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WELCOME FARM WATCH READERS!

Agricultural Crimes Detective Ray Dominguez had the following update from his activities and investigations around Ventura County:

Once again, I regret having to report several thefts/burglaries that occurred over the Memorial Day weekend. As mentioned in last month’s Farm Watch, we commonly see this type of activity occurring on long holiday weekends because crooks know it’s a great opportunity for them to practice their “Craft.” Below are several of the thefts worth mentioning:

One flower growing operation in the Oxnard Plains area was the victim of a costly chemical theft. The suspect(s) forced entry into two secured chemical storage barns and took an estimated $40,000 worth of chemicals. Many of these chemicals are specifically used in the production of ornamental flowers. Refer to the attached flyer regarding this case for additional information.

An avocado grower in the Ojai Valley was the target of an avocado theft with an estimated 1,000 pounds of avocados being stripped from his trees and dragged off the property. There are no suspect(s) or vehicle(s) identified in this case.

Two different victim farms located on Hueneme Road in the Oxnard Plains area were hit for a combined loss of 1,000+ brass sprinkler heads. The suspect(s) snapped the sprinklers off of irrigation pipes being stored on the properties, and will likely be recycled as scrap metal. No suspect(s) have been identified in these cases.

Another victim farm located on Laguna Rd. in the unincorporated area of Camarillo was the target of scrap metal thieves. The suspect(s) accessed the property via an open gate and attacked several electrical power boxes stripping approximately 525 feet of ¾” copper wiring. The suspect(s) used a pair of heavy-duty wire cutters that were found at the crime scene. Based on evidence found at the scene, it appears the suspect(s) tried to cut live wires and may have suffered serious electrical burns in the process. A check of local hospitals for possible burn victims produced negative results.

A victim farm located near the Camarillo Airport was the victim of a Grand Theft. The victim had a trailer/spherical fertilizer tank stolen from the location. The suspect(s) moved the victim’s John Deere tractor to gain access to the trailer/tank and proceeded to dump approximately 700 gallons of liquid fertilizer on the ground before making off with the trailer. The 1000 gallon tank was marked with “SMP” and is tan in color. No suspects have been identified in this case.

We have also seen a recent rash of arson activity at local farms in the Oxnard Plains area. Sheriff’s Arson Investigators are working these cases and are asking for your help in solving these cases. Please refer to the attached flyer for information.

With the Independence Day holiday just around the corner, please remember that any property left out in plain view is subject to theft and/or vandalism and will attract thieves and vandals. Please take the time to mark and secure your property to help avoid being the next victim of crime.

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 Detective Ray Dominguez directly at (805) 384-4726 or by email at ray.dominguez@ventura.org.

Contacts:

Camarillo Detective Shawn Pewsey, shawn.pewsey@ventura.org

Fillmore Detective John Fox john.fox@ventura.org

Ventura Detective Christine Rettura Christine.rettura@ventura.org

Agricultural Crimes Detective, Ray Dominguez at Ray.Dominguez@ventura.org

As always, we would like to thank Sheriff’s Crime Analyst Karen Brown and Det. Ray Dominguez, for this issue’s great crime and alert update.

Be alert and always safe!

Monica (797-6338)

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

Early this morning, officials at the Ventura County Transportation Commission reported that the agency’s popular VISTA inter-community bus service would continue until at least July 31, 2012. “We are very pleased that CUSA-CC, LLC, our current partner, has agreed to continue operating VISTA bus service for another month. We are excited to share this important news, and thank all of our loyal customers for their patience during the past two weeks,” noted VCTC board chair John Zaragoza.

The VISTA bus service will continue operating on its same schedule and same routes. While details regarding VISTA schedules will continue to be posted at the agency’s website (goventura.org), real-time schedule information will no longer be available via Next Bus.

VCTC staff continues its efforts to extend VISTA service through June 30, 2013. “We hope to be able to announce details of the post July service very soon,” concluded Zaragoza.

SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Department of Boating and Waterways (DBW) reminds boaters to use caution on the water this Fourth of July. DBW’s boating accident data shows that more boating accidents occur during this holiday than any others during the summer boating season.

“The need for boaters to become familiar with the rules of the road is critical in ensuring a safe boating experience,” said DBW’s Acting Director Lucia Becerra. “Rules such as steering to the right when approaching another vessel head on, is important to know, especially in crowded waterways.”

The following tips can greatly decrease the chances of boaters being involved in boating accidents:

Avoid alcohol. Everyone who drinks alcohol on board is at risk. Passengers can easily fall overboard, swim near the propeller, or cause the vessel to capsize.

Operate your boat CONTINUED »

You would think that having four daughters and a son that we, Carolyn and I, would be use to those significant milestones your children approach, reach and move forward from. You would think we would be dealing with each and every one of those milestones as “pros” when the time came! Well not so much! Carolyn and I still think that it is very exciting to be involved in their “life events” and swell with pride while tears of happiness flow for their accomplishments!

Our youngest daughter, Julia Marie (Diaz) Fitzgibbons, 30 years, recently married what we believe is the most perfectly suited man for Julia! Daniel Patrick Fitzgibbons, 32 years, and Julia were married on Saturday, June 23, 2012 in San Luis Obispo County at the Santa Margarita Ranch, Santa Margarita, California. What a beautiful setting and for what I expected to be a scorcher, but it turned out to be perfect weather for an outdoor wedding. The Santa Margarita Ranch was established in 1769 and is today still a 13,900 acre working ranch that is a perfect setting for outdoor weddings.

The 4:00 PM ceremony was CONTINUED »

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In celebration of the F.H.S. Alumni Association turning 100 years old next year, we thought we would take you down memory lane once a month and highlight some of the "Golden years" from our century of existence. Take the class of 1983. "Involved, Fun Loving, Energetic, Trusting?". Well, that's what their senior annual says. Here's another quote from the '83 Copa de Oro. "The Theme of Going at Full Force applied to the 82-83 Annual staff as much as to the yearbook we produced. We had a large and very dedicated staff this year and had fun as we worked hard to put out one of the best copa de oro's ever". We're sure there are a few classes from our Alma Mater who would argue that point. Here's some more highlights of 1983 at Fillmore High. F.F.A. - Champion pen of CONTINUED »

Ojai, CA - Headache and orofacial pain will be the focus of a free seminar Community Memorial Health System is holding on Saturday, July 21.

Brigitte Lovell, D.M.D, will lead the seminar that will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the banquet room at Soule Park Golf Course, 1033 East Ojai Ave in Ojai.

Dr. Lovell will cover the warning signs and diagnosis of orofacial pain – the persistent discomfort in the head, jaw, neck or shoulders – as well as treatment options available. She will also will delve into sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing during sleep.

Dr. Lovell received CONTINUED »

Manuel Hernandez has a passion for gardening and it is evident in their beautiful home located at 929 Meadowlark Drive. Their yard has been named the Yard of the Month for July 2012 by Fillmore Civic Pride/Vision 2020. Manuel and his wife Angie take pride in the little haven they have created. They spoke about their favorite part of their yard which is a cozy front porch surrounded by lovely plants and a gently bubbling water fountain. Some of their many plants include: a Cycas Revoluta palm, Roses: Gold Rush Roses, Mustard and Yellow, Tea roses, geraniums, spider plants, hanging cacti, begonias and Allysum plants. The Hernandez family is originally from the Santa Barbara area. When they moved to Fillmore 11 1/2 years ago, they brought with them the Cycas Revoluta in a 6-inch pot and it is now over 7 feet tall! Manuel comes from a long line of plant lovers. He was trained by his father Manuel Hernandez Sr. a self-taught horticulturist who planted the three Eucalyptus trees on Fernald Point in Summerland. The trees were featured on the cover of: This Week in Santa Barbara Magazine dated Oct. 5, 1956. His father also worked for Fess Parker and the Bigelow families and was instrumental in the development of the Orchid Cactus.

Manuel Jr. worked at the famous Lotus Land in Montecito and worked in the trucking industry for many years before returning to his true passion, gardening in retirement. He is a wealth of information and is happy to share all he knows. Congratulations Hernandez family enjoy your little piece of paradise.

They have received a $25 gift certificate from Otto & Sons Nursery. Fillmore Civic Pride-Vision 2020 meets on the 3rd Wed. of the month at 1:30pm in Fillmore City Hall (2nd floor). For more information please contact president Linda Nunes 805.302.7527

Love To Golf While Supporting A Great Cause?

Then sign up to participate in the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley's 9th Annual Golf Classic! The tournament will be held at the beautiful Las Posas Country Club on Monday, July 9, 2012.

9th Annual Golf Classic
July 9, 2012
Tournament Schedule:
10:30 AM: Golfer Registration/Practice Range Open
11:00 - 12:15 PM: Putting Contest
11:15 - 12:15 PM: Lunch
12:30 PM: Shotgun Start/Four-Person Scramble
5:45 PM: Gourmet Buffet Dinner
(Las Posas Country Club Banquet Facility)
Entry Fee:
$200 per player - This includes:
green fees, golf cart, putting contest, raffle tickets, $50 Callaway Gift Card (provided by Santa Paula Chevrolet) range balls, lunch & dinner. (Additional dinners- $50 each)

For registration forms please contact Pearl Galvan at: galvan@bgcscv.org (805) 525-7910

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 July 11th, 10:00 – 11:00 am @ Cypress Place, 1st floor private dining room, 1200 Cypress Point Lane, Ventura, RSVP Diana Davis @ 642-0239 x 739

Piru Neighborhood Council Inc. held their Scholarship Awards Ceremony on June 20th, 2012 at the boards monthly meeting. Scholarships were given to two local, Piru residents, Alan Ruiz and Luis Montejano.

Ventura County Library is updating their libraries’ public computer labs. The new PCs are Lenovo ThinkCentre all-in-one units with 20” displays, featuring the Windows 7 operating system with Microsoft Office 2010 installed.

To aid in learning the new operating system and Office software, patrons can find tutorials in the Ventura County eLibrary > Education > LearningExpress Library > Computer & Internet Basics. These resources are available free with a Ventura County Library card.

Already completed are the public computer labs at Ray D. Prueter Library in Port Hueneme, Ojai Library and Oak View Library in the Ojai Valley, Fillmore Library, and Avenue Library and Saticoy Library (in Ventura). E. P. Foster Library’s lab in Ventura re-opens Tuesday, June 26. New computers for OakPark Library, Meiners Oaks Library, Piru Library, Soliz Library (in El Rio), and Simi Valley Library will be installed over the next few months.

All Ventura County Libraries supply free wireless 24-7.

Find Ventura County Library locations at http://www.vencolibrary.org/locations

Ventura County eLibrary: http://157.145.215.81:81/rpa/default/RPA_redr.htm#education

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

Open Office Application 2010 (Word or Excel), Go to File > Options, Go to Trust center and Trust center settings (over the right window). (See next step in next image below...)
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Now Select Protected View from the left pane and uncheck the desired security settings. This example I show is in Word 2010. You must manually uncheck the options from Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, Outlook 2010, etc. respectively.
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Welcome to our current ‘blog’ where we attempt to share information in your daily world of computers and the joy and frustration they bring us.

This time around I’ve chosen a new latest-n-greatest feature of Microsoft – continuously endeavoring to assist in our daily lives! This topic is a bit of a double-edge sword. Our subject provides a great protection/support function but can be annoying when you’re ‘moving and shaking’ trying to address your immediate task or goal. Ok, right to it.

Notice in the new ©Microsoft Office 2010, Word or Excel particularly, when you receive the prompt “Enable Print” or “Enable Editing” when opening a file? This is called “Protected Mode”. Obviously this topic is for our users of the latest release of this application. That said there are a number of you/us so let’s visit this.

This feature is intended to ‘protect’ you and only is applied on files you’ve received from the Internet or Email. Think about it; if you open a file you already have edited, this does not happen. So – Microsoft is basically asking “ARE YOU SURE YOU TRUST THIS FILE?”

It’s actually a helpful tool to ensure you’re not downloading a bug and paying attention to the file you’re trying open on your system that might affect EVERTHING. Actually kind of neat.

OK - please note this. Once you “enable” this file is now considered “trusted” and will not again prompt you to enable.

OK – what If you don’t’ find it so helpful?!

NOTE: Modify this setting at your own risk! While it is a common practice, and I most certainly would not lead you down the wrong path, HOC is not responsible for your actions. I’ll provide our disclaimer and contact info right below so if you wish to print the info after it with the procedures, it won’t’ interfere.
I hope this bit of information helps you with your computer operations. Until next time, don’t forget your backups!

Of course my info is a brief summary vs. the novel. If you would like to read the FULL story, you may wish to visit the Microsoft site at the link below.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/what-is-protected-view-HA01...

Harv Oliver is the owner/senior tech for HANDS-ON Consultations (HOC) Computer Support Services serving Fillmore, Ventura County & Beyond since 1998. For more information, visit the HOC web site at http://www.hocsupport.com or call (805) 524-5278. NOTE: Provided information is presented as a courtesy ONLY. Please check with an IT professional for assistance or perform suggestions at your own risk. Harv Oliver or HANDS-ON Consultations is not responsible for any activities users perform.

BNI - Business Network International is a business and professional marketing program whose primary purpose is to exchange qualified business referrals. It is the most successful organization of its type in the world today, with nearly 6500 chapters in operation in 49 countries. Last year, BNI passed over 6.2 million referrals resulting in more than $2.6 billion U.S. dollars worth of business for our participants. Our uniqueness is that there is only one person per business category and we are a sales team devoted to passing referrals to one another.

Locally our chapter meets at El Pescador in Fillmore every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. If you know of someone who is looking to take their business to the next level, please have them visit our chapter or contact Theresa Robledo at 805-625-4450 email: Theresa@DiamondRealtyTeam.com or Ari Larson at 805-794-7590 email: petenari55@hotmail.com

SUMMARY
The 2011-2012 Ventura Grand Jury (Grand Jury) opened an investigation in September 2011 of the City of Port Hueneme’s (City) water rates, triggered by a public complaint. The Grand Jury investigated whether the water utility billing rose unlawfully when the “Utility Users Tax” increased after the City went through the Proposition 218 process, by mail, for increasing water rates in 2009. The report is silent as to wastewater charges as these charges were not an issue. Neither the voter-approved water rate increase, nor the percentage (4%) of the “Utility Users Tax,” was investigated.

The sole issue of the investigation is the inclusion of a previously untaxed “water service charge” into the water service fixed rate. The “water service charge” is now being taxed, creating a new tax, intended or not, by the City.

The Grand Jury interviewed CONTINUED »

SACRAMENTO, CA – A 70-year-old female in Kern County is the first confirmed human case of West Nile virus infection in California this year, announced Dr. Ron Chapman, state health officer and director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The woman was hospitalized, but is now recovering.

"This first confirmed West Nile virus case reminds us that we must take precautions to protect ourselves and our families from mosquito bites,” said Chapman. “West Nile virus activity is greatest during the summertime.”

West Nile virus is transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of an infected mosquito. The risk of serious illness to most people is low. However, some individuals – less than 1 percent – can develop a serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis. People 50 years of age and older have a higher chance of getting sick and are more likely to develop complications. Recent data also indicates that those with diabetes and/or hypertension are at greatest risk for serious illness.

To date in 2012, West Nile virus has been detected in 15 California counties.

CDPH recommends that individuals prevent exposure to mosquito bites and West Nile virus by practicing the “Three Ds”:

DEET – Apply insect CONTINUED »

The mission of the ARTISTS GUILD OF FILLMORE is to create an interest in people for collecting original art by local artists. Nine members are showing in their Second Annual Exhibit on the 70 foot Shively Memorial Wall at the Blanchard Community Library, 119 N. 8th Street, in the neighboring city of Santa Paula. The Library is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 12 to 8, Wednesday 10 to 6, Saturday 10 to 2, Friday and Sunday closed. The artworks are available for sale for two months, June 4 through July 26, 2012.

Art lovers and friends are invited to come to the “Artists Reception” which is scheduled for Thursday evening, June 21 from 5-8 p.m. at the Blanchard Library.

Besides last year’s Primiere Show in the same location, the Artists Guild of Fillmore has continually exhibited at the Fillmore Public Library and at Giessinger Winery during Railfest Days. Addionally, their art was shown at an in-store display in the Rudkin Building and Farmers Market, both in the city of Fillmore. There have been single shows at the Ventura County Government Center and Ventura’s Poinsettia Pavilion.

The artists: Joanne King creates watercolor paintings of scenes with both expected and unexpected results. Judy Dressler is a self taught oil painter who took Adult Education art classes and paints Western life: people and landscapes. Karen Browdy creates refined collages and assemblages; she teaches art classes in Fillmore, Carpenteria and Santa Barbara. Lady Jan Faulkner focuses on mixed media collage and digitally enhancied photography. Lois Freeman-Fox paints digital portraits and landscapes on canvas enhancing them them with oils and acrylics. Luanne Hebner Perez’s watercolor paintings are bright, colorful landscapes, still lifes and florals of California and Europe. Virginia Neuman, our English artist, educated at Chelsea School of Art, uses various media and teaches art in the Fillmore Schools. Wana Klasen is a self-taught artist whose eclectic artistic interests are gathered from her life’s experiences and music.

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Ventura, CA - From now until July 8th, the Ventura Family YMCA is encouraging parents to help keep their kids physically active and mentally engaged by signing them up for the Y’s away camp. Summer is a critical out-of-school time when children and teens can benefit from enriched learning, new experiences and making new friendships. The Y’s camp offers all of this and more.

“While summer should be a time of exploration, youth are sometimes less involved in activities that stimulate their mind and body,” says Sarah Abrams, Youth Programs Director. “During away camp, kids have the opportunity to get outdoors and learn about nature, take on new responsibilities, gain independence, and develop essential social skills and new relationships. As a result, they become more confident, open to trying new things and grow as individuals and as part of a group.”

Sequoia Lake Camp provides exciting and educational camp programming for children and teens, including: sharing cabins with friends, enjoy cabin activities led by trained volunteers, shooting arrows in the archery range, swimming in a private lake, hiking in the Sequoia National Forest, climbing the rock wall, and singing songs at campfire. Each camper will also have the opportunity to set new personal goals in the YMCA Rags and Leathers program. All of these activities occur in the mountains above Miramonte, California near Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on beautiful Sequoia Lake. And, to ensure that all youth have the chance to experience camp, the YMCA offers financial assistance to those in need.

A leading nonprofit CONTINUED »