It is time for the citizens of Fillmore to start questioning the way the Fillmore Unified School District is using the taxpayers’ money. I keep reading and hearing about trips administrators have taken, the presence of attorneys representing the District where prior to the past year or two would have been unthinkable, and other questionable uses of our limited resources. What is really upsetting is the report of the May 15, 2012 FUSD Board meeting in the May 24 issue of The Fillmore Gazette. Teachers and staff must take unpaid furlough days even though many need to work on these days to prepare classrooms and lessons. However, according to Lola Rogers, who did payroll for Fillmore Unified, in July of 2011 when a prior year payroll was processed, it revealed that the Director of Human Resources and the Assistant Superintendent of Finance had received 10 extra days of pay. The Superintendent received almost $10,000 extra pay. Ms. Rogers stated that when benefits are figured in, this came to over $22,000. The morning after the Board meeting, Ms. Rogers was told that her services were no longer required. As is the norm in our District, courage is a punishable offense. Ms. Rogers did payroll for our District for many years, so I assume that her information is accurate. One does wonder how many furlough days were paid this past year to the same administrators. One also wonders what other abuses have gone unreported. I understand that an audit was recently done. By whom? A truly independent outside auditor? What were the results? A pension audit is certainly in order. The Board would be derelict in its duties by not insisting on it.

As a former teacher, I CONTINUED »

On behalf of the Chamber, we would like to thank everyone that participated in the 100th May Festival Parade! Special thanks go out to Hal Provo and his crew from Santa Paula Pilots Association for the awesome flyover to start the parade; Sonshine Pre-School for providing electricity and space for our judges; Eddie and Brenda Ortiz of Super Seal and Stripe for providing the flat bed for our judges stand; to the Explorers and the Sheriff’s department for help with closing down the streets and traffic control as well as the Mounted Posse for leading off with the Colors!; to the Miss Fillmore and Miss Teen Fillmore courts for their participation and assistance with the awards ceremony; Special thanks also to Tom & Nikki Scott, Harold Cronin, Sarah Scott, Jacqui Guerra, Amber Holms, Darlene Holmes, Darrin and Debbie Galarza, Hans, and Tyler Stump for your assistance with check in, line up and traffic control. Without your help, the parade would not have been possible! Thank you to Orange Blossom Villa for your generous use of the gem car and to all of the residents of Fillmore for your patience with the closure of streets and traffic in the parade staging area!

The following is a list of winners by category, from the 2012 May Festival Parade:
Equestrian:1st Place – Ventura Sheriffs Mounted Posse
2nd Place – Charro De Paloma Patino
Youth Walking Groups: 1st Place – Sonshine Pre-School
2nd Place – Ballet Folklorico
3rd Place – Boys and Girls Club
Adult Walking Group: 1st Place – Fillmore / Piru Relay for Life
Novelty Groups: 1st Place – Camille Mia Perales
2nd Place – Bella Calderon
3rd Place – Azaria Rose Aguilar
Youth Floats: 1st Place – Andrew, Maribella & Aaliyah Morales
2nd Place – Perces Kenpo Karate
3rd Place – Alexandra Nuno
Adult Floats: 1st Place – Heritage Valley Red Hatters
2nd Place – Ventura County Search and Rescue
Car Groups: 1st Place – Model A Car Club
2nd Place – Fillmore Historical Museum
3rd Place – Fillmore Citizens Patrol
Other: 1st Place – A Street & First, Inc.
2nd Place – Ventura County Swat Team
3rd Place – Ventura County Sheriff’s Dept.
If you have won an award, it may be picked up at the Chamber Office during regular business hours.
RJ & Joni Stump

The yard of the month for June 2012 goes to Dr. Bundy and his lovely wife Xixi. Birch trees add shade to the small but very serene front yard. Dr. Bundy gives credit to his wife Xixi for enhancing on what the previous owner had started with. Shrubs, pretty green floor covering, roses, lilies, a Chinese Maple Tree and strategically placed statues gives the yard a calming effect. The address is 59 Anza Lane in El Dorado. They have received a $25 gift certificate from Otto & Sons Nursery. Fillmore Civic Pride-Vision 2020 meets on the 3rd Wed. of the month at 1:30pm in Fillmore City Hall (2nd floor). For more information please contact president Linda Nunes 805.302.7527

Come join your fellow Alumni from our Alma Mater, Fillmore High School, for a great Bar B Q meal this Saturday evening at the Memorial Building. Happy hour starts at 4:00pm, Dinner at 6:00pm, short presentation at 7:00. The memorial building will stay open until 11:00pm for folks to visit and look at the 99 years of Class Photos that will be hung up around the Memorial Building. This really is a sight to see as each class has their pictures beautifully framed. The cost of the dinner is $30.00 per person if your a "Flashbacks" subscriber, $35.00 is your not, and $40.00 at the door. Gary Laird '76 (Lairds Butcher Shop in Santa Paula) will do the honors and cook his very famous "Fillmore Bar B Q" of Tri-tip, Chicken, and all the sides.Questions? call 805-524-0416. F.H.S. Alumni - Onward, and upword!

Original Art Work by Wana Klasen is being exhibited in The Second Annual Artists Guild of Fillmore Group Show at Blanchard Community Library 119 No. Eighth Street Santa Paula, Ca. now through July 28, 2012

Library hours are:
M,Tue.,Th. 12-8,W.10-6, Sat 10-2. Fri. Closed

Please join us for an "EVENING WITH THE ARTISTS"
Thursday, June 21, 2012 5-8pm

The Fillmore Women's Service Club is pleased to announce the recipients of the FWSC Educational Scholarships. At a luncheon for the students and parents held at El Pescador on May 22nd, the students were presented with a certificate notifying them of their award from Mimi Burns, President of the Club.

Neira Hernandez, Jayness Lopez and Viviana Magnana each received $1,300. Oscar Alferez, Westley Fairall, Gonzalo Guitierrez and Larissa Villaneuva received $650 each. Anachristina Morino, Katherine Stewart and Sabian Howard a student at The High School at Moorpark College received $500. Congratulations and our best wishes for a bright and productive future to all the students.

The annual Heritage Valley 5k-10K Race, Fitness Walk, Fun Run and Health Fair was a tremendous success. The number of entrants doubled in size from last year to just over 200 entrants. The race is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Fillmore Sun Risers with partners Up for Education and the Soroptimist Club. Runners & walkers of all ages enjoyed great weather. Runners from out of town enjoyed our beautiful scenery and discovered there is more to Fillmore than Hwy 126. After the race the participants, family members and friends enjoyed the sunshine on the lawn of FUSD administration waiting for final results. Many visited the vendors of the health fair. Donated prizes were raffled off to participants.

Overall female winner of the 5K was Tefany Gonzalez in 20:42 and overall male winner was Adrian Mejia in 16:30. Overall female winner of the 10K was Maria Villalobos in 47:37 and overall male winner was Kevin McSweeney in 38:33.

Eight teams participated for the opportunity to win funds for their favorite charity. The first place team was the Ninja Mentors. A $150 donation will be made to Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Ventura County. They also won an additional $50 for Big Brothers & Big Sisters because they had the most team members. The second place team was TeamX. A $100 donation will be made on their behalf to Full Circle Learning Center in Piru.

Fun Run entrants CONTINUED »

Livingston Visiting Nurse Association will hold Diabetes Classes to introduce basic information regarding diet, medication, exercise, blood sugar monitoring, new developments and common problems. Open to the public and free of charge, the classes are held the first Tuesday of the month, 1:00 – 2:30 pm @Livingston VNA, 1996 Eastman Ave, #101, Ventura. No registration is necessary; for information call Linda Hampson, RN, MSN @ 805-642-0239,ext 723.

Come celebrate the Solstice with us on Wednesday, June 20 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Fillmore's Health and Wellness Center, 448 Santa Clara Street, Fillmore.

Bring a light potluck item, musical instruments and your willingness to usher in the beautiful Summer season with us. The belly dancing class will be performing their latest dance and we will practice some soft sun salutation variations. Plus other surprises may ensue. We hope to see you and your friends there!

Call me with any questions,
Janine
524-4856

SUMMARY
The 2011-2012 Ventura County Grand Jury (Grand Jury) learned in August 2011 that the County of Ventura (County) contracted with the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) to lease the newly-constructed training academy in the city of Camarillo for a period of fifteen years at a total cost exceeding $2.6 million.
The lease was executed in 2010, eight years after the passage of Measure S: Ventura, Moorpark and Oxnard Community College Repair and Safety Ventura County Community College District (Bond) authorizing funds for the building of the Sheriff’s Academy (Academy), the Fire Academy, and the repair or replacement of other educational facilities. The lease was not authorized by the Bond and failed to appear as an estimated cost on the ballot.

Before the lease, the Ventura County Sheriff (Sheriff) was to provide the instructors and furniture for the Academy and pay rent of $1 per year. The partnership agreement, Affiliation/Institutional Services Agreement, between VCCCD and the Sheriff failed. That failure necessitated a lease agreement before the Sheriff could occupy the Academy.

The Grand Jury found that CONTINUED »

SUMMARY
In order to ensure the safety and security of citizens in confinement facilities, the 2011-2012 Ventura County Grand Jury (Grand Jury) in its role as the civil watchdog for Ventura County (County) must annually inspect all places of incarceration in the County, which includes all temporary holding facilities and jails.
Penal Code section 919(b) states that, “The grand jury shall inquire into the condition and management of the public prisons within the county.” Penal Code section 921 states that, “The grand jury is entitled to free access, at all reasonable times, to the public prisons, and to the examination, without charge, of all public records within the county.”

The Grand Jury observed the physical cells, gathered information from officers, and read Policies and Procedures (P&Ps) of the fourteen places of incarceration in the County. The Police Departments (PD) in the Cities of Camarillo (Camarillo), Fillmore (Fillmore), Moorpark (Moorpark), Ojai (Ojai), Oxnard (Oxnard), Port Hueneme (Port Hueneme), Santa Paula (Santa Paula), Simi Valley (Simi Valley), and San Buenaventura (Ventura) are responsible for the holding cells in their respective jurisdictions. The Ventura County Sheriff (Sheriff) is responsible for the operation of the East Valley Sheriff’s Station (East Valley), the Main Jail, and the Todd Road Jail (Todd Road). The Ventura County Probation Department (Probation) is responsible for the Juvenile Justice Complex (JJC) and the Work Furlough/Work Release facility (Work Furlough).

Prior Grand Juries did CONTINUED »

Chronic Kidney Disease, which affects 31 million American adults, is the focus of a free seminar Community Memorial Health System is holding on Tuesday, June 19.

Aron Swerdlin, M.D., board-certified in nephrology and internal medicine, will lead the seminar that will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the eighth-floor Nichols Auditorium at CMH, located at 147 N. Brent St. in Ventura.

Chronic Kidney Disease is the progressive loss of kidney function over a period of months or years. Dr. Swerdlin will discuss the causes and diagnosis of CKD, those who are at greatest risk, complications associated with the disorder and forms of therapy available to reverse or slow its progression.

Dr. Swerdlin received CONTINUED »

Scott K. Rushing

SANTA PAULA, CA. – Santa Clara Valley Bank (SCVBank;OTCBB: SCVE.OB) today announced that Mr. Scott K. Rushing has been elected Chairman of the Board. Mr. Rushing replaces Mr. Ralph Rueda De Leon who has served as Chairman for the past three years. Mr. De Leon will continue to serve as a Director of the Bank. Additionally, Mr. Elias F. Valdes has been elected as Vice Chairman. In the spirit and tradition of community based organizations, the SCVBank Board has customarily rotated the leadership of the Board.

President and CEO Cheryl K. Knight commented, “Scott Rushing is well suited to lead SCVBank into the future.” Mr. Rushing was raised in Santa Paula. He attended local public schools and graduated from Santa Paula Union High School in 1971. In 1975 he graduated from the University of LaVerne with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. He owns Rushing Real Estate & Investment Company and has been a state licensed Broker since 1979 and a member of the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors. He is a Past President of the Santa Paula/Fillmore Board of Realtors and a long time member of the Santa Paula Rotary Club and is a Past-President. Additionally, Mr. Rushing is a founding director of Santa Clara Valley Bank.

Incoming Chairman Rushing CONTINUED »

Perkins Road Sign
Enlarge Photo

Coinciding with the 20th Anniversary of National Trails Day, Los Padres ForestWatch today released a report documenting the gradual loss of public access to several hiking trails leading into the Los Padres National Forest.

The report – titled Ten Lost Trails of the Los Padres – highlights ten trails across the Los Padres National Forest where historic public access has been restricted. Over time, as the forest’s neighboring land ownership changes, trailheads have been blocked off by gates and “no trespassing” signs, restricting the public’s access to public lands and funneling an increasing number of forest users onto a dwindling trail system.

These trails have been CONTINUED »