SANTA PAULA, CA. October 9, 2008- Santa Clara Valley Bank (SCVBank;OTC BB:SCVE.OB) today announced its 2008 third quarter financial results.

During the third quarter, loans grew $8.8 million while deposits increased by $4.9 million. The loan growth consisted primarily of solid commercial real estate loans that other local banks were unable to fund. New depositors have come to SCVBank due to its financial strength. As a Five-Star Bank, one of the safest in America per BauerFinancial, Inc., depositors have come from several troubled banks increasing the Bank’s deposits significantly during the quarter. The Bank’s CDARS program, which provides FDIC insurance up to $50 million dollars, has also been an effective program for many depositors.

For the nine months ending 9/30/08, SCVBank’s net income was $421,000, or $0.39 per share, an increase of 46% compared to $288,000, or $0.27 per share, for the same period a year earlier. SCVBank’s net interest income increased by $364,000 or 11% over the same period in 2007.

SCVBank reported that net income was $165,000 in the third quarter of 2008, a decrease of 8xx%, XXcompared to the $180,000 of net income reported in the same quarter of 2007. The slight reduction in earnings is primarily a result of increased loan growth during the quarter which required an increased provision to the loan loss reserve. The Bank’s net interest margin remained strong at 4.81% for September.

In 20082007, the Bank’s assets grew to $113.7 million, up from $107.3 million at year-end 2007. Loans grew from $81.6 million at year-end to $92.9 million, or 14% at September 30, 2008. The Bank holds $96.72 million in deposits, up from $91.6 million at year-end. Non-interest bearing deposits comprise 30% of total deposits.

The Bank’s loan portfolio continues to perform well. SCVBank had only two non-performing loans at quarter-end and delinquencies are minimal. There were no loan charge-offs for the 7th consecutive quarter. During the last thirteen quarters, the Bank has charged-off only $1,200. CEO Michael Hause commented, “We are happy with the quality of our loan portfolio, although the current economic conditions are beginning to put pressure on some of our SBA loan customers. It will be difficult to continue to operate without a loan charge-off with the current condition of the economy”. CONTINUED »

Fillmore’s annual art walk is growing! In its new incarnation as the Fillmore ArtHarvest, artists and performers will take to the streets, creating a festival atmosphere to showcase both local and regional talent.

Beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2008, downtown Fillmore merchants and artists will transform Central Avenue between Main and Sespe Avenues into a pedestrian-friendly art space for all to enjoy.
Musicians will be performing at sidewalk level to provide an intimate experience for all visitors.

Downtown businesses will also be opening their doors to sponsor fine artists, potters, sculptors, photographers, gourd artists and jewelers. There will be multiple opportunities for guests to meander in and out of
shops, sample artistic wares and refreshments, and to take advantage of the local shopping scene.

Concurrent with the fine arts displays is the Chalk Art Festival and a hands-on art center. Chalk artists are invited to demonstrate their talents on the beautifully laid out sidewalks in front of the Fillmore
City Hall at 250 Central Avenue. Registration starts at noon right in front of the Hall. Bring your own pastels (no oils or hairspray, please) or they can be purchased at the registration table for $10.00 a set. All
artists, young and old are invited to participate. Call Colors at 524-2200 for more information.

Just across the railroad tracks at the corner of Central and Main, all are invited to enter a hands on art space with booths offering art activities for only a dollar each. Kids and adults can learn how to weave “God’s Eyes” or create a bashura banner among other activities.

Musicians will be performing at multiple locations up and down Central to add to the festive atmosphere. Performers will be announced at a later time.

One way or another, all guests can go home with beautiful artistic works, music CDs, tasty, local foods and goods, and with having had a satisfying, small-town “Fillmore experience.”

Sponsored by the Fillmore Downtown Merchants Association.

Fillmore Library presents a book discussion series of the classic novel “Bless Me, Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya, presented at The Coffeeboy, 358 Central Avenue, Fillmore, Thursday October 9, October 16, October 23 and October 30, at 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Buy a drink and a treat and join the discussion. This program is sponsored by San BuenaVentura’s “Big Read”, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts; Fillmore Library, 502 2nd Street, Fillmore, 524-3355, www.vencolibrary.org.

The Gold Coast Chapter of The Federalist Society along with California Lutheran University will be holding a forum entitled “Same-Sex Marriage in California: Legal Issues” on Thursday, October 16, 2008 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend. The forum will be held in the Lundring Events Center located on the California Lutheran University Campus at 60 West Olson Road in Thousand Oaks. The four member panel includes attorneys from the Western Center for Law and Policy, Advocates for Faith and Freedom, Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Southern California.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Gold Coast Federalist Society Chapter President Natalie Panossian at (805) 217-2465 or at goldcoastfs@gmail.com. To learn more about The Federalist Society, please visit www.fed-soc.org

Location: Santa Clara Valley Job & Career Center
725 E. Main Street, Santa Paula
805-933-8452

November 12, 2008: Winning Interviews, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. - supplies the tools to make a lasting first impression when interviewing. Career Shops are offered at no cost to Job Seekers. Space is limited. Prior registration required by calling the Santa Clara Job & Career Center at 805-933-8452 to enroll.

November 17 & 18, 2008: Resumes that Sell, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. - two-day workshop providing hands-on assistance in completing a resume, cover and thank-you letters. Walk away with a portfolio that shows off professional skills and experience. Career Shops are offered at no cost to Job Seekers. Space is limited. Prior registration required by calling the Santa Clara Job & Career Center at 805-933-8452 to enroll.

Spanish language workshop:

November 10, 2008: Tecnicas para la Busqueda de Trabajo (Job Search Techniques), 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. - Presentado por Los Centros de Empleos y Carreras Esta sección de 3 a 4 horas está diseñada para personas que están buscando empleo. Los temas incluyen donde y como buscar empleo, como crear una red de comunicación, técnicas de cómo usar el teléfono apropiadamente para buscar empleo y como usar la red del Internet para buscar empleo. También aprenderá técnicas apropiadas para hacer una entrevista. 805.933.8452.

Career Shops are presented in partnership with Ventura County Job & Career Centers and are sponsored by the Human Services Agency and the Workforce Investment Board. Equal opportunity Employer/Program/Service – TDD/TT Inquiries call 1 (800) 735-2922. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individual with disabilities.

As part of a series of events celebrating “The Big Read,” a community-wide reading initiative, the E. P. Foster Library in Ventura will present Amada Irma Perez, on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth R. Topping Room at the E.P. Foster Library in downtown Ventura.
The “Big Read” book selection is Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya. The book’s hero, Antonio, is a young boy full of hopes and dreams and questions about life.
The books of award-winning local author, Amada Irma Perez, are about children with dreams and hopes and questions, like those of Antonio. On this afternoon, Amada will offer dramatic interactive presentations from her books, including: Nana’s Big Surprise/Nana, Que Sorpresa!; My Diary from Here to There/Mi Diario De Aqui Hasta Alla; and My Very Own Room/Mi Propio Cuartito.
This event is co-sponsored by the City of San Buenaventura and the San Buenaventura Friends of the Library and is free to the public. Light refreshments will be available. A book signing will follow her presentation.
The E.P. Foster Library is located at 651 E. Main Street in historic downtown Ventura. The Elizabeth R. Topping Room entrance is on Main Street, just west of the main entrance to the Library.
For additional information about The Big Read, visit the library website at www.vencolibrary.org.

The Ventura County and Santa Barbara County chapter of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors will meet Sunday, October 19th at noon at Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA 93003, Building B, in the cafeteria. The NAWCC is a nonprofit organization whose members include hobbyists, collectors, and professionals. The common bond is a fascination with the art and science of timekeeping and timepieces. You
can learn more about the NAWCC at www.nawcc.org. And more about Chapter 190 at www.nawcc-ch190.com

Everyone interested in watches and clocks, (modern or antique), is invited to visit and join our chapter. Members of the public are also invited to attend. There is a three dollar admission charge. Watches and clocks will be on display. There will be a mart followed by an informational meeting and a program.

The program for this meeting: The Hipp Toggle Clock with Prolonged Impulse
Presented by: Ernie Jensen
The Ventura County Chapter 190 of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors was chartered in September, 2006, and distributes a monthly newsletter to members. Membership applications will be available at the meeting, or by calling 805-988-1764.

Taylor Atkins

The annual Miss Southern California USA® Pageant is now accepting applications. This year the pageant is geared toward giving young women a choice to compete at a state pageant or receive a cash scholarship. The theme of the pageant is Character Counts teaching young women self-respect and ambition towards their future.
This is a preliminary pageant, which can lead to other state pageants or a cash scholarship of $500.00, and is open to Teen applicants ranging from ages 13 to 17 and Miss applicants 17-25.
Applicants must be a U.S. citizen never married or pregnant must be a resident of California for the past 6 months. Applicants attending college out of state may enter if their primary residence is in California.
The practices for the pageant will begin on October 9th, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at Brekke Elementary School, 1400 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Oxnard, CA. The participants will be taught communication skills, the importance of character, walking techniques and stage presence.
The pageant will be on November 30, 2008 and held at the Pacifica Performing Arts Center, 600 West Gonzales, Oxnard, CA. Tickets will be available at the door for $15 the night of the competition. This pageant encourages young women that would like to make a positive impact in their community, and to be motivated to achieve their educational and career goals.
This year we are extremely excited to have the reining Miss California Teen USA 2008, Taylor Atkins. She will open our show with a dance performance as well as be our guest Mistress of Ceremonies. Marley Gordon, Miss Greater Ventura County USA and Liz Anderson, Miss Greater Ventura County Teen USA will be showcased in the dance performance and production of the pageant.
The Oxnard Auto Center, California Peace Officers Association, Mary Kay Cosmetics Princess Bridal and California & Main are sponsors for this competition.
If you are interested in participating or you know someone that is please contact Martha Foster at 983-3237/512-6214 or toayproductions@yahoo.com.

Fillmore Irrigation Company, a local mutual water company, is celebrating a milestone anniversary this month. The Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State on October 4, 1888, making this company 120 years old on Saturday.
Starting with five shareholders and originally formed to utilize water from the Sespe River and to develop infrastructure to transport water to homeowners and their orchards in the Sespe area west of town as well as to the east and south of the Santa Clara River, Fillmore Irrigation Company now serves approximately 140 shareholders. Their water stock is appurtenant to the land they own, meaning the right to water stays with the land when property changes hands. The Board of Directors is comprised of five people, most of whom are shareholders, and they set policy and direct the affairs of the company. Current directors include Anne Burson, Jim Chaconas, Barbara Filkins, Joel Quintero, and Chris Woodard. Domestic water use is metered and billed monthly. Water Superintendent Mark Avila schedules irrigation water usage, performs repair and maintenance on water lines and equipment, and lately has been Fillmore Irrigation Company’s liaison with the City of Fillmore as the ongoing construction downtown has exposed old water lines.
Many changes have been witnessed in our rural areas since the incorporation of Fillmore Irrigation Company. The same family used to hand down their land from one generation to the next, a tradition less seen these days. An example of this continuity is that a current director’s great-grandfather was also a director. The emphasis is on water conservation now as underground aquifers and rivers and streams are affected by drought, and on water safety as wells are tested for contaminants on a regular basis. The uncertain economy requires continuing evaluation of water rates to keep up with regulatory and maintenance costs.
The Articles of Incorporation for Fillmore Irrigation Company originally listed the term for existence as fifty years, but this was amended in 1938 to state, “This Corporation shall exist perpetually.” As the saying goes, failure is not an option! So if you pass by the Fillmore Irrigation Company office in the McNab Building on Sespe Street, give a salute to this 120-year-old that is still going strong.

Dr. Brian A. DeCuir, OD.

1993 Fillmore High School graduate Brian A. DeCuir, OD, has opened an optometry practice in nearby Moorpark,. Dr. DeCuir, who attended Piru Elementary School, Fillmore Middle School, and Fillmore High School, went on to graduate from California State University at Northridge. In 1998, Brian enrolled at the Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton, California. During the next four years, Dr. DeCuir mastered the modern techniques of eye care and vision correction. Following internships in Arizona, Washington State, and the Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Brian was awarded a Doctorate Degree in Optometry.

Immediately following his graduation, Dr. DeCuir joined a practice in Ventura, and was later offered the position of Managing Doctor at the LensCrafters store in Thousand Oaks, one of the chain’s highest volume locations. Dr. DeCuir’s diligence and attention to the needs of his patients allowed him to diagnose severe and potentially fatal cancers in several patients who entered his office only to have their eyes examined for corrective lenses.

After earning a reputation as a meticulous practitioner and eye care professional, Dr. DeCuir determined that Moorpark was an ideal location for an independent Optometry practice, and in March of this year, he opened Arroyo Vista Optometry on Los Angeles Avenue. Equipped with the most modern equipment, and a complete line of stylish and fashionable frames, Arroyo Vista accepts most insurance plans, as well as Medicare and MediCal. Dr. DeCuir’s practice is family-friendly, and he specializes in children’s vision corrections as well as contact lens fitting. Dr. DeCuir and his staff are bilingual, and he welcomes patients from all Ventura County communities.

Dr. DeCuir’s practice, Arroyo Vista Optometry, is located at 252 Los Angeles Avenue in Moorpark. The telephone number is 805.530.3937

When: Tuesday, October 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Fillmore City Council Chambers
250 Central Avenue, Fillmore
Forum: Fillmore City Council Candidates
CoHost: Fillmore Gazette Newspaper

The Fillmore Lion's Club is planning a big day on Saturday, Oct 11. Don't be surprised to see Lion members in front of City Hall, participating in their annual White Cane Days, a fund raiser for the blind and a chance to recruit new members. That night, at 6:30PM Lions and their guests will gather at the Lions/Boy Scout log cabin for their annual "Taste of Italy", a complete, authentic, homecooked Italian dinner, and entertainment by Delaney Gibson. Lion members and their guests are encouraged to make early reservations (no later than Oct 4) as seating is limited. If you are interested in becoming a Lion please contact Paul Schifanelli at 524-0858.

Sam Hishmeh is the owner of the Domino’s Pizza Franchise in Fillmore.

“Coach” Ron Tunick welcomes Dominos Pizza franchise owner Sam Hishmeh as a weekly guest co-host on “The Business of Life” airing weekdays 4 to 6 pm on Ventura County’s AM 1400 KKZZ.

Each weekday from 4 to 6pm Coach Ron Tunick inspires, motivates and educates listeners, helping them better their business and take charge of their life. The show features a wide rage of guest co-hosts that provide listeners with tips and advice to succeed in business.

Coach Tunick will be joined each Friday from 5:30 to 6pm by Sam Hishmeh, president of Hishmeh Enterprises and owner of 15 Domino’s Pizza franchisees in Fillmore, Santa Paula, Ojai, Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo, Santa Barbara and Goleta to discuss issues concerning small business and community service.

In 2007, the Hishmeh family received the Family Business of the Year Award for Community Involvement. The Hishmeh family supports many community charities, including the Boys & Girls Club, Food Share and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Santa Paula and Fillmore residents who want to learn how to protect their home investment and other alternatives to foreclosure are encouraged to attend a free, half-day “Credit Smart” workshop on October 11 at the Santa Paula Community Center, 530 West Main Street, on “Foreclosure Prevention” and “Preserving Home Ownership: Protecting Your Home Investment.”
The credit smart workshop, sponsored by Freddie Mac and The Real Estate Fraud Advisory Team, (REFAT), is being held to assist local residents interested in being more financially literate and learning how to avoid the threat of foreclosure.
The workshop will also cover topics on how to avoid becoming a victim of predatory lending practices.
The class session will run from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M., with registration beginning at 8:30 A.M. A Spanish translation will also be available.
“This credit smart workshop will be very beneficial for anyone who would eventually like to own their own home, said Fernando Campos, chairman of the REFAT marketing committee. The course will demonstrate how to establish a good relationship with a financial institution and how to prepare for obtaining a mortgage
Other topics to be covered include how to maintain a good credit record, understanding credit scoring and how to avoid credit traps. Special emphasis will also be put on the growing problem of identity theft and unscrupulous loan scams.
With more families facing foreclosures, a new module has also been added to the class, Campos said, on how to avoid the pitfalls leading up to foreclosure.
The October 11 program is the fourth in a series of educational outreach programs throughout the county that Freddie Mac and The Real Estate Fraud Advisory Team, (REFAT), have been conducting as part of the “Don’t Borrow Trouble—Ventura County” campaign. REFAT was established in conjunction with the District Attorney’s real estate fraud prosecution program to make the public more aware of predatory practices in the county.
Due to limited seating, advance registration is recommended, and may be made by calling (805) 340-4168, or by registering online at dbt.education@yahoo.com.

As part of a series of events celebrating “The Big Read,” a community-wide reading initiative, the H. P. Wright Library in Ventura will host a drum circle presentation Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. This family oriented event, presented by Pulse Drumming of Ventura, will demonstrate healing ceremony drumming styles used by native peoples of the south west. All ages are invited to attend this free program.

The “Big Read” book selection is Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya. All are invited to read the book and join in on various events and book discussions happening throughout the county through the month of October.
The heroine of the book, Ultima, is a curandera, which means healer.

This event is co-sponsored by the City of San Buenaventura and the San Buenaventura Friends of the Library and is free to the public.

The H.P. Wright Library is located at 57 Day Road in Ventura.

For additional information about The Big Read, visit the library website at www.vencolibrary.org.

Discover the rewards of foster parenting at a Foster Parenting Informational Meeting. Learn how you can provide the healing, support and guidance that can transform a child at risk into a self-assured, successful adult. More than 600 children are currently in foster homes in Ventura County, and every day, another child is removed from their home because they have been neglected, abused or abandoned. By being a foster parent, you have the opportunity to make the difference in a child's life. English only. For more information call 805.654.3456 or go to vchsa.org/foster.

EVENT DATE: Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
LOCATION: Human Services Agency, 4601 Telephone Road, Suite 112, Ventura.