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By Ventura County District Attorneys Office — Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
Police request public’s assistance
 Ventura County Sheriff's Department On June 4, 2012, the Fillmore Police Department was dispatched to the area of Meadowlark Drive and First Street for 3 male suspects attacking a male victim who was on the ground and in a fetal position. The juvenile victim was kicked in the head during the attack. The person reporting the crime was an off duty police officer. The suspects fled in a vehicle away from the scene. The off duty police officer obtained enough information regarding the suspect vehicle before he lost sight of the vehicle. The Fillmore Police Gang Unit investigated the crime and learned the suspects are members of a graffiti “tagging crew” and the victim was from a rival “tagging crew.” Witnesses to the crimes identified the suspects involved in the attack. The Juvenile victim received a concussion, laceration to his head, and abrasions to his arms and face during the attack. On June 12, 2012, The Fillmore Police Department’s Gang Unit and Investigations Unit served multiple search and arrest warrants at the suspects’ residences. The three suspects were arrested without incident and additional evidence was located at the residences. All three suspects CONTINUED » |
 The bicyclist, Mr. Guadalupe Cruz, succumbed to his injuries sustained in this collision. The investigation is ongoing and anyone who might have witnessed the accident is asked to contact the Fillmore Police Department/Sergeant Aguirre (805) 524-2235. Enlarge Photo By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Thursday, June 7th, 2012
On the morning of June 6, 2012, at 8:27 A.M., the Fillmore Police Department, Fillmore Fire Department / Medic Unit, and American Medical Response (AMR) responded to the intersection of Ventura Street and C Street for an injury traffic accident. Initial reports were that a tractor-trailer had collided with a bicyclist in the intersection. The bicyclist, Mr. Guadalupe Cruz was treated at the scene and immediately rushed to Ventura County Medical Center via AMR. Later that same day, at approximately 4:41 P.M., Mr. Cruz succumbed to his injuries sustained in this collision. The investigation is ongoing and anyone who might have witnessed the accident is asked to contact the Fillmore Police Department/Sergeant Aguirre (805) 524-2235. Nature of Incident: Serious Injury Traffic Collision – Update - Fatal 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). |
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By Jean McLeod — Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
 At Tuesday’s Council meeting City Manager Yvonne Quiring presented the 2012-2013 Budget. Councilman Steve Conaway asked Quiring for specifics about laying off employees, only to replace their positions with temps and consultants, including cost savings if any. That data was not reflected in the budget. Quiring said, “It’s not as straight forward as you think…we’ll get you what we can.” The Gazette will print that information for public knowledge when it is made available. Tuesday, June 05, 2012 Fillmore’s City Manager presented the City Council an overview of the 2012-2013 Budget. The special meeting was the first of four workshop hearings to discuss major changes that Fillmore will have to adjust to in one way or another. The budget meetings will continue every Tuesday in June and possibly be adopted on June 26, 2012. As had been disclosed at previously council meetings and repeated by City Manager Yvonne Quiring on Tuesday, Fillmore’s expenditures have been greater than its revenue for four years running, and with little reserves left, the City is running out of options. Quiring gave a grim view of where the City stands; more layoffs, employee concessions, park closures and possibly another ballot tax measure being considered. Finance Director Glenda Jay described best, “This is like the perfect storm” referring to so many negative things happening at once; the abolishment of the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) by the State, tax money being held back by the Board of Equalization due to litigation/appeals over sales tax agreements that are in dispute, increase in operating costs and the economy/recession resulting in less property tax revenue. The City can no longer provide the service level even after the layoffs just recently. This second round of layoffs will mean that the City will have cut its staff by 50% in two years. The positions being proposed for layoffs are: administration (1); Community Development (1.5); Community Services (1); Finance (1.25) Public Safety/North Fillmore Storefront (.25); Public Works (3). These proposed layoffs are based on seniority. Thus employees with the least amount of service in some positions will be those laid-off. Also, employees who are bumped back to lower positions will be paid at the lower positions’ rate. The City Council authorized lump sum payment of $3,507 for seven months of medical insurance to unrepresented employees who may be laid off. Another part of CONTINUED » |
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By Dick Diaz — Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
When I received the email from Susan Golson to write an article for the Fillmore Gazette on the upcoming California Honey Harvest Festival to be held on June 9th and 10th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm I didn't think it would be a very interesting article to research and write! I have to admit did I ever find that to be a false assumption on my part! I started my research on their very informative and professionally presented website and then made a visit to their farm to meet with Susie Alvary, Bennett's Honey Farm's Office Manager and a very knowledgeable person about the honey production business. I found my visit to Bennett's Honey Farm to be fascinating and I think the visitors to the California Honey Harvest Festival will be equally fascinated to learn about honey production in the Santa Clara Valley! Susie told me the idea of the California Honey Harvest Festival is meant to be an educational opportunity for the public on the production of honey. To accomplish this there will be at least fifteen honey related vendors located at the Fillmore's Central Park, as well as bee keepers along the route the train will take to Bennett's Honey Farm. Once at the Honey Farm there will be an approximate 45 minute tour of the honey production plant at the production site providing valuable and educational information to visitors. Susie also told me the Festival and the tours are free, but the costs associated with the Festival are only for the train ride out to Bennett's Honey Farm and back to the Festival site in Fillmore's Central Park. Those visitors not wanting to ride the train are still encouraged to visit Bennett's Honey Farm by driving out and following the signs to Bennett's Honey Farm. Because some people are allergic to bee stings Susie asked me to make the public aware that bees are present throughout the Honey Farm and that there is a potential of a bee sting occurring. If you, or a family member has an allergy to bee stings please use caution in your decision to take this tour, or to be present where bees are active in pollination of crops throughout this Valley. In a joint venture CONTINUED » |
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By Bob Crum — Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
Story and photos by Bob Crum
Finally! After 18 long years... give or take a month... the work is done. The restorations of the 1887 Southern Pacific Railway Depot, and the 1919 Rancho Sespe Bunk house and the 1905 Hinckley house and the original Bardsdale Post Office are completed. Now... with the campus landscaping finally finished... it was time to celebrate. So celebrate they did... last Sunday. As Fillmore Historical Museum president Martha Gentry explains: “The aftermath of the the 1994 Northridge earthquake saw the beginning of the development of the museum site starting with the move of the Hinckley house from its location on 1 st Street. This was followed by the move of the bunkhouse in 1995 and finally the move of the depot to its current location along the (Fillmore & Western Railway) tracks. All the buildings had to be restored with the depot finished in 2007. This year we finished the long awaited landscaping of the site.” Though the restoration work is done, as with any business, there are ongoing maintenance and operating expenses. To help balance the budget, the folks of the Fillmore Historical Museum are offering certain facilities as a venue for meetings or special occasions. While walking around the wonderfully restored Depot it's easy to see the potential for many kinds of events. For anyone interested in perpetuating their name in a memorable way... the Historical Museum is offering engraved pavers for sale at $100.00 each. Imagine being a part of history... forever! Or, these can be engraved in memory of... or in honor of... individuals as desired by the purchaser. The pavers will be set in the courtyard starting in front of the gazebo. Not only will your name be immortalized... the cost of a paver is tax deductible... as are all donations to the museum. But best not to dawdle... there is only space for just so many engraved pavers. Our geographical area is replete with interesting history. Accordingly, the Fillmore Historical Museum is poised to serve the interests of tourists as well as residents of the community. The Museum proudly boasts of having a great variety of displays along with intriguing stories of the history of the Sespe, Piru, Bardsdale and Fillmore communities. One could easily spend a day exploring the restored buildings and their contents. Check the tools in the Hinckley garage. Check the unique utensils in the Hinckley house kitchen and ponder having had to use any of them. Huddle around an always intriguing pot-belly stove imagining it's warmth on a chilly day. And the wondrous Remington typewriter... even before the days of White-Out... you know... that correction fluid miracle. Seeing all these marvelous old wonders of yesteryear... well... waxing nostalgia is so irresistible. Gentry extended a special note of thanks to current sitting board of directors of the museum as well as the countless others who have served as members of the board for their energy and enthusiasm as the project moved forward to make the museum a valuable part of the community. Valuable indeed! This magnificent tribute to history should no longer remain a secret. The Fillmore Historical Museum is located at 350 Main Street... on the north side of the railroad tracks. See you there soon? Oh... while you're there enjoying the fabulous history on display... why not sign up as a member and become a part of this fabulous project? Just a thought. Aside from a lunch hour break, operational hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m... and during special events. Special tours are available by appointment. Phone number is 805-524-0948. Email : fillmore.museum@sbcglobal.net. |
 At appropximately 8:30am Wednesday morning, corner of Ventura and C Streets, a bicyclist collided with a bigrig. Guadalupe Cruz, aged 81, was taken away by ambulance to County Hospital. Enlarge Photo By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
Hwy. 126 and C Street
Ventura County Sheriff's Department On the morning of June 6, 2012, at 8:27 A.M., the Fillmore Police Department, Fillmore Fire Department / Medic Unit, and American Medical Response (AMR) responded to the intersection of Ventura Street and C Street for an injury traffic accident. Initial reports were that a tractor-trailer had collided with a bicyclist in the intersection. Upon investigation, Victor Leija was driving a tractor-trailer westbound on Ventura Street at C Street. Lieja was stopped for a red light at the intersection in the number two lane. As the light turned green, Lieja began driving westbound on Ventura Street. Guadalupe Cruz was riding his bicycle southbound on C Street along the east curb. As Cruz entered the intersection, he was struck by the tractor-trailer that Lieja was driving. Cruz was knocked CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
This year, 2012, marks the 120th anniversary of the Bardsdale United Methodist Church. The first services took place in 1892 when the Reverend George Alexander, under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church, preached the first sermon to a congregation of fourteen in an afternoon service in the Bardsdale German Evangelical Church. It became a charge of the Sespe Circuit of the Santa Barbara District and was served by circuit-riding pastors until the current church building was constructed in 1898. Senator Thomas Bard donated two lots to the young congregation and Nathan Blanchard also made a substantial contribution to help parishioners move forward with the building process. Sespe brownstone was hauled across the Santa Clara River for the foundation and many months of labor began to bear fruit as the church building began to rise. Senator Bard stepped forward again and matched parish donations to help purchase the two original stained glass windows which still help illumine the beautiful sanctuary. On April 15, 1898, Reverend C. B. Embree opened the dedication service with “The Lord is in His Holy Temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Mrs. Embree, renowned for her beautiful voice, sang a solo and the Bardsdale Methodist Episcopal Church became an architectural and spiritual fixture in the beautiful Santa Clara River Valley. The present parsonage was added in 1911 at a cost of $1,700. Sunday School rooms were added on the east side during the next ten years along with other improvements. In 1928, the church took on an added somber duty as it became a temporary morgue for the bodies recovered from the devastating St. Francis Dam collapse. The Great Depression, two world wars and numerous local natural catastrophes couldn’t keep the church and its congregants from growing in numbers and faith. That couldn’t be said about a piece of plaster in 1982, however. On an August Sunday morning during Dr. Robert Ness’ pastoral prayer, that piece of plaster fell from the original ceiling onto the shoulder of long-time member Bob Morris. What was thought to be a simple repair job turned out to be a quandary in desperate need of prayerful consideration. Termites, dry rot, obsolete wiring, building codes and lack of funds proved to be important factors for the congregation to consider as they mulled over their options. After many meetings and a whole lot of prayer, the renovation began. under the supervision of general contractor, Don Hatfield, and lasted for four years. With the Sanctuary CONTINUED » |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Monday, June 4th, 2012
Ventura County Sheriff's Department On May 29, 2012, Fillmore High School Officials discovered a large amount of vandalism had been committed on their school campus. The vandalism was rampant throughout the campus and the most severe damage resulted from sixteen classroom door locks being vandalized. Evidence at the school indicated the vandalisms were the result of a “senior prank” however; the damage to the school was extensive. As of June 1, 2012, School District Maintenance Personnel had not finished the difficult task of repairing all the door locks. The estimated cost of repairing and or replacing the damaged locks was over $2,000. During these challenging financial times, crimes of this senseless nature cannot be tolerated. Given the extent of the damage, the Fillmore Police Department, as well as the Fillmore Unified School District responded with an intense investigation. The School Resource Officer and the Fillmore High School Administration coordinated their efforts and solved this crime, which resulted in the arrest of four Fillmore High School Students. Three of the students were adults and one was a juvenile. The adult students were booked into the Ventura County Main Jail with a bail set at $10,000.00 each. The juvenile was cited and released to the parents. Nature of Incident: Vandalism to Fillmore High School 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). |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Monday, June 4th, 2012
Ventura County Sheriff's Department Over the past week, two sexual battery incidents have occurred at the Carmen Plaza Shopping Center in Camarillo. In both incidents, an unidentified male followed each female victim as she exited the store and then grabbed their buttocks. In one of the incidents, the male suspect followed a female out of the store and approached her at her vehicle. The suspect then told the female he was a Loss Prevention Officer for the store. The male suspect then detained the female victim telling her he needed to “check” her purse and “search” her person for “stolen” property. When the female stepped out of the car to be “searched” the male grabbed her buttocks and ran away. The victim’s ages range from 20 – 40 years old. As a reminder, store security officers will have identification that should be presented upon request. Camarillo Police is asking for help from the public in identifying this suspect. If you have any information regarding this suspect, or if a similar incident has happened to you, please call Detective Julie Novak at 805-388-5115. The Camarillo Police Department would like to remind everyone to consider the following safety tips when shopping alone: 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). Nature of Incident: Public Safety / Attempt to Identify Sexual Battery Suspect |
 Two Piru residents ages 27 and 22 were injured Wednesday afternoon in an apparent gang-related shooting at a park on Center Street at Piru Square. Both men were transported to local hospitals. The first victim suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was taken to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center where he underwent surgery. The second victim suffered non-life threatening wounds to his arm and was taken to Ventura County Medical Center. Investigators determined that Mark Plunkett 33, a Piru resident, was the suspect responsible for the shooting. Deputies located a trailer in Piru, where Plunkett had barricaded himself inside. The Sheriff’s SWAT team was called out, along with negotiators, who spent several hours negotiating with Plunkett. Plunkett surrendered at 10:30 p.m. and was taken into custody. He has been booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility on two counts of attempted murder. Enlarge Photo By Anonymous — Wednesday, May 30th, 2012
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