Mimstar, a manufacturer and seller of one-of-a-kind photo items made from its customers’ photos and original artwork, has created keepsakes for countless customers since 2006. Now the Fillmore business located inside Mirage women’s clothing shop has its own keepsake, thanks to Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County.

At a check passing ceremony on June 24, Mimstar owner Karen Thayer received an $85,000 loan to be used for debt restructuring and working capital that will enable Thayer to increase her staff and the company’s production.

EDC-VC is a community-based lender, and the loan is the largest it has made to a Fillmore company to date.
F
illmore Mayor Patti Walker and Supervisor Kathy Long, both EDC-VC board members, presented the check to Thayer on behalf of EDC-VC and the county.

“EDC-VC has given me wings to fly,” said Thayer. “Fillmore has been hit pretty hard with the economy, yet Mimstar is growing so much that it’s a challenge to keep up with demand.

I owe a great deal of our success to EDC-VC, because they educated me about business strategies specific to my company before we even entered into the loan process. My business is my passion, and now I have the business skills to match.”

Mimstar is a digital customizing business whose primary production is that of transferring customer photographs onto a multitude of items using dye sublimation, which uses special dyes and 400 degree heat to create photo-quality replications of all types of photographs on various objects. Mimstar also offers vinyl application and a digital transfer process called Chromoblast.

EDC-VC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura County by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Business Enhancement Program, the Revolving Loan Fund and other services available to small businesses through the EDC-VC, contact Bruce Stenslie at 805-384-1800 ext. 21 or bruce.stenslie@edc-vc.com.

The June 29 School Board Meeting was fraught with tension as criticism underlined public comments. Ventura County resident Mary McClennan expressed her concern for the county’s children and explained that she had been hearing of teachers being harassed and children being refused transfers, so she had come to “find out what’s being done” in the Fillmore schools. McClennan called the situation “ridiculous” and referred to a “failing school” several times.

School Board President Tony Prado responded by saying he was not sure what failing schools she had in mind, and stressed, “Harassment of any teachers is intolerable. And it’s really important to understand that harassment of teachers in any school district across the United States is intolerable. I wholeheartedly agree with you on that comment. And in the Fillmore Unified School District, to the best of my knowledge, there is no harassment of any teachers.”

Ide Ramirez then took the mic to register her displeasure in receiving a letter announcing that Piru Elementary Principal Leticia Ramos would be getting a transfer, apparently with a promotion. “She clearly showed the community, the school, that she was incapable of handling her position. Attending activities outside the school, her mannerisms with acting out with the parents, it’s just, it’s incredible,” Ramirez alleged. She questioned the Board’s motives for the move, suggesting, “because, she needs to be covered up? Or what? She needs to be babysat a lot more closely with you guys?” Ramirez also submitted a complaint for an unexplained cancellation of a School Site Council meeting at Piru Elementary scheduled for that day. She said she saw no notice posted and hadn’t received the customary phone call, and pressed the Board for an answer regarding why the meeting wasn’t held.

Ramirez further inquired, “How is CONTINUED »

Enlarge Photo

From USGS:
Magnitude 5.4 - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
2010 July 07 23:53:33 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
Magnitude 5.4
Date-Time Wednesday, July 07, 2010 at 23:53:33 UTC
Wednesday, July 07, 2010 at 04:53:33 PM at epicenter

Location 33.417°N, 116.483°W
Depth 11.7 km (7.3 miles)
Region SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances 22 km (13 miles) NNW (332°) from Borrego Springs, CA
23 km (14 miles) SE (131°) from Anza, CA
33 km (20 miles) NE (52°) from Lake Henshaw, CA
41 km (25 miles) SW (215°) from Indio, CA
45 km (28 miles) S (174°) from Palm Springs, CA
94 km (58 miles) NE (41°) from San Diego, CA

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 0.3 km (0.2 miles); depth +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles)
Parameters Nph=122, Dmin=10 km, Rmss=0.26 sec, Gp= 29°,
M-type=local magnitude (ML), Version=3
Source California Integrated Seismic Net:
USGS Caltech CGS UCB UCSD UNR

Event ID ci10736069

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AFTERSHOCK PROBABILITY REPORT
Published on Wed Jul 7 16:56:14 2010 PDT
Southern California Seismic Network: a cooperative project of
U.S. Geological Survey, Pasadena, California
Caltech Seismological Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Version 1: This report supersedes any earlier probability reports about this event.

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MAINSHOCK
Magnitude : 5.9 Ml
Time : 7 Jul 2010 04:53:33 PM PDT
: 7 Jul 2010 23:53:33 UTC
Coordinates : 33 deg. 25.05 min. N, 116 deg. 28.96 min. W
13 mi. ( 21 km) NNW of Borrego Springs, CA
28 mi. ( 44 km) S of Palm Springs, CA
Event ID : 10736069

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STRONG AFTERSHOCKS (Magnitude 5 and larger) -
At this time (immediately after the mainshock) the probability of a strong and possibly damaging aftershock IN THE NEXT 7 DAYS is approximately 40 PERCENT.

EARTHQUAKES LARGER THAN THE MAINSHOCK -
Most likely, the recent mainshock will be the largest in the sequence. However, there is a small chance (APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 PERCENT) of an earthquake equal to or larger than this mainshock in the next 7 days.

WEAK AFTERSHOCKS (Magnitude 3 to 5) -
In addition, approximately 20 to 50 SMALL AFTERSHOCKS are expected in the same 7-DAY PERIOD and may be felt locally.

This probability report is based on the statistics of aftershocks typical for California. This is not an exact prediction, but only a rough guide to expected aftershock activity. This probability report may be revised as more information becomes available.

Background Information About Aftershocks
Like most earthquakes, the recent earthquake is expected to be followed by numerous aftershocks. Aftershocks are additional earthquakes that occur after the mainshock and in the same geographic area. Usually, aftershocks are smaller than the mainshock, but occasionally an aftershock may be strong enough to be felt widely throughout the area and may cause additional damage, particularly to structures already weakened in the mainshock. As a rule of thumb, aftershocks of magnitude 5 and larger are considered potentially damaging.

Aftershocks are most common immediately after the mainshock; their average number per day decreases rapidly as time passes. Aftershocks are most likely to be felt in the first few days after the mainshock, but may be felt weeks, months, or even years afterwards. In general, the larger the mainshock, the longer its aftershocks will be felt.

Aftershocks tend to occur near the mainshock, but the exact geographic pattern of the aftershocks varies from earthquake to earthquake and is not predictable. The larger the mainshock, the larger the area of aftershocks. While there is no "hard" cutoff distance beyond which an earthquake is totally incapable of triggering an aftershock, the vast majority of aftershocks are located close to the mainshock. As a rule of thumb, a magnitude 6 mainshock may have aftershocks up to 10 to 20 miles away, while a magnitude 7 mainshock may have aftershocks as far as 30 to 50 miles away.

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To: U.S. West Coast, Alaska, and British Columbia coastal regions
From: NOAA/NWS/West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
Subject: Tsunami Information Statement issued 07/7/2010 at 4:57PM PDT

At 4:54 PM Pacific Daylight Time on July 7, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 5.9 occurred 60 miles/97 Km northeast of San Diego, California .

The magnitude is such that a tsunami IS NOT EXPECTED. However, in coastal areas of intense shaking, locally generated tsunamis can be triggered by underwater landslides. This will be the only WCATWC message issued for this event.

The location and magnitude are based on preliminary information. Further information will be issued by the United States Geological Survey or the appropriate regional seismic network.

The following words were written by a well respected author attempting to get the Head of State of our great nation to recognize the extreme consequences associated with misuse of governmental power and authority.

The history of that Head of State is one of repeated seizures and injustices, all having the purpose of the establishing absolute power and control over the people of this country.

The author subsequently created a document which constituted a written a petition of grievances. It outlined the reasons the citizens would no longer tolerate the loss of their liberties and rights. The document was presented to that Head of State. Those grievances stated, in part:

1. "He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
2. He has forbidden his Governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
3. He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
4. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws;
5. He has excited CONTINUED »