Ventura County, CA - In response to Kern County Public Health reports confirming that eight Kern County residents have been diagnosed with severe 2009 influenza A (H1N1) influenza that required hospitalization, Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) officials have been keeping close tabs on flu activity in Ventura County. Several Kern County flu patients have been placed in the intensive care unit and, in some cases, have required support on a ventilator. Kern County borders Ventura County to the east.

So far, flu activity has been relatively low in Ventura County with only two patients hospitalized with confirmed cases of H1N1 and one patient hospitalized with a suspected H1N1 case.

Because flu season generally does not peak until January or February, VCPH officials are encouraging anyone who has not yet received an annual flu shot to do so immediately.

Most years, flu shots are especially important for the most vulnerable - the very young, very old and those with chronic illness. Because the H1N1 influenza is different from the average flu virus and tends to hit young, healthy people through middle-aged adults harder, it is very important that everyone be vaccinated this year.

"The 2013 - 2014 flu vaccine is a good match for the viruses that are currently making people sick," said Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County Health Officer. "This year's shot includes the 2009 H1N1 strain, which is responsible for 97.7% of all flu illnesses so far this season." According to the CDC, influenza and related complications are the eighth leading cause of death in the United States and influenza was associated with an estimated 381,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. last year. The CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older, including pregnant women.

Although the flu typically causes the most severe cases in children, the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions, during the 2009 worldwide pandemic, young, healthy people were impacted in greater numbers by the H1N1 virus. That year, the flu caused more illness in children and young and middle-aged adults than in older adults.

"Being vaccinated will reduce your chances of catching H1N1," said Levin. "In addition, if you do get H1N1, the vaccine will help lessen the severity of your illness." For a list of Ventura County flu shot clinics, go to: http://www.vchca.org/public-health/publichealth clinics and click on the red "Get Your Flu Shot" button for the January and February schedules.

For more information on the 2013 - 2014 flu season, visit: www.cdc.gov/flu/

In 2013, The Red Cross held a blood drive event called Battle of the Badges to promote the importance of giving blood along with some friendly competition between cops and firefighters. In that event, more blood was donated on behalf of gunslingers than for hose draggers. So, we won. More importantly, however, the community won by having a good supply of blood for those who need it.

For those of you contemplating a blood donation in the near future, please save your vital fluids until January 21st or 22nd, at which time you can make the donation and have it count for the cops in the latest Battle of the Badges competition.

All you have to do is show up either at the VCDSA or Red Cross and say you're donating on behalf of the Sheriff's Office. Anyone can participate and choose the team for which they plan to donate.

Please encourage friends, family members, and neighbors to donate blood at the event and mention the Sheriff's Office when they do.

Dates and times are as follows:

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Red Cross Office - 836 Calle Plano, Camarillo, Ca. 93012

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Ventura County Deputy Sheriff's Association - 981 South Victoria Ave. Ventura, Ca. 93003

Wednesday, January 22, 2014 from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Red Cross Office - 836 Calle Plano, Camarillo, Ca. 93012

Folks we have a real epidemic on our hands. Over the past couple of months we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of burglaries/thefts reported at various farm locations in the Camarillo/Oxnard/Ventura areas. The suspect(s) involved have been targeting storage facilities; particularly conex storage containers. They have been stealing irrigation equipment, including brass sprinkler heads, valves, and aluminum irrigation pipe and taking it to recycling centers. I have identified a possible suspect, but have been unable to “seal the deal” with an arrest because victims have been unable to identify their property (unmarked) being recycled.

If you have any irrigation pipe/sprinklers/valves etc. being stored either on trailers or in a storage shed, please mark them for identification in some fashion. If they are stolen, and you have not marked them in some way (paint, ID stickers, welds, or other distinct markings) I will not be able to link the property to your business, and it will prevent me from building a case for filing with the District Attorney’s Office. Please take the time to mark your equipment, and make it easier for you and deputies to identify the stolen property.

Thank you for your support, and I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year!

The following advice is always wise if you suspect illegal activity on your property:

• Call the Sheriff’s Office immediately at 911.

• Be a good witness

• Note suspect descriptions such as age, height, weight, facial hair, clothing, and shoe type.

• If a vehicle is involved, obtain a license plate number and note vehicle color, body damage, bumper stickers, camper shell, after market tires and wheels, etc.

• Provide the dispatcher with information about the time and last known direction of travel.

If you are not sure of how to address the problem or would like additional crime prevention tips please contact your local Sheriff’s Office substation or me directly at (805) 384-4726 or by email at ray.dominguez@ventura.org.

Contacts:
Camarillo Detective Robert Shirk, robert.shirk@ventura.org
Fillmore Detective John Fox john.fox@ventura.org
Ventura Detective Dennis Smith dennis.smith@ventura.org
Agricultural Crimes Detective Ray Dominguez at ray.dominguez@ventura.org

Be alert and stay safe!
Ray

Geoff Dean - Sheriff
John Crombach and Gary Pentis - Assistant Sheriffs

Livingston Visiting Nurse Association will hold Diabetes Classes to introduce basic information regarding diet, medication, exercise, blood sugar monitoring, new developments and common problems. Open to the public and free of charge, no registration is necessary. Call 805-642-0239 for information. The classes are held:

• In Ventura, first Tuesday of the month: February 4 @ Livingston VNA, 1996 Eastman Ave, #109, from 1:00 – 2:30 pm.

• In Camarillo, first Wednesday of the month: February 12 @ Camarillo Community Center, Room 3, 1605 Burnley Street, from 2:30 to 4:00 pm.

• In Simi Valley, first Wednesday of the month: February 12 @ Simi Valley Senior Center, 3900 Avenida Simi, from 10:30 am – 12:00 noon.

• In Thousand Oaks, fourth Wednesday of the month, January 22 & February 26 @ Goebel Senior Center, 1385 E. Janss Rd, from 1:30 – 3:00 pm.

On Wednesday December 18th Fillmore FFA helped at the Fillmore Fire Toy Give Away. Four FFA members, including Timmy Klittich, Chris Berrington, Jessica Manginelli, and Samantha Manginelli, gave out popcorn to the children after they received their toy. At the end of the night we served over 500 kids. We would like to thank the Fillmore Fire Department for allowing us to come back for our second year helping out their event.

Fillmore FFA is doing a fundraiser selling calendars! The majority of the pictures and the lay out of the calendar was done by students, with help from Penny Henschel at Ever After Designs. The money made from the calendars will go towards the kids in FFA to go to conferences and other events. If you would like to buy a calendar for $10 and support the Fillmore FFA please contact any other FFA member who will be selling them.

SACRAMENTO, CA — With 2014 just around the corner, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is reminding motorists of some of the new laws that will become effective in the new year. The following laws go into effect on January 1, 2014, unless otherwise noted.

Bicycles: Passing Distance. AB 1371 (Bradford), known as the Three Feet for Safety Act, will require a motor vehicle driver passing a bicycle that is proceeding in the same direction to pass with no less than 3 feet between any part of the vehicle and any part of the bicycle or driver. When three feet is not possible, the motor vehicle must slow to a reasonable and prudent speed and only pass when no danger is present to the bicyclist. Failing to do so can incur a fine, regardless of a collision or not. This law will take effect September 16, 2014.

Clean Air Vehicle Decals / “HOV Stickers.” AB 266 (Yee) and SB 286 (Blumefield), together extend sunset dates for low emission, zero emission vehicles to operate in high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) without meeting occupancy requirements to January 1, 2019.

Commercial Driver’s License. AB 1047 (Linder) will allow the DMV to conduct the commercial drive test for the holder of an out-of-state commercial learner’s permit. The department would electronically transfer the information to the motor vehicle department in the applicant’s state of residence. AB 1047 also modifies the license class definitions to require a driver operating a bus weighing more than 26,000 pounds to hold a commercial Class B license and a driver operating a bus weighing 26,000 pounds or less to hold a commercial Class C license.

DMV Vehicle Registration CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

In the early evening hours of December 16th, 2013 a woman was stabbed multiple times by a suspect in the 400 block of Second Street.

Paramedics responded to the scene and transported the victim to the hospital where she received treatment for her injuries.

The Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau is actively investigating this case, and asks that anyone who has information about this incident or saw anything contact Detective Albert Ramirez at (805) 384-4738.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Nature of Incident: Attempted Homicide Investigation
Report Number: 13-28082
Location: 400 block of Second Street, Fillmore, Ca.
Date & Time: Dec. 16, 2013 @ 5:50 pm
Unit(s) Responsible: Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau
Prepared by: Detective Ray Dominguez
Media Release Date: Dec. 17, 2013
Follow-Up Contact: Detective Albert Ramirez (805) 384-4738
Approved by: Captain Chris Dunn

United Water Conservation District is seeking candidates for an appointment to an opening on its Board of Directors representing Division 1. To be eligible for appointment, a person must be a qualified elector and reside within Division 1, which encompasses the following area:

The eastern area of the District, including the cities of Santa Paula and Fillmore, the communities of Bardsdale and Piru, and surrounding valley and foothill areas. The western extent of Division 1 is defined by the western Santa Paula city limits, and the eastern boundary includes Rancho Camulos located east of Piru. The northern boundary includes the foothills north of Santa Paula, extends north along Santa Paula Creek, then east along Santa Paula ridge to San Cayetano Mountain, jogs north and then east along a transect located approximately five miles north of the Santa Clara River, and then farther north and east to include the area surrounding Lake Piru. The southern boundary of Division 1 follows an irregular boundary along South Mountain/Oak Ridge that approximates the southern extent of the Santa Clara River watershed.

United Water Conservation District is a California special district organized and operating pursuant to the California Water Conservation Act of 1931, and it has as its mission to manage, protect, conserve and enhance the water resources of the Santa Clara River, its tributaries and associated aquifers in the most cost effective and environmentally balanced manner. A seven person board governs the District, and each director is elected from one of the seven divisions of the District.

Persons interested in appointment as the Director from Division 1 should submit a written expression of interest and/or resume of their experience and qualifications to the District, c/o Mike Solomon, District General Manager, at the District’s offices located at 106 No. 8th Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060 on or before January 15, 2014. A Board Committee will review letters and/or resumes, interview candidates, and make a recommendation for appointment of an individual to the full Board of Directors. The Board intends to fill the vacancy at its regular meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at the District’s offices in Santa Paula. For more information please contact Mike Solomon at 525-4431.

In observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the employees of Santa Clara Valley Disposal will be taking the days off. As a result, Fillmore residential customers will have their trash and green waste collected on Saturday, Dec. 28, and their trash and collectables on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014, one day later than usual.

The regular Friday trash collection schedule in Fillmore will return on Jan. 10, 2014.

As a special holiday feature, residents may put out twice the amount of trash at no extra charge during the two weeks following Christmas. Please make sure the trash is in bags. We will also collect extra recyclables, but please make sure to flatten all boxes.

Also, Harrison is making it easy for their customers to recycle their Christmas trees. All customers need to do is remove the ornaments, hooks, lights, tinsel, bows, nails and tree stand, then cut the tree into sections no more than 4 feet long and place in the yard waste barrel on their scheduled pickup day.

Also, for the first year, flocked trees can be recycled.

For more information, call 647-1414.

Fillmore FFA is doing a fundraiser selling calendars! The majority of the pictures and the lay out of the calendar was done by students, with help from Penny Henschel at Ever After Designs. The money made from the calendars will go towards the kids in FFA to go to conferences and other events. If you would like to buy a calendar for $10 and support the Fillmore FFA please contact any other FFA member who will be selling them.

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley is happy to announce Time Warner Cable, through its Connect a Million Minds Initiative, awarded our organization a grant in support of the First Lego League Robotics Program. First Lego League is a robotics program for children, ages 9 to 16, designed to get youth excited about science and technology. “We believe one of the most powerful ways to engage children in any kind of learning, especially STEM, is to make it fun, and that is why we are thrilled to support the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley in starting their own First Lego League team this year,” said Kim Latour, Director of Community Investment for Time Warner Cable. “At Time Warner Cable our Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) initiative is a five-year, $100 million cash and in-kind commitment to address America’s declining proficiency in STEM.”

This year the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley entered the First Lego League competition, Nature’s Fury Challenge. With the guidance of coaches, Lorenzo Manzano and Jose Saucedo, club members from both Santa Paula and Fillmore sites formed the robotics team, The Stompers. The team had been practicing for months for the First Lego League Nature’s Fury Challenge and were ready and prepared for the November 24th competition. With close to one-hundred teams competing, The Stompers put their science skills to use and utilized robotics, technology and creativity to discover ways to help during natural disasters. In an impressive showing for their first competition, the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley was honored with the Judges Special Recognition Award. “STEM education provides project based learning for our youth. This type of hands-on education is exciting, engaging and will help our youth acquire skills to be successful in life,” states Jan Marholin, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley. Understanding the importance of hands-on science, technology, engineering and math learning opportunities the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley is excited to continue and grow the Robotics Program in the coming years.

About Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds
Time Warner Cable's (TWC) Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) is a five-year, $100 million philanthropic initiative to address America's declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which puts our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. Using its media assets, TWC creates awareness of the issue and inspires students to develop the STEM skills they need to become the problem solvers of tomorrow. Program highlights include: original PSAs that challenge public perceptions of STEM; a unique website, www.connectamillionminds.com, and "The Connectory", a one-of-a-kind online resource that makes it simple and easy for parents and students to find informal science and technology learning opportunities in their communities. Local TWC markets have activated CAMM across the country with community-specific programs and partnerships.

Livingston Visiting Nurse Association will hold the following Joint Replacement Class to prepare you for total knee or hip replacement surgery. Home preparation, exercises and rehabilitation information will be discussed. Open to the public and free of charge, the class will be held:

1st Thursday of the Month, January 2nd,from 1:00 – 2:00 pm @ Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association, Rm 109, 1996 Eastman Ave, Ventura, RSVP Diana Davis @ 642-0239 x 739

2nd Wednesday of the Month, January 8th, from 10:00 – 11:00 am @ Pleasant Valley Hospital, 3rd floor Classroom, 2309 Antonio Avenue, Camarillo, RSVP Barrie Gilster @ 797-7699

2nd Wednesday of the Month, January 8th, from 1:00 – 2:00 pm @ Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital, 401 E Rolling Oaks Drive, Thousand Oaks, RSVP Barrie Gilster @ 797-7699

3rd Wednesday of the Month, January 15, from 1:00 – 2:00 pm @ Sunrise Senior Living, Activity Room, 190 Tierra Rejada Road, Simi Valley, RSVP Barrie Gilster @ 797-7699

Sandy Morse, RN
Director of Community and Professional Relations
Livingston Memorial VNA
1996 Eastman Ave, Suite 101
Ventura, CA 93003
smorse@lmvna.org
642-0239 x 653
805-216-0278

Robert Bonilla

Congratulations to Robert Bonilla, for graduating from boot camp at Fort Jackson, S. Carolina on Dec. 5, 2013. Robert was also ranked up to E2 before graduation and he and 23 other soldiers were acknowledge in front of all his batallion and families in attendance for different accomplishments. Robert was acknowledge for having the highest PT points in his company. Robert left for boot camp on Sept. 23; he was assigned to Company F (Foxtrot) 4th Platoon (Spartans) while in boot camp. Robert will now be going to Fort Lee in Virginia for 15 weeks training. We want to wish him luck and say we are very proud of him and we love him very much. From his whole family in Fillmore and Santa Paula.

Greenfield Care Center & Fillmore Country Clubs First Annual Tree Lighting. December 15 @ 6:00 pm Tree lighting @ 6:30pm Santa Claus, live reindeer, hot chocolate, eggnog, live music. Come celebrate with us and our residents while we sing "Oh Holy Night" and light up out tree.

Piru parade extended the entries/applicants till this Thursday if anyone would like to be in the Piru Christmas Parade.

Cal Fire

Sacramento, CA – The recent cold-snap is a clear sign that winter has arrived in California with many areas receiving rain and snow over the weekend. During the cold winter months, CAL FIRE and fire departments across the nation see an increase in home fires due to dangerous heating equipment or unsafe practices. Improper use or poorly maintained heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires and home fire deaths across the country.

“Half of all home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January and February,” said State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover, CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal. “Improper use or poorly maintained heating equipment often leads to fires, injuries and deaths that could have been easily prevented. These fires remind us once again how important having working smoke alarms can be.”

With a few simple safety tips and precautions, you can prevent most home heating fires from happening.

CAL FIRE offers the following fire safety tips:

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment such as a furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.

• Have a 3-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

• Always turn portable heaters off when leaving a room or going to bed.

• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from escaping.

• Allow fireplace ashes to completely cool before disposing them. Place in a tightly covered metal container at least 10 feet away from your home and any other nearby buildings. NEVER empty fireplace or wood stove ashes directly into a trash can.

• Never use your oven to heat your home.

• If using fossil fuel heating, install and maintain carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning. Make sure your home has working smoke alarms as well.

For more information on safe home heating visit the CAL FIRE website at www.fire.ca.gov.

The Camarillo Hospice Tree of Life will be lit for the first time this year in a ceremony Saturday, December 7, beginning at 4 p.m. at Constitution Park in Camarillo.

All community members are invited to participate.

“At its heart, the program is a memorial service,” according to Camarillo Hospice President/CEO Sandy Nirenberg. “It’s an opportunity for people to come together at this most festive time of year, even if they are deeply sad or grieving, to remember and honor those who helped form their lives.” Harpist Debora LaMarchina will provide music and all those in attendance will be invited to place a personally inscribed memorial ornament on the Tree of Life quilt and say a few words if they choose.

“The tree shines brightly with love, hope and gratitude – each light representing aloved one who has passed away or made a difference in someone else’s life,” says Theresa McConville, Camarillo Hospice Board member and chair of the Tree of Life. “We suggest a donation of $20 per light. All donations support the free services Camarillo Hospice provides to members of our community,” she adds. Donations are accepted and lights will be added through December 31, 2013.

Top sponsors of this year’s Tree of Life are AlmaVia of Camarillo and the Pleasant Valley Lions Club. Other major sponsors include Dennis and Joan Gaiser, Dr. Michael and Ann Ragen, Dr. Christopher Smith, Ellen Smith, Union Bank and Ventura Vintage Rods.

The names of all those remembered and honored, together with the names of the people paying them tribute, are written in the perpetual Camarillo Hospice Tree of Life Book of Lights.

Founded in 1978, Camarillo Hospice is a volunteer hospice and grief counseling center that offers practical and emotional assistance, including caregiver respite and friendly visiting, to individuals and families who are facing a life-limiting illness of any nature and/or grieving the loss of a loved one. Bereavement services, including individual and family counseling as well asongoing support groups, are available to any Ventura County resident who is grieving a loss, regardless of whether hospice was involved with the patient and regardless of when the loss occurred. All services are free of charge.

For further information regarding the Tree of Life or the programs and services of Camarillo Hospice, visit www.camarillohospice.orgor call 805-389-6870.

3 Mules… who are they? A 65-year old man, known as Mule, has spent three decades traveling through 16 states with his mules. For the last 10 years they have lived outdoors. Why? Mule sums it all up: “The space needed by The Mules to travel this country freely in all four directions on the landscape is being taken over by the suburban model of automobile usage, exclusively, and leaving no space for alternative venues of moving and living. In our travels, we carry that awareness and bring it to others. We’re a working model for that awareness, one step at a time, all day, every day.” Filmmaker John McDonald is producing a documentary of Mule’s journey. www.3mules.com.