As Fire Chief of the Fillmore Fire Department I am proud to announce that Robert Rob Rolf has been chosen by his peers as the 2011 Firefighter of the Year.

Rob Grew up in Burbank Ca, Moved to Fillmore in 1999 and joined the Fillmore Fire Department in March of 1999. Rob is married to his lovely wife Tami Rolfe. They have 5 children, Kayli 23, Tyler 19, Evan 13, Jayni and Jordyn 10. Without their love and support Rob could not have achieved his goals. Rob started his EMS carrier with Pruner Ambulance in Thousand Oaks in 1986 as an EMT. Rob Graduated from Daniel Freeman Hospital Paramedic School in 1987 and has been working as a Paramedic for the past 25 years. Rob is currently employed by AMR, American Medical Response Ambulance Company as a field supervisor and is currently a Paramedic/Engineer for the Fillmore Fire Department. Rob also worked with the Ventura County search and rescue Medical Team as a Flight Medic for over 3 years.

Rob was one of a handful Paramedics that dedicated their time and help retired Fire Chief Pat Askren start Fillmore Fire Departments Volunteer paramedic program when Santa Paula Hospital closed its doors in 2004. Sense then, Rob and all the men and women of the Fillmore Fire Department having been proving excellent EMS service to the citizens of Fillmore. Rob’s love and dedication for EMS and Firefighting for the City of Fillmore made it easy for his peers to elect him as our 2011 Fillmore Firefighter of the Year.

Vanessa Villa, a senior at Fillmore High School was surprised in her class on Friday, February 17th by the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce board members including new chamber president Cindy Jackson, 1st vice president Ari Larson, 2nd vice president Tammy Hobson and board member Eric Vigil who presented Vanessa with some balloons and the news that she had been selected as Student of the Year. Also there to celebrate were her proud parents Noe and Norma Villa and Fillmore High School principal John Wilbur.

Vanessa is the Student of the Year because of her commitment to doing her best in all she does. She has tutored students in many subjects including math. Vanessa not only held the secretary position in the M.E.Ch.A Club, which celebrates Hispanic Heritage and Culture she was also president (at the same time) of the Fillmore High School S Club (the high school division of the Soroptimist International of Fillmore group). The S Club serves the community and provides services and educational experiences for young women. Vanessa attended conferences, participated in Relay for Life of Fillmore/Piru, Arthritis Walk, Cleaned the Fillmore Bike Path and helped with the Peace Pole project which included teaching and making hundreds of origami cranes for peace. She was also instrumental in helping with the annual Soroptimist Fashion Show, Luncheon and Silent Auction event. Vanessa is very organized and professional in all she does. She is a good leader. Vanessa always has a smile on her face and is willing to lend a hand wherever she can. She is also a wonderful older sister to her younger sister Valeria Villa. Vanessa along with the other community winners will be honored at the Fillmore Community Award Dinner on Thursday, March 22nd at the Memorial Building.

(l-r) Mike Mobley, Cindy Jackson, Jan Marholin, Citizen of the Year Buddy Escoto, Ari Larson, and Tammy Hobson.
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The Fillmore Citizen of the Year is Evaristo Escoto (affectionately known as “Buddy” for his friendly demeanor). Buddy is a lifelong Fillmore resident and a product of the Fillmore school district. He graduated from Fillmore High School in 1994 and from Ventura College in 1998 with an associate’s degree in Liberal Arts he also attended Cal State University of Northridge and majored in Sociology. Buddy has been married to Selina A. Escoto for 12 years; he is the son of Evaristo & Marylou Escoto and is the oldest and only boy in a family of 6 sisters. Buddy started working for the Boys & Girls Club of Fillmore-Piru in 1995 he has worked for the same organization for the past 17yrs. Buddy believes that the future is now for the youth in our community and that as role models we should teach children to reach for the stars. Buddy has been part of many civic & community groups in Fillmore and throughout Ventura County as an advisor and also a volunteer. On Buddy’s down time he enjoys spending time with his wife, traveling, deejaying, photography, & walking his dog rocky. His most used quote is, “Life Is Good!”

To the person or persons who removed the green runner carpet at the JV High Baseball field, please return it, no questions asked. The high school budget has no more money.
High School Baseball Staff

Peter Martinez

Shortly after 8 p.m. Friday night, deputies from the Fillmore Police Department responded to Rite-Aid on a call of a combative shoplifter fighting with store employees. Arriving in less than two minutes, deputies found (S) Peter Martinez 38, Fillmore, being held on the ground by two store employees and a customer.

The investigation determined Martinez had secreted seven “Secret” brand deodorant products (valued at less than $40 total) in a plastic bag he’d brought with him into the store. Martinez purchased some other items, but failed to pay for the deodorant and walked out of the store with the stolen merchandise.

A loss prevention employee who had watched Martinez commit the theft, identified himself as a loss prevention officer with the store and attempted to stop him outside the store. Martinez fought with the loss prevention officer in an effort to escape, turning the misdemeanor shoplift into a felony robbery. A second store employee and a customer assisted the loss prevention officer in detaining Martinez until deputies arrived. The store employees suffered minor injuries in the struggle; the customer was uninjured. Martinez was booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility for 211 P.C. Robbery, with bail set at $120,000. Courtesy of Fillmore Police Department.

Fillmore citizen Allan Hair was presented with a proclamation for his service on the Fillmore Senior Center Board, at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.
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El Pescador Restaurant owner Jesus ‘Chuy’ Ortiz accepted a proclamation from the Fillmore City Council on Tuesday night recognizing the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: Fillmore Two Rivers Park Clean-Up sponsors and volunteers.
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Fillmore Fire Chief Rigo Landeros accepts a proclamation from Mayor Gayle Washburn on behalf of the City’s Public Works Department at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.
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There were a number of proclamations given out at Tuesday’s Fillmore City Council Meeting along with a long awaited Council approval to pay for the gate to the Fillmore High School running track. Also, there was a presentation on the new meters being installed by Southern California Edison (SCE) and a status report on the Tobacco Awareness Program.

After years of going back and forth between the City Council and the School Board funding for the gate was given a vote of approval by the Council. Councilmember A. Eduardo Gonzalez brought it to a vote acknowledging there was no guarantee that the City would be reimbursed by the various clubs that promised to do future fundraising to pay for it. The vote was 4-1 with Mayor Gayle Washburn the only No vote.

Anna M. Frutos-Sanchez from SCE gave a presentation on an item that will have an impact on anyone who pays a residential electric bill. Edison’s Smart-Meter is replacing the mechanical meters that have been around for decades. The new digital meters use wireless technology to transmit encrypted information on electricity use and are being installed as part of the “smart” grid initiative, spearheaded by technology firms and backed by the Obama administration and the Department of Energy.

In addition to the Smart-Meter there is the Edison SmartConnect program designed to give customers more information, and in the future allows customers with communicating, energy-smart thermostats and appliances to automatically respond during critical peak pricing and grid reliability events. But this comes with a price; customers will see a 1.6% increase in rates during the program’s four-year installation period.

Edison has installed 3.9 million meters in other areas around the State since September 2009 and will start in Ventura County in March. When the meter is replaced there is a brief five minute power outage and any household with medical equipment or life support equipment needs to contact Edison beforehand.

Not everyone is happy about this latest form of progress. Several people voiced concerned about reports citing people with sensitivity to electromagnetic and radio frequency having experienced headaches, nausea, trouble sleeping and other medical problems that the smart meters may cause.

Others have concerns about privacy issues. The technology is so sophisticated the meters can individually identify electrical devices inside homes and record when they are being operated, then record and store databases of private and personal activities and behaviors without the consent or knowledge of those people who are monitored. This reveals activities such as when residents are home, sleeping, on vacation, etc.

Residents in some areas served by Pacific Gas and Electric are opposing the installation and other counties have banned their installation altogether. In some cases PG&E has reversed course, replacing the ‘smart’ meters of those customers reporting health impacts with the old analog version.

On February 1, 2012 the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) modified PG&E’s Smart meter program to include an analog meter option for residential customers who do not wish to have a smart meter installed at their location. There is an initial fee of $75 to opt-out and a monthly charge of $10. CARE customers (a reduced rate program for low income households) have an initial fee of $10 along with a monthly charge of $5 to opt-out.

Edison is actively participating in the CPUC’s ongoing opt-out process for residential customers and those who do not have a smart meter installed can delay installation by contacting SCE at (800) 810-2369.

There were four proclamations given out, starting with Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy Hackworth who is transferring from Fillmore’s Sheriffs to the Sheriff’s Civil Division. Hackworth, a Fillmore resident, was the 2011 Officer of the Year and trained 80% of Fillmore’s Sheriffs’ workforce.

Next to be recognized was resigning Senior Center Board Member and volunteer Allan Hair for five years of service that helped revive the center. Donna Boelker, President of the Board, also presented Hair with a proclamation. Boelker stated, “Allan has been a blessing in so many ways…someone you can rely on.” Hair spoke from the heart and invited all the seniors to visit the center and added, “Through Scott Lee I learned what it’s like to be involved.”

The volunteers for Martin Luther King Day of Service received the next proclamation. Many of Fillmore’s best young people come out and lent a helping hand doing clean-up. Some of those young people were Daniel Gonzalez, Luis Cruz, Marysol Rojo, Adriana Zamora and Iris Villalobos from One Step a La Vez. There was also a great group of volunteers from the Boys and Girls Club and sponsors like Cabrillo Economic Development, El Pescador, Starbucks, Francisco’s Fruit, Fillmore Water Store and others.

The Council also wanted to thank the Public Works Department with a proclamation for all they do; like coming out at 4:00am to fix a water leak. Fire Captain Rigo Landeros accepted on the Public Works’ behalf.

Christina Villasenor from the Fillmore Family Coalition and Alejandro Elias with the Ventura County Department of Public Health gave a status report on the Tobacco Awareness Program for retailers. According to their research 20% of Fillmore retailers selling tobacco items are selling to children under 18, which is a violation of Penal Code 308. There was originally a proposal to create an ordinance to help curb sales to minors but it was rejected and instead an education program by the Public Health staff was agreed upon. Villasenor told the Council, “We don’t want to punish (retailers), we just want compliance.”

Robert Smith was appointed to a four year term on the Planning Commission on October 2011 for a term that would expire three months later on January 26, 2012. Applications for the position were advertised in the January 26, 2012 edition of the Fillmore Gazette; only one application was received and it was from Robert Smith for re-appointment.

Community Development Director Kevin McSweeney presented the Council with answers to questions on a zoning ordinance amendment allowing larger signs on businesses and permit streamlining that were brought forth during the January 25th Town Hall Meeting. McSweeney told the Council his department is working on streamlining the permits process and changes have been made. For example, simple projects like patio covers that used to take 1-2 weeks for approval can now be issued in one day. Changes to the one-third retail requirement on Central are also being discussed and considered.

McSweeney said a change in signage would require a great deal more and could cost as much as $30,000. Of concern was the first block just north of Highway 126 on Central. It was described by a Council Member as blighted and they repeated comments made by visitors stating they thought it was a street of abandoned buildings. There was concern by the Council for the businesses and the impact on having to replace a sign that could still be usable; but there are also rules of abandonment when a business has not used a sign for over six months which falls under code enforcement. But, code enforcement is one of the departments that may be cut back severely due to the City’s financial problems. The Koffee Kiosk on Highway 126 is an example of an abandoned business sign. Councilmember Steve Conaway stated, “I’m concerned with the cost of this…I’d like to hear from the businesses.”

Family and friends attended a memorial vigil across from Starbucks Friday, to commemorate the death of Sergio Mendez who was killed in a bizarre accident. Pictured (l-r) Belen Burgos, Nathalie Bagasso Miliken, Cinthya Mendez, and Clara Quimbayo.
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A memorial vigil attended by family and friends of Sergio Mendez took place Friday evening across from Starbucks. Mendez, a former Marine, was sitting in the Fillmore Starbucks on December 13, 2011 when a vehicle traveling at high speed smashed through the building pinning him against an interior wall. Mendez died shortly thereafter during surgery at Ventura County Medical Center.

Mendez aunts, Clara Quimbayo and Belen Burgos, told interviewers that they were seeking an “impartial investigation of what happened.” They are concerned that the investigation may be biased due to the fact that the
driver, Michael Cedarland, is a Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy, off duty at the time of the accident.

Two months have passed since the incident and very few facts have been released, except for reports that “neither drugs nor alcohol appeared to be a factor in the crash.” The possibility of loss of consciousness is being investigated.

The vehicle, westbound on Highway 126, crossed two lanes of traffic, jumped a curb, tore through a short hedge and traveled 130 yards through a parking lot before crashing through the east wall of Starbucks.

Reports stated that family members were waiting for word from Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten’s office as to whether or not criminal charges would be filed.