Boy Scouts and other volunteers are building a Canary Pond at the new Water Recycling Plant. The fish put into the pond will be like a canary in a mine signaling a problem. A shade structure has been built over the pond to protect it from the sun. The project is being led by Eagle Scout Kevin Rapp. The Scouts involved with the project have the opportunity to earn the prized Hornaday unit award. If you would like to learn how to build a fish pond please come and help! If you would like to learn how to make a pond please join us on the next workday Saturday, May 1st. Show up at the plant at 1570 River St. at 9:00 A.M. and ready to work. For more information contact Bert Rapp, shown in picture with Scout Jonathan Freeman from LDS Troop 411 as they install a 4x4 on the Canary Pond shade structure. Bert can be reached at 524-1500 x 231. The pond is being built with private donations with leftover funds going to the Boy Scout troops involved.

For several years, the “Fillmore Friends of the Library” have done so much for our community providing several programs, especially for our youth. This past Saturday, Mayor Patti Walker presented certificates and a check to each individual for their entries in the Poem Contest at their general meeting.

Each winner was called upon to read their poems as they received their awards. The Fillmore Friends of the Library had a difficult time selecting the winners this year but enjoyed reading every entry and the poem contest is growing larger every year.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind parents that the annual summer reading program will begin the first week of June so stop by the library to get more details. This years Poem Contest winners are:
1st Place: Sereth Malagone and Naythan Martinez, 2nd Place: Elizabeth Manzano, 3rd Place: Rachael Pace, Honorable Mention: Christopher Medrano.

All students are from Fillmore Middle School and a big thank you to Mrs. Fitzgerald for submitting the poems for the contest.

Please join us for a day trip to the San Manuel Casino and other attractions in the San Bernardino Valle. Specially chartered bus will pick us up at the San Salvador Mission in Piru and the Fillmore Senior Center in Fillmore. Monday, May 24th, Pick up in Piru at 9 am, Pick up in Fillmore by 10 am, Arrive San Manuel by 12:30 pm (est), Depart San Manuel at 7 p.m., Arrive Piru/Fillmore approx. 10 pm, Cost is $25 per person. Guests are eligible for up to $10 in credits from casino upon arrival. Payment due, in advance of trip and we must have at least 50 passengers to guarantee trip., Must be at least 21 years of age. To sign up, stop by Fillmore Senior Center or Call 805-521-1554. Hope you will join us for a fun day!

American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor course is being offered by the City of Fillmore on May 14-16 and May 21-23. Hours are Fridays 5:00-9:00 PM and Saturdays & Sundays 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You must be a least 16 years of age to take the course. All participants must pass a prequalifying swim on the first day of class. Cost is $150.00. Once you pass the course you will receive a Red Cross certification in Water Safety Instruction. You must sign up at City Hall. For more information go to City Hall or the Fillmore Aquatic Center. Last day to sign up is Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Sign-ups for swimming lessons will be held at the Fillmore Aquatic Center beginning on Monday, May 17. Sign-up at the pool Monday thru Friday 5:45-7:00 PM, Saturdays 1:00-4:00 PM. Swimming lesson Session I begin June 1 – June 11, afternoons only. Session II begins June 14-25, mornings and afternoons. Come to the Fillmore Aquatic Center for more information.

Fillmore Town Theatre, 338 Central Avenue was the historic venue for The 2010 Inaugural Unsung Heroes Music Festival and Awards Ceremony Saturday April 17! The bands and the turn-out were awesome!

Fillmore High School Marching Band, No Requests, House Arrest, The Last Dog and Pony Show, End Transmission, Dead of Night, Awesome Otter, Panik Attack, Tempting Fate, Sea Glass Zander, Nostaljik and 8Stops7 serenaded, in their own unique ways, 10 Fillmore Unsung Heroes briefly identified below. Each band and organization donated their services for the day. Generosity, particularly by bands and technicians, was key to the event!
Mr. Greg Godfrey, Ms. Janet Bergamo and Mr. Scott Helgeson were honored for dedicated years of service to the Fillmore Unified School District’s (FUSD) various music programs.

Other worthy recipients were Dr. K.S. Hart who makes medical care available at the Fillmore Senior Center and Ms. Hilary Carson, who co-ordinates the One Step A La Vez Youth Drop In Wellness Program at the Community Hall of Trinity Episcopal. This latter initiative was created over 7 years by another Unsung Hero, Ms. Lynn Edmonds.
Horticulturalist Bill Dewey, who has been behind many environmental initiatives including several recent school and community clean ups, and Rev. Fr. Barney Gatlin for his many years spent nurturing the community of Piru, were also honored.

Our final Unsung Fillmore Hero was Claudia Montanes Toledo. She has just returned from Navy deployment in the Middle East. After 11 months of separation from her daughter Selma and parents Maria and Nacho Toledo, she is very grateful to be back in the town and country she loves so well.

The event was masterfully Emceed by Josh Overton from the FHS drama department and ably assisted by a huge crew of volunteers front and back-stage throughout the day.

Many community organizations and individuals made invaluable material, financial and technical contributions:
City Council, City Parks and Recreation department, Band Boosters & Debbie and Darren Gallarza, John Foy of Sespe Players, Middle School Admin., Christine and Rick of Central Music, The Clear Choice, Fedex, The Lab, Oxnard, El Pescador, One Step & The Artivists, SEG-Way, Amelia Aparicio, Abel Ayala, Dave Adams, Mike Barahonas, Mikey Ramirez, Steve Bedau, Lennon Bedau, Susan Bolanos, Annete Cardona, Larissa Downing, Susan & Gerald FitzGerald, Paul FitzGerald, Anita & Colm FitzGerald, Jessica Mendez, Bill Faith of The Scented Path , Alonzo of the Vacuum Center, Max Gabaldon, Stevie Garner, Susan Bolanos , Councilor Laurie Hernandez, Genaro Morales, RJ Stump and team, Janey Munoz, Brandy Lengning and the One Step Team, The Coffee Boy team and many, many more.

Join the Fillmore High School S Club at Magic Mountain for the Arthritis Walk in conjunction with Soroptimist International of Fillmore and the Arthritis Foundation on Sun. May 16, 2010. Participation is FREE!! Register by going to: SIFillmore.org click on the Soroptimist link tab and then select Fillmore High School S Club.
Did you know 300,000 children are affected with arthritis? It is the leading cause of disability in America, affecting over 46 million Americans.

Jennifer Ziegler the Program Manager for the Arthritis Foundation spoke to the Fillmore High School S Club on March 16, 2010 and gave an informative talk on the latest developments in this debilitating disease. Let’s Move Together! You can make a difference.

The Fillmore Sunrise Rotary Club is again sponsoring the American Crown Circus Osorio to be held on April 23, 24, 25, 26, Friday – Monday 6 pm – 8 pm.

Admission is $5 per person. Children age 2 and up and adults. Location of the event will be held at Highway 126 and “C” Street. Come and bring the family and enjoy a fun evening.

Thursday, June 10 - Resumes that Sell, 9 am – 4 pm - 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 Valley Job & Career Center at 805-933-8452 to enroll.

Thursday, June 17 - Winning Interviews, 9 am – 1 pm - 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 Valley Job & Career Center at 805-933-8452 to enroll.

Monday, June 21 - Power of VOS (Virtual OneStop), 9 am – 11 am – Learn about the Virtual OneStop website and how you can use the various tools in the system to build your resume and customize your job search to a specific location and occupation. Must have basic computer skills. Career Shops are offered at no cost to Job Seekers. Space is limited. Prior registration required by calling the Santa Clara Valley Job & Career Center at 805-933-8452 to enroll.

Spanish language workshop:
Monday, June 7 - Tecnicas para la Busqueda de Trabajo (Job Search Techniques), 9 am – 1 pm - 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.

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The Ventura Family YMCA and The Rotary Club of Ventura –East have come together to provide free swim lessons for children living in shelters and transitional homes in Ventura. Operation Splash will be held at the Ventura Family YMCA and will teach swim lessons to over 300 children in the area.
Each child will participate in a 4 week session consisting of 8 swim lessons that will include basic swimming techniques and pool safety skills. Along with providing swim lessons, the Ventura Family YMCA is currently holding a swim suit, towel and goggle drive in order to collect new or gently used items for the children in Operation Splash.

“Most of these children are in unfortunate situations.” explains, Ventura Family Aquatics Director, Amber Stevens. “The YMCA is here to provide opportunities for everyone in our community. Learning how to swim, while fun, is also great exercise that can act as a stress relief and provide a sense of accomplishment.”

The Rotary Club of Ventura- East has a CONTINUED »

This Saturday's Grad Night Live Yard Sale has been cancelled.

The curtain for Alice in Wonderland will open Friday, April 23 at 7:30P.M., and runs two weekends, at The Sespe School Auditorium 627 Sespe Ave. Fillmore, Saturday April 24 at 7:30P.M., Sunday April 25 at 2:00P.M., Friday April 30 at 7:30P.M., Saturday May 1 at 7:30P.M., and Sunday May 2 at 2:00P.M.

Alice in Wonderland is a journey into a world of complete illusion. The Director, Stephen Burhoe in his Sespe Players Directorial Debut has taken this Lewis Carol play, set in the 1800s, and added his own flair for comedy. It is a combination of Lewis Carol's two books, Through the Looking Glass and Alice in Wonderland, adapted for the stage by Eve La Gallienne and Forida Freibus. Using magic secrets and puppetry, Stephen Burhoe has set the stage for a very entertaining experience in live community theater. Stephen is an acting coach and teaches Theater Workshops in Ventura County for over ten years.

Alice in Wonderland will be the largest production Sespe Players, Inc. (Fillmore's own Community Theater group), has produced since restarting in 2004.

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Soroptimist Plants for Peace at Aguirre Financial and Insurance Services!

Once again, interested persons are invited to visit a local business to purchase a Plant for Peace. All proceeds from the sale go to the purchase of the Peace Pole while will be installed at the City Park prior to the 2010 International Day of Peace in September. While you are there, visit Terri or Joe Aguirre for information and sound advice on financial products and services. Their office is at: 606 Sespe Ave, Suite 105.

Joe is also available to give talks at your business or club on a variety of topics such as ways to provide affordable solutions to Long Term Care, the A,B,C’s & D’s of Medicare, and advise as to the best ways to receive and reinvest monies from IRAs, 401Ks and other pension or retirement plans; and Asset Preservation for Seniors.
Come to purchase a plant, support the Peace Project and learn about the services that a local business has to offer, all at the same time!

Bring the kiddies to the Fillmore Library on April 21, 2010 at 3:30 for a traditional May Day celebration. The Gypsy Folk Ensemble will bring a maypole and entertain the audience with a variety of dances from many times and places, including Armenia, Greece, England and Ireland. Children will help braid the maypole. The popular children’s programs are funded by the Fillmore Friends of the Library. For information, phone 524-3355.

Only two more months until the alumni dinner and the convening of class reunions for five classes who will be having class gatherings prior to the alumni dinner, as well as after the dinner. Four other classes will be holding reunions later in the summer and fall. The class of 1945 will meet for lunch on Saturday, June 12 at IHOP Restaurant in Fillmore, starting at 11:00 a.m. Natalie Harthorn Milota can be contacted at nharthornm@hotmail.com or 805-642-4283. The 60th reunion of the class of 1950 will take place on Saturday, June 12 at the home of Jerry and Linda Edmonds, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Bud Baker and Joe Pulido are planning the reunion for the class of 1955. It will be held on Sunday, June 13 at El Pescador in Fillmore beginning at 10:30, with lunch to follow at noon. The class of 1960 will be meeting on Friday, June 11 at the Courtyard Marriot, 600 E. Esplanade Dr., Oxnard. For hotel reservations, call Jason Casas at 988-3600. For more information contact Margaret Graham Blankenship at 525-2790. The reunion for the class of 1965 will be held Friday evening, June 11 at the home of Larry Stewart. Social hour begins at 4:00 p.m., dinner at 6:00. More information can be obtained from Linda Jackson Durand. The classes of '64 and '65 are also invited. The class of 1970 will hold their class reunion on Saturday, August 7 at El Pescador in Fillmore. More information is coming out from Dave Morales and his committee. Gracie Guzman and Gama Aguilar are heading up the reunion for the class of 1980, which will be held on September 4. Time and place will be determined at a later date. The class of 1990 will hold its 20th class reunion July 31 at the Ventura Marriott Hotel from 5:00 to midnight with a dinner and dance. Cost is $65 per person and can be sent to Gloria Cornejo Hernandez at P. O. Box 244, Fillmore, CA 93016-0244. For more information contact Gloria at 805-625-2339. Christina Alamillo and her committee are planing their 10th year reunion for the class of 2000 for Friday, September 23 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Ventura. You can get more information off Facebook or by calling Christina at 805-727-0353.
The alumni association reminds members that we are still looking for subscribers to the alumni newsletter, Flashbacks. The subscription not only brings the newsletter, which keeps you up to date on what is going on in Fillmore with the alumni association and the high school,but also helps fund the many alumni activities during the year. Being a subscriber also gets you into the alumni dinner at a reduced price. Subscription forms and reservation forms for the dinner can be obtained from the alumni website, www.fillmorehighalumni.com.

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On behalf of Sheriff Brooks, welcome to our April 2010 Farm Watch Newsletter.
Heard a Siren?
Do you want to see where the police action is? Hey Farm Watch, now you don't have to wait for the news on television!
Fire up that Blackberry, I-Phone or computer and tune it into WWW.VCSD.org
Sheriff Brooks has just launched one of the most cutting edge interactive Police websites in California. Our home web page now has a listing of the calls your deputies are on. You can instantly see what Sheriff Action is happening in your area. This is high-tech automatic web-publishing of our 911 calls as they happen.
Note: There is a small time delay in the 911 call-for-service postings for security reasons to make sure we don't compromise safety for our citizens or officers.
Santa Rosa Valley:
Nearly 3 tons of fertilizer was stolen last week in Santa Rosa Valley. The suspects stole pallets of Peters 15-3-25 fertilizer. Contact Detective Ray Dominguez if you have any tips. Ray.dominguez@ventura.org
Be on the Look Out:
Once again, some scrap metal thieves working the Santa Clara River Valley area. The suspects are driving a white Ford pickup with a red camper shell. If confronted, they will tell farm workers that they have permission. Their story falls apart quick when questioned about farm ownership etc... Lets keep this type of theft in check.
Trash Dump:
Deputies have been called out to a CONTINUED »

Sacramento –A new state law allows taxpayers to immediately exclude from their income the amount of mortgage debt on their home loan that has been forgiven by their lender. The law largely brings California statutes into conformity with current federal law. Previously, California conformed to federal debt relief only for 2007 and 2008, according to the Franchise Tax Board (FTB).

“California has been particularly hard hit by the housing crisis,” said State Controller and FTB Chair John Chiang. “This is a critical tax change that will help people in our state who already are suffering the loss of their homes.”

The new law, SB 401 (Wolk), allows most taxpayers to exclude canceled mortgage debt income of up to $500,000 on their principal residence. The limit is $250,000 for married/registered domestic partner (RDP) individuals filing separately. It applies to debt forgiveness in 2009 through 2012 resulting from a foreclosure, “short sale,” or loan modification of a taxpayer’s qualified personal residence.

Prior to the law’s passage, these CONTINUED »

Kate Nelson
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The Humane Society of Ventura County will hold two events in conjunction with upcoming national drives to raise awareness for shelter pet adoptions:

Kate Nelson, the local nonprofit’s new volunteer coordinator, will set up informational booths at the Ojai and Oak View U.S. Post Offices on April 30, the day the U.S. Postal Service issues its “Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet” stamps in 10 designs. The pets depicted on the stamps were photographed by Sally Andersen-Bruce near her home in New Milford, Conn. All had been homeless at one time; all but one had been adopted by the time the photographs were taken.

HSVC is also marking National “Be Kind to Animals” Week on May 2-8 by offering free programs throughout Ventura County each weekday. Children will have the chance to see and pet the Humane Society animals while learning how to be kind, respectful, responsible and safe. Free handouts will be available for both children and adults.
“Be Kind to Animals” activities, presented by Humane Educator Aimee French and HSVC volunteers, are:

Monday, May 3, 5:30 p.m., at the Preuter Library in Port Hueneme.
Tuesday, May 4, 3 p.m., at Libbey Park in Ojai, with animal behaviorist Allison Leete.
Wednesday, May 5, 3 p.m., at Barranca Vista Park in Ventura, with biologist Crystal Huerta.
Thursday, May 6, 3 p.m., at Oxnard Community Park in Oxnard, with dog lover and Spanish interpreter P.J. Robles.
Friday, May 7, 3 p.m., at E.P. Foster Library in Ventura, with dog walker and rescuer Suzanne Blanco.

For more information, call 656-5031, or visit www.humanesocietyvc.org.