A wary eye checks out the camera. He/she is one of eight in the litter owned by FFA member Craig Harvey.
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This little piggy was born July 11th at the Fillmore High School Farm. He/she has seven brothers and sisters!
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Good news from the school farm! A new litter of piglets were born on July 11th! FFA member Craig Harvey is the proud new owner of eight piglets. The piglets are part of Craig Harvey’s SAE breeding project. A Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is where students take what they have learned in the classroom and put it to work in real life. The FFA Motto is “Learning to do, Doing to learn, Earning to live, Living to serve”. A students’ SAE project puts the “doing to learn” into action. Craig’s SAE project has consisted of the breeding process, the pregnancy, and farrowing (delivery). He will now raise the piglets and sell them bringing his SAE project full circle. Congratulations Craig Harvey!

Other FFA members continue to work hard on their SAE animal projects. The heat has been an issue for many of the student’s animals. While walking their animals, the students have to be aware of signs that their animal may be overheating. This requires the students to feed and walk the animals early in the morning and later in the evening when it’s cooler.

Don’t forget the Barn Dinner and Dance is this Saturday! Tickets are still on sale if you haven’t bought yours. Hope to see you there!

Brooke Aguirre is the Fillmore FFA Chapter Reporter

The Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary is alive with an abundance of wild life including COMMON DOLPHINS, CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS, HARBOR SEALS, plus HUMPBACK AND BLUE WHALES! Island Packers is now offering north shore Anacapa Island Wildlife Cruises and all day Whale Watch Trips through the fall of 2010. According to Island Packers, the sightings of the blue whales have been outstanding this year. “On the last two whale watch trips, we saw 10 blues!” stated Cherryl Connally of Island Packers. “This is a great time to see these incredible mammals,” she added.

Visitors can discover the natural environment of the Channel Islands National Park on the north shore wildlife cruise without even going ashore! This three-½ hour tour includes a narrated cruise along the 300 foot high sea cliffs of the craggy shoreline of Anacapa or Santa Cruz Islands. Along the way, visitors will encounter excellent sightings of seabirds, harbor seals and sea lions in their island habitat. While crossing the channel, it is also possible to view sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Boats depart at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The fare is $ 32.00 for adults, $ 28 for seniors (55+) and $ 23.00 per child.

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A year ago, Legislative Republicans joined the Governor in creating reforms to root out fraud in the In-Home Support Services (IHSS) program.

The measures that were negotiated into the final agreement of the 2009-10 budget - including background checks and fingerprinting for providers and recipients, unannounced home visits - were intended to eliminate rampant abuses of the system that had been documented through several county grand jury investigations.

As this Inland Valley Daily Bulletin article illustrates, these reforms have created the intended effect of better maximizing taxpayers’ dollars - preserving services for the needy, and ending them for the greedy.
New state screening procedures this year have led to thousands of people withdrawing as in-home care providers for the elderly and disabled, leading state officials to suspect that fraud and abuse has been rampant in the program.

The article also states that “last week, a state-county task force battling IHSS fraud arrested 14 people, charging them with theft of more than $500,000 in taxpayer-funded aid programs.
“In one case, a mother signed up as an ‘authorized representative’ to receive IHSS funds for her son, who has been in custody for more than four years for murder, prosecutors said.”

This week, the Fillmore FFA members have been hard at work preparing for future events. Early Wednesday morning, the officer’s team gathered at the school farm to plant pumpkin seeds. If all goes well, we hope to have beautiful orange pumpkins for the kindergarteners to harvest this coming fall. Many of our members are raising animals to exhibit in market and showmanship classes at the Ventura County Fair. This requires all lot of preparation and hard work. Every Thursday evening, the members meet for showmanship practice with our FFA advisor Mr. Joe Ricards. This practice is not only for the animal to get used to the show ring and walking, but Mr. Ricards also quizzes us on questions specific to the species we are showing. With only 4 weeks left until we leave for fair, students are weighing their animals frequently and adjusting feed to insure the right weight for fair. By the looks of it we have some fine hogs, steers and lambs being raised by our dedicated students. Remember, tickets for the Barn Dance fundraiser went on sale this past week, the prices are: $20 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under. We will be serving a tri-tip and chicken dinner from 6:30-8pm with root beer floats for desert and dancing to follow. We appreciate our communities support of all our activities!

Brooke Aguirre is the Fillmore FFA Chapter Reporter

A Fillmore & Western Railway train accidentally hit a parked car on Saturday just east of Hallock Drive, at approximately 1pm. The car was reportedly parked too close to the tracks in a parking area for a local soccer game. 126 people were on board the train at the time. No injuries were reported.

Edith Smith and her crew are proud to announce plans for an official “Grand Opening” of her downtown Piru restaurant with a menu full of specials and events for all ages on Saturday, July 24th. The day’s celebration kicks off at 8 am with incredible breakfast specials. In addition to their famous biscuits and gravy, the home style cooking will include a variety of tasty offerings throughout the day.

The menu then changes to lunch time meals including free hot dogs and lemonade for the kids. At noon they start serving bar-b-q specials hot off the grill. Shredded beef burritos and pulled pork sandwiches are just two of the other planned specials. The delicious summer desserts prepared fresh daily by colleague Joy Zavala will surely tempt your belly and will feature local produce, including fresh strawberry treats.

Beginning at 2 pm a local DJ will spin crowd favorites and live music for dancing under the stars will be to the tunes “Ice”, a popular local area band. Door prizes and other activities will be offered throughout the day. No alcohol will be sold.

This longtime Piru establishment, formerly home to the Blue Bird Tavern, is again a favorite destination for locals and visitors alike. Some of the regulars gather one or more days a week to catch up over a home-style breakfast and fresh brewed coffee. One day earlier this week I joined one such trio of locals --Jim, Frank and Norm. Asked to describe their impression of Railway Café, they called it “excellent” and “very homey with great food and service”.

Some of the daily menu items are centered around the comfort food of home-style cooking. Traditional breakfasts of meat and egg offerings, pancakes and combination plates, along with fresh seasonal specials. Lunch and dinner menu includes awesome burgers, sandwiches, and soups and salads. Weekly dinner specials range from tri-tip plates, taco combinations and steak dinners with the works.

Their summer hours are Sunday 8 am to 3 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday (off to market for the freshest ingredients), Wednesday to Friday 7 am to 2 pm and 6-10 pm. Saturday hours are 8 am to 7 pm. The phone number is (805) 398-5031. They are also available for special events and offer patio seating for private parties. The café is located at 3989 Center Street at Via Fustero in the town’s central business district and across from the Piru Depot and Gazebo Plaza Park.

Marie Wren is starting to collect stories from any former boy scout in the Fillmore-Piru area to include in a new book about the history of scouting in Fillmore the last 100 years. It will also include her memories of scouting with Troop 406 during her husband’s time of over 50 years with the troop. Any scout memories will be included in a special chapter, so former members of ANY Fillmore troop are encouraged to write their personal stories about boy scouting and send them to her at P.O. Box 333, Fillmore 93016. Anyone with special pictures that should be included may send the pictures to her also. This project is in the beginning stages and will be two years before publication, so watch the papers for progress and information. If you wish to contact her, call Marie Wren 805-524-4044 or E-mail: casapajaro@sbcglobal.net. All e-mail should be marked “scouting” so it does not go into the spam file.

(Ojai, California) Narcotic-free headache management will be the focus of a free seminar the Community Memorial Health System is holding on Saturday, July 31.

Robert Cowan, M.D., an Ojai neurologist, 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. Cowan will review literature and present in-patient, outpatient and emergency room-urgent care strategies for headache relief without resorting to narcotics. Strategies include:

 Identifying factors that affect headaches;
 Discussing lifestyle modifications that may contribute to the frequency of headaches;
 Proposing conventional and alternative therapies;
 Discussing new information available as well as ongoing headache research.

Dr. Cowan, who is on staff at Ojai Valley Community Hospital, received his medical degree from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. He completed his residency in neurology at the USC Medical Center and is board-certified with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Pain Medicine. Dr. Cowan also holds a subspecialty certification in headache medicine.

This event is co-sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ojai.

Admission is free but space is limited, so reservations are suggested. Call 640-2355, 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 nine family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley Golf Classic Planning Committee is pleased to announce its decision to return to Las Posas Country Club for the 7th Annual Golf Classic. The tournament is scheduled for Monday, July 26th. Entry forms for this tournament have already arrived in the mail. Golfers will enjoy green fees, golf cart, putting contest, raffle, range balls, lunch, gourmet buffet dinner and prizes at the end of the tournament. Entry fee for the tournament is $200 per golfer, family members are encouraged to attend the awards dinner at 5:30 pm at an additional cost of $50 per diner.

The opportunity to play this course is a rare treat for the casual golfer, as well as the seasoned duffer. As one of California's premiere golfing destinations, Las Posas Country Club is a private equity club, owned exclusively by its members. The 18-hole course was designed by golf course architect, Lawrence Hughes.

To make reservations or to get more information on the tournament please call the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley at 805-525-7910. Sponsorships are available; golf fees are included in the sponsorship levels and can be arranged by calling the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley.

Fillmore's Health and Wellness Center at 448 Santa Clara Street, right next door to the Lost and Found Depot, announces the start of a Beginning Yoga Class at 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. this Saturday, July 17. If you've never tried yoga, or you need to find a gentle way to stretch and get moving again, this is the class for you. Janine Rees leads the class through a series of slow, easy poses to help lengthen muscles, improve circulation and facilitate relaxation. All adults are welcome including senior citizens. Come in comfortable clothes with an empty stomach. All supplies will be provided and no preregistration is necessary. Cost is $5.00 for adults/$3.00 for seniors. Please call Janine at 524-4856 or 2520 with any questions.

Three positions on the Fillmore Unified School District Board of Education will be on the November 2, 2010 ballot. The terms of office for Board Members J. A. Prado, Liz Wilde and Michael Saviers will end December 2010. The new terms of office will run until December 2014. The current Board Members have the option of running again.

Candidates interested in running for the School Board should pick up filing materials from the County Clerk Elections Division or the Fillmore Unified School Districts Office beginning July 12, 2010 and must deliver the completed materials to the Ventura County Elections Office by 4:00 p.m. on normal business days, no later than Friday August 6, 2010.

If a candidate wishes to publish a statement in the sample ballot pamphlet, it will be the candidate’s responsibility to pay for the statement fee. However, once a candidate has properly filed a Declaration of Candidacy with Ventura County Elections Office and qualifies for the election, the Fillmore Unified School District will provide space in a local newspaper for candidates to publish a statement at no charge to the candidates. Statements published in the local newspaper will have to comply with the same rules that would apply had the candidate filed a statement with Ventura County Elections.

Questions may be addressed to the County Elections Division at 654-2664 or the District Superintendent’s Office at 524-6038. Anyone wishing to pick up materials from the School District Office at 627 Sespe Avenue should call first to be sure that either Cynthia Padilla or Susan Leon (524-6034) will be available to provide the filing materials and instructions.

Vision 2020, Civic Pride Committee has selected Joe & Karin Diaz’s yard at 56 Rio Grande to be the recipient of the July “Yard of the Month” Award.

The Diaz family has lived in their home for 4 years and with the help of local landscaper, Joe Acosta, has created an inviting and welcoming front yard.

White tree roses from Otto & Sons follow the lines of flower beds on both sides of the entry to the front porch, creating a neutral background for the bright splashes of color at their base. Begonia varieties in both red flowering with burgundy foliage & white flowering with green foliage, along with marigolds, snapdragons & an orange daisy fill the flower beds, and pots near the front steps & around the Raewood Ash trees. Miniature bottle brush shrubs, edge the steps. Massive hanging baskets of petunias fill the front porch openings, giving balance to the structure and inviting one up to the entry.

The porch was festively decorated with patriotic hangings & flags for the 4th of July because that is also Joe’s birthday celebration.

Karin and son, Shawn, expressed appreciation for receiving the $25 gift certificate donated by Otto & Sons Nursery on Guiberson Road and they liked the sign which will remain in their yard for July.

Fillmore FFA members have been busy the past several weeks preparing for our First Annual Freedom Breakfast which was held the morning of the 4th of July. I am happy to say that all our hard work paid off! The pancake breakfast was well attended by our community. To honor of our veterans and active military, they were offered free admission. It was our hope as an organization to offer our community an opportunity to gather and visit in celebration of the 4th of July. The breakfast was held at the Veterans Memorial Building which was decorated in red, white and blue by the FFA members.

We had several sponsors who made the success of the breakfast possible. On behalf of the Fillmore FFA Chapter, I would like to thank Starbucks Coffee, Chase Brothers Dairy, Matt Davis and Mr. and Mrs. Roger Martin for their generous donations. I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Ron Mendez, Mr. Rigo Landeros, the FFA Boosters Club and parents for their time and hard work.

No rest for our FFA members! We will be hosting a Barn Dance on July 24th, at the school farm. So practice your moves and dust of your boots because we look forward to you seeing there! More information on ticket sales will follow soon.

Brooke Aguirre is the Fillmore FFA Chapter Reporter

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KSSP Photographers Carmelita Miranda and Charles Morris photographed the 2010 Miss & Teen Regional California USA Pageant held at the Robert Q. Valles Performing Arts Center in Oxnard on June 27. This year's winners were Natasha Martinez in the Miss division and Greer Grammer in the Teen division. Titleholders have the option of competing at the State pageant later in the year.

The pageant is produced by Toay Productions, which also produces the Miss & Teen Greater Ventura County USA Pageant held in March and the Miss & Teen Los Angeles Pageant to be held this year on September 19th. Fillmore High School graduate Taylor Atkins won the the 2008 Greater Ventura County Teen USA Pageant and went on to become the 2008 Miss California Teen USA. Taylor was one of the emcees at the pageant. Further information about upcoming pageants and becoming a contestant can be found at http://toayproductions.com.

KSSP not only covers each of these pageants for Toay Productions, each titleholder is given a glamour photo shoot at the KSSP studio

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 Photographic Studios is the school photographer for Fillmore High School and is the photographer for the upcoming Miss Los Angeles Pageant to be held on September 19. For further information, please contact KSSP Photographic Studios at 524-6400 or visit http://ksspphotostudios.com.