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My birthday never ends!!! See red paragraph about 1/2 way down :)
Susan Goodkin sent you this:
Forever young
Forever young
Meet some of your neighbors and their families, celebrating their rarest of
birthdays today:
Michelle Akkerman is shown as a child with her brother Jeffrey.
A 2006 high school graduate, this Leap Day baby turns 20 today.
Michelle Nicole Akkerman of Camarillo, born 1988 at Pleasant Valley
Hospital.
A soccer player for 14 years, Akkerman graduated high school in 2006 and now
works for Art Glass in Ventura.
"I am going to be turning 5 this year and I am very excited," she says. A
favorite birthday memory: "When I turned 3, I went to an indoor soccer field
with a group of friends and played soccer and had a blast. I also got a lot of
baby bottles from friends because they think it's funny that I am a big baby.
..."
Dad Karl says: "Thought originally she was going to be a special Valentine
baby (but she) became an even more special Leap Year baby."
Melanie Alvarez of Santa Paula, born 1988.
Lio M. Alvarado of Oxnard, born 1952 in San Antonio, Texas.
A Ventura County resident for 40 years, Alvarado is a vice president and
manager for Santa Barbara Bank & Trust. He earned a master's of business
administration in human resources management; he is the proud father of two
daughters, 31 and 29, and two sons, 27 and 25.
A favorite birthday memory: "The good memory is every four years the party
turnout gets bigger."
Melanie Alvarez of Santa Paula, born 1988 at Community Memorial Hospital in
Ventura. (An article and picture of her and her mother were featured after her
birth in the Ventura County Star-Free Press.)
Alvarez currently is a sophomore at the University of Arizona, on a full
academic scholarship.
Friends at college are "planning to throw a 5-year-old birthday party for me
in the hall," she says. "I'm sure that will be a lot of fun." On being a Leap
Day baby, she says: "I really enjoy telling people that my fifth birthday is
coming up. Their reactions are priceless."
Connie Bonderson of Simi Valley, born 1948 in Kalkaska, Mich. She has lived
in Simi Valley for 24 years.
"This is a really big birthday for me," she says. "I'll be 60 years old and
15 birthdays old." Her actual birth day was memorable: "I was born at home with
the doctor coming to our house to assist with my birth," she says. "I almost
died with the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck.
"I've always loved being a leap year baby," she says. "It made me feel
special and different in a good way. Now that I'm older, since there is no
actual date' the other three years, I stretch my birthday out for as long as I
can!"
Lynn M. Bujnowski of Thousand Oaks, born 1968 in Erie, Pa.
She is proud of her unusual birthday: "I have yet to meet anyone who has said
that they know someone else with my birthday," she says. "I think it is an
awesome day to have been born on.
"I usually celebrate my birthday the whole month of February when it is not a
leap year, just to make up for lost time," she says. "I get a birthday this year
and it is the big 4-0!! Yeeeee Haaaaa."
Lawni Burns of Lake Elizabeth, born 1948. Burns' brother and sister-in-law
Randy and Sherry Smith live in Ojai.
A lifelong Antelope Valley resident, Burns has been married 36 years to
Douglas; they have two married children and six grandchildren; she recently
enjoyed the holidays with four generations gathered together.
A favorite birthday memory: "When I turned 16, my friends gave me a birthday
party for a 4-year-old," she says. "I got toys, sippy-cup, bib, lots of
4-year-old fun. When I was very young the kids would tease me and say, She is
only 2 years old' or, Look at the 3-year-old.' Today I will say that 15' looks
pretty good."
Jenn Campbell, left, of Channel Islands Beach, born 1972,
smiles with her family: daughter Makayla, 6, son Brayden, 2, and husband
Mike.
Jenn Campbell (nee Hughes) of Channel Islands Beach, born 1972.
Campbell and her husband, Mike, have two children, Makayla, 6, and Brayden,
2. She works part-time as an administrative coordinator at Amgen in Thousand
Oaks.
A favorite birthday memory: "My favorite leap day birthday was when I turned
6 (really 24); my mom threw a party for me like a 6-year-old party. We even had
a piñata. I received toys and my very first Cabbage Patch doll from my best
friends. I was so excited, you would have thought I was really turning 6 years
old."
"It is hard to understand this birthday when you are younger," she says. "I
remember thinking, Why isn't my birthday on the calendar sometimes?' But now I
LOVE it; I can tell people I am younger than my real age and I am really not
lying. Happy 9th birthday to me this year!"
Bernadette Corpuz of Simi Valley, born 1972. "I will be 9 like my youngest
daughter this year," she says. Through her life, her family has handled the
"off" years by essentially making her birthday Feb. 28, she says: "Whenever the
29th came, I got to celebrate my birthday for two days — once on the 28th, then
again on the 29th.
What's good about having a leap day birthday? "Nobody forgets when your
birthday is," Corpuz says.
Sarena DeLaCruz of Fillmore, born 1996 in Santa Paula.
Sarena is a sixth-grader at Fillmore Middle School. She enjoys playing
softball, swimming, dance (Jill Johnson Studio) and listening to music — "oh,
and I can't forget text-messaging."
A favorite Leap Day memory: "She doesn't have too many of those," her mom
says.
Andrew Delgado, born 2004 in Ventura, now lives in
Jacksonville, Fla. He has "the 'happiest' smile," says his grandparents Jim and
Karen Grimme of Camarillo.
Andrew Delgado of Jacksonville, Fla., born 2004 in Ventura. His grandparents
Jim and Karen Grimme live in Camarillo.
Andrew's proud grandparents write that he has "the happiest' smile" they have
ever seen.
Eleanor Ertman of Ventura, born 1928 in Superior, Wisc.
Ertman's son Mike writes: "If I remember correctly, my mom was featured in an
article in the Star Free Press regarding her leap year birth; I believe it was
either 1976 or 1980. This year we get to celebrate her 80th!"
A Ventura resident for 51 years, she was married to the late Hank Ertman for
42 years, with whom she has three sons and four daughters, seven grandsons, four
granddaughters and three great-granddaughters.
Ertman recalls one early leap year experience, when she was signing up for
kindergarten. "The teacher called my mother to tell her that there was no Feb.
29!" she says.
Robert Fielding, left, of Thousand Oaks (born 1988) and his
brother Scott enjoy some water time. "I'm very proud" of Scott, Robert says. "He
is a U.S. Marine currently deployed in Iraq."
Robert Alexander Fielding of Thousand Oaks, born 1988 in Westlake
Village.
Fielding played football for eight years growing up in Thousand Oaks, with
the T.O. Titans and Thousand Oaks High School. He currently is a full-time
student majoring in business and works as a personal trainer; he hopes one day
to work in search and rescue for the fire department; he's also an adventurer
who likes to rock climb and wakeboard.
"I'll be 20 this year," Fielding says, "and my family's going to have a
5-year-old birthday party for me. I'm sure they will do something to embarrass
me."
A favorite leap day memory: "Trying to get into Disneyland at the 2-year-old
price, when I was 8," he recalls. "I tried to explain that I had really only had
two birthdays but they wouldn't go for it."
A down side to his birthday: "Can't file my taxes online this year because I
keep getting rejected because their system isn't set up to handle Leap Year
birthdays."
Mom Robin says: "Supposedly this year he will be 20, but he's really only 5
years old. He has accomplished a lot and he loves his country, family and
friends."
Side note: Fielding's brother Scott is serving in the U.S. Marines, deployed
to Iraq.
Lorena Fontaine of Oxnard, born in 1920 outside Joplin, Mo.
Approaching her 22nd leap day birthday, Fontaine says she enjoys playing with
the numbers: "Whenever people say, I'm 22,' I say, Me too!'
"You count your birthdays," she says, "I'll count mine."
Michael Gerard Frank of Ventura, born 1996 at Community Memorial Hospital in
Ventura.
He has one older brother and a black Lab named Pepper. He is a sixth-grader
at Our Lady of the Assumption School and he "lives for sports," his mom Lori
says, including soccer and tennis.
Lori says: "I have a sixth-grader who is finally turning "3" this year!!
Michael loves people to ask, How old are you?' He always replies with his
mischievous grin, 2'! They then respond with a confused look, which is the
response he enjoys getting, until I explain he's a leap year baby!!
"Leap years are always special birthdays," Lori says, "and this year we will
be having his party with 12 boys on Friday, Feb. 29!
"Michael loves being a leap year baby," Lori says, "but as he gets older he
will see there could be some problems. During non-leap years there is no Feb. 29
in computer systems. This makes it hard when I'm registering him for things.
Many documents have his birthday as Feb. 28."
In his own words: "Being a leap year baby is sometimes bad and hard because
you are younger than everybody and people can take advantage of that. Being a
leap year baby is also good because people always say, Wow' when they hear that
and it makes you feel special and it is a pretty cool thing."
Brandon Freiberg of Ventura, born 1992.
Brandon Freiberg of Ventura, born 1992.
Brandon goes to Foothill Technology High School. He has two dogs, Harley and
Roxy. He also has a miniature hamster, he says, "whose name changes
constantly.
"I have another pet ... er, brother named Cameron who is 9."
Brandon's birthday joke: What do you get when you cross a kangaroo with a
calendar? A leap year!
Martin D. Goodkin of Florida, born 1936. Goodkin's
sister-in-law Carol Goodkin lives in Camarillo.
Goodkin writes: "A big hello from this Floridian leap
year birthday baby.' I will be turning 18 on Friday, Feb. 29; looks like I am
finally an adult and all that goes with that!! :O)"
Goodkin is a leap day birthday purist: "I don't celebrate
the in-between years," he says, "so every four years I have a blast; this year I
am taking 30 friends out to a movie and then dinner."
Joel Graves of Ventura, born 1968 at St. John's
Hospital in Oxnard.
"This year, Joel will celebrate his 40th birthday (his 10th Leap Year
birthday)," write his parents, Jim and Judy Graves of Ventura.
Rocco J. Greco of Ventura, born 2004.
Parents Jennifer and Glen Greco are new to the leap baby game; they're just
getting used to the fact that little Rocco "will be 4 years old, but officially
he will only be 1 year old."
Rick Hager of Ojai, born 1960 in Van Nuys.
After graduating in 1978 from James Monroe High School in Sepulveda, Hager
went on to operate a family-owned business for 25 years. In 1996, he graduated
from the Ventura County Police and Sheriff's Reserve Academy. A self-described
animal lover, he said he spends his free time fishing and riding horses.
A favorite memory: "Getting my driver's license on my fourth birthday."
A funny thought: "I'll be 84 years old before I can legally have a
drink."
Hager's friend Teri Jenkins says his rare birthday is appropriate for him; he
is, she says, "an incredible friend, truly one of a kind."
Jamee and Jasmine Jacquez of Camarillo, born 1996. Jamee enjoys basketball,
football, playing "Guitar Hero" and skateboarding. His twin sister, Jasmine.
enjoys sewing, drawing, performing in Cinemagic "and shopping of course," their
mom writes.
Jasmine says her favorite leap day birthday memory "is my eighth birthday
because we had a frog-themed party and we had a man who brought frogs, snakes
and other reptiles."
Regarding the goods and bads of their birthday, Jamee says: "The good thing
is it feels like a lucky day. The bad: It only comes every four years." Jasmine
says: "The good thing is we have two ages and we can use either one. The bad is
a lot of people think we only get to celebrate our birthday every four
years."
Michelle Ann Lane of Camarillo, born 1968.
A registered nurse, Lane has lived in Camarillo since 1991; she is married to
Jeff and has a 15-year-old daughter, Kaylee. Her hobby is photography and she is
active at Calvary Chapel Camarillo.
"I am turning uh ... 40 this year!" she says. "That makes me only 10, so it
doesn't really count — ha ha."
A favorite birthday memory: "My parents and my sisters gave me a birthday
party when I turned 32; that made me 8 years old leap day years. They had little
girl decorations and a little girl cake. It was silly and fun."
Being a leap day baby "is fun," she says. "People get a kick out of meeting a
leap year baby. And it seems to keep me young."
Malorie Lanthier of the Santa Rosa Valley, born 1960.
For her 40th birthday, Lanthier had a special leap-themed cake. "Keep on
leapin'," it said. "Happy 10th Malorie."
Robert Lloyd of Ojai, born 1960. Happy 10th birthday, Robert!
James Loveland of Ventura, born 1972 in New Jersey. Loveland has lived in
Ventura since September 2005.
Happy big 0-9, James!
Matthew Marzec of Westlake Village, born 1992. This is Matthew
last Sunday, when he and his mom stopped by the Chuck E. Cheese parlor in
Thousand Oaks to scope out Matthew's birthday party spot. For his 16th -- er,
fourth -- birthday today, Matthew and his friends are partying there like
they're 4 years old.
Matthew Kenneth Marzec of Westlake Village, born 1992 at Los Robles Hospital
in Thousand Oaks. His family has lived in the Conejo Valley for the past 24
years.
Homeschooled since fourth grade, Matthew loves animals, nature and writing.
He also studies ballroom dancing and musical theater; he's next acting in
"Pirates of Penzance." "It's only a coincidence that he ended up in a musical
that has a leap year baby theme," his mom, Debbie, says, "but it's pretty funny
too."
This year, his mom says, "we are going to celebrate his birthday at
Chuck-E-Cheese in Thousand Oaks. He is having a 4-year-old themed party."
Having a leap day baby was unexpected, his mom says: "Matt wasn't due for
another week when he arrived on Feb. 29; it was a total surprise!" These days,
"he's very good-natured about his birthday and the razzing he gets about his
true' age," his mom says.
"His 55-year-old dad jokes that he'll never be able to retire when his
youngest son only ages by one year every four years," Debbie says. "He'll be
raising him forever!!"
Sydney Eastlyn Mitchell of Santa Paula, born 1988.
Sydney Eastlyn Mitchell of Santa Paula, born 1988 in Orange County.
"Sydney is thrilled to be turning 5 this year!!" writes her sister Tracy
Mosby Markham; Sydney is the youngest among four girls and two boys in her
family.
Mitchell says, "The good thing about being a leap day baby is that when
everyone starts worrying about getting older, you will always stay young."
David R. Murphy of Thousand Oaks, born 1996 in Woodland Hills.
David and his family have lived in Thousand Oaks since 2000. A Tenderfoot Boy
Scout, David is a member of Boy Scout Troop 787.
Happy third birthday to you, David!
Grace Aubrey Myers of Camarillo, born 2004.
"Gracie is a very special girl," says her mom, Kiersa. "She is very sweet,
sensitive and friendly. She is the last for us and the youngest of five girls
and a great one to end on because she is so very lovable." Kiersa says. "This is
her first leap birthday so we haven't made any special memories yet but we are
planning a special party this year."
Mom wasn't always so excited about Grace's big day: "Before she was born I
kept saying to all my friends and family, As long as she isn't born on Feb. 29,
all will be good.' But my water broke in the middle of the night on the 29th so
I knew she was going to be born that day. After she was born I knew she was
special because of this very special birthday of hers."
To honor her birthday, Kiersa says, her family "started a froggy collection
because of her leap birthday.' Probably fairly common, huh?"
Gracie says: "My birthday is special because I am a leap girl."
Alyssa Nelson of Fresno, born 1996, in Fresno. Both sets of grandparents live
in Oxnard.
Alyssa is a sixth-grade honor student, a cheerleader and a Girl Scout. "She
is so excited to be the only kid in her school (middle school) that is having
her third' birthday celebration this year," writes her grandma Alyce Nelson.
A favorite Leap Day memory: "I am able to celebrate my birthday twice on
no-leap-day years," she says, "and I don¹t have to share my birthday with anyone
from my school."
Bottom line, according to Alyssa: "Two days of unbirthdays! I love Alice in
Wonderland,' for that idea."
Linda Povea of Ventura, born 1980.
Linda Povea of Ventura, born 1980 in downtown Los Angeles. Povea moved to
Ventura six months ago with her boyfriend — "and I LOVE it," she says.
As she completes nursing school, she works as a nurse assistant at Ventura
County Medical Center. Her hobbies include hiking, camping and collecting pet
tarantulas.
On being a leap day baby: "The bad thing about being a leap year kid was
teasing from my siblings about not getting a birthday; the good thing now is
leap year is a way to maintain my youth!"
Laura Dahl Powers of Ventura, born 1976 in Oxnard.
Five months pregnant with her second child, Powers is a proud mom and a
special woman who deserves all accolades, says her husband, Scott: "I can't say
enough good things about her."
Richard Ramirez, M.D., of Lexington, Ky., born 1952 in
Oxnard.
Richard Ramirez of Lexington, Ky., born 1952 in Oxnard, at Foster Memorial
Hospital. Most of his family still lives in Oxnard. A medical doctor, Ramirez,
who graduated from UCLA, did his residency at Ventura County Medical Center and
had his practice in Camarillo for awhile.
A father of four — ages 16 to 25 — Ramirez now lives with his children in
Lexington.
A favorite leap day experience "was having my picture taken and printed in
the Oxnard Press Courier for my first' birthday in 1956," he writes.
His humorous take on his birthday: "Every four years," he writes, "I get
gypped out of two days of celebration on 2/28 an 3/1."
Laura Ratliff (nee Vincent) of Camarillo, born 1972 in North Hollywood.
After moving to Newbury Park at age 8, Ratliff graduated from Newbury Park
High School and went on to earn her bachelor's degree in criminology. She
currently works as an analyst for the state Department of Public Health in
Oxnard. She has two children, a 17-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy.
"My daughter thinks it's funny that she has had more real' birthdays than I
have and my son is looking forward to being able to tease me about it soon,
also!!!" she says.
Ratliff says she can still get into the movies for the child's price "since I
am under 12 years old. Who can argue with me?"
She has learned to make the most of her "off years," she says, "since I get
two chances to celebrate my birthday (Feb. 28 and March 1). If Feb. 28 doesn't
turn out to be totally great, I get to try again the next day!
"The bad thing about having a birthday on the 29th," she says, "is that the
Social Security Administration doesn't seem to send me a statement three out of
four years. I hope they are calculating my future benefits properly."
Mairin Reiss of Simi Valley, born 1988.
Happy fifth birthday to you, Mairin!
LaVonne Matilda Mickelson Rhodes of Ventura, born 1916 in — believe it or not
— Calendar, Iowa.
She and her husband, Ray Stoltz Rhodes, had a daughter, Mari Ann, and a son,
Michael, as well as two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. After Ray
died, LaVonne traveled extensively, including a trip alone seven years ago — at
85 — to South Africa to meet up with her daughter; they rode elephants together
on that trip.
She "cannot believe that she is younger than her grandchildren!" writes
Michael, a feature and TV producer/director living in Oxnard. "My mom is going
to be 23 on Feb. 29. Ah youth!"
Jennifer Beth Rodriguez, married to Nelson Rodriguez, lives in
Baltimore, Md., but her parents live in Ventura; she was born in Van Nuys in
1972. A survivor of cancer as an infant, she says her birthday "seems like one
more example of how I'm a well-defined unique person."
Jennifer Beth (Uphold) Rodriguez of Baltimore, Md., born 1972 at Presbyterian
Hospital in Van Nuys. Her parents, Jim and Ruth Uphold, live in Ventura.
At nine months old, Jennifer was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a malignant
tumor that often is fatal. "Treatment at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles over
a period of several years combined with a praying task force for her healing
produced a cancer-free child," Ruth says.
After graduating from Canoga Park High School, she earned her bachelor's
degree at UC Davis, lived in the Santa Cruz area, where she met her husband,
Nelson Rodriguez. They moved to Baltimore a few years ago, where Jenn is
employed by a landscape company.
"I've never really been a blend-in-with-the-crowd kind of person," she says,
"so my birthday just seems like one more example of how I'm a well-defined
unique person."
Constance (Connie) Ruddell (nee Hall) of Meiners Oaks, born 1956.
Born and raised in Southern California, she is the youngest of three sisters;
married for 28 years, she has a daughter, Candice, 28, and a son, Johnny, 22.
She teaches at the Montessori School of Ojai.
A favorite Leap Day memory "would be when I was 8 years old," she says. "The
city of Pico Rivera declared that day Constance Mae Hall Day and took my picture
and gave me a key to the city.
"I love having my birthday on Feb. 29," she says, "because everyone always
remembers your day and you will always be young no matter how old you are. I'll
always be the little redhead girl with the leap year birthday."
Martha Slife of Ventura, born 1964 in Ventura.
"Thanks," says Slife, a health technician for Citrus Glen, "for recognizing
this special date."
Emily Rose Thompson of Fillmore is a leap day baby and a
millennium baby, born in 2000. This is a photo of Emily's first plane ride at
the Santa Paula airport. "She doesn't look too happy," writes her grandma Debby
Curnett of Fillmore.
Emily Rose Thompson of Fillmore, born 2000.
"Emily is a very energetic little blonde who wants to experience all new
things life has to offer," her family writes. "Everyone in her family attributes
some of her special qualities to the fact that she was born on not only leap
year but the turn of the millennium. This year will be her second real birthday
and she will turn 8 years old."
Gail Ellen Trnka of Everett, Wash., born 1952 at St. John's
Hospital in Oxnard. This vintage photo is of her as a child growing up in
Thousand Oaks.
Gail Ellen Trnka of Everett, Wash., born 1952 in St. John's Hospital in
Oxnard. She was raised in Thousand Oaks.
Her big sister Diane writes: "There was an article in the Oxnard Press
Courier (I think it was) with a picture of my mother, grandmother and Gail,
telling the story of how Gail wore the same clothes home from the hospital that
my mother wore 24 years earlier when she came home from the hospital.
"What a wonderful childhood!" Diane writes.
Casey Willison of Ventura, born 1992. Happy big 0-4, Casey!
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Susan Goodkin attached this additional message:
I was thinking of you when I read this article, and then I saw you quoted!
I tried to send it earlier, but I had the wrong e-mail address for you.
I tried to send it earlier, but I had the wrong e-mail address for you.
Susan
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Ventura County Star
Most of the time I see a friend's name in the paper it's in the police report. Thank goodness there are some exceptions.