Mission: The Camarillo Council on Aging (CCOA) is an advisory body formed by the Camarillo City Council. The mission of the CCOA, in collaboration with the Camarillo City Council, is to promote participation, independence and quality of life through advocacy, information and activities that support optimum senior health and quality aging. 

SENIOR NEWS

A newsletter for Camarillo Seniors

June 2023

The CCOA meetings are open to anyone interested in senior issues. The CCOA seeks and values your input. 

Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 3pm at Camarillo City Hall, except in August and December. Please check the City's website using the link below for details on the upcoming agenda. 

Upcoming Meeting Dates:

• June 20
• July 18
• August - DARK
• September 19
• October 17
• November 21
• December - DARK

Meeting Agendas



You may contact the CCOA by calling City Hall at (805) 388-5397. 

We think of June as the beginning of summer. The days are warmer—and so are the evenings. Dinner outdoors, more walks in the evening and perhaps trips to the beach are things that come to mine. 

CCOA has been busy the past few months scheduling events as we have in the past. Some new partnerships have evolved as well. Did you know CCOA works closely with the Camarillo Health Care District and the Camarillo Library? Also, two members from Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VCAAA) give input at our regular meetings. 

One of our goals is to work collaboratively with county and community-based organizations in order to provide seniors with information to increase knowledge and awareness of activities and available resources in Ventura County.

This April, CCOA and the library staff began a joint project to create a Senior Resource Center. Information for seniors on various topics will be available on computers and eventually there will be resource materials for all to use. This is a work in progress. 

Workshops have been scheduled at the library on various topics. 

• April - Caregivers
• May - One Stop Shop for Public Benefit Program 
• June 14th - Legal Issues for the Elderly 

If you live in Leisure Village, presentations will be held there. Please check the Leisure Village schedule of events for dates and times.

May was designated as Older Americans Month but we know every month is older Americans month.

Established in 1963, Older Americans Month is celebrated every May. This year’s theme, Aging Unbound, offers an opportunity to explore a wide range of aging experiences and to promote the importance of enjoying independence and fulfillment by paving our own paths as we age.

• Embrace the opportunity to change. Find a new passion, go on an adventure, and push boundaries by not letting age define your limits. Invite creativity and purpose into your life by trying new activities in your community.
• Explore the rewards of growing older. With age comes knowledge, which provides insight and confidence to understand and experience the world more deeply.
• Stay engaged in your community. Everyone benefits when everyone is connected and involved. Stay active by volunteering, working, mentoring, participating in social clubs, and taking part in activities at your local senior center or elsewhere in the community.
• Form relationships.  An essential ingredient of well-being, relationships can enhance your quality of life by introducing new ideas and unique perspectives. Invest time with people to discover deeper connections with family, friends and community members.

The CCOA board received a proclamation from Mayor Susan Santangelo at the May 10, 2023, City Council Meeting recognizing Older Americans Month and CCOA in their efforts to fulfill their mission to promote participation, independence and quality of life through advocacy, information and activities that support optimum senior health and quality aging.

SAVE THE DATE - Shredding Event in October

Golden Sun

by Lenore Hetrick

Great, glorious, golden sun,

Shine down on me today!

You are the life of all this earth,

You and your magic ray.

You are the life of bird and plant,

All must depend on you.

Shine down, great sun, the whole day long!

Shine from the heaven's blue.

And I will welcome your golden rays,

For you mean life to me,

And you mean happiness and health,

Strength and energy.

Shine down, great sun, on flower and field,

And never say goodbye.

Forever and ever give us your light

From out the wide, blue sky.

Option 1: Let’s eat grandma.

Option 2: Let’s eat, grandma.

There you have it. Proof that punctuation saves lives

Physical Activity

As you age, the choices you make every day can contribute to your overall heart health. In addition to eating healthy and maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active is one of the most important things you can do to keep your heart healthy. Inactive people are nearly twice as likely to develop heart disease as those who get regular exercise

Almost anyone, at any age, can do some type of physical activity. You can still exercise even if you have a health condition like heart disease, arthritis, chronic pain, high blood pressure, or diabetes. In fact, physical activity may help. For most older adults, physical activities like brisk walking, riding a bike, swimming, weightlifting, and gardening are safe, especially if you build up slowly. You may want to talk with your doctor about how your health condition might affect your ability to be active.

Did you know in some places rather than be called “Senior Citizens”, we are called – THE WISE ONES?

Are You Prepared for a Disaster?

A disaster can occur at any time. Depending on the situation, you may need to evacuate or shelter-in-place. Here are some important steps to take to prepare before a disaster occurs:



• Be Informed – Sign up for VC Alert, the Ventura County Emergency Notification System. 
• Contact List – create a list of who to call during a disaster Emergency Contacts List
• Plan for Assistance – Talk to family and friends ahead of time to discuss a plan on how to meet your needs for assistance.
• Go Bag – what you need to leave quickly. Go Bag checklist
• Stay Box – what you need to shelter in place.  Stay Box checklist
• Gain Skills – Take an emergency preparedness course to learn skills and gain knowledge to improve your safety and resilience. 

Community Emergency Response Team Training

provided by the VC Fire Department

Contact Heidi Zahrt, CERT Coordinator hzahrt@cityofcamarillo.org|805-388-5688

Would you like to find out more on how to be prepared and protect yourself and your loved ones during a disaster? Listos California has free materials in many languages that you can use and share to promote disaster preparedness in your home and community.

1950s Trivia Questions and Answers for Seniors “Wise Ones”

Discover how much you remember about the 1950s. Post-World War II, there was a lot going on in the world. From a booming economy to the growth of surburbia, the 1950s saw no shortage of changes. Baby boomers and more can test their knowledge and revisit just what this decade was all about.

Explore the Golden Era with fun senior trivia! 

Camarillo Health Care District (CHCD) is one of the many great resources in the city.

CHCD offers a variety of educational opportunities to meet the needs of the community. Some examples include:



• Virtual Reality Travel - Nature Treks: explore the natural world; Ocean Rift: explore the ocean as a virtual scuba diver
• Digital Literacy - learn social media basics, Google Slides, Instagram/Facebook and Digital Scrapbooking

Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District has many activities for Seniors. Here are two such events:

Book Club - The Book Club meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, 5:30 - 6:30 pm at the Senior Center. The selected book for June is "The Rose Code" by Kate Quinn

Senior Social - Every 2nd Thursday of the month, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Senior Center. The next one will be on June 8. The Senior Social is a social hour for seniors to get to know one another. Light snacks, refreshments, and live entertainment will be provided.

There are 36 Level 2 ports available: 22 ports at City Hall and 14 ports at the Camarillo Public Library. In consideration of the City’s costs (fees) for the implementation of the new charging stations, City Council approved a charging use fee of $0.29 kWh. The chart below demonstrates an example of costs to charge at this rate.

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For information about CityScene, including any ideas for potential articles, please contact Michelle D'Anna, at (805) 388-5370 or mdanna@cityofcamarillo.org.

CamarilloCONNECT is an online and mobile service request system letting residents identify issues and report them directly to City staff. CamarilloCONNECT is not intended for emergencies, please call 9-1-1 for emergencies. This system is monitored Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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