This coming Saturday, September 5th offers great family fun at the 9th Annual PiruFest, in historic downtown Piru at the Piru Depot and Gazebo Plaza Park. Activities for this Labor Day Weekend festival begin at 3:00 pm and continue until 10 pm. Registration for the horseshoe tournament will start at noon with play set for 2:00 pm. The Depot and park are located on Center Street in the downtown district.

The Piru Neighborhood Council (PNC) and Rancho Temescal are sponsors for this annual event and joined this year by MAD Youth, (Making A Difference). MAD Youth are organizing a variety of games for all ages, including the good old fashioned Dunking Booth featuring local community and regional leaders as “dunkees”. Local arts and crafts vendors continue to sign up to offer unique jewelry and other specialty items, as well as information on upcoming health and community events, such as Relay for Life and Ramona Days at Ranch Camulos. Food vendors have also signed on to feature their treats. Food vendors will offer treats from Piru restaurants and shops as well as specialty items such as tamales, bar-b-q pit sandwiches, soft drinks, corn on the cob, hot dogs and more. Handmade quilts, jewelry, and other gift items will be available from a variety of vendors.

Always a hit with the locals and friends, the popular Horseshoe Tournament returns under the skills of Rusty Ortega. Organizers set up the pits in this downtown park CONTINUED »

On Wednesday, September 9, United Water Conservation District will begin its annual fall release of water held behind Santa Felicia Dam in Lake Piru.

The release is expected to last 50 days through about October 29, but the period may be adjusted depending upon weather. During this 50-day period 21,000 acre-feet will flow down Piru Creek to the Santa Clara River -an acre-foot represents the amount of water sufficient to cover an acre of land to a depth of one foot and is the amount generally used by two average households in one year--. Approximately half of the water will recharge the Piru, Fillmore and Santa Paula Groundwater Basins as the water moves down the river to the Freeman Diversion at Saticoy.

The other half of the water will be delivered directly to agriculture on the Oxnard Plain and will help to prevent groundwater pumping from overdrafted coastal aquifers. This irrigation water will be provided during a period of high demand, since it is during October that a large share of strawberry seedlings are planted.

As a result of the release the amount of water stored in Lake Piru will drop from 41,000 acrefeet down to minimum pool at CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

VANDALISM
08/19/09
646 Block Lemon Way
08/22/09
700 Block Edison Lane
08/23/09
Fillmore St. / Main St.
08/23/09
500 Block Mt. View St.
THREATS-VERBAL/WRITTEN
08/19/09
900 Block Ventura St.
08/20/09
700 Block 3rd Street
HIT & RUN/NON-INJURY
08/20/09
900 Block Ventura St.
08/20/09
A St. / Ventura St. CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

211 P.C. Armed Robbery
Location: ARCO Station 3907 E. Telegraph Road, Piru
Date & Time: August 30, 2009, 11:55 p.m.
Unit Responsible: Santa Clara Valley Patrol Station

Shortly before midnight, on August 30, 2009, what witnesses described as a male, Hispanic, bald, thick mustache; wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, white tennis shoes and blue motorcycle gloves, entered the ARCO station in Piru.

The suspect selected a couple of beverages from a refrigerator and walked up to the cash register. At this time, all of the other customers that were in the store had left and no one was in the store but the suspect and an employee. The suspect brandished a pistol and told the employee to put the money from the cash register into a bag.

The employee did as the suspect ordered and the suspect left the area of the station on foot.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000.00 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).

Tuesday evening, August 25, in Executive Session, Fillmore City Council voted 5-0 to offer the position of Fillmore City Manager to Yvonne Quiring, of Lathrop, CA. An agenda notice was posted on the city’s website Wednesday morning announcing an open forum meeting, according to Councilmember Laurie Hernandez. Hernandez stated that the position was offered to Quiring, and she accepted, pending salary and benefit discussion at the Friday meeting. Quiring will be offered a standard International City Managers Association contract “revised to fit our city government,” stated Hernandez.
Quiring has 22 years experience in municipal government, including 17 years in Fresno, two years in Stockton, and three years in Lathrop, as Assistant City Manager from April 2005 to January 2007, and City Manager from June 2007 to October 31, 2008, when council accepted her offer of resignation, with a 3-2 vote. Quiring’s run as Lathrop City Manager was not always a smooth one. In February 2008, the Service Employees International Union, Local 1021, sent a letter to the city voicing displeasure with Quiring and the management staff of the Community Development Department.
The public is welcome to attend the public meeting at Fillmore City Hall chambers, 2 p.m., Friday, August 28th.

Soroptimist International of Fillmore (represented by Sarah Hansen, Lynn Edmonds, and President Oralia Herrera) requested permission to install a Peace Pole in Central Park.
Enlarge Photo

The Fillmore City Council Meeting on Tuesday, August 25th was long and controversial. The City budget, the RDA budget, and a raise for one City employee were all approved by votes of three against two. Public awareness of and input into Council actions was discussed extensively. The Council held a closed executive session regarding an alleged violation of the Brown Act due to “spoke and hub” meetings. Council Member Steve Conaway urged the Council to postpone adopting the budget because the latest version had been drafted on Monday, and he believed the Council and public needed more time to absorb the changes. More changes to the budget were requested during the Council meeting. The Council also approved some less controversial matters, including the Heritage Valley Tourism Bureau lease, Pole Creek bike path development, appointments to the Parks Commission, and a Peace Pole.

The Council narrowly approved the Budget. Financial Consultant John Wooner, who developed the Budget in cooperation with Pennell and City Staff, used all of his contracted hours, and graciously donated his time at the end of the process. The latest updates were made on Monday afternoon, August 24th, and the Budget is available online at www.fillmoreca.com

Transitional City Manager Larry Pennell summarized the allocations. The City’s budget is $56.8 million, which includes $23 million in CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

08/10/09 – 08/18/09
Thursday – 08/13/09 - Fillmore -S092250795- Elder Abuse- 400 Block Blaine: Frank Lozano 21 yrs, had battered his Grandparents. Lozano was arrested for 368 and 591.

Saturday – 08/22/09 - 0935 am - Saratoga Street and Main Street. Senior Deputy Hendren and Deputy Brown contacted four subjects in the park and arrested 52 year old Bobby Buckman for fugitive parole violation PC 3056 / 242 PC.

Saturday – 08/22/09 - 618pm hrs: Fillmore, call slip S092340532, suspicious subject Stop, 827 Ventura (Best Western): Officer Rodriguez observed a 17 year old female, walking away from a parked vehicle that did not have plates. Deputy Rodriguez became suspicious and contacted the female. The car was stolen and she was arrested. When Deputies went to retrieve property from her motel room a suspect named Joseph Cook 22yrs, fled by breaking and jumping out a second story window. He was chased by our fast running Fillmore Deputies, caught and determined to be wanted as a fugitive for State parole violations.

Friday - 08/21/09 - 418pm : FILLMORE - Arrest / CONTINUED »