Laguna Woods Globe cooking columnist

I’m a big fan of soup this time of year – I’ve already shared a few of my favorites, like clam chowder and Greek lemon rice soup.

I love making something out of ingredients I have on hand. Just open the refrigerator and go with what you have.

Recently, I had some smoked ham hocks in my freezer and an overload of potatoes – a great combo for some tasty soup.

Any questions or comments, contact me at cjvigos@yahoo.com.

Potato soup with ham hocks

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups diced onions

1 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

5 cups chicken broth

10 cups of russet potatoes, chopped

2 pounds ham hocks

2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup whipping cream

Optional: garnish parsley and shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a large stock pot on medium low heat. Saute onions and celery together until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and saute one minute more.

Add chicken broth, potatoes, ham hocks, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer on low for about two hours, or until the ham is tender.

Take the hocks out of the soup, set aside until cool, and cut the meat off the bones.

With an immersion blender or potato masher, blend the soup to desired consistency. I like to keep it chunky.

Add the ham back to the soup, and add the whipping cream. Stir to blend, and serve.

Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and optional shredded cheese.

The 35th annual Winter Fantasy has arrived just in time for holiday shopping. It is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., through Dec. 21.

More than 180 artists have their crafts on display, plus there are artist demos, free art classes, live music, and food and drink booths. For the full list of amenities and entertainment, go to sawdustartfestival.org.

Santa Claus also has made his holiday headquarters on Laguna Canyon Road, sitting among decorated trees waiting to hear children’s Christmas wishes.

Artist Diane Valentino creates colorful hats, crafted from recycled materials ranging from quilt-like cottons to crochet or any fabric that catches her eye.

“When I work, I listen to rock music, and the words turn into abstract paintings in my mind that then turn into the patterns of my hats,” Valentino said. “Each hat takes me about four to five hours, and I make them in several sizes.” (Booth 216)

Among ceramicists, Timothy Hahne stands out for his multi-use and decorative vessels, many of which were created by the Laguna Woods resident in the Clubhouse 4 ceramics lab.

“I’ve exhibited at the Sawdust from 1979 to 1996, and after my journey as a missionary in Romania, returned here in 2020,” Hahne said. (Booth 518)

Anyone nostalgic for some favorite music stars – think David Bowie or Bob Marley – or perhaps supernovas like Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol will find Jesse Bartels’ black and white portraits done on tiles intriguing. Even Peewee Herman is here, along with Amy Winehouse and Bob Dylan.

“I’m fully laden with tiles for winter – summer not so much since it sells out faster,” he said. “I switch my work and style with the seasons and also make custom installations for clients.” (Booth 916)

Martin Roberts transposes photographs – taken on his travels through lyrical locales in Mediterranean regions – into images on tiles and canvas.

“My tiles are particularly suited for home/kitchen decor,” he said. (Booth 606)

Among painters, David Milton’s watercolor depictions of historic California architecture, landmarks and signage attract browsers and buyers keen on nostalgia rendered in flawless technique and composition. (Booth 613)

Ron Shearer’s glass mosaics combine the compositional aesthetic of painting and glass through use of line and color.

“My mosaics are made with smalti glass, which has been made in Venice for at least 11 generations,” he said, referring to opaque, colored glass. “It’s timeless.” (Booth 418)

Anyone up for caricatures, not often seen hereabouts, will enjoy the work of David Fleischmann.

“I’ve been a professional caricaturist for 25 years and have shown here for four,” he said. “I’ve drawn Lucille Ball and also Frank Zappa, Dali and Picasso and countless others.” Last Sunday, he drew a charming rendition of a French bulldog. (Booth 706)

To support local arts, the festival is starting something new this year in the form of an end-of-year campaign to raise $50,000 to its giving fund. The fund supports local artists in need and art education, among other art-related causes.

The Museum of Make Believe is an enchanting place of magical realism that is the brainchild of artist Geoff Mitchell and his wife, writer Amy Mitchell. It opened about a year and a half ago, becoming reality after several years of planning.

“Geoff was doing exhibits of his paintings here and there, and did one for fun that centered on ghost stories,” Amy Mitchell said recently.

The couple thought it might be even more fun to have a place for a permanent exhibit and started thinking of immersive elements they could add to the viewer’s experience, she said.

“Seeds were planted by many people over the years,” Mitchell said of the final result.

Geoff Mitchell had been making miniatures in addition to his paintings. He was also writing music that has been incorporated into the museum experience.

The space is small, only 1,000 square feet, but packed with visual treasures that overwhelm the eyes and the senses as you adjust to the lower light level and your own air of anticipation.

The walls are covered with large paintings by Geoff Mitchell and local Laguna artist Kelsey Irvin. These are standalones like Irvin’s “The Watchdog,” a collage depicting a cowboy composed of vintage leather, denim and wood. Irvin specializes in turning vintage elements into eye-catching artworks.

Geoff’s larger paintings include “Lady Amherst” featuring a cuckoo clock. Time indeed seems to stand still as you venture through the exhibits.

“We wanted to combine stories with art, to make viewing art an entertaining experience,” Amy said of the venture.

The museum was originally intended for adults nostalgic for their childhoods and the stories they loved back then. The couple was surprised that many of their first guests were children, for whom they had to adapt some of the displays.

The major part of the museum space showcases miniature scenes and figures that are the characters from stories written by Amy. The visitor can’t help but be struck by the imagination and creativity that went into creating this unique space.

Just beyond the entrance is a large mockup of a dragon, one of the mythical creatures that evokes mystery and magic. In a nearby glass case, a large white dog dressed in a black suit holding a sled illustrates the story of a boy and his beloved dog that is written out beneath.

The majority of displays are accompanied by stories written on parchment and displayed beneath them.

A series of delightful miniature rooms illustrates the accompanying story of a sister who disappears and her twin who searches for her via a treasure map that involves Bird Island (not the one you can see from Laguna’s Main Beach because this one has a lighthouse).

The treasure map motif is carried through with an optional treasure hunt that one can undertake for a special prize.

The several admission packages end with the visitor inserting a token into a machine to receive a “magical” golden egg that holds a special stone and a fortune cookie-like message for the believer.

Other stories involve a boy searching for an elixir to cure his ailing mother, and a girl searching for her heart’s desire. The stories are heartwarming and touching, newly old fairy tales that evoke timeless themes and human yearnings.

“We  want people to slow down, take their time and enjoy the exhibits,” Amy said. “In this fast-paced world, people are hungry for a little imagination in their lives.”

The museum, located at 1590 South Coast Highway, is now a nonprofit organization, funded by the California Arts Council and the local Samueli Foundation. It is staffed by volunteers, with all profits plowed back into the museum.

There are two package options. The treasure hunt, which includes the map and prizes (a choice of pins for adults or prizes out of the treasure chest for kids) is $15 for adults and $10 for children.

There’s also the Storybook package, which includes all of the above plus a copy of the storybook detailing the museum’s unique fairy tales.

There’s even a small gift shop chock full of branded merchandise as well as unique themed keepsakes.

Groupon is offering a special adult ticket price of $10 that includes general admission, the treasure hunt and either a keepsake decal or a sweet treat.

Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Use the link https://feverup.com/m/160158 for tickets. Tickets are also available at the door.

The website is museumofmakebelieve.org.

Penny Schwartz’s occasional Yellow Brick Road columns feature places of interest within a day’s drive of Laguna Woods.

The show was developed by art instructor Brian Canfield, who teaches Emeritus stained and fused glass classes in the Clubhouse 4 studio in Laguna Woods Village. The exhibit includes 55 pieces from 35 artists, many of whom are Village residents enrolled in the Emeritus classes.

“The exhibit was planned a year ago, and students in the spring, summer and fall 2025 classes have been making work to put in it,” Canfield said.

After admiring an underwater scene on a poster in the glass studio, Canfield came up with the idea of “The Estuary” for the main wall of the exhibit.

An estuary, where salt and fresh waters mingle and coalesce, offered a metaphor for the diversity and creativity of his students, he said.

The wall installation offers an underwater scene, brimming with fish, coral, anemone and other denizens of the deep. All were created in glass by Emeritus students. Other work representing water creatures is displayed in cases spread among the bookshelves and on several adjoining walls.

“These classes are incredibly unique, the unicorns of education, as they are offered free and continuously from semester to semester,” Canfield said. “Not many classes are like this.”

Canfield has designs on mounting similar glass exhibits in other Saddleback campus buildings and local art galleries.

“I’m trying to get the students’ work out there to give them a feeling of professional pride,” he said. “Many of them have confidence issues, and seeing their work displayed helps them see the quality in it.”

Village resident Cheryl Garcia has been fashioning glass items for the past four years, learning all that she knows through the Emeritus program.

“While I like all aspects of glass work, I prefer fused glass work, especially painting on glass,” said Garcia, who has become the studio supervisor for the night-time advanced glass class at Clubhouse 4. Fused glass involves heating the work in a kiln so that pieces adhere and melt together.

Garcia was inspired by the estuary theme to create a rainbow trout for the exhibit.

Village resident  Diana Sherrod, a glass artist who attends the evening class, has worked in glass for many years, often creating mosaics with small glass pieces. She enjoys both mosaic and fused glass work equally.

Mosaics go together more quickly but require an attention to detail that fused glass does not, she said.

“Each has its own qualities,” said Sherrod, who has specialized in glass lanterns in recent months and sells them at Village bazaars, garden shows and the Bonanza Arts and Crafts Fair. She has contributed one of her lanterns for the exhibit.

Village resident Marty Rexinger liked the nautical theme of the exhibit and offered an ocean scene featuring sailboats. She finds that the medium of fused glass suits her well.

“I have no desire to solder,” she said with a laugh, referring to the process of connecting glass pieces together in the stained glass process.

Resident Valerie Fields contributed a dolphin lantern and a stained glass turtle to the exhibit because she loves both the ocean and turtles, she said.

“I like the way the colors shine through the stained glass but find fused glass more forgiving and creative,” she added.

Resident Claudia Callis is a relative newcomer to the glass medium, having created pieces for the past three years. She is also a ceramic artist and has fashioned in clay some of the molds in which she fuses her glass creations,

She prefers the art of stained glass because of the way the light shines through the finished art work but often integrates pieces of fused glass into her stained glass projects.

“I found the theme of underwater creatures perfect since I am always doodling them,” she said.

Village glass artist Amy Hyman has taught mosaic work through the newly established Village Glass Club, which offers a number of classes in fundamental skills to its members

She did glass work in college and took it up again a few years ago in the Village studio.

“The mosaic medium is my friend because it is easier on my hands,” Hyman said.

She loves wildlife and often strolls along Aliso Creek.

“I’m amused by the ducks searching for fish food with their butts sticking up,” she said, so she created a project showing that very fowl behavior.

“I am obsessed by the refraction of the light that you get with glass,” said Hyman, whose latest projects involve combining polished rocks with glass.

The Saddleback College exhibit will remain on display through Dec. 3 on floor 3 of the campus library. Parking is available in nearby lots 7 and 9 at $1 an hour for a permit dispensed by machine.

If you are a veteran or you would like to participate in commemorating the service of veterans, here are details on several of the events scheduled around the region — ceremonies will be on Nov. 11, unless otherwise noted:

Anaheim: The city will honor those who have served with a ceremony at 11 a.m. at its veterans monument at 241 S. Anaheim Blvd.

Anaheim Hills: The Anaheim Hills Rotary Club will again host its Flags of Honor Field at Eucalyptus Park this weekend through Veterans Day. Visitors can walk through the field and read dedications on the flags to veterans, members of the military and first responders who have served our county starting Nov. 7. At 10 a.m. on Nov. 8, there will be a special remembrance ceremony, Korean War veteran Norio Uyematsu will be the keynote speaker. Information: www.anaheimhillsrotary.org.

Brea: The city will pay tribute to veterans and those who died while serving their country during a 10 a.m. ceremony at the Brea Veterans Memorial at the Civic Center. There will be speakers, an honor guard and the names of locals who have died will be read.

Costa Mesa: The OC Fair & Event Center’s Heroes Hall Museum will honor veterans with a “Welcome Home!” event from noon to 3 p.m. on Nov. 8. There will be entertainment, exhibits highlighting veterans’ stories, food and veterans’ service organizations will participate. The fairgrounds are at 88 Fair Drive. Info: ocfair.com

Dana Point: VFW Post 9934 and its Ladies Auxiliary will join the city for a community event at 10 a.m. at Strands Vista Park, 34201 Selva Road.

Fountain Valley: The city with VFW Post 9557 and its auxiliary will honor veterans with a ceremony at 10 a.m. at Veterans Park, 17641 Los Alamos St.

Fullerton: The community’s Veterans Day parade will return this year, beginning at 9 a.m. at Harbor Boulevard and Ellis Place. Participants will march north on Harbor Boulevard to Hillcrest Park, where a remembrance ceremony will be held on the great lawn at 10 a.m. The ceremony will include a wreath laying, patriotic performances, a gun salate and speakers. To participate in the parade, veterans should meet in the parking lot at 124 Ellis Place at 8 a.m. and be able to march in cadence for the half mile route.

Huntington Beach: The city and American Legion Huntington Beach Post 133 will host a ceremony at 11 a.m. at Huntington Beach Pier Plaza. Command Senior Chief Vena Ramirez with the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach will be the guest speaker.

Irvine: The city will host a ceremony from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the formal garden area at Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, 4 Civic Center. The ceremony will pay tribute to our nation’s troops and honor local veterans and military organizations.

Laguna Beach:  A ceremony hosted by the VFW and American Legion honoring all veterans who served in the armed forces will be held at 11 a.m. at Heisler Park, 375 Cliff Drive. Musical performances will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Laguna Niguel: The community’s ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the Sea Country Senior & Community Center, 24602 Aliso Creek Road, and will feature speakers, a color guard and recognition of veterans in attendance. Judge Richard M. King will be the guest speaker. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.

La Habra: The community’s ceremony recognizing those who have served this country will begin at 11 a.m. at the Coleman Center, 900 W. La Habra Blvd.

Lake Forest: The 36th Veterans Day observance at El Toro Memorial Park will start at 11 a.m. Marine veteran Gerald Freibrun will be the keynote speaker. There will be patriotic performances, an honor guard firing salute and wreath laying. The memorial park is at 25751 Trabuco Road.

La Palma: The city is hosting an inaugural Veterans Day ceremony for the community at 11 a.m. on Nov. 8 at the Community Center, 7821 Walker St. An RSVP is required, priority will be given to veterans in the city. Information: lapalmaca.gov/veteransday.

Mission Viejo: The community ceremony will be held indoors at 8:30 a.m. at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center. There will be a color guard, rifle salute, performances and addresses from Col. Charles “Clay” Readinger, commanding officer of the Headquarter Battalion, First Marine Division, and retired Army veteran Brendon Moeller.

Orange: The Field of Valor will be on display from Nov. 8 through Nov. 13 at Handy Park, 2143 E. Oakmont Ave. The tribute features a field of flags honoring veterans and active military service members. An opening ceremony will be at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 8, and there will be a Marine Corps birthday event at 11 a.m. on Nov. 10 and an 11 a.m. ceremony on Veterans Day. Information: communityfoundationoforange.org

Placentia: The city’s 37th annual ceremony will start at 10 a.m. at the veterans monument in the Civic Center, 401 E. Chapman Ave. There will be speakers, patriotic music and new banners recognizing military service will be highlighted. New additions to the veterans monument will be unveiled.

San Clemente: A ceremony saluting veterans is planned at noon on Nov. 8 at the Marine Monument in Park Semper Fi. The 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps will also be celebrated. Lt. Col. Matthew Perry, commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine, and Lt. Col. Adam Unkle, commanding officer of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, both at Camp Pendleton, are the guest speakers. Information: marinemonument.com

San Juan Capistrano: American Legion Post 721 invites the community to an 11 a.m. gathering at Veterans Park, 31852 Camino Capistrano. Tom Hribar, retired U.S. Marine Corps officer and former councilmember, will be the keynote speaker. There will be patriotic tributes and a moment of silence.

Seal Beach: Seal Beach Lions Club is hosting an event at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 at Eisenhower Park, 901 Ocean Ave. There will be guest speakers and a color guard ceremony.

Stanton: The city’s ceremony honoring those who have served will begin at 9 a.m. at the Community Services Department’s Banquet Hall with breakfast, a guest speaker, a color guard and patriotic performances. Attendance requires a reservation at StantonCA.gov/VeteransDay.

Tustin: The city will host a Veterans Day celebration and car show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 8 at the Veterans Sports Park. There will be a ceremony honoring veterans, as well as resources for veterans, a car show, music, food trucks and more.

Yorba Linda: The community’s annual ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. at the veterans memorial at Veterans Park, 4750 Valley View Ave. US Army Veteran Manny Montanez will be the keynote speaker. The Troy HS Navy Junior ROTC will present the Colors and there will be pipers from the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums. The traditional Gold Star Roll Call will be conducted.

Yorba Linda: The Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., will host a free patriotic concert at 11 a.m. on Nov. 8 saluting those who served. The Huntington Beach Concert Band will perform.  And, on Nov. 11, at 11 a.m., there will be a wreath-laying ceremony. Information and registration: nixonfoundation.org/events.

Flat-roofed boxes housing offices and warehouses, mini-malls, gas stations and, historically still fairly new, high rises invite little contemplation when keeping one’s eyes on the road and perhaps also elicit grousing about the loss of rolling hills and other wonders of nature California is known for.

Now, two concurrent exhibitions at the Laguna Art Museum are putting the bucolic past and architectonic present of the Southern California environment into a new spotlight: “Silence and Solitude: Conrad Buff, Painter of the American Southwest,” curated by Deborah Solon, who earned her doctorate in art history from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, shows landscapes and a selection of still lifes and abstract paintings by an individualistic and noteworthy but not widely known painter of the majestic Southwest.

“Eternal Construction: Photographic Perspectives on Southern California’s Built Environment,” curated by Tyler Stallings, features black and white and color photographs of vistas modernized by man such as the Luke Erickson images of the Los Angeles River transformed from natural waterway into a concrete channel or once verdant hills bulldozed to house new suburban subdivisions as photographed by Laurie Brown in a panoramic shot titled “Civitates” (Latin for cities).

Buff, a Swiss-born (1886-1975) painter who wound up living in Laguna Beach at the behest of his friend Edgar Payne, is recognized for a Modernist style that has also been classified occasionally as Impressionism and Pointillism but does not really belong into any set category. His style is strictly his own. (For example, his unique cross-hatching technique will have viewers riveted onto landscapes that define the lure of the Southwest or his native Alps, for that matter. (“Topographies Phoenix Colorado River” and “Matterhorn Amtower”).

Besides landscapes often featuring strong geometric shapes and brushwork, he has also painted murals, masterfully realistic portraits and delicate floral arrangements before veering into primary colored architectonic abstractions. Overall, his paintings speak of a reverence of nature as something to cherish and preserve, along with unique creativity and continuous artistic growth.

The museum’s chief curator between 1999 and 2006, Stallings guest-curated “Eternal Construction” at the invitation of museum director Julie Perlin Lee.

His career accomplishments are too numerous to list here, but they include curation of several acclaimed photography-based exhibitions in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside counties and publication of a book of collected personal impressions of desert landscapes titled “Aridtopia: Essays on Art & Culture from the Deserts in the Southwest United States.” He also observed the fascinating process of “The Great Picture,” a photograph created by The Legacy Group (a group of six local photographers) in a hangar of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. He included a small replica of the photograph, said to be the world’s largest, in the show.

Stallings chose works by photographers from the museum’s permanent collection including Lewis Baltz, Brouws, Laurie Brown, Erickson, Jacques Garnier, Marcia Hafif, John Humble, Barbara Kasten, Jeremy Kidd, Tom Lamb, Deborah Oropallo, Julius Shulman and Robert von Sternberg.

For the most part they document what Stallings calls “controlled human intrusion” into nature — and intrusions they are: Cranes and shipping containers along desolate Long Beach streets, angular gas stations like Jeff Brouw’s 1988 example in Ludlow, CA. Then again, Lamb’s fascinating aerial shots, here of airport runways, straddle the line between realism and abstraction. Hanging out of helicopters, he shoots his vistas and then makes only few post production alterations to render the works highly intriguing. “Marks on the Land” is indeed an apt description.

Von Sternberg’s views of trailer parks and gas station show that beauty is truly in the eye of a beholder, in short everywhere. Humble’s shots of cranes and shipping containers on Barracuda Street on Terminal Island make a similar point.

To offer a perspective of nature at its most revered, Stallings intersperses landscape photographs by Ansel Adams (“Tetons and the Snake River,” 1942) and a painting by Albert Bierstadt (“Among the Sierra Nevada, California,”1868).

Inclusion of these California icons buffets his point that runs through the combination of both exhibitions: “… artists are in dialogue across time, exemplified by the juxtaposition of the Conrad Buff retrospective and Eternal Construction which has created an evocative conversation about changing depictions and perceptions of the landscape in the Southwest and Southern California. The exhibition also highlights how photography can uniquely reveal the complexities and contradictions inherent in how we inhabit and reshape our environments,” he said.

To offer stylistic variation, he also included a carefully staged abstract photograph by Kasten and an abstract photograph by Oropallo.

Stallings also said that in the 1975, the year of Buff’s death, a photo show opened at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY, titled “New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape.” “That’s where Eternal Construction picks up. Instead of illustrating reverence, these photographers turned their camera toward suburban tracts, industrial parks and engineered rivers — Instead of eternal beauty, they showed banality, control and human intrusion.”

With this show, Stallings might also convince viewers that beauty not only transcends time and place but mere definitions of it while leaving enough room for dialogue and quests for more continuation.

Laguna opens its doors with free admission in November

Thanks to a generous grant of $50,000 to the museum by the office of Orange County Supervisor and Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors Katrina Foley, the Laguna Art Museum will offer free general admission to its galleries and community programs to all visitors during November. The grant will make it possible to view the above exhibitions as well as the upcoming 13th annual Art & Nature program running from Nov. 6-10.

“Free admission in November is about welcoming everyone into the conversation around art, environment and community,” said Lee, the museum director.

“For Laguna Beach, artistic expression is the name of the game. Now, for the first time in the Laguna Art Museum’s more than 100-year history, all admissions will be free for the month of November because of my office’s $50,000 grant,” said Vice Chair Foley.

If you go

What: “Eternal Construction: Photographic Perspectives on Southern California’s Built Environment” and  “Silence and Solitude: Conrad Buff, Painter of the American Southwest”

When: Through Jan. 18-25

Where: Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Dr. Laguna Beach; Phone: 949-494-8971

Hours: Monday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays.

The brainchild of the presidents of all three mutuals and the GRF board, the festival aimed to be a lively celebration of the Village community’s breadth of diversity, talents and traditions.

“We learned from a recent survey that our residents come from five continents, even Antarctica,” said Mickie Choi Hoe, president of United Mutual, who wore native Korean dress.

“We wanted to celebrate our diversity as well as fundraise for the residents through business sponsorships,” she added, indicating that the event will become an annual extravaganza.

A variety of ethnic cuisines were available from four food trucks outside the clubhouse. Nostimo served Greek-Mediterranean dishes, Kala offered Mexican specialties, The Coconut Truck had California-Asian fusion specialties, and the German Yum Truck served up German fare. Handel’s Ice Cream was also on hand with a variety of flavors in large serving cups.

Food “passports” at $20 each were sold out — to the tune of 500 — ahead of the event. Each ticket entitled the holder to one of three offerings at each truck.

General admission to the festival, which ran from 4 until 7:30 p.m., was free.

The ethnic diversity of the Village population was also represented inside Clubhouse 2 by a number of clubs with tables dispensing information and goodwill. These included the Korean American Association, the Taiwanese Club, the Chinese American Club, the African American Heritage Club, the Community Bridge Builders, the India Club, the Hispanic Heritage Club and the Philippine American Society of Orange County.

Allan Williams, historian of the African American Heritage Club, said his group wanted to be represented because the festival was “all about unity and inclusiveness.”

Also on hand was Lynnette Siler of the Daughters of the British Empire, an organization of women whose heritage is from Britain or a Commonwealth nation.

“We are participating to gain more recognition for our club, which raises money for retirement homes across the country and for senior charities,” Siler said.

She invited interested women to come to a meeting of the Royal Ascot Chapter on the third Tuesday of the month in Clubhouse 3 (Performing Arts Center) for “sandwiches and a cup of tea.”

Folk dancing to rhythms from around the world was promoted by the International Folk Dance Club at that group’s table.

“We do dances from 60 different countries, focusing on the Balkans and Europe,” said dancer Greg Solloway.

Some clubs, like the Taiwanese group, just wanted to have fun, as they encouraged residents to try ring toss and other carnival games with the prize of a moon cake. At the Korean table, sweet desserts were given out freely, as were coconut and sweet potato puddings at the Hawaiian Aloha group’s table.

Dancers from the Korean American and India clubs performed inside the clubhouse during the first hour of the festival. Belly dance, hula, tai chi, sword dance, Korean drum, Latin line dance and other presentations were scheduled as well.

The cover band Midnight Regret entertained the lawn-sitters with lively music from a special outside stage.

Inside Clubhouse 2, Terry Bromfield watched a dance group with lively interest.

“I enjoy the groups doing ethnic dances in their native costumes,” she said. “And the pride people take in their heritage through dance.”

Susmita Mukherjee, president of the India Club, has attended similar events in the Village.

“I always like to see all the cultures mingle,” she said. “It’s so important today.”

Outside the clubhouse, Esther Bower gazed over the lawn toward the music stage.

“I love the music and meeting other people,” she said. “And it’s a gorgeous day.”

“The food was very good, too,” added her companion, Cher Toyosaki.

“Whether you grew up in California, Korea, Michigan, Taiwan, New York, Japan, Texas, Mexico or elsewhere, we’ve all decided to live here (in the Village) now. Diversity means learning, appreciating, tolerating and finding consensus on issues, and Laguna Woods Village exemplifies that ideal,” Alison Bok, president of the Golden Rain Foundation board, said in a statement.

As Leroy Wood, chaplain of the African American Heritage Club, put it: “If ever we need unity, this is the time!”

In Third Mutual, Egon Garthoffner, Reza Karimi, John Kelsall, Peggy Moore, Heydar Nazeri, S.K. Park and Steven Parsons are in the running for four director seats, each with a term ending in 2028.

The Laguna Woods Globe reached out via email to the seven Third board candidates with a questionnaire asking them about their education and business backgrounds, their affiliations and activities in Laguna Woods, their ideas on improvements or changes that would enhance life for residents, their thoughts on the future of EV charging stations and solar panels, and a personal statement.

Six out of the seven Third candidates responded. Here are their responses. (See the separate report for the United Mutual candidates.)

Egon Garthoffner

Years in Laguna Woods Village: 10 years resident owner

Education: UCLA, B.S. Geology; USC, M.S. Petroleum Engineering

Occupation/Business Experience: 4 years service with U.S. Air Force. 35 years in petroleum engineering with experience in field activity, project development, budgeting, acquisitions and planning. Big focus on capital projects, learned how to spot opportunity and avoid waste.

Laguna Woods Village Affiliations/Activities: Director on GRF board for 5+ years, member of Chicago, New York, California, Aerospace clubs. Past president of German American and Topic Masters clubs and vice president of California and Aerospace clubs.

Personal Statement: My plan is to continue the spending control I have practiced on the GRF board. My focus will be on ensuring fiscal responsibility, enhancing communications with members and improving oversight of VMS activity. Time and again we have seen excessive spending proposals by VMS. We need to approve on the basis of need, not want.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents?: Laguna Woods Village offers many services that residents need. It is most important that VMS respond more quickly and continue communication until the service is satisfactorily completed.

How do you see the Village moving forward in terms of electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates: As EV usage grows, we should make more charging stations available as needed only. The expenditure will be recovered by electricity sales to users. SCE electrical costs will rise much faster than inflation. Solar can help us defray some cost. Install on unused land near Garden Center 2 and on top of covered parking, but not on clubhouses.

Reza Karimi

Years in Laguna Woods Village: 10

Education: Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry, M.S. Petroleum Engineering, M.S. Biochemistry

Occupation/Business Experience: Over 30 years of scientific and executive management experience in commercial and government agencies. I have overseen and participated in the development and implementation of streamlined organizational structures and procedures designed to increase the efficiency and productivity of the commercial and government operations. I have several publications in scientific journals and numerous presentations at national and international conferences. Was federally appointed (by the White House) to serve three full terms (2005 to 2014) on the EPA science advisory board (ELAB) on laboratory issues, past board member of the International Association of Environmental laboratories, past board member of Battelle international operations. Battelle Memorial Institute vice president, Southwest Research Institute director, Severn Trent Laboratories Inc. vice president

Laguna Woods Village Affiliations/Activities: Past board member of VMS. Current board member of Third Mutual. Sitting and contributing to several committees such as Landscaping, M&C, Water, Residence Policy, A&S, etc. Avid pickleball player.

Personal Statement: The opportunity to serve and better the environment around me is a lifelong commitment that I have faithfully carried out with due success. I have a wealth of experience in managing multifaceted projects dealing with human resources and financial constraints. I have successfully overseen multimillion-dollar projects and will bring the same zeal to issues here in the Village. The chance to make a meaningful impact on the community is an opportunity I cannot turn away from.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents? Everyone needs to communicate transparently, more clearly and more often. This includes both residents and board members.

How do you see the Village moving forward in terms of electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates? The issue of solar is not new to Third Mutual. A little over a decade ago, the Third board had the foresight to install solar panels on many of our three-story buildings. The return on investment is finally in sight with approximately two more years to fully reap the benefits. The Third Mutual board and the Third M&C committee working with our VMS staff to contact renewable energy service providers and export to see how we can upgrade our electrical panels in carports and three-story building garages for members to be able to charge their cars in their own carports. I believe our Third Mutual members prefer to have the ability to charge their EV in their carport. If we can make that happen, then the Third Mutual has no need for charging stations. This is a major undertaking for Third Mutual, and we need to deal with it sooner rather than later.

John Kelsall

Years in Laguna Woods: 13

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business and Accounting, Minor in Business Law. 15 graduate credit hours toward MBA

Occupation/Business Experience:  51 years in private business, corporate business and nonprofit organizations, plus multiple board positions, including owning own business (K&L Inc.). Branch manager Apple One Employment Services. President and CEO Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce. Nonprofit: Vice president The Jonas Project helping veterans start and grow their own businesses. Current board member Tenet Foundation. Special consultant to the U.S Department of Education to write the regulations for the Education Amendments of 1976. Rotarian.

Laguna Woods Village Affiliations/Activities: Board member Theatre Guild, “Beyond the Gates” Video Club, “Eyes on Books,” Boomers Club, archery club.

Personal Statement: My goals are to preserve and maintain the outstanding qualities and amenities inherent in this village. Laguna Woods Village is one of the top 10 best retirement communities in California and one of the top five safest cities in the state, one reason my wife and I chose to move here 13 years ago. I would like to help maintain those wonderful statistics. My driving principle for any decision is: What is best for Third Mutual and the Village. As a user of a wheelchair, I have a unique understanding of accessibility needs, which is especially important in a community that serves individuals age 55 and older. I am committed to ensuring our neighborhood is both welcoming and accessible to everyone. I believe that my blend of experience, passion for this community and commitment to accessibility makes me a strong candidate for the board. I would be honored to serve and work alongside all of you to make our community even better.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents? I believe that we need to expand and improve on our inter-mutual communications and cooperation, with resident input, for the long-term success of the mutuals and Laguna Woods Village as a whole.

How do you see the Village moving forward in terms of electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates? We currently have over 500 resident electric vehicles, and that is only going to expand. We need to establish a task force of expert residents in related and relevant fields of expertise, board members and SoCal Edison to explore opportunities, future developments in technology, and ways to overcome challenges together, including solar opportunities, and how to finance them. As the new guy on the block, I feel I bring new blood, accessibility knowledge, experience and expertise to the board.

Peggy J. Moore

Years in Laguna Woods Village: 10

Education: BS Finance/Economics, executive management, UCLA & USC.

Occupation/Business Experience: 9 years chair and vice chair Los Angeles Redevelopment Agency Board. 4 years member and chair L.A. Police and Fire Pension Fund investing $13 billion in assets. 17 years Ahmanson’s Home Savings of America, Executive. 3 years nonprofit executive director L.A. County Sheriffs Youth Foundation.

Laguna Woods Village Affiliations/Activities: 1 year member of Third Mutual board. 4 years Audit Committee representing Third Mutual. 1 year in each of the following: Third Finance Committee, Third Resident Policy and Compliance Committee, Ad Hoc Third Governing Documents Committee, GRF Security and Mobility Committee.

Personal Statement: With 6,000+ members and a $63 million dollar budget, the Third board has many  responsibilities. Boards determine the most immediate and future needs of the community. My background in corporate, nonprofit, city governance allows me to bring to the board perspective that helps us make the best decisions for our  community.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents? Improved communications! Both from homeowners to the board and the board to the resident.

How do you see the Village moving forward in terms of electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates? I strongly support solar installations in Third. In the next several years, Third expects to earn a return on its investment from 12 years ago in solar on Garden Villa buildings. I look forward to installing additional solar in the future. GRF has recently appropriated, in its 2026 budget, $875K for a pilot program to replace gate ambassadors with automatic gates. Based on the information available, I cannot support this program. The $875,000 can be better spent by GRF addressing many of the programs that are currently being deferred by GRF.

Sang Keun (S.K.) Park

Years in Laguna Woods Village: 13

Education: Electrical Engineering

Occupation/Business Experience: V.P.  Battery Manufacturing, and Nano Manufacturing, Quality Professional.

Laguna Woods Village Affiliations/Activities: Korean American Association. President of Third Mutual Board.

Personal Statement: Residents first and help residents. Unwavering dedication. A commonsense approach.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents? No increase of HOA fee . I would like to try to no increase of our HOA fee at least one year.

How do you see the Village moving forward in terms of electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates? I support electric vehicle charging stations inside of our gates with conditions of “Not accessible to non-residents.” I also support solar panel after we build up reasonable level of reserve funds.

Steven Parsons

Years in Laguna Woods Village: 11

Education: BS Warner Pacific University, studies in Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior – United States International University

Occupation/Business Experience: Career in the U.S. Air Force, retired as a lieutenant colonel

Laguna Woods Village Affiliations/Activities: Aerospace Club (president), American Legion

Personal Statement: I enjoy working for the betterment of the residents of Laguna Woods. I am especially interested in landscape, chairing the Third Mutual Landscape Committee. I am working closely with staff to address the implementation of California laws as they relate to fire mitigation and turf reduction.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents? Residents need someone to be their “voice,” to understand their concerns and to be their advocate to the boards and staff.

How do you see the Village moving forward in terms of electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates? This is a difficult question, in that I can only answer it as a member of Third. I support the use of solar in Third. Almost 11 years ago, Third installed solar panels on the roofs of three-story buildings. We are now beginning to see the financial benefits of this installation. As for EV charging stations, this is primarily a concern of those Third residents who do not have a private garage. For those in Garden Villas, I propose a pilot project to upgrade the transformer for one of the buildings. Those with electric vehicles could then have conduit run from the upgraded transformer to their parking location to be able to charge their vehicle. For residents who have a carport, Third already has a solution that involves the installation of solar panels on the roofs of carports. Therefore, with these options, I believe we can meet the needs of all Third residents with electric vehicles.

In United Mutual, Kathryn Bravata, Alan Dickinson, Richard Hall and Anthony Liberatore are vying for three director seats, each with a term ending in 2028.

The Laguna Woods Globe reached out via email to the seven Third board candidates with a questionnaire asking them about their education and business backgrounds, their affiliations and activities in Laguna Woods, their ideas on improvements or changes that would enhance life for residents, their thoughts on the future of EV charging stations and solar panels, and a personal statement.

Here are the responses from the four United candidates. (See the separate report for the Third Mutual candidates.)

Kathryn Bravata

Years in Laguna Woods Village: 14 years

Education: High school: With four years of education in obtaining my certificates in Purchasing Management Program: Professional Designation in Purchasing and Material Management and Advanced Specialization in Purchasing and Material Management.

Occupation/Business Experience: In my 47 years’ working, I’ve worked in customer service, sales representative, traffic department, and 30 years in purchasing, where I handled our contract labor (HR function), consultants, procurement of facilities supplies, MRO supplies, equipment repairs; handled all auto shop contracts; maintained fleet of over 90 vehicles and trucks; compressed gases, computers and equipment, software peripherals and other electrical items. I’ve also prepared RFQs, RFPs, RFIs (request for quotation/proposals and information).

Laguna Woods Village Affiliations/Activities: Since April 2024, I have served as a VMS director; I was appointed by the United Mutual board.

Personal Statement: With my varied background and serving on several boards when I lived in Long Beach and Torrance – I served as president, vice president, secretary and member at large – I feel I can contribute to the United Mutual board and our community.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents? While we have great services, I would like to see if we can’t improve on the service requests that are nonemergency.

How do you see the Village moving forward in terms of electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates? Electric vehicles are the wave of the future, and with our current infrastructure, our electrical infrastructure needs improving, and since our Village was built in 1964, I feel the installation of charging stations and installation of solar panels will serve us well. However, the cost may be an issue and may take a number of years to obtain the funds. Once this is done, I think everyone will be happy.

Alan Dale Dickinson

Years in Laguna Woods Village: 8

Education: B.A. Degree in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Real Estate and Corporate Management. A.A. Degree in Accounting and Economics. NASDAQ Securities and Stockbrokers License. Department of Insurance License with Annuity Addendum. Lifetime Teaching Credential in Business Administration. Several training certificates from various institutions.

Occupation/Business Experience: Bank of America; 20 years in and around Southern California, including the headquarters building downtown L.A. Regional Vice President and Business Banking Manager; managed three branches. Fiduciary relationships with Hershey Chocolate Co. Pennsylvania ($100 million), United Way Charitable Foundation, L.A. California ($25 million), Ms. Joan Irvine Smith (several million dollars), City of Laguna Beach, City of Long Beach, Spruce Goose plane (Howard Hughes), among many others. My lending limit while at Bank of America was $1 million, and that was on an “unsecured” basis. My secured limit was “unlimited.” I was one of the youngest corporate vice presidents at Bank of America.

Personal Statement: My wife and I have been in the Laguna Woods Village for eight years. I was born in downtown Los Angeles, a native son. I have a degree in finance (and accounting). I am a retired corporate vice president from Bank of America. I have written and published over 137 mysteries, self-help books and novellas on Amazon and Kindle eBooks.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents? To lower HOA fees. They are way too high, even adjusted for inflation, and they just keep going up every year. I would make this my No. 1 priority if I were elected.

How do you see the Village moving forward regarding electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates? I would support several more charging stations for electric vehicles. I have already expressed my support for the Electric Car Club here in the Village. In addition, I believe that adding solar panels to the roofs of the carports would benefit the residents and save them a lot of money on electric costs in the future.

Richard Hall

Years in Laguna Woods Village: United Mutual co-op owner since May 2023

Education: Santa Clara University – Executive MBA Certificate, 2001. UCI – Taught after hours VHDL language course, 1990. USC – Courses toward M.S. Computer Science & Robotics, 1986. DePaul University, Ill. – Extensive coursework toward M.S. Computer Science & A.I., 1981-1982. DeVry University, Ill. – Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, 1977-1980.

Occupation/Business Experience: Hands-on entrepreneur starting five companies with 40+ years of technical engineering and sales experience in managing complex technical projects, driving HW & SW sales, and solving problems for the top Fortune 100 companies. Ran business and daily operations for several personal and start-up companies, with revenues exceeding $3 million/year. Worked for major corporations managing more than 40 simultaneous projects and 32 staff. Created new revenue opportunities resulting in $385 million in overall sales. Helped create and evangelize a new design engineering language (VHDL).

Laguna Woods Village Affiliations/Activities: Currently working as senior audio/video technician and lighting director for VMS. I am starting a new CNC 3D printing club and will teach CAD/CAM class with Saddleback College. I participate in the following activities: woodshop, machine shop, jewelry shop, welding, wood and metal fabrication; robotics, A.I., electronics design and programming; RV Wheelers Club, pickleball, ham radio club.

Personal Statement: I have extensive problem-solving skills, am a quick learner and an effective teacher. I am detail-oriented and can apply common-sense solutions. I am a hard worker willing to do whatever it takes to resolve a problem. I enjoy “seeing the lightbulb turn on” for people and enjoy talking with others to share ideas to make the Village the best community for active seniors on the West Coast.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents? We need to add more solar to offset the ever-increasing electric bills. I expect electric rates to double in three to four years due to demand for energy. The various boards also need to listen to the needs of its members better and implement timely solutions that benefit the majority of the people. Also, I feel we need to bring more transparency to the governing of the three mutuals and especially VMS/GRF.

How do you see the Village moving forward in terms of electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates? EV vehicles are growing at an ever-increasing rate. EV vehicles require less maintenance, generate zero pollution when operating, and generally are cheaper to operate and maintain than a regular gas vehicle.

Anthony M. Liberatore

Years in Laguna Woods Village: 13 years

Education: Maryknoll Fathers, 1960-1964 Scholastic Philosophy BA; Maryknoll Fathers Hingham, Mass. 1964-1965, Theology prep; Maryknoll Fathers Ossining, N.Y., 1st Theology; St. John’s Home Mission seminary, Little Rock, Ark., 2nd Theology; Conception Seminary, Conception, Mo. 3rd and 4th Theology. Three semesters residency in two state hospitals: Valhalla Hospital, Westchester, N.Y.; Osawatomie State Hospital, Osawatomie, Kan.

Occupation/Business Experience: I ran agency 008 for Met Life, sold life and health insurance. In 1972, I went to work for Independent Pier company where we worked with a strong but casual workforce. We had to order labor every day for every job. We redesigned and engineered a new loading operation. Came to the West Coast in 1986 and worked for two companies, Pasha International and SSA Marine. Planned the loading and unloading of ships, ran shops for both companies.

Laguna Woods Village Affiliations/Activities: Member of the Robert’s Rules Study Club for 12 years. My wife and I have a garden plot, and I enjoy the woodshop.

Personal Statement: As a fiduciary, I have to aggressively look for sources of income. Cutting services is not an acceptable option.

What one improvement or change do you think would enhance life in the Village for its residents? We have to keep the Village attractive and relevant for the younger retirees.

How do you see the Village moving forward in terms of electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels inside the gates? It is very apparent that EVs are popular, along with hybrids, and we, meaning all of the governing bodies, have to come to some way of providing this service to our residents.

The Mission Revival-style building in Santa Ana sits in an unlikely looking neighborhood of commercial businesses and industrial buildings, but it’s surrounded by greenery and inviting courtyards at both entrances.

Built in 1932 and opened as a city museum in 1936, the Bowers became an independent institution in 1986 when it underwent extensive renovations. It hosts several permanent exhibits on California and Orange County history; Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa and the Pacific Rim; and artifacts from ancient China.

Special exhibits are mounted on a regular basis and are always of interest. Recent ones have featured the World of Fantasy, Asian Comics and the art of famous Japanese printmaster Hiroshige.

Currently on view is “World of the Terracotta Warriors,” a first-rate presentation on the world-famous life-size clay soldiers discovered in a burial pit in Xian, China, as well as more than 100 newly discovered ancient artifacts from Shaanxi Province.

Divided into five sections, the exhibit begins with objects from the Neolithic period some 4,000 years ago and ends with five figures discovered in the burial chamber of the Qin Dynasty emperor placed underground 200 years BCE.

In the first section, a stone wall decoration reveals the earliest sculpture of a horse found in East Asia while a reproduction of the walls of the Chinese city of Shimao offers many animal-like images.

Animal shapes form the outside of a bronze wine vessel featuring elements of a bird, a rabbit, a deer and a horned creature. The object indicates how important wine was to that long-ago society, according to the commentary on a video tour by curator Tianlong Jiao.

A jade axe head and a variety of gold objects, including a belt ornament, an ornament with turquoise inlay and a ring with an animal face, all reveal objects of value thousands of years ago.

The last and most spectacular section of the exhibit spotlights the larger than life size terracotta figures that wow you as you round the final corner of the exhibit. They were discovered by a group of farmworkers in the 1970s and a few were featured at the Bowers in 2008 in their first visit to North America.

First in the current grouping is a chariot pulled by horses that looks like it could ride off into the sunset at any moment. The emperor buried his horses with him so that he could ride into the afterlife, the curator said.

Standing tall in individual cases are a kneeling archer, a standing archer, an armored warrior, a high-ranking officer and a young attendant. Each has a unique face, as do the many thousands of figures buried in the pits of Xian. They were originally painted in bright colors, which have since all but disappeared, and the guess is that each was patterned after an actual human with distinct facial features.

“Some even have wrinkles on their faces,” Jiao said, referring to close examination of some of the Xian warriors.

The prime directive of museum exhibits seems to be “Exit through the gift shop,” and my visit to the themed shop led to my purchase of a small kit to “excavate” my own personal soldier.

After a bit of anticipatory digging and scraping, it revealed itself to be a high-ranking officer who now rules over my living room bookcase. (Full disclosure: The box indicates which of several soldiers is encased inside so it’s really not a surprise.)

“World of the Terracotta Warriors” closes Oct. 19 and is well worth a visit to the Bowers,

I first discovered the beauties of this museum when I lived “far away” in the Inland Empire. It became easily and delightfully accessible three years ago when I moved to the Village, and I have since enjoyed visiting often for its many excellent programs.

If you enjoy arts and crafts projects, as I do, a program called “Anne’s Treasures” features a doable project for seniors the second and fourth Thursday mornings of the month. I have fashioned a basket from twine, a copper relief panel, a painted mask, a fish rubbing on cloth and many other items that now decorate my home.

The workshops cost $3 if you are a museum member and $13 if you are not. You even get breakfast consisting of muffins, croissants, cheese and crackers, juice and coffee into the bargain.

It’s both heartwarming and invigorating to see dozens of people industriously working on their projects, and many (but not me) appear to be excellent artists. Signing up ahead of time on the website is suggested.

Another excellent program is “Timeless Melodies,” a set of music history presentations featuring wonderful clips on an endless variety of themes from old movie musicals. These are designed and moderated by Larry Maurer of the Timeless Melodies Foundation on the fourth Thursday afternoon of the month at a cost of $11 for members and $16 for nonmembers. He has also started presenting similar programs here at the Performing Arts Center on the first Thursday of the month at a cost of $5.

With grandchildren in tow, I have also enjoyed a free Family Festival on the first Sunday of the month. The one we attended was a Pacific Islands celebration, with face painting, art projects and cultural dance presentations.

Most activities on these Sundays are free, and each month has a different cultural theme. The Sept. 7 event will focus on Persia.

Not to be forgotten – and I never do! – are the excellent Tangata restaurant on the premises and the superb gift shop filled with items themed to the current temporary exhibits as well as a standing host of ethnic and cultural items drawn from around the world.

Membership in the Bowers Museum at $70 single ($80 dual seniors) allows you to visit as often as you like, with one entry to all the special exhibits, such as the current one. An additional fee of $20 provides free parking (usually $6.99) each time you visit. Just opened is a showing of new acquisitions by the museum. You also get a 10 percent discount at the restaurant and gift shop.

If you ante up for the Fellows level of membership ($1,585 for two), you can sign on to one of the foreign adventures organized by the museum. Travel to Mongolia was a recent offering, and a voyage to Indonesia and Borneo is upcoming. There are other perks to this membership as well.

The Bowers Museum is truly one of the cultural touchstones for those of us lucky enough to live 20 minutes away.

It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at an admission fee of $15 for seniors, with a $26 charge that includes special exhibits like the “Terracotta Warriors” exhibit.

For information, go to bowers.org.