Acoustic country/bluegrass jam for fiddlers, guitar pickers, banjo & mandolins. All skill levels are welcome. 2nd and 4th Sunday of the months (next is April 26). Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Road, Oak View. Hosted by California Old Time Fiddler's Association. FREE.

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 the Human Services Agency of Ventura County at 805-654-3456 or go to vchsa.org/foster.

EVENT DATE: Saturday, May 30 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
LOCATION: 4601 Telephone Road, Suite 112, Ventura.

Nan Drake, Community Relations Director for Santa Clara Dispsoal

(Fillmore, California) Nan Drake, community relations director for Santa Clara Dispsoal, has been named one of the Top 50 Women in Business in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Tri-Counties
Drake was feted by the Pacific Coast Business Times at a special reception at Fess Parker’s Double Tree Resort in Santa Barbara.

Drake, who represents Santa Clara Disposal which serves the cities of Fillmore and Santa Paula has been very active in the Santa Clara Valley. She was co-chair of the 2008 Santa Clara Valley Boys & Girls Club Auction and is the president-elect of the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce.

Her tireless commitment to recycling has made Ventura County the most lauded and praised county in California. The California Integrated Waste Management Board frequently cites Ventura County as an excellent example to follow in recycling. She is an enthusiastic speaker for environmental issues and a sustainable community that makes her a favorite for Rotary Clubs and the like.

Nan is the voice of one of the largest family owned trash-hauling companies in the United States. She also represents Gold Coast Recycling, Agromin and California Wood Recycling. CONTINUED »

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We would like to give a special Thanks to The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Tri Counties,(Jeffrey,Jennette,and to all who made it possible). Thank you so much for granting my daughter's wish and for making it a magical stay at The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim,Ca. I would also like to Thank all the doctors who have cared for our daughter Brianna,you have truly made a difference in our lives. We would also like to give a special Thanks to The Disneyland Resorts for making our daughter's stay as comfortable as possible. And also speaking of comfortable we also want to Thank our limo driver for giving us a smooth and comfortable ride over and back home. And we would also like to give a special Thanks to The Fillmore Gazette for taking pictures of our daughter and publishing our article. Thank You so much this will be a trip that our daughter will never forget.

Musician Paul Baker will perform for the Eubell Club.

Tuesday, April 28th – Ebell Club - Harpist, organist, pianist, director and arranger, Paul Baker keeps a busy schedule of solo performance, recording, conducting and arranging. Paul grew up in Seattle, Washington and attended Seattle Pacific University and the University of Washington. He received his Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California. His music on Celtic harp, concert harp, piano organ and harpsichord can be heard on recordings and movie soundtracks. Twice a prizewinner in the International Pop and Jazz harp Competition, he has published 20 arrangements of American standard songs arranged for solo harp. The group Pastiche premiered his arrangements for flute, harp and voice, “A Gershwin Sampler” and “Seven Popular Spanish Songs” at Carnegie Hall. Voted “Best Musical Director of the Year” for his work with Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Assassins”, he has recently performed at the Hollywood bowl with Ann Miller and Charlotte Church, played for the touring companies of “Phantom of the Opera” and “Peter Pan” at the historic Pantages Theater in Hollywood, and worked on several new recordings and film scores. He has been organist and organist/choir director for several of the major churches in the Seattle and Los Angeles areas. Paul’s solo Celtic harp CDs are “The Tranquil Harp” and “The Ladder of the Soul” and his newest CD, “Celtic Harp: The Quiet Path,” has just won Best New Age Album and Best New Age Song in the Independent Music Awards in 2009.

For the past four years Mr. Baker has been the musical director for the William Inge Theater Festival and has created their tributes to Kander and Ebb, Adolph Green and most recently the 2007 tribute for Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock. He played for the national tour of “The Producers” starring Jason Alexander and Martin Short at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood and the National Tour of Camelot with Michael York.

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

Conway Spitler

If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.-- Bill Gates
Life is not fair - get used to it! -- Bill Gates
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they will give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a card phone until you earn both.
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

March 30, 2009 (Ventura, CA) The Ventura County Fair is an annual celebration of agriculture; of cultivating the land, producing crops and raising livestock. With that in mind, the 31st District Agricultural Association, who organizes the Fair is pleased to announce that the theme of the 2009 Ventura County Fair is “Purebred and Home Grown”.

“For 12 magical days we will present the community with an educational and fun look at agriculture, Ventura County’s principal industry. It is our wish to teach our children, and those who are new to the county, how important agriculture is to each of us, and how it can help us to better our lives,” said Barbara Quaid, the Fair’s CEO and General Manager, adding “Purebred and Home Grown” is a perfect theme that will enhance the Fair’s distinct character.”

Within this celebration visitors will also enjoy competitions in the various arts divisions, free entertainment, the fun of the carnival midway, the fabulous fair food we all enjoy once a year and many untold surprises!
The Ventura County Fair will open Wednesday, August 5 with fun for the whole family until Sunday, August 16.
For more information about the Ventura County Fair, please call (805) 648-3376 or visit us at www.venturacountyfair.org.

Saturday April 18th, 2009
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
The Ventura Family YMCA will join more than 1,700 YMCAs nationwide in hosting its 18th annual YMCA Healthy Kids Day, on Saturday, April 18th, from 8am to 1pm. An opportunity for kids and families to “Put Play in Their Day,” this special event uses free, fun, engaging, and creative activities to encourage children and families to adopt behaviors that support a healthy lifestyle.
YMCA Healthy Kids Day exemplifies Activate America®, the YMCA’s response to our nation’s growing health crisis. The YMCA is redefining itself and engaging communities across the country to better support Americans of all ages who are struggling to achieve and maintain well-being in spirit, mind and body.
Throughout its nearly 160-year history as a volunteer and charitable organization, the YMCA has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of the communities and individuals it serves. Today a new set of issues are calling the YMCA to act. CONTINUED »

Piru Neighborhood Council Meeting
Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 6:30 P.M.
Piru Community Center

AGENDA

Social hour at 6:30 p.m., refreshments will be served. Easter Egg Hunt photos from Heritage Valley Studios will be on sale during this get-together and after the meeting.

Pledge of Allegiance

1. Public Comment (5 minutes per person) on issues not on the agenda below.

2. Speaker: Jim Delperdang, Ventura County Code Compliance – “County Zoning Enforcement” and “Building and Safety Code Enforcement” have been combined into one agency. Brief presentation on services available.

3. Speaker: Nicole Norori, CEDC – 60 Farm Worker Rentals –An update and brief overview on the proposed development of 60 units at the former farm worker labor camp (east Center Street). Nicole will also give an update on the Focused EIR process and the 45 day public review / comment period scheduled to start April 10, 2009. (Comment period closes mid-May.) CONTINUED »

Saticoy, CA – In its commitment to keeping the community healthy, Ventura County Health Care Agency and the Public Health Department are holding a community health fair in Saticoy at the Jose Flores Saticoy Community Center, on Saturday, April 18th, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

There will be free health screenings provided by Public Health for glucose (blood sugar), blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and body fat. Dr. Raul Reyes, of Santa Paula, will be giving free dental screenings.

In addition, the fair will provide fun for the entire family, with a prize wheel and various activities, including a Jolly Jump for kids. There will be information about access to medical care, coverage and low cost services available to all Ventura County residents.

For more information on this event, please call 805-677-5252..

Camarillo, Calif. – For those who may have missed out on the first Babysitter’s Training Course offered by the American Red Cross of Ventura County – don’t despair. Because of the overwhelming response to the first session, an additional class has been scheduled for May 1-2.

The first session is on Friday, May 1 and runs from 4 to 9 p.m., and continues on Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each student will receive certificates in Babysitting, CPR for children and infants and First Aid.

Trainees will also learn how to supervise children, obtain feeding tips, get information on age appropriate games, and learn how to handle bedtime and discipline issues. The course will also cover resume writing and business card development. CONTINUED »

Mark Ortega took Grand Prize at the Fillmore Flower Show.

The revived Fillmore Flower Show, 2009, sponsored by Vision2020/Civic Pride Committee is past and now remains a memory of sweet fragrances, beautiful flower specimens, bouquets and arrangements in all their glory for those who attended and/or managed to meet the entry deadline from 7:30-10:30 AM on Saturday morning.

There were 267 entries! Conway Spitler, many time, former show chairman, expressed his opinion that it was a “good turnout” after an 11 year break between shows. Past shows had over 400+ entries.

Violin and mandolin music on Saturday by Asher Smith and a short, spontaneous concert on Sunday by an unknown pianist, provided lovely ambience. But it was the “buzz” of enthusiastic and appreciative conversations filling the Senior Center as friends met up with friends they hadn’t seen in a while and hearing parents explaining to their interested children the meaning of flower terms, like “fragrance”, that delighted this committee member!
Bringing back this flower show was definitely a group effort by Civic Pride Committee members, with even recently retired Civic Pride Committee chairwoman, Judy Dressler and husband, Ray, helping with bottle collection, poster creation and recruiting past show experts such as Joanne King, to get involved. Bill Dewey and Cindy Klittich collected bottles, secured judges and involved the Boy Scouts in bottle washing which was a huge, time consuming task and they also helped with cleanup. Thank you! Sarah Hansen’s efforts secured a microphone for the award ceremony and Conway and Linda kept the publicity articles flowing to “The Sespe Sun”, “Fillmore Gazette”, “Star Free Press” and other local calendar publications. (Civic Pride Committee appreciates the coverage given to promote their various community projects!) CONTINUED »

The Soroptimists of Fillmore honored students from Fillmore Middle School and Fillmore High School at an awards luncheon buffet on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at Mr. Good-Lunch Cafe. The Verna Padelford Creative Writing Award for the Middle School and High School were awarded for poetry and short story/essay. All the student winners who placed received cash awards for their entries. For Middle School, the award which covered Poetry, went to Sarah Pace for 1st place, Laura Soroptimists Award Student Writers from Middle School and High School Garnica for 2nd place, and Brooke Aguirre for 3rd place. Brooke Aguirre also received Honorable Mention for another poem. The award which covered Short Story/Essay went to Laura Garnica for 1st Place and Michael Topete for 2nd Place (there was not a 3rd place winner). At the High School level, the winners for Poetry this year were Stephanie Hernandez for 1st place, 2nd place went to Christina Gutierrez, and 3rd Place went to Larissa Downing. Itzelle Iniguez received Honorable Mention. The Short Story/Essay winners were Erik Orozco for 1st Place, 2nd Place went to Shalise Beltran, and 3rd Place went to Vanessa Villa. The lst Place Winners in all the categories read their writings aloud to the approximately 55 club members and family and friends attending. The Soroptimists would like
to thank Rachel Cone, English teacher at Fillmore Middle School, and Wayne Bauer, English teacher at Fillmore High School, for their help in coordinating this effort. And a special thanks to the Soroptimist Writing Awards Chair, Kathleen Briggs, for her time and efforts for the judging and organizing the event, and her associate,
Soroptimist Lynne Brooks, who served as another judge. These awards are given annually by the Soroptimists in
memory of former member and school teacher, Verna Padelford. The purpose of the contest is to encourage students to write and receive recognition for their efforts. Soroptimists want to support the academic programs at the Middle School and High School, while giving individual students a feeling of personal success.

Shirley and Ken Smedley of 556 Finch Court, Fillmore, were awarded Yard of the Month for April 2009.

The Smedley’s have created a beautiful drought resistant landscape. In a front yard shaded by a western sycamore and a purple robe tree, they have planted yarrow, kangaroo paws, silver wormwood, butterfly bush, wild lilac, echium and gaura among others, to create a colorful and water saving environment.

The Smedley’s yard demonstrates that a lovely setting can be created while conserving our valuable resources.

The Yard of the Month award is issued by Civic Pride 2020 and includes a donated Otto and Sons $25 gift certificate.

Conway Spitler

The Fillmore Flower Show has come alive again due to the great participation of Fillmore flower growers and the garden club. The two leaders for this year were Jo Ann King and Linda Nunes; and of course the great participation of the flower growers in the area. The participation by the citizens who grow the flowers and them took the time to select, pick, and groom their flowers to being to the show is appreciated by the club.
The talk with the group cleaning up after the show was we have to do this again. And of course, were delighted with the participation of the public.