City of Fillmore

On Tuesday, March 26, 2013 Bill Herrera conducted a Goal Setting Workshop with the Fillmore City Council. The objective of the workshop was setting the City’s priorities with regards to its common goals, both immediate and long standing.

The meeting started at 3:30 p.m. and ended at 6:15pm with less than half of the priorities covered, so a second workshop will be scheduled in the future. The priorities covered so far were broken down into categories: Governmental, Economic, Public Safety and Community Wellness, Public Works, and Infrastructure.

Beginning with Government, the Council prioritized their goals starting with resolving the sales tax issue with the Board of Equalization. The next goal is Council unification, and third is hiring a City Manager. Final goal of Government is to hire a Finance Director.

Ideas also discussed relating to Government were; record retention and staff identifying what records they have, wanting staff reports to be efficient and concise, an open and transparent government, having the Council meet twice a year with joint commissioners, filling vacant staff positions, education of staff on housing element, code of ethics/conduct, landscaping and lighting, Vision 2020, and code enforcement.

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Fillmore Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate Joseph Palacio for receiving Firefighter of the Year for 2012. Thank you for all you do for our community.

It is with great pleasure that I introduce Joseph Palacio as Fillmore’s 2012 Firefighter of the Year. Joseph Palacio was born in 1983 and has been a resident of the City of Fillmore his entire life. Joe’s, parents are Joe & Olivia Palacio and has a younger sister Jolene.

He recently moved to Castaic with his fiancée Vanessa and her son Richie. He attended Fillmore High school and graduated in 2002. During his senior year in high school, his Mother Olivia Palacio worked in the career center, signed him up for a ride along with Ventura County Fire Department station 27 which was his first exposure to the fire service. After the ride along, Joe became a cadet for County Fire station 27 where he learned a lot about the fire service and found his calling for public service. After high school he worked for a type two hand crew for the Las Padre National forest service’s out of Ojai where he learn the skill’s of wildland firefighting. After his first season of wild land firefighting he enrolled in fire tech classes at Oxnard College in 2003. Around that same time Joe became a ride along with the Fillmore fire department. He also worked as a supervisor for a fire prevention crew. Through the Fillmore Fire Department, he had the opportunity to enroll in the Oxnard college fire academy. After the academy, he was hired with the Fillmore Fire Department. Early on he had a passion for training, fighting fire and more importantly helping others. He traveled up and down the State of California to seek training from other agencies and brought back great new concepts and training back to our department. He also attended the Rio Hondo Truck academy and participated in a Truck academy hosted by Oxnard Fire Department. He is currently employed by AMR Ambulance and has been working as an EMT for two Ambulance Company’s for the past 8 years. During his time with Fillmore Fire Department, Joe has promoted up the ranks from firefighter to Engineer and now Captain. He currently is in charge of Engineer’s training where he is very dedicated. Captain Palacio is very dedicated to training not just to be the best firefighter he can be, but to be the safest firefighter he can be, not just for himself but the crews that he work with and the people he serves. In closing, Joe writes, I want to thank everyone in my family, and future family for being behind me and supporting me in this greatest career on earth, The Fire service. I thank God every day for the privilege to help others.

Fillmore Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate Rotary Club of Fillmore for receiving Nonprofit of the Year for 2012. Thank you for all you do for our community.

Rotary Club of Fillmore founded in May 1924
Rotary Club of Fillmore Sun Risers founded in March 1985
Clubs merged January 2013

Combined All-Time Giving to The Rotary Foundation = $152,928.00

Current total active members = 22

Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.

Santa Paula Police Department

On 04-01-2013 Officers from the Santa Paula Police Departments Patrol division attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle which was occupied by a known wanted felon Richard Arellano, who was considered armed and dangerous. As Officers attempted to stop the vehicle in the area of Olive and Santa Paula Streets, the vehicle evaded Officers causing a brief Police pursuit. In the 200 blk of N. 5th Street, the vehicle stopped in the middle of the roadway and at which time, Arellano fled from the right front passengers seat on foot. Officer Potter gave chase after Arellano. During the chase, Officer Potter witnessed Arellano discard a loaded firearm into the backyard of 230 N. 5th Street. Arellano was subsequently apprehended.
Richard Arellano is currently on CDC State Parole and is a documented gang member in the City of Santa Paula.

Wanted subject considered armed and dangerous
Report number: SG1300603
Location: 200 Blk of N. 5th Street
Date & Time: 04-01-2013/1340 hours
Unit Responsible:
Suspect(s): Richard Arellano 21
Victim(s): ?????
Press Release prepared by: Detective Allen Macias
Date and Time release prepared: 04-02-2013/1453
Follow-up contact/investigator: Detective Allen Macias-525-4474X146
Approved By:

Fillmore Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate Deputy Russell Grant for receiving Officer of the year for 2012. We appreciate all you do for our community.

Deputy Russell Grant is a native Californian, born in Canoga Park, California. He is married to his wife Lynda for 18 years this October and they live in the city of Simi Valley and have 4 children: John 12, Alyssa 16, Justin 24 and Christy 29. Lynda Grant has been a Registered Nurse for 20 years and is currently employed by the Simi Valley Hospital Aspen Surgery Center.

Russ was selected for this award by his peers and supervisors from the Santa Clara Valley Substation. Russ is a 13 year veteran and has worked a variety of assignments with the Sheriff’s Office:
Dep. Grant graduated from the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center in July 2000 (Class 2000-1).

Dep. Grant’s first assignment, as is the case with our deputy sheriffs was in our Detention Services Division. He worked as a security deputy at the Todd Road Jail in the unincorporated area of Santa Paula. Shortly after he successfully completed jail training, Dep. Grant transferred to our Court Services Bureau in Ventura and worked there from September 2001 - August 2002. He then transferred back to the Pre-Trial Detention Facility where he was selected to work the Classification / Risk Assessment assignment. This position is for those deputies that have shown the skill and desire to learn more about gang culture, narcotics trafficking, and maintaining the integrity of intelligence information. He worked in this assignment until he was transferred to patrol in 2009.

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Fillmore Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate Laura Todis for receiving Teacher of the Year for 2012. Thank you for all you do for our community.

Overall, Ms. Todis is an exemplary teacher. She is highly organized, professional and knowledgeable about her subject area. She is an outstanding model of teaching and classroom management strategies that promote learning and student achievement. She gets along well with her peers and is a great addition to the SHS “Team” and the Fillmore Unified School District. I always look forward to visiting Ms. Todis’s classroom because she makes Science relevant and fun for all levels of students, thus engaging students in the learning process.

Sierra High School is an alternative high school program for students who have not been successful in traditional high school settings. Since coming to Sierra Ms. Todis has greatly impacted the ability of ALL students to be successful in Science by created a project-based curriculum that is aligned to the State Standards.

Ms. Todis promotes student engagement with Science by making Science “hands-on,” relevant and interesting. In all her courses Ms. Todis brings Science “alive” by taking outside the confines of the classroom. For example, as a part of Ms. Todis’ Environmental Science course Sierra students have designed and created a native plant habitat on the Sierra campus. Students regularly use this habitat as a basis for scientific inquiry and to study scientific concepts.

Ms. Todis inspires students to pursue further education in science and science related careers and has successfully collaborated with the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. She regularly supplements her science courses with guest speakers including local Biologists and field trips that are part of her project based curriculum. Additionally, she encourages students to pursue extra-curricular opportunities in science. Sierra students have been successfully placed in volunteer, intern and employment placements and many have gone on inspired to study science in college.

District-wide, Ms. Todis is spearheading the collaboration with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and K-12 teachers. Her role is to train teachers in aligning their Science Standards with the River Restoration Project that includes teaching students about the natural habitat and conducting scientific experiments and documenting their data. Students and Teachers will track their scientific data and study the impact of Global Warming, Urbanization and other factors on the local habitat.

In her three years at Sierra Ms. Todis has greatly improved the Science program. As a Principal I recognize Ms. Todis’ exceptional ability to inspire students to learn and her potential to model teaching strategies and innovative curriculum to other science teachers.

Sheriff’s Capt. Monica McGrath speaks with property owner Herbert Haase, as he holds the warrant served on him. Haase has refused to spray his citrus grove for the Asian Citrus Psyllid, an invasive, aphid-like pest.
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Warrant served, spraying begins. Sheriff’s deputies served a warrant Tuesday on Fillmore resident Herbert Haase to enter, inspect, and treat his orange grove at Third and B Streets for a citrus pest, Asian Citrus Psyllid. A County worker waits to begin the spraying.
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Tuesday, at approximately 9:15 a.m., Sheriff’s deputies served a warrant on Fillmore resident Herbert Haase to enter, inspect, and treat his orange grove at Third and B Streets for a citrus pest. The fly in the ointment is the Asian Citrus Psyllid, an invasive, aphid-like pest. Although “not a serious problem by itself, it can transmit a devastating bacterial disease to citrus trees. Known as Huanglongbing (HLB), the disease ruins the taste and appearance of citrus fruit, and eventually kills infected trees.” (californiacitrusthreat.org)
Haase was contacted in October of 2012 by Dave Machlitt with the agriculture Department but refused to accept the treatment. Further attempts by the County Agriculture Commission were blocked by Mr. Haase. According to Ventura County Agriculture Commissioner, Henry Gonzales, Haase has resisted several attempts to treat his grove, claiming, among other reasons, his property was not within an 800 meter zone of protection.

At issue is the serious threat to all citrus production posed by the Asian Citrus Psyllid (fly) which, could destroy the citrus industry if left untreated. There is no known treatment once the tree has been infected. Spraying is the only known prevention against this pest and all commercial growers are anxious to cooperate with the spraying program.

The Asian Citrus Psyllid entered the United States from Mexico and is quickly extending its presence north in California, which could devastate the citrus industry. “Tens of thousands of trees in residential yards also are at risk. They, too, will die if infected with HLB...the backyard orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit or tangerine trees might also disappear from Ventura County.” (californiacitrusthreat.org)

Sheriff’s Captain Monica McGrath with approximately 10 Sheriff’s deputies, Commissioner Gonzales and an assistant participated in the warrant service. According to Commissioner Gonzales it would have been far less costly had Haase cooperated initially. If spray is applied in the winter only one application is needed; if in spring or summer, two applications are needed. While the costs to be billed to Haase for the warrant service (County Counsel, Sheriff’s Dept. personnel) are still being tallied, they could be substantial.

Torrey Phillips

A Fillmore man admitted Wednesday to shining a laser beam at the sheriff's helicopter. It happened in December 2011 as the copter was over Fillmore helping ground units look for a gunman in a shooting. 21-year-old Torrey Phillips pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge of shooting at laser at an aircraft plus two special allegations. Phillips shined the laser at the helicopter twice. Following the second incident, the copter had to break off its search for the shooter and return to Camarillo Airport, but not before they got a fix on where the beam came from. Ground units arrested Phillips at his home in the 600 block of Fernglen Circle. Deputies say the pilot, crew chief, and paramedic on board the helicopter that night were all wearing night vision goggles. They say training a laser at an aircraft is dangerous in several ways, including disorienting or blinding the pilot, and, causing severe eye damage to the crew members, especially if they're wearing night vision goggles, as they were that night. Phillips is free on bail until his sentencing on May 16th.

A great deal of last Tuesday’s Fillmore City Council meeting was talking about transportation. Both those who came to give a presentation and those who spoke during public comments addressed Fillmore's transportation needs. Other items on the agenda were a Code of Conduct document and the Mid-year Financial Report.

Ventura County Transportation Commission's (VCTC) Executive Director Darren M. Kettle gave an in-depth presentation on the transportation needs of both the County and the City of Fillmore and where their priorities must be given. Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Minjares is one of 17 members of the Commission Board. The VCTC uses Countywide polling to understand the transportation priorities of its residents, with the number one priority being completing local roads and maintaining them. Second priority is transportation connections in and out of the County; and next the capacity (congestion) and frequency of connection. Fourth is safety, and then planning for growth. Increasing bus routes was at the bottom of priorities.

Kettle explained that the Federal Highway Trust Fund cannot meet its present obligations and will spend $2.5 billion on transportation locally in the next few years. Over the next 30 years the cost is projected to be $4.9 billion with a shortfall of $1.8 billion. This shortfall is due to less tax revenue as more fuel efficient cars require less gas and therefore fewer taxes paid at the pump. To overcome this the State of California may consider one or more of the following; Raise the gas tax ten cents (estimated to raise $2.1 billion at today's consumption rate), tolling express lanes, raising vehicle registration, and/or asking for a 1/2 cent tax measure. Kettle said there is a real possibility of having a toll lane on Highway 101.

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