SANTA PAULA, CA — Beginning Oct. 2, 2021, the Rotary Club of Santa Paula will once again be welcoming visitors to the Pumpkin Patch at Limoneira Ranch to celebrate the fall season.

In addition to offering one of the largest pumpkin patches in Ventura County, the Pumpkin Patch at Limoneira Ranch is home to a 5.5-acre Corn MAiZE that has been featured on CNN, National Geographic, CBS, NBC, Discovery, People Magazine and more.

Pumpkin Patch visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy delicious food, face painting, a petting zoo, pony rides, hay rides and pyramids, live music, crafts, games, and the famous Pumpkin Chucker.

Located at 12471 Foothill Road in Santa Paula, the Pumpkin Patch will be open every Saturday and Sunday in October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 per person, and children 2 years of age and younger are free. Certain activities — including the Corn MAiZE, pony rides, face painting, games, and food and beverage booths — have an additional fee.

“Every year, we strive to make our Pumpkin Patch bigger and better,” said Marilyn Appleby, president of the Rotary Club of Santa Paula. “After taking a year off due to the pandemic, we are excited to welcome the community back to our best Pumpkin Patch yet. We have plenty of tricks up our sleeves, and it’s sure to be a treat for all ages.”

The Pumpkin Patch attracts approximately 20,000 visitors from Southern California and beyond each year. To learn more, visit http://www.pumpkinpatchatlimoneiraranch.com.

ABOUT ROTARY CLUB OF SANTA PAULA
Founded in 1923, the Rotary Club of Santa Paula is the first and only rotary club in the city. The Rotary Club of Santa Paula serves the community through a variety of activities each year, including delivering food to those facing food insecurity during the holidays, providing scholarships to local students, operating the Pumpkin Patch at Limoneira Ranch, and more. The club meets each Monday at noon at Flight 126 Cafe. For more information, visit https://www.santapaularotary.org.

Veterans from all eras are reacting to the events in Afghanistan, such as the U.S withdrawal and the takeover by the Taliban.

You are not alone.

Veterans may question the meaning of their service or whether it was worth the sacrifices they made. They may feel more moral distress about experiences they had during their service. It’s normal to feel this way. Talk with your friends and families, reach out to battle buddies, connect with a peer-to-peer network, or sign up for mental health services. Scroll down for a list common reactions and coping advice.

Resources available right now:
• Veterans Crisis Line - If you are having thoughts of suicide, call 1-800-273-8255, then PRESS 1 or visit http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
- For emergency mental health care, you can also go directly to your local VA medical center 24/7 regardless of your discharge status or enrollment in other VA health care.
• Vet Centers - Discuss how you feel with other Veterans in these community-based counseling centers. 70% of Vet Center staff are Veterans. Call 1-877-927-8387 or find one near you.
• VA Mental Health Services Guide - This guide will help you sign up and access mental health services.
• MakeTheConnection.net - information, resources, and Veteran to Veteran videos for challenging life events and experiences with mental health issues.
• RallyPoint - Talk to other Veterans online. Discuss: What are your feelings as the Taliban reclaim Afghanistan after 20 years of US involvement?
• Download VA's self-help apps - Tools to help deal with common reactions like, stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also track your symptoms over time.
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) - Request a Peer Mentor
• VA Women Veterans Call Center - Call or text 1-855-829-6636 (M-F 8AM - 10PM & SAT 8AM - 6:30PM ET)
• VA Caregiver Support Line - Call 1-855-260-3274 (M-F 8AM - 10PM & SAT 8AM - 5PM ET)
• Together We Served -Find your battle buddies through unit pages
• George W. Bush Institute - Need help or want to talk? Check In or call:1-630-522-4904 or email: checkin@veteranwellnessalliance.org
• Elizabeth Dole Foundation Hidden Heroes - Join the Community
• American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network - Peer Support and Mentoring
• Team Red, White & Blue - Hundreds of events weekly. Find a chapter in your area.
• Student Veterans of America - Find a campus chapter to connect with.
• Team Rubicon - Find a local support squad.
Common Reactions
In reaction to current events in Afghanistan, Veterans may:
• Feel frustrated, sad, helpless, grief or distressed
• Feel angry or betrayed
• Experience an increase in mental health symptoms like symptoms of PTSD or depression
• Sleep poorly, drink more or use more drugs
• Try to avoid all reminders or media or shy away from social situations
• Have more military and homecoming memories

Veterans may question the meaning of their service or whether it was worth the sacrifices they made. They may feel more moral distress about experiences they had during their service.

Veterans may feel like they need to expect and/or prepare for the worst. For example, they may:
• Become overly protective, vigilant, and guarded
• Become preoccupied by danger
• Feel a need to avoid being shocked by, or unprepared for, what may happen in the future

Feeling distress is a normal reaction to negative events, especially ones that feel personal. It can be helpful to let yourself feel those feelings rather than try to avoid them. Often, these feelings will naturally run their course. If they continue without easing up or if you feel overwhelmed by them, the suggestions below can be helpful.

Strategies for Managing Ongoing Distress
At this moment, it may seem like all is lost, like your service or your sacrifices were for nothing. Consider the ways that your service made a difference, the impact it had on others’ lives or on your own life. Remember that now is just one moment in time and that things will continue to change.

It can be helpful to focus on the present and to engage in the activities that are most meaningful and valuable to you. Is there something you can do today that is important to you? This can be as an individual, a family member, a parent, or a community member. Something that is meaningful to you in regard to your work or your spirituality? Such activities won’t change the past or the things you can’t control, but they can help life feel meaningful and reduce distress, despite the things you cannot change.

It can also help to consider your thinking. Ask yourself if your thoughts are helpful to you right now. Are there ways you can change your thinking to be more accurate and less distressing? For example, are you using extreme thinking where you see the situation as all bad or all good? If so, try and think in less extreme terms. For example, rather than thinking “my service in Afghanistan was useless” consider instead “I helped keep Afghanistan safe.”

Finally, consider more general coping strategies that you may want to try including:
• Engage in Positive Activities. Try to engage in positive, healthy, or meaningful activities, even if they are small, simple actions. Doing things that are rewarding, meaningful, or enjoyable, even if you don’t feel like it, can make you feel better.
• Stay Connected. Spend time with people who give you a sense of security, calm, or happiness, or those who best understand what you are going through.
• Practice Good Self Care. Look for positive coping strategies that help you manage your emotions. Listening to music, exercising, practicing breathing routines, spending time in nature or with animals, journaling, or reading inspirational text are some simple ways to help manage overwhelming or distressing emotions.
• Stick to Your Routines. It can be helpful to stick to a schedule for when you sleep, eat, work, and do other day-to-day activities.
• Limit Media Exposure. Limit how much news you take in if media coverage is increasing your distress.
• Use a mobile app. Consider one of VA’s self-help apps (see https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/) such as PTSD Coach which has tools that can help you deal with common reactions like, stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also track your symptoms over time.
• PTSD Coach Online. A series of online video coaches will guide you through 17 tools to help you manage stress. PTSD Coach Online is used on a computer, rather than a mobile device, and therefore can offer tools that involve writing.

If you develop your own ways of adapting to ongoing events and situations, you may gain a stronger sense of being able to deal with challenges, a greater sense of meaning or purpose, and an ability to mentor and support others in similar situations.

Renee Swenson with her Past Presidents pin.

The Rotary Club of Fillmore held its annual Demotion Party at Otto & Sons last Sunday. President Renee Swenson was complimented on holding the club together this year with zoom and for the community projects which were accomplished. Cindy Blatt presented Renee with her Past President pin and a beautiful Rotary memento. Renee passed the gavel on to new President Andy Klittich. Photos courtesy Martha Richardson.

After a long year of hardships caused by COVID-19, Ventura County is finally starting to gain the upper hand in the pandemic. And during EMS Week, American Medical Response (AMR), America’s leading provider of ground medical transportation services, is thanking its team for all they did to help keep the community safe and healthy.

Since May 2020, AMR and its subsidiary, Gold Coast Ambulance, have contributed more than 36,300 hours to transporting COVID-19 patients, assisting with COVID-19 testing and helping provide vaccinations. During this time, AMR administered a total of 594,064 COVID-19 tests. In addition, as a whole, Ventura County has administered more than 766,480 vaccines — an accomplishment AMR’s support helped to make possible.

“The health of our community is our top priority, and throughout the pandemic, we have committed to doing everything in our power to help Ventura County fight back against COVID-19,” said Jeremey Shumaker, Regional Director for AMR parent company, Global Medical Response. “Overcoming the pandemic requires teamwork, and as local efforts continue, we will be there to provide support in every way we can.”

EMS Week recognizes the lifesaving contributions of emergency medical services personnel. In celebration of its team, AMR is providing lunches and snacks each day this week for its employees throughout the county. In addition, the company provided personalized thank you gifts to recognize the outstanding efforts made over the past year and beyond.

AMR has served the Ventura County community for more than 50 years, providing emergency and non-emergency medical transport services. AMR Ventura County employs approximately 200 paramedics and EMTs and handles an average of 64,000 calls each year. In addition, in the past five years, AMR has trained more than 40,000 Ventura County residents in hands-only CPR.

About American Medical Response (AMR)
American Medical Response, Inc., America’s leading provider of medical transportation, provides services in 40 states and the District of Columbia. More than 28,000 AMR paramedics, EMTs, RNs and other professionals work together to transport more than 4.8 million patients nationwide each year in critical, emergency and non-emergency situations. AMR also provides fire services through Rural Metro Fire Department, www.ruralmetrofire.com. For more information about AMR, visit www.amr.net and follow American Medical Response on Facebook @AMR_Social on Twitter and Instagram.

AMR is part of the Global Medical Response family of companies. Global Medical Response, Inc. is the industry-leading air, ground, specialty and residential fire services, and managed medical transportation organization. With more than 38,000 employees, GMR delivers compassionate, quality medical care, primarily in the areas of emergency and patient relocation services in the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.globalmedicalresponse.com.

Special Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, May 6, 2021
5:00 p.m.

In accordance with the California Governor’s Executive Stay at Home Order and the County of Ventura Health Officer Declared Local Health Emergency and Be Well at Home Order resulting from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Fillmore City Hall is closed to the public. Therefore, the FPB GSA will be holding its Regular Board of Directors meeting virtually using the ZOOM video conferencing application.

To participate in the Board of Directors meeting via Zoom, please access:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86187337848?pwd=WmcraXp4SnNrU1ZMYkliSFdUdTUvdz... Meeting ID: 861 8733 7848 Password: 167502

To hear just the audio portion of the meeting, phone into the toll-free number 877 853 5247 Meeting ID: 861 8733 7848

A sample of the cards made from FC4K team.
Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Since September of last year, 35-40 students from Fillmore High Schools’ Flashes Cards 4 Kindness Club, where students make cards for people who are affected the most by the Covid-19 pandemic, have been busy creating cards for teachers, administrators and staff members of Fillmore High School as well as throughout Fillmore Unified School District to encourage and thank them during this challenging time. The club has been meeting virtually online every week to make the Thank You cards. On Friday, February 26th club members delivered over 150 cards for the patients and staff members at the Greenfield Care Center in Fillmore.

Flashes Cards 4 Kindness member Quote: "Flashes Cards 4 Kindness has taught me that cards attain a very endearing and tender meaning to them and that we as students can learn so much about empathy while creating them. " *Quote credit to Jimena Cortes

Students who participated in Flashes Cards 4 Kindness:
Emilia V. Magdaleno
Andrea Arias
Angel Laureano
Guadalupe Rodriguez
Osana Charupe
Carolina Velgara
Janely Valle
Alianna Tapia
Janelle McCall
Gustavo Martinez
Aliyah Heredia
Giselle Moreno
Amanda Driver
McKenna Taylor
Jovany Perez
Aileen Lopez
Jacqueline Arevalo
Alexis Sanchez
Angelica Herrera
Karina Gallo
Emma Myers
Paola Ruiz De Lara
Nathalia Magana
Miranda Zendejas
Sofia Cardenas
Evelyn Santa Rosa
Viririana Carrillo Garcia
Graciela Herrera
Michael Camilo Torres
Brianna Camacho
Olivia Palazuelos
Mauricio Barajas
Bennedy Ferrer
Yzabella Rivero
Jimena Cortes
Citlalli Manzo Mojarro
Alexis Velasco
Destiny Carrillo