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By Anonymous — Wednesday, August 21st, 2013
 City of Fillmore 8/13/13 |
 Breanna Berrington, Fillmore FFA, raised a 1,342 lb market steer that won FFA Grand Champion and overall Grand Champion. “Bentley” fetched $25/lb, $33,550. Enlarge Photo By Bob Crum — Wednesday, August 14th, 2013
Part 1 (Part 2 next week)
 Macie Wokal, Fillmore FFA, raised a 274 lb market swine that was awarded FFA Grand Champion. Auction results: $40/lb, $10,960. Enlarge Photo  Jazmin Olvera, Sespe 4H, raised a 268 lb market swine that was awarded 4H Reserve Grand Champion. Enlarge Photo  Hailee Smith, Fillmore FFA, raised a market swine of 273 lbs which was awarded FFA Reserve Grand Champion. Enlarge Photo  Erin Berrington, Piru 4H, raised a 1,275 lb market steer that was awarded 4H Champion steer, overall Reserve Grand Champion. Enlarge Photo  Silver Perez, Sespe 4H, raised a 273 lb market swine that was awarded the 4H Champion/Reserve Grand Champion. Enlarge Photo Story and photos by Bob Crum Tons of hard work, hours of toil and a little serendipity paid off in a huge way at the Ventura County Fair. Eleven Fillmore, Piru, Bardsdale youngsters raised animals for show and auction that won championships. Incredible! Presented at the Junior Livestock Auction for sale by 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) youngsters were 347 market pigs, 52 market steer, 5 replacement heifers, 47 market goats, 144 market lambs plus a couple chickens, rabbits and turkeys. No peacocks. First chance you get, visit any grocery store of your choice. Go immediately to the meat counter. Aaaah... there it is... lamb. And you have the perfect recipe. About a pound will do. And it's only $225 a pound. Enjoy! Ummm... is there a problem? At the County Fair's Junior Livestock auction the high bid for the Grand Champion market lamb was $225 per pound! (a new record) The lamb weighs 148 pounds. That's a grand total of $33,300. That is how these 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) youngsters pad their college funds. Besides friends and relatives of all description bidding on animals, there are also several large entities the likes of TNT Truck & Crane, AAA Propane, The Wood Claeyssens Foundation and others that buy many animals at the auction. Sometimes they keep the animal. Sometimes it's returned to the youngsters. Most of the time it's donated to Food Share. It's all extraordinarily good! The following are conversations with the 4-H and FFA award winners at the Ventura County Fair. Macie Wokal, 16, Fillmore FFA, raised a 274 lb. market swine that was awarded FFA Grand Champion. Auction results: $40.00/pound; $10,960.00. Did Macie expect to win Grand Champion? “Umm... kind of,” said Marcie, adding “because when I picked my pig the breeder that I bought it from was really, really into it. The breeder is Leonard Cruz. Daisy is her name but turns out Macie didn't come up with her pigs name, her friend Breanna Berrington did. And how was Daisy as a growing pig? “She was pretty easy going,” Macie explained, adding... I used to raise cattle so this was easier for me.” Kind of took a year off? “Yeah,” she said, pretty much but I'll redo cattle next year. Why raise a pig this year? “Because I've been pretty busy... I play softball so this gave me more time to do softball because cows... you have them for like nine months and pigs you only have them for like four,” explained Macie. But there's more to Macie's story. “This the my first year raising a market hog which goes to slaughter so I'm easing my way into slaughter and then I'm going to do a steer next year, she said. Asking for clarification Macie added, “well because I don't really like the slaughter thing so a pig you only have for four months so you don't get as attached but a steer you have for nine months so you get really attached so I'm easing my way... slowly.” Does Macie have plans for the auction proceeds? “Yes, a car, because I just got my (driving) license,” Macie quickly said. Macie's future plans? “Graduate high school and attend Cal Poly (California Polytechnic State University), San Luis Obispo to become an ag teacher.” Not surprised! Silver Perez, 16, Sespe 4-H, raised a 273 pound market swine that was awarded the 4-H Champion/Reserve Grand Champion. Porky's name is CONTINUED » |
 Alumni Association Board members Corinna “Chandler” Mozley, Mark Ortega, and Maria “Diaz” Kilgore are pictured with Ventura County Supervisor Kathy Long for a presentation of a 100 year congratulatory Proclamation on June 11th. Enlarge Photo By Anonymous — Wednesday, August 14th, 2013
On June, 11th, 2013, the Fillmore High School Alumni Association received a proclamation from County Supervisor, Kathy Long, and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. It was presented to the Association during the week of their 100th year celebration which was highlighted by a beautiful dinner celebration on the evening of June 15th, 2013 at the Veterans Memorial building. The Alumni Assoc will be at Central Station this Friday evening from 5:00pm to 9:00pm during "Flashback Fridays" in beautiful Downtown Fillmore, and will have their commemorative 100th year Wine glasses available for a small donation of $5.00 for each glass. Congratulations to the Fillmore High School Alumni Association. Onward and Upward to the next 100 years! Whereas, the first graduating class of Fillmore High School was in 1911 with four graduates: Mabel Arthur, Mary Cummings, Sarah King and Albert Wicklund; and |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, August 14th, 2013
08/6/13 |
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By Jean McLeod — Wednesday, August 7th, 2013
Well it's that time again, when the school bell rings on August 15th and classes begin. Tuesday's Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board meeting was the first of the 2013-2014 school year and with it came some changes. Those changes include 20 new certified staff members and new principals. Fillmore Middle School has hired six new teachers in various subjects: math, physical education, special education, language arts and two in history. Fillmore High School has a new Vice Principal, Joann Dabbs and San Cayetano a new Principal, Trisha Gradies, along with five new teacher; Kelly Sebek 1st grade, Marie Enriquez k-1st, Lucy Sevenson, Alisa Mitchel, Gaby Lopes, Special Education Severally Handicapped. Adding to the lineup is the new Secretary/Executive Assistant Irma Mendez who moved here from San Diego to be part of FUSD staff. Another new face at the board meeting was the new Student Representative/Speaker of the House Kiana Hope, a senior at Fillmore High School. Hope informed the Board that freshman orientation went smoothly but there were less Student Ambassadors to help with the orientation and more freshman students participate this year than had in the past. One of the biggest changes to the district is the opening of the new school, Rio Vista Elementary. The new school begins with 530-550 students and 25 classrooms: three kindergarten, one music, one science and 20 for 1st through 6th grades. About 60 of the new students will have transferred over from Sespe Elementary due to new school boundary lines. The new Principal, Victor Torres, has taught from elementary grades to high school. His resume includes Granada Hills High School along with working in Palmdale at a turn around school as an assistant principal and today is also a board member at Castaic Unified School District. The School Budget is not as healthy as once believed stated Assistant Superintendent Earl Davis and is still a work in progress. Davis informed the Board of the difference in funding from what Governor Brown had originally proposed saying the bill..."went through a rush with 25 transitional bills that followed....like peeling an onion, what was promised is not as much as once believed...part of the increase was money we were already getting” adding that the expected increase will be over a long period of time and depend on the State economy and budget. He then cautioned stating, "We do not want to add things that in the long run the money isn't there." Reducing class size and the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) out of Sacramento was discussed. Class reduction goals began in 1996 under Governor Pete Wilson when the state was enjoying a budget surplus. The goal was to reduce class size in early grades (k-3rd) to 20 students. But the state budget in recent years has unraveled the program, which gave a generous subsidy of more than $1,000 per student, with schools contributing part on the money if class size was maintained under 21 students. In 2009 the California Legislature gave districts the right to raise class size to over 25 student and still get 70 percent of the subsidy they had been receiving. The Federal Stimulus dollars helped keep the program afloat for a few years, but those dollars have long since dried up and Gov. Brown is proposing to eliminate the protected funding for the program. Fillmore Superintendent Dr. Alan Nishino told the Board it was another unfunded mandate by the State and that if FUSD could bring the class enrollment down by one student the District could qualify for the additional funding, but the District may be in no position to make those adjustments without jeopardizing other needed items. Under the new formula, district receive the bulk of their funding based on average daily attendance in four grade spans which recognize the generally higher cost of education at higher grade levels. According to the Legislative Analyst's Office LCFF works out per student per year: k-3rd grade $6,845; 4th-6th grade $6,947; 7th-8th grade $7,154; 9th-12th $8,287. If a district reduces class size and qualifies the base adjusted increase would be 10.4% for K-3rd and 2.6% for 9th-12th grades. But for school districts with 50% or more English Language learners enrolled the increase generates a 50% adjustment in the rate according to the Legislative Analyst's report (http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2013/edu/lcff/lcff-072913.aspx). But as Nishino stated, "It's an unfunded mandate" so there is no guarantee the funds will come through. Board Member Lucy Rangel questioned why the sports fees have doubled this year. She was not given a direct answer but was told the students could fundraise and that she would be receiving an informational report on school policy from staff in the future to answer her question. State policy states that no child shall be required to pay or turned away for not paying. Nishino responded, "We need to know where the money goes" adding that the law comes first then the school policy. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, August 7th, 2013
 A very large Pine-variety tree fell on this Dodge truck and a car Wednesday, July 31st at 10pm. A pedestrian reported hearing a cracking sound and seeing the large limb break at its base. The tree is on the Fillmore Baptist Church property at C and First Streets. Enlarge Photo |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Wednesday, August 7th, 2013
07\30\13 – 08\05\13
 Ventura County Sheriff's Department 7\30\13 |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, July 31st, 2013
July 30, 2013 at approximately 6:53 pm, a motorcycle traveling approximately 65 miles per hour westbound on Main Street at Saratoga Street collided with a Honda Civic that was making a left turn from Saratoga Street onto eastbound Main Street. The collision occurred in the intersection causing the driver (29) and passenger (29) of the motorcycle to be ejected. The driver of the motorcycle was wearing a helmet and sustained moderate injuries. The driver of the motorcycle was transported to the Ventura County Medical Center for treatment. The passenger on the motorcycle, 29-year-old Francisco Andrade, of Fillmore, was not wearing a helmet, sustained major injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver (24) of the Honda Civic sustained minor injuries and was transported to Santa Paula Hospital for treatment. The other passengers in the Honda Civic did not sustain any injuries. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office will be conducting an investigation to determine the cause of death. At this time the cause of the collision is under investigation. The Fillmore Police Department and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the collision to call the Fillmore Police Department at 805-524-2233. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, July 31st, 2013
 On July 24, 2013 three Military Banners were installed. David Lomeli (Army), Ashley VanWinkle (Airforce), Nicholas Paz (Navy). If you have a family member in the military and would like to have a banner installed please contact Virginia De La Piedra for infomration. Enlarge Photo |
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By Mark Ortega — Wednesday, July 31st, 2013
 Fillmore High Alumni Association Besides the fourteen scholarships awarded to members of the 2013 graduating class from Fillmore High, the alumni association has also awarded 19 $1000 Continuation Grants to former Fillmore High graduates who are continuing their education at universities, colleges or technical schools. Receiving these grants for the 2013-2014 school year are: Anthony Chavez, 2010 graduate who is attending U.C. San Diego, majoring in Political Science; Corey Cole, 2011 graduate who is attending Concordia University in St. Paul, MN, majoring is Physical Education and Elementary Education; Sean Conaway, 2007 graduate, attending B. Y. U. majoring in Business Management; Amy De La Piedra, 1993 graduate attending Moorpark College working for her Registered Nursing degree; Vincent Ferguson, 2009 graduate, attending Cal State Channel Islands, majoring in Mathematics; Jaymee Harter, 2009 graduate, attending Cal State Northridge, majoring in Public Health Promotion; Chloe Keller, 2011 graduate, attending Cal State Channel Islands, majoring in Liberal Studies; Jaynessa Lopez, 2012 graduate, attending Cal Lutheran, majoring in Biology; Kelsey MacDonald, 2010 graduate, attending San Diego State, majoring in Public Health; Kellsie McLain, 2010 graduate, attending U.C.L.A., majoring in American Literature;Moneh Magdaleno, 2010 graduate, attending Vanguard University, majoring in Psychology with a Religion minor; Roberto Munoz, 2012 graduate, attending Grinnell College, majoring in Psychology; Mariah Perez, 2011 graduate, attending Cal State Bakersfield, majoring in Criminal Justice; Grace Simon, 2011 graduate, attending Cal State Northridge, majoring in Communications Disorders;Troy Spencer, 2011 graduate, attending Cal Lutheran, majoring in Accounting; Karissa Tarango, 2011 graduate, attending Cal State Northridge, majoring in Psychology; Jenna Wilber, 2012 graduate, attending Westmont College, majoring in Liberal Studies; John Wilber, 2012 graduate, attending Ventura College, major undecided; Riley Wright, 2011 graduate, attending Cal State Channel Islands, majoring in Liberal Arts. Upon enrolling for the fall term at the school of their choice, recipients are to send proof of enrollment at the school, along with a short note letting the Scholarship Committee know how the first few weeks of college have gone for them. At this time, one half of their grant will be sent. The second half will be sent upon their enrolling for the second semester. |