Ventura, CA - Another wave of local cyclists discovered the benefits of bicycle commuting, thanks to the annual Bike to Work Week campaign presented by the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD).

This year’s Bike to Work Week campaign, which inspired commuters to try biking as a travel option, ran from May 11-15. Final tallies revealed that online participation increased again, as a record 235 riders filled out a short entry form at www.GoVentura.org. Attendance was also strong at “pit stop” events set up around the county, where 168 riders stopped by despite gloomy weather and the threat of rain at the end of the week.

The “pit stops” were held during morning commute hours in Camarillo (May 11), Oxnard (May 12), Simi Valley (May 13), Ventura (May 14), and Thousand Oaks (May 15). During these events, attendees received free bike tune-ups courtesy of local bike shops, breakfast refreshments, and bike-related giveaways.

“Every year, more and more people discover the benefits of bicycle commuting, which is good for your health, good for traffic congestion, and good for the environment,” said VCTC Executive Director Darren Kettle. “VCTC will continue to improve our bikeways and work with citizens to make biking to work an effective commute option.”

Eligible participants who registered online were entered for the chance to win one of the items in this year’s prize pool. Entries were received from cyclists commuting to local worksites from communities across Ventura County.

This year’s prizes consisted of a new bicycle (via $500 gift certificate to Performance Bicycles), presented to Eliverto V. of Oxnard; an Amazon Kindle, awarded to Michele S. of Thousand Oaks; a Garmin GPS Device, awarded to Chris N. of Camarillo; two cellphone mounts won by John G. of Ventura and Mark C. of Simi Valley; and two VISA gift cards in the amounts of $100, awarded to Joy B. of Santa Paula, and $50, awarded to Shelly S. of Ventura.

“Bike to Work Week is becoming a highly anticipated annual tradition,” Kettle added. “We’re looking forward to making 2016 the best Bike to Work Week yet.”

For more information about VCTC, Ventura County bikeways, or VCTC’s mobile bikeways app, visit www.GoVentura.org or call (800) 438-1112.

The Ventura County Library wants you to design our new children and teen library cards. The contest will run from June 1 through June 30. Only children (ages 5-12) and teens (ages 13-17) are eligible to participate, one entry per person. All entries must be submitted on a regulated contest form. You may pick up a regulated contest form with contest rules at any Ventura County Library. For library locations please visit www.vencolibrary.org

Here are some ideas on how you can save water in your garden.

Mulch, mulch, mulch! A layer of 2 - 4 inches of wood mulch will reduce water use tremendously. Don't let the mulch layer get less than 2 inches.

Water your plants in the morning. The cool part of the day is the best time to water.

Water deeply. You need to train the plants in your garden where to find water. By watering deeply, roots will be able to grow deeply and find the moisture they need.

Water your trees. Many of our trees are expecting to have water during the summer because they have always had water during the summer. When watering trees, water slowly and deeply for many hours. Apply water halfway out to the drip line of the tree and not at the trunk of the tree.

Use organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizers breakdown slowly allowing the plant to use the nutrients they need.

Water use communities. When designing your yard, create areas with similar water requirements. Keeping plants together with the same water needs will allow you to water for those plants needs and not the one plant that needs more than the rest.

WUCOLS. This web site will let you know what the water requirements of plants are so you can easily create water use communities in your garden. http://ucanr.edu/sites/WUCOLS/

June 20th - At our Summer Rose Care class at 9am we will be talking about these ideas and answering your dry questions.

Otto & Sons Nursery
1835 E. Guiberson Rd.
Fillmore Ca 93015
805-524-2123
www.ottoandsons-nursery.com

The Ventura College Foundation has awarded a total of $28,000 Phoenix Scholarships to 28 re-entry students this spring, helping them get one step closer to achieving their career goals by returning to Ventura College to study. Re-entry students are defined as people who return to school to learn new skills in order to be competitive in the marketplace or who are returning to school after an extended break.

Each student received a scholarship of $1,000, awarded at the 16th annual scholarship ceremony, which was hosted by the Foundation’s staff and board of directors. Stan Weisel, a Ventura resident and founder of the Stan Weisel Endowed Scholarships, sponsored the event this year and has pledged to do so for the rest of his life.

“I didn’t know that this was the treasure that I was looking for all my life—to help other people,” said Weisel. “Most people would love to make people happy.”

The Ventura College Foundation board of directors started the program in November 1999 after learning about the special needs of Ventura College re-entry students.

“Each year, I am inspired by the scholarship recipients’ tenacity and their unwavering determination. These students are driven to overcome financial and personal challenges to be in school so they can upgrade their skills and make a better life for themselves and their families,” said Richard Taylor, Ventura College Foundation board member and one of the Phoenix Scholarship program founders. “Finding the money and the time to pay for and attend college when you’re already working a job and/or caring for a family requires commitment and sacrifice. I am so glad to see the efforts of these students acknowledged with a Phoenix Scholarship.”

Weisel is a retired math instructor who taught at East Los Angeles College for a quarter century. He volunteers at the Stan Weisel Tutoring Center at Ventura College, helping students as they study for finals.

To be eligible for a Phoenix Scholarship, students submit an application and essay, and obtain recommendations from counselors, faculty and employers. Recipients are chosen based on their academic goals and progress, along with their financial need.

Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation provides financial support to the students and the programs of Ventura College to facilitate student success and grow the impact and legacy of Ventura College as a vital community asset. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace, an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus east parking lot. For more information, contact Norbert Tan at (805) 289-6160 or ntan@vcccd.edu. Or visit www.venturacollege.edu/foundation.

The author will be signing books at:
Fillmore Historical Museum (350 Main St, Fillmore, CA 93015) on June 11th at 4 pm
Bank of Books (748 E Main St, Ventura, CA 93001) on June 20th from 1-3 pm.

Since its beginning as a Southern Pacific Railroad town 100 years ago, Fillmore has been the setting of many legends and true tales, like the St. Francis Dam disaster, the 1994 earthquake, and the Hollywood film shoots. Joaquin Murietta hid in the hills, and the story of the T. Wallace More murder in Rancho Sespe in 1877 was the “murder of the century.” Rancho Camulos, owned by the del Valle family until 1924, signifies the last of the Californios. Today, it is owned by the descendants of August Rubel. Tales of the sycamore tree abound, and it is an icon on Highway 126, as is the tower of the Sanitary Dairy, which was ordered from the Sears, Roebuck & Company in Chicago. Oil was discovered early in Shiells Canyon and brought Texaco to town. The fruit industry prospered, and Sunkist was welcomed. Hugh Warring installed indoor plumbing in the Piru Mansion. The likes of “Booty” Sanchez, Marcelino “Woody” Ybarra, Gene Wren, Kevin Gross, Jim Fauver, and Dorothy Shiells still influence the community.

The Fillmore Fire Department wants to remind everyone that fire season is here and Fillmore Fire Department will be doing its annual weed abatement inspections. Let’s get ahead of the game and get your weeds cut down. Weeds
must be trimmed below 3” in height and debris removed from the property to eliminate the potentially hazardous situation.

The weed abatement deadline is June 1, 2015. Properties failing to meet this deadline will be cleaned by a City of Fillmore approved Weed Abatement Contractor and the property owner will be billed for the cost plus a 15% administrative fee. These Weed Abatement Deadline, June 1st costs constitute a special assessment and may become
a lien against the properties noted parcel. The collection of such assessments and enforcement of the lien shall be made by the Ventura County Tax Collector. The Fillmore Fire Department thanks you in advance for your cooperation in keeping our town safe.

Come enjoy dinner & some music Wednesday, May 27th, 2015.

The Grilled Cheese Truck & Kona Ice will be serving deliciousness at the Fillmore Middle School 5pm - 7pm.

Then stay for the Fillmore Middle School & Elementary School Bands Spring Concert which starts at 7pm.

Hope to see you there!
Judy Fairall,
Fillmore Band Boosters

Gavin
Enlarge Photo

Missy
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The non-profit Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC) in Ventura County is launching the “Who’s Your Momma Contest” on the SPARC Facebook page through mid-June.

Two unusual-looking dogs at SPARC were chosen to have their DNA tested to determine their breed ancestry. Anyone who would like to guess their breed by looking at the dogs’ photos can enter the contest on SPARC’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/santapaulaarc. A $5 donation is encouraged, but not required. Donations go toward the cost of medical care for the shelter animals. The contest also is being held to bring attention to the two dogs, which are seeking a foster or forever home.

Rene Ruston, a director on the SPARC Board, says, “For many dogs, a DNA test may mean a dog gets adopted faster if it looks like a mutt but has a specific breed in its background DNA. Some breeds experience stereotyping and this could also help them be more easily adopted.”

The two SPARC dogs, Gavin and Missy, were DNA tested. Even professionals who work with dogs had a hard time assessing their breed when they arrived at the shelter.

Gavin is a hefty but gentle dog with severe ear infections that were left untreated by previous owners for months, if not years. Gavin recently had surgery to repair the damage to his ears. Not only is the aftermath of the surgery painful but it requires a long recovery period, which means Gavin needs to find a foster or forever home where he can recover.

Missy is a healthy, sparkling white and tan, almost one-year old puppy with gigantic “bunny” ears. She needs an active owner who can take her for long daily walks and give her the affection she craves. She’s quick to learn and wants to please everyone.

To enter the SPARC “Who’s Your Momma Contest,” go to the SPARC website at www.santapaulaarc.org or on www.facebook/santapaulaarc. Correct answers will be entered into a drawing and the first three entries drawn will win a prize. No purchase is necessary to enter.

SPARC is a private, non-profit organization and is the first open admission, no-kill animal shelter in Ventura County. SPARC is a place where homeless animals are brought for humane care without risk of being killed due to lack of space, illness or injury. SPARC rehabilitates and rehomes animals while partnering with the community to provide spay/neuter resources and vaccination programs as well as educational outreach. SPARC relies solely on private donations.

The Friends of the Santa Paula Blanchard Community Library invite all book lovers to their “Back Stacks” Book Sales. They are held the first Saturday of every month from 10AM to 2PM, every Wednesday from Noon to 4PM, and every Thursday and Friday from Noon to 2PM.The next First-Saturday sale will be June 6, 2015. The sales offer great choices in fiction, non-fiction, children’s books and collectibles and are accessed from the north parking lot of the library at 119 N. 8th Street, Santa Paula, CA.Most books are priced from $.50-$2.00.Collectibles start at $4.00.

This month’s specials include a four volume boxed set of Doonesbury Classics by G. B. Trudeau, a two volume boxed set of “Great River, the Rio Grande”, portraying the importance this river has had in our history, and a three volume boxed set of “The Crosswicks Journal” by MadelineL’Engle. Each set is $1.00. Also visit the $1.00 table at the June 6 sale for more incredible bargains.
For more information email fobcl@yahoo.com.

Ventura, CA - Community Memorial Health System’s Healthy Women’s Program is hosting a Community Outreach Day which offers free mammograms and healthcare education to the first 35 women who qualify. This event will take place at the Center for Family Health in Ventura on Saturday, June 13.

The women will arrive early at the CFH office at 138 W. Main Street in Ventura where they will be transported to The Breast Center at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, and then back to the Centers office.

In 2014, an estimated 235,030 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 Healthy Women’s Program provided through Community Memorial Health System benefits women in the community who are uninsured, under-insured or lack funds to pay for mammograms and follow-up treatment, if necessary.

“These women have nowhere else in the county to go to get these services; that’s why they come to us,” said Patty Jimenez, Healthy Women’s Program Outreach Coordinator.

“I was due for my yearly mammogram…this program was a blessing to me.”
Catalina Cardone
“A special thank you for the services this program offers, I am completely satisfied. My appreciation to everyone who helps fund this much need program.”
Maria Molina.
The Healthy Women’s Program is made possible through funds raised by the Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation’s annual Gold Dust Gala, along with the generous support of the Wallis Foundation.

To find out if you qualify for this program, call 805/651-2661. For more information on the Healthy Women’s Program visit www.cmhshealth.org/healthywomen.

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

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, employees of Santa Clara Valley Disposal will be taking the day off on Monday, May 25. As a result, Fillmore city residential customers will have their trash and green waste collected on Saturday, May 30, one day later than usual.

The regular Friday collection schedule will resume the following week.

For more information, call 647-1414.

More than $3,251,000.00 has been contributed this year by members of Elks Lodges throughout California and Hawaii to be used in treating children with disabilities.. “We are pleased and proud that members of our local Elks Lodges were so generous with their dollars and time in this important undertaking. Since 1950, the 84,000 members from throughout California and Hawaii have turned over more than $103,400,000 to the California-Hawaii Elks Major Project, Inc., which administers the non-profit charitable corporation. All of the funds are devoted solely to providing vision screening and therapy treatment to children with a broad range of disabilities. Without the Elks supported donations, many of these children would not receive such treatment. The year-long fund raising campaign is capped by an impressive ceremony at the annual Elks Convention when representatives of lodges from throughout California and Hawaii present their donations to Major Project and Elks Association leaders. The raising of funds to aid children with disabilities is just one of the many philanthropic and patriotic projects which mark the Elks’ contribution to our community.