El Dorado Mobile home owner Charles Richardson told the Council the park subdivision would price the cost of his unit and others out of the sellable market.
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There was standing room only at the first Fillmore City Council Meeting of 2015. The four hour meeting had a number of items, some were continuing such as the El Dorado subdivision, the leasing of the Fillmore Senior Center and increased improvement of Fillmore's Energy Action Plan. Others were new items; addressing future demands for potable water, and renewal of the Waste Discharge Requirement Permit.

The first item addressed was the question of renewing the lease of the City's multi-use building known as the Senior Center to the nonprofit Fillmore Senior Center Inc. (FSCI).

At the December 9, 2014 Council meeting former Council Member and President of FSCI Patti Walker addressed the Council claiming the English speaking classes arranged by the City had encroached on areas used by the seniors. FSCI themselves have offered Spanish classes, but not English. Walker also remarked on FSCI's displeasure with the Council not waving the rental fees for events such as Bingo.

On December 17, 2014 the City received a letter from former Council Member Gayle Washburn who threatened a lawsuit citing that lease discussions had been done in closed session, saying it was a Brown Act violation. There were also accusations that the Council had not disclosed the date and time when the lease discussions had taken place. Council Member Rick Neal answered the accusations informing those present that the discussions were always announced with all the other agenda items and that lease issues are always done in closed session to which City Attorney Tiffany Israel added that a lease is a real estate item and must be discussed in closed session.

During Public Comments Jean Westling, Joanne King, Gayle Washburn, Gloria Hanson and Patti Walker spoke to the Council to plead with them to reconsider the lease, but not all were conciliatory in trying to win over the Council and went so far to call the move by the Council a "hostile takeover."

City Manager David W. Rowlands reminded those in attendance of the six to seven months of discussions regarding the lease and that the City is not eliminating any adult activities or closing the doors. There are plans for a future Adult Advisory Board which will take about seven month to put together a program. He then added, "We're looking to improve on the programs." Council Member Rick Neal commented that when the City first took over the Equestrian Center everyone seemed against it. But after the program was in place he received many emails stating what a great move it was and how happy everyone is with the changes.

Council Member Diane McCall responded, "The City isn't looking to close the Senior Center, we're looking to enhance it." All Council Members agreed they are excited about this change and that it is a good time for the City to help enhance those programs and a chance to be a united front with everyone going forward. Council Member Manuel Minjares told those present, "We by no means want to take away programs. It is our wish to move forward with improving existing programs." Mayor Doug Tucker added, "Our seniors are a strong asset...it is not a hostile takeover. We want to partner with the Senior Center. Our intentions are very positive. We want to see classes continue."

Minjares then made CONTINUED »

Adrian Moreno

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Today marks the one year anniversary of the death of a dear son, nephew, grandson, friend and wonderful human being. What is a one year memorial anniversary supposed to be like? How do his family and friends honor his memory when his life was taken from him and his murderer is still not known, or in prison?

As the family and friends of Adrian Moreno, who was tragically and unexplainably shot on January 11, 2014 in Fillmore, we have asked ourselves these and many more questions, and will continue to do so for many years to come. We join those parents and families who have lost a loved one to the senseless act of gun violence.

Like these families, however, we must be present for Adrian every day. We do not forget him on holidays, birthdays, vacations, parties, concerts, school night … weekends, or weekdays. Adrian Moreno loved life. As an 18 year old, recent high graduate, he was about to pursue a college career in music production, he was/is a karate brown belt, played baseball, football and ran cross country in college. He was/is the admired and caring oldest brother of a 15 year old sister and a 6 year old brother. Hundreds of friends came to his funeral memorial to pay their respects. He is remembered fondly for his kindness, intelligence and ambition.

Like the many families who have lost a child, we must also ask why this happened and what we can each do to prevent another family from losing their child to gun violence. In 2014 there were over 51,000 incidents in the U.S. involving gun violence, resulting in 12,544 deaths, which include 2,339 teens (12-17) killed or injured.1 Since January 1, 2015 there have been 551 incidents.

Each of us has a responsibility to these teens and adults killed by gun violence to report suspicious behavior to prevent a death before it happens. Like the citizens of Washington who this December, passed initiative 594, which requires criminal background checks on all firearm sales and transfers in the state, including gun shows and the internet, we must purse the same actions in each of our states. We must take to the streets and show our passion for the lives of our children and families, and to show our communities and the world that we care about the fate of our families and society.

This is how we honor our lost sons and daughters. This is what our lost sons and daughters, and those that are alive to remember them would want us to do. On January 11, 2015, we will remember Adrian Moreno for the remarkable person that he was, and will honor him along with all those lives like his which were lost to senseless gun violence. We will let him hear us talk about his acts of kindness, goals, and challenges with friends and family. He will be with us as we eat our meals, laugh, cry, become angry, tired and ultimately end the day exhilaration of another day ahead. He will be with us and we will celebrate his life forever.

A $22,500 reward is being offered for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person (s) responsible for this crime. Rewards funds are generously donated by the City of Fillmore, the law firm of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly, LLP, and the Fillmore Unified School Teacher’s Association.

Or if you would like to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 805-384-4730.

For more information and to make donations please visit www.adrianmatters.com.

http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/tolls/2014

A group of concerned citizens and the Fillmore City Council deserve a big thank you. The Fillmore Bicycle Pump-track located at Two Rivers Park next to the skate park came at no cost to the City. It has taken a little more than a year for the two acre site to be completed and is expected to have a soft ribbon cutting ceremony in March.

According to Councilman Rick Neal, "The response has been overwhelming. People from out of town have come to Fillmore to use the track. It will really add to our tourism."

The track is the only one in Ventura County. The next closest track in Southern California is a private one in Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez with the closest public track located in San Diego. "Pump-tracks are popular in Europe" according to Parks and Recreation Commissioner Chano Ibarra, who believes the uniqueness will bring tourists and sports events to Fillmore.

The track is a continuous circuit of dirt rollers, banked turns, berms and jumps that loop back on itself as the riders propel themselves by shifting their body weight to gain momentum; similar to one shifting their weight in a swing to propel higher. The pumping allows the rider to propel forward without having to pedal. As the bike moves up and down and sideways the rider's goal is to keep the torso, the center of the body's mass, in as straight of line as possible and as quickly and fluidly as possible. It is a sport for all ages and challenges the participant requiring a great deal of energy and exercise in a short amount of time.

The new bike park is a fun family environment and a safe off-street place to learn to ride, practice and increase cycling skills and designed to accommodate up to 10 riders at a time. The drawbacks are the weather, particularly hard rains. The track must be completely dried out before it can be used and needs attending to about once a month, clearing rocks and weeds.

This all began with Ibarra's idea of building the pump-track to increase the sports activities available in Fillmore. He, along with Jason Foy and Vivian Madena, created the Ride Heritage Valley (RHV) organization. The group procured a donation from Pacific Coast Web Design (Danielle) who created the website and logo for RHV: http://rideheritagevalley.weebly.com/ and the project proceeded from there.

Ibarra's friend Jimmy McIlvain, who lives in Santa Clarita and has a completed track in his back yard, invited Councilmember Rick Neal and others to see what a bump-track consisted of and whether it would be an asset to Fillmore. RHV's idea was presented to the Fillmore City Council on December 13, 2013 and all agreed that the bike pump-track should go forward.

Using donated funds, Ibarra purchased pump-track plans for a residential back yard and presented them to his friend Hans Keifer, owner of Bellfree Contractors Inc. out of Los Angeles. Keifer redesigned the smaller back yard plans to plans for a public park and donated the finished work to Fillmore; an estimated donation of up to $12,000. Bellfree Construction has completed close to 200 paved and natural bridle trails and paths along with numerous bridges and viewing platforms for cities, counties, states and private endeavors, but this is the first bike park design for the company and a new addition to their portfolio.

Rick Neal, who was Mayor at the time, approached Fillmore resident Grant Taylor, owner of MG Taylor Equipment, about the needed heavy equipment. Taylor agreed to donate approximately $25,000 of heavy equipment including backhoes, forklifts, bulldozers, loaders and volunteers agreed to the labor needed to operate the equipment. It took three weeks of work, on and off, and a large work crew to grade the site to a 1% slope which allows rain water to be cast off at a speed slow enough to not create crevasses and fast enough to not puddle. According to Ibarra "With all the recent rain the drainage worked great, it was close to zero, almost perfect."

The rock and soil, with a price tag of $9,832, was donated by Rusty Cochran, owner of Grimes Rock Inc. Trucks worked daily nonstop for a week delivering and placing the 1,500 tons of export soil (mixture of sand and clay) needed to build the continuous circuit of dirt rollers, berms and jumps. More volunteers worked numerous days using hand tools to produce the finished track.

When asked what was the projects most difficult hurdle, all agreed it was coordinating the volunteer labor and donated items. Without the incentive of being a paid customer, things get done when available and that took a great deal of cooperation by everyone involved.

RVH was adamant that a special "thank (you to) the current Fillmore City Council, Parks Commission and Fillmore City Staff, especially Rick Neal, Rigo Landeros, David Smallwood and Annette Cardona for all their input. They have all been very supportive and forward thinking in bringing a project like this to Fillmore..... and there were two CORBA members who have been super supportive. They are Mark Langton (former CORBA president) and Steve Messer (current CORBA president)." But the project would not have been such a success if RVH had not put the idea forward in the first place.

Taylor stated, "The track is a great for the community and for the youth. They'll have something to do to keep them out of trouble" and added that there is still a bit more shaping of jumps to be completed. Jeremy Combs, an experienced bike rider who lives in Ventura, tested the track and gave recommendations for improvements of the berms and jumps. There are also a few items still needed to complete the overall track; ladder drops with wooden features, a teeter-totters platform, seating, picnic benches and shade trees. They continue to need donations to complete it.

Weather permitting and donations for the final needed items, the park is expected to be completed by March. Ibarra stated that May is Bike Safety Month and it is hoped there may be an event opening.

To view a video: https://vimeo.com/116016980

Their Facebook page: RideHeritageValley-RHV and to donate to the parks construction: FBP: http://www.gofundme.com/axz0cs

US National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard

January 7 at 5:13pm

The City of Fillmore in Ventura County was the hottest spot in the nation today with a high temperature of 87°. Several sites throughout Southern California were right behind Fillmore at 85°, including Downtown Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, Burbank, Pasadena, San Gabriel, Camarillo, Yorba Linda, Fullerton, and Lake Forest.

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Since October 2014, numerous late night and early morning commercial burglaries have occurred in various cities throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara and Northern Los Angeles Counties. It is believed the same suspects are responsible for the crimes. The suspects are targeting commercial buildings and taking primarily Apple computers and laptops.

We are asking for the public’s help in identifying the subjects in the attached photos, which were taken from video surveillance from one of the recent crimes.

Anyone with information on the crimes or the below pictured suspects is urged to call Sgt. Jason Robarts at (805) 947-8108 or Jason.robarts.Ventura.org

Nature of Incident: Public’s help needed to identify tri-county burglary crew
Report Number: 14-25727
Location: Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles County
Date & Time: Sept 2014- Dec 2014
Unit(s) Responsible: Thousand Oaks Police Investigations
Prepared by: Sgt. Jason Robarts #2948
News Release Date: 01/12/2014
Media Follow-Up Contact: Sgt. Jason Robarts (805)947-8108
Approved by: Captain Reilly

SACRAMENTO - Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer, announced today the first confirmed influenza death of a person under the age of 65 reported for the 2014-2015 season. This fatality of an adult resident of Southern California is a somber reminder that influenza can be a serious and often deadly disease. Influenza activity remains at a regional level in California.

“Flu activity is beginning to increase statewide, including reports of hospitalizations and severe disease,” said Dr. Chapman. “We are early on in what could be a severe flu season, and I encourage everyone who has not yet gotten a flu vaccination to do so. The influenza vaccine remains the most effective way to protect yourself from the flu.”
Influenza is already widespread in 43 other states and there have been 21 pediatric influenza deaths nationwide so far this influenza season.
CDPH continues to monitor flu activity statewide and the availability of vaccine and antivirals, as well as hospital capacity. Influenza-related deaths in people under 65 years are reportable to CDPH.

Dr. Chapman also notes that in addition to getting vaccinated, it's important to practice good hand washing and other good health habits. People who are ill should take actions to stop the spread of germs such as:
• While sick, stay home and limit contact with others
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based rub
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
Those at highest risk of severe influenza – the elderly, pregnant women, infants, or people with other health conditions – who show flu symptoms should contact their physician immediately in order to get the most effective treatment for influenza. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.

Visit a flu vaccine location near you to get immunized. Some local health departments may also offer free or low-cost immunizations.

For more information on influenza and other respiratory disease surveillance reports visit: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/data/statistics/Pages/CISPDataArchive.aspx.

Sacramento – California Department of Public Health has been notified of seven confirmed cases of measles in patients from five different locations within California it was reported today by Dr. Ron Chapman, CDPH director and state health officer. Two Utah resident cases have also been confirmed and three additional California residents are also suspected to have measles and are under investigation. All confirmed and suspect cases reported visiting Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park in Orange County, California sometime between December 15th and December 20th, 2014.

Based on information from current cases, it is likely that a person infectious with measles was at one of the theme parks on these dates. People can be infectious with measles for 9 days. Measles typically begins with fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes and within a few days a red rash appears, usually first on the face and then spreads downward to the rest of the body. Measles is a highly infectious, airborne disease.

“If you have symptoms, and believe you may have been exposed, please contact your health care provider,” said Dr. Chapman. “The best way to prevent measles and its spread is to get vaccinated.”

Measles has been eliminated in the United States since 2000. However, large measles outbreaks have occurred in Western Europe, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Philippines in recent years. Travelers to areas where measles is endemic can bring measles back to the U.S., resulting in limited domestic transmission of measles. Disney and other theme parks in California are international attractions and visitors come from many parts of the world, including those where measles is endemic.

Two doses of measles-containing vaccine (MMR vaccine) are more than 99 percent effective in preventing measles. Measles vaccines have been available in the United States since 1963, and two doses have been recommended since 1989. If you are unsure of your vaccination status, check with your doctor to have a test to check for measles immunity or to receive vaccination.

The California confirmed cases reside in five local health jurisdictions (Alameda, Orange, Pasadena, Riverside, and San Diego) and range in age from 8 months to 21 years. Six cases were unvaccinated for measles (2 were too young to be vaccinated), and 1 had received appropriate vaccination (two doses of MMR vaccine). Several large contact investigations are ongoing.

Health care providers treating patients with fever and a rash should consider measles, and ask patients about travel to international destinations and domestic venues that are popular with international travelers.

More information about measles can be found on the CDPH website.

Alfonso Vargas, Fillmore, 35

On the evening of New Year’s day, Alfonso Vargas attended a party on the 1100 block of Mockingbird. While at the party, he produced a hand gun and fired 4 to 6 shots into the backyard of the residence. Neighbors reported hearing the gun fire and called for police assistance. Deputies responded and identified Mr. Vargas as the suspect in the illegal shooting.

Mr. Vargas was located at the party in possession of a semi-auto hand gun at the time the deputies made contact. Mr. Vargas was arrested and charged with 243.3(a) PC, Negligent Discharge of a Firearm and 30305 (a) (1) PC, A Person Prohibited from Possessing a Firearm. He was booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Facility.

The public is reminded that firing firearms in celebration of the holidays and other events is a crime and always dangerous. This is especially true in areas with greater population density like our cities and rural communities.

Nature of Incident: Recklessly Discharging a Firearm During the Holiday Season
Report Number: 15-000052
Location: 1100 block of Mockingbird Lane
Date & Time: January 1, 2015 @ 20:580 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Police Department
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S) Vargas, Alfonso Fillmore 35
Prepared by: Dave Wareham, Captain
News Release Date: January 2, 2015
Media Follow-Up Contact: Javier Chavez, Detective- 805-524-2233
Approved by: John Reilly, Captain

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 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).

Monica McGrath

Commander Monica McGrath has been selected as the new Chief of Police for the City of Camarillo by City Manager Bruce Feng. McGrath will replace Commander Guy Stewart, who is being promoted to Assistant Sheriff and will lead the Sheriff’s Special Services Division and Detention Services Division.

Commander McGrath is a 27-year member of the Sheriff’s Office. Born and raised in northern New Jersey, she attended Trenton State College and earned her bachelor’s degree in Administrative Business Management in 1985. Commander McGrath moved to Ventura in 1986 and joined the Sheriff’s Office in 1987. She spent a majority of her career working in the contract City of Camarillo in various positions such as patrol deputy, youth officer, detective sergeant, and as the captain of the station serving under then Commander Steve DeCesari.

McGrath has also served as the Chief of Police in Fillmore. In addition her experience includes working as a sexual assault investigator, academy training officer, internal affairs investigator, property crimes detective sergeant, and overseeing patrol operations as a watch commander.

She was promoted to the rank of commander in March 2014 and has been leading the West County Patrol Services Bureau, which includes the contract cities of Fillmore and Ojai, the Lockwood Valley Station, the Headquarters Station, the Sheriff’s Communication Center and the Office of Emergency Services.

Throughout her career, Commander McGrath has been involved in many community based organizations including Rotary, Interface Children and Family Services, Executive Board Member of the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, the Santa Clara Valley Boys and Girls Club, and serves on the Ventura County Community Commission. Some of her accomplishments involve working closely with the community based organization City Impact of Ventura County. Together, they applied for and were awarded grants to combat gang violence and to utilize intervention efforts to encourage at risk youth to stay away from the gang culture.

In 2005, Commander McGrath graduated from the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute. While assigned to Camarillo and working in various assignments through the rank of captain, she was awarded Rookie of the Year, Kiwanis Officer of the Year, and the Community Hero award from the United States Air Force Thunderbirds.

Nature of Incident: New Chief of Police in the City of Camarillo
Location: Camarillo, CA
Date: February 2015
Unit Responsible: Sheriff’s Administration
Prepared by: Sheriff Geoff Dean
News Release Date:
Media Follow-Up Contact: December 30, 2014
Sheriff Geoff Dean (805) 654-2381