November 2nd you will be able to vote for TWO City Council candidates

Question #7: The Cities of Bell, Maywood and Oxnard have been under scrutiny recently. What measurers can the city council take to avoid corrupt practices in city government?

David Lugo: I believe the City Council should adopt a Code of Ethics policy if one is not already in place that would give parameters on what is expected of each Council person and explain the consequences if they should not comply with those codes. Second on matters where outside bids are taken for certain projects in the City of Fillmore and one has business partners or friends in that company or has worked for that company in the past they should be excluded from that process. We as a small city for the most part have very honest people serving our community and that is what makes Fillmore a great place to live but we can not ever under estimate the things that are going on around us so we must police ourselves every now and then and not be afraid to question on things we don't feel right about, community involvement is the best way to prevent corruption also I think. "Your Voice"

Alex Mollkoy: I believe that the city council must continue to work jointly with the city departments to make public information more open and accessible to the citizens of Fillmore. We need to continue with internal and external audits in order to keep our system of checks and balances in working order. More than ever before, information is available online at the city’s website and at City Hall. I commend everyone involved with disseminating the information on-line and at City Hall. I believe that we can still increase the flow of available information and make it more easily accessible to all. The city council must continue to encourage the citizens to become more proactive in the processes of city government; this too is part of our checks and balances system. In order to avoid corrupt practices in city government; we must as the city council strive to work together with one another and all the city departments to create an honest open environment with which we can all co-operate for and in the best interest of the public.

Brian Sipes: To prevent corrupt practices it is critical that the community stay vigilant to ensure our tax dollars are spent wisely. It is also important to have trust in your City Council members and know who is funding their campaigns. I encourage all to contact the City Clerk’s office to view campaign finance reports to determine who their candidate is working for. This is the people’s government, not special interests.
I have been a proponent of having the municipal budget online for public review. This is now possible and I urge all citizens to review the budget and salaries of employees and elected officials. If elected I would go further in empowering the citizens. I would create a citizen task force committee to go through the budget. This process would give our community the ability to offer solutions for potential cost savings in difficult economic conditions.
As a private citizen, I have attended all public budget meetings and workshops. For many years I have been an advocate for accountability and transparency. If elected, I will continue to support allowing five full minutes for oral communications. I would also like to propose an annual “Town Hall Forum" that would be primarily focused on a Q&A session with our elected officials and City staff members. The public would have the opportunity to express their concerns and suggestions pertaining to City issues.
If entrusted to be a City Council member, I will never forget who my employers are. They are the voters and taxpayers.

Adrian Grimaldo: Everybody needs to vote. Each and every individual has to take responsibility for his or her actions. To lay lame and forget about this process only makes it easier to pass unethical agendas. It's through the peoples' vote that makes all the difference. A better future starts with a better understanding of city issues, processes, and development. Bell occurred because the community gave up their civic duty to vote. If you care about your future, then you will register to vote and do what is right.
I propose having a new website built for Fillmore residents. Imagine hopping onto your computer and being able to instant message council members or city employees on the fly. This network will list a schedule of passed agenda's, future city events and current developments. This system will be an open source network where people can blog solutions. Every department will be responsible in addressing blogs on their development keeping the community informed. We will then be able to keep e-files updated and hopefully give the people a better understanding of what's to come. It's time to tear down any communication barriers that are left. Bell happened because people of power abused their privileges. The only way to stop this from happening again is to get involved. Make a difference this November and do your civic duty and vote!

Patti Walker: The cities of Bell, Maywood and Oxnard have been under scrutiny recently. What measures can the city council take to avoid corrupt practices in city government?
It’s important not to do business behind closed doors. For instance, a builder requests moving his buildings closer together so more units can be built, which is an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance. The request needs to come before the Council to debate in public the pros and cons of the amendment. Staff implements policy measures set by the council; staff does not make policy.
Making policy available for the public use is important. As I’ve seen in similar sized cities, I’d like the planning guidelines displayed in pamphlet form for easy access and made available through the City’s website. These guidelines outline the various department’s required expectations. Making them available precludes problems and questions from delaying a project. Having the information available allows someone looking to build a porch for instance, to be able to walk up to the display, find the packet of information relating to porches and get on with the project.
It’s extremely necessary to have legal counsel that’s informed on not only the law, but fully engaged with the matters being debated under City Hall’s roof. A city attorney cannot be asleep at the wheel. Their presence is required to assure the goals of the council are legally meet. The attorney needs to have a solid working relationship with the manager who is the one individual charged with bringing the policies forward.
Close examination of City Hall should not be feared but welcomed. Each one of us, regardless of position, needs to follow the law.

November 2nd you will be able to vote for THREE School Board candidates

Question #7: With academic performance so low, and one campus in jeopardy of being taken over by the state, how do you plan to increase student performance?

Kimberly Rivers: To improve student achievement there is no quick fix or single thing that will work for all. Improvement will come with incremental and important changes that begin with the culture of expectations. First, I think the District must ensure that 100% of the staff expects ALL students to succeed. Second, we need to keep what works, and change what doesn’t. According to current stated policies “ultimate accountability [rests] with the Board” for all of the Districts programs and operations. The role of the Board is to evaluate and approve programs it supports or suspend and remove those failing to meet Board expectations. This is why it is vital to student achievement that the Board has the leadership and courage to examine and evaluate all departments and programs to assess what is working. Where a deficiency is found, the Board must lead the way in providing support and development to that area or if needed make a change. Any evaluation must include input from the entire community. Third, encourage new ideas and QUESTIONS. Every staff member, student, parent and community member must know that they can ask any question, bring any idea to ANY member of the Board or District staff and they will be valued. This District’s greatest resource is people. The Community. Imagine if everyone was on the look out for new ideas for our students, if everyone knew they would be welcomed in providing input and help. Imagine that. www.votekimrivers.com.

Tony Prado: Students throughout California are subjected to yearly testing. We have API, the Academic Performance Index, AYP, the Academic Yearly Progress report, and PI. Program Improvement. These state and federal titles are designed to give the community are designed to give the community an accountability report on the progress of students in the District. The manner in which they measure succsess or failure has become very controversial as to whether it really gives an accurate measurement. When non-English or limited English students are forced to test in English-what would you expect the outcome to be? FUSD has a high percentage of these students who bring down our scores. The goal is to make these students proficient in English but not at the expense of other students who are highly successful at FUSD. Just look at our graduation rate and those going on to higher education.
Increasing student performance is my number one goal. Three of our schools have gone through a "Curriculum Audit". This report, completed by the County Schools Superintendent"s Office reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the schools. These schools are in the process of implementing the recommendations. The schools are showing tremendous improvement.
Consider: - every student would have an individual learning plan so no student will remain unattended as they go from grade to grade with below-basic skills. - instructional coaches and Master Teachers to regularly observe classroom practices and work with teachers to improve their skills. - schools would start an hour later to allow time for a before school intervention class for Reading and Math improvement. - increase outreach and counseling for families whose child has below basic skills.

Lucy Rangel: With academic performance so low, and our Middle School in jeopardy of being taken over by the State, there are some ways to increase student achievement. Some of these are: 1. Improve attendance. Students can't learn if they aren't in school. Recognize or reward students for good attendance.
Counselors and administrators need to work with the families of frequently suspended students to keep them in school. 2. Create a link for each teacher on the school's web site. Teachers can post homework, due dates for projects, information on field trips, fundraisers, etc. This is an excellent way to communicate with parents. 3. If a student turns in late work, accept it. It is better to have a student learn from completing an assignment and earning an F than not turning it in and getting a zero. 4.
Since secondary teachers can have 170 or more student contacts each day, each teacher could become a "coach" to a homeroom team of about 30-35 students. They would motivate, inspire, and build self esteem and rapport with these students for the entire year. 5. The principals can collaborate with the administrators from Mountain Vista and San Cayetano Schools where teachers and staff are committed to character education.
I strongly believe that a student's character development and citizenship are equally as essential as their academic performance. If students feel good about themselves, and they know that you care, you will be amazed by the performance and effort they give you!

Dave Wilde: School performance is the responsibility of the site administrator and ultimately the district superintendent. There are lots of ideas being put into place around the country that have proved to be
successful. Principals and superintendents should be constantly searching for those strategies that may fit the needs of our students. No one in the district should be shy about making changes to instruction when needed.
The past six years I've had the luxury of working with Teacher Support Services at the Ventura County Office of Education, and we constantly hear what research says about student learning.
The number one constant with student learning is teacher effectiveness. We should ensure that all site administrators are properly trained to assess teacher effectiveness during classroom instruction, and when adjustments are needed be able to make that happen.
Site principals and the district administrative staff must continue to encourage teacher collaboration. Department, and grade level teachers must continue to identify deficiencies in student learning, assist colleague who are experiencing difficulty, make adjustments in instructional practices, and encourage parent participation to promote student learning. We have a lot of great teachers in this district that have the ability to make that happen.
Fillmore school sites are now looking at a program that will allow parents to check on theirs child's academic progress at any time on the internet. I think this practice would be a great step towards fostering parent awareness and involvement. Many districts already have this program in place.

Mark Austin: In order for student success and low achievement scores to be raised, students need to understand the importance of obtaining an education, be motivated and interested in the subject matter, and be held accountable by both their parents and the District. I believe that the issue of low achievement scores is not just the District's problem to resolve, but is a communitywide issue that is based on a multitude of things. My strategy, with assistance from other Board members, would be to look for ways to accomplish this task by forming a communitywide group consisting of all the major stakeholders.
These would include representatives from the City Council, business community, family and youth community groups, school board members, parents, classified and certified staff, and administrative staff. This communitywide group would be assigned to develop a strategy to solve our school performance issues and to design a method to ensure student success and increase achievement scores. votemarkaustin.com

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Mike Issa Grair

On October 10, 2008, Mike Issa Grair, 64, was found shot to death in his sport utility vehicle, which was parked behind a vacant building located on the northwest corner of Los Posas Road @ Lewis Road in the City of Camarillo, Ca. It is estimated that Mr. Grair was shot sometime between 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

For the past two years the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau has aggressively investigated the murder of Mr. Grair. Detective’s have interviewed in excess of 100 persons and still have no solid leads.

In April of 2009, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department held a press conference in which Mr. Grair’s family offered a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Mr. Grair’s death.

October 10th marks the 2 year anniversary of Mr. Grair’s death. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and the Grair family desperately need you help to solve this senseless crime. The $100,000 reward is still available.

Please contact Detective Sergeant Todd Inglis, Detective Dan Hawes, or Crime Stoppers with any information regarding the death of Mike Grair.

Todd Inglis Desk – (805) 477-7032 Dan Hawes Desk – (805) 477-7042

Ventura County Crime Stoppers – 1-800-222- TIPS (8477)
http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/index.aspx

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Recently we have had residents of Fillmore stop by the Police Station to make their Police Expo donation. There is only one problem. There is no such "Police Expo" and we would never call you at home to make a donation to the Sheriff or Police Departments.

This is the makings of a scam by some crooks in the area who preying on the kind nature of our Fillmore and Piru residents. These bad guys ask you for a modest donation in cash or check for police and they offer to pick up the checks at your home or you could even leave it under the"Mat." We often hear of residents giving their hard earned money and savings to bogus police charities. We want to make sure this does not happen to you!

The police department will investigate your tips on such bogus charities. Remember, do your research before you give money to any charity that you are not actively involved with. Make sure they are a federally registered non-profit. Don't just ask them, the Police Department will help verify for you. Email Sergeant Dave Wareham dave.wareham@ventura.org or Police Chief Tim Hagel tim.hagel@ventura.org and we will check for you. Please email us or call us at 805-524-2235 if you have received similar calls for "Police Charities."

Update:
We have found the organization doing the police donation phone calls. They are based out of Los Angeles. We are investigating their authenticity, regardless, our position still doesnt change and we do not recommend citizens giving money to them.

Fillmore City Manager Yvonne Quiring

In an effort to clear up the confusion surrounding the surprise (September 28) public reading of the city employees’ no confidence letter, comments were requested from Mayor Walker and four council members. Only Councilman Jamey Brooks refused to comment. Brooks’ refusal could be seen as a manifestation of his commitment to open government.

Due to a mix-up in phone and email efforts, the Gazette was unable to interview City Manager Yvonne Quiring directly. She did submit two comments as follows: In terms of Lathrop, “The Council conducted a thorough background process, including a trip to Lathrop and selected me to carry out their vision.”

And in terms of the letter [Vote of No Confidence] —“Right now we have budget challenges, labor negotiations and a class and comp study as well as an election cycle. Given the uncertainty, it is understandable that nerves are frayed and employees are worried. I remain committed to healing these divisions and working through these challenges.”

Fillmore Mayor Pro Tem Gayle Washburn commented that she “[may have] been the only one” to not know that this letter was coming. And even though she has heard comments from community members that the presentation of this letter could “be a political event… designed to discredit the Mayor and City Manager”, Washburn still recognizes that “these are serious allegations and concerns… which the Council needs to address as soon as possible.” Commenting on what is happening now she stated “as we speak, the Council is scheduling [a meeting] to determine the process” that will be used as the Council investigates the employee complaints.

Washburn went on to CONTINUED »

Nurse Martha Romero RN (above) presented the statistics for FUSD showing that it has 1.5 registered nurses for about 3818 students. The California School Nurses Organization has a recommended ratio of 1 nurse for every 750 students.

On Tuesday October 5 the Fillmore Unified School Board of Trustees met for a regularly scheduled meeting. Board President Tony Prado and Board Vice President Virginia De La Piedra were not in attendance. Board Clerk Liz Wilde conducted the relatively short meeting.

Brief reports were presented by Board Member John Garnica regarding the great football game at Homecoming, and Wilde about the dedication of Sierra High, a Junior Varsity Volleyball game, and the Fillmore High School Boosters club. Wilde has received comments from those planning the 100th Year game between Fillmore and Santa Paula “[that it’s] pretty much been handled by Fillmore… if you know anyone in Santa Paula they could sure use some help.” The Board heard from District Nurse Martha Romero RN who presented the Health Services Annual Report. Romero’s report was aimed at giving the Board a better idea about “what a day is like in the [health] office.” She presented the numbers of students who received the state mandated hearing and vision tests and those that were referred to further medical assessment. Romero stressed the importance of the nursing staff for keeping kids healthy and in school. The current staff is made up of two registered nurses, one who works full time and one part time, not only because of their role in caring for the students who need regular daily care due to chronic illness, but also for the unexpected sometimes emergency situations that arise. The district nurses work to make sure that all site office staff, and teachers are trained to assist students who may need their care should the nurse not be on campus during an emergency. Romero presented the statistics for FUSD showing that it has 1.5 registered nurses for about 3818 students. The California School Nurses Organization has a recommended ratio of 1 nurse for every 750 students. Although Romero commented that very few Districts are able to meet that recommendation.

The Board then voted to CONTINUED »

During my most recent counter-terrorism training mission to the Middle East, I had the honor of meeting a courageous and innovative individual.

Her name is Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, ESQ. Nitsana is the founder of the non-profit Shurat HaDin (English translation: The Israel Law Center). Western Intelligence agencies and countries, including the United States, have benefited in their fight against Radical Islamic terrorism because of the dedicated work of Mrs. Darshan-Leitner and the Israel Law Center.

Mossad officials (The Israeli Intelligence Institute that is the equivalent of the CIA in the U.S.) stated because of the legal activities of Nitsana and The Israel Law Center, terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip has been reduced by as much as 60%.

Established in 2003 and based in Tel-Aviv, Shurat HaDin has become the world leader in fighting terrorism through civil lawsuits and other legal action. Shurat HaDin works together with western intelligence agencies and volunteer attorneys around the world to file legal actions on behalf of victims of terrorist acts.

Following the model pioneered by the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center a non-profit legal center that over the last four decades has successfully confronted and shut down racist groups across America,Shurat HaDin represents hundreds of victims in cases against Islamic terrorist groups and countries that are state sponsors of terrorism such as; Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinian Authority, Iran, Syria, and the financial institutions that act as front organizations for these terrorist elements finances.

Shurat HaDin’s main goals are:
-Stop the flow of terror CONTINUED »

Interested parties who wish to become a write-in candidate can do so. The write-in nomination period opened on September 6th (technically the 7th as the 6th was a holiday), and will close on October 16th; a notice concerning the write-in period is posted on the Fillmore city’s website. The same candidacy provisions apply, i.e., 20 valid signatures of registered voters are required to become a certified candidate, and FPPC forms need to be completed and filed with the City Clerk’s office. The candidates name will not appear on the ballot and would need to be written in by a voter at the polls.