The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program is a refundable tax credit available to individuals and families earning less than $49,000 in 2009. This is the federal government's largest anti-poverty measure and can be up to $5,657 depending on income and family type.

The "Earn It, Keep It, Save It" program is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that recruits volunteer tax preparers as well as interpreters, screeners, and greeters and offers free preparation of federal and state income tax returns to taxpayers with low incomes. VITA benefits these taxpayers in two basic ways. First, by eliminating the cost of commercial tax return preparation, and secondly, it secures valuable tax credits such as the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Local VITA location sites are as follows:
Santa Paula - Santa Clara Valley Job & Career Center/(805) 933-8442
City of Ventura - Housing Authority/(805) 648-5008; Ventura Job & Career Center/(805) 648-9303
East County - East County Job & Career Center/(805) 955-2287
Oxnard - El Concilio Del Condado de Ventura/(805) 487-9777
West Oxnard Job and Career Center/(805) 382-6551
City of Oxnard Housing Authority/(805) 385-8089

Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22nd each year since 1970, making this year's celebration the 40th annual event! Earth Day events celebrate the planet we live on and helps to renew our commitment to building a safer, healthier and cleaner world. Plan ahead for one of these upcoming Ventura County area Earth Day Events!

Saturday, April 3rd: Earth Day Celebration at Las Virgenes Creek in Calabasas

Saturday, April 10th: Earth Day Festival at Plaza Park in Oxnard

Friday, April 16th: Earth Day Celebration at Simi Valley Town Center

Saturday, April 17th: 1st Annual Earth Day Event in Camarillo

We have the Germans to thank for the Easter Bunny concept, which came about in the 1500s. Hares and bunnies are signs of fertility and eggs signify rebirth. The Germans brought Easter traditions to America and it wasn't until after the Civil War that Easter became widely celebrated. Now we celebrate by gorging ourselves on candy! Yeah!!!

Mar 12th to Apr 3rd: Easter Bunny at Simi Valley Town Center

Mar 13th to Apr 3rd: Easter Bunny at Pacific View Mall in Ventura

Mar 13th to Apr 3rd: Easter Bunny at The Oaks Mall Thousand Oaks

Sat, March 27th: Conejo Recreation & Park District Spring Eggstravaganza Thousand Oaks

There still ARE lots of jobs out there, but ya have to LOOK HARDER for them and often! Don't rely only on the usual suspects like Monster and Craigslist! Go directly to the source ... corporations, hospitals, municipalities, schools, etc.

Treat the job hunting process like a fishing expedition. Be patient. Keep the fishing lines out there and check these websites often!

For more job hunting tips, click here. I would love to hear about your success stories.  Feel free to contact me or add a comment to this blog post.

Corporate, School, Healthcare Career Websites

ADP: www.adp.com/careers.aspx (4 Woodland Hills jobs 2/25/10)

Advanced Motion Controls: www.a-m-c.com/content/contact/careers.html (3 Cam jobs 2/25/10)

AECOM: http://aecom.com/Careers (1 Camarillo job 2/25/10)

Aerovironment: www.avinc.com/careers/jobs/category/simi_valley/ (56 Simi jobs 3/10/10)

AGIA: www.agia.com/employ.asp (4 Carpinteria jobs 2/25/10)

Alcoa: www.alcoa.com/global/en/careers/welcome.asp (2 Newbury Park jobs 2/25/10)

Amgen: https://sjobs.brassring.com/1033/asp/tg/cim_home.asp?partnerid=25236&siteid=5308 (126 Thousand Oaks jobs 2/25/10)

AML Communications: www.amlj.com/contact.html# (1 Camarillo jobs 2/13/10)

ATK Integrated Systems: www.atk.jobs (17 Woodland Hills jobs 3/1/10)

AT&T: http://connect.att.jobs/california-jobs (1 Camarillo job 2/1/10)

Avanquest Software: www.avanquest.com/USA/corporate/careers/job-listings.html (8 Calab jobs 3/1/10)

Aveox: www.aveox.com/Careers.aspx (1 Simi job 3/1/10)

Avery Dennison www.averydennison.com/avy/en_us/Careers/Job-Search (1 WLV jobs 3/1/10)

Bank of America: http://careers.bankofamerica.com/jobsearch.aspx (dozens of local jobs)

Baxter: www.careers.baxter.com/us/index.html (28 T.O/WLV jobs 3/1/10)

BeyondTrust Software: www.beyondtrust.com/company/employment.asp (1 Agoura job 2/6/10)

Blue Shield of California: www.blueshieldca.com/bsc/aboutbsc/careers/index.jhtml (15 Woodland Hills jobs 3/9/10)

BMW Group DesignworksUSA: www.designworksusa.com/dwusa/contact/california/index.html (no listed Newbury Park jobs 2/6/10)

Calavo Growers: www.calavo.com/careers.php (no Santa Paula jobs 3/1/10)

Caldera Medical: www.calderamedical.com/careers.php (4 Agoura jobs 3/1/10)

Cal Lutheran University: www.callutheran.edu/hr/ (21 staff/faculty jobs 3/2/10)

Cal St University Channel Islands: www.csucijobs.com (13 staff/faculty jobs 3/2/10)

Caminosoft: www.caminosoft.com/contact/employment.html (no Simi jobs 3/2/10)

Capstone Turbine: www.capstoneturbine.com/company/careers/ (0 Chatsworth jobs 3/2/10)

Carpinteria Water District: www.cvwd.net/jobs.htm (no jobs 3/2/10)

CKE (Carl's Jr): www.ckr.com/careers/index.html (3 Carpinteria jobs 3/2/10)

Ceres: www.ceres.net/AboutUs/AboutUs-Careers-Jobs.html (no NP jobs 3/2/10)

Chatsworth Products, Inc. www.chatsworth.com/careers (2 WLV jobs 3/2/10)

The Cheesecake Factory: www.cakecareers.com (10 Calabasas jobs 3/2/10)

City of Agoura Hills: www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/Index.aspx?page=38 (None as of 2/16/10)

City of Calabasas: www.cityofcalabasas.com/jobs.html (5 part-time 1/28/10)

City of Camarillo: www.ci.camarillo.ca.us/main.aspx?q=6027&p=9685 (None 2/2/10)

City of Carpinteria: www.carpinteria.ca.us/human_resources/current_jobs.shtml (2 job 3/4/10)

City of Fillmore: http://www.fillmoreca.com/employmentops.htm (2 jobs 3/4/10)

City of Moorpark: http://ci.moorpark.ca.us (4 part-time as of 3/4/10)

City of Oxnard: http://hr.cityofoxnard.org/Department.aspx?DepartmentID=11&ResourceID=144 (2 jobs 3/4/10)

City of Santa Paula: http://www.ci.santa-paula.ca.us/employ/ (1 job as of 3/4/10)

City of Simi Valley: www.ci.simi-valley.ca.us/index.aspx?page=30 (1 part-time 2/19/10)

City of Thousand Oaks: www.toaks.org/government/depts/human/jobs/full.asp (none as of 2/19/10)

City of Ventura: www.jobaps.com/ven/sup/images/default.asp (6 perm/temp jobs 3/5/10)

Clipper Windpower: www.clipperwind.com/careers.html (20 Carpinteria jobs on 3/3/10)

Community Memorial Hospital: http://cmhhospital.jobscience.com (16 jobs 1/10/10)

Conejo Recreation & Park District: www.crpd.org/index.cfm?go2=employment (3 jobs 1/10/10)

Conejo Valley Unified School District: www.conejo.k12.ca.us (7 full/part-time jobs 1/10/10)

CoorsTek-Gaiser Products: www.gaisertool.com/contact_headquarters.php?menu=contact (no listed jobs; contact them)

County of Ventura: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/ventura (26 jobs 2/16/10)

CSG Systems: www.csgsystems.com (3 Oxnard jobs 2/16/10)

Custom Sensors & Technologies: http://cstsensors.com (1 Moorpark job 3/10/10)

Cydcor: www.cydcor.com/open-positions/ (no WLV jobs 2/16/10)

Dako North America: www.dako.com/index/career.htm (1 Carpinteria job 1/28/10)

DEX: www.dex.com/About/Careers/careers_jobs.html# (1 Camarillo job 3/9/10)

Diodes: http://diodes.com/careers (none as of 1/28/10)

Dole: www.dole.com/CareerOpportunities/tabid/1090/Default.aspx (9 WLV/Oxnard jobs 3/10/10)

So try to get to bed early the night of March 13th or you might feel grumpy on Monday! Especially when you realize it feels a lot darker that morning. But the good thing is it'll be a lot lighter out at dinnertime!

** Contrary to what many of us think, it is called Daylight Saving Time, not Savings Time. Make sure to correct anyone who says it wrong if you really want to get on their nerves. But the reality of it is that we're not saving any daylight, we're just shifting it around.

MY VENTING SESSION ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME :>

We have attempted to categorize by "type" as best we can.  Contact us if you have something to add! And don't forget to invite us to your party!! :>

Indoor Play Places

• Imagine That Indoor Play Facility in Ventura
• Bright Child Indoor Play in Oak Park
• Gull Wings Children's Museum in Oxnard
• Gymboree Play and Learn in Camarillo and Simi Valley
• Jungle Land in Agoura Hills
• The Clubhouse Fun Zone in Ventura

Entertainment Centers/Arcades

• Chuck E. Cheese's in Thousand Oaks and Ventura
• Golf N' Stuff in Ventura
• Big Z Family Fun Center in Simi Valley
• LazerStar Laser Tag and Arcade in Camarillo
• MB2 Indoor Go Kart Center and Arcade in Newbury Park
• Next Generation Gaming Center in Newbury Park
• Ventura Harbor Village Carousel and Arcade

Gymnasiums and Jumpy/Bouncy Play

• Boulderdash Indoor Rock Climbing in Westlake Village
• California Cartwheel Center in Newbury Park
• Fun and Fit Imagymnation Gymnastics Center in Simi Valley
• Gold Coast Gymnastics in Ventura
• Jolly Jumps Party Place in Camarillo
• Junior Gym and Lions Gymnastics in Oak Park
• Knuckleheads Gym in Newbury Park

The Ventura County Health Care Agency H1N1 Hotline is 805.981.5390 and operates Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm. Visit the VC Public Health website at www.vchca.org/ph/swineflu for more information.  H1N1 and seasonal flu shots are now widely available to all individuals in Ventura County.

Update 3/12/10: CDC reports 41,113 flu-related lab confirmed hospitalizations (308 in latest week) and 2,042 deaths (33 in latest week) from 8/30/09 to 3/9/10. No change in pediatric H1N1 flu deaths this week. WHO H1N1 update 91 on 3/12/10 reports at least 16.713 deaths as of 2/28/10 (258 in latest week).

Update 3/5/10: CDC reports 40,805 flu-related lab confirmed hospitalizations (187 in latest week) and 2,009 deaths (15 in latest week) from 8/30/09 to 3/2/10.

There were 329 lab-confirmed flu-related pediatric deaths from 4/26/09 to 2/27/10, no change from the prior week. 277 of these are confirmed H1N1 related.

WHO H1N1 update 90 on 3/5/10 reports at least 16.455 deaths as of 2/28/10 (229 more than last week).

Update 2/26/10: CDC reports 40,618 flu-related lab c

The first-ever TEDxConejo Conference, a one-day locally organized gathering of renowned thinkers and doers produced in association with the Conejo Valley Unified School District, will bring a diverse line-up of speakers to the Scherr Forum at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center on March 27th.  A limited number of tickets are still available.

The conference is built on the model and under license from the TED Conference, an annual gathering of some of the worldʼs most fascinating and influential people. This local edition, brings together some of the leading minds in the area to share ideas, insight and discussion. The program features talks, ranging in length from 3 to 18 minutes, and conversation breaks where audience members and speakers have the opportunity to talk and exchange ideas. In addition to the internationally recognized presenters, the organizers have identified several outstanding area students who will speak or perform.

The daylong program is organized around the theme, “Whatʼs The Big Idea,” and is divided into three sessions: “Thinking,” “Doing,” and “Seeing.” Topics to be covered include the neuroscience of beliefs, innovations and discoveries in medicine and healthcare, the principles of meaningful enterprise, new ideas in education, effective communication, microfinance, human perception and music.

Thomas Goetz is the executive editor of Wired Magazine and author of the new book, The Decision Tree: Taking Control of Your Health in The New Era of Personalized Medicine. His writing on science and medicine has appeared in the Best American Science Writing and Technology anthologies. A former reporter for the Wall Street Journal, his work has also appeared in The New York Times op-ed page and in The New York Times Magazine. He holds masterʼs degrees in American literature and public health.

Dr. Scott Patterson is the executive director of Medical Sciences at Amgen Inc. He is well known in the field of protein chemistry and is one of the pioneers in the field of proteomics. At Amgen, he leads the Molecular Sciences department with primary responsibility for application of biomarkers across all research studies. He received his Ph.D. and B.Sc from the University of Queensland, where he held positions of increasing responsibility culminating in that of senior research officer. Patterson is also a former faculty member of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York.

Mark Robert Waldman is Associate Fellow at the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania and Adjunct Faculty at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is a therapist, co-author of ten books, including Born to Believe and How God Changes Your Brain (both written with Dr. Andrew Newberg, M.D.), and the founding editor of Transpersonal Review. He lectures throughout the country on neuroscience, religion and spirituality and conducts research with numerous religious and secular groups. His work has been featured in dozens of newspapers, magazines and on syndicated radio programs.

A Press Conference will be held to announce the complete speaker line-up and beposted at the TEDxConejo website, www.tedxconejo.com.

About the Conference

Big ideas will fill the Scherr Forum at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on March 27th, when TEDxConejo brings together some of the most interesting and interested people in our community for a day of talks, entertainment and conversation.