Celebrating the 60th anniversary of ‘Boss Radio’ KHJ (930 AM)

• May 12, 2025

I’m a few weeks late, but it’s still worth a mention: May 2025 is the “official” 60th anniversary of the launch of  “Boss Radio” KHJ (930 AM), the station credited with revolutionizing top-40 radio throughout the country.

In reality, it wasn’t truly the station that began it all … one could easily point to others, including KGB (now KLSD, 1360 AM) in San Diego, which beat KHJ to the format by about a year. Being in Los Angeles, however, and going against the formidable competition of KRLA (now KWVE, 1110 AM) and KFWB (980 AM), KHJ helped prove the validity of the fast-paced top-40 format in a large market.

So popular was KHJ that within six months it led the ratings; within two years, KFWB left the format and went all-news; and the station dominated the Los Angeles ratings for most of its first ten years, falling only when a revolving door of program directors and a loss of focus finally brought it down.

I used the word “official” earlier; May 5th was supposed to be the launch day, but KFWB had gotten hold of some elements of the station and was trying to steal the thunder. So KHJ began a “sneak preview” on April 27th, and then morphed into the new format over the next week.

The station was not immediately accepted by all. Many observers wrote it off completely … how could a 5000-watt station make a dent in the ratings against the well-established KFWB, let alone ratings leader KRLA? KHJ was a has-been “Middle of the Road” station for years, and the newest format would do nothing to change that fact, they said. Or worse.

“Whether KHJ moves into the hallowed ratings circle is unimportant. It remains that purposeful programming has lost at KHJ,” wrote Don Page, longtime radio reporter for the Los Angeles Times, on May 2nd, 1965.

“Perhaps you’ve been sampling KHJ’s interim format, which has been excellent,” he continued. “The boys who’ll be rockin’ this week are the same pleasant chaps you’ve heard during the transition period. You will, if tradition holds firm, hear them sacrifice themselves to rock ‘n’ roll standards. You probably won’t recognize them.

“One thing you have to say for RKO-General (the owners). By eliminating personalities such as Michael Jackson, Joe Dolan, Red McIlvaine, Paul Compton, Army Archerd, Steve Allen (plus good music and news) and replacing them with rock ‘n’ roll, it showed class. All third.”

And yet, it lasted until 1980, when the station made the ill-fated move to country right after a brief return to glory and high ratings under the programming expertise of Chuck Martin, who brought Rick Dees to Los Angeles …  and who believes that KHJ is still one of the best jobs he ever had. As well, memories — and recordings — of the station abound, and the influence it had on the format still applies today, even on stations that are not hit-music based.

You can hear old airchecks on YouTube, MixCloud, ReelRadio.Com, and more … just search and ye shall find.

Quick takes

Classical music is in, country gold out as 1260 AM becomes K-Mozart KMZT once more, simulcast on 105.1 digital HD2. The country gold remains available on 105.1’s HD4; LA Oldies on HD3 …

KLOS (95.5 FM) is making moves against Jack-FM (KCBS-FM, 93.1), running promos featuring “Jack” calling the KLOS suggestion line. It is akin to the friendly competition once found between stations in the earlier days of radio, such as when KMET (now KTWV 94.7 FM) and KLOS would rib each other, mostly in fun, to gain a little street cred among listeners.

“Hey, KLOS, it’s Jack. Please play more cheesy MTV ‘80s songs … that’s what I want,” says one. “Nobody works here,” says another. In total there are four, running at various times throughout the day …

Do phone apps help radio? Yes, it seems. According to InterTechMedia.Com, “with an app, listeners can tune in to their favorite station wherever they are without worrying about losing the signal or finding a specific radio frequency.” Some observers see a day when apps overtake over-the-air listening, similar to the revolution seen with television …

That awful thumping music some stations use during the news or certain interviews? It’s all designed to help ratings. It turns out the special encoded signal that stations send over the air to be “heard” by the Nielsen meters doesn’t work well with voices, especially female voices. So the obnoxious, irritating music overcomes the limitation. Left unknown is how many people like me tune out because the music is so awful …

Chuck Street — longtime airborne traffic reporter with KIIS-FM (102.7) and others (and one heckuva good guy) has been selected to lead the Hollywood Media Professionals/Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters as President for the second time. Good to have a broadcaster back in the saddle …

Have to say, radio is getting fun again. There is competition among stations again, and the morning and afternoon shows among various popular stations — along with innovation from the small ones — is validation of radio’s entertainment potential. Overall, radio right now sounds better than in many years; I hope this trend continues …

Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com

​ Orange County Register 

Sacramento Snapshot: Legislature wants to give subs more time in the classroom

• May 12, 2025

Could extending substitute teaching permits help alleviate the shortage in California’s schools?

That’s the plan nearly every member of California’s Assembly backed in a vote last week.

The Assembly, in a bipartisan vote with zero no votes, agreed to advance a bill from Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, D-Anaheim, that bumps up the time substitute teachers can spend in a single classroom to 60 days, up from 30. The same increase had been implemented during the pandemic, but it expired last year.

The idea, according to information from Valencia’s office, is to bolster the education workforce while also giving substitute teachers more time to bond and serve students in a classroom.

The bill covers general, special and career technical education classrooms.

“While this legislation does not solve the teacher shortage, it is an interim step to support our schools until longer-term solutions can be implemented and take effect,” Valencia said during a committee hearing on the bill. “In addition, it will provide stability for students in the classroom, which leads to educational success.”

Still, Valencia acknowledged the bill is an “interim solution to provide continuity to students,” noting that “increasing the pipeline of credentialed teachers” should still be addressed.

“While in recent years, the legislature has made efforts to strengthen the teacher workforce, the persistent shortages exacerbate the demand for substitute teachers,” Valencia said in a bill analysis. “In the face of an unprecedented educational workforce shortage, every tool should be utilized to help provide the best educational outcomes for California’s students.”

The bill has support from various districts and education associations, including the Orange County Department of Education and the Orange County District Superintendents Organization.

It’s opposed by Public Advocates, a nonprofit that addresses the causes of poverty and racial discrimination. The group, in the bill analysis, argued that expanding the amount of time subs can spend in the classroom “exacerbates ongoing concerns for student learning and state teacher quality.”

“This expansion of substitute teaching time will likely be used as a loophole allowing districts to fill positions with less-qualified, lower-paid substitutes, rather than investing in and ensuring permanent, fully credentialed staff are prioritized for assignment,” the group said.

The bill is now in the Senate.

In other news

• A bipartisan coalition of legislators signed on to a letter urging California’s congressional delegation to support federal Head Start programs, which provide education, health, nutrition and other services to low-income families.

The Trump administration — which has barreled ahead with proposed funding cuts for a wide range of departments, programs and initiatives — had considered telling Congress to cut funding for the decades-old Head Start. However, a more recent draft of President Donald Trump’s budget proposal appears to have left Head Start intact, for now.

The group of legislators, in their letter to Congress last week, noted Head Start serves more than 85,000 children and families in California, and the state receives almost $1.5 billion in federal Head Start funding every year for local communities.

“The loss of Head Start would be devastating for California — displacing tens of thousands of children, eliminating thousands of jobs and disrupting services that are often unavailable elsewhere, such as developmental screenings, mental health care and family case management,” they said.

The letter was signed by multiple Orange County legislators, including Assemblymembers Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach; Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton; Kate Sanchez, R-Rancho Santa Margarita; Tri Ta, R-Westminster; and Sen. Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana.

It was led by Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters; Patrick Ahrens, D-Silicon Valley; Heather Hadwick, R-Alturas; and Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara.

• What a difference a week makes. The effort to impose felony penalties on those who seek to buy 16- and 17-year-olds for sex is back on the table.

Assembly Democrats last week announced an agreement that gives prosecutors additional tools to levy felony charges on adults at least three years older than the minors from whom they are attempting to buy sex. However, for those who are within three years of those minors, solicitation is illegal but a misdemeanor, according to a news release from Assemblymember Nick Schultz, D-Burbank, who chairs the Public Safety Committee.

The updated bill will also create a support fund for victim services and create a state grant program to help district attorneys prosecute human and sex trafficking crimes, according to Schultz’s office.

“I’m looking at this from a prosecutor’s standpoint — this bill strengthens California law and gives us the felony hammer to prosecute the creeps that are preying on teenagers,” said Assemblymember Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento, the bill’s original author. “I appreciate everyone’s work on this bill, especially the survivors who won’t give up.”

The bill had been rejected — despite support from Republicans and some moderate Democrats — a couple of weeks ago on the Assembly floor. Instead, Democrats added an amendment that said they plan to “adopt the strongest laws to protect 16- and 17-year-old victims.”

Republicans heralded the reverse in course as a victory.

Assemblymember Tri Ta, R-Westminster, said legislators “took action to put the teeth back in this bill and stand up for vulnerable minors” after public outcry.

But Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, said “there is still more to be done.”

“This new language does not protect all victims with the same tough penalty of a felony,” Dixon said, pointing to the three-year age gap provision. “If the prosecutor cannot prove that the defendant knew or reasonably should have known that the person solicited was a minor, it is a standard misdemeanor. Protections must be stronger. It is still wrong and illegal to have sex with a minor. Minors cannot consent to sex.”

​ Orange County Register 

Dow jumps nearly 1,000 and S&P 500 climbs 2.6% following a 90-day truce in the US-China trade war

• May 12, 2025

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are leaping Monday after China and the United States announced a 90-day truce in their trade war. They agreed to take down most of their tariffs that economists warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.

The S&P 500 was 2.6% higher in early trading and back within 5.5% of its all-time high set in February. Since falling nearly 20% below that mark last month, the index has been roaring higher on hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs after reaching trade deals with other countries. The index, which sits at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s “Liberation Day,” when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that caused worries to spike about a potentially self-inflicted recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 957 points, or 2.3%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 3.6% higher.

It wasn’t just stocks surging following what one analyst called a “best case scenario” for US-China tariff talks. Crude oil prices jumped more than 3% because a global economy less weakened by tariffs would be hungrier for fuel. The value of the dollar climbed against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields jumped on expectations that the Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates so deeply this year in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs.

Of course, conditions could change quickly again, as Wall Street has seen all too often in Trump’s on-again-off-again rollout of tariffs. Plus, the reduction in U.S. and China tariffs will last only 90 days. That’s to give the world’s two largest economies time for more talks followed last weekend’s negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, that the U.S. side said had made “ substantial progress.”

Until then, a joint statement said the United States will cut tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from as high as 145%. China said its tariffs on U.S. goods will fall to 10% from 125%. That follows a deal the United States announced last week with the United Kingdom that will bring down tariffs on many U.K. imports to 10%.

Big challenges remain in the negotiations between China and the United States, but the mood nevertheless was ebullient across Wall Street on Monday, and gains were widespread.

Apparel companies jumped to some of the biggest gains because much of their production is often in China and elsewhere in Asia. Lululemon leaped 10%, and Nike rose 7.3%.

Travel companies jumped on hopes that lower tariffs would encourage more customers to fly and feel comfortable enough to spend on trips. Carnival rose 8.9% and Norwegian Cruise Line rose 8%.

Retailers like Best Buy and Amazon jumped because they won’t have to pass on high costs caused by tariffs to their own customers. Both rose at least 7%.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across most of Europe and Asia, though often by less than the U.S. market.

India’s Sensex shot up 3.7% after India and Pakistan agreed to a truce after talks to defuse their most serious military confrontation in decades. The two armies have exchanged gunfire, artillery strikes, missiles and drones that killed dozens of people.

Pakistan’s KSE 100 surged more than 9% and trading was halted for one hour following a spike driven by the ceasefire and an International Monetary Fund decision Friday to disburse about $1 billion of a bailout package for its battered economy.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.45% from 4.37% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with interest rates, jumped even more. It rose to 3.99% from 3.88% as traders ratchet back expectations for how many cuts to rates the Fed may deliver this year. Many now see just two cuts this year, according to data from CME Group.

AP Business Writers Matt Ott, Jiang Junzhe and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

​ Orange County Register 

A violent cop’s plea deal could undermine justice in Los Angeles

• May 12, 2025

President Trump’s recent Executive Order, “Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens,” included a section titled “Holding State and Local Officials Accountable.” But worrisome events in Los Angeles suggest that the Trump Administration’s emphasis on government accountability is quite selective.

Earlier this year, a jury found Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Trevor Kirk guilty of felony deprivation of rights by use of excessive force. As explained in a subsequent press release, Deputy Kirk overreacted when a woman recorded an arrest he was executing: Kirk attempted to grab her phone, threw her face-first on the ground, pressed his knee into her neck, threatened to punch her, and pepper-sprayed her twice in the face. Kirk then used his department-issued radio to give a misleading account of the incident, stating he was in a fight.

But Kirk’s punishment is uncertain. After Trump appointed Billy Essayli as Interim U.S. Attorney, the pursuit of accountability apparently yielded to the corrupting influence of the powerful law enforcement lobby, which had fiercely opposed Kirk’s prosecution. Kirk’s conviction could have led to a prison sentence of as much as ten years, but Essayli is now asking the court to set aside the jury’s verdict and replace it with a unicorn—a post-conviction plea deal.

Essayli’s proposed plea deal is deeply troubling. The felony charge would be downgraded to a misdemeanor: That would drop Kirk’s maximum term of incarceration to a single year. But the prosecutor’s request for leniency doesn’t stop there. He recommends that Kirk shouldn’t serve a single day behind bars; instead, he’s seeking only a year of probation. This outcome would spare Kirk the loss of his Second Amendment rights and pave the way for his potential return to law enforcement.

Kirk must surely be grateful for Essayli’s activism, but those who favor accountability and public safety are presumably less enthused. There is no constitutional right to a plea bargain; judges must oversee and approve every single one, and U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson could still stand as an obstacle to a potential deal. Surely Wilson knows his job is to ensure fundamental fairness, which includes ensuring that violent offenders are held accountable.

The Framers of our Constitution deliberately placed the power of criminal adjudication in the hands of citizen-jurors. Our founding document recognizes jurors as the ultimate arbiters in disputes between citizens and their government. When twelve members of our community identify criminal wrongdoing beyond a reasonable doubt, that verdict should not be treated lightly, let alone dismissed through a post-conviction political bargain.

In the early days of the Trump Administration, Kirk’s case was pursued in a rhetorical climate of law and order in which wrongdoers would be held accountable. But Essayli’s recommendations are in grave tension with the pronouncements made in court and in the aftermath of the guilty verdict.

Essayli’s actions undermine the integrity of the system: At least three Assistant United States Attorneys involved in the successful prosecution of Kirk resigned their positionsimmediately after Essayli filed his proposed plea deal. Perhaps they share the view that Essayli’s proposal looks more like the appeasement of a powerful lobby than the advancement of the rule of law.

Those who value the principles espoused in President Trump’s Executive Order, such as holding armed agents of the state accountable when they betray the public trust, must find Essayli’s proposal deeply disturbing. Judge Wilson now faces a difficult choice: a top prosecutor now asks him to do nothing more than slap the wrists of a corrupt public official. Essayli’s proposed deal would not only undermine the jury’s judgment, but it would send a chilling message that the scales of justice can be tipped by political winds and the influence of special interests.

In short, Judge Wilson’s decision will illustrate what justice really means in America in 2025. If he rejects Essayli’s proposal, he will demonstrate respect for the jury’s verdict and the rights of victims of police misconduct. Such a decision would reaffirm that in America, no one, regardless of their position, is above the law.

On the other hand, Wilson might accept Essayli’s plea deal, thereby communicating an entirely different set of values. That decision would not speak so much as scream.

Mike Fox is a legal fellow with the Cato Institute’s Project on Criminal Justice.

​ Orange County Register 

Senior living: Honey, sweetie, dearie: The perils of elderspeak

• May 12, 2025

By Paula Span, KFF Health News

A prime example of elderspeak: Cindy Smith was visiting her father in his assisted living apartment in Roseville. An aide who was trying to induce him to do something —  Smith no longer remembers exactly what — said, “Let me help you, sweetheart.”

“He just gave her The Look — under his bushy eyebrows — and said, ‘What, are we getting married?’” recalled Smith, who had a good laugh. Her father was then 92, a retired county planner and a World War II veteran; macular degeneration had reduced the quality of his vision, and he used a walker to get around — but he remained cognitively sharp.

“He wouldn’t normally get too frosty with people,” Smith said. “But he did have the sense that he was a grown-up and he wasn’t always treated like one.”

People understand almost intuitively what “elderspeak” means.

“It’s communication to older adults that sounds like baby talk,” said Clarissa Shaw, a dementia care researcher at the University of Iowa College of Nursing and a co-author of a recent article that helps researchers document its use. “It arises from an ageist assumption of frailty, incompetence and dependence.”

Its elements include inappropriate endearments.

“Elderspeak can be controlling, kind of bossy, so to soften that message, there’s ‘honey,’ ‘dearie,’ ‘sweetie,’” said Kristine Williams, a nurse gerontologist at the University of Kansas School of Nursing and another co-author of the article. “We have negative stereotypes of older adults, so we change the way we talk.”

Or caregivers may resort to plural pronouns: Are we ready to take our bath? There, the implication “is that the person’s not able to act as an individual,” Williams said. “Hopefully, I’m not taking the bath with you.”

Sometimes, elderspeakers employ a louder volume, shorter sentences or simple words intoned slowly. Or they may adopt an exaggerated, singsong vocal quality more suited to preschoolers, along with words like “potty” or “jammies.”

With what are known as tag questions — it’s time for you to eat lunch now, right? — “You’re asking them a question but you’re not letting them respond,” Williams said. “You’re telling them how to respond.”

Studies in nursing homes show how commonplace such speech is. When Williams, Shaw and their team analyzed video recordings of 80 interactions between staff and residents with dementia, they found that 84% involved some form of elderspeak.

“Most of elderspeak is well intended. People are trying to show they care,” Williams said. “They don’t realize the negative messages that come through.”

Among nursing home residents with dementia, for example, studies have found a relationship between exposure to elderspeak and behaviors collectively known as resistance to care.

“People can turn away or cry or say no,” Williams said. “They may clench their mouths shut when you’re trying to feed them.” Sometimes, they push caregivers away or strike them.

She and her team developed a training program called CHAT, for Changing Talk: three hourlong sessions that include videos of communication between staff members and patients, intended to reduce elderspeak.

It worked. Before the training, in 13 nursing homes in Kansas and Missouri, almost 35% of the time spent in interactions consisted of elderspeak; that share dropped to about 20% afterward.

Furthermore, resistant behaviors accounted for almost 36% of the time spent in encounters; after training, that proportion fell to about 20%.

A study conducted in a Midwestern hospital, again among patients with dementia, found the same sort of decline in resistance behavior.

What’s more, CHAT training in nursing homes was associated with lower use of antipsychotic drugs. Though the results did not reach statistical significance, due in part to the small sample size, the research team deemed them “clinically significant.”

“Many of these medications have a black box warning from the FDA,” Williams said of the drugs. “It’s risky to use them in frail, older adults” because of their side effects.

Now, Williams, Shaw and their colleagues have streamlined the CHAT training and adapted it for online use. They are examining its effects in about 200 nursing homes nationwide.

Even without formal training programs, individuals and institutions can combat elderspeak. Kathleen Carmody, owner of Senior Matters Home Health Care and Consulting in Columbus, Ohio, cautions her aides to address clients as Mr. or Mrs. or Ms., “unless or until they say, ‘Please call me Betty.’”

In long-term care, however, families and residents may worry that correcting the way staff members speak could create antagonism.

A few years ago, Carol Fahy was fuming about the way aides at an assisted living facility in suburban Cleveland treated her mother, who was blind and had become increasingly dependent in her 80s.

Calling her “sweetie” and “honey babe,” the staff “would hover and coo, and they put her hair up in two pigtails on top of her head, like you would with a toddler,” said Fahy, a psychologist in Kaneohe, Hawaii.

Although she recognized the aides’ agreeable intentions, “there’s a falseness about it,” she said. “It doesn’t make someone feel good. It’s actually alienating.”

Fahy considered discussing her objections with the aides, but “I didn’t want them to retaliate.” Eventually, for several reasons, she moved her mother to another facility.

Yet objecting to elderspeak need not become adversarial, Shaw said. Residents and patients — and people who encounter elderspeak elsewhere, because it’s hardly limited to health care settings — can politely explain how they prefer to be spoken to and what they want to be called.

Cultural differences also come into play. Felipe Agudelo, who teaches health communications at Boston University, pointed out that in certain contexts, a diminutive or term of endearment “doesn’t come from underestimating your intellectual ability. It’s a term of affection.”

He emigrated from Colombia, where his 80-year-old mother takes no offense when a doctor or health care worker asks her to “tómese la pastillita” (take this little pill) or “mueva la manito” (move the little hand).

That’s customary, and “she feels she’s talking to someone who cares,” Agudelo said.

“Come to a place of negotiation,” he advised. “It doesn’t have to be challenging. The patient has the right to say, ‘I don’t like your talking to me that way.’”

In return, the worker “should acknowledge that the recipient may not come from the same cultural background,” he said. That person can respond, “This is the way I usually talk, but I can change it.”

Lisa Greim, 65, a retired writer in Arvada, Colorado, pushed back against elderspeak recently when she enrolled in Medicare drug coverage.

Suddenly, she recounted in an email, a mail-order pharmacy began calling almost daily because she hadn’t filled a prescription as expected.

These “gently condescending” callers, apparently reading from a script, all said, “It’s hard to remember to take our meds, isn’t it?” — as if they were swallowing pills together with Greim.

Annoyed by their presumption, and their follow-up question about how frequently she forgot her medications, Greim informed them that having stocked up earlier, she had a sufficient supply, thanks. She would reorder when she needed more.

Then, “I asked them to stop calling,” she said. “And they did.”

The New Old Age is produced through a partnership with The New York Times.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

​ Orange County Register 

In spring, one’s fancy turns to images of gardens

• May 12, 2025

April showers are said to bring May flowers, and yards look pretty prolific to me with color bursts everywhere. Makes me think of several well-known nearby gardens, like the Huntington gardens in San Marino, Descanso Gardens in La Canada and Sherman Gardens in Corona Del Mar.

It also conjures up memories of gardens like London’s Hyde Park and the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris.

If I were to travel now with a particular “theme” in mind, I’d choose to visit some of the famous gardens that offer a glimpse into ingenuity, culture and a reverence for nature.

Even though no evidence confirms their existence, I’m still fascinated with the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon, supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzar II for his homesick wife. They were supposed to have cascading terraces and exotic flora that defied the arid Mesopotamian climate.

On the other hand, it’s a fact that in 17th century Netherlands, “Tulip Mania” saw bulbs valued like gold. Though the bubble burst, the Dutch passion endured, culminating in Keukenhof Gardens, where throngs of people take in the breathtaking celebration of tulips each spring.

Spain’s Generalife Gardens were the summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid rulers of the Alhambra, featuring lush courtyards, flowing water, and beautifully landscaped terraces where visitors are treated to aesthetic and spiritual refuge.

In contrast, London’s Kew Gardens, founded in 1759, became a hub for botanical research, influencing industries like rubber production. Today, it continues to be a pioneer of conservation and ecological studies.

Scotland’s Garden of Cosmic Speculation pushes the boundaries of what a garden can be, featuring spirals, geometric shapes and sculpted mounds inspired by designer Charles Jencks’ love of physics and math.

Meanwhile, Louis XIV took a more traditional approach with the Versailles Gardens in France, emphasizing grandeur and elaborate fountains.

The origins of Canada’s Butchart Gardens are quite different from European counterparts. In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart transformed the scarred land of a barren limestone quarry into a lush retreat, proving nature’s resilience. What began as a personal project soon flourished into a world-renowned attraction where millions of visitors marvel at its vibrant floral displays, serene pathways and year-round beauty.

For those who appreciate simplicity, Kyoto, Japan, is home to the serene Zen gardens, including Ryoanji’s famous rock garden. Here, 15 carefully placed stones are arranged so that one is always hidden from view, embodying the Zen philosophy of imperfection and contemplation.

As you explore gardens near and far, one thing is clear: Each garden is a unique masterpiece, no two ever the same.

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

​ Orange County Register 

LAFC settles for draw as Whitecaps rally

• May 12, 2025

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Brian White scored on a header in the 70th minute and the Vancouver Whitecaps rallied to tie Los Angeles Football Club 2-2 on Sunday to extend their unbeaten streak to 11 games across all competitions.

The Whitecaps (8-1-3) lead all MLS teams with 27 points and hold a five-point edge over Minnesota in the Western Conference. They are 6-0-5 during the streak.

On the tying goal, second-half substitution Ali Ahmed headed the ball into the center of the box, and White headed it into the net. White also scored in the 26th minute to pull Vancouver within a goal.

White is tied for the MLS goals lead with eight and has 13 goals across all competitions. He returned to the lineup Sunday after missing a victory last week over Real Salt Lake because of a tight hamstring.

Mark Delgado opened the scoring for Los Angeles (5-4-3) in the eighth minute, and Denis Bouanga connected on a penalty kick in the 19th.

​ Orange County Register 

Bravo to these winners who showed their creativity and talents

• May 12, 2025

San Juan Capistrano student wins third straight U.S. kneeboard surfing title

San Juan Capistrano’s Kevin Skvarna won the open division at the 2025 Kneeboard Surfing USA Titles and Festival, becoming the first to win three U.S. titles in a row.

The event was held at Oceanside Harbor’s South Jetty in head-high surf with occasional rain showers.

Huntington Beach’s Wayne Kopit won the AA division.

The 2025 Kneeboard Surfing USA Titles and Festival served as an important qualifier for the next world titles event in Saquarema, Brazil, in 2026.

The Kneeboard Surfing USA event was originally scheduled for Feb. 14 at Huntington Beach, but it needed to be rescheduled due to stormy conditions. The event was last held in Oceanside in 2017, a contest won by Huntington Beach legend Tom Backer.

Kneeboard Surfing USA President Jack Beresford said the event is as much a gathering of friends as it is a competition.

“We compete hard, but in the end, this is a celebration of kneeboard surfing, which has a rich 60-year history,” Beresford said. “How many sports can you come out and see the best in the world going head-to-head with true legends?”

– Submitted by Kneeboard Surfing USA

Irvine native earns Interior Design Magazine award for his chair ‘Shmello’

An Orange County native is making headlines in the design world.

Bryce Moon of Irvine has been recognized as a top emerging furniture designer in Interior Design Magazine’s Best of Year Awards. He was one of five students globally to be honored in this prestigious selection for his innovative chair design “Shmello.”

Moon, who is pursuing an M.F.A. in Furniture Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), is making waves on the national stage with his innovative and eye-catching furniture design.

Interior Design Best of Year Awards are a definitive symbol of excellence, honoring today’s most remarkable design achievements while paving the way for the next generation of design innovation.

– Submitted by Savannah College of Art and Design

La Palma students win honorable mention in C-SPAN’s national documentary competition

Mollie Saddul, Giselle Guillermo and Arya Patel, students at Walker Junior High in La Palma, are 2025 honorable mention prize winners in C-SPAN’s 21st annual StudentCam competition and will receive $250 for the video “Beyond the Rainbow; Ban Synthetic Dyes.”

C-SPAN also recognized Tina Armijo, an educator at the school, who served as an adviser in the StudentCam competition.

C-SPAN, in cooperation with its cable and satellite television partners, asked middle and high school students to address the theme “Your Message to the President: What issue is most important to you or your community?”

Now in its 21st year, this project-based learning experience asked students to explore and analyze matters of personal, local or national importance.

In response, C-SPAN received more than 1,700 entries, and nearly 3,500 students participated from 42 states and Washington, D.C.

The most popular topics addressed were:

• Climate, Environment, and Land Use (11%)

• K–12 Education Policies and the Cost of College (10%)

• Health Care and Mental Health (10%)

• Gun Violence, School Safety, and Firearm Policies (9%)

• Inflation, Taxes, Government Spending, and the Economy (9%)

– Submitted by C-SPAN

The Bravo! section highlights achievements of our residents and groups. Send news of achievements for consideration to ocrbravo@gmail.com.

​ Orange County Register