Hi: I’m Jaxx a 5-year-old Australian Shepard. I like taking walks, playing and chasing balls.
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Vol. 14, No. 04 – Nov 18 – Dec 1, 2020 – Mailbox
In your most recent issue, Vol. 14, No. 3, there was a beautiful photo of Ventura City Hall lit up in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Although October is officially over, I would like to bring some awareness to metastatic breast cancer in the hopes that next year on October 13, MBC day, City Hall can light up in the MBC colors of green, teal and pink. There is an organization called Moore Fight Moore Strong whose goal is to light up landmarks all over the world to raise awareness and much needed funds for MBC through an organization called Metavivor.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and one in three of those women will become metastatic. More than 42,000 women in the U.S. will die this year from breast cancer. Unfortunately, there is no cure and the average survival time for this disease is 36 months. I personally have been living with metastatic breast cancer for the last six and a half years. Only about 22% survive past five years.
Next October it is my wish to add Ventura City Hall to the more than 115 landmarks in the U.S. already lighting up for metastatic breast cancer awareness. We are more than aware of breast cancer. What needs some attention is metastatic breast cancer, a disease that is fatal for 97-99% of those diagnosed, with only about 2% of funds raised for breast cancer going to metastatic research.
I look forward to being around next year to see City Hall lit up in green, teal and pink to honor those who have passed and to acknowledge those living with MBC.
Thank you,
Marissa Holzer
Dear Editor,
As Americans, we are finding that we need to rely on ourselves more as the wealthy corporations and their owners have rigged the economy in their favor. They steal the wealth we have ALL created. During the pandemic, many socialist-minded organizations formed mutual aid working groups to help fill in the holes of the safety net that our federal government failed to create. We, the working people, are not among them the priorities of the DC politicians. They answer first to their wealthy donors that keep them in office.
Ventura County citizens may not know this, but many diverse local groups have come together from the start of the pandemic to get food and assistance to struggling citizens. Members of DSA have been working along-side church groups, Habitat For Humanity, Friends of Fieldworkers, the Local Love Project, Ventura’s Danny’s Deli, as well as government funded organizations, ARCH (the Ventura Homeless Shelter), Oxnard COVID Shelter and the Area Agency on Aging. We’ve been delivering food, toys, masks, clothes, medicine and other essential items to senior, poor, homeless, disabled and incarcerated folks. We have also donated time and supplies to build raised garden boxes so that individuals and families can grow their own food going forward.
We will continue these efforts as the pandemic shows no sign of disappearing soon. It is clear that ongoing climate change-caused disasters, future pandemics and continued social injustice, will require us to continue this work – at least until the government starts working for all of us. All we have is each other.
In solidarity, Allen Chinn
Democratic Socialists of America – Ventura County
Oops…
In our last issue we had an article A sendoff for Haole Boy
In the article we stated “Haole’s fans span the world, in fact, a number of them, Tammy and John Norton flew or drove long distances to attend the memorial.” Tammy should have been Tawny. Sorry Tawny.
I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify.
~ Joe Biden
Terror on the high seas
by Constance Hood
Storm clouds floated by – either clearing away or threatening more to come. We strolled on the wet sand with our two golden retrievers. Perhaps a dozen people and a few dogs were out between the rains.
Ten–month old Clifford leaps and dives like a dolphin, snapping at the seafoam, and chasing birds when he can find them. Ten–year old Hector, white faced and arthritic, moseys along with me. I turn, and Hector decides to slide down a four–foot sand berm to play in the surf with his puppy. There’s no way Hector can get back up on the beach safely. His jumping days are long past. The two are snapping at waves, and Chet and I will have to fish Hector out of the rough water. Between the two of us we have one working knee. Chet starts climbing down wet rocks, using his cane to balance himself.
A young man jumps over the rail. Hector has fallen and can’t get up. The hero of the day lifts a 75-pound dog, mud, sand and water – carries him in his arms back to us. He is not wearing surf clothes – jeans, shoes, jacket are soaked and it’s a cold day.
“No thank you” when we offered to buy him lunch. I wish I knew him, to express my gratitude.
Kind, selfless—someone who saw a much–loved pet in trouble and moved without thinking another minute. That’s the America I grew up in. It said so much about the day, and the walks we were all taking in the moment of sunshine between the storm clouds.
Robert has lost his battle with Parkinson’s
Robert and Patty at a Michael J. Fox Foundation fundraiser.
Robert Jenkins (born 3/29/1948) passed away on Nov. 2, 2020 after a courageous 14- year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. The beloved husband, brother, uncle, great uncle, and larger than life co-worker and friend to many from the east coast to the west coast, has completed his life’s journey and is mercifully free after his long battle. His earthly body is finally peacefully still and his incredible presence and soul is whole now and delighting all who preceded him to the next life.
Robert was born in Massachusetts living in Boston until he moved to California in 1982. He loved working as a salesman and was “born to sell”!! He met and married Patty in 1986. In 2006 he began to manifest what they later learned were early symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, but he was not professionally diagnosed until June of 2008. By then not only had his beautiful handwriting changed to much smaller almost illegible scribbles but his freezing gate was worse.
Even as he declined over the years, he fought to stay active to the very end playing golf with Patty. Robert thoroughly enjoyed the special friendships he developed with the many wonderful people who shared the challenges of this disease that he would meet at his Parkinson’s exercise classes, many special Parkinson’s events to help raise awareness of and funding for research, and at monthly support group meetings he attended since 2008. He was also a good sport and supportive partner helping Patty to coordinate the Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support meetings the past six years.
Even in death his body will help the scientific research into the cause of Parkinson’s for years to come as his wish to have his brain donated to UCLA has been fulfilled. Your loving tributes in honor of his memory thru the Michael J. Fox Foundation will also have an enormous impact in promoting many hard working researchers whose promising projects and treatments might not otherwise make it to the tens of millions of people world wide who suffer with Parkinson’s Disease.
To all who visit his tribute page in honor of Robert, you mean the world to Patty who stated “Thank you for your loving support over the many years as we all fought this disease together. Please know also that you all meant so very much to Robert in this life and will in the next.”
There is a tribute page to Robert on the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research web site that has more of Robert’s story and an opportunity to make a donation in lieu of flowers or cards as a memorial for him that will support the efforts of the MJFF to help researchers find a cause and a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. Go to https://tribute.michaeljfox.org and click on search pages then type in Jenkins Robert.
Ventura Potters’ Guild announce launch new online store
Place setting by Dane Venass
The Ventura Potters’ Guild is pleased to announce the launch of our new online store: venturapotteryonline.com. If you have ever been to our Gallery in the Ventura Harbor Village then you have experienced the beautiful work of over 30 local ceramic artists. Many of these same artists have spectacular ceramic pieces posted on the new online store that are not available for sale in the Gallery. The online store also has additional artists offering their creative work for sale online.
Most items are available for free pick up at the Gallery. We have e-Gift Cards available so your loved one can pick their favorite piece. Have a favorite artist from the Gallery or our annual Ojai Sale? Look online to see if they have posted their work. The online store is open 24/7.
The Ventura Pottery Guild online store currently has over 100 items available for sale and we are adding new artists and new pieces all the time. Bookmark venturapotteryonline.com and check us out regularly for new work. Ventura Pottery Gallery Ventura Harbor Village, at 1567 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105 and is now open seven days a week from 11am to 6pm. Questions about the online store can be directed to: [email protected].
City of Ventura launches general plan update
The City of Ventura has launched the first phase of public engagement activities to update the General Plan. The theme of the update “Our Vision. Our Future,” reflects the importance of encouraging community members to be involved in shaping Ventura’s quality of life for the next 20 to 30 years.
“The General Plan seeks to maintain the unique charm and character of Ventura, while creating opportunities for future improvements in our City, ranging from affordable housing to health, to economic development, transportation, public safety, environmental sustainability, open space and more,” said Mayor Matt LaVere. “This is a tremendous opportunity to gather a diverse range of input as our community helps shape the vision for Ventura’s future.”
The comprehensive update is a three-year process that is expected to take until 2023 to complete. Throughout the multi-year effort, the city will embark on a robust community engagement initiative that includes surveys, virtual and in-person workshops when safety allows, an interactive project website, meetings with Community Councils, engaging with a wide variety of residents and stakeholders within the community, and other interactive activities.
Initial activities include the formation of a General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) to guide the update effort, meetings with Community Councils, and a workshop with the City Council on November 16, 2020.
The General Plan update effort will also include a Local Coastal Program update and the creation of a Climate Action Plan to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance environmental sustainability in Ventura. California state law requires every city and county to maintain an up-to-date General Plan to guide future growth and development.
To learn more about the City of Ventura’s General Plan, visit www.planventura.com.
How the aging brain affects thinking
The brain controls many aspects of thinking — remembering, planning and organizing, making decisions, and much more. These cognitive abilities affect how well we do everyday tasks and whether we can live independently.
Some changes in thinking are common as people get older. For example, older adults may:
Be slower to find words and recall names
Find they have more problems with multitasking
Experience mild decreases in the ability to pay attention
Participate in Research
Researchers are working to understand normal brain aging, why some people stay cognitively healthy longer than others, and what might protect your brain as you age. Visit the NIA Clinical Trials Finder to learn about clinical trials and studies near you and consider joining a study to be a partner in discovery.
Aging may also bring positive cognitive changes. For example, many studies have shown that older adults have more extensive vocabularies and greater knowledge of the depth of meaning of words than younger adults. Older adults may also have learned from a lifetime of accumulated knowledge and experiences. Whether and how older adults apply this accumulated knowledge, and how the brain changes as a result, is an area of active exploration by researchers.
Despite the changes in cognition that may come with age, older adults can still do many of the things they have enjoyed their whole lives. Research shows that older adults can still:
Learn new skills
Form new memories
Improve vocabulary and language skills
Changes in the Aging Brain
As a person gets older, changes occur in all parts of the body, including the brain.
Certain parts of the brain shrink, especially those important to learning and other complex mental activities.
In certain brain regions, communication between neurons (nerve cells) may not be as effective.
Blood flow in the brain may decrease.
Inflammation, which occurs when the body responds to an injury or disease, may increase.
These changes in the brain can affect mental function, even in healthy older people. For example, some older adults may find that they don’t do as well as younger individuals on complex memory or learning tests. However, if given enough time to learn a new task, they usually perform just as well. Needing that extra time is normal as we age. There is growing evidence that the brain maintains the ability to change and adapt so that people can manage new challenges and tasks as they age.
The Secrets of Cognitive Super Agers
Some people in their 80s, 90s, and beyond defy the common assumption that cognitive decline goes hand in hand with aging. These people, called cognitive super agers, have memory performance comparable to people 20 – 30 years younger. Research is ongoing to understand what sets these people apart to help others prevent (or reverse) age-related cognitive decline.
Talk with your doctor if you’re concerned about changes in your thinking and memory. He or she can help you determine whether the changes in your thinking and memory are normal, or whether it could be something else.
There are things you can do to help maintain your physical health and that may benefit your cognitive health, too. Learn more about cognitive health and take steps to help you stay healthy as you age.
For More Information About the Aging Brain
NIA Information Resource Center
800-222-2225 (toll-free)
[email protected]
www.nia.nih.gov
McKnight Brain Research Foundation
407-237-4485
Dana Foundation
212-223-4040
[email protected]
Firefighters respond to brush fire
Firefighters responded to a brush fire that broke out near the Ventura Harbor and the Santa Clara River on November 13, at 1pm. Even though the burn area was small because of the dense brush smoke could be seen (and smelled) in many local communities.
Cypress Place Senior Living announces new leadership team
Cypress Place Senior Living, one of Ventura’s distinctive independent, assisted living, and memory care communities, announces the addition of Gina Salman as its new Executive Director and Colleen Webb as its new Associate Executive Director, effective September 8, 2020.
“We are very excited to promote Colleen and welcome Gina to our team at Cypress Place”, states Glen Cummins, Regional Director Operations at Meridian Senior Living. “Not only will they bring the valuable skills Cypress Place needs and nurtures, but also a passion for leadership that will further inspire the team to continue delivering high quality and compassionate care for our residents.”
Ms. Salman brings both marketing and executive leadership skills to Cypress Place. With more than seven years of experience in the healthcare field, her expertise includes healthcare administration and marketing for large-scale facilities supporting independent living, assisted living, and memory care. In addition to her experience, she is a Certified Senior Advisor, Certified Dementia Practitioner and has earned a Residential Care for the Elderly certification.
Ms. Salman holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing degree from Northern Illinois University. She draws from her diverse marketing and business experience to provide an innovative approach to leadership, program development, and quality care across the spectrum of health services.
Prior to the Associate Executive Director position, Ms. Webb spent eight years as the Senior Business Office Director at Cypress Place Senior Living. She brings fourteen years of management and financial experience to Cypress Place. Ms. Webb holds a Business in Human Resources Management degree from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA.
For more information about Cypress Place Senior Living located at 1200/1220 Cypress Point Ln Ventura, CA 93003, visit www.cypressplaceseniorliving.com or call (805)650-8000.
Preventing serious falls
by Healthyaging.org
Falls are a leading cause of serious injuries in older adults that can lead to hospitalization, nursing home admission, and even death among older people.
The chance of falling increases as we get older. Health problems such as arthritis, heart disease, muscle weakness, poor balance or vision, foot problems, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and even certain medications can increase your chance of falling. Dangerous things around the home – slippery throw rugs and poor lighting, for example – make falls more likely as well. If you are an older adult or you are in charge of care for an older person, please follow the steps below, and also get a “falls checkup” on a regular basis from your healthcare provider.
Did you know? One in every three adults age 65 and older falls each year.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a fall
If you fall, let your healthcare provider know right away. It is important for you to tell them what might have caused the fall – whether you tripped over something, for instance, or got dizzy and lost your balance, or felt your legs “go out” from under you. This important information will be used to help you avoid falling again.
Review your medications
Put all of your medications – prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins or any other pills that you take – in a bag and bring them with you to your next visit with your healthcare provider. Together you can review your medications to see if any might increase your chance of falling. If so, your provider may change the dose, or prescribe another type of medicine for you.
Make a falls prevention plan with your healthcare provider
During your visit, your healthcare provider may also check your balance, leg strength and function, your blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm; examine the way you walk; and test your vision.