Photos by Patricia Schallert
On May 19, the Ventura Land Trust celebrated a milestone at their 20th anniversary birthday party! It was held in the beer garden at Topa Topa Brewing Company at 4880 Colt St. All enjoyed a piece of cake, games, and a gathering of friends and supporters who have been a part of VLT’s success.
The morning crew Steve Shaw, Patrick D. Pothier, Stan Yates. Joe Siddens and Charlie Burnham setting up flags.
Jim Monahan, Former City Councilman started the tradition of honoring America back in the late 1990’by having the American Flag displayed in the Downtown Ventura area including the Ventura Pier, the Promenade, Ventura Avenue, Main Street, California, Poli, and Thompson.
One of the groups responsible for the flags along the Ventura Promenade is the Ventura Downtown Lions Club, and they started the tradition with Past President Ken Cozzens in 2009 when he was asked personally by Mr. Monahan if he would be interested in this honor. The Club places 88 American Flags from the pier to surfers point on 3 major holidays: Memorial Day, July 4th and Veterans Day,
From NIH Research Matters
During the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of skilled nursing facilities have been at particular risk of dying from the disease. These nursing facilities are for people who need daily medical care from trained professionals. Although less than 2% of the U.S. population either lives or works in such facilities, they accounted for more than 20% of the deaths from COVID-19 through 2021.
Staff members who contracted an infection outside of work likely seeded most COVID-19 outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities. Modeling studies have suggested that frequent testing of staff members could help reduce this risk, so such approaches have been widely adopted. But few studies have examined how well this strategy worked in real life.
In new NIH-funded research, a team led by Dr. Brian McGarry from the University of Rochester and Dr. Michael Barnett from Harvard University looked at data collected and reported by more than 13,000 skilled nursing facilities during the pandemic. The team examined rates of staff COVID-19 testing during three main periods between November 2020 and March 2022: before vaccines became available, after vaccines were widely distributed but before the Omicron wave, and during the Omicron wave. Tests included rapid antigen testing done on-site and PCR testing, which had to be sent to an outside lab.
The researchers compared the facilities’ rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths with their frequency of staff testing for COVID-19. Results were published on March 23, 2023, in the New England Journal of Medicine.
During the entire period studied, facilities that did the most testing (top 10%) had about 43 deaths per 100 outbreaks, compared to about 50 deaths per 100 outbreaks in facilities that did the least testing (bottom 10%). Facilities that did the most testing detected about 15% more COVID-19 infections among staff than those that did the least. This suggests that frequent testing captured more asymptomatic staff infections that could seed outbreaks.
Before vaccines were available, these numbers translated to an approximately 30% reduction in the number of cases among facility residents and a 26% reduction in deaths. During the Omicron wave, frequent testing continued to reduce the number of cases among residents, but no longer impacted the number of deaths. This change reflects the effectiveness of vaccines against the virus.
The number of observed deaths didn’t differ between facilities that used rapid testing or PCR testing. However, a faster turnaround time for PCR testing was associated with fewer resident deaths. In the period before widespread vaccination, those facilities that received their testing results in two days or less had fewer deaths per outbreak than those that got them back in three or more days.
“This research demonstrates that frequent COVID surveillance testing protected nursing home residents and undoubtedly saved lives by detecting more infected staff, potentially earlier in the disease course, and disrupting potential viral transmission chains,” McGarry says.
— by Sharon Reynolds
This research was supported in part by NIA grant AG058806.
Having a good sense of smell is associated with slower loss of brain volume and cognitive decline in older adults, and the link between sense of smell and brain and cognitive changes may be especially pronounced among those who develop cognitive impairment or dementia. These are the key findings from NIA-led research published recently in Neurology.
The sense of smell declines with age, and loss of olfactory function is also an early symptom of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. While previous research found the sense of smell was associated with brain volume and function, no studies had examined longitudinal changes within an individual across the whole brain and by cognitive status.
In this study, scientists analyzed sense of smell, brain imaging, and cognitive performance data from participants in the NIA Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The researchers examined whether sense of smell, as reflected by odor identification scores, was associated with longitudinal changes in regional brain volumes and changes to cognitive function. To examine the association between sense of smell and brain volume, they compared odor identification scores and brain MRI scans from a subset of 567 participants. The association between sense of smell and cognitive function was analyzed by comparing odor identification scores and cognitive evaluations from a subset of 754 participants. The subsets were analyzed separately but included 565 overlapping participants with both brain MRI scans and cognitive assessment data.
Participants who developed cognitive impairment or dementia had worse odor identification scores than those who did not. Better odor identification scores were associated with slower loss of brain volume, particularly in the frontal and temporal regions — areas important for thinking and memory. Better scores were also associated with slower decline in memory, attention, processing speed, and sensorimotor integration skills over time. However, when data points after a diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia were excluded from analysis, the associations between sense of smell with brain volume and cognitive functioning were not as strong.
These study findings add to evidence that sense of smell is related to cognitive impairment and dementia and demonstrate longitudinal relationships with brain volume loss in specific brain areas and cognitive decline in specific domains. Future studies with longer follow-ups of change over time may help researchers better understand the potential for using sense of smell as an early biomarker of cognitive decline and the role of specific brain regions in this association.
These activities relate to NIH’s Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Research Implementation Milestones:
October 2021, Kathrin and Dave opened their Paddle Board Store directly across the public launch pad in the newly built complex called Portside Ventura Harbor.
At Focus SUP Hawaii – Ventura, their first love is offering experiences to people’s lives, no matter if it is buying a SUP board or offering activities on and off the water.
Kathrin and Dave come from completely different business backgrounds. Kathrin is an architect and was born and raised in East Germany. Dave is a retired Police SWAT and lived most of his life in California. Both are certified yoga teachers, SUP yoga teachers and paddle instructors for several years.
An opportunity arose to start their own paddle board business representing a brand they have been using and believing in for years. Just recently they added Himiway e-bikes to their collection. You do not know if paddle boarding is for you or what type of board is right for you? You are thinking about buying an e-bike, but you have never ridden one before and are unsure if it is what you are expecting it to be? Focus SUP Hawaii – Ventura is your place to go!
They also offer SUP yoga classes, paddle board tours, paddle board workshops and Yoga on Yoga Balance Boards that can be booked privately, semi privately or for groups up to 10 people. Gentle Yoga is available on land for all levels every Sunday Morning from 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM and bookable online.
One of Kathrin’s specialties is working with people that have physical challenges of any kind. She teaches yoga based on people’s abilities and needs. As an energy healer, she feels you and will make sure your needs are met. Feel free to contact her in order to discuss any worries and concerns.
Dave and Kathrin are a great team and complement one another. They are not selling you a product or class. They are making sure you have all background knowledge needed to make the best choice for you. No matter what you are going to book or buy, both will make sure you feel confident about your decision.
When the Pierpont Racquet Club opened in 1977 it was one of the first multi-purpose athletic clubs in the nation. Tennis was increasing in popularity and racquetball was the fastest growing sport in the U.S. As fourth generation Venturans, brothers Scott and Spencer Garrett seized the opportunity to create a facility that would attract not only racquet enthusiasts but also cater to swimmers and fitness enthusiasts.
Over the past 46 years, the private athletic facility has continued to expand its facilities to meet emerging trends. When the Club first opened it offered 8 tennis courts and 4 racquetball courts. Within a few years 4 more tennis courts, 2 more racquetball courts and a second pool were added. Then, in the 1990s as interest in racquetball waned, the Garretts began converting some of their six racquetball courts to fitness areas. Today, the fastest growing sport in the nation is pickleball.
To meet the increasing demand for pickleball, the PRC is converting another of its tennis courts to pickleball. By this summer, the Club will offer 8 pickleball courts. Pickleball and tennis clinics are offered to non-members as well as members under the guidance of James Jensen. With the addition of more courts, the PRC will begin league and interclub play as well as be able to host pickleball parties such as the one recently auctioned off to benefit Interface Children and Family Services.
Last October, the Pierpont Racquet Club celebrated its 45th Anniversary with a dance party on the tennis court that attracted 350 guests. PRC General Partner Spencer Garrett is already looking forward to celebrating 50 years in 2027. When the partnership was formed in 1975, the term of the agreement was 50 years. Not much thought was given to what the club would be like in 20 years let alone 50. Very few family owned and operated businesses last 50 years, but the PRC is still going strong.
What the hot new thing will be in 2027 is anyone’s guess, but the PRC is betting that pickleball will still be going strong. Tennis has certainly stood the test of time and pickleball offers many of the desirable elements of tennis – plus it is easier to get started playing when in the company of friends. Making friends at the PRC has been one of the hallmarks of the Pierpont Racquet Club since its inception.
Drop in and check out our amazing facilities, services, friends, and experience the PRC lifestyle!
For many people, exercising feels like a chore, too much work or just plain boring.
by Leslie Sokol
It can be argued that age is really just a state of mind. With a positive attitude, love of life, and confidence, you can accomplish anything, no matter how old you are! Feeling good and being joyful from the inside out is so important. Sound mind, sound body. Starting your day in a healthy and happy way by moving your body, adopting a positive attitude, and focusing on good nutrition is the way to go! Exercise is a natural medicine to move emotions through you. The body was made to move!
It can be challenging to set up a regular exercise routine. Start small and build on it each day, one day at a time. A lot of people ask me what form of exercise is best and I say the one you enjoy the most! Perhaps you like to take walks, garden, swim, hike, play golf, lift weights, dance, practice yoga, stretch – whatever it is, try to set up a daily schedule and prioritize it. Doing a variety of exercises such as cross training is also a good idea. It works the muscles in different ways and gives you a variety of workouts while utilizing the whole body. Total fitness improves performance, prevents injury and is more enjoyable. Having fun and bringing joy to your workouts is most beneficial.
How to Find Joy in Exercise
For many people, exercising feels like a chore, too much work or just plain boring. When we approach exercise with a negative mindset, it can feel like punishment and it’s definitely not fun. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. I encourage you to explore a joyful movement mentality and learn how to exercise in a way that benefits your mind, body, and soul. Joyful movement means moving your body in ways that feel good to you in the moment. Some days you might want to take a leisurely walk while other days you might want to participate in a group dance class. What feels joyful and fun now may be different than what your body preferred years ago and that’s ok. Your preferences change over time, in the same way that your body changes – discover what is new about yourself and celebrate those changes with a joyful mindset!
Age is just a number so don’t allow your age to set your limitations! Make the most of life’s moments. Live in the present, enjoy your surroundings, be social and active in your community, be joyful, and appreciative of the life you live!
Health Tip of the Day
Did you know that over 70 percent of your body is made up of water? As the weather gets warmer, you need to be aware of your daily fluid intake. You want to stay hydrated and not get dehydrated. I always suggest that you drink before, during and after you exercise. The more active you are, the more fluids you need. Water is one of the best fluids to drink while exercising.
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
by Richard Lieberman
During a recent surgical procedure at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, I had run into a series of coincidences that brought me under the care of Neurosurgeon Katherine Wagner who had recently joined the practice of Dr. David Westra and unbeknownst at the time a small series of coincidences brought me back 74 years and a continent away.
Originally, I had been scheduled to see another Neurosurgeon, but the wait time was measured in months. Got an unexpected call from the same neurosurgery office. A new surgeon had joined the practice and asked if I would like to see her. Yes of course I said and was scheduled for just a day later. This turned out to be coincidence number one.
After doing my due diligence on a Dr. I did not know and was new to Ventura when I discovered she went to medical school in the state and city where I was born. Later I was to discover Dr. Wagner was born and lived in New Jersey and had attended Rutgers Medical school in my hometown. This turned out to be coincidence number two.
“A logical choice for me was to go to Rutgers Medical School, my home state school with an excellent reputation in my field of study’” Wagner said. “When I was a third-year medical student, I rotated with the neurosurgeons on my neurology clerkship. One thing I loved about neurosurgery is that it married some of the aspects of medicine that I enjoyed like doing something for a patient that would help deal with a problem in the more short term. Found it really gratifying that we had patients leave the hospital without that brain tumor they had been suffering with,” she added. When you are a neurosurgeon, it really is the center of your life and a lot of decisions you and your family make are based on that, A lot of my and my family’s decisions are based on my career,” she said.
Some time after our first meeting I was scheduled for neurosurgery and Dr. Wagner would be the surgeon.
“One thing about Neurosurgery is that there are only so many places you can work, just so many places that have a job opening at the time you are looking,” So what I really liked about Ventura, I really fell in love with the community here. I love the scenery, the downtown scene, it really has a small city vibe it just cannot be replicated in other places,” she said. There is a devotion to the town that you really cannot find anywhere else, people are really, really proud of their community, she added.
After being admitted to Community Memorial one evening Dr. Wagner stopped by my room and we chatted for a bit. As we talked, I mentioned that I had been born at Beth Israel hospital in New Jersey some 74 years ago. She smiled and said, “I worked at the same hospital, I did rotations there” Coincidence number three.
We continued to chat for some time, and I don’t know why I even mentioned this, but I asked her if she had ever seen a Netflix Documentary called “Lenox Hill” (it is a documentary series about neurosurgery and surgeons at a New York hospital) She visibly perked up for a minute then said “Oh I was in the documentary” and coincidence number four found it’s way to a small hospital room in Ventura, California.
by Patrick D. Pothier President, Ventura Downtown Lions
The Ventura Downtown Lions Club is celebrating its 100th Birthday this year. It was chartered on April 27, 1923, by 51 outstanding local businesses and community leaders. One of them was Fred W Smith who went on to become President of Lions Clubs International for 1947 – 1948, and another was Charles Rea, the then Mayor of Ventura. Another was Erle Stanley Gardner, an attorney who became famous as the author of Perry Mason detective stories.
Our Club and its members have a rich history of civic service and of service to the community and beyond. There have been 10 Members over the years who have been the mayor of Ventura, and at least 20 who were city council members. Many have served as public officials on various public boards and commissions, on private boards and nonprofits, and as public officials in a wide variety of capacities.
While our history is rich, and our present is just as rich. We are dedicated to providing assistance to individuals and community organizations that are in need and support. These efforts include, but are not limited to, providing camperships for deaf children, free eye exams for those in need, scholarships for local students, Thanksgiving baskets for families that are food insecure, as well as supporting the Salvation Army food pantries. We participate in both community and beach clean-up days and we recognize America’s hero’s – the Military Veterans and First Responders. We support those suffering from diabetes and the researchers seeking a cure, efforts to help and assist those dealing with mental health issues, and an active participant of the Rose Parade sharing the word to the world about giving back through Service, a wide range of other worthy matters.
While our past and present is exciting, our future looks even brighter. As we celebrate the past 100 Years of Service, we also begin to look forward to the next 100 years, and we are excited about what the future holds for us and the rest of the Lions around the world.
We would be honored if you wished to join us. If you want to become a Member of this great Service Organization, or would like more information about the services we provide, you can get more information at venturalions.org
