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Adopt a resolution proclaiming the week of December 3-9, 2023 as Centenarian Week in Solano County; and Receive a video presentation celebrating Solano County Centenarians
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
Chair John M. Vasquez and Vice-Chair Monica Brown recommends the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution proclaiming the week of December 3-9, 2023 as Centenarian Week in Solano County; and Receive a video presentation celebrating Solano County Centenarians.
SUMMARY:
This year will mark the 17th Annual Centenarian Commemoration in Solano County. The Centenarian Commemoration is designed to honor and pay tribute to individuals who have reached 100 years of age or older.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY2023/24 Working Budget. The costs associated with preparation and purchase of the resolution materials are included in the Board’s FY2023/24 Working Budget.
DISCUSSION:
To date, the Board of Supervisors has honored more than 300 centenarians, the oldest of them, Reta Wills of Vallejo, who reached super-centenarian status of 110 years old in 2021.
According to the Boston University School of Medicine New England Centenarian Study, centenarians are remarkable examples of healthy aging. Centenarians come from all walks of life. They have different educational, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds and they are of different ethnicities and live in regions all over the globe. However, they do share some of the following characteristics associated with healthy aging:
1) They generally do not smoke;
2) They remain active and engaged with their families and the community either through extended working, volunteer work, and contributing to the household throughout their later years;
3) They stay physically strong through exercise and physical activity;
4) They maintain a healthy diet, tend to be thin; and
5) They are better able to handle stress.
While genetics play a role in longevity with 20-30% of longevity attributed to genetic factors, environmental factors (e.g., lifestyle choices) account for 70-80% of longevity. Most centenarians are women (85% compared to 15% of men); Super-centenarians (those who are 110 years old or older) occur at a rate of about 1 per 7 million with estimated 60-70 super-centenarians in the U.S.
A longitudinal study conducted by the University of Georgia found that contrary to the general belief that the most elderly are frail and living in nursing homes, “20 to 25% of centenarians are community-dwelling, cognitively intact, and generally vibrant and full of life.” Those who need daily assistance, according to another study are cared for by their families. Estimates state that about 80 percent of what is considered long-term care, including personal care and care for chronic illness, is being provided from within the family, usually by the women.
Centenarians have defied life expectancy projections by at least 20 years. They hold the keys to longevity and quality of life. As an aging society we have much to learn from them. Centenarians serve as a guiding light and example of aging with dignity. Their contributions to the understanding of the aging process and how to age with self-respect and pride are laudable and worthy of recognition.
This year, as they have done for the past three years, the Solano County Board of Supervisors will host a virtual celebration, honoring Solano County’s most senior residents with a video presentation, followed up later with the delivery of a Centenarian yearbook and resolutions from the Board.
2023 Centenarians:
The following are the 2023 Solano County Centenarian honorees. These 48 individuals will be recognized by the Board, including:
From the City of Benicia
Helen Jacks, 100
From the City of Dixon
Oakley Dexter, 100
Mary Weyand, 100
From the City of Fairfield
Marian Coles, 100
Arthur Child, 101
Anna Conger, 101
Phyllis Craig, 101
Farideh Amirkhizi, 102
Robert Dittmer, 102
Rosalind Faraday, 102
John Knebel, 102
Caroline Low, 102
Tsuyako Miyagashima, 103
Charlotte Stack, 103
Charlotte Koslosky, 105
Maria Luz Tobias Galang, 106
Hazel Booher, 109
From the City of Rio Vista
Laverne Thompson, 100+
From the City of Suisun City
Elizabeth Tate, 100
From the City of Vacaville
Julia Carrington, 100+
Helen Devlin, 100
Louise Follett, 100
Anthony Hary “Bill” Horton, 100
Blanche Richardson, 100
Margaret White, 100
Evelyn Ewing, 101
Ivarn Foulk, 101
Shirley Helmich, 101
Pearl Joe, 101
Angelina King, 101
Robert Kuznik, 101
Dona Cecilia Nunez, 101
Virginia Ruth Plunkett, 101
Ed Case, 102
John Gonge, 102
Guadalupe Vidales, 102
Xanthia Warren, 102
Willie Jack Chaffee, 103
From the City of Vallejo
John Fitt, 100
Mary Louise Rhemus, 100
Eunice Hilton, 101
Ursula Malloch, 101
Virginia Mangabat, 101
Leona Young, 101
Philomae Dixon, 102
CW Callaway, 103
Adelina Diaz, 103
Charlotte Hahn, 105
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to adopt and present the resolution and receive the video; however, this is not recommended because centenarians are part of the fastest growing segment of the population and have helped shape our nation as it is today. They hold the secrets to aging well and serve as a role model for quality of life for all ages.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION