Courtesy https://fillmoreca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=252

Posted on: November 17, 2025, courtesy https://fillmoreca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=252
Get into the holiday spirit at the City of Fillmore’s Annual Tree Lighting & Night Market! On Sunday, November 30, from 5pm–8pm, Tree Lighting at 6pm, at 250 Central Avenue.
Enjoy festive fun for the whole family, a Gingerbread House Contest presented by Diamond Realty, a Snow Play Area presented by Lemon Tree Embroidery, and FREE photos with Santa! Come hungry and treat yourself to delicious food and desserts from our amazing vendors.
Let’s kick off the season together and make this a night full of joy, lights, and community cheer! Vendors: Jimbo’s Funnel Cakes, Mister Softee, Connie’s Hot Dogs, Vera’s Cheesecakes, J_K Catering.

Above is from last year's annual Holiday Toy Drive. Photo credit Angel Esquivel.

The Fillmore Fire Department in conjunction with the Fillmore Fire Foundation is kicking off the annual Holiday Toy Drive this week. Collection drop-off boxes for new toys are available at the Fillmore Police and City Fire Station, City Hall, local banks and Diamond Realty. As part of the Toy Drive, on Sunday, December 7th, the Fillmore Fire Foundation will be holding the annual BBQ Chicken Dinner Fundraiser to collect donations that are used to purchase hundreds of toys for children in the Fillmore/Piru area. A complete chicken dinner meal is prepared for anyone wanting to donate fifteen dollars ($15) or a brand-new toy valued at fifteen dollars or more. This year, the dinner will return to the Fillmore Fire Station located at 711 Landeros Lane. Dinner will be served from 5:00 -7:00 PM and you may drive through for takeout or choose to dine indoors at the fire station. The hundreds of toys purchased from this event will be combined with those that are donated by the Community and then distributed on Saturday, December 13, in a huge Community Holiday Giveaway event. To order your tickets for the December 7th BBQ Chicken Dinner call 805-524-1500 ext 226. or 805-815-0328 or stop by the Fillmore City Fire Station, 711 Landeros Lane. New Toys may also be dropped off at the Fire Station.

Enlarge Photo

The Reverend Robert M. Hammond (Bob), a Fillmore Rotarian and the Program Chairman for November, gave the program. In January 2024 he became a bishop in the Anglican Diocese of the West. He told the club that Jesus left the apostles to preach the gospel and later passed that onto the bishops. At a special ceremony other bishops laid hands on Bob and he was ordained a bishop. He showed the club his special ring given to him by his father, and the cross that he wears to services. He also showed the many different robes he wears for different ceremonies. It was very interesting. Article and photo credit Martha Richardson.

VENTURA, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced today that it has received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support a specialized prosecution team that handles alcohol and drug-impaired driving cases. The grant program runs through September 2026.
“We remain firmly committed to protecting our community from impaired driving,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Rachelle Dean said. “Support from the Office of Traffic Safety gives our prosecutors the resources they need to effectively pursue these cases and keep Ventura County’s roads safe.”
The specialized prosecution team will also partner with the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program (TSRP) to train other prosecutors and investigators and collaborate with law enforcement agencies on best practices for handling and managing driving under the influence (DUI) cases.
“Through focused prosecution efforts and strong partnerships, we are working toward a future where all people will be safe on California roads,” OTS Director Stephanie Dougherty said. “Together, we’re holding impaired drivers accountable and encouraging safe, responsible choices that help build a culture where safety comes first.”
This is the fourteenth year the District Attorney’s Office has received funding from the OTS for a specialized DUI prosecution program. Last year, the prosecution team filed 1,668 DUI cases, including 172 DUI drug cases and 10 combined alcohol and drug DUI cases.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Contact: Joey Buttitta
Title: Communications Manager/PIO
Phone: (805) 767-3400
Email: Joey.Buttitta@venturacounty.gov
Approved: SW
Date: November 14, 2025
Release No.: 25-137

Fillmore, CA — Victory Outreach Fillmore Followers presents our 3rd Annual Turkey Giveaway, continuing a heartfelt tradition of giving and community care. This Thanksgiving season, we are honored to serve 180 families with a frozen turkey and all the traditional fixings for a complete holiday meal.
This event reflects our mission to reach, restore, and uplift families in need throughout the Fillmore community. Volunteers, church members, and local supporters have united to ensure no one goes without a Thanksgiving dinner.
“Our goal is to share the love of God in a practical way,” said one organizer. “It’s more than just a meal—it’s a message of hope.”
The giveaway will take place on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at 12 p.m. at Via Rodeo Park, 647 Lemon Way, Fillmore, CA. Families are invited to come and receive their Thanksgiving packages in a welcoming and uplifting environment.
Through acts of kindness like this, Victory Outreach Fillmore Followers continues to shine as a beacon of faith, hope, and compassion—reminding our community that together, we can make a difference this holiday season.

The regular Fillmore City Council meeting was held on Wednesday, November 12 at 6:30pm, due to the Veterans Day holiday. The meeting will be published in next week’s edition of the Gazette. You can watch the livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/@cityoffillmore1401. Photo and link courtesy https://www.facebook.com/cityoffillmore.

A low-pressure system will bring rain to the area later this week, peaking Thursday afternoon for northern areas and heading south Thursday night. There is also a 10-20% chance for thunderstorms Thursday into Thursday night for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, and for all counties Friday. Potential Impacts: Travel delays and localized roadway flooding, increased flows in creeks/streams, and a chance for burn area flash flooding and debris flows. Photo and info courtesy https://www.weather.gov/lox.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Fillmore Piru Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (“Agency”) Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 4:00 p.m., has been CANCELLED.
The next Agency Regular Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 4:00 p.m., at the City of Fillmore, City Hall, Council Chambers 250 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA 93015.
Posted: (date) November 06, 2025 (time) 4:00 p.m. At: https://www.FPBGSA.org - (attest) Eva Ibarra
Posted: (date) November 06, 2025 (time) 4:05 p.m. At: https://www.facebook.com/FPBGSA - (attest) Eva Ibarra
Posted: (date) November 06, 2025 (time) 4: 10 p.m. (attest) Eva Ibarra At: 1701 N. Lombard Street, Oxnard, CA 93030
Posted: (date) November 06, 2025 (time) 4: 15 p.m. (attest) Eva Ibarra At: Fillmore City Hall, 250 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA, 93015
Eva Ibarra, Clerk of the Committee

Vintage Pleasures Antiques & Collectibles is offering a monthly fire pit raffle to raise funds for one of their dealer’s medical bills (lung cancer remission). The artisan has a large variety of hand-crafted metal pieces, including yard art. He also makes unique fire pits that they both sell and raffle for $5 a ticket, or 5 for $20. So far there have been 52 fire pit winners, and someone wins about every 39 tickets sold! He also makes personalized items and will continue to do his artistic work as long as he is able. Come visit Vintage Pleasures, 326 Central Avenue, Fillmore, and see all his artistic work and join the raffle! Good luck and happy holidays to all.

Ventura County District Attorney’s Office

VENTURA, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is announcing today that it has concluded its review of the Balcom and Mountain Fires, finding no criminal liability for the October 30, 2024, and November 6, 2024, incidents.
After receiving a comprehensive investigation from the Ventura County Fire Department and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), which consisted of 360 gigabytes of data, 2,800 electronic files and several thousand pages of reports, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office assigned a team of prosecutors to carefully analyze the investigation for potential criminal charges. In doing so, the District Attorney’s Office learned that a tractor driver was clearing brush on the afternoon of October 30, 2024, on a hillside in unincorporated Ventura County near Balcom Canyon Road and Bixby Road in the community of Somis. He was using a four-wheel drive tractor with a flail shredder attachment to clear dry vegetation and prepare the area for cattle grazing when he noticed smoke and fire coming from the engine. The driver immediately drove the tractor to an area that he had cleared and called for help. Thereafter, firefighters responded and suppressed the 1.8 acre blaze by utilizing water hose lines, deploying hand crews and dropping 4,000 gallons of fire retardant from an air tanker. Ventura County firefighters, in conjunction with a nearby property owner, also utilized bulldozers to clear vegetation around the fire area to limit its spread.
In the intervening week between the Balcom and Mountain Fires, arson investigators, firefighters, and civilians visited the location of the October 30 incident.
On the morning of November 6, 2024, a nearby resident called 9-1-1 to report that smoke and fire were visible from the same area as the previous week’s fire. That morning and preceding evening were marked by an Extreme Red Flag Warning, also known as a Particularly Dangerous Situation, for its low humidity, dry conditions and forceful winds. Known as the Mountain Fire, it would go on to burn nearly 20,000 acres and damage or destroy 369 structures. Arson investigators determined that the cause of the Mountain Fire was heated tire debris from the Balcom Fire that became dislodged and dispersed into unburned vegetation downwind from the tractor.
The District Attorney’s Office arson team looked specifically at the facts, evidence and circumstances surrounding the October 30 operation of the tractor to determine criminal culpability in both fires. The conclusion is that the tractor driver acted neither maliciously nor recklessly to support a criminal filing. There is no evidence that the driver knew in advance that the tractor would catch fire and ignored that risk and used it anyway to clear brush. To the contrary, the driver was a 24-year labor contractor with extensive experience operating tractors and performing vegetation abatement in Ventura County. While the reason the tractor caught fire is unknown, there is no evidence that the operator drove it with the intention of starting a fire or operated the machinery aware that one could occur.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has closed its criminal review of the Balcom and Mountain Fires and wishes to thank the Ventura County Fire Department and Cal Fire for their comprehensive and thorough investigation.
***
Contact: Joey Buttitta
Title: Communications Manager/PIO
Phone: (805) 767-3400
Email: Joey.Buttitta@venturacounty.gov
Approved: SW
Date: November 7, 2025
Release No.: 25-134

(VENTURA COUNTY) — Michelle Ascencion, Ventura County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, announced the schedule for the One Percent Manual Tally audit of the November 4, 2025, Statewide Special Election. A mandated process under the California Elections Code (§15360), the One Percent Manual Tally audit is conducted during the 30-day Official Canvass period and involves a meticulous hand count of ballots from randomly selected batches of ballots tabulated through the end of Election Night. The manual tally counts are compared to the electronically tabulated results to confirm the equipment is counting the ballots correctly.
The random selection of ballot batches will take place on November 10 at 10:00 AM. Using a random number generator, as specified in California Code of Regulations, Title 2, §20313(2)(A), Elections staff will select one percent of the batches from in-person votes and vote-by-mail ballots, treating them as separate samples to ensure comprehensive coverage.
The audit process will officially begin on November 13 at 9:00 AM and is expected to conclude on November 14. Members of the public and media are welcome to observe both the random batch selection and the manual tally audit process.
“In a primary or general election, the one-percent tally is quite complicated, with dozens of contests and hundreds of different ballot types,” said Registrar Ascencion. “The tally will be somewhat easier for this election, since the ballot had one contest with only two options. Nevertheless, even this manual tally will take several long hours of repetitive, focused, detail-sensitive work, so it’s still a challenging process.”
Both the One Percent Manual Tally and the Pre-Election Logic and Accuracy Testing conducted for each election are mandated processes that ensure the security, transparency, and efficiency of elections in California, as well as confirming that every piece of equipment is functioning properly with 100% accuracy.
Anyone interested in observing the One Percent Manual Tally audit can visit the Elections Division at the Ventura County Government Center (Hall of Administration, Lower Plaza), 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura. For more information please call the Elections Division at 805-654-2664. The official notice for the audit can be found at Vote.VenturaCounty.gov.
The Ventura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters is committed to “Preserving history and protecting democracy for the people of Ventura County, past, present, and future.” More information about the agency’s services is available 24/7 at ClerkRecorder.VenturaCounty.gov

Photo credit Andrea McClellan.

Article by Jaclyn Ibarra
Fillmore Lions Club would like to thank the community for supporting last Saturday’s Enchilada Dinner fundraiser. They made 500 to go dinners to help raise funds for high school senior scholarships that’ll be awarded this spring.
There were countless volunteers such as One Step a la Vez teens and staff, Fillmore Boy Scout Troop 406, Sespe 4H, Fillmore FFA, and fellow Lions from Ventura. Lions would also like to thank local businesses such as Fillmore’s El Pescador, Estrella Market, Beylik Farms, Salvation Army of Ventura, and Red Engine Brewery. Lions intend to carry on this community event every year, as so many Fillmorites look forward to the delicious dinner. Lastly and very importantly, there was no food wasted. At the end of the event Fillmore Lions was able to donate more than 250 enchilada meals to Spirit of Santa Paula, our local homeless shelter. They do great work and rely solely on donations. It felt great to provide so much food for a worthy organization.
For more information on Fillmore Lions, visit www.fillmorelionsclub.org.

CAMARILLO, CA 10/29/2025 – Momentum is building with the announcement of a new matching opportunity for the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund, a community-wide effort to support local families and small businesses experiencing sudden hardship and disruption. Through the generosity of the Brokaw Family Fund, donations up to a total of $50,000 will be matched, doubling impact for this vital humanitarian effort that offers a coordinated and trusted way for residents to step up and support one another.
“The Brokaw Family Fund normally focuses on bettering the lives of farm workers, but now all our immigrant neighbors are threatened,” said Ellen Brokaw. “Nonprofits are overwhelmed with requests from families for life-sustaining help. We hope this challenge will inspire others to contribute whatever they can to help all our neighbors in need.”
The latest round of grants amount to $134,000, and recipients include Catholic Charities, Ventura County; Conejo Community Outreach; House Farm Workers!; Lucha, Inc.; Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP); Oxnard College Foundation; Safe Passage Youth Foundation; Samaritan Center - Simi Valley; Saticoy Food Hub; Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church and Spirit of Santa Paula. In total, over $454,000 has been donated or committed to the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund to date.
Convened by the Ventura County Community Foundation, the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund & Coalition is led by over 30 partners and counting. The broad coalition behind the Fund includes business, civic, nonprofit, education and faith-based leaders from across Ventura County. Multiple cities have come on board as partners of the vital humanitarian effort as well, such as Thousand Oaks, Port Hueneme, Fillmore, Ventura and Camarillo.
“I am so humbled by just how generous our community is, and so proud of what we have been able to accomplish together in the last few weeks,” said VCCF Board Chair Leah Lacayo. “With this new matching opportunity for the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund, we can double our impact to support our Ventura County community. We are grateful to the Brokaw Family Fund for their generous contribution and for taking action to support our neighbors in need.”
One hundred percent of every contribution to the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund will directly support:
• Food, transportation and essential supplies for families in need
• Emergency shelter and rental assistance
• Critical services provided by schools, neighborhood centers, business and economic development centers and community-based organizations
• Additional essential needs as they emerge
“We care about our neighbors and their well-being,” said Lacayo. “An injury to one is an injury to all! We are all a part of the fabric of our Ventura County community. That is what makes Ventura County so great!”
To learn more or make a contribution, please visit vccf.org/neighbors.
***
About the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund
The Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund is a united, community-wide effort to support local families and small businesses experiencing sudden hardship and disruption. It offers a coordinated and trusted way for residents to step up and support one another. Working with respected community-based organizations, the Fund delivers immediate and essential relief, including food, transportation, housing assistance and other urgent needs. The broad coalition behind the Fund includes business, civic, nonprofit, education and faith-based leaders from across Ventura County. Together, they aim to address both immediate needs and the broader ripple effects impacting families, students and local businesses. Learn more at vccf.org/neighbors

Santa Clara Valley Disposal will maintain its regular trash, recycling and yard/organics waste collection schedule in Fillmore during the week of Veterans Day, Nov. 9-15. The holiday falls on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Remember that residential customers can place all three carts curbside every week, as Santa Clara Valley Disposal collects all waste weekly – including food waste, which is recyclable. All food waste should be placed in closed paper or plastic bags and the bags should be tossed in the organics waste cart. This prevents food waste contamination because food waste and yard waste are processed separately. Even if you only have food waste bags and no yard waste, you can still put the food waste bags in your organics waste cart and take it to the curb every week for pickup.
Harrison Industries serves the cities and surrounding unincorporated areas of Ventura, Ojai and Camarillo as well as the unincorporated areas of La Conchita, Lake Sherwood, Lynn Ranch, Newbury Park, Ojai Valley (Ventura River Valley), Oxnard Plain, Piru, Point Mugu, Rancho Matilija, Rincon, Santa Paula, Santa Rosa Valley, Somis, Upper Ojai, Yerba Buena and the Channel Islands Beach Community Services District, as well as California State University Channel Islands and the city of Carpinteria, as E.J. Harrison & Sons; and the city of Fillmore as Santa Clara Valley Disposal.
For more information, visit www.ejharrison.com.

Photo credit Linda Nunes

By Linda Nunes
Fillmore Civic Pride volunteers have chosen the decorated yard at 256 Rhodes Court, belonging to the Vieyra family, for the Fall Harvest/ Halloween Award. Daughter Eva said her mother, Rocio Vieyra, enjoys decorating for all the holidays and the children help her as needed. Eva said decorating is a hobby and fun for the entire family.
The family has lived on Rhodes Court for about 20 years and in Fillmore for 25 years. Be sure to get out of your car and walk on the sidewalk in front of the house during the night or even in daytime to see the amazing city of figures and buildings at ground level. Rocio even has black roses and a black tree in a planter, and the house is covered with decorations and lights.
Rocio works at a beauty salon in the brick Firestone building across from Fillmore City Hall, so drop in to congratulate her on the hard work and award!
The family will enjoy using their gift certificate from Otto & Sons Nursery and now is a great time for everyone to shop with their 40% off sale which lasts until the end of October! Civic Pride volunteers are thankful for Otto & Sons Nursery’s support in this project which improves our community in appearance and fosters community participation. And we have the pleasure of meeting people in different neighborhoods!
“Honorable Mentions” to take a tour with the family include: 502 Stonehedge, 759 Galvin, 3661 Foothill, 644 Mountain View, 398 Edgewood, 45 Central, 787 Burlington, 855 Sante Fe, 937 Sante Fe, 998 Hinckley, 603 2nd, and 733 3rd Street. Traditions neighborhood off Goodenough Road also has some great decorations and Candelaria at the end of the street.

October 22, 2025
(VENTURA) Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 is opening day for nine vote centers located throughout Ventura County for the Nov. 4 Statewide Special Election. Nine additional vote centers will open the following Saturday, Nov. 1. Vote center hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day until Nov. 3, and 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Election Day, Nov. 4.
“With this being a special election, the vote center locations may be different from those used in past elections,” County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, Michelle Ascencion, said. “Please check your County Voter Information Guide, the insert in your vote by mail ballot, or the County Elections website at Vote.VenturaCounty.gov, to find the list of vote center sites that are opening this week.”
With up to 10 days of early voting available before Election Day, voters who have questions or would like extra assistance can take advantage of days that are typically less busy than Election Day at the vote centers.
At any vote center, ADA curbside voting is available to help mobility-restricted voters cast their ballot from their car. Inside the vote center, any voter can receive individual one-to-one assistance from the staff. Each vote center is equipped with several ADA-accessible ballot marking devices, which enable voters to use a touchscreen display to vote their ballot, review their selection, and print their ballot. A ballot printed from the ballot marking device is tabulated in the same manner as a hand-marked ballot.
Any voter can request to use the ballot marking device, but it is specially designed to provide ADA accessible voting, with adjustable font sizes on the display screen, audio options, and other accommodative capabilities for voters. A ballot printed from the ballot marking device is tabulated in the same manner as a hand-marked ballot.
Voters with disabilities who prefer to vote from home can choose to utilize a unique type of voting by mail called Remote Accessible Vote By Mail (RAVBM). The RAVBM ballot enables the voter to view and mark their ballot using their own personal adaptive devices, such as a screen reader or other accessible technology, similar to using a ballot marking device at a vote center. With RAVBM, a voter can vote their ballot privately and independently. Once they’ve completed their ballot, the voter prints it out and submits the ballot in a signed, postage-paid envelope, and deposits it in a ballot drop box or sends it via US Postal Mail just like they would a standard vote by mail ballot.
Vote centers can also provide assistance to voters in languages other than English. California’s ballots are all printed in English and Spanish, and certain counties with significant enough foreign language-speaking communities also provide ballots in additional languages. There are bilingual Spanish/English election workers at many of the vote centers, and the Secretary of State’s office provides a hotline for assistance with other languages.
Voters registering late can still participate in the election by visiting a vote center, where they will vote on a provisional ballot. Once the registration information is verified and finalized, the provisional ballot can be counted and the voter will be registered for future elections.
“Since voters are not assigned to a specific location, they can select the Ventura County vote center that is most convenient for them to either vote in person or deliver their completed vote by mail ballot,” Registrar Ascencion said. “Vote by mail ballots can also be returned to an official Ventura County Elections ballot drop box or in the US Postal mail. Whether you vote by mail or go to a vote center to vote in person, the time is NOW to make your voice heard for the November 4th Statewide Special Election. Please contact us if you have any questions, we’re here to help.”
For assistance, voters can contact the Elections Division at (805) 654-2664, by email at elections@venturacounty.gov, or visit the website, Vote.VenturaCounty.gov.
The Ventura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters is committed to “Preserving history and protecting democracy for the people of Ventura County, past, present, and future.” More information about the agency’s services is available 24/7 at www.ClerkRecorder.VenturaCounty.gov.