Crews knock down three-alarm fire at Santa Ana warehouse

• March 27, 2023

A fire that broke out at a warehouse in Santa Ana on Sunday evening, March 26, was knocked down in little over an hour, authorities said.

Around 8 p.m., fire had already begun to spread through the roof when crews arrived at the warehouse in the 2200 block of Susan Street, according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran. The fire was upgraded to a third-alarm fire around 8:30 p.m., and roughly 80 firefighters were at the scene, including from neighboring agencies from Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach.

Firefighters remained in a defensive position working to prevent the fire from spreading to surrounding buildings before the fire was extinguished around 9:15 p.m., Doran said.

None of the surrounding buildings were damaged, but the fire downed electrical wires along Susan Street. SoCal Edison crews were at the scene working to repair the lines.

It was not immediately clear what was stored in the warehouse but hazardous materials teams remained at the warehouse Sunday night.

No injuries were reported.

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​ Orange County Register 

Alyssa Thompson scores first regular-season goal as Angel City FC loses opener

• March 27, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Alyssa Thompson scored within five minutes in her preseason home debut earlier this month.

Sunday, in the regular-season opener for Angel City, the Harvard-Westlake senior and No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft, waited a little longer, scoring in the 11th minute in front of a sellout crowd of 22,000 at BMO Stadium.

ALYSSA THOMPSON ARE YOU KIDDING? pic.twitter.com/wT0Tg0J6Pt

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 27, 2023

“I’m sure she has a lot of pressure on her shoulders, I think she had a great game, I think it was an incredible goal and I just see her as someone who has a bright future,” Angel City FC defender and captain Ali Riley said of Thompson. “I think it’s the first of many and she’s lived up to all of the hype and it is someone we’re going to rely on to score goals.”

Unfortunately, for Thompson and Angel City FC, the joy didn’t last the night as visiting NJ/NY Gotham FC scored twice in the second half to come away with a 2-1 win.

Gotham FC got on the board in the 51st minute on a successful penalty kick by Midge Purce. Gotham’s Svava Guomundsdottir was fouled by Angel City goalkeeper Didi Haracic. Initially, the referee didn’t call a foul, but moments later he stopped play and went to take a look at the video review and eventually signaled for the penalty.

In the 64th minute, with the game stretched, Purce had room down the center and fed Lynn Williams on her right for the finish and the 2-1 lead.

It was a frustrating night for Angel City, both on the field and at the video review.

In the first half, Jun Endo scored from approximately 40 yards out, getting the ball over Gotham FC goalkeeper Abby Smith’s head. However, the goal was disallowed after the referee went to video review due to a foul committed by Angel City in the build-up.

“When we didn’t get the VAR decision our way, we let down some momentum and that’s something we’re going to have to better, to be able to be more consistent through 90 minutes,” Riley said. “I do think there were times when we looked really, really good and dangerous and when we take our foot off the pedal, every team in this league is going to be good enough to punish you.

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“I think we got a little bit sloppy with the ball and then our defending, we gave them too much space and they have really good players, so we can’t let things out of our control affect us.”

This is the first season that the NWSL is using VAR. On the first instance, a foul occurred away from where Endo picked up the ball and didn’t appear to have a bearing on the play.

“That goal (by Endo) was top class,” Angel City coach Freya Coombe said. “When we had our training in terms of VAR, it was understood that for a decision to be overturned, it had to be a clear and obvious error …I’m interested to see if the decision is clear and obvious, why did it take so long to be making a decision and looking at replay after replay.”

Angel City will look to get on track next week as the club visits the Orlando Pride.

“We started off really strong,” Riley said. “Hard work and heart are really important things, but we do want our football to even better. We want to take care of the ball more, we want to defend in packs, hunt in packs, we want this to be a fortress when we play here. We want to pride ourselves on not conceding goals and that’s something for us to work on.”

​ Orange County Register 

Angels’ Mike Trout reflects on Shohei Ohtani, World Baseball Classic

• March 27, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Not long after the strikeout heard ’round the world, Mike Trout began solidifying his goals for the 2023 season.

The sights, sounds and emotions of high-stakes baseball were still fresh, when Trout pulled his phone from his back pocket late Tuesday night and reached out to Angels manager Phil Nevin.

Earlier that evening in Miami, Trout faced off against teammate Shohei Ohtani in an at-bat that captivated all of baseball. With Team USA down a run, Trout had a chance to be a hero but Ohtani won the duel with a strikeout, giving Japan the World Baseball Classic title.

“As soon as it was over, on the bus heading back, I texted (Nevin) and said, ‘I needed this. I needed to play in this atmosphere. I needed to experience it and be in the moment,’” Trout said Sunday from the first-base dugout at Dodger Stadium. “It made me feel and think how bad we want to get back to the playoffs.

“Obviously we did it in (2014), but that atmosphere as a baseball player, as a competitor, that’s where you want to play. You want to be in that moment. It was just a special few days.”

Trout and Ohtani were together Sunday for the first time since that moment.

“Yeah, I gave him a hug,” Trout said. “He’s a special talent. He’s got great stuff. He had an unbelievable tournament. They just beat us.”

Now the dynamic duo is unified in the hope of having similar experiences together in an Angels uniform.

When the Angels made it to the 2014 postseason, Trout’s Angels lost all three games they played against the Kansas City Royals. He had just one hit in 12 at-bats. Considered one of the best to ever play the game, Trout had not appeared in the playoffs until that moment and he hasn’t been back since.

The playoffs have always been Trout’s goal and this spring’s WBC only made him want it more.

“It was obvious that’s what everybody wanted to see,” Trout said of his showdown with Ohtani. “It was fun at-bat. He threw me a nasty 3-2 pitch. I missed some heaters before that. He’s a good pitcher, obviously.”

But Trout has known that all along. He didn’t need a breathtaking moment in a title-deciding at-bat to realize it.

“There was only one thing on my mind, trying to barrel a ball,” Trout said. “Obviously, with all of Shohei’s pitches, everything is moving every which way. He didn’t throw me a split that whole at-bat. That was in the back of my mind. And then he threw me a nasty slider 3-2.

“It wasn’t the way I wanted it to turn out but it was a fun battle. We’re both competing up there and that was my first time, obviously, seeing him.

Told of Trout’s heightened desire to return to the playoffs, Nevin said the micro view will take care of the macro desires.

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“We come out and take care of our business every day, things will fall into the right places,” Nevin said. “I’ve been asked the questions all the time. Is this the year? Do we have to? Is there a sense of urgency? I think any time when you have a roster like ours and you have expectations within our room like we do, every day is a sense of urgency.

“If we don’t, then I think we’re doing your teammates a sense of injustice, the fans, the organization. So every day, to me, is a sense of urgency because we understand what’s ahead of us.”

To get there, the Angels will have to buck a long run of substandard play. They have a losing record in seven consecutive seasons and eight seasons without seeing postseason play.

Trout and Ohtani might have four MVPs between them but sharing the field in October has priority. With Ohtani moving into free agency following the season, there might not be a better time to get to the playoffs than now.

“Every time you start a season, anything less than the playoffs is a disappointment,” Trout said. “There ain’t any way else to look at it. If you don’t make the playoffs it’s a disappointment for sure.

STASSI SETBACK

Away from the club for personal reasons, catcher Max Stassi returned to Arizona and played in a minor league game Sunday before he departed with hip soreness.

Although the injury was not deemed serious, all signs point to Stassi opening the season on the injured list. If the Angels make the IL move, it would allow top prospect Logan O’Hoppe to make the club.

“(Stassi) felt like it was important to get back and try to ramp up a little bit and unfortunately, he had a little hip thing today,” Nevin said.

ONE MORE DAY

Infielder David Fletcher underwent treatment for a groin injury early Sunday in Anaheim and was not on hand for Sunday’s game. Nevin said Fletcher will undergo treatment again and could play in Monday’s game against the Dodgers.

Third baseman Anthony Rendon also was not on hand Sunday. Nevin said Rendon’s daughter broke her arm in an accident at home and he told his veteran to remain with his family.

​ Orange County Register 

David Toms claims Galleri for 2nd Champions win of the season

• March 27, 2023

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — David Toms fired a 7-under 65 Sunday for a four-stroke, wire-to-wire win at The Galleri Classic to become the first two-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions this season.

Toms closed out his second win in three starts and fourth Champions victory with an eight-birdie, one-bogey performance at Mission Hills Country Club to claim the $330,000 winner’s share.

Steven Alker of New Zealand used a round of five birdies — four on the back nine — to finish alone in second after a closing 67.

Retief Goosen had a final-round 65 and tied Paul Stankowski (66) for third at 11 under. Vijay Singh (68), Padraig Harrington (68), Miguel Angel Jiménez (68), Steve Stricker (69) and Mario Tiziani (67) were at 10 under.

Toms added the Galleri title to his win at the Cologuard Classic earlier this month for his first multiple-win season on the over-50 tour since joining in 2017. The win vaulted him into first place in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

“I’ve just enjoyed playing good golf right now, off to a good start,” the 56-year-old Toms said. “I haven’t really been part of the Charles Schwab Cup at the end, haven’t even been close, so that’s kind of my goal this year is to try to get close, give myself a chance late in the season.”

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The inaugural event was contested on the same Mission Hills layout where the LPGA formerly contested its first major of the season for 50 years. Chevron has taken over as the title sponsor of that event and moved the major to Houston.

Toms found the par-72, 7,112-yard course to be a tough layout that put a premium on accuracy off the tee.

“It was a really good test, you had to keep the ball in the fairway, which was very difficult,” said Toms, who ranked first in driving accuracy by hitting 33 of 42 fairways and led the field with 20 birdies. “Just enough rough to make you think.

“Greens got firm, so you really need to be in the fairway. Fortunate for me, I kept it in the fairway for the most part. If not, I always had a shot where I had an open green or something, and the putter felt really good the last few days.”

Bernhard Langer, who was trying to win his record 46th title on the PGA Tour Champions, finished in a tie for 20th at 6 under after a final-round 69.

​ Orange County Register 

Laguna Woods water tower: Come for the view, stay for the serenity

• March 27, 2023

When I moved three years ago to a condo on Via Serena South in Laguna Woods, I had no idea our community had a “lighthouse-looking” structure atop a nearby knoll.

Thinking it was a defunct water tower, I checked out the Village History Center and learned that it’s actually a surge tower above a potable water pipeline owned jointly by several water districts and operated by the South Coast Water District. While the pipeline is on Village property, it doesn’t supply water to us because our water comes from the El Toro Water District.

On road trips, I’ve always been fascinated with water tower shapes, sizes and colors. Apparently, the size and shape are determined by its intended use.

If a tower is holding water for a small area nearby, most likely it will be squatty and sitting on the ground. Towering tanks visible from miles away can hold as much as 1.5 million gallons and provide water for large metropolitan areas.

In Gaffney, South Carolina, a popular tourist attraction known as the Giant Peach is actually a water tower that sits upon a 150-foot structure and holds 1 million gallons.

Water towers are very active inside. When demand is low during the night, they will fill up with water pumped at a treatment plant that is then used during daytime hours. Stored water is especially important during a power outage since electricity isn’t required for the available water to flow out of the tank.

In big cities like New York, many apartment and office buildings have water towers on top of their roofs. Some are iconic, such as the Brooks Catsup Bottle water tower in Collinsville, Illinois, and Rochester, Minnesota’s corn-shaped water tower.

Even though I referred to our surge tower as lighthouse-looking, lighthouse fans say otherwise because water towers are functional, and lighthouses are mystifying.

A lighthouse is considered to be a beacon of hope for distant travelers and a source of solitude for the caretaker. Both purposes conjure up feelings of mystery and romance. Lighthouses have become such popular tourist attractions that many have been converted into bed and breakfasts.

Even though our surge tower isn’t a lighthouse or tourist attraction, it’s definitely worth a visit at the end of cul-de-sac 306. Along with a picturesque white tower, you’ll find stunning views amongst the serenity of pine trees plus benches and chairs.

You can bring a picnic meal, do some tai chi or meditate. You could even be serenaded by the gentle sounds of an occasional clarinetist. It’s our little slice of heaven.

Writer, editor and speaker Cheryl Russell is a Laguna Woods Village resident. Contact her at cheryl@starheart.com.

​ Orange County Register 

Daunting recovery underway in tornado-devastated Mississippi

• March 27, 2023

ROLLING FORK, Miss. — Help began pouring into one of the poorest regions of the U.S. after a deadly tornado tore a path of destruction for more than an hour across a long swath of Mississippi, even as furious new storms Sunday struck across the Deep South.

At least 25 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Mississippi as the massive storm ripped through more than a half-dozen towns late Friday. A man was also killed in Alabama after his trailer home flipped over several times.

“Everything I can see is in some state of destruction,” said Jarrod Kunze, who drove to the hard-hit Mississippi town of Rolling Fork from his home in Alabama, ready to help “in whatever capacity I’m needed.”

Related: See a video of the destruction in Mississippi

Kunze was among volunteers working Sunday at a staging area, where bottled water and other supplies were being readied for distribution.

Search and recovery crews resumed the daunting task of digging through flattened and battered homes, commercial buildings and municipal offices after hundreds of people were displaced.

The storm hit so quickly that the sheriff’s department in Rolling Forks barely had time to set off sirens to warn the community of 2,000 residents, said Mayor Eldridge Walker.

“And by the time they initiated the siren, the storm had hit and it tore down the siren that’s located right over here,” Walker said, referring to an area just blocks from downtown.

Related: ‘There’s nothing left’: Deep South tornadoes kill 26

The mayor said his town was devastated.

“Sharkey County, Mississippi, is one of the poorest counties in the state of Mississippi, but we’re still resilient,” he said. “We’ve got a long way to go, and we certainly thank everybody for their prayers and for anything they will do or can do for this community.”

President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration for Mississippi early Sunday, making federal funding available to hardest-hit areas.

“Help is on the way,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves told a news conference with local, state and federal leaders.

Recovery efforts in Mississippi were underway even as the National Weather Service warned of a new risk of more severe weather Sunday — including high winds, large hail and possible tornadoes in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

A tornado touched down early Sunday in Troup County, Georgia, near the Alabama border, according to the Georgia Mutual Aid Group. Affected areas included the county seat of LaGrange, about 67 miles (108 kilometers) southwest of Atlanta

About 100 buildings were damaged, with at least 30 uninhabitable, and five people suffered minor injuries, officials said. Many roads, including Interstate Highway 85, were blocked by debris.

Two tigers briefly escaped from their enclosures at Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain, Georgia, after the park sustained extensive tornado damage. “Both have now been found, tranquilized, and safely returned to a secure enclosure,” the park said on Facebook. None of its employees or animals were hurt, it said.

Outside of Rolling Fork, a tornado ripped apart the home where Kimberly Berry lived in the Delta Flatlands. The twister left only a foundation and a few belongings — a toppled refrigerator, a dresser and nightstand, a bag of Christmas decorations, some clothing.

Berry said she and her 12-year-old daughter huddled and prayed inside a nearby church as the storm roared outside.

“I didn’t hear nothing but my own self praying and God answering my prayer. I mean, I can get another house, another furniture. But literally saving my life — I’m thankful,” she said.

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Like many people in this economically struggling area, she faces an uncertain future. Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the country, and the Delta has long been one of the poorest parts of Mississippi — a place where many people work paycheck to paycheck in jobs tied to agriculture.

Following Biden’s declaration, federal funding will be available for recovery efforts in Mississippi’s Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe and Sharkey counties, including temporary housing, home repairs, loans covering uninsured property losses and other individual and business programs, the White House said in a statement.

The twister flattened entire blocks, obliterated houses, ripped a steeple off a church and toppled a municipal water tower.

Based on early data, the tornado received a preliminary EF-4 rating, the National Weather Service office in Jackson said in a tweet. An EF-4 tornado has top wind gusts between 166 mph and 200 mph.

In Rolling Fork, the tornado reduced homes to piles of rubble and flipped cars on their sides. Other parts of the Deep South were digging out from damage caused by other suspected twisters. One man died in Morgan County, Alabama, the sheriff’s department said in a tweet.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that 25 people were confirmed killed in Mississippi, 55 people were injured and 2,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. High winds, hail and strong storms were expected for parts of Alabama and Georgia on Sunday, the National Weather Service said

The tornado that slammed into Rolling Fork tore across Mississippi for about 59 miles over a period that lasted more than one hour, the National Weather Service said in a preliminary report Sunday. The tornado was an estimated three-quarters of a mile wide at some points, according to the preliminary estimate.

The supercell that produced the deadly twister also appeared to produce tornadoes causing damage in northwest and north-central Alabama, said Brian Squitieri, a severe storms forecaster with the weather service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

In Georgia, Rachel McMahon awoke Sunday to news from her dad that the Troup County motel he’d been staying in was destroyed. She said her dad, who is disabled, took shelter in the bathtub when the tornado hit.

He was badly shaken up, but not injured. She had to walk the last half-mile to his motel because of downed trees.

“SO thankful my dad is ok,” she posted on Facebook, along with photos and videos of the damage: houses with gaping holes in roofs, massive tree trunks snapped in half and powerlines dangling every which way.

​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers blank Angels in Freeway Series opener

• March 27, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― While Sunday’s Freeway Series opener might have catalyzed the Angels’ decision about who will claim the final spot in their starting rotation, the Dodgers might have found something special themselves.

Clayton Kershaw turned back the clock in his final regular season tuneup, tossing six shutout innings in the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the Angels at Dodger Stadium.

The left-hander threw 74 pitches while limiting the Angels to three hits and no walks. He struck out seven batters, including Mike Trout in all three of his plate appearances.

One week after celebrating his 35th birthday, Kershaw finished the exhibition season with seven runs allowed across four starts, good for a 3.44 earned-run average.

“Overall it was definitely better than it has been,” Kershaw said. “Slider was definitely better. I threw some bad ones too, but overall the consistency was better with it. Got some swings and misses finally with it. Fastball command was better. Overall definitely a good step forward for me.”

The only clock Kershaw didn’t turn back Sunday? The new pitch timers, which caused the left-hander to be charged with two automatic balls, and led to one lengthy discussion between Kershaw and home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez between innings.

Kershaw said one of the two violations was his fault for not delivering a pitch before the timer counted down. The other was based on a misunderstanding after the 15-second clock stopped counting down by mistake.

“I stepped off, looked up, and there was seven seconds (left on the clock) but the clock turned off,” Kershaw said. “The clock should’ve just kept going. And (Marquez) tried to make his best judgment, and thought I wasn’t going to make the pitch in time. … He said it was his judgment on that one.”

Back-to-back home runs by Max Muncy and Chris Taylor in the second inning provided Kershaw the only runs he needed. Those were the only runs allowed by Angels starter Tucker Davidson, who was making his final bid for a rotation spot.

Davidson allowed one hit besides the two home runs, a single by Miguel Vargas on his 75th and final pitch. The left-hander walked one batter and struck out one in 4 ⅓ innings.

“It was good to be back out there, kind of in the big league setting, away from Arizona and kind of get some adrenaline back into it so it was good,” Davidson said. “I threw the ball well. The slider was really good and then I thought I commanded the fastball well to righties, lefties. We’re gonna have to make some adjustments in the bullpen this week, but I think we’re on the right track.”

Davidson is out of minor league options. Of his six spring starts, only one went poorly. He allowed six runs in three innings against the San Francisco Giants on March 19, and four earned runs in 14 ⅓ innings in the other five games.

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“We kind of wanted to see him in this atmosphere, other than a spring game, and it was just as well as he’s pitched all spring,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “A lot of good sliders. A 3-0 fastball that Muncy hit and then a slider he just left on the plate, but we’ll take that.”

Right-hander Jaime Barría, who’s also battling for the sixth starter’s job, allowed one run in 2 ⅔ innings, striking out four. The one run came on an eighth-inning home run by Dodgers outfielder James Outman, who will make his first Opening Day roster on Thursday.

Outman and Muncy each have hit three home runs this spring.

Yency Almonte, Brusdar Graterol, Phil Bickford and Shelby Miller did not allow a run over the final three innings.

Doug Padilla contributed to this article

​ Orange County Register 

Laguna Woods music clubs march to a different drummer

• March 27, 2023

“Ham and cheese!” “Peanut butter sandwich!” “Mac, mac ’n’ cheese!”

These words ringing through the Elm Room in the Laguna Woods Community Center on Tuesday evenings don’t mean that food is on the table.

Rather, they’re rhythms that help members of the Drum Circle keep the beat as their lively sounds meld together.

The Drum Circle is one of several groups in the Laguna Woods that make their own kind of music. The Ukulele Club does it with the ever popular stringed instrument, while the new Yankee Doodlettes will soon be setting the tone with their buzzing kazoos.

Gayle Slaten, who leads the Drum Circle with partner Don Celestino, said she finds it easier to remember rhythms when words are attached to them.

Celestino prefers to let his hands do the talking as he beats out intricate patterns and rhythms for the group, which numbers from 15 to 20 members at any given gathering.

Celestino views drumming as a great stress reducer and a good health inducer.

“You don’t need to bring anything but your hands, and you can’t play the wrong note,” he said with a laugh. “You can relax and get rid of excess energy.”

Slaten emphasizes the communal aspect of the group.

“The drum was the very first instrument,” she said. “It echoes our heartbeat.”

The couple usually set up their Native American “Mother Drum” in the middle of the circle and bring a variety of other drums, shakers and noisemakers for members to use.

Participants join in enthusiastically as Slaten intones her food-related rhythmic words or Celestino demonstrates catchy beats for members to replicate. Often, these take the form of “call and response,” where he plays first and members drum the beat back to him.

Participant Rich Levy has wanted to play drums since childhood, he said.

“I find the drumming meditative, both stimulating and relaxing,” Levy said after beating the Mother Drum through a five-minute number.

“Drumming connects me to the earth,” said Olivia Batchelder, who also enjoys seeing everyone joined in a common endeavor.

New group member Chuck Marlatte said he enjoys participating in the rhythm.

“I like seeing other people enjoying themselves,” he said, adding that he hopes to drum a lot more with the group.

Slaten and Celestino settled in the Village last June after spending the previous summer here. While visiting, they drummed with a group led by Jerry Self, but that circle had disbanded during the pandemic by the time they moved in permanently.

Celestino had been drumming for around 15 years, starting with his participation in drum circles at Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Riverside County.

“A close friend who was a master drummer died and left all his stuff to me,” he said.

The friend asked him to carry on the tradition, which was easy for Celestino, who had fallen in love with the sound of the djembe, or African drum. Celestino perfected his skills through the many circles he joined and the accomplished drummers who led them, he said.

Slaten came to the drum after playing Native American flute for a while.

“With flutes, usually only one person at a time can play, but with drumming, everyone plays together and there is more community building,” she said.

Slaten led a women’s drum circle in Tucson, Arizona, before meeting Celestino there about five years ago.

“People would gather in a Tucson park, where there was a lot going on, like drumming, dancing and even stilt walking,” she said.

“All the eclectic people that enjoyed music and art showed up,” Celestino added. “Everybody loved it.”

Slaten closes each drum session in the Elm Room with a beat to the catchy tune of “Funga Alafia,” an African greeting song that means “peace” in the Yoruba language of Nigeria.

Drum Circle members leave humming the tune as they head out into the night.

Full-out singing can be heard at Clubhouse 6 on Friday afternoons as members of the Ukulele Club gather to play.

One of the oldest continuous music clubs in the Village, the ukulele group has gone through many incarnations since being founded in 1968 as the Hikers’ Ukulele Band. Original players were members of the Hiking Club, but those who were not hikers broke away to form the Ukulele Club, with the purpose of teaching and entertaining residents and community organizations.

Through the years, members have performed in many venues and have focused on different types of music, including an emphasis on Hawaiian melodies.

Current club President Jay Miller joined in 2015 and participated via Zoom during the COVID shutdown. This year, he and his wife, Marquita, reestablished the in-person group.

“We now have a nice little group,” he said of the dozen or so people who show up each week.

Miller hopes the membership will grow to at least 17 regulars so that a minimal membership fee, not being charged at present, can cover rental and registration costs.

No performances are planned at this time, but Miller hopes to reinstate those as the group grows in size and proficiency.

“We used to play in the Clubhouse 3 lobby before performances, and it was very successful,” he said,

No experience on the uke is necessary to join the group, Miller said, and there’s no pressure.

“It’s fun to sing songs,” he said, pointing to the extensive offerings in the music books members use.

The club’s own songbook has been updated twice since Miller joined and features many tried and true folk songs and popular melodies that members know and love from their younger days.

Peggy Edwards, the club’s publicity director, has been with the group for 17 years. She has played guitar but finds the ukulele more portable.

“It is relatively easy to learn and sounds beautiful,” Edwards said.

Tom and Lynn Finkelor can attest to that. They came to the Ukulele Club six or seven years ago knowing nothing about the uke, but they quickly learned to play.

“We learned from being in the club and from DVDs and YouTube videos,” Tom said.

“It’s a forgiving group,” Lynn said with a laugh.

Tokyo-born Mike Amemiya learned ukulele from a Hawaiian student in Japan and loves to strum and sing out with his strong melodic voice.

Also singing out, especially on the Hawaiian numbers, is “Uncle” Harry Akioka, a Hawaii native who has played the ukelele since age 7. Music is integral to his life, as he also plays guitar, bass, drums and keyboard.

“Everybody at home used to play the uke, but not anymore,” Akioka lamented. “Now everyone’s got a phone in their hand instead.”

Besides Hawaiian songs, Akioka plays church music, jazz and standard American uke music, depending on which group he is playing with.

“Music is music,” he said, adding that he enjoys singing as well. “It’ll take a while for our group to get back to performing,” he said.

But when they’re ready, he plans to take them to as many local venues as possible.

One of the newest Village groups to make music is the Yankee Doodlettes. The kazoo band formed last July to enter the Village’s Fourth of July Golf Cart Parade.

“We played a lot of patriotic songs and had a lot of fun,” said founder Karen Hunt. “It was nothing serious, but we got a lot of notice.”

The group numbered about a dozen women last year, and Hunt said she hopes to accrue more members as the kazoos begin tootling together again in late March.

“I would love to have members with marching band experience and some cymbals and snare drum players as well,” she said.

“It would be great to have hundreds of people and maybe be recognized as the kazoo band with the oldest members in the country,” she added with a laugh.

For more information

The Drum Circle meets Tuesdays from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. in the Elm Room at the Community Center. Bring your own drum if you can. No club dues at this time, but donations for snacks and room rental are welcome. For information, call Gayle Slaten at 818-564-9457.

The Ukulele Group meets Fridays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Clubhouse 6. No club dues at this time. Bring a music stand if you have one. For information, call Peggy Edwards at 949-707-5156.

The Yankee Doodlettes will begin meeting this month in the Los Olivos Room at Clubhouse 2. Open tryouts are Friday, March 31, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Practice kazoos will be provided. Snacks provided, but BYOB. For information, contact Karen Hunt at 970-744-8523 or Karensbiz@msn.com.

​ Orange County Register