The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging and the AARP Foundation are partnering to offer tax preparation services to residents of Ventura County. This service is free and available to anyone of low to moderate income, and may be especially suited to those 50 and older.

To receive services, individuals must bring all necessary documentation, including applicable Social Security cards, a photo ID, a copy of 2016 tax return, and 2017 documents showing income from all sources including wages, Social Security, interest, dividends, investments, self-employment and pensions. For individuals that itemize deductions, please provide total figures for each category of deduction, including medical, charitable contributions, property tax, and mortgage interest. Any individual that received a health insurance statement (Form 1095-A, 1095-B or 1095-C), is asked to also bring the required documentation. Volunteers are unable to prepare returns for married taxpayers who file separate returns, or for taxpayers with rental property income. Volunteers are also unable to prepare out-of-state tax returns.

AARP representatives will be available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. through April 16 at the VCAAA offices located at 646 County Square Drive in Ventura. No appointment is necessary, and participants are not required to be AARP members. This location is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

The AARP Foundation operates the AARP Tax-Aide program under a cooperative agreement with the IRS. To help you complete your tax forms, AARP’s trained and IRS-certified volunteers will see personal information that you give them about you and your finances. There’s no fee and no sales pitch for other services and AARP membership is not required.

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, an agency of the County of Ventura, is the principal agency in Ventura County charged with the responsibility to promote the development and implementation of a comprehensive coordinated system of care that enables older individuals and their caregivers to live in a community-based setting and to advocate for the needs of those 60 years of age and older in the county, providing leadership and promoting citizen involvement in the planning process as well as in the delivery of services.

Rae Huffman playing with Wayne Agnew who is just getting started at 75.

by Amber Hansen

The Old Time Country Bluegrass Gospel Music Association celebrated member Lady Rae Huffman’s 95th birthday during their meeting-concert held at the Poinsettia Pavilion on February 4th. Rae is a native Californian with a deep-rooted love for music- from classical to bluegrass. Lady Rae has been active in the music community for most of her life- she began with the violin, before discovering her passion for fiddling in the mid 1970’s. She has been a member of the Old Time Fiddler’s association for many years and a member of the Old Time Country Bluegrass Gospel Music Association since its creation in 2013. Her musical career has spanned her lifetime and she has achieved many accomplishments along the way. Lady Rae continues to inspire through her music and frequently performs with the Old-Country Grass Band.

Going back to 1979 Rae was the ladies state champion in the fiddle division, she has owned the violin that she plays at concerts for more than 85 years starting when shew as 10. Her early training was in playing the classics and the great tunes of the swing era.

A humble woman she stated “music has been a joy to me, all of my life.”

Wayne Agnew estimates they have played more than 1000 gigs together over the past 20 years.

Her daughter Kathy Rae Huffman said “Rae is very special to so many of us . She has been a corner stone of the organization and the band. She has always been willing to play anytime, anywhere.

Music has kept her strong, active and young at heart !!!

“She first came to Oxnard in the 1950’s with her Seabee husband. After moving around for a number of years with the military, they settled in Oxnard to retire, in the 1960s.”

“Mother and dad (he died in 1995) were involved with the Old Time Fiddler’s for many many years. She has rarely missed a concert, only when she was in the hospital with pneumonia a couple of years ago.”

Beginning on the first Sunday of March from 2:30-4:30PM, the Old Time Country Bluegrass Gospel Music Association will meet in the Knights of Columbus Hall in downtown Ventura. The meetings with the fine music and chatter are free so join them for a fine afternoon.

How prepared are we for the next disaster? Attend “A Call to Action”, a community-wide disaster education forum, presented by the Ventura Council for Seniors on Tuesday, February 20th.

It will take place at Ventura Adult and Continuing Education, 5200 Valentine Rd. Registration will begin at 9:00 am. The program will be from 9:30 to 11:30 am and will include a personal story of loss and resiliency, and a panel that will discuss useful advice in disaster preparedness.

Spanish language interpretation will be provided. A free lunch will follow, courtesy of the Downtown Ventura Rotary. Please RSVP to 648-3035.