Having reached the halfway mark of 2025 and enjoying the summer so far, it is time to look forward and evaluate various economic outcomes for the year’s second half. We could sit back and enjoy the scene — it certainly gives us a more pleasurable view than being in a room without air conditioning during the heatwave in Europe facing a recession. Worse, you could be in the humidity during monsoon season in Seoul, Tokyo, or Shanghai facing higher tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, with deadlines, once again, moved from July 9 to Aug. 1.

In this piece, we will focus on aspects from the national picture, which affect the state and our regional economy.

At first glance, the national employment report published July 3 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics-Department of Labor seemed to contain encouraging news: the unemployment rate, which had been at historical lows of around 4.2% for a year, actually dropped by 0.1 percentage points while adding almost 150,000 new positions last month. This is certainly welcome news compared to analysis, which forecasted an imminent recession given the decline in real GDP during the first quarter, and fears about government layoffs and uncertainty from the tariffs. Perhaps the absence of a deadline until Aug. 1 may be used by the doom and gloom forecasters to explain the continuously booming labor market at the national level (only three foreign trade deals have been signed so far).

On the downside, it also means the Federal Reserve is unlikely to reduce interest rates, especially when coupled with the fact that core inflation, as measured by the personal consumption expenditure price index (excluding food and energy) actually went up slightly last month.

The combination of a labor market at full employment coinciding with inflation above the Federal Reserve’s target range (2%) makes it unlikely the U.S. central bank will lower the Federal Funds Rate by more than 50 basis points by the end of the year, if at all. This is the sort of number that would be required to stimulate housing starts and construction and would have more of an immediate impact compared to Gov. Gavin Newsom suspending the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, a policy decision many economists, including us, had called for previously. In the words of our governor, it “is a game changer, which will be felt for generations to come.” While this will benefit housing starts in the medium term, it takes some time for builders to act.

There are a few dark clouds on the horizon.

First, the decrease in the unemployment rate, according to theCurrent Population Survey, shows the unemployment rate fell because the labor force shrank, coinciding with an increase in employment. The change in the unemployment rate is about equal to the difference between the growth rate of the labor force and employment growth; hence both factors contributed. In general, a shrinking labor force is not a healthy signal since it means that some people may have given up looking for jobs or, worse, immigrants withdrawing from the labor force.

Second, the majority of the jobs created since May 2025 have come from just two sectors: Health and Public Education (Local Government). The two sectors contributed 132,000 new positions, or over 91% of the increase in employment. This is not healthy for the long run development of an economy, especially if these two sectors are going to be negatively affected by national fiscal policy decisions and demographics.

Third, if we focus on the private sector, then employment increased by less than 75,000, of which 68,000 came from Health sector hirings. Watch out, the rest of the private sector created only 8,000 new positions, with many sectors, including manufacturing, contracting.

Another concern comes from looking in more detail at companies affected by the expansion of Artificial Intelligence. Tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Intel,  Meta, and Google have been implementing workforce reductions this year and restructuring as they prioritize AI investments. Software development jobs are in steady decline, together with scientific and technical consulting, professional business services, advanced manufacturing, and TV, film, sound recording and video streaming. Regarding the latter, AI is displacing 3-D modelers, sound editors, re-recording mixers and broadcast, audio and video technicians, sound designers and engineers, script writers, artists, animators and graphic designers. More than 50,000 jobs have been downsized in this sector since spring 2023. If you are watching Wimbledon or the U.S. Open Tennis tournament, you will notice AI has displaced all line judges.

Surveys have shown that AI has already displaced many workers in the information, entertainment, and gaming industries, but at the same time, job formation in the form of developing, maintaining, and overseeing AI systems is expected. While new opportunities will continue to emerge in AI, the layoffs appear to have far offset the jobs created to date. In addition, due to the tariff uncertainty that still haunts businesses this year, new hiring to supplement AI systems is likely to remain restrained.

Despite the reminder that economics is a dismal science, talk about an imminent national recession does not sound realistic and reminds us of the situation in 2022 and 2023, when many forecasters predicted a downturn within a year, only to move back the starting date repeatedly before realizing it would not happen. This became known as the “Godot Recession” — referring to Becket’s play “Waiting for Godot,” where a boy messenger repeatedly announces to the two main characters that Mr. Godot, who they have been waiting for, will not appear today but for sure tomorrow — in the end, he never comes.

We continue to forecast positive economic growth for the rest of the year, including the current quarter. (We will not get the data for 2023 Q2 until later this month). We expect the number to show growth in real GDP of about 2%, with lower, but positive, values to follow for the rest of the year.

Los Angeles and its surrounding cities have begun to cancel Independence Day events in the wake of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that led to the detention of Angelenos during protests against federal immigration enforcement. Cancelled events include the Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Summer Block Party in downtown Los Angeles, the City of Cudahy’s July 4th celebration, and all scheduled events through July 10 in Bell Gardens.

“Out of an abundance of caution regarding concerns for resident safety over federal immigration enforcement activities, the City of Bell Gardens will be canceling the scheduled events,” the city’s administrators announced on Instagram.

The population of Bell Gardens is about 96% Latino, and Cudahy’s is about 98%, according to the Census Bureau. Cudahy was embroiled in controversy this week when Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez seemed to call upon street gang members to fight the ICE raids that targeted individuals suspected of illegal immigration.

“I wanna know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles,18th Street, Florencia,” Gonzalez said in a TikTok video that’s since been deleted. “You guys tag everything up, claiming hood. And now that your hood’s being invaded by the biggest gang, there ain’t a peep out of you.”

Cudahy officials canceled their 4th of July celebration following Gonzalez’s remarks, saying that her opinions did not represent the views or official position of the City of Cudahy. Her comments prompted the Los Angeles Police Protective League — the union that represents police in L.A. — to call for Gonzalez to resign.

Los Angeles officials canceled the city’s downtown July 4th celebration at Gloria Molina Grand Park and has yet to set a new date.

“We are disappointed to postpone what would have been the largest free Fourth of July celebration on the West Coast,” said Gloria Molina Grand Park Director Robert Gonzalez. “Yet the safety of our guests, artists, staff and volunteers will always be our number one priority.”

The aftermath of ICE arrests has left some establishments frequented by Latino residents vacant. And from Home Depot parking lots and auto body repair shops, to urgent care clinics and sidewalk lunch purveyors, businesses have seen a drop in Latino customers and workers.

Recurring ICE arrests drew crowds of protesters to downtown Los Angeles, where mostly peaceful demonstrations showed solidarity for L.A.’s immigrant-rich history. The Los Angeles City Council approved a $5 million loan from the city’s reserve fund to cover overtime pay for LAPD officers during the protests.

Also see: Where to watch July 4th fireworks shows in the LA area, June 28-July 6

Ahilan Arulanantham, co-director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law, says the cancelations of 4th of July events are understandable.

“They underscore the impact created by ICE’s tactic of detaining people without suspicion, even though that tactic is plainly unlawful under their own regulations, the Fourth Amendment, and governing precedent interpreting ICE authority in this context,” Arulanantham said.

Pablo Alvarado, co-director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, has participated in recent peaceful demonstrations and hopes they can continue.

“Although I am grateful that some municipalities are standing up and saying they’re going to protect their residents, I also think that we have to overcome the fear,” Alvarado said. “People have to keep living their lives, people have to keep celebrating their birthdays, people have to still come together in community.”

Laguna Woods Globe columnist

Retirement, commonly referred to as the golden years, is the final frontier. No more deadlines or pulling all-nighters preparing for next morning’s dog and pony show to at least give the impression to the company’s grand poobahs that you’re worth what they pay you.

No more college tuition payments for your erstwhile cherubs, now sporting four-day-old scraggly facial hair that, in their formative years, you’d lovingly refer to as peach fuzz. The kids have moved out and moved on (after two or three false starts), and you’re finally an empty nester. Now your kids have kids, and some of those kids have kids. The circle of life.

Now, every day is Saturday and the world is finally your oyster (oysters and I have a symbiotic relationship of sorts; I don’t eat them and they don’t cause me intestinal ischemia).

The golden years bring with them their own set of joys and sorrows, positives and negatives, surprises, both good and not so, and a myriad of issues and decisions attendant thereto that many of us paid absolutely no heed when told by our folks what the final frontier has in store for us.

Annual doctor appointments give way to monthly appointments. The occasional aspirin has been replaced with a war chest of pills, lozenges and balms.

Dental questions change from “Should I get a root canal and a crown, or just get a filling instead?” to “Do I really need that tooth somewhere in the back that throbs and not in a good way, or should I just buy some string, find a doorknob and eliminate the $950 extraction fee?”

America is on wheels. In our dotage, many of us look askance at our motor vehicle and opt to head for Staters in the ubiquitous golf cart. After a lifetime of washing and waxing our steel chariots weekly in an effort to outshine the neighbors’, it seems now the weekly issue is whether to have a car at all.

We’re proud when we tell our friends, “You know, my 12-year-old land yacht only has 13,000 miles on it.” Is that something to be proud of?

The first three years that I lived in Laguna Woods retirement community, I took my chariot to the car wash weekly (since there’s some sort of prohibition regarding washing cars in the ‘hood, plus the fact that when you’re 70+, interest in gleaming chrome and shiny hubcaps wanes abruptly).

The big three issues of life used to be, in order, sex, food and health. In the golden years, the order is health, or lack thereof, food, and I can’t remember what the third is.

Shaun Tumpane is a Laguna Woods Village resident.

On June 18, 1996 — a cloudy summer day in Washington D.C. — a diminutive 78-year-old woman dies of heart failure and is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Her modest apartment is packed with nearly nine hundred books, many autographed theater and ballet posters from her time as a volunteer usher at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and a few albums. Her obituary is brief and relatively unextraordinary. She’s identified as a retired secretary and volunteer usher from Manila. When her friends clear out her apartment, they find nothing of her life predating her move to Washington. They likely assume that this woman, who they know as Joey Leaumax, has lived an unremarkable life, not much more than the obit offers.

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Rewind a bit from Joey’s death on that cloudy day, however, and you’ll land on a frame at San Francisco State College, where Joey (short for “Josefina”) has enrolled in baccalaureate classes at the age of 47. She’s majoring in English with a minor in Spanish. She sits next to 18-year-olds, but no matter. She goes on to get a master’s degree in Spanish literature from Middlebury College before joining the Peace Corps and serving in Niger, Colombia, and El Salvador, where she teaches children and adults how to read and speak English. She also teaches music and drawing. After the Peace Corps, she moves to Washington, where she dreams of listening to concerts and symphonies. She’d always had an appreciation for classical music, particularly Brahms. As a volunteer usher, she is gifted this luxury.

Rewind even further. See a woman fighting deportation and pawning her Medal of Freedom, which she received at the end of World War II. See her stepping off the wide front porch of a leprosarium, a hospital for people with leprosy, in the hot, humid Louisiana air. Go back ten years, 15, 20, 30. Go back to the lush rolling land of Lucban, Philippines, in the 1920s, and you’ll find her there, stepping through the grass, pretending to be Joan of Arc.

• • •

On the surface, Joey is an unlikely war hero. When the U.S. and Philippine Armed Forces enter World War II in December 1941, you wouldn’t pick her out of a crowd and assume she’d receive service medals. She is small — less than five feet tall, fewer than one hundred pounds. She is a devout Catholic, a devoted wife, a loving mother. But 1941 is a year of great change in more ways than one. After incessant nose bleeds, unrelenting fever, and debilitating pain and fatigue, Joey is diagnosed with leprosy, now known as Hansen’s Disease. By law, Joey is supposed to report to the authorities and enter forced quarantine. Even though leprosy cannot spread through casual contact, the disease is deeply feared and reviled. When Imperial Japan invades the Philippines after bombing Pearl Harbor, Joey is hiding her disease from everyone except her doctor and her husband, Renato, who takes their daughter Cynthia away.

Joey believes she will die soon, but she doesn’t fear death — her faith is too stalwart for that. Instead, she thinks of Joan of Arc, who was led into the battlefield by faith, self-belief, and an unwavering loyalty to her people. If Joey is to die, she wants it to mean something. When a friend recruits her into the guerrilla movement to work as a spy, she barely hesitates.

“I can’t do big things,” she says. “But every little bit helps.”

• • •

At first, Joey spies on Japanese soldiers from the relative safety of her home. Then she becomes a courier. “A little errand boy,” she says. Her code name is Billy Ferrer. She hides messages inside pieces of fruit, in the braids of her dark hair, in the soles of her shoes. At times, her illness is dormant and invisible. She uses these periods to befriend the soldiers themselves. She flirts with them, asks questions, pretends she’s a silly girl with big curiosities, all while eyeing and memorizing their movements, which she reports to the guerrillas.

In early 1945, Capt. Manuel Colayco gives Joey a dangerous task. All her tasks have been dangerous, of course, but this is uniquely perilous — he needs her to deliver a minefield map to the American cavalry more than 35 miles north of Manila. If she’s discovered with the map, she will certainly be killed. Joey immediately agrees and makes her final confession to a priest.

When she reports for duty, she’s in the middle of a flare-up. She has visible, painful sores. Every part of her body aches. Unfortunately, the only safe place to carry the map is on her body, which is pocked with lesions. They tape the map—big, bulky, and folded inside an envelope — to her back.

The quickest way to the cavalry is the main road, but that’s no good. Too many checkpoints. It will be impossible to get there safely by car, so she’ll need to make the journey on foot, through the jungle, which teems with snakes, insects, snipers. When she emerges from the jungle, she’ll need to get across the river, which is scouted by river pirates. When she reaches the cavalry— if she reaches the cavalry — she’s instructed to ask for an American named Captain Blair.

Joey sets off. Soon enough, she is stopped by a Japanese soldier who demands to search her. The soldiers are known for their thorough searches. Sometimes, they order you to strip naked.

Joey agrees, not that she has much choice. When the soldier approaches, she makes sure he sees her body. The lesions. The discolored patches. The sores.

Leprosy cannot be transmitted through touch. Joey knows this. But she also knows how frightening she must appear to him, and how profoundly people loathe lepers. It wasn’t that long ago that people with leprosy had to ring bells, wear shrouds, and yell ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ as they walked down the street. Across religions, cultures, and oceans, lepers are seen as cursed outcasts, unworthy of basic respect.

The soldier steps back and waves her on.

• • •

Fast-forward to the cavalry storming Manila, and you’ll see Joey there, walking through active gunfire. You’ll see her leading people to safety. You’ll see her praying over the bodies of soldiers who are dead or wounded. Since her diagnosis, she has anticipated death, but it doesn’t come for her — not when she’s on the battlefield, not when she’s eventually reported to authorities and forced into quarantine with no running water and no clean beds, not when she travels to the U.S. to receive care at the Carville Leprosarium in Carville, Louisiana. It doesn’t come for her as she battles deportation, or when American customers belittle her because of her accent, or when she enrolls in school, or when she serves in the poorest regions of the world with the Peace Corps.

It comes for her on that cloudy day, when she is 78 years old, a woman who has spent the final decades of her life listening to music and surrounded by books. In this final frame, a quote comes to mind: something she said in an interview long ago.

“I am just a simple, ordinary person,” she said. “I only did what you or any other would have done.”

Erin Entrada Kelly, a two-time Newbery Medalist, is best known for fiction. The story of Joey Guerrero inspired her first work of nonfiction — “At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, And Fought For Freedom,” out now from Greenwillow Books. Kelly, a Filipino American, grew up near Carville, La., where Joey was treated for leprosy.

Graduates are transferring to institutions across the University of California and California State University systems as well as private institutions including Chapman, USC and Yale.

Here is a message to the graduates from SCC President Jeannie Kim:

Today, we don’t just celebrate the end of something. We celebrate the beginning. A beginning you have created with courage, curiosity, and relentless determination.

You are not just graduates. You are the prototype of a new era.

The first generation of post-pandemic, AI-era learners, the ones who didn’t follow the script, you actually rewrote it. With late nights, early mornings, part-time jobs, full-time jobs, full-time responsibilities, and of course, full hearts. Some of you studied between nursing or restaurant shifts. Some of you logged in after putting your kids to bed. Some of you are the first in your family to ever walk across a stage like this. And all of you are here because you didn’t give up.

A personal reflection

I want to share something with you, not just as your college president, but as a mother, as a woman who has walked through storms and still stood, and as someone who believes deeply in the power of education to transform not just individuals, but generations.

Some of you know that I’m the mother of a beautiful, now 27-year-old son named Nathaniel. He’s nonverbal, fed through a gastronomy tube in his stomach, and no longer able to walk or stand. He is medically complex and requires around-the-clock support because he is 100% dependent on others for care. Our days are filled with both beauty and battle, and yet every day Nathaniel teaches me that strength is quiet, presence is power, and love is far greater than anything we can measure.

And just a few weeks ago, I sat in the audience of another graduation for my 25-year-old daughter, Elise, who earned her master’s degree in school counseling from NYU. As she crossed the stage, I was flooded with memories of scraped knees and whispered fears, of school projects and hard conversations about life and relationships. But we also celebrated the small everyday moments that slowly shape a human soul. Watching her become the kind of woman who will help others find their way through academics and life, that was a full-circle moment for me because raising children and inspiring students isn’t about control. It’s about cultivating something sacred, the ability to imagine, to care, to question, to dream, to rise, no matter what this world or life throws at you.

To the parents, families and supporters

So let me take a moment to speak directly to you, the parents, the grandparents, the siblings, the mentors, the chosen families sitting in the crowd holding back tears or beaming with pride.

This day belongs to you, too. You were there through the late-night doubts, the financial sacrifices, the emotional breakdowns, the red-eyed drives, and the whispered, “You’ve got this.”

Whether you were cheering from the sidelines or silently praying from the room next door, you helped raise not just graduates but compassionate, resilient, powerful human beings. You didn’t just nurture minds, you nurtured their futures. And for that, I thank you.

Standing at the edge of change

Class of 2025, you are stepping into a world defined by change, rapid, relentless, and remarkable.

Artificial intelligence is already shaping the world you’re walking into. It can write code, compose music, diagnose disease, and yes, even write a decent essay. But what it can’t do is dream. It can’t care. It can’t imagine a better world and then build it.

That’s where you come in. Because while the future may be built with algorithms, it will be led by humans. Humans with empathy, with vision, with heart. Humans who have the courage to ask, “Just because we can, should we?”

Where you’re headed next

I won’t pretend the road ahead will be easy.

Some of you will launch startups, some will continue or return to jobs, some will transfer to four-year universities, join nonprofits, raise children, or change fields entirely.

Many of you will reinvent yourselves again and again, and that’s okay.

But wherever you go and whatever you do, I want you to remember this: You already know how to adapt. You already know how to overcome. You already know how to lead, because you’ve done it here.

Today, as you walk across the stage, you carry more than a degree. You carry the spirit of a builder. You are not waiting for the world to invite you in. You’re shaping it, daring to imagine what’s possible and boldly creating the future you want to live in.

So, here’s my advice

First, stay uncomfortable. That’s where growth lives. Growth doesn’t happen in the comfort zones. It happens when you stretch beyond what you thought you were capable of.

Second, be both dreamer and doer. Don’t wait for perfect plans. Just start. The world needs your vision, but it needs your action as well. Dreams without motion stay locked in our minds but when you begin, even imperfectly, courageously, and without all the answers, you turn ideas into impact. And if you fail, let failure teach you. You don’t need a flawless roadmap to move you forward. You need belief, initiative, and the willingness to figure it out as you go.

Three, keep learning. The diploma is just the beginning. In a world that’s changing faster than ever, your willingness to keep learning will be your greatest advantage.

Number four, use technology but don’t lose yourself in it. We are living in a time of breathtaking innovation. Where artificial intelligence, automation, and digital tools can amplify what we create, how we solve problems, and the speed at which we move. But with that power comes responsibility. Technology should serve your purpose, not replace your presence.

And lastly, most of all, have integrity and be kind. It’s the most underrated form of leadership in the world. In a world that often rewards ambition, speed, and visibility, never underestimate the quiet power of character. Integrity means doing what’s right, even when no one is watching. It means choosing honesty over convenience, values over shortcuts, and consistency over applause. It’s the anchor that keeps you grounded when success tempts you to drift. And kindness, real intentional kindness, is not a weakness. It is a strength with open hands. It’s listening when it’s easier to talk, lifting others up when you’re still climbing yourself, and treating every person with dignity, no matter their title or their role. Kindness disarms. It builds trust. It opens doors that credentials alone cannot. So, lead with your heart as much as your mind. The world doesn’t just need brilliance, it needs goodness, and you are capable of both.

You are not the future – you are the now

The world won’t be transformed by the smartest machines. It will be transformed by the bravest humans, people like you, who have faced challenge with grit, led with heart, and stood firm in the moments of doubt.

So go boldly forward, live with purpose, lead with empathy, dream without apology, and never forget, you are the authors of a future we cannot yet imagine, but desperately need.

Take flight and continue to soar as only an SCC Hawk can.

Congratulations, Class of 2025! The world is not waiting for you, it is depending on you.

Santiago Canyon College By the Numbers

Graduates: 1,400

Age of graduates: 17-77

Degrees and certificates conferred: 3,600

Military veteran graduates: 17

Unique class highlights:

Pairs of twins: 4

Pairs of siblings: 11

Sets of parents graduating with their children: 2

As a male primary care physician, I am often asked about the best practices for men’s health exams and screenings and, more importantly — and this often comes from the significant other in their life — how to get them to stick to these preventative measures.

These health evaluations are essential for maintaining well-being and detecting potential issues early when things are most treatable and sometimes even reversible – like high blood pressure.

At the baseline level, my current recommendations are for men to get annual physicals (not just every other year), the relevance of the digital rectal exam and the role of screening in prostate cancer detection.

Annual physicals are a cornerstone of preventive health care. They offer an opportunity to evaluate a patient’s overall health, update vaccinations and discuss lifestyle habits that impact long-term health. For men, these check-ups are crucial for monitoring common health issues, such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which are prevalent in the male population.

Regular physical exams also help build a comprehensive health profile over time. Annual physicals allow us to track changes in a patient’s health year over year, making it easier to identify trends that might indicate underlying problems. It’s about staying proactive rather than having to be reactive in treatment.

One of the more contentious components of men’s health exams is the digital rectal exam. While the digital rectal exam can provide valuable information, it is not always necessary for every patient. The necessity of the DRE depends on individual risk factors. For men with a higher risk of prostate cancer — such as those with a family history or certain genetic markers — the digital rectal exam can be a useful tool. But having an open dialogue with your physician is important to determine if it’s right for you.

Another option is the prostate-specific antigen screening, which measures the level of prostate-specific antigen in the blood, with higher levels potentially indicating prostate cancer. The prostate-specific antigen screening has significantly evolved — with updated guidelines reflecting a more personalized approach.

PSA screening should be individualized based on a man’s risk factors. For men aged 55 to 69, the decision to undergo prostate-specific antigen screening should be made after thoroughly discussing the potential benefits and risks with their health care provider. For those 70 years old and up, PSA screening is generally not recommended unless they are in excellent health and have a higher life expectancy.

Men’s health exams and screenings are vital for detecting and preventing serious health issues. But men tend to feel they can put it off — since they “feel fine” or are “strong enough.”

As a physician, I encourage you to stay proactive about your health. Consult with your primary care physician about the most appropriate screenings and exams for your specific needs. Your health is an invaluable asset — so take the steps to protect it today.

Want to learn more? Visit gnpweb.com or call 949-425-0321 to schedule an appointment.

Dr. Henry Leung, with Greater Newport Physicians MemorialCare, is a doctor of osteopathic medicine and is board-certified in family medicine. He encourages his patients to focus on preventive care and is committed to advancing the health of his patients. He believes that nutrition and exercise are the keys to preventive health. He makes sure to remain easily accessible and always insists upon the highest standard of care. His medical interests include dermatology (medical and cosmetic) and sports medicine.

Contributing Columnist

Southern California’s warm weather, combined with abundant pool and beach access, is a central part of summer, especially for children.

But this lifestyle comes with an often-overlooked risk.

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1 to 4 in the United States, and up to 90% of deaths in children under 5 years of age happen in residential pools.

Fortunately, drowning is 100% preventable with the right precautions. Key prevention measures include four-sided fencing, close supervision, life jackets and swimming lessons when age appropriate.

While experts recommend using multiple methods to prevent drowning, pool fences have been shown to be the most studied and effective drowning prevention strategy.

Sadly, a lot of homeowners believe fences are an aesthetic eyesore, so they instead rely on devices like water alarms – floating toys that sense motion on the water’s surface – or a net or pool cover, or a door or gate alarm.

Although these options provide great additional levels of protection, nothing beats a fence around a swimming pool – and studies prove it.

Fenced in

Installation of four-sided fencing (at least 4-feet tall) with self-closing and self-latching gates that completely isolates the pool from the house and yard is the most studied and effective drowning-prevention strategy for young children, preventing more than 50% of swimming-pool drownings in this age group, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

And pool fences should be around all pools, including permanent in-ground pools, above-ground pools, and hot tubs.

As a pediatrician of 15 years who previously worked in the emergency department of a hospital in Oakland, I’ve seen too many children die from this preventable tragedy. Drowning, in fact, is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality among young children in the U.S., California, and Orange County.

Backyard tragedies

I’m a board member of the American Academy of Pediatrics-Orange County and this time of year in particular, with the weather heating up, pool safety is top of mind.

The statistics are sad — and disturbing.

Between 2013 and 2015, more than half of drownings (58%) among children aged 4 and under happened in a pool or spa at their own home, according to healthychildren.org. Most children drowned when they wandered out of the house and fell into a swimming pool that was not fenced off from the house. They slipped out a door, climbed out a window, or even crawled through a doggy door to access the pool.

A family swimming pool isn’t the only one a child can get into unnoticed. More than a quarter (27%) of drownings among children aged 4 and under took place at the home of a friend, relative or neighbor, healthychildren.org reported.

It’s important to note that homeowners who have pools could be found legally liable should a child from another home drown. Lawyers call such pools “attractive nuisances.”

When my kids were very young, we only lived in homes without pools. We’d drive our children to community pools and carefully watch them. Drowning happens fast and is often silent.

So, forget how fences look: If you have a pool, install a fence around it. You could be saving a child’s life.

Dr. Amanda Salter is a primary care physician at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

As we age, neurocognitive disorders, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, can be particularly worrisome, impacting not just the individual but also their loved ones.

Understanding the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is crucial for seniors and their families, as it can help in recognizing symptoms, seeking timely medical advice, and managing the conditions effectively. Early detection and proper management can significantly improve the quality of life for those affected, allowing them to maintain their independence and dignity for as long as possible.

Dementia is an umbrella term for a set of symptoms that severely affect cognitive abilities and interfere with daily life. These symptoms can include memory loss, confusion, difficulty with language and communication, and changes in mood and behavior.

Dementia is not a single disease — but rather a syndrome caused by various underlying conditions that damage the brain. The severity of dementia can vary, with some individuals experiencing mild cognitive impairment, while others may face more profound and debilitating challenges.

The causes of dementia can vary widely, ranging from vascular issues to brain injuries and other neurodegenerative diseases.

For instance, vascular dementia results from conditions that block or reduce blood flow to the brain, preventing brain cells from getting the oxygen and nutrients they need. This type of dementia often occurs after a stroke or a series of mini-strokes, leading to a gradual decline in cognitive function. Other causes of dementia include Lewy body disease, characterized by abnormal protein deposits in the brain, and frontotemporal dementia, which affects the frontal and temporal lobes, leading to changes in personality and behavior. Chronic alcoholism, vitamin deficiencies and even prolonged exposure to certain toxins can also contribute to the development of dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of cases in seniors. It is a specific neurodegenerative disease that gradually worsens over time, leading to serious problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain, specifically amyloid plaques and tau tangles. These proteins disrupt normal brain function by damaging neurons and eventually leading to their death. The loss of brain cells results in the shrinking of the brain and the progressive decline in cognitive abilities.

Unlike other forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease has a distinct progression.

Initially, individuals may experience mild memory loss and confusion, and struggle to remember recent events or conversations. As the disease progresses, symptoms become more severe, leading to significant memory loss, confusion about time and place, and difficulty with language and communication. Behavioral changes such as anxiety, agitation and withdrawal from social interactions are common, and daily tasks become more difficult, eventually leading to complete dependency on caregivers. In the later stages of Alzheimer’s, individuals may lose the ability to carry on a conversation, respond to their environment, or control movement.

Although the exact cause of Alzheimer’s is still not fully understood, it is believed to involve a combination of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Genetic predisposition plays a significant role, particularly in cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s, where mutations in specific genes increase the likelihood of developing the disease. Environmental factors, such as exposure to toxins or head injuries, may also contribute to the risk. Lifestyle factors, including diet, physical activity and cognitive engagement, are increasingly recognized as important in either mitigating or exacerbating the risk of Alzheimer’s.

This blend of factors suggests that while we cannot entirely prevent Alzheimer’s, adopting a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk.

Regular physical activity helps maintain brain health by promoting blood flow and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, a known contributor to cognitive decline. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, often referred to as a Mediterranean diet, has been associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s. Mental stimulation through activities like reading, puzzles, and social engagement can also help keep the brain active and potentially delay the onset of symptoms.

Understanding these conditions can be a source of comfort and empowerment for seniors and their families. By learning more about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, individuals can better recognize the signs and symptoms, seek timely medical advice, and explore appropriate treatment options. Early intervention can include medications to manage symptoms, as well as lifestyle changes and support services to help maintain independence for as long as possible. Additionally, connecting with support groups and resources can provide emotional and practical assistance for both patients and caregivers, fostering a sense of community and shared experience.

Remember, you are not alone in this journey. Hope and help are always available, and taking proactive steps today can make a significant difference in your quality of life tomorrow. To learn more about dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and available support resources, visit gnpweb.com.

Dr. Dung Trinh is the chief medical officer of Healthy Brain Clinic, a board member for Alzheimer’s Orange County and a physician with MemorialCare, and is a medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions. 

I feel as though I’ve just passed through a magical portal. One moment, I’m walking across a gravel parking lot for San Diego’s Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, accompanied by the hum of traffic from the nearby roads and freeways. The next, I’m enveloped by western sycamore trees, coast live oaks and arroyo willows.

The traffic noise recedes into the background, succumbing to the bubbly song of a house wren and the burbling of the nearby creek. I pause to watch the wren as he darts to the ground to grab a twig. It’s nesting season, and he’s busy trying to woo a mate and start a family.

As I witness this spring ritual, I’m reminded that this preserve, and many others like it, serves as a home to hundreds of species of plants and animals, while also providing us with a place to escape from the stressors of daily urban life.

These pockets of nature exist in canyons throughout Southern California, partially because their topography makes them challenging to develop, but also because communities have fought to keep them here, valuing the ability to connect with nature in their own neighborhoods.

These are not just pretty spaces. Urban canyons work hard. They absorb and filter stormwater, leaving our oceans and everything downstream cleaner. They reduce temperatures in our cities. They improve air quality. They provide habitat and corridors for wildlife. And they give us places for recreation and connection to nature, and the whole slew of health benefits that go along with that — less anxiety and depression, better sleep, better focus and problem-solving skills, less chronic disease and longer life spans.

From the massive Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in northern Los Angeles County to neighborhood canyons like Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles and Eaton Canyon in Pasadena (both heavily impacted by January’s wildfires), to mid-sized parks like the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park in Riverside and the Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park in Laguna Niguel, Southern California offers an amazing array of natural spaces that are easily accessible to residents and visitors alike.

San Diego’s wild side

Nowhere, however, will you find more undeveloped urban canyons spread throughout a city than in San Diego. According to the San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat), more than 80 percent of the city’s 1.4 million residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park or green space, and this is largely due to urban canyons.

There are hundreds of urban canyons spread throughout the county, some 27,000 acres of which are managed by the Open Space Division of the city of San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department. These lands snake through the city from as far north as San Pasqual and Clevenger Canyon near the San Diego Zoo Safari Park all the way down to Otay Valley Regional Park near the southern border.

“If you go to the city of San Diego’s website, there’s a map, and you can see all the little slivers of neighborhood canyons and open space parks within five miles or less of your house,” says Julie Aeilts, senior park ranger for Mission Trails Regional Park, an 8,000-acre open space park located just 8 miles northeast of downtown San Diego. “We really want people to know what treasures they have in their own backyards.”

Part of what makes the city’s urban canyons such treasures is they provide important habitat and corridors for San Diego County’s plants and animals, including 85 species that are either endangered, threatened or species of concern. The county is the most biodiverse county in the continental U.S., but it is also a “biodiversity hotspot.” That means its biodiversity is not only recognized as globally important, but it is also severely threatened — making it vital to conserve the biodiversity that remains in the county.

“We have so many special species here,” says Aeilts. “We have San Diego fairy shrimp, the California gnatcatcher, the Least Bell’s vireo, burrowing owls — all kinds of wonderful animals — and plants, such as San Diego thornmint and San Diego ambrosia.”

More understanding needed

One of the challenges of conserving the biodiversity in San Diego’s urban canyons is there isn’t enough known about the species living in them.

“We definitely need a baseline of just understanding what species are there,” says Rachel Larson, a postdoctoral researcher in The Nat’s Conservation Biology Department and one of three researchers spearheading the museum’s Healthy Canyons Initiative, a multiyear project to survey the plants and animals living in 20 different urban canyons throughout the county.

The researchers hope the surveys will help determine the state of conservation of plants and animals in the canyons and empower community members — whether they are land managers, policymakers or local residents — to become stewards of these spaces.

All of The Nat’s departments — including Birds and Mammals, Entomology, Herpetology, Botany and even Paleontology — are conducting extensive fieldwork at the 20 sites, collecting data on a wide range of species. “Something that makes this project unique is the fact that it involves all the taxonomic disciplines in our museum, which gives us really cool overlapping data,” says Larson.

This multidisciplinary approach means researchers can look beyond what’s happening with specific species and begin focusing on wildlife communities.

“That is a really interesting move forward for the field of urban ecology because a lot of it has been species-focused,” she adds. “We can look at how plants and animals interact with each other and how the urban fabrics might shift those interactions and what that means for ecological processes.”

Every picture tells a story

With a background in mammalogy, Larson has one of the coolest jobs in the project. She’s in charge of the large mammal camera traps designed to capture images of the variety of mammals living in the canyons. She currently has 37 cameras deployed in the field, with at least one camera in each of the 20 target sites in the Healthy Canyons Initiative.

She sets the cameras out on a quarterly basis (October, January, April and July), and each camera stays at a site for about a month. She started deploying the cameras in October of last year and was just about through the April cycle at press time.

One of the cameras captured a mountain lion in the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve in Escondido on two separate occasions.

“They basically go wherever there’s enough space to support deer,” says Larson. “That’s the one thing mountain lions tend to care about. It was cool to see that individual had stayed in the canyon. Hopefully it establishes territory there and we see it often, but if it is a juvenile, it may disperse out of it at some point. They don’t tend to stick around.”

Some of her favorite images so far are of a gray fox captured by a camera in Tecolote Canyon. “It was really cute,” says Larson. “He’s staring directly into the camera.” She says she had a bobcat do the same thing in Los Peñasquitos Canyon. “He was taking selfies, just staring into the game camera,” says Larson. “We think they can hear the shutter shut, but they don’t seem afraid.”

One of the more dramatic captures by one of the cameras was a barn owl trying to grab a wood rat sitting right in front of the camera. “I’m not sure whether it was successful or not,” she says. “There was just like a flurry of wings, and the owl kind of sat for a second before flying off.”

Recording sessions

In addition to cameras, researchers are also deploying audio recorders in the target canyons to monitor species of birds and bats. “The bird recorders are a really cool way the public can get involved,” says Olivia Poulos, The Nat’s community engagement manager. “If you live within 1,000 meters of one of the selected canyons, we would love to have a bird recorder in whatever outdoor space or yard that you may have.”

Larson says they are pairing audio recording devices, so one device will be deployed in the canyon, and the other device will be deployed in the neighborhood that borders the canyon. People who host a recorder will receive a report listing the species of birds recorded in their yard as well as a list of species picked up by the paired recorder in the canyon.

“Hopefully as a result of the science, we might be able to explain why you only see certain species in some places,” says Larson. “Homeowners can decide what they want to do with that information like whether they might want to make changes to their landscaping to attract more birds.”

How to help

Even if you don’t live right next to one of the 20 canyons in the museum’s Healthy Canyons Initiative, you can still help researchers document the plants and animals living in them by joining the project on iNaturalist and submitting observations either through the smartphone app or on the iNaturalist website.

“You don’t need to be an expert,” says Poulos. “The beauty of the app is it can connect you with our scientists. They are on the app helping to identify species that you photograph.”

Larson points out these iNaturalist observations are vital to the project because the museum’s researchers can’t be out in all 20 canyons every day. “They really do add to the rigor of our scientific models and give us a lot more information about where species are,” she says.

While they receive a lot of observations from the larger canyons and open space parks, such as Mission Trails, Los Peñasquitos Canyon and Tecolote Canyon, they would like to receive more observations from the smaller canyons.

“There are fewer iNaturalist sightings from certain neighborhoods where people don’t have as many resources and time to go out and take those observations,” says Larson. “I get it if you work two jobs and recreating outside is not something that is in the cards for you, but maybe you can snap a photo of something while walking the dog. Even that adds so much natural history value to your neighborhood and the greenspaces by it.”

Larson also emphasizes that you don’t need to just document rare or unusual plants and animals. “Even common species observations have a ton of value,” she says. “We can really start raising alarm bells if we suddenly see drops in common species. If it’s affecting the common species, it’s definitely affecting the rare ones.”

Millie Basden is one of the community scientists participating in the Healthy Canyons Initiative. As an avid iNaturalist user, she regularly submits her observations to the project and enjoys the interaction she has with scientists and other iNat users.

“Some of the plants I’ve found, I didn’t know what I’d found,” says Basden. “I put them on iNaturalist, and Jon Rebman [curator of The Nat’s Botany Department] came along and said, ‘Wow! I didn’t know that was out there!’”

As a resident of Tierrasanta, Basden frequently explores the West Fortuna side of Mission Trails, which is just a short walk from her house. She has become very familiar with the plants and animals there and has even discovered species of plants that had never been identified in the park. Basden, who volunteers in The Nat’s Botany Department, says she was able to collect specimens and take them to the museum’s herbarium, and they will be added to the park’s plant checklist. “I feel a real sense of ownership for this side of the park,” she says.

That sense of ownership is something many regular visitors to San Diego’s urban canyons experience, and it’s something Larson hopes the Healthy Canyons Initiative will inspire in those who have yet to discover these community treasures.

Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve is where I experience that sense of ownership. As I wander along Peñasquitos Creek through the western sycamore trees, arroyo willows and coast live oaks, listening to the birds sing and the water tumbling gently over the rocks, I feel at home.

Resources

Open Space Canyons and Parklands, City of San Diego

San Diego Canyonlands

San Diego Natural History Museum’s Healthy Canyons Initiative

Friends of Los Peñasquitos Canyon

Friends of Rose Canyon

Friends of Tecolote Canyon

Hip-hop music blared from the speakers of a radio station sponsor outside the venue.

A food truck sold Mediterranean fare, and caffeine was the fuel of choice from a tea and coffee vendor.

Inside the gymnasium at Santiago Canyon College, the vibe was young, hip – and gamer-nerd, a sea of black T-shirts, hoodies and stuffed animal mascots perched atop computer screens.

On a 40-foot-long stage, two teams squared off in front of a 20-foot-long LED video screen as the audience, seated in chairs atop a blue plastic tarp that covered the gym floor, watched them compete in the popular first-person tactical hero shooter video game “Valorant.”

Welcome to Neon Night, a first-ever event held 5-9 p.m. May 8 at SCC, the fruits of a growing Esports club on campus that, beginning this fall, will become an official sport, with tryouts for the club’s competitive team —  just like cross-country, softball, beach volleyball and other traditional Hawk sports.

Massive global audience

Esports, for the uninitiated, is short for electronic sports, the competitive playing of video games.

Around, surprisingly, for more than 50 years now but launched into the stratosphere thanks to the digital age and particularly popular on college campuses, Esports today has a massive global audience, with over 380 million viewers watching events both online and in person, according to a recent CNN report.

At SCC, the Esports club has more than 150 members and 40 who compete competitively, according to Roshan Uma, an experienced Esports professional and Esports coordinator at SCC.

Many team members were on hand at Neon Night to show off their skills at an event that was several months in the making. Free and open to the public, total attendees numbered around 400.

“We have one of the largest communities on campus,” Uma said, “and we like to figure out ways to showcase that community.

“Some of our club members participated in a similar event in Los Angeles with a professional team called NRG,” he added. “They invited our team to come play to compete with Cal State University Long Beach, and we thought, ‘Why don’t we do something here?’ ”

‘A long time coming’

Although several rounds of Esports competitions were the focus of Neon Night, SCC students and students from some area high schools also participated in a Prompt-a-Thon, an AI-powered tournament where players used artificial intelligence models to solve real-world problems.

The timed competition blended creativity, strategic thinking and cutting-edge technology, culminating in a live finale on the main stage.

In addition, there were booths showcasing academic programs at SCC as well as career opportunities in tech, gaming and health care through partnerships with industry professionals.

Izzy Nguyen, an English major and Esports enthusiast who helped plan the event, said Neon Night is about community and competition.

“I see a lot of friends here,” Nguyen said. “I’m really excited I was able to help coordinate this, and I’m so thrilled it’s happening. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m glad it’s finally here.”

‘A complete success’

The AI Prompt-A-Thon at Neon Night was the fifth of the year, organized by the Orange County Regional Consortium, which includes nine community colleges and one continuing education center across four community college districts.

The consortium created the Prompt-A-Thon competition to provide students with the opportunity to showcase their problem-solving and communication and help them master skills with new tools such as ChatGPT.

“I thought Neon Night was a complete success,” said Michael Sacoto, interim executive director, Orange County Regional Consortium, Rancho Santiago Community College District.

“The energy and excitement were at a high level throughout the event,” Sacoto said. “I truly enjoyed the fact that students were able to participate in several competitions that made them the main event of the evening.

“Keeping students at the center of anything we do as educators always leads to the best outcomes.”

Engaging in education

The Esports competition went throughout the night, the blasts of gunfire and action from the video game at times drowning out speakers at the AI competition.

“Prompt-a-Thon can help a community understand the value of (career and technical education) and understand how workplace technology is evolving,” said Julia Shin, a third-year high school student at Oxford Academy in Cypress.

“I’ve been interested in entering the biotechnology field,” Shin said, “so the experience helped me to understand how AI might be integrated in future positions. I feel that specialized events like these would help students to see the value in developing technology, since after Prompt-a-Thon, I do feel an interest in using AI to detect and preemptively address diseases.”

Uma was thrilled he and a team of Esports club members were able to pull off Neon Night – and hopes it becomes a regular event at SCC.

“It just really highlights genuinely a shift in getting students engaged in their education,” he said. “A lot of students find more meaning coming to the campus to participate in an event like this.”