PIRU, CA - The Ventura County Public Works Agency Watershed Protection District’s (VCPWA WPD) proposed Piru Stormwater Capture for Groundwater Recharge project was selected for funding of $455,837 by the State Water Resources Control Board under Proposition 1 Storm Water Grant Program, Round 1. The project, which will be a collaborative effort with the United Water Conservation District (UWCD), is one of 27 statewide projects to receive an award from the total $105 million grant fund for this round of funding.

The proposed project will capture runoff from 123 acres in the unincorporated Ventura County community of Piru to remove sediment, trash and other pollutants. Approximately 38.5 acre feet per year of runoff will be captured using the existing storm drain system. The captured runoff will then be conveyed to the northern 26 acres of the existing, inactive UWCD Piru Spreading Grounds, for recharge of the Piru groundwater basin.

“This is a unique opportunity for Piru community to gain cost-effective, long-term, and sustainable recharge of groundwater with minimal design and construction efforts” said Ewelina Mutkowska, Stormwater Program Manager.

“Collaboration with other agencies, municipalities and stakeholders is key to developing new and affordable water resources for the county and a top priority for United Water Conservation District,” added Mauricio E. Guardado, Jr., General Manager of UWCD. “We look forward to working with Ewelina and the Ventura County Public Works team on recharging the groundwater of the Piru basin.”

The proposed project will provide dual benefits of water quality improvement, compliance with Clean Water Act, and long-term sustainable water supply enhancement. By utilizing existing infrastructure and making a few modification, this project will meet federal and state requirements in the most cost effective manner. Construction is anticipated in summer of 2018.

Santa Clara Valley Disposal will maintain its regular Friday trash, green waste and recyclables collection schedule in Fillmore on Feb. 24, during the week of Presidents’ Day.

For more information, call 647-1414.

FZ Tax Services has relocated to the Super A Shopping Center (751 Ventura St./Hwy. 126).) Next door to them
Portobello Pizza has just opened their business. The two will be celebrating joint grand openings on Saturday, February 4th. The public is invited to join in the ribbon-cutting, door prizes, pizza samples and more at 1pm.

The City of Fillmore is pleased to welcome our new Parks and Recreation Coordinators Abel Duque and Claire Faith. Abel and Claire both started Monday, January 9th.

Mr. Duque has experience working with recreational and afterschool programs and most recently worked for the Boys and Girls Club in Ventura. He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from California State University, Channel Islands and is bilingual.

Ms. Faith grew up in Fillmore, and has her Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Administration from Humboldt State University. She spent some time as a recreation leader for the City of Eureka and worked outdoor and aquatic programs at Humboldt State.

“We lucked out and found two superstars to move the Parks and Recreation Department forward with fresh and innovative ideas and programs. I cannot wait to see to what they develop.” said David W. Rowlands, City Manager.

Early projects include developing a sustainability plan, new recreational programs and a community survey to determine what programs the residents want receive.

The Fillmore Civic Pride committee announces the date of the spring Fillmore Flower Show. It will be held April 8 and 9, 2017 at the Active Adult Center, 533 Santa Clara in Fillmore. The fun and creative theme for the show this year is "Birds, Bugs and Beautiful Blooms".

According to experts, now is the time to prune roses to get spectacular blooms for the spring flower show in April. If interested, Otto and Sons Nursery is offering rose pruning and seasonal care workshops at their nursery. The workshops are January 21 and 28 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The $15 charge per session includes a $10 gift certificate for next purchase, a goodie bag and opportunities for a door prize. Reservations are a must. Call 805-524-2123 or go to their website for more information.

At the suggestion of the Flower Show judges, a class has been added to Division VI- Miniature Arrangements and Bouquets. In addition to class A size not to exceed 4 inches by 4 inches, new class B size not to exceed 10 inches by 10 inches. This will allow participate more creativity and flexibility.

There will be several more encouragements to participate in the April flower show. Updates are also on the website fillmoreflowershow.com.

Santa Clara Valley Disposal will maintain its regular Friday trash, recycling and green waste collection schedule in Fillmore on Jan. 20, during the week of Martin Luther King Jr.

For more information, call 647-1414.

Advances in reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries will be the focus of a free seminar that Community Memorial Health System is holding on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

Samuel Bern, M.D., who specializes in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, will lead the discussion during the seminar to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the eighth-floor Nichols Auditorium at Community Memorial Hospital, 147 N. Brent St.

Dr. Bern will discuss who is a good candidate for surgery and whether it is healthy to have multiple surgeries. He also will discuss breast and facial reconstructive surgery; the future of cosmetic surgery, including facial transplants; and whether television cosmetic reality shows are honest.

Dr. Bern received his medical degree from Yale University. He trained in general surgery at Harvard and plastic surgery at UCLA. He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and he is a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Bern has 35 years of experience in plastic surgery. He has been an active member of the Community Memorial Hospital staff since 1992.

Registration is free but reservations are required. Visit cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800/838-3006.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, along with the Centers for Family Health serving various communities within and located in Ventura County, California.

Story and Photo courtesy of Marybeth Jacobsen

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and 45 students, from 14 Ventura County high schools, are very jolly this holiday season. This month, they each received a Dell Latitude laptop complete with a Microsoft Office Suite software package, carrying case, flash drive and 4 year warranty.

A $15,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation made the Workforce Education Coalition’s (“WEC”) Laptop Advantage program possible.

Students who received laptops submitted a teacher recommendation and an essay about why they need a personal laptop. WEC President, Marybeth Jacobsen, said that, “The essays demonstrated how bright and motivated to succeed these students are. Based on the students’ essays, it’s clear that the Alcoa grant made it possible for us to positively change some young people’s lives. ”

Because they now have the tools that they need to excel, these students will no longer be at a disadvantage when they walk into a classroom. The new laptops permit them to carefully complete and submit on line homework, do research, write reports, create PowerPoint presentations, and complete college and financial aid applications.

Next year, the WEC hopes to continue its Laptop Advantage program and to add graphing calculators to the gifts awarded to students. Anyone who would like to support the WEC’s work should contact Marybeth Jacobsen at WorkforceEC@gmail.com.

Dear Fillmore USD Residents,

On behalf of the Board of Education and the administration of the Fillmore Unified School District, thank you for your overwhelming support of Measure V. While a few ballots remain to be counted, as of the end of last week Measure V was winning with an overwhelming YES vote of 71.7%. Measure V – a $35 million general obligation bond – will allow us to improve, repair and upgrade classrooms, schools and other educational facilities throughout the District.

Much planning for these projects has already been done through our Long-Range Facilities Master Plan. However, the implementation of the plan including architectural drawings, permits, contractor bids, the sale of the bonds, etc., is a complex and time consuming process. Nevertheless, I want you to know that we are 100% committed to making these projects a reality as soon as possible.

We are also committed to maintaining the highest level of fiscal integrity and making sure solid taxpayer protections are put in place and adhered to as we move through this process. Once again, thank you for your support. We are incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful students, dedicated employees and a community that cares and believes in our schools.

Respectfully,
Adrian E. Palazuelos, Ph.D.
Superintendent, Fillmore Unified School District

In a continuing effort to help women advance their education, the local Fillmore chapter of P.E.O. (Philanthropic Education Organization) will be offering financial awards this spring. To be eligible, you must be a woman who attends or has been accepted to an accredited undergraduate degree program or a vocational/skills training program, live within the 93015 Zip code area, and have at least a 3.5 grade point average. Anyone interested should contact the College and Career Center if you are a student at Fillmore or Sierra High School or contact Patricia Morris at morrisp905@gmail.com. The deadline for application is March 6, 2017.

Since Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on a Sunday this holiday season, Santa Clara Valley Disposal will maintain its regular Friday trash collection schedule in Fillmore both weeks.

As a special holiday feature, residents may put out twice the amount of trash at no extra charge during the two weeks following Christmas. Please make sure the trash is in bags. We will also collect extra recyclables, but please make sure to flatten all boxes.

Also, Harrison is making it easy for their customers to recycle their Christmas trees. All customers need to do is remove the ornaments, hooks, lights, tinsel, bows, nails and tree stand, then cut the tree into sections no more than 4 feet long and place in the yard waste barrel on their scheduled pickup day. Flocked trees now also can be recycled.

For more information, call 647-1414.