For several years Bob Hammond pondered what might be done with the wind machine standing in his orange orchard. Power to the motor had been disconnected and the prop spun freely in the wind which regularly swept across his trees near the Santa Clara Riverbed. The machine, installed in the 1950s, really wasn’t needed in the micro-climate surrounding Bob’s orchard and had not been used in nearly 10 years.

Last July Bob read an article in Central Coast Farm Bureau Magazine about wind turbines. He thought his wind machine might be converted to a wind generator like the article mentioned. So he contacted Bob Hayes with Prevailing Wind Power in Redondo Beach. Bob researched weather conditions, concluded his wind turbine would work, and checked-out county permits and costs. He was shocked to learn that costs and fees amounted to more than $10,000 and was therefore not feasible. CONTINUED »

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In an earlier article I had mentioned a “Military Banner Program” to honor the young men and women of our community who are currently serving in the military. The intent of the “Military Banner Program” is to recognize their service and the sacrifices they are now making and will make in the future to keep our Country safe. The “Patriotic Banners” that will be placed on Central Avenue on the light poles will be partially funded by the families of those currently serving and the remainder funded by grants. Each banner will have the name and branch of service of those young men and women from the Fillmore/Piru communities currently serving in the military. When the person named on the banner is no longer serving the banner will be given to the person named on the banner or to a family member.

The “Military Banner Program” is an effort begun by Fillmore School Board Member Virginia de la Piedra, in conjunction with the City of Fillmore, Fillmore Unified School Board, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Fillmore Sunrise Rotary. It is similar to other programs begun by other cities including the City of Santa Paula.

To participate in this recognition a family member of a currently serving military man or woman should contact:
Virginia A. de la Piedra
School Board Member/Up for Education
(805) 524-1732
(805) 524-4154 FAX
Email - militarybanners@yahoo.com

You will be required to complete a short form and provide the following information that will be used to administer the program:

A “Military Recognition Form” must be completed by either the individual whose name will appear on the banner, or a family member. This form may be picked up at City Hall or you may call or email Virginia at the numbers listed above. The form asks for the name and branch of service of the currently serving military person to be recognized as well as some additional contact information. CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department’s end of year Part I crime statistics for 2008 are now available. Significant details are as follows:

When compared to 2007, the total Part I crime rate per 1,000 population for the entire Sheriff’s jurisdiction decreased from 17.30 in 2007 to 16.34 in 2008. This represents a decrease of 6%.

The total Part I violent crime rate per 1,000 population had a very slight increase from 1.51 in 2007 to 1.53 in 2008, an increase of 1% (or a numerical increase of 11 more total Part I violent crimes).
Within this grouping, robbery increased from 0.31 robberies per 1,000 in 2007 to 0.37 robberies per 1,000 in 2008. In actual numbers, there were 22 more reported robberies in the Sheriff’s jurisdiction in 2008 versus 2007. CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Homicide Investigation
Location: 21 Peres Lane, Santa Paula
Date & Time: 10/11/2003 / 2345

Unit Responsible: Sheriff’s Major Crimes Homicide Unit

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (W)itnesses, City of residence, Age
(V)Samuel Reeves – (03/08/1988) Victim, Santa Paula, 15

On 10/11/2003, Samuel Reeves was shot and killed while attending a large ranch-style party at 21 Peres Lane in Santa Paula. This investigation was recently re-opened because of new leads and scientific evidence. Detectives have been continuously working with new information. This case is still under investigation and Detectives encourage anyone with information reference the Reeves Murder to contact the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau.

Roy Payne, Fillmore City Manager 1989-2005, Special Projects Manager 2005-2009.

February 3, 2009

TO: FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: ROY PAYNE, FILLMORE CITY MANAGER (1989-2005)
SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER (2005-2009)
SUBJECT: RENEGOTIATION OF FEE AGREEMENT

In response to the Fillmore City Council’s decision on January 27, 2009 to renegotiate the terms of my fee agreement with the City, why in the world would I want to continue working for a City that has a City Council who questions my integrity and value and my right to speak out on issues by stating:

1. According to Mr. Brooks, my expressed extensive opinions on Measures H and I and the passage of those measures by the voters of Fillmore was a clear no confidence vote against me and that Brooks heard from many voters that I should not be working for the City because of my opinions. I seriously doubt that Brooks heard from all 2300 voters who supported these measures; I seriously doubt that some of the persons who Brooks takes counsel from are even residents of Fillmore; and I guess freedom of speech is not permitted when it comes to expressing opinions that are contrary to the liking of Brooks.

2. Brooks stated that the fact that part of my compensation from the City was from deposits made by developers is in his opinion a conflict of interest. This is an insult to my integrity as a person who has spent the last 20 years of my working career attempting to represent the best interests of the City of Fillmore and to faithfully and honestly carry out the directions of the Fillmore City Council. My method of receiving payment for my services is no different than the method used to pay the Public Works Director, the City Engineer, the contract employees who work for the engineering department, the employees in the City Planning Department and the contract employees who work for the Planning Department. The salary of each and every one of these city employees and contract employees is partially funded from developer deposits to the city. The reason for this is to save the taxpayers of Fillmore money and not have the taxpayers paying for development projects within the City. So, if in Brooks’ opinion I have a conflict of interest, then I guess the City has a conflict of interest because the City accepts monies from developers and pays it employees with those monies on a regular basis. CONTINUED »

A helicopter went down in the Santa Clara River bottom, near Piru just east of Torrey Road bridge, Saturday, January 31st. The pilot, Hiroyuki Hoiuchi, 47, of Japan, was killed in the crash.

Horiuchi took off from Camarillo Airport around 10:30 a.m. and crashed the Robinson R-22 two-seater about 11:07 a.m. The rugged area made access to the crash site difficult for rescue personnel, according to Chief Tim Hagel, Fillmore Sheriffs.

The victim worked for Shizuoka Air Commuter Co. Ltd., and is survived by his wife and two children in Japan.
Horiuchi was an experienced pilot; the crash is still under investigation by the Federal aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board at press time.

City of Fillmore

What is the Housing Element? Simply put, the Housing Element, a component of a city’s General Plan, is a blueprint for housing ratios in towns and cities from very low, to above moderate income groups. Upon studying a region’s demographics and other influencing factors such as labor categories (white collar, blue collar, farm-worker), wages, unemployment statistics, senior, disabled and homeless populations, available housing in all categories, vacancy rates, overcrowding, land use and environmental restrictions etc., State and regional agencies mandate cities and towns across California to adhere to guidelines when creating their Housing Elements.

State law, enacted in 1969 requires jurisdictions to address needs of all income groups. California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) defined those needs, and local governments must adopt without undue constraint, land use plans and regulatory systems that provide opportunities for housing development by private enterprise. The Housing Element is not an official Affordable Housing document, but a means of identifying the housing needs of a community. It states the community’s goals and objectives regarding housing production, rehabilitation and conservation and defines the policies and programs the community will implement to achieve those standards. CONTINUED »

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The One Step Teen Drop-In Center in conjunction with Fillmore Options celebrates its Grand Opening Saturday, February 7th from 11am to 3pm. One Step A La Vez is a committee composed of 12 high school youth who started in 2004 to look into improving mental health care for the youth of Fillmore and Piru. The name One Step A La Vez was chosen by the youth committee in 2005 to show that you can always take One Step At A Time toward a positive future. It is in both English and Spanish to reflect and value the dual heritage of our community.

One Step officially opened its doors this past September and is now fully operational with a computer lab, Wii video games, foosball, as well as ongoing classes in cooking, nutrition, group, creative expression, career and college preparation and yoga. February 7th is our chance to let the community know about what we have to offer, to thank the community, and to celebrate all of the local support we have received over the past four years.

There will be a raffle, canned food drive, bake sale, dancing, food, and games for the whole family. A formal opening will begin February 7, 11am at Fillmore Options Counseling Center, 828 Ventura St., with the reception to follow at 1:00 at 600 Saratoga and Second St. at the Chocolate Church hall. Please come help us celebrate four years of dedication and support for Fillmore's youth.