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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!!

Hannah Ellsberry, Camarillo
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Jorja Garcia, Oxnard
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2019 marked the 10thyear of the annual Ventura County Poster Contest for students in grades 5 through 12. Entries were submitted from every corner of the County. Each piece of art was a personal interpretation of the Fair that reflected the theme “A Country Fair with Ocean Air” as well as each artist’s vision of what the Fair means to them. All of the artwork will be on display in the Youth Expo at the Fair. Of the 58 unique entries the three top prize winners in the 10thannual VC Fair Poster Contest have been selected. These are their stories.

Daríanna Vásquez, Santa Paula
1stPrize

I am 18 years old. I go to Vista Real Charter School and I live in Santa Paula. My main hobby and passion is Art, I use primarily Color Pencil, Acrylic and Oil paint. I was fortunate enough to help paint the sets for my middle school's play, which helped me establish a desire for others to see my work and improve my skills.
In High school I took a full year of art, before going to independent study. In that time I found out about Vita Art Center in Ventura where I took their Teen Art Class for about two years. I'm planning to go to Ventura College and I hope to pursue a possible career in Graphic Design.
My parents have taken me to the Ventura County Fair since I was very little and we go almost every year. My favorite part has always been going to see the Art/ Photography Displays and seeing all of the different Animal Pens. To me the fair always marks the end of Summer, getting to celebrate my mother's birthday, and the beginning of the new school year. I enjoy being able to have a fun time with my family and seeing what my community has to offer. I will especially look forward to this year's Fair as it is the second year I have been able to display my art. Thank you for choosing my poster as the winner! I greatly appreciate this opportunity.

Hannah Ellsberry, Camarillo
2ndPrize

I am a 17 year-old Camarillo resident and a student of Gorman Learning Center, completing both 11th and 12th grade this year; I skipped a grade. My interests include drawing, sewing, playing video games, creating my own characters, writing stories, and spending time with my friends and family. My friends have been some of my biggest encouragements; sharing with me many tips and techniques to try out, or giving me new ideas and encouragement when I can't think of anything to draw. I personally don't think I would have continued in my art without them. I haven't decided fully what I want to do now but I think I might pursue becoming either a 3D animator or an illustrator.
Ever since I was little the fair has been one of my favorite annual traditions my family has. I especially enjoy going to visit all the animals and walking through the garden displays. I don't really have much interest in any of the games or rides besides the Ferris wheel. I find it to be an exhilarating experience to reach the top and be able to see the mountains and the ocean in one clear view. Other things I really enjoy about the fair would be the horticulture and agriculture displays, and wandering through the pavilions admiring all the products and services available. I lastly enjoy going into the art pavilion and just taking time to look at each piece on display and analyzing all the small details, appreciating the amount of time and effort each artist put into their displayed piece. I am definitely looking forward to see all that this year's fair has to offer!

Jorja Garcia, Oxnard
3rdPrize

I am a 14 year old living in Oxnard, CA and I attend Hueneme High School finishing up my freshman year. I am a straight A honors student who is also in recovery from a knee surgery I had in February due to a basketball injury. Currently I have been focusing on my drawing and painting skills in a Visual Arts class at school after being a self taught artist until now, and I have been making art since I was about 3 years old. Last year, I had sold over $2,000 worth of my artwork for an academic summit at Harvard University and in 2017 won 3rd place in this same poster contest for the Ventura County Fair. In the future, I hope to attend a 4-year university on the East Coast or here in California studying topics like biology or mathematics while also furthering my skills in visual/fine arts.
I had entered this poster contest because of my outstanding love for the Ventura County Fair. Since I was born, every summer for my birthday my family has brought me here as a tradition to celebrate and have fun. Growing up with the fair I have enjoyed heart racing rock concerts, amazing food like funnel cakes and kettle corn, to adrenaline rushes from carnival rides. I love the traditions always being made and the ones I have passed on to younger cousins and friends here. The fair means family fun to me allowing new memories to be made annually. The Ventura County Fair has never disappointed me and continues to excite me every year.

The Ventura County Garden Club has elected a new slate of officers for their 2019 - 2020 meeting year. The new officers were welcomed at an installation luncheon held at the Saticoy Country Club in Somis, on Wednesday, June 5th (2019). They are:

President ------------------- Carol Beckerdite
Vice-President ------------ Christine Gallagher
Secretary ------------------- Jacqualin Starr
Treasurer ------------------ Carolyn Tulberg
Fillmore Director -------- Ari Larson
Santa Paula Director --- Louise Oseguera
Ventura Area Director -- Jenny Kinney

The outgoing Vice-President, Marlene Wait, was presented with an appreciation gift for serving the past year on the Board.

During the luncheon, the Club also celebrated one of its long-time members, Geneva Montes, on the occasion of her 98th birthday.

The Club will not be meeting during July and August. If you have any questions you may contact Jacqualin at starrjacqualin@yahoo.com or (805) 816-6019. Have a beautiful summer!

Christie Wilson, 38, Santa Paula.

A vehicle pursuit that occurred in Santa Paula and Fillmore on Thursday, May 30th, led to the arrest of a Santa Paula woman for felony reckless evading, grand theft of a vehicle, and felony warrant.

On May 30th at approximately 1:05 p.m., a Ventura County Sheriff’s deputy observed a vehicle driving recklessly westbound on Telegraph Road and Wells Road and attempted to stop the vehicle, but was unable to catch up to it. Deputies from the Fillmore station responded, located the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the driver failed to yield to the deputies and a pursuit ensued. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle had been identified as Christie Wilson. As Fillmore deputies pursued Wilson, they learned she had been involved in an earlier pursuit with Santa Paula Police Department and had an outstanding felony warrant. The Sheriff’s Aviation Unit responded to assist with the pursuit. Due to excessive speeds and reckless driving by Wilson, the pursuit was terminated. A short time later, Wilson’s vehicle was located abandoned at a ranch home on South Mountain Road in Fillmore. Deputies, along with a Sheriff’s K-9, canvassed the area for Wilson and learned a ranch truck had been stolen from a nearby worker. Wilson had not been located and was believed to have fled the area in the stolen ranch truck.

On May 31st, patrol deputies and detectives from the Santa Paula Police Department and Fillmore Police Department responded to Wilson’s residence in Santa Paula. Wilson was located hiding inside and was arrested, but the ranch truck she was believed to have stolen has not been located.

Wilson was booked at the Main Jail for VC 10851(a) / Unlawful Taking of a Vehicle, two counts of PC 2800.2(a) / Felony Evading, and an outstanding felony warrant with her bail set at $270,000.

Anyone with information regarding the stolen ranch truck is encouraged to contact Detective Shawn Pewsey at (805) 947-9128. The truck is a gray colored, four-door GMC Sierra pickup truck with a license plate number of 8G70873/CA.

Nature of Incident: Vehicle Pursuit and Stolen Vehicle
Report Number: RB# 19-83223
Location: City of Santa Paula and Unincorporated area of Fillmore
Date & Time: 05/30/19 @ 9:45 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore and Santa Paula Patrol Services and Detectives
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S) Christie Wilson, 38, Santa Paula
Prepared by: Detective Shawn Pewsey
Approved by: Captain Eric Tennessen

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Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Rocks, fossils, oil seeps, and earthquakes, oh my! Come join us at the California Oil Museum to discover the wonders of our earth and participate in first-hand demonstrations. This summer, the museum will be hosting a series of science-centered workshops, available for Grades K – 8.

Through fun and engaging workshops, students will discover fascinating information, and apply their findings through analysis and creative expression. Workshops will include a brief educational lecture, hands-on activity, art project and snack. Each class will revolve around a different topic, including The Wonderful World of Rocks and Minerals, From Soils to Sands, Fossils through Geological Time, Natural Oil Seeps and Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics.

The Summer Science Workshops will take place in the Education Lab, located in the Gallery Room of the California Oil Museum. Each Wednesday during the month of July, workshops will take place from 10am to 12pm. The cost of each class is $15 per student for nonmembers and $10 per student for members. Space is limited, so be sure to visit our website www.caoilmuseum.org to register!

The California Oil Museum is located at 1001 E. Main Street in Santa Paula, CA. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm. For more information regarding our education programs, find us at www.caoilmuseum.org or call 805-933-0076.

For questions about the workshops, please contact the Museum Educator at educator@caoilmuseum.org.

In observance of the Independence Day holiday, the employees of Santa Clara Valley Disposal will be taking the day off on Thursday, July 4, affecting their pickup schedule. As a result, Fillmore residential customers will have their trash, recyclables and green waste collected one day later that week, on Saturday, July 6.

The regular Friday pickup schedule will resume on July 12.

For more information, call 805-647-1414.