Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
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In true cliffhanger fashion, a much-anticipated event is being postponed in the hope that the recent surge in the Covid pandemic will subside by the time the rescheduled date arrives. “Obviously, I would have preferred to go forward with the date, but as I watched Covid unfold I decided it was best to postpone it,” said local historian & event organizer Terry Ommen about the Inside the Visalia Ransacker Investigation lecture, originally scheduled for this Wednesday evening at the College of the Sequoias. “I didn't want this...
Tonight at 6 pm, retired Visalia police detective John Vaughan will reveal information about the Visalia Ransacker, aka the Golden State Killer, during a free community presentation at the College of the Sequoias. The event, to be held in the Ponderosa lecture hall immediately west of the COS Theater at Mooney Blvd and Noble Avenue, hopes to answer the many questions that still remain about the crime spree from the mid-1970s that shook the community. Vaughan said the public will finally hear the stories and learn the...
On April 6, Visalia may become the epicenter of the true crime craze. That's when John Vaughan, a retired Visalia police sergeant and lead investigator of the Visalia Ransacker crime spree from the mid 1970s, will speak at the College of the Sequoias during a much-anticipated event that was postponed last fall due to the latest wave of the Covid pandemic. With television shows and podcasts about true crime having amassed big interest and bigger audiences, it was no wonder...
In January, Prestige Assisted Living at Visalia will present "Ageless Grace," a free webinar series about the brain-body exercise program offered at the community. Denise Medved, the program's creator, will host the series, which offers the opportunity to learn about the program, try out some of the exercises and understand the importance of neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to change and reorganize itself. The system teaches that there are a variety of steps one can take...
The Visalia Senior Center is currently looking for specialty instructors. Do you have a hobby or skill that you would like to share with the seniors? If so, consider applying to become an instructor with the City of Visalia. Contact the Visalia Senior Center at (559) 713-4381 for more information....
Many people lucky enough to have grown up with doting grandmothers know that they can burnish a child's development in unique and valuable ways. Now, for the first time, scientists have scanned grandmothers' brains while they're viewing photos of their young grandchildren - providing a neural snapshot of this special, inter-generational bond. Proceedings of the Royal Society B published the first study to examine grandmaternal brain function, conducted by researchers at Emory...
California's State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease was an ambitious effort to deal with the challenges faced by many seniors and families in the state. "Among the approximately 3.3 million seniors in California are more than 588,000 people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias," reported the booklet that outlined the state's goals ten years ago. "California also is home to 1.1 million family members who provide daily care for people with Alzheimer's a...
Covid 19 has claimed another victim, but this time it's a local nonprofit organization. The Ruth Wood Open Arms House cared for its final patient this past July, then stopped accepting patients shortly thereafter. At the beginning of the pandemic, the locally owned and operated hospice was forced to close for most of 2020, before reopening its doors to patients in October that year. Then in late September 2021, a letter sent to donors, volunteers, and community supporters...
On November 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2022 premiums, deductibles and co-insurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $170.10 for 2022, an increase of $21.60 from $148.50 in 2021. The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries is $233 in 2022, an increase of $30 from the annual deductible of $203 in 2021. These increases were not well recei...
ImagineU has a Grandparent Membership like none other, and we're giving away memberships for FREE! ImagineU is Visalia's premier destination for preteens and believes every child has an imagination and can learn through play. ImagineU encourages imagination but allows the child to "complete the picture" with open-ended, hands-on activities. A Grandparent Membership allows two adults and an unlimited number of grandchildren admission to ImagineU for a full year and includes...
The Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group for retired people based in Virginia, reported that Social Security benefits have increased just 55% over the past 20 years. In response, the group's is collecting signatures to get Congress to issue a stimulus check to every American senior for $1,400. "The decision to initiate a campaign for a $1,400 stimulus checks for seniors came about due to my estimates of the highest COLA (cost of living adjustment) in four decades, 6.2%," Mary Johnson, the organization's Social Security...
The Tulare County Resource Management Agency (RMA) held a ceremony on September 23 to open the new Transit Operations & Maintenance Facility. Members of the public were able to tour the building and observe a demonstration detailing the steps to mount a bike on a bus bike rack. Tulare County's newest Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bus was on display, one of the 20 environmentally friendly buses that are part of the Tulare County Area Transit fleet. "Transit opens doors for...
Visalia City Council Member Greg Collins plans to make a PowerPoint presentation about the proposed aquatics facility at the joint meeting of the Visalia City Council and the Visalia Unified School District School Board in late winter. "The city council is curious as to whether the school district is one of the entities that will provide financial support," Collins said. "If there was some financial support, that would swing a couple of votes (on the Visalia City Council). Hop...
Lights, camera, action! The Tulare Public Library has launched a YouTube channel designed to cover topics of interest to seniors, among other things. "The YouTube channel is there to highlight the various virtual programs that Tulare Public Library provides," said Heidi Clark, library manager for the Tulare Public Library, adding that "Senior Spotlight" is one of several program options on the site. The programming on "Senior Spotlight" is specifically for seniors, their...
The annual Heart of Seniors "Spectacular Resource Event" Luncheon, hosted by the Senior Coalition, usually held in mid-February at the Wyndham Hotel in Visalia, will not be held in 2022. The event, which includes a vital resource fair with vendors, a fashion show with the latest in fashion for the mature woman, a luncheon and a keynote speaker, was also canceled last year. "Unfortunately, the decision has been made to postpone the event one more year," said committee member...
More than 200 area residents helped exceed the fundraising goal of this year's Tulare & Kings Walk to End Alzheimer's, which returned to Mooney Grove Park in Visalia on October 2nd. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, participants in last year's event walked as individuals or in small groups in neighborhoods and trails throughout the area. "It was so great to be back in person, and to see everyone in their purple Walk gear," said Sherrie Wallace, event chair. "I was in amazement,...
The holidays are here, and as sure as the chilly weather will soon be upon us, scammers will be resurfacing and cooking up creative ways to separate us from our money. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, devastating fires, and other world events over the past year, Kings County District Attorney Keith Fagundes and the Kings County D.A. staff have been pounding the pavement, both in person and electronically, to provide increased awareness to our community members about novel approac...
Beginning Thursday, September 16, 2021, Community Services Employment Training (CSET) is providing a hotline for seniors only, aged 60 and older, who are under evacuation orders or evacuation warnings due to KNP Complex Fire activity. The hotline was set up to assist seniors 60 and older who may need assistance with evacuating themselves and their pets, along with other information, resources, and support. Starting tomorrow, September 16, 2021, seniors aged 60 and older may call the information assistance line at...
The Visalia Public Cemetery has announced that the Third Annual Community Cremation Scattering Day will be Saturday, November 13 at 9 a.m. The event will assist families in transitioning from personal possession of urns to a permanent placement of their loved ones at the cemetery. By utilizing the available scattering garden options, families can respectfully lay their loved ones to rest in both a meaningful and affordable manner. A brief service will be held prior to the...
Tulare and Kings County residents are invited to participate in the Alzheimer's Association's Walk to End Alzheimer's on Saturday, October 2, at Mooney Grove Park in Visalia. Participants will complete a two-mile walk and learn about Alzheimer's disease, advocacy opportunities, clinical studies enrollment, and support programs and services from the Alzheimer's Association. Participants will also take part in a tribute ceremony to honor those affected by Alzheimer's disease. On...
The City of Visalia may have an aquatics facility in the near future if a current proposal is able to clear enough hurdles. "I'll probably be ready to make a presentation to the (Visalia City) Council in the next month or two," said Visalia City Council Member Greg Collins, who added that he is currently "touching base with potential donors." Collins made a PowerPoint presentation to the Visalia Parks & Recreation Commission on June 8, when he announced that California Water...
In 2020, the Tulare County District Attorney utilized a Governor's Office of Emergency Services grant to advocate and assist victims of elder abuse. The $190,000 grant fully funded two victim advocates, one of whom is bilingual, who work with victims through the court process, train caretakers and community members on elder abuse, and create awareness of the crime. The grant also funds a yearly television and radio anti-abuse campaign, and associated materials for community...
The Alzheimer's Association is inviting Tulare and Kings County residents to join the fight to end Alzheimer's by participating in the 2021 Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's. "We're moving forward with plans to host Walk to End Alzheimer's in person this fall," reported Amanda Valenzuela, development manager of the Alzheimer's Association's California Southland Chapter. "The health and safety of our participants, staff and volunteers remain our top priorities as...
It seems that things are changing and that life is getting back to normal following the lifting of the state mask mandate last month. There is one constant in recent months, however – there continue to be mixed messages about how much has actually gotten back to normal. Local senior centers are waiting for city and county officials to give them a green light before they open their doors. "We are awaiting new guidance from public health officials in order to determine when w...
June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month and Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) participated by encouraging community members to wear purple on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15. Purple promotes a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. On June 1, Tulare County HHSA came together with community leaders to bring...