Dear Business Owner,
Softball and T-Ball registrations are here for the 2009 season. With economic times making it a difficult decision for families to do something as simple as having their child in a local sports league; the league has not raised registration fees. Although our costs, such as ASA insurance, field usage, equipment, and snack bar supplies, has gone up! We need your help to off set these expenses, and you benefit by advertising your business.

We are offering to have your business name on a team’s caps/visors for the price of $150.00. Along with this the league will list all business advertisers on the league website, with a link to your business website if you so choose. We will announce all business advertisers at the opening/closing ceremonies (a crowd of up to 1000), submit an article to Fillmore Gazette announcing upcoming softball events and thanking business advertisers. You will also receive a team appreciation plaque at closing ceremonies.

Last season, we served 327 children from ages 4 ½ to 14 years old, from Fillmore and Santa Paula. We hope to reach even more this year! We look forward to working with you to make this the best Softball/T-Ball season ever!!

Please contact me with any questions at 805-524-0537 or suziortiz@yahoo.com
Sincerely, Suzi Ortiz /Fillmore Girls Softball & T-Ball –Public Relations

Steven and Marianne Hadley of 14 Dana, Fillmore, were awarded Yard of the Month for February 2009. The award is issued by Civic Pride 2020 and includes a donated Otto and Sons $25 gift certificate.

The Hadley’s have lived in the home since 2005. Where there was once just dirt and two fruit trees, they have created a lovely sanctuary that includes a brick pathway that leads through arbors of morning glories. The front of the home is filled with birch trees, nasturtiums, marguerites, lilies, and snapdragons. The plantings are still providing color in February and by spring they will be really beautiful.

The Hadley’s have demonstrated what hard work can accomplish with even a small area.

Councilman Steve Conaway.

Councilman and former Mayor Steve Conaway holds Pebbles the Wonder Dog (Gazette mascot) and the boomerang he made, and will mail to Gazette web site blogger “Centurion”, as reward for reaching 1,000 points on fillmoregazette.com. Conaway is a professional manufacturer of boomerangs, under the logo: Aboriginal Steve’s Boomerangs.

Soroptimist International of Fillmore is inviting you to join us for lunch and a speaker on the topic of human trafficking. Human trafficking affects thousands of innocent people.

Come join us on Wednesday, Feb. 18th at 12:00 at William L Morris Cafe for a special speaker on Slavery and Trafficking by CAST (Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking). There are at least 50,000 women, men, and children trafficked into the United States every year, and yes, it has happened in Fillmore.

For Reservations: Email Oralia at magnoliares@sbcglobal.net, or call Jeri at 524-2375. Lunch is $12:00 per person. Feel free to forward this email to your friends and family. Everyone is welcome. Make your check payable to Soroptimist. Be informed and remember you can make a difference.

Applications for the Miss Fillmore/Miss Teen Fillmore Pageant are available. The annual Mother/Daughter Team will take place at the Memorial Building on Wednesday, February 25th beginning at 6:30PM. First official practice will begin Wednesday, March 4th. Miss Contestants must be a Junior or Senior girl in good standing. Teen Contestants must be a girl between the ages of 13 (by January 1st) and 17 in good standing, but not a Junior or Senior. All contestants must reside within the Fillmore Unified School District boundaries. Applications are available at Fillmore High Schools Student Store, the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce or by contacting Pageant Director Lori McLain at #524-4432.

Friday, February 27th
7:00pm @ Isbell Middle School Cafeteria
Admission
$5 for Adults
$3 for Students w/ID
Kids 5yrs & under Free!

Don’t Miss This Exciting Event!!
Buy a ticket and help an 8th grader get to Washington!

Conway Spitler

The National Garden Club says to celebrate the month by offering tasty options for our feathered friends.
Blue jay, Chickadee, Finch, Mourning dove, native sparrows, nuthatch robin, and woodpecker are about.
Items to offer to these various birds are: peanut kernels, sunflower seeds, cracked corn, unsalted nut meats, raisin, suet, millet, and for the robin—any type of fruit.

How often do you tell your spouse “I love you”? Austrailia 65% France 57% Italy 50% Turkey 44% Brazil 56% Greece 51% South Africa 70% United Kingdom 65% Canada 55% India 47% Spain 60% United States 67%

The Ventura County Library community libraries will be closed Monday, February 16, for the Presidents’ Day holiday.

The fourteen Ventura County Library community libraries include Avenue Library, Camarillo Library, Fillmore Library, E. P. Foster Library, Meiners Oaks Library, Oak Park Library, Oak View Library, Ojai Library, Piru Library, Ray D. Prueter Library, Saticoy Library, Simi Valley Library, Albert H. Soliz Library, and H. P. Wright Library. Books may be returned to the bookdrops at any of the community libraries.

The Ventura County Library is available via the internet, 24 hours a day, at www.vencolibrary.org.

Dean Regan to entertain Ebell Club.

The Fillmore Ebell Club will be entertained this month by stage, Broadway and concert performer, Dean Regan, at the Veterans Memorial Building on February 24, 2009.

Dean Regan comes to us via stage performances on Broadway, concert performances across the nation, and appearances on television and film.

Dean has received both the Garland Award and the "Drama Log" Award and has performed in a Command Performance at The White House.

The Los Angeles press announced “when Regan sings...it tears your heart out” and dubbed him “charming, handsome, foot-loose and fancy-free.” His lively concerts enchant the most discerning audiences and bring them to their feet in exuberant appreciation. His melodious voice, bewitching style and comic timing have inspired audiences to dub him an exhilarating mixture of “Romantic Crooner” and “Court Jester of Song.” Dean's unique style brings both a heartfelt, romantic depth, as well as a fast-paced, comic energy across the footlights. Each concert is full of musical variety crafted from America’s Popular Song Book (Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Dorothy Fields) and Broadway’s Greatest Hits (Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber)...as well as a few surprises. Check out Dean’s website at www.deanregan.com.

Anyone interested in more information, or becoming a member of the Fillmore Ebell Club, may call Trisha Armstrong at 805-727-1901.

Remember the grand Fillmore Flower shows that were held for more than 60 years? Civic Pride members with the help of other interested parties would like to bring it back. Now, it is well on its way to becoming "alive" once again thanks to the leadership of Linda Nunes and Joanne King.

Recently, a group met with the idea that the Fillmore Flower Show will be held this year, April 4th & 5th at the Fillmore Community Center (Senior Center). The show will be open to the public from 1-4pm each day. Entry times will be Saturday April 4th from 7:30am-10:30am.

The flower show committee, hoping the show to be well attended, is working to organize the details. Some of the tasks left include judges, brochures, newspaper articles, to inform interested groups (Boy Scouts, FFA, and other youth groups), and informing all the interested gardening advocates within the city and Fillmore area.
Planning meetings will be held Mondays at 1:30pm in the city hall conference room, each week until the show. An exception will be February 16th, due to the Presidents Day Holiday. Instead, the meeting will be Tuesday at 1:30pm, same location. CONTINUED »

Curves of Fillmore is rolling out the red carpet to members of the award-winning Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness Program, the nation’s leading exercise program designed for older adults. Beginning January 1, 2009, SilverSneakers members are eligible to join Curves of Fillmore at no cost.

"We are so pleased to welcome local SilverSneakers members to Curves of Fillmore," said club owner Denise Johnson. "As you age, your risks for debilitating disease increase, and being overweight or obese significantly adds to that risk. At Curves of Fillmore, we have programs that help women of all ages do the three most significant things they can do to decrease their risks -- manage their weight, exercise regularly, and eat healthfully."

Stop by club at 410 Central Ave or call 805 524-0337. CONTINUED »

Charles Morris won in the Fashion/Editorial classification (which includes glamour) for a portrait of former Miss California Teen, Taylor Atkins, entitled “The Look.”

Two photographs by KSSP Photographic Studios have received merit awards at the quarterly print competition held by the Channel Islands Professional Photography Association (CIPPA) on February 9. Carmelita Miranda won a merit award for her print entitled “Colorful Neighbors” in the Landscape classification. Charles Morris won in the Fashion/Editorial classification (which includes glamour) for a portrait of former Miss California Teen, Taylor Atkins, entitled “The Look.” This print tied in points for best in category.

CIPPA is a local affiliate of the Professional Photographers of California. In recent state-wide print competition, CIPPA photographers secured top photographer awards in seven of the 20 categories. Many of the best photographers in the state work in Ventura County.

Professional photographers compete in print competitions to see how they compare with other photographers and to improve their techniques . Merit judging is performed by three independent judges from outside of the group. The judges do not know who took the photographs being judged. Only about 1 in 5 prints earn a merit award.

Principal photographers at KSSP are Carmelita Miranda and Charles Morris. KSSP is a full service photography studio specializing in portrait, wedding and quinceanera photography (and video). KSSP is the Fillmore High School photographer..

For further information, please contact KSSP Photographic Studios at 524-6400 or visit http://ksspphotostudios.com.

Time Warner Cable will offer 40 One-Cent Movies On Demand to help customer save this Valentine’s Day

As part of an effort to show customers just how much they care, and to offer a cost-saving alternative for Valentine’s Day, Time Warner Cable will offer customers the “1 Cent Love N’ Movies Deal” in honor of Valentine’s Day Weekend.

For Valentine’s Day Weekend, beginning 12:01 AM, Saturday, February 14th through Sunday, February 15th 11:59 PM, Time Warner Cable will offer all digital cable subscribers a special catalog of 40 current and classic box-office romance, action, drama, thriller, comedy, children and family hit movies, exclusively On Demand, for one cent each. CONTINUED »

California Highway Patrol

The California Highway Patrol is offering a traffic safety program for teenage drivers and their parents. The Start Smart Program is aimed at helping future and newly licensed teenage drivers become aware of the responsibilities that accompany the privilege of being a licensed California driver. The program is designed as an educational tool for parents and teenagers in an effort to reduce the number of teenage injuries and deaths resulting from traffic collisions. Traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for 15-20 year olds. The primary objective of the program is to provide teens and parents with an understanding of how poor choices behind the wheel can affect the lives of numerous people. The Start Smart program also provides teens and parents with information on defensive driving, traffic laws in California, dynamics of traffic collisions, tips on avoiding traffic collisions, and DUI awareness.

Officer Pedeferri, who was critically injured by a driver who was under the influence of drugs, will once again be the guest speaker at this month’s presentation. The collision also killed an innocent party, and left Pedeferri as a paraplegic. “Officer Pedeferri has had a tremendous impact with our presentations, and his participation has only helped to increase the numbers of attendees,” Officer Untalan, PIO for the Ventura Area stated.

Smart Start classes are free of charge. The next class will be on Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 6:30 pm. For more details, and to make a reservation, please call Officer Mike Untalan at (805)477-4130.

A free, five-day Job Search Workshop for unemployed professionals is offered by OPEN (Outstanding Professionals Employment Network), a chapter of Experience Unlimited, sponsored by California EDD.

This workshop includes tips on writing resumes and cover letters, interviewing, networking, online job search and more. The workshop begins Monday Feb. 9 and runs through Friday, Feb. 13 (2009) from 8:30 a.m. a.m. to 1 p.m. in Simi Valley.

Register at www.eu-open.org. For questions, call 805-526-6349.