California Highway Patrol

Thanksgiving weekend, traditionally one of the busiest travel times in America, can also be one of the deadliest on the roadways. To help motorists avoid tragedies, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will have all available officers on patrol during a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP).

The MEP begins at 6:01 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22, and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 26. During the MEP, CHP officers will educate motorists and enforce traffic safety laws throughout the state to ensure everyone has a safe holiday.

Not wearing a seat belt can be a fatal decision in a collision. According to the CHP’s 2016 Thanksgiving MEP data, among the 27 people killed in collisions within CHP jurisdiction, 14 were not wearing a seat belt. Research shows that wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest things people can do to stay safe when traveling in a vehicle.

“Whether you are driving across the street or across the country for your Thanksgiving gathering, it is imperative to wear your seat belt,” CHP Acting Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Wearing a seat belt is essential every day of the year, but we do not want to have festivities ruined as a result of people not buckling up for their trip.”

The CHP is also partnering with seven other state law enforcement agencies across the nation for the Thanksgiving weekend for the “Interstate 40 Challenge.” The annual campaign focuses on the 2,500-mile stretch of interstate that runs from North Carolina through Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, ending in Barstow, Calif. The CHP will be educating and enforcing traffic safety laws during this challenge. During past challenges, California has not seen a single fatality on I-40

The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest levels of Safety, Service, and Security.

Bob Crum

A long, long time ago, Pilgrims gathered to give thanks for their blessings. Because it became a yearly habit, President George Washington declared the 4th Thursday of November a national holiday. Tradition prevails. Americans have been celebrating the occasion with reckless abandon ever since.

So many blessings: Country, family, friends and good health most days. I am also very grateful for the Gazette publisher and all of you who faithfully read my weekly column. Were it not for y'all and photography, I might still be farming alfalfa.

Thanksgiving is a photographic bonanza! It's usually a time when far-flung family members - from the newest baby to grandfather Artimis - gather to partake of the festivities. Awesome opportunity for fantastic family photos! It's also a great time to graduate from snapshots to making memorable photos for the family album. WHAT?! Photo album? What's that?
Real photos invoke nostalgia like no fleeting Instagram image can. Picture this: The family gathered around the coffee table perusing the pages of the “Family Photo Album” instead of viewing images on a computer monitor. There's something very special about documenting the family gatherings with real photos in a family album. You can't hand down Instagram to the next generation! Family photo albums become precious heirlooms! Think about that! BTW, there are several very good online photo book printers. Upload the photos and an album can be sent to all who desire one. One of the best is https://www.adoramapix.com/.

Battery fully charged? Don't forget about 'composition'! Know exactly what the subject is that you are about to photograph. If it's grandfather Artimis, fill the frame with Artimis. If this means moving then move! Candid shots are generally more interesting. If you're photoing the turkey, fill the frame with just the bird! Think composition!

The dining room table is always a fascinating subject. It's an opportunity to get some closeups of the table settings, decorations, the turkey etc. Prepping the meal in the kitchen always a great photo op.

Two requisite photos are the family getting together at the dining table and the family group portrait.

If it's a big family gathered, stand at one end of the table and shoot lengthwise. Then shoot from the other end to be sure you've included everyone. Omit Uncle Brutus and you'll hear about it forever! It's helpful to carefully stand on a chair or better, have a ladder handy for a unique perspective.

Be ready when it's time to carve the bird. Stand opposite the carver. Again, fill the frame with the carver and bird. Make the subject the subject not an afterthought. Start a new trend for interesting photos. Perhaps light candles in the pumpkin pie for the kids to blow out.

Caution: When it's time to dine, do not photograph people eating!

Now the classic photo: The family portrait. Preferably outdoors for better light. Creatively direct people for interesting placement. When appropriate, have some kneeling in the front and stagger people of various heights. Porch steps are great. When everyone is in place, be sure that you can see every face in the viewfinder. If necessary, get everyone closer or move back. Forget cheese... have everyone say wheeee or money. Blinking eyes not allowed. Don't forget the tripod if you want to be included in the photo. Set the camera timer to 10 seconds, mash the shutter button and dash into position. Don't forget to grin!

Happy Thanksgiving with many happy returns!

Photo of the Week... turkeys, of course. Not promoting the brand... just the occasion.

Send comments, questions or suggestions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

With the holiday season upon us, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today reminded consumers about the importance of safe food preparation and storage measures to prevent foodborne illness.

Bacteria can be found in foods such as meat and poultry and may cause illness if insufficiently cooked, inadequately cooled or improperly handled. Also, it is important to carefully wash fresh produce, and not allow uncooked food to come in contact with raw meat or poultry.

“We can help ensure that foodborne illnesses don’t ruin our holidays, or any day, by properly preparing and handling meat, poultry and other foods,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith.

Most foodborne diseases can be prevented by:
• Washing hands with soap and warm water before and after food preparation, and especially after handling raw foods.
• Cleaning all work surfaces, utensils and dishes with hot soapy water and rinsing with hot water after each use.
• Cooking food thoroughly and refrigerating leftovers promptly between meals.
• Preventing cross-contamination (from raw foods to foods that are ready to eat).
• Keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

Symptoms of foodborne disease can include diarrhea, which may be bloody, vomiting, abdominal cramps and fever. Most infected people recover from foodborne illnesses within a week. Some, however, may develop complications requiring hospitalization. Young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for potentially life-threatening complications.
For more information about preparing and storing food, visit the following CDPH links:
• Food Safety Tips for Holiday Feasts
• Safe Food Handling Practices
• Foodborne Pathogens and Illnesses
• Controlling Food Allergens

Additional information on food safety is available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). Consumers can also access the national Partnership for Food Safety Education’s “Fight BAC!” (bacteria) Web page.

www.cdph.ca.gov

VENTURA, CA - District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Carlos Chavez (DOB 09/21/88), of Oxnard, and Joseph Raymond Valenzuela (DOB 11/19/78), of Santa Paula, were sentenced to two years in county jail, followed by 18 months of supervised release. Earlier this year, both Chavez and Valenzuela entered guilty pleas to felony grand theft and conspiracy, and admitted a special allegation for taking over $200,000 worth of avocados. This matter was investigated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s High-Tech Task Force.

Chavez and Valenzuela worked for Mission Produce at a facility in Oxnard. Between January and June of 2017, they sold large amounts of avocados from the facility for cash, then pocketed the proceeds. When sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant on Chavez’s house, they seized approximately $143,000 in cash from a safe in his bedroom.

As part of his guilty plea, Chavez agreed to forfeit the money for victim restitution. A restitution hearing is scheduled for November 29, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 13 of the Ventura Superior Court, County of Ventura.

VENTURA, CA - District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that for the seventh consecutive year, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office was awarded a special DUI prosecution grant from the California Office of Traffic and Safety. The $413,248 grant will once again fund a vertical prosecution team that will work cases from arrest through sentencing.

The vertical prosecution team is comprised of two-full time deputy district attorneys who are dedicated solely to felony alcohol and drugged DUI prevention and prosecution. This team will handle cases throughout each step of the criminal process. The team is designed to aggressively prosecute impaired drivers within Ventura County, while simultaneously raising public awareness of the fatal consequences caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, both illegal and prescription. In fatal and major injury DUI vehicle collisions, members of the team may respond to the crash scene to participate in the investigation.

Prosecution team members will work with the State’s Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program to expand knowledge and resources in the office by obtaining and delivering specialized training, including training in the emerging problem of drug-impaired driving. Team members will share information with peers and law enforcement personnel throughout the county and across the state.
In the past year under the 2016-2017 OTS grant, the vertical prosecution team filed 357 felony and misdemeanor cases of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. This was 76 more than the previous year. Of those cases, 199 were drugged DUIs or a combination of drugs and alcohol DUIs. Our office as a whole filed 2,924 DUI cases in the same time period.

The purpose of the program is to prevent impaired driving and reduce alcohol and drug-impaired traffic fatalities and injuries. According to the California Highway Patrol’s latest data, there were 20 deaths and 347 serious injuries as a result of DUI collisions in Ventura County in 2014. The number of fatalities in 2014 increased 67 percent from 2013.

“When there is a trained, seasoned and committed team working serious DUI cases, prosecutors get the positive results needed,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “The Office of Traffic Safety and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will be working together to help keep the streets and highways safe across Ventura County and the state.”

The need for this program is now more critical than ever. For the last three fiscal years, we have seen a steady increase in the number of DUI drug cases filed: 103 in 2014/2015, 158 in 2015/2016, and 215 in 2016/2017. Likewise, there has been an increase in the number of felony DUI with injury cases in the last five years: 75 in 2012/2013, 99 in 2013/2014, 114 in 2014/2015, 117 in 2015/2016, and most recently, 133 filed in 2016/2017.

Funding for the program comes from a grant by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

VENTURA, CA - District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today the filing of felony charges against Timothy Edmond Burke, Jr. (DOB 8/24/81), of Las Vegas; Deisi Tapia Rivera (DOB 10/18/83), of Las Vegas; Veronica Esther Ventura (DOB 8/20/84), of Oxnard; Angela Maire Covarrubias (DOB 5/14/76), of Ventura; and Elizabeth Angie Olvera (DOB 12/26/77), of Santa Paula. The defendants are charged with multiple felony counts including grand theft, theft from an elder, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit false advertising. In addition, they are charged with the aggravated white-collar crime enhancement for stealing over $100,000. The case was the result of an investigation by the FBI and the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation.

From 2013 to 2017, Burke and Rivera ran a series of fraudulent debt collection agencies in Ventura County. These entities included Nationwide Debt Busters, Walker Adams & Associates, Financial Service Bureau, Steven Chasity & Associates, and Rutter Riesman & Associates. They offered debt collection services on a contingency basis to businesses and individuals throughout the United States. Victims contracted with the fraudulent collection agencies to provide debt collection services. After victims paid upfront fees, however, either no collection services were actually provided or collected funds were not paid to the creditors. Burke and Rivera used the stolen proceeds to pay their personal expenses. Veronica Esther Ventura joined the scheme in 2015 and acted as the general manager in charge of daily activities. In 2016, Covarrubias and Olvera were involved in the management of the businesses and in the taking of money from victims. 

The cases against Burke, Rivera, Ventura, and Covarrubias are set for an early disposition conference on December 4, 2017, at 1:30 p.m., in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court. Olvera’s case is set for arraignment on November 16, 2017, at 9:00 a.m., in courtroom 12. Burke and Rivera are currently in custody at the Ventura County jail on $1.1 million bail. Covarrubias and Olvera are out of custody on bail and Ventura is on supervised community release pending the next court hearing.

Summary of Tuesday's regular city council meeting:

A settlement agreement was unanimously agreed to with KB Home compay.

Safer grants for the Fillmore Voluntary Fire Department permits the hiring of new firemen.

Concerns were expressed about a 40-foot tall tower placed on Foothill Drive with a camera. Council will review its status and report back.

Senergy Power is expected to have solar panels installed on the old Superfund site in 2018.

Ernie Villegas will reveal his Downtown Specific Project soon, involving community participation in holiday celebrations. Wide participation by city businesses and clubs is sought.

Four residents reminded Council of the importance of true medical marijuana use by patients in need of relief of numerous painful conditions. The Council will further revisit city codes regarding this request.

Residents were reminded of the December 3 Toy event and chicken dinner at the Fire Department. The Toy Give-away is set fo December 16, from 9-12. This is the largest event of its kind for the year.

The issue of spaying and neutering of dogs and cats was reviewed. The motion to add a new chapter 9.15 to mandate this program was tabled.

A request to waive sign fees was referred to the city Art Commission for further review.

The request to enter a contract with Kimley Horn and Associates was unanimously approved regarding the modification of Tentative Tract Map 5520 (phase 2) environmental review for east entry for the Hearthstone Bridges Project.

Individuals planning to sell cannabis or cannabis products beginning January 1, 2018, must register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) for a seller’s permit. Cannabis cultivators, processors, manufacturers, retailers, microbusinesses and distributors who make sales are required to obtain and maintain a seller’s permit as a prerequisite for applying for a license with the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Food and Agriculture, or the Department of Public Health. It is easy and convenient to register online with the CDTFA. Individuals who already have a seller’s permit (including a permit previously issued by the Board of Equalization) do not need to register for a new one.

In addition, distributors of cannabis and cannabis products must also register with the CDTFA for a cannabis tax permit – which is separate from a seller’s permit – in order to report and pay the two new cannabis taxes to the CDTFA starting in January 2018. Registration for the cannabis tax permit will be available on November 20, 2017.

Beginning January 1, 2018, two new cannabis taxes will be in effect:

• A 15 percent excise tax is imposed on purchasers of cannabis and cannabis products. Retailers are required to collect the excise tax from the purchaser and pay it to the cannabis distributor.

• A tax on the cultivation of cannabis that enters the commercial market is imposed on cultivators, who are required to pay the cultivation tax to either a distributor or manufacturer depending upon the nature of the transaction. The cultivation tax rates are $9.25 per dry weight ounce of cannabis flowers, and $2.75 per dry-weight ounce of cannabis leaves.

Individuals who operate a cannabis business that does not make taxable sales will need to obtain a certification letter from the CDTFA indicating that their business does not require a seller’s permit. The certification letter will be available through the CDTFA online registration system beginning November 20, 2017. Individuals may also sign up for CDTFA Cannabis ListServ notifications for the latest information on how to comply with the new laws related to cannabis businesses.

More information about the permits necessary to collect these new taxes is available in this special notice and in the Tax Guide for Cannabis Businesses.

Important Notice: Recent legislation created the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to administer the taxes and fees previously collected by the Board of Equalization, with the exception of Property Tax, Alcoholic Beverage Tax and Insurance Tax. Additional information concerning this recent change can be found at www.boe.ca.gov and at www.cdtfa.ca.gov. For more information on other taxes and fees in California, visit the California Tax Service Center.

Note: This news release may discuss complex tax laws and concepts. It may not address every situation, and is not considered written advice under Revenue and Taxation Code section 6596 or 55045. Changes in law or regulations may have occurred since the time this news release was written. If there is a conflict between the text of this news release and the law, decisions will be based upon the law and not this news release. For specific help, please contact the CDTFA at 1-800-400-7115.

On Friday, November 17th at 10am a ceremony will take place on the lawn surrounding the Memorial at Ventura County Government Center, inducting Chief Rigo Landeros into the Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The Memorial is open to the public.
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Fillmore Fire Chief Reguberto J. Landeros and Ventura County Federal Fire Firefighter/EMT Patrick S. Campbell will be honored at the 13th annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony on Friday, November 17, 2017, at 10 a.m. The event will take place on the lawn surrounding the memorial at the Ventura County Government Center, 800 S. Victoria Ave. The service is open to the public.

During the service, surviving family members will be given a folded flag to honor the fallen firefighters, and a bell will ring out as a symbol of the firefighter's last call. Reguberto “Rigo” Landeros’ childhood dream was to join the fire service. In 1982, he became a Ventura County Fire Department Reserve Firefighter. In 1994 he moved to the then all-Volunteer Fillmore Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter. Rigo worked his way up to Captain and his love and experience in the fire service was what ultimately named him Fire Chief in 2009. He is survived by his wife Laura, his children, Christina, Daniel, David and he had a special soft spot in his heart for his grandchildren Gabby and Mia. Patrick S. Campbell, 53, was a fearless firefighter with more than 33 years of service. He began as a firefighter in the air force and quickly developed a love for public service. He took special interest in the Hazardous Materials Program where he was proud to serve as a Hazmat Specialist. He passed away on November 13, 2016 from Cell Sarcoma Cancer and is survived by his wife Janet and his daughters Julie, Karen, Jessica, and Cynthia. The Ventura County Fallen Firefighters Memorial honors those who died in the line of duty from traumatic injury or job-related illness. Since 2004, the annual ceremony represents each of the eight fire agencies serving the county, including Ventura County, Oxnard, Ventura City, Federal Fire, Santa Paula, Fillmore, CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service.

For more information about the Ventura County Fallen Firefighters Memorial, visit www.vcfd.org/Fallen-Firefighter-Memorial