 Superintendent Dr. Adrian Palazuelos announced during the February 17, 2015 Fillmore Unified School District meeting that the American Dream Foundation (ADF) has awarded the District $7,500. ADF is a non-profit out of Ogden, Utah whose mission statement reads, “To assist in the personal and economic improvement and development of disadvantaged individuals.” Norma Sandford-Perez was instrumental in obtaining the gift and will be overseeing its distribution. Enlarge Photo By Jean McLeod — Wednesday, February 18th, 2015
 Assistant FUSD Superintendent Martha Hernandez presented the Board a Local Education Agency (LEA) Plan Revision. Each LEA is required to develop a plan on how Title I (U.S. Dept. of Education) monies are to be spent. Enlarge Photo Superintendent Dr. Adrian Palazuelos announced during the February 17, 2015 Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) meeting that the American Dream Foundation (ADF) has awarded the District $7,500. ADF is a non-profit out of Ogden, Utah whose mission statement reads, “To assist in the personal and economic improvement and development of disadvantaged individuals.” Norma Sandford-Perez was instrumental in obtaining the gift and will be overseeing its distribution. Assistant Superintendent Martha Hernandez presented the Board a Local Education Agency (LEA) Plan Revision. Each LEA is required to develop a plan on how Title I (U.S. Dept. of Education) monies are to be spent. Under Title I "(S)chools must focus Title I services on children who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet State academic standards. Schools enrolling at least 40% of children from low-income families are eligible to use the funds for school wide programs designed to upgrade their entire educational programs to improve achievement for all students, particularly the lowest-achieving students." FUSD qualifies for the low-income and lowest-achieving requirements for Title I. The District has been in Program Improvement for three years. The goal of Title I funds is to upgrade the instructional programs, which have to be identified in the plan. Hernandez presented the Board with the plan, along with 40 others who are part of the District Leadership Team. Next, Palazuelos gave an update on the repair/replacement of the fire alarm system at Fillmore Middle School (FMS). The fire alarm system has not been in working order at FMS for at least a month, but there has been and will remain a fire watch until fixed. Sammy Nigrete is watching the school during the day, the custodians have evening watch and a staff member has the nights. The company doing the work, Simplex, arrived on campus February 16th with all the components and the infrastructure repair will be complete by next week. Water contacting the low voltage wiring was cited as the cause of failure. Palazuelos told the Board, "We're still determining the root cause." Insurance covers all costs including the fire watch hours, minus the deductible. The District has hired a new Technology Technician, bringing the number to four. Three will maintain the District Office and one will support the Fillmore High School campus. Board Member Sean Morris addressed the proposal on the new housing in Piru. Construction had not yet begun. Morris mentioned that Ventura County has possibly given builders a pass on paying Development Impact Fees (DIFs) to encourage low income housing construction, which may cause funds shortage for education. DIFs are what cities use to build schools for children who will reside in the new homes. The Board agreed to investigate if the County plans to wave the fees, preparing a plan to have them reconsider. Finally, students from Fillmore High School will receive workshop training on how to teach elementary students basics about biology and educate them about the River Restoration Project this Saturday, February 21st. Also, the Drama Club will be selling t-shirts to raise money for their upcoming play "Halls of Horror", opening March 13th. |
 Cheryl Heitmann, VCREA Vice-Chair and City of Ventura Mayor presents the Emerging Energy Leader Award to Douglas Tucker, Mayor of Fillmore, at the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance (VCREA) 2nd Annual Energy Leadership Reception on January 29th. (l-r) Cheryl Heitmann, Douglas Tucker, and Sue Hughes, Deputy Executive Officer, VCREA. Photo by Gia Allen. Enlarge Photo By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 18th, 2015
Presented at 2nd Annual VCREA Leadership Reception
On Thursday, January 29th, Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance (VCREA) honored its partners for strides in energy savings at the 2nd Annual VCREA Leadership Reception. The event brought together partners and stakeholders to meet, acknowledge the program’s 2014 community impact, and assess goals for the upcoming year. Three new awards were introduced and presented at the event. Douglas Tucker, the Mayor of Fillmore, accepted The Emerging Energy Leader Award on behalf of the City of Fillmore. The Emerging Energy Leader Award recognizes leadership of significant energy savings in a VCREA partner’s own facilities, programs and community outreach. Since 2006, the City of Fillmore has achieved more than 10 percent energy savings through the implementation of energy efficiency programs. In 2014 alone, the City also completed an Energy Action Plan to help identify objectives and strategies to help the city realize its long-term energy efficiency goals and achieved “Gold Tier” denomination in Southern California Edison’s Energy Leader Partnership Program, moving from “Valued Partner” and skipping over “Silver Tier” status. “It is encouraging to see the efforts of all our partners making such a noticeable impact on energy usage throughout the County,” said Sue Hughes, Deputy Executive Officer, VCREA. “Together we are carrying out the mission of being energy stewards for our communities. We look forward to continued collaboration and success in the years to come.” Ventura County was honored with the Energy Saving Impact Award for having the largest total number of Kilowatt hour savings from projects completed in 2014, with over 1.5 million kWH, and the City of Thousand Oaks was honored with Green Community Leadership Award for the city’s extraordinary community outreach and efforts engaging with the residential and business community. VCREA is a Joint Powers Agency composed of different public agencies working to develop and implement energy initiatives that support sensible growth, a healthy environment, and the economy. Last year, 13 organizations were involved with the agency, including Members: the cities of Fillmore, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura; the County of Ventura; Ventura County Community College District; Ventura Regional Sanitation District and Ventura Unified School District; plus other participating cities: the cities of Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, and Port Hueneme. Utility partners are Southern California Gas Company and Southern California Edison. VCREA strives to increase energy efficiency awareness and advance the use of clean, efficient and renewable local resources. Since 2006, VCREA has attained over $3 million dollars in incentives and 22.5 million Kilowatt hours in savings for its partners. About VCREA |
|
By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 18th, 2015
01/14/15 to 01/20/15
 City of Fillmore 01/14/15 |
 On Wednesday, February 4th, at 1:50pm an arrest was made near Waterford and D Streets. The suspect, Donaldo Renee Torres, 28 of Fillmore, was arrested for Petty Crime 1, Stolen Vehicle, and Resisting Arrest. It all began on January 26th when Torres allegedly stole a 2007 Chrysler Sebring. On February 4th Torres was at the Shell Gasoline Station on C Street and Highway 126 filling the tank of the stolen car. Torres was spotted filling gassing up by the cousin of the stolen vehicle’s owner. When the cousin confronted Torres he fled and the cousin was able to return the vehicle to its owner. The police were able to pull field slips and locate photos from a gas station in Santa Paula of the suspect with the stolen vehicle. This gave police probable cause of stealing and possessing a stolen vehicle, which led to the suspect’s arrest. Torres resisted arrest and had to be tasered. Arrest information provided by Police Chief Dave Wareham. Enlarge Photo By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
|
|
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
 Ventura County Sheriff's Department On 2/4/2015, Ventura County Sheriff’s patrol deputies working the Oak Park area stopped a vehicle for a minor violation. They contacted the driver, James Alvarez and his passengers Elroy Orduno and Albert Penuelas. During the traffic stop, deputies discovered Alvarez was on active probation in Ventura County and the vehicle he was driving belonged to Orduno. They invoked Alvarez’s probation search terms and searched Alvarez and the vehicle. Deputies located two pounds of high grade marijuana inside the vehicle. Deputies arrested all three subjects for conspiracy and possession for sales of marijuana. Deputies later determined Penuelas provided them false identifying information. The deputies were able to determine his true name and discovered he had two outstanding felony warrants. Narcotic Detectives assisted with the investigation and served a search warrant at Orduno’s residence located on the 300 block of Alder Springs Drive in Oak Park. Officers with the Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Team (DET) assisted Narcotic Detectives with the service of the search warrant. They contacted and detained Orduno’s girlfriend, Penny Vitela and their two minor children, ages 4 and 6, inside the residence. During the search of the residence, detectives located about two thousand Xanax pills, over 22 grams of methamphetamine, 5 grams of cocaine, small amount of marijuana and a loaded shotgun. The condition of the house was unkempt and some of the drugs were found in locations that were within arm’s reach for the minor children. Based on the circumstances, detectives began a Drug Endangered Children (DEC) investigation. Child Protective Services was contacted and notified of the situation. They immediately responded to assist with the investigation. At the conclusion, Child Protective Services took custody of the children and removed them from the home. The children’s mother, Penny Vitela was arrested for child endangerment and she was later booked into the Main Jail in Ventura. Her bail is set at $50,000 Elroy Orduno was arrested for violations of possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana for sale, possession for sale of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, and child endangerment. His bail is set at $70,000 James Alvarez was arrested for Transportation of Marijuana and his bail is set at $50,000 Albert Penuelas was arrested for giving false information to a peace officer and conspiracy to transport marijuana and two felony warrants. All four subjects are set to appear in court on February 6th, at 1:30 PM. Nature of Incident: Narcotics Arrests |
|
By Jean McLeod — Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
City anticipates Fillmore Senior Center, Inc. lawsuit
 On behalf of the City of Fillmore Mayor Douglas Tucker received a Gold plaque presented by Representative Sue Hughes. The City earned the Emerging Energy Leader Award for its energy conservation. The February 10, 2015 Fillmore City Council Meeting was filled to capacity. It began with a proclamation, a reward and an announcement. The Council then went into Closed Session for over two hours discussing the rental agreement with the Fillmore Senior Center Inc. (FSCI) before returning to the Council Chambers. The proclamation was presented to the Fillmore Raiders Cheerleaders for their 2nd National Title. The 2014-15 Raiders Cheerleader Squad are JAZ International Champions. The squad won First Place in Las Vegas on January 25, 2015. The squad members are: Ryleigh Westrup, Angelina Delgadillo, Daniella Lucas, Alyssa Brooks, Tatyana Villella, Hennassy Marquez, Maddie Davis, Aiesa Rodriquez, Jada Plummer, Natalie Cruz, Valeria Cruz, Jazmine Chavez, Sasha Segovia, Alexis VanWhy, Jayni Rolfe, Jordyn Rolfe, Mersaydez Cardona, Lilliana Contreras and Daisy Andrade. The coaches are Caitlin McCall, Taylor Wright, Sadie Ortiz, Tanya Barrera, Tami Rolfe, Ellyse Lucas, Rebecca Ibarra, Tina Hurtado and Lori Nunez. Mayor Doug Tucker spoke of their superior sportsmanship and civic pride adding that many of participants are Honor Role students. The item that kept the Council in closed session for over two hours of discussion was whether to renew the rental By Jean McLeod The February 10, 2015 Fillmore City Council Meeting was filled to capacity. It began with a proclamation, a reward and an announcement. The Council then went into Closed Session for over two hours discussing the rental agreement with the Fillmore Senior Center Inc. (FSCI) before returning to the Council Chambers. The proclamation was presented to the Fillmore Raiders Cheerleaders for their 2nd National Title. The 2014-15 Raiders Cheerleader Squad are JAZ International Champions. The squad won First Place in Las Vegas on January 25, 2015. The squad members are: Ryleigh Westrup, Angelina Delgadillo, Daniella Lucas, Alyssa Brooks, Tatyana Villella, Hennassy Marquez, Maddie Davis, Aiesa Rodriquez, Jada Plummer, Natalie Cruz, Valeria Cruz, Jazmine Chavez, Sasha Segovia, Alexis VanWhy, Jayni Rolfe, Jordyn Rolfe, Mersaydez Cardona, Lilliana Contreras and Daisy Andrade. The coaches are Caitlin McCall, Taylor Wright, Sadie Ortiz, Tanya Barrera, Tami Rolfe, Ellyse Lucas, Rebecca Ibarra, Tina Hurtado and Lori Nunez. Mayor Doug Tucker spoke of their superior sportsmanship and civic pride adding that many of participants are Honor Role students. The item that CONTINUED » |
|
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
 Christopher Hammond A Burglary took place at 8:13am, 100 block E. Telegraph Road, on Sunday, February 8, 2015. The address contains several businesses on the property. Two of the businesses were burglarized sometime during the night. Deputies determined an employee from a third unrelated business, Christopher Hammond, 30, was the suspect. Hammond was on probation for possession of stolen property. Deputies made contact with Hammond and found him in possession of stolen property from both victims. Hammond was arrested for 459 PC. Fillmore detectives and Burglary Investigators notified and responded. |
|
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
 Daniel Freitas On Sunday, February 8, 2015, at approximately 5pm, an alert patrol deputy arrested Daniel Freitas for commercial burglary at the scene of a construction site storage trailer. The deputy was on patrol Sunday near a construction site in the 200 block of Edgewood Drive when he observed Freitas involved in suspicious behavior. Freitas was wearing a hard hat and a yellow vest and appeared to be covering property with a tarp just outside a storage building. Upon making contact with Freitas to investigate the circumstances, the deputy discovered the storage building had been forced open and thousands of dollars in tools removed. Freitas was attempting to conceal the tools then return later and collect them. Freitas was arrested for commercial burglary and booked into the Ventura County Main Jail. His bail was set at $70,000. Prepared by: Detective John Fox |
|
By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
 On Monday February 9th Seneca Resources donated a $3,500.00 check to the Fillmore Firefighters Foundation. This money will go for training, equipment, tools and Fire Station upgrade. The Fillmore Fire Department and Fillmore Firefighters Foundation appreciates the continued support. Pictured is as follows Fire Chief Rigo Landeros, Assistant fire Chief Bill Herrera, Captain Billy Gabriel, Firefighter/Paramedic Pete Anderson. Seneca Resources employees Chris McDermott, Luke Faith, Louie Morgan, Felix (Joey) Salazar and Eric Morales. Enlarge Photo |
 Officer Thomas Brown, center back, is shown with members of the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce. Enlarge Photo By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
Thomas Brown was born in Santa Paula, California. His father, Thomas Brown Sr., was a hardworking businessman who owned a gas station and later Tom’s Tire, an automotive tire business in Santa Paula. His mother was a harder working housewife, who raised three children, and later became the Dietary Supervisor at Santa Paula Memorial Hospital. He stated, “My parents taught me that if you are honest and work hard, you will be successful in life.” Tom grew up in Santa Paula with his younger brother and sister and lived there the majority of his life. During his grade school years, he enjoyed karate and playing soccer. During his High School years, he played basketball and football. He graduated from Santa Paula High School in 1985, the same year he met his wife, Paulette. Paulette moved to Santa Paula that year and he thought, he’d better make his move before somebody warns her about his past behavior. They began dating their senior year in high school and were married four years later. After high school, Tom got a job working in the oil fields. He did it for a couple of years and then transitioned into working construction. After a bad winter in the construction business, which means no income, he decided he needed something more consistent to support his family. He had been around cars all his life and worked at his father’s automotive tire store business throughout high school, so he began working for the family business. He worked at the tire store for about ten years and became a successful suspension and alignment mechanic. He eventually became a partner in the business. During this time, his wife and he had two children, Matthew and Tyler, and in 1999 they purchased their first home in Santa Paula. At the age of 35, he decided he wanted to do something different. And, we are pleased he did. He had an uncle and a cousin who were Deputy Sheriffs, and his brother was an Oxnard Police Officer. After talking to them at length about what their careers were like, he decided to make a change. He was hired and later graduated from the Sheriff’s Academy in 2001, where he received the Academic Achievement Award and Marksmanship Award. In 2002, the Brown’s sold their Santa Paula home and moved to Fillmore. And we are pleased he did. His first assignment for the Sheriff’s Office was working at Todd Road Jail, where he spent six short years. While there, he was a Jail Training Officer and cross-trained to work almost every assignment. He was transferred to patrol in Fillmore in 2007 and has worked here ever since. And we are pleased he did. He was lucky to have had two great Field Training Officer’s, Hector Macias and Brian Hackworth, who were both Fillmore residents at the time. Hector and Brian ingrained in him the importance of keeping OUR city safe for our families. During his time working in Fillmore, he has been a Field Training Officer and also worked the Special Enforcement Detail / Fillmore Gang Unit as collateral assignments. He is a member of the Sheriff’s Officer Tactical Response Team and one of go to people when he need a problem solved. Deputy Tom Brown is great example of Law Enforcement Officer that balances the needs of his family, with the needs of his community, and the needs of his profession. He rarely displays a frustration with his duties and has a great ability to communicate with people in their greatest time of need at all ages. His level of maturity and life experiences has given him a rare insight into the ability to communicate to people, not only those that call for law enforcement services, but his law enforcement peers. He possesses or has the contacts to obtain a lot of intelligence on our community. I can think of numerous times I heard Tom would be in the community off-duty, but would spot a crime or wanted suspect and would take law enforcement action to apprehend the suspect. He frequently does his own research and finds solutions to problems and presents the answer in a manner so all may learn. |
|
By Ventura County District Attorneys Office — Monday, February 9th, 2015
 Joshua Graham Packer VENTURA, CA - District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Joshua Graham Packer (DOB 9-21-89), of Ventura, was sentenced today for the brutal triple murders he committed on May 20, 2009, in the Faria Beach community. Davina Husted was 24 weeks pregnant with Grant Husted when they and her husband, Brock Husted, were murdered. Packer pled guilty on December 18, 2014, to three counts of murder, two counts of robbery, one count of burglary, one count of forced oral copulation, eight special circumstances and seven special allegations relative to his use of a gun in the robberies and burglary, and use of a knife in the murders. Each special circumstance conviction made Packer eligible to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Packer gave up all rights to appeal when he pled guilty. Superior Court Judge Patricia Murphy sentenced Packer to 30 years 4 months for his robberies, burglary, forced oral copulation of Davina Husted, the use of a gun in the robberies and burglary, and the use of a knife in the murders. Following service of the 30-year 4-month sentence, Packer will begin serving the first of his three life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders. Packer invaded the home of the Husteds at approximately 10:00 p.m. on May 20, 2009. He used a gun to rob them of cash and jewelry. The Husted’s then nine-year-old son observed the robberies. Packer then killed Brock Husted and used a knife to force Davina Husted into an act of oral copulation before killing her and her unborn son. Packer’s identity as the murderer remained unknown for the next 10 months, until DNA that he had left at the scene of the murders was matched to a DNA sample taken from him by law enforcement when he was arrested for a robbery in Santa Barbara County. Packer was subsequently arrested for the murders on April 11, 2010. He was indicted on July 23, 2010, for the murders, robbery and burglary. On May 4, 2012, Packer was indicted on the additional charge of forced oral copulation with the use of a knife. |
|
By Fillmore Police Department — Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
Ventura County Sheriff's Department On January 16-18th, 2015 the Fillmore Explorer Post #2958 attended the 2015 Law Enforcement Explorer Tactical Competition in Chandler, Arizona. The competition tested the explorers on their ability to effectively handle several different scenarios that Law Enforcement officers encounter on a daily basis, including marijuana field raid, crisis negotiation, hostage rescues, and officer down scenarios. The explorers also participated in physical fitness events that tested their strength and agility. Over 50 explorer posts from over 5 different states attended the competition, including Ventura County Sheriff Office’s: Fillmore, Headquarters, Camarillo, and Ojai explorer post’s in addition to the Simi Valley and Oxnard explorer posts. In the end the Fillmore explorers returned home with several trophies which were: 2nd place in Marijuana Field Raid; 2nd place in Tactical Relay; 2nd place in 10 man TK4 pull. In addition to these team-oriented awards, special recognition was given to Explorer Matthew Hammond for receiving 4th place in the 3 mile run. The Law Enforcement explorer program consists of young men and women ages 14-21 with an interest in learning more about careers in the field of Law Enforcement. The explorer program provides law enforcement career experiences, leadership opportunities, educational training, and community service activities. The primary goals of the program are to help young adults choose a career path within law enforcement and to challenge them to become responsible citizens in their communities and the nation. If you would like more information about your local explorer program, please contact School Resource Officer, Deputy Leonardo Vazquez at Leonardo.vazquez@ventura.org or 805-947-8150 Nature of Incident: Explorer Tactical Competition |
|
By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
 On Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 6:00pm three horses apparently got loose from their stable and were wandering on Highway 126 at Hooper Canyon Road. Two cars collided with two of the horses on Highway 126, killing both horses and injuring the drivers. One of the drivers had to be extracted from the car. Photos courtesy Sebastian Ramirez. Enlarge Photo |
 Pictured are the Lions Club Speech contestants Jene Torrango, Chris Berrington, Jacob Brooks, Wesley Brecheen and the winner Hannah Bartels. Enlarge Photo By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
On Monday, February 2, Hannah Bartels won out over a talented field of five speakers at the Lions’ Club International Fillmore before a crowd of fifty people. The topic this year was ‘Water Conservation: How Can We Reduce, Recycle and Reclaim?’ Hannah won the first prize of $100 and will next compete at the Zone 8 competition against the winners of other local Lions’ Speech Contests on February 23rd at the Camarillo Boys and Girls Club at 6:00 sharp. The general public is welcome to attend. Hannah is a La Reina High School freshman living in Fillmore and is the daughter of Laura and Bill Bartels. The other talented speakers in the contest were Jacob Brooks, Jene Torrango, Wesley Brecheen and Chris Berrington. Lauren Magdaleno and Bianca Rios also participated. Bill Edmonds, contest chairman stated, “This is the best field of speakers that we’ve had for many, many years.” The judges for this year’s contest were Dr. Cynthia King, The Right Reverend Doctor Harvey Guthrie and Susan Cuttriss. |
|
By Jean McLeod — Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
 The River Restoration Project was headed by Cynthia Frutos and pictured above Laura Todes. The February 3, 2015 Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board Meeting began with two Recognition of Achievement Awards presented to the Sheriff's Department Fillmore Explorers and to those participating in the River Restoration Project. There were also two agenda items and an emergency item. FUSD continues to move forward with upgrading its infrastructure. One important upgrade with a huge price tag is Internet Technology (IT) which also includes wireless access. Eric Tilton founder of MJT Technologies gave a presentation explaining what upgrades FUSD needs to meet today's standards. At present FUSD is behind in meeting those standards. What FUSD is using is at the end-of-life stage; a Cisco Exchange 2003 system. According to Tilton, using it could create a "Critical communications systems such as email and phone systems are at risk of near term failure and must be updated....the server room at Fillmore High has many areas of vulnerability. The equipment is old and prone to failure, and the power backup system only supports keeping the equipment running for maybe 20 minutes during a power outage" adding there is an increasing chance that they will crash and never come back online again. Superintendent Dr. Adrian Palazuelos anticipates a $500,000 grant from E-rate Federal funding to help with the costs of upgrading to Office 365 and moving to a Cloud server. The move will improve such things as email, instant messaging, video conferencing and file storage. Another upgrade will be wireless connection at all FUSD schools. Today wireless access is available at Rio Vista, Sierra High School and only 2 or 3 rooms at Fillmore High School. Piru Elementary recently received the Apple ConnectED grant to upgrade their system. Presently FUSD has CONTINUED » |
|
By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
 On Friday, January 30th, a two-vehicle collision took place on Grimes Canyon Road at San Marino Oil Company Road at approximately 4:15pm. A motorcycle apparently clipped an oncoming car, causing the car to spin into a boulder. The driver of the car was injured and attended by Fillmore Fire Dept., above. The motorcyclist received moderate injuries. Enlarge Photo |
|
By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to help ensure a sufficient and diverse blood supply by giving blood this February. Since the beginning of the year, widespread flu and inclement winter weather in some parts of the country have prevented many regular donors from making or keeping their blood donation appointments. Healthy and diverse blood donors are needed to help maintain a sufficient blood supply. Diversity among blood donors is important because red blood cells carry markers that determine one's blood type, and certain blood types are unique to specific racial and ethnic groups. Blood must be matched very closely for those patients with rare blood types or for those who need repeated transfusions. Patients are less likely to have complications from blood donated by someone with a similar ethnicity. All blood types are needed, especially types O negative, A negative and B negative. To learn more about donating blood and to schedule an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Upcoming blood donation opportunities Simi Valley Thousand Oaks Ventura How to donate blood High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements. About the American Red Cross |
|
By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
VENTURA COUNTY, CA - Since mid-December, the State of California has confirmed 92 cases of measles as of Monday, February 2nd. Ventura County has now reported 10 cases. Despite the increase in number of cases, most people have immunity to measles. “Probably 95% of the population is immune to measles because they had 2 MMRs, their childhood measles shots,” said Dr. Robert Levin, Health Officer for Ventura County. At this time, 91.6% of all children entering kindergarten in Ventura County have had 2 MMR shots and are thus immune to catching the disease. There are schools in the county with a particularly low rate of MMR immunization. One private school on the east end of the county has a measles immunization rate of 67%. Most public schools in Oxnard, on the other hand, have a measles immunization rate of 100%. Symptoms of measles include cough, runny nose, reddened eyes, fever, a rash and often, tiny sores in the mouth. A person with measles may only have a few of these symptoms. “Most people with measles feel quite sick, as sick as someone feels with the flu,” said Dr. Levin. Measles is a very contagious disease and entirely preventable. While not as deadly as Ebola, for instance, it is 5 to 15 times more contagious. People who contract measles are contagious for 4 days before they develop the rash and for 4 more days after they develop the rash. For information on a Public Health clinic near you if you are in need of immunizations, please call: 805-981-5221; for a Ventura County Health Care Agency Ambulatory Care clinic near you, please call: 805-677-5110. |
|
By Anonymous — Monday, February 2nd, 2015
SACRAMENTO – Dr. Gil Chavez, State Epidemiologist and Deputy Director, Center for Infectious Diseases, California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today confirmed that a patient admitted to Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center on Wednesday evening who exhibited symptoms consistent with a viral illness including Ebola, and with a history of travel to an Ebola-affected country, has tested negative for the Ebola virus. “State and local health officials have been working hard with California’s Ebola Treatment Centers to safely and effectively identify, isolate, diagnose and treat suspect Ebola patients. This recent case at Kaiser South illustrates that our hard work and partnership has paid off,” said Dr. Chavez. The test for Ebola conducted by the Sacramento County Public Health Laboratory came back negative early this afternoon. At this time, there have been no confirmed cases of Ebola in California and there is no threat to the general public. Ebola symptoms may appear anywhere between two to 21 days after exposure and include a fever, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and lack of appetite. Travelers from Africa may experience flu-like or GI symptoms due to malaria or other non-Ebola associated diseases. Whenever there is a person displaying symptoms that may be Ebola, who has recently traveled to Sierra Leone, Liberia or Guinea, certain precautions are taken including isolating the patient, ruling out other infectious diseases, and testing for Ebola if warranted. The California Department of Public Health, in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sacramento County Public Health and Kaiser South Sacramento, worked together to ensure protocols were in place to protect the public health. For more information, visit http://cdph.ca.gov/programs/cder/Pages/Ebola.aspx. |
 The Fillmore Firefighters Foundation donated $500.00 to the family of Benjamin Fernandez Herbert to help with funeral expenses. Ben was a Fire Department Cadet during his senior year at Fillmore High School and was well respected by everyone. Ben was part of the Fillmore Fire Department family and will be truly missed. Enlarge Photo By Norma Pérez-Sandford — Wednesday, January 28th, 2015
 Benjamin Fernandez Herbert Over the years, as a school counselor, I have been blessed to be in a position to work with many, many young students from kindergarten through beyond high school. Their beautiful faces and unique expressions come to my mind as I recall good, sad and life-changing experiences that will be forever in my heart. Not one young man or young woman has ever been alike in their life story, personality or challenges. Ben Fernández Herbert was a Fillmore High School Graduate of 2011. He lived in his beautiful Fillmore all his life. Ben tragically passed away in a car accident on Sunday, January 18, 2015. Ben was a handsome young man, physically, and from within; he had that special gift of being friendly, charismatic, having a happy demeanor with a megawatt smile that reminded you of what a decent young man and all that is good in the world was all about. Ben knew how to be a good, sincere friend and exuded a healthy outlook on life. He had such a positive influence on everyone he met. Those of us who knew Ben; his loving mother, Sara, lovely girlfriend Amanda, siblings, uncles and aunts, friends, co-workers and adults, whether for a moment or years, have felt the great loss and impact of his tragic passing. We also acknowledge how very blessed we all were to be touched by Ben. He had set many goals in his life, and was able to reach some pretty serious ones by his young age of 21. That was how he was; he set his goals and met them head-on, one by one. He valued higher education and knew that by acquiring knowledge, he would be able to have a solid foundation for his future life. He was a loving son. Ben’s nickname for his precious mom was “Pancha”, as he hugged and kissed her with great love. Ben would tease his sweet Grandmom “Cuca” María Fernández, who raised him alongside his mom, and make her laugh when he sang to her as he returned home from seeing his beautiful girlfriend Amanda. Mom Sara lovingly recalls how, as children, he and his nephew Derek loved to play with their Power Rangers and they used to switch and wear mismatched Power Rangers socks all the time. Ben would dress up in his Power Rangers suit and have a blast. Ben and Derek were 6 months apart, Ben being the eldest. Laughing, mom said that Ben loved his beloved pet gecko “Lilo” so much that once he desperately tore the house inside out until Lilo was found hidden behind the bathroom door. Mom said that Lilo would immediately come up to Ben’s shoulder when he laid his hand out, but Lilo would hide and not come out for anyone else. Mom laughed as she said how much Ben loved BBQ pork ribs, piling up the BBQ sauce high on his plate! Mom recalls how much he ate and ate, but always remained slender. She remembered how he and his Derek signed up to play football when he was 8 years old. She loved watching him have fun and trying out new things. Mom added, he and Derek had made a pact to team up to start working on a professional dream to be rescue firefighters in the mountainous areas. This past January 12th Ben and Derek started the Spring Semester at Ventura College. Mom Sara and Grandmom Cuca would see them both go off with their backpacks, as they did when they were little boys. In remembering him, his older brother Jorge said, “Ben was an excellent person who never gave up on his goals. Despite tough obstacles in his young life, he remained strong and remained optimistic because he believed that through his own hard work and effort he would, and always did, figure a way to meet the latest challenge. Ben’s great love for his beautiful mother Sara, and his love, respect and fear for his loving God helped him in his struggles in life.” Mrs. Isela Larin, FHS Career Center Counselor, stated that Ben was a very dedicated, highly motivated, polite young man who came into her office asking about the process to serve as a FHS Fire Department Cadet. He was approved and served as a Fillmore Fire Cadet in his FHS Junior year, 2010. He successfully completed the program and was a great asset to the Fillmore Fire Department. Former Fillmore Starbucks Supervisor, Alberto Caceres, told me that Ben had recently been promoted as supervisor and had just opened the Santa Paula Starbucks store. His loving girlfriend Amanda Armstrong, hundreds of school and college friends, as well as Starbucks coworkers from the Fillmore and Santa Paula Starbucks, greatly miss him. Jorge said, “Ben never accepted ‘I can’t’ as part of his vocabulary. Ben found God to be very present in his daily life, but also was very much aware of what God expected of him – no excuses! He had a lot of thoughts that he shared with many of his friends, words that gave life and encouragement to others dealing with hard moments in their lives. He was the kind of person that would share his time talking with friends and guide his friends and gave so much of his energy to serve others.” Pastor Ernie Rangel, of Promesa de Jesús Church, spoke of Ernie with great love, “Ben, (and his mother, Sara) was a very active member of their church. Ben was in the youth group, church choir and band, playing his guitar for many years.” As I remember Ben Fernández Herbert, the young man who left us too early in life, I pray that his young friends who have been touched by this tragedy remember him as he was. Ben was an excellent role model for all and I have learned a lot from him to be a better person. I wish we could have duplicated him a million times, because the world would have been a much better place, less violence, less bullying, good hearts around. Mom Sara and Grandmom Cuca said they would always leave the outside light on for him, listening for his steps as he returned late at night. Mom said they still leave the light on, waiting for him to come home. Norma Pérez-Sandford is a FUSD District K-12 Counselor |
