September 24

Fillmore High School presents the F.H.S. Homecoming Parade 2015 next Thursday evening at 6:30pm. The F.H.S. Alumni Association also invites all the communities of Fillmore Bardsdale, and Piru to come celebrate our Hometown, and Fillmore High School as we celebrate Homecoming 2015. The game is Friday evening September 25th, and our Flashes host the Santa Ynez Pirates. The Parade will be the night before on the 24th, starting at 6:30 pm from Central and 2nd street, right through downtown, where all the floats will be parked between Sespe and Main for viewing that evening. Our downtown is open for business, so bring out that folding chair and come look at the floats, and the beautiful Fillmore Classic cars. All will be parked on Central. it's Homecoming Parade 2015. Don't miss it! GO FLASHES!!

 


 

VENTURA, California – District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Daniel Nuno (DOB 06/07/82), of Fillmore, was sentenced by Judge Ryan Wright to 50 years to life in prison after being convicted by a jury of first-degree murder for killing Ricardo Gonzalez, a chiropractor from Oxnard. The jury returned their verdict on August 7, 2015, after two hours of deliberation.

On August 9, 2012, Nuno armed himself with a loaded handgun and traveled to the home of Mr. Gonzalez’s mother in Fillmore. There, Nuno confronted Mr. Gonzalez as he stood in the driveway of the home beside his elderly mother and four-year-old son. After a brief conversation, Nuno quickly drew his firearm, pressed it to Mr. Gonzalez’s head and fired a single shot, killing Mr. Gonzalez. Nuno then fled the scene and disposed of evidence, including the murder weapon which was never found. Nuno was apprehended two hours after the murder by deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to eye-witness testimony identifying Nuno as the shooter, Mr. Gonzalez’s blood and DNA were located on Nuno’s clothing at the time of his arrest.

Nuno will not be eligible for parole until he is 80 years old.

 


 

Classic Cars, great food, old time music, and lot's of fun in downtown Fillmore This Friday, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. It's our next to last Flashback Friday event, so make sure you make plans to come join in all the fun everyone's been having this summer with our Classic cars parked on Central. The Fillmore High Alumni will also be out in front of Central Station with all their Flashes gear available for this Fall Season. And speaking of Fall season, that means HOMECOMING. Next week is Homecoming week, and the Homecoming Parade is Thursday evening, September 24th at 6:30pm. On that night the Floats will be parked on Central along with the Classic old time cars from Fillmore. So it's two great events left for you to enjoy before our long wet raining season begins. (positive thinking) This Friday evening at Flashback Friday/Alumni Nights, and next Thursday for the Homecoming Parade along with the Classic Cars from Fillmore. Bring your folding Chairs, and we look forward to seeing you DOWNTOWN!!

 

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith is reminding everyone to protect themselves when temperatures are very high as is expected the rest of this week in most of the state.

The excessive heat warning is in place through Friday, and Dr. Smith would like everyone to stay cool and hydrated.

“It’s going to be a hot week, and we would like everyone to protect themselves from the dangers of excessive heat,” Dr. Smith said. “It is important that everyone stay cool, stay hydrated, stay inside and take other precautions to prevent heat-related illness.”

Extreme heat poses a substantial health risk, especially for vulnerable populations including young children, the elderly, those with chronic diseases or disabilities, pregnant women and people who are socially isolated. Heat-related illness includes cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and death. Warning signs of heat-related illnesses may include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headache and nausea. Vomiting, paleness, tiredness and dizziness can also be indicators of heat-related illness.

“Taking a moment to check on someone who lives alone can make a big difference in these extreme conditions,” says Will Lightbourne, director of the California Department of Social Services. “Care providers, relatives, friends or neighbors, we all share the responsibility of making our communities safe.”

In areas where air quality is poor, people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory diseases should reduce or eliminate their outdoor activities. Schools and programs with children who have sensitive conditions, including heart disease, asthma and other respiratory diseases, should conduct activities indoors as much as possible.

Smith offers the following tips to stay safe during this period of excessive heat:
• Drink plenty of water or juice, even if you are not thirsty. Avoid alcohol.
• If you don’t have air conditioning, visit a cooling center or a public place with air conditioning (such as a shopping mall or library) to cool off for a few hours each day.
• Avoid outdoor physical exertion during the hottest parts of the day. Reduce exposure to the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when UV rays are strongest, and keep physical activities to a minimum during that time.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat to cover the face and neck, wear loose-fitting clothing to keep cool and to protect your skin from the sun.
• Regularly check on any elderly relatives or friends who live alone. Many may be on medications which increase likelihood of dehydration.
• To prevent overheating, use cool compresses, misting, showers and baths. Get medical attention if you experience a rapid, strong pulse, you feel delirious or have a body temperature above 102 degrees.
• Never leave infants, children, elderly or pets in a parked car. It can take as little as 10 minutes for the temperature inside a car to rise to levels that can kill.
• Wear sunglasses that provide 100 percent UVA and UVB protection. Chronic exposure to the sun can cause cataracts.
• Liberally apply sunscreen (at least SPF 15) 15 minutes before venturing outdoors and re-apply at least every two hours – sunscreen may reduce the risk of skin cancer, the number one cancer affecting Californians.
Get more hot weather tips on CDPH’s Preventing Summer Heat Injuries Web page and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services’ Summer Heat Resources website.

Watch CDPH’s video message from Dr. Smith on extreme heat warning signs and tips.

www.cdph.ca.gov

 
You may have heard them all day last Thursday, helicopters flying over Fillmore from sun-up to sun-down. All available Ventura County helicopters were used to drop water on the “Burson Fire” this week, refilling water at Two Rivers Park in Fillmore. Private helicopters were contracted due to a shortage of County helicopters which are being used in other California fires up north. As of Tuesday, the wildfire burning above Fillmore in the Sespe Mountain range was over 90% contained. Approximately 30 acres were burned in the “Burson Fire”, which was reported last Wednesday night on the Burson Ranch, along the southern edge of the Los Padres National Forest near Hopper Mountain. A large amount of equipment from Cal Fire, the US Forest Service and Ventura County was utilized in fighting the fire. No structures were threatened, and no injuries were reported. The Cornell Lab Condor Cam was shut down for a few days to protect the equipment; the Condors were never in any danger. The cause of the fire is under investigation. One theory was the underground geothermal activity in the area that has started vegetation fires in the past. Photo courtesy Sebastian Ramirez.
You may have heard them all day last Thursday, helicopters flying over Fillmore from sun-up to sun-down. All available Ventura County helicopters were used to drop water on the “Burson Fire” this week, refilling water at Two Rivers Park in Fillmore. Private helicopters were contracted due to a shortage of County helicopters which are being used in other California fires up north. As of Tuesday, the wildfire burning above Fillmore in the Sespe Mountain range was over 90% contained. Approximately 30 acres were burned in the “Burson Fire”, which was reported last Wednesday night on the Burson Ranch, along the southern edge of the Los Padres National Forest near Hopper Mountain. A large amount of equipment from Cal Fire, the US Forest Service and Ventura County was utilized in fighting the fire. No structures were threatened, and no injuries were reported. The Cornell Lab Condor Cam was shut down for a few days to protect the equipment; the Condors were never in any danger. The cause of the fire is under investigation. One theory was the underground geothermal activity in the area that has started vegetation fires in the past. Photo courtesy Sebastian Ramirez.
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James Farr, class of 2012, one of the 29 Continuation Grant recipients receives his award from Scholarship/Grant Committee Member Becky "Sosa" Morales, class of '58.
James Farr, class of 2012, one of the 29 Continuation Grant recipients receives his award from Scholarship/Grant Committee Member Becky "Sosa" Morales, class of '58.
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Back in May, the Fillmore High Alumni Association awarded out $36,000.00 in Scholarships to the Class of 2015 Scholarship winners. This August, they are awarding an additional $19,000.00 to Fillmore High Grads who are continuing their Upper Education in Colleges, Universities, and Trade Schools. The Alumni Association Thanks all their loyal donors, and Alumni Members for their Contributions to our Association. If you’re an Alumni member you can be the first to see a complete list of all this year’s recipients by logging in here http://www.fillmorehighalumni.com/login/

 
 
 
Kevin McSweeney, Planning and Community Development Director
Kevin McSweeney, Planning and Community Development Director

The Fillmore Planning Commission held a joint meeting with the Fillmore City Council on September 8, 2015. There has been a flurry of activity and development in Fillmore over the past year. Planning Department's Kevin McSweeney introduced Maura Macauso who has been working as a consultant for the past six months and is now an employee with the Planning Department. McSweeney then gave a presentation on Fillmore's 2014-2015 progress in residential, commercial and infrastructure.

He began with the light signal planned for the intersection of Mountain View and Highway 126. Cal Trans is now requiring a 3rd plan check. "It's turning into a large project" McSweeney told both the Commission and Council. Cal Trans is now requiring a large 140 ft. retaining wall on the north side of the highway on both east and west sides of Mountain View. All corners will be handicapped accessible, walkways will be heavily marked and wide. "It will be very visible" McSweeney stated. There will be a dedicated turn arrow for traffic in all directions and will have the positive effect of slowing traffic down as it enters town from the east.

Hearthstone Development is paying for half of the cost of the signal which was originally priced at $660,000 but the cost was brought down to half and is now running $330,000.

The second project discussed was the Business Park Master Plan Amendment. Fillmore has in the past asked the original developer of a project to pay much of the Common Area Infrastructure Fees up front before the rest of the project is completed. Then as new developers come on board a portion of the fees they then pay are reimbursed to the original developer.

Due to the CONTINUED »

 
95-year old Lt. Bob Friend is one of the few remaining living legends of the black Tuskegee Army Air Corps.
95-year old Lt. Bob Friend is one of the few remaining living legends of the black Tuskegee Army Air Corps.
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Story and photos by Bob Crum
Lt. Bob Friend
Lt. Bob Friend
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Lt. Bob Friend was in attendance at the recent Wings Over Camarillo air show. At 95 years of age, Lt. Friend is one of few remaining Tuskegee-trained airmen.

Tuskegeeairmen.org explains: “Tuskegee Airmen" refers to the men and women, mostly African-Americans, who were involved in the so-called "Tuskegee Experience", the Army Air Corps program to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors, and all the personnel who kept the planes in the air.”

The Tuskegee Airmen were initially equipped with P-40 Warhawks briefly with P-39 Aircobras (March 1944), later with P-47 Thunderbolts (June-July 1944), and finally with the airplane that they would become most identified with, the P-51 Mustang (July 1944).

During the war, the Tuskegee airmen painted their airplanes identifying colors to identify the four fighter squadrons of the segregated 332nd fighter group.

The colors representing the four fighter squadrons...

Red and yellow cowling represents the 302nd Fighter Squadron.

The A on the side represents the 99th Fighter Squadron.

Yellow banding on the wings represents the 301st Fighter Squadron.

Red fins on the wings represents the 100th Fighter Squadron.

The restored Red Tail P-51C Mustang is the most recognized of the Mustangs. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Red Tail Squadron’s rare P-51C Mustang represents all of the personnel that are now known as Tuskegee Airmen: pilots, bombardiers, navigators, ground crews, mechanics, cooks, ambulance drivers, medical staff, administrative personnel, etc.