For immediate release May 28, 2024

Santa Clara Valley Disposal will maintain its regular trash, recycling and yard/organic waste collection schedule in the city of Fillmore during the week of Juneteenth, June 16-22. The holiday is on Wednesday, June 19.

Remember that Santa Clara Valley Disposal residential customers can place all three carts curbside every week, as the company 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.

It’s important to recycle your food waste every week. In 2022, the state of California began to require the diversion of food waste from landfills, and your efforts are needed. Even if you only have food waste bags and no yard waste, you should 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, Ojai Valley (Ventura River Valley), Oxnard Plain, Newbury Park, Piru, Pt. Mugu, Rancho Matilija, Rincon, Santa Rosa Valley, Somis, Santa Paula, Upper Ojai, Yerba Buena, and the Channel Islands Beach Community Services District, plus the city of Carpinteria as E.J. Harrison & Sons; and Fillmore and surrounding unincorporated areas as Santa Clara Valley Disposal.
For more information, visit www.ejharrison.com.

All Items passed 4-0

CITY OF FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2024 - 6:30 PM CITY HALL

AGENDA

1. CALL TO ORDER

2.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

3. ROLL CALL

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

5. PRESENTATIONS

5.A VENTURA COUNTY HEALTH CARE AGENCY - UPDATES ON THE SANTA PAULA HOSPITAL

6. PUBLIC COMMENTS

7. CITY COUNCIL REPORTS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENTS

8. CONSENT CALENDAR RECOMMENDATION FOR ITEM

8A. THROUGH 8F. IS TO APPROVE BY VOICE VOTE.

8.A CITY OF FILLMORE WARRANT REGISTER - JUNE 11, 2024 CITY OF FILLMORE WARRANT REGISTER-JUNE 11, 2024.PDF

8.B 2024 CITYWIDE CALSSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY SR 2024COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY.PDF

8.C APPROVAL OF CONTRACT SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR 2024-25 ENGINEERING CONSULTANT SERVICES WITH DAVID BURKHART SR DAVID BURKHART CONTRACT FY 2024-2025.PDF

8.D ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 7.10 YARD AND GARAGE SALES REGARDING THE FREQUECY OF GARAGE AND YARD SALES ALLOWED IN A MONTH/YEAR AND ADOPTION OF EXEMPTION FROM CEQA

SR- SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 7.10 (YARD AND GARAGE SALES) (986908.1).PDF

8.E ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE 24-972 (ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT 23-02) TO UPDATE THE CITYS REQUIREMENTS FOR SELF-STORAGE AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLE STORAGE FACILITIES IN THE CITY AND FINDING OF EXEMPTION FROM CEQA

SR-2024_SELF -STORAGE ORDINANCE 2ND READING.PDF

8.F ADOPTION OF CITY RESOLUTION 24-4006 ESTABLISIHING THE GANN APPROPRIATION LIMIT FOR FY 2024-25

SR GANN APPROPRIATIONS LIMIT FY 2024-25.PDF

9. NEW BUSINESS

9.A PUBLIC HEARING: FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 6053 FOR THE CREATION OF 134 PARCELS FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 20-04 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 134 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES (CREEKSIDE), 16 OF WHICH WILL CONTAIN AN ATTACHED ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT AND TWO PARCELS WILL CONTAIN ONE DETACHED ADU EACH, AND AN EXEMPTION FROM CEQA

SR- CREEKSIDE DP NO. 20-04 AND TTM NO. 6053 - SECOND COUNCIL HEARING.PDF

EXH A - ARCHITECTURE.PDF

EXH B - TTM NO. 6053 INCL CIVIL IMPROVEMENTS.PDF EXH C - BIKE PATH AND OPEN SPACE CIRCULATION.PDF EXH D - FIRE HYDRANT LOCATIONS.PDF

EXH E - CURB EXTENSIONS AND BULB OUTS.PDF EXH F - FIRE PROTECTION SETBACK.PDF

EXH G - LANDSCAPE PLAN.PDF

EXH H - PARCEL D1 BIKE PATH DEDICATION.PDF EXH I - B STREET TRANSFER.PDF

EXH J - HOUSE SETBACK AND DRIVEWAY LOCATION.PDF

EXH K- INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION PHASING PLAN.PDF EXH L - PARKING AND TURNING RADIUS.PDF

EXH M - AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLOTS.PDF

9.B CITY COUNCIL TERMINATING THE CITY OF FILLMORE LOCAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION RESULTING FROM SEVERE WINTER STORMS IN EARLY FEBRUARY 2024

SR - BIKE PATH -TERMINATION OF LOCAL EMERGENCY.PDF

9.C CONSIDERATION OF CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 24-4013, CALLING AND GIVING NOTICE OF THE NOVEMBER 5, 2024, GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION; AND RESOLUTION NO. 24-4014, REQUESTING CONSOLIDATION WITH THE GUBERNATORIAL GENERAL ELECTION BEING CONDUCTED BY THE COUNTY OF VENTURA THE SAME DAY

STAFF REPORT - CALLING OF ELECTION 2024.PDF

9.D RESOLUTION NO. 24-4008 APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 PROJECT LIST TO BE FUNDED BY THE ROAD REPAIR AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017

SR - 2024 SB1 RMRA FUNDS.PDF

9.E REJECT ALL BIDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECT SPEC NO. 19-01: MOUNTAIN VIEW SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT AND AUTHORIZE COMBINING THIS PROJECT WITH CITY HALL PLAZA RESTORATION PROJECT (SPEC NO 22-03) TO READVERTISE

SR - MOUNTAIN VIEW SIDEWALK EXTENSION. REJECT BIDS FOR PROJECT

SPEC NO. 19-01.PDF

9.F COUNTY ROW USE AGREEMENT TO INSTALL AND INTERCONNECT CONDUIT AND FIBER OPTIC CABLE NETWORK

SR COUNTY ROW USE AGREEMENT- FIBER OPTIC CABLE NETWORK.PDF

9.G APPROVAL OF PROPOSED YEAR-END BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR END 2023-24

SR YEAR - END BUDGET ADJUSTMENT FY 2023-24(987255.1) UPDATED FINAL (987255.PDF

9.H CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF FILLMORE AND INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS, LOCAL 501 FOR THE TERMS OF SUCCESSOR MOU COVERING THE PERIOD OF JULY 1, 2024, THROUGH JUNE 30, 2027, AND ADOPTION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR CERTAIN CLASSIFICATIONS

FILLMORE - SR UNION TA AGREEMENT 2025-2027.PDF

9.I ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 24-4012 FIXING THE COMPENSATION, BENEFITS AND OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT OF NON-REPRESENTED MANAGEMENT/ MIDMANAGEMENT, CONFIDENTIAL, AND PART TIME EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF FILLMORE EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2024

SR MGMT MID MGMT CONF COMP AND BENEFITS.PDF

9.J FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE 2023 CITY MANAGER EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF FILLMORE & DAVID WAYNE ROWLANDS

_FILLMORE SR_FIRST_AMENDMENT_TO_2023_CITY_MANAGER_EMPLOYM

10. COMMITTEE, COMMISSION, AND BOARD REPORTS

11. CITY MANAGER

CITY MANAGER VERBAL REPORT

12. CLOSED SESSION

12.A JUNE 11, 2024 - CLOSED SESSION JUNE 11, 2024 - CLOSED SESSION.PDF

13. ADJOURNMENT

MAYOR CARRIE BROGGIE ADJOURNS TO THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING AT 6:30 P.M. ON TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024, CITY HALL, 250 CENTRAL AVENUE, FILLMORE, CA 93015.

State Senator Mike Morrell (retired) will meet with the Ventura GOP in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

State Senator Mike Morrell (retired) will be speaking at the June meeting of the Ventura County Republican Party on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 7 pm at the Best Western Thousand Oaks Inn, located at 75 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

Senator Morrell will be speaking about his book The Road to Restoring the Family.

This event is free and open to the public.

At 5:30 pm the same evening, the Ventura County Republican Party will host a Meet & Greet Reception for Senator Morrell. This is a great opportunity to meet him in a less formal environment.

Admission to the reception is free for all Ventura GOP Chairman’s Club members. For non-members, tickets for the reception cost $50.00 and food will be served. A cash bar will also be available. Anyone wishing to attend the reception may purchase tickets on the Ventura GOP website.

The Redgrave Research Forensic services (redgraveresearch.com) has partnered with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office to identify Piru Jane Doe via Forensic Genetic Genealogy. She was found deceased in Piru, CA in 1981. You can read more about this case and see forensic art (done by NCMEC) and some additional links at https://redgraveresearch.com/index.php/cases/piru-jane-doe.

On January 27, 1981, the body of an unidentified Hispanic female was found in a citrus orchard near Torrey Canyon Road and Guiberson Road in an unincorporated area of Ventura County, California. It is suspected she had been deceased for several days. The Jane Doe is believed to have been between 18 and 30 years of age. She was 5’1” and weighed approximately 195 lbs. She had brown hair and brown eyes. The Jane Doe was found wearing a red, green, yellow, blue and white plaid shirt (size 36) over a blue tank top. She was also wearing a white strapless bra (size 38C), a gray knit skirt with black and maroon stripes in a "V" pattern, a black half-slip with lace with trim and blue "strappy" sandals. She was wearing a gold band ring on her left little finger and a gold ring with a clear stone on her left ring finger. She was also wearing a gold chain necklace with a cross and gold stud earrings. Two blue hair clips as well as a plain metal hair clip were found in the immediate area. Anyone with information should contact the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office, reference case number 132-81 or the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, reference case number 81-01698.

Fillmore Civic Pride volunteers named the June 2024 Yard of the Month winner Matilde Laureano, pictured above with her granddaughter Emma Torres in her yard at 724 A Street. It is filled with bushes and small Rose trees in various colors. Photo credit Linda Nunes.
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By Linda Nunes

On June 2, 2024, Civic Pride volunteers selected the home of Matilde Laureano at 724 A Street, for the June “Yard of the Month”. Matilde and her late-husband, Geronimo, who passed this year, purchased their home in 1996, after the Northridge Earthquake in 1994.

The front yard was bare dirt and she and Geronimo began planting her favorite flower, the Rose. The entire yard is filled with bushed and small Rose trees in various colors. A healthy Naval Orange tree stands by the front entry and Matilde says it produces many delicious oranges.

Walking around the yard, you can see a cactus, a Rosemary bush, Geraniums with pink flowers, California Poppies and several different herbs like Mint, which she uses in tea.

Her son, also named Geronimo, does the gardening now, with her direction.

When asked if there was anything else she would like to say, she replied that every morning she goes into the yard and talks with her flowers and she thinks that is why they grow so well. She said this is her therapy.
Civic Pride volunteers were happy to present Matilde with a gift card to Otto & Sons Nursery. The group is very appreciative of their generous support for this project over the years.

Historians love obituaries and articles written about the deceased at their time of passing. Now days, unless you are a celebrity, obituaries are usually written by a member of the family, and the Fillmore Historical Museum wanted to share some with readers. Above is Mahala Stone outside her home on Central Avenue, c 1910. Photo credit Fillmore Historical Museum. Inset, Nate Stone on hunting trip, c 1896. Photo by Sam Edwards. See more photos online at www.FillmoreGazette.com.
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Photo credit Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Photo credit Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Photo credit Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

The late comedian, George Burns, has been quoted as saying, “I get up every morning and read the obituary column. If my name's not there, I eat breakfast.” Mr. Burns got to enjoy many breakfasts before he passed away at the age of 100.
Historians and other researchers love obituaries and other articles written about the deceased at their time of death. They can be a treasure trove of information. Today, unless you are a celebrity, obituaries are usually written by a member of the family, so are somewhat biased, but even so they can give information about a person that was previously unknown.

When Nathan Stone died in 1932 at the age of 78, an anonymous writer penned a lengthy obituary. We don’t know for sure who the author was, but it may have been Charles Jarrett who at that time was writing profiles of pioneers of the area such as Hugh Warring and Buck Atmore. In the obituary appears all the expected information: when he died, how he died, when the funeral service would be. Nate’s pall bearers was truly a who’s who of Fillmore: Willis Burson, Jasper Horton, O. S. White, Sam Akers, Frank Atmore and Earl Goodenough. Nate was survived by his mother, Mahala Azbell Stone, age 94 – the oldest resident of Fillmore, two sisters, and his brother Alfred.

After a few paragraphs, the writer launched into the story of the Stone family in general. This was excellent background information for the researcher. Nate’s mother, Mahala Azbell, then age 10, came with her family to California in 1848. During the long trip west, Mahala’s sister, who was the mother of twins, two of her brothers and her father all succumbed to cholera. Mahala ended up caring for the twins. The surviving members of the family settled in Yuba City,
Nate Stone’s father, Joseph Stone, had died three decades previously. According to Nate’s obituary, Joseph had fought in the Seminole Wars in 1836 and then in the Mexican American War in 1848. Interestingly, he used the assumed name, George H. Taylor, and had fought on the Mexican side.

After coming to Fillmore in the 1870s, the family farmed “on the mountain north of Fillmore.” Nate and his younger brother, Alfred, hunted the game available in the area. The meat would be sold to the local residents. The family also kept bees.
Mahala had built a home on Central Avenue, approximately where Central Market now is. By 1910, Central had become the commercial “hub” of Fillmore. Mrs. Stone moved house and all to Mountain View and 2nd street.
All of the above was taken from Nate Stone’s obituary.

The next year the obituary of another early settler ran in the Fillmore Herald. Fillmore’s first physician, John P. Hinckley passed away. The usual “just the facts” obituary ran, but there also appeared an article on Dr. Hinckley written by his colleague, Dr. David W. Mott of Santa Paula. Dr. Mott had been practicing in Santa Paula and also served the growing community of Fillmore. In 1890 a new physician put out his shingle, Dr. John Powell Hinckley. At that time, he was only one of ten physicians in the county and became one of the charter members of the County medical society. Other doctors had come and gone and often of dubious training and experience.

The ”dean” of Ventura County’s physicians was Dr. Cephas Bard, brother of Thomas Bard. Dr. Bard was pleased to get a report from Dr. Mott that Hinckley had trained at the University of Vermont and had done post-graduate work at Bellevue College in New York City. Over the half century Dr. Hinckley practiced he was often the one other doctors consulted if they needed assistance.

Dr. Mott also told of the long hours Dr. Hinckley put in, even at the end of his career, having progressed from a horse and carriage to a “comfortable Cadillac” or his “speedy Ford.” Dr. Mott’s remembrance of his friend and colleague was high praise.

Two things we have learned about Dr. Hinckley which weren’t mentioned in Mott’s piece. From his arrival in Fillmore, some young boys had the middle name of “Hinckley” undoubtably in thanks for the treatment of mother and child. On a sadder note, during the “Influenza” pandemic of 1918 and the next few years, Dr. Hinckley was called on to tend to many of victims. One of those victims was his own daughter, Vinnie.

The last “obituary” to be profiled here is probably not an obituary in the usual meaning of the word, but one man’s opinion of the deceased, Alexander More brother to T. Wallace More who had owned Rancho Sespe and was murdered.
It appeared in the San Francisco “Call” on October 22, 1893, the day after Alexander More died in Illinois. It was printed on page 2 with no byline. The title was simply “Alex More Dead.” It is only as you read the article do you realize this is not the usual obituary. What catches your attention are sentences like this:

“Possibly Alex More may have begun life with all the generous impulses common to youth. If he did they fell from him, for in his old age he was hard, stern, cold — a demoniac in his hate and seemingly animated by a detestation of his kind.”
The writer talks about the vast amount of land the More Brothers acquired, especially in what would become Ventura County. The Ventura County holdings “came to be known as "From Sunrise to Sunset Rancho," He told the story of Alex’s drive to punish those he believed were responsible for his brother, Tom’s, death and how it completely drove the people of the area to despise him (if they hadn’t before).

The story of Alex’s killing his cook on Santa Rosa Island was related. The Chinese cook wished to go to the mainland to see his family, although it was at the height of the shearing season. Alex took a rifle to the pier on the island and shot the cook. The county of Santa Barbara did press charges and bring him to trial, but his attorneys (and possibly Alex’s money) argued successfully that since the crime was committed on the pier, it was on the “high seas” where Maritime law had jurisdiction, not the county.

Again, all of the above and more, was in this one article – a researcher’s dream. Not because it told the whole story, but because it provided more threads to follow. Links to the actual articles will be on our website, but it is clear that if you want people to remember you as you see yourself – write your obituary in advance.

If you care about the future of your local Hospital and would like to see services remain open and available to you and your families at Santa Paula Hospital please share and sign the petition link below: https://www.change.org/p/save-santa-paula-hospital-services?cs_

On May 14, Ventura County Board of Supervisors agreed to shut down Santa Paula Hospital’s
Intensive Care Unit and Obstetrics Unit, according to a report given to the Board by Barry Zimmerman, chief deputy director the Ventura Conty Health Care Agency. This will not only displace many nurses and healthcare staff, but it will also take away critical care access for the growing communities of Santa Clara Valley. If a patient arrives to the Emergency Room and needs critical care, they will no longer be able to stay at Santa Paula Hospital ICU unit; the plan would be to transfer them out to Ventura County Medical Center. If a woman arrives in labor, there will not be any services available to deliver her baby, she will need to be transferred out to VCMC as well.

Please act now and sign the petition to keep services available for our growing community. The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on June 4th, when this petition can be presented. Santa Paula Hospital administrators want to move forward with their plan to close services effective August 2024. By signing this petition, you are agreeing that the community deserves better. We deserve to have local critical care access available for our families when they are sick and in need of a higher level of care. Women in labor should also have the choice to deliver their babies locally and not have to be transferred to Ventura because of lack of services.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for vacation Bible School Camp Firelight: A Summer Camp

Adventure with God! Register now through June 16th $30 per child/ $50 per family (2 or more)
Late Registration June 17th-24 $40 per child $60 per family (2 or more). Our adventure will take place from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon on June 24 – June 28. VBS is open to children from K – 5th grade and includes daily snacks, crafts, science, games songs, Bible story dramas and more! Pick up a registration form at Bardsdale UMC (805) 524-2070. Hope to see you there!

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with 7-Eleven, Inc. in the 29th consecutive year of “Operation Chill®.” The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and 7-Eleven want to reward local kids through the company’s community outreach program.
This summer, as our deputies’ patrol neighborhoods, they will keep an eye out for youth doing great things. Some acts include kids wearing safety helmets while riding a bike or skateboard, kids observing safety rules while crossing the street, kids participating in positive activities, kids holding the door open for someone, kids picking up trash, or kids helping someone in need. If observed, our deputies and professional staff, at any of our stations in the county, will make a positive contact with the youth and issue an Operation Chill coupon. The coupons can be redeemed for a free small Slurpee drink at any participating 7-Eleven®, Speedway®, or Stripes® store.

This year, 7-Eleven will issue nearly 550,000 coupons to more than 1,300 participating law enforcement agencies across the country, including the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office looks forward to recognizing the good deeds being done daily by the youth in our communities. We have a lot of great kids in our communities and we have a lot of Slurpee coupons to hand out to keep encouraging them to become great citizens. This program allows us to continue to build trust and relationships with the communities we serve. We are better at what we do because of our community partnerships.

Prepared by: Sergeant Thomas Miller
News Release Date: 06/03/2024
Approved by: Captain Jason Hendren

Article/photo credit Brandy Hollis

On Tuesday May 21, 2024, before the Fillmore Little League Juniors baseball game, the District Umpire in Chief for District 63 came out to present Fillmore’s own Ivan Beccera with District 63’s Umpire of the Year award. Ivan grew up in Fillmore Little League with a love and a passion for the game. Ivan is just 19 years old and has been umpiring for six years. He is one of the few who give up their time and energy to make sure the kids are able to play ball. Umpiring requires thick skin and true love of the sport. Part of his award from District 63 included brand new baseball equipment of his own. Fillmore Little League President Anthony Albnanez also presented Ivan with brand new umpire shoes. Ivan, you have made your league, city and district proud! Congratulations on your accomplishments. May you continue to inspire others to pursue their passions. Thank you for being of service to your community and fellow ballplayers. District 63, Anthony Albnanez, FLL President, and Jax Avila, FLL Treasurer.

Courtesy https://www.fillmoreca.gov/1323/Aquatic-Center

We appreciate your enthusiasm and support for our community pool. Historically, our pool season has kicked off on Memorial Weekend, marking the beginning of summer fun. However, due to current staffing challenges, we must delay the opening of the pool this year until June 10th.

Key Information:

New Opening Date: June 10th
Reservation System Launch: June 3rd
Reservations: First come, first served
Registration: Online only

To ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone, all pool reservations will be managed through an online system. This system will go live on June 3rd. We encourage you to check this website periodically for updates and to secure your spot as soon as the reservation system becomes available.

How to Reserve:

Visit Our Website: Bookmark this page and return on June 3rd.

Register Online: Fill out the reservation application available on this site.

First Come, First Served: Reservations are limited, so early registration is advised.
We understand that this delay may be disappointing, but the safety and quality of your experience remain our top priorities. We are working diligently to ensure that the pool is staffed and ready for a fantastic season starting June 10th.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to welcoming you to the pool soon!
For questions or concerns, please contact Juana Garcia at jgarcia@fillmoreca.gov or via phone at 805-312-9975 ext. 240.
Stay Updated: Please check this site regularly for the latest information and updates regarding the pool season.

Santa Clara Valley Disposal will maintain its regular trash, recycling and yard/organic waste collection schedule in the city of Fillmore during the week of Juneteenth, June 16-22. The holiday is on Wednesday, June 19.

Remember that Santa Clara Valley Disposal residential customers can place all three carts curbside every week, as the company 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.

It’s important to recycle your food waste every week. In 2022, the state of California began to require the diversion of food waste from landfills, and your efforts are needed. Even if you only have food waste bags and no yard waste, you should 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, Ojai Valley (Ventura River Valley), Oxnard Plain, Newbury Park, Piru, Pt. Mugu, Rancho Matilija, Rincon, Santa Rosa Valley, Somis, Santa Paula, Upper Ojai, Yerba Buena, and the Channel Islands Beach Community Services District, plus the city of Carpinteria as E.J. Harrison & Sons; and Fillmore and surrounding unincorporated areas as Santa Clara Valley Disposal.

For more information, visit www.ejharrison.com.

Ventura County, California. – The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office reminds travelers to always buckle up and secure children in the right car seats when visiting friends and family.

This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign runs from May 20 to June 2. During this time, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office will have additional officers on patrol actively looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt. This includes vehicles where children are not secured in child safety seats or the right safety seats for their age.

“Wearing a seat belt should be automatic for all drivers and passengers every trip,” Senior Deputy Brian Dent said. “Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember always to buckle up.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 12,000 people killed in crashes throughout the country in 2021 were not wearing seat belts. In California, 878 people killed in crashes in 2021 were not wearing seat belts, an increase of 12.3 percent from 2020.

California law requires a child to be secured in a safety or booster seat until they are at least 8 years old or at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall. Children under the age of 2 must ride in a rear-facing seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.

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

Nature of Incident: “Click It or Ticket” Campaign Reminds Californians to Always Buckle Up
Seat Belt Safety Campaign Runs Through Memorial Day

Location: County of Ventura
Date & Time: May 20th, 2024, to June 2nd, 2024
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office

Prepared by: Sergeant Daniel Gonzales
Approved by: Captain Jason B. Hendren

Article and photo credit Brandy Hollis.
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It was another beautiful Sunday this year for Faith Community Church’s (FCC) Annual Cowboy Sunday, with the service being held outside under the Oak tree. There were coloring pages laid out for the kids and many donned cowboy attire for the service. There was tri tip and chicken straight from the grill and everyone’s favorite chili beans filled the crock pots. Desserts were plentiful and hearts happy. This is one of the many special traditions that FCC continues to the delight of the community. Special announcements were made in preparation for VBS. FCC will be gearing up to host its children’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) as usual this summer. VBS is a free event for all kids in the community and they come from across the city to participate. This year it will be held in the evening hours, so parents can enjoy a little bit of a date night. As someone who’s worked during this week-long event, I can tell you how much preparation and work goes into this every year. It’s magnificent that they are able to continue to offer it free of charge and the sets they build for the themes are always mind blowing for the children and transport them to another world. This year it looks like we are gearing up for some scuba underwater adventure and I can’t wait to see what they cook up! Please follow FCC on social media, YouTube or go onto their website FCCFillmore.com to see all that is offered. There is something for everyone. And don’t forget our service!

Flags were flown at half-staff last week to honor Police Officers Memorial Day and Police Week.
"Every day, police officers pin on their shields and walk out the door, rushing into harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe. Being a police officer is more than what they do — it is who they are. On Peace Officers Memorial Day and during Police Week, we recognize the incredible courage of our Nation’s police officers and honor the fallen heroes, whose ultimate sacrifice we can never repay.

During the pandemic, States and cities saw violent crime rising as they faced deep cuts in law enforcement and public safety budgets. That is why the American Rescue Plan, one of the first bills I signed as President, provided $350 billion that States could use to keep law enforcement on the beat and communities safe from violence. That led to the largest Federal investment in public safety in our history. Police departments used that funding to establish training facilities, hire more officers, and raise salaries. I also expanded benefits for first responders disabled in the line of duty and for their families. I increased access to mental health resources for police officers, who too often experience emotional and physical trauma on the job. Supporting our police officers with resources they need to do their jobs has paid off. Last year, the United States had one of the lowest rates of violent crime in more than 50 years.

My Administration recognizes that being a police officer is harder than ever. We expect them to be everything to everyone — counselors to people experiencing a crisis, social workers to kids who have been abandoned, and guardians to communities flooded with weapons of war. That is why we have invested in more crisis responders who work alongside police officers to respond to non-violent crimes. We have also increased investments in recruiting, retaining, and training officers and in violence prevention to get guns off the streets. We are working hard to strengthen the bonds of trust between officers and the people they serve. My Budget requests over $10 billion to recruit, train, support, and hire 100,000 additional police officers trained in effective, accountable community policing — working hand in hand with community leaders and local partners to gain trust and advance public safety.

My Administration has also taken historic action to end the scourge of gun violence in America, which puts far too many police officers at risk. To date, my Administration has taken more executive actions to stop the flow of illegal guns than any other administration in history. I formed the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris. I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years. I appointed the first Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director to lead the agency in over 7 years, who has since led efforts to crack down on gun trafficking, ghost guns, rogue gun dealers, and unlicensed sellers that fuel the flow of illegal firearms. I continue to call on the Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of guns, fully fund ATF, and pass universal background checks and a national red flag law.

This year, we also honor our Nation’s law enforcement families, who serve and sacrifice alongside their loved ones. Every day, they summon courage as their loved ones put on their badges and leave for work, praying for their safe return home. To those who have lost a loved one who served, I know that no memorial can fill the void left in your heart. But I hope you find solace in knowing that their memory lives on through you, the community they served, and all those that they inspired through their example. Our Nation will never forget their sacrifice.

Last year, I bestowed six law enforcement officers with the Medal of Valor for going to unimaginable lengths to protect their fellow citizens. They exemplified a selflessness of character and a bravery that inspires. On Peace Officers Memorial Day and during Police Week, let us show our gratitude for all the women and men of our Nation’s law enforcement community, who make extraordinary sacrifices every day. Let us honor the memory of those who have fallen in service to their fellow Americans. Let us recommit to supporting the people in uniform and their families, who ensure the safety of our communities all across the Nation.

By a joint resolution approved October 1, 1962, as amended (76 Stat. 676), and by Public Law 103-322, as amended (36 U.S.C. 136-137), the President has been authorized and requested to designate May 15 of each year as “Peace Officers Memorial Day” and the week in which it falls as “Police Week.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 15, 2024, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 12 through May 18, 2024, as Police Week. I call upon all Americans to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities and salute our Nation’s brave law enforcement officers and remember their peace officer brothers and sisters who have given their last full measure of devotion in the line of duty. I also call on the Governors of the United States and its Territories, and appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day. I further encourage all Americans to display the flag at half-staff from their homes and businesses on that day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR."

Article/Photo courtesy Brandy Hollis

Fillmore Women’s Service Club’s Susan Banks Memorial Fundraiser was a huge success. An extra special thanks to Heather Swetman from Escalera Pest Control. Her hustle and dedication to ensuring this night would be a success was more than one could hope for. Memories reflected, memories made, and most importantly funds were raised. The ultimate memorial. The bar was set just a tad bit higher. With conflicting events and memorial building not open, Fillmore’s finest still flocked to the opportunity to serve once again. All the sponsors were amazing and too countless to name in just one article. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts from your SERVICE club! Fillmore Women’s Service Club is an organization of women in service to the community of Fillmore. Profits from the evening will be used towards scholarships within the community. Follow us on social media for the latest Fillmore happenings.

Next showing is Magic Comedy and Song to be held May 18, 2024, from 7pm – 9pm. Visit www.Fillmoretowntheatre.org for more information.
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Written by Carina M. Montoya

The Fillmore Town Theatre held its Fillmore Funnies (Monthly Comedy Night) on Saturday, May 11. Before the show, an “unnamed” musical group featuring Greg Agostinelli, Michael Kirby, Danny Torres (Danny Torres and The Piru River Band), and Peter Copley, rocked the theater. It was a great opener before the show. The musical group on its own can easily fill the theater with its wide repertoire.

The featured comedians had the audience roaring in laughter. Carlos Oscar, is described as “a lean, clean joke machine”. His stories and facial expressions had the audience rolling on the floor laughing. Carlos has performed on The Tonight Show, Comedy Central, and is the only winner of The Princess Cruises Entertainer of the Year award.

Omar Covarrubias is a comedy magician and used audience participation that was fun, entertaining, and hilarious. Omar has been a comedy magician for 20 years and performs in comedy clubs, including the Ice House, Hollywood Laugh Factory, and the House of Blues.

Fillmore is proud to have its own theatre, but the life of the theatre depends on community support. Come and see the many different events held at the theatre. Your support will keep our theatre alive.