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...

Growing numbers of Rossmoor residents are ditching gas pumps for charging stations, embracing electric vehicles with a fervor rivaling that of any car salesperson. Over the course of one year, ownership of “EVs,” as they’re known, has risen significantly: Since 2019, the number of these vehicles equipped with entrance access tags has increased from...

Old 76 station set to reopen as Texaco The new owner of the old 76 gas station at the corner of Olympic and Tice Valley boulevards has big plans for the business that go well beyond fueling up cars. “I promise you now that it’s going to be the nicest station around,” Ali Shahidi said. “I don’t take shortcuts on anything.” The station at 1601 Tice V...

With the distribution of the first vaccine for COVID-19 beginning both locally and nationally, many residents are wondering when they will have the opportunity to get vaccinated. Bay Area health officers said in a joint statement last week that vaccines may become available for the general population by early summer. For the time being, the limited...