LOS ANGELES, CA — Refunds totaling more than $1 billion may be waiting for one million people who did not file a federal income tax return for 2008, the Internal Revenue Service announced today. However, to collect the money, a return for 2008 must be filed with the IRS no later than Tuesday, April 17, 2012.

The IRS estimates that half of these potential 2008 refunds are over $600.

In some cases, people may not have filed their 2008 returns because they had too little income to require filing a tax return even though they had taxes withheld from their wages or made quarterly estimated payments. In cases where a return was not filed, the law provides most taxpayers with a three-year window of opportunity for claiming a refund. If no return is filed to claim a refund within three years, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury.

For 2008 returns, the window closes on April 17, 2012. The law requires that the return be properly addressed, mailed and postmarked by that date. There is no penalty for filing a late return qualifying for a refund.

The IRS reminds taxpayers seeking a 2008 refund that their checks may be held if they have not filed tax returns for 2009 and 2010. In addition, the refund will be applied to any amounts still owed to the IRS, and may be used to offset unpaid child support or past due federal debts such as student loans.

By failing to file a return, people stand to lose more than refunds of taxes withheld or paid during 2008. Some people, especially those who did not receive an economic stimulus payment in 2008, may qualify for the Recovery Rebate Credit. In addition, many low-and moderate-income workers may not have claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC helps individuals and families whose incomes are below certain thresholds. The thresholds for 2008 were:
• $38,646 ($41,646 if married filing jointly) for those with two or more qualifying children,
• $33,995 ($36,995 if married filing jointly) for people with one qualifying child, and
• $12,880 ($15,880 if married filing jointly) for those with no qualifying children.
For more information, visit the EITC Home Page on IRS.gov.

Current and prior year tax forms and instructions are available on the Forms and Publications page of IRS.gov or by calling toll-free 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). Taxpayers who are missing Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 for 2008, 2009 or 2010 should request copies from their employer, bank or other payer. If these efforts are unsuccessful, taxpayers can get a free transcript showing information from these year-end documents by ordering it on IRS.gov, filing Form 4506-T, or by calling 800-908-9946.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Internal Revenue Service today warned senior citizens and other taxpayers to beware of an emerging federal tax refund scam tempting victims to file tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds. Bogus refund claims have been identified from California and at least five other states, including Georgia, Michigan, Louisiana, Alabama and Indiana.

These schemes carry a common theme of promising refunds to people who have little or no income, and are normally not required to file a federal income tax return. Promoters falsely claim they can obtain a tax refund or nonexistent stimulus payment for their victims based on the American Opportunity Tax Credit, even if the victim was not enrolled in or paying for college.

Typically, con artists falsely claim that refunds are available even if the victim never went to college, or attended decades ago. In many cases, scammers are targeting seniors, people with very low incomes and members of church congregations with false promises of free money.

“Most of these scams involve promoters who prey upon people in need, building false hopes. When victims’ claims are rejected, their money and the promoters are long gone,” said IRS spokesperson Anabel Marquez. “We want to warn the public to be on guard and stop this new scheme before more innocent people are victimized,” Anabel Marquez added.

The IRS has already detected and stopped thousands of these bogus refund claims in recent weeks. The agency is actively investigating the sources of this scheme, and its promoters can be subject to criminal prosecution.

These schemes can be quite costly for victims as promoters may charge exorbitant upfront fees to file their claim. Some promoters of these scams have charged victims $500 for a bogus $1,000 credit. All taxpayers, including those who use paid tax preparers, are legally responsible for the accuracy of their returns, and must repay any refunds received in error, plus any interest and applicable penalties. Those who intentionally try to defraud the government may face criminal prosecution.

Taxpayers should beware of any of the following to avoid becoming ensnared in these schemes:

• Fictitious claims for refunds or rebates based on false statements of entitlement to tax credits.
• Unfamiliar for-profit tax services selling refund and credit schemes to the membership of local churches.
• Internet solicitations that direct individuals to toll-free numbers and then solicit social security numbers.
• Homemade flyers and brochures implying credits or refunds are available without proof of eligibility.
• Offers of free money with no documentation required.
• Promises of refunds for “Low Income – No Documents Tax Returns.”
• Claims for the expired Economic Recovery Credit Program or for economic stimulus payments.
• Unsolicited offers to prepare a return and split the refund.
• Unfamiliar return preparation firms soliciting business from cities outside of the normal business or commuting area.

These refund schemes feature many of the warning signs IRS cautions taxpayers to watch for when choosing a tax preparer. For advice on choosing a competent tax professional, see Tips for Choosing a Tax Return Preparer on IRS.gov. To get the facts on tax benefits related to education, go to the Tax Benefits for Education Information Center on IRS.gov.

Please join us for a short presentation by VCTC Executive Director Darren Kettle as he presents the VCTC’s vision plan for 2035 and a short question and answer session. Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 6:00pm at the One Step Center located at 600 Saratoga Street, Fillmore, CA 93015. Child care, refreshments, and raffle!

Found dachshund black w. Brown face. Super friendly. Found 3.9.12 in piru. If dog belongs to you contact asap. 805.587.2342.

All Noah wants to do is play and be loved. He is a gentle giant - a five year old Shepherd/Rottweiler mix who ended up at the county animal shelter because his owners had a new baby. Noah already knows several commands and his big brown eyes are begging for love and attention.

This coming weekend, March 17th & 18th, the Ventura County Animal Shelter is having a half price adoption event to encourage people to come adopt animals like Noah. For $60 you can find your own Luck Charm. Your adoption fee includes the animal’s spay/neuter, microchip, rabies shot, license, obedience lessons and a coupon for a free vet exam.

Over ten thousand animals go through the county animal shelter each year. Go to www.vcas.us and see if one of those animals may be your Lucky Charm.

Combination to Substantially Enhance California Central Coast Presence

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - UnionBanCal Corporation (UNBC) and its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A. (Union Bank), today announced that UNBC has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Pacific Capital Bancorp (NASDAQ: PCBC), a bank holding company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, for $46 per share in cash. The acquisition, which requires approval from banking regulators and subject to other customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012. Following entry by the companies into the agreement, SB Acquisition Company LLC, the holder of approximately 75 percent of the outstanding shares of common stock of Pacific Capital Bancorp, delivered to Pacific Capital Bancorp its action by written consent adopting and approving the agreement.

By acquiring Pacific Capital Bancorp and its primary bank operations, Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, N.A., Union Bank will expand its geographic footprint to important areas of the Central Coast. Union Bank will become the leading bank in the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), fourth in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks MSA, fourth in the Salinas-Carmel MSA and a top five bank in other Central Coast MSAs. This acquisition will strengthen Union Bank's ability to serve customers through greater scale and distribution in community banking, consumer, commercial and small business lending, and wealth management.

The transaction values Pacific Capital Bancorp at approximately 1.6 times adjusted tangible book value, and reflects the unique strategic value of this acquisition to Union Bank and the opportunity to realize significant operating synergies. Pacific Capital Bancorp's tangible book value is expected to increase significantly upon the close of the transaction from tax-related assets and an increase in the value of the loan portfolio.
Union Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Masashi Oka said, "We are excited about the opportunity to acquire Pacific Capital Bancorp and Santa Barbara Bank & Trust. This allows us to extend our community-focused banking services to customers in the vitally important Santa Barbara and Central Coast regions." (more) Mr. Oka added, "As a responsible California-based bank that has provided services to Californians for nearly 150 years, our approach and focus on long-term customer and community relationships will be a perfect fit with Pacific Capital Bancorp. Santa Barbara and the Central Coast are very attractive regions for banking and wealth management services, and represent an important geographic expansion for Union Bank. We look forward to working with the employees of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust."

"This transaction is confirmation of the significant achievements over the past 18 months of the entire team at Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, an outstanding community bank franchise," said Pacific Capital Bancorp Chief Executive Officer Carl B. Webb. "We have joined forces with a strong, stable financial services organization that shares our vision of community-based banking.

The combination of our two organizations ensures that our local customers and communities will continue to be well served in the future by a responsible, high quality bank with significant capabilities and convenience throughout California." UnionBanCal Corporation has engaged Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC as its financial advisor in connection with this acquisition. Its legal advisor is Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Pacific Capital Bancorp engaged Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as its legal advisor for this transaction.
Sandler O'Neill + Partners provided a fairness opinion to Pacific Capital Bancorp's Board of Directors.
An investor presentation for this transaction is available at (web hyperlink) About UnionBanCal Corporation & Union Bank, N.A.

Headquartered in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a financial holding company with assets of $89.7 billion at December 31, 2011. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., is a fullservice commercial bank providing an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. The bank operated 414 branches in California, Washington, Oregon, Texas and New York, as well as two international offices, on December 31, 2011. UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
Union Bank is a proud member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG, NYSE:MTU), one of the world's largest financial organizations. Visit www.unionbank.com for more information.

About Pacific Capital Bancorp & Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, N.A.
Pacific Capital Bancorp, with $5.9 billion in assets, is the parent company of Santa Barbara Bank
& Trust, N.A., a nationally chartered bank headquartered in Santa Barbara which operates 47 branches in eight California counties on the Central Coast of California. SBB&T provides a full line-up of community banking, commercial banking, and trust and wealth management products and services. The Company's website, including investor relations information, can be found at www.pcbancorp.com; SBB&T's website, including products and services information and branch locations, can be found at www.sbbt.com.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Information This document includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Often, they include the words "believe," "continue," "expect,"
"target," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "potential," "project," or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may." There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could and will cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in UNBC's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond UNBC's ability to control or predict and could have a material adverse effect on UNBC's financial condition, results of operations and/or prospects. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to uncertainties as to the timing of completion of the proposed acquisition, the possibility that various closing conditions (including regulatory approval) for the proposed transaction may not be satisfied at all or in a timely manner or waived, UNBC's ability to retain key employees and other risks and uncertainties discussed in UNBC's public filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements included in this document are based on information available at the time of such document, and UNBC assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Harrison Fillmore Spring 2012 Commercial Trash Flash Newsletter

Bill Watkins

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The California Lutheran University Center for Economic Research and Forecasting will present its 2012 Ventura County Economic Forecast in two seminars on Thursday, March 29.

CERF Executive Director Bill Watkins will present the county report as well as first quarter forecasts for California and the United States at both seminars. In addition, Mark Schniepp, director of the California Economic Forecast in Santa Barbara, will present his 2012 Ventura County outlook. The programs will conclude with the two economists answering questions posed by moderator TimGallagher and audience members.

The east county event, which will include breakfast, will be held from 7:30 to 10 a.m. in CLU’s Lundring Events Center in Thousand Oaks. The west county seminar, which includes lunch, is slated from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Ventura.

CERF provides local, state and national forecasts for government, business and nonprofit leaders. Watkins, formerly the executive director of the Economic Forecast Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has been providing accurate, unflinching forecasts for more than a decade and has been widely published in academic journals, traditional media and new media. He and other members of the CERF team have been quoted by news organizations including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NBC, Fox Business Network, Forbes and Bloomberg News. Watkins, who has a doctorate in economics, previously served as an economist with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C.

Schniepp prepares economic forecasts for all of California’s counties and participates in large public conferences in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange counties. He was the director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project from 1985 to 2000 and also served as a senior economist to the state controller of California.

Sponsors include Santa Barbara Bank & Trust and Thrivent Financial.

Lundring Events Center is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center on the north side of Olsen Road near Campus Drive. The Crowne Plaza is at 450 E. Harbor Blvd.

Online registration, which includes access to the full forecast, is $175. To register, go to www.clucerf.org. The cost will be $200 on the day of the events.

Ventura, CA - Community Memorial Hospital’s Cancer Resource Center is offering a free class on Monday, March 19 for uninsured cancer patients and their families to help them find ways to pay for care.

Jody Giacopuzzi, a licensed clinical social worker, will conduct the class that will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at CMH’s Cancer Resource Center. Topics include:

 Services and programs available to the uninsured
 MediCare, MediCal and disability benefits
 Family Leave Act
 Assistance with medication expenses
 Public and private sources of financial support

The Cancer Resource Center is located at 2900 Loma Vista Road, Suite 105, in Ventura. For more information or to RSVP, call 805/652-5459.

Community Memorial Hospital is a member of Community Memorial Health System, a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and 11 family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

Fillmore FFA student Timmy Klittich competing in the three point hitch tractor contest.
Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Several weeks ago, Fillmore FFA along with FFA chapters from Santa Maria, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo and Carpintaria competed at the Fillmore FFA Tractor Contest. This was an opportunity for students to show off their tractor driving skills. Categories for the contest included the three point hookup, tractor identification, skip loader, trailer backing, and spring tooth. Students competed in advanced and novice categories individually as well as on teams. Congratulations to all who competed and thank you to Mr. Ricards and volunteers who made the Tractor Contest possible.

On February 25th, a fun game of Donkey Basketball was held at Fillmore High School. It was Fillmore Fire Department versus Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Three seniors Brandon Pina, Sierra Blankenship, and Marc Zavala, from Fillmore FFA had the privileged to play on the Sheriff’s Team. It was a great game that ended in a tie between the two teams. A special thank you to Alishia Duncan who won the 50/50 raffle, then generously donated it to two Fillmore FFA students who are fundraising to attend the FFA Washington Leadership Conference this summer.

Congratulations to Hailee Smith who was accepted in to the California State FFA Band and to Brooke Aguirre who was chosen as a writer for the California State FFA Press Corps. Hailee will rehearse and perform during the California State FFA Conference along with other student musicians from throughout the state. Brooke will work as a student reporter and spend time working with the public relations staff in the conference media room. The State Conference will be held on April 21-24 in Fresno, CA and both girls are very excited for this year’s conference.

Brooke Aguirre is Fillmore FFA's Chapter Reporter

Yes Fillmore it is that time again. The Fillmore High School Sports Hall of Fame is hard at work for this years Induction Ceremony. This will be the third class to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame, 98 players, 8 coaches, and 24 teams have been inducted in the past two years.

Fillmore we need your help. If you would like to have somebody nominated into the Hall of Fame, this is what we the committee of The Hall of Fame will nee name of the player, coach, or team, along with their full address, the year of the team or player when he or she went to Fillmore High School. We will then send that person a form to fill out. With that information the Committee will go over everybody on the list from the past three years,
and the new one’s we get this year.

We ask that you send your information to Fillmore High School Sports Hall of Fame, P.O. Box 697, Fillmore Ca. 93015. We need the nominations and the information as soon as you can please. All nominations will be cut off on June 1st. The faster we receive the information, the faster we can send out forms to the nominee’s.

The Committee Members are Dick Mosbarger class of 1947, John Scoles class of 1959, Mike Marostica class of 1965, Debby Basolo Curnett class of 1969, Joe Woods class of 1979, Lynn Hasty Cole class of 1985, and Jamie Arundell Latshaw class of 1993.

Every day we should think about what we eat and how it will affect us short term and the duration of our life. March is National Nutrition Month, and Soroptimist invites you to “help your health” as we learn what we should eat and why. Lois Zsarnay, a Registered Dietitian from Ventura, will be our nutrition guide and speaker.

Please join us on Wednesday, March 21st at noon at El Pescador Restaurant in Fillmore (1305 W. Ventura Street) across the breeze way in the over flow room. If you wish to eat, the cost of lunch is $10.00 and may be paid at the door.

Soroptimist International of Fillmore is a woman’s group that works to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. We also raise money to give scholarships to students in our area.

If you have any questions please call: Jane David / Vice President of Soroptimist International of Fillmore at (805) 727-1145 or E-Mail Jane.David@ventura.org

Chappy Morris with William L. Morris Chevrolet has donated a Chevrolet Volt for 5 days to help support the FHS Athletic Booster Club. The Booster club will be selling raffle tickets for $5.00. The winner will have a chance to drive a Chevy Volt for 5 days beginning March 19th (certain restrictions will apply). Tickets can be purchased at the FHS Student Store or any Athletic Booster Club member. The winner will be announced at the FHS Athletic Booster Club Casino Night on March 17th. The winner does not need to be present to win. For information contact Liz Hinklin @ 805-905-9742, Susan Golson 216-4013

Applications are now available for the Fillmore Women's Service Club Educational Scholarships. Any graduating High School Senior going to a Public or Private School, who RESIDES within the Fillmore Unified School District and is continuing on to a College, University or Trade School can apply. Applications are available at Fillmore High School or by telephoning Susan Banks at 551-3862. Deadline is April 2nd, 2012.

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

SACRAMENTO, CA – Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state public health officer, today warned consumers not to eat three candies, after tests conducted by CDPH found that all three exceed state standards for lead. The candies are:

Chef’s Pride Rewadi Candy imported from Pakistan
Shah’s Deer Brand Revdi (Sesame Candy) imported from India
Shah’s Deer Brand Revdi (Gud) (Sesame Candy) imported from India

The companies are voluntarily recalling these products. Consumers in possession of these candies should discard them immediately.

Chef’s Pride Rewadi Candy was distributed by R&R Importers in Montclair, California. The two Shah’s Deer Brand candies were distributed by Shah Distributors, Inc., in Gardena, California.

Recent chemical analysis by CDPH showed Chef’s Pride Rewadi Candy, Shah’s Deer Brand Revdi (Sesame Candy) and Shah’s Deer Brand Revdi (Gud) (Sesame Candy) contained as much as 0.12, 0.40, and 0.35 parts per million of lead, respectively. California considers candies with lead levels in excess of 0.10 parts per million to be contaminated.

Chef’s Pride Rewadi Candy is packaged in a 7 oz. semi-round, clear plastic container with a red twist-off lid. The front label is light brown with a green border. “Chef’s Pride Rewadi Candy” appears in the center of the label. The oval-shaped candy is light brown and coated with sesame seeds.

Chef’s Pride Rewadi Candy is packaged in a 7 oz. semi-round, clear plastic container with a red twist-off lid. “Chef’s Pride Rewadi Candy” appears in the center of the label.

Shah’s Deer Brand Revdi (Sesame Candy) and Shah’s Deer Brand Revdi (Gud) (Sesame Candy) are packaged in 14 oz. clear plastic bags. Near the top of the package is an orange circle containing a white deer. “Shah’s Deer Brand” is written above the circle.

The specific candy name appears in a gold rectangle below the circle. Both candies are oval-shaped, light brown and coated with sesame seeds.

Pregnant women and parents of children who may have consumed these candies should consult their physician or health care provider to determine if medical testing is needed.

Anyone finding this candy for sale should call the CDPH Complaint Hotline at (800) 495-3232. More information is available on the CDPH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Page.

Ventura County, CA - Goodbye, Pyramid. Hello, plate. The Food Guide Pyramid, a symbolic guide on healthy eating, has been replaced with a new symbol: a plate. It’s called MyPlate, a user friendly tool that includes the five food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy) to help people to prioritize their choices and build nutritious, balanced meals.

Creating healthy, balanced meals can be challenging. Many people struggle with lack of time and tend to choose convenience foods, which typically contain high amounts of fat, salt, and sugar. MyPlate is a tool created to teach and remind us to build healthy plates for ourselves and our families. So, for March, National Nutrition Month, “Get Your Plate In Shape!”

Current U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines provide factual information and practical advice on eating a healthy, balanced diet; eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; and incorporating physical activity into our daily routine. Here are some helpful tips:

1) Choose one food item from each of the 5 food groups to create a balanced plate;
2) Try topping your breakfast cereal with fresh fruit like blueberries, strawberries or bananas;
3) And incorporate exercise by taking a 10-15 minute walk during work breaks.

Every person has different nutritional requirements depending on age, gender and activity level. You can find more information for you and your family about MyPlate and building a balanced meal at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

“Get your plate in shape” for National Nutrition Month, March 2012!

The Ventura County Rose Society will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, March 22, 2012, at the Ventura County Office of Education Conference Center at 5100 Adolfo Rd., Camarillo.

The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for advice from Consulting Rosarians and refreshments, and our speaker presentation will begin at 7:30 pm.

The VCRS meeting will feature Baldo Villegas, a 2011 retiree from the CA State Dept. of Food and Agriculture for 35 years, specializing in the field of biological control programs. Baldo Villegas will be speaking on "Pests and Diseases in the Rose Garden". He will also engage in the identification of pests, diseases, and weeds, so participants are encouraged to bring bugs, unknown plant diseases or weeds, in closed jars or ziplock baggies. Mr. Villegas will get back to you with a diagnosis and remedy. He is an excellent, dynamic speaker who grows 1500 roses, fruit trees, annuals, perennials and vegetables. His vibrant website www.sactorose.org is a first choice for assistance with rose problems.

Visitors are always welcome. For more information contact: Janet Sklar at 818-337-9970 or Dawn-Marie Johnson at 805-523-9003. Our website is www.venturarose.org