Principals of four elementary schools updated the Fillmore Unified School District Board of Trustees on the academic progress of their schools Tuesday evening, November 17, 2009.

Talking about academic achievement, Piru Principal Leticia Ramos reported that their California State testing went up 52 points and they exceeded the statewide target for 2009. She noted that students are using computer lab time and she said there is a migrant homework assistance program, run by a teacher and a staff member which helps 10-to-20 students. She also talked about after school tutoring and professional development for teachers. “I'm putting together some assessments and benchmarks,” she added. “It's wonderful to work with such a wonderful staff.”

Ramos discussed parent involvement. She said they've had great feedback and participation on the School Site Council and the school farm now has three goats. They are planning a school farm day and a school beautification day. Parents are offering roses and other plants for the campus.

Jan Marholin, principal of San Cayetano School said CONTINUED »

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There are many risks associated with storing prescription drugs that are not part of a current drug therapy. The prescriptions may be outdated and not effectively treating the symptoms. In addition, if prescription drugs are being stored and no longer needed, there is possibility that the drugs could be stolen or mistakenly taken by others.

The Fillmore Police Department works in conjunction with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department to dispose of your unwanted medications in a safe manner. The program is free to our residents.

If you have prescription drugs that are outdated, no longer needed or you just do not know how to dispose of, please bring them by the Police Station, Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M.

“The Fillmore Police Department’s goal is to make households safer by reducing the likelihood of accidental ingestion of old medications and do our part to help our city maintain a high quality of recycled water."

Sespe 4-H announced a Sock-Box collection for homeless, battered and needy women. Boxed will be located around town in different business. Watch for locations to be announed in the Gazette.
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Councilman Steve Conaway makes a cash donation to a Sock-Box, sponsored by Sespe 4-H.
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Fillmore City Council and Fillmore Redevelopment Agency met Tuesday night.

Oral Communications began with Fillmore Police Capt. Tim Hagel announcing a prescription drug turn-in program. Unwanted, unused and expired prescriptions can be dropped into a receptacle at the sheriff’s station, Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM. They will be disposed of at the crime lab free of charge. One benefit will be that the drugs will not affect the city’s sewage recycling center, said Hagel. He thanked Sgt. Dave Wareham for his work in bringing the program to Fillmore.

Ray Harper and Michele Morgan of RDF Communities gave a brief update on the Business Park. Harper said they are importing dirt to raise level of the park, which will provide1,300 construction jobs, and 2,600 long term jobs, doubling the employment base in Fillmore, according to Harper. Morgan stated that they worked with Caltrans and the Sheriffs Department to mitigate any problems.

Sespe 4-H President Toni Ruiz announced community service, “Sespe Socks” -- a sock collection program to benefit battered and homeless and needy women. The group will provide sock-drop boxes around town for collection of new socks. Box locations will be announced in the Gazette. Councilmember Steve Conaway suggested cash donations also, making a donation along with several others. Sespe 4-H leader Sue Maynard thanked council for the opportunity to announce the program.

Proclamations were presented to several business owners and representatives for their CONTINUED »

On Monday, November 9th, 2009 the Fillmore Unified School District board rejected a petition to convert Piru Elementary School into an independent charter campus. Petitioners said they plan to appeal the decision to the Ventura County Board of Education. Representatives of the Charter initiative said they would release a response to the decision of the Board in the near future.

Following is Superintendent Jeff Sweeney’s response to the charter conversion, presented to the audience at Monday’s meeting.

Board Resolution No. 09/10/09 Denying the Petition for Piru Charter School

BACKGROUND
On or about September 16, 2009, petitioners for the Piru Charter School submitted to the Fillmore Unified School District (“District”) a charter school petition for the Piru Charter School.

Pursuant to Education Code 47605, the Governing Board CONTINUED »

U.S. Forest Service and NASA offered career information at Friday’s fhs Career Day 2009-2010 event.
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The U.S. Marines were on-hand Friday to answer questions about military service.
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Beauticians worked their magic on two willing participants at FHS 2009-2010 Career Day.
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Fillmore High School would like to thank our sponsors Fillmore Sunrise Rotary, and Fillmore Noon-time Rotary for their generous donations and support of our Career Day. Also, we’d like to thank all the following representatives who took time out of their busy day to speak with our students at the 2009-2010 Career Day.

U.S. Army
Wells Fargo Bank
Cal Lutheran University – Upward Bound
A.I.A. Lauterbach & Associates
The C.R.E.W.
NAWIC
Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
County of Ventura Personnel Department
FIDM
City of Fillmore Fire Department *
Lu Ross Academy
Marines
Moorpark College
Real Estate-Century 21- Mrs. Robledo
Regional Occupational Program
Santa Clara Valley Job & Career Center
Santa Barbara Business College *
UCSB-Early Academic Outreach
Ventura College
Child Development Center
Ventura County Probation
School Psychologist- Barbara Peterson
East County Children & Family Service Office
Massage Therapist- Amey Bradford *
CSUCI
Wm L. Morris Chevrolet
Navy
Skillin Carroll Mortuary
Vons Market
UCLA *
Nurse- Mrs. Dewey
The Art Institute
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Fugro West, Inc.
Teacher- Mr. Bedau
Ventura C.H.P.
Doctor- Christine Johnston
Nurse- Charlene Nunez *
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department
U.S. Forest Service *
Ventura County Fire Department *
Arete Associates- Mr. Ashim
NASA
Medical Billing Specialist- Cathy Frias
Private Investigator- Mr. Curnett
Artist- Jesus Rangel *
Air Force
Six Flags Magic Mountain
FBI
John Robert Powers- Acting/Modeling
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Crime Lab
FUSD Speech Pathologists- Ms. McClamroch, Ms. Garcia *
Make-up Designory
Veterinarian- Dr. Lidikay
CSUN

*Fillmore High School Graduates

The Fillmore Police Department is now hosting a FREE Start Smart Driver Safety Education Class for teenagers and their parents/guardians.

Classes are designed to:

-Help newly and future licensed teenage drivers understand the responsibilities associated with driving a motor vehicle.

-Show how a poor choice behind the wheel can change the lives of everyone involved.

-Reduce the number of teen-related injuries and deaths due to motor vehicle collisions.

November 18, 2009
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Fillmore City Fire Station
711 Sespe Place

For more information or to sign up for the Start Smart Class with your teenage driver contact the
Fillmore Police Department
524 Sespe Ave.
Fillmore, Ca 93015
805-524-2233

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Location: Pacific Coast Highway at Mugu Rock
Date & Time: June 22, 2006, at approximately 08:00 AM
Unit Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Department/Major Crimes

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (W)itnessess City of Residence Age
(V) Michael Alexander Rudolph Camarillo 49

On Thursday, June 22, 2006, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department patrol deputies responded to a missing person call at the Camarillo home of Michael Alexander Rudolph. During the initial investigation, deputies learned that Rudolph’s friends and family had not seen him since Tuesday, June 20, 2006.

Deputies continued their investigation into the whereabouts of Rudolph and during the early morning hours of June 23, 2006 they discovered Rudolph’s four-door maroon 2000 Ford Contour parked at the south end of the beach parking lot just north of Mugu Rock. A search of the vehicle and subsequent investigation yielded few clues as to the whereabouts of Rudolph. Neither Rudolph nor his remains have surfaced since he was reported missing.

In the late summer of 2009, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Unit received new information into the disappearance of Rudolph. This information has led the Major Crimes Unit to classify the disappearance of Rudolph as a homicide.

Investigators now believe Rudolph’s car was driven to the Mugu Rock and staged as a ploy to mislead investigators into believing Rudolph disappeared in the ocean. Based on the new information received, Major Crimes investigators are now pursuing new leads, which they believe will assist them in identifying those responsible for killing Rudolph.

The Sheriff’s Department asks anyone with information regarding the murder of Michael Alexander Rudolph to contact the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit at (805) 477-7000.

Ian Gaven Patrick McKeown. (Color photo coming soon)

Imagine, or can you remember, being seventeen years old and in your senior year at Fillmore High School (FHS). Your Senior year at FHS means being busy with studies, school activities and stressful long hours trying to figure out what your future will be like! One FHS senior has already decided his immediate future by setting a goal and has taken steps to get to that goal. FHS Senior Ian Gaven Patrick McKeown, 17 years, finds himself in just that position. Although Ian still has nearly seven months until graduation with the class of 2010 he has already enlisted in the United States Army Reserves and this past summer attended United States Army Basic Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma . Ian, now United States Army Reserve Private Ian Gaven Patrick McKeown, attended Piru Elementary School, Fillmore Middle School and was active in the Future Farmers of America.
Ian is the son of Stephen McKeown and Lori Schnieder of Fillmore. His siblings are Erica Stout 37 years of Germany whose husband Shannon is a Sergeant First Class stationed in Germany with the United States Army and currently deployed, Michael McKeown 31 years of Fillmore, Aimee McKeown 28 years of Fillmore, Patrick Wing 28 years of Arizona, Morgan McKeown 24 years of Arizona, Erin McKeown 22 years of Fillmore, Caitlin McKeown 20 years and stationed at Fort Meade in Maryland with the United States Air Force, Brian McKeown 18 years of Fillmore, Sean McKeown 16 years of Fillmore, and Paige McKeown 7 years of Fillmore. Ian's paternal grandmother is the late Joan McKeown and his maternal grandparents are Leori Schnieder and Alvin Schnieder of Oklahoma.
Private Ian McKeown has followed into military service brothers Michael McKeown United States Air Force, Patrick Wing United States Marine Corps and sister Caitlin McKeown United States Air Force. Ian's brother-in-law Curtis Kniffen is a Senior Airman with the United States Air Force stationed in Arizona.

Private Ian McKeown is participating in the CONTINUED »

City of Fillmore

The Ventura County District Attorney’s office announced on October 23rd in a letter to Fillmore City Manager Yvonne Quiring its decision not to bring criminal charges or a civil action against the Fillmore City Council for allegedly violating California’s Brown Act. The letter was made available October 30, 2009.

Special Assistant District Attorney Michael Schwartz wrote in the letter, “I appreciate that the Brown Act can be complex and that members of public bodies must maintain constant vigilance to insure compliance with its terms. In this case, the City Council and the city Attorney took the alleged violations seriously and took prompt action to remedy any violation s that might have occurred.”

Fillmore City Attorney Ted Schneider said the city is pleased with the District Attorney’s opinion, after conducting a thorough investigation.

“The DA’s decision not to pursue a civil action against the City demonstrates the inherent weaknesses in Mr. McKee’s case,” stated Schneider, referring to the civil suit brought by Richard McKee, Director of Californians Aware, a California political watchdog group.

“The DA has expressed that, CONTINUED »

From the left, Dean of Sierra High School, Cynthia Frutos, Fillmore Middle School Principal Todd Schieferle, and FMS Assistant Principal, Tricia Godfrey, address the Fillmore School District Board at Tuesday’s regular meeting.

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Fillmore Unified School District Superintendent Jeff Sweeney introduced administrators of Fillmore Middle School, Fillmore High School and Sierra High School to district trustees Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

The focus was on student learning for the 2009-2010 school year. Todd Schieferle, Principal of FMS said the focus of the middle school this year is Safety, Learning and Love. He said safety is the highest priority; a zero tolerance for violence and a firm discipline policy is in place.

Focus on learning, according to Schieferle, is based on what we want students to learn; how we know each student has learned; and how we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning. He went to to say we use assessments for the state guidelines. He said we use a support system to cover those concepts still needing to be learned. “A 25 minute period for refining skills is available four times a week.” Student-teacher pacing guides help students to master assigned state standards, also.

Tricia Godfrey, Assistant Principal said that CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

The Fillmore Unified School District received a petition for the conversion of Piru Elementary School to a charter school to be known as the Piru Charter School. The District Governing Board held a public hearing on the provisions of the charter on Wednesday, October 21, at which time the Board considered the level of support for the petition by teachers employed by the District, other District employees, and parents. Over 200 attended that meeting.

Based on the District’s review and analysis of the charter petition and the information gathered at the public hearing, the District Board will either grant or deny the charter. That meeting will occur at Piru Elementary School in their auditorium on Monday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m. Translators will be present at the meeting. Transportation to and from Rancho Sespe will be done by car pooling. Also, child care for elementary age students will be provided.

A copy of the petition can be viewed at the Superintendent’s Office, 627 Sespe Avenue, Fillmore, CA.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On 10-30-09, at approximately 12:40 P.M, Deputy Biter, the Fillmore Police Department motorcycle officer, observed Jesus Hernandez 23, Fillmore, riding his bicycle north on B Street, at First Street, in the City of Fillmore. Deputy Biter observed Hernandez fail to stop at the posted stop sign. Deputy Biter attempted to stop Hernandez for the violation by using his voice and his police lights and siren. Hernandez fled from Deputy Biter and was ultimately stopped in the 800 block of Second Street.

During the investigation, Deputy Biter discovered 13 individual“baggies” of narcotics packaged for sale (about 13.9 grams) and narcotics paraphernalia. Hernandez was booked at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility for possession of narcotics for sale, transportation of methamphetamine, possession of narcotics paraphernalia, and resisting or delaying a police officer.
Courtesy of Fillmore Police Department.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

An Oxnard man crashed into a metal guardrail on Sycamore Road near Seventh Street, breaking his neck. He was transferred to Ventura County Medical Center for treatment.
Francisco Romero Gutierrez, 19, was driving west on Sycamore Road, when he hit the rail, injuring two passengers. Cesario Sandoval, 21, sustained serious internal injuries, and Jose Luis Solorzano, 18, received cuts to his head and arm. Both men are Santa Paula residents.
Gutierrez was arrested on suspicion of felony drunken driving in the November 1st crash.

MEASURE F CITY OF FILLMORE FAIR RENT AND HOME OWNE
5/5 100.00%
Vote Count Percent
YES 159 14.10%
NO 969 85.90%
Total 1,128 100.00%

Piru Charter School petitioners made a presentation to the FUSD board on October 21st, 2009.
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On October 21, 2009, the Fillmore United School District Governing Board held a public hearing on the proposal to remove Piru School from the District, and make it a separate Charter school run independently of the District. Following are five of the statements read at the meeting by both opponents and supporters of the Charter conversion:

Richard Durborow
First of all, we want to thank everyone for being here this evening and for taking part in the process of creating a “new choice” in public education. Tonight this determined and accomplished petitioning group is prepared to take a big step towards assuring that your children will not only experience improved student learning today but for generations to come. I applaud their efforts and commitment for wanting to make a profound difference in the lives of children. It is with great anticipation and excitement about the future success of your children and their students that has led them to design this high quality charter petition. This petition not only defines what it means to be an “educated person” in the 21st Century but also includes how learning best occurs. This petition reads like a good book. If you haven’t read it I suggest you do. And just like all good books the charter petition tells a compelling story; a story of next steps and high expectations, a story of how all students can reach high levels of academic achievement, how all students can be supported in a school climate based on mutual-respect and self-discipline, how all parents can be assured that their child’s teacher is using classroom instruction that works, and how all students can grow to become healthy lifelong learners. Thank You, Richard Durborow Before we go any further this evening I want to address the issue of misinformation about Migrant Education. Let’s clear this up right now. Migrant funds will continue at Piru Charter School! All migrant programs will remain in place at PCS!

Greg Spaulding
Let me start by thanking the school board CONTINUED »

Fillmore Veterans Memorial building came alive last Thursday night, October 22, as several hundred residents came to ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) why it was requiring flood insurance on approximately 1,500 Fillmore homes.

The informational meeting was hosted by Bert Rapp, Fillmore’s Director of Public Works, FEMA’s Ed Curtis, Region IX Engineer, and FEMA flood insurance expert Jana Crutchfield.

Rapp began the evening with a history of flood occurrences in Fillmore and a PowerPoint explanation of the area’s prospective flood areas. He explained the recertification process for all levees in the United States, which are reviewed every five years for reaccreditation.

But the spirit of the evening was in the questions and concerns of the citizens who came to the microphone to express those concerns. Paul Schifanelli spoke on behalf of the elderly who live at the El Dorado Mobile Home Park. Resident Joel Quintero encouraged the county to question FEMA’s rezoning. Diane Scoggins drew one of the few laughs of the evening when she said her house was in the flood zone, but not her backyard, and wondered if she could get half the insurance needed. David Reeves question the financial impact on not only the individual homeowner but the greater cost to the community in levee retrofitting. Rapp answered his question with a breakdown of subsidy involving grants and builder funding.

He explained how two-dimensional CONTINUED »

HK&C partner Mark Alpert.
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Pictured (l-r) Soroptimists Nora Toledo and Oralia Herrera, with Mayor Patti Walker presenting them with two proclamations.
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Fillmore City Council began with Closed Session conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation, El Dorado Estates v. City of Fillmore. The representative for El Dorado Mobile Home Park Estates is Mike Cirillo of Star Management. Cirillo filed an application on March 5, 2009 for a Vesting Tentative Tract Map. The application proposes to convert the existing 302-space park from a rental park into a resident-ownership park where park residents would be able to purchase the lot(s) their coach sits on. City staff has been working with Cirillo and the park’s legal counsel, Hart, King & Coldren (HK&C), in reviewing and processing the application in accordance with the Fillmore Municipal Code, the State Permit Streamlining Act, the State Subdivision Map Act, and the State’s Mobilehome Parks Act.
A Letter of Incompleteness, dated April 1, 2009, was sent to Star Management. Application was re-submitted on June 10, 2009, deemed incomplete on July 10, re-submitted July 23, deemed incomplete on August 19th. An Appeal of Incompleteness to Planning Commission was filed on September 2, decision was made to uphold City Staff’s “incomplete” determination on October 21, 2009. A request on behalf of Star Management was filed on October 22 to appeal the Planning Commission’s decision to city council. An Appeal of Determination of Incompleteness, presented Tuesday night by HK&C partner Mark Alpert, covered five “incomplete items”: Offer to purchase, with estimated price and estimated space rent; 60 day required Notice; Demand for 43 new parking spaces under Fillmore Code; Property Right “Peer Reviewed” by certified inspector; and FEMA map and flood calculations.
Alpert, representing El Dorado Mobile Park (owner Nancy Watkins), refuted each “incomplete item” citing case law (Sequoia case), lack of city authority, and pre-empting of local ordinance. According to Alpert, the April 1st Letter of Incompleteness did not expressly state Star Management’s application was “incomplete”. He also stressed that El Dorado residents were advised about the option-to-buy, and that a tenant impact report will be served on residents at least 15-days before hearing. Alpert stated that since his client is not an apartment building, etc., they are not subject to several of the city’s demands. And that the city has no authority to require an inspection of any kind regarding the “so called Peer Review Inspection Report,” but added that the inspector was licensed, a statement that was refuted by city staff, who said they spoke with the inspector directly. He said that although he retains several certifications, he is not a licensed building inspector. The point may be lessoned by the fact that only one permanent common structure is involved in the inspection, the park’s clubhouse.
Alpert continued to build his case for reversal of the CONTINUED »