Vol. 14, No. 18 – June 2 – June 15, 2021 – Ojai News & Events

With an eye for plans to expand its theatrical programs, the Ojai Performing Arts Theater (OPAT) announces two new board members, Jane Seiler Weil and Michal Gaidano. Ms. Weil will become the first Chief Operating Officer (COO) for OPAT, and Ms. Gaidano will assist with special events and other functions.

“OPAT has some wonderful ideas about expanding its offerings,” said Ms. Weil, “and bringing in talent from all over Southern California. I’m excited about joining the board at such a launching point of its growth and, of course, most excited about working with Joan Kemper and learning from her.”

Many in Ojai are familiar with Jane Seiler Weil for her work with the Weil Tennis Academy, various charities, and as President of the Ojai Unified School District. She comes from theater originally with a professional reputation at leading theaters across America and overseas for production work from lighting design to stage management.

Michal Gaidano and her husband Don have been involved with theater in Ojai since they moved here in 2010.

OPAT has several projects in the wings awaiting the relaxing of COVID restrictions, including the production of “Harvey,” which was forced to close just one week before opening in 2020. Stay tuned for more news at OjaiTheater.org.

Starting in June 2021, the Humane Society of Ventura County (HSVC) in partnership with Ojai Valley Library Friends and Foundation (OVLFF) and Ventura County Libraries will begin a read-aloud program that promotes the proper treatment of animals. The program is being initially piloted with three Ojai Valley Libraries in the hope it will grow to include other Ventura County Libraries over time.

Kris Humphries, OVLFF Outreach Chair says, “The Ojai Valley Library Friends and Foundation (OVLFF) is honored to be partnering with HSVC on another literacy program to serve the Ojai Valley community. OVLFF’s sponsoring of the RedRover Readers Program is another fantastic opportunity to bring literacy, a love of reading, and humane education to our youth.”

The program was created by RedRover, a national nonprofit animal welfare organization and aligns perfectly with the missions of all the organizations involved. The new books will be used in the Ojai Valley Libraries (Oak View, Meiners Oaks, Ojai) and read aloud by HSVC Humane Educator, Angie Chupek Sagliani.

HSVC is excited about the possibilities of seeing this literacy program grow throughout Ventura County. RedRover Readers is an essential program that uses books about animals to help students practice making responsible decisions and become more aware of themselves and their communities.

Inspired by the previous collaborations, the Little Free Library and the Animal Reading Friends (A.R.F) program was built with the help of OVLFF. Now that the libraries are scheduled to open, RedRover’s Readers program will further develop the themes of literacy and empathy. The hope is that HSVC can create a culture of compassionate and mindful animal advocates.

“I hope that these partnerships that we created this month will last a long time,” says Angie Chupek Sagliani. “I feel excited to promote positive animal care through literacy.”

For more info on the Humane Society of Ventura County, visit www.hsvc.org.

Foundation Assisting Seniors debuts celebrate a Senior™ Program

The Foundation Assisting Seniors (FAS) is proud to announce the Celebrate a Senior™ program, a nationwide fundraising program to show appreciation and honor seniors across the country. Celebrate a Senior™ will directly support two national programs, HowRU™ and the Medication Reminder program which will continue to serve seniors across the U.S. at no-cost for years to come.

“We are thrilled to launch this program for seniors and their loved ones across the nation,” said Carol Chapman, president of FAS. “Now more than ever, we need to cherish our seniors and the Celebrate a Senior™ program provides an opportunity for loved ones to pay tribute to those 50 and older in their lives while supporting a service organization that provides peace of mind to seniors and their families.”

The HowRU™ program was created for seniors living alone, which provides a daily safety and check-in call to participants. The Medication Reminder Program also provides daily calls to subscribers to remind them to take their medication, both which are free and available nationwide.

The Celebrate a Senior™ program has two donation tiers. The first tier is between $25 and $99. For this tier, FAS will send the honoree a certificate signed by chair and president of FAS, includes donor and recipient names and honoree will be listed on the FAS website. The second- tier donation is any donation over $100. The honoree will receive a hand painted six-inch tile with the honoree’s name and will be mounted on the Celebrate a Senior™ wall at FAS headquarters and honoree will be listed on the FAS website.

If interested, you can donate online at FoundationAssistingSeniors.org/SeniorAppreciationProgram

Ventura Rotary Reads at Boys and Girls Club

Mary Saputo reading to students at the Boys and Girls Club.

Ventura Rotary Club members visited the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura with a donation of $1,000 in new books and to read stories with children. After over a year with drastically limited opportunities to connect with students in person, Rotary Club members were excited to read with kids. The Boys & Girls Club was equally enthusiastic at having Rotary visitors, as Rotary volunteers were the first volunteers welcomed back into the club since COVID.  Boys & Girls Club CEO Patti Birmingham said, “My staff and I were grinning from ear to ear with great anticipation of the joy and sense of normalcy that this would bring to our Club members!”

Masked Rotarians read with students, socially distanced, yet still engaging children in the stories, asking them questions, listening to them. Children asked for story after story leaving readers happily exhausted. “Special moments like these are magical and help build the joy of reading in kids. The benefits of reading are endless, including building a strong foundation for success in school. We all play an important role in sharing the joy of reading with young people- at home, in school, in after school programs,” said Madhu Bajaj Rotarian and organizer for Rotary Reads.

Boys & Girls Club Branch Directors selected the books they wanted for their students based on need and interest. They indicated a specific need for easy readers so they could support early readers and members who are below basic (grade level), who have been impacted the most by school closures/virtual learning. Having new books that are relevant and of interest to the children was especially meaningful as it is easier to engage them in reading.

Ventura Rotary Club President Saurabh Bajaj said, “We are happy to partner with the Boys & Girls Club and thank them for the opportunity to read with children. And, we invite our community to make time to pick up a book and read with children in their lives.”

Rotary Club of Ventura is a part of Rotary International. Rotary is a global network of over 35000 clubs and 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. From education and peace to water, food insecurity and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end. VenturaRotary.org

Can language performance be a predictor of future Alzheimer’s disease?

Language patterns such as writing were associated with future onset of Alzheimer’s.

Language sample analysis may help predict future Alzheimer’s disease in people who are cognitively normal, suggesting that language patterns may be an early, detectable biomarker for the disease. Published in EClinicalMedicine, researchers at IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center and Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development analyzed written language samples and were able to predict Alzheimer’s disease more than seven years before the diagnosis.

For the study, researchers used data from 270 participants in the long-running, NIH-funded Framingham Heart Study: 190 participants were in the training set and 80 participants were in the test set. The training set was used to develop the linguistic markers via a type of machine learning called automated linguistic analysis. The test set, determined by those participants whose data had been reviewed thoroughly by a panel of experts to assess their Alzheimer’s disease status, was used to assess the predictive performance of those linguistic markers in an independent sample.

In particular, for the test set, half of the 80 subjects had developed Alzheimer’s-like symptoms by age 85 (cases) and half did not (controls). Each of the 270 participants had performed a written picture analysis task when they were cognitively normal. For the training set, the researchers identified 87 language characteristics from the writing samples. They then used models to predict the future development of Alzheimer’s disease by assessing language performance.

Researchers found that language patterns such as writing short and simple phrases, repeating and misspelling words, and skipping punctuation were associated with future onset of Alzheimer’s. The language pattern analysis was about 70% accurate in predicting who developed Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, combining language sample analysis with more traditional clinical data models, such as neuropsychological test scores, demographic and genetic information, and medical history, increased prediction accuracy from 59% to 69% when language was also included.

The researchers noted that exploring the relationships of linguistic and non-linguistic variables, along with verbal language patterns, may further the development of non-invasive tests for the early detection of Alzheimer’s.

The Framingham Heart Study Consortium data used in this research was supported in part by NIA grants R01AG016495 and R01AG008122.

These activities relate to NIH’s AD+ADRD Research Implementation Milestone 9.H, “Launch research programs to develop and validate sensitive neuropsychological and behavioral assessment measures to detect and track the earliest clinical manifestations of AD and AD-related dementias.”

Reference: Eyigoz E, et al. Linguistic markers predict onset of Alzheimer’s disease. EClinicalMedicine. 2020;28:100583. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100583.

Who robbed the Olivas Adobe?

Notorious California Bandit Joaquin Murietta.

by Richard Senate

Over the years the great robbery at the Olivas Adobe was believed to be the handiwork of notorious California Bandit Joaquin Murietta. Legends say he got away with an estimated $75,000 in gold and that he buried the loot somewhere on Red Mountain, near Casitas Springs.

Local Historian Charles Outland discovered this account in the Los Angeles Star newspaper from the 1850s that seems to clear up the confusion.  The similarity of names may have caused the  misidentified culprit. Clearly, Sr. Berryessa was a bad apple. The amount he received seems to imply the amount taken was more in the $3,000 to $4,000 range, still a great deal of wealth in the 1850s.

“It is about a year since Encarnacion Berryessa came to live among us, and his conduct has been such as to keep the citizens constantly alarmed from his provoking and quarrelsome disposition, both in word and deed. Various residents of this town (San Buenaventura) have been stabbed by him, while the lives of others have been threatened, as soon as a favorable opportunity should offer for their assassination. The house in which he has lived during his residence here has been the retreat of every evil doer, and he has never been seen in company with a man who could be called respectable. We cannot say that Berryessa was concerned with the band who murdered the Sheriff of Los Angeles, but we do say that when said band passed though this place, and in coming to the knowledge of Berryessa, that certain citizens were taking steps to arrest them, he went to their aid and assisted in their escape through unfrequented by-ways, and did not leave them until they were considered out of danger. We have no hesitation in asserting that Berryessa was one of the gang that attacked and plundered the house of Raymundo Olivas. It was he who beat the wife of Olivas, and tore the rings from her ears, receiving for his share of said robbery the sum of $275, together with $100 in the cartridge box which he took, unknown to his companions, believing it to be gold coin.”

The increased risk of dementia

As you age, you may have concerns about the increased risk of dementia. You may have questions, too. Are there steps I can take to prevent it? Is there anything I can do to reduce my risk? There are currently no approaches that have been proven to effectively treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. However, as with many other diseases, there may be steps you can take to help reduce your risk.

Race and gender are also factors that influence risk. Research shows that African Americans, American Indians, and Alaska Natives have the highest rates of dementia, and that risk factors may differ for women and men. Researchers are investigating what’s behind these differences.

Although there is no effective treatment or proven prevention for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, in general, leading a healthy lifestyle may help address risk factors that have been associated with these diseases.

Control high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, has harmful effects on the heart, blood vessels, and brain, and increases the risk of stroke and vascular dementia. Treating high blood pressure with medication and healthy lifestyle changes, such as exercising and quitting smoking, may help reduce the risk of dementia.

Manage blood sugar. Higher than normal levels of blood sugar, or glucose, can lead to diabetes and may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment, and dementia. Making healthy food choices, getting regular exercise, stopping smoking, and checking glucose levels can help manage blood sugar.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk for related health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Being active and choosing healthy foods can help maintain a healthy weight.

Eat a healthy diet. Aim for a mix of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and seafood, unsaturated fats such as olive oil, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and limited other fats and sugars.

Keep physically active. Physical activity has many health benefits, such as helping to prevent being overweight and having obesity, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.

Stay mentally active. Lots of activities can help keep your mind active, including reading, playing board games, crafting or taking up a new hobby, learning a new skill, working or volunteering, and socializing.

Stay connected with family and friends. Connecting with people and engaging in social activities can prevent social isolation and loneliness, which are linked to higher risks for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

Treat hearing problems. Hearing loss may affect cognition and dementia risk in older adults and can make it more difficult to interact with others. Protect your ears from loud sounds to help prevent hearing loss and use hearing aids if needed.

Take care of your mental and physical health. This includes getting your recommended health screenings, managing chronic health issues such as depression or high cholesterol, and regularly checking in with your health care provider.

Sleep well. Sleeping well is important for both your mind and body. Try to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Talk with your doctor if you are not getting enough sleep, sleeping poorly, or think you may have a sleep disorder.

TREE TOWN

Eight new Honeylocust trees (thornless variety) have been planted in empty tree wells on Main Street in midtown Ventura. When you see a new street tree with a Gator bag, it is being watered with recycled water. Honeylocust canopy trees line Main Street from downtown to Five Points, providing summer shade and yellow Autumn foliage.

Ventura Tree Alliance
www.venturatreealliance.com

Trust is paramount, that feeling of being able to be one’s true self with a woman friend.

The Twisted Pixies at the 4th of July Parade in Anarcortes, WA. Photo by Joel Kifer

by Susan Stiles Senior Director of Product Development and Strategy at NCOA

Women (cisgender, assigned female at birth (AFAB), and/or nonbinary persons identifying femininity as part of their gender expression) count on one another for emotional support; They listen, give advice, and boost each other’s self-esteem.

“When you have a good [woman] friend, that person is part of your breath,” especially as you age.

It all began in 2005. Bonnie Nelson was out walking with a few of her friends in Anacortes, WA, talking about what they wanted to do for the summer.

“I had recently read The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and The Sweet Potato Queens,” Nelson recalled, “and the idea of being in a local parade was on my mind. We decided to come up with costumes and join in the Fourth of July Parade.”

And with that, the Twisted Pixies was born, and what Nelson and her friends thought would be a one-time event has turned into a years-long journey of friendship, camaraderie, and increasingly elaborate costumes. Over time, the group’s numbers have grown—from six to more than 50—as has their support for one another.

When they meet to make the costumes for the summer parade, there are always “heartfelt conversations about the serious issues we deal with—death, illness, financial concerns, life changes, and so on.” For all of us, “it’s a safe place for sharing, and always mixed with much laughter, as we can switch from the topic of cancer treatments to a serious discussion of how much sparkle we should add to our head pieces or sunglasses or some other costume part.”

Women friendships. Important for our well-being, deeply gratifying, sometimes complicated, always enriching.

Trust is another important aspect of women friendships. And this trust often arises from the feeling of being able to be one’s true self with your woman friend. For Ginny Adams, this is certainly the case. She feels that she can “bare her soul” and “go deeper with (women) friendships.” She cites her over 40-year friendship with Barb Matter as an example: “It’s always been as though we’re sisters in spirit, having someone to confide in as an intimate friend that you can share deeply with and trust, and that you can be yourself with, and accept each other for all of our flaws. She’s a touchstone and an anchor for me. And it goes both ways.”

The impact of a woman friendship can go well beyond the immediate friendship itself. For Ginny Adams and Barb Matter, their friendship has spawned a next-generation friendship between their daughters. The close bonds of one generation have made friendship and trust possible for another generation. And modeling a positive friendship between to women can be extremely powerful.

Meet the Makers Seaside at Ventura Harbor Village

Some of the incredibly inspiring local creatives who share their work with the community.

Living in Ventura, residents appreciate that a large part of what makes Ventura so unique are the incredibly inspiring local creatives who share their work with the community. Ventura Harbor Village has launched a DIY Meet the Makers Tour – taking you on a journey to meet soap makers, fine artisans, ceramists, and chocolatiers while also being surrounded on the way with kelp and Channel Island artistic inlays in the ground, tile murals, and wind sculptures.  Makers and artisans at the Ventura Harbor Village make up cooperative spaces, boutiques, galleries, and stores where even the customer becomes the maker.

Such is the vision of Shana Elson, owner and head chocolatier of Top This Chocolate, the first customizable on-the-spot chocolate store where customers can design their own chocolate bars from a selection of 40 toppings.  Each creation is made with 100% cocoa butter,  Fair Trade Certified, is non-GMO and gluten free!  This chocolate shop pulls out all the stops to provide the ultimate chocolate experience and can be ready in less than 10 minutes.

Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts nearby, features a collaboration of resident artists from the Buenaventura Art Association, a 66-year-old foundational non-profit connecting artists to the community and each other.  This gallery and store highlights fine art and crafts ranging from photography, painting in all mediums, jewelry, textiles, glass, prints, greeting cards, local seascapes, and much more to feature that local vibe in your home.

Ventura Pottery Gallery just around the corner, is home to more than 40 local ceramists. When visiting the gallery you will discover a wide variety of ceramic art, from functional and sculptural, hand built to wheel thrown, and earth tones to vibrant colors.  You may even catch one of the artists in action inside this colorful and vibrant gallery and boutique.

Tina O’Brien, resident artist and owner of the Mermaid Gallery, can be seen painting in the store regularly. Mermaid Gallery, which is a combination art studio, gallery and gift shop, features whimsical watercolors of mermaids, sea creatures, sea turtles, while capturing scenes of the beautiful Ventura Coast in her original art pieces – plus the store offers beach and mermaid décor galore!  Customers can work with O’Brien to have a piece commissioned for their home as well.

Lemon & Lei is a unique boutique soap and bath shop by local maker Katie Adams, featuring her Ventura body collection line that is both fun and whimsical.  Popular bath bombs with a variety of themes, and soap that almost looks good enough to eat, are some of the products that provide a colorful bath experience in the store and at home. Her bath and body products are free from harmful chemicals and ingredients, environmentally safe and cruelty free.  Shoppers can catch a glimpse of the soap process in her store.

Recently joining the Ventura Harbor Village family in early 2021 are the owners and bakers of Sugar Lab Bake Shop, a mother-daughter team Kelly Shirk and Alison Kenis, bringing their scratch-baked goodness to the seaside. Their handmade, small batch process ensures a high-quality product that is baked fresh daily.

To watch the DIY Meet the Makers Tour or to and to learn more about these creatives themselves visit VenturaHarborVillage.com.