I'm happy to report that the City of Fillmore is experiencing two areas of new, healthy growth. The KB Home construction company is finally pouring concrete at their new site, Central Avenue and River Street.

Rotorcraft, a helicopter repair company, relocated from Van Nuys Airport, and is the newest firm to locate at Fillmore's Business Park. The Guardian, a fire-fighting helicopter company, will be sharing Rotorcraft's 10-acre space. The two companies will employ about 80 employees, 58 for Rotorcraft and 16 for The Guardian. " Phil DiFiore, Rotorcraft’s president, said he expects his company to hire 10 or 15 people from Fillmore." (Ventura Star).

This is great news for our city; now, if Ventura County will finally equip and staff that $9-million firehouse, a stone's throw from Rotorcraft, Fillmore will really shine. The firehouse has been sitting idle for more than two years, about 95 percent complete. This deluxe structure has recently received its landscaping, trees, shrubs, and succulents. It has room for 9 firefighters and four engines, and has the latest equipment. All it needs now is a chief, firefighters, and those four promised engines. We sure could have used the station during the last devastating fire which destroyed so many thousands of homes!

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Pray for the Gulf region as "Up to 2 feet of rain [is expected] to deluge Gulf states as [hurricane] Barry brews offshore." Worries have already been expressed about the levees in New Orleans. Boy, did they ever build a city in the wrong place!

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I'm looking for a good person with a perfect driving record to deliver papers in Fillmore once a week for about an hour and a half. Call 805-524-2481.