There were some new faces at the first 2011-2012 Fillmore Unified School District Board Meeting (FUSD). Dr. Alan Nishino was introduced as the Interim Fillmore Superintendent along with Michael Johnson as a new Assistant Superintendent. Also introduced was Scott Carroll new position as Principal of Sespe Elementary School and Sammy Martinez the new Associated Student Board (ASB) representative.

Nishino brings years of experience having worked at Morgan Hill, Castaic, Alameda, and Hueneme High Schools. When discussing his goals Nishino highlighted students’ need to be productive citizens “driven to be the best” going forward.

Johnson discussed the many years he has worked under Nishino and spoke of his confidence in Nishino’s leadership as the reason he came to work at FUSD. He addressed the needs of Fillmore’s large migrant population with over five hundred migrant students in school and a goal of speaking to every family. Johnson is also planning a newsletter to be sent to the students’ families to keep them informed of meetings and events associated with their children.

Martinez, who grew up in Fillmore, is a junior at Fillmore High School and was an ASB member while attending Fillmore Middle School. Martinez is known as ‘Speaker of the House’ made his first official presentation to the School Board Martinez presenting the students’ new campaign “Make Every Minute Count-63,197 Minutes in a School Year.”

The Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA), the national governing body for the sport of speed shooting, announced that Smith & Wesson, the 159-year-old iconic firearms maker, is expanding its support for the organization with its platinum level sponsorship of the Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships.
Smith & Wesson is joining the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Safariland as a platinum sponsor of the Steel Challenge which marks its 30th anniversary this year when the match gets underway in Piru, Calif. August 18-21.

“For well over a century Smith & Wesson has played an active roll in promoting the shooting sports in America and around the world. Not only are they a platinum sponsor for this year’s Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships, but they continue to work closely with SCSA to grow speed shooting through the Scholastic Steel Challenge program for youth and collegiate shooters,” said Scott Moore, Steel Challenge sponsor relations.

Since the first Steel Challenge in 1981 Smith & Wesson has been a proud sponsor, helping the World Speed Shooting Championships grow into what is today the world’s premier exhibition of speed shooting. Year after year the match routinely draws the fastest shooters from around the globe, including several from Team Smith & Wesson.

In 2010 members of the Smith & Wesson factory team collected nine titles at the Steel Challenge – more than any other industry team – and many of those shooters are expected to return this year to defend their titles.

http://steelchallenge.com/

Toni Galvez along with Eli, one of the Semineries that visited during the festivites.

Story courtesy of Galvez Family

On Saturday July 23rd, the famous phrase by St. Augustine came true: “He who sings, prays twice”; that was very evident at San Salvador Mission in Piru at the church choir festival “Animate, Let your Faith Shine”.

This is the third year they have celebrated such a festival. What really stood out this year was great Christian music, friendship, prayer, happiness, good food and families coming together to praise the Lord. Bishop Thomas Curry added to the festive atmosphere of the day by celebrating an outdoor Mass to about 800 people. Alongside Bishop Curry was Father Barney Gatlin, Pastor of San Salvador Mission and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fillmore. The Fillmore/Piru Church community felt blessed by having such a beautiful religious experience.

For almost nine hours this religious event brought church choirs that ministered through Christian music, which made the crowds dance, jump, yell, sing and pray to their contagious beats and songs. The presence of choirs from Fillmore, Saticoy, Oxnard, Fullerton and of course Piru, came together as one Catholic Community. As a special guest the young people of Verbum Dei, a music ministry from Monterrey Mexico, came specifically for this occasion. Finally, the highlight of the day was Yesenia Flores, a professional recording artist who has given her life to Jesus Christ. Her energy, enthusiasm and love for the Lord and musical talent was an example for all those who attended.

Besides all the great music, there was time to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament, which was orchestrated by the religious sister, Consuelo Contreras from “La Casita de Oracion” in Oxnard. Our local seminarian, Luis Fernando Mejia Zaragoza, who studies at the seminary in Monterrey Mexico, led a discussion regarding “Faith” and the relationship to music. The discussion was very appropriate considering the day’s event.

This event would not have been possible without the many people who helped make it a great success; especially Juan Arredondo who received a well deserved acknowledgement from Father Barney during the Mass. Juan’s excitement almost brought him to tears, when he stated: “It makes me very happy to see so many people gathered here today, all the work was well worth it.”

“We want to thank all those who helped with the preparing and selling of the food, the sound engineering and all those who cleaned up after the event. Moreover, we want to thank Ray Galvez and his family for their hospitality in housing all 15 choir members from Monterrey and hosting a party for all the participants the next day at their home. Thank you to all of you who helped and may God bless you!”

There are not enough words to express and describe the emotions that were felt during this special day. Maybe you will run into someone who attended the event so they can tell you about their experience and invite you to next year’s event. Get ready, it will be a memorable one, do not miss it! Meanwhile, “Animate” and let your faith shine!

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

In an effort to provide the community with easier access to information and to assist in the often confusing and emotional aspects of civil processes, the Sheriff’s Office has added a Civil Processes link to their public website. The link can be accessed by going to www.VCSD.org and scrolling to the Public Resources tab at the bottom of the page, then clicking on the Civil Processes tab.

The Civil Unit of the Sheriff’s Office receives, serves, and executes over 15,000 civil documents annually. The law requires that any civil process brought to the Sheriff for service must be valid on its face, issued by a competent authority, and accompanied by adequate legal instructions.

The new link is designed to help assist the public with information on Civil Process Services offered by the Sheriff’s Office. The site contains general information on the types of services offered, the forms needed, applicable fees, links to other self-help resources and frequently asked questions (FAQ) associated with civil processes. Some of the types of processes include evictions, restraining orders and levies.

The public is encouraged to use the Sheriff’s website and the Civil Processes link as a resource to assist them with information related to the service and requirements for civil processes. The information contained in the Civil Processes link should not be construed as legal advice. If you have a legal question, please contact an attorney.

The Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships celebrate their 30th anniversary this year and once again the fastest pistoleros from around the world will converge on Piru, Calif. on August 18-20 to determine which of them is truly the fastest of the fast.

Among those gunning for speed shooting glory will be local top guns Terry Olson of Fillmore, Chuck Richards of Ojai, Taran Butler and Scott Druyun of Simi Valley and Brad Simpson of Thousand Oaks.¬ More than 150 speed shooting experts from across America, Australia, Canada, Japan and the Philippines will compete in the three-day match.

Since the first Steel Challenge in 1981, the World Speed Shooting Championships have determined who within the shooting sports community is the fastest in the world by utilizing an eight stage course of fire featuring five steel targets per stage. Shooters are required to draw on the sound of a buzzer and shoot the five targets in the fastest possible time.

The shooter’s best four of five runs on seven stages, and three of four on one, are combined for their overall match time, with the difference between champion and runner-up often measured by just a few hundredths of a second.

The fastest recorded winning time was set in 2008 by K.C. Eusebio, three-time World Speed Shooting Champion, who finished in an amazing 79.16 seconds. That's 155 shots fired, including 31 draws from the holster, in less than a minute and 20 seconds.

The Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA), the national governing body for the sport of Speed Shooting and organizer of the Steel Challenge, estimates that upwards of 50,000 rounds will be put down range during competition, and well in excess of three times that fired in practice leading up to the championships.

For more information on the Steel Challenge Shooting Association visit www.SteelChallenge.com. To stay on top of this year’s match news follow @SteelChallenge on Twitter, find the ¬Steel Challenge on Facebook or visit the Steel Challenge blog.

Captain Monica J. McGrath

Depending on what you are doing, three months can be a long time, or it can go by so fast that just saying it amazes you that it has really been that long! It was the latter response that I got from Fillmore's newest sitting police chief as I sat down in her office to welcome her to Fillmore and to interview her on her newest assignment in the twenty-four years she has been a deputy with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. The first impression you get from Captain McGrath is the ease of her smile and warm relaxed presence she has. Her people skills are nice to see and will be of value as she manages law enforcement services for the Santa Clara Valley Area Station.

Captain Monica McGrath is not a California native and until 1986 she called her home Glen Gardner, a Borough located in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The size of Glen Gardner, approximately 2,000 residents, helps Captain McGrath in understanding the personality of a small town and what makes small towns like Fillmore unique. Although her home town is only about fifty miles from New York City Captain McGrath tells me she lived in a very rural area, with a small police department and very little crime. Captain McGrath moved to California in 1986 while working for New York Life Insurance and worked out of offices located at Hill Street and Telephone Road across from the County Government Center and the Headquarters of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. While working there she told me she always wondered what the large brown buildings were across the street and in August of 1987 she intimately learned what they were when she entered the Ventura County Sheriff's Academy as a new Deputy Sheriff's Trainee.

Since her career began Captain McGrath has had many assignments; with Detention Services at the former Branch Jail Honor Farm in Ojai, patrol deputy/special enforcement detail with the Camarillo Police Department, Academy Instructor teaching Juvenile Law and Vehicle Operations, Youth Officer with the Camarillo Police Department, Academy Recruit Training Officer, Human Resources Background Investigator, Sexual Assault Investigator for East Valley Police Services, Sergeant within Detention Services, Sergeant with West County Patrol Services in the City of Ojai, Internal Affairs Investigator, Supervisor Sheriff's Personnel and Human Resources, Detective Sergeant for the City of Camarillo, Patrol Watch Commander, Administrative Captain with the Camarillo Police Department and the surrounding unincorporated area and now her current assignment as Captain/Chief of Police for the Santa Clara Valley Area Station.

The Santa Clara Valley Area Station is CONTINUED »