Camarillo, CA

I picked up the local West County Star today and on the front page and pictured was a long time friend and past co worker of mine! His name is Richard T. Lee better known as Dick Lee to me. When he was 18 it says that he became one of the 1,000 black pilots who would eventually be known as the Tuskegee Airmen. He flew in North Africa and Burma during WWII. Wow!! Do you know I never knew this about Dick Lee? I knew he had retired from the service when I met him in the County Assessor's Office so many years ago, but never did he brag or talk about this major part of his life. Dick Lee is one of the nicest people I know. Unpretentious, always upbeat and smiling, and would do anything for anybody. I had the pleasure of supervising him as an Appraiser in the local County Assessor's Office. You just could not help but like him. He never complained, he never caused trouble, he did his job and he smiled his way through it every single day until he retired from the County. We had a wonderful retirement party for him and one of the themes was "Don't Worry....Be Happy!" We wrote a new version of this song and performed it for him and he loved it!!

I just want to say how proud I am to know this man and how worthy he is of being honored. Thank you R. T. Lee for being who you are.

http://www.JanisCalkins.com

Snow In Camarillo, California

At about 9:30pm last Thursday night my husband left the city of Camarillo (elevation; 165 above see level) for a Christmas adventure due north. The Camarillo Christmas Truck drove for 2 hours to Pine Mountain Summit (elevation; 5160 feet above see level) and was back in Camarillo with a bed full of snow by 2:00am.

Friday morning our children and their friends woke up to a white (almost) winter wonderland.

The joy and laughter was priceless. The snow fights ended without injury, but a life long memory was etched in everyone's mind and hearts.

I am married to one of the best fathers alive and thank God everyday for the blessings we enjoy, even if it is a truck full of snow.

Actually, it was a green, green Christmas Parade. The 47th Camarillo Christmas Parade was decidedly green this year. The theme of the parade was "A Green Christmas". Not green as in Christmas tree green, but green as is environmentally conscious green.

Marching bands and floats were decorated with plastic bottles and recycled items. The environmental theme provided a fun twist to the annual parade, delighting everyone with the creative thinking of the parade participants.

The San Gabriel High School marching band showed their creativity by attaching cans and bottles to their tubas and drums. Scripps Ranch High School wore mismatched old band uniforms from years past. Valencia High School showed their practical environmental mindedness by wheeling bins along the parade route so that parade spectators could dispose of their bottles and cans.

The float designers were as creative as the marching bands. The winner of the Sweepstakes Float Award was a pushcart with a rotating tree made of 1,000 plastic bottles. All components of the float were recycled parts. The push cart was powered by congregational members of the Peace Lutheran Church of Camarillo. The float was titled "Heavenly Peace".

Another creative float, "Leave No Trace" was entered by the Cub Scout Pack 3858. The float featured a soda can Christmas tree. The decorations for the float were made from magazines, plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The Cub Scouts took the green theme a step further and for two months before the parade collected recyclable items. When the parade ended the scouts crushed all the cans they had collected and boxed them up. The boxes of cans will be taken to a recycling center. The funds earned will then be given to a charity.

The 47th annual Camarillo Christmas Parade also featured a Marching Band competition and carnival. The marching band competition was held before the parade began. The carnival was held after the parade at the Camarillo Community Center Park. The carnival featured games, live music, vendor booths and a large variety of great foods.

If you are wishing you could have seen this holiday environmental themed parade, wish no longer! The parade will be televised this Saturday (December 20) at 7p.m. on the Time Warner Cable Channel 25.

Float and Band Award Winners

If you would like to particpate in Camarillo's 48th Annual Christmas Parade (December 12, 2009) you can call the Pleasant Valley Recreations and Parks Department at: 482-1996 ext. 18. They will be able to answer any questions you may have and give you information on volunteer opportunities.

Say Hello To Camarillo's Christmas Truck

Christmas has always been the most splendid celebrated holiday in my family. My husband and I have not only embraced the holiday traditions we both grew up with, but have also created a few traditions of our own. My family’s celebration of the Christmas holidays involves more than just the members of our household. We love Christmas and especially the joy the holidays bring to children. Throughout the years we have come to a conclusion that no matter how rough life gets, there is no room for sadness during Christmas Celebration.

For the past four years, my husband has been decorating his baby-blue, 1968, Dodge truck with Christmas lights. Each year he adds or improves just a bit. This year, old-Betsy (the name our daughters gave the truck) has a light up Santa hood-ornament, low-power LED lights, and a musical Christmas snow globe. We really enjoy this simple, joyous means to celebrate the beauty of the Christmas holidays with others. We especially love to see the children’s reactions when they notice the Christmas Truck, the big eyes, smiles, and waves are adorable. Every year a group of us, which seems to be growing year after year, climb in the truck and spread the joy of the season by singing Christmas carols. Our Final Destination is the beautifully decorated Gemini Street in Camarillo, also known as Camarillo's Candy Cane lane.

So next time you see a baby-blue dodge truck all lit up like a Christmas tree don’t be shy, wave, honk, or even stop to say hello. Don’t be shy, Christmas is about loving each other and sharing the gift of love.