“Receiving the Four Star Council Award is quite an honor for us. We’re extremely proud of this accomplishment,” proclaimed Grand Knight Ernie Morales, of the local Knights of Columbus council.

Knights of Columbus Council 8800 of St. Francis of Assisi Church has earned the distinction of Four Star Council, one of the organization's top award, for the 2014-2015 fraternal year. The organization's headquarters, located in New Haven, Connecticut, made the announcement.

The award recognizes overall excellence in the areas of membership recruitment and retention, promotion of the fraternal insurance program, and sponsorship of service-oriented activities.

The award was presented to the membership by District Deputy Joe Lee at a special ceremony held on September 15, 2015.

In announcing the local winner of the Four Star Council Award, Carl A. Anderson, chief executive officer of the organization, said, "Please accept my sincere congratulations upon attaining this prestigious award. Your dedication to the Order is seen in the high standard of excellence you have achieved. At the same time, I encourage you to carry forward this enthusiasm to meet the challenges that will face the Knights of Columbus in the years ahead. May this award be a reminder and an inspiration to the members of your council to continue to promote the ideals of Columbianism for the good of the Church, your community, and the Order."

"Receiving the Four Star Council Award is quite an honor for us. We're extremely proud of this accomplishment," proclaimed Grand Knight Ernie Morales, of the local council.

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic lay organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Church, their communities, families and young people. With more than 1.8 million members in over 15,000 councils around the world the Knights of Columbus annually donate more than $170 million and 70 million hours of service to charitable causes.

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

On a perfect Monday night of September 21st, 2015, Soroptimist International of Fillmore hosted the International Day of Peace. The first Peace Pole was made of 4 X 4 inch posts that held Peace cranes on it. The now permanent concrete Peace Pole is located in front of City Hall, which was the gathering place for the celebration. The pole has inscribed “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in 7 different languages.

Soroptimist member Lynn Edmonds welcomed all, and gave a brief overview of how the International Day of Peace was created. The Veterans of Foreign War were proudly in attendance to honor our country with leading of the flag salute. Bardsdale Methodist Church Pastor Bethany Carpenter blessed the celebration with a prayer for Peace within our world, our country, and our community.

The City of Fillmore also recognized Soroptimist for their involvement in Peace. Mayor Pro Tem Diane McCall read a proclamation given to the Soroptimist President Jane David, representing all of the Fillmore Club.

I don’t know if you are aware that the City of Fillmore has Peace Makers that reside in the community? We proudly do! Gerald and Susan Fitzgerald are two of them. They were unable to attend, as they had another commitment. The third Peace Maker is Soroptimist member Sarah Hansen, who also spear-headed the creation of our Peace Pole. What a compliment for Fillmore, and to those three!!

We were also fortunate to have a Poet Laureate of Ventura County read a poem about Peace. Mary Kay Rummel’s poem was very inspiring.

Afterwards, the crowd of on lookers and participants of about 75, recited the Peace Builder’s Pledge, and then, accompanied by the very talented Lynn Edmonds with her violin, we sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth”. What a wonderful sound that was!

To finish off the evening, the City of Fillmore Fire Department helped light up the grass area of City Hall so that all in attendance could create a human Peace sign!! It was a marvelous feeling, holding hands with a friend or stranger for one purpose… PEACE!

A special thank you to Lions Club members Bill Dewey and Paul Benavidez for all of their hard work to help make the evening a Peace filled success. Thanks Gentlemen!!

City of Fillmore

The City of Fillmore’s Public Works Department will be accepting all non-hazardous waste at 728 Goodenough Road on Saturday, September 26th from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Acceptable waste is any non-hazardous waste.

Hazardous Household Waste will be accepted for disposal at the Public Works Yard located at 711 Sespe Place on Saturday, October 3rd from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. All hazardous household waste, such as paint, batteries, etc. will be accepted.

Please contact the City Public Works Department at (805) 524-1500 if you have any questions.

The October meeting of the Ventura County Garden Club will be Wednesday, October 7, 2015 at 11:00 am at the Hansen Farm in Santa Paula. Presenters are from the Master Gardener Program. The topic will be Drought Issues. There will be a special pumpkin themed tea. Friends Are Always Welcome!

From the Recipient: Kate and I bought our home in The River walk Community in December of last year. Our grand children made us do it. You see, we owned a home in Florida just a bit north of Naples. But the little granddaughters lived in Fillmore, CA. it’s a long drive. We missed them. They were growing up without really knowing us. We needed to share life more closely before we lost our chance to do so. We sold our home in Florida and rented for a year in Fillmore. As east coasters, we wondered if the California life would fit.

California life fits us well! We have grown to love this town. We have made good friends. We are active in our parish of St. Francis of Assisi community. Our ongoing relationship with our son and daughter in-law is rich and full of life.

On the day our middle granddaughter was to be baptized, I saw a sign indicating that 955 Santa Fe St. was for sale. Kate and I took a look. It was clear the home was for us. We made an offer on the spot and the rest is history. Mr. Oscar Arriola, our gardener and good friend keeps the grounds in top condition. We could not be happier in our little nest.

We are honored to receive the Vision 2020 Civic pride Yard of the Month Award.

With gratitude,
Philip Fontaine
Homeowner

The Friends of the Santa Paula Blanchard Community Library invite all book lovers to their “Back Stacks” Book Sales. They are held the first Saturday of every month from 10AM to 2PM, every Wednesday from Noon to 4PM, and every Thursday and Friday from Noon to 2PM.The next First-Saturday sale will be October 3, 2015. The sales offer great choices in fiction, non-fiction, children’s books and collectibles and are accessed from the north parking lot of the library at 119 N. 8th Street, Santa Paula, CA.Most books are priced from $.50-$2.00.Collectibles start at $4.00.

October’s specials include a four volume set of the VFW pictorial history of WWII for $5.00, 2 boxed sets of classic drama, Greek or Roman, for $2.00/set, and all Anita Shreve and Patricia Caldwell novels at ½ price.
For information email fobcl@yahoo.com.

Nelda Gruenthal and Lynn Byrne Simon, artist members of the Pastel Society of the Gold Coast, delivered a check for $1,750 to the Board of Directors of Camarillo Hospice at its meeting in August. The checkrepresented all proceeds of a Meet the Artists Reception in July and ten percent of all sales made during the group’s month-long exhibit at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery.

Hospice President/CEO Sandy Nirenberg and Lynne Byrne Simon spoke about the great collaboration of “art and heart” that has been created between the PSGC and Camarillo Hospice. Board Chair Randy Churchill commented on the similarities between and importance of the work of both groups and how grateful Camarillo Hospice was for this unexpected fundraising opportunity.

The Pastel Society of the Gold Coast is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide public exhibitions for its members, to educate the community through collaboration with environmental and other non-profit organizations; and to promote the arts in general. The membership consists of approximately 30 Southern California artists who “utilize the dynamic and diverse application of soft pastels to express the nature and beauty of our Gold Coast region. “For more information visit www.pastelsocietyofthegoldcoast.org.

Founded in 1978, Camarillo Hospice is a volunteer hospice and grief counseling center dedicated to the dignity of life by providing care, comfort, support and counseling to individuals and families facing a life-limiting illness or grieving the loss of a loved one, as well as offering education on end-of-life care and planning to all. All services and programs are free of charge. For more information, please call 389-6870 or log onto www.camarillohospice.org.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation, also known as the Livestrong Foundation, has paved the way for more programs to be created for cancers victims and survivors. Promoting strength, health and positivity to cancer survivors in the local community, the Ventura Family YMCA’s Livestrong program is a prime example of this.

The main purpose of Livestrong at the Y is to “help adult cancer survivors reclaim their health and well-being following a cancer diagnosis.” The Y's wellness coaches are able to assist the participants through a 12-week program that includes physical conditioning to help decrease the amount of side effects resulting from chemotherapy. In turn, the exercise and nutrition training helps participants avoid weight changes that might not be desired after chemotherapy, and more. They also work on strength and physical conditioning, along with meditation practice. This gives them a sense of peace that may have been lost during the draining process of chemotherapy and even radiation. The Livestrong program also provides fellowship within the cancer community. Survivors now have a local place where they can gain strength and interact with others who understand what they are going through.

Kevin Illig saw a flyer about the Y’s Livestrong Program at the Community Memorial Hospital’s Cancer Center and decided to join. Since January of 2009 he has been battling Multiple Myeloma Gamma G cancer, which is similar to leukemia. The white and red blood cells don't work properly so the bones become weakened.

“The diagnosis was devastating because I was training as a senior lightweight amateur MMA fighter. I then began gaining weight and eventually fractured my T11 vertebrae after a fall. So when I saw the Y's advertisement, I said I got to try this. And it's working because I already lost 7 pounds!”

The effects of this program aren't just felt by the participants themselves. Lauren Polo-Esakoff is the Y's Livestrong Coordinator and runs the program with Kathleen Kennedy.

"I feel like my purpose in life is to help other people by sharing my knowledge on physical fitness," Lauren states. “It's just so much fun being able to show this group exercises and to see them improve and get excited about the benefits of exercise.” Kathleen further explains how this program not only helps with the physical pain but the emotional process that cancer survivors experience. Both she and Lauren are there to guide everyone at a level they are comfortable with.

“We are both certified and highly credentialed as personal trainers. However, to begin this program we had specific Livestrong training to learn about all types of cancer cases, many of which were extremely devastating to the body. In the first group we thought what did we get ourselves into?...but once we got going, we felt confident in our training with the support of CMH Cancer Center and the Montecito YMCA's Livestrong program, so all of the collaborations really helped us become a source of physical and emotional support for our group.” When asked how she feels now, Kathleen states, “It's amazing to be able to help people who are going through a myriad of physical and emotional pain because helping others is something I'm passionate about.”

The pacing in this program is key in helping each survivor feel comfortable. Marianne Cothern had a double mastectomy from stage 3 breast cancer. She has undergone 6 months of chemotherapy and 1 year of treatment. All of the radiation and lymphedema pain, really took a toll on her body, or as she explains, “I was out of shape, didn't work out for 1-year, and had a limited range of motion from the double mastectomy, so it was nice to become healthier with a group of people equally as uncomfortable as me."

Livestrong at the Y is a free12-week program. Survivors and their family members also receive memberships to the Y, which enables the entire family to remain active and healthy. If you would like to learn more about this program, please contact the Y’s LiveStrong Coordinator, Lauren Polo-Esakoff by email at Lauren.Polo-Esakoff@ciymca.org, stop in at the Y, or call 805.642.2131 ext. 28.

About the Y
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Ventura Family YMCA serves over 20,000 individuals annually through facility memberships, before & after school childcare, day & resident camps, youth sports, swim lessons, teen programs, and many more healthy lifestyles and community enriching programs which nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Through its’ Open Doors program, the Y ensures that no one is ever turned away due to their inability to pay and facility memberships without contracts or join fees makes the Y accessible to all. The Ventura Family YMCA is located at 3760 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, CA 93003. Log on to ciymca.org/ventura.

http://www.livestrong.org/
http://www.ciymca.org/livestrong.html

Community Memorial Hospital is now performing a procedure that implants a new, miniaturized, wireless monitoring sensor to manage heart failure. The CardioMEMS HF System is the first and only FDA-approved heart failure monitoring device that has been proven to significantly reduce hospital admissions when used by physicians to manage heart failure.

The CardioMEMS HF System features a sensor that is implanted in the pulmonary artery during a non-surgical procedure to directly measure PA pressure. Increased PA pressures appear before weight and blood pressure changes, which are often used as indirect measures of worsening heart failure. The new system allows patients to transmit daily sensor readings wirelessly from their homes to their health care providers allowing for personalized and proactive management to reduce the likelihood of hospitalization.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 5.1 million Americans have heart failure, with 670,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Patients with heart failure are frequently hospitalized, have a reduced quality of life and face a higher risk of death.

The CardioMEMS sensor is designed to last the lifetime of the patient and doesn’t require batteries. Once implanted, the wireless sensor sends pressure readings to a secure internet site that the physician can visit to review readings. There is no pain or sensation for the patient during the readings. The CardioMEMS HF System allows the patients to transmit critical information about their heart failure status to a clinician on a regular basis, without the need for additional clinic or hospital visits. This provides clinicians with the ability to detect worsening heart failure sooner and adjust treatment to reduce the likelihood that the patient will need to be hospitalized.

Data from a clinical trial showed that the CardioMEMS technology reduces heart failure hospital admissions by up to 37 percent. The CHAMPION trial studied the effectiveness of the CardioMEMS HF System in New York Heart Association’s Functional Classification System class III heart failure patients who had been hospitalized for heart failure in the previous 12 months. Results of the trial demonstrated a statistically significant 28 percent reduction in the rate of heart failure hospitalizations at six months, and 37 percent reduction in heart failure hospitalizations during an average follow-up duration of 15 months.

Roughly 1.4 million patients in the U.S. have NYHA Class III heart failure, and historically these patients account for nearly half of all heart failure hospitalizations. According to the American Heart Association, the estimated direct and indirect cost of heart failure in the U.S. for 2012 was $31 billion and that number is expected to more than double by 2030.

The CardioMEMS HF System, from global medical device manufacturer St. Jude Medical, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for commercial use in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.heartfailureanswers.com/.

For more information or to be referred to a physician authorized to perform the procedure please call the CMH Cath Lab at 805-652-3031.

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.

Join us this October as we travel to the historical towns of Santa Paul, Piru & Fillmore. We are planning a 4 day trip so we can soak up all the history of the area. The Santa Clara Valley has early railroad history, farming history, the citrus industry and much more. We’ll visit the Fillmore Historical Museum and learn about Fillmore and how it came to be, Our travels will take us to the towns of Piru and Santa Paula. Most of the traveling will be on back country roads. In all 3 towns there are historical buildings and houses to look at and visit.

The reason we are doing it in 4 days is to give everyone a chance to see as much as they can without being pressed for time. If you can only make it for Saturday and Sunday, no worries, you will still get to see the major parts of the tour. Even if you can only make it for one day, it’s not a bad drive and there are plenty of things to see and do. Friday and Monday are travel days, but we will have something planned for those days.

There are no “good” camping areas located in Fillmore, so we are going to the Santa Paula KOA. This KQA has pull thru RV spots and cabins for rent. There will be more info at the upcoming meeting in June. So mark your calendars and plan on traveling with us.

If you want to travel as a group we will meet at Cocoa’s in Brea on Friday, it is located at Imperial Hwy. c& State College Blvd. I would like to be on the road to Fillmore by 9:30 A.M. It’s about a 1-1/2 hour drive. So if you plan on eating breakfast, get there early enough to leave on time. Call me at 714-501-7080 if you have any questions.

Kay Wilson-Bolton

Ventura County Realtor® Kay Wilson-Bolton, a Broker-Associate with Century 21 Hometown Realty in Santa Paula, has been named by the California Association of Realtors® (C.A.R.), as a “Champion of Home,” a title that signifies that she is a California Realtor who has changed her clients’ lives for the better, raised the standards for others, and led by example.

In its third year, the prestigious award honors Realtors® who have been selected by their peers as individuals who have gone to great lengths on behalf of their clients, and practice their business with the highest ethics and moral standards. In addition to Wilson-Bolton, two other outstanding Realtors®, selected from among 100 nominations throughout the State, who are also being awarded the honor this year are Kim Eichorn, with Lyon Realty in Davis, and Anthony Cassel, with Bay Sotheby’s International Realty in Berkeley.

“Kay is an exemplary Realtor® who pushes herself and consistently sets higher standards by showing extreme diligence and empathy in serving her clients,” said C.A.R. President Chris Kutzkey. “She is not only successful in her business, but it is clear she is passionate about what she does both for her clients and her community. Kay is a true hero, and I’m proud to recognize her as a 2015 Champion of Home.”

Wilson-Bolton has been in the real estate business for 40 years and, as she likes to say, “since 1976…for good.” In addition to being a top producer with her brokerage, completing at least 110 transactions in the last two years, she still finds time to be extremely helpful and compassionate toward her clients. She has represented clients in difficult circumstances, including helping clients in out-of-state sales, people with financial difficulties, and clients who have suffered tragic losses. In one transaction, she helped out-of-state sellers deal with a property sale that had seven liens against the property. Wilson-Bolton guided her clients through the complicated process and was able to get the building sold in less than a week, with multiple offers.

Combining a real estate expertise with her love for her community, Wilson-Bolton has also contracted with the Public Guardian’s Office of Ventura County, displaying patience and kindness as she works with clients who are mentally ill or have dementia. In this capacity, she assists them in preparing, assessing, and marketing their properties, many of them challenging, because the properties are usually in conservatorship, or the owners are deceased. More than once, Wilson-Bolton has forgone her commission to help a distressed seller get whatever net proceeds were available from the sale of their home.

In addition to being an effective Realtor®, Wilson-Bolton also runs a successful care-giving program out of her own office that provides services to the less fortunate in Santa Paula. With the assistance of dozens of volunteers and employees, Many Meals prepares 600 meals each week. In addition to that endeavor, she still finds time to be Chaplain to the Ventura County Fire Department, sit with, and comfort people in hospice, and give back to the community in many other ways.

“Kay Wilson-Bolton has, for decades, already been considered a “Champion of Home” in our community,” said B.J. Ward, president of the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors® (VCCAR). “Not only has she been a pioneer for homeowners and for property rights in her primary role as a Realtor, she has also, for a longtime, set a positive example for our community on what it means to give back.” Ward noted that Kay is just as well known for raising awareness to local issues like homelessness and hunger as she is known for putting up “for sale” signs in yards across Ventura County. “This is a tremendous honor that is well deserved, and the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors® would like to congratulate Kay on a job well done,” he said.

Added VCCAR Treasurer Lyle Elliott: “How wonderful. She is an example not only of our finest Realtors®, but a generous contributor of her time and skills to the community-at-large.”

Wilson-Bolton will be honored during a luncheon on Wednesday, October 7, during C.A.R.’s California Realtor® Expo 2015, which will be held this year in San Jose.

The Rotary Club of Fillmore meets for breakfast meetings every Wednesday from 7:00AM to 8:00 AM at the Bel Air Café at Wm. L. Morris Chevrolet. Upcoming speakers include Fillmore City Manager Dave Rowlands (Sept. 9th) and Ventura County DA Greg Totten (Aug. Sept. 23rd).

On Wednesday, August 26th, Club members heard from VC Sheriffs’ Commander Tim Hagel about his running adventures with Cops Running for Charity. The groups has traveled to seven continents and participated in extreme running events in the Sahara Desert, Great Wall of China, Iceland, Easter Island, Siberia, Patagonia, New Zealand, Burma, Ireland and Antarctica. Since they began in 2003 they have raised $300,000. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has been a recipient every year in 2003, beginning with $1,000. They hope to give them $50,000 this year. Commander Hagel informed the Rotarians that his group has run 8,000 miles over ten years. This year they will hold a fund raiser Run/Race on Santa Cruz Island on October 17.

Rotarians will be distributing Student Dictionaries to all 3rd grade students within FUSD boundaries in September.

The Club will be holding the annual Casino Night fundraiser jointly with Fillmore FFA on Saturday, October 17th at the Fillmore/Piru Memorial Building. More information and ticket sales will be available soon.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Fillmore call 805-906-4114.

A ceremony to honor the International Day of Peace will take place on September 21st at 7:00pm the park in front of Fillmore City Hall. All are invited to participate in this important event. The International Day of Peace began in 1982 with a United Nation’s proclamation following a celebration commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly stating “that this day be devoted to…strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among nations”. It was expanded in 2001 to call for a day of global cease fire and nonviolence.

Soroptimist International of Fillmore began to honor the International Day of Peace in 2008 with a temporary wooden pole. The permanent Peace Pole was installed in 2010 through the collaboration of the City of Fillmore, local service groups and donations from individuals. The Peace Pole now stands in the southwest corner of City Hall Park to invite person reflection and to stand as a permanent reminder of the need for peace. The Pole has inscribed “Let There Be Peace On Earth” in seven different languages.

In our own town violence continues. Our town, our country and our world need a concerted movement toward reconciliation and peace. At a time when people around the world are being needlessly killed and wars are decimating entire populations, this call to peace is even more urgently needed. We hope that you will join with us in the City Park to reinforce the need for personal, community and world peace.

The committee asks that all churches ring bells at 7:00pm on the 21st of September to commemorate this day. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Hansen at 524-0132 or Lynn Edmonds at 907-6576.

City of Fillmore

DATE: AUGUST 25, 2015

TO: ALL CITY OF FILLMORE RESIDENTS

FROM: CITY OF FILLMORE CODE ENFORCEMENT

RE: BASKETBALL PORTABLE HOOPS

The City of Fillmore is requesting that anyone owning a portable basketball hoop located in the street, please return the portable basketball hoop to your driveways when you are finished using them in the City Streets.

Listed below are some reasons why returning the portable Basketball hoops to driveways will help:

• The street sweepers cannot completely clean the gutters with the portable hoops inthe street.

• Many streets have limited parking spaces and relocating the hoops, when not in use, will help parking in these areas.

• The portable hoops also present safety issues with vehicles hitting them or portable hoops falling.

Having family fun and enjoying the great outdoors are some of the things what makes Fillmore a very nice place to live and work. So please, consider your neighbors and return your portable hoops to your driveways when finished, and make the City of Fillmore a safer and a better place to live.

If there are any questions regarding this letter, please call Building and Safety (805) 524-1500 ext. 114.

Michael Koroknay
Building and Safety/Code Enforcement
City of Fillmore

The next meeting of the Ventura County Garden Club will be Wednesday, Sept.2, 2015, at 1pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Santa Paula. Madeline Whitaker will present "Growing African Violets."

FRIENDS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME.

The County of Ventura Grand Jury is an all-volunteer group serving as an independent agent of the public to investigate complaints from the public pertaining to government agencies in our community. Is your organization interested in hearing about these investigative duties and procedures? The Grand Jury Speakers Bureau is available to educate the public in its endeavors as the “public watchdog” for Ventura County. To learn more or schedule a date for a presentation, please call the Grand Jury at 805-466-1800. For additional information, you may also refer to its website, http://www.ventura.org/grand-jury

The Rotary Club of Fillmore meets for breakfast meetings every Wednesday from 7:00AM to 8:00 AM at the Bel Air Café at Wm. L. Morris Chevrolet. Upcoming speakers include Tim Hagel (Aug. 26), Fillmore City Manager Dave Rowlands (Sept. 9th) and Ventura County DA Greg Totten (Aug. Sept. 23rd).

Rotarians will be distributing Student Dictionaries to all 3rd grade students within FUSD boundaries in September.

The Club will be holding the annual Casino Night fundraiser jointly with Fillmore FFA on Saturday, October 17th at the Fillmore/Piru Memorial Building. More information and ticket sales will be available soon.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Fillmore call 805-906-4114.