Eric Landis of Ameci’s Pizza in Fillmore. Photo credit Brandy Hollis.

Courtesy Brandy Hollis

Not all heroes wear capes, some of them are carrying pizza boxes. Eric Landis, in my opinion, is a hero with a pizzeria. If you go into Ameci’s Pizza, you will notice helmets from FHS Flashes and Fillmore Raiders on the counter, jerseys hung from all the sports teams, thank you plaques and hand-drawn pictures of thanks, with an especially cute one from Sonshine Preschool. If you go down to a sports field you may see a banner of sponsorship, gift cards at an AYSO raffle or pizza served at a snack bar. Your kids may be doing a fundraiser where a percentage of the profits go to their programs or may be being served pizza as part of a number of kids programs in town. Football players get fed the night before a big game, so they are stored up on fuel to burn. Personally, I have held team parties at the restaurant because he is always ready to be helpful to any organization, especially ones for the kid’s programs. Eric is usually behind the counter with a smile and thanks. He knows his business and makes the dough himself. He has a lovely family growing up in Fillmore and loves the community he works and lives in. Is it hot outside? That’s ok, Eric has the pizza ovens going at Ameci’s. Too hot for pizza? That’s ok, they have yummy sandwiches and salads too! If you need a good place to have a team party, they have indoor and outdoor dining. Catering menu too! Give Eric a shout-out online or tag him on social media to let him know... cheese and pepperoni go a long way. If this little epic contribution is cheesy, know that every single time I have asked Eric Landis to help in any area of this community, he has always said Yes. Thank you, Eric, for loving your community, and letting me be a lil cheesy.

Investigation leads to arrest of suspect in connection with the death of Paul Kessler.

On November 16, 2023, detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau contacted Loay Alnaji in the City of Moorpark and arrested him for the death of Paul Kessler. Alnaji will be booked at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility for California Penal Code section 192(b) – involuntary manslaughter and his bail will be set at $1,000,000.

Though an arrest has been made, we continue to encourage community members who may have information about this criminal investigation and have yet to come forward to please contact Detective Stump at (805) 384-4745.

Any persons who were driving a vehicle equipped with video recording equipment, such as Teslas, in the area of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard between 3:00 p.m. and 4 p.m. on November 5th, are encouraged to reach out to detectives or utilize the link provided below to download and submit video footage.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you may contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477). Those who wish to share video or pictures of the incident can do so and can remain anonymous by using the following link:

https://venturasheriffca.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/23-1...

FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA – October 26, 2023– The Fillmore City Council unanimously approved the Hometown Heroes Military Banner program at its meeting on October 24. The City is proud to recognize Fillmore’s military heroes for their service through the City's Military Banner Program. Family members and loved ones may nominate duty service members from any branch of the United States Military to be honored with a street banner with the service member's name. The City will officially take over the program as of Monday, November 6.

Prior to commencement of this program, the creation of military banners was a joint effort between the City and the Fillmore Unified School District. For a coordinated and consistent program, the District and City determined that the City should administer the banner program on its own.

To qualify, honorees must meet the following requirements:

o Live within the Fillmore Unified School District boundaries at the time of enlistment; and
o Be active-duty military personnel in any branch of the United States Military (Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, or Marine Corps), including active Reserves and active National Guard; or,
o Be inactive duty or retired military personnel that served in any branch of the United States Military; or,
o Be a fallen service member in any United States conflict.

Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis and banners will be installed and removed quarterly, on the last Thursday of the last month of each quarter (January, April, July, October), weather, City Holidays and staffing permitting.

Applicants must pay the vendor directly for each banner, which costs $138. The City will pay for the banner brackets, installation, and removal.

The banner applications and program guidelines can be obtained from the City of Fillmore’s website at https://www.fillmoreca.gov/1318/Hometown-Heroes or you may contact the Public Works Department to have them emailed to you by contacting Shannon Godfrey at (805) 201-9623 or sgodfrey@fillmoreca.gov. Applications will also be available at City Hall, in the lobby and second floor offices, located at 250 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA.

The City is also soliciting volunteers to be Ambassadors for the Fillmore Hometown Heroes Military Banner program. Ambassadors will provide assistance with administering the program. Participation in the program by Ambassador volunteers is strictly voluntary and uncompensated. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Erika Herrera, Assistant City Manager at eherera@fillmoreca.gov / (805) 946-1712 or Jacky Magdaleno, Senior Management Analyst, at jherrera@fillmoreca.gov/ (805) 946-1295

Please visit www.fillmoreca.gov and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

VENTURA, Calif. – Today, November 17, 2023, Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji (DOB 05/06/73), of Moorpark, pled not guilty at arraignment to one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of battery causing serious bodily injury. Alnaji also denied the special allegations that he personally inflicted great bodily injury.

Alnaji is accused of engaging in a physical confrontation with the victim, Paul Kessler, on November 5, 2023, while both were protesting on the corner of Thousand Oaks Blvd. and Westlake Blvd., in Thousand Oaks. Mr. Kessler subsequently died from injuries sustained during the incident.

Earlier today, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko and Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff held a news conference discussing the arrest of Alnaji and the felony complaint filed today in Ventura County Superior Court.

“In filing these charges, we relied upon new physical and forensic evidence as well as findings regarding the injuries to the left side of Paul Kessler’s face,” District Attorney Nasarenko said during the news conference.

A complete recording of the news conference is available here: https://vimeo.com/884988975.

Alnaji is scheduled to make his next court appearance on November 29, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 22 of the Ventura County Superior Court. A preliminary hearing date has been set for December 4, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. also in courtroom 22. Alnaji is currently in custody with bail now set at $50,000.

VENTURA, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will have a specialized prosecution team to handle alcohol and drug-impaired driving cases through a $523,621 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS.)

“Impaired driving remains a significant danger to both motorists and pedestrians, particularly those drivers suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and drugs,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “This program allows us to focus specifically on holding individuals accountable for impaired driving to help improve community safety for everyone.”

The specialized prosecution team will also partner with the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program to provide training to other prosecutors and investigators, as well as collaborate with law enforcement agencies on best practices for handling and managing driving under the influence (DUI) cases.

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Description automatically generatedThis is the twelfth consecutive year the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has received the funding for a specialized DUI prosecution program. Last year, the prosecution team filed 1,156 DUI cases, including 105 DUI drug cases and 12 DUI combined alcohol and drug cases.

The grant program runs through September 2024.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Ventura County Garden celebrates its 100th Year Season in 2024. The Club will be holding its annual Holiday Potluck at 11:30 am, on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, at 117 N. 7th St., Santa Paula. There will be Caroling, a White Elephant, Plant and Gift Exchange, organized by President, Marcia Heerema. We welcome new members. For more information, visit our website at VenturaCountyGardenClub.com.

Above is Richard and Kay “Toolie” Palmer. Photo credit Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

There’s a new exhibit at the Museum. In it you will see images of some historical buildings in the area such as the Santa Clara (Little Red) School House, the Arundell Adobe, and even the Museum’s own Rancho Sespe Bunkhouse #2. But what you are looking at isn’t a photograph or a painting. It’s bark art.

Now some folks reading this already know what we are referring to, but to the uninitiated, bark art is an Australian Aboriginal art form, involving painting on the interior of a strip of tree bark. In some forms no paint is used, but instead the colors are achieved by the careful use of fire.

So why does the Fillmore Historical Museum have a small collection of Bark Art? Toolie Palmer is the answer to that question.

Richard “Toolie” Palmer was born in Fillmore in 1915 to George and Cecilia Buena Ventura “Tulip” Middleswarth Palmer. Richard received his nickname of “Toolie” because he was Tulip’s son. George was a barber in Fillmore as well as being fire chief.

Toolie attended Fillmore High School where he was a standout athlete. He set a school record in pole vault. In basketball he was the most valuable Class “B” player in both his junior and senior years and as captain, led Fillmore to victory in the Class “B” CIF Championship.

He received his bachelor’s of arts degree in physical education from Santa Barbara State and a Master’s in education from USC. In 1947, Toolie returned to Fillmore where he took over the duties of athletic director, track and basketball head coach and assistant football coach. He was on the faculty of Fillmore High School for 22 years. In 1986 he received the Southern California Interscholastic Coaches’ Award for his service to Fillmore High School. In 1989 he was inducted into the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1975 Toolie and his wife, Kay, visited their son, Richard, in Australia. They spent about a year down under and during that time Toolie became interested in the indigenous art form.

The biggest hurdle Toolie had was finding the right bark. The traditional bark art “paintings” are made from the bark of the Australian “tea” or “swamp” tree (the scientific name is Melaleuca leauadendron). He finally found a source who would ship the bark to him at Fillmore. Eucalyptus is a possible substitute but would not have given a similar final product. In a 1980s interview with Janet Bergamo, Toolie said he had sold “1,200 paintings and has given away countless others to friend and former students from Fillmore High School.”

The Fillmore Historical Museum has been fortunate to have been given a small number of Toolie’s work and now can share that with the community.

ALL ITEMS APPROVED, 5-0

9.A THIRD PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE INPUT REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF A DISTRICT-BASED ELECTION SYSTEM THIRD PUBLIC HEARING CVRA-MAPS.pdf

RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council: 1. Receive a report from the City’s consultant, National Demographics Corporation (NDC), on draft district maps and potential sequencing for district-based elections; 2. Conduct a public hearing to receive community input on the draft maps and transition to district elections; and 3. Provide direction to NDC on any modifications to one or more proposed district maps and potential election sequencing.
9.B ANNEXATION OF FIVE PROPERTIES TO LANDSCAPE AND LIGHTING ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NO. 2 PH FILLMORE LLD NO.2 ANNEXATIONS SR.pdf

RECOMMENDATION Conduct the Public Hearing upon the proposed annexation and consider all objections and protests, whether written or oral; if any; and Close the Public Hearing and direct staff to conduct Property Owner Protest Ballot Proceedings and tabulate Ballots for the Annexation of Territories: • DP 06-06 (Fillmore Groves) • DP 07-03 (The Stop) • DP 14-01 (Red Engine Brewing) • DP 15-10 (Rotorcraft Support, Inc.) • DP 18-01 (Sonic Drive-In)
9.C APPROVAL OF IRREVOCABLE OFFER OF DEDICATION AGREEMENT AND GRANT DEED AT 970 VENTURA STREET CC Staff Report 970 W Ventura IOD n Grant Deed FINAL W ATTACHMENTS.pdf

That the City Council (i) approve the form of an irrevocable offer of dedication agreement (“IOD”), and (ii) approve and accept a grant deed for public street along the frontage of the property at 970 W. Ventura Street (“Grant Deed”).
9.D CONSIDERATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF OFFSITE DEVELOPMENT IMPROVEMENTS WITH SDI FOODS, INC. FOR THE SONIC RESTAURANT DRIVE-IN AND DRIVE THRU PROJECT SONIC-FIRST AMENDMENT TO OFFSITE IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT SR.pdf

RECOMMENDATION That the City Council approve an amendment to provide a 12-month extension to the Offsite Improvement Agreement (OIA) with SDI Foods, Inc. (Developer) for assurance of completion of public improvements for the Sonic Drive-In project, Development Permit No. 18-01 Modification #1, to be constructed at 655 Ventura Street and authorize the mayor to sign the amendment. The amendment also authorizes staff to provide additional extensions, not to exceed nine months, if needed

9.E APPROVE THE SECOND READING TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 23-955 TO AMEND FILLMORE MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTERS 7.12 AND 11.20 SR - APPROVE THE SECOND READING TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 23-955.pdf

RECOMMENDATION That the City Council approve an amendment to provide a 12-month extension to the Offsite Improvement Agreement (OIA) with SDI Foods, Inc. (Developer) for assurance of completion of public improvements for the Sonic Drive-In project, Development Permit No. 18-01 Modification #1, to be constructed at 655 Ventura Street and authorize the mayor to sign the amendment. The amendment also authorizes staff to provide additional extensions, not to exceed nine months, if needed.

9.F INTRODUCTORY REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEE INCOME AND EXPENSES PER GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 66001 AND 66006 SR FY 2022-23 DIF REPORT NOV 14 2023.pd.

RECOMMENDATION That the City Council receive a verbal introduction as a preliminary review of Development Impact Fee (DIF) income and expense report information for Fiscal Year 2022-23. Staff will continue this report at the December 12, 2023 City Council meeting by providing additional information and requesting that the City Council make the findings required by state law to allow the City to retain unexpended DIF funds that were collected five (5) or more years ago.

Ventura Sheriff’s Office partners with Ventura County Fire Department in Spark of Love Holiday Toy Drive.
The Ventura Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Ventura County Fire Department in their holiday toy drive. Collection boxes are located at all sheriff’s stations. This community campaign is to collect new, unwrapped toys and sports equipment for underserved children and teens in Ventura County. In addition, this campaign is also to support Food Share, to help fight hunger in Ventura County. All non-perishable food and toys can be dropped off any time prior to December 11th.
In 2022, through generous donations from our communities, more than 30,000 local children and teens benefited from the kindness of our community members, businesses, and supporting sponsors. Food Share will also provide boxes of food for families served by the toy drive.

Nature of Incident: Sheriff’s Office Participates in Holiday Toy Drive
Report Number: N/A
Location: All Sheriff’s Stations
Date & Time: 11/14/223 @ 10:00 a.m.
Unit(s) Responsible: Sheriff’s Public Information

Prepared by: Sergeant Rob Yoos
Approved by: Captain Dean Worthy

The Ventura County Garden celebrates its 100th Year Season in 2024. The Club will be holding its annual Holiday Potluck on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, at 117 N. 7th St., Santa Paula. There will be Caroling, a White Elephant, Plant and Gift Exchange, organized by President, Marcia Heerema. We welcome new members. For more information, visit our website at VenturaCountyGardenClub.com.

Shane Morger

Courtesy Brandy Hollis

Let me tell you about a special man I have gotten to know of late, his name is Shane Morger. Most people know him from Bunnin Chevrolet as the relations director. I met Mr. Shane (as I like to call him) at the Boys and Girls Club Annual Auction. The person I was with said, “Oh that’s Shane, who works at Bunnin. He’s a very nice man!” The next time I met Shane was after I busted into his office and emailed him trying to get him to join a golf tournament for Project Understanding. And guess what, he showed up! We spoke before the ball drop, and bumped into each other several times throughout the tournament. He knew my son played baseball and he was trying to get a check to Fillmore Little League—I pointed him in the right direction. He helped sponsor the beautiful field banners for girls softball, and presented a check to AYSO. I’ve heard stories of the kids he has helped with their animals at the Ventura County Fair. He takes part in Cruise Night, on behalf of Bunnin and its restaurant, R&Q Kitchen. He has put on a blood drive at the dealership and in general been just a great guy. He is one of my favorite people when I think about people who try to do what they can to help the community however they can. Part of that is helping grow Bunnin Chevrolet with their beautiful showroom, friendly staff and amazing food! If you go into Bunnin, shake Mr. Shane’s hand or give him a pat on the back. It’s nice when people care about our community and it’s always nice to see his happy face! (Brandy has no affiliations to any business or organization).

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In honor of Fillmore’s Lin Thomas, who past away back in 2022, the Ventura County Model A club visited the Fillmore Historical Museum Saturday, October 21st, 2023 for a BBQ Lunch where they displayed their Model A vehicles pictured above. Photo credit Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

On Saturday, Oct 21st, 2023, the Ventura County Model A club visited the Fillmore Historical Museum to display their Model A vehicles and to enjoy a BBQ lunch remembering and honoring Lin Thomas of Fillmore who passed away in 2022. Lin was a teacher of industrial arts at Fillmore High School until his retirement. During the last three years of his teaching career he led his students in an auto restoration project. Each year under his direction they restored a Model A pickup which was then driven on one of the History Channels’ Great Races.

The first pickup, a 1930 Model A, restored by Lin and his high school students is now in the garage display building at the Fillmore Museum located at 350 Main St. in Fillmore and can be seen any day the museum is open. The three pickups were all painted blue and white, Fillmore High Schools colors. Each also had signage signifying the year and route that they traveled on the Great Race. The auto at the museum traveled from Marietta, Georgia, to Anaheim, CA, in the 1999 race and took 4th place.

The restoration of the each vehicle was a yearlong project. Cars had to be restored with materials available when the car was manufactured. This meant that fiberglass body and solid state ignitions were not allowed. For safety, two taillights and seatbelts were required. Older cars were allowed to adapt front axles to four wheel brakes and electric systems could be changed to 12 volts. The project also required finding body and engine parts, painting, cleaning and assembling the car. Students also had to be taught how to connect wiring, fuel, transmission and brake lines.
During the race odometers had to be covered from view. One clocks other that the race issued wristwatch for the driver and navigator was allowed. Students were the navigators and a teacher or adult supervisor were the drivers. Any repairs during the day were to be done by the driver and navigator. Extensive repairs could be done at the end of the race day by the repair crew that was part of the group. Maps were not allowed.

The race to Anaheim took 13 days to cross the country and came in 4th.

Those attending the Saturday event enjoyed viewing the Model A cars, talking to the owners and visiting the various buildings on the museum site. They also enjoyed the BBQ lunch prepared by Doug and Andrea Legan.

FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA – October 26, 2023– The Fillmore City Council unanimously approved the Hometown Heroes Military Banner program at its meeting on October 24. The City is proud to recognize Fillmore’s military heroes for their service through the City's Military Banner Program. Family members and loved ones may nominate duty service members from any branch of the United States Military to be honored with a street banner with the service member's name. The City will officially take over the program as of Monday, November 6.

Prior to commencement of this program, the creation of military banners was a joint effort between the City and the Fillmore Unified School District. For a coordinated and consistent program, the District and City determined that the City should administer the banner program on its own.

To qualify, honorees must meet the following requirements:

o Live within the Fillmore Unified School District boundaries at the time of enlistment; and

o Be active-duty military personnel in any branch of the United States Military (Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, or Marine Corps), including active Reserves and active National Guard; or,

o Be inactive duty or retired military personnel that served in any branch of the United States Military; or,

o Be a fallen service member in any United States conflict.

Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis and banners will be installed and removed quarterly, on the last Thursday of the last month of each quarter (January, April, July, October), weather, City Holidays and staffing permitting.

Applicants must pay the vendor directly for each banner, which costs $138. The City will pay for the banner brackets, installation, and removal.

The banner applications and program guidelines can be obtained from the City of Fillmore’s website at https://www.fillmoreca.gov/1318/Hometown-Heroes or you may contact the Public Works Department to have them emailed to you by contacting Shannon Godfrey at (805) 201-9623 or sgodfrey@fillmoreca.gov. Applications will also be available at City Hall, in the lobby and second floor offices, located at 250 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA.

The City is also soliciting volunteers to be Ambassadors for the Fillmore Hometown Heroes Military Banner program. Ambassadors will provide assistance with administering the program. Participation in the program by Ambassador volunteers is strictly voluntary and uncompensated. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Erika Herrera, Assistant City Manager at eherera@fillmoreca.gov / (805) 946-1712 or Jacky Magdaleno, Senior Management Analyst, at jherrera@fillmoreca.gov/ (805) 946-1295

Please visit www.fillmoreca.gov and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn

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October 30, 2023 - As part of Ventura County’s 150-year celebration, ÁNIMO Theatre Company will premiere Los Braceros De Buena Vista- A Mariachi Opera at the historic Fillmore Towne Theatre on November 10, 2023.

The story of the Braceros is an important chapter in the history of Ventura County, whose fields and orchards received more of the laborers than in any other county in the United States.

In Ventura County today, thousands of families trace their roots to a bracero. Oxnard was home to the Buena Vista Bracero camp, the largest in the nation, which at its peak housed 5,000 workers.

Set in the 1950s at the height of the Bracero program, “Los Braceros De Buena Vista” is a dynamic one-act “Mariachi Opera” which fuses mariachi music, ballet folklorico, and powerful “opera” style set pieces. “Los Braceros De Buena Vista” highlights the challenges workers faced and is both a cultural and educational experience that honors the legacy of migrant workers.

”‘Los Braceros De Buena Vista’ poignantly expresses the struggles encountered by fieldworkers to the audiences and honors their great contributions to the U.S.,” says Miguel Orozco, writer and director of the show.

The Mariachi music in “Los Braceros De Buena Vista” is performed by Mariachi Águilas de J. Carlos Ozuna – one of the premiere mariachi ensembles in Southern California. Joining the production will be a special performance by the Inlakech Cultural Center.

Tickets for “Los Braceros De Buena Vista” are on sale at www.animotheatre.org and at Estrella Market at 317 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA. The play is presented in English and Spanish with subtitles.