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The Hedrick Ranch Nature Area is a +220 acre preserve owned by the Friends of the Santa Clara River (FSCR), located on the south side of the Santa Clara River near Santa Paula. We have an active group of volunteers working to restore the HRNA, via regularly scheduled workdays once per month fall through spring. Our efforts include weed abatement, planting of native plants, and establishing trails. We also spend time bird watching and looking for other wildlife. We start at 9:00 am and finish by 11:30 or 12:00. Bring water and sun protection; we have some tools and gloves, but it’s always nice to bring your own. NOTE: Substantial rainfall cancels the workday!!! Contact Jackie Worden for more information: jbworden7@gmail.com

LONG PANTS AND BOOTS OR CLOSED SHOES ARE REQUIRED
Because of our healthy population of rattlesnakes, this dress code will be strictly enforced!!

The 2009-2010 workdays will be:
• October 3rd, Saturday
• November 1st, Sunday
• December 5th, Saturday CONTINUED »

With an overwhelming response during a public meeting to bring back Little League in Piru, the need for additional activities was quickly addressed. Two group were immediately formed, Piru Youth Sports and Piru Youth.

Piru Youth Sports had a successful Little League Season and will soon be starting Soccer in Piru. The Piru Youth
group will focus on other needed activities for Middle & High School students of Piru.

Piru Youth’s first Youth Summit was held on April 3rd of this year and brought in 43 students. We had a few icebreakers for the youth and then it was off to the drawing board. We focused on the needs and wants of the youth, short and long term goals. We had snacks and drinks and thanks to the local businesses we were able to provide prizes for their ideas and suggestions.

Wasting no time to get started, we met the following Tuesday and started to plan for our first dance. The dance was on May 8th, and Cinco de Mayo was the theme. The youth helped in preparation of the dance by making signs, invitations and posters, they arrived early to CONTINUED »

The Piru Depot and Gazebo Plaza & Park in downtown Piru will be the site for the 9th Annual PiruFest, Saturday, September 5th. Activities for this Labor Day Weekend festival begin at 3:00 pm and continue until 10 pm. Registration for the horseshoe tournament will start at noon with play set for 2:00 pm. The Depot and park are located on Center Street in the downtown district.

The Piru Neighborhood Council (PNC) sponsors this annual event and is joined this year by MAD Youth, (Making A Difference). MAD Youth are organizing a variety of games for all ages, including the good old fashioned Dunking Booth featuring local community and regional leaders as “dunkees”. Local arts and crafts vendors continue to sign up to offer unique jewelry and other specialty items, as well as information on upcoming health and community events, such as Relay for Life. Food vendors have also signed on to feature their treats.

Always a hit with the locals and friends, the popular Horseshoe Tournament returns under the skills of Rusty Ortega. Organizers set up the pits in this downtown park to make this activity a center point of this daylong festival. This competition is an annual tradition among the town’s “ringers”. Contact Rusty at 805- 432-6388 to sign up or help organize. CONTINUED »

Congratulations to Carla Perez, 17, and Piggy Bank, her VC Fair award winning swine. Piggy Bank took two 2nd Place wins, Novice Showmanship-FFA, and 1st Round Robbin. Breanna Berrington won 1st Place Showmanship in Novice and took 3rd in her replacement Heifer Market class. Samantha Woke won 4-H Reserve Champion Steer and took 2nd in Senior Showmanship.

This Saturday, Aug. 29th, 12:00 noon, some of the children with the "Acting Silly" actor's workshop taught by industry professional New York acting coach, L.J. Stevens, will perform on stage at the movie theatre on Central Ave. They will be doing short monologues and scenes. There will be no charge for this event.

Classes will continue mid September and the new schedule will be posted in the Gazzette newspaper next week. Our next series of classes will include "How to get into commercials", "How to find an agent", more scene studies and script memorization. We will also be doing another talent showcase TBA. If anyone is interested in joining Fillmore's Children's Actor's workshop, please contact Priscilla Rzezuski (805) 524-0553.

Simi Conejo Friends of NRA

Live auction includes exclusive firearms and other NRA collectives.
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Guests taking a chance to win a rifle.
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2008 Chairman Randy Tackett presenting thank you gift to Ventura County DA Gregory Totten.
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Simi Conejo Friends of NRA Committee Members.
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Simi Valley, CA - The fourth annual Simi Conejo Friends of NRA fundraising banquet will be held Saturday, September 12, 5:00 pm at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Proceeds benefit The NRA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and are distributed as grants to support projects such as youth firearm safety, women’s programs, law enforcement, and range development.

“The evening will include games, auctions, and drawings for limited edition NRA collectibles,” said Committee Chairman Jason Kemmerer. “Not only do guests get a great dinner, they can also tour the Reagan Library and Air Force One.”

Ticket packages start at $100 and include a free $100 pack of prize drawing tickets. Request an event flyer by e-mailing ldavis@nrahq.org or visit www.friendsofnra.org/ca. Views and opinions expressed by Simi Conejo Friends of NRA are not necessarily shared by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation.

The Humane Society of Ventura County is seeking donations for a silent auction it is holding during its third annual “The Cats in the Canyon & Hounds in the Hollow” fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 27.

Donations should be worth at least $25, and can be dropped off at the HSVC shelter, located at 402 Bryant St. in Ojai. Call 656-5031 for more information.

The fundraiser will run from 2 to 5 p.m. at Boccali’s Restaurant in Ojai, with all proceeds going to the care of animals in need throughout Ventura County.

Fillmore, CA - Thirty-five women will be scheduled to receive free mammograms and healthcare education on Saturday, Sept. 12. The women will arrive early Saturday morning at the Center for Family Health office located in Fillmore at 852 Ventura St., where they will be transported to The Breast Center at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, and then back to the Center for Family Health.

In 2008, an estimated 182,460 new cases of breast cancer occurred in the United States, and early detection and awareness is the key to fighting this life-threatening disease. The Mammography & Cervical Cancer Screening Program provided through Community Memorial Health System benefits women in the community who are uninsured, under-insured or lack the funds to pay for mammograms and CONTINUED »

On September 26th, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Ventura County Medical Center will throw a celebration to recognize all of the ‘graduates’ of their award-winning neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), dating back 35 years, when the NICU opened its doors. The event is open to all residents of Ventura County who were born at VCMC and spent any time in the NICU, as well as family and friends. The event will take place directly in back of the hospital, at 3291 Loma Vista Road, on both the lawn and parking lot. There will be a variety of entertaining and educational booths of interest to all ages.

In addition to food and music there will be a petting zoo, activities for children, and information for new and expectant moms, as well as important health information.
Those who are graduates of the NICU will be recognized throughout the day and the festival atmosphere promises to be fun for the entire family.

When the VCMC NICU first opened back in 1974, it was the first NICU between Los Angeles and Stanford Medical Center. Today upwards of 20,000 children have passed through the NICU at VCMC, and the hospital looks forward to honoring them – and their families – on September 26th.

For more information on this event, please call 805-652-6014 or 652-6693.

Date: September 2, 2009
Time: 1 pm
Place: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 117 N. Seventh Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060
Program: Ms. Midge Stork, Vision and Progress of the Botanical Garden, Ventura, CA.
New Members Welcome—Call Millie 524-1485 or Linda 524-3021

OXNARD, Calif.—Hundreds of classic cars are heading to the Channel Islands Harbor for the Ventura Vintage Rods Harbor Run 19. Shiny muscle cars including 57 Chevys, T-Birds, GTOs, Mustangs, and Camaros, to coupes from the 1930s with rumble seats, along with an array of pick-up trucks ranging from the 1950s to mid-1970s are some of the classic cars that will be on display from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sept. 13 at Harborview Park in Channel Islands Harbor.

Close to 300 classic cars will be entered in Harbor Run 19 – all dating before 1975. “We really have something for everyone,” said Charlie Roark, Ventura Vintage Rods’ president. “All cars are American made and there’s always a wide variety on display.”

Event attendance is free to the public; there is a $20 fee to enter a vintage car in the event. Several trophies will be handed out, along with raffle prizes and a 50/50 drawing. All proceeds benefit local charities. Last year the event raised more than $12,000, according to Roark, and they’re hoping to raise more this year. Year-round, Ventura Vintage Rods helps raise money to donate to local charities, such as Oxnard Police K9 Unit, Victory Outreach and local food banks. CONTINUED »

In observance of the Labor Day holiday, employees of Santa Clara Valley Disposal will be taking the day off on Monday, Sept. 7. As a result, Fillmore city residential customers will have their trash and green waste collected one day later than usual, on Saturday, Sept. 12.

The regular Friday collection schedule will resume the following week.

For more information, call 647-1414.

Louis Gabrielsen

Congratulations to Louis Gabrielsen who was recognized for his 75-year membership in Freemasonry. Shown are Grand
Master of California Masons Larry Adamson, and Vernon Dandridge, Assistant Grand Lecturer of Area V. Gabrielsen
received a certificate of accomplishment, a replica set of Masonic tools from the Grand Master, and a lapel pin. Gabrielsen, 96, became a Mason in 1934 and is a member of East San Diego Masonic Lodge #561. Gabrielsen was a tax accountant in Fillmore for 50-plus years.

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Story courtesy Annette Cardona, Community Services Supervisor.

The Memorial Building bathroom construction started April 27, 2009 and the estimated completion day will be
September 4, 2009. Both bathrooms were gutted out to the concrete on the floor, the plumbing and electrical have
both been replaced, a wall was knocked out extending the men’s bathroom all the way to the dinning room, the entry door to the women’s restroom was moved over about two feet, and the front entry doors have been moved and replaced.

Also, the entry way was changed to make it handicap accessible with a ramp, and the wall outside the women’s restroom was redone, the boards with dry rot were replaced, the hole on the outside wall has been dry walled and
the wall will be repainted. All the toilets, partitions, sinks, and light fixtures will all be brand new along with all the other bathroom necessities needed.

The Fillmore-Piru Veterans Memorial Building Bathroom Project is paid for by RDA monies and CDBG MONIES. The cost of the project will be $207,220.69 without any additional change orders for the project.

In conjunction with the Fillmore Historical Museum we are attempting to begin a tribute to the Performing Arts in Fillmore and Piru.

Remember that great Christmas Program you participated in at school? Remember the Spring Operetta you were in at Sespe School? How about the Senior Play you participated in during your senior year? How about the Piru Dance Festival held each year? We are seeking written remembrances, photos ( be sure and identify the year, the place and the names of those pictured), programs, scripts and posters.

We plan to organize and exhibit paying tribute to all performing arts both in Fillmore and Piru. We hope to honor those who actively encouraged the arts. Mr. Mozley, Bea Albright, Don Ospenson, John and Mysrt Brothers, Phil Catalano, the Sespe Players, and the Fillmore Soroptomists are just some of the people and organizations we hope to honor. Please provided additional names and organizations if you can.

Please spend a little time and junt for artifacts we can use. If you have questions or need more information don't hesitate to contact one of the following: Ken Mittan kennethmittan@yahoo.com; Judy Towner judytee@aol.com ; Lucy Rangel tangelfan@roadrunner.com ; Susan Dollar dkdollar@prodgy.net.

Thanks for all you guys to assist the growing of the Arts in Fillmore.

Ventura County businesses can take advantage of the expertise offered by Ventura County Job & Career Centers by attending two upcoming business expos. The first is Ventura Business Showcase sponsored by the Ventura Chamber of Commerce. The Business Showcase will be at the Ventura County Fairgrounds (Santa Cruz Hall, 101 West Harbor Blvd., Ventura), Thursday, September 17, 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Admission: $5. The second is the 2009 Fall Business Expo sponsored by the Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Expo will be at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza (880 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village), Thursday, September 24, 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Job & Career Center representatives will be on hand at both of these events to discuss free center services that can help employers seeking qualified workers or assist businesses facing workforce reduction. The centers, located throughout Ventura County, also provide access to business consulting services and development of customized training programs for new and current employees. For more information about center services, call 800-500-7705 or visit www.wib.ventura.org.

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley is pleased to announce its 2009-2010 Board of Directors. Having graciously volunteered to serve as officers of the Board are Michael Hause, Board President, Patty Harrison, President Elect, Gary Nasalroad, Secretary and Past President, John Kulwiec, Treasurer. These dedicated individuals are joined in service by Santa Paula Chief of Police Steve McKinnon, Past President Mike Mobley, Immediate Past President Tony Soriano, Real Estate Agent Diane Torrance, and our newest Board Member, Attorney Deborah Jurgensen. Board members are charged with overseeing the function of the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley and all of the locations that make up the organization: Santa Paula Clubhouse, Las Piedras Clubhouse, Fillmore Clubhouse, North Fillmore Clubhouse, Rancho Sespe Clubhouse, and the six Aspire Program school sites, Barbara Webster Elementary, Thelma Bedell Elementary. Glen City School, McKevett School, Blanchard School, and Grace Thille Elementary School. The board is looking forward to the 2009-2010 fiscal year with enthusiasm, optimism and confidence that the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley can, with the communities continued help and support, thrive and grow in the support of its mission “…to inspire, enrich and enable the healthy growth and development of all youth in a supportive and safe environment throughout the Santa Clara Valley.” CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

LOS ANGELES, CA. To help motorists, bicyclists and young pedestrians stay safe and aware as nearly 7 million children in California return to school in the coming weeks and to improve all around traffic safety, the Automobile Club of Southern California is distributing hundreds of back to school safety newsletters, posters and bumper stickers to schools, law enforcement agencies and AAA-Approved Auto Repair facilities as part of AAA’s 76th annual “School’s Open—Drive Carefully educational campaign.

Nationally, traffic collisions are the number one cause of death and injury for youngsters less than 15 years of age. And this year as the result of the state budget, more school districts are reducing or idling school buses, shifting more driving to parents. At the same time, more bicyclists and motorcyclists are on the roadway trying to save gasoline, creating a challenging safety environment for all who share the road, according to the Auto Club.

“Traffic congestion in parking lots and streets near campuses increases after school starts. This, paired with children’s tendency to dart into the street without looking for oncoming traffic, increases hazards children face while walking to and from school or waiting at bus stops,” said the Auto Club’s Anita Lorz, community relations and traffic safety team lead. “Drivers must watch for children walking or riding a bike and reduce speeds in school zones.” CONTINUED »