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By Anonymous — Wednesday, September 4th, 2013
 Robert Johnson, 72 of Fillmore, died Thursday ina head-on crash between Santa Paula and Fillmore. The crash occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Old Telegraph Road. Rigoberto Rodriguez, 27 of Santa Paula was driving south on Old Telegraph Road when he lost control of his truck and collided w89th the van in which Johnson was a passenger. Maria Elene Aguilar Melgoza, the driver of the van sustained minor injuries. Rodriguez had major head injuries and was taken to an area hospital. Isidoro Ortiz Ibarra, also a passenger in the van, had major injuries to his knees and arm. Emergency personnel from the Ventura County Sheriff’s and Fire Departments and the W.S. Forestry Service extricated the passengers from the van. Photo by Salvador Montelongo. Enlarge Photo |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Wednesday, September 4th, 2013
On August 29, 2013 at about 11:55 A.M., the Fillmore Fire Department and the Fillmore Police Department were dispatched to a report of a spill of Hydrochloric Acid in the 500 Block of First St. The incident unfolded when a private company was delivering the chemical to the city swimming pool. The pallet jack used by the company employee to transport the chemical from the delivery truck to the swimming pool, malfunctioned. The chemical spilled on the ground. The private company was able to contain approximately 150 – 180 gallons. It’s estimated that another 100 gallons flowed into the storm drain. At the time of this release, a specialized chemical clean-up crew was responding to assist with the clean-up. Fillmore High School is located near the spill and was secured for a short period of time. No students or faculty were injured. The company worker and a City of Fillmore worker sustained minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Nature of Incident: Chemical Spill 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 — Wednesday, September 4th, 2013
 Ventura County Sheriff's Department On Thursday evening, August 29 at about 6:30 p.m., a 3 year-old boy was hit by a passing truck on Third Street in Fillmore. Deputies from the Fillmore Police Department were notified about an hour after the collision when the boy was taken by his parents to the Emergency Room at the Santa Paula Hospital. The deputies investigating the collision were told the boy had followed an older brother who had gone across the street previously. The 3-year old ran out between two parked cars and into the side of a large white commercial type flatbed truck that had left the nearby citrus packing house on Third Street. The boy’s father was the first to come to the boy’s aid and the driver of the truck stopped and checked on the boy’s condition. According to the boy’s father, he mistakenly presumed his son was not seriously injured and dismissed the truck driver before obtaining any information and without summoning police or EMS. Shortly thereafter, the boy’s parents realized something was wrong and they took their son to the hospital where he was admitted with a serious head injury. Deputies from the Fillmore Police Station are still investigating this collision and will follow-up at the citrus packing house to locate the driver of the truck. At this time in the investigation, there does not appear to be any criminal or improper procedures committed by the truck driver. If you are the driver of the truck involved or you have any information about this collision, please call the Fillmore Police Station at 805-524-2233. The Fillmore Police reminds parents and the guardians of small children to teach and practice looking both ways before crossing a street. Do not allow small children to play unsupervised in proximity to streets, even if the roads are not particularly busy. Finally, both parents and anyone driving in residential areas need to be vigilant for hazards that might dart out between parked cars. Be aware the warm temperatures we have been experiencing increases the number of children and people outdoors. Nature of Incident: Injury Traffic Collision 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 Anonymous — Wednesday, September 4th, 2013
A group of cyclists visited Fillmore Thursday. They call themselves Bike & Build and they are a non-profit involved in raising money for affordable housing. The Gazette spoke briefly with leaders Kristin Anderson ad Chris Casey. The Bike & Build website explains their plan: “Bike & Build organizes cross-country bicycle trips which benefit affordable housing groups. Specifically, we fund projects planned and executed by young adults. Over the past 10 seasons we have donated more than $4M; built for more than 120,000 hours; pedaled over 6M miles; and engaged more than 1750 young adults in spreading the word about the affordable housing crisis in America.” This particular 76-day trip by 27 members was to end in Santa Barbara after spending the night in Santa Paula. The cyclists left Maine on June 19 traveling 3,989 miles and raising $154,000. Everyone was in high spirits as they rested in Central Park and checked their equipment. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, September 4th, 2013
Ventura County, CA - Last month, a Ventura County family narrowly avoided tragedy after discovering their 2-year old near death after he had been accidentally locked in the family’s minivan. The child was rushed to a nearby emergency room where he was diagnosed with hyperthermia (heatstroke) and his body temperature was measured at 107.2 degrees. Thankfully, doctors were able to cool the boy and save his life but, for the hundreds of other children left alone in cars each year, the story does not have the same happy ending. Such cases are more common than people might expect. An average of 38 children die in hot cars in the United State each year -- that's one every nine days. According to the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, there have been more than 550 documented cases of heatstroke of children in vehicles since 1998. Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County Public Health Officer, warns parents to never leave a child unattended in a car – even if it is just for a few minutes and the windows are left open. “The temperature inside a car can heat up 20 degrees in just 10 minutes,” said Levin. “Because a child’s body heats up three to five times fast than an adult’s, it doesn’t take long for a child’s temperature to reach life-threatening levels.” Any parent can forget their child in a car, especially if they are tired, distracted or out of their regular routine. According to the Safe Kids Worldwide, a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children, heatstroke is the number one cause of non-crash vehicle-related deaths for children ages 14 and under. Sadly, more than half of child heatstroke deaths occur when a distracted caregiver forgets a quiet child in the vehicle. To keep your children safe, Safe Kids Worldwide created the A-C-T educational and awareness campaign for parents and caregivers. Each of the three letters reminds adults of important heat-related prevention tips. A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. Always lock your doors and trunks – even in your driveway. And keep your keys and key fobs out of the reach of kids. C: Create reminders. Place something you'll need at your next stop - like a briefcase or cell phone - next to the child safety seat. It may seem simple, but can be a helpful reminder on a chaotic day. T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, take action. Call 911. Emergency personnel are trained to respond to these situations. For more information about child passenger safety, go to: http://www.safekids.org/and-around-cars |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
 Cal Fire Nearly 6,500 firefighters continue to battle seven major wildfires across California. Thanks in part to cooler temperatures; firefighters are making good progress on containment on all the fires. While a majority of the large wildfires are burning on federal land, CAL FIRE and local fire departments continue to support the US Forest Service with fire resources. The Rim Fire burning near and in Yosemite National Park has now burned 235,841 acres (369 square miles) and is now 75% contained. The Rim Fire remains the 4th largest wildfire in California’s recorded history. See the Top 20 list. Much of Northern California will continue to experience cooler temperatures and even light rainfall in some areas. By mid-week, a drying trend is likely along with very gusty winds, which will increase the fire danger. In Southern California higher humidity and light winds will continue to cause the large fire threat to be low for the next several days, but temperatures will begin to increase and conditions will once again begin drying out. Fires of Interest: **CAL FIRE Incidents** **Unified Command Fires** **Federal Fires** Corral Complex, Humboldt County (more info…) Fish Fire, Tulare County (more info…) Windy Fire, Tulare County Gobblers Fire, San Bernardino County (more info…) Aspen Fire, Fresno County (more info…) |
 A 10” water main was ruptured at the intersection of Highway 126 and Central Avenue, on Thursday, August 22 at approximately 11pm by a utility company installing fiber optics. Homes, businesses and Rio Vista Elementary south-east of Fillmore were without water, and a Notice to Boil went out from the City of Fillmore. At press time part of Central Avenue between Highway 126 and River Street remains closed. Enlarge Photo By Anonymous — Wednesday, August 28th, 2013
A large section of residential homes and businesses were without water Thursday. A utility company installing fiber optic lines punctured a 10” water main along Ventura St. within the City of Fillmore near Central Ave. on August 22, 2013 at about 11:00 p.m. The City of Fillmore Water System on advisement of the California Department of Public Health, and the Ventura County Environmental Health Jurisdiction temporarily shut water-off to the south-east area of Fillmore in order to make repairs to the waterline. Permanent repairs were estimated to be completed by August 25, 2013. As of presstime, the south intersection of Hwy 126 and Central Avenue was still closed to through traffic. Until the permanent repairs were made, the City of Fillmore issued a Notice to Boil Water to the affected area out of an abundance of precaution until August 26, 2013. The City of Fillmore worked closely with the California Department of Public Health to ensure proper procedures The California Department of Public Health in conjunction with the Ventura County Health Department, and City of Fillmore are advising residents of the southeast area of Fillmore to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution. Residents were advised to boil their tap water before use, or use bottled water. Bleach and disinfection tables were also recommended. |
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By Jean McLeod — Wednesday, August 28th, 2013
 Fillmore Police Chief Monica McGrath informed the Council of her plans to apply for a state grant from the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) Program of $500,000. Tuesday, August 27, 2013 Fillmore City Council Meeting was new City Manager David Rowlands' first and very short meeting, being completed in less than an hour. Police Chief Monica McGrath and Building Official Stephen Stuart addressed the Council wanting approval for use of grant money received and also applying for future state grants that are available. Other agenda items discussed were the new City's Code of Ethics, an appointment to the Parks and Recreation Commission, and approval of work on the Police Station parking lot. Rowlands attended his first council meeting, with a first statement from the dais, "Glad to be here, it's been an exciting twelve days." When asked the difference between Fillmore and Clayton, Ohio where Rowlands last served as city manager, he responded that Clayton had a lot higher humidity and Fillmore is much busier, then added, "I love it here." Other grant monies were presented by Fillmore's Police Chief Monica McGrath. McGrath informed the Council of $8,215,000 in state restitution funds available for the fiscal year 2014-2015 and her plans to apply for a state grant from the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) Program of $500,000 grant for the period of January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2015. These grants are a competitive process controlled by the Board of State and Community Corrections and require a dollar for dollar match. McGrath told the Council she may not get that amount and that asking for such a large sum is really reaching out there, but feels it is worth a try. Those receiving the grants must have an Evidence-Based Program, Practices and Strategies (EBT) which includes a prevention (43%), intervention (36%) and suppression (21%) approach on how the grant is used. The EBT requires measurable outcomes that reliably produce significant reductions in recidivism (participants who entered and left the program or returned to illegal behavior) and practices known to produce positive outcomes. This requirement ensures the grant monies are being used effectively. A Code of Ethics document was presented to the Council for approval, but in it was an ending paragraph that three of the Council Members questioned and were not comfortable approving. It stated quote; "If it is determined that there is a potential breach in this code of ethics the governing body and /or City Manager should determine the process with which to conduct an investigation that is fair and impartial. The investigation will allow for the accused and the accuser to participate in the investigation on their behalf. Appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken by the governing body. The City Council will be advised of the outcome of the investigation and any potential disciplinary actions taken." Council Member Diane McCall said, "I feel we all have the qualities it called for" but also thought the paragraph quoted was too vague and not clear enough to approve. Council Member Steve Conaway responded that he had been working to have a code of ethics since the last one was taken out years ago and that he appreciates that the one presented has a clear path of what will be done if breached. Council Member Douglas Tucker, who helped write the new Code of Ethics version, said the goal was to give the document some teeth and both sides have a say while keeping politics out of it. The end result was that the document’s wording will be clarified and be resubmitted at the next council meeting. The Council also agreed to some infrastructure improvements and approved the bidding process for work to be done on the Police Station parking lot. This work includes repaving the asphalt lot and moving a fence to allow for an additional 45 feet of parking. It is estimated to cost over $95,000. Construction will start October 23, 2013 and be finished December 1, 2013. Another item on the agenda was approval of a student to the Parks and Recreation Committee. There were two applicants and both were well qualified. Caitlin McCall was chosen due to it being her senior year in high school and the last time she could apply for the position and be involved. The other applicant has two more years of high school leaving two remaining years to apply. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, August 28th, 2013
Now that the school year has begun, we would like to remind residents who drive around the city’s schools to be mindful of children walking or riding their bicycles to and from school. Drivers are reminded to be patient in or around school zones as traffic is typically backed up with parents who are attempting to drop off their children at school. It is recommended that if you do not have children attending a school, you find an alternate route during the school hours of 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM in order to avoid any traffic congestion in front of our city Parents are also reminded to teach their children proper bicycle riding safety. Children under the age of 18 must wear helmets properly while riding a bicycle, scooter or skateboard. Studies show that 74-85% of bicycle related injuries could have been prevented with the proper use of a helmet and using proper bicycle safety. Proper use means buying a good helmet, making sure it fits, and making sure to buckle the chinstrap, while fitting it properly under the chin. We would like to remind children to look for an intersection that has a crossing guard or a marked crosswalk before crossing, as this is the safest way to cross the street. A bicycle is considered a vehicle and while riding you must obey the rules of the road. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, August 28th, 2013
 City of Fillmore 08/20/13 |