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How smell and taste change as you age

Did you know that your sense of smell and taste are connected? As you get older, these senses can change. Changes in smell or taste can also be a sign of a larger problem.

Smell is an important sense. Certain smells, like your dad’s cologne, can help you recall a memory. Other smells, like smoke from a fire, can alert you to danger. When you can’t smell things you enjoy, like your morning coffee or spring flowers, life may seem dull.

Many problems cause a loss of smell that lasts for a short time. This temporary loss of smell may be due to:

A cold or flu that causes a stuffy nose. The ability to smell will come back when you’re better.

Coronavirus infection, which sometimes causes a new loss of smell. You should regain your sense of smell after all other symptoms have gone away, however if it doesn’t return, seek medical care as soon as possible.

Allergies. Try to stay away from things you’re allergic to, like pollen and pets. Talk to your doctor about how to manage your allergies.

A harmless growth (called a polyp) in the nose or sinuses that gives you a runny nose. Having the growth removed may help.

Some medications like antibiotics or blood pressure medicine. Ask your doctor if there is another medicine you can take.

The vibrant event brought together generous contributions from various local establishments

Charity Luau a great success.

The community spirit was alive and thriving at Portside Ventura Harbor’s recent Charity Luau, where residents and local businesses united for a great cause. In an effort to support the PTSD Foundation, this vibrant event brought together generous contributions from various local establishments, including Harbor Mart, Crave Gelato Kofi Bar, Vision Marine Ventura Electric Boat Rentals, Focus Sup Ventura, Mystic Relics, Portside Yoga, Art is Passion, Vasquez Float Reiki, Tail of Success, Rocks and Drams, and Pierpont Racquet Club.

The outpouring of donations and raffle contributions surpassed all expectations, enabling the event to raise a remarkable sum for the PTSD Foundation. Heartfelt gratitude goes out to all who participated, making this luau an overwhelming success and a shining example of the power of community-driven initiatives. Together, we are making a positive impact on the lives of those in need.

These employees bring with them the experience and dedication necessary to help MVC’s mission

Museum welcomes new team members.

The Museum of Ventura County is pleased to welcome five new team members. Senior

Event Sales & Communications Manager Heather Williams, Marketing and Communications Program Manager Angie Brinkhoff, Development Specialists Joshua Ortiz and L.E. Brown, and Events and Facilities Associate Thomas Blood.

“As Ventura County celebrates 150 years, the Museum is also ready to begin a new era, and this is the right team to see it through,” said the Museum of Ventura County’s Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director Elena Brokaw, “These individuals are incredibly talented and their impact was noticed immediately. They make our team better.”

With over 14 years’ experience in the event industry, Heather Williams brings extensive knowledge in event venue sales development as well as being an Event Planner & Coordinator. Her most recent role was as Regional Event Sales Manager for the Improv Comedy Clubs & Levity Live Comedy Clubs nationwide. Joining Williams in the Marketing department, Angie Brinkhoff is a seasoned marketing and communications professional bringing over 15 years of combined experience in the non-profit sector, including as a board member. Joshua Ortiz joins the team with over 15 years of experience in the mortgage, finance and customer service industry. Prior to joining MVC, he served as the Gifts & Grants Operations Specialist with the Ventura County Community Foundation. L.E. Brown joins Ortiz in Development bringing with her a BA in art history from the University of California, Santa Cruz and Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, and postgraduate studies at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. With a background in art direction and communications, Brown brings an arts-specific understanding and 7 years of experience in museums and galleries to her role. Thomas Blood spent six years as an Inventory Control Specialist and manager for the largest Wellness Center in Reno before moving to Ventura and joining the Museum.

This summer has seen a number of exciting new additions to the Museum, including the recent announcement of longtime community leader Angela Sanchez serving as Director of Finance and Operations. New curator Carlos Ortega joined the Museum in May and is responsible for building the collections and telling stories through objects and interpretation that resonate with our community’s diverse cultures and Native tribes. In June, the Museum debuted three new exhibits in support of the County of Ventura’s 150th anniversary Kick-Off Celebration – Spin Cycle: Unfolding the Science of Laundry, The Murder of Tom More: A True Crime Story, and Proximity to Water: Works from MVC’s Permanent Collection. The exhibits will continue through the end of 2023.

Focusing on One Day at a Time is Just Fine!

Leslie and her students having fun while completing their weekly dance workout at Aegis Living in Ventura.

by Leslie Sokol

Living in the moment and taking each day at a time is crucial in order to live a balanced lifestyle. Every day is a new beginning – the minute you wake up and your feet touch the floor it’s the start of something wonderful. Focusing on achieving one goal or task at a time will keep you on track to accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself for that day.

You may find that some days you have more energy and motivation than others. Think of your motivation like a light switch. Perhaps your switch is off or set at a low level, but when you begin to get moving, think positively and push yourself to complete a task or exercise, your switch begins to turn on and everything lights up! What you do everyday matters, as long as you give your best effort.

Setting up an exercise schedule will help keep you motivated and ensure you meet your goals. Any time of day is great to exercise but first thing in the morning is best because it is a great way to start your day! I suggest combining physical activity with a task that’s already part of your day. Find ways to fit exercise into your daily routine. Find activities you enjoy and that are fun and social. Regular routines and habits are a must so keep track of your daily exercise and progress. Be consistent and you’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll see improvements! And the benefits are endless – regular exercise supports your cognitive function, physical wellness and frees your mind to be more creative.

Tips to help you stay motivated:

Choose a fun activity
Find friends and invite them to participate
Envision a stronger, healthier you
Set attainable goals
Create a workout schedule
Track your progress
Reach out to others for support
Plan healthy meals to enhance your physical and mental well-being

When you wake up, start your day with an affirmation that reinforces your motivation and gets you excited about accomplishing your goals. Here’s a great one you can start with: I will do my best and enjoy each and every day. Check out my dance and fitness videos to get your day’s off to a healthy, active and fun start!

Leslie Sokol is the creator and founder of the adult dance and fitness program For the Young at Heart. She has been teaching adults and children for forty-five years. You can watch For the Young at Heart by visiting her YouTube Channel or on TVSB. She also teaches in retirement communities throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
For more information contact Leslie at [email protected] 805-312-8089
or visit the website: www.LeslieSokolDance.com

VCAAA TAI CHI classes start up again in August

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging and the Ventura County Elderly Fall Prevention Coalition’s award-winning Fall Prevention Program has a new set of Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance classes starting up in August.

There are six options at four different sites in Ojai, Oxnard and Ventura:

HELP of Ojai (108 S. Montgomery Street) – Tuesdays & Thursdays – August 8 through October 26 – 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Oxnard Performing Arts Center (800 Hobson Way) – Tuesdays & Thursdays – August 8 through October 26 – 9 a.m to 10:30 a.m. OR 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

County of Ventura California Room (669 County Square Drive) – Wednesdays & Fridays – August 9 through October 27 – 9 a.m to 10:30 a.m. OR 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Ventura Church of Christ (5401 N. Bryn Mawr Street) – Wednesdays & Fridays – August 9 through October 27 – 10:45 a.m to 12:15 p.m.

Classes, which are free, are designed for individuals 60 and up. For additional information visit vcaaa.org/falls. To register for most classes, call the VCAAA at (805) 477-7300, option 6, or email [email protected]. For the Tai Chi class being hosted by HELP of Ojai, call (805) 646-5122.

Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance is an exercise program developed especially for older adults using modified practices designed to improve and strengthen balance and mobility. Classes are intended for beginners. Canes and walkers are welcome. This class is proven to reduce falls by 55 percent.

Individuals concerned about falls or those who have recently experienced a fall, as well as those who are interested in improving balance, flexibility, and strength, are encouraged to participate. Nationally recognized research shows that one in four adults over the age of 65, and half of the population over the age of 75, fall each year. One out of every five falls results in a serious injury, and about three million older people are treated at emergency departments for fall injuries each year. Approximately 32,000 older adults die each year as a result of falls.

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, a division of the County of Ventura’s Human Services Agency, is charged with the responsibility of promoting, developing, and implementing a comprehensive coordinated system of care that enables older individuals, children and adults with disabilities, and their caregivers to live in a community-based setting. The VCAAA advocates for the needs of those 60 years and older in the county, providing leadership and promoting citizen involvement in the planning process as well as in the delivery of services.

Ventura County Fire crews respond to multiple vehicle collision

On July 13, the Ventura County Fire Communication Center received multiple calls regarding a traffic collision at Kimball and Thille. Fire personnel arrived within minutes of the initial call and found multiple vehicles involved and 1 person trapped.

The vehicle was stabilized, and extrication equipment was deployed to remove the victim and transport the victim to the Emergency Room. The cause of the incident remains under investigation and the Ventura City Fire Department would like to remind the public that seatbelts save lives.

Museum of Ventura County welcomes Angela Sanchez

The Museum of Ventura County is pleased to welcome longtime community leader Angela Sanchez to the team as its Director of Finance and Operations. Sanchez brings over two decades of fiscal management experience and a thorough understanding of market dynamics. Along with a natural ability to navigate complex business challenges, she will contribute significantly to the Museum’s continued growth and sustainability.

“Angela will play a pivotal role in driving the Museum’s financial success and operational efficiency,” said the Museum of Ventura County’s Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director Elena Brokaw, “I’ve known Angela for years and have watched as she has led organizations through financial and operational success. I look forward to working with Angela and our entire team as we continue to elevate the Museum’s mission of preserving and celebrating Ventura County’s rich cultural heritage.”

Born and raised in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, Sanchez’s connection to her community has fueled her drive to make a positive impact in her career and personal life. Currently residing in Ventura County with her husband and two boys, she wholeheartedly dedicates herself to serving and uplifting her local surroundings. “The Museum is a cornerstone of our community and I’m excited to do my part to drive growth, enhance efficiency, and cultivate enduring success,” commented Sanchez, “Our community depends on the work and passion we are each willing to put into making it a wonderful place to live and remember.”

Mystery at the Ventura Memorial Cemetery

by Richard Senate

Few of the many graves are marked today at the park-like old city burial grounds. It holds the remains of the rich, the poor. the well known and unknown individuals who built Ventura into a city. Many were veterans of the Civil War, a few from the Spanish American War and some from the bloodbath of World War One.

But, the old cemetery also hold many mysteries, one of which came to my attention recently. A new technology can now use sound waves transmitted into the earth to show what is buried below. This ground penetrating radar is a great tool for archaeology because it can revel things without disturbing them. This new technology was used at the old Saint Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, the west end of Memorial Park and at the burial plot of the prominent Olivas Family. There a discovery was made.

At the marked grave of Teodora Lopez Olivas, the wife of Raymundo Olivas and the mother of his twenty-one children, they found a casket buried there using the ground radar, confirming records that this is her burial site. Next to her they found a second casket, that is believed to be the grave of her husband Raymundo who died before her, but no records exist to confirm this so his grave could not be marked with 100% certainty that he rests there.

That was the tradition of that era and its a good bet that he rests beside his beloved wife. The scan of the Olivas Plot also discovered a third casket and that is the mystery, who is buried there? No records exist to tell who it might be, but the list of possible candidates isn’t long. It might be the final resting place of Dominga Olivas, a cousin who lived in Santa Barbara, who married Raimundo Jr. The youngest son of Don Raymundo (yes, they spelled their names differently). She died at the Olivas Adobe in Childbirth in 1891. The child she bore died as well three weeks after birth. Her husband was out of town on business in Santa Barbara when the baby came early. He was devastated by her death. She had been a popular singer in Santa Barbara that earned her the title of “The Songbird of Santa Barbara.” but she gave it all up to become Raimundo’s wife. She was looking forward to her new baby before everything went wrong. He would have begged to have her buried close to him so as to visit her grave.

Other candidates might be Maria Dolores Olivas, born in 1851 and died as a child. She may have been buried at the Adobe before being moved to Saint Mary’s when it opened in the 1860s. Another might be Jose Epitacis del Refugio born in 1847. He too could have been re- buried to be closer to his father and mother. We may never know the full list of who was placed where at the Memorial Park cemetery due to many records being lost over the years. A mystery exists, who rests in the Olivas Plot? We can only be assured it was some very special to Raymundo and Teodora Olivas.

Vol. 16, No. 22 – July 26 – Aug 8, 2023 – A View from House Seats

by Shirley Lorraine

Richard III Reimagined in “Teenage Dick”

Imagine a world in which everyone was respected for who they are and what they can contribute to humanity. Now imagine a highly hormonal group of high schoolers as they traverse the challenging path of becoming comfortable with themselves and establishing their own identities. These two factors, while seemingly contradictory, are the basis for the Elite Theater Company’s current production of “Teenage Dick” now playing on the main stage.

Written by Mike Lew, the story is a loose reimagining of Shakespeare’s Richard III from the viewpoint of a disgruntled disabled teen and the injustices he perceives to avenge. He, himself, is contradictory, sometimes using his disability as a shield to gain extra perks and sympathies, yet sometimes using his perceived failings to fuel his insecurities and ultimately as a way for him to justify his vengeance.

An excellent student, Dick is also manipulative, bitter and self-serving in his quest to oust the current student body president, a snarky popular jock named Eddie. Eddie clearly thinks the world revolves around him and actively dismisses anyone he feels doesn’t measure up to his greatness. To add to the mix there is Clarissa, a young lady who relies on her faith to guide her in all she does and Anne, a pretty, popular, dance enthusiast who has her own sad story to tell.

Dick’s wise-cracking friend Buck is wheelchair-bound yet carries a quite different attitude about life. She accepts her limitations, collaborates well with them, and simply wants to be friends with everyone. Her wheelchair manipulation skills are impressive.

In other words, a typical day in a high school, filled with angst, doubt, insecurity and braggadocio.

Richard’s character delivers an admirable froth of Shakespearean quotations (some mildly paraphrased), firmly establishing yet another way he is different from the rest of the students.

The production, directed by Hayley Silvers, is partly double cast, giving many young actors an opportunity to take the stage. Check the company’s website for specifics of who plays whom on various performance dates.

Opening night’s cast featured AJ Ma as Richard, Rey Sailer as Buck and Kyra McConnell as Clarissa. Tatiana Juarez as Anne, Theo Liscotti Rodriguez as Eddie and Dolores Dyer Castellano as teacher Elizabeth remain constant throughout.

The play provides an interesting viewpoint of Shakespeare’s dastardly disabled villain in a light of introspection and the questioning minds of youth.

Castellano’s solid portrayal of the harried junior class teacher provides numerous opportunities for laughter, highlighting the thin line a teacher must tread interacting with students of all types, abilities and temperaments.

Sunday performance on July 30 features a special talk back time with the cast following the show. As in Richard III, the original, the play is harsh and disturbing, both in language and content.

Teenage Dick continues through August 21. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. and Thursday, August 17 at 8 p.m. www.theElite.org. Channel Islands, Oxnard.

General Services Agency to accept donation of memorial statues at County Veterans Memorial

The “Remembering” statue.

The two statues slated to be installed will honor the loss and sacrifice made by families and members of the military. The “Gold Star” statue is a life size rendition of a mother/wife kneeling holding her son, daughter, or husbands’ folded casket flag. The “Remembering” statue is a life size rendition of a kneeling soldier reaching out remembering his fallen brothers and sisters.

The Vietnam Veterans of Ventura County, Inc., which was founded in 1985 as a 501(c)19 non-profit corporation Fed id# 93-0966053 & CA state id #C1535008, along with a special partnership with high school students from Architecture Construction and Engineering (ACE) Charter High School, measurements and architectural placement of the statues were created.

“Memorials are built by those whose freedoms were protected by our veterans, and it is important for our students to feel that connection,” stated John Middleton, ACE Charter Principal.

Both statues are the emotionally stirring works of Sutton Betti, the son of the late David Betti, former VVVC president and former Commander of Ventura VFW Post 1679.

Supervisors Kelly Long added, “This will be a nice facelift to the Memorial that was originally put in place in 1985 and will provide a place of healing for Ventura County residents who have lost a loved one in a military conflict.”

The exact date of the installation is not yet determined. The installation of the statues are dependent upon the fundraising efforts of the various veterans’ groups, fraternal organizations & public and private donations.

If you would like more information about this project or how to contribute to support it, please contact:

Ron Fitzgarrald, [email protected]

Richard Camacho, [email protected]

Brian Miller, Chief of Staff for Supervisor Kelly Long at (805) 654-2276

Maruja Clensay, Chief of Staff for Chair of the Board Matt LaVere at (805) 654-2703.

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