The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) is seeking to block an emergency petition filed April 1 by Fillmore & Western Railway which would temporarily stop the commission’s effort to evict the railroad.
The railroad has petitioned the Surface Transportation Board, a federal regulatory agency, to prevent the eviction, citing allegations the VCTC is “...seizing the operation of a railroad in a profoundly unauthorized and unlawful manner.”

The commission filed an eviction complaint against the railroad in March when its prior cease and desist filing to halt further traffic, was ignored by the railroad on the 32-mile branch track owned by the commission.

In a countersuit, the railroad charged the VCTC unlawfully terminated the 20-year lease executed in 2001. The railroad seeks to consolidate the two cases which the commission opposes. The commission terminated the lease for the stated purpose of stopping a significant loss of money. The agency’s executive director, Darren Kettle claims while the commission has earned approximately $3.5 million from the agreement during the past 11 years, it has lost about $7.2 during that time due largely to track maintenance. Countering this allegation is the railroad’s claim that the loss is due to the commission’s mismanagement.

Fillmore & Western Railway claims it brings from 50,000 to 70,000 tourists to Fillmore yearly. The commission insists that the railroad’s petition is “wrong as a matter of fact and law”, while the railroad claims the commission is “seizing the operation of a railroad in a profoundly unauthorized and unlawful manner.”

Commission attorney W. Eric Pilsk, from Washington, has reportedly indicated a ruling on Fillmore & Western’s petition could take weeks or months.

Some facts in this story were obtained from the Ventura Star.

City of Fillmore

04/01/14
Accident Injury
700 Blk. B St.
Vandalism
Shiells Park
Abandoned Vehicle
900 Blk. Meadowlark
Theft
600 Blk. Ventura St.
04/02/14
Surveillance
200 Blk. Sheffield Lane
Search Warrant
400 Blk. Arundell Cir.
Shots Fired
300 Blk. Mountain View
Vandalism
A St./Ventura St.
Threats CONTINUED »

Bob Stroh objects to “In God We Trust” display

The Tuesday April 8, 2014 Fillmore City Council Meeting lasted 40 minutes and contained three agenda items. One item was a Successor Agency contract, another was establishing a volunteer program and a third was consideration to display our national motto in the council chambers.

A volunteer program that is expected to benefit Fillmore was unanimously approved by the Council. The program was one of the goals set during a council/community workshop held a few months back. City Manager David W. Rowlands explained that most people volunteer out of a sense of community pride, but other examples of why individuals step forward are; gain job experience, learn new skills, explore new careers, socialize, feel useful, keep active and learn about the city government. Councilmember Diane McCall responded saying she welcomes the program and what a value this will be the community adding, "Kids are looking for jobs." Mayor Manuel Minjares also liked the idea and stated, "I'm really happy this is coming forward" adding that many people from the community have told him they wanted to volunteer but did not know how to go about doing it. City volunteer opportunities are: filing, collate documents, receptionist, graffiti removal, fold documents, gardener, work with seniors, public relations, fire dept., photographer, phone calls, building dept. and police dept. and fingerprinting; criminal and sex offenders background check will be required. Once a year there will be a Volunteer Appreciation Day to recognize and thank those who stepped forward.

Another agenda item CONTINUED »

Providing Accessible Clothing for Teens (PACT) youth closet project will officially open its doors to the Ventura County community on Saturday, April 12th at noon at Fillmore High School, Room 17 (the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Mentoring Room) located at 1St Street in Fillmore which will be a PACT closet grand opening event and ribbon cutting ceremony. Manuel Minjares, the mayor of Fillmore, will be one of our special guest speakers at the event along with our partners from Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Before the grand opening event, PACT volunteers and local radio personality Nancy Rodriguez will host a first event called the “Prom Dress Project” on Wednesday, April 9th from 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. to provide Ventura County girls with more 150 donated prom dresses from which to choose.

The PACT project is part of a community and resident-led leadership program started though the Cabrillo Economic Development’s (CEDC) Community Building division in partnership with the youth leadership group living at CEDC ‘s Fillmore Central Station Apartments.

The idea of CONTINUED »

Enlarge Photo

Theresa Robledo, assisting with the presentation of Fillmore Vision 2020 Civic Pride’s Yard of the Month for April awarded to Sue & Dino (photo with their adorable doggie) Congratulations! Please drive by their yard located at 957 Fifth Street, you will find colorful Snap Dragons, Calla Lilies, Deer Horns, Pansies, Ranunculas and a Ficus Tree in the front yard; In the backyard, are so many to name, Freesia, Roses, Lavender Madrid Purple, Chrysanthemum, Palm Sego, Star Jasmine, Purple Queen Bougainvillea, Thompson Seedless Grapes, Carolina Jessamine, Roma and Beef Steak Tomato Plants, Hawaiian Tree, Queen Palms, Strawberries, Spring of Glory Forsythia and Lavender Flower. Sue & Dino maintain and plant their own flowers, as Sue owns her own hardware store in the Valley and are new to Fillmore! We enjoyed their hospitality of showing us around with nice hot cup of coffee! A Big Thank you to Otto & Sons Nursery for providing a gift certificate to the winners, where they will find more of their gardening and plant needs!

Fillmore Unified School District

Ventura County District Attorney's Office addresses possible Brown Act complaint against FUSD
Board Member Prado. Below is the letter to Mr. Prado from the DA's office along with a Letter to the Editor submitted this week by Mr. Prado.

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
COUNTY OF VENTURA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Gregory D. Totten
District Attorney
March 25, 2014
Tony Prado
Board of Education
Fillmore Unified School District
627 Sespe Avenue
Fillmore, CA 93015

Re: Brown Act Complaint

Dear Mr. Prado:

We have received a complaint regarding the Fillmore Unified School District Regular Meeting of March 18, 2014. You presided over at least a portion of the meeting. I reviewed the agenda for the meeting and an audio recording of the relevant portion of the meeting. I also discussed the matter with Superintendent Alan Nishino and Assistant Superintendent Deo Persaud.

Following the presentation regarding agenda item 1-2, “Fillmore High School Update on the WASC Process by FHS Staff,” a member of the public sought to address the Board. She informed me that she had completed a public comment card but had not been called upon to give her comment. On the tape, she asked, “Can I ask a question?” You responded, “1 want to caution you. Questions, yes. Comments or speeches, no.” She then spoke for several minutes, but it appears that your “caution” may have limited her presentation. At one you point, while she was attempting to answer a question you posed to her (why teachers would be afraid to come speak for themselves), she responded that she would not make a comment because you did not want any comments. An individual who attended the meeting (not the individual who sought to give public comment) brought the matter to the attention of the District Attorney’s Office.

Your “caution” that CONTINUED »

The April 1, 2014 Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board Meeting discussed bullying and the after-school program funding; but it began with a scathing address to the Board by a retired FUSD employee.

During Public Comments Karen Ashim, retired Fillmore High School (FHS) Counselor, addressed the Board with observations over her many years at FHS stating, "Fillmore High School is disintegrating. For 25 years I saw improvement in student achievement and college acceptance rates. During my 26th and 27th years, I saw established practices be thrown away. This year FHS is crumbling and you the Members of the School Board have done nothing to stop it; not even to go visit the school to investigate problems brought to your attention. Leadership is an active process."

She then confronted the Board on an issue that occurred at the March 18, 2014 meeting where she was told she could only ask questions on an agenda item and nothing else (a Brown Act violation, see VC District Attorney letter, page 2). The agenda item she referred to was Fillmore's accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

The accreditation process CONTINUED »