OXNARD, CA — Community Action of Ventura County is proud to introduce two new members of the organization’s governing board. The 15 seat, tri-partite board seeks to find a balanced voice in addressing poverty and homelessness in our community. With one-third of the board representing local elected officials, one-third representing the private sector, and one-third representing the collective voices of our low-income and homeless client base, the governing board serves as Community Action’s legislative body.

They began their terms as board members at the October 12, 2015 board meeting. Ramona Tovar is board representing the low income population in Ventura County District 3. Alex Castillo representing the low income population in Ventura County District 1. Community Action board meetings are open to the public.

Ramona Tovar of Fillmore, CA has dedicated her life to helping those in need. She Anthony Whitak said her father raised her on the teachings of community leaders like: Cesar Chavez, David Sanchez, and Hank Lacayo and that her calling to serve those in need was simply a natural extension of that upbringing. Tovar is working toward a degree in Psychology and brings a broad portfolio of professional and volunteer experience to the board.

Alex Castilla has been a resident of Ventura since 1989. Castilla graduated from California State University in Los Angeles in 2004 with a degree in History. Since 2009 he has helped provide affordable housing to low income families through his work with Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation.

The Community Action Agency
In Ventura County Since 1965

Sierra Bancorp (Nasdaq: BSRR), parent of Bank of the Sierra, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter and the nine-month period ended September 30, 2015. Sierra Bancorp recognized net income of $4.410 million for the third quarter of 2015, an improvement of $859,000, or 24%, relative to the third quarter of 2014. The increase in net income is the result of higher net interest income driven by a large increase in average interest-earning assets, and improvement in non-interest income, partially offset by higher overhead expense and a higher tax accrual. The Company’s return on average equity increased to 9.32% in the third quarter of 2015 from 7.51% in the third quarter of 2014, and diluted earnings per share increased to $0.33 from $0.25. For the first nine months of 2015 the Company recognized net income of $12.704 million, which represents an increase of 10% relative to the same period in 2014. The Company’s financial performance metrics for the first nine months of 2015 include an annualized return on average equity of 9.02%, a return on average assets of 1.01%, and diluted earnings per share of $0.93.

Total assets were up $80 million, or 5%, during the first nine months of 2015 due to net growth of $83 million, or 9%, in gross loan balances that was partially offset by lower levels of cash and investments. Loan growth for the first nine months was favorably impacted by increased utilization on mortgage warehouse lines, the purchase of $28 million in residential mortgage loans in March, and organic growth in other non-agricultural real estate loans. Total nonperforming assets, including nonperforming loans and foreclosed assets, were reduced by $7 million, or 28%, during the first nine months of 2015. Despite runoff in the third quarter, total deposits were still up $62 million, or 5%, for the year-to-date period due primarily to a $61 million organic increase in core non-maturity deposits. Non-deposit borrowings were increased by $22 million in the first nine months of 2015, in order to meet the funding requirements created by strong loan demand.

“The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly.” – Cecil B. DeMille

“As one of the most CONTINUED »

Sierra Bancorp (Nasdaq:BSRR), parent of Bank of the Sierra, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.11 per share. The dividend was approved subsequent to the Board’s review of the Company’s financial results for the quarter and the nine month period ended September 30, 2015, which reflect continued capital strength, consistent operating results, and a sustained favorable trend in credit quality. The dividend will be paid on November 12, 2015 to shareholders of record as of October 29, 2015. Including dividends paid by Bank of the Sierra prior to the formation of Sierra Bancorp, the Company has paid regular cash dividends to shareholders every year since 1987, comprised of annual dividends from 1987 through 1998 and quarterly dividends since then. The dividend noted in today’s announcement marks the Company’s 67th consecutive regular quarterly cash dividend.

Sierra Bancorp is the holding company for Bank of the Sierra (www.bankofthesierra.com), which is in its 38th year of operations and at $1.7 billion in assets is the largest independent bank headquartered in the South San Joaquin Valley. The Company has over 400 employees and conducts business through 28 full-service branches, a loan production office, an online branch, a real estate industries center, an agricultural credit center, and an SBA center.

The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company. Readers are cautioned not to unduly rely on forward looking statements. Actual results may differ from those projected. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including but not limited to the bank’s ability to maintain current dividend payments or increase dividend payouts to shareholder, its ability to continue to generate record financial results, changes in economic conditions, interest rates and loan portfolio performance, and other factors detailed in the Company’s SEC filings. Sierra Bancorp undertakes no responsibility to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley is both pleased and excited to announce the opening of its new club site in Piru. Located inside the Piru Community Center, the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley will serve youth grades K – 12. With a fun assortment of games, a dual room serving as a computer lab and arts & crafts room as well as close proximity to the community baseball fields, kids of all ages are sure to have fun. The Piru location will offer an after school program as well as seasonal programs during summer, fall, and winter recesses. Like both of the other clubs, they will have a STEM focus on robotics and the sciences. For more information or questions about our program, please contact Piru Site Director, Cesar Villanueva at (805) 855-5008. Membership applications are available for pickup at 802 Orchard Street in Piru. There is no membership cost to the children living in Piru.

On Saturday, November 7th, from 10:00am-3:00pm, the Bardsdale United Methodist Church (BUMC) will sponsor a "Home Tour" of four homes and the 117 year old Bardsdale United Methodist Church! The BUMC Ministry has been serving Bardsdale for 123 years and relocated to the current Church in 1898! The cost of the Home and Church Tour will be $25.

In 2015 the Bardsdale United Methodist Church, will celebrate 123 years in ministry, and the 117th year in their beautiful church building! The church is a registered county landmark # 50. It is a clapboard construction style known as Carpenter Gothic with a high pitched tower roof.

The BUMC beginnings date back to 1892 when the Rev. George Alexander preached an afternoon sermon with 14 in attendance. In 1898 the Church moved to its present location on the corner of Bardsdale Avenue and Ventura Street when two lots were donated to the church by Senator Thomas Bard. The sanctuary was dedicated on April 15, 1899. In 1914 the building was expanded with the addition of the wing which now houses our church offices. In 1926 the chancel area was expanded, and the basement was finished.

In August of 1982 a section of the original plaster ceiling collapsed during a morning worship service. Driven by the faith and vision of the Rev. Bob Ness, and the generous and faithful support of church members and friends in the community, this led to a four year, million dollar renovation and restoration of the church facility. The renovation included the addition of new stained glass windows to complement the existing windows, the oak chancellory, a hand carved pulpit and lectern, and new chandeliers from a downtown (LA) church, and the construction and addition of our Schoenstein organ. The church became a historical landmark during this time.

In 2006, approximately three quarters of an acre of land was gifted to the church. Work is currently underway to create a new parking area, a meditation area with rose garden, and a grassy yard area for outdoor events.

Pre sale tickets are available at the BUMC located at 1498 Bardsdale Ave, Bardsdale, 805-524-2070. And, the Fillmore Historical Museum, 340 Main St, Fillmore, 805-524-0948. Tickets will also be available at the BUMC, Fillmore Historical Museum and at each home on the day of the tour.

On Saturday, November 7th, from 10:00am-3:00pm, the Bardsdale United Methodist Church (BUMC) will sponsor a "Home Tour" of four homes and the 117 year old Bardsdale United Methodist Church! The BUMC Ministry has been serving Bardsdale for 123 years and relocated to the current Church in 1898! The cost of the Home and Church Tour will be $25.

A 3,100 square foot, 1909 Craftsman Style Bungalow on ten acres planted in citrus is one of the four homes on the tour! This home was originally built for a San Francisco newspaper cartoonist and lived in for eighty years by his family. There is even a local legend of Spanish Gold buried somewhere near the home.

The home did have one major remodel in 1999 by the current residents which included lifting the roof 3-4 feet to accommodate a staircase and raising the upstairs ceiling allowing the much taller, both six foot plus, current owners to climb the stairs and entering the rooms and bathroom without hitting their heads. Wrap around decks were added to allow breathtaking views of the valley, above the canopy of citrus trees! Views of Bardsdale, the Sespe River and San Cayetano Peak are what can be seen from the decks. Although extensive, the remodel retained much of the original look, which included the original exterior cedar shingle siding, of the home from the street view! The front of the home is planted beautifully around the circular river rock defined driveway and is welcoming to visitors to the home! The interior of the home received the bulk of the changes in the remodel and with the exception of the original Douglas Fir floors downstairs were retained. The fireplace was also returned to the river rock face originally used when built. The entire house changed from the original 2800 square foot, two bedroom, one bath home upstairs to a four bedroom; three bedrooms upstairs and a bathroom and one bedroom and bathroom downstairs. A painting of Jesse Arms Botke's famous cockatoos inspired the colors of the downstairs. The basement was excavated and serves as an office and the laundry area. This comfortable home is tastefully furnished with family antiques, early Hummels, inherited pewter and an early Edison phonograph that helps any visitor feel as though they were stepping back in time!

Pre sale tickets are available at the BUMC located at 1498 Bardsdale Ave, Bardsdale, 805-524-2070. And, the Fillmore Historical Museum, 340 Main St, Fillmore, 805-524-0948. Tickets will also be available at the BUMC, Fillmore Historical Museum and at each home on the day of the tour

Elkins Ranch will hold a Cruise night and Toy Drive on October 17th at 4pm. The toys collected will be presented to the Fillmore Fire Department for their annual Christmas toy drive. A snack bar Special for all guests will include Elkin’s famous burger, fries and a drink for $10. Elkins Ranch Golf Course is located at 1386 Chambersburg Road, Fillmore. For more information call 524-1121.

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley is both pleased and excited to announce the opening of its new club site in Piru. Located inside the Piru Community Center, the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley will serve youth grades K – 12. With a fun assortment of games, a dual room serving as a computer lab and arts & crafts room as well as close proximity to the community baseball fields, kids of all ages are sure to have fun. The Piru location will offer an after school program as well as seasonal programs during summer, fall, and winter recesses. Like both of the other clubs, they will have a STEM focus on robotics and the sciences. For more information or questions about our program, please contact Piru Site Director, Cesar Villanueva at (805) 855-5008. Membership applications are available for pickup at 802 Orchard Street in Piru. There is no membership cost to the children living in Piru.

County Supervisor Kathy Long, 3rd District would like to announce to all residents of Ventura County that the next Santa Paula Tattoo Removal Clinic will be held on Saturday October 10, 2015 from 8:30 am – 12 noon, no appointments necessary. Orientation for first time participants will be at 9 am located at 1334 E. Main St. the Santa Paula Medical Clinic. Due to overwhelming response, spaces will be limited.

County Supervisor Kathy Long spearheaded this clinic in collaboration with the following agencies: Ventura County Public Health, Ventura County Probation Agency, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Paula Family Care Clinic, Interface Children Family Services, and CalWORKS.

The clinic not only welcomes participants but volunteers to run the clinic. If you have any questions, or would like to find out how you can help, please call the Santa Paula Family Care Clinic at (805) 933-1242.

Ventura, CA - The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) announced today the launch of Ride Week 2015, happening October 5-9, as part of a regional campaign to help reduce traffic and air pollution in Southern California.

Research shows that more than 75 percent of Ventura County’s workers commute alone in their cars and about one third of them spend an hour or more on their roundtrip drive. Ride Week encourages employees and students to make a pledge to try an alternative transportation method, whether it is carpool, vanpool, public transit, walking, biking or telecommuting, for at least one day during the event.

To help get Ventura County commuters excited about Ride Week, VCTC is raffling gift certificates for a new bike, running shoes, Fitbit wireless activity trackers, monthly bus passes and other prizes for anyone who pledges to try an alternative ride October 5-9.

Those interested in entering, can make their pledge at www.rideweek.org. Not only will they be entered to win, but they can also request an evaluation of their commute with customized travel options and contact information for possible ridesharing partners.

“County highways and freeways are more congested than ever, meaning longer commute times, more money spent on gas and vehicle maintenance and more tons of tailpipe emissions polluting our environment,” said VCTC Executive Director Darren Kettle. “Our hope is that Ride Week will open commuters up to alternative methods of transportation and that they’ll find something they like not just during Ride Week, but throughout the year.”

For more information about transportation, air quality and ridesharing during Ride Week or any week follow VCTC (goventura/@goventura) and VCAPCD (TheAirZone/@VCAPCD) on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Ventura County Transportation Commission
The Ventura County Transportation Commission is the regional transportation planning agency committed to keeping Ventura County moving. Program information is available at goventura.org.

The role of da Vinci robotic surgery to treat endometriosis – a disease in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of it – will be the focus of a free seminar Community Memorial Health System is holding on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Edwin Ramirez, M.D., who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology, will cover the treatment options available for women facing endometriosis, including laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery, at the seminar that will run from 6 to 8 p.m. in the eighth-floor Nichols Auditorium at Community Memorial Hospital, 147 N. Brent St.

Dr. Ramirez will discuss how robotic-assisted surgery can lead to fewer complications; less blood loss and pain; less infection risk and scarring; shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery; and better outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Dr. Ramirez received his medical degree from New York Medical College and completed residency training at Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Ramirez is a member of the Community Memorial Hospital medical staff.

Registration is free but reservations are required. Visit cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800/838-3006.

Future scheduled Speaker Series events include: the Latest in Food Allergies on Nov. 5 at the Courtyard by Marriott Oxnard; Ethics in Healthcare: Should Your Doctor Be Your Friend? on Nov. 12 at the Museum of Ventura County; TEDMED 2015 on Nov. 19 at the Museum of Ventura County; and Celiac Disease on Dec. 1 at Community Memorial Hospital.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and 12 family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

Did you know your Ventura County Library card gives you online access to our largest library, the eLibrary, which contains entertainment, education, and research resources at your fingertips at home or on the go -- including:
• Over 145,000 downloadable eBooks you don’t have to buy
• For commuters, thousands of eAudiobooks easily downloaded
• An abundant selection of music for your playlist
• Thousands of movies, documentaries, and TV shows as an alternative to primetime TV
• Digital magazines and comic books that travel with you wherever you go

Your library card also gives you access to newspapers, language instruction, auto repair, genealogy resources and career tools. All of that, and there’s even more: find early literacy resources, encyclopedias, test preparation and biography, literature, science, and history databases.

Our largest library is our online eLibrary, available to you 24/7.
[Link: http://157.145.215.81:81/rpa/default/RPA_redr.htm]

No library card? Visit one of our library locations to get one!
[Link: http://www.vencolibrary.org/locations}

#vclWhatAreYouInto?
Find it in the #eLibrary

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

Vicki Graves, NICU RN and Daisy Award recipient.

A Community Memorial Health System nurse, Vicki Graves, is a recent recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, a peer-elected awards program the hospital participates in each quarter. Nurses are nominated for the DAISY awards by patients, family members and colleagues.

Graves, a registered nurse in Community Memorial Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, is known at the hospital for her compassionate care, concern, and dedication to patient health.

Graves was nominated by a colleague who wrote:

I would like to nominate Vicki Graves for the Daisy Award for many reasons, being an excellent charge nurse, her dedication to the unit, and always making herself available to others. I have had the pleasure of working with Vicki for almost 10 years now and there have been many situations where I have been grateful for her teamwork, professionalism, and most importantly her clinical skills. I would have to say the one that stands out would be about 8 years ago when I was still a fairly new nurse and had to experience my first "code" on one of my patients at the end of our shift, Vicki stayed over with me for almost 3 hours helping me with the paperwork and basically just debriefing with me on what has been one of the scariest things I have had to go through as a nurse so far. As our permanent charge nurse on nights, Vicki is not always the one at the bedside with our babies and their parents so she is not always given the proper recognition, but our unit would not run as smooth as it does without her.

Each quarter, a nurse is selected to receive the DAISY Award by an awards committee. At a presentation given in front of the nurse’s peers, patients and leadership, the honoree receives a certificate of commendation for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” The honoree is also given a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.

The DAISY Award is supported by the not-for-profit DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation. Bonnie and J. Mark Barnes created this foundation and award as a way to remember their son, J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick had a disease that attacked his body and was in the hospital for a long time. His nurses did such a great job with him that the Barnes family created an award that continues to recognize the excellent work nurses do every day.

Said CMHS Chief Nursing Officer, Cynthia Fahey, “We are proud to be among the hospitals participating in the DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes every day. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”

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.