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Story and Photos by Bob Crum

Fillmore hosted another grand July 4th birthday party... and everybody came! Throngs of people from everywhere filled Central Avenue from Santa Clara Street to First Street. Up one curb and down the other gorgeous cars and pickups lined the streets. Muscle cars... classic cars... rare vehicles... unusual vehicles... all of various colors. Red, however, was clearly the “in” color this year.

Chevys, Fords, Buicks, Cadillacs, Thunderbirds, a '55 Hudson, a Nash Metro with tear-drop trailer, even a 1930 Durant! Fabulous all. Arguably the most popular car was Mike DeVorak's '66 Mustang. Yes... the one with the indescribably 725hp motor. Awesome machine.

The day began with a fabulous breakfast of eggs, sausage, pancakes and orange juice served by the Future Farmer's of America (FFA) in the War Memorial building. Thereafter... as the sun rapidly rose ... the temperature rose equally fast. The mass of humanity... undeterred by the heat... swelled the streets such that walking was stop-and-go! Phonetographers were prolifically photoing with glee. Photographers with real cameras were also abundant. Were it still the day of film... one-day film processors would have experienced a bonanza.

The event was also well represented by vendors of various goods from jewelry to straw hats. On the street, food purveyors were briskly dispensing goodies of the delicious kind... including bold, mouth-watering chilly in the shade of the sycamores. 'Twas no surprise that the flavored shaved-ice stands were doing a robust business.

While men flirtatiously ogled the car of their dreams... the band at city hall played on... and on... filling the air with musical notes that tickled the fancy of every ear in hearing range. While the multitudes relished the musical tunes... happy feet danced to the booty-moving rhythm as if no one was watching... except a couple hundred people.

Then sundown. Upon darkness, people on the Fillmore & Western train parked adjacent to the middle school playground… and hundreds more that lined the surrounding streets... watched a fabulous fireworks show culminating in a grand finale of exploding rockets complete with kabooms so loud that canons would be envious.

Fun... excitement... what a day! Not to mention all the backyard gatherings of friends, neighbors and family for tantalizing barbeque, corn on the cob, chilled watermelon and of course… ice-cold brewskies.

Beyond the festivities, the date holds great historical significance. In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence.

Happy birthday America! Thanks for a great reason to celebrate!

CITY BUDGET
Fillmore City Council is working hard to get things back on track and provide the quality of service residents had come to expect in past years. At the July 9, 2013 meeting Financial Analyst Frank Catania presented the Council with the potential fiscal impact and recommended timing for implementation of the 16 budget-related suggestions that the Council reviewed back in April. The list of operational practice changes are in the areas of revenue management, expenditure management and budgeting. Catania informed the Council that some are administrative and have already been enacted. Other list items will be addressed once a new Finance Director is hired, and the new City Manager, David Wayne Rowlands, begins his position. Rowlands stated, “I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Suggestions listed include a review annually or bi-annually of updated fees charged and analyze all business agreements with both public and private lessees on use of City assets and participation. This is to assure that the City is being reimbursed at the proper rate. Also, guidelines regarding how and where revenue and expenses are budgeted and recorded to provide for consistent reporting of a period of years. In prior years some City accounts were not properly identified which created an accounting system with what could only be described as having "holes" and inaccuracies.

One suggestion, which Council Member Steve Conaway questioned as necessary, was hiring a consultant to update the City's Cost Allocation Plan to assure that the General Fund is being reimbursed the correct amount for services provided to other funds. Conaway suggested that is could be done by City staff when services are restored.

Council Member Diane McCall CONTINUED »

2nd Lieutenant Ashley N. Van Winkle

Fillmore resident and Saint Bonaventure High School 2003 graduate, Ashley N. (Bennett) Van Winkle, 27 years, received her United States Air Force Commission on March 26, 2013 as a Second Lieutenant. Ashley enlisted in the Air Force on January 8, 2013 for a six-year enlistment. Ashley attended Fillmore Unified Schools for her primary education; Sespe and San Cayetano Elementary Schools and Fillmore Middle School before entering Saint Bonaventure where she participated in Varsity Basketball, Softball, Swim Team and Soccer.

Ashley is the wife of Chad Van Winkle and the daughter of Paul Bennett (stepmother Stephanie) of Fillmore and Lynn Hernandez (stepfather Danny) of Camarillo. Her brothers are Paul Bennett Jr. 22, Fillmore, Austin Bennett 18, Fillmore and Joey Hernandez 12, of Camarillo. Ashley's sisters are Melissa Acosta 24, of Tahoe, California, Sierra Bennett 21, Fillmore and Alyah Hernandez 10 of Camarillo. Ashley’s Grandparents are Paul and Carol Conaway of Fillmore and Loy and Frankie Hibbard of Cleveland, Tennessee.

Ashley comes from a long line of family that have served in the military; Great-Grandfather Leonard Preciado served in the United States Navy during WWII, Grandfather Loy Hibbard served in the United States Marine Corps during WWII, Grandfather Paul Conaway served in the United States Army, Uncle, Major Jimmy Hibbard, served in the United States Air Force, Uncle Kenny Preciado, served in the United States Army during Vietnam and Father-In-Law Steve Van Winkle, served in the United States Army during Vietnam.

Second Lieutenant Ashley Van Winkle attended and completed her officer training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Officer Training School is a rigorous, nine-week program designed to challenge a candidate both mentally and physically. Its purpose is to develop a candidate into a world-class officer of character who possesses the American warrior ethos, embodies the Air Force Core Values and is prepared to lead Airmen. Upon graduation, a graduate is commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Second Lieutenant Van Winkle is currently stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Florida where she is participating in Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training with the 325th Fighter/337th Air Control Squadron. She has not yet been deployed but she has earned the National Defense Medal and the Air Force Training Medal.

What is an Air Battle Manager? An Air Battle Manager is a Commissioned United States Air Force Officer who must possess at the minimum a Bachelors Degree. Second Lieutenant Van Winkle is a 2008 graduate of California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. An Air Battle Manager job description is: “During lightning-fast air combat, every decision makes an impact. And the officers making all of those decisions — right down to choosing the right aircraft for the mission — are the Air Battle Managers (ABM). They use strategy, experience and an intimate knowledge of all aircraft, weapons and surveillance to ensure success. By controlling the battle space and establishing "big picture" situational awareness, ABMs plan and execute the entire theater air operation. Their expertise is also often called upon in an advisory role by other allied military forces.

All of us here in the communities of Fillmore, Piru and Camarillo are proud of United States Air Force Second Lieutenant Ashley N. (Bennett) Van Winkle for her service. We wish her a long and distinguished career and safe travel. We thank her and her family for the sacrifices they have already made and will make in the future. Second Lieutenant Van Winkle is one of our own and is truly an American Hero! All of us Thank You Second Lieutenant Van Winkle for your service!

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On 6-30-13, at about 3:00 P.M., the Ventura County Aviation Unit’s Rescue Helicopter (Air Squad 9) responded to a 911 call that originated from the Tar Creek Trail, which is located off Goodenough Road in the unincorporated area of Fillmore. The caller reported that his family was hiking from the Tar Creek swimming holes to the Squaw Flat parking lot, when his 17 year old daughter collapsed due to the heat.

The Ventura County Air Squad 9, Ventura County Fire Department (Engine 27), and personal from the Los Padres National Forest, all arrived on scene and started searching for the patient. The crew of Air Squad 9 quickly located the patient on the trail about two miles from the trailhead. The helicopter landed near the patient and the Flight Medic started treating her with advanced life support care.

While the personnel from Air Squad 9 were treating the first patient, a second group of hikers ran to the scene and reported that a second patient had collapsed due to the heat. The second patient was being assisted up the trail, but was still about one mile from the helicopter. Because the first patient needed immediate transport to the Ventura County Medical Center, Air Squad 9 was unable to stay on scene. Therefore a second Rescue Helicopter (Air Squad 7) was dispatch to the scene to treat the second patient.

While Air Squad 7 was enroute to CONTINUED »