Crew weathered shutdown, new safety rules Mark Heptig never stopped working on Rossmoor residents’ golf game even when the pandemic suspended all outdoor sports. And the director of golf has had to shift into overdrive to handle the confluence of situations that the virus triggered – new mandates that changed frequently, time-consuming disinfection...

One cart will be dedicated to medical calls A couple of miniature squad cars – make that carts – will be trundling around Rossmoor later this year delivering help to residents in a tight spot. The vehicles that the community’s security company bought Dec. 1 are not yet in service because the one that will be dedicated for an emergency medical techn...

Rossmoor residents will pause the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 18, to reflect on the message of hope and change through nonviolence brought by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It will have been 12 days since armed pro-Trump hooligans seized and looted America’s symbol of democracy, the U.S. Capitol, during the counting of Electoral College votes for the 202...

How a stranger helped reunite Susan Pope with lost dog Roxie is back home, a little worse for wear but safe and snuggled up with her person, Susan Pope. The black-and-white Cocker Spaniel’s story is one of feared tragedy, hope, a lucky break and the kindness and determination of a dog-loving stranger. It’s a feel-good story in not-sogood times. Rox...

911, WC police, Securitas? It depends on the situation Confused about whom to call for help in Rossmoor? “In an emergency, you should call 911,” Public Safety Manager Dennis Bell said. This means to call for such things as a medical emergency, fire, a break-in, a crime in progress or that just occurred, a downed electric line or the smell of smoke....

Mary Taylor recalls hearing a Black Rossmoor resident speak of heading to one of the retirement community’s swimming pools for a dip only for a white woman to tell her that “the help” wasn’t allowed to use the facility. And decades ago when her teenage son was learning to drive, fears of racial profiling had prompted Taylor to buy him a cellphone s...

Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir joins neuroscientist What is the happiest age to be alive? In Daniel Levitin’s new book on aging, the wellknown neuroscientist points to studies showing that happiness peaks at 82 years old. But, in a recent interview with the Rossmoor News ahead of his upcoming talk at the Walnut Creek Public Library, Levitin acknowledged ...

Pandemic leads year’s top moments As we close out the year, we can pretty much sum up 2020 in one word – coronavirus. While the virus and its consequences certainly dominated lives in Rossmoor, there were other news stories and moments that left imprints, big and small, some of which will shape the valley and its residents for years to come. COVID-...

Bill Leary publishes his last “Engaging Aging” column today – the sixth anniversary of when he started writing it. David Terris retires almost five years after he started “Improve Your Bridge Play.” While both columnists said they have enjoyed their time writing for the newspaper, they decided it was time to step away and try new things. Today, bot...

It all started when Rhona Lishinsky hopped on Amazon’s website this fall to make a straightforward purchase. Or so she thought. But as she began clicking through the array of COVID-19 masks, the Rossmoor resident’s curiosity shifted into overdrive and ultimately resulted in a mass distribution to several hundred others in the retirement community e...