Community
GRF
Clubs, residents vie for clubhouse space
Recreational space in Leisure World clubhouses is at a premium these days. There are often more requests than rooms available with 270 clubs vying for space on recurring schedules.
Weekly standing reservations are hard to get, especially in the mornings and for large groups.
Clubs that have been duly formed under the GRF policies can reserve rooms on a one-time or recurring basis, up to three times a week. Reservations are renewed annually, after the club election and the new president meets with the reservations coordinator.
Guests may be invited to the club meetings but may not be members. Clubs may not advertise in outside publications because membership and events are not open to non-shareholders/members.
Clubs, when approved, agree to abide by GRF policies and Recreation Department procedures. Violators may lose their reservation privileges and may even be disbanded. Clubs are responsible for all damage, cleaning costs and overtime to custodial personnel incurred as a result of club members violating the policies.
Shareholders/members may also reserve space in Clubhouses 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 and at the Amphitheater for private parties that honor residents only. Rooms may not be reserved for events honoring non-members.
Reservations are subject to availability on a first-come, first- served basis and can be made at the Reservations Office between 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., weekdays.
A $200 deposit and a sketch of the desired layout of the room must be received by the Recreation Dept. 10 days prior to the event or the reservation will be automatically canceled. The deposit is refunded within 10 business days, providing the venue is returned to its original condition, with no damage and clean. Deposits may be forfeited if policies have been violated.
Clubs and individuals may hire an outside caterer for their events; however, if the caterer will be using the facilities, for serving and cleaning it must be on the GRF’s pre-approved caterers list of those who have met GRF insurance requirements.
The use of a reserved space is strictly confined to the time frame booked. Club members and guests are not to arrive before their reserved time nor depart later than scheduled. Wherever possible, clubs are given as much time as they require, including set-up and teardown by the custodial staff.
Clubs are required to advise the Reservations Office as soon as possible when a reservation needs to be canceled. If the office is closed, they should call the clubhouse and inform the custodian. Failure to do so can result in the loss of future reservations.
Detailed information on all clubhouse usage can be located on www.lwsb.com.
GRF
Air conditioning is welcome relief
The Golden Rain Foundation Board of Directors approved funding for the installation of air conditioning units on five buses making it more comfortable for the passengers and bus drivers.
“It’s fabulous,” says bus driver Pam Bartleson. “It feels so good.”
Betty Hose, Mutual 11, says, “It’s a big improvement on the buses.”
Bartleson said that during a recent hot spell she had a couple of people rode the bus just to keep cool. “We welcome people to ride and ride with no place to go.”
Dan Foley, Mutual 9, was on his way to the shopping center to eat and said, “I like it; it is great. The elderly really like it.”
“It sure helps on a day like today,” says bus driver John Ponce. “Otherwise it is hot as heck.”
Marie Ronis thinks it is a blessing.
Three bus are currently in operation with a fourth ready for pick-up says Fleet Manger Grant Winford. The last unit will be installed when the fourth bus is picked up.
Minibus
Learn ins, outs of GRF shuttle system
The Golden Rain Transportation Department will conduct informational meetings on using the Minibus service from 10-11:30 a.m. and 6-7 p.m. today, Aug. 4, in Clubhouse 3, Room 3.
The sessions are for shareholders who want to learn about Minibus system routes and timetables. Information on the Golden Rain Access Bus service, the GRF shopping shuttle to Marina Pacifica Mall, Trader Joe’s, Dal Jé and Denny’s and updated information on the Seal Beach Senior Service to Old Town and the Rossmoor shopping areas will be provided.
“Learn the Route,” a special ride-along session, immediately follows the 10 a.m. meeting. Shareholders are invited to ride a Minibus to become better acquainted with the various routes. Information on short-cuts, transfers between routes and how to navigate the time tables will be presented from a “seat-on-the-bus” perspective.
This month the transportation staff will preview the “B” route. The ride-along is limited to the first 17 participants and takes one hour.
Bus service orientations are held on the first Thursday of every month. For more information, call Fleet Manager Grant Winford at 431-6586, ext. 372.
Community Bingo
All invited to play games
Bingo sponsored by different Leisure World clubs is played at 1:30 p.m. on Sundays in Clubhouse 2. The doors open at 1. All LWers are welcome.
The Aug. 7 games will be hosted by the New York Club.
The New York Club hosts the first Sunday of the month; Gadabouts, second Sunday; Little Flower Guild, third Sunday; and the American Legion the fourth and fifth Sundays.
Complimentary refreshments are served.
Flea Market
Event is shortened to morning only
The Leisure World Writer’s Club will sponsor the LW flea market from 8:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Aug. 6, in Clubhouse 2, with 65 tables of items sold by LW residents.
The hours for the flea market have been shortened due to the demand for clubhouse space, so shop early as there are no afternoon hours. Lunch and snacks will be available for purchase.
Flea markets, held quarterly and sponsored by different clubs, have been conducted for the past 15-20 years. A variety of items are sold, including lunch, antiques, books, baked goods, clothes, collectibles, crafts, knick-knacks, furniture, greeting cards and more.
Residents and non-residents are invited; however, first-time non-resident guests must call 234-3875 by today, to have names added to the list for entry. When calling, spell out first and last names.
The next flea market is scheduled Nov. 26.
For more information, call Marge McDonald, 234-3875, or email margemcdonald123@gmail.com.
Sunshine Club
Guest speakers are announced for August meetings
The Sunshine Club invites Leisure World leaders and club representatives to introduce their organizations to shareholders at 10 a.m. on the second-fourth Fridays in Clubhouse 3, Room 2.
A variety of experts from “outside the wall” are also invited to share their experiences and ideas with club members.
Guest speakers for August include Jaime Guerrero, GRF security chief, on Aug. 12; Cindy Flynn, GRF director of human resources, on Aug. 19; and, Sunshine Black, wound specialist at Los Alamitos Medical Center,on Aug. 26.
The Sunshine Club’s annual rummage sale will be from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8. Those who want to donate items, except furniture, call Anna Derby at 301-5339 for a pickup. Due to a shortage of storage space, items will be picked up Sept. 7. It would be appreciated if shareholders dropped off donations between 2-8 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Clubhouse 2.
The club meets to discuss everyday living in Leisure World from 10 a.m.-noon Fridays in Clubhouse 3 , Room 2 (Room 8 on the first Friday of the month).
There are no membership dues, and everyone in LW is welcome. For more information, call Derby.
HHUG
Bunco fundraiser planned to help local homeless
Hearts and Hands United in Giving (HHUG) will sponsor a bunco fundraiser from 5-9 p.m on Aug. 13 in Clubhouse 2. The cost is $25 cost and includes appetizers, silent auction, bunco and surprises. All the proceeds will go to agencies working with Orange and Los Angeles counties to help homeless adults and families and others in need.
Call Susan Hopewell, 430-6044, or Linda Neer, 430-3214, to receive a reservation flyer. There is limited space so reserve early.
Visit www.hhug.org to learn more about HHUG.
Mutual 2
Summer potluck planned Aug. 9 for residents
Mutual 2 will host its first summer potluck at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9, in the greenbelt between buildings 20, 21, 34 and 37.
Mutual 2 residents are asked to bring favorite dishes to serve six-eight people.
The mutual will provide drinking water, plates, plasticware and napkins.
Anyone with tables and chairs that could be used, should call Chairperson Shirley Naret, 493-3702, or President Myrna Baker, 430-2313, and they will arrange for help to transport the furniture.
Organizers also need helping hands to set up and clean up.
GRF
Ticket prices vary for excursions
With the tremendous response to the Angels Baseball and Stars on Ice events, the GRF Recreation Department is planning more trips this year.
People are welcome to sign up for the following excursions:
• Angels vs. Cincinnati Reds, Aug. 31, Angels Stadium; tickets range from $38-$69 with bus transportation and all expenses included.
• Lakers vs. the Sacramento Kings, Oct. 4, Honda Center; tickets range from $46-$156, which includes bus transportation and gratuities.
• Andrea Bocelli, Dec. 4, Honda Center; tickets range from $97 to 380 with bus transportation and all expenses included.
These trips will be held if there is enough interest to fill one bus. The GRF Recreation Department will coordinate and host the excursions, but people would buy their own tickets. Accessible/mobility challenged seating (subject to availability) must be requested at the time of purchase. People who need assistance must provide their own caregivers, as well as the assistant’s ticket and transportation.
Pricing for the Angels game:
LOCATION ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE
Terrace Box $38
Field MVP $69.50
Pricing for the Lakers game:
LOCATION ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE
Terrace – Behind Baskets $46
Terrace – Center Court $64
Plaza – Behind Baskets $104
Plaza – Center Court $157
Pricing for the Bocelli concert:
LOCATION ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE
Terrace End $97
Terrace Center $144
Plaza End $210
Plaza Center $286
Plaza Front Stage $380
Tickets may be purchased from the Recreation Department in Building 5 between 9 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays or from 1-4 p.m. on Thursdays. For more information, contact Tommy Fileto, recreation supervisor, at 431-6586, ext. 371.
Plans are also in the works for an L.A. Opera trip with special community pricing.
Paws, Claws & Beaks
Pet related injuries is topic Aug. 10
Paws, Claws & Beaks: A Pet Lovers Club invites members, shareholders and guests to meet Leslie Dykstra, physical therapist working at Senior’s Choice Physical Therapy, located at Leisure World Health Center at 3 p.m. on Aug. 10 in Clubhouse 3, Room 3.
Dykstra will discuss pet related injuries and offer advice on maintaining balance to help prevent falls.
She has been a physical therapist for over 20 years, having previously worked at Downey Hospital (now PIH Health Downey). She is an animal lover, having three Pomeranians, four chickens and two fish (one named Sharknado), and knows first-hand how to avoid animal-related injuries.
The pet lovers club meets the second Wednesday of the month. All Leisure World residents are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served.
Contact Peggy Keller, 446-0130, or email her at pklw4413@gmail.com, with questions.
Friendship Club
August computer topics announced
Computer and eBay classes hosted by the Friendship Club are taught by instructors Jeff Sacks, Keith Bague and Max Smith as follows:
Monday, Aug. 8, in Clubhouse 3, Room 4
9 a.m. - Intro to iPhone (Sacks)
10 a.m. - Intro to Computers (Sacks)
11 a.m. - Windows 10 (Bague)
Noon - Computer Advice, all topics (Bauge)
Monday, Aug. 15, in Clubhouse 6, Room B
9 a.m. - Intro to iPad (Sacks)
10 a.m. - Computer Advice, all topics (Sacks)
11 a.m. - Internet and Email (Bague)
Noon- Windows 10 (Bague)
Monday, Aug. 22, in Clubhouse 3, Room 4
9 a.m. - Intro to Apple Computers (Sacks)
10 a.m. - Computer Advice, all topics (Sacks)
11 a.m. - Skype Video Communication (Bague)
Noon - Microsoft Word (Bague)
Tuesday, Aug. 23, in Clubhouse 3, Room 7
Noon - Intro to Computers (Sacks)
1 p.m. - Windows 10 (Bague)
2 p.m. - Let’s Talk eBay (Smith)
Monday, Aug. 29, in Clubhouse 3, Room 4
9 a.m. Intro to Computers (Sacks)
10 a.m. Computer Advice all topics (Sacks)
11 a.m. iPad (Bague)
Noon - Computer Virus Protection/LWSB Website (Bague)
The classes are free, but donations are welcome. Wireless internet is available.
For eBay information, contact Smith, 493-3679; for computer information, contact Bague, (714) 267-7871 or Sacks, 431-8050
Subscribe to the email list at jfsacks@gmail.com.
Realtively Speaking
Brothers’ reunion provided by Wish of Lifetime charity
Wish of a Lifetime, a group dedicated to honoring worthy elders and supported by donations, sponsored a reunion of three brothers, Joe, Jim and Frank Kaspar, in Leisure World on July 24.
The visit was considered impossible because of the ill health of former LW resident Joe, 96 years old, who is blind, diabetic, and a heart attack and stroke victim.
He fooled everybody by being the life of the party.
Joe was a B-26 medium bomber engineer in the Army Air Corps. He flew 48 missions from Corsica, Sicily and Dijon, France, while bombing Italy, France and Germany until the end of WWII. He is now a resident in Veterans Nursing Home in Rifle, Colorado.
LWer Jim was also in the Army Air Corps. He was an engineer on a B-24 heavy bomber, attacking France and Germany.
Frank, from Costa Mesa, served in the Army during the Korean engagement.
The brothers have two deceased brothers who also served in WWII. Chuck was a Naval Air Corps pilot and Eddie, an Army Air Corps mechanic.
The gathering in Clubhouse 3 was attended by 14 of 15 cousins of the next generation, along with their families, for a total of over 30 guests.
Attendees included guests from Washington State, Colorado, California and a missionary nephew from Mexico.
The mission of Wish of a Lifetime is to shift the way society views and values the oldest generations by fulfilling seniors’ dreams and sharing their stories to inspire those of all ages.
For more information on Wish of a Lifetime or to make a donation, visit wishoflifetime.org.
PHOTO-RELATIVELY SPEAKING—Gertrude Burin (l) celebrated the 4th of July weekend with a visit from her daughter and family. Cindee Conner is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force and was deployed in Afghanistan as a surgical nurse in the third busiest trauma center in the world. Her husband, Col. Paul Conner, is commander of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, the largest medical treatment facility in North Carolina. Gertrude’s granddaughter, Rilee, 11 years old, has attended several schools throughout the world including Korea. She enjoys traveling with her parents on their various assignments. Her favorite subject is science.
Urban coyotes must be retrained
Recent coyote sightings in Leisure World have drawn concerns among residents.
Generally coyotes are reclusive and avoid human contact, but when a coyote does not run away it likely has become urbanized and accustomed to people.
A statement last year from the Seal Beach Police Department (SBPD), says, “It is extremely rare for a coyote to attack a human, especially an adult. Also, coyotes are not nocturnal by nature. They are naturally diurnal (active at dawn and dusk). They usually become nocturnal in urban settings as an adaptation.”
Urbanized coyotes generally realize that there are few threats and feel safe coming into yards when humans are present.
People should never feed wild animals, intentionally or unintentionally.
The urban coyote movement and residency is based on available food sources and generally occurs when pet food bowls, open trash cans and small pets left out at night. If food is prevalent in the area, they will stay until the food source is eradicated and then move on to more fertile territories.
The best way to rid the community of coyotes is to reshape the coyotes’ behavior.
According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), “hazing is a method that makes use of deterrents to move an animal out of an area or to discourage an undesirable behavior or activity.”
“Hazing changes coyotes behavior and teaches them to avoid people and neighborhoods,” says Lynsey White-Dasher, HSUS director of humane wildlife conflict resolution. Hazing entails using a variety of scare tactics to teach a coyote to regard people as a threat and to stay away from them.
Bold coyotes should not be tolerated or enticed, but hazed and chased away.
“If a coyote is encountered, hazing tactics are encouraged,” says the SBPD.
State law requires healthy wildlife be left alone (California Code of Regulations §251.1).
Healthy wildlife, by nature, will avoid contact with humans. Most wildlife hunt and gather food at night and seek food, water and shelter from residential properties. State law only allows trapping wildlife when the wildlife is causing property damage or is violent, (Fish & Game §4152 & 4180).
The more coyotes are killed, the more they reproduce. “It doesn’t matter how many are trapped, there will always be coyotes in urban areas,” says White-Dasher.
The coyotes’ genetics are such that when a member of the flock is removed, their reproductive tendencies increase in order to regain numbers.
Since the coyotes are not likely to leave anytime soon, residents should:
• Never feed coyotes or any wildlife.
• Keep pets and pet food inside. If feeding outside, feed pets during the day (no more than one hour) and remove the food and water bowls when finished.
• Stay close to pets when taking them outdoors and always keep them on a leash, especially from dusk through early morning hours.
• Remove fallen fruit from the ground.
• Bag food waste such as meat scraps or leftover pet food and dispose of it in trash containers with tight-fitting lids.
• Use “hazing” techniques to shoo away coyotes, such as standing tall, yelling and waving arms while approaching the coyote.
Citronella spray is recommended by the SBPD. It is relatively cheap and available at most pet stores. It is utilized by the Seal Beach nature center staff and recommended by a local animal biology professor.
• Never run away from a coyote. Face the coyote and back away slowly.
The coyote may not leave at first, but if a person moves closer and increases the intensity of hazing, he will run away.
If the coyote runs away a short distance and then stops and looks, continue hazing until he leaves the area entirely.
After successfully hazing a coyote, he or she may return. Continue to haze the coyote as before; it usually takes only one or two times to haze a coyote away for good.
When an ill, injured or aggressive wild animal becomes a threat to public health and safety call Long Beach Animal Care Services at 570-7387(PETS).
If the coyote is posing an imminent threat to life, call 911.
Hazing drives coyotes away
Using a variety of different hazing tools is critical because coyotes can habituate to individual items, sounds and actions. The simplest method of hazing a coyote involves being loud and large.
• Yell and wave your arms while approaching the coyote
• Use noise makers, your voice, whistles, air horns, a can filled with pennies, bang pots and pans together, stomp your feet
• Use repellents—hoses, water guns with vinegar water, spray bottles with vinegar water, pepper spray, Citronella spray, walking sticks, tennis balls or rocks.
SBPD and HSUS recommended hazing videos::
• bit.ly/19hkRB2
• www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MOnDIx71Q0&list=PL0C27013CD3314172
LBCC
Senior classes are offered
The schedule of classes for the Senior Studies Program for Lifetime Learning at the Pacific Coast Campus of Long Beach City College (LBCC) is now available. Registration is Aug. 16-18 from 8 a.m.-noon. Classes are designed to engage and inspire older adults mentally and physically.
•Music Appreciation for Concert Goers & Musical Theatre Lovers is Mondays, Aug. 22-Nov. 14, from 1-3 p.m. with Lucy Daggett and Sidney Hopkins.
• World Affairs and Current Events with Mary Thoits is from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesdays, Aug. 24-Dec.7.
• Computers, Internet and Social Media, an eight-week class, is offered Fridays, Aug. 26-Oct. 14, from 10 a.m.-noon.
• Tai Chi classes will be offered at both campuses. The LBCC campus classes will be Fridays at 10 a.m. starting Aug. 26 and PCC campus classes will be Tuesdays starting Oct. 8.
For more information, call Theresa Brunella 938-3047 or 938-3048.