Fillmore City Parks and Recreation Commissioner Camilla Conaway, expresses her concern regarding the process accessing the track as “ridiculous”.

In a rare packed house with standing room only and a line out the door the Fillmore Unified School District Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, April 5, 2011. Public comment began with three speakers regarding the long road to allowing public access to the track. Fillmore City Parks and Recreation Commissioners Kenneth Palmer and Camilla Conaway were joined by Fillmore Resident and Exercise Club member John Scholls who all spoke to the Board indicating their desire to move ahead quickly to find a reasonable solution which addresses the concerns of FUSD, allows sensible access to the track and takes into account the costs which the City will bear. Palmer indicated a plan that will cost $1,000 to $2,000 and makes entry to the track more direct than the current set up. Conaway commented that the current process for accessing the track is “ridiculous” and requires exercise club members to “jump through hoops.” According to all three speakers, the current process requires those accessing the track to check in at the pool, walk around the block, down an unlit alley/sidewalk, and pass through three gates. Conaway commented that she understood the District had concerns over adults having access to the high school, but the current access route provides more opportunity for that compared to the plan they are proposing. Palmer, Conaway and Scholls all suggested an easier and more direct access route utilizing the entrance used for football games. Scholls commented that this entrance is “more direct, less costly, better lighted, [and has] less likelihood of injury.” Board President Virginia De La Piedra commented on “miscommunication on both sides” and that she had previously requested to be notified of any City meetings on this subject and to date has not received any such notifications. Conaway said she would be notified of future meetings. Board Member Tony Prado indicated that he was the Board rep on the sub-committee charged with finding a solution that works for all, but apparently he had not been notified of any meetings and therefore did not attend them. FUSD Superintendent Jeff Sweeney suggested that Michael Bush, FUSD Assistant Superintendent Business Services, should meet with Parks and Rec and other City officials to come up with a plan to recommend for the Boards approval. All parties agreed to this and De La Piedra joined Sweeney in expressing their desire to “expedite” this process while addressing student safety and facility issues.

Next the Board heard from 7th grader Curtis Warring Ponce, a resident of Piru and student at Fillmore Middle School. He began by reporting to the Board “ [we have] great schools…education is very important to me…failure is not an option.” He informed the Board of his perfect attendance record and 4.0 GPA. Ponce informed the Board “[He really likes his school] it’s safe, friendly and it is awesome. Our principals are the best, we have excellent teachers and staff that work hard to make it a great school…[and have activities for each student] something that fits them.” He spoke about his experience in advanced band with the “best teacher, Mr. Godfrey and I want to learn more. Music calms me down and enriches [my life, it is] very important to me to keep music and arts in school.” He stated that he hoped the budget cuts would not affect his school. In conclusion he said “I want to thank everyone who works hard to make our schools great for us kids to keep learning and succeeding.”

The final speaker in CONTINUED »

Above, Linda Arroyo of Interface speaks to parents at Wednesday night’s bullying forum.

On the evening of Wednesday, March 30, 2011 Fillmore Unified School District hosted a Parent Forum with a focus on Bullying. Fewer than thirty parents attended the event, which was held in Sespe Elementary School cafeteria. This event comes just a few days after state lawmakers passed a resolution marking March “Bullying Prevention Month.” Bullying has garnered national attention due to recent suicides attributed to the effects of bullying. Speakers at the forum included Linda Arroyo, a mental health therapist with the Camarillo organization ‘Interface Children and Family Services’, Rhonda Reyes Deutsch counselor at Fillmore Middle School, Deputy Leo Vazquez the School Resource Officer for FUSD, Carol Berringer Director of After School Program/Student Services for FUSD and Fillmore High School principal John Wilbur. Reyes-Deutsch reported “Every day in the U.S. an estimated 150,000 kids miss school due to fear or intimidation [from] bullying.”

Arroyo began the forum by introducing a program operated by Interface, called “Triple P” standing for Positive Parenting Programs. Arroyo explained that this program “support[s] you in your role as a parent.” Some of the issues they help parents with include tantrums, lying, talking back and even motivation for getting homework done. The 8 to 10 week program is available at no charge to all families within FUSD schools. Interested parents or guardians can contact their principal for a referral to the program.

What is bullying and cyberbullying? Arroyo defined bullying as CONTINUED »

FILLMORE, CA. - On 4/5/2011 at 2:44am the City of Fillmore Fire Department responded to a report of a possible structure fire at 160 Santa Clara Avenue in the City of Fillmore.

Upon arriving on scene, firefighters observed light smoke coming from the single story, single family dwelling. Further investigation revealed the seat of the fire to be in the kitchen and dining room area. Prior to fire personnel arriving on scene, one of six residents had just returned home when he was alerted to the fire by his family. The resident quickly applied water to the fire using a water hose from the yard preventing further spread. Firefighters quickly extinguished the remaining flames and evacuated the smoke from the structure to prevent further damage.

Five occupants were inside the location at the time of the incident however they escaped the structure without injury. Due to the smoke damage throughout the structure, it was determined to be inhabitable by the Building & Safety Department.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

County of Santa Barbara, California

The California Department of Public Health has found trace amounts of iodine -131 (radiation) in milk from dairy cows in San Luis Obispo County. The amount found was so low that it does not pose any risk of human health. The milk in San Luis Obispo and elsewhere in the US is absolutely safe for human consumption.

The California Department of Public Health samples milk, soil and vegetation on a quarterly basis. They have increased the frequency of testing to weekly due to the Japan incident. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency has also increased its nationwide monitoring of radiation in milk, precipitation, drinking water and other sources.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the utility provider that operates the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, conducts regular testing in San Luis Obispo County where the nuclear power plant is located. PG&E split a recent milk sample from San Luis Obispo County and sent a portion to the California Department of Public Health for testing.

The level of radiation is very low, described as incidental. Officials say the levels are 5,000 times below levels of concern. The amounts detected are thousands of times less than what someone would receive from an X-ray or from everyday sources such as the sun, air, soil and television viewing. Air sampling has shown no activity for the past few days and the half-life of iodine -131 is short, meaning it will be gone in roughly one week. The actual impact of radiation diminishes daily.

Children are a bit more sensitive than adults, yet the amount found does not pose a health risk for children either.

Public health officials continue to recommend that potassium iodide not be taken.

With close testing by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, there is continued monitoring. The CDPH website provides Frequently Asked Questions about Radiation and regularly updated information at: www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/RadiationFAQS2011.aspx

Charles Mozley (“Mr. Moze")

While there may be disputes about what makes a good or bad teacher, the Ventura County Educators’ Hall of Fame’s debate is over choosing the most worthy candidates among the best, brightest and/or the most beloved.

For this round of annual inductions, five educators of varied talents were selected, representing a historical look at the human foundations of Ventura’s educational system.

They are: Jim Lane of Oxnard, Andy McEuen of Oxnard and three who are being inducted posthumously, Leslie (Les) Meredith Jr. of Camarillo, Charles Mozley (Fillmore High School) and John Devine (Isbell School in Santa Paula).

All will be honored at a county-wide fete Friday, June 17th at the Courtyard Marriott in Oxnard, along with the Ventura County Teacher of the Year, who is chosen separately by the Ventura County Office of Education.

In contrast to the Teacher of the Year award, the Hall of Fame’s scope casts a wider net, as it may also honor administrators and classified employees, and takes in to account those working in higher education.

The idea for an Educators’ Hall of Fame was initiated in 2005 by Darrin Parrent, who was inspired by the experiences he had going through the local Ventura County school system. He contacted a number of prominent educators – notably former Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chuck Weis – and together they formed a committee of 15 education and civic leaders to hammer out the details for the first induction in 2007.

“The Hall of Fame selects individuals to be honored for their outstanding contributions to the field of education,” Parrent said. Details about this year’s selections are:

√ John Devine literally lived education, going so far as bringing kids home and ensuring others that they had lunch money or decent clothes.

He spent much of his career at Isbell Middle School in Santa Paula, where he taught industrial arts and organized trips to sporting events. He passed away in 1982.

√ Jim Lane was born and raised in Oxnard, and he stayed local, becoming a business teacher and coach at Hueneme High School where he helped set up a student mentor program. His experience converted well into writing articles on education for the Ventura County Star.

Although he retired in 2002, he stays involved in the community, such as helping out the mentor project at Hueneme and developing a boys and girls club at Meiners Oaks Elementary School in Ojai. Aware of school cutbacks, he also helps raise money for athletic programs.

√ Andy McEuen began as a business teacher at Oxnard High School after serving in WWII in a combat battalion. His administrative skills as a principal were later tested and he was so good that he became principal of the new Hueneme High School in 1959, and later became superintendent of the Oxnard District until his 1980 retirement.
Under his direction, Hueneme became a state model for parent and student involvement.

√ Les Meredith Jr. was a teacher-principal at the Santa Rosa Elementary School and prior to that, an assistant principal at Los Altos Intermediate School, both in Camarillo. He developed 7th and 8th grade programs at Santa Rosa that included vocational and science instruction, the latter from grades 2-8.

He also became versatile in creating counseling and disciplinary plans and helped with teacher evaluations. Beyond the school, he was an instructor in scuba diving who ran oceanography workshops and served as a long-time member of the county sheriff’s Underwater Search and Rescue team. He passed away on July 17, 2009.

√ Charles Mozley taught at Fillmore High School, adult education in Ventura and Oxnard and even had a stint as teacher in the Youth Authority. Known affectionately by some as “Mr. Moze,” his grasp of issues was wide as he taught politics, journalism, psychology and consumer issues.

Clearly beloved, he was also well known as the announcer at football games and involved in pep squads, plays, graduation ceremonies and as an advisor. He passed away in 2007.

The Educators Hall of Fame dinner event Friday, June 17th at the Courtyard Marriott opens at 5 p.m. so that friends, colleagues and family members can converse before a dinner around 6 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person; the best way is to log on to the website, www.vceh.com, or you can call 805-482-1492 or email president@vceh.com.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

An attempted car jacking left a 30-year old Fillmore man stabbed early Monday morning in Oxnard, 4500 block Saviers Road.

At approximately 1:50AM, two men in their 20s approached the vehicle and demanded the Fillmore man and 27-year old Oxnard woman get out.

The man resisted and was stabbed; the assailants fled. The victims drove away from the area, and called 911. The Fillmore man was transported to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, where he was treated for a non-life threatening injury. The investigation is ongoing.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On March 28, 2011, at approximately 2:00 a.m., two victims were seated in a vehicle in front of a residence. Two male suspects approached the victims, brandished a knife and demanded money from them. The suspects fled in a white sedan without any money.

At approximately 2:30 a.m., city of Fillmore patrol deputies located the suspects in their white Hyundai traveling westbound on Highway 126 towards the city of Fillmore. Patrol deputies attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver refused to stop the car and a pursuit ensued. The fleeing suspect vehicle ultimately collided with a street sign at Burlington Street and Reading Street in Fillmore.

The male juvenile driver of the vehicle escaped on foot but was tracked and apprehended by a Sheriff’s K-9. He was lodged for felony attempted robbery charges into the Juvenile Justice Center in El Rio. The male juvenile passenger whowas trapped in the car due to the collision, was rescued and treated by Fillmore Fire Department personnel at the scene. The passenger was also lodged at the Juvenile Justice Center on felony attempted robbery charges.

Attempt Robbery- 400 Block of Simon Way, El Rio / Vehicle Pursuit -Fillmore
Location- Fillmore
Date & Time: March 28, 2011 @ 2:00 a.m.
Unit Responsible: Fillmore Police and Sheriff’s Gang Units
Report #: 11-6953
Arrestees: Address: Age:
Juvenile Santa Paula, CA 17
Juvenile Oxnard, CA 16
Officer Preparing Release: Sergeant Dave Wareham
Follow-up Contact: Detective Albert Ramirez (805) 524-2233
Date of Release: 03/28/2011
Approved by: Captain Tim Hagel