Rev. Ernest D. Miller

The WW II era Navy Chaplain's Gear Case of the Rev. Ernest D. Miller, former pastor of the Fillmore United Methodist and Fillmore Community Churches, has been donated to the Smithsonian Institute, in Washington, D.C.
The Chaplain's Gear Case and military artifacts were of interest to the Smithsonian Institute for their historical value to the Division of Military History and Diplomacy, at the National Museum of American History. The items were presented to Smithsonian Associate Curator, Kathy Golden, in Washington D.C., on July 21, 2008, by Rev. Miller's son, Dan Miller.
After graduating from Andover Newton Theological School, in 1942, Rev. Miller joined the Navy, in June of 1943, and served as a Lt. in the Chaplain's Corp. He ministered to both marines and sailors. He served at sea and on land in the Philippines and New Hebrides, in the S. Pacific Theater of Operations campaigns, during WW II. He also served at Quantico, Virginia, as well as Camp Pendleton and El Toro Marine Bases, in S. California. Chaplain Miller was assigned to the USS Oakland, serving in China, after the war. In 1948 he returned to civilian life and served as a pastor with the United Methodist Church; S. California Conference. He died, in Fillmore, in 1982 while pastor of the Fillmore Community Church.
Rev. Miller's, widow, Ruth E. Miller, a retired Fillmore High School teacher, resides in Fillmore.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On August 25, 2008, at approximately 0815 hours, deputies from the Santa Clara Valley Station in Fillmore and a Sheriff’s Department helicopter responded to the Sespe Creek area north of Grand Avenue in Fillmore, reference three overdue hikers. One hiker was immediately located by deputies at the north end of Grand Avenue and within minutes the two remaining hikers were located by the helicopter crew as they were hiking out of the Sespe Creek.
All parties were reunited with no one sustaining any injuries.

Location: Lake Piru
Date & Time: August 25, 2008 @ 5:45 P.M.
Unit Responsible: West County Police Services – Fillmore / Santa Clara Valley Station.

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (W)itnesses, City of residence, Age
(V-1) Adult Male, Los Angeles, Ca., 39 yrs.

On August 25, 2008, at approximately 5:45 pm, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department deputies assigned to the Fillmore / Santa Clara Valley Station responded to Lake Piru after receiving a call that two people were possibly missing at the lake.

When deputies arrived it was determined that the victim, a 39 year old Los Angeles resident, had possibly drowned after rescuing his five-year-old daughter who had fallen over board during a daytime outing on the lake.
A Ventura County Sheriff’s Department helicopter with a rescue swimmer on board was in the area and immediately began search operations. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Dive Team was also deployed. Search operations continued well into the night with negative results. Search operations are to continue at daybreak on Tuesday.

We all know it takes money, lots of it these days, to run a country, a state, a business, a household, or a city, even one as small as Fillmore is. On a personal level, most of us understand that the only way to successfully survive and grow within one’s financial means, is to set a realistic budget and stick to it. A budget is a two-pronged battle that includes setting strict guidelines that accurately address anticipated income versus necessary obligations, and having the fortitude to live by them without dipping into savings.

City officials, like the head of a family, are the custodians of the wealth and health of their community. They make decisions that can affect thousands of lives for decades to come. One of their most important duties is to create a workable annual budget that accurately reflects available funds gathered from a great number of sources, and administer it wisely, very wisely! This is not an easy task, especially considering the numerous interests and influences involved. CONTINUED »

Al Huerta spoke at last night’s school board meeting, in favor of public use of the new track and field.

Pictured above (l-r) Eagle Scouts Brian Mckeown, Daniel Landeros, Michael and David Watson. The boys received “Be the Change” honors for their campus improvements throughout the school district.
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Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) School Board held the open session of its regular meeting August 19, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room at the District Office. The Board implemented a new Public Use of Facilities Policy, approved a consulting contract to improve student achievement at Fillmore Middle School (FMS), and honored four local Eagle Scouts.

In keeping with this year's theme, "Be the Change," the Board honored four Eagle Scouts: Brian McKeown, Michael Watson, David Watson, and Daniel Landeros. The Scouts had improved the signs at the high school farm, the batting cage at the high school, and the landscaping at the high school and San Cayetano. Principal Jan Marholin of San Cayetano also thanked Brain McKeown and Troupe 406 specifically for their work on the landscaping in front of the school.

Also, several members of the public were present to argue that the public should be allowed to use the new FHS track. Several speakers mentioned the need for not only a flat surface, but a surface with measured distances. Reducing knee injuries was also a popular theme.

Everyone agreed that the track had been used by the community in the past, everyone agreed that the community would like to continue using the track, and most of the speakers were hoping for a compromise that would allow public access to the track without significantly increasing the risk of damages.

There was some debate about whether earlier campaigns had assured the public that the track would be for public use. City councilmember Scott Lee explained that people confused the pool initiative with the stadium improvements because the money that the city paid for the pool land was used to partially fund stadium improvements. In the end, it was determined that the decision to improve the track was not finalized until long after the bond and parcel tax had been approved, and that only a small portion of funding for the track came from funds related to Measure E and the pool maintenance parcel tax. CONTINUED »

Suspect-1: Hispanic male in his early to mid-twenties, 5'6" - 5"7", medium build, short thick black hair (Surveillance photo).
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Suspect-1: Hispanic male in his early to mid-twenties, 5'6" - 5"7", medium build, short thick black hair (Surveillance photo).
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Suspect-1: Hispanic male in his early to mid-twenties, 5'6" - 5"7", medium build, short thick black hair (Surveillance photo).
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The Fillmore Police Department is seeking help from the public in the identification of two robbery suspects. Attached are surveillance photos taken inside the business of suspect-1.

Suspect-1: Hispanic male in his early to mid-twenties, 5'6" - 5"7", medium build, short thick black hair ( Surveillance photo ).
Suspect-2: Hispanic male in his early to mid-twenties, medium build, short
black hair

On Wednesday, July 16,2008 at about 8:50 P.M., a male suspect-1 entered Victor's Market located at 365 Main St. in the city of Fillmore. The suspect-1 grabbed two cases of beer and ran out of the store without paying for them. The store clerk followed the suspect-1 in his effort to stop the theft. The suspect-1 turned and punched the clerk on the face, then pulled out a knife and brandished it at the clerk. As this was taking place, a second suspect-2 walked toward the clerk and yelled obscenities at him aiding suspect-1 in his getaway with the beer. Both suspect s are believed to have driven away in a small black car. The clerk suffered minor injury that did not require medical attention.

The Ventura Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest and criminal complaint against the suspects responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Fillmore Crime Stoppers at (805) 524-0970.

Auction Volunteer Sol Chooljian.
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It's official. Fillmore 4-H and FFA triumph! After months of work... feeding, walking and bathing their animals, cleaning pens, attending animal science classes and record keeping to log expenses... eight exuberant Fillmore 4-H and FFA youngsters were rewarded with championship ribbons. In a word, sweet.
In no particular order, Sespe 4-H Alani Barajas' goat won 4-H Reserve Champion and Bred and Fed Championship. In the market steer category, Fillmore FFA (Future Farmers of America) Aaron Largen's steer won Grand Champion Market Steer and FFA Daniel Landeros' steer won FFA Reserve Champion. In the replacement heifer category, Sespe 4-H Macie Wokal's replacement heifer won Reserve Grand Champion, Fillmore FFA Amber Davis' heifer won FFA Reserve Champion, and Sespe 4-H Brittany Chumley's heifer won the Bred & Fed Championship. In the market swine category, Sespe 4-H Chase Bowen's pig won Grand Champion and Fillmore FFA Keyanna Lucio's pig won FFA Champion.
The goal of all the time and effort spent raising a quality animal was to obtain the highest bid possible at the Junior Livestock Auction held in the Clark Pavilion at the Ventura County Fair August 8.
First up: market pen turkey. When the hootin' and hollerin' was over, and auctioneer Jon Dolieslager yelled 'sold!', the Grand Champion turkey fetched $1,000. Not to be outdone, a trio of Grand Champion Meat Pen chickens sold for... ahem... $2,100; $700 per bird. Would the rest of the days bidding be as generous?
According to Junior Livestock Superintendent Jennifer McGuire, last year's total auction sales were just a little over $700,000. “This year,” she added, “we expect to top $800,000 in total auction sales.
Alani Barajas' 4-H Reserve Champion/Bred & Fed Champion Goat weighed 103 pounds and the winning bid was $4.00 per pound.
Last year, the goat Alani was raising died unexpectedly just three weeks before the Fair. This year her goat entry rewarded her with two ribbons. The Bred and Fed class meaning an animal bred in Ventura County. Her goat is from her own brood stock... her herd consisting of 12 goats.
Asked about raising goats, Alani... in her usual low-key manner... casually said, “It's usually the same thing every year. It gets difficult sometimes... they get stubborn and don't like to be shaved... but this year was not any harder than it usually is. Next year? “Another goat,” Alani said. Why not replacement heifer? Alani prefers raising smaller, gentler animals.
Next year is her last entering a goat in the Fair. All of her accumulated auction proceeds are in a college fund. Not sure of her major yet but she enjoys chemistry, biology, math.... the sciences. If Alani has her way... UCLA is in her future.
Next in the auction ring from Fillmore... Aaron Largen whose 1,366 pound Grand Champion steer fetched $10.00 a pound.
Aaron's face lit up when asked how he felt in the auction ring. “I was excited,” Aaron said, “because I wasn't expecting that much money. I was expecting only $5 or maybe $6/pound.”
At $10/pound, the winning bidder paid $13,660 for Aaron's steer. Whoa. That's not all profit. There are hefty expenses raising a 1,366 pound animal. Lots and lots of Showstrain grains and beet pulp just to mention a couple. The beet pulp was added to his steer's diet when it began to gain too much weight.
As for the 'net' proceeds, “I'm going to buy my first truck,” Aaron said with a huge grin.
The four previous years, Aaron raised pigs for show and auction. This was his first steer, obtained from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia. “I enjoyed raising the steer,” said Aaron, “because I got to spend more time with him. I go to the farm (FFA school farm) everyday for four hours and sometimes go twice a day. I washed him every day, walked him, cleaned the pen, and all that. But taking care of a steer is a lot more rewarding.” Yes, Aaron will be raising another steer for next year's auction.
Danial Landeros is no stranger to the auction ring or championship row. Two years ago his steer won Grand Champion and last year Reserve Grand Champion. This year, his championship steer brought him, like Largen, $10 per pound.
“I was really surprised,” exclaimed Landeros. With his buddy Aaron's Grand Champion getting $10/pound, Daniel was expecting to get only about $7, maybe $8. “Getting $10/pound is really good,” said Daniel, considering that when he went back in to watch the following bidding on steers averaged only about $3/pound.
To explain the $10/pound, Daniel said, “He's just a better looking cow.” However, there's more to the story than his cow being a better looking hunk. Daniel knew in advance that a buyer for his steer was in the audience. However, to the surprise of everyone, another bidder also wanted Daniel's steer. Engaged in an intense bidding battle, the buyer Daniel knew had to bid up to $10 to win. Such is life at the Junior Livestock auction.
With a three-year winning streak under his belt, Daniel all but officially announced his junior livestock retirement to turn his attention to full time studies at the College of the Canyons where he intends to obtain an AA degree and certification in welding. Thereafter attend Santa Barbara Community College to master underwater welding. Daniel happily attributes his interest in underwater welding to Joe Ricards, Fillmore's FFA instructor and dive master.
In the replacement heifer category, Fillmore youngsters ruled with three championships.
The winning bid for Macie Wokal's Reserve Grand Champion heifer was $2,100.
This was Macie's second replacement heifer and said that it was the nicest. Nevertheless, as Macie explained, “it took a lot of effort and responsibility, and time... 2-3 hours a day... every day.” Obviously all this effort, and responsibility is enough to dissuade Macie from undertaking the task again next year. Wrong. She's planning on doing it all over again. Which leaves one to conclude that “gratification” of accomplishment trumps all the work and time it takes to raise a farm animal. Yes... these youngsters wear pride very well.
It took $2,000 to win Amber Davis' 1,035 pound replacement heifer.
Amber obtained her prize-winning heifer while attending College of the Sequoias, Visalia, CA, and brought it back to Fillmore. Explained Amber, “I took her to several shows around the county and did really, really well with her winning a few (belt) buckles and some money.”
Regarding her experience raising the heifer, Amber said “she's a sweetheart... such an angel. And she's pretty spoiled. She had fans, and misters (for cooling), rinsed her twice a day, took her out and worked her (walks).”
Typically, Amber catered to her heifer 2-3 hours a day... 7 days a week. “Once in a while I'd have my parents feed her but those times were few and far between,”said Amber. “Not that they minded but I didn't want to pass off my responsibility.” Besides, added Amber, “I wanted it done my way.” So, your particular about what and how much she got fed , I asked? “Well, I didn't want anybody to have the headache of mixing her feed because I had certain feeds I was mixing,” said Amber. Asked how much her heifer eats a day Amber's quick reply: “a bunch!” How much is a bunch? Sixteen pounds of grain, some beet pulp and hay declared Amber. Ha! So much for just plopping down a bale of hay and going home.
While a small segment of society looks upon raising animals for table fare with disdain, Amber is a great example of how her experiences are prompting her to pursue the respectable, honorable profession of agriculture teacher. A career she eagerly looks forward to. And considering her robust personality, dedication and intellect there's no doubt that Amber will become an outstanding ag teacher.
For next year? “I'm thinking about raising a steer.” If she does... I think the only thing
Amber hasn't yet raised and entered for auction is market chickens.
Brittany Chumley's Bred & Fed Champion replacement heifer weighed in at 1,107 pounds and fetched $1,900 at the auction.
As Brittany explains, “I got her last November so it's been a long project. It's been a lot of fun walking her. Feeding her everyday was a lot of money but still, it's a very great experience and I recommend it for anybody.” Asked about a typical day attending to her heifer, Brittany replied, “I'm gone about 6 in the morning and return home about 9:30 AM.” Besides the usual 16 pounds of grain every day, Brittany adds some Bermuda hay.
Hmmm... I wonder if that's like adding dessert to the main course?
Excited about her first Bred & Fed win this year... Brittany is already planning on raising another replacement heifer next year. In the meantime, she is suffering a missing toenail.
What happened? “My heifer stepped on my foot,” Brittany said with a giggle. Perhaps silly questions are best not asked.
Brittany was lucky loosing only a toenail. Susana Lamb, Camarillo, was not so lucky. Her 1,322 pound steer stepped on her foot breaking her leg (tibia & other bones) requiring surgery and a metal plate. Her steer's name? Bone Crusher. Destiny in a name?
The winning bid for Chase Bowen's 268 pound Grand Champion Market Swine was $16 per pound.
At the young age of 11, Chase is already an accomplished pig farmer... being this was his fifth pig entered at the County Fair. As for the experience, Chase stated that it was an easy and fun pig to raise. Did the pig get Wheaties... the breakfast of Champions for breakfast? “Actually no he didn't,” replied Chase with a grin, “he got special feed called Sunglo. Considering that his pig won Grand Champion... Sunglo must be great stuff.
And the auction money... I asked? “Half goes into my college fund,” Chase said, “the rest is to buy another pig (next year).” Why raise another pig? “It's fun,” he said. I left Chase as he basked in the accomplishment of having raised a Grand Champion.
Samara Acosta received $12/pound for her 136 pound Reserve Grand Champion Market pig. Winning Reserve Grand Champion with her first pig entered at the County Fair is a great accomplishment. Though she didn't say... I suspect that she fed her pig Wheaties for sure. What did Samara do special that produced her award winning pig? “I worked hard,” she said. Adding... “I cleaned him, I fed him, I bathed him, I walked him around... everything.”
OK... so what did Samara feed her pig? Mooman's #237. And the plans for the money? “Some I'm going to save and the rest to buy school clothes,” explained Samara.
From her experience, Samara said, “raising the pig was a lot of work... a lot of responsibility... like having a kid.” Why undertake raising a pig. “I thought it'd be a good experience for me,” said Samara. Did you know what you'd be getting into when you decided to raise a pig?, I asked. “No,” was her immediate reply. Perhaps sometimes not knowing is better.
Last in the swine category, Keyanna Lucio's 111 pound pig was bought for $8.00 a pound.
Raising a champion pig can be trying at times. Besides being pigheaded... oops... ummm... stubborn... Keyanna said that “she loved to dig holes and it's really hard to fill them back up. And some days she'd dig holes faster than I could fill them back in” added an exasperated Keyanna. When asked why pigs like to dig she promptly said, “looking for bugs.” Then quickly adding... “just kidding!” I wonder why I still ask “why” questions. Besides her pig's obsession to dig... the silly swine loved to blow bubbles in her bath water. Furthermore, Keyanna had a tempermental pig on her hands. But not when it came to chow time. Miss piggy's diet? A bunch of Moorman's Showtec #237 feed. And if needed for weight control... toss in some beet pulp. Yummy.
Will Keyanna do it again next year? “Yes,” she said, “because it's fun... and all worth it.
The 4-H and FFA provide the youngsters numerous benefits and one that comes through clearly from talking with them at the Fair is their acquired 'work ethic'. An invaluable trait that will undoubtedly serve them well as they venture forth into the workplace. Kudos to all the parents who support their children's endeavors with immeasurable compassion and also have to rise with the sun... everyday... to get their children to the 'pens' so they can execute their daily chores. To all the 4-H leaders... congratulations for an exceptional job teaching and guiding. Accolades to Joe Ricards, Fillmore FFA teacher extraordinaire and to Junior Livestock Superintendent Jennifer McGuire for an outstanding performance.
To all the 4-H and FFA young persons who raised a farm animal for show and auction, a hearty congratulations from the Fillmore Gazette staff. To those who were honored with championship ribbons, a special round of applause for a superlative performance.

Fillmore resident and former Mayor Gary Creagle protested loudly concerning the several unfunded state mandates at Thursday’s special city council meeting. If all the new state requirements, including the water treatment plant, possible chloride control plant, new flood control demand threats, and new surface water treatment requirements are all implemented, the City of Fillmore could find itself wiped-out financially.

Fillmore City Council held a special meeting on August 7th to review the North Fillmore Initiative Impact Report. The Council also conducted some other business.
The Council had ordered an Impact Report when it voted to put the initiative on the November 4, 2008 ballot. The Council requested the report to provide accurate information to the public about the consequences of voting yes on the initiative. The full analysis will not be ready until August 26, 2008, but Andrew Belknap, Regional Vice President of Management Partners, Inc., provided a summary presentation for discussion purposes. Belknap's summary letter to City Manager Tom Ristau was included as part of the Council meeting packet.
The analysis indicates the initiative is inconsistent with the city's plans for development and infrastructure. If the initiative passes, then the city's plans can be changed, but not without some negative consequences for the city as a whole and the North Fillmore area.
The land in question is approximately ten percent of Fillmore's acreage, and is mostly vacant. The initiative calls for a maximum of 350 units on that land instead of a maximum of 700 or 894. It would also reduce the potential density of development: instead of five to twenty units per acre, development would be limited to a range of one to five units per acre. The most significant change would be a drop in the number of affordable housing units in the area: from 105 to 53. State authorities have approved Fillmore's development plans with provision for 105 affordable housing units. If the initiative passes, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) will almost certainly require the building of 52 affordable housing units in other parts of town to compensate for the difference. Belknap wrote, "[I]t is going to be difficult for the City to comply with the state's requirements for affordable housing if this initiative is approved, which could put the City at risk legally and financially."
There would be less of a traffic increase with 350 new units instead of 700 new units, but the smaller increase in traffic would fail to meet the threshold required for road improvements to be affordable. Utility fees, water fees, sewer fees, and storm drain costs would be higher because the base costs would be divided among fewer residents.
Restricting development to 350 units might prevent development by making development economically unfeasible for developers. Belknap wrote, "Infrastructure costs may make development at levels allowed by the Initiative prohibitively expensive." If the initiative passes, it is uncertain whether anything would be built on the land in question. If less than 320 units are built, the imbalance between City-provided services and taxes will cause the City to lose money. The City could lose $106,000 to $146,000 per year. If the land were developed at previously planned levels, the City could see major increases in tax revenues: possibly one to two million dollars annually.
The initiative would not significantly impact Fillmore's school system.
Some proponents of the initiative were present to argue that Fillmore citizens approve of the initiative, and that the benefits outweigh the costs. Two of them stated that people do not want dense development, particularly in that area. Smith suggested that the Impact Report is based on uncertainties and might be unreliable. The third speaker talked about over-crowded units, people living in garages, and the lack of street packing. He implied that the state has overestimated the number of affordable housing units needed in Fillmore, and that development planners should consider person-density instead of unit-density. He spoke passionately about fighting the state on affordable housing. He also suggested that the Impact Report might not be trustworthy.
The Council adopted an official weapons policy. The policy will not be part of the employee handbook, but will be circulated among city employees for signatures.
The Council voted to remain neutral on the proposed conversion of the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility into a Medical and Mental Health Facility for 1,500 adult male prisoners. Assemblywoman Audra Strickland had written a letter of opposition to the proposed conversion and sent a copy to the Council members encouraging them to follow suit. Scott Lee seems to be in favor of the proposed conversion, and Patti Walker is opposed. She voted against the Council remaining neutral as a whole. City Attorney Ted Schneider is looking into whether is would be legal and ethical for individual Council members to write letters indicating their personal positions as Council members.
The Council voted to approve the release of construction bonds on the Griffin Housing Tracts. The bonds were no longer needed to ensure completion of the work.
Public Works Director Bert Rapp reported that only one bid had been received on the Effluent Disposal and Re-use for Fillmore Middle School and Railroad Right of Way Project. He requested that the Council reject the bid, because it is over-budget by almost two million dollars. After discussion, the Council agreed to reject that bid and make modifications in the re-advertisement for bids. The modifications and re-advertisement will cost $23,000.
The Council authorized the City Manager to enter into a Remedial Grading agreement to facilitate construction on the Water Recycling Plant.
At a previous City Council meeting, Marcos Hernandez had alleged that a firefighter had harassed and intimidated people. At the August 7th meeting, the Council reported that Sergeant Wareham, of the Fillmore branch of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, had overseen an investigation into the allegations. Of the people supposedly harassed, only one came forward. The firefighter apologized to that person for the inference of intimidation and that person accepted his apology. Wareham exhausted all available leads, and was unable to find any other person who claimed to have been harassed or intimidated.
Marcos Hernandez requested that the Council pursue his allegations further. The Council appropriately refused to comment on any personnel issues, but eventually agreed to place the matter on the executive agenda. Even after an executive session on the matter, Council members would be legally prohibited from commenting.
City Staff were praised for convincing the Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) to approve the annexation of 41 acres for the development of a business park. Patti Walker, Laurie Hernandez, and Cecilia Cuevas were praised for their persuasiveness. Roy Payne, Bill Bartels, and Supervisor Kathy Long were also praised for their help with the annexation, as was City Attorney Ted Schneider. The final public hearing for protest proceedings is scheduled for August 19, 2008. If there continues to be no public opposition, LAFCO will finalize the annexation after that hearing.
Mayor Steve Conaway and Mayor Pro-Tem Cecilia Cuevas will report on their lobbying trip to Washington D.C. at the August 26th City Council Meeting.
Upcoming special events mentioned: Downtown Merchants Meeting 8/14/08, 5:30 p.m. at City Hall; Relay for Life 9/13/08 and 9/14/08 at FHS Baseball Field; International Day of Peace 9/21/08; Citywide Clean Up Day 9/27/08, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at City Hall Lot; and Household Hazardous Waste Day 10/4/08, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m at Public Works Lot by appointment only.

Crime is everywhere, even in Fillmore! What are its causes and effects on our city and what measures are taken to combat criminal trends and behaviors? According to Fillmore’s new Chief of Police, Captain Tim Hagel, and statistics gathered by the Department of Justice, crime varies from year to year, community to community and from neighborhood to neighborhood. Even the frequency of specific criminal activities changes from season to season and is weather related. It is a fact that social issues, suicide and domestic violence peak during the winter holidays while home and vehicle burglaries rise in the summer. Crucial components to combating crime and preventing criminal activities even before they happen include; early recognition of current trends in the local area, superior officer training, teamwork, accessibility, dialogue and a solid relationship with the community.

Crime in Fillmore, as in most communities across our nation includes; gang and tagging (the gateway to gang membership) activities, drug use, production and dealing (crystal methamphetamines and cocaine, a serious problem everywhere), domestic violence, homicide, burglary (breaking in), theft (vehicle and property), extortion, robbery (by force), rape, assault, driving under the influence and traffic violations. The difference between Fillmore and uncountable cities large and small across this land is the effectiveness of our police force, in part due to its rapid ability to shift focus, as reflected in the large decrease in crimes committed in our city over the past years. During the period of April through June of 2008, a decrease across the board of 30% is noted compared to the same period in 2007. Although robbery remains steady, this number includes a 9% reduction in burglaries, a 30% reduction in assaults, and a total 43% reduction in violent crimes over the same period last year.

Chief Hagel attributes these statistics to the past efforts of former Chief Macedo and his staff, as well as the present ongoing 24/7 efforts of his team. Captain Hagel, a Ventura County native, father, husband and ranch owner (he grows tangerines and avocados), oversees a force that includes a total of twenty-seven officers. A standard day shift includes, four patrol officers, one patrol sergeant, three detectives, two gang officers, one very aggressive motorcycle officer (known as Stinger Bee), and one school patrol officer who shares his time between the high school and the middle school.

The violence at Columbine High School in 1999 brought home the need for improved school security measures and new methods of dealing with our students in an age of cell phones, blackberries, instant text messaging, video phones, internet access and blogs. With the installation of the school patrol officer (funded this coming school year through the City’s reserves and the FUSD), there is zero tolerance for gang and drug related activities and probation violators are incarcerated immediately. Unfortunately, this officer makes more arrests and citations during a regular shift than an average police officer. In an effort to improve the situation, regular meetings are attended by school counselors, school principals, the school patrol officer and Captain Hagel. These measures have diminished gang and tagging activity as a whole, along with the work at the North Fillmore Police Station storefront staffed by retired Fillmore Police Officer Max Pina, and counselor Selina Escalo. They interface and provide free counseling to gang members and their families.

Nevertheless, Chief Hagel admits that without the support, cooperation and vigilance of the community at large, our city would not be the relatively safe and charming place it is today, in many ways, a mid-twentieth century town in a twenty-first century world. Budget cuts due to an ailing economy might in time force changes in the Department; yet Chief Hagel advises that our first line of defense against crime is secure for at least this fiscal year (July 1, 2008-June 30,2009) adding, “Fillmore is not a good place to live, it’s great place to live.”