Ventura, CA - Age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in older Americans, will be the focus of a free seminar the Community Memorial Health System is holding on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

JillAnne McCarty, M.D., a specialist in diseases and surgeries of the eye, will lead the seminar from 6 to 8 p.m. in the eighth-floor Nichols Auditorium at Community Memorial Hospital, located at 147 Brent St. in Ventura.

Nearly 2 million Americans are affected with the advanced form of advanced macular degeneration, and Dr. McCarty will discuss the causes of AMD and lifestyle strategies to minimize the risk of developing it. She also will cover current AMD treatment as well as the current research and methods for coping with the disease.

Dr. McCarty, who has been on staff at Community Memorial Hospital since 1992, received her PhD degree in pharmacology from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. She trained in ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA. Dr. McCarty is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Admission is free but space is limited, and reservations are required. Call 652-5436, or visit www.cmhshealth.org.

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

The Internal Revenue Service and community partners nationwide today launched their annual outreach campaign aimed at helping millions of Americans who earned $49,078 or less take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

"The EITC provides a financial boost for millions of hard-working Americans. But people can easily overlook this important credit, especially if their financial situation has changed. The IRS reminds taxpayers to look into this valuable credit to see if they qualify,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

The EITC varies by income, family size and filing status. People can see if they qualify by visiting IRS.gov and answering a few questions using the EITC Assistant. In tax year 2010, over 50,500 eligible workers and families in Ventura County received over $105 million in total in EITC. The average EITC amount last year was around $2,083.

Workers who earned $49,078 or less from wages, self-employment or farm income last year could receive larger refunds if they qualify for the EITC. That could mean up to $464 in EITC for people without children, and a maximum credit of up to $5,751 for those with three or more qualifying children. Unlike most deductions and credits, the EITC is refundable. In other words, eligible people may get a refund from the IRS even if they owe no tax.

How to Claim the EITC
To get the EITC, workers must file a tax return, even if they are not required to file, and specifically claim the credit. Those eligible for the EITC have free options to file a tax return to claim the credit:
• Free File on IRS.gov Free brand-name tax software walks people through a question and answer format to help them prepare their returns and claim every credit and deduction for which they are eligible. The program also allows people to file electronically for free, giving them access to all their money often in as little as ten days.
• Free tax preparation sites EITC-eligible workers can seek free tax preparation at more than 12,000 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) sites. To locate the nearest VITA site, people can call the IRS at 800-906-9887. Taxpayers can also find VITA/TCE sites by calling their community’s 211 or 311 line for local services.
• IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers EITC-eligible workers can seek free assistance in IRS locations across the country. Locations are listed online at www.IRS.gov. Hours and services offered vary by location and should be checked before visiting.

More information on EITC and detailed eligibility rules are available at www.irs.gov/eitc.

Starting Monday, January 30th, Fillmore High joins 25,000 schools nationwide in the Pennies for Patients program. For the next few weeks, we will help people who are sick with blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. All you have to do is collect coins and other donations and submit them. Our school goal is to raise $850. If you or your business would like to contribute to the cause, please contact Sammy Martinez at 805-524-6100.

Robert T. Parry

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will present a discussion of the eurozone crisis and its implications for the United States on Monday, Feb. 13.

The free event will be held in the Lundring Events Center on the Thousand Oaks campus. It is the last in the Silver Anniversary Distinguished Speaker Series celebrating the formation of CLU’s Graduate School of Education and School of Management.

Networking will begin at 6 p.m. and the discussion will follow at 6:30 p.m.

The speakers will be Robert T. Parry, former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and Henning Bohn, an economics professor at University of California, Santa Barbara. Bill Watkins, executive director of the CLU Center for Economic Research and Forecasting, will moderate.

Parry retired from the Federal Reserve in 2004 after more than 18 years at the helm in San Francisco. He is a board member of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private, nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of how the economy works. He is also on the board of directors of PACCAR Inc. and Janus Capital Group Inc. He holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Bohn’s research and teaching focus on macroeconomics, public economics and international finance. He has published scholarly articles on topics including government debt, public debt management and international capital flows. He received a doctorate in economics from Stanford University in 1986 under the guidance of Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Watkins helped launch CLU CERF in 2009. He has provided unflinching forecasts for more than a decade and has been widely published and quoted in academic journals and the media. He formerly served as the executive director of UCSB’s Economic Forecast Project and an economist with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C. He has a doctorate in economics from UCSB.

Lundring Events Center is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, which is north of Olsen Road near Mounclef Boulevard on the Thousand Oaks campus.

Reservations are requested by Feb. 11 to Lauren Amundson at lamundso@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3445.

SACRAMENTO, CA – California recorded no deaths from pertussis (whooping cough) during 2011, a first since 1991, announced Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the state public health officer.

“Greater awareness of the disease, more rapid diagnosis and treatment, and increased vaccination rates contributed to saving the lives of infants,” said Chapman. “I thank our public health and medical communities for working together and being especially vigilant following the 2010 epidemic.”

In 2010, 9,000 Californians were diagnosed with pertussis and ten infants died from the disease. In response, CDPH partnered with local health departments and health care providers across the state implementing disease control strategies and informational alerts. The state also offered free vaccines to hospitals, allowing convenient vaccination for new parents to prevent transmission of the disease to newborns. Last fall, a new state law required students in 7th -12th grades for the first time to get a Tdap booster shot. The new school law will apply to all students entering 7th grade in 2012 and beyond.

While whooping cough remained high at more than 3,000 cases in 2011, there have been no deaths since October 13th, 2010. The last time California had 3,000 cases of whooping cough was 2005. That year, eight infants died. In 1991, there were only 249 reported pertussis cases in California.

Young infants are the most vulnerable to serious whooping cough complications. Of 575 whooping cough cases among infants 3 months of age or younger reported during 2011, 244 (42 percent) were hospitalized. That’s a significant drop since 2010 when 59 percent of infected infants in that age group were hospitalized.

Immunity gained from pertussis vaccine wanes over time, so a booster shot is needed. The new school immunization law is intended to further protect communities by ensuring that adolescents, who may no longer be immune to whooping cough, are vaccinated. CDPH produced public service announcements in English and Spanish and partnered with the California Broadcasters Association to encourage media outlets to air the ads aimed at raising awareness about pertussis and the new California law. Adults, especially those who live or work with infants, are also strongly encouraged to get a Tdap shot.

To learn more about whooping cough in California, visit www.CDPH.ca.gov. To learn more about California’s school immunization law, visit www.ShotsforSchool.org.

www.cdph.ca.gov

Fillmore Women’s Service Club is looking forward to 2012. The Club finished 2011 year with a special donation to Fillmore meals on wheels for Thanksgiving through the Senior Center. Then at The Fillmore Women’s Service Club annual Christmas party they gathered new toys for the Children’s Auxiliary Annual Toy Collection for the Foster Children’s Program. Club members Valerie Richards, Jeanne Klittich, and Mimi Burns, Club President, took the toys to the Ventura location for distribution. This past year the Club has given continual support to the Senior Center of Fillmore. On the horizon for 2012, Susan Banks, hopes to kick off the new Community Scholarship Program. The Fillmore Women’s Service Club is always open to new members, we met at the Senior Center the second Weds of the month starting at 7pm, come and join us or if you want more information regarding club activities call Mimi Burns 208-4327. Happy and Healthy 2012 to all.

Camarillo, CA — Low to moderate income workers can receive free help with tax preparation and income tax filing at a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site located throughout Ventura County. Tax returns are filed electronically by IRS-trained volunteers and filers may receive as much as $5,751 for families with two or more children – even if they pay no income tax. The Ventura County Financial Empowerment Partnership aims to increase the number of individuals and families who receive no-cost tax preparation assistance and who access the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program — the nation’s largest and most powerful federal aid program for the working poor.

“The EITC can boost a family’s income, but the rules are somewhat complicated and so not everyone who applies for it will receive it,” said Susan Englund, United Way of Ventura County's Vice President of Community Impact.

The Partnership targets individuals and families with a household income of less than $50,000. Beginning the week of January 30th, trained volunteer tax preparers will prepare federal and state tax returns at sites located at El Concilio in Oxnard, Housing Authorities of Ventura and Oxnard, and in the Job & Career Centers in West Oxnard, Santa Clara Valley, Ventura and East County. The public is encouraged to call 2-1-1 to schedule an appointment at any of the eight Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) locations throughout Ventura County.

Tax filers must bring a social security card for each family member or ITIN number for the working adult(s), W-2 forms for all jobs worked in 2011, all 1099 forms for other income earned, photo identification for each adult filing, child care provider information, and bank routing and account number for direct deposit of refund.

Ventura County Financial Empowerment Partnership members include United Way of Ventura County, the Business and Employment Services Department of the County of Ventura’s Human Services Agency, Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation, and the IRS.

Sacramento, CA - The Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and Board of Equalization (BOE) announced today that collective efforts from the Internet posting of California’s 250 largest unpaid state tax debtors has raised more than $100 million since the program’s inception.

“Collecting these large unpaid tax debts is absolutely crucial, because every dollar collected helps spare schools, public safety, and other public services from severe budget cuts,” said State Controller and FTB Chair John Chiang.

“California's tax cheats should know we are serious about making them follow the law,” said Board of Equalization Chairman Jerome E. Horton. “Those who owe the BOE and FTB the most will continue to be exposed to public scrutiny to encourage them to pay their delinquencies.”

State law (AB 1418, Horton) effective for 2007 established the requirement for FTB and BOE to each post a list of the 250 largest state income tax debtors who owe more than $100,000. Last fall, new state law (AB 1424, Perea), increased the number of posted top tax debtors to 500. It also authorizes the state to suspend the professional and/or drivers’ licenses of the state’s top 500 debtors until they resolve their accounts or enter into payment arrangements. It also authorizes the state to publish the titles and names of principal officers for business entity delinquencies.

Taxpayers on the Top 250 list are removed once the tax is paid or the taxpayer agrees to make payments under an approved installment agreement. Tax liabilities under appeal, in litigation, in bankruptcy proceedings, or under consideration for an offer in compromise are not included on the list.

The first Top 500 list for FTB will debut in April 2012. Also starting this year, FTB’s complete list will be updated bi-annually in April and October on FTB’s website at ftb.ca.gov. The Board of Equalization’s listof the state’s top sales and use tax delinquencies, is updated quarterly at boe.ca.gov.

Individual taxpayers on the list can contact FTB at 866.418.3702 to resolve their accounts. Business taxpayers can call 866.914.5594. Taxpayers on the BOE list can call 916.445.5167 to resolve their accounts.

Sespe Players will be holding auditions Wednesday and Thursday, January 18 and 19, from 5:30 to 7:30pm in the drama room at Fillmore High School. For those unfamiliar with this location, it's a small theatre directly across from the Memorial Building at FHS. The gate will be open.

They I need adults and youth as young as nine. They are also in need of an organized assistant director who can make every rehearsal (weekday evenings, 5-7pm or so). Email Janet Foy or text her at 805-276-6070 if you would like to try your hand as an AD. This show has TONS of potential and theywould LOVE to see as many of your faces as possible onstage, backstage and in the audience!

Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy Conjunto Zacamandu (music from Veracruz- son jarocho) and Rey Fresco (rock, reggae, soul, world, and Latin music) in concert this Sunday, January 22, 2012 at the Fillmore Middle School Gym. The Rico and Mambo Morning Show will make a special appearance. The doors will open at 12:30 pm. Tickets are only $12 per person, and can be purchased from the high school band students, at the door, or by calling Jennie at 524-5632 or 415-2119 or Lisa at 524-1697. The Fillmore Band Boosters are grateful that these fine musicians and radio hosts are donating their time to raise funds for the band students in the entire district! Thank you to the community for your continued support.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The U.S. Small Business Administration, Veteran Business Outreach Center and the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network cordially invite you to attend this expo for veteran small business owners. The event will have an expo area with dozens of resource providers, prime contractors and veteran business owner organizations. In addition, the event will have four separate panels on Supplier Diversity, Access to Capital, Government Contracting, Certifications and Business Resource Providers. Register at www.vboc-ca.org or by calling 916-393-1690.

WHAT: “Veteran Small Business Expo 2012”

WHEN: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 – 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (registration begins at 8:30 am)

WHERE: Long Beach City College, Building T-1200, 4901 Carson Street, Long Beach, CA 90808.

Free parking is available in the Veterans Stadium parking lot off of Clark Avenue.

HOSTS: Los Angeles SBA District Office, Veteran Business Outreach Center and the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network

RSVP: Space is limited. Register by visiting www.vboc-ca.org or calling at 916-393-1690.

TOPICS COVERED:

Access to Capital – Many entrepreneurs need financial resources to start or expand their small business.

· SBA’s financing is primarily delivered through programs via our network of lenders: SBA 7(a) Loans (working capital), SBA 504 Loans (owner-occupied real estate), CAPLines (lines of credit), Export Working Capital Loans and Microloans ($500 - $50,000).

Overview of Technical Assistance – Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, and Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)

· SBA Resource Partners meet the needs of small businesses and promote economic development in local communities by helping to create and retain jobs. They assist with development of business plans, provide manufacturing, financial packaging, contracting and international trade assistance; provide no-cost one-to-one consulting to aspiring and existing business owners; provide low-cost training and workshops. Based on client needs, SBDCs tailor their services to meet the evolving needs of the local small business community.

Government Contracting & Subcontracting – In Fiscal Year 2010, the Federal Government bought almost $500 Billion in goods and services.

· Ranging from paper clips and janitorial services to space shuttles and advanced scientific research – and pretty much everything in between. Small businesses received nearly $100 Billion in contract awards. Recent laws such as the Small Business Jobs Act and the Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Program will help put even more of these dollars into the hands of small businesses, helping them grow, drive innovation and create jobs.

Supplier Diversity – how to get on large companies lists of vendors and suppliers

· Hear from Supplier Clearinghouse, PGE, Verizon and Southern California Edison on contracting opportunities, how they select their vendors and what they look for in suppliers.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. – Registration

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. – Welcome Remarks, Color Guard and Opening Remarks

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. – Government Contracting Panel

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. – Supplier Diversity Panel

11:30 – 12:00 p.m. – DGS-DVBE Certification

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. – Lunch – Larry Broughton

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. – Lender Panel

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. – Small Business Resource Panel

All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis.
Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested in advance.

On Wednesday, January 25, 2012, the Fillmore Library will feature speaker Kimberly Shroud, director of the Ojai Raptor Center. She has been working with these special birds since 1992, and will bring some of her “friends” along for the presentation. The program begins at 3:30 PM at the 502 Second Street location. This children’s series is sponsored by the Fillmore Friends of the Library.

Backstage at SPTC (Santa Paula Theater Center) announces its third annual production of original one act plays. Full Frontal Humanity opens June 1 and runs through June 17 for eleven performances. Like its predecessors, Acts2Grind and Quills & Keys, Full Frontal Humanity will consist of original one act plays written exclusively by Ventura County residents.

Submission Guidelines
Plays will be considered only from Ventura County residents.
Plays must be previously unproduced and run 10 to 30 minutes in length.
There is no submission fee. Likewise, there is no pay or prize money.
Each writer may submit up to three plays, but no more than 45 pages total.
Submissions will only be accepted electronically. Send pdf or Word files to SPTCBackstage@yahoo.com.
Include a list of characters with any relevant description either on the title page or the 2nd page.
Including a bio or list of credits is optional, however you must include your name, street address and phone number in your email.
Submissions must be received by Friday, March 30, 2012.
Writers will be notified by email prior to April 15 as to the reading panel’s decision.

Important Information

· Backstage at SPTC is a “black box” theater. Plays are simply staged with minimal set pieces, props and set dressing. Think along the lines of simple furniture that can be reconfigured, redressed, or easily moved on and off stage quickly.

· Backstage at SPTC is a forum for new, original works. Strong language and adult situations are common.

· Writers of selected plays are required to sign a release granting rights of performance without monetary compensation including audio and visual recording for promotion and possible sale as a fundraiser.

· Writers of plays selected for production are invited to the opening night performance, along with a guest, and will receive two complimentary tickets to another performance during its run.

Please do not call the SPTC Box Office with questions regarding Full Frontal Humanity. Instead, send your inquiries to SPTCbackstage@yahoo.com. You may also visit www.santapaulatheatercenter.org for additional information regarding events.

Do you know the person/family your street was named after? The Fillmore Historical Museum will be presenting the Ebell Club this information on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.

You can join the ladies at the Memorial Building to learn about the fascinating families such as Elkins Lane, McNab Court, Atmore Rd, Burson Lane etc. Lunch begins at 12:30 and the program begins at 1:45pm. Call Lavonne Deeter at 524-2090 for reservations.

CAMARILLO, CA - The Small Business Development Center of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, hosted by the Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County, has expanded its roster of business services with the addition of free international business and entrepreneur workshops. The new workshops are in addition to SBDC’s one-one-one business advising and small business workshops and will be held at EDC-VC, 1601 Carmen Dr., Ste. 215, Camarillo.

“Entrepreneurship and international business are two categories in which we receive a great deal of interest from our clients. The new workshops will be held monthly so that people can get support for their business whenever they need it,” said Ray Bowman, director of SBDC of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

Starting a Small Business Workshop is a monthly workshop presented by SBDC advisor Mary Anne Rooney and is an overview of the steps needed to establish a business. The next workshop will be 3-5 p.m., Feb. 20.

Introduction to International Importing and Exporting is presented by SBDC director Ray Bowman. The workshop is a practical introduction to the business basics importing and exporting. Topics include logistics, documents, contract administration, terminology, quality control and payment procedures. The workshop will be 3-5 p.m., Feb. 15 and will be offered the third Wednesday of each month.

Consultant Support Group is presented by SBDC advisor Joe Huggins and is an ongoing group for established consultants and those who are interested in entering the field. It will cover topics and issues they will encounter when working for clients and businesses. The group will be 8:30-9:30 a.m., Feb. 17 and meet the third Friday of each month.

Huggins will also present the Entrepreneurial Academy. Topics will include an introduction to the entrepreneurial mindset, the planning stages, products and pricing, marketing practices, managing sales, operations and HR, legal considerations, financing, and funding sources. The Academy will be held 1-3 p.m., Feb. 17 and will meet the third Friday of each month. Pre-approval is required for participation.

Introduction to International Shipping and Logistics is presented by Bowman and is a basic overview of international logistics, including definitions, regulations, documentations, transportation, warehousing and pricing, as well as emerging issues in today’s economy. Participants are encouraged to ask questions about their current logistics problems or concerns. The workshop will be 3-5 p.m., Feb. 22 and will be offered the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Workshops on QuickBooks and How to Start an e-business will be starting soon.

To register or for more information, contact EDC-VC at 805-384-1800 x 21, or kelly.noble@edcsbdc.org.

EDC-VC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura County by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center, loan programs, the Manufacturing Outreach Program, and international trade program, or other services available to small businesses through EDC-VC, contact Bruce Stenslie at 805-384-1800 ext. 24 or bruce.stenslie@edc-vc.com. Or visit www.edc-vc.com.

Thomas Staben Will Also Spend At Least $500,000 to Restore 5 Acres of the Creek, Create 2 Acres of Vegetated Buffer, and Fund A Stream Rehabilitation Project

SAN FRANCISCO – A Ventura County contractor, Thomas Staben, and his construction company, TA Staben, Inc., will pay a $225,000 penalty for illegally dumping imported material into a Ventura County creek. Thomas Staben illegally filled Calleguas Creek with 40,000 cubic yards of material - the equivalent of about 2,000 large dump truck loads. As part of the settlement, Staben will also spend at least $500,000 on restoration and mitigation projects, including removing the fill and restoring the creek’s natural functions. Calleguas Creek is the main freshwater source for the Mugu Lagoon Estuary, one of Southern California’s largest coastal wetland systems and home to various endangered species.

“Restoring Calleguas Creek is a win for the environment and for the local community,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Today’s settlement signals EPA’s commitment to protect coastal California’s watersheds, and sends a strong message to those who would despoil them.”

Between 2005 and 2006, Staben filled approximately five acres of Calleguas Creek, also known as Arroyo Las Posas, without the necessary Clean Water Act (CWA) permit despite several warnings by the Army Corps of Engineers to stop. The illegal fill substantially reduced the active floodplain in this portion of the creek, increasing potential flooding of adjacent properties and contributing to the bioaccumulation problems harmful to the health of endangered species and other wildlife in Mugu Lagoon. Staben, who has a history of noncompliance dating back to 1989, was cited by the Corps on various occasions for unpermitted work in Calleguas Creek and the Ventura River.

The creek has been the subject of extensive studies and protection efforts at federal, state, and local levels due to its ecological significance and impaired water quality. As part of the restoration project Staben will remove the illegal fill material, restore the five acres of filled active floodplain, and create another two acres of vegetated embankment buffer between the floodplain and the upland property. Restoration will allow the creek to perform the important ecological functions of recharging groundwater, retaining nutrients, attenuating floodwaters, and providing habitats and movement corridors for wildlife. The project will also address long-term erosion problems of the adjacent property and reduce non-point source pollution.

Staben will also spend $150,000 on mitigation by paying into the Ventura River Watershed Habitat Restoration Fund to help fund the Rice Creek Re-Alignment Project, which aims to create about 9 acres of new stream habitats and help maintain water quality for steelhead in the downstream Ventura River.

The CWA protects the nation’s coasts, rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands, which are vital to the protection of human health and the environment. Section 404 of the CWA requires anyone who proposes to fill and alter protected waterways, including wetlands, with dredged or fill material to first obtain permit authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The proposed consent decree for the settlement, lodged with the federal district court on December 30, 2011, is subject to a 30-day comment period and final court approval. A copy of the proposed decree is available on the Justice Department website at: http://www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html

To view before and after photos along with a map of the Calleguas Creek Watershed please visit: www.epa.gov/region9/mediacenter/calleguas/

For more information about the Clean Water Act Section 404 regulatory program, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/reg_authority_pr.pdf