Simi Valley Senior Center — Local services in Simi Valley

I have legally owned the facility since my Grandfarther, Clifford R. Carpenter, passed away in October of 1980. With the level of ownership I have, above Fee Simple, all of my property is not subject to taxation or inheritance. It moves from one to the next in a predetermined order of lineage and passes automatically from predecessor to successor at the time of death. My property is not subject to Seizure or Eminent Domain. It can not be sold or acquired and can not be encumbered. It is not subject to taxation. I own all my property independently of the rights. There are no Rights associated with any of the Civic Center property including the buildings with no subordinate ownership possible.

The facility operates under bylaws put in place by my wife Tina and I working with a group of seniors we selected to operate the Senior Center as if it was their own. I maintain ownership of all of my property and buildings at the Civic Center including the land itself.

My Grandfather Clifford R. Carpenter was married to Mildred A. Carpenter. Her maiden name was Lake. They had been married since the 1920's. My Great-Grandmother Perl "Dutches" and Samuel Royer consolidated into their home in what is Wood Ranch today in 1907. Prior to that the lived in the home on the upper part of the Simi Golf Course operated by Bob Acres. His brother Steve Acres was operating the Sinaloa Golf Course. My Grandmother was related to Charles A. Coffin, one of the Founders, and the first president of General Electric.

The Senior Center was originally built as a purpose built facility for the City of Simi Valley City Council to hold meetings in 1970. The first City Council meeting was held in the building in December of 1970. Prior to that they were held on a rotating basis at High School Auditoriums around the City. General Electric did the electrical work at the time of construction. The building has perhaps the oldest low voltage system and fixtures ever in a practical application. General Electric maintains it.

The building has some unusual unique features including a Rotunda with roof and ceiling that is able to rotate in circles. It also has an early implementation of a low voltage electrical bus and lighting throughout the building. The low voltage system was one of the first in actual use. This was made possible through one families connection to General Electric, Clifford R. Carpenter, Baba and his wife Mildred Carpenter, Nana, my grandparents.

Many citizens and local businesses in Simi Valley donated time and materials during construction. It is my building operated by a group of Citizens that my wife Tina and I selected to operate the facility as if it were there own. It is not owned or operated by the City of Simi Valley. The bylaws specifically state that facility may never be a City operated facility and can not...

UPDATE: OK, so despite my harsh comments below, the folks at the Senior Center called me and set me up to work with their Meals-on-Wheels program. I'm so glad they did - I love it!

To be clear, my rating is NOT based on the services offered by the Senior Center, but rather the quality of their volunteer program. I visited the Center to learn more about what they do and to volunteer there. I subsequently applied through their website and even hand-delivered a paper copy of that application. They promised to get back to me. When they didn't, I called to inquire as to the status of my application; they told me they would look into it. Maybe they did. Maybe they didn't. I'll never know, as no one ever got back to me. It's sad when a non-profit organization purports to need volunteers, but then does...

It's great to see our community seniors having a good time. The amount of history and 1st hand experience is amazing. As a member of Simi Valley Ch.55 Disabled American Veterans I have the honor of being surrounded by heroes of this great country during our monthly meeting at the Senior Center on the 2nd Thursday @ 1500 p.m. I would like to give an invitation to the younger vets to join in my experience. It's a pleasure to help out our seniors and fellow vets. Hope to...