Above, one of the weapons confiscated by Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies in the Saturday, March 14 surprise search of numerous gang locations. Sheriff’s Patrol, Gang, and Special Enforcement Units participated.
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24 deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Patrol, Gang and Special Enforcement Units conducted searches of known gang locations throughout the Fillmore area.

A 17 year-old male gang member from River Street in Fillmore was arrested with a loaded 9mm semi automatic weapon. He was also arrested for street terrorism. During the searches, deputies also arrested gang member Jose Ruiz, 21, on Santa Clara Street in Fillmore for possession of a loaded .25 caliber semi-auto handgun. He, too, was arrested for street terrorism. Also arrested: Antonio Izarraraz, Felony Possession Stolen Property, Fillmore, 21 year old male, Rosa Aguliar, Under the Influence of Narcotics, Fillmore, 21 year old female, Armando Magallon, Under the Influence of Narcotics, Fillmore, 29 year old male, Jamie Ambriz, Under the Influence of Narcotics, Fillmore, 26 year old male, Male Juvenile, Gang Probation Violation, Fillmore, 17 year old, Jose Aguilar, Gang Probation Violation, Fillmore, 21 year old male, Male Juvenile, Gang Probation Violation, Fillmore,17 year old.

Nine other documented gang members were arrested for a variety of drug charges and possession of stolen property. All persons were booked at the County Jail or Juvenile Detention Center.

Shown is (l to r) John Jenks (Kennedy/Jenks Consultants), Bert Rapp (Public Works Director), and Dave Burkhart (Engineer) from City of Fillmore touring Fillmore’s new Water Reclamation Facility on Thursday, March 12th.
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story courtesy Rena Chin and Bert Rapp

John Jenks, Senior Principal Engineer at Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, took a tour today of the new Fillmore Water Recycling Plant, currently under construction on city-owned land at River Street and E Street. Jenks’ interest in Fillmore dates back to 1953 when he and his father, Harry Jenks, designed the original trickling filter wastewater treatment plant.

In 1953 trickling filter sewer treatment technology was cutting edge and Harry Jenks held a patent on the technology. The plant designed by John and Harry Jenks has operated continuously and provided wastewater treatment for the community for over half a century. However, it had come to the end of its useful life and ability to meet increasingly stringent water treatment standards.

Fillmore’s Public Works Director Bert Rapp says, “I was thrilled to have John Jenks visit on March 12th. We toured the old plant which brought back lots of memories. It was good to see the old plant still performing.”
When the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a new wastewater discharge permit, the City of Fillmore decided that the soundest way to bring the plant into compliance with the discharge permit was to build a new plant at a new location and to stop discharging treated effluent to the Santa Clara River.

The City is using a Design/Build/Operate (DBO) project approach to complete the new plant. The DBO approach is producing about 15% savings for the City, according to Rapp. American Water Company was selected to lead the DBO team of W.M. Lyles Construction Company and Kennedy/Jenks Consultants (design engineer).

“It has been fascinating watching the Kennedy Jenks engineers work with the American Water Operators and W.M Lyles contractors to find the most efficient and cost effective ways to build the treatment plant,” says Rapp. When construction is completed, American Water will maintain and operate the Water Recycling Plant over the next 20 years.

During Jenk’s visit, he also walked through the new plant that his engineers have designed and is now about 80% constructed. Rapp comments, “John is sharp as a tack, remembering the design flow rates and water quality parameters for the plant. I suppose, once an engineer, always an engineer.”

When it begins operation this summer, the new $26.5 million, zero-discharge plant will treat 2.4 million gallons of wastewater per day. The new plant will use a state-of-the-art membrane bioreactor treatment system that will treat and produce wastewater that is 10 times cleaner than conventional methods. This will allow the city to recycle all its wastewater and use it for irrigation within the city.

Kennedy/Jenks Consultants has provided engineering and scientific solutions for municipal agencies and industries since 1919 and celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. The employee-owned firm has 25 offices serving clients nationwide and providing consulting services to the water environment, transportation, federal, and industrial sectors.

The Boardroom at the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) administration building was filled with people and tension on the evening of Tuesday, March 17, 2009. Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush gave a presentation on why the budget should not be balanced through eliminating the School Resource Officer, implementing furlough days, reducing transportation costs, or planning to increase attendance. The Board heard a report on the Career Technical Education Program, approved a contract for a tumbling coach and choreographer, approved new courses, and approved field trips.

Most of the meeting was taken up with Bush's presentation on budget-related concerns. He presented information on the School Resource Officer (SRO), furlough days, transportation, and attendance rates. Bush mentioned reducing Instructional Assistants' hours, but did not go into detail.

Having an SRO costs approximately $180,000 annually. FUSD provides $100,000, or 75% of those costs, and the rest is paid by the City and Sheriff's Department. Fillmore is the only city in the county whose SRO is subsidized by the Sheriff's Department. Police Chief Tim Hagel noted that the SRO made 229 arrests on campus last year, and 49 arrests this quarter. Last year's arrests consisted of 216 misdemeanors and 13 felonies, which were typically weapons charges. Arrests are usually made for fighting or possessing drugs or weapons. The SRO regularly issues truancy citations which increase attendance. Fillmore High School (FHS) Principal John Wilber, Fillmore Middle School (FMS) Principal Todd Schieferle, and other administrators spoke about the increased level of safety an SRO provides by knowing the relevant laws, being consistent, patrolling to prevent trouble, and responding quickly when arrests need to be made. According to Hagel, there are 150 registered gang members in Fillmore and 50 of them attend school. He said that using private security rather than an SRO would lead to fewer arrests and increased violence on campuses. CONTINUED »

A 459 PC Burglary occurred some time between 3/16/09 at 6:30 p.m. hours, to 3/17/09 at 4:25 am hours. There were a total of six "Sea cans" (40 ft. steel storage containers) broken into at the Sewer Plant site. There are two victims, W.M. Lyles Co.(General contractor) who estimated a loss of construction tools approximately $25,000.00 and Cadri Co. Inc. (Electrician) who estimated a loss of construction tools approximately $20,000.00.

On March 1, 2009 at approximately 9:20 pm, officers from the Santa Paula Police department responded to the 700 block of W. Main Street for a call of a gunshot victim. Upon the arrival of the officers, Jesus Ramos was found to the rear yard of his residence suffering from a single gunshot wound to his upper body. After Ramos was given
immediate first aid; he was transported to the Ventura County Medical Center. As of today, Ramos-is still at VCMC listed in stable condition recovering from his injuries.

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that during a family gathering Ramps became involved in a physical altercation with Anthony Robledo. During the altercation; was shot one time. Based on witness statements, Robledo was initially arrested for attempted homicide and was later released pending further investigation.

As the investigation continued, it was then discovered that 35 year old Leonard Olvera was primary suspect in the shooting involving Ramos. CONTINUED »

Last night at 8:52 P.M in Piru:
Attempted Murder Drive By - Shots Fired / 3000 Block Citrus View Drive, Piru. Several Residents called 911 and reported hearing multiple gun shots and male subjects fleeing the area. This is a gang related incident and the Shooting investigation is continuing. The local police is seeking the public's help. If you have any leads please call the Fillmore Police Department at (805) 524-2233. All tips will be confidential.

Errant bullets ended up in innocent peoples walls, we have to catch these gang members.

When Mountain Vista Elementary School Principal, Chrissy Schieferle became aware of some of her fourth grade students exhibiting at-risk behaviors, she was concerned and determined to do something about it. Working with a fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Nutley, they began researching approaches to the problem on the Internet. They studied several prevention/intervention programs used by schools across the country, and were most impressed with a “prevention” method successfully employed on the East Coast, the “Adopt-A-Cop” program. Armed with information, Schieferle approached Captain Tim Hagel and Sergeant Dave Wareham of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department (Fillmore’s Police Department). Together, the trio brainstormed for ways to apply the program’s principles to children as young as nine years old, while battling with shrinking law enforcement and school budgets. Several planning sessions later, Schieferle, Hagel and Wareham presented the Adopt-A-Cop program to the School Board on January 6, 2009. The “pilot” program was scheduled to commence the following week and run through the end of the term. Fillmore’s Board of Education honored the Sheriff’s Department with a “Be the Change” commendation.

During the week of January 12, three deputies, “Motorcycle Cop” Tony Biter, Senior Field Training Officer Leo Vasquez, and Officer Danielle Delpit, each visited a fourth grade classroom for forty minutes, assisting as teachers’ aides. Building positive relationships with law enforcement officers in Fillmore is their goal. During the first weeks, the officers talked about “keeping a positive attitude”. They have moved on to responsibility, respect and character education with their primary focus on positive interaction between students and their law enforcement mentors. The “program” provides police presence on the elementary school’s campus on a flexible schedule, three out of four weeks per month, and strives to prevent the development of negative stereotyping of cops. There is no cost to the school or the Sheriff’s Department. CONTINUED »

Ed Wholenberg.

Ed Wholenberg, a (non-political) volunteer from an organization called Range Riders, a branch of International City Managers Association (ICMA), addressed city council Monday evening. Mr. Wholenberg is a retired city manager with many years experience. He was asked by the council to explain how the City of Fillmore should go about finding a new, permanent city manager, following the early resignation of former City Manager Tom Ristau. According to Mr. Wholenberg, the city should hire a firm specializing in locating city managers and other top executives. The cost is expected to be between $15,000 and $25,000 and could take up to a year. The city would also have to pay living and relocation expenses for a professional interim (transitional) city manager, above and beyond his salary, until a permanent manager is hired. The city finds itself in a very awkward situation since its city manager, management analyst, and special projects specialists manager have all resigned during the past month.

Billy Gabriel was announced as the new Fillmore Fire Department Captain at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

Fillmore City Council held an extraordinarily brief meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 11th, at City Hall. The Council passed an ordinance regulating push-cart vendors and door-to-door solicitation, announced its intention to promote and cooperate with the 2010 Census, discussed the changing Santa Paula/Fillmore Greenbelt Agreement, heard an update on the Draft Storm Water NPDES Permit, and conducted other City business.

The Council postponed a few agenda items. A special meeting will be held on March 17, 2009 to cover awarding a contract for the Fillmore High School Recycled Water project. If Council Member Steve Conaway is able to attend, the Council will also discuss implementation of Measure I (North Fillmore Area Initiative), including discussion of required General Plan amendments, zoning ordinance amendments, and costs. The Measure I item was postponed to allow Mayor Pro-tem Gayle Washburn, who had been on vacation, to finish reading the relevant staff report and background information. If Conaway cannot attend the March 17th meeting, then implementation of Measure I will be covered at the regular March 24th meeting. Police Captain Tim Hagel's report on 2008 crime rates was postponed until the March 24th meeting.

Mayor Patti Walker, on behalf of the Council, presented a proclamation to Dave Rodriguez, representing the US Census Bureau. The proclamation declared that the City is partnering with the Bureau, the City will support the census process, the City will cooperate with the Bureau, and explained the importance of the census. The 2010 Census will provide employment opportunities to local residents, will determine how some federal funds are allocated, and will determine how many representatives California has in the Congressional House of Representatives. Rodriguez explained that census employees will start verifying addresses within the next couple of months, surveys will be mailed out to those addresses, and census workers will visit addresses of those who do not return the surveys. Fillmore Citizen Gary Creagle said that he wanted the upcoming census to reflect the true economic demographics of Fillmore, and that he did not believe the usual census methods were adequate. CONTINUED »