Camarillo, CA – The 4th Annual Coats for Casa Pacifica charity coat drive at Three Springs Park in Westlake Village on January 18th was a huge success. Privately hosted by Lydia Gable with Keller Williams Realty and Rick Winters of Winters Financial, the event included 25 tons of snow and sledding to entertain the kids and their families, free cold and hot coffee drinks and smoothies, plus an arts and crafts area.

More than 1,400 community donations of warm clothing including coats, sweaters, mittens, scarves, and sweatshirts were collected, far surpassing the previous year’s collection of approximately 1,000 items.

All the donated items were delivered on Tuesday, January 21st to Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families, the Camarillo-based agency that cares for abused, neglected, and at-risk youth through both campus and community-based programs.

Casa Pacifica’s Chief Advancement Officer Vicki Murphy was ecstatic at the huge volume of donations. “We’re so grateful to Rick and Lydia . . . it makes such a difference for our children. In general, we don’t receive a lot of coat donations, and often our kids come with just a few things when they are admitted to Casa Pacifica, so it is really lovely for them to have so many coats to choose from, and they can take as many as they like.”

Murphy continues, “On behalf of all the kids and families who desperately can use these coats and sweaters, we thank you so very much.”

Headquartered on a rural 24-acre campus just five miles from the ocean, Casa Pacifica is a crisis-care and residential treatment facility serving abused, neglected, or at-risk children with severe emotional, social, behavioral, and mental health challenges primarily in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The agency is the largest non-profit provider of children’s mental health services in both counties and administers a number of community-based programs which are designed with the intent to strengthen families and keep children in their homes. For more information about Casa Pacifica visit its website www.casapacifica.org or call the Development Department at (805) 445-7800.

The Fillmore Library was recently transformed into a room full of kids acting out various animals in the form of yoga poses, when Lisa Hammond (Next Generation Yoga for Kids) presented Yoga Fun on Wednesday, January 15th. The monthly programs are presented by Soroptimist International of Fillmore and the Fillmore Friends of the Library. Lisa is a certified and insured instructor, specializing in classes, camps, and special events like birthday parties. Yoga offers a safe space for youth to creatively express themselves, build confidence and develop strong, healthy bodies. Lisa works with youth from ages 2-13. For more information on yoga classes for youth please contact Lisa Hammond at 831.801.2276 or ngywithlisahammond@gmail.com

The Ventura County Fair announces that the 5thannual fair poster contest will be held for the 2014 Ventura County Fair. The contest is open to young artists in grades 5 - 12 who reside in Ventura County.

The theme of the 2014 fair is “A Country Fair with Ocean Air” and will serve as the guideline to the imagery. Artwork may be created in any medium but may not include the use of glitter, metallic paint, or 3 dimensional objects attached to the artwork.

Poster designs will be judged on Theme, Originality, Composition and Skill. Entries will be accepted until the entry deadline, Tuesday, April 1. Entries can be brought to the Fairgrounds administration office at 10 W. Harbor Blvd. in Ventura. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8AM until 5PM.

Rules, deadlines and other information can be found on the Fair website, www.venturacountyfair.org. For more information about the contest call 648-3376 or send an email to info@venturacountyfair.org. (Please put “Poster Contest” in the subject line)

Prizes will be awarded to the top three entries, Firstprize: $500, Second Prize: $250, Third Prize: $100

The winning design will be used to advertise the fair on posters, souvenirs, advertisements and other applications. Second and third place winners will also be used in various applications. All contestants entries will be displayed in the Youth Expo at the Ventura County Fair.

The Ventura County Fair will begin its annual 12-day run Wednesday, July 30 and continue until Sunday, August 10.

For more information about the fair, or the poster contest, please call the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 648-3376 or visit www.venturacountyfair.org. Keep up to date when you Like us on Facebook

Livingston Hospice conducts several adult Bereavement Support Groups to help those who have experienced a loss. Explore and express feeling, understand the grief process and receive emotional support. Open to the public, free of charge, all are welcome. The groups are held at:

The First Presbyterian Church, 850 Ivywood Drive, Oxnard; Every Wednesday, (February 5, 12, 19, 26); from 3:00 – 4:30 pm

Livingston Memorial VNA, 1996 Eastman Ave (#112), Ventura; Every Wednesday, (February 5, 12, 19, 26); from 6:30 – 8:00

Help of Ojai, 370 Baldwin Road, Ojai; On 2nd & 4th Tuesday, (February 11 & 25); from 10:30 am – 12 noon
For the newly bereaved: at Livingston Memorial VNA, 1996 Eastman Ave, (#112), Ventura; On second Thursday, (February 13); from 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Call 642-1608 for more information.

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Mr. and Mrs. Jim Fauver to be honored next Friday night, January 31st at the Basketball game between Fillmore High and Santa Paula High. It will be our "Pack the House" night, so please come see the Fauver's as we honor them for all the years they put into helping our Fillmore students of years past and now. Did you know they moved to Fillmore from Gary, Indiana in 1964. They were looking to move out west, and Mrs. Fauver sent out 50 plus letters to school districts all over Arizona, and California, and other western states. Mr. Fauver said one day when he came home from work, Mrs. Fauver said that he received a phone call from a Mr. Maine in Fillmore, CA. They spoke and Mr. Main said that he spoke to Mr. Fauvers superintendent, and a few others and wanted to offer him a job, and to be the Basketball coach in Fillmore. Mr. Fauver accepted, and as soon as he hung up the phone, both him and his wife pulled out the map of the U.S. and started looking for Fillmore, CA. They found it, and a few months later, he was the new Basketball Coach of our Flashes. The picture is the 1964-65 Basketball Team with Coach Fauver. Come out next Friday, January, 31st to the Basketball game as we honor two of Fillmore's finest, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Fauver, and say hello. We are sure he'd like to see some of his former players.

Ventura, CA - In honor of February’s Heart Health Month Community Memorial Health System’s HealthAware program will host an event on Friday, Feb. 7 to celebrate National Wear Red Day.

The event is being held as part of the “Go Red for Women” campaign to raise awareness about the nation’s No. 1 killer: heart disease.

Beginning at 10 a.m., a variety of activities will be held on the front lawn of Community Memorial Hospital, 147 N. Brent St., in Ventura. They include:

• Free red dress embroidered sticker with blood pressure check;
• Free reusable red bag for those wearing red;
• Free body composition analysis;
• One-on-one question and answer sessions with a registered nurse, physical therapist or dietitian (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. only).

“We are pleased to be holding an event to raise awareness about a disease as far reaching and serious as heart disease,” said Andrea Ricketts, RN, manager of CMHS’s HealthAware program. “CMHS has a mission to provide quality care to patients, but it starts with knowing your risks and the signs of heart disease.”

Ricketts added that education is the key to saving lives.

“This is a great opportunity to reach out to the community and educate about the reality and dangers of heart disease,” she said. “Being aware is sometimes the difference between life and death.”

For more information, call the CMHS HealthAware office at (805) 667-2818.

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.

Ventura, CA - TheAccountable Care Alliance of Ventura LLC, sponsored by Community Memorial Health System,has been selected as one of 123 new Accountable Care Organizations in Medicare, providing approximately 1.5 million more Medicare beneficiaries with access to high-quality, coordinated care across the United States, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on Thursday.

Doctors, hospitals and healthcare providers establish ACOs in order to work together to provide higher-quality coordinated care to their patients, while helping to slow health care cost growth. Since passage of the Affordable Care Act, more than 360ACOs have been established, serving over 5.3 million Americans with Medicare. Beneficiaries seeing healthcare providers in ACOs always have the freedom to choose doctors inside or outside of the ACO. ACOs share with Medicare any savings generated from lowering the growth in health care costs when they meet standards for high quality care.

“Accountable Care Organizations are delivering higher-quality care to Medicare beneficiaries and are using Medicare dollars more efficiently,” Secretary Sebelius said. “This is a great example of the Affordable Care Act rewarding hospitals and doctors that work together to help our beneficiaries get the best possible care.”

The ACOs must CONTINUED »

Ventura, CA - Understanding and managing stress will be the focus of a free seminar the Community Memorial Health System is holding on Tuesday, Jan. 28.

Dr. Ronald Bale, a local psychologist, will lead the seminar that will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the eighth-floor Nichols Auditorium at Community Memorial Hospital, 147 No. Brent St. in Ventura.

Dr. Bale will describe a model of stress that will help people understand what stress is and what causes stress, as well as its adaptive and mal-adaptive components. Understanding this model will enable participants to identify their own unique reactions and develop effective stress-management strategies.

Dr. Bale is a clinical supervisor for the California Lutheran University Psychology Doctoral Program and provides psychological consultation with the CMH Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Cincinnati and is a member of the California State Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association. Dr. Bale also is a member of the CMH courtesy staff.

Admission is free, but space is limited, and 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 eleven family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

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The Alumni Assn is having their first ever "Pack the House" night on January 30th, and January 31st. When was the last time you been to the High School Gym? Did you know that it had a facelift a few years back? We thought so. It's absolutely beautiful, and we want to invite the whole community to come out to the first ever "Pack the house" night when Our Fillmore High Flashes play our arch rival Santa Paula Cardinals. Here's the info. The girls play on the 30th. JV play at 5:30pm, and the Varsity girls play at 7:00pm. On the 31st, the Varsity boys take the court. Frosh play at 4:00pm, JV play at 5:30pm, and the Varsity Boys play at 7:00pm. The cost is $6.00 for Adults, Students/Children $4.00, and Seniors $3.00. Now your plans are set for the 30th, and 31st. Come see our beautiful Gym, and let's support our Fillmore High Flashes!! GO FLASHES, BEAT THE CARDS!

Chapter GY of our local Fillmore P.E.O. (Philanthropic Education Organization) is pleased to offer $1000.00 in education assistance awards to local women. Applicants must be motivated to achieve educational and career goals, reside within the area served by Fillmore Unified School District or the 93015 Zip Code, and be enrolled or plan to enroll in an accredited undergraduate degree program or a vocational/skills training program. To obtain an application, please contact Pat Morris at morrisp905@gmail.com . Deadline for application is March 15, 2014.

“Annual Harvest” by Dolas Tubbs, acrylic collage on paper, 16” x 20”, Collection of the artist.
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“Morning Shadows, San Miguel” by Bruce Everett, oil on canvas, 34” x 60”, Collection of the artist.
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“Farmworkers Loading Pears” by Michael Torres, watercolor on paper, 16” x 20”, Collection of the artist.
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“Piru View” by James Martin, oil on linen, 8” x 10”, Collection of the artist.
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“Quitting Time” by George Lockwood, acrylic on board, 16.5” x 19.5”, Collection of the artist.
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SANTA PAULA, CA – With over 75 works of art by 50 different artists to choose from, the task of judging this year’s Sixth Annual Art About Agriculture exhibit proved to be a great challenge. The agriculturally-themed works, which are on display at both the Santa Paula Art Museum and Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum, were considered for five different honors and $500.00 in prizes. Judging this year’s crop of contenders were John Nichols and Gail Pidduck, esteemed artists and curators of the annual show.

The judges awarded the Perspective in Agriculture Award to James Martin’s “Piru View”. “We admired Martin’s ability to transform a mundane packinghouse into something meaningful and exciting simply by his choice of angle and perspective”, explained Nichols. The quality of light in George Lockwood’s “Quitting Time”, which depicts an old barn at sunset, was so moving that it was awarded the Structure in Agriculture Award. Honors were also given to Dolas Tubbs’ “Annual Harvest” for Abstraction in Agriculture, and to Bruce Everett’s “Morning Shadows, San Miguel” in the Wide Open Category. Michael Torres’ “Farmworkers Loading Pears” was found most deserving of the Honoring Agricultural Labor Award.

Art About Agriculture runs through February 9, 2014 at both museums, so don’t miss your chance to see the award-winning works. The Santa Paula Art Museum is located at 117 North 10th Street in Santa Paula. The Museum’s regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM, and Sundays, 12 PM – 4 PM. Admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, and free for students and SPAM Members. For more information, contact the Art Museum at (805) 525-5554, or email info@santapaulaartmuseum.org. The Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 AM – 4 PM. For more information about the Agriculture Museum, please call (805) 525-3100.

Livingston Visiting Nurse Association will hold the following Joint Replacement Class to prepare you for total knee or hip replacement surgery. Home preparation, exercises and rehabilitation information will be discussed. Open to the public and free of charge, the class will be held:

1st Thursday of the Month, February 6,from 1:00 – 2:00 pm @ Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association, # 109, 1996 Eastman Ave, Ventura, RSVP Diana Davis @ 642-0239 x 739

2nd Wednesday of the Month, February 12, from 10:00 – 11:00 am @ Pleasant Valley Hospital, 3rd floor Classroom, 2309 Antonio Avenue, Camarillo, RSVP Barrie Gilster @ 797-7699

2nd Wednesday of the Month, February 12, from 1:00 – 2:00 pm @ Goebel Adult Community Center, 1385 E Janss Rd, Thousand Oaks, RSVP Barrie Gilster @ 797-7699

3rd Wednesday of the Month, February 19, from 1:00 – 2:00 pm @ Sunrise Senior Living, Activity Room, 190 Tierra Rejada Road, Simi Valley, RSVP Barrie Gilster @ 797-7699

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.