This paper had one of the best looks back on his career that I’ve seen, focusing not only on his work with the Bruins but also his radio career beginning in Victorville, as well as his stops in San Bernardino where he worked with Jhani Kaye among others … I mention Kaye because the two would work together again from 1981 to 1992 at KFI (640 AM) and KOST (103.5 FM) when Kaye was the program director of the stations.

During the KFI/KOST days, Roberts eventually became sports director, but it didn’t start that way, exactly. He was actually first working the overnight shift on KOST, and would prepare a sports report for the KFI morning show. You may remember the tagline that every sportscast ended with: “Chris Roberts, Athletic Briefs.”

I first heard of Roberts’ death from a Facebook post by Kaye. “My best friend in broadcasting, Chris Roberts, passed away this morning,” Kaye wrote. “He was my pal. I admired him for the way he rose to become one of the most respected voices of UCLA sports broadcasters.”

I have never heard an unkind word about Roberts; this is a huge loss to both the radio industry and the sports world.

Likes and Dislikes

It actually started as a response to a column by InsideMusicMedia.Com’s Jerry Del Colliano, who wrote of Top Listener Gripes on April 28th. I still haven’t written about his gripes because I wanted to hear of yours first. But I also wanted to know what you love about radio as well. Here’s what you think, positive and negative, in no particular order … Jerry can wait.

“I listen to Mottek On Money from KABC.com as a podcast. I don’t know if this would fall under your question, but they interject commercial ads mid-sentence during the podcast. I find this very annoying … I don’t know if this is a Mottek or Cumulus thing.  No other podcasts I listen to does this mid-sentence advertising. — Steve Lui

“The morning DJs turn me off. It’s the same format almost everywhere you turn. I like some introductions but not the stupid banter now. But, I am not in their market group being 58 as of a short time ago.” — Erik Hassold

(Program note: Happy birthday!)

“I hate the annoying, ‘This has been previously recorded’ preamble before an ad for a radio show, as if the general listener isn’t smart enough to realize it’s an ad. I’m sure it’s an FCC thing, but annoying nonetheless.” — Cody Lyons

“The playlists are all the same songs OVER AND OVER AND OVER. There’s no creativity or imagination. And it doesn’t matter if the station is ‘alt’ or ‘oldies’ … it’s all the same stuff. It’s actually dumb that 98.7 and 106.7 categorize themselves as alternative. Those stations don’t know what that means anymore. What do I enjoy? Klein and Ally in the morning on KROQ, a very talented and underrated show that deserves more listeners. I was a huge Kevin and Bean fan for years and this show is different, but equally as entertaining.”  — Marc Levine

“BAD: Same songs over and over. OK, so your research says it’s best to stick to the superstars – I get it. But Journey, Elton John, Rolling Stones, Heart etc. have more than a half dozen hits in their catalog.  By just doubling the number of songs played by the popular artists the stations would increase their interest from me.

“If you’re a political-leaning talk show, fine. If you’re not, please don’t say anything political. I have even heard political issues discussed on local 88.5 fm – disguised as songwriting information from local artists.

“GOOD: Variety. Stations can stick to their format and still have more variety. Like my point above, include more songs from the favored artists. Include more artists, and that doesn’t mean they have to gamble with ‘lesser’ names – there are enough established artists in each category to expand. And what about including some live tracks of the hits? I love when stations do that.

“Disc jockeys. There’s a place for music-only stations with no DJs, but a few more DJ-led stations would provide more personal connection to us listeners.  And it doesn’t have to include long comedy segments or listener calls – just some connection.

“Don’t know how to title this: DJ emotions. This might seem hokey. These days it seems like most DJs and their interaction with listeners is either distant or factual. In my day, I’m your age, they seemed a lot more emotional, you know, like, Hey, it’s Friday school’s out – party time (cut directly to party anthem song) – or “hump day.” Contrived? Maybe … maybe not. But they and the music helped steer our emotions, usually for the better. They talked to us and with us and took our thoughts away from everyday life. I don’t think life’s just a party, but I think radio – like sports, entertainment, the movies – are to help us temporarily escape from things like work and other responsibilities. — Darren

To be continued …

Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com.

The group revealed during a free “Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts” global livestream event on Sunday, May 21 that Freese will be taking over the drum kit in place of the late Taylor Hawkins, who died suddenly while the band was on tour last year.

Last month, the band dropped an emotional new song, “Rescued,” and earlier this week, put out the punk rock-tinged “Under You.” The band has mentioned on social media that its entire new record, “But Here We Are,” which is due out on June 2, is dedicated to both Hawkins and vocalist-guitarist Dave Grohl’s late mother, educator and author, Virginia Grohl.

In true Foo Fighters fashion, revealing the new drummer was a playful announcement. The livestream began with Grohl standing around in the studio with fellow members keys player Rami Jaffee, bassist Nate Mendel and guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear talking typical band stuff. There’s a knock at the door and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith pokes his head in to say a quick “Hello.” Another knock at the door and it’s Tommy Lee from Mötley Crüe dropping off some P.F. Chang’s, followed by another visit from Tool anchor Danny Carey.

Suddenly the camera pans to Freese, sitting behind the kit, asking the rest of the band if they’re ready to play. The guys then launched into “All My Life.”

The Foos are hitting the road in support of that album next week and kicking off things with a show in New Hampshire on May 24. The group is also headlining several prominent U.S. and European festivals including Boston Calling on May 26; Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco on Aug. 12; Riot Fest in Chicago on Sept. 15; and they’re headed back to Southern California to headline the final evening of the three-day Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point on Oct. 1.

Foo Fighters fans may have seen Freese sit in with the band during the pair of tribute shows for Hawkins both at Wembley Stadium in London and Kia Forum in Inglewood last year. Freese played the Foo Fighters’ song “All My Life” with the band and also joined Wolfgang Van Halen, The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins and Grohl for a pair of Van Halen covers, “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher,” during the Southern California show.

Hey, it’s that guy!

It’s almost easier to list the bands Freese hasn’t played with.

He’s probably best known for anchoring the Orange County punk rock band the Vandals. He’s also long been the drummer in new wave band Devo and he’s toured extensively with A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails, The Replacements, Weezer, Guns N’ Roses, Sublime with Rome and Sting.

Aside from touring, he’s a beast in the studio and one of the most in-demand session drummers of his generation. He’s played on hundreds of albums including releases by Social Distortion, The Offspring, Michael Bublé, Glen Campbell and Rob Zombie. He’s released a few solo albums too, including his COVID-19 lockdown project, “Just A Minute, Vol. 1,” in 2021.

But who is Josh Freese?

Freese comes from a musical family. He grew up in Placentia and his mother, Trisha, is a classical pianist and his dad, Stan Freese, plays the tuba and was the musical director for bands at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort for more than four decades. His brother, Jason Freese, is also a studio musician, multi-instrumentalist and touring member of the rock band Green Day.

He started playing drums at the age of 12 and kicked off his career playing several shows a day at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland Terrace in the ’80s. By the time he was 15, he was in the studio making music with Dweezil Zappa and he joined the Vandals a year later.

The now 50-year-old musician is also a family man, who lives in Long Beach with his wife, kids and their four standard poodles. He was most recently touring with The Offspring and played Danny Elfman’s career-encapsulating show, “Danny Elfman: From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess and Beyond!,” during both weekends of the 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and when the extended version of the performance took over the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles that October.

Severe weather was heading toward the festival grounds in Pasadena, an announcer’s voice told the crowd. Everyone needed to evacuate immediately.

As this sank in, the mood at the Brookside at the Rose Bowl golf course shifted from confusion to shock and anger to tears.

On Sunday, festival promoter Goldenvoice announced that Siouxsie, Iggy Pop and Gary Numan, who also played Saturday, would return to the festival grounds Sunday, May 21 to perform for previously ticketed fans. Siouxsie will play an extended set, not just the hour she was originally given, in what will be her only North American performance of the year. Parking will be free.

So what happened Saturday night? Lightning had been seen in the distance as Iggy sang “Raw Power” a few songs earlier. That had prompted the Pasadena Fire Department, after storm warnings from the National Weather Service, to pull the plug on Pop and the Human League, who were playing on a separate stage at the same time.

Worst of all, headliner Siouxsie, the final performer that a majority of the crowd was there to see, would not be allowed to sing a note on Saturday in what was supposed to be her first United States show in 15 years.

“She’s not going to leave her fans,” said Steffine Aguirre of Alta Loma, one of the hundreds of Siouxsie fans in disbelief as crews dismantled Iggy’s equipment half an hour later. “We’re not going to leave until they take us off the property.”

A good day

Until the weather dealt a cruel blow to Cruel World, the day had been a gorgeous celebration for young punks, old New Wavers, and goths of indetermination age, there to enjoy the best of the alternative rock that arrived in the late ’70s and ’80s.

Iggy Pop, who played three Los Angeles shows in April, was in top form through the five-and-a-half songs that fans got before the night ended. He’d been singing “The Passenger,” his 1977 song that Siouxsie and the Banshees had a cover hit with a decade later when the show abruptly ended at 9:12 p.m. Saturday.

At the same time, the synth-rock band the Human League was midway into its set on the other end of the festival ground. They’d sounded good on the first few songs, including “Mirror Man,” before we headed for Iggy, and had been playing “The Lebanon” when their night also finished.

“Well, that was a strange evening,” the band wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday morning to express their disappointment at not being able to finish their set. “We know a lot of people did not and probably still don’t understand this decision but, having been in this situation once before, we can tell you that a lightning storm at an outdoor festival is no joke.”

A few minutes earlier, Billy Idol had closed down the second stage with a rousing performance that celebrated his long career from his days in the punk band Generation X – the Gen X song “One Hundred Punks” was part of his set – as well as the bigger hits of his solo career in the early ’80s. Idol shared the spotlight with guitarist Steve Stevens, his longtime musical partner, and had a huge crowd singing along to songs such as “Rebel Yell” and “White Wedding.”

Love and Rockets returned three-quarters of Bauhaus to the Cruel World main stage a year after that band, which also includes singer Peter Murphy, played the festival. Love and Rockets, which veers from darker goth tones more to alternative rock, sounded terrific on songs including “Kundalini Express,” “No New Tale to Tell,” and “So Alive.” They looked great too: singer-guitarist Daniel Ash wore a crimson red-sequined suit, bassist-singer David J looked dapper in a suit of magenta, and drummer Kevin Haskins – well, drummers gotta be comfortable, don’t they?

Echo & the Bunnymen were booked to play Cruel World in 2022 until visa issues scotched those plans. Singer Ian McCulloch & Co. sounded terrific on classic Bunnymen tracks including “Bring on the Dancing Horses,” “The Cutter,” and “The Killing Moon.” Unlike Love and Rockets, who presented a visually rich show on the main stage right after them, Echo and the Bunnymen made the confounding decision not to be shown on the video screens, which in a festival setting means the vast majority of fans see only tiny figures on a distant stage. Sigh.

Before that twilight set, Squeeze played a wonderful set at golden hour on the second stage, racing through the beautiful melodies and witty lyrics of songs such as “Hourglass,” “If I Didn’t Love You,” and “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell).” Singer-guitarist Glenn Tilbrook was in tip-top form – his voice truly is ageless – though his singing and songwriting partner Chris Difford was missing from the stage, probably due to the band’s last-minute booking as a replacement for Adam Ant.

The rich English melodicism of Squeeze was similarly found in ABC’s earlier set. Singer Martin Fry wore the second-shiniest suit of the day, a gold tuxedo similar to the suit he wore in a classic music video.

“Am I the only guy in a tuxedo tonight?” Fry joked between songs. “Forty years in show business and they still won’t let me take the tuxedo off.” He continued to talk about the New Romantic scene out of which ABC came, and sounded, well, as romantic as ever on songs that included “All of My Heart,” “The Look of Love,” and “Poison Arrow.”

A much harder-edged sound arrived earlier with the angular, funky post-punk tunes of Gang of Four. The band, which features original singer and drummer Jon King and Hugo Burnham, respectively, and longtime bassist Sara Lee alongside newcomer David Pajo – guitarist Andy Gill died during the pandemic – thrilled their fans with songs such as “Return The Gift,” “I Love a Man in a Uniform,” and “Love Like Anthrax.”

The earliest part of the day featured a mix of bands known mostly for just a handful of songs. Of these, Berlin, which also played Cruel World in 2022, had the most hits to play with songs such as “The Metro” and “Take My Breath Away,” longtime favorites of Southern California audiences.

Others, such as Modern English with “I Melt With You” and the Vapors with “Turning Japanese,” are so identified with those singles that they more or less had to play them at the end of their sets in order to keep the crowd from wandering off and missing their other often quite good songs.

One reason you might feel that your generation has not been fully acknowledged is that the Silent Generation – that is, folks who were born between 1928 and 1945 – is the smallest generation in the past 100 years.  

There is more. Let’s begin with the concept of generational identities which became popular in the 1990s. This concept was based on a theory developed by William Strauss and Neil Howe who suggested that individuals born during a certain period of time were influenced by similar historical events, moods and values in society. These shared experiences translated to having shared beliefs and behaviors. What evolved were their generational identities. 

One example is the Silent Generation. These folks lived during the Depression and WWII. The term was first documented in a 1951 Time magazine article noting that this generation was silent compared to the “flaming youth of their fathers and others….” In addition to being few in number, the social and cultural environment was “to be seen and not heard.” The “Silents” also have been referred to as the Greatest Generation, named after the book by NBC journalist Tom Brokaw. Brokaw admired this generation because of their desire to do the right thing.

Here are 10 of their shared characteristics:

• Personal responsibility: The Great Depression encouraged self-reliance.    
• Resilience: This was the result of the challenges they faced during the Depression and WWII.
• Humility: The scarcity experienced by many during the difficult times fostered a sense of modesty and humility. Little was taken for granted.      
• Work Ethic: Folks had to figure out how to survive through hard work doing jobs that often were physically demanding with long hours
• Frugality: For many, this was a time of shortages and financial struggles.  A motto at that time was, “Use it up–fix it up– make it do–or do without.”
• Commitment: Silents had a lifetime approach to marriage and one’s job. A position with IBM was a job for life.  
• Integrity: They had to rely on one another so values of honesty and trustworthiness were important.  
• Self-Sacrifice: Millions made personal sacrifices to defend their country or were engaged in other at-home efforts to support the war.   
• Loyalty: They were loyal to their careers and beliefs, relationships and families; they value stability and being dependable. 
• Determination: Their survival required grit, strength and determination as they sought economic security and comfort.      
• Respect: Silents have a deep respect for authority in the workplace as well as for professionals such as doctors. 

The Silent Generation rebuilt the economy after the Great Depression, helped launch the Civil Rights movement and fought in WWII. Then there was Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gloria Steinem who brought about social revolutions. Eleven of the 12 moon-walking astronauts were members of the Silent Generation. The Silent Generation transformed our WWII enemies of Germany and Japan into allies. They managed threats of nuclear war under what was called the MAD or Mutually Assured Destruction agreement among the superpowers. They agreed that if one moved to strike the other, there would be immediate retaliation. Clearly, the Silent Generation was not that silent. 

Some consider generational theory as contentious because it is based on generalizations and promotes stereotypes, as suggested by Ashton Applewhite, journalist, author and anti-ageism advocate. However, the concept has been successfully used in building intergenerational work teams and a diverse workplace by increasing awareness of communication styles, relationship to authority, workplace expectations and more. 

Here is a new one: The “Still Generation,” as suggested by Erlene Rosowsky, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Department at William James College and Teaching Associate at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry. The Still Generation is continuing to do what they love to do. In many cases, that’s work – for pay or not. Their shared characteristics are likely authenticity and being intentional and determined. When someone asks if you are “still working” the assumption is that you are doing something out of the ordinary at your life stage that is not exactly according to social norms and expectations. Often that expectation is retirement. The Still Generation will continue to grow with increased longevity, the desire for purpose and workplace needs. 

Thank you S.N. for your thoughtful question. I hope this column helps build the case for the Silents.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity

Cruel World Festival came to an abrupt end on Saturday night when a severe weather alert and threat of lightning ended Iggy Pop’s performance with an announcement that fans should immediately evacuate the festival grounds.

Thousands of fans shouted their dismay at the announcement, primarily due to the cancellation of headliner Siouxsie of Siouxsie and the Banshees fame, in what would have been her first U.S. performance in 15 years.

There were fans in tears at the news.

Steffine Aguirre of Alta Loma stood on the field shouting for a refund along with other fans.

“I’ve seen Siouxsie many times, and she comes out when Morrissey doesn’t even show up,” said Aguirre, who like many of the fans that refused to leave the field, was dressed in a black Siouxsie T-shirt.

Aguirre said she did not believe Siouxsie would leave her fans in the lurch. At a minimum, she said she thought the singer would say something to them even if she did not perform.

“We’re not going to leave until they take us off the property,” she said. “They should refund everybody’s money.”

The shutdown came this way: Iggy Pop went on stage at 8:45 p.m. while the Human League started five minutes later on a smaller stage across the Brookside at the Rose Bowl golf course.

But as Pop sang “Raw Power,” flashes of lightning were seen in the distance behind the main stage in the east. The singer continued his set for several more songs until 9:12 p.m. when during a jazzy version of “The Passenger” the volume from the singer’s microphone was cut and an announcement on the PA told fans they should immediately evacuate.

Pop attempted to continue until someone approached from the wings, whispered in his ear, and walked off with him.

“OK, we have lightning, we need to evacuate the stage I’m told,” Pop said.

The field lights came up, and the stage video screens filled with red-and-white warnings to seek shelter.

Fans slowly started to leave, though 20 minutes later large crowds still filled large parts of the field.

“I need a miracle.” It’s been Deadhead code for decades, long before Dead & Company brought three surviving members of the legendary San Francisco group together with singer-guitarist John Mayer in 2015 to keep the music of the Dead alive. In the parlance of the parking lot, it’s a prayer, a plea from the ticketless to the ticketed for a way into the show.

Now the miracles are running out. For Dead & Company, despite success enough to fill arenas and stadiums, this is the final tour. What began at the Forum on Friday and Saturday will end at Oracle Park in San Francisco on July 14-15.

What do you do when the end is nigh? For the Dead, you celebrate life, and that’s exactly what happened as the band played 18 songs in two sets over four glorious hours of music like only Dead & Company, and the Grateful Dead before them, can make.

Taking off: Set 1

“Shakedown Street,” the title track of the Dead’s 1978 album, kicked off the show, its laidback dance-beat rhythms getting the sold-out crowd onto their feet, dancing, hands aloft, chiming in on every “Woo!” in the song.

Guitarist Bobby Weir, 75, took lead vocals on this one. He and drummer Mickey Hart, 79, got huge cheers as their faces appeared on the video screens. With drummer Bill Kreutzmann, 77, choosing to sit out this tour, Weir and Hart are the last of the original Dead.

John Mayer, 45, a star in his own right before his love for the Dead led him to co-create Dead & Company, stood to Weir’s right, singing backing vocals on “Shakedown Street” before taking the first of many long, lyrical guitar solos that wove in and out of the jams laid down by the rest of the band – bassist Oteil Burbridge, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, and drummer Jay Lane.

“Cold Rain and Snow,” a song from the Grateful Dead’s 1967 debut followed, done here with more of a funk feel than the country vibe of the original recording. This time Mayer sang lead, filling the vocal and instrumental role once played by the late Jerry Garcia.

Other highlights of the opening set included the rollicking “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” and the slow blues of “They Have Each Other.” The fan favorite “St. Stephen,” at 20 minutes, the longest single song of the night, was gorgeous from start to finish, but especially an extended section where Weir and Mayer traded guitar licks back and forth.

Ninety minutes after it started, “Deal,” one of three songs pulled from Jerry Garcia’s 1972 solo debut “Garcia,” wrapped up the first set with a hard-rocking blues that showcased both Mayer’s similarities to Garcia as a musician – the lyrical beauty of his playing most of all – and his differences: He’s often got a heavy, harder edge to his sound.

Earlier in the parking lot

There’s no opening act for Dead & Company. You don’t really need one given the show that takes place hours before the concert in Participation Row, a vendor village that travels with the Dead from venue to venue selling, well, anything a Deadhead might want or need.

Tie-dyed T-shirts and other wearable merch filled many of the 100 or so booths on the Manchester Avenue border of the Kia Forum. You want something with a skull or a skeleton on it? They got you covered. Dancing bears, a nod to the Dead’s legendary soundman Owsley “Bear” Stanley, were another popular motif on everything from infant onesies to bucket hats made of hemp.

You may not be surprised to learn that other things are also on offer throughout the parking lot. From pot – duh, it’s legal here now – to mushroom-infused chocolate to giant balloons filled with nitrous oxide – laughing gas like your dentist used to give you, you could find it.

If you thought that hippies in the style of the Summer of Love were a thing of the past, a stroll down Participation Row would quickly change that idea.

Peaking: Set 2

“Sugaree,” another crowd favorite, opened the second set of the night, a gentler, rolling blues that demonstrated Chementi’s jaunty piano and Mayer’s ability to unleash long single-note licks that show off his technical chops without ever losing the emotional content of the song.

“New Speedway Boogie” gave fans a cut from the popular 1970 release “Workingman’s Dead,” with Weir’s gruff vocals meshing wonderfully with the chunk-a-chunk rhythms of the song. “Eyes of the World” clocked in at 18 minutes, enough time for everyone in the band to take a solo – Burbridge’s bass solo was particularly lovely – and enough time, too, to close your eyes and let the spotlights flash in random patterns on your eyelids as you felt the groove wash over you.

Dead & Company mix up the setlist from night to night more than most bands – most of Friday’s songs won’t be repeated on Saturday – but you are always going to get “Drums” and “Space,” two instrumental songs that for years have given the spotlight to Hart and Kreutzmann (or Lane on this tour) and also given a good number of fans to head for the bathroom or the bar.

Weir and Mayer eventually came back on stage to add guitars to the almost ambient music of “Space,” and then segue into “The Wheel” and “Wharf Rat,” the latter a highlight for Weir’s vocals in particular.

“Sugar Magnolia,” after “Shakedown Street” the song even the most casual fan would know in the show, closed out the main set with a sweet, upbeat glide through its lyrics and music. The only track in the set from 1970’s “American Beauty” album, it wrapped things up beautifully, with Weir’s shift into the “Sunshine Daydream” coda a perfect finish to the song.

“Thank you, you’re too kind,” Weir said on returning to the stage for the encore, and that was pretty much the extent of the stage banter on Friday. Why bother when you’ve got the music to speak for you, I suppose? “Black Muddy River,” a gorgeous Americana blues, delivered the encore, and then it was back to the parking lot, one less show on the road to the finish.

Vitamin D supports numerous cellular processes including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antioxidant, immune health, and muscle and brain function. Vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the gut, protecting and strengthening the bones.

Also known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced from cholesterol when your skin receives sun exposure. However, even living in sunny California, it is challenging to receive adequate vitamin D from sunshine alone. Certain foods and vitamin D supplements are other essential sources of vitamin D.

There are two main dietary forms of vitamin D, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). Vitamin D3, which comes from animal foods, like fatty fish and egg yolks, is much more effective at raising vitamin D levels in the blood compared to vitamin D2 found in mushrooms and yeast. Top food sources of vitamin D are cod liver oil, salmon, canned tuna, beef liver, whole eggs and sardines.

With limited dietary sources of vitamin D, deficiency of this nutrient is quite common. In fact, over 40 percent of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient. Those with darker skin and older adults are at a greater risk of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency can go unnoticed for years or even decades.

Deficiency of vitamin D is linked to osteoporosis, reduced bone density and increased risk of fractures in older adults. Vitamin D deficiency in children is called rickets, which has been significantly reduced with the fortification of certain foods with vitamin D. Studies suggest that individuals with low vitamin D levels have a greater risk of serious health problems including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia and certain autoimmune conditions.

If you would like to know your vitamin D level, your health care provider may order a blood test. The test will check your level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Levels below 30 nmol/L are too low and should be corrected.

Here are top ways to help support healthy vitamin D levels:

1. Consume vitamin D rich foods including fatty fish like trout, salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, eggs and cheese.
2. Choose vitamin D-fortified products like milk and plant-based milk alternatives, breakfast cereals, yogurt and orange juice.
3. Include mushrooms in your meal plan as some types of mushrooms are exposed to ultraviolet light, raising their vitamin D content.
4. Continue to wear sunblock with SPF 15 or higher to protect your skin.
5. Consider taking a vitamin D supplement, especially if your serum vitamin D level is low or if you are a person at greater risk for vitamin D deficiency. Discuss vitamin D supplement dosing with your physician or a registered dietitian.

LeeAnn Weintraub, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian, providing nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and organizations. She can be reached by email at RD@halfacup.com.

In the gardening world, trap plants are the equivalent of that slow friend.

Trap crops have long been used by farmers to draw pests away from the main crop. Sometimes they are the same cultivar planted a few weeks earlier than the protected crop. This gives them a head start so the pest insects will start feasting before the main crop emerges. They are planted on the perimeter because the marauding insects will encounter them first before heading further into the field. Once the trap crops are covered in pest insects, they are either treated with pesticide or removed.

Trap crops can be useful to the home gardener as well. Perhaps you’ve noticed that out of maybe 12 kale plants, one will seemingly collect all the aphids in the neighborhood. Don’t try to figure out what that one plant did to deserve such a fate – just wait until it’s saturated before pulling it and putting it out of its misery. I recommend disposing of it in the trash rather than trying to compost it.

Trap plants can also differ from the protected crop. Planting these combinations can benefit your garden’s health as well as provide some interest. Here is a short list of some trap plants and the pests they protect against:

Hubbard squash attracts cucumber beetles, squash vine borers, and squash bugs.

Sunflowers attract stink bugs.

Nasturtiums, dandelions, and okra attract aphids. Keep in mind that while these plants bring in aphids, they will also attract ladybugs to eat the aphids. If you see a dandelion covered in both aphids and ladybugs, leave it until the ladybugs have finished eating and leave. You don’t want to throw away a bunch of perfectly good ladybugs.

Mustard attracts harlequin bugs.

Radishes attract flea beetles (a major pest of eggplants), harlequin bugs, and cabbage maggots.

Marigolds attract root nematodes and repel cabbage moths. They supposedly repel rabbits, but the rabbits in my neighborhood seem to be the exception.

Companion plants can be trap plants, but they can also be attractive to beneficial insects or repellent to pest insects. They are also used to improve soil conditions, either by breaking up heavy soil or, in the case of legumes, make nitrogen available to plant roots.

Some companion plant combinations include:

Corn, beans, and squash (a.k.a. Three Sisters)

Spinach and strawberries.

Dill and squash/cucumbers.

Alyssum is very attractive to beneficial insects, is low-growing, and re-seeds readily. I recommend planting it wherever you can fit it in.

Garlic and onions are repellent to a number of pests, and their seed heads are attractive to beneficials as well.

Los Angeles County

Orange County

ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; 949-809-9760; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/

Riverside County

anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-683-6491 ext. 231; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/

San Bernardino County

mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu

It’s clear where his priorities lie.

To say Zeldin is a model of consistency would be an understatement. He has lived in the same house in Reseda for his entire 70-year life. His only job was as a substitute teacher. From the age of 22 to 55, he worked in this capacity throughout the San Fernando Valley. And then he retired, presumably to spend more time in his garden.

His roses are at their peak bloom right now and so I could not resist the temptation to pay Zeldin a visit, especially after such a rainy winter when roses and flowering plants of every description have never looked better. 

“The rain washed out the minerals in our domestic water, which inhibit uptake of the elements that plants need to reach their full potential,” Zeldin said. 

Zeldin’s garden is not limited to roses as he has a large collection of irises and many unusual plants you will not see anywhere else. One of these is the chocolate daisy (Berlandiera lyrata), whose small yellow daisies smell like melted chocolate. 

This is a backyard that deserves a prominent place on the bucket list of local plant enthusiasts. If you would like to arrange a tour of the garden, you can make contact with Zeldin at a meeting of either of the plant societies of which he is a member. You can find him at San Fernando Valley Rose Society (sfroses.org) meetings, held the second Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Wilkinson Multipurpose Center, located at 8956 Vanalden Avenue in Northridge, or at San Fernando Valley Iris Society (sanfernandovalleyirissociety.org) meetings, held the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Canoga Park Women’s Club at 7401 Jordan Avenue in Canoga Park. 

In Zeldin’s garden, your breath will be taken away by a mountain of Lady Banks roses. There are several thousands of them – small, yellow, and slightly fragrant, all blooming on a single specimen (Rosa banksiae var. Lutea) that was planted there in 1971. Lady Banks, a climbing rose, has a reputation for longevity. In fact, a white Lady Banks (Rosa banksiae var. Alba Plena) is regarded as the oldest rose (and largest too for that matter) in the United States. It was grown from a cutting that was sent from Scotland to Tombstone, Arizona, where it was planted in 1885. That rose has grown into a tree covering 8,000 square feet with a gnarled trunk whose diameter is 14 feet. Bear in mind that Lady Banks roses are seasonal, blooming for around six weeks at this time of year.

Fourth of July is another heavy blooming climbing rose, but this one flowers from spring until fall. Zeldin extols his Fourth of July for its capacity to act as a privacy screen. It has grown along  his property line, reaching a height of 10 feet. The rose itself is variegated in red and white, while the similarly varigated flowers of  Purple Splash, whose growth habit and size mimics that of Fourth of July, are purple and white.

While most of Zeldin’s roses live for at least 20 years, not all those he plants are a success. He is not reluctant to “shovel prune” when necessary. Veteran gardeners understand this part of gardening all too well. It happens every now and then that you plant something and care for it according to all the best recommendations and yet, somehow, it flounders. There is the temptation to nurse it along despite its inability to perform as advertised. While it is true that certain plants take longer than we might expect to establish themselves, sometimes what we plant just won’t grow or flower despite our patience and best efforts. Such plants take up valuable garden space that could be better utilized by other garden selections too numerous to count. 

Some of Zeldin’s roses look especially beautiful when contrasted with the volunteer royal blue larkspur and white, pink, and red opium poppies that sprout up among them. I was especially impressed with orange nasturtium growing in his burgundy Iceberg roses. Orange and purple present an agreeable contrast and I have often seen beds of orange marigolds planted together with purple pansies over the years.

In the midst of my garden tour, which lasted about an hour until “sensory overload,” as Zeldin describes it, set in, we came upon what appeared to be the perfect rose, a hybrid tea with the appropriate name of Lasting Love. Although Zeldin did not explicitly label it as such, after seeing its flawless shiny, dark green foliage, inhaling the strong fragrance of its unblemished red flowers, which can reach five inches across, and learning that it is immune to powdery mildew and rust – to which most hybrid teas are susceptible – I felt that is was, indeed, as perfect as a rose could get. Lasting Love is one of over a hundred roses bred by Tom Carruth, curator of roses at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino.

While discussing the qualities of Lasting Love, Zeldin mentioned that in order to fully appreciate its fragrance, like that of any other rose, it should be smelled while its flower was yet to open completely. 

“By the time a rose is completely open,” he explained, “much of its attar may have already dissipated.” Attar is the essential oil of rose petals that gives them their fragrance. Another factor in the strength of a rose’s scent is the time of day, since fragrance weakens as the day progresses and the temperature warms.

As for winter pruning, Zeldin only cuts his back by one-third to one-half of their height. He does this in January and removes every leaf, disposing of them in the trash. 

“Do not compost these leaves,” he warns, “since they carry powdery mildew and rust fungal spores.” By being conservative in how much growth he winter prunes, Zeldin gets a lot more flowers in spring than those who cut back more radically, although their spring flowers will be larger.

Zeldin does not have a sprinkler system. Instead, he moves around an attachment at the end of a hose which soaks one area at a time. Roses are not especially water needy and Zeldin never waters his more than once a week, even in the hottest weather. As for insect pests, he has utilized Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew, whose active ingredient is Spinosad, to deter chili thrips, which may decimate roses in hot weather. BioAdvanced All-In-One Rose and Flower Care is a more powerful granular product to achieve control of this insect. Be aware, however, that both spinosad and Bio-Advanced Care are toxic to certain beneficial insects and that multiple applications will be needed to achieve and maintain the desired effect.

Before leaving Zeldin’s roses, I would be remiss not to mention two of his cultivars that were developed by Jack Christensen, a hybridizer of 80 rose varieties. Christensen authored the “5 things to do in the garden” section of this column for many years; his Silverado, a mauve to purple hybrid tea, and Brass Band, an orange Floribunda, are among Zeldin’s beauties.

As to where to procure your roses, Zeldin – like most local rose growers in the know – recommends Otto & Sons Nursery (ottoandsonsnursery.com) in Fillmore, located 25 miles east of Santa Clarita off the 126 Freeway. 

California native of the week: Nine rose species are native to California and all have single pink blooms. Both California wild rose (Rosa californica) and Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana) appreciate a bit more moisture than other native plants. While growing in full sun near the coast, they will benefit from partial shade in hotter, more inland environments. They make a fine natural barrier because of their nasty thorns that will keep out meandering cats, for example. Individual plants will grow in a thicket, with each individual rose bush reaching over six feet tall with a spread of ten feet. Foliage, flowers and rose hips are all fragrant and the hips (fruit) are recommended for making tea. Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana) has the largest and deepest pink flowers of the native roses. On warm days, its foliage produces a migrant fragrance that is discerned at some distance. Baja rose (Rosa minutifolia) is an endangered spiny shrub with leaves that are smaller than those of any other rose species. 

Please write to me at joshua@perfectplants.com where your questions, comments, and plant photos are always welcome.

Mystery, romance, self-help, poetry? There are some sorts of books I consistently return to, even lugging completely inappropriate books along on vacation or spending Christmas Day deep in a super-depressing novel.

But when in need of a mental break, I often reach for books about music, bands and musicians. I love a good band bio; in fact, I love these bios even when the book (or band) isn’t all that great. I’m especially drawn to books about groups I know next to nothing about, like “The Big Midweek” by Steve Hanley and Olivia Piekars about Hanley’s chaotic years in the Mark E. Smith-led band, The Fall.

Here are some off the top of my head (and I know I’ll regret not including a bunch of others as soon as this posts): “White Bicycles” by Joe Boyd; “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” by Jeff Chang; “Miles: The Autobiography” by Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe; “Just Kids” by Patti Smith; “Raise Up Off Me” by Hampton Hawes; “Rip It Up and Start Again” by Simon Reynolds; “Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley” by Timothy White; “Los Lobos: Dream in Blue” by Chris Morris; “Girl in a Band” by Kim Gordon; “Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest” by Hanif Abdurraqib; “Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys,” by Viv Albertine; “The Come Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip-Hop” by Jonathan Abrams; “Lady Sings the Blues” by Billie Holiday and William Dufty; “Mystery Train” by Greil Marcus; “This Is Memorial Device” by David Keenan; “Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk” by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain; “Words Without Music” by Philip Glass; and “Love Is a Mix Tape” by Rob Sheffield (his beautiful book about his late wife Renée Crist, a wonderful writer and absolutely delightful person I was fortunate to know when I was her editor at Option magazine).

Along with these riches, there are a slew of biographies, memoirs, oral histories and sweeping genre overviews to check out (including the upcoming “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” a graphic novel-style Velvet Underground biography by Koren Shadmi I’m looking forward to).

Then there’s the Beatles. Along with “Beatles ‘66,” “Revolution in the Head,” “Love Me Do!” and Sheffield’s glorious “Dreaming the Beatles,” there’s “Tune In,” the first volume of Mark Lewisohn’s proposed Beatles trilogy. You might justifiably resist the idea of reading a 944-page book about the Beatles that stops in 1962 – before Beatlemania! – especially when there’s a potentially George R.R. Martin-y wait for the final two installments. But seriously, friends, it’s fantastic. (There’s an even longer version I may break down and buy one day.)

Plus, there are so many books on music and bands we’ve covered in our pages, including Michelle Zauner’s “Crying in H Mart”; Dawnie Walton’s novel “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev”; Billy Bragg’s book on skiffle; memoirs by Guns N’ Roses members Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum; RJ Smith’s “Chuck Berry: An American Life”; Ani DiFranco’s “No Walls and the Recurring Dream”; Jim Ruland’s Bad Religion book; Gerrick Kennedy’s “Didn’t We Almost Have It All: In Defense of Whitney Houston”; Warren Ellis’ “Nina Simone’s Gum”; Bono’s “Surrender”; Jonathan Taplin’s memoir “The Magic Years”; “Last Chance Texaco” by Rickie Lee Jones; Jeff Tweedy’s “Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back)“; John Wray’s novel “Gone to the Wolves”; “Sweet Dreams: The Story of the New Romantics” by Dylan Jones; books by Go-Go’s Gina Schock and Kathy Valentine; books about the LA punk legends X; “Time Between” by Chris Hillman; “Set the Night on Fire” by Robby Krieger and “Beeswing” by Richard Thompson.

Plus, many audiobooks or audio originals these days are read by the authors, so Bruce Springsteen, Lucinda Williams, Chuck D, The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, Yo-Yo Ma, Elvis Costello, Brandi Carlile, and the polyphonic Beastie Boys book are all worth checking out. (Not to mention excellent music podcasts like A History of Rock n’ Roll in 500 Songs or Cocaine & Rhinestones – or this Twitter feed I came across while I was writing this that seemed to be on the same wavelength.)

And lastly, a shout-out to “Hadley Lee Lightcap” by Sam Sweet, a deeply reported book about the ’90s-era Los Angeles trio Acetone. It’s wonderful.

The reason this came up was because I’d been looking forward to Michael Schaub’s interview with Warren Zanes to discuss “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” Zanes’ deep dive into Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” album – a book I couldn’t wait to read as soon as I heard about it. (Zanes responds to the Q&A below.)

While in college, I worked at a record store with a crew of passionate music fans. If you’ve seen or read “High Fidelity,” you get the gist, but the musical education I got has been as important to me as the one I got at school. Whether it was Public Enemy or Alex Chilton or Mel Tormé, there was always a show and someone to see it with (and I saw Mel Tormé a lot).

While there, my good friend and coworker Dave, a passionate Springsteen fan (and Prince fan, Tom Waits fan and …), demanded I address the outrageous fact that I’d never seen the Boss in concert. Since Springsteen was out on tour at the time, we waited in line for tickets and – I have no idea how – scored second-row center seats on the floor. A scalper offered me $500 as we walked away (or rather, as Dave dragged me away to stop me from closing a sale). We saw the show, it was terrific and I hardly ever think about that $500.

As well as Springsteen, Dave introduced me to the Del Fuegos, a band featuring Warren Zanes … who has just written a book about Springsteen. It all felt full circle, and as the song asks, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” Not by me, it won’t; I ordered Dave a copy and anticipate a lively conversation about it in the future.

OK, whew, if you’re still here reading I appreciate it. Please feel free to email me at epedersen@scng.com with the words “ERIK: BOOK PAGES” in the subject line and tell me about the music books you’ve enjoyed or the books that you’re reading and I may include it in an upcoming newsletter. (And as I mentioned banned books in the subject line, there’s a link to a story below about PEN America and Penguin Random House teaming up to fight a Florida ban.)

And if you enjoy this free newsletter, please consider sharing it with someone who likes books or getting a digital subscription to support local coverage.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Warren Zanes on Claire Keegan, J.M Coetzee and Jim Harrison

Warren Zanes was a member of Boston’s the Del Fuegos and has released a number of solo albums. He’s wrote the first book in the 33+1/3 series, “Dusty Springfield’s Dusty in Memphis,” and a biography of Tom Petty; he also edited a book about Jimmie Rodgers. Along with work on music documentaries such as “George Harrison: Living in the Material World” and “20 Feet From Stardom,” Zanes has a Ph.D. in Visual and Cultural Studies and teaches at New York University. He spoke with Michael Schaub about the book and responds to the Book Pages Q&A below.

Q: How do you decide what to read next?

Like so many others, I have a pile of books beside my bed. Most are fiction, novels and story collections. Some are in the general “self-help” category, which seems like an odd classification (I mean, if you can help yourself, why do you need the book?). Occasionally there’s a book about music, if I’m in research mode. The actual decision regarding what I read next, however, is typically a matter of instinct. I just pulled out J.M Coetzee’s “Boyhood and Youth,” simply because I find his prose style inspiring. There’s an economy in his books that I associate more with poetry than prose. It’s spare but so complete.

Q: Do you remember the first book that made an impact on you?

Yes. My mother gave me a copy of Jim Harrison’s “Legends of the Fall,” which I then gave, tattered, to my eldest son on his 18th birthday. Jim Harrison turned me into a real reader, got me ready for college, made me want books. His characters were so alive to me. They were often in some kind of turmoil but also loved food, literature, beauty . . . the good stuff. I wanted to be in Harrison’s worlds, so I read everything of his I could find. By the end of that, I was a reader.

Q: Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, are there any titles or narrators you’d recommend?

I listen to audiobooks and always enjoy them. Mostly, I listen with my sons on road trips. Anything Ethan Hawke reads is worth hearing. We are filled with admiration for that guy.

Q: Is there a genre or type of book you read the most – and what would you like to read more of?

I come from a family of fiction readers. I remember when people in the house were reading Knut Hamsun. His books — “Mysteries,” “Growth of the Soil,” “Pan” — were going around like something you caught when the seasons changed. But I was the late bloomer in my family. Books were for the others. I was racing bicycles and more interested in shaving my legs. Then, after Jim Harrison shook me awake to fiction, I went back to Knut Hamsun and others. It made me reconsider my family. I figured they must have more depth, more hunger, than I realized. How can you read great fiction and not have great hunger? I just wasn’t sure why they didn’t talk about it more. But I was in for life with fiction.

Q: Which books do you plan, or hope, to read next?

Claire Keegan’s “Foster.” I’ve read a few story collections and one other novella. I think she’s a master. And, oddly enough, we were both at Loyola University in New Orleans at the same time. How did that happen?? I want to see her again and ask her. Her writing reminds me what writing can do at its best.

Q: Is there a person who made an impact on your reading life – a teacher, a parent, a librarian or someone else?

Absolutely. John Biguenet, poet, playwright, novelist, short story writer, teacher. He made me believe that the reward is the practice itself. To have a life that includes writing, and writing at any level: that’s the thing. I feel like he lives this. These days, though, I call him more to ask how to be a man in the world, how to carry on with a broken heart, how to let your kids go into the world, how to become a hockey fan in your fifties, stuff like that. He’s served me in every way. But it took me years to feel comfortable calling him by his first name, since we originally met in his classroom. Truth? He’ll always be Mr. Biguenet. I call him “John” very reluctantly.

Q: If you could ask your readers something, what would it be?

Will you be understanding if I feel compelled to write a memoir? Please?

More stories on books and authors

Mystery in the mail

A decades-old Holocaust secret fueled Anne Berest’s “The Postcard.” READ MORE

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Resisting book bans

PEN America, Penguin Random House sue a Florida school district over book bans. READ MORE

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The week’s bestsellers

The top-selling books at your local independent bookstores. READ MORE

What’s next on ‘Bookish’

The next Bookish event will be June 16 at 5 p.m. and include author Mona Simpson, host Sandra Tsing Loh & Samantha Dunn.

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