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A vinyl fence was vandalized over the holidays, on Burlington Street near Rio Grande. A lot of police calls go out in that area for Suspicious Subject/Circumstances along the riverbed. Maybe the city should invest in some cameras in the vicinity.
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For years I have heard “Oh, I will only go to Kim to get my nails done” and “Kim is the best”. Then I heard a new nail salon was going to open next to Heritage Valley Eye Care, across from Ronan Mills Bakery. I didn’t think much of it, even when I heard the famous Kim was opening it. Who was this Kim lady? Well, I found out. I was passing by and saw Central Nails was open, so I stopped in to see if I could get a pedicure. Little did I know it was her opening day and I had the pleasure of being her first customer! As soon as she was up for business her phone rang off the hook. The famous Kim had been found and it’s been a pleasure getting to know her. Kim Pham opened her doors May 26, 2023 to a stream of pleased customers. She has colors I have never seen before, a beautiful, immaculate shop, and is centrally located. I love that she lives right down the street from her shop and is building a business right here in Fillmore. I really think downtown is vital to its citizens and its citizens are vital to our local business community. I try to shop and stay local as much as I can, and Kim’s opening has helped me do that. Kim’s work is stellar—she can even do all the cute designs and color work that some people travel out of town for. I had not had my nails done in a long time but she converted me back to nails and regular manicures. Recently I ran into a friend who had an appointment and was so excited Kim was back in Fillmore. She has a wonderful staff, and I believe she still has a hiring sign on her door. Thank you, Kim, for bringing your services and smile to my neighborhood! Photo and article by Brandy Hollis.
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Pictured (l-r) is last week’s speaker, Fillmore Chief of Police Lalo Malagon, with Fillmore Rotary President Scott Beylik. His topic was crime in Fillmore. All crime is tracked, as well as response time, and crimes are reported to the FBI and to Fillmore City Council once a month. Also, all the Chiefs in the county meet once a month to discuss ongoing crimes. The city cannot afford to pay for full-time motorcycle officers, it does pay overtime for the Thousand Oaks Officers to work the 126 corridor. Chief Lalo stated that Fillmore is one of the safest cities in Ventura County. Photo credit Martha Richardson.
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On Monday, December 25, at 4:37pm, deputies were dispatched to the 800 block of Orchard Street in Piru for a subject disturbing and threatening to fight family members. The callers indicated the male suspect, identified as Christopher Perez (30 years) was possibly armed with a firearm. Upon arrival, deputies saw Perez leaving the area in a black Chevy Suburban. Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop and a short pursuit ensued. The pursuit ended when Perez crashed the Suburban into a fence in the 4000 block of Center Street. Perez was arrested for a variety of charges, including criminal threats stemming from the original disturbance call, as well as evading and driving under the influence of alcohol. Perez was booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility where he remains in custody. Photo courtesy Angel Esquivel-AE News.
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On Thursday, December 21, at 6:48 a.m., Ventura County Fire Department, AMR Paramedics, and California Highway Patrol were dispatched to a reported head-on collision westbound SR126 at Cavin Road, near Piru. Arriving firefighters found two vehicles involved, one on the center divider and the second on the right-hand shoulder hillside. Two patients were transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries to both patients. Westbound lanes were shut down for at least 45 minutes until the scene was cleared. Cause of the crash is under investigation. Photo credit Angel Esquivel-AE News.
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On Saturday, December 16, 2023, Papa Lupe’s Liquor & Market held a soft opening from 11a.m. to 3p.m. Friends and supporters came out to enjoy the food, music, free shirts, and sunshine as they checked out the newly remodeled market. Lupe’s is owned and operated by the Lupe Martinez family, Fillmore residents born and raised for four generations in Fillmore. The market is up and running, and a Grand Opening is to be held in early 2024 that will include Deli/Mexican Cuisine/BBQ, check cashing, Lottery and more.
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Fillmore’s muralist/artist Gab Cardenas created this mural on the east side of the Tipsy Fox Liquor building, 1149 Ventura Street, Fillmore. The inspiration for the mural, posted on Instagram, was “Farmworker love for the community that raised me”. A time-lapse video of the mural can be seen on Cardenas’s Instagram account, @GXBCXR. Photo credit Angel Esquivel-AE News.
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In our continued effort to prioritize mental health, the Fillmore Unified School District celebrated the Grand Opening of another Wellness Center at Mountain Vista Elementary before the winter break. Sylvia Gonzalez, who joined FUSD’s Wellness Team as a licensed social worker, will be at the wellness center providing support to students and families. Thank you, FUSD Governing Board, Ventura County Office of Education, Gold Coast Health Plan, and FUSD and Mountain Vista Elementary staff for your support! Courtesy https://www.blog.fillmoreusd.org/fillmore-unified-school-district-blog/2023/12/14/mountain-vista-wellness-center-grand-opening.
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Last week’s rain storm gave us some much needed rain, causing flooding in some parts of Fillmore. Pictured is a common flood area on A Street & Old Telegraph Road. Inset, sandbags were set at the corner of Central Avenue & Third Street to prepare for the storm. According to the VC Public Works Watershed, Fillmore & Piru received the following rainfall totals in the last 7 days: Fillmore Sanitation 1.51", Fillmore-Grand Ave 0.76", Fillmore – Sespe Westates 3.77", Fillmore Fish Hatchery 1.07" Topa Topa – Sespe 5.32", Piru 2.1" Piru Canyon 2.26", Lake Piru - Temescal 2.2". For recenet totals visit https://www.vcwatershed.net/fws/reports/rain-report.
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