Why is it that children are so attracted to dandelions? Maybe it’s because of their bright yellow color and their round, fluffy seed heads that are so much fun to blow into the wind and make a wish. Whatever it is, grandchildren love these flowers that we adults consider only as pesky weeds!

The designing, shopping, planting, weeding and maintenance of your gardens is finished (well, almost), and they are at peak bloom. It’s time to relax a bit and show off what you’ve accomplished. Share your garden with your friends at a garden party. Here are some tips for hosting a memorable one.

There will be a Grand Opening Ceremony and ribbon-cutting at the new Westlake Community Services Center on Tuesday, July 13, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event will include self- guided tours, music, refreshments, an ice cream truck, a raffle, health screenings and food cooked by St. John Medical Center’s personal chef.

To serve those who need it most, the Social Security Administration has partnered with community-based groups to launch a national outreach campaign. The goal is to increase public awareness of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefit programs and support third-party groups that are assisting vulnerable individuals to apply for benefits. The SSI and SSDI programs provide critical financial assistance, and can grant access to health care and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

Social Security helps you secure today and tomorrow with financial benefits, information, and tools that support you throughout life’s journey. If you don’t have enough Social Security credits to qualify for benefits on your own record, you may be able to receive benefits on your spouse’s record.

The pandemic has made a lot of people — including mayors, legislators and the public in general — aware of how important being outside is to our well-being and how we need to take action sooner rather than later to ensure a healthy environment as we tackle climate change. With that in mind, bicycle and pedestrian safety is at the forefront of advocacy — building better infrastructure for walking and biking, education in schools, better training for law enforcement, and making certain that legislators know what you want.