Ventura County physician Dr. Megan Mescher-Cox, a board-certified specialist in Internal Medicine and a Lifestyle Medicine specialist, is inviting the public to join her and her guest, dermatologist Larissa Larsen MD, on a leisurely “Walk with a Doc” to give people a chance to exercise and enjoy some free health tips. Dr. Mescher-Cox is leading the walk as part of the international Walk with A Doc program, which gets people exercising in a fun way while learning ways to improve their health. The walk will last for one hour and is free. Dr. Mescher-Cox will present a five-minute talk with tips on good health at the beginning of the walk. After the talk, a local business will lead a stretch warm-up before the walk.  For more information about the local walk, call 805-988-2821.

  When: 9 a.m. on Saturday, August 3.

 Where: the Ventura Pier boardwalk, meeting at the pier.

Thirteen-year-old author Micaela Ellis will visit Hill Road Library at 12 p.m. on Sunday. August 18, to speak about her book, Autism over the Years: A Twelve Year Old’s Memoir. During this talk Micaela will share her perspectives on life as a kid with autism.

While expanding perceptions of autism, Micaela hopes to educate others on some of the challenges that people with autism might face and share the many opportunities for growth and learning that are available to children like her when they are respected and understood.

Micaela wrote Autism over the years as a way to share her experiences growing up with autism. She was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and a half and has spent the past decade learning, growing, and working to overcome the many challenges associated with this disorder. She is currently an eighth-grade student at the Lighthouse School of Ojai, a private school that specializes in educating children with unique learning profiles. In Micaela’s words:

“I wrote this memoir because I want to show people how I see the world, as a person with autism. I want to explain how my life has been different from many other people’s lives, and how certain thoughts and ideas came into my mind that other people did not understand. I want to share why I did things that seemed strange to others… I want to put an end to the idea that autism is a disease that needs a ‘cure.’ I want to put an end to autism being a taboo subject.”

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Linda Cherry, Librarian, at (805) 677-7180.

Hill Road Library is located at 1070 South Hill Road. Hours of service are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The Ventura College Foundation Marketplace, which operates every Saturday and Sunday on the Ventura College campus, is looking to expand the number of Saturday produce and pre-packaged food vendors. The Marketplace attracts between 2,000 and 5,000 visitors each weekend.

“The Marketplace sells all types of fruits and vegetables,” says Esmeralda Juarez, Marketplace supervisor. “Some vendors grow their own produce.The Marketplace is so popular because prices are low and the quality is high,” says Juarez. “It’s an ideal place to shop for families on a limited income and for people who seeking unique items at bargain prices.”

The Marketplace has 237 vendor spaces on Saturday and 325 on Sunday. In addition to produce and pre-packaged food, the Marketplace sells household products, appliances, tools, plants, arts/crafts, antiques/collectibles, toys, shoes, jewelry/accessories, cosmetics and imported and local bargains.

For over three decades, the Marketplace has hosted thousands of vendors and patrons every weekend. The Marketplace provides a link between Ventura College and the community. Vendors pay a modest fee to rent space. All county non-profit organizations can rent one or more free vendor spaces on Saturdays to set up an information booth or to use the space to sell goods for fundraising purposes. Marketplace proceeds pay for 50 percent of the VC Foundation’s budget, including 60 percent of the VC Promise free tuition program and 75 percent of the textbook lending program.

Marketplace hours are Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission and general parking are free (premium parking is $1 on Saturdays and $5 on Sundays). For more Marketplace and vendor information, go to www.vcgiving.org, and click on the “Marketplace” tab or call 805-289-6062.

Congratulations to Cori Steele and Keili Marble, newlyweds in Portland, Oregon

They were joined by their friends Travis and Sierra Marble Wilson. They were sure to take the Breeze on their honeymoon.

by Jovelle Tamayo for NPR

Sheri Adler at an American Behavioral Health Systems office in Wenatchee, Wash. At age 72, Adler attempted to take her own life.

Dr. Julie Rickard thought her visit to Wisconsin over the Christmas holiday would bring a break from her day job working in suicide prevention in Wenatchee, Wash.

The visit didn’t go as planned. After a tense fight broke out between her mother and another family member, everyone dispersed. Rickard readied herself for the trip back to the Pacific Northwest.

At the airport, she received a call from her mother, Sheri Adler. This was not out of the ordinary — Adler, like many adoring mothers, always calls her daughter after parting ways.

On the phone, Adler wanted to tell her daughter how much she loved and appreciated her.

“Normally I would think, ‘Oh that’s a sign of suicide,’ but it was during my layover,” Rickard says. “I had just left her, and my whole life she had always cried when I left and would always say I love you.”

This time was different. “This time,” Rickard says, “it was goodbye.”

When the plane landed, Rickard received another call. Her mother, at age 72, had tried to take her own life.

“I went home, and I guess I just didn’t know how to handle it,” Adler says about the suicide attempt. “It was just more than I could put together … I just made a stupid mistake. I guess I just wanted to give up, because I felt like I wasn’t a good mom. And that’s all I ever wanted to be.”

The American Behavioral Health Systems facility in Wenatchee, Wash., includes suicide-safe features and positive images of the Pacific Northwest, aimed to motivate patients.

Since the attempt in January, Rickard has helped her mother find care. Adler now takes medication and meets with a therapist for depression and help coping with family issues. They both say she’s doing better.

Still, the episode reflects the vulnerability of a group that researchers call a “forgotten” population, particularly when it comes to the issue of mental health: senior citizens.

Across the country, suicide rates have been on the rise, and that rise has struck the nation’s seniors particularly hard. Of the more than 47,000 suicides that took place in 2017, those 65 and up accounted for more than 8,500 of them, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Men who are 65 and older face the highest risk of suicide, while adults 85 and older, regardless of gender, are the second most likely age group to die from suicide.

What will the building under construction at the former Elks Lodge at corner of Main and Ash be used for?

Margaret Toal

Margaret: We have asked the developer to answer this question, but they haven’t yet. Will have the answer this once we hear back from them.