Pictured is Rotary President Ari Larson with Police Chief Garo Kuredjian was the speaker at Rotary last week. He talked about Armenia, where his ancestors were from. It is a small country near Turkey and is the oldest Christian nation in the world. It is about the size of New Hampshire and is mostly farming. Garo talked about his Grandmother, who took care of orphans and was killed during the genocide. He has visited Armenia twice in recent years, but was born in Lebanon which borders Syria, Israel and Cyprus. He graduated from UCLA and always wanted to be a Deputy which he has been for 25 years. He loves working here in Fillmore. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
Pictured is Rotary President Ari Larson with Police Chief Garo Kuredjian was the speaker at Rotary last week. He talked about Armenia, where his ancestors were from. It is a small country near Turkey and is the oldest Christian nation in the world. It is about the size of New Hampshire and is mostly farming. Garo talked about his Grandmother, who took care of orphans and was killed during the genocide. He has visited Armenia twice in recent years, but was born in Lebanon which borders Syria, Israel and Cyprus. He graduated from UCLA and always wanted to be a Deputy which he has been for 25 years. He loves working here in Fillmore. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
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Chihuahua is missing for about a week now, last seen in Piru while filming crew was there. His name is Rico. Owner name is Esther at 818-536-2768.
Chihuahua is missing for about a week now, last seen in Piru while filming crew was there. His name is Rico. Owner name is Esther at 818-536-2768.
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Gathering Community Input
Fillmore Unified School District
Fillmore Unified School District

The Superintendent of the Fillmore Unified School District has scheduled a series of stakeholder meetings in the month of March.

First meeting scheduled for March 11th 6pm – 8pm at the Fillmore High School Library.

The purpose of the meetings is to provide parents, staff, students and community members an opportunity to give input for the District’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).

The LCAP is an important element of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) which is how public-school districts are funded in California. The LCAP is a three-year District-level plan which is updated on an annual basis. The LCAP describes the District’s goals and specific actions, including expenditures, the District will take to achieve the goals and measure progress toward District goals.

The LCAP is designed to address the needs of all students and those students in specific groups including English Learners, Foster Youth and Low-Income students.

A key part of the LCAP annual update is the gathering of input from members of the District school communities.

Important Topics will be considered including:
- Academic Instruction and Intervention
- Behavior Support for Students & Social Emotional Learning
- School Safety
- School Facilities
- Parent Engagement
Childcare, interpretation and light snacks will be provided.

For more information, contact: Principal John Wilber

 
Ventura County Sheriff's Department
Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Between January 22, 2020 and March 2, 2020, the city of Fillmore has seen an increase in thefts of catalytic converters from parked vehicles. Often times, victims of these thefts have left their vehicles parked unoccupied for several hours before realizing their catalytic converter has been stolen. The perpetrator(s) of these thefts typically use mechanical dollies to slide under vehicles and use a wrench or cordless reciprocating saw to remove the catalytic converter from the vehicle. It takes approximately three minutes for the perpetrator(s) to complete this crime. Catalytic converters are targeted by these thieves because they contain metal that can be recycled or sold to scrap yards.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking citizens to be aware of these thefts and is encouraging vehicle owners to park their vehicles in well-lit areas, close to business entrances, or inside their garage. The Sheriff’s Office is also asking citizens to report any suspicious activity or subjects tampering with parked vehicles with tools or equipment as mentioned above.

Nature of Incident: Theft of Catalytic Converters
Report Number: RB#’s 20-19788, 20-12036, 20-22827, 20-26174, 20-26510, 20-34062
Location: City of Fillmore
Date & Time: 01/22/20 to 03/02/20
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Services and Detectives
Prepared by: Detective Shawn Pewsey #3867
Captain Garo Kuredjian

 
Late voters filled the precinct at San Cayetano Elementary just before closing at 8pm. RESULTS: Ventura County: with 100/99.9% precincts reporting – Republican Donald Trump 1,457,359 (92.6%): Democrat Bernie Sanders 1,004,855 (33.6%) / Joe Biden 744,017 (24.9%). Prop. 13 NO 2,826,535 votes vs. YES 2,233,528 votes. Ventura County Registered Voters 463,227, Ballots Cast 146,143, Turnout 31%. VC Supervisor Kelly Long (District 23) re-elected with 15,286 votes (58%) vs. Kim Marra Stephenson 10,968 votes (41.7%).
Late voters filled the precinct at San Cayetano Elementary just before closing at 8pm. RESULTS: Ventura County: with 100/99.9% precincts reporting – Republican Donald Trump 1,457,359 (92.6%): Democrat Bernie Sanders 1,004,855 (33.6%) / Joe Biden 744,017 (24.9%). Prop. 13 NO 2,826,535 votes vs. YES 2,233,528 votes. Ventura County Registered Voters 463,227, Ballots Cast 146,143, Turnout 31%. VC Supervisor Kelly Long (District 23) re-elected with 15,286 votes (58%) vs. Kim Marra Stephenson 10,968 votes (41.7%).
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"Life of Lulu" by Nick Johnson.
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The Fillmore Lions Club presented a $300 check to Fillmore Girl Scout Troop 65101 to attend camp. Pictured left to right is Heather Merenda, Diamond Mendoza, Aurora LaRaia, Mable Lengning, Aine LaRaia, Rosetta Merenda, Brandy Lengning, and Ed Barajas of the Fillmore Lions Club. Courtesy Jan Lee.
The Fillmore Lions Club presented a $300 check to Fillmore Girl Scout Troop 65101 to attend camp. Pictured left to right is Heather Merenda, Diamond Mendoza, Aurora LaRaia, Mable Lengning, Aine LaRaia, Rosetta Merenda, Brandy Lengning, and Ed Barajas of the Fillmore Lions Club. Courtesy Jan Lee.
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Submitted by Jan Lee

The Fillmore Lion’s Club has long supported the Girl Scout Organization. At a recent meeting, Girl Scout Troop 65101 of Fillmore presented a program to the Lions. They are the only troop in Fillmore. This is an “open troop” which means that members are welcome to join at any time. Girl Scouts focus on being good stewards of our community through service. The troop is girl led which means the girls vote on which ventures they choose to help our community. Their donation to the local library expansion is one troop project.

As most everyone knows, it is Girl Scout cookie sale season. The girls earn money to attend camp and other enterprises. So, if you get the opportunity to buy some of those delicious cookies, the funds earned will be used to help their various projects. Thank you Troop 65101 for helping our community.

The Fillmore Lion’s Club donated $300 to the troop to help girls attend camp.

 

"Life of Lulu" by Nick Johnson.
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Picture is Rotary President Ari Larson presenting speaker Brian McCarthy, Senior Planner with the City of Fillmore Community Development Department, a Rotary mug as a thank you. Brian discussed new legislations from Sacramento, concerning housing issues and how they will impact Fillmore and Ventura County. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
Picture is Rotary President Ari Larson presenting speaker Brian McCarthy, Senior Planner with the City of Fillmore Community Development Department, a Rotary mug as a thank you. Brian discussed new legislations from Sacramento, concerning housing issues and how they will impact Fillmore and Ventura County. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
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Pictured above is Rotary Club President Ari Larson with Catherine Voelker, who is running for Superior Court Judge, and was a Rotary speaker. She is from a Fillmore farming family, the daughter of Joe and Donna Voelker. When she was in 7th grade Catherine’s class visited the Ventura Court and she was enthralled, and that became her goal in life. After high school and college she attended law school to pursue her career. This is her 16th year as a Senior Deputy Attorney. Catherine has dedicated her entire professional career to serving the people of Ventura County and would be honored to continue to serve as a Superior Court Judge. Courtesy Martha Richardso.
Pictured above is Rotary Club President Ari Larson with Catherine Voelker, who is running for Superior Court Judge, and was a Rotary speaker. She is from a Fillmore farming family, the daughter of Joe and Donna Voelker. When she was in 7th grade Catherine’s class visited the Ventura Court and she was enthralled, and that became her goal in life. After high school and college she attended law school to pursue her career. This is her 16th year as a Senior Deputy Attorney. Catherine has dedicated her entire professional career to serving the people of Ventura County and would be honored to continue to serve as a Superior Court Judge. Courtesy Martha Richardso.
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Pictured above is Rotary Club President Ari Larson with Elena Brokaw, the Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director of the Museum of Ventura County, who was the speaker for Fillmore Rotary. The Museum began in 1913 with the purpose to collect, exhibit, educate and present programs. It was called the Pioneer Society. In later years, they began to move away from the traditional museum, and founded the Agricultural Museum in Santa Paula. Now each of the museums have become more hands-on, child friendly and fun, with special events for the whole family. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
Pictured above is Rotary Club President Ari Larson with Elena Brokaw, the Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director of the Museum of Ventura County, who was the speaker for Fillmore Rotary. The Museum began in 1913 with the purpose to collect, exhibit, educate and present programs. It was called the Pioneer Society. In later years, they began to move away from the traditional museum, and founded the Agricultural Museum in Santa Paula. Now each of the museums have become more hands-on, child friendly and fun, with special events for the whole family. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
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"Life of LuLu" by Nick Johnson.
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"Life of Lulu" by Nick Johnson.
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Pictured (l-r) is Rotary Club President Ari Larson presenting Lisa Merkord with a Rotary mug as a thank you for coming out to share her story with the group. Lisa calls herself a “backyard keeper” of bees and if you have a swarm of bees she will come and take them away. She gave a very informative program on all aspects of bees, from their life cycle, to jobs of bees inside the hive, to which honey is the best for our health. She was very knowledgeable and an excellent speaker. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
Pictured (l-r) is Rotary Club President Ari Larson presenting Lisa Merkord with a Rotary mug as a thank you for coming out to share her story with the group. Lisa calls herself a “backyard keeper” of bees and if you have a swarm of bees she will come and take them away. She gave a very informative program on all aspects of bees, from their life cycle, to jobs of bees inside the hive, to which honey is the best for our health. She was very knowledgeable and an excellent speaker. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
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Interface makes searching easier and provides access to all three colleges

Students of Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges rely on their libraries’ websites for their studies, conducting more than 734,245 searches a year. Now students will have streamlined and improved search options. The libraries at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges recently launched upgraded web pages on each college’s website.

The updated interface connects the VCCCD colleges through one search bar, allowing users to search and request resources from any of the three colleges. The new system is the same type that both the UCs and CSUs currently use and is the culmination of a yearlong state-funded project to provide all California community colleges with a shared library systems solution.

“We have 225,000 print items in our libraries alone,” said Peter H. Sezzi, librarian and library department chair, Evelyn & Howard Boroughs Library, Ventura College, “so this was a large undertaking for us. It is more than worth it, as our current and future students will greatly benefit from the enhanced library resources we can provide.”

Chancellor Greg Gillespie added, “By investing in the services our colleges offer, we are investing further in students’ journeys and providing them with the necessary tools to accomplish their academic goals.”

About Ventura County Community College District
The Ventura County Community College District is a member of the 115-campus California Community College system, and serves more than 32,000 students annually. The District’s three colleges--Moorpark, Oxnard, and Ventura--offer programs in general education for degrees and certificates, transfer to four-year colleges and universities, career technical education, and provide opportunities to engage in co-curricular campus activities. For more information, please visit vcccd.edu.

To view this press release on our website or to access it in a different file format
(i.e. doc, pdf, html) please visit: https://newsroom.vcccd.edu/category/press-releases/

 

"Life of Lulu" by Nick Johnson.
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The newest member of Rotary, Nick Johnson, gave a Kraft Talk, where new members share their life story with the club. Nick started drawing cartoons in middle school. His inspiration was his dog, LuLu. His cartoons appear in The Fillmore Gazette. He is now a Pest Control Advisor working for AgRX. His interest in Ag began when his parents bought a lemon orchard in Fillmore. He got involved in 4-H, FFA, and graduated from Cal Poly with a major in Crop Science. He enjoys his job and being outside inspecting various crops and helping owners to solve their problems. He will be a great asset to the club. Pictured is Rotary Club President Ari Larson presenting a Rotary mug to Nick as a thank you for sharing his story. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
The newest member of Rotary, Nick Johnson, gave a Kraft Talk, where new members share their life story with the club. Nick started drawing cartoons in middle school. His inspiration was his dog, LuLu. His cartoons appear in The Fillmore Gazette. He is now a Pest Control Advisor working for AgRX. His interest in Ag began when his parents bought a lemon orchard in Fillmore. He got involved in 4-H, FFA, and graduated from Cal Poly with a major in Crop Science. He enjoys his job and being outside inspecting various crops and helping owners to solve their problems. He will be a great asset to the club. Pictured is Rotary Club President Ari Larson presenting a Rotary mug to Nick as a thank you for sharing his story. Courtesy Martha Richardson.
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On Monday, Jan. 20, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) will increase fares and make minor schedule modifications to its Intercity bus system.

The Commission approved a fare increase in October 2018 to address the rising costs of operation. The decision followed a public outreach process in the summer and fall of the same year. To minimize impact to customers, VCTC adjusted fares in phases, January 2019 and January 2020.

Reduced prices are available to seniors 65 years or older, Medicare, or ADA/Disabled riders. In addition, Ventura County college students can ride buses free with a valid students ID.

“VCTC’s Intercity bus service carries over 1,000 people every day to their jobs and schools,” said VCTC Executive Director Darren Kettle. “Our goal is that our riders have a safe, reliable, and comfortable trip. It’s a hard conversation to have to consider a fare increase but we posed the question to our riders, they understood that to keep the quality service they have come to expect a small fare increase was worth it. This fare change will allow us to maintain our current level of service to the community while keeping VCTC Intercity Transit financially sound.

See the upcoming fare changes online here https://www.goventura.org/

Bus schedule changes, which will also go into effect on Jan. 20, include minor timetable modifications to address traffic congestions and improve on-time performance. In addition, VCTC will be reinstituting two weekday shuttle routes that serve CSU Channel islands. The routes, which connect the University to Camarillo and Oxnard, were previously combined as a single line. For more information, visit goventura.org.

Route 77, formerly known as the East-West Connector, is also getting an update on Jan. 20. The new Cross County Limited provides the same one-seat service between Simi Valley, Moorpark, and West Ventura County. Many college students and faculty use Route 77 to travel between Ventura College and Moorpark College.

About the Ventura County Transportation Commission
The Ventura County Transportation Commission is the regional transportation planning agency committed to keeping Ventura County moving. Program information is available at goventura.org.

 
On Wednesday, January 8th at 10:40am a hazardous condition was reported at 317 Foothill Drive. Multiple crews responded quickly to the scene and found there was a gas line leak. No injuries were reported and cause of the leak is under investigation.
On Wednesday, January 8th at 10:40am a hazardous condition was reported at 317 Foothill Drive. Multiple crews responded quickly to the scene and found there was a gas line leak. No injuries were reported and cause of the leak is under investigation.
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Thursday, December 19th at Fillmore Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley, they had fun using a green screen which was brought in for the day as part of a STEM (Science – Technology – Engineering – Mathematics) project. Pictured above and below are some of the kids posing in front of the screen and using the IPad to create different backgrounds and effects on the green screen. Courtesy Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley Facebook page.
Thursday, December 19th at Fillmore Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley, they had fun using a green screen which was brought in for the day as part of a STEM (Science – Technology – Engineering – Mathematics) project. Pictured above and below are some of the kids posing in front of the screen and using the IPad to create different backgrounds and effects on the green screen. Courtesy Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley Facebook page.
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