Enlarge Photo

Our rural community of 600+ farms, ranches, supply and packing houses, nurseries and oil fields.
Keeping one another safe in rural Ventura County!

It's Sunday at noon and a perfect time to write Farm Watch. We are getting a light rain that will be perfect for our Ag Community.

As we look at our mild weather in February and a possible early Spring, we need to think about what the "Ag Crooks" are thinking about. We have to stay one step ahead of them.

Early Spring means, soil temperatures rising and fertilizer applications kicking in. Last year we lost a record amount of fertilizer by crooks stealing thousands of pounds of fertilizer from farms, County-wide. Sometimes they would take 2-3 thousand pounds in a night.

Remember, Agriculture Detective Ray Dominguez ask you to not keep-long term storage of bagged fertilizer in the field-side chain link yards. Try to get the delivery timely with the application. We know it is not always possible, but be on alert.

GOOD NEWS:
As you recall on April 17th, 2010, Sheriff Gang Deputies Bill Meixner and Beau Rodriguez were involved in a near-death patrol car crash on Highway 126 east of Santa Paula. They were both severely critically injured and each spent nearly a month in the hospital and eight months in physical therapy. Beau has just returned to work two weeks ago and typical “Beau,” he set out as active as ever combating gangs in Ventura County. Bill Meixner is starting back to work in a few weeks. We can’t wait for Bill to be back. If you get a chance and welcome them back: beau.Rodriguez@ventura.org and Bill.meixner@ventura.org

EXPLORERS:
Before, I forget, a big congratulations to our Sheriff's Teen Explorers who all went to Arizona and competed against explorers from all over the western USA. We are proud to report that our boys and girls from all over our Ventura County rural communities won many awards and had a great time. These kids are our future leaders in our communities and we should all be proud..

Young Farmers & Ranchers:
A shout out to our young farmers and CONTINUED »

Relay for Life is Sept 17th!!!

Are YOU interested in getting more involved this year?

There is an Interested Parties Meeting planned for:
Thursday, Feb 10th at 6 pm
Senior Center Building on Santa Clara Street

RSVP and for Questions, please call Josie at (805) 524-0149
or real_family@yahoo.com

“Fantasy of Flowers” will be the theme for the 2011 Fillmore Flower Show to be held April 16,17 at the Senior Center located at 533 Santa Clara St., Fillmore, California. The show will be free to the public during the hours of 1:00pm-4:00pm both Saturday & Sunday. Entries will be accepted Saturday between 7:30am to 10:30am. There will be one entry fee of $5.00 for each adult exhibitor, no matter how many entries are entered.

There will a youth poetry, prose, or short essay contest like we offered last year with the topic being the same as the show theme. Entry brochures will be available soon at City Hall, the Library, the Fillmore Historical Museum, & the Senior Center. Music will be provided by Asher Smith.

The Fillmore Historical Museum brought a wonderful Flower Show History scrapbook to display last year with the first entry dated 1925. Many guests enjoyed looking at it & discovering pictures of themselves & friends from years gone by. We chose to take a look back at the 57th annual flower show of 1980, by reusing the theme for that show.

Notes taken from the scrapbook stated that music was provided by Byron & Marian Bessette of Oxnard. The Grand prize award would be an Irish silver plated bowl. Another article said that 1980 was proclaimed a “terrible year” for flowers because of “terrible wind & extreme heat.”

Now that the theme is announced, you can begin to allow your creative “juices” to flow with fresh ideas for a fantasy of flowers entry.

Santa Paula, CA. - On Friday January 21, 2011, the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce awarded Santa Clara Valley Bank (SCVBank; OTC BB: SCVE.OB) the Medium Business of the Year at its Annual Installation Gala. President and CEO Michael Hause reported, “The award was given, in my opinion, based on the strong commitment SCVBank has in Santa Clarita, to its customers, the chamber and so many of the non-profit organizations it supports. Vice President and Regional Manager Kris Hough was instrumental in this award as a long-time board member and past president of the SCV Chamber.”

Vice President Hough commented, “We are honored to live and work in this great community of Santa Clarita. Our enthusiastic staff of professional bankers are committed to providing exceptional customer service ---their commitment makes this award possible.”

Also during the event, the Betty Ferguson Foundation was lauded for its many years of contributions to the Santa Clarita Valley. CEO Hause has been a board member of that organization for the past five years.

Besides the Chamber and the Betty Ferguson Foundation, SCVBank also supports Soroptimist International, Relay for Life, Arthritis Foundation, Valencia Industrial Association, SCV Education Foundation, SC Association of Professional Women, Hispanic Business Committee, SCV Facilities Foundation, Old Town Newhall Association, the Senior Center, the Child and Family Center, Association of Women Entrepreneurs, SCV Youth Project, SCV Film Festival, SCV Mayors Committee for Employment of Individuals with Disabilities; and the SCV Theatre Project.

The Bank also supports Rotary International, Boys and Girls Club of the Santa Clara Valley, Santa Paula Art Museum, Fillmore Grad Night Live, Aviation Museum of Santa Paula, Santa Clara Valley Hospice, Downtown Merchants Association, Kiwanians International, the Police and Fire Foundation, California Community Reinvestment Corporation, to name a few.

Founded in 1998, Santa Clara Valley Bank has offices in Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Valencia. Under its stock symbol of SCVE.OB, Santa Clara Valley Bank's stock is traded through McAdams Wright Ragen, Howe Barnes Hofer & Arnett, and Wedbush Morgan Securities. The Bank's web site is www.SCVBank.com.

Statements concerning future performance, developments or events concerning expectations for growth and market forecasts, and any other guidance on future periods, constitute forward looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from stated expectations. Specific factors include, but are not limited to, the effect of interest rate changes, the ability to control costs and expenses, the impact of consolidation in the banking industry, financial policies of the United States government, and general economic conditions.

Cities served by Harrison Industries and its business partners, Agromin Premium Soil Products and Gold Coast Recycling, have benefited from the advanced recycling programs they provide, contributing to the high recycling rates between 60 and 70 percent in 2009, well above the state mandate of 50 percent.

Harrison provides trash collection service to over 80,000 customers with residential, commercial and industrial service in the County of Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Ventura, Ojai, Fillmore and the City of Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County as well as the Channel Islands Beach Communities Service District. Harrison also provides commercial service to Santa Paula.

All Harrison customers are provided the opportunity to recycle over 17 different materials including newsprint, glass, cardboard, plastic and paper products.

As a result, the cities Harrison serves achieved the high diversion rates in 2009, according to Evan Edgar of Edgar & Associates, a leading authority on recycling, waste reduction and product reuse in California.

“The state shifted the accounting method from a published recycling rate where a 50 percent recycling rate is mandated to a pound per person per day disposal indicator specific to each jurisdiction starting in 2007," Edgar said. "Doing the math to convert pounds per person per day back to recycling rates from the published 2009 data posted by the state agency CalRecycle, the jurisdictions that Harrisons serve have achieved recycling rates well above 50 percent and are in compliance.”

Ventura – 75 percent
Camarillo – 75 percent
Carpinteria – 71 percent
Thousand Oaks – 69 percent
Santa Paula – 68 percent
Fillmore – 63 percent
Ojai – 60 percent
Unincorporated Ventura County – 57 percent

Maintaining or expanding recycling programs can be challenging for local elected officials. Harrison Industries has been able to add cost-effective programs to decrease the amount of material buried at local landfills.

Effective waste management programs like Harrison’s and economic conditions helped Californians throw away less trash than ever before in 2009, according to CalRecycle. The statewide per capita disposal rate of 4.5 pounds of trash per person per day is the lowest on record since the department began tracking statewide waste disposal in 1995. As the economy went into recession, construction of residential and commercial structures plummeted; there was a decrease in solid waste generated by construction and demolition activities, and by the commercial sector, while at the same time many recycling programs expanded.

“The market prices for many materials dropped due to the economic conditions, while the supply of some materials increased as some Californians recycled more to offset other lost income,” CalRecycle reported.

“Though the recession significantly influenced the 2009 drop in disposal, Californians should still be proud of the innovative recycling, composting, and waste reduction programs that continue to reduce our waste stream each year,” Edgar added. "Looking ahead, we need to make sure these effective recycling programs continue to thrive and grow to handle increased disposal that is anticipated when the recession eases and as greenhouse gas programs are launched.”

Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, have adopted measures such as mandated commercial recycling, anaerobic digestion, and compost use as strategies to further reduce greenhouse gases. “For every one ton of commercial waste recycled, there is a global benefit of avoiding two tons of greenhouse gas. More commercial recycling of food waste with anaerobic digestion will also generates renewable energy," Edgar said.
Bill Camarillo of Agromin Premium Soil Products, the largest compost producer in Ventura County, stated, “Compost use has shown to save farmers 30 percent water use, which saves energy on pumping and reduces greenhouse gases, and saves water during drought years, while reducing erosion and increasing yields. Taking recycling and composting to the next level with AB 32 will reduce greenhouse gases and save resources.”

About Harrison Industries
Harrison Industries was established in 1932 and is one of the oldest and largest privately owned trash collection businesses in the United States. Its philosophy is that people should not have to think about trash or recycling and that the collection is simple as possible to help people "to do the right thing.” The Company motto, "Service is everything," has ensured success and longevity. Myra Harrison serves as founder. Her oldest son Ralph is president and her sons Jim and Myron serve as vice presidents.

February is very busy for Fillmore FFA! First, along with Santa Paula FFA, we will be attending the Tulare Farm Show on February 9th. There we will learn about tractors and different crops they have at their farm. Then on the 11th and 12th we will be traveling again to Tulare County to attend the Advanced Leadership Academy and the Made For Excellence Conferences in Visalia. There we will learn team working skills, communication techniques and take part in entertaining workshops. The workshops will help us discover who we are and what we have to offer to our community. A few days after the conferences, the Fillmore Chapter will be competing against other chapters in the Ventura Section in a Cooperative Quiz, job interviewing and public speaking contests. These are Career Development Events (CDE’s) which are designed to help prepare students for the job market by teaching them to think critically, communicate clearly and to perform effectively. On February 19thFillmore FFA will be having a Farm Cleanup for the School Farm. Not only will we be picking up trash, but also weeding and sweeping areas. This is necessary because on the 26th Fillmore FFA will be hosting a Tractor Contest. The day will consist of students competing in tractor driving and maneuvering competitions. All FFA Chapters from the South Coast Region are invited. As if February isn’t busy enough! On the 27thand 28th students will be applying for the Regional Officer Screening in San Luis Obispo. We have several students who will be attending this in order to obtain an officer position on the 2011-2012 South Coast Regional Team. We will interact with other FFA members from the region and be interviewed by past officers. National FFA Week is February 19th-26th. FFA Week is a chance for members to educate the public about FFA programs and Agriculture. Fillmore FFA is excited to show other students what our organization is about. If you would like to purchase a wonderful 2011 Fillmore FFA Calendar for $10, please email Booster member Kathleen Aguirre at fiveaguirres@aol.com or call the Fillmore High School to contact Mr. Joe Ricards.

Brooke Aguirre is the Fillmore FFA Chapter Reporter

Breanna Berrington with Mr. Guicci.
Enlarge Photo

Erin Berrington with Patches.
Enlarge Photo

On January 15th and 16th, Breanna and Erin Berrington of the Piru 4-H club attended the 22nd Annual Sierra Winter Classic Steer and Heifer Jackpot Show in Porterville, California. A jackpot show is another opportunity for kids who are raising animals for the Ventura County Fair to show their project animals. Instead of auctioning off the animals, they have the opportunity to win buckles, feed, show equipment, and money.

Breanna’s steer Mr. Gucci, weighed in at 782 pounds, and was entered in the Prospect Market Steer Division. She placed 3rd overall in her class. In Intermediate showmanship (ages 13 to 15), Breanna placed 3rd overall out of 48 other showmen. This is Breanna’s second year raising a market steer.

Erin’s heifer Patches weighed in at 502 pounds, and was entered in the Grade Heifer Division. This is Erin’s first year in 4-H, and her first time entering a show ring. Erin placed first in her market class and had the chance to compete for Supreme Champion. In showmanship, Erin was entered into the Junior Division (ages 9 – 12) and walked away with 2nd place out of 15 other showman!

For these two girls, it was their first jackpot show of the season. Breanna and Erin received valuable instruction and feedback from the judges as they gear up for more competitive livestock shows this spring. The next show they plan on attending is Cal Poly’s 2011 Western Bonzana Junior Livestock Show held in Paso Robles. Breanna and Erin would like to thank Randy Silva and Family of Silva Cattle for their commitment in helping them prepare for the jackpot shows.

Fillmore High Alumni Association

I’m turning 100 years old on March 23, 2011 and I’d like to share some childhood memories of my times in the Fillmore schools. Because of a series of childhood illnesses, I was eight when I entered the old grammar school on Mountain View St. My first teacher was Miss Arthur. The principal, Mr. Horton, often visited our classroom during the day. The reason: He was courting Miss Arthur!

When I first started school at the age of eight, I began in low first grade, but was soon promoted to high first. I was then promoted to high second, then low third. Before the school years was out, I was promoted to high third where I caught up with others of my own age.

In fourth grade, our classroom was a converted hallway. We were outgrowing the school. When I was in sixth grade, we moved to the new school. Then at midterm our class entered junior high. Now our classes were in the basement of the old high school. We had crowding problems even then.

I entered high school midterm and could complete high school in either 3 ½ or 4 ½ years. There was no midterm graduation, so, I, along with others in my class, chose 3 ½ years. The first semester we doubled up on English and Algebra, dong a year’s work in one semester. Then we were assimilated into the regular class schedule.
During my high school years, Fillmore High School had a good football team and an outstanding basketball team which won the Southern California Conference. The same boys played both football and basketball.

Since I lived on the Montebello Oil Lease, I rode the bus to school. There were our bus routes: Bardsdale, Montebello, Piru and Sespe, but only two buses. The buses would go to Montebello and Sespe early. We arrived at school an hour early so we went to study hall of sometimes played tennis. After school we were the first bus to leave and were quickly returned to our homes. The Piru and Bardsdale students got to school just before the bell ran, but they had to hang around after school. A lot of time was spent on the lawn waiting for the bus, as no one was allowed to leave the school grounds to go to town.

Often on hot days, since there was no air conditioning, our teacher would hold classes outside on the lawn.
In the spring of 1928, before graduation, the seniors had a ditch day. We went to the pier at Santa Monica where I won a Mickey Mouse statue which I still have. This was one of the first Mickey Mouse statues in existence. It is made of wood and is about 4 inches tall.

Before graduation, there was a Junior-Senior banquet and a church service. The graduation was held in the high school auditorium with all the girls wearing white dresses. The class of 1928 was the largest class to date. There were 47 of us. We were a combination of students who graduated at 3 1/2, 4 and 4 ½ years of high school.

Often in the Flashbacks, a daisy arch is mentioned. Instead of the daisy arch, we had a flower march. Each senior had a flower girl, and at the conclusion of the ceremonies, the flower girls, arms loaded with flowers, would march to the stage and give the graduates the flowers. Friends and family saved flowers for their special graduate. When the March was finished, the stage was a mass of flowers with only the grads’ heads protruding. It was a wonderful and memorable sight!

Thank you Fillmore High for having a great Alumni Association.

Planting seeds for tomorrow, the non-profit California Strawberry Festival has awarded $6,000 in scholarships to deserving students throughout Ventura County, it was recently announced by Sumiko Kato, CSF board member and scholarship chairman of the Dr. Kato Scholarship Award Committee.

Giving back is a part of the Festival’s foundation and this year’s 28th annual celebration will take place the third weekend in May, the 21 and 22nd of 2011. Over the last three decades, nearly $30,000 has been donated through this memoriam scholarship named after the late Dr. Tsujio Kato, Oxnard’s former mayor who was instrumental in the creation of the heralded Festival celebration.

Deserving recipients included: Irene Dang of Oxnard High School: Jennifer Rodriguez of Pacifica High: Jingwei Zhou of Adolfo Camarillo High; Kenneth Joseph Lee of Rio Mesa High, and Vianney Cossyleon of Hueneme High School.
According to Festival Director Patrick Mullin, “Providing ways to assist the community beyond Festival weekend is an integral part of everything we do. By partnering with the California Strawberry Commission, we also help fund annual scholarships to children of strawberry farm works to show appreciation to those whose jobs play such a vital role in our strawberry industry’s success.”

Awards are based on merit and funding goes to high school seniors and also continuing college students. To date, programs have reached 264 students with awards exceeding $500,000. Additionally, a $25,000 endowment scholarship at California State University Channel Islands is completely Festival funded, offering another avenue of development for future generations.

More information about the California Strawberry Festival, now ranked tops in the nation, is available at www.strawberry-fest.org. With all-day entertainment, rides and attractions, contests, fabulous strawberry foods and arts & crafts, the fruitful celebration is a “must not miss.” General admission is $12, seniors 62+ are $8 and children ages 5-12 are $5. Kids 4 and under are free. Active military and dependents with ID are $8. Hours are 10:00a.m. to 6:30p.m. both days. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.strawberry-fest.org. The California
Strawberry Festival Information Line is 1 888 288-9242.

Oakland, Ca. - When it comes to winter flooding, there are two things that many homeowners should know about their risk. First, the dangers of severe weather and related flooding do not end when colder weather begins. Floods are a year-round hazard, and they can be especially dangerous in western states - including Arizona, California, and Nevada - due to recent wildfires and the upcoming rainy season.

Second, most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage, which resulted in an average claim of nearly $27,000 in 2009. In most cases, flood insurance made available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the only protection against the financial costs of flooding.

"Virtually every home and business owner faces some risk of flooding, which can stem from events as commonplace as broken sewer lines, slow moving rainstorms, or even a new real estate development that alters drainage patterns around a property," said Nancy Ward, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region IX Administrator. "Everyone should have a flood preparedness checklist, and for many people, having flood insurance can be as important as having an emergency supply kit and knowing where to go if they need to evacuate."

Specific dangers facing western states during the 2010-2011 winter season include:

RISKS FROM HEAVY RAINFALL: Floods are CONTINUED »

Sandi Ward’s Train Stop was the festive and lively location of Soroptimist International of Fillmore’s Christmas party on Thursday, December 16th. Amidst the unique gifts and collectibles the ladies enjoyed a cozy, old-fashioned Christmas in the vintage train cars. Sandi Ward the owner has quite an array of packing crate labels, books, toys, ceramics and hand knit items. If you are a train fan you are sure to find something here. Sandi Ward’s Train Stop is located at 435D Santa Clara St. (on the train track in Central Park).Phone: 805.524.1752

Fillmore High Alumni Association

ATTENTION ALL FILLMORE HIGH ALUMNI MEMBERS!! A number of alumni members have received the following e-mail and the Fillmore High Alumni office wants everyone to know that it did not come from here. We do not do business this way, and the e-mail address that is given is not ours. It evidently is a way for someone to attempt to get money from people, so please do not respond to this message:

"FILLMORE ALUMNI: Our Fillmore Alumni site is not financially supported by the school. We are having our 2011 Membership Push to help cover costs. We're encouraging all members to upgrade to full access Lifetime Membership for a one-time fee of only $25 (normally $50) or become an annual supporter for $20 per year. Use the below link to upgrade today."

This is a good idea, and if we had everyone's e-mall address, we might try to contact alumni members this way, but we prefer to contact members about subscribing to the alumni newsletter, "Flashbacks"or becoming Life Members by way of the alumni website, the newsletter or by individual mailings. Also, our Life Memberships are not $25, but our annual subscription to the newsletter is $20. If anyone receives one of these bogus e-mails, please contact the alumni office at 805-524-0416 or staff@fillmorehighalumni.com. We hope no one has been scammed by this.

Individual and business taxpayers will no longer receive paper income tax packages in the mail from the IRS. These tax packages contained the forms, schedules and instructions for filing a paper income tax return.
"The IRS is taking this step due to the continued growth in e-filing, as well as to help reduce costs," said IRS Spokeswoman Anabel Marquez. "Only 8 percent of taxpayers who filed returns last year received tax packages in the mail."

In early October, the IRS sent a postcard to individuals who filed paper returns last year and did not use a tax preparer or tax software. The information explains how to get the tax forms and instructions they need for filing their tax year 2010 return. The forms and instructions will be available in early January 2011.
There are numerous free options available for taxpayers:

Taxpayers can still get the necessary forms and instructions online at IRS.gov, or by visiting local IRS offices or participating libraries and post offices.

Individuals making $49,000 or less can use the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for free tax preparation and, in many cases, free electronic filing.

Individuals aged 60 and older can take advantage of free tax counseling and basic income tax preparation through Tax Counseling for the Elderly.

IRS Free File provides options for free brand-name tax software or online fillable forms plus free electronic filing. Everyone can use Free File to prepare a federal tax return. Taxpayers who make $58,000 or less can choose from approximately 20 commercial software providers. There’s no income limit for Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms, which also has free e-filing.

In 2010 to date, more than 96 million individual tax returns were e-filed, and an estimated 20 million paper returns were filed through paid preparers.

The Ventura County Garden Club will begin its’ spring season with a meeting at 1 p.m., Wednesday, February 2, 2011. The meeting will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 117 7th Street, Santa Paula.

Steve Sprinkel of The Farmer and the Cook in Ojai will present a program on organic farming and cooking.

An elegant tea will follow. Guests are welcome to attend. Membership fees for the spring session which continues through June are $10. For more information, call Louise at 805-933-9918 or Carolyn at 805-524-1252.