Laguna Woodstock: It’s been a long, strange trip

• July 9, 2023

By David Dearing

Correspondent

It’s been 15 years since the first Laguna Woods Baby Boomers’ Laguna Woodstock. We’re all still boomers, just a bit older and perhaps a bit creakier.

But let it be known that we can still rock.

As we have evolved over those 15 years, so has Laguna Woodstock. What makes people want to don their hippie attire and show up at Clubhouse 2 every year?

“It’s not only the music, but the whole ambience,” says Susie Swain, 65, co-chair of Laguna Woodstock 2023, who has been to seven of the Village music fests. “It is so much fun spending the day eating, drinking and dancing with old friends and meeting new friends.”

Co-chair Darlene Marvin, 68, whose first Laguna Woodstock was in 2019, is “impressed with the atmosphere and camaraderie of so many residents.”

“The bands that year were amazing,” she adds. “I danced day and night.”

Former Baby Boomers president and Woodstock organizer Kathy Gaskins has been to eight Laguna Woodstocks.

“It is a very fun happening, laid-back, fun to dress up, good memories each year build on the popularity,” she says.

Let’s take a look at how Laguna Woodstock has found its way to 2023, beginning with its inception in 2009 by Baby Boomers board members Barbara Harris, 74, and Allan Gorsky, 78.

Gorsky, who was at the original Woodstock in 1969, thought the weather was better here in 2009: “No rain, no mud, and CH 2 has toilet paper.”

That year there was only one band, mostly members of Close Enough.

The following year, Laguna Woodstock was billed as “a celebration of an event that defined a generation and the music that changed the world.” Music was provided by My Generation, again made up of musicians from Close Enough plus special guests. Tickets were $5, and festivalgoers got three hours of music.

In 2011, the fest grew slightly, adding the newly formed rock band The Village Midiots, made up entirely of Village residents. Music was provided for four hours, with the cost still only $5. Around 500 music fans showed up. Laguna Woodstock was catching on.

Woodstock 4 in 2012 saw little change, with music provided once again by My Generation and The Midiots. Around 500 folks danced from 4 to 8 p.m.

In 2013, $5 bought attendees a full six hours of music. Full Spectrum was added, a band that played locally and became a Boomers favorite. Also added was food catered by the 19 Restaurant so that rockers didn’t have to bring their own, although many did.

As the festival grew in size, so did the attendance. Exact figures are hard to find, but by this time, attendance was well over 500.

Three hours, four hours, six hours, Laguna Woodstock was growing fast.

Woodstock 6 in 2014 was scaled back a bit with only two bands performing, The Midiots and Love Saves the Day featuring Ruby K. Love Saves the Day has played almost every year since and has become the Boomers’ go-to band. Ruby does a mean Janis Joplin.

2015 was little changed, with just two bands. Tickets were still only $5 for three hours of nonstop rock.

But say goodbye to the last $5 Woodstock.

In 2016, the price doubled to $10, but so did the hours of hippie-shaking dance music provided by Woodstock Mud. The lead singer kept ’60s and ’70s dance tunes coming one after another. Rounding out the evening was the ever-popular Love Saves the Day. Laguna Woodstock was gaining steam, with nearly 700 attendees.

The format for 2017 was little changed as Woodstock Mud and Love Saves the Day were the headliners. The price of $10 could get rockers four hours of peace, love and music, as the flyer stated. And the crowds kept coming as expected.

On July 28, 2018, celebrants could begin setting up for the day at 7 a.m., and they certainly showed up even before then to try to lay claim to their favorite spot on the lawn in front of Clubhouse 2. Here was the plan for the day: Set up the canopy by 7 a.m., buy the wristband for $15 – up another $5 – at 8, spend the rest of the day dancing, eating and drinking.

More money, more music. Beginning at 2 p.m., The Village Folk entertained inside the clubhouse for an hour, followed by Dutch of Fiz on the patio. Next came crowd favorite Full Spectrum. They played for an hour and a half, yielding the stage to Love Saves the Day, who rocked for two full hours until 8:30. And 700 boomers danced until exhausted.

The “Aquarian Exposition,” as the original Woodstock in 1969 was billed, was at Max Yasgur’s farm in upstate New York.

Fast forward 50 years to 2019. The Boomers’ organizing committee, co-chaired by Diane Johanson and Nadine Asner, pulled out all the stops.

”It’s a wonderful experience to see so many people together in one place at one time for love, friendship, fun, and dancing. It’s worth all the work,” Johanson says.

Asner was at the original Woodstock. “It was an honor to chair and co-chair (Laguna) Woodstock on three occasions. The best part of those events was seeing the enjoyment and comradeship that it brought to the community which is what I experienced at Woodstock 1969.”

Here’s what $20 got concert-goers in 2019: music from 12:30 to 9 p.m. featuring back-patio local bands and outside bands. New that year were three bands: Santana Smooth (a Santana cover band), Fortunate Son (a Creedence cover), The Who Experience and local band The Woods Combo. Returning to lend their talents were Dutch of Fiz and The Village Folk.

But that’s not all wristbanders got. There was the Woodstock Cafe, the Woodstock Museum, vendors, crafts, face painting and Tarot reading, among other attractions. Word has it that over 1,000 people attended.

The next stop should be 2020, but Covid-19 interrupted the ever-growing experience.

In 2021, Laguna Woodstock was rocking once again, stronger than ever. Everywhere around the clubhouse, festivalgoers enjoyed ways to spend their Saturday. A cash bar, face painting, crafts, free ice cream and a free photo booth drew people’s attention.

Local favorites Band X, The Nomads and Rock of Ages played on the back patio. On the front patio, beginning at 3:30 p.m., American Made Band fired up the crowd for two hours. At 5:30, Southland Mega Groove took the stage for a rousing  two sets. Hardly giving tuckered-out, hippie-clad, happy-faced revelers time to catch their collective breaths, at 7:30, Love Saves the Day appeared onstage to close out the night. The $20 admission price was money well-spent!

Woodstock 2022 was a bargain as wristbands were only $13 and could be bought online. Henna artists were added to provide tattoos and other body art.

However, as always, music was the main draw, with The Nomads as the only local band, Lifetime Rockers added to the bill, and returning to wrap up the day’s merriment was once again Love Saves the Day.

Finally, Laguna Woodstock 2023 was spectacular. Organizers Marvin and Swain worked nearly a year putting the event together.

Hippies of all descriptions danced all day. Four bands made their debut: Tricia Freeman, Art of Sax, Southbound and Crossroads, and the popular Who Experience returned.

With all that Laguna Woodstock 2023 offered, admission was still a reasonable $20, less than the price of a concert or a decent meal out.

Woodstock certainly has evolved from its beginnings in 2009 – with two Boomers board members thinking the idea of celebrating the “Aquarian Exposition” was a good one – to 2023, with five bands and attendance well north of 1,000.

Thanks to all the volunteers who over the years brought us hippies another opportunity to feel the peace and love while dancing to the greatest music of a generation.

​ Orange County Register 

12 homes in Rolling Hills Estates evacuated after landslide causes instability

• July 9, 2023

A massive landslide has forced the evacuation of 12 homes on Peartree Lane next to a canyon in Rolling Hills Estates.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn confirmed the evacuations on Twitter, writing “I’m in Rolling Hills Estates where a major landslide has threatened multiple homes.”

Hahn said the Los Angeles County Fire Department ordered the evacuations.

It is hard to see in this photo, but there are homes here in Rolling Hills Estates that are physically leaning — like this garage— following the landslide. pic.twitter.com/JlBpbgMxay

— Janice Hahn (@SupJaniceHahn) July 9, 2023

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Lomita Station) were set to patrol the neighborhood “to ensure the evacuated homes are secure,” Hahn said on Twitter.

The supervisor’s tweets included several photos showing the instability of the homes.

“It is hard to see in this photo, but there are homes here in Rolling Hills Estates that are physically leaning — like this garage — following the landslide,” she tweeted. “Had the chance to speak to residents who are being evacuated. Everyone is safe but right now these homes are too unstable to enter. I’ve already spoken with our Public Works Director Mark Pastrella and (we) are offering the city and our residents our full support.”

Residents and authorities in the area noted the land shift at around 4 p.m. Saturday.

The residents were evacuated shortly afterward.

Electricity in the area has been turned off and utility crews made sure no gas or power lines were disrupted.

The American Red Cross is helping to find shelter for the evacuated families.

It is uncleared what caused the landslide.

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​ Orange County Register 

Alexander: Once again, Dodgers and Angels are headed in opposite directions

• July 9, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Just about three weeks ago, we noticed in This Space that the pecking order of SoCal baseball seemed to have flipped. The Angels were surging, with designs on the franchise’s first postseason berth since 2014, while the Dodgers were skidding.

Uh, maybe not.

That column came just before the Angels and Dodgers played two games in Anaheim. The Dodgers won both by 2-0 scores and little did we realize that would start a dramatic reversal in both teams’ fortunes.

The Dodgers came into that series after being embarrassingly swept by the San Francisco Giants at home, and those victories in Anaheim started a stretch of 12 victories in 17 games, including Saturday night’s resounding 10-5 victory over the Angels to also sweep the Dodger Stadium portion of the Freeway Series. So, despite a growing injured list, the indignity of losing two of three to lowly Kansas City last weekend and then an egregious blown lead against Pittsburgh on the Fourth of July, Saturday night’s victory kept the Dodgers a half-game behind Arizona in the NL West and gave them a two-game cushion in the wild-card chase.

But you want to discuss indignities?

The Angels’ season has tanked. They were eight games over .500 on June 18, 41-33 after winning in KC, and had a one-game cushion in the wild-card standings. But starting with that Tuesday night loss to the Dodgers on June 20 they’ve lost 14 of 19, and they go into the All-Star break 45-46 and 4½ games out of the third wild-card spot.

As noted a week ago, season-ruining cold spells are not new in Anaheim. Whether this one has more long-term ramifications will depend on whether General Manager Perry Minasian feels compelled to hoist the white flag between now and the Aug. 1 trade deadline and seriously listen to offers for Shohei Ohtani … who is pretty much the only reason to watch the Angels these days.

For example, the only suspense remaining in the ninth inning Saturday night was whether Ohtani could complete a cycle by doubling. He didn’t, but his fly ball scored the run that cut the Dodgers’ lead to 10-5. Small triumphs, you see.

Asked before the game to sum up this first half, Angels manager Phil Nevin said: “Inconsistent, but with the understanding that I know we have a darn good baseball team that can get hot at any time. I’m not even talking about when we get healthy. I just think we have plenty of players out here that are winning players. We got to play better, certainly. But I think at full strength, you saw us, we’re a playoff team, I mean, I don’t think it’s a question about that.

“… I think every team has a defining moment. And this might be something we look back at towards the end and this was the part of the season that turned us around. We went through some stuff and we were able to overcome it.”

Understand, Nevin has no choice. He has to portray optimism, because if the skipper betrays any sense of woe, why, look out below. Anyway, the hard decisions will be made at pay grades above his, and for all the caterwauling about trading Ohtani and the realization that Mike Trout might be out another eight weeks, they are still too close to a wild card spot for Minasian to be a seller.

The Angels’ first homestand after the All-Star break could influence most of those decisions: Three with Houston, three with the Yankees.

Across the diamond, the Dodgers have been able to compensate offensively, explosively so, for their patchwork starting rotation. They’ve averaged seven runs per game in their last 14, 5.5 per game all season, and have scored in double figures 10 times this season, including each of the last two games.

Mookie Betts is playing at an MVP level, and in 32 games since June 2 he has 13 homers, 29 RBIs, 29 runs scored and a .308 batting average. For the season he has 26 home runs – including his 10th leadoff homer of the season Saturday night, already a franchise record – along with 62 RBIs and a .965 OPS.

“I would have to say so,” Freddie Freeman said when asked if this was the best tear he’d seen Betts put together. “I can’t imagine, but I would have to go back and look at the 2018 season when he won (American League) MVP. I mean, that was a pretty special year, but it seems like every swing, he’s barrelling up the ball. Sometimes breaks can come at the wrong time. But I think Mookie found something in his swing and he’s been able to lock it in.”

Betts’ periodic stints at second base and shortstop have been just as impressive, and when I asked Dodgers manager Dave Roberts before Saturday night’s game if it were possible Betts could become a full-time infielder, he said after a pause: “There’s a possibility. I don’t want to box us in right now, but showing what he’s done, it’s given us some options, yeah.”

Among those options: Adding another outfielder with some pop before the trade deadline. But with so many pitchers injured, that would seem to be a secondary priority for baseball ops president Andrew Friedman and GM Brandon Gomes. The first priority has to be to add healthy, functional arms for the stretch run.

The Dodgers as a team are near the top in runs (494, fourth), home runs (149, second to Atlanta), RBIs (478, second to Texas) and team OPS (.785, third). They’ve had to slug to stay competitive with a pitching staff that has leaned on rookie starters Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan and Michael Grove and a bullpen that only now seems to have regained some efficiency but lost Daniel Hudson to injury, again, a few days ago.

But maybe they have another secret weapon. All teams like to believe they’re harmonious, but this one – significantly made over in the offseason with veteran additions and a batch of rookies on the roster – has come together quicker than most would anticipate.

That could be a benefit down the line. Remember, in the wake of last fall’s NL Division Series loss to San Diego, Roberts suggested that the Padres played with a little more urgency than his group of been-there, done-that veterans.

“I think in years past with the talent, there can be a little bit of, kind of – I wouldn’t say complacency, but you just know the talent is there,” Roberts said Saturday. “I do think that this club plays with urgency every night.”

How long does it take to determine how well a team can mesh? This one seemed to come together quickly.

“I think this is as cohesive as we’ve been since day one of spring training,” Roberts said.

The credit, Max Muncy said, should go to the new guys.

“I really had to give props to three people and that’s J-Hey, (Jason Heyward), Miggy Ro (Miguel Rojas) and (David) Peralta,” he said. “Just, you know, the attitude that they bring in this clubhouse and, you know, the way they like to have fun.

“You know, they came over here because they wanted to win. And, you know, they bought into our culture right away, and they’ve added as much as they can to it. And it’s been nothing but a blast.”

One team’s fun is another team’s misery. But the Dodgers and Angels at least have this in common: Both should be happy that there’s still another 2½ months left.

jalexander@scng.com

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​ Orange County Register 

Happy hippie dreams in Laguna Woods

• July 9, 2023

A trio in neo-hippie garb with tie-dye and fringe shimmied to the music, laughing and taking selfies.

One of them was Donna Valenti, who said she was a hippie back in the day but never made it to Woodstock, that iconic 1969 music festival in upstate New York.

“I actually lived in a cave in Maui for a while. All I wanted from life was to spread sunshine and make people happy,” she recalled of her time in 1973.

Valenti and her friends Bonnie Lodes and Nancy Waldowski were reinventing the ’60s at Laguna Woodstock, put on by the Laguna Woods Boomers Club on June 24 at Clubhouse 2.

The much anticipated annual party once again drew a joyous crowd – more than 1,000 by one estimate – dressed in hippie-inspired clothes, yards of hair in at least 40 shades of gray and, as a reminder that this is 2023 and not 1969, one set of long hot pink tresses.

A canopy city had sprung up on the lawn in front of the clubhouse, filled with revelers enjoying food, drink and whatever else they felt like consuming. Vendors selling tie-dye clothing, fancy soaps, jewelry, candles and more set up shop inside the building, and food booths were out back.

On the front patio, partygoers rocked to the music of five bands over nearly eight hours, dancing to favorite songs from the ’60s and ’70s.

Elliot and Sharon Freedman had been to at least 12 Laguna Woodstocks, they said.

A music aficionado, Elliot Freedman said he’s been to more than 1,000 concerts since high school. He didn’t make it to the original Woodstock, he said, but he went to that other iconic 1969 festival, the one in California.

“I was at Altamont for the Rolling Stones concert. Grace Slick was singing when those shots were fired,” he recalled, his voice drifting off into the surrounding din.

Steven Hall almost made it to Woodstock in ’69, he said, but he faced time restrictions imposed by the Army. He was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, after serving in Vietnam from 1967-68.

“My buddies and I had heard about Woodstock and wanted to go, but we had to work,” he recalled. “We figured that even if we left on Saturday, we couldn’t be back by Monday and would have been considered AWOL.”

But Hall has made up for having missed out. “This is my sixth or seventh Woodstock in the Village. I like the nostalgia, and this is a gathering of a tribe – everyone is in a good mood.”

Nadine Asner did make it to the real deal. Her parents had a vacation home in the Catskills, not too far from Max Yasgur’s farm where the 1969 festival was held, so the high schooler was allowed to go.

“We were socially conscious then – that whole era galvanized a generation,” Asner said. “Over that weekend in Woodstock, I saw more than I had ever seen in my life. When the rains came, everyone helped everyone out. People shared everything – food, drugs, there were babies born. Everything had a happy spirit.

“My only regret was getting there and missing Jimi Hendrix.”

But at Laguna Woodstock, Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” brought the rockers to the dance floor. Songs by Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Who – all of whom played at the original Woodstock – filled the air for a party fueled by nostalgia and filled with good vibes.

Perhaps Hal and Shari Horne summed up the day best.

“I feel like I woke up in a twilight zone,” Shari Horne said. “Like I had fallen asleep in 1969, and when I woke up, everyone was much older.”

​ Orange County Register 

Don’t let pols duck public meetings

• July 9, 2023

Government officials often seem far removed from the realities of the world as it is. With Senate Bill 544, introduced by Democratic Sen. John Laird of Monterey, state lawmakers are seeking to institutionalize this separation between the government and the governed.

According to the author’s justifications for the bill, the crux of SB 544 is to codify COVID-era orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom  “allowing state boards and commissions the opportunity to continue holding virtual meetings without being required to list the private addresses of each remote member, or providing public access to private locations.”

While anyone can understand the utility of virtual meetings — and the value in allowing members of the general public to register their comments and feedback remotely — government officials should have to face the public they claim to serve.

A coalition of good government, civil liberties and press groups have joined together in opposition to Senate Bill 544 on these same grounds.

“We oppose this bill because it would forever remove the longstanding requirement that public meetings be held in public places where the public can petition their leaders and other government officials face to face,” reads a letter signed by groups as wide ranging as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the California News Publishers Association.

Not having to face the public might be convenient for government officials, but governments exist to serve the public and public meetings exist to allow the public to interact and engage with those who ostensibly serve them.

This might be shocking to many in government, to be sure, but that’s how things are supposed to work in this country and in this state.

The coalition against Senate Bill 544 suggests very practical amendments that could make the bill viable, “To address these issues, we seek amendments requiring a physical quorum of members in one location open to the public, with other members of the body being able to join remotely, potentially on a rotating basis; guardrails around technology disruptions and public comment; and a requirement that the body provide the public with both call and video access, to ensure as much transparency as possible.”

Proponents of SB 544 argue the bill is necessary to “increase transparency and promote public participation in state governments by expanding the pool of candidates interested in serving.”

Well, if candidates are interested in serving on state boards and commissions, they should be willing to accept that serving the public generally entails going to public meetings. But even on this point, the proposed amendments from the coalition would allow people who for whatever reason can’t attend to attend, so long as a physical quorum is established.

While many working professionals have indeed gotten comfortable with just Zooming in or phoning in to meetings, government officials have obligations to the public that they should fulfill regardless of how inconvenient it is. After all, no one is forced into so-called public service.

The amendments should be incorporated into the bill. If they aren’t, the bill should be defeated.

​ Orange County Register 

Don’t crush the potential of AI technology to make our lives better

• July 9, 2023

Terminator actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently claimed that the artificial intelligence (AI) in the “Terminator” movies “has become a reality.” While AI has made significant progress, it isn’t Skynet (the fictional AI movie villain in “Terminator”).

In “Terminator,” a self-aware AI decides to eliminate humanity. The post-Judgment Day Earth is replete with humanoid enforcer robots and drones flying overhead, all looking for humans to exterminate. Fortunately, modern-day America is nothing like what is portrayed in the “Terminator” movies.

Instead, AI is improving medicine, therapy and dentistry, aiding education, helping find missing children, fighting forced labor, improving 911 response times, preventing cyberbullying, helping paralyzed people walk, preventing suicide, developing new medicines and preventing cyberattacks. It helps change tires faster and take drive-through orders. It can even detect diseases earlier, help teach students to program, and improve dating. None of these applications even remotely resemble “Terminator”’s Skynet — and several have goals opposed to the fictional AI of “Terminator.”

While AI doesn’t represent a threat to humanity, those in Hollywood may have more to be concerned about. AI technologies are very effective at storytelling (problematically, sometimes generating fiction when asked for the truth) and making television and movies. Big-name actors like Schwarzenegger have little to fear, as their name brings in audiences. However, could the next big name be an AI-generated avatar? One can imagine how this could benefit studios by replacing the salary demands of big-name actors with personas that they own all the rights to and don’t have to pay.

In fact, a recent “Terminator” movie deep fake, which inserted Silvester Stallone in the place of Schwarzenegger, shows how this could be done right now. A studio could hire unknown actors to play key roles and then use this same technology to replace the actors with personas that it builds over time and owns the rights to. Andrew Niccol predicted just this in his 2002 film “S1m0ne,” which starred Al Pacino as a director who loses his film’s star and replaces her with a computer-generated one. And this isn’t far from reality — Instagram influencer Lil Miquela, who was on the 2018 list of the most influential people on the internet, was also computer-generated.

While the Screen Actors Guild has delayed their planned strike for a week and a half, such a strike could provide just the impetus that studios need to experiment more with AI actors — just as the writers’ strike may be raising interest in AI writing. New contracts, if reached, may forestall AI use somewhat, as the risk of alienating writers and actors to use AI is significant. In the longer term, though, the benefits of AI writing and acting are substantial. Programs could become more interactive, with viewers playing a role or making key decisions and an AI writer and AI animator-actor generating content in response.

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Failing to embrace AI content generation would not be wise for movie and TV studios. They may find that video game developers who aren’t as tied to SAG or WGA contracts can produce similar content targeted at a similar audience. A recent change in the credit format used by Warner Brother’s Max service suggests that this may be part of at least that studio’s plans, as it is now calling everyone involved in a show’s production a creator, instead of distinguishing between roles, which would arguably become less important with AIs doing lots of the work.

Given this, it is little wonder that some in the entertainment industry attempt to stoke fear of AI. However, it is not AI that we need to be afraid of.

Studios would be well positioned to join those in the medical, music, automotive, construction, accounting, hospitality, farming, education and numerous other industries using or preparing to use AI. Government regulation of technology development or industry pseudo-regulation through contracts serves only to advance the interests of those not constrained by them and to delay humanity’s access to these benefits.

Jeremy Straub is the director of North Dakota State University’s Institute for Cyber Security Education and Research.

​ Orange County Register 

Successful Aging: In your 80s and still working? You aren’t alone

• July 9, 2023

Q. I am an 80-year-old financial consultant and continue to work. Fortunately, my clients are pleased with my services. I am curious, are there many others in their 80s who continue with their profession or am I an exception? R.F.

You are not alone. Although workers 80 and older are a small portion of the overall U.S. labor force, their numbers are growing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 650,000 Americans over 80 were working this past year. That is 18 percent more than the previous decade. Half of those 650,000 Americans worked full-time hours. Their professions typically included professional, managerial and financial positions with fewer in service jobs. The fewest in this age category were working in farming, fishing and forestry. Since these occupations typically require a certain level of physical strength and stamina which often declines in later life, fewer in this age category is understandable. Others in their 80s may be cashiers, salespeople or work in a grocery store to relieve their boredom or for extra or even needed income.

Others may be motivated by inflation, stock market volatility or just want to be part of the action. An 85-year-old attorney who specializes in the divorces of the rich and famous is quoted in a June 25, 2023, Wall Street article saying he “loves the challenge of preventing exes from hating each other or being hated by their children.” He also loves traveling to conferences, socializing in bars and receiving recognition. He noted, “…out of sight, out of mind” so being present is important. 

Yet others may work in their later years because they are bored with golf or pickleball or their mate wants them out of the house. They also may also be motivated by wanting a sense of purpose and accomplishment as well as opportunities for recognition

Here are just a few examples of notables in their ninth decade who love their profession. Actor Harrison Ford, aged 80, stars in the newly released movie “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and a pair of streaming series, “Shrinking” and “1923.” Primatologist Jane Goodall, aged 89, continues to protect chimpanzees. Singer, songwriter and producer Smokey Robinson is on tour at 83. President Biden is seeking re-election at 80. Actor, comedian and filmmaker Mel Brooks, 97, recently wrote and produced the Hulu miniseries, “History of the World, Part II.” Add to that list of working actors 88-year-old Judi Dench and 85-year-old Jane Fonda. Then there is the investor, businessman and philanthropist Warren Buffett, aged 92, who continues to serve as chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. 

There are plenty of people who are not well-known who continue to work in their 80s. Although he retired at age 90, an optometrist reflected on his recent work at Cosco. What he enjoyed most was working with younger people. He found them a relief and said, “only associating with people my age means you talk about their aches and pains.” He also loved the feeling of being productive. 

A consultant continues to work at age 90 as an executive coach, recruiter and editor. In his role as a recruiter, he finds it particularly gratifying to help others overcome obstacles in finding the right position. He considers the process a pleasure and fun. A recent phone call from a client told him, “The advice you gave me 20 years ago changed my life.” That “making a difference “is what makes this consultant’s work so meaningful. He added that the money also helps. 

Some companies are looking for ways to keep their older workers from retiring or moving to another employer. A new benefit has been developed to do just that. It’s called Grandternity Leave. Although rare, it is a special paid time for new grandparents that can last from a day to a couple of weeks. Cisco, the tech company, consulting firm Mercier and HireVue, a hiring platform are offering it, according to the Wall Street Journal piece. 

Working into one’s 80s may become more common as the notion of a 100-year life becomes a reality. Work among other things will be redefined. Our hope is that we all will be sufficiently healthy to fulfill our work-related aspirations and needs during what may be considered by many as our bonus years. 

Indeed R.F., you are not alone as more people in their ninth decade will come along to join you. And thank you for your good question. 

As a reminder to our dear readers – kindness is free; so, feel free to spread it around generously. 

Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity

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​ Orange County Register 

The staffing crisis in law enforcement

• July 9, 2023

The lengthy investigation on the staffing crisis in Southern California law enforcement by Joe Nelson and Scott Schwebke published this spring showed that, with very few exceptions, area police and sheriff’s departments are having a very hard time indeed both holding on to qualified officers and deputies and replacing the ones who leave.

As anyone who reads the series knows, it would be wrong to chalk the problem up to any one reason. The problem runs deep, and the complicated issues that led up to it will require complex solutions.

At a very surface level, it might seem like a great time to go into law enforcement. The need is great; pay has never been better — in the past, a cop was never going to see anything like a six-figure salary; the benefits are out of this world; relatively early retirement is available like almost no other occupation in the nation. All of that is easy for those of us who don’t don the uniform daily to say.

There is still an incredible hangover for law enforcement from the effects of the “defund the police” movement that arose — in some ways understandably, though the nomenclature stinks — in the wake of the murder by Minneapolis officers of George Floyd.

A tiny group of Midwest officers committed that crime; during the protests that followed it, you would think that every officer in America, the vast majority of whom serve honorably, was behind it. Who needs that kind of hatred in their work day?

Plus, in California, the cost of living is so high that other states are actively recruiting our officers. Stresses of serving during COVID-19 led to a lot of early retirements. Our sheriff’s departments offer such high-quality training that many deputies move on to other police agencies after a few years of service.

So, the problem is not simple. And this dual suggestion alone won’t solve it. But it would help. How about we the people agree to understand that each cop is an individual, most just trying to do a job, which keeps us safe? Treat them with respect. And how about all officers and deputies take seriously their training in de-escalation of tense situations as job one while on duty? Let’s work on creating a climate in which the people and police live well together; a better job climate for law enforcement will soon follow.

​ Orange County Register