This year, December 9, 2023, the Piru Christmas Parade had 25 entries, and this year’s parade marshal was Sugey Lopez Ochoa, with Ramon “Mon” Medina as the parade MC.

Float winners were 1st San Salvador Mission, 2nd Piru Elementary & Preschool, and 3rd the Ruiz Family. Supervisor Kelly Long and our local representative Manuel Minjares also participated in the parade.

The festival included Fillmore High School Mariachi Band, Juano and Friends Band, and Orale Band. There was face painting, ring toss game, and jumpy rooms for the kids, along with gifts distributed to all children from the Carnales Motorcycle Club. The Ventura County Mobile Library, along with the VC Human Services Agency, and VC College recruiting for our next ESL class. There was a corn-hole tournament, a free raffle for fruit trees donated by Everde Nurseries, 50/50 raffle for San Salvador Youth Group, Piru Youth Sports, and three different car clubs. Santa and Mrs. Claus were available for lots of picture taking, and a number of crafts vendors were also there to sell their wares. All in all, the wind huffed and puffed but did not spoil this wonderful day that had over 400 community participants!

These events can only occur with the support of sponsors and the countless hours of our devoted group of community volunteers. To them, we say a HUGE thank you!!!
Sponsors included:

Piru Neighborhood Council (PNC), and their team of volunteers, Ca. American Water, Income from various film shoots in Piru, Las Delicias de Puebla Restaurant, Corazon de Piru, Piru Pizza, KONA Ice Food Truck, Fillmore & Piru Packinghouse, Taco Zacapu Food Truck, Carnales Motorcycle Club, Piru CERT Team, Everde Nurseries, Armando Rodriguez –sound equipment and set-up, San Salvador Mission, Sanchez Liquor Store, Bob’s Barber Shop, Boys and Girls Club who made many of the tree decorations

Super 8 donating the Poinsettias, La Flor Bonita – Flowers for our Grand Marshal Sugey,
Ventura County Parks, Sheriff Department for providing personnel at the event and the message board, CHP for the toys they donated that will be distributed at Piru Elementary School.

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Piru Christmas Parade Grand Marshal Sugey Lopez Ochoa
Sugey Lopez Ochoa has been a resident of Piru for 30 years. She says, “God has given me a mission to help and serve those around me when possible.”

At a young age she joined the church choir and taught catechism for a few years. She also helped the senior program by serving meals at Rancho Sespe and with Food Share to collect and deliver food to Piru.

In 2005 Sugey started her career as a preschool teacher in the Piru and Fillmore area. She devoted her career life to Full Circle Learning for 11 years through First Five and then moved to FUSD where she has been serving for the past seven years as a preschool teacher at Piru Elementary School.

Sugey is also currently helping with confirmation classes and is one of the coordinators for the Grupo Juvenil of San Salvador Mission.

Sugey says, “It has been a blessing to be part of many children and youth’s life. I love my Piru community and everything I have been given the opportunity to partake in, but above all I love being a mom and raising my family here in Piru! I am humbly honored and grateful for this recognition.”

Piru thanks Sugey for giving so much to our kids, families, and community, and for being our Grand Marshal

Courtesy Fillmore Fire Department

This year’s Annual Fillmore Community Holiday Giveaway will be held Saturday, December 16th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Fillmore City Fire Station, 711 Landeros Lane. This is the annual event where holiday commodities are given to the children who reside within the Fillmore Unified School District boundaries. Each child will have a picture taken with Santa Claus. They will also receive a new toy and reading book, a new coat and socks. Holiday bags of groceries will also be available as well as a limited number of Christmas trees. Cotton candy, popcorn and candy canes will be distributed. The children and their families will be able to visit with first responders and learn safety tips.

Annual sponsors of the event include our local Fillmore Police and Fire Departments, Santa Clara Valley Legal Aid, One Step A La Vez, Soroptimist International of Fillmore, Saint Francis of Assisi Church, Fillmore Future Farmers of America, Sespe 4-H, Rotary International of Fillmore, Fillmore Lions Club, Ventura County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, Fillmore Citizen’s Patrol, Fillmore Search and Rescue, Fillmore Friends of the Library, Fillmore Women’s Service Club, Lightfully Behavior Health, the Salvation Army, Balden Ranch, Allied Citrus & Fruit, Villasenor Enterprises, the Fillmore Fire Foundation and numerous other generous personal and business donors.

If you would like to help donate to the Fillmore Community Holiday Giveaway, you may give new toys, coats, books, socks or canned food; drop boxes are located at the Fillmore Police Station and at the Fillmore City Fire Station. Cash donations are gladly accepted, checks may be made out to “The Fillmore Fire Foundation” with a notation of “Holiday Giveaway”. Donations may be mailed to Fillmore Fire Foundation, PO Box 331, Fillmore, CA 93016 or for drop-off, please contact Scott Beylik (805) 732-1101 or Keith Gurrola (805) 558-0932.

VENTURA, Calif. – District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Vidal Vargas Morales (DOB 12/30/60), of Fillmore, was convicted by a Ventura County jury of one felony count of lewd acts upon a child who was 15 years old. The court also found true the special allegation that Morales took advantage of a position of trust and confidence to commit the offense.

In 2013, Morales worked as a youth coordinator for a church in Fillmore. During that time, he met the victim who attended catechism classes. Between October and November 2013, Morales began inappropriate communications with the victim, both verbally and through text messages. In early November 2013, Morales grabbed and fondled the victim. The crime was reported years later. Other victims who had similar experiences with Morales testified during the trial.

Deputy District Attorney Michael Kern, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit, prosecuted the case.

“I am grateful to the victim for her courage in reporting the crime and testifying at trial,” Mr. Kern said. “I am also thankful to the additional victims who testified about their experiences—dating back to 1999—demonstrating the defendant’s continued pattern of criminal conduct. While today’s verdict can never fully heal the damage done by the defendant to these victims, I am hopeful that this conviction will help in the continuing healing process and send a message to other offenders that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in our community.”

Morales is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 23 of the Ventura County Superior Court. He remains out of custody on $20,000 bail pending sentencing.

Case: 2016023855
Defendant Information:
Vidal Vargas Morales (DOB 12/30/60)
Fillmore

Charges:
PC 288(c)(1) – Lewd act upon a child
Special Allegations:
CRC 4.421(a)(11) – The defendant took advantage of a position of trust and confidence to commit the offense