California's Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 Takes Effect July 1st

On Friday, July 1st, California's Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 takes effect. Senate Bill 183 was approved by then Governor Schwarzenegger on May 7, 2010. It requires homeowners to install carbon monoxide detectors in all single-family California residences with an attached garage, fireplace or a fossil fuel-burning heater or appliance. The same requirement takes effect on multi-unit residences effective January 1, 2013.

Combination smoke, fire and carbon monoxide alarm from the local Home DepotThe law also says "With respect to the number and placement of carbon monoxide devices, an owner shall install the devices in a manner consistent with building standards applicable to new construction for the relevant type of occupancy or with the manuf

Read More

From Ojai with Love: Joplin Tornado Victims to be Sent Care Packages on Monday

From Ojai with Love: Joplin Tornado Victims To be Sent Care Packages on Monday

In the late 1890's a congressman from Missouri said, "Frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." With that riveting statement, Missouri became known as the 'Show Me' state. Now some 120 years later amidst the deadliest tornado in recorded U.S. history, Missouri is needing others now to show them — care and assurance that their cries of despair and urgent needs after being hit by a killer twister are not falling on deaf ears.

Several Ojai residents, stirred by compassion at seeing the massive destruction that struck the Joplin, Missouri area last Sunday killing at least 124 people and destroying more than 8,000 buildings, are rallying to the cause.

Diane Silvester, owner of Soul Centered, at 311 North Montgomery Street, will be accepting donations for area Joplin tornado victims through Sunday, May 29 and numerous intuitives will also be donating 10% of sales from readings during Soul Centered's weekend Psychic Faire. Sequoia Hamilton, founder of Ojai Writers Conference whose hometown area is Joplin, will ship the donations to families she personally knows who "lost everything," including a high school classmate who emerged from the rubble with only one shoe.

"In a crisis of this enormous scale with about 1,500 people still unaccounted for, it's important not to overlook the stories and lives of individual persons," adds Hamilton. "So we'll be collecting items for Sheryl Gorman (age 48, shoe size 9, shirt size medium, and pants size 8 tall) a high school classmate of mine who lost her house, cars, barn, pets, horses, all her belongings .... everything. We can only imagine her grief and shock. By keeping our eyes focused on Sheryl and her famil

Read More

Ventura County Sheriff "Social Host" (Underage Drinking) Ordinance Message

Community Safety Message from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Summer is almost upon us and schools will be closing their doors for a well-deserved vacation. Experience tells us that we will experience an increase in daytime residential burglaries, more unsightly graffiti and many “party disturbing” calls.

I want to take this opportunity to talk about those parties and the potentially lethal combination of teenagers and alcohol. There is nothing wrong with celebrating the end of the school year with an evening of fun with family and friends. However, too often these events end in tragedy. Alcohol consumption and binge drinking in combination with prescription drugs are the most common cause of overdose for teenagers in the community.

Some parents want to be “cool” by permitting their children and their friends to consume alcohol while throwing a party in the home. Other parents rationalize their behavior by arguing that teenagers will find alcohol elsewhere if they don’t allow it at home. Concerned parents do not abandon their parental responsibility while placing their teens and the community at risk in this way.

Several years ago, Ventura County Ordinance 6113 was passed to combat this problem. Also known as the Social Host Ordinance, individuals responsible for the party can be held accountable, even if they didn’t personally buy the alcohol, for “hosting” the party. Should deputies be called to respond to an underage drinking incident on property you own, lease or otherwise control, you could be cited and required to pay a fine of $1000. If this is not incentive enough to discourage such conduct, imagine being the parent who permits underage drinking that leads to a tragic death when one of the partygoers crashes on the way home forfeiting their life of that of other innocents.

Sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers will be vigorously enforcing these laws throughout the summer. Remember, it is fun to celebrate the end of the school year, just do so legally and responsibly so your teenager can attend the first day of the next school year.

For more information on the subject, please visit www.venturacountylimits.org.

By Law, California 7th-12th Graders Must Receive Whooping Cough Vaccine by July 2011

AB 354: The New 7th – 12th Grade California Immunization Law
California Department of Public Health, Immunization Branch

Whooping cough is a serious disease that causes coughing fits that can last for months. It can be deadly for infants. In recent years, whooping cough has been increasing in the United States. In 2010, whooping cough was widespread in California.

Starting July 2011, a new law (AB 354) changing California immunization requirements for all students entering 7th-12th grades goes into effect. The law requires:

  • This coming school year (2011-2012), all students entering into 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12 th grades will need proof of an adolescent whooping cough booster shot (called “Tdap”) before starting school.
  • For the next school year (2012-13) and future school years, all students entering into 7th grade only will need proof of a Tdap shot to start school.

This law includes current students, new students and transfer students in both public and private schools.

Tdap is a booster vaccine for older children, adolescents, and

Read More

Californians Help Eliminate All The Evasive Registration Scofflaws Program

I thought this was a pretty clever acronym from the California Highway Patrol so why not share it here. Who knows, if we all participate in the Californians Help Eliminate All The Evasive Registration Scofflaws (CHEATERS) tattletale program, maybe we can eliminate our ongoing budget issues (ha ha)!

Report Vehicles with Out-of-State License Plates to the CHP

Did you know that the State of California loses millions of dollars a year in revenue from California residents who unlawfully register their vehicles in other states or countries?

Did you know that vehicle registration fees are due immediately upon accepting employment or establishing residency in the State of California?

Read More

California Vehicle Restraint Laws from the California Highway Patrol

CALIFORNIA VEHICLE RESTRAINT LAWS - A REFRESHER

INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN

www.chp.ca.gov


V.C. 27360(a) Cite parent/guardian for each child who is not properly restrained in the rear seat unless the child is six years or older or weighs 60 pounds or more.

V.C. 27360(b) Cite driver only if parent is not present.

Exceptions:

  1. Court sanctioned exemption, medical condition, physical unfitness, or size.
  2. Life threatening emergency or transported in authorized emergency vehicle.
  3. Child over 40 pounds in rear seat of vehicle with lap belts only.

Each child is required to be properly restrained in the back seat unless child is six years or older or weighs 60 pounds or more.

Exceptions: V.C. 27360(c) a child or ward under the age of six years who weighs less than 60 pounds may ride in the front seat of a motor vehicle, if properly secured in a Child Passenger Restraint System (CPRS) that meets applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, under the following circumstances:

  1. There is no rear seat.
  2. The rear seats are side-facing jump seats.
  3. The rear seats are rear-facing seats.
  4. The Child Passenger Restraint System cannot b
Read More

Ventura County Watershed Protection District Website Provides Real-Time Rain Data

The mission of the Ventura County Watershed Protection Districtis to protect life, property, watercourses, watersheds and public infrastructure from the dangers and damages associated with flood and stormwaters in Ventura County. VCWPD has jurisdiction over about 200 miles of channels throughout the County.

One feature on the VCWPD website is the ALERT (Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time) map that shows rainfall totals at over 100 locations throughout Ventura County. If you look at the 2-day rainfall totals as of today, March 21, 2011, you will see some very dramatic rainfall totals, confirming the massive drenching we experienced in the Conejo Valley yesterday, leaving downed trees all around town. Here are some 2-day rainfall totals (note that this is provisional data and VCWPD does not warrant the accuracy of the data):

  • Newbury Park: 5.5 inches (measured at the NP Fire Station)

  • Thousand Oaks Civic Center: 5.4 inches

  • Camarillo Airport: 4.0 inches

  • Ventura County Government Center: 3.8 inches

  • Simi Valley: 3.7 inches

  • Moorpark: 3.1 inches

  • Agoura Hills: 4.1 inches

www.vcwatershed.net/fws/rain-map

That's a lot of rain in such a short period! Need sandbags? Here's a list courtesy of the Ventura County Fire Department.