The May 2019 Yard of the Month went to the home of Kassandra Quintero. She said the inspiration for the front yard came from her dad Jesse’s passion for gardening. The house at 220 Saratoga St. in Fillmore is on a long, thin plot of land. Jesse made use of the full area by being creative with statues, lawn furniture, plants and trees, which include four different types of roses, jasmine on the wall and an arch leading up to the house. Kassandra says the jasmine is her personal favorite because of the fragrance. They also have palm trees, pygmy date palms, lycianthes rantonnetii and box plants (also known as buxus), as well as an orange tree that sits in the middle of the yard. Some of the accessories added include a water fountain in the very front of the yard with flowers planted inside. A set of vintage chairs, table and matching bird cage and a bench at the end of the yard complete the pleasing and serene look. Kassandra was presented with a $40 gift certificate courtesy of Otto & Sons Nursery (1835 Guiberson Rd. Fillmore.) The Yard of the Month project is sponsored by Fillmore Civic Pride/Vision 2020. For information or to submit a nomination for yard of the month please contact Ari Larson 805.794.7590 or petenari55@hotmail.com

After thorough discussion, research, and public comment, the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) Board of Trustees unanimously approved a motion at the August Board meeting to construct and install underlit solar carports on existing parking lots at Ventura, Oxnard, and Moorpark colleges. This action dovetails with the Board of Trustees’ adoption of Resolution in Support of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability in April, which outlined support of future initiatives to positively impact sustainability and climate change.

In their comments, Trustees mentioned the benefits of cost savings to the District and the environmental benefits of a reduced carbon footprint.

“For many students, questions of sustainability are real and immediate in ways that we have not seen before,” said Trustee Josh Chancer. “Climate change is going to have significant impacts in their own lifetimes. The energy and enthusiasm of students for our environment can lead the rest of us in the right direction.”

Added Trustee Larry Kennedy, “I believe it’s a good use of our resources to move forward with innovation that will help us reduce our carbon footprint.”

The three colleges will have a combined eight megawatts of solar power. Ventura College’s underlit solar carports will be at two existing parking lots, and at Oxnard College they will be on the north and northwest sides of the campus. The Moorpark College solar carports will be located on the campus’s north and northeast sides. Each college will also have EV chargers. Construction at the campuses is expected to begin in 2020 and be completed before the end of the year.

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 www.vcccd.edu.

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Article courtesy California Teachers Association and Fillmore Unified Teachers Association

The 200 Fillmore Unified Teachers Association (FUTA) members were seen wearing red on the first day of school, August 12, to protest bad behavior by Fillmore Unified School District managers. Fillmore teachers are at impasse in negotiations with this financially healthy district over a living wage and health care.

“There is no other expenditure more important than investing in a stable and highly qualified team of educators to work directly with our students,” said FUTA President Tammy Ferguson. “We want to attract and retain the best teachers for our students. Educators simply want a living wage and health benefits for their families.”

Teachers are outraged district managers gave salary hikes and health benefits to district administrators while offering the professionals who work with students every day a low salary proposal plus a plan that significantly reduces and limits health benefit payments for only FUTA membership.

“What kind of school district spends more for administrators and management positions than any other school district in Ventura County, but consistently keeps their educators the lowest paid in county? What kind of school district treats one group of employees disparagingly by giving them less money for health benefits?” Ferguson asked.

“It is beyond my comprehension that the School Board and Superintendent would willingly treat our educators with such little respect knowing they are on the front lines of educating the students and the face of Fillmore Unified,” she added. “Our students deserve better. Our educators deserve better.”

FUTA declared impasse in June. A state mediator appointed by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) will now be brought in to help the parties reach an agreement.

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Submitted by Santa Clara Valley Boys and Girls Club

“What a great day this was for over 300 youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley” commented CEO Jan Marholin. The 5th Annual STEM Day for Kids was July 12th located at the Santa Paula Club site. There were over 28 Ventura County Agencies that participated and had hands-on activities for the kids. Some of the participating agencies were Limoneira, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department , Crimson Mainstream, Channel Islands National Park and so many more. California Resources Corporation had a wonderful hands on oil and gas simulation with a number of their employees working with the youth. A big thank you to all of the museums that participated and Dr. Phil Hampton from Channel Islands University with his mechanical arm was a show stopper. Fillmore Rotary and Fillmore Fire Foundation did BBQ lunches for all. It was a great day!! Thank you to everyone who helped make this day happen!!