newsom dodged both easy and hard questions. What grade does he give Biden’s presidency? Wouldn’t say. Nor would he say whether he supported his own committee’s recommendation of giving $1.2 million each to qualifying individuals for reparations.

I could go on, but that’s the gist of it.

It was typical Newsom.

Follow Matt on Twitter @FlemingWords

​ Orange County Register 

CalOptima Health wants to create a facility to better serve OC’s unhoused, aging population

• June 17, 2023

CalOptima Health, the provider of publicly funded health coverage in Orange County, is investing about $49 million to create the Community Living Center of Tustin, with the purpose of addressing challenges faced by the one of the county’s most vulnerable populations, those experiencing homelessness and aging.

From 2017 to 2021, the number of people 55 and older who accessed homeless-related services in Orange County increased by about 89%, according to the state’s Homeless Data Integration System. They are part of a growing “silver tsunami” of older adults who are falling into homelessness for the first time after the age of 50.

CalOptima is in the process of converting this building on Yorba Street in Tustin, CA to a senior facility for those 50 years old and older. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

“A lot of it has to do with the financial crisis of 2008. The early baby boomers, they have good jobs and pensions and things of that nature, but the baby boomers toward the end of that generation oftentimes had lower paying jobs with no pensions … they were much more fragile financially,” said Kelly Bruno-Nelson, CalOptima’s executive director of Medi-Cal/CalAIM, adding that when the housing crisis hit, a lot of these people were pushed into the ballooning rental market. “So, they were one spouse dying or one job loss away from homelessness.”

Some who are struggling with homelessness use walkers or are in wheelchairs or are experiencing cognitive issues.  They may need assistance with bathing or other daily needs. Because of that, Bruno-Nelson said there’s difficulty in figuring out where they can go.

“They can’t go to a shelter because shelters oftentimes have bunk beds, services are very far away. These individuals are in wheelchairs, but the hallways aren’t wide enough. They’re incontinent so they can’t wait to get to the restroom. There is no nursing. They can’t maneuver in a traditional shelter,” Bruno-Nelson said. “Recuperative care is for a short period of time and is also unlicensed. Because of that, they can’t help with bathing or with dressing. They can’t administer medications. So it’s really not much better.”

These shortcomings leave this population with two options: go to a nursing home prematurely, if an option, or live on the street. CalOptima wants to build a facility where the unhoused, aging group can find all the services they need under one roof.

The Community Living Center of Tustin will overhaul an existing building on Yorba Avenue to a combine recuperative care and the services of the already existing Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, also known as PACE.

All guests will be allowed to stay until they find stable, permanent housing, the agency said. CalOptima Health anticipates the average length of stay will be one year. Most guests will be exiting recuperative care facilities or hospitals. The center will not provide housing to individuals who do not need medical assistance or rehabilitation services.

The only individuals who will be eligible for the facility are adults 55 years or older who are unhoused and meet the medical criteria. The only way for an unhoused senior resident to get a bed in the center will be through a direct referral from a hospital, Tustin law enforcement or a shelter within the city of Tustin.

Overall, the recuperative care center will take care of 119 unhoused older adults working toward a permanent housing placement. The PACE center is expected to serve up to 500 individuals from both the surrounding community and the recuperative care center.

Each semi-private room will have its own bathroom and shower. The building will be divided into five “pods,” roughly 25 beds in each, that will be staffed with its own social worker and nurse, as well as a guest safety associate stationed 24 hours a day. Each pod will also have its own living room and space for socializing.

The facility will include an indoor gym, store, beauty salon and cyber café. PACE services include routine physicals, outpatient surgical and mental services, rehabilitation therapy and transportation services. The recuperative care program will provide additional services such as medication management, three meals a day, support in accessing benefits and interim housing until permanent housing is secured.

“The shelter system is not built for this population, it’s built for economy of scale. It’s built to serve as many folks as possible. It’s meant to serve a younger, more physically agile group of individuals,” Bruno-Nelson said, adding that this facility will be designed to serve the older residents in ways traditional shelters are not.

Bruno-Nelson said CalOptima is working with the city of Tustin now to get through the Planning Commission and have the project approved.

​ Orange County Register 

Rising tide of new surfers adds diversity to ocean

• June 17, 2023

Justin “Brick” Howze has a saying: “You can’t be it, if you can’t see it.”

“Just seeing Black people at the beach, surfing on waves, encourages others to enjoy the ocean,” Howze said.

The majority of surfers in the United States are white males, but a recently released study that tracks the sport’s participation highlights a cultural shift in the sea, with statistics showing more Black and Hispanic surfers taking up wave riding in recent years.

For Howze, who for the past year has hosted “Beach Bounce” gatherings for the Black community at Dockweiler Beach, there’s a needed change in a public place meant to be for all to enjoy.

“They don’t realize they are part of a social justice movement,” he said of the beach partygoers who show up to the gatherings, with another planned for Sunday, June 18. “They are just out there having a blast.”

Turning negative to positive

Howze calls himself an “unapologetic pandemic surfer,” who like many others, picked up the sport in pursuit of an outdoor pastime.

The Long Beach native, who also spent his younger years in North Carolina, was always drawn to alternative sports like BMX and hockey.

When he moved back to the Los Angeles area to pursuit a career as a music maker and DJ, he knew nothing about surfing, just that he was drawn to it. He didn’t take lessons, simply got a board from a friend and watched an online video on his way to the beach for his first surf session.

Just as he was getting the hang of it and learning the rules of the waves, he “dropped in” on another surfer, the faux pas of paddling into a wave someone already is riding, irking the more experienced wave rider.

That’s when another older surfer in the water butted into the exchange, calling Howze a derogatory, racially-charged word, shouting it out over and over again.

It wasn’t the man’s verbal attack that was bothersome, it’s something Howze said he has learned to shrug off over the years. But more concerning and perplexing was why no one in the water came to his defense.

“Nobody did anything about it. That was the thing that showed me nobody cared,” Howze said. “There’s no protection in this space, there’s no community in this space, at least for someone who looks like me.”

Howze has a social media following and recounted the incident online with his friend who was also in the water. News articles were written about the altercation, putting a spotlight on not just the incident, but the lack of Black community in the surfing world.

Howze started hosting beach gatherings under the name Ebony Beach Club, a nod to a Black beach club in 1957 that never got off the ground because of government interference.

The first Beach Bounce, which offered free surf lessons, drew 150 people last April, then doubled that number at the next gathering. The August gathering drew 2,000 and by September, 5,000 mostly people of color showed up, he said.

“This is what was needed, this is what was missing,” said Howze. “All these people are getting over their fear of the ocean and being able to do it together.”

Not all the Black beach partygoers want to learn to surf, Howze said. “But everyone knows they can now.”

A changing surf industry

Head to any popular Southern California surf break and you’ll instantly know that the sport of surfing is surging by the number of bodies bobbing on surfboards, waiting for waves.

The recently published study by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, or SFIA, dug into surfing’s participation and demographics. The report is aimed at giving surf leaders and businesses insight into industry trends, but also offers a glimpse into the evolving cultural changes within the sport.

While modern-day surfing in the United States is a mostly white, affluent male activity, a growing number of Black and Hispanic surfers are adopting the board sport, according to ActionWatch, which compiles the data for the report.

In 2022, there were an estimated 3.7 million surfers, a number that grew from 2.9 million just three years earlier.

While the sport of surfing grew as a whole about 6% in recent years, Black surfers make up the largest group for percentage growth – a 120% increase in the past five years, said Eric Stanton, senior director for ActionWatch, the company that compiled the stats for the SFIA study.

“The growth has been pretty significant,” he said. “It happened across all ethnicities, but some have a more interesting growth than others.”

In 2022, Black surfers made up the third largest group in the water, with 423,000 surfers, compared to 218,000 surfers in 2019, doubling in participants.

Hispanics make up the second largest group with 686,7099 participants, up from 545,000 in 2019.

Asians and Pacific Islanders make up the smallest group, with 281,000 participants in 2022, up slightly from 252,000 in 2019.

From the surf business perspective, the question is how to keep those new customers engaged with surfing, to feel welcome enough to stick around.

Several surf brands have done collaborations with groups dedicated to diversifying the line up, said Vipe Desai, president of the Surf Industry Members Association. Hurley a few years ago teamed with Black Girls Surf, while Vans last year partnered with Textured Waves, another group dedicated to growing the number of women surfers of color.

“It’s one thing to have models, but it’s another to actually partner resources that promote growth with different ethnic groups,” Desai said. “All these things make a difference.”

The Surfrider Foundation last year launched the campaign “The Beach Belongs to Everyone,” a message of inclusion for all who want to enjoy the sea.

“It will take other efforts on a continual, consistent basis to show the sport of surfing is open and welcome to diversity,” said Desai.  “I think this is a good start, but there’s much more that needs to happen as well.”

Other factors that have helped introduce surfing outside of affluent coastal communities include its Olympic debut in 2021 and wave pools popping up inland so even those living far away from the coast can learn to surf, Desai said.

Related Articles

Brands and businesses should be open to the new wave of surfers as a way to evolve the sport and industry, he said. “Let people in and let them do what they want to do with surfing and how they want to build it into their vibe and character.”

While overall surfing participation numbers have increased, the number of core surfers – the ones who went out more than eight times in a year – took a dip in recent years. So if businesses want to succeed, they need to think about the people testing out surfing and figure out how convert them into loyal surfers, he said.

“That’s where new people are going to come from,” he said. “the new diverse community of people will drive surfing’s next phase of growth.”

Howze hopes his efforts reverberates not just in the Black community, he said, but shows other groups such as the LBGTQ or Asian surf clubs that the ocean is welcoming for all.

“I want everyone to feel comfortable in each other’s spaces,” he said. “That’s when we start to see change.”

​ Orange County Register 

Curt Miller believes Sparks are ‘ahead of schedule’ 10 games into season

• June 17, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Sparks coach Curt Miller has nothing but great things to say about his former Connecticut Sun team, which he guided to the WNBA Finals last season.

“I think (Connecticut) is the odds-on favorite to win it. I don’t care (if) I say that. I think Connecticut is loaded and so we know what’s coming through the door,” Miller said ahead of the Sparks’ Sunday game against the Sun.

However, Miller is equally impressed by the way his team has responded to adversity after playing 25% of the 40-game regular season. If the season ended today, the Sparks (5-5) would be a playoff team, something that hasn’t happened in Los Angeles since 2020.

“A quarter into the season, with the amount of adversity that we’ve had, the two season-ending injuries (Steph Talbot, ACL) and Katie Lou Samuelson (pregnancy) before we even started the season, and then everything that’s happened,” Miller said. “We have the most games missed by any team in the league and we’ve been in nine of our 10 games and are .500. If the season ended today, we’re a playoff team, which they haven’t been recently, so I think it’s a remarkable first quarter for us. I’m so proud of where they’ve put themselves. If we can get healthy again, let’s see what happens but I think we’re ahead of schedule and I think we’ve really performed well.”

Los Angeles Sparks head coach Curt Miller shares his assessment of his team after 10 games into the 2023 WNBA season. The Sparks are 5-5 overall and would be a playoff team if the season ended today. #WNBA #WNBATwitter pic.twitter.com/lEuth6Pqd8

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 17, 2023

Sparks point guard Jordin Canada finished with a regular-season career-high 22 points in the team’s 77-72 home loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night.

The Sparks will host Connecticut (8-3) on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. It’s the second game of a five-game homestand and the third in a stretch of six games in a 12-day span. Connecticut is led by a trio of talented forwards – Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner – who are averaging a combined 48.5 points and 23 rebounds per game.

“We have to lock in and move on, understand that obviously there are some things that we could work on,” Canada said. “We’re going to see (Minnesota) again (on Tuesday), but the schedule is crazy playing every other day. You just have to move forward, basketball is ups and downs. You’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some, but it’s all about how you respond. We have an opportunity on Sunday to come back harder and respond.”

“There’s no time to sulk and be down about this game,” added Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, who nearly had a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds against the Lynx. “The WNBA keeps going.”

Sparks starters Jordin Canada and Dearica Hamby on moving forward after Friday’s 77-72 loss at home against the Minnesota Lynx and getting ready for Sunday’s home game against the Connecticut Sun. pic.twitter.com/lPvdbOq1gU

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 17, 2023

COOKE STARTS FOR BROWN

Sparks starting shooting guard Lexie Brown, who is averaging 13.3 points per game and shooting 42% from 3-point range, missed Friday’s loss to the Lynx with a non-COVID illness. Rookie guard Zia Cooke, the 10th overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, made the first start of her career in Brown’s place.

Cooke finished with five points in 25 minutes and left the arena with some defensive pointers from Sparks legend Lisa Leslie.

“It felt good to be able to start for the first time,” Cooke said. “(Lisa Leslie) was giving me the best pointers, defensively telling me what I need to improve on, telling me everything I need to know and it made me feel good because it shows that she’s watching me out there. She’s not just here watching the game, but she’s actually paying attention to what I’m doing and giving me real feedback for me personally so I appreciate that.”

Ten games into her rookie season, Cooke said constructive feedback is paramount to her development.

“I know I don’t have it figured out and I like to get information. I like to be a sponge to the game,” she said. “This system is very hard to adjust to so it’s easier for me when I have people around me that are going to tell me the right things to do.”

Sparks rookie guard Zia Cooke on her first career start in the WNBA and what Sparks legend Lisa Leslie told her after the game. #WNBA pic.twitter.com/BIZp9gnpCd

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 17, 2023

LINEUP ADJUSTMENT

Layshia Clarendon, who started six games at small forward this season, suffered a partial tear of the right plantar fascia in the June 9 victory over Chicago. Clarendon is currently in a walking boot and will be out for approximately 4-6 weeks.

In Claredon’s absence, the Sparks have turned to a starting frontcourt that includes 6-foot-6 Azurá Stevens at small forward, 6-2 Nneka Ogwumike at power forward and the 6-3 Hamby at center.

I’m breaking down the Los Angeles Sparks 77-72 loss at home to the Minnesota Lynx and Jordin Canada’s new career-high of 22 points but more importantly it’s time to assess the Sparks after 10 games into the season. What’s your take on the 5-5 LA Sparks? #WNBA #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/qZmiqM1Gir

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 17, 2023

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

What you should know about indicator plants in your garden

• June 17, 2023

Just the other day, at the base of the trunk of my neighbor’s eucalyptus tree, I spotted a laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) seedling that had only recently sprouted. I have frequently seen volunteer seedlings of Mexican fan palm, Shamel ash, mulberry, Brazilian pepper, and fig trees in my neighborhood, but never a laurel sumac. 

Such seedlings, known as volunteers, generally sprout from seeds that have been consumed and then passed through the gut of birds or other animals before being excreted. The stomach acid of these animals assists in dissolving some of a seed’s protective covering, known as the seed coat, creating an aperture wide enough to allow a radicle or baby root from the plant’s embryo to poke through, followed by the emergence of the first leaf, after the excreted seed has been hydrated as the result or rain or irrigation. It’s also possible, of course, that a volunteer seedling results when the wind blows a seed from a nearby tree into the garden.

Years ago, I learned that laurel sumac, a California native, is an indicator plant where avocado trees are concerned. In other words, wherever you see laurel sumac growing, you can plant avocado trees with confidence that they will thrive in that environment. Since laurel sumac is frost sensitive, you can assume that frost is not an issue where it grows, an important factor in deciding where to plant avocado trees, since they are frost sensitive, too. Early growers of orange trees in Southern California would also select sites for planting orange trees, which are also frost sensitive, based on laurel sumac’s presence. You can view laurel sumac growing all along Sepulveda Boulevard between Sherman Oaks and West Los Angeles.

Interestingly enough, laurel sumac, like avocado trees, grows especially well on slopes. There are two reasons for this. First, both plants require excellent soil drainage. Avocado trees are plagued by Phytophthora root rot where soil drainage is impaired which explains why large acreages of them, whether in Santa Paula or in Temecula and Fallbrook, are grown on steep slopes. Second, even in areas with occasional frosts, planting on slopes is still an option where frost-sensitive plants are concerned since frost, like water, rolls downhill and settles there.  After a frosty night, plants at the base of a slope may show cold damage while plants growing upon that same slope remain healthy. Even in a garden, following a freeze, plants in low spots may display frostbitten, blackened leaves while plants only a foot or two away, but at a slightly higher elevation, may be fine. 

Indicator plants serve a variety of purposes. Dandelions and spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata) thrive in compacted soil so where you see them you know that soil improvement is necessary, while wild mustard grows in sandy soil and is an indicator of a good area for planting California natives. Clover (Trifolium repens) is a sign of a nitrogen deficient soil (or lawn) while two weed species – chickweed (Stellaria media) and lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album) – indicate a soil that is nitrogen-rich.

Through trial and error, we can identify our own indicator plants as far as watering is concerned. Especially now that hot weather is just around the corner, we want to minimize irrigation frequency so that our plants acclimate to our soil as it becomes increasingly dry. The longer we can go without watering, the deeper the roots of our plants will grow. I have a variety of flowering annuals and perennials in a bed that receives half-day sun; slightly wilted petunias guide me as to when watering is necessary.  

When flowers on apple trees drop off it’s time to plant corn and we are rapidly approaching the deadline for planting it unless we are willing to accept unsightly gray smut fungus bulging out of our ripening ears. When jacarandas are in full bloom, as they are now, it is a sign that spring is ending and summer has arrived. all the more reason to make sure mulch is in place before the assault of sizzling heat.

“Tough Plants for Tough Places: Invincible Plants for Every Situation” (Firefly Books, 2023), by Sharon Amos, provides us with the security of knowing which plants we can rely upon to grow, regardless of sun or shade exposure, soil type, or climate conditions. One of my favorite plants is sea holly (Eryngium bourgatii) and I was delighted to learn that it thrives in extreme conditions of drought, high wind, and sun-baked soil. This species is a study in purple flowers, purple thorns, and purple stems, growing two feet tall and two feet wide. 

This book was my portal to the discovery of ivy leaf or hardy cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium), a tough ground cover suitable not only for dry shade and every type of soil, but for the coldest winters you can imagine, including those in North Dakota. Of Mediterranean origin, all cyclamen species are spring and summer dormant, with flowers and foliage appearing in late summer or fall. In the manner of the familiar cyclamen planted for winter color, hardy cyclamen’s soil must be kept dry during its dormancy period to protect its tubers from rotting. However, in the case of hardy cyclamen, if you can keep it alive you will be rewarded with new plants sprouting from its seeds.

Select from 12 hardy cyclamen varieties, including one with silver leaves, at plantdelights.com, an online nursery that delivers a cornucopia of uncommon plants to your door. Incidentally, cyclamen is derived from “kuklos,” the Greek word for circle and refers either to the shape of the plant’s tubers or to the earthward, circular movement of its flower stems once petals have wilted. Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is another extremely tough species. It thrives in any well-drained soil and is unrivaled in the quantity of lavender blue flowers that it displays and in its status as an insect-attracting pollinator plant. Maintenance is easy; just cut it down to the ground when it finishes flowering in the fall.

California native of the week: Laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) is an evergreen that exhibits vigorous growth throughout the year. After a wildfire, it is the first plant to recover as it sends up new shoots from the remains of its woody base. Laurel sumac is a robust shrub that reaches a height and girth of 20 feet. It makes an outstanding informal hedge. New foliage is strikingly red in color before it turns dark green, but stems, leaf edges and leaf veins remain red. Laurel sumac is sometimes referred to as taco plant because its leaves curve upward from the center like taco shells. This tendency of its leaves to fold up is shared by sugar bush (Rhus ovata), a botanical cousin, and is a strategy employed to prevent water loss. Some people experience an allergic reaction to this plant. While not as notoriously dermatitic as poison oak – a California native in the same plant family – contact with laurel sumac may create a skin rash on some people. Laurel sumac foliage is famous for its fragrance, which has been likened to that of both citrus and apples.

Do you have any plants you use as indicators for performing garden tasks or evaluating soil conditions? If so, please let me know about them. Your questions, comments, and photos are always welcome and should be sent to joshua@perfectplants.com.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Law enforcement veteran appointed to Laguna Niguel City Council to fill vacancy

• June 17, 2023

Gene Johns, a 31-year law enforcement veteran, is the latest appointment to fill a vacant seat on the Laguna Niguel City Council.

Johns, 63, who said he is focused on preserving public safety, fiscal health and a pro-local business climate, replaces former Councilmember Sandy Rains, who resigned on May 10. 

The City Council received applications from 20 interested residents for serving out the remainder of Rains’ term, choosing Johns during a special meeting on June 14. He will be sworn in on June 20.

Mayor Kelly Jennings said Johns’ “extensive law enforcement background and dedication to protecting communities is both admirable andinvaluable, aligning perfectly with our city’s core value of prioritizing public safety.

“As we move forward, the entire City Council is committed to working together in a positive, respectful, and constructive manner that focuses on the well-being and high quality of life that our residents expect and deserve,” Jennings said in a statement.

In her resignation letter, Rains said she could not longer serve in the current environment and it had “become clear that I am the right person at the wrong time in our community.” She had resigned earlier in the year as mayor, a role chosen among the council members.

In May, Councilmember Stephanie Winstead was appointed by the council to fill another vacancy left open when former Councilman Rischi Paul Sharma resigned in April.

Winstead previously served on several city committees and is a real estate attorney. She also spoke about the importance of preserving the community’s quality of life.

Winstead had come in third behind councilmembers Stephanie Oddo and Ray Gennawey in November’s election.

Winstead and Johns will serve the remainder of the terms that end with the November 2024 election.

Johns served as a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 31 years – 24 of those years as a task force officer assigned to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. He commanded a task force nationally recognized for disrupting and dismantling drug cartel operations, according to the city’s announcement.

Johns moved to Laguna Niguel when he retired seven years ago. He and his wife, also a law enforcement veteran, discovered the area after attending conferences in Dana Point. Johns, who then lived in Redondo Beach after growing up in Torrance, said he liked the spaciousness of the area and its proximity to wilderness parks.

The minute he moved to town, he said, he wanted to be involved with the city. After looking around, he decided the Traffic and Transportation Commission would be best.

“Everything in the city revolves around traffic and transportation,” Johns said. “Residents, businesses and people coming into town are all affected.”

Johns said he was “totally” shocked when the council majority – Councilmember Stephanie Oddo opposed – chose him from a field of “amazing people who applied.”

He decided to put his name in, he said, because he has plans for running for council in 2024.

He said he’s very interested in what happens with the Chet Holifield Federal Building, more commonly referred to as the Ziggurat. The building near Alicia Parkway has been a landmark in south Orange County for half a century, but is being sold by the government.

Like the new development proposed for Town Center at City Hall, Johns said he’d like to be involved with what happens when a developer buys the Ziggurat property and moves forward with it.

When he takes the dais, Johns said, he will “listen and learn.”

“I want to make sure I’ve done my homework,” he said, “and am ready to go.”

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Leaving California: What states are the safest places to live?

• June 17, 2023

It seems many folks, when starting their quest to leave California, talk about enhancing the sense of safety in their lives.

The Golden State’s migration woes have grabbed recent headlines as debate swirls about California being too soft on crime. So as a public service – no less, to provide an economic lesson or two – my trusty spreadsheet looked at a trove of statistics measuring the many factors surrounding the concept of “safety” for the 49 other states.

Now, feeling safe is somewhat vague but also very personal. Is it simply crime avoidance? Do you include chances for other “harm,” ranging from weather to business cycles, driving or working? And what about the costs of these hazards?

Yet for readers who are in a rush to exit California, my math says you’ll be safest in Massachusetts, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island.

Safety seekers should avoid Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Now let’s be honest about the mathematical and philosophical challenges of any safety measurement. No ranking is perfect, and it’s impossible to account for everyone’s needs.

In my quest to find the safest states, I started with a collection of similar risk assessments by WalletHub, US News and World Report, and Consumer Affairs. I added scorecards on narrower security issues from MoneyGeek, Oxfam, Bankrate, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Then I topped it off with a dash of various government stats.

Here’s what I learned …

Crime counts

People often see “safety” as criminal acts and how to avoid them.

Talk about a topic that’s got lots of statistics but still is hard to quantify. Exactly, what is crime? Is it any legal transgression – or just the most serious, most violent offenses? Does that include your personal legal safety? Do you value quality or quantity of policing? How can one factor in the local justice system, too?

Three national measurements of public safety took on that calculation challenge. My composite index of those gradings says the best states to avoid crime are New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Your worst odds of dodging the criminals are found in Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alaska and Colorado.

And California, if ranked, would be No. 32.

Other hazards

Safety isn’t just about crime. Life is filled with a host of other potential perils.

My scorecard devoted half of each state’s grade to risks outside of public safety. Let’s look at five threats, each equal to 10% of a state’s safety ranking.

Climate risks: What’s the chance your life is upended by Mother Nature?

Pick your potential peril: flood, fire, winds, drought, blizzard or earthquake. Various government agencies weigh these risks. Those measurements offer one way for someone shopping for a new hometown to measure the odds – both to their body and pocketbook.

Climate risks are smallest in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine. And they’re highest in Louisiana, Mississippi and Iowa.

California, if ranked, would be No. 34.

Road hazards: Juggle this risk any way you choose. Accidents. Deaths. Drunken drivers. Road quality.

What you’re basically trying to answer is “How can I avoid America’s craziest drivers?”

This tally says the best drivers are in Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York. And the worst? Mississippi, Arkansas and New Mexico.

California, if ranked, would be No. 32.

Workplace safety: Depending on your career path, on-the-job injuries are something to worry about.

Plus, states have varying laws for protecting workers – both their health and wealth opportunities.

By this math, workers should feel safest in Washington, Oregon and Vermont. But be wary of jobs in Mississippi, Idaho and North Dakota.

California, if ranked, would be the fourth-best place to work.

Economic security: There are no financial guarantees in life and monetary calamity is another risk that can strike, too.

So where is wealth, personal finances and career most protected from hazards ranging from swings of business cycles to nefarious folks?

The best grades are found in Minnesota, Utah and Idaho. The worst are in Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico.

And California, if ranked, would be No. 31.

Insurance: You’ll have to weigh all these risks to choose what level of uncertainty is acceptable in any relocation.

Remember, insurance companies do similar risk calculations, and consumers will see those results in the form of the premiums companies charge.

The spreadsheet tallied auto and property policy premiums, comparing those costs to local incomes in order to rank state insurance expenses.

Financially shielding yourself from risk is most affordable in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. Insurance will take the biggest bite out of your wallet in Kentucky, Oregon and Maine.

And California, if ranked, has the 21st-best insurance costs.

Bottom line

What no math can do is gauge safety as a state of mind.

And this notion of personal security is as subjective and emotional as it can get.

Politically speaking, let’s politely say there’s a belief that “blue” states like California are poor bets for safety. Now, maybe my scorecard is wrong, but when I define “blue” vs. “red” states as those who supported President Biden in 2020 vs. those who did not, respectively, the average blue state had a No. 17 safety ranking vs. No. 33 for a red one.

Or consider that my rankings suggest ex-Californians don’t often relocate to what appear to be safest states. Look at popular destinations and their respective rankings: Texas (No. 43), Nevada (No. 36), Florida (No. 31) and Arizona (No. 25). There was an exception: Idaho was No. 10.

To be fair, perhaps the safety bar is low for those exiting the Golden State. California would have ranked a lowly No. 32 if it was included in my safety scorecard.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com

Leaving California?

Here are the healthiest states to consider
What state is the best bargain?
If you want ‘fun’ lifestyle, here are states to move to
What states have the best job markets?
36 reasons why California’s so darn expensive
A 2022 guide to what state is best to move to
A 2021 guide to what state is best to move to

​ Orange County Register 

When your garden vegetables come in, avoid this common harvest delay

• June 17, 2023

1. Corn and tomatoes are self-pollinating. In corn, pollen from tassels falls onto the silks below. In tomatoes, pollen from a male stamen is transferred to a female stigma on the same flower. This process for both plants is generally facilitated by the wind so you may see less of a crop in an area where breezes don’t blow. To maximize pollination, it is therefore recommended to manually shake corn tassels so their polllen is shed onto the silks below. You shake tomato plants so that pollen is dislodged until it comes to rest on a sticky stigma. Tomato pollen is also released by the vibrations of bumble bees, so if you see them hovering around your tomato flowers, take heart. Growers of greenhouse-cultured tomatoes bring in bumble bees to maximize pollination and yield.

2.  Propagate virtually any woody perennial, shrub, rose bush, or vine through a process known as layering. Dig a shallow trench and bend a low, flexible shoot, after scraping off around two inches of its bark, into the trench. The portion that is scraped should be at least six inches away from the end of the shoot. Bury the portion of shoot with the scraped bark in the trench, holding it in place with landscape staples used for holding drip tubing or soaker hose snug against the ground. A significant clump of roots will eventually form where the bark was scraped, at which time you can detach the shoot from the mother plant, taking care to dig up as much soil as possible around the roots before transplanting to a container or other part of the garden. Prior to burying the shoot, dusting the area where bark has been removed with root hormone may accelerate the rooting process.

3. Where birds poaching on your fruit is a problem, forego bird netting and utilize tulle fabric instead. The problem with plastic bird netting is that shoots can grow through it and then it is a chore to untangle them from the netting. Tulle fabric, on the other hand, allows shoots to grow freely without getting tangled up in it. You can cover blueberry bushes and small trees in their entirety with this fabric while the fruit-bearing branches of larger trees can also be covered. Tulle fabric will also protect vegetables from the depredations of rabbits. You can find tulle fabric, which is significantly less expensive than plastic bird netting, at papermart.com. When you get there, search “economy-colored polyester tulle in bolts.” Thanks to Greg Alder (gregalder.com) for this useful tip.

4. As ironic as it sounds, one of the most problematic aspects of growing vegetables is harvesting them in a timely manner so that the pleasure of eating them is not lost. Perhaps this is due to laziness or perhaps to pride: We are so pleased with what we’ve grown that we just want to look at our beautiful crops and resist removing them from stem or stalk or soil. However, if you delay harvest once your vegetables are ready for picking, you will lose out on quality and sometimes lose them altogether. Delaying harvest may lead to rubbery pods on snow peas, sunburned bell peppers, split tomatoes, earworm-infested corn, woody or cracked carrots, pithy radishes, over-sized and flavorless zucchini, hardened asparagus spears, and lettuce that becomes bitter when it bolts (sends up flower stalks).

5. Climbing roses that only bloom over a single season such as Lady Banks and Cecile Brunner should be pruned when they stop flowering around this time, as opposed to late winter pruning recommended for roses in general. Although they put out massive growth each year, pruning of these climbers is less of a chore since both varieties are almost thorrnless. Lady Banks, with double white or yellow double flowers, and Cecile Brunner, with double pink blooms, are both mildly fragrant too.

Your questions, comments, and photos are always welcome and should be sent to joshua@perfectplants.com.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register