Soroptimist International of Fillmore, a volunteer organization for business and professional women, is calling for applicants to participate in our annual Women’s Opportunity Award. Soroptimist of Fillmore will present a $500.00 cash award to help an eligible Fillmore/Piru woman who is working to improve her economic situation through education and training. Do you know this woman? Does she need to be recognized for her efforts?
With the help of the Women’s Opportunity Award, many women have gotten the courage and determination to turn their lives around. If you know a woman who lives in the Fillmore/Piru area who has made incredible efforts to better her life please help and encourage her to apply for the Women’s Opportunity Award. Eligible applicants must be women who provide the primary financial support for their families, and who are enrolled in or have been accepted to a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program. If she wins, she will receive a cash award of $500.00 to help offset any costs associated with her efforts to attain higher education, including books, childcare and transportation. After winning our local award she may also win regionally and then nationally and possibly be one of three finalists which are awarded $10,000 each.
Applications are available from any Soroptimist member or from Kathy at Fillmore Mail Stop at 330 Central Ave. in Fillmore. To qualify, the application with all references must be received at Fillmore Mail Stop by January 30, 2009, before 5:00 p.m.

Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. The Women’s Opportunity Awards program is one of our organization’s major service projects.

For more information about Soroptimist and to read stories about past Women’s Opportunity Award recipients please visit www.soroptimist.org.

Thank you for your consideration,
Soroptimist of Fillmore

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Healthy Family Farms - 6780 Wheeler Canyon Road, Santa Paula, CA

Date & Time: December 18, 2008 / 1:00 pm Unit(s) Responsible: Sheriff’s Agricultural Crimes Unit / California Department of Food and Agriculture Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch

(A)rrestees Address Age
Sharon Ann Palmer Santa Paula, CA 48

During the first week of December 2008, the Sheriff’s Department’s Agricultural Crimes Unit identified a subject suspected of operating an unlicensed milk processing plant. After further investigation, it was confirmed that the processing plant was operating while unlicensed, and using potentially unpasteurized milk to produce various milk products, including goat cheese and yogurt. The milk products produced at the plant were being packaged under the “Healthy Family Farms” label and sold to the public at various farmer’s markets in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles Counties.

On 12-18-2008, a detective from the Agricultural Crimes Unit and investigators from the California Department of Food and Agriculture Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch, Ventura County Environmental Health Department, Ventura County Weights and Measures, and Ventura County Code Enforcement took part in an undercover operation focused on purchasing illegally produced, and potentially unsafe goat cheese being produced at the location and being sold at farmer’s markets.

Unpasteurized milk is raw milk that has not been heated enough to kill harmful bacteria including Listeria, Salmonella, E. Coli, Staphylococcus, and M. bovis (causes tuberculosis). Persons who become ill could suffer a miscarriage, illness to unborn babies, diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, swollen neck glands, and blood stream infection.

Various containers of goat cheese and yogurt suspected of being produced using unpasteurized milk were purchased from the processing plant and a local farmer’s market during the operation. The food product containers purchased during the operation were seized by investigators from the California Department of Food and Agriculture and Ventura County Environmental Health Department, and submitted to the state laboratory for testing.

Sharon Palmer was arrested and charged with Food and Agricultural Code Sections 35283(a) – Processing Milk or Milk Products without Pasteurization, 35283(b) – and Processing for Resale Milk or Milk Products without a License. Palmer was booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. A background check of Palmer’s criminal history revealed a prior felony conviction for fraud.

The Humane Society of Ventura County is asking for the public’s help in order to continue housing and treating 37 severely neglected horses that were rescued from a Lockwood Valley ranch on Oct. 8.

“We are in a desperate situation right now,” said Jolene Hoffman, director of the Humane Society’s shelter in Ojai.

Hoffman said that the 20-stall portable barn that businessman David Murdock loaned to the Humane Society, following the October 8th rescue, was being dismantled and moved this week. “Although it was only for two months, we are very grateful for Mr. Murdock’s generosity in loaning us the barn” Hoffman said.

“What makes the Humane Society’s predicament most critical,” Hoffman added, “is that nine of the rescued mares are confirmed pregnant, and 11 more are possibly pregnant. The mares are due to foal between now and March, one any day. With temperatures in the 30s, we need to provide adequate shelter for these neglected mares and foals.”
Hoffman said the Humane Society is planning on purchasing a 20-stall permanent barn for the horses. Eventually this barn will be used for emergency evacuated animals in Ventura County during disasters. The cost for the new barn is approximately $47,000.

Donations may be sent to the Shelter at PO Box 297, Ojai, CA 93024. For more information, call 805 656-5031, or visit www.humansocietyvc.org.

Thank You to all of the following teams for coming out to this past weekend’s softball tournament and helping to raise over $1000.00 worth of toys for Toys 4 Tot’s:
Men’s:
1st place – 805 Fumunda, Adam Alonzo Time 2 Smash - Ernie Rodriguez
2nd place – Amigos, Frank Shenanigans - Johnny Valerio
5150 - Jorge Valenzuela Orion - Adrian
Split Your Wig - Charlie Williams Hard Times - Sam Norriega
Women’s:
1st Place – Blue Balls, Erika Huerta Simply Old School II - Denise Tobias
2nd Place – Les-Bat, Michelle Temple Swingers, Linda Mulberry
This was the 1st tournament, of hopefully, many more to come. Also Thank You to Fillmore Girls Softball, Jason Faulkner, for allowing me to use the equipment, to Annette and Bill Cardona and Debbie Boschee for running a great snack bar, and especially to Ventura County Fire Dept. Station 27 for coming out and picking up the toys for the toy drive. Hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season,
Sincerely,
Jasmine Gongora

The Fillmore Citizen Patrol Free showing of "Madagascar 2" on Saturday, December 13, 2008, was a complete success. Both showings were popular with many compliments and thanks from the attendees. As the people were leaving the theatre, they were handed a candy cane and wished a Merry Christmas. The Citizen Patrol has been making these free showings available for many years. Our thanks to the "Gazette" newspaper for placing our ad in their Thursday, December 11, 2008 publication.
Helen M. Lidamore,
Secretary, Fillmore Citizen Patrol

Sat. Dec. 20th at 12noon
“Celebrate Christmas-Piru Style”
Parade Check-In at 9am
Corner of Center & Park St

Vendors check-In at 9am
Corner of Center & Piru Square

Horseshoe Tournament
Check-In at 10am
Piru Gazebo
Information/Rusty 521-1040

Schedule of Events At Piru Gazebo
12Noon Parade
1PM Horseshoe Tournament
1pm Vendors Open
1pm-5pm DJ Music
2pm Awards Ceremony
6pm-9pm Danny Torres &
Piru River Band

For more information call
ChaCha 521-0527/Catina 279-1758
Laura 521-1145/Irene 521-0752

For more information go to www.pirupress.com

Discover the rewards of foster parenting at a Foster Parenting Informational Meeting. Learn how you can provide the healing, support and guidance that can transform a child at risk into a self-assured, successful adult. More than 600 children are currently in foster homes in Ventura County, and every day, another child is removed from their home because they have been neglected, abused or abandoned. By being a foster parent, you have the opportunity to make the difference in a child's life. English only. For more information call Human Services Agency, County of Ventura, 805.654.3456 or go to vchsa.org/foster.

Bill Faith and Janine Rees, owners of The Scented Path.

For this season of giving, you are invited to become a Salvation Army “Angel” by picking up an “Angel Tag” at The Scented Path Apothecary located at 338 Central Avenue.
Each tag lists the name and age of a needy Ventura county child along with an age appropriate gift suggestion. After you purchase a gift, return it to The Scented Path in Fillmore or to The Salvation Army at 155 S. Oak Street, Ventura. Gifts will be then be sorted and made available for qualified families at A Toy and Joy Shop in Ventura. Food donations are also being accepted for the Salvation Army food drive. All donations should be received by December 17th, 2008.
For your convenience, The Scented Path has extended hours for the Christmas donating and buying season: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. If you’re looking for something in the unusual or healthy- natural realm, The Scented Path is an excellent option. Proprietors Bill and Janine have almost thirty years of perfume blending experience and can custom design any fragrance body care product to suit your gift-giving needs. Call 524-4856 for more information and don’t forget to pick up your Angel gift card and bring in your food donation.

Conway Spitler

An innovative research project puts new focus on California’s 446 Billion-a-year Problem. An “average” high school graduate earns $290,000 more over a lifetime—and pays $100,00 more in federal, state and local taxes—than a high school dropout.

Between 26 percent and 35 percent of all teenagers in California today are high school dropouts.

One of every three students who dropped out of 10th grade in 2004 was doing nothing four years later—neither going to school nor working.

The problems costs the state’s taxpayers $6.4 billion annually (from UC Santa Barbara Today).

Where: North Fillmore Police Storefront
642 Lemon Way
When: Monday, December 22, 2008
3pm – 6pm
Free Polaroid Picture with Santa Claus
One Picture per Family
Toys Given to Children
Residents of Fillmore, Piru & Bardsdale only
Proof of Residency may be Required

Thanks to our Sheriff’s Department for recently issuing citations to four men selling toys on Central without a city business license. A group of these L.A. hard core peddlers shows up in our town from time to time. They are very aggressive, to the extreme of being brazen, tactless and very bold. Hopefully anyone approached by peddlers will demand to see their Fillmore, up-to- date business license and call City Hall should they refuse. On a similar note, it’s time that the combined City Council and School Board take a stand against the absolute garbage that’s being peddled outside our schools. Here we live in a valley with magnificent fruit and produce growing abundantly; and our students get released from school to see peddlers selling fake flavored chicharrones with 15 or more artificial colors, preservatives and worse. I’ve looked and read the labels on some of this stuff. It’s like reading the glossary in a chemistry textbook. License or no license, these school peddlers must be restricted.

“31st Annual Piru Christmas Parade & Holiday Festival Set for Saturday, December 20th”
Community organizers in Piru are pleased to announce this year’s Christmas Parade will be held Saturday, December 20th in this historic town. This year’s theme is “Celebrate Christmas Piru Style”.
The day’s events will kick off with our annual parade, which will kick off at noon that Saturday. Our parade route will be begin at the Piru Elementary School and continue though downtown on Center Street. Judges viewing stage and announcers will be set up at the beautiful Piru Depot Plaza and Park. Following the parade will be a day full of activities at the downtown Depot and Park.
This year’s Grand Marshals are Julian and Margaret Rangel. These lifelong Piru residents will celebrate their 70th Wedding Anniversary in April 2009. Julian Rangel celebrated his 90th birthday this past June and Margaret is proud to announce she will turn 90 this February.
This beautiful couple have both resided in Piru their entire lives. Julian was a foreman for years with the Fillmore-Piru Citrus Association; Margaret is a homemaker and incredible cook and gardener. Their daughter is Delfina Beltran, married to John Beltran. They have two grand children, and two great grand children.
Following the parade will be vendors, exhibits and other activities in the beautiful Piru Depot and Gazebo Plaza Park. Activities will include the always popular Horseshoe Tournament and variety of vendors offering their unique items just in time for the holidays. Local DJ Paul Viaz will be mixing your favorite tunes all day.
That evening we will feature hometown favorite Dan Torres and the Piru River Band performing in the Gazebo Stage. Dan and his family always gets the crowd on their feet for what is sure to be another memorable holiday celebration in our beloved town. Please join in this always festive, fun and family celebration. For more information call 521-0527 or visit www. Pirupress.com

Enjoy free admission, cookies and cocoa at the Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark Holiday Open House Saturday December 13. Visit the Museum Gift Shop and gently used book emporium for some unique holiday gifts from 11-3. Shop at the Camulos Antique and Craft market for reasonably priced treasures and quality holiday crafts from 9-4. Mrs. Santa will be there too. There is something for everyone at the Rancho Camulos Museum. Enjoy our unique setting and selection. Proceeds benefit our non-profit’s historical preservation, restoration, and educational efforts. Shop where the history, myth, and romance of old California still linger.
Rancho Camulos Museum is on the south side of highway 126, 2 miles East of Piru and 10 miles west of the I-5. Phone: (805) 521-1501. See www.ranchocamulos.org for details.