Sarah Pace of Fillmore who graduated in 2013 took her trumpet to the Fight Hunger Bowl game in San Francisco on December 27, 2013. Sarah is currently a student at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and is a member of the 250 student strong BYU Cougar Marching Band. The BYU marching band is under the Direction of Fred McInnis and Assistant Director Art Young. Drum Majors are Hannah Pusey, Conner Cunningham and Leslie Stokes. Sarah has had the opportunity to join 27 other trumpeters and band members and perform at all home foot ball game half time shows and a campus concert this year. A modest band scholarship has helped enable Sarah to focus on her studies when she’s not pumping up the crowd of BYU foot ball fans. BYU students who live with in a three hour drive of the campus were driven by bus along with the instruments to the game on December 25th. Students who went home for the holidays in different states were flown into San Francisco at the expense of the school to help support the football team, cheerleaders and most of all the fans. Band members were able to perform at a pre game rally the day before the game, a tail gate party the day of the game, pre game and half time shows that they shared with Washington’s Marching Band. Band Students were able to do some sight seeing around San Francisco during their time off. To date the Fight Hunger Bowl foot ball game has donated over 300,000 meals to the Bay Area’s hungry through the sale of tickets.

A big thank you goes out to music instructors who have contributed to Sarah’s success and opportunities. Mrs. Camilla Conaway for years of piano lessons, Mrs. Janet Bergamo for primary instruction and introduction to the trumpet and Mr. Greg Godfrey for instruction and many performance opportunities in middle school and high school. This would not have been possible without all of you. More thank you’s go out to the Fillmore School Board for their continued support in our District’s music programs, not only for Sarah but may other students, Fillmore Band Boosters and all their hard work and support and of course band students, their families and supporters.

As the New Year approaches, there are several new laws about to be enacted in California -- from transgender students' rights and a minimum wage boost, to sharing the road with bicyclists and changes to tips at restaurants.

Here is a round up of some of the new edicts:

TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: Students in grades K-12 who identify as transgender will be allowed to use school bathrooms and play on sport teams “consistent with their gender identity,” starting Jan. 1, 2014.

•In Review: Must-See Photos of 2013

MINIMUM WAGE HIKE: Workers earning minimum wage will net $9 an hour starting July 1, 2014. The increase is part of a three-year plan that will raise the hourly minimum wage in California to $10 – one of the highest in the nation – by 2016. Under another bill, domestic workers will have to be paid time and a half if they work more than nine hours in a day or more than 45 hours in a week; baby sitters are exempt.

PAPARAZZI CRACKDOWN: Backed by actresses including Halley Berry and Jennifer Garner, a new measure will impose tougher penalties on paparazzi that harass the children of public figures, including celebrities, police officers and judges. Starting in January, violators could face up to a year in county jail and a fine of up to $10,000. Fines would increase for subsequent convictions.

•Watch: 2013 in 90 Seconds

MORE ROOM FOR BICYCLISTS: Drivers must give cyclists a 3-foot clearing when passing or, when that clearance isn’t possible, slow down and only pass when there’s enough room. Starting Sept. 16, 2014, passing too close to a bicyclist could result in a fine for the driver, whether there was a crash or not.

AMBER ALERT EXPANSION: Abductions by custodial parents or guardians, who may cause serious bodily injury or death to the child, now will require law enforcement to request the activation of an AMBER Alert.

TEXTING AND DRIVING: Drivers under the age of 18 are not allowed to use voice recognition software, like Apple’s “Siri,” to write, send or read a text while behind the wheel.

ON-CAMPUS SMOKING: All 10 University of California campuses will be smoke-free starting Jan. 1, 2014. The ban includes all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

HYBRIDS RIDING HOV: Low-emission or zero-emission vehicles can continue using high-occupancy vehicle, or carpool, lanes without meeting occupancy requirements until Jan. 1, 2019.

FINDING HIT-AND-RUN DRIVERS: A new bill extends the current three-year statute of limitations for hit-and-run offenses to six years from the date of a crash that causes death or permanent, serious injuries.

GROUP GRATITUITY: Tips automatically added to a restaurant bill (usually when a table seats 6 or more diners) will now be taxable as regular wages and subject to payroll tax withholding, which means your server won’t see those tips until payday instead of taking it home as cash.

SEARCH WARRANTS: A driver suspected of DUI who refuses to submit to or fails to complete a blood test can be served a search warrant to draw blood in a “reasonable, medically approved manner.” This law went into effect Sept. 20.

VICTIM PROTECTION: Employers are now barred from firing, discriminating or retaliating against a worker because they are a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. The new law also requires employers to protect victims from their abusers, for example, by changing the employee's work number.

On January 26, 2014 at 1:00, experience Helen Hunt Jackson’s January 1882 visit to Rancho Camulos, now the Rancho Camulos Museum and National Historic Landmark, which inspired her to include this vestige of the Californio lifestyle as one of the settings for her novel Ramona. Re- enactors will engage and delight you as they portray this event which forever changed the peaceful life at Rancho Camulos. Reservations are suggested but not required (info@ranchocamulos.org / 805-521-1501.

Throughout January, Rancho Camulos Museum is open for tours by appointment. Please call for reservations. It is the perfect place to take your winter visitors or follow through on your new year’s resolution to learn more about local history. Also, if you are seeking a unique and meaningful volunteer opportunity, please consider Rancho Camulos Museum. Check our website, www.ranchocamulos.org for more information

Have you ever wanted to serve your community in an exciting, important and challenging way? If so, consider this: the Ventura County Civil Grand Jury is now accepting applications for new jurors to serve from July 1, 2014 to July 1, 2015. Applications will be available at the grand jury’s open house on Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 3 to 6 p.m., at 646 County Square Drive (third floor), Ventura (across the street from the government center). This is an excellent chance to learn what grand jury service consists of, view the chambers where you would work, meet current jurors and enjoy refreshments.

The civil grand jury is an all-volunteer “public watchdog” group that investigates complaints from the public, researches and writes reports, and makes recommendations about all aspects of local and county government—for example, city councils, school districts, libraries, jails, hospitals, harbors and water districts. The civil grand jury does not pursue criminal cases or give evidence in court.

To qualify for service you must be a citizen 18 years of age or older, reside in Ventura County for at least a year immediately before serving, have average intelligence and good character, and know sufficient English. Residents from all cultural groups and all parts of the county are encouraged to apply.

For details about the grand jury’s mission and to view previous years’ reports, please visit http://grandjury.countyofventura.org. Applications may also be filled out online at that site, downloaded and mailed in or requested by telephone at (805) 654-5025. They will be accepted until April 15.

In addition, you may request speakers to give a presentation for your charity organization or other community group by calling the grand jury’s community relations committee at 805/477-1600.

The Ventura County Rose Society will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2014, at the Ventura County Office of Education Conference Center at 5100 Adolfo Rd., Camarillo.

The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for advice from Consulting Rosarians and refreshments, a little rose show at 7:00 p.m., and our speaker presentation will begin at 7:30 pm.

The VCRS meeting will feature Basia Kenton, Design Landscaper, who will speak about 'Biodynamics', a compost blend for landscapes and roses. This is a special nourishment for soils and plants.

Visitors are always welcome to our VCRS meetings. For more information contact: Janet Sklar at 818-337-9970 or Dawn-Marie Johnson at 805-523-9003. Our website is http://www.venturarose.org/

Ojai, California - Bariatric surgery for obesity will be the focus of a free seminar the Community Memorial Health System is hosting as CMHS opens its 2014 Speakers’ Series on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014.

Dr. Helmuth Billy, a local bariatric surgeon, will lead the seminar from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Soule Park banquet room, located at 1033 East Ojai Avenue in Ojai.

Dr. Billy will discuss a variety of weight-loss procedures and the advantages of losing weight, including relief from type 2 diabetes, weight-related high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and arthritis.

Dr. Billy received his medical degree from the University of California at Davis. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a member of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, and the American Society of General Surgeons. Dr. Billy also is an active member of the Community Memorial Hospital medical staff.

Admission is free but space is limited, so reservations are required. Call 1-800-906-6093, or visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and 11 family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

Santa Clara Valley Disposal will maintain its regular Friday trash and recyclables collection schedule in Fillmore on Jan. 24, during the week of Martin Luther King Jr.

For more information, call 647-1414.

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.