To the editor:
On the evening of Tuesday May 25th, I attended a public meeting at Piru Elementary School which was both a regular School site Council meeting and a training session on the nuts and bolts of the State rules and regulations for School Site Council Meeting. The trainer was Dr. Michael Babb who presented an outline of such things as the responsibilities, constituency, and meeting guidelines for these meeting.
Then the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board President who attended, the FUSD advisor to the Piru Principal, and the Chairman of the meeting proceeded to violate both the spirit and rules pertaining to such meetings. The agenda for the meeting was not shared the required 72 hours before the meeting, and according to several public commentators, it did not include concerns that have been raised at prior meeting(s). Minutes of a February meeting were distributed but this was a surprise to those who felt they were neither notified before or after that meeting. There was no categorical budget information provided in either the minutes or at this meeting. There was no reports of data on student achievement either in the minutes or at this meeting. Dr. Babb had stated that these are key areas of responsibility for a School Site Council (SSC). It was evident that the members of the SSC had not been provided with either the tools to act responsibly, nor had they been informed of the mission of the SSC. But this was not their fault, as other events at the meeting demonstrated.
The FUSD Board President violated the very spirit of SSC meetings when he warned the council members and the audience, about the presence of "outsiders" and "agitators" at the meeting, who were "gathering information" for "political and economic" reasons. He urged them to be very careful about what they said at the meeting. The FUSD Board President is the reason I came to observe the SSC meeting because I had heard of threatening statements being made at a FUSD Board meeting toward a teacher at Piru Elementary School and also had heard a report about FUSD school personnel at a party hitting pinatas that had Piru School teachers names attached. I feel protective of those Piru school teachers that have become targets of FUSD wrath. Now I am concerned that the FUSD Board President thinks the tax monies from the Feds and CA that come to FUSD are none of the business of "outsiders". Incidentally, there was not misbehavior from any members of the audience, whether "outsiders" or not, and the the chairman's request for adhering to the meeting agenda was respected by all. Questions and comments were saved for the "Public Comments" part of the agenda.
The rules for "open meetings", notification of meetings, and the building of an agenda for the next meeting were not followed. Despite the State mandate for a SSC to be accountable for the categorical budget expenditures and to evaluate student achievement, there was no observable intent to put this on a future meeting agenda or make such information public. The FUSD assistant to the Principal, would not allow even a tentative date for a future SSC meeting nor would she allow the members of the SSC to set their own meeting schedule and agenda.
I think this SSC at Piru Elementary needs further citizen monitoring for adherence to State Education Code and fiscal accountability and I call on both the Ventura Co. and the CA Departments of Education to do their oversight job.
Jim Pavik
Granada Hills

To the Editor:
A public outreach meeting will be held Thursday, June 3, at 6:30 pm at the Fillmore Senior Center to discuss the Fillmore Business Park.
The meeting is an opportunity for interested persons to receive information about what the Fillmore Business Park project is, the reasons why it was started and the projected benefits of the Fillmore Business Park. For example, did you know the developers of the Fillmore Business Park believe they can bring thousands of new jobs to Fillmore and get the local Fillmore economy growing and help bring prosperity to the existing businesses and residents of Fillmore? And did you know that according to a "Fillmore Business Park, Economic Impact Summary" prepared by the independent consulting firm of David Taussig & Associates, that at full build out of the 90-acre site, the Fillmore Business Park will create 1,700 new employees and the surrounding Fillmore community will benefit from an additional 900 indirect jobs, resulting in about 2,600 total long-term jobs.
Those of us who have worked for the City or who reside in the City believe passionately that the City of Fillmore is one of California’s “best small towns”. This best small town has a population of 15,000, but currently has only about 3,000 jobs.
The Land Owners, Business Park Developers & Consultants (yes, I am one of the consultants on the project) cordially invite you to join us Thursday, June 3, at 6:30 pm at the Senior Center to share light refreshments in an informal setting to: View architectural renderings, Discuss Economic Impacts and Future employment potential, Learn what other communities are doing, Answer your questions about the Fillmore Business Park .
Come join other local people for an opportunity for a Q & A session
Roy Payne
Fillmore City Manager
(1989-2005)

To the Editor:
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
The week of 26 April 2010, I submitted a letter on Illegal Immigration. It contained background information, i.e., 1. Periods of influx of Immigrants into the U.S.A., 2. Laws and restrictions imposed and their lack of implementation/controls and 3. Proposed Plan of Action.
The following are some additional comments. Immigration was to be controlled by the laws of our land. It is our responsibility as citizens, to assure said laws are forced/controlled. Today there are many who disagree with the state of Arizona's proposed law. Nothing wrong in disagreeing. People through out the country are holding rallies protesting the law. some are being bussed to Arizona to protest. Also police chiefs from around the country have met to discuss Arizona's proposed law. Question: Do these police departments have formal procedures in place and are they carried out in accordance with the law, including Fillmore? Presently politicians running for office are on the "band wagon" stating they will impose the laws. Just more rhetoric. Based on the politicians past record to date, they are rated at a minus "D". It is our duty as voters to follow these laws. We as voters can make it happen. It is the responsibility of our City Council to develop a Plan of Action for the voters approval. As a minimum, the plan to include the following: Undocumented business owners and/or their employees, businesses subcontractors and their subs, those who work as gardeners, house keepers, baby/elderly sitters, day laborers, etc. A draft and final version to be submitted to the voters for approval. The plan to be forwarded to the Governors office as outlined in the previous letter.
Each of us must take a pro-active role in finding a solution to this situation. Those who choose to do nothing but continuously complain would better serve by their silence.
Ray Dressler
Fillmore

To the Editor:
Public Safety has long been a top priority for our Ventura County communities; it is what keeps us in the top five “safest communities” nationally for a county our size. I have worked to protect this priority and to respect the work of our law enforcement, firefighters and prosecutors, as they commit daily to keep our communities safe. On June 8th, you will have the opportunity to elect two exemplary leaders that will work to ensure our neighborhoods remain safe for our families and our businesses.
Geoff Dean, candidate for Ventura County Sheriff has superior experience, a record of fiscal responsibility, is a proven leader as shown by the support he has earned from every local Police Chief, and is trusted by the men and women of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association. I have worked with Geoff on community projects supporting Casa Pacifica, Boys and Girls Clubs and to pass the Social Host Ordinance to curb underage drinking in our neighborhoods. I trust and respect Geoff Dean to lead the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department into the next decade.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Ryan Wright is asking for your vote to serve on the Superior Court, Office 1. I support Ryan Wright as I know his years of experience have prepared him to uphold the laws, protect our residents and keep our communities safe. He is supported by District Attorney Greg Totten and every Police Chief in the county. His integrity and professional commitment will bring fairness and balance to the court.
Please join me in voting on June 8th for Geoff Dean for our next Sheriff and Ryan Wright, for Superior Court Judge. The safety of our county will continue to be our highest priority with these two leading the way.
Sincerely,
Kathy Long, Chair
Ventura County Supervisor