Fillmore City Manager Yvonne Quiring addressed council with budget recommendations, Tuesday night. Cuts, reductions and reorganization dominated the presentation.

The June 7, 2011 Fillmore City Council meeting started late after a 5:30 closed session concerning former fire Chief Peter Egedi.

The Special Fillmore City Council/Budget Workshop Meeting started at 7:20pm and left many of those in attendance speechless as the anticipated 2012 Budget Overview was laid out. With over 13 full-time and part-time positions on the chopping block, and other income-generating proposals including another water/sewer increase, the costs saving suggestions were the hard reality of the City’s fiscal situation.

City Manager Yvonne Quiring presented a grim presentation of the City’s 2012 finances starting with a mid-year deficit amount of $2.1 million and ending the fiscal year in about the same shape. The bottom line; revenue generated by the City does not cover the expenditures and drastic measures must be taken. Quiring reported this may require reducing service levels, City employee salaries, benefit concessions, fee increases, and using monies from the General Fund Reserve. The City’s fiscal challenges are expected to extend to fiscal year 2013 unless the City obtains some new sources of revenue.

Fillmore’s General Fund Revenues is generated mostly from taxes which amount to about 50% of the fund; then Transfers In at about 30% and the remaining comes from licenses, permits, fines and other revenue. The largest portion of the City’s General Fund Expenditures goes to Public Safety which requires about 66%; next is the General Government at about 20% with the remaining going to Public Works, Community Development and Transfer Out Loans.

The City of Fillmore has hired CONTINUED »

Dorothy Wilson Leland

Dorothy Leland, a graduate of Fillmore High School, has been named UC Merced’s Chancellor. The former Dorothy Wilson, 63, will begin her new position on July 1, 2011.

Leland has a long and stellar career history.

During college at Purdue University, where she received her doctorate, she served in the Peace Corps, working in India with a nutrition program and medical clinic. She was visiting faculty member at CSU Northridge, CSU Chico and UC Santa Cruz. She then returned to Purdue, where she taught and served as the first full-time director of the Women’s Resource Center.

She is now president of Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, GA.

Leland was called one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians”.

A national search was conducted to fill the position. Her annual salary will be $310,000, and a university house and a relocation allowance of $77,500 will be paid her over four years.
Leland said she is thrilled to be returning to her native California and an area which reminds her so much of the 60-acre Fillmore ranch she grew up on.

Deputy Leonardo Vazquez

On May 27, 2011, Kiwanis Clubs of Ventura honored several Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies by presenting them with the service club’s “Officer of the Year” awards. These deputies are being recognized for their outstanding performance and service to the communities they serve while on patrol. The Kiwanis Clubs of Ventura County will be hosting a dinner banquet at the Four Points Sheraton in Ventura.

Deputy Leonardo Vazquez, Fillmore, was selected to receive the award. The recipients are to be commended for their exemplary accomplishments above and beyond their normal duties. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office joins in congratulating this year’s “Officer of the Year” recipients.

The Bardsdale Cemetery held its Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 30th at 11AM. Special recognition was given to Sean Chandler who completed his Eagle Scout project – a Walk of Honor at the Cemetery with a brick walkway honoring those who served our country.

A large crowd turned out to honor the nation’s service personnel and their sacrifice.

Four private single-engine planes flew over early in the ceremony as a salute to those remembered on the national holiday.

Featured speaker this year was Don Gunderson who attended the University of Wisconsin on a Navy ROTC scholarship. Upon his graduation in 1957, he was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy. He later attended the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey where he earned his degree in electrical engineering. During his naval service he had two commands as well as three deployment tours to Viet Nam. Captain Gunderson retired in 1985, after completing four and a half years on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon. During his years of service, Don was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with combat “V” and the Air Medal as well as numerous campaign and unit awards. Don returned to Ventura County in 1985. From November 1990 to November 2002 he served 12 years on the Fillmore City Council, 4 as Mayor, as well as many county boards.

The Rev. Bob Hammond gave the Memorial Service, special music was provided by Jeanie Allred. Also assisting in the ceremony was VFW Post 9637, Boy Scout Troop 406, Cub Scout Troop 3400 and Bob Thompson. The Boy Scouts put out the flags on Friday, May 27th and they were picked up by the Sespe 4H on Tuesday, May 31st.

The Board of Trustees of the Cemetery District are Scott Lee, President, Lynda Edmonds, Secretary, Rita Rudkin, Gabriel Asenas and Dick Diaz.

At Tuesday night’s AR study session, Fillmore Hight School Principal John Wilber spoke to the school board in support of the program.

According to the website of Renaissance Learning, the maker of Accelerated Reader (www.renlearn.com) or “AR” is “the most cost effective successful reading software of all time.” Over 60,000 schools use this program nationwide. In 2010 Renaissance Learning had sales of $130.1 million. The site goes on to state that the software provides “frequent progress monitoring and produces the greatest reading improvement for the least investment.” They also report that AR “is fully supported by scientifically based research.” Another benefit touted of this program is that it builds a lifelong love of reading. Some parents of high school students at Fillmore High School would not agree with that assessment.

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011 the FUSD Board of Education met for a public “Study Session” on AR. Assistant Superintendent Katy Hadley explained, “AR is not a teaching program, it is a reading management program. It is a way for teachers to track the outside reading that students are doing.” The computer-based program has a list of 150,000 books for students to choose from. Each book is rated at a particular reading level and is worth a certain number of points. Depending on their level of reading proficiency (above, below or at grade level) students are assigned a certain number of points they must earn. They earn points by taking a test after they have read a book. At the high school AR is 20% of a students grade in their English class while at the middle school it accounts for 10%. At the elementary level AR points are tied to “prizes” such as stickers, ice cream and parties. Hadley reported that AR came to FUSD in 2000-2001. During that time there has been issues and Task Forces were formed, School Site Councils dealt with it and curriculum committees examined the program. FHS Principal John Wilber began the presentation in support of the AR program stating that the year they brought in AR, “Staff felt that AR was the single thing that we did that made an impact on our school climate to make it more of an academic school.” He stated his belief that it is the “commitment to high expectations in reading” that has led to recent improvements in “performance” at the school. FHS English Teacher Jennifer Fitzpatrick presented a report regarding her department’s support for the AR program. Fitzpatrick was the only representative of the English Department in attendance and found herself charged with defending the program against the brunt of the parent’s frustration. Her report focused on the value of reading in future success and the important contribution that the English Department feels AR makes in creating proficient readers. She informed the Board on the California State Standards, which “mandate that in addition to their regular school reading… students read annually one-half million words by grade 4, one million words [annually] by grade 8, and two million words [annually] by grade 12.” The standards intend that those words come from sources including “a wide variety of classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers and online information.” The AR program aims at getting students to that goal. Fitzpatrick presented an interesting “footnote” to help understand how many words a million actually is. The entire Harry Potter series (seven books) totals 1.08 million words. While the report was aimed at supporting AR, many of the points made to support it refer to “recreational reading” and “the value of free voluntary reading.” Many who spoke to the Board clearly did not feel that AR was “voluntary” when it makes up 20% of the students grade. Approximately 25 parents, some FUSD staff members, and a couple students spoke to the Board regarding their concerns. The concern voiced most often was with AR making up 20% of students grades. At one point Hadley reminded the Board that Board policy and Ed Code “do state that grades given for course work of instruction in our district is determined by teachers of that course” She goes on to state the policy “does further state that parents and guardians should have an opportunity to work with schools in a mutually supportive and respectful partnership so their children are successful in school.” Board Member John Garnica took the floor to begin Board discussion and complemented Fitzpatrick on presenting the position of the English Department but “Where the rub is,” he pointed out “[is in the] implementation…[I think it can be] improved… How can we encourage kids to read in a positive manner?” A brief conversation clarifying that the evening would be spent in an information-gathering vein, Board Member Dave Wilde asked, “Where do we stand in determining [how] teachers [set their grading system]?” Superintendent Jeff Sweeney responded, “It’s a slippery slope” as school board start to meddle in the details of classrooms.

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