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  Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse at the end, as Southern California’s were able to see the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse at the 50% coverage for Southern California’s were able to see the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  People look through their solar glasses at a partial solar eclipse during a viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  People look through a telescope at a partial solar eclipse during a viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Kids look through a telescope and their solar glasses during a solar eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California had a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Belen Aguirre uses her eclipse glasses to take a phone photo during an eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The Chou family checks out a partial solar eclipse during a viewing event at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Gemma Jones, 5, gets help closing one eye as she looks through a telescope at a partial solar eclipse during a viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Kids look through a telescope and their solar glasses during a solar eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California had a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Students and staff at Oxford Academy in Cypress catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  People look through a telescope and their solar glasses during a solar eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California had a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Laguna Woods residents watch the partial solar eclipse through special glasses at a viewing party put on by the Astronomy Club on Monday, April 8, 2024. More than 200 people attended the party. (Photo by Mark Rabinowitch)

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  Laguna Woods residents watch the partial solar eclipse through special glasses at a viewing party put on by the Astronomy Club on Monday, April 8, 2024. More than 200 people attended the party. (Photo by Mark Rabinowitch)

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  Left: Shadow Hills Elementary School students watch the solar eclipse in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. Approximately 50 perecent of the sun was covered by the moon while totality was seen from Matazlan, Mexico through Texas and the midwest and out through Maine. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) Right: The total eclipse of the sun in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  Riva Karki, 14, a 9th-grade student at Oxford Academy in Cypress, takes a picture with her classmates during the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Phto by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  People check out exhibits at the planetarium during an eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Kids check out a partial solar eclipse during a viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, a woman brings her parrot as Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Students from Willard Elementary School view the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study hosted a solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse starts for Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Students from Willard Elementary School view the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Iyan Syeed-Miller, 17, a member of Pasadena High School’s Astronomy Club, assists people in viewing the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study hosted a solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study hosted a solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Scott Haas, 52, with his son, Tom, 10, sit together as they gaze at the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study hosted a solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  A student from Willard Elementary School views the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Children from the Willard Children Center gaze at the solar eclipse during the Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Allison Drake, 17, a member of Pasadena High School’s Astronomy Club, checks a telescope during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Students from Willard Elementary School view the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Ariana Craig, a teacher at Willard Elementary Schoo, views the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Cristina Reyes, a fifth grade teacher at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana, shows students how to wear solar glasses before the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  The moon’s shadow is cast down from a sunspotter device during the solar eclipse at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Cristina Reyes, a fifth grade teacher at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana, passes out solar glasses to students Monday, April 8, 2024, before the solar eclipse. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  The moon’s shadow is cast down from a sunspotter device during the solar eclipse at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  A student at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana points towards the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Third grade students at Fontana’s Shadow Hills Elementary School Melody Velasco, Corinna Chavez and Giancarlo Hernandez Herrera, all 9, cast the moon’s shadow onto paper using a solar pinhole viewing card as they watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  The solar eclipse begins in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Students and staff at Oxford Academy in Cypress catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Katie Kuznik and her dog Mila attended the viewing party. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Sydney Sun and Larrows Fang both international exchange students from China take in the eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Woody Anderson and Sarah Jordan view the eclipse beaming down on the ground. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Perry Bush from Los Angeles takes in the eclipse.(Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Light filtering through a tree shows the eclipse in Manhattan Beach. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Teresa kalassen attended the viewing party. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. International exchange student from China Sydney Sun views the eclipse in from of a mural of the Manhattan Beach Pier. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Cassie and Marissa look to the sky with glasses provided by the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Katie Kuznik and her dog Mila attended the event. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Carboard with pinholes provided by the Physics and Astronomy Departments of CSULB allowed people to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  Cathryn McCormick uses a telescope provided by the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  People gathered glasses and information from the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  People look to the sky with glasses provided by the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  The Garibay family views the solar eclipse through glasses, from the campus of CSULB in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  Jacob Teran uses a uses glasses over his iPhone lens to take photos of the solar eclipse on campus at SCULB in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  People look to the sky with glasses provided by the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  Leo and Frances Lopez view the solar eclipse in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  A view of the eclipse after 11 am from Simi Valley on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  Clouds threaten to block out the total eclipse in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  The sun, partially blocked by the moon, creates crescent-shaped beams of light between the shadows of palm fronds on a sidewalk in Rialto during a solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Eric Vilchis, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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  The sun, partially blocked by the moon, projects crescent-shaped beams of light through the leaves on a tree in Rialto during a solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Eric Vilchis, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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  The sun, partially blocked by the moon, projects crescent-shaped beams of light through pin holes in a piece of paper in Rialto during a solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Eric Vilchis, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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  The moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

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  The moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

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  The sun begins to be obscured be the moon as closed pass overhead in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  The sun begins to be obscured be the moon as closed pass overhead in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

The sun and the moon slow danced their way across the clear Southern California sky on Monday, April 8, for more than two hours performing a stunning astronomical show, complete with the requisite mood lighting and graceful movement.

From Orange County to the Inland Empire to L.A., the stars of this show didn’t go full-on ‘total’ tango, like they did across much of the United States. But for the thousands who gathered outdoors at local universities, schools, libraries, neighborhoods and parks in the region, the Great American Solar Eclipse, more of a foxtrot, was no less a show to behold.

A moment of a lifetime.

The sun and the moon were right on time, about 10:06 a.m. as they began their galactic show. The eclipse in the Southern California sky peaked around 11:12 a.m. and concluded at 12:22 p.m., at which point the moon and the sun took a bow and went back to being their normal selves.

• See photos: Total solar eclipse sweeps across North America

By then their delicate dance had darkened much of North America and left millions in awe. The eclipse’s “path of totality,” the band where the sun is completely blocked from view, cut diagonally across the continent, delighting U.S. viewers from Texas to Maine. All told, the totality passed over 13 U.S. states, and at least a partial eclipse will be visible from all 50, within eyeshot of 99% of the U.S. population.

Millions put on their special glasses, or looked through homemade pinhole cameras as things went dark across much of the U.S., and a little bit darker in Southern California, where we saw a sun nearly 50% covered by the moon.

In Southern California, that might not have been enough for some folks to notice anything at all. But the event was not lost on thousands of gazers, united by the sun-moon dance in the sky.

“It just felt like something you should witness at least once in your life,” said Madeleine Lees, a high school senior and a leader of Pasadena High School’s Astronomy Club, which gathered under the open sky at the district’s Center for Independent Study to experience the celestial phenomenon firsthand.

• Also see: Solar Eclipse 2024: What the total eclipse looked like across North America

Lees was busy explaining the phenomenon to younger students. Some children likened the eclipse to Pac-Man, while others saw it as resembling an orange moon.

“I was asking if they had questions, and one of them was like, ‘why is this happening,’ and I was trying to explain the orbits,” she said. “Some of them were just happy to be outside.”

At the center, there were activity tables for elementary students featuring eclipse-related activities, such as moon phases with Oreo cookies and drawing the sun and the moon on black pieces of papers, said Scott Phelps, a physics mentor/teacher.

The air was filled with themed music, including songs like “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Dark Side of the Moon.”

Dilan Diaz, a geography major at Cal State Long Beach, was on his way to the library to start studying until he stumbled upon the large crowd.

He saw his friend Josiah Diaz, a fourth year communications and theory major, and decided to join them for an stress-relieving breather before going to the library.

“There was just a crowd of people (that were) smiling, and that just attracts more people to jump and be giddy,” Dilan Diaz said.

• Solar Eclipse 2024: What Southern California should know as things go dark(er)

That unity was not lost on Joel Zinn, assistant professor at Cal State Long Beach’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, who hosted a viewing party on the campus’s upper quad.

“This is a really great opportunity for me as a scientist to engage with the public,” Zinn said, as he instructed everyone what to see, what to look out for while warning people not to burn their corneas by looking at the sun directly without eclipse glasses.

The glasses were a ubiquitous sight at Caltech, in Pasadena, where hundreds of people, ranging from families to science enthusiasts, gathered at the institution’s athletic field outside the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics Monday morning.

Many came prepared with solar viewing glasses, comfortable blankets, and umbrellas, eagerly awaiting the celestial spectacle.

At precisely 11:13 am, the moment of maximum eclipse, a surge of excitement swept through the crowd assembled at Caltech as skywatchers cheered and applauded beneath the partially obscured sun.A

Organizers said they were expecting 400 people, but many more came.

For many, it was a chance to look back.

Arwen Bobyk, a filmmaker from Pasadena, brought Fawn, her six-year-old chihuahua to the Caltech viewing event.

Bobyk remembered being a child living in British Columbia, Canada, when there was a full solar eclipse.

“It’s funny because it’s one of the really strong memories of my childhood, was going outside of school in the playground and using the glasses and seeing the eclipse,” she said. “So I hadn’t thought of it for a long time, but I was thinking about that.”

In the Inland Empire, a couple hours into their school day, elementary students across Fontana got hands-on lessons in solar patterns as the eclipse began shortly after 10 a.m.

Fontana Unified provided solar eclipse viewing kits to its 30 elementary schools, including Shadow Hills Elementary, where students gathered outside their classrooms Monday.

Astronomers often deem a full solar eclipse an epic “coincidence,” a rare alignment of celestial bodies.

For this one, it is estimated that 31.6 million people in the U.S. lived in the totality’s path, and many others traveled for the chance to see day become night for four and a half minutes.

And that they did.

In some parts of the country, where the eclipse was total, the experience was surreal, lowering temperatures, drawing thousands for four minutes in darkness as the moon completely blocked out the sun, save the outline of its stunning corona.

In New Hampshire, Holly Randall said experiencing the eclipse had been beyond her expectations.

“I didn’t expect to cry when I saw it,” she said, as tears ran down her face.

It had made her think about fundamental aspects of the universe.

“The power of the sun, and life,” she said. “And us, humankind, here on this planet, and how grateful we can be to have this energy source.”

There were tears. There were cheers.

This particular eclipse was unique because the sun was more active than during the last one, in 2017. Plus, it was longer, offering a chance to view the corona and other features, such as solar flares, sun spots and prominences.

Folks, a total solar eclipse won’t happen again in North America until LeBron James is pushing 60 years old (he’ll likely still be playing ball). And if all goes well, we will have sent our first people to Mars.

That’s why even a look at even a partial eclipse was pretty cool for many youngsters.

“We get to learn more about the eclipse, and it was really cool to see it, because I don’t think the next one is going to happen for another 20 years,” said Margaret Matthews, an astronomy club member and a senior at Pasadena High School.

Usually, the sun is a bit player in our day – behind the scenes, so to speak, shining the light, but never with the “light” shined on it. Monday was different, Zinn said last week as he geared up for the eclipse.

On Monday, the sun was the star of the show, he said.

City Editors Ryan Carter and Jessica Keating contributed to this article.

That’s when Goodman, a retired San Gabriel cop, stepped in to protect others, including Pong, from the bullets.

And yet, one year later, there they were at an Alhambra restaurant on Sunday night, with dozens of survivors of the Monterey Park mass shooting on Jan. 21, 2023. Smiling. Dancing. Remembering their lost friends. Perhaps a little bit of healing with every twirl. With every beat. With every step.

They are among the many survivors of the shooting who gathered Sunday at World Seafood Restaurant evening to celebrate their “rebirth” on the one-year anniversary of the shooting.

It was the culmination of a day of remembering 11 of their friends who died in the shooting, a day that included a candlelight vigil at Monterey Park City Hall. But even amid the vigil’s solemnity and the lingering psychological trauma of what happened, many survivors embrace ballroom dance as a healing force.

That was clear on Sunday night.

“When the shooting happened, I was 10 feet away from the shooter, I’m one of the lucky men,” said survivor Lloyd Gock, who organized the event with Eric Chen, a pastor from San Gabriel.

After the tragedy, Gock formed a group of around 30 to 40 survivors who “are as traumatized” as he was. Throughout last year, the group met in regular meetings to support one another and to navigate the aftermath, he said.

“At the beginning, I said to myself, if we make it through the year, we are all going to celebrate together,” Gock said. “So tonight, I’m seeing a lot of people out here that were there that night, and to see them dancing here again, that’s the message, the positive message: Nothing can kill our spirit for dancing.”

On that night a year ago, the gunman, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, walked into Star Ballroom Dance Studio on Garvey Avenue and opened fire. It sent shockwaves through the predominantly Asian community in the San Gabriel Valley, transforming what should have been a festive Lunar New Year Eve celebration into heartbreak.

Yet on Sunday, in a dining hall adorned with red and gold Lunar New Year couplets, laughter mingled with the clinking of glasses as attendees toasted to their new beginnings. Amidst the lively music and the hum of animated conversations, friends hugged and cheered each other.

Jim Goodman sat next to Pong, his dance partner of six years. They shared some laughs before hitting the dance floor together.

Goodman said his foot will start to ache underneath his heel if he dances for a couple of hours. On top of that, he still has the bullet lodged in his back. His doctors had left it in because it’s too deep to extract without adding stress to his kidney, he said.

As the gunman started firing, Goodman instinctively pulled Pong down and shielded her from the spray of gunshots piercing a line dance. As a result, he sustained serious injuries in his foot and shoulder.

For more than six years, Goodman and Pong had been grooving on the dance floor at Star Ballroom Dance Studio. They often stopped by Saturday nights for their dance sessions, Goodman said.

“In the beginning, I really didn’t know how to dance that well,” he said, pointing toward Pong. “She coached me for six years.”

“I am designed for him, because nobody can teach him,” Pong chimed in.

“Even though I had a lot of instruction, I still dance my own way,” Goodman smiled.

For Jenny Wong, another survivor of the shooting, Sunday’s banquet held special significance. She is celebrating both her 67th birthday and the embrace of a new chapter in her life, Wong said.

To survivors like her, the event was a beacon of hope, a reminder that warmth and compassion persist in society, Wong said. She said she hopes those struggling with mental health issues can get help.

“I hope there is no more tragedy like the Monterey Park shooting,” Wong said. “I hope everyone is safe.”

Line dancers, led by Cindy Lao, kicked Sunday night’s festivities into high gear. Swaying to “The Small Droplets of Rain in March”, the very song they danced to during the shooting at Star Ballroom Dance Studio. The dancers said they hoped to use their performance as a symbol of their bravery against adversity.

Lao said she came to the banquet with a heavy heart because Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting, however, “I hope everyone lives happily, because we still have to face the future,” she said.

As the evening went on, the survivors were joined by officials such as Rep Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, Assemblymember Mike Fong, D-Alhambra, Alhambra City Councilmember Sasha Renée Pérez and Monterey Park City Treasurer Amy Lee.

To see them dancing here again, that’s the message, the positive message: Nothing can kill our spirit for dancing.” — Lloyd Gock

A few family members of the deceased also attended, including Kristenne Reidy, daughter of victim Valentino Marcos Alvero, and Fonda Quan, niece of victim My My Nhan. Brandon Tsay was there, the man who thwarted what would’ve been a second massacre by the gunman in Alhambra.

Chu said it’s great to see the survivors dancing again. “I am so glad because I can see healing right in front of me,” she said.

Chen said the event is a way to remember those who have passed, but also to celebrate the new lives of the survivors, who have come together as “an extended family” in their healing journey.

“Even though this is a tragedy that affected our community, it can be something that can bring us all together as a community,” Chen said. “And that whatever the objective the shooter was, that we’re not going to let them prevail.”

He said he has raised around $10,000 from the fundraiser, which was his target.

Chen said proceeds will subsidize the dinner expenses for survivors and victims’ families, along with the DJ and entertainment costs for the banquet. Any surplus will be directed towards future activities for the SGV Hope Peer Support Group to aid their ongoing healing journey.

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  City Officials and community members attend a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Maria Leung, owner of the Star ..Ballroom, and Congresswoman Judy Chu attend a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Buddhist monks perform a prayer ritual before a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  A documentary film crew lines up a shot to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at city hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  City officials prepare for a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at city hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  City department of recreation managers Christina Alatorre and Diana Garcia place a wreath for a candlelight vigil marking the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting, at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Offerings are left outside of the Star Ballroom marking the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Offerings are left outside of the Star Ballroom marking the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Offerings are left outside of the Star Ballroom marking the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Offerings are left outside of the Star Ballroom marking the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  City officials prepare for a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at city hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Offerings are left outside of the Star Ballroom marking the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu attends a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu attends a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Mantle Nam, left, attends a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Andrew Guiding Young Cloud, with the Gabrielino-Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, performs a prayer during a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  City Officials and community members attend a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu attends a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Mantle Nam, left, attends a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Pasquale family attends a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Maria Leung, owner of the Star ..Ballroom, and Congresswoman Judy Chu attend a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Supervisor Hilda Solis greets Attorney General Rob Bonta and LA County Sheriff Robert Luna before a roundtable meeting on xe2x80x9cHealing and Hopexe2x80x9d at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Sheriff Robert Luna takes part in a roundtable meeting on xe2x80x9cHealing and Hopexe2x80x9d at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Mayor Jose Sanchez embraces Laura Abbassi, with Moms Demand Action, after a roundtable meeting on xe2x80x9cHealing and Hopexe2x80x9d at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Brandon Tsay greets U.S.Congresswoman Judy Chu and Councilmember Yvonne Yiu before a roundtable meeting on xe2x80x9cHealing and Hopexe2x80x9d at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Mayor Jose Sanchez speaks during a roundtable meeting on xe2x80x9cHealing and Hopexe2x80x9d at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Andrew Guiding Young Cloud, with the Gabrielino-Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, performs a prayer during a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Mayor Jose Sanchez and fellow city officials and community members help lead a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Debra Boudreaux, CEO of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, says a prayer during a candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Monterey Park mass shooting at City Hall on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Supervisor Hilda Solis takes part in a roundtable meeting on xe2x80x9cHealing and Hopexe2x80x9d at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Brandon Tsay speaks during a roundtable meeting on xe2x80x9cHealing and Hopexe2x80x9d at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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  Congresswoman Judy Chu takes part in a roundtable meeting on xe2x80x9cHealing and Hopexe2x80x9d at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. ..(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Monterey Park on Sunday, Jan. 21, paused to remember its darkest day. There were tears. Embraces. But it wasn’t all about looking back.

Throughout the area, its leaders, its heroes, its survivors, urged a healing community to seize the moment to end the kind of violence it endured one year ago and to forge an empowering path forward.

Hundreds came to Monterey Park City Hall, where in the candlelit, crisp night air they remembered the 11 people gunned down in a mass shooting just blocks away exactly one year ago.

“Let’s promise to work together as a community to end gun violence,” said Monterey Park Mayor Jose Sanchez, whose tenure as the top elected official in the city began with candlelight vigils in the wake of the tragedy. “We can honor those that we have lost not just by dancing, but also by sharing their stories and memorializing them. We also honor them by ensuring that no other community has to endure what we’ve endured.”

On that night, gunman Huu Can Tran, 72, of Hemet, entered Star Ballroom Dance Studio on Garvey Avenue and opened fire and seriously wounded nine others.

Minutes later, he arrived at Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra and attempted to enter before he was stopped by Brandon Tsay, a young man lauded as a life-saving hero.

The gunman, 72, killed himself the following day after he was pulled over by police outside a Torrance strip mall.

But by the next day, 11 people bonded by a love for ballroom dancing were taken: Ming Wei Ma, 72; Yu-Lun Kao, 72; Valentino Marcos Alvero, 68; Wen-Tau Yu, 64; My My Nhan, 65; Xiujuan Yu, 57; Muoi Dai Ung, 67; Hongying Jian, 62; Chia Ling Yau, 76; Diana Man Ling Tom, 70; LiLan Li, 63.

What was evident Sunday was it is a city striving to move on, but still grieving from the gravity of the tragedy. For loved ones, that struggle is particularly acute as they embrace the community’s support while remembering the lives they’ve lost.

They faced the moment a year later with gratitude.

“My dad Valentino Alvero was one of the victims, and I cannot express to you how much the community support has helped my family and me heal from losing my dad to tragedy,” said Kristenne Reidy. “The shock and the grief that came with their deaths traumatize me so much that every time I was invited to a party, especially one with dancing and singing, I couldn’t help but feel a tremor of sorrow, with my dad’s final moments in the back of my mind.”

At the time it happened, Monterey Park was the 33rd mass shooting in the United States in 2023, and the deadliest. The year would end with 658 mass shootings across country.

Monterey Park’s was the deadliest in L.A. County history — and occurred on the eve of the Lunar New Year in a community that is majority Asian American and is considered the first suburban Chinatown in the nation.

Sunday’s scene in the city was a far cry from the chaos of that day a year ago. And for many, it marked a kind of new beginning.

Around 150 people, including survivors, gathered at a restaurant in Alhambra to celebrate their “rebirth” with their families, friends and supporters.

They set the celebration in motion with a line dance by a group dancers that were at the ballroom at the time of the shooting. It was a symbol of their bravery against adversity, organizers said. Amidst the lively music and the hum of animated conversations, friends hugged and cheered each other.

Among them was retired San Gabriel Lt. Jim Goodman, who sat next to his dance partner, Hattie Pong, at a table. Two shooting survivors, marking a year since. Goodman suffered serious injuries during the shooting, spending his year recovering – and trying to dance again.

“I’m not 100%, but I’m good,” he said. “I can dance for a couple of hours, then my foot is a little sore underneath the heel, but I’m 90% good.”

He still has one bullet in his back, Goodman said, gesturing to his back. The bullet is in deep, so doctors didn’t want to put further stress on it, he explained.

But it wasn’t going to stop him from dancing, because “dancing is an exercise for me,” he said, before hitting the dance floor with Hattie, his dance partner for six years.

“So on the one hand, we are here to honor those who have passed, that are smiling upon us, and to honor the fact that we have a new life together, that we are a new family together, an extended family,”  said Eric Chen, a San Gabriel pastor and an organizer of the event.

Over at the now closed Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where the shooting happened, early in the afternoon, a lone bouquet of flowers rested on its side outside of the building, a box sitting next to it with a red-tinseled heart-shaped wreath with an arrow through it.

Later, as the vigil got going outside City Hall, under a canopy to protect from rain, there was prayer, Buddhist chanting. A string quintet from Mark Keppel High School echoed. A Tongva blessing was given.

Amid the 250 or so who came to the vigil was Jane Heppert, 63, of Mission Viejo. It was a return trip to the city, where she’s come amid the days of the tragedy to be of any kind of help, with her therapy dog. They were back on Sunday, “handing out free smiles.”

“It’s significant for me because I was here last year. And I saw the grief,” she said. “I can’t imagine this happening in my community. So it’s an honor for us to go to these different events and help the people in the community try and begin healing, and at this point a year later.”

Along the sidewalks leading up to city hall, small paper lanterns light the way. The lanterns are decorated with drawings and sayings such as “Take care of yourself,” and “MPK.” pic.twitter.com/6FFc4cFksO

— Christina Merino (@christinam_love) January 22, 2024

The vigil followed a “Roundtable on Hope and Healing” at the city’s Bruggemeyer Library.

“Together, we are not just victims. We are a community of heroes that thrives for a brighter and safer future.” – Brandon Tsay

It brought together community leaders from L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna to Brandon Tsay to Sheila Wu, director of Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Centers, to discuss strategies for fostering support in a community still recovering.

“There is a lot of anxiety still (in the community). I think,” Wu said in an interview before the roundtable. “Last Saturday, we held a workshop at Lai Lai dance studio, and a lot of folks came out, so we provided mental health support, and they had questions about getting re-traumatized with the anniversary, so we just gave them some prepping.”

By the time the roundtable ended, Brandon Tsay was receiving a standing ovation after offering words paying homage to the victims, but also to resilience.

“Today, I don’t want to be solely about looking back and understanding the sorrow,” said Brandon Tsay. “I wanted to be looking forward to recognize the incredible spirit that has been displayed in our community. These bonds we forged in the midst of such tragedy and adversity has given rise to this united pursuit of hope and mental wellness in public safety. “Together, we are not just victims. We are a community of heroes that thrives for a brighter and safer future.”

The tragedy fueled an ongoing conversation in the United States over the prevention of such violence. And it led to setting up resources to accommodate the demand for mental health resources in Monterey Park.

President Joe Biden visited Monterey Park, consoled each of the victims’ families and announced executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence. He also took a moment during his State of the Union speech on Feb. 7, 2023, to call for increased gun control while acknowledging his invited guest, Brandon Tsay.

Today marks 1 year exactly since the shooting in Monterey Park. So far, a candle and bundle of flowers are set up at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio to honor the 11 dancers killed.

For more info: https://t.co/0jDBJLINm3 pic.twitter.com/QEvJcdQOky

— Victoria Ivie (@vwritesap) January 21, 2024

On Sunday, Biden acknowledged the somber anniversary, while making a renewed call for an assault weapons ban.

On X, he said: “One year ago today, during Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park, 11 people were killed in a heinous act of gun violence. Two days later, the tragedy was compounded, as a gunman killed seven people in Half Moon Bay. Jill and I pray for the families of the victims.

“It’s long past time we banned assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, ended immunity from liability for gun manufacturers, passed a national red flag law, enacted universal background checks, and required safe storage of guns.”

One year ago today, during Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park, 11 people were killed in a heinous act of gun violence.

Two days later, the tragedy was compounded, as a gunman killed seven people in Half Moon Bay.

Jill and I pray for the families of the victims. pic.twitter.com/W31PIr2qbR

— President Biden (@POTUS) January 21, 2024

It also amplified efforts by Rep. Judy Chu, a former Monterey Park City Councilwoman and three-time mayor of the city, who has touted two pieces of proposed federal gun-violence prevention legislation — the Language Access to Gun Violence Prevention Strategies Act, and the FLAG, or Fair Legal Access Grants, Act.

She has said the first would ensure multilingual outreach efforts about red flag laws and gun violence prevention, while the second would provide funding to ensure proper legal representation for people seeking to file red flag petitions to keep guns away from people with mental health or other issues precluding them from owning weapons.

Chu noted that local advocates and organizations mobilized and continue to support the victims with translation services, government resources, fundraising and mental health care, as well as long-term assistance at the MPK Hope Resiliency Center at Sierra Vista Park Community Center.

The day was remembered outside of Monterey Park as leaders other than Biden and those gathered at Monterey Park weighed in.

“Today, my heart is with the survivors and families who lost loved ones at a dance studio in Monterey Park,” said former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, herself nearly killed in a mass shooting in her home state.

On Jan. 8, 2011, a man opened fire during her meet-and-greet event outside a Safeway, killing six people and wounding 13 others, including the congresswoman.

“In the year since (Monterey Park), I’ve been inspired by those who refused to have their joy taken away and found healing in dancing once again.”

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis is preparing a motion for the board’s Tuesday meeting, where the one-year anniversary would be “memorialized” in connection with a Lunar New Year proclamation, ushering in the Year of the Dragon.

“In the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon represents many values, including dignity, strength, and renewal. And to me, no community has better exemplified these values than the San Gabriel Valley,” she said.

Back in Monterey Park on Sunday, Monterey Park City Councilmember Thomas Wong reflected on the impact of the tragedy.

“It wasn’t just a Monterey Park tragedy, but one that hit the heart of so many throughout the region,” he said.

Reidy, Alvero’s daughter, echoed the councilman, noting that that heart is still aching.

“There’s still so much healing to do,” Reidy said. But it’s my hope to continue the process of healing together as a community and the city of Monterey Park that’s so dear to our family.”

At times, it seems as if the cycle of grieving would never end for Fonda Quan, who lost someone she considered her second mother in the Monterey Park mass shooting a year ago. Yet sometimes a fleeting moment arises that hints at the possibility of healing.

“It’s definitely painful,” Quan said. “I would say this last year is just on and off, just grieving. And there are moments where it’s like, oh, you feel like you’re done grieving. There are just little moments that hit you, and it kind of all comes back again.”

A year has passed since Jan. 21, 2023, when 72-year-old Huu Can Tran walked into a dance studio in Monterey Park and fatally shot 11 people amid the city’s festive Lunar New Year celebrations.

The city’s perennial draw – an annual showcase of its culture, its food, its traditions – started with a day full of smiles, like it always does. It ended in bloodshed at a beloved dance floor on Garvey Avenue. By then, the 33rd mass shooting in the United States in 2023 was also the nation’s deadliest since the Uvalde, Texas, shooting the year before, which left 19 children and two adults dead.

There would be hundreds more in 2023, and even deadlier.  They all echoed loudly in Monterey Park, where its own tragedy shocked a tight-knit community and plunged it into grief. It reignited the long-standing national debate on gun control and prompted conversations among local leaders about enhancing seniors’ accessibility to mental health resources.

The path toward healing hasn’t been easy for the city. And that’s not unlike other communities, where students who witnessed the massacre at Robb Elementary in Uvalde faced anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic disorders. The ripple effect of PTSD hits not only those directly impacted but also the public at large.

Amidst these broader discussions, some families of the shooting victims and survivors continued to grapple with the aftermath of the tragedy.

“Over time this past year, my family and I, we just became experts in grieving,” said Quan, niece of victim My My Nhan, who was a regular at the Star Ballroom for more than a decade and was described by her family’s as their ‘biggest cheerleader’. “We go in and out of the cycle much faster each time, and I think that’s kind of what we try to pride ourselves in, having progress, moving forward. And we know that we can’t just keep doing that to ourselves.”

Rather than fixating on their personal loss, her family has channeled their time and energy into giving back to the community, something Nhan cared deeply about, said Quan, who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley but now resides in Texas.

“I think it’s more important to tell the story of who she was, than to kind of have her quietly slip away,” she said.

This includes setting up a fund in Nhan’s name, which supports programs that empower AAPI seniors and youth to defend themselves against violence, Quan said.

“She was only 65 years old,” she said. “So we’re like, okay, even if we set a fund and help the community for the next 20 years, we’re just kind of doing things for her, as if she was still here.”

In a different story of resilience, Hattie Pong considers herself lucky.

Her dance partner, Jim Goodman, a former lieutenant with the San Gabriel Police Department, suffered significant injuries while protecting her during the shooting. Despite the hurdles, Goodman survived.

Pong herself was “traumatized for around 45 days,” a period during which she continually revisited the events of that night in her mind and refrained from dancing, she said.

Yet, over time, she found herself yearning for the opportunity to exercise again and has since returned to the dance floor. Her life has mostly returned to normal, Pong said.

But many others have remained in the shadow of the lingering pain.

“I don’t want to keep thinking about it,” said Amy Qi, whose dance partner, Valentino Alvero, shielded her but was fatally shot. His body collapsed onto hers as he fell down.

Qi experienced such trauma from the incident that she endured health issues for months, from lack of sleep to an extended menstrual cycle. She even refrained from venturing outside of her home, which resulted in her quitting her job as an aesthetician.

In an effort to prevent the haunting replay of that night in her mind, Qi enrolled in cosmetology classes to immerse herself in learning throughout the day. Having recently completed her studies, Qi has resumed her career as a cosmetologist.

But to this day, Qi steers clear of the shooting site and minimizes encounters with folks who remind her of the incident, a choice that, in her perception, helped her forget about the tragedy, even just for a while.

Unlike Qi, some survivors have found solace in continual mutual support – and dancing.

Lloyd Gock found himself merely 10 feet away from Tran as the gunman walked into the ballroom. In a move crucial to his survival, Gock’s dance partner, Wendy, swiftly covered his head with a coat, while calming him and advising him not to move.

Since the incident, Gock has organized a peer support group on WeChat of around 30 to 40 people who meet up every month to chat and attend counseling sessions together at places like the MPK Hope Resiliency Center. The centeropened in the aftermath of the shooting to provide trauma counseling to community members in Mandarin, Cantonese and Vietnamese, among other services.

Despite the diminished initial shock, a year later Gock still grapples with the lingering aftermath of the shooting. He experienced moments of fear in the dark and adjusted his dance routine from going out four or five times per week, to just two times weekly.

There have also been personal hurdles extending beyond the PTSD, Gock said, noting that he was excluded from a friend’s birthday party because he was considered “unlucky” as someone who experienced the shooting.

However, progress is evident. Gock’s group has recently transitioned from meeting once every month to once every few months to allow members to gradually move on with their lives, he said.

“I hope that with the passage of time, things could return to normal,” Gock said, adding, “throughout this period, I have made numerous friends, and this group has become like family to me.”

Despite the tragedy, a positive outcome of the shooting was the community coming together, said Monterey Park City Councilmember Vinh T. Ngo.

A number of nonprofits and religious organizations have been heavily involved in helping the victims and residents improve their mental and behavioral wellbeing, he said.

Among them is the Chinatown Service Center (CSC)’s MPK Hope Resiliency Center, which was specifically built for community members after the shooting, said Ngo, who also serves as CSC’s board president.

The Resiliency Center, supported by several local organizations, emerged as a vital hub in the aftermath of the shooting.

At the same time, Asian-American organizations, such as Seniors Fight Back, Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Centers (APCTC) and the Resiliency Center, have continued to organize self-defense classes for seniors to protect themselves in face of violence.

A similar project is coming in April, organized through a partnership between the My My Nhan fund, the APCTC and Brandon Tsay, the hero who disarmed Tran and thwarted his second massacre attempt at Alhambra’s Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio, Quan said.

According to Ngo, the CSC’s check-in services at Monterey Park’s Bruggemeyer Library alone saw an increase of 700 visits from February to December of last year.

“Asians, the Chinese in particular, don’t really ask for help unless they really need it,” Ngo said. “Well, we want to make sure that people understand that it’s okay to ask for help. Your mental well-being is part of that. And it’s OK to accept help because that’s the culture we live in today.”

Quan said that growing up, her aunt was always the one pushing her to try out new things. Now, as she cherishes Nhan’s memory, Quan aims to carry that spirit on by using her platform to speak up and promote positive changes in the community.

“What my aunt encouraged me to do throughout my whole life is using my voice, and trying things out,” Quan said. “So, this is the time that I have to try.”

But while a tense few seconds assured his role in the world would never be the same, it took weeks and months of work for him — and others, behind the scenes — to solidify the status of “local hero” as the community emerged from the bloodshed.

“The journey has been quite chaotic, and to say the least, it’s been eventful,” said Tsay, the man who disarmed a mass shooter and likely prevented more slayings.

“I think that it’s been a 180（degree) change in my life where I’m usually not the center of attention,” Tsay said recently at a Community Remembrance Fair Event held at Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio. “but I’m now speaking out at several events and organizing my own programs, events like these, to really use my voice for good.”

Tsay wrestled a gun from Huu Can Tran on Jan 21, 2023, who had minutes earlier rampaged through the studio in Monterey Park and had walked into Lai Lai, which is run by Tsay’s family, with the intention to carry out another massacre.

Related: In year since Monterey Park mass shooting, California has passed a bevy of new gun laws

Overnight, the soft-spoken man became a national hero, the personal guest of President Joe Biden at the State of the Union, and a new face of hope in a nation struggling with how to deal with a relentless pattern of mass shootings.

He’s been the recipient of countless awards and honors, including a Medal of Courage from the Alhambra Police Department.

Tsay said he has been using his new found platform to help improve his community.

He has connected with several nonprofits and formed his program called Senior Safety and Health with the Asian Pacific Counseling & Treatment Centers. He has been speaking at different events to promote senior safety and health, as well as help older residents defend themselves with bystander training.

“I think I speak for everyone here when I say that San Gabriel Valley is like night and day now, where we have seen from the incident, people being reluctant to go out because they’re scared,” Tsay said. “They are in this negative connotation, where they perceive our community isn’t safe anymore.”

“But we’re trying to break that stigma and are reaching out to the others in the community who have been locked away indoors to say, ‘hey, it’s safe to come out again’,” he added. “We have a lot of new and inspiring people out there that are protecting our community from these dangerous threats.”

Among them is Cindy Wu, who serves on the Mountain View Board of Education in El Monte.

Upon her arrival at the makeshift memorial for the shooting victims at the Star Dance Studio parking lot a day after the tragedy, Wu was surprised to find that nearly half of the victims’ photos were missing.

During a chance encounter with a victim’s family, Wu discovered that language barrier prevented them from knowing about the candlelight vigil and accessing available resources.

So she embarked on a personal mission to find the victims’ families to ensure they feel “valued.” In the process, she connected with Eric Chen, a San Gabriel pastor, and Compassion in SGV, a volunteer organization that aims to stop AAPI hate.

Thanks to their hard work, framed photos for all 11 victims were completed in about a week and a half, Wu said. But they are not done yet. While contacting victims, Wu and Chen ended up with a massive Excel spreadsheet with all the names of people affected by the tragedy.

The two recognized there’s more they need to do for the group, which consists of many witnesses who are mentally scarred by the incident. For months, they kept themselves busy, running errands and finding resources for the group members.

“You have a whole larger group of people that really is traumatized in a culture environment that is not big on seeing a therapist, because you would look like you’re crazy if you see a therapist,” she said. “It just culturally is kind of a taboo, so they really need help and resources.”

Two months post-tragedy, Wu and Chen organized the first gathering for the support group. The members spent four hours together, opening up and sharing their experiences.

Following this, the attendees exchanged contact information, leading to the creation of a WeChat group, which includes survivor Lloyd Gock, she said.

“I am just doing this because I saw a need, I fulfilled it,” Wu said “And being able to relate to both American mainstream and also Chinese cultures, I know where the missing links are and what could be done.”

Chen, recognizing one of these missing links, took on the role of behind-the-scenes liaison during President Biden’s visit to Monterey Park in May. Using his bilingual ability, he ensured victims’ families and survivors were invited to meetings with the president.

Beyond helping the community heal and securing resources for the survivors, Chen said the important thing is “to make this a redemptive experience that brings the entire community together.”

Being a member of the dance community, Chen knows many of the deceased. He himself almost became a victim of the Monterey Park shooting.

He received an invitation for the Lunar New Year’s party at Star Ballroom Dance Studio on Jan. 21, 2023, the night of the shooting, but his girlfriend suggested hot pot in San Gabriel. This decision spared him from the tragedy.

Chen felt a responsibility to contribute more and offer assistance due to his survival, he said. In addition to sharing resources with survivors, Chen also officiated the funeral for one of the victims, Yu-Lun “Andy” Kao.

Chen noted that there are still survivors, especially some of the older Asian immigrants, who feel ashamed to seek help due to the stigma associated with mental health in their culture.

The next step is to destigmatize those negative connotations, he said.

“I think the most important thing that, hey, even though they endured something horrific, that something positive is gonna come from this,” Chen said. “And that’s the key to help the healing.”

A protest run by “an unaffiliated group of Palestinians, Jews, and Angelenos of conscience” that began around 3 p.m. at a park across from the Los Angeles International Airport went on for hours now as protesters marched around the airport, blocking traffic and facing off with police.

Police tried to block the group near 96th Street and Vicksburg Avenue, and again near 98th Street, but the protesters kept moving.

“As an anti-Zionist Jew, I feel like I have a moral responsibility to join others and enact the idea that our safeties, our solidarities, our futures are intertwined,” said 30-year-old LA resident Benjamin Kersten, an organizer with the protest.

The group briefly blocked a ramp leading to the airport’s entrance but turned around after the LAPD and the Los Angeles Airport Police blocked off the ramp.

“Significant traffic congestion” can be expected around the airport, according to a post on X from LAX.

Significant traffic congestion reported at LAX. Police are managing traffic. For updates, follow @LAAirportPD. #LAXalert #LAXtraffic

— LAX Airport (@flyLAXairport) December 16, 2023

It was unclear if the protest has caused the delays of any flights at the airport. More than 700,000 people are expected to travel through LAX before Christmas, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

As of 6:30 p.m., the group had mostly dispersed.

The choir was founded in 1984 to provide African children “quality education, utilizing the transformative power of music,” according to its website. Over the years, the choir, which is now part of an international nonprofit called Music for Life, has used its proceeds to build a children’s home in Uganda; has sponsored schools and colleges in that nation, as well as in South Africa, Sudan and elsewhere in Africa; and have performed for the likes of Nelson Mandela and the Queen Elizabeth II.

It was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1992.

And currently, the choir is on a tour in the United States, during which the children are slated to perform at more than 50 stops across the country. The Southern California swing begins with a performance in Redlands on Sunday, Dec. 3. Other shows are scheduled for Torrance, Anaheim, Northridge and Cathedral City through Dec. 15.

“It’s been a full-circle moment for me,” tour leader Sandra Nakalanda said in a recent interview. “I know first hand what it means to get quality education and what an opportunity like this means.”

Nakalanda, now 27, joined the choir at 7 years old. The organization, coupled with the sponsorship she received during the tour, helped her obtain a quality education back home in Uganda, Nakalanda said. She went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in international relations and diplomacy.

“Now I get to come back and tour with these younger children and to basically just give back and help them see what someone helped me see at a really young age,” Nakalanda said. “They all have potential and they all have inner gifts that God has placed within them and that with hard work and some focus, they too can make it.”

The choir’s repertoire includes popular children’s music, traditional spiritual songs and vibrant African cultural pieces. Potential additional tour dates could be added in the future, Nakalanda said.

The concerts are free to attend but donations are appreciated. All proceeds will be used to support the children’s education back home.

“The African Children’s Choir proves just how powerful music can be,” choir manager Tina Sipp said in a recent press release “These concerts provide hope and encouragement, not just to our audiences, but to the children whose lives are forever changed by their experiences with the choir.”

There are around 20 children, aged 10-12, in the current cohort, which is Choir 52. Over the years, the African Children’s Choir has helped make a difference in the lives of around 58,000 youngsters, Nakalanda said.

“These children are some of the most joyous human beings you’ll ever meet,” she said. “And it’s such a blessing really because given the circumstances that they come from, they’re able to experience so much joy and it’s seen through their singing and their dancing.”

Upcoming concerts

Redlands: 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at Redlands First United Methodist Church, 1 E. Olive Ave.

Torrance: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at South Bay Christian School, 4400 Del Amo Blvd.

Anaheim: 9:09 and 11:11 a.m. Dec. 10 at City Church, 701 W. Broadway.

Northridge: 7 p.m. Dec. 13 at First Presbyterian Church of Granada Hills, 10400 Zelzah Ave.

Cathedral City: 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at Northgate Community Church, 30010 Date Palm Drive.

Information: africanchildrenschoir.com/tour-dates.

Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, a professor of computer science at Moorpark College, was held in lieu of $1 million bail, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office late Thursday announced that along with involuntary manslaughter, Alnaji was also charged with battery causing serious bodily injury.

The death of Paul Kessler drew national headlines and left the local Jewish community in the shadow of fear as it came in the midst of rising tension in Southern California over the Israel-Hamas war.

Confrontation at the protest

Kessler died after a confrontation during competing pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations involving around 75 to 100 people at the Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard intersection on Sunday, Nov. 5 in Thousand Oaks. He was found suffering from a head injury and bleeding from his head and mouth after apparently falling backward and striking his head on the ground following a physical confrontation with at least one other protester.

But the details of what happened prior to his fatal fall remained unclear, as witnesses reportedly provided conflicting statements to authorities. The Ventura County Medical Examiner quickly determined that Kessler died from a blunt-force head injury and deemed it a homicide. But that initial finding only meant that the actions of another individual contributed to his death, not that it was necessarily the result of a criminal act.

Alnaji — described by authorities at the time only as a “50-year-old Moorpark man who was a pro-Palestinian demonstrator — reportedly remained at the scene of the confrontation and cooperated with authorities. He was detained for several hours the day after the demonstration as deputies searched his residence, but at that time was not arrested.

The Ventura County DA Office indicated that they have been in “daily consultation” with sheriff’s investigators leading up to the arrest. That police investigation remains ongoing.

Leaders of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said they were “grateful for the swift work of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department…

“This arrest shows that violence towards our Jewish community will not be tolerated,” the organization said in a written statement. “We will continue to monitor the case to help ensure justice is served. Our heartfelt condolences continue to be with the family of Paul Kessler and may his memory forever be a blessing.”

The Jewish Federation previously alleged that Kessler was struck in the head by a megaphone held by a pro-Palestinian protester. Sheriff’s officials have neither confirmed nor denied that allegation. The county’s chief medical examiner earlier confirmed that Kessler had non-lethal injuries on the left side of his face, but when asked if those injuries could have been caused by a megaphone indicated that he couldn’t say.

The Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations described the death as “a tragic situation that is indicative of a very unfortunate accident that no one intended to happen…

“We now await the criminal justice system’s process and result and wish that truth and justice will prevail,” CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said in a written statement on Thursday. “We reiterate our strong support for the right of First Amendment political debate, protest, and speech and our unequivocal rejection of all violence, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or incitement of hatred.”

Authorities did not release any specific information about how Alnaji and Kessler interacted before or during the confrontation, or what specifically Alnaji is suspected of having done to necessitate a criminal charge. But an involuntary manslaughter charge implies that authorities have likely concluded that the killing was unintentional or accidental.

Jonathan Oswaks, a Thousand Oaks resident who was at the counter-protest to support Israel, previously told a Southern California News Group reporter that a man with a megaphone had yelled into his ear before later punching someone with the mouth with the speaker. It has not been confirmed that the man was Alnaji.

Who is Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji?

At Moorpark College, Alnaji was placed on administrative leave following his arrest, according to a statement from the Ventura County Community College District.

District officials added that “Necessary protocols have been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff, which will remain our top priority.”

Alnaji’s profile has been scrubbed from Moorpark College’s website. However, another online bio states he has a doctorate in business administration/information technology from Argosy University which has since been shuttered; a master’s degree in computer science, from California State University; and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Irbid National University in Jordan.

Alnaji also taught at the Al Ain University of Science and Technology in the United Arab Emirates where he co-authored a white paper entitled “Can tolerance of diverse groups improve the wellbeing of societies?”

The paper found that countries that tolerate diversity are prosperous and well-managed.

“People are different, regardless of their assumed similarities, and acknowledging this reality is important for proper communication and interaction,” the paper states. “Failing to acknowledge the existence of differences among those with whom we interact could lead to miscommunication, or even conflict in some cases.

In 2022, Alnaji was paid  $199,775 in salary and benefits by VCCD, according to public records.

On RateMyProfessors.com, which allows students to comment on their college teachers, Alnaji was given an overall 2.6 rating out of a possible 5.

He was described as an overly hard, but affable teacher.

“He can be nice but his assignments are way too far above a student learning level. It’s not even worthy of being called a challenge,” one reviewer said.

“Easily one of the most confusing professors I’ve ever had,” said another.

Alnaji was said to give scores of only 100 or zero, nothing in between.

Said one student: “He’s really nice, but is super tough.”

After Kessler’s death, purported students left macabre messages that have since been erased.

Place beyond words: Journalists view footage of merciless Oct. 7 Hamas killings

Alnaji and his family live on a tree-lined cul-de-sac in Moorpark, with a mix of neighbors from high schoolers to those in their 70s. Residents described him as a quiet man with whom they occasionally exchanged greetings.

A young female who answered the Ring system at Alnaji’s house declined to comment on the arrest. She also declined to provide information about whether Alnaji has an attorney.

On Thursday evening, Kessler’s house emanated an eerie emptiness that amplified the hustle and bustle surrounding his neighbors’ homes. The closed windows and empty driveway stood in sharp contrast to the smell of dinner and clinking of utensils at other houses. A small pot of white and purple chrysanthemums, addressed to Cheryl Kessler, sat by the doorstep.

A neighbor, who identified himself as a close friend of Kessler, said he was not ready to talk about it when a reporter approached him.

Tensions remain high 

As rallies, demonstrations and marches have been held amid the raging Israel-Hamas war, some close to the heated debate have worried that the tone of the argument has escalated in Southern California. Where tension during previous shooting wars involving Israel and Hamas was largely on college campuses and online forums, the war of words — and at times threats and name-calling — has spread into the larger community in recent weeks.

The resulting wave of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim threats — not only locally but across the nation — has been cited by agencies tasked with tracking and handling national security threats. A recent Department of Homeland Security directive warned the public to stay vigilant, cautioning that potential lone offenders “motivated by a range of violent ideologies” pose the most likely threat.

On the local level, it has also led to an increase in reports of bullying and harassment, particularly on college campuses and schools.

On Thursday, authorities asked that anyone driving in the area of the confrontation in a car with video-recording equipment between 3 and 4 p.m. on Nov. 5 to contact them. If a witness wants to remain anonymous, they can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

“You’ve done many things before, but this is probably better than a few of them, I think,” Louis Lappe, the star player of the storybook squad, said shortly before the ride, “because it’s like going on the plane, but like a luxury plane.”

Brody Brooks, another star on the team, said his parents had already asked him to take photos during the ride.

“It’s pretty unique,” he said. “It’s definitely way bigger in person than I thought it was, just like, looking up.”

On Friday afternoon, at least eight players and three of their coaches from El Segundo Little League boarded the Goodyear Blimp, a semi-rigid airship operated by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

The blimp took off from the company’s Airship Base in Carson. From there, it headed over the Hawthorne Airport and flew towards the southside of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where the passengers caught glimpses of their El Segundo home fields around 1,000 feet above the ground.

“A lot of big office buildings are 1,000 feet tall,” said Adam Basaran, assistant chief pilot at Goodyear. “So we stay relatively low to the ground, that way people can see the airship, and then when we do this type of passenger ride, you can look down and enjoy that, because everything’s not so tiny that you can’t recognize it.”

Back in August, the El Segundo Little League took home the championship title by defeating Curaçao 6-5 in the Little League World Series finale in Williamsport, Pa.

The 12-player team became the first from California to clinch the title since Huntington Beach’s Ocean View Little League in 2011, and the first in Los Angeles County since Long Beach won the championship in 1993.

They had to overcome many challenges along the way. The team fought its way past more than 440 teams to represent California’s southern region in the United States bracket. They suffered an early loss to a Texas team, which they avenged with a 6-1 victory, capturing the US championship and advancing to the World Series.

With the game against Curaçao tied in the last inning, Lappe,12, hit a walk-off home run, effectively ending the game and bringing home the lauded title.

Since the historic win, the players have enjoyed a hero’s welcome from the tight-knit beachside community. Hundreds of people lined up on El Segundo’s Main Street on Aug. 28, to welcome the team back from Pennsylvania. The town’s residents came out full force on the streets again to cheer the team with an official civic parade on Sept. 10.

And now, the team got to view their hometown from an aerial view on an invitation-only ride. Only 10 passengers and two crew members could ride on a blimp at one time, said Basaran.

Goodyear has a history of providing aerial coverage for the Little League games in Williamsport, but the company’s Carson airship base wanted to extend their own congratulations to their local Little League’s team, he said.

“But more importantly, they are local to the base here, so they just wanted to say, congratulations, and offer them a ride on the airship,” Basaran said.

The team boarded the ships in three flights, and each of the rides lasted 45 minutes. For some of the passengers, it was something they had wanted to do for a long time.

“Actually, I’ve lived here all my life, and you drive by this on the 405 freeway all the time, and you always see it, then you go to a sporting event, and you always see it there, and you are like, wow, how cool would it be to actually go on it one day, and lo and behold, here we are,” said El Segundo Little League Manager Danny Boehle.

“You win the Little League World Series championship, and now you’re here, and now you’re going on the Goodyear blimp with four of your players,” he added.

Most of the ralliers work for Kaiser Permanente, the primary target of the rally.

“We’re here every day to take care of Kaiser’s needs, and Kaiser is not taking care of our needs,” said Tracy McDaniel, a financial counselor at Kaiser West LA. “They’re not taking care of patient’s care needs.”

Kaiser, for its part, pushed back on that notion. In a lengthy statement, the health care giant said it has provided millions of dollars in various pandemic benefits to its workers and has spent the last couple of years on a hiring spree, despite a health care labor shortage.

Kaiser Permanente “took extraordinary steps to support and protect our workforce and their families,” the company said in a statement, “and to support their mental as well as physical health.”

The rally, organized by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, kicked off at around 9:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 4, with speeches by health care professionals and union leaders at Los Feliz Elementary School. The protesters then marched half a mile to Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Hollywood, where a “civil disobedience demonstration” took place.

As part of the demonstration, around 23 rally participants, including McDaniel, were arrested shortly after noon and cited for violating the time limit of the rally. All those cited were released “without incident,” according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The Labor Day protest followed months-long negotiations between executives from Kaiser and union leaders over a new contract. The current contract, which expires Sept. 30, was last negotiated before the pandemic, in 2019.

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which represents more than 85,000 employees of the company across seven states and Washington D.C., accused Kaiser of unfair labor practices and refusing to raise employees’ salaries despite making $3 billion in profit in just the first six months of this year.

Health care workers are calling on Kaiser to increase staffing levels and to bring the minimum wage from $17 to $25 an hour for all workers across the system.

Union representatives last week announced a vote to authorize a potential strike should an agreement fail to be reached in the “largest single-employer labor negotiations occurring in the United States.”

Kaiser, in its statement, said it has provided $800 million in special pandemic benefits for employees’ housing needs, special child care grants and additional employee paid leave for COVID-19 illness and exposure.

The company also said its hiring and retention have outpaced other health care organizations.

The average employee turnover rate at Kaiser is 8.5%, Kaiser said, compared to most other health care organizations, which are experiencing an employee turnover rate of 21.4%.

But McDaniel, a veteran of the company for 26 years, rebutted that. The staffing level at the health care system has gone down 50% during the pandemic, she said, which significantly impacts the quality of care patients receive.

“I’ve worked a five-person job with one person on a regular (basis),” McDaniel said. “I’ve worked all through COVID and Kaiser gives us nothing. They don’t want to come to the table and negotiate with us.”

Low staffing has plagued the health care system nationwide since the pandemic.

The American Hospital Association sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee in March 2022 in which it said hospitals had seen a decrease of around 105,000 employees since February 2020. The national shortage of nurses was on pace to reach 1.1 million by the end of 2022, the letter said.

Southern California has not been immune to this crisis. Several hospitals across the region have recently experienced packed emergency rooms caused by an influx of patients who delayed care during the pandemic, uninsured individuals utilizing the emergency rooms to access medical care, nursing shortages and a shortage of beds in outpatient facilities.

The overcrowding impacts patient care and has resulted in stressful working conditions for employees.

Miriam De La Paz, a ward clerk at Kaiser’s Downey Medical Center, painted similar work experiences at her job.

“We’re doing the jobs for two or three people,” said De La Paz, who has been with Kaiser for almost 20 years. “We are tired.

“We’re asking them to hire more people. They are not hiring fast enough,” she added. “They don’t think it’s a problem because we’re doing the job.

Kaiser, though, has said it is hiring people.

“We hired over 29,000 new employees in 2022 and are on pace to exceed that substantially in 2023,” Kaiser said, “despite the pandemic-driven labor shortage happening across health care.”

But then there’s the question of wages, with De La Paz saying the increase in the cost of living has outpaced pay hikes.

Some employees are living in their cars near Kaiser and they use the gym to shower, De La Paz said. Others have to drive two hours to get to work because they couldn’t afford to live in an area close to their jobs.

But Kaiser said the “single national wage increase” the union’s leadership is seeking this year “would not reflect market labor costs and would prevent us from addressing fair market wages.”

“Our philosophy is to deliver compensation that provides wages above the local market (at or up to 10% above market) to attract and retain the best employees,” Kaiser said in its statement. “Market wages are currently at different levels all over the country, so we need to tailor wage increases so everybody benefits fairly.”

The health care workers, meanwhile, didn’t rally alone on Monday.

Members of several other unions participated in the march to show solidarity, including United Domestic Workers, United Food Commercial Workers and United Teachers Los Angeles. A number of elected officials also participated in the rally to show solidarity for the health care workers.

“We have billions of dollars going into our health care system and going back to shareholders and dividends to executives in corporate salaries,” said Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine. “Health care has the money to pay these workers. It’s a question of priorities.”