The Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board held its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2009. The Board had already approved budget cuts to Certified personnel (Teachers), Classified personnel (Instructional Assistants, Library Clerks, etc.), and would conclude the third major round of cuts by approving program cuts and cuts to the District office staff. Many District employees were present. FUTA President and Teacher Theresa Marvel, CSEA Executive Board Member Sheila Duckett, and CSEA Member Luanne Brock made carefully planned presentations on the budget reductions. Board President John Garnica consistently stretched protocol to allow for comments when requested by the audience. At one point, Marvel started to ask detailed questions regarding FUSD’s monthly list of purchases and accounts payable, and was told that she was out of order, but the Board explained that Board Clerk Liz Wilde goes over that list with Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush each month.

Brock thanked Board Member Tony Prado for asking questions and requesting budget-cutting options from the District Office staff. He had been overruled by other Board Members and never received any options. Brock mentioned the Board’s refusal to take questions from the audience at last week’s Budget Study Session, and thanked Garnica for taking questions after he arrived. She said, “Denying the audience an opportunity to ask questions or provide input during a study session is not in the best interests of the public that you serve.” She quoted a School Services article on the current financial crisis, saying, “People will remember how they were treated during this difficult time.” CONTINUED »

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Last year we wrote about the new Copper only bullet laws implemented to purportedly protect wild condors. The following is some important follow up information on the ammunition and it’s locally reported performance.
Probably the oldest “all-copper” bullet manufacture in the US is the Barnes bullet Company (http://www.barnesbullets.com/about-us/company ) out of Mona Utah. Owners Randy and Coni Brooks have been operating this business since its’ purchase from Mr. Fred Barnes in 1972. They offer some of the best customer service around. A phone call to one of their readily available, free of charge, bullet technicians will answer any question you may have, (1-800-574-9200). Other manufactures such as Hornady, have now also designed legal copper bullets, such as their GMX bullet line, here are some links to their information; http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/condor/certifiedammo.html , http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=792 .
This writer made the switch last year from traditional lead based bullets to all copper bullets in my hunting rifles, and honestly for awhile it was an experience that ran the gamut from pure frustration, to delight, back to perplexed, and finally too comfortable satisfaction.
I am a hand-loader, and typically load from raw components my own ammunition. This is for the purpose of custom tailoring the ammo to an individual rifle in an effort of achieving perfect bullet performance, stability and accuracy. It is rare that a firearm will perform as well with factory ammunition as it will with carefully and safely loaded specific hand loaded ammunition. There are exceptions, but on average few and far between. You see a bullet is no different than a rocket, airplane, baseball, football, or for that matter of aerodynamic principal theories, a Condor! They are all things that fly. And their “launch pad” (i.e., barrel) has a lot of how they take off and fly. CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On April 17, 2009, at approximately 8:20 PM, three suspects entered the Rite Aid Pharmacy at 600 Ventura Street, Fillmore, and stole electronics merchandise with a value of approximately $260.00 (Suspect 1 Hispanic male, 5-6, 130 pounds, bald, tattoos on chest, blue Dodger blazer, black pants, Suspect 2 Hispanic male, 5-8, 170 pounds, short dark hair, black long sleeve shirt, blue pants, suspect 3 Hispanic female, 5-3, 140 pounds, long blond/brown hair, green shirt, dark pants).

Rite Aid Loss Prevention Officers confronted the two male suspects, as they left the store with the stolen merchandise. S-1 pulled out a knife and told the Loss Prevention Officers to leave his wife (S-3) alone. S-1 then threw some of the stolen merchandise back into the store and ran to a parked, older model, gray, Dodge, van with a brown or burgundy horizontal stripe, bearing handicap license plates. One of the Loss Prevention Officers followed the suspect to the vehicle and saw the suspect retrieve a handgun from the vehicle. The Loss Prevention Officer obtained the license plate of the vehicle and returned to the store to report the crime. S-2 was driving the vehicle when it left the parking lot.

A search of the Fillmore and Piru area to the Los Angeles County line resulted in negative results for the suspects or vehicle.

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 494-TALK (Thousand Oaks / Moorpark) or 385-TALK (Camarillo / Oxnard / Port Hueneme).

Courtesy VCSD.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On April 19, 2009 at about 6:15 a.m., Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to Piru Market and Liquor in Piru to investigate a commercial burglary that occurred earlier in the morning. When a store employee arrived to open the business, she discovered someone had forced entry and took cash, lottery tickets, cigarettes, liquor and other merchandise. The total loss was estimated at about $6,500.00.

Later that same day, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was investigating a traffic collision that occurred near Lake Piru. During their investigation, they discovered one of the drivers was in possession of some of the items stolen from the market. A coordinated investigation between CHP, Piru Lake Rangers and Sheriff’s Deputies resulted in the identification of two additional suspects at a Lake Piru campsite.

Most of the stolen property was recovered. The three suspects, Bennett Nevin 18, Joseph Avelino 19 and Sean Dominique 19, all from Simi Valley, were arrested for felony commercial burglary and felony conspiracy to commit a crime. They were booked at the Ventura County Jail with bail set at $20,000.00 each.

The public is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at (805) 654-9511 or 524-2233 if they have any information on the case.

Courtesy of Fillmore Police Department Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

VANDALISM
04/08/09
900 Ventura Street
04/10/09
East Telegraph Road
04/11/09
Central Ave/Santa Clara St.
04/13/09
N. C St/King Street
04/14/09
500 Block Central Avenue

THEFT/OTHER
04/08/09
600 Block Ventura Street
04/08/09
600 Block Ventura Street
04/08/09
400 Block River Street CONTINUED »

Fillmore City Finance Director and City Manager, Barbara Smith, tendered her letter of retirement to the city council this week. She is retiring after 23 years with the city because of the “hostile environment” brought in by the new council members and recently appointed Mayor Patti Walker. Smith is the fourth top management member to leave office in the last two months.

The Fillmore City Council met on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. Council Member Steve Conaway was absent. The Council sat with the Senior Center Board, discussed the turnover rate and employee morale at City Hall, and heard an update on possible soil contamination at the Heritage Valley Parks Specific Plan area. The City will hold a Goal Setting Workshop during the Special Meeting on April 22nd.

The resignation of Finance Director Barbara Smith was not discussed publicly at meeting, however The Gazette received an announcement from Mayor Patti Walker concerning Smith’s announced departure: “On April 14, Finance Director Barbara Smith forwarded to me and City Attorney, Ted Schneider, by email her notice of retirement. Ms. Smith indicated in her notice that she has been advised by the pension representative that her remaining until July 1 would bring no additional retirement benefit to her. As a result, May 14, 2009, will be her final day with the city. Ms. Smith has also indicated that she values her privacy and has requested that there not be any public honor or acknowledgment of her 23 years of service.

As Mayor, and on behalf of the City Council, well wishes and heartfelt thanks are extended to Barbara for her work, service and support she has extended to the council and community of Fillmore. Patti Walker, Mayor.” The Gazette wishes Ms. Smith all the best.

The meeting began with a joint session with the Senior Center Board. The Board and Council discussed their mutual responsibilities, and reviewed the Senior Center Budget. The Board will cooperate with Facilities Supervisor Annette Cardona to allot time for the seniors to play cards at the Senior Center, which is often used by Parks and Recreation programs in the afternoons and evenings. The Council approved use of the Senior Center even when not staffed by a full-time City employee, and will look into obtaining computer donations to improve the computer program. CONTINUED »

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For the second year in a row 370 students at Mountain Vista Elementary are now published authors! One of Mountain Vista’s main goals for their students this year is that every student will be proficient at writing. The students worked through the entire writing process from prewriting, editing, drafting, and illustrating in order to have their own hardbound, full color book. The program is through Student Treasures, a student publishing program based in Kansas. After the students completed their book kits they were sent to the publishers. The publishers color copied the kits and bound them for free. Parents were given the option to purchase additional copies of the books, which were a little less than $18 each after shipping and handling. Some classrooms opted to create a class book. Each student authored a page and created an illustration to be apart of the book. While other classrooms had each student author and illustrate a 15 page book of their own. Each of these books will be a treasure to look at for years to come.

Victor Meraz

In May 2007 victim Alberto Avalos was leaving the area of a party in the 800 block of Blaine Avenue in Fillmore. While standing with other partygoers he was shot and killed in an apparent gang related homicide.

The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit opened a criminal investigation into the death of Avalos. Investigators followed leads between Fillmore and Victorville, California, developing information that identified Victor Meraz as being involved in the shooting of Avalos.

Today, after a two-year investigation, Sheriff’s Homicide Detectives arrested Victor Meraz for the shooting death of Alberto Avalos. Meraz was arrested while in custody on an unrelated matter at the Sheriff’s Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura.