Picture courtesy Anna with her beloved dog, Casey Jones.
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Article by Brandy Hollis
I am pleased to introduce Anna Reilley, President of the Fillmore Rotary Club. Anna truly has a heart to serve.
Anna earned a Master’s in Business and Leadership at the University of La Verne. She has been married to Daniel Reilley for 34 happy years. They have five children, four boys and one girl, all adults now.
The longtime Ventura County residents and have lived in the Fillmore community for over 15 years. She is part of the legacy of the Joseph Chapman Family regarding Grist Mill in the 1700’s in San Gabriel and San Ynez.
She is also is a Toast-masters Member, along with being one of my favorites to serve with at Fillmore Women’s Service Club (we have such a great bunch of ladies). Anna also serves at the San Buena Ventura Women’s Club and is a Correspondence Secretary on the Advisory Council on VCAAA. She is a licensed real estate agent, and said, “I love helping our community and being involved with people that get things done!”
“I love to help out our seniors at the Active Adult Center and our youth to learn to be good leaders. I love being with my family, I love to garden, eat good food. I love country music and rock, movies like Star Trek and old classics.” Her favorite thing to do is play with her dog, Casey Jones (pictured).
I know her to be kind and a team player—she really does seek out ways to help. She’s great at bouncing ideas off of as well. If you see her, please go up and say hi. She comes across as shy… but her go-getter mentally will surely change your mind. I am proud to call her my sister in service and friend.
Thank you, Anna, for stepping up to all your called to do. I am so glad we have worked together this last year and can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the coming year. Fillmore is so blessed to have people like you!

Board of Directors Meeting, Thursday, April 18, 2024, 4:00 p.m at City of Fillmore City Hall Council Chambers 250 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA 93015
To participate in the Board of Directors meeting via Zoom, please access:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85480305580?pwd=ZnFBWGhtVU05dXd3REFkM255c0h6UT... Meeting ID: 854 8030 5580 Password: FPBGSA
To hear just the audio portion of the meeting, phone into: Toll-free number: 877 853 5247 Meeting ID: 854 8030 5580
AGENDA
1.CALL TO ORDER
1A Pledge of Allegiance 1B Directors Roll Call
1C Public Comments
Fillmore and Piru Basins Groundwater Sustainability Agency (Agency) will accept public comment concerning agenda items at the time the item is considered and on any non-agenda item within the jurisdiction of the Board during the agendized Public Comment period. No action will be taken by the Board on any non-agenda item. In accordance with Government Code § 54954.3(b)(1), public comment will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker per issue.
1D Approval of Agenda
Motion
2.CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered routine by the Board and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Board member pulls an item from the Calendar. Pulled items will be discussed and acted on separately by the Board. Members of the public who want to comment on a Consent Calendar item should do so under Public Comments. (ROLL CALL VOTE REQUIRED)
2A Approval of Minutes
The Board will consider approving the Minutes from the Board of Directors meeting of March 21, 2024, and the Special Board of Directors meeting from April 4, 2024.
2B Approval of Warrants
The Board will consider approving payment of outstanding vendor invoices:
RAMS $ 300.00
Aleshire & Wynder LLP $ 2,320.00
DBS&A $23,821.75
2C Monthly Financial Report
The Board will receive the monthly financial report for the Fillmore and Piru Basins Groundwater Sustainability Agency.
3. MOTION ITEMS
3A Waiver of Late Fees and Interest for City of Fillmore
Motion
The Board will consider waiving late fees and interest in the amount of $2,963.09 for the City of Fillmore.
3B Amendment of Groundwater Sustainability Plans in Response to Findings and Comments from California Department of Water Resources
Motion
The Board will receive a presentation from Daniel B. Stephens and Associates and staff summarizing the findings, comments, and recommendations received from the California Department of Water Resources regarding its Sustainable Groundwater Management Act review of the Agency’s Fillmore Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan and Piru Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan and provide comments and direction.
4. FUTURE TOPICS FOR BOARD DISCUSSION
5. ADJOURNMENT
The Board will adjourn to the next Regular Board Meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2024, or call of the Chair.
Materials, which are non-exempt public records and are provided to the Board of Directors to be used in consideration of the above agenda items, including any documents provided subsequent to the publishing of this agenda, are available for inspection at UWCD’s offices at 1701
N. Lombard Street in Oxnard during normal business hours.
The Americans with Disabilities Act provides that no qualified individual with a disability shall be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, the District’s services, programs or activities because of any disability. If you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, or if you require agenda materials in an alternative format, please contact the UWCD Office at (805) 525-4431 or the City of Fillmore at (805) 524- 1500. Notification of at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the District to make appropriate arrangements.
Approved: Board Chair Kelly Long
Posted: (date) April 15, 2024 At: https://www.FPBGSA.org
(time) 1:00 p.m. (attest) Eva Ibarra
Posted: (date) April 15, 2024
At: https://www.facebook.com/FPBGSA
(time) 1:10 p.m. (attest) Eva Ibarra
Posted: (date) April 15, 2024
At: UWCD, 1701 N. Lombard Street, Oxnard (time) 1:20 p.m. (attest) Eva Ibarra
Posted: (date) April 15, 2024 (time) 1:30 p.m. (attest) Eva Ibarra
At: Fillmore City Hall, 250 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA

"Come help us celebrate! The Ventura County Garden Club is preparing to celebrate their 100 years of sharing friendship, gardening and beatification projects. The public is welcome to join in on the fun at the Camarillo Ranch House on May 1 starting at 10am. Events include car, flower and quilt shows, tours of the ranch house, a maypole activity, Japanese floral design demonstration by Gabriel Pacheco, the last 100 years in dance and music performance, snacks, picnic luncheon with desserts, door prizes, silent auction and more. Send your check for $50 made out to VCGC to Nancy Cope at 603 4th St., Fillmore, 93015. Please indicate your luncheon choice of Roast Turkey and Jack Cheese, Black Forest Ham and Cheddar Cheese, Vegetable and Cheese, or vegan sandwich, and, if you prefer, the Gluten Free option. Hope you can join us for this fun and historic event! We welcome new members. For more information, visit our website at VenturaCountyGardenClub.com"

The speakers at Fillmore Rotary last week were Deresa Kenney, Virginia Feyh and Lisa Hammond from the Ventura County K9 Search and Rescue Team. This is a volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3), comprised of highly trained handlers and their canine partners who provide assistance to law enforcement in the search and recovery of lost and missing persons. Deresa and Virginia have dogs trained in Trailing by the person’s scent and other dogs trained in Human Remains Detection. Lisa is the current Treasurer of the Board and is training to be a flanker which means she will accompany a handler with their K9 so the handler can devote full attention to their dog. The handlers gave demonstrations with their dogs after the meeting. See www.vcsark9.org for more info.

By Chris Webb

The Fillmore Civic Pride volunteers award a Yard of the Month prize several times throughout the year. This month’s winner is Jeannie, and her garden, located at 125 Serra Drive, is one of minimalistic beauty.
The colors of the rock, block boarder, and plants combine in a natural and pleasing way. The materials are neatly installed, and the area is well maintained.

The combination and placement of cactus and succulents, including Oger and Aloe Vera varieties, create a simple and peaceful area. The plants are a combination of those planted by her late father and others she brought with her when she moved to Fillmore.

Like all gardeners Jeannie has additional plans for the space, including the addition of a candy-striped Rose bush. Each Yard of the Month winner receives a gift card for Fillmore’s Otto and Sons Nursery, who are known for their incredible collection of roses and other plants.

This month’s winner is a great example of how beautiful outdoor spaces can be simple, easy to maintain, and full of beauty. Congratulations, Jeannie!

Pictured above are Rhonda and Paul Taylor outside San Cayetano Elementary helping out with school drop-off.
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Photo & story by Brandy Hollis

Let me tell you about a kind lady with a beautiful Louisiana accent. Her name is Rhonda Taylor. She has been in Fillmore for a few years now, and I have met her off & on around town. You might recognize her from the voting center doing more than her civic duty. She cares for our community and is impassioned to lend a hand as part of the FUSD Oversight Bond Committee, auditing and reviewing auditor’s reports. She is always involved with her beautiful grandchildren, whom she adores, along with her sweet husband Paul.

I ran into her one morning at the San Cayetano school drop-off on Mountain View and mentioned we had a new drop-off/pick-up procedure coming, and extra hands were always welcomed to help direct traffic. Guess what? She was there at 7:30 a.m. and jumped right in helping with the traffic, with kind reminders of new drop-off locations. As we finished, she wistfully said how much she missed working at the school and thought San Cayetano is a special place--she could feel it when she walked into the office.

If you could do one thing today, be like Rhonda Taylor, lend a hand! Be part of the solution. If it takes a village, I’m glad my village includes Rhonda and Paul.

Courtesy https://www.fillmoreca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=95
(Ventura) – Ventura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters Michelle Ascencion announced today the official election results certification for the March 5, 2024, Presidential Primary Election. A total of 196,415 ballots were cast in this Statewide Direct Primary election: 89.84% of voters cast vote-by-mail ballots and 10.16% voted in person, resulting in a 38.51% voter turnout in Ventura County.

According to Elections Code 8140, County nonpartisan contests are decided in the primary and will not appear on the general election ballot if a candidate garners more than 50% of the vote. The offices elected in the March 5, 2024 Primary Election are:
• Ventura County Board of Supervisors, 1st District: Matt LaVere
• Ventura County Board of Supervisors, 3rd District: Kelly Long
• Ventura County Board of Supervisors, 5th District: Vianey Lopez
• Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. Four: Julia Snyder

The Presidential Primary races were party-specific with separate elections held for the six official political parties in California: American Independent, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom, and Republican parties. Other federal and state races are scheduled for a run-off of the top-two finishers in the November 5, 2024 General Election. Full election results from Ventura County are now available on the VenturaVote.org website. Statewide contest results are on the Secretary of State website: https://electionresults.sos.ca.gov/

Today’s certification completes the Official Canvass period that included: tabulation of early voting ballots, Election Day ballots, and Vote-By-Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by the 7-day deadline; investigations of conditional registration and provisional ballots; the One-Percent Manual Tally audit; and the curing of mail ballot signatures. All processes necessary to complete the Official Canvass were completed well within the 30-day deadline required by the California Elections Code.

“I’m very proud of the work our team has done in this first major election of my term,” said Registrar Michelle Ascencion. “The Presidential Primary can be confusing: people may have been looking for a candidate that didn’t appear on their ballot because of the party-specific slate, and No Party Preference voters didn’t have a presidential contest on their ballot at all! We worked hard to communicate with voters – via media releases, online postings, direct mailings, various outreach events, and the Election Education Series – to give them a head’s up on what was different. Thankfully, the General Election in November is more straightforward.”

Registrar Ascencion and the Elections staff extend their appreciation to the Ventura County community for its support in bringing the election to fruition.

“We are enormously grateful to the other County departments and their employees for assisting us in this election, and there are also many other people to thank,” Ascencion said. “The hundreds of temporary Election Workers from throughout our community, the locations that hosted our Vote Centers, our local media who helped spread the word, our US Postal Service partners who handled hundreds of thousands of pieces of mail for us… we couldn’t do it without you all, thank you!”

Additional information can be found on the Elections Division website at VenturaVote.org

Adult Tricycle – One year old $200 – Call 805-524-2830. (4/4)

This Sunday is Easter! Please join your church family for a festive morning. We will be decorating the cross with flowers upstairs in the sanctuary, starting at nine, so we need you to bring your flowers for this lovely cross.
Next, we will have an Easter egg hunt at 9:15 in LeBard Hall. Since the weather forecast is for rain, the children can hunt eggs in a dry, indoors setting. Unless of course, the forecast changes!

Then after church we will continue to celebrate with a potluck dinner in Lebard Hall! We will order chicken from Super A, so all you need to bring will be side dishes and desserts. Please let the church office know if you are attending, so we can order enough chicken.

Sheriff Jim Fryhoff is pleased to announce the graduation of the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center’s Academy Class #2023-2. The graduation ceremony will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, March 29, 2024. The graduation will occur at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, California.

The recruits have completed 24 weeks of instruction through the combined efforts of local law enforcement agencies and other criminal justice entities. The intense training and education have best prepared them to serve their communities as peace officers. The keynote speaker for the event will be Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon.

Please see below for the names of the graduating recruits and their respective agencies.

ACADEMY ROSTER
Basic Academy Class #2023-2
Graduating Recruits

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
Boulette, Andrew
Nunez, Andy
Oseguera, Timothy Fabian
Taylor, John

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Medina, Osvaldo
Melling, Blake A.

SANTA BARBARA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Cruz, Ellie
Palmerin Pina, Rodrigo Jose
Sanchez Jr., Mario Albert
Sandoval, Leonardo
Smith, Ashley Alex

SANTA PAULA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Acevedo, Edward
DeLong III, Richard

UC SANTA BARBARA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Ledwith, Ryan

VENTURA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Lopez, Josue
McDonald, Kyle D.
Sammons, Tyler Christian
Tribe, Luke G.

VENTURA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Anguiano, Edward
Barraza, Ruben
Bond, Zane
Carmona, Alani
Chase, Jeffrey
De Leon, Jonathan
Espinoza, Julio
Gunderson, Neil
Harper, Cole
Jimenez, Adrian
Jimenez, Jorge
Jordan, Ryan
Leonard, Joseph
Miranda, Manuel
Robinson, Kole
Salzman, Shane H.
Suarez, Cristian Dominguez
Villatoro, Isaiah N.

Nature of Incident: Academy Class 2023-2 Graduation
Location: Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, California

Date & Time: Friday, March 29, 2024 / 1:00 p.m.
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center

Prepared by: Sergeant Tyler Abbott
Approved by: Captain Randy Downard

“The Ventura County Garden Club celebrates its 100th Year Season in 2024. The Luncheon will be provided by the Fillmore members, and the Fillmore Director/Organizer, Stephen McKeown. The Luncheon will be held at noon on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church located at 117 N. 7th Street, Santa Paula. Local Artist, and Club Member, Michelle Smith, who is affiliated with the

Ventura County Gourd Artists, will talk about spreading the joy of growing and using gourds as an art medium. Please bring items to sell and exchange at the plant table. A Board Meeting will be held at 10:00 am. We welcome new members. For more information, visit our website at VenturaCountyGardenClub.com.“

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By Jan Lee

In case you forgot, the Fillmore Flower Show is just around the corner! On April 6 and 7, 2024, the Active Adult Center at 533 Santa Clara Street will open its doors to displays of flowers, potted plants and dish gardens. Theme this year is “Flower Power”.

There are three divisions at the Flower Show especially for youth. First is Youth Arrangements. These are flower displays limited to 20 inches by 20 inches. The arrangements must be arranged at the show without adult help. Try to have the arrangement reflect the theme. Judging will begin at 10 a.m. so the work must be completed by that time. There are four classifications: Age 3 to 2nd grade; Grades 3-6; Grades 7 to 12; Team Arrangements. Make an arrangement yourself or with a team. Maybe your team, soccer, baseball, basketball, can put together an arrangement. Get together with your fellow Scouts to make an arrangement. Teams can be your friends, your neighbors, your class, your siblings, etc. The kids in Fillmore are creative, inventive and smart. Show us what you can bring to the Flower Show.

The second Youth Division is Youth Composition. This can be an original poem or short essay on a single page, with or without illustration, on the theme of the Flower Show, “Flower Power”. So, any youth that don’t garden, but love flowers and love how they make our world beautiful, can express their thoughts in this competitive division. There is a small cash prize in this division.

The third Youth Division is Youth Art. This division is non-competitive. Youth should submit an original piece of artwork on the Flower Show theme, “Flower Power”. Artist’s name and age should be on the front of the work. Please bring artwork to the Center on Friday, April 5 between 3 and 4:30p.m.

Youth may also enter any of the other divisions. Youth entries are FREE. All entries are accepted on Saturday morning between 7:30-10:00a.m. The exhibits are open for public viewing on Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 1:00 and 4:00p.m. For complete rules and information go to: fillmoreflowershow.org.

FILLMORE, CA, March 19, 2024--Fillmore's ReGEN Yoga and Wellness Center will offer an opportunity to shake off winter's chill with Spring Dance Revival, a two-part celebration for anyone who enjoys moving and grooving to music. The April 6 event will include an hour of expressive Nia-style dancing and a workshop in similar principles at the Fillmore on Central, the picturesque former church in the heart of Fillmore's historic downtown.

Nia is a holistic movement and wellness practice that blends the joy of dance, martial arts and mindfulness to benefit body, mind and soul. Ideal for all ages and skill-levels, it invites practitioners, usually barefoot, to improvise within a series of simple, set moves.

"You don't have to know how to dance, it's all about the joy, play and positivity of movement," said ReGEN owner Renee Swenson. "There's a freedom within the structure and you feel like a kid when you're doing it."
For the event's Dance Jam, a party of sorts, four expert instructors will suggest movements participants may use as they choose to world music. Instructors include ReGEN's Christy Cantrell and its manager and event organizer Melissa Diaz, who has achieved a black-belt level of Nia training and taught throughout Ventura County and online with inSpirit, a prominent New Mexico studio. The latter is also home to the event's instructor Vanessa Lowe and was founded by special guest Sarah Nickerson, who will lead the event's Dancing Your Essence workshop.

"One of the most powerful and healing things we can do in community is to bring our most honest, authentic, and beautifully diverse selves forward," Nickerson says of her approach. "We all deserve to arrive in our 'now' body with dignity and be seen with an open heart and without judgement."

Admission to Spring Dance Revival, which includes snacks, a goodie bag and raffle ticket, is $59. Check in begins at 10:30 a.m.; the Dance Jam starts at 10:45 a.m. and the Dancing Your Essence Workshop begins at 12:05 p.m. Instructors will accommodate students who wish to participate in a chair. Registration: regenyoga.com. Address: The Fillmore on Central, 461 Central Ave., Fillmore, CA 93015. 310-403-4647.

About ReGEN Yoga and Wellness Center: Opened in Fillmore’s historic downtown in 2017, ReGEN Yoga and Wellness Center offers indoor, outdoor and virtual classes including yoga, Nia dance, health and fitness classes that will regenerate your mind and body. Our wellness services include acupuncture and massage. Visit our refurbished 1911 bungalow to sample a class or as part of a day-trip back in time to Fillmore, established in 1887 when Southern Pacific railroad built a depot that is now part of our town's picturesque past. For more information and a ReGEN class schedule, visit https://www.regenyoga.com/.

Calendar Listing: Saturday, April 6: Spring Dance Revival, a Nia-dance based celebration including a Dance Jam and Express Your Essence workshop with four expert instructors. Check in: 10:30 a.m.; Dance Jam: 10:45 a.m.; Dancing Your Essence Workshop: 12:05 p.m. Instructors will accommodate students who wish to participate in a chair. The Fillmore on Central, 461 Central Ave., Fillmore, CA 93015. Registration and more information: regenyoga.com; 310-403-4647.