Pictured (l-r) Mountain View Principal Chrissy Schieferle, school board member David Dollar and Heidi Popp. Popp was given the “Be the Change” award.
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Pictured (l-r) Cynthia Frutos, David Dollar and Isela Larin. Larin was given the "Be The Change" award for her outstanding career counseling at SHS (Sierra High School).
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The open session of the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board meeting was December 16, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room at the District Office. The Board presented awards to Isela Larin and Heidi Popp, swore in newly elected Board Members, elected a president, received recommendations from the Reconfiguration Committee, discussed fundraising principles, discussed contracts, and heard a facilities update on recent leaks.

Cynthia Frutos introduced Isela Larin on behalf of Sierra High School (SHS). Larin was awarded a "Be the Change" certificate for her outstanding work. She provides career counseling to SHS students, as well as Fillmore High School (FHS) students. Larin received praise for arranging remarkable guest speakers, and helping each SHS student with a plan for life after high school.

Mountain Vista Elementary School Principal Chrissy Schieferle introduced Heidi Popp. Popp was awarded a "Be the Change" certificate. Popp had sought donations for a "coat closet" from Mountain Vista staff, Fillmore Middle School staff, and the community. Schieferle said that Popp had hoped to gather enough coats and clothes to help the needy during the holidays, but collected so much clothes that the "coat closet" will be open year-round.

Board Members John Garnica and Virginia De La Piedra were re-elected in November, and were sworn in for another four-year term at this meeting. The Board elected Garnica to be School Board President, elected Board Member Tony Prado to be Vice President, and elected Board Member Liz Wilde to continue as Clerk. The Board decided to continue holding meetings on first and third Tuesdays. The Board appointed Prado as the School Board Representative on the County Committee on School District Organization. It appointed Superintendent Jeff Sweeney as the Ex-Officio Clerk and/or Secretary, with Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush as alternate. It appointed De La Piedra and Garnica to the Vision 2020 Steering Committee, with Wilde as alternate. It appointed David Dollar to the Agricultural Advisory Committee. CONTINUED »

Patti Walker

The newly elected City Council Members, City Clerk, and City Treasurer were sworn in at the City Council Meeting on December 9, 2008. The Council honored outgoing City officials for their public service, elected the Mayor and Mayor Pro-tem, made appointments to City Council Committees and Outside Agencies, and conducted City business. After intense discussion, the Council decided not to provide a track at the Fillmore Middle School.

City Clerk Shirley Spitler administered the oath of office to Council Members Gayle Washburn, Jamey Brooks, and Steve Conaway. She then administered the oath of office to incoming City Clerk Clay Westling and incoming City Treasurer Norma Gutierrez. Westling then presided over the mayoral election.

The Council elected Patti Walker as Mayor, and Gayle Washburn as Mayor Pro-tem. Laurie Hernandez was also nominated for Mayor Pro-tem, but was not elected.

County Supervisor Kathy Long presented honors to Cecilia Cuevas and Scott Lee. Long noted Cuevas's work on the Library Commission, noted her work with the Red Cross (especially with disaster preparation), and praised her "willingness to take on tough issues and do her homework". Long said that Lee had served for a total of thirteen years, and thanked him for stepping up to fill the vacancy left when a Council Member resigned in March 2007. She noted that his passion for serving the community extended beyond City Council to the Boy Scouts and other organizations.

Walker presented honors on behalf of the Fillmore Friends of the Library. Walker thanked Lee for donating 100% of his Council salary to the Friends, praised Cuevas for her service on the Library Commission, and thanked her for the expanded library hours.

Walker presented proclamations on behalf of former Mayor Conaway and the Council to Lee, Cuevas, outgoing City Clerk Shirley Spitler, outgoing City Treasurer Grace Donahue, and former City Treasurer Angela Mumme, commending and thanking them for their service. The Council recessed for a congratulatory reception with coffee, cookies, and cake.

Jim Higgins from the Higgy Foundation appeared with young people, Alissa Reyes and Joe Salazar, to: thank Scott Lee and Cecilia Cuevas for their service; remind Council Members to be models of honesty and integrity for community youth; and announce that they had provided refreshments for the reception. They requested that the Council meetings start with a prayer, like Congressional and Senate meetings, and that the City have an annual Youth Summit to set community goals. CONTINUED »

Jeff Sweeney
Superintendent Fillmore Unified School District

“Good Day, Recall that the District had filed a writ against the Ventura County Office of Education following a disagreement we had over the interpretation of an Interdistrict Transfer Policy. On Monday, we received the results of the writ hearing. The following will summarize the findings. I have also attached a more in depth informational page.
The writ the District filed asked the judge to rule in two areas: 1) Rule on the interpretation of Education Code… In essence, which Interdistrict Transfer policy should be implemented? The County’s first policy (The one we are currently using and the one that was used four years prior to our implementing it.) or the County’s second policy. 2) Overturn the decision of the VCOE Board regarding four families who were allowed to leave FUSD under the new VCOE Board policy; and in summary…
1) The judge declined to make a decision on whether the County’s first policy (our interpretation) or its second policy was correct. In other words, he did not take a stand on who was right nor interpret the law for either one of us; and
2) The judge ruled that the four families do not need to enroll in Fillmore because the issue is moot and does not need to be resolved. What does this mean? He said the application for the students to leave was for the 2007-08 school year, and that he does not need to rule on this as the school year has passed. He did not consider that the students are enrolled this year at Santa Clara; he only ruled on the narrowness of the fact that the school year in question has passed.
As the court chose not to advise us in this matter, we will continue to use our current interpretation of the policy until further notice.
Fillmore’s Board will discuss this decision in Closed Session next Tuesday. Feel free to contact me or Evalene Townend for more information.”
Enclosed attachment dated December 8, 2008: Fillmore Unified School District, Office of the Superintendent, Writ follow-up:
“The Fillmore Unified School District believed that the Ventura County Board of Education was in error of their jurisdiction when they, in June 2007, reversed their long-standing policy governing Interdistrict Transfers for all Ventura County schools. We believed they based the change of this policy on an erroneous interpretation of Education Code, therefore the need to have the interpretation resolved by the Court. CONTINUED »

Fillmore’s Sharon Palmer owns and operates Healthy Family Farms.

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Tucked away against a hillside three and a half miles down Wheeler Canyon Road outside of Santa Paula, you will find Healthy Family Farms, owned and operated by Sharon Palmer. Sharon moved her farm operation from thirty acres in Fillmore to this 124-acre location about seven months ago, to expand her operation and to take advantage of cooler temperatures. Sharon raises a variety of poultry, including chickens and ducks, plus seasonal turkeys. A large herd of Saanen-Nubian goats provides artisan cheese. Lamb is also seasonal. All animals are fed an organic, vegetarian-based diet, free of corn and soy; they are free-range, meaning they are free to roam within their enclosures and are not confined to “factory farm” type cages. Sharon says they are in the process of adding a greenhouse fodder system in order to become fully sustainable. She is also planning to plant an orchard with apricot and sugar pear trees, where her poultry herds can run around freely.
The Sunday before Thanksgiving, Sharon was hosting “Harvest Day” at the farm. Ventura County residents who had pre-ordered a turkey arrived to pick them up and to wander around the farm on a self-guided tour of the barns, animal facilities, and cheesemaking room. Fresh, organically-grown vegetables for sale were beautifully displayed, along with flower bouquets of fall colors. Eggs and artisan goat cheese were also for sale. Many had made it a family outing; some children were seeing real, live farm animals for the first time. Sharon proudly said that their animals are all cared for like part of the family, and are processed humanely by small processors.
Sharon began humane and organic farming in 2003 after visiting a food processing plant where animals were mistreated and pumped up with antibiotics. She determined to raise food for her own family and for others who appreciated locally- and organically-grown meat, eggs, cheese, and produce. She and her children work the farm together, each having their own daily chores. Sharon sells her farm goods at most area Farmer’s Markets, so you can find her at the Wednesday and Saturday Markets in Ventura and the Sunday Market in Ojai.
Knowing where and how their food is grown and the farmer that grew it is becoming more and more important to many families. Trucking and shipping food products from long distances only increases their costs and degrades their quality. “Buy fresh, buy local” is becoming the new motto. Those of us who live in California and in Ventura County are fortunate to have most everything we need grown right here. Healthy Family Farms is part of this new push for sustainable and local eating, so visit them at a Farmer’s Market soon, or contact them at HealthyFamilyFarms@gmail.com.

City of Fillmore

The city is awaiting a response from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board to its request to pay the $222,000 fine assessed for discharged into the Santa Clara River. Fillmore’s water treatment plant was built in 1955 and is unable to achieve water purity at the level of current standards.
Although construction on the city’s new $33 million treatment plant is about three quarters finished, the fines are not negotiable. Under legislation passed created by California’s Democrats, and passed by former Democrat Grey Davis, the fines are mandatory.
The new treatment plant (to begin operation April, 2009) will prevent any discharge to the river, avoiding any future fines. According to Bert Rapp, Fillmore’s Director of Public Works, the city hopes the (RWQCB) will permit payments on the fine instead of the burden of paying the entire amount immediately. The city has also requested that $115,000 be payable towards a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) instead of the State. A payment schedule would greatly ease the burden on the city’s budget.
Further fines are expected because the city’s old treatment plant cannot deal with the new water quality standards. If we receive heavy rains the fines will be greater. The city has asked that the State Board combine all penalties until they can be processed and settled at once.
Water bills for Fillmore residents are not expected to go up due to these fines. Funds from other accounts will probably be used, including the possibility that money from the general fund would be made available.

Private Tabetha Solorio

2008 Fillmore High School Graduate Tabetha Solorio, 18 years, has graduated from the United States Marine Corps Boot Camp at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD), Parris Island, South Carolina. Tabetha left for Parris Island on August 25, 2008 for a challenging thirteen weeks of military training and graduated on November 21, 2008. In addition to FHS Tabetha also attended Sespe Elementary and Fillmore Middle Schools and enjoyed playing basketball.
Private Tabetha Solorio is the daughter of Maria Barragan of Fillmore and Guillermo Solorio of Arizona. She is the granddaughter of Trinidad Barragan of Palmdale, California and the late Guadalupe Barragan. Private Tabetha Solorio has two brothers; Robert Solorio, 21 years, of Arizona, Adam Solorio, 20 years, of Fillmore and one sister Samantha Valdez, 22 years, of Fillmore. Her Cousin Monique, 2 years old, Fillmore misses her auntie very much and can’t wait to see her after her graduation. She also has seven uncles, 4 aunts and too many cousins to mention that all miss Private Tabetha Solorio very much and are extremely proud of her service.
Today I spoke to a very proud mother, Maria Barragan, and to Private Tabetha Solorio after she returned home from a well-deserved shopping trip to the mall with some of her friends. Private Tabetha Solorio told me she enjoyed Marine Boot Camp and she sounded very excited about her future training as a United States Marine. She is home on leave until December 2nd when she will leave Fillmore for Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for Military Combat Training. She also will complete her Military Occupation Specialty Training (MOS) at Camp Lejeune in Supply and Accounting. Camp Lejeune is the home of "Expeditionary Forces in Readiness" for the past 65 years, and throughout the years, it has become the home base for the II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Logistics Group and other combat units and support commands. Private Solorio anticipates that after her advance training she will be assigned to the East Coast and soon deployed to Afghanistan. CONTINUED »