Vision 2020, Civic Pride Committee, in cooperation with Otto & Sons Nursery, presented a free workshop for the public on Saturday, March 28, at Otto & Sons Nursery on Guiberson Road. The certified judges that judge our Fillmore Flower Show and manage the judging at the Ventura County Fair were with us to answer questions and demonstrate bouquets and arrangements being made “before our eyes” with their dialogue of grooming tips and suggestions for preparations. Barbara Schneider and Susan Diller gave us humorous and practical ideas for selecting vases, containers and types of plant materials that they use in their competitions.

After their demonstration, those present were invited to make their own creations using oasis and gorgeous roses by the “bucket full”, along with “filler” greenery.

People present, from Solvang, Santa Clara, Santa Paula and Fillmore enjoyed lemonade and homemade muffins while having one on one conversations with the judges.

Ten years ago the County of Ventura’s General Services Agency (GSA), which oversees purchasing for 27 agencies and departments, developed a policy to reduce waste and promote the purchase of recycled products. The new policy spelled out guidelines for purchasing paper—a major yearly expense. During 2014, for example, 600-plus copy machines countywide consumed about 50 million blank sheets of paper. The GSA policy authorized a cost for recycled paper products of 10 percent more than the cost of virgin paper products.

The 2014-2015 Ventura County Grand Jury wanted to assess the effectiveness of this “green” procurement policy, especially in the area of recycled paper products. To be clear, the grand jury supports the goals stated in the policy.

The grand jury investigated by reviewing the county’s policies and procedures related to purchasing and use of recycled products; interviewing county employees involved in ordering “green” products and services; examining purchase orders, requests for proposals, and purchasing-activity reports; and accessing purchasing-related county webpages.

Among the grand jury’s conclusions:
• The policy is unclear as to whether it describes requirements or simply goals;
• Complying with the policy has been left up to purchasing agents in the county’s separate departments and agencies.
• Any additional costs for using recycled paper are not generally known.

As a result of its investigation, the grand jury made several recommendations. The most important ones are (1) that the green procurement policy be revised to clearly state whether it consists of goals or requirements—and, if requirements, to state who is responsible for enforcing them and monitoring costs; and (2) that the Procurement Department within GSA help the county’s agencies and departments develop restricted lists of post-consumer recycled-content products that satisfy the policy’s guidelines.

The complete report may be accessed at http://www.ventura.org/grand-jury; click on the “Annual Reports” tab and consult “Fiscal Year 2014-2015.”

Friday, April 17, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Tickets: $60 (includes lunch and museum tour)

An Afternoon You Won't Forget!

National Historic Landmark Rancho Camulos Museum will host the award winning western musician Don Edwards in concert on Friday, April 17. The doors open at 11 a.m. Feast on a delicious Southwest buffet, followed by a memorable concert in the museum's quaint and intimate 1930s schoolhouse. Costumed docent-led tours of the museum's 19th-century adobe home, chapel and gardens are included. Proceeds help to preserve this historic and charming California landmark.

Limited seating, so reservations are a must! To purchase your tickets, click here: http://cowboyfestival.tix.com/Event.aspx?EventCode=710644

GETTING READY FOR A SLAB POUR
The journey continues of the rehabbing of the old girl’s shower room (When it was the girl’s gym at FUSD many years ago) into a new teen study center room for the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley is moving along quite well. There was a concrete ramp pour on March 7th and now there is hope of a concrete slab pour on March 21st pending inspection approval. On Saturday March 14th Southwest Regional Carpenter’s members from Local #150 Mercy Urrea , David Urrea and Jose Cobian worked to lay additional rebar and clean up from the previous ramp pour. The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley thanks these wonderful men for giving up their Saturday to help make a difference for our local youth.

AND WE HAVE A RAMP!!!!
Saturday was a very exciting day at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley’s Fillmore Clubhouse. The first of two cement pours was done and now we have an ADA compliant ramp for the new teen study center that is being renovated. The second cement pour will be later in the month which will be a five inch cap in the rest of the room. This 720sq. ft. room was previously the old girls shower room when FUSD owned the building many years ago. Upon completion the room will be utilized by Boys & Girls Club teens who will have many learning opportunities such as financial literacy, interview and resume skill building and new technology to help them with their studies. Donating the cement was Diversified Minerals Inc. and donating his concrete pumping services was Travis Tumer of Dragon Concrete Pumping. David Urrea, Mercy Urrea, Jon Duran, Jose Cobian and Jason Mora from SW Carpenters local #150 donated their time on Saturday to facilitate the ramp pour.

And We Have a Floor
Saturday March 21st was a very early morning start for a slab concrete pour at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley. This pour was for a floor that now connects to the ramp that was poured a few weeks ago. This continues the story of creating a new Teen Study Center in the old girl’s shower room when the high school girl’s gym was originally part of FUSD. Jim Price and Dave Hyatt of Diversified Minerals Incorporated graciously provided the concrete with Tony and Tim doing the two truck delivery Saturday morning. Pumping was courtesy of Eric Nunez’s Action Concrete Pumping with Ruben Gamboa doing the actual onsite pumping. Another big thank you to Travis Tumer from Dragon Concrete Pumping who provided pumping on the first slab pour. Also giving up their Saturday and working on site were Mercy Urrea, David Urrea and Jose Cobian from Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters Local #150. Finishers for the concrete work were Martin Chaidez and Mario Felix. The Boys & Girls Club wishes to thank all of these people who have helped with this future Teen Study Center. If you wish to contribute to this project , please send you donation to : Teen Study Center , PO Box 152 Santa Paula, CA. 93061

Saturday, April 18, 2015, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Ventura County Agricultural Museum
926 Railroad Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060

*Special power-point presentation at 11:00 a.m. on Ventura County Citrus Labels by CLS members Jim and Valerie Campos.
*Original California citrus crate labels on display and for sale.

The Citrus Label Society was founded in 1981 with the purpose of providing meeting places for citrus label collectors to gather together and exchange labels, to enjoy special citrus-related programs, and to share and preserve historical information about the citrus industry. Citrus labels are unique, visual images that document California’s citrus heritage and the state’s history, and are also appreciated by collectors as beautiful works of art.

Everyone is welcome to this special Ventura County meeting. Tell the docent at the entrance that you are attending the meeting, and there will be no charge for Museum admission. You will also be free to enjoy the interesting historical exhibits in the Museum.

For more information contact Tom Spellman: tom@davewilson.com

www.citruslabelsociety.com
www.citruslabelgallery.com

Connecting with our residents and businesses is important to the city council and staff. The city recently finalized a new mobile app for the iPhone and Android smart phones and entered into a contract to update the city website.

Mobile App
The mobile application will allow residents to report on various issues including pot holes, graffiti, and code enforcement via their smart phone and have those requests automatically routed to the correct department for proper handling. The mobile app will provide a list of frequently called numbers, an events calendar and other important information links. The app will be ready to download in April.

Website Development
Vision Internet was selected to develop and new website for the city. Vision Internet has received numerous awards for creating visually appealing websites that are loaded with well-organized content that is easy for the end-user to navigate and designs that promote transparency in government operations. The website will be under development for several months.

The City looks forward to these new communication tools as we move forward with enhancing our communication efforts and continue to show everyone why Fillmore is the “Last Best Small Town.”

David W. Rowlands,
City Manager

STEM talks at E. P. Foster Library

SUBJECT: STEM talks at the library
CONTACT: Sara Roberts, Deputy Director VCLS (805) 256-8535
DATE: March 18, 2015

Learn about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math at your local library.

E.P. Foster Library is excited to present a 3 part series focused on STEM topics. The events are designed to delight and inspire learners of all ages. This project is supported by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.

3/28 Origami Math Genius (OMG) 11 a.m. – Noon. OMG is a curriculum built around origami math developed by BiJian Fan to integrate art and science into K-12 education. This program integrates fun, hands-on activities into learning. Students can learn mathematical concepts and logic by creating origami artworks, cultivate imagination and creativity, and develop problem-solving skills.

3/29 The Amgen Biotech Experience 1:30-2:30 p.m. Stop by the library to hear two teachers talk about this innovative science education program, which allows students to engage in learning molecular biology using a hands-on curriculum and research-grade tools, techniques, and supplies. Participating instructors receive training and are able help their classes explore cutting-edge science.

4/29 NOAA and the National Weather Service 5-6 p.m. Eric Boldt, Warning Coordination Meteorologist of NOAA, will speak on STEM topics and the role of the National Weather Service. This talk is for people of all ages interested in STEM fields and the careers they can lead to.

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

City of Fillmore

Aaron Farmer and Sarah Cameron with The Retail Coach will be conducting a meeting with local business owners Monday, March 23rd at 6:00 pm at Fillmore City Hall located at 250 Central Avenue. The Retail Coach has been working with the City to develop a comprehensive demographic and psychographic profile of Fillmore. The profile identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the community in the eyes of the retailer. The Retail Coach will be sharing their findings with local business owners. These findings include:

• Buying habits of Fillmore residents
• Describe retail sales leakage to other cities.
• Opportunities to retail businesses.
• Coaching session for local business owners.

Please contact the City Manager’s office at (805) 524-1500 if you have any questions.

• Ventura: We Honor Veterans Program Tuesday, March 31st at 3:30pm, The Bonaventure 10949 Telegraph Rd, Ventura. Join us to honor and appreciate the men and women who have served in the military.

• Ventura: Aging in America Thursday, March 26th 11-Noon at The Bonaventure 10949 Telegraph Rd, Ventura. Livingston’s Dr. Lanyard Dial, President/CEO and Medical Director presents this seminar which covers aging health issues, chronic disease, demographic changes, and end-of-life issues. RSVP (805) 642-0239 x739.
• Ojai: Peace Beyond Losses on Wednesday, April 15th from 1-2:30pm at Ojai’s Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association office at 202-A Cañada Street, Ojai. Brock Travis, PhD, teaches guidance and support through life changes. Solutions to problems and answers to questions for finding serenity and fulfillment once again following bereavement. More information at (805) 642-0239.

Social Services/Bereavement Groups

• Ojai: Caregiver Support Group Monday, April 6th and 20th from 10:00am – 11:30am at Continuous Care Center, Fireside Room, 1306 Maricopa Hwy, Ojai (behind Ojai Valley Community Hospital). Find encouragement and hope during your time as a caregiver. Share, listen and explore thoughts and feelings about the struggles, losses and successes of caring for your loved one. For more information call (805) 633-9056.

• Ojai: Adult Bereavement CONTINUED »

Fillmore Fire Department would like to remind everyone that fire season is here and Fillmore Fire Department will be doing its annual weed abatement inspections. Let’s get ahead of the game and get your weeds cut down. Weeds must be trimmed below 3” in height and debris removed from the property to eliminate the potentially hazardous situation. The weed abatement deadline is June 1, 2015.

Properties failing to meet this deadline will be cleaned by a City of Fillmore approved Weed Abatement Contractor and the property owner will be billed for the cost plus a 15% administrative fee. These costs constitute a special assessment and MAY BECOME A LIEN AGAINST THE PROPERTIES NOTED PARCEL. The collection of such assessments and enforcement of the lien shall be made by the Ventura County Tax Collector.

The Fillmore Fire Department thanks you in advance for your cooperation in keeping our town safe.

Rigo Landeros
Fire Chief

The Friends of the Santa Paula Blanchard Community Library invite all book lovers to their “Back Stacks” Book Sales. They are held the first Saturday of every month from 10AM to 2PM, every Wednesday from Noon to 4PM, and every Thursday, and Friday from Noon to 2PM.The next First-Saturday sale will be April 4, 2015. The sales offer great choices in fiction, non-fiction, children’s books and collectibles and are accessed from the north parking lot of the library at 119 N. 8th Street, Santa Paula, CA.Most books are priced from $.50-$2.00.Collectibles start at $4.00.

This month’s specials include a 1969 edition of “To The Moon” ,a boxed set containing one book and 6 (33 1/3) records telling the story of the first moon landing, all for $1.00. There is also a 17 volume set of “The Supernatural”, everything you ever wanted to know about the paranormal, priced at $1.00 for the set.

For more information email fobcl@yahoo.com.

Ventura, CA - Local physicians will share extraordinary stories about patients as part of the Community Memorial Health System 2015 Speaker Series, on Wednesday, March 25thand will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The Ethics in Healthcare topic “How Doctors Feel: Extraordinary Physician Stories” will be presented at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St., Ventura.

Featured speakers will be: JimHorstein, M.D., CMHS’s Chair of the Bioethics Committee and family physician moderates and presents, along withAlison Shuman, M.D., pediatrician; Gosta Iwasiuk, M.D., surgeon; and Jennifer Vinson, M.D., resident. They will share stories – some funny or tragic, some touching or just silly – that reflect the profoundly human bond between physicians and patients. All stories are incredibly personal because they reflect the lessons learned about life, death, relationships and meaning,

Registration is free but reservations are required. For more information or to register visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call 800/838-3006.

Future scheduled Speaker Series topics include: Ethics in Healthcare - Is Death Ever The Best Treatment?A Debate on the Pros and Cons of Physician-Assisted Suicide on April 16 at Ventura County Museum, Neurological Diseases of Aging on April 21 in Oxnard, Update on Management of Brain Tumors on May 12; and Skin Cancer on June 16.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and 12 family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

Ventura County Public Works Agency’s (VCPWA) Department of Transportation have begun pavement resurfacing work spanning 10 miles of roads located near the city of Fillmore.

Bids for this project were opened in 2014 and the project has been awarded to MAI/PCC of Pico Rivera, Calif. for $1.3 million. MAI/PCC started construction this month and expects to complete the work by the end of April. Some roads will receive two or three layers of resurfacing, depending on the condition of the pavement.

Thin-layer pavement resurfacing using rubberized chip seal technology, along with microsurfacing and base repair, will extend the pavement life for many years before further treatment is needed. The project will also include AC curb rehabilitation, striping, and signing. Additional benefits include lower maintenance costs and a smoother ride.

Rubberized chip seal treatment also recycles mountains of old car tires, keeping them out of landfills. VCPWA has been using rubberized chip seal for about six years, with its first application in Bardsdale, near Fillmore.

The roads to be resurfaced include Sycamore Road, Seventh Street, Young Road, Hall Road, Cliff Avenue, Oak Avenue, Orcutt Road, and Willard Road. Flyers have been mailed to local residents giving details about which roads will be resurfaced and what treatment each road will receive. A website gives details about the project at http://pwa.ventura.org/pwa/sespe-paving. The County’s project manager, June Kim, may be reached at (805) 654-2065.