To The Editor:
I was wondering what they’re going to put in place of Burger King. My personal suggestion would be Popeye’s Chicken. Why? Because everyone loves Chicken and also all my people here in Fillmore Love Spicy Chicken and Mashed Potatoes & Gravy.
Mr. Vacetti
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
I am saddened to be writing again about the Pacific Coast Pipelines Superfund Site here in my hometown of Fillmore, California. I am a lifetime resident and live next to the Superfund Site. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes a partial deletion from the Superfund Site. This partial deletion is the surface soil on this former Texaco Oil Refinery property. I oppose this proposal by the EPA.
Living close to the Superfund Site has been a horrible experience. I have lived at my residence since 1974. The Texaco/ Chevron Site has gone through several cleanups over the years. The last “cleanup” conducted during 2013-2014 was a nightmare. The residents close to the Site experienced questionable exposure as heavy equipment unearthed the toxic soil. Some of this contaminated soil was physically removed from the site in hazardous containers. Tons of contaminated soil was disposed into a consolidation area on the property. I find it amazing that the EPA does not explain where the consolidation is located and does not have a map on it’s website for residents and others to learn about the placement of the contaminated soil. The EPA is leaving the groundwater that is contaminated with benzene under the Site on the partial deletion intent on the Federal EPA Register.
To say that this property is now clean enough to be deleted from the Superfund list is a bad decision. Residents of Fillmore and especially those living close to the Site need to feel safe and comfortable about what’s buried there and about the benzene that is still in the groundwater. Who’s to say that this contaminated soil could be exposed again during a catastrophe. We have had devastating fires, landslides from heavy rains and earthquakes here in California. Any of these catastrophic episodes could happen at any time making the condition at the Site unpredictable. The consolidated contaminated soil is buried next to Pole Creek. That creek has overflowed many times over the years. It could happen again. An overflow from rain could erode the consolidated soil and send it down Pole Creek and into the Santa Clara River. Holly Hadlock, the project manager for the EPA said the underground water cleanup will take about 50 years. Both of these polluted areas need to be brought to the attention of all of those living close to the site.
There is a 30-day public comment period starting on the day the EPA publishes the Notice of Intent for Partial Deletion in the Federal Register, from Dec. 26, 2017- January 25, 2018. Please express your concerns about the Partial Deletion from the Superfund list. You can submit your comments online at the Federal Register Docket website http://www. regulations.gov or email Holly Hadlock at hadlock.holly@epa.gov Let’s keep all the Pacific Coast Pipeline Site on the Superfund list. We owe it to the citizens of Fillmore and to our children and grandchildren who will be the one’s living here in years to come.
Thank you, Christine Villasenor

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To the Editor:
Happy New Year, our Fillmore City council held their first meeting of the new year, January 9, 2018. It was for certain contentious. The major subject matter was the issue of Cannabis, and whether or not the City would allow sales and distribution. The chamber was nearly full of residents, but dwindled down as other subject issues were completed. Still and all there was significant resident commentary given, most of which was to disallow sales and distribution in Fillmore.
As we now know the City Council voted against approving the prospect of sales, distribution or storage of cannabis.
I am not writing this letter to repeat what the Gazette has already shared on this subject.
The purpose of this writing is to share an inadequate process for the residents of Fillmore to collaborate with the Fillmore City Council.
I had prepared a hard copy presentation for the purpose of sharing an upcoming issue that will be a part of city staff business, a part of a City Council agendized meeting issues in the near future.
The request for City support, is to provide a pedestrian gate at the R.V parking area of the El Dorado Mobil Home park, for our now family park children.
To provide safe passage to Rio Vista Elementary School. As I know it neither the Developer or the Park ownership have made this necessary gate a planned approved item of the development. I am not sure it ever crossed their minds.
El Dorado is alike a little Vatican with in Fillmore, autonomous, park owners are not in touch with their tenants, or needs of the park. The City treats it like it is a fiefdom, out of their control. We absolutely are Fillmore residents and the park is just an entity with in Fillmore and should comply with normal and expected behavior and cooperative interaction with our City, Municipal code and other ordinances as well.( I Recognize that the owners must comply with the States Mobilehome Residency Law. as their primary required base of, compliance/ operation. This should not preclude the Cities rights and authorities as City Government)
My issue is/was, I had a request in my presentation, for the council to be aware of a need for the pedestrian gate, prior to the upcoming staff agenda item.
Wanting, the gate to be a conditional approval by the Council for the latest HVP development planning. The Owners made this a family park, yes we had some people who caused the change, (they have all moved now). Even so managing this park with Children most clearly must include Resident/children safety planning, by the City for its residents, and the park owner for safety/liability concerns.
A lot said here, but what became very clear is, we apparently do not have a process to give resident/citizen /constituent input to the council, unless we can do it in 3 to 5 minutes. This is the time all who attended were allotted.
I will confess that my choice of Jan. 9, to try and share my presentation, was a horrible night. The time over all was too tight because of the major cannabis cross talk.
It did illustrate however the inadequacy, and lack of a process, for other items of interest or need, for Fillmore residents to share and collaborate with our City Council.
Two City Council meetings a month and resident comment time set at two to three minutes is insignificant time.
There are other items of City life, and ideas to share that make us a tight community, other than the monthly agendized issues. We need to get other issues out there for our leaders to review and consider. (just to be aware of other issues.)
We seem to get close with them only when there is a near delirious crowd of upset people, or if it is an agenda item.
That said-- I am in no way discrediting any of the City Council or City staff.
I appreciate that the Mayor and City Council have another life, they all work and have families.
I have shared other issues and concerns with the City Council, the City manager and his staff. All endeavors and interactions have been very amiable and rewarding.
We are very fortunate to have them all. I am now a twelve year resident of Fillmore, of forty nine years in Ventura county. These last years in Fillmore have provided me with clear appreciation of the successes these fellow citizens have afforded us.
There are opportunities to be realized from collaborative work with the residents, and the City council. We need to plan a way to work together, it is our City too.
We need more residents to get involved with positive issues in support of our City. Quit hiding!!
Raymond s Brown Sr.
Fillmore