As we prepare to celebrate the 233rd anniversary of the birth of our nation each American should revisit that magnificent document, the Declaration of Independence, that our Founding Fathers created to announce to King George III, to the people of the this great land, and to the entire world that the United States of America was a free and independent country. The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence clearly pronounced: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." The concept of "unalienable rights" is a philosophy that is uniquely American and is proof that the creators of the Declaration of Independence believed in God and believed in the rights bestowed on men by God. The Founding Fathers felt that those rights were so important that no government should deny them. CONTINUED »

Each year in the above charts refers to the test year. For example, standardized tests were taken in Spring 2008 (near the end of the 2007-2008 school year). Growth API scores (in bold) based on those tests were released in August 2008. The scores were adjusted by the California Dept. of Ed. to compensate for changes in the tests themselves and decisions made by the State Board of Ed, so that schools can be ranked. The adjusted scores are the Base API scores (underlined), and 2008’s Base API scores were released in May 2009. In May of 2007, the API Target for 2008 was set. API Scores range from 200 to 1000, and are based on a formula that weighs various standardized tests. The state goal is 800. The Public Schools Accountability Act urges each school to improve its performance each year by 5% of the difference between their Base API and 800, with a minimum target of increasing five points.
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In late May 2009, California Department of Education (CDE) released Base Academic Performance Index (API) scores developed primarily from scores on standardized tests taken in Spring 2008. Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) had received Growth API scores based on the same testing period in August 2008, and at a September School Board Meeting each principal presented his or her school’s Growth API score along with the school’s plans for improvement. The results from the Spring 2009 tests will not be available until August, so no one yet knows whether the interventions worked, but administrators hope that the Sespe and San Cayetano are recovering from last year’s dip in scores. (See chart.)

The API is a measurement developed by the California Department of Education to be the cornerstone of the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA), which created an educational accountability system for California public schools. The PSAA’s primary goal is to help schools improve and to measure the academic achievement of all students.

The API score is based on different standardized tests results depending upon which grade-levels the school has, and which factors the State Board of Education (SBE) has decided to include. According to the Education Data Partnership (EDP), the PSAA indicated that "Criteria other than test scores—such as school staff attendance and graduation rates—were supposed to be added. So far the state has only used test score results." The tests vary enough from year to year, that the formula for calculating Base API must be adjusted to compensate for changes in the tests and in what factors are included. For this reason, a Growth API is released in August, but the Base API, which allows schools to compare their scores to previous years’ scores and other schools’ scores, is not released until May. This is a significant lag time for school districts to operate under when trying to adjust programs to improve scores. CONTINUED »

BURGLARY VEHICLE
06/18/09
600 Block Fernglen Circle
06/21/09
600 Block Chaparral Street
SEARCH WARRANT
06/19/09
500 Block Kensington Drive
06/19/09
400 Block 2nd Street
06/19/09
800 Block A Street
06/22/09
300 Clay Street
06/23/09
100 Block Carriage Place
06/23/09
400 Block 4th Street CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

The Automobile Club of Southern California is offering its free Tipsy Tow service to drinking drivers during the 4th of July holiday for the 11th consecutive year. The service is available from 6 p.m. on Friday, July 3, to midnight on Saturday, July 4. Tipsy Tow is available in the 13 Southern California counties served by the Auto Club.

Motorists, bartenders, restaurant managers, party hosts or passengers of a drinking driver may call 1-800-400-4AAA for a free tow home of up to seven miles. Callers simply tell the Auto Club operators, “I need a Tipsy Tow,” to receive the free tow and ride home. A regular Auto Club-contracted roadside service truck will be dispatched.

Callers need to keep in mind that the service excludes rides for passengers, is restricted to a one-way, one-time ride for the driver and the destination is limited to the driver’s residence. Reservations are not accepted. Drivers can expect to pay the rate charged by the tow truck contractor for rides farther than seven miles. “Drivers should be aware of the high crash risk from drinking and driving associated with holidays and encourage them to think twice about getting behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking,” said the Auto Club’s senior researcher Steve Bloch. CONTINUED »

Dave Roegner, advocate for rent control within the El Dorado Mobile Home Park, addressed the council Tuesday night, regarding an initiative.
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The City Council met Tuesday, June 23rd at 6:30 p.m. The most controversial items under discussion were the "Fair Rent and Homeownership Initiative", possible uses of the former ice cream parlor, and Addendum #37 to the Water Recycling Project. Postal workers expressed concerns regarding a proposed consolidation of services.
The Council authorized the City Attorney to cooperate with the California League of Cities, and other cities and counties, to challenge any seizure by the State of California of the City's street maintenance funds. Fillmore will support litigation if necessary.

After much discussion, the Council ordered an Initiative report on the potential impacts of the "Fair Rent and Homeownership Initiative". The Initiative report will include in-house analysis of the Initiative's potential impact, and the Council authorized up to $8000 to be spent on a consultant to analyze the Initiative's financial impact on the City. Council Member Jamey Brooks had not wanted to spend that much, but City staff explained that financial impact would be complex, and they would be unable to provide an accurate detailed analysis of the financial impact. The Council voted unanimously for the report, but Jamey Brooks and Steve Conaway voted against allocating the $8000 and were outvoted. CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On Monday June 22, at 10:30 am, Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputies Cadman and Meixner made contact with the driver of a blue Nissan Path Finder in front of the 800 block of A Street. When Deputy Cadman asked the driver for his identification, the driver ran from the vehicle into a near-by residence. Deputies Cadman and Meixner chased the driver into the residence. While chasing the suspect, Deputies Cadman and Meixner contacted additional subjects that were involved in criminal conduct. Deputy Meixner detained the subjects while Deputy Cadman continued chasing the fleeing driver through the house and into the backyards of local residences.

Two of the subjects in the house displayed signs of being under the influence of acontrolled substance. Matthew Duenas, 21 and Brina Salas, 41, were both arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Salas also had three outstanding warrants for her arrest for prior drug related charges.

During the same time, additional deputies located and detained the fleeing driver, later identified as Marshall Perez, 32. Perez was under the influence of a controlled substance and had methamphetamine in his possession. Perez was arrested for 148(a)(1) PC/ Resist, obstruct or delay of a peace officer, 11377(a) H&S/ Possession of a controlled substance and 11550(a) H&S/ Under the influence of a controlled substance.

The three suspects were booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. The Ventura County Sheriff’s
Department and Fillmore Police Department wants to recognize all the local citizens who assisted in the search and arrest of these suspects. With partnership efforts like this, we will make the community a safer place to live and work.

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The Fourth of July is just around the corner. Here is a list of the booth locations: Chamber of Commerce, east of 1149 Ventura St.; Christian Praise Assembly, 955 W. Ventura St.; Fillmore Athletic Booster Club, 725 Ventura St.; Fillmore Future Farmers of America Booster Club, Lot #14 Telegraph Rd. (E. Hwy 126 & El Dorado); Fillmore High School Athletic Boosters, Ventura Street & A Street (Balden Town Plaza); Fillmore Historical Museum, 725 Ventura St. (Super A Foods Center; Fillmore Lions Club, 1462 W. Ventura St.; Fillmore Senior Center, 251 Telegraph Rd (vacant lot); Fillmore Women’s Service Club, 446 Ventura St. (Margaret’s Restaurant); Fillmore Youth Football, 460 Ventura St.; First Assembly of God Church, 251 Telegraph Rd.; Maranatha Fellowship, 131 E. Telegraph Rd.; Piru 4-H, 501 Central Ave. (NW Corner of Ventura & Central); Rotary Club of Fillmore Noontime, 613 W. Ventura St.; Rotary Club of Fillmore Sun Risers, 908 Ventura St. (McDonalds); Sespe 4-H, 1049 Ventura St.; St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1048 W. Ventura St.; VC Search & Rescue, NW corner of Los Serenos & Ventura St.; Veterans of Foreign Wars (Post 9637), 502 Ventura St.; Santa Clara Valley Grange, 251 Telegraph Rd.; Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society, SW corner Ventura St., & C Street; Fillmore Church of Christ, Balden Towne Plaza (VONS); Fillmore Girls Softball, 572 W Ventura St., (Balden Town Plaza-Burger King).
Have a Safe & Sane Fourth of July!