Have you ever wondered what scientifically proven methods are available to keep your mind sharp? Join Dr. Brian Hitt as he discusses a comprehensive approach to brain fitness and keeping your mind sharp on Wednesday, June 1 at 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Clubhouse 2 Sequoia Ballroom.

Dr. Claudia Kawas joins this session to review the University of California, Irvine’s The 90+ Study, of which many Laguna Woods Village residents have been a part. Dr. Kawas will review a summary of results and objectives, as well as discuss future projects in the works.

For more information, contact Social Services at 949-597-4267.

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Next month on Fridays at 2 and 6 p.m., enjoy Village Television’s (TV6) presentation of treasured foreign films.

June 3 – “Golden Door/Nuovomondo”: In this 2007 romance, history and drama film, Salvatore, a Sicilian villager, decides to leave his homeland and emigrate to America with his two sons. They and their fellow travelers face a challenging journey to what they believe is a land of milk and honey. Winner of six Venice Film Festival awards, among others.

June 10 – “Life Is Beautiful/La Vita e Bella”: This 1997 war drama, Jewish-Italian waiter Guido meets Dora, wins her over with his charm and humor, and they marry and have a son. Their happiness is abruptly halted, however, when Guido and Giosue are separated from Dora and taken to a concentration camp. Determined to shelter his son from the horrors of his surroundings, Guido convinces Giosue that their time in the camp is merely a game. Winner of the 1999 Academy Award for Best Actor and Best International Feature Film.

June 17 – “The Sea Inside/Mar Adentro”: In this 2005 Spanish drama/biography, Ramón Sampedro is a Spanish ship mechanic and part-time poet who is left a quadriplegic after a diving accident. This film tells the true story of Sampedro’s 30-year battle for the legal right to end his own life. He develops close relationships with his long-term lawyer and a friend who tries to convince him that his life is worth living. Despite his situation, Ramón manages to inspire those around him to live life to the fullest. Winner of the 2005 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

June 24 – “To Dust”: In this 2018 drama/comedy, a Hasidic cantor in upstate New York, distraught by the untimely death of his wife, befriends a local community college biology professor and the two embark on an increasingly literal undertaking into the underworld. Winner of the Narrative Audience Award at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival.

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In addition to the rapid response of local law enforcement and fire personnel following the shooting at Geneva Presbyterian Church in the City of Laguna Woods, Village Management Services senior management arrived immediately on the scene and remained on site to assist law enforcement as directed or as needed and communicated news to Village residents as soon as it became available. Social Services staff also was on scene to assist individuals with incident-related concerns and/or trauma.

Security Services personnel is on duty 24/7 and regularly monitors law enforcement activity. Thanks to their vast, previous experience as chiefs of police, VMS Security Services Director Eric Nuñez and Director of Operations Carlos Rojas have exceptional working relationships with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) and the Orange County Fire Authority, which enabled staff to receive timely information as this crisis unfolded. They were also able to approach the OCSD Command Post when it was appropriate and directly relay our concerns for our residents who were displaced due to the extent of the crime scene.

On Sunday, senior VMS staff were informed immediately that the suspect was in custody. As soon as this information was confirmed, it was communicated via CodeRED and a Village-wide email.

Additional security staff and bus drivers were called in to provide services to OCSD and other agencies.

Enroll in CodeRED: Help VMS Reach You in an Emergency

As always, VMS staff continually monitors municipal and government information sources and communicates any potential danger to residents via our CodeRED emergency notification system. In the event of an emergency or the need to broadcast critical time-sensitive news, CodeRED transmits brief, urgent messages to Village residents as quickly as possible via a phone call, a text message and/or email.

CodeRED forms are included in every annual business plan mailing. If you have not already enrolled in CodeRED, simply visit lagunawoodsvillage.com, click the black and red CodeRED icon at the top left-hand corner and fill out the form.

Village Emergency Operations Plan

The Village’s Emergency Operations Plan aligns with industry standard protocols and addresses the specific threats the Village may face. The plan conforms to the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System, and has received the Excellence in Disaster Preparedness award from the American Red Cross. The Emergency Operations Center Activation Guide serves as a quick-start guide to the Emergency Operations Plan. The information contained in the plan details the guidelines and protocols that are essential for handling a disaster as effectively and efficiently as possible. 

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All residents should know where they can find news and updates regarding emergencies and disasters outside the community. Be sure to rely on facts from trusted sources when seeking regional updates.

Law Enforcement and Fire Resources

• Visit the Orange County Sheriff’s Department website at ocsheriff.gov, which includes evacuations resources for all Orange County municipalities, or visit the department’s Twitter page at twitter.com/OCSheriff.
• Visit the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) website at ocfa.org or the OCFA Twitter page at twitter.com/OCFireAuthority for updates regarding wildfires.
• Enroll in Alert OC to receive updates and notifications.

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In the ongoing effort to enhance safety and quality of life in our community, the Information Services and Security Services departments added License Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras on both the outbound and inbound lanes at Gate 12. In addition, they added several overview cameras to capture incoming and outgoing pedestrian traffic to enhance security. This project has been in the works for the past several weeks and we are pleased to announce its completion.

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Tennis courts 1 through 10 will be reserved for Men’s 75+ USTA Senior Tournament play Monday, May 6, through Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Call 949-268-2481 for more information.

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The process is currently underway to determine the 2023 budgets for GRF, Third and United.

Workshops by department were completed in March. The next meeting, a GRF capital review, is scheduled for Monday, May 23, at 1:30 p.m. in the Community Center board room.

Key milestones in the budgetary process include the business plan review in August (televised) and the business plan adoption, which will occur at each of the three September board meetings.

To view the entire 2023 business plan budget calendar, click the orange Download PDF button below.

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Resident Services strives to achieve specific, quantifiable service goals when residents enter the department’s double doors for assistance. In April, Resident Services delivered the highest walk-in and telephone service results in many years.

The goal of a Resident Services representative is to assist visitors within a 10-minute or less wait time; the goal for time taken to properly assist a resident is 8 minutes or less.

Below are the walk-in and telephone statistics for the month of April.

Walk-In Statistics

• Customers assisted: 3,929
• Average wait time: 6:20 minutes
• Average time spent with a resident: 6:15 minutes

Telephone Statistics

• Resident Services: 7,595 calls from residents who experienced an average wait of 1:29 minutes
• Broadband: 1,760 calls from residents who experienced an average wait of 1:40 minutes

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