Daniel Gonzalez, 61, Santa Paula.

Santa Paula man arrested for possession of more than a ½ pound of methamphetamine.

During the past year, deputies received information regarding a local transient, Daniel Gonzalez, selling methamphetamine to area residents. This information came from multiple sources over a 13-month period.

On February 6th, deputies were conducting foot patrol of the district watershed area, in Santa Paula. While conducting their patrol, they contacted Gonzalez, who they suspected of trespassing. During their investigation, they determined Gonzalez was under the influence of a controlled substance and placed him under arrest. While conducting a search of Gonzalez’s personal belongings they discovered 246 grams (8.66 ounces) of methamphetamine.

The deputies arrested Gonzalez for violations HS 11550 Being Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance and HS 11379 Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Sales. Gonzalez remains in custody at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility awaiting arraignment. Gonzalez’s bail has been set at $60,000.00 and he is due to appear in court February 9, 2021.

Nature of Incident: Suspect arrested with over ½ pound of methamphetamine
Report Number: 21-16845
Location: The Santa Clara River Watershed – Santa Paula
Date & Time: February 6, 2021 / 2:00 pm
Unit(s) Responsible: West County Patrol Services – Santa Clara Station
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent
Daniel Gonzalez , 61, Santa Paula
Prepared by: Sergeant Daniel Blanck
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

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).

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services is in the process of updating the Ventura County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The EOP addresses the County’s planned response to emergency situations and natural, human caused or technological disasters, and requires reviewing and updating every three years.

We believe that emergency preparedness is a shared “whole community” responsibility, involving a broad spectrum of community interests, including individual members, businesses, faith-based and other community organizations, academia as well as the media and all levels of government. The public is invited to review the draft EOP and can download a copy by visiting www.ReadyVenturaCounty.org, www.VCEmergency.com or www.VenturaCountyRecovers.org and click on the 2021 EOP Update link at the top of the page.

Nature of Incident: Ventura County Emergency Operations Plan
Date & Time: February 2, 2021
Unit(s) Responsible: Office of Emergency Services
Prepared by: Bill Boyd, OES Emergency Manager
Approved by: Patrick Maynard, OES Director

The Canon circa 1935.
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The Veterans Service Club formed in 1927 in Fillmore, and in July 1928 the Veterans Service Club ordered a cannon as a gift to Fillmore from the Rartian Arsenal in New Jersey. Pictured above is Len Hawthorn firing the Howitzer in 1979.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

The Fillmore cannon? Well, actually, it’s not. It’s a howitzer, probably of French manufacture based on German plans. So how did it get to Fillmore?

In January 1927, a group of Fillmore veterans formed the Veteran’s Service Club. Membership was open to “all men who honorably served in the army, navy or marine corps of the United States or her allies as well as those who have served this country in former conflicts.” The first president of the organization was R. A. Fremlin, who served in the British armed forces during World War I. The American Legion accepted only those who had served in the US military.

The Club grew from a charter membership of 35 to 134 by the end of 1927. The group was active in the improvement of Fillmore, taking on sponsorship of the city park which be created near the Southern Pacific Depot between Main and Santa Clara Streets.

As a gift to the town the VSC ordered a “cannon” from the Raritan Arsenal in New Jersey. As it was war surplus, the “cannon” itself cost them nothing, but they had to pay $150 in for shipping. In July 1928, the “cannon”, a 150mm howitzer arrived was installed in the City Park which at the time was the area in front of the current City Hall.

The “cannon” was not the only thing the VSC were doing in 1928 (although some of their plans were interrupted by the sudden collapse of the St. Francis Dam on March 12/13). They were the sponsor of the spring and fall flower shows, they put on several stage plays. To complete the year, they donated and installed the neon “Fillmore” sign that still can be seen on Central.

The “cannon” was a “mobile” piece and on at least two occasions traveled. One story is that in the early 1950s, some fun-loving Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) moved it to the Wm L. Morris lot, then on Central and Santa Clara. No damage was done and the cannon was returned to its home in the park.

It was a different story in 1974 when a “local prankster” hooked the howitzer up to his pick up and towed down the street. The wheels of the venerable gun broke under the strain. Retired cabinet make Fred Barger was commissioned to repair the wheels, which he did at no charge. The City Works department placed it on the southwest corner of the City Park so visitors were greeted by the “cannon” as the drove up Central Avenue.

The 1994 Earthquake changed many things and so it was with the “cannon”. With the construction of the new City Hall, the “cannon” lost its home. It was also in need of some TLC. Ralph Rees and Basil Dalsem undertook the job of restoring the cannon and when finished, it found its new home at the Veteran’s Memorial Building on 2nd Street where it remains.

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On January 27, 2021, the Ventura Sheriff’s Office, and all the cities that contract police services with the Sheriff’s Office, hosted a gun turn-in. This was an opportunity for citizens to turn in unwanted firearms, replica firearms and ammunition for destruction.

As a result, 60 guns were turned in for destruction as well as 7 replica BB guns and approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Nature of Incident: Gun Turn-In Results
Location: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Thousand Oaks Police Department, Moorpark Police Department, Camarillo Police Department, Fillmore Police Department and the Ojai Police Department
Date & Time: 1/28/2021
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office
Prepared by: Senior Deputy Mike Baker
Approved by: Captain Shane Matthews

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).

Free application webinars offered daily in several languages.

Courtesy City of Fillmore website https://www.fillmoreca.com/Home/Components/News/News/3324/18

Sacramento, CA – California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), today announced that Round 2 of the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program is open.

The $500 million program is intended for small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. Grants range in size from $5,000 to $25,000. Approximately half of the available funds were awarded in Round 1, with disbursement beginning January 22, and the remainder will be awarded to eligible businesses in this second round. The application portal opened at 8:00 a.m. today and will remain open through 6:00 p.m. February 8. Eligible applicants who submitted all necessary documents in Round 1, but did not receive a grant, will be rolled over for consideration in this second round – there is no need to reapply.

"What we are seeing is an unprecedented, urgent need,"said Dee Dee Myers, Director of GO-Biz. "Millions of hardworking Californians, who provide jobs to millions more, need help. Inclusive, equitable relief is fundamental to the small business support this state is providing. Surveys find that without additional funding, more than one in three small business owners will not survive past the next three months, including an astounding 32% of Latinx-owned and 41% of Black-owned businesses. This grant program serves to address an immediate need, but there is so much more that needs to be done. We look forward to the additional grants and loans proposed by the Biden Administration."

California’s small businesses employ nearly half of the state’s private sector workforce and create two-thirds of new jobs. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, studies showed small businesses were facing low cash flow levels – estimating nearly half of all small businesses had only two weeks of cash flow pre-pandemic.

CalOSBA is pleased to share preliminary data from the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program's first round of recipients:
• 77% of selected applicants went to underserved & disadvantaged small businesses, which are businesses owned by minority, women, veteran, or businesses located in rural, low-to-moderate income (LMI), low-wealth, and rural communities (applicant may fit into more than one category).
o 53% of selected applicants are minority-owned businesses,
o 49% of selected applicants are women-owned businesses,
o 14% of selected applicants are business owners in rural areas, and
o 58% of selected applicants are business owners in low-to-moderate income areas.
• 61% of selected applicants are business owners in highly impacted industries including personal care, restaurant & other eating places, child daycare services, retail clothing stores, & specialty foods.
• Small businesses or non-profits in all 58 counties received awards.
The California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant is administered by CalOSBA through a competitive bid award to its intermediary, Lendistry, and its statewide network of community-based lenders and partners. Many of the State-supported small business centers, which prioritize the expansion of technical assistance to underserved business groups, are also available to help small businesses with the application process in multiple languages and formats.

For more information on grant requirements and eligibility, along with links to application tips and webinars, visit CAReliefGrant.com.

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit,www.business.ca.gov.

About CalOSBA
The Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) helps support economic growth and innovation by working to ensure that California’s small businesses and entrepreneurs have the information, tools and resources they need to plan, launch, manage and grow their businesses successfully and be resilient. The CalOSBA serves to elevate their voices in state government and to advocate on their behalf to help ensure all aspiring and current small business owners and entrepreneurs are provided with the opportunity to access capital, access markets, and connect to the networks and resources they need to succeed. For more informationvisit the website.

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Courtesy City of Fillmore Facebook Page

Fillmore is the future home of Mountain View Apartments. Many Mansions partners with the Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura to start construction on their very first affordable housing community in the City of Fillmore.

Mountain View Apartments design influence is inspired by Fillmore’s rich history in rail and agriculture and has a timeless agrarian craftsman style. This beautiful development will feature 42 townhome style units with attached garages and 35 flats and walk-ups for a total of 77 apartment homes. There will be 37 one-bedroom, 21 two-bedroom, and 19 three-bedroom apartments, built as workforce housing for very low- and extremely low-income families.

There are numerous on-site amenities including but not limited to a spacious community room that will host free after school programs for the resident children and family services such as food assistance and life skills training for the adults. Access to on-site County of Ventura library services will also be available for the tenants. This is a new partnership we look forward to bringing to more of our affordable housing communities.

“Many Mansions invests in more than just building apartment homes, we invest in the future of individuals, families and youth through comprehensive whole person support. We will continue to provide affordable housing and support so that everyone can achieve their life dreams.”
– Rick Schroeder, President

There will also be lots of outdoor activities such as a playground, outdoor activity center, barbecue/picnic area, community garden, and a bike and pedestrian paths connecting the property to beautiful downtown Fillmore. This development will be a shining example of a high-quality and well-designed affordable housing and a true community asset.