The 2014, Fillmore Flower Show, “100 Years of Flowers”, for our centennial year, sponsored by Vision2020/Civic Pride Committee was deemed once again a success as we celebrated the sixth year of the returning show. Many willing volunteers, young and older, worked together to set up the tables and displays and little shop within the youth room for plant “sales” by donation.

By 6:30am, the senior center was already buzzing with people filling bottles with water for the entries which began arriving by 7:30am.

We had 256 entries this year and for the first time a group came from the Boys/Girls Club to make a team arrangement.

When the public arrived to view the show at 1pm, the room was filled with a sweet fragrance of the many roses and the tables were ablaze with ribbon awards and music was played by pianist, Joy Asenas. A small table beneath a historical display of newspaper articles gathered by Conway Spitler, held his photo and obituary as we dedicated this show to his memory. Our Flower Show Album created by Sarah Hansen enabled guests to look back over these 6 years of flower shows.

2014 Flower Show winners by division were: Best of Show, Blanca Martinez, with her potted black Swarzkopf succulent; Division I, (Rose: cut, single stem)Joy Asenas; Division II,(Iris: cut, single stem) Regina Stehley; Division III, (Other single stem, cut) Carmen Zermeno; Division IV, (Bouquets) Susan Hopkins; Division V, (Arrangements) Linda Nunes; Division VI, (Miniature Bouquets & Arrangements) Loni Larson; Division VII (Potted Plants) Blanca Martinez; Division VIII, (Dish Gardens) Carmen Zermeno; Division IX, (Youth Arrangements) Boys/Girls Club Team( David Reyes Recendez, Janet Contreras, Jessica Beserra, Alekzander Gonzalez, Celeste ?, Isaac Reyes Recendez, Fatima Moreno, Alonda Diaz, Leslie Zamora, Lindsey K. Diaz, Thomas Ramirez, Aldan Sanchez) ; Division X-Youth Composition- Ima Joy Zerudo.

This year we had the greatest number of prizes donated by merchants and individuals which enables us to bring in funds for our future shows and projects. We would like to recognize them and encourage support for their businesses. To be recognized and given “thanks” are: Ari Larson with Cookie Lee Jewelry, Avenue Pet, Carolyn Lasky, Chivas Skin Care, Diamond Realty & Investments, Judy Dressler, Elkin’s Golf Course, Green Thumb Nursery, King & King Ranch, Little Shop of Hoarders, Mary & Ian Nunez Eggs, Nanette Keller Clothing, Otto & Sons Nursery, Patterson’s Hardware, The Treasure Station, Trader Joe’s, Vallarta Restaurant and Vic’s Tires.

It is hoped that all who expressed an interest in entering next year and getting their children or youth groups involved, will begin to plan and prepare their yards now with a little extra care to be ready for 2015 and co-chairmen, Joanne King and Linda Nunes have asked that anyone with an interest in helping plan and put on the show, to contact them. They would love to divide up the work into committees.

Come to our Civic Pride meetings and add your voice and effort to improve quality of life and esthetic appeal in our community. Civic Pride Committee meets the third Wednesday of each month at 1:30 PM in City Hall.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) is seeking to block an emergency petition filed April 1 by Fillmore & Western Railway which would temporarily stop the commission’s effort to evict the railroad.
The railroad has petitioned the Surface Transportation Board, a federal regulatory agency, to prevent the eviction, citing allegations the VCTC is “...seizing the operation of a railroad in a profoundly unauthorized and unlawful manner.”

The commission filed an eviction complaint against the railroad in March when its prior cease and desist filing to halt further traffic, was ignored by the railroad on the 32-mile branch track owned by the commission.

In a countersuit, the railroad charged the VCTC unlawfully terminated the 20-year lease executed in 2001. The railroad seeks to consolidate the two cases which the commission opposes. The commission terminated the lease for the stated purpose of stopping a significant loss of money. The agency’s executive director, Darren Kettle claims while the commission has earned approximately $3.5 million from the agreement during the past 11 years, it has lost about $7.2 during that time due largely to track maintenance. Countering this allegation is the railroad’s claim that the loss is due to the commission’s mismanagement.

Fillmore & Western Railway claims it brings from 50,000 to 70,000 tourists to Fillmore yearly. The commission insists that the railroad’s petition is “wrong as a matter of fact and law”, while the railroad claims the commission is “seizing the operation of a railroad in a profoundly unauthorized and unlawful manner.”

Commission attorney W. Eric Pilsk, from Washington, has reportedly indicated a ruling on Fillmore & Western’s petition could take weeks or months.

Some facts in this story were obtained from the Ventura Star.

City of Fillmore

04/01/14
Accident Injury
700 Blk. B St.
Vandalism
Shiells Park
Abandoned Vehicle
900 Blk. Meadowlark
Theft
600 Blk. Ventura St.
04/02/14
Surveillance
200 Blk. Sheffield Lane
Search Warrant
400 Blk. Arundell Cir.
Shots Fired
300 Blk. Mountain View
Vandalism
A St./Ventura St.
Threats CONTINUED »

Bob Stroh objects to “In God We Trust” display

The Tuesday April 8, 2014 Fillmore City Council Meeting lasted 40 minutes and contained three agenda items. One item was a Successor Agency contract, another was establishing a volunteer program and a third was consideration to display our national motto in the council chambers.

A volunteer program that is expected to benefit Fillmore was unanimously approved by the Council. The program was one of the goals set during a council/community workshop held a few months back. City Manager David W. Rowlands explained that most people volunteer out of a sense of community pride, but other examples of why individuals step forward are; gain job experience, learn new skills, explore new careers, socialize, feel useful, keep active and learn about the city government. Councilmember Diane McCall responded saying she welcomes the program and what a value this will be the community adding, "Kids are looking for jobs." Mayor Manuel Minjares also liked the idea and stated, "I'm really happy this is coming forward" adding that many people from the community have told him they wanted to volunteer but did not know how to go about doing it. City volunteer opportunities are: filing, collate documents, receptionist, graffiti removal, fold documents, gardener, work with seniors, public relations, fire dept., photographer, phone calls, building dept. and police dept. and fingerprinting; criminal and sex offenders background check will be required. Once a year there will be a Volunteer Appreciation Day to recognize and thank those who stepped forward.

Another agenda item CONTINUED »

Providing Accessible Clothing for Teens (PACT) youth closet project will officially open its doors to the Ventura County community on Saturday, April 12th at noon at Fillmore High School, Room 17 (the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Mentoring Room) located at 1St Street in Fillmore which will be a PACT closet grand opening event and ribbon cutting ceremony. Manuel Minjares, the mayor of Fillmore, will be one of our special guest speakers at the event along with our partners from Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Before the grand opening event, PACT volunteers and local radio personality Nancy Rodriguez will host a first event called the “Prom Dress Project” on Wednesday, April 9th from 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. to provide Ventura County girls with more 150 donated prom dresses from which to choose.

The PACT project is part of a community and resident-led leadership program started though the Cabrillo Economic Development’s (CEDC) Community Building division in partnership with the youth leadership group living at CEDC ‘s Fillmore Central Station Apartments.

The idea of CONTINUED »

Enlarge Photo

Theresa Robledo, assisting with the presentation of Fillmore Vision 2020 Civic Pride’s Yard of the Month for April awarded to Sue & Dino (photo with their adorable doggie) Congratulations! Please drive by their yard located at 957 Fifth Street, you will find colorful Snap Dragons, Calla Lilies, Deer Horns, Pansies, Ranunculas and a Ficus Tree in the front yard; In the backyard, are so many to name, Freesia, Roses, Lavender Madrid Purple, Chrysanthemum, Palm Sego, Star Jasmine, Purple Queen Bougainvillea, Thompson Seedless Grapes, Carolina Jessamine, Roma and Beef Steak Tomato Plants, Hawaiian Tree, Queen Palms, Strawberries, Spring of Glory Forsythia and Lavender Flower. Sue & Dino maintain and plant their own flowers, as Sue owns her own hardware store in the Valley and are new to Fillmore! We enjoyed their hospitality of showing us around with nice hot cup of coffee! A Big Thank you to Otto & Sons Nursery for providing a gift certificate to the winners, where they will find more of their gardening and plant needs!

Fillmore Unified School District

Ventura County District Attorney's Office addresses possible Brown Act complaint against FUSD
Board Member Prado. Below is the letter to Mr. Prado from the DA's office along with a Letter to the Editor submitted this week by Mr. Prado.

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
COUNTY OF VENTURA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Gregory D. Totten
District Attorney
March 25, 2014
Tony Prado
Board of Education
Fillmore Unified School District
627 Sespe Avenue
Fillmore, CA 93015

Re: Brown Act Complaint

Dear Mr. Prado:

We have received a complaint regarding the Fillmore Unified School District Regular Meeting of March 18, 2014. You presided over at least a portion of the meeting. I reviewed the agenda for the meeting and an audio recording of the relevant portion of the meeting. I also discussed the matter with Superintendent Alan Nishino and Assistant Superintendent Deo Persaud.

Following the presentation regarding agenda item 1-2, “Fillmore High School Update on the WASC Process by FHS Staff,” a member of the public sought to address the Board. She informed me that she had completed a public comment card but had not been called upon to give her comment. On the tape, she asked, “Can I ask a question?” You responded, “1 want to caution you. Questions, yes. Comments or speeches, no.” She then spoke for several minutes, but it appears that your “caution” may have limited her presentation. At one you point, while she was attempting to answer a question you posed to her (why teachers would be afraid to come speak for themselves), she responded that she would not make a comment because you did not want any comments. An individual who attended the meeting (not the individual who sought to give public comment) brought the matter to the attention of the District Attorney’s Office.

Your “caution” that CONTINUED »

The April 1, 2014 Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board Meeting discussed bullying and the after-school program funding; but it began with a scathing address to the Board by a retired FUSD employee.

During Public Comments Karen Ashim, retired Fillmore High School (FHS) Counselor, addressed the Board with observations over her many years at FHS stating, "Fillmore High School is disintegrating. For 25 years I saw improvement in student achievement and college acceptance rates. During my 26th and 27th years, I saw established practices be thrown away. This year FHS is crumbling and you the Members of the School Board have done nothing to stop it; not even to go visit the school to investigate problems brought to your attention. Leadership is an active process."

She then confronted the Board on an issue that occurred at the March 18, 2014 meeting where she was told she could only ask questions on an agenda item and nothing else (a Brown Act violation, see VC District Attorney letter, page 2). The agenda item she referred to was Fillmore's accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

The accreditation process CONTINUED »

Enlarge Photo

1996 Fillmore High School Graduate David M. Warnock-Ortiz was recently promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 3 (WO3) in the United States Army. WO3 David M. Warnock-Ortiz, 36 years, is a career soldier serving as a Senior Digital Forensic Examiner, Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Fort Hood, TX. The Army’s Fort Hood located in Killeen, Texas. He also attended San Cayetano Elementary School and Fillmore Junior High School. While in the Army David has taken college level courses pursuing a degree in computer science.

(WO3) David M. Warnock-Ortiz is married to Sonja (originally from Mississippi), who he met while stationed in the military in Korea. Together they have three sons; Isaiah 12 years, Israel 11 years and Zion 7 year. (WO3) David M. Warnock-Ortiz is the son of Julia Ortiz-Winters and James Warnock of Fillmore and the stepson of Donald Winters. His Maternal Grandparents are the late Fred and Virginia Ortiz of Fillmore and his Paternal Grandparents are the late Ronald and Lillian Warnock of Fillmore. He has one sister, Darlene Leighton, 38 years, living in Texas.

(WO3) David M. Warnock-Ortiz comes from a long line of family members who have served in the United States Army; Grandfather Fred Ortiz served during Korea, Grandfather Ronald Warnock also served in the Army as did Uncles Ray Ortiz Sr. and Pete Cervantez and Cousin Ray Ortiz Jr. all of Fillmore.

(WO3) David M. Warnock-Ortiz enlisted in the Army in September 1996 after graduation from Fillmore High School where David played football for two-years. He initially enlisted as a Military Policeman and was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). While there he completed Air Assault School, and then deployed to Egypt as part of a multinational training exercise. (WO3) David M. Warnock-Ortiz has also been assigned in Korea, where he worked at a Military Intelligence compound protecting classified materials. He then returned to the United States and moved to Fort Carson, Colorado where he was assigned to patrol and direct combat support of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR).

(WO3) David M. Warnock-Ortiz is a career soldier and he is proud to serve his Country protecting all of us here at home. We wish (WO3) David M. Warnock-Ortiz safe travel and thank him and his family for their sacrifices. His service is greatly appreciated. Congratulations on your promotion to United States Army Warrant Officer 3! (WO3) David M. Warnock-Ortiz is truly an American Hero!

City of Fillmore

03/18/14
Vandalism
1st St./King St
Search Warrant
200 Blk. Cherrywood St.
03/19/14
Theft Residential
500 Blk. Morris Dr.
Search Warrant
400 Blk. Market St.
900 Blk. 1st St.
Keep the Peace
700 Blk. Sespe Plc.
700 Blk. Mountain View St.
Disturbance Noise
400 Blk. Santa Clara St.
Disturbance Music/Noise
700 Blk. Burlington St.
03/20/14
Keep the Peace
500 Blk. Sespe Ave.
Accident – Non – Injury
A St./Ventura St.
Theft
700 Blk. Island View St.
Accident Injury
B St./Ventura St.
Vandalism CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Deputies discovered two handguns and narcotics while serving an arrest warrant in Piru Tuesday morning.

Deputies from the Fillmore / Santa Clara Valley Station went to a residence in the 900-block of Main Street in the unincorporated community of Piru to serve an arrest warrant for Pedro Tello.

As they arrived at the house, the deputies noticed a structure at the back of the residence, where they found several known Fillmore gang members who were on probation. Three people fled from the building as deputies approached, but were eventually caught.

Pedro Tello was hiding inside the house and refused to come out. He eventually surrendered to deputies, who arrested him for the outstanding warrant.

Deputies searched the home and found a loaded handgun hidden in some clothing and a second loaded handgun in the area where Tello had been hiding.

Deputies also found drug paraphernalia and a small amount of marijuana. Tello had 19 grams of methamphetamine in his possession, and Frank Villa also had a small quantity of methamphetamine in his possession.

Deputies ultimately arrested six men for a variety of charges including weapons and narcotics violations.

All six were booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura.

Nature of Incident: Gang Related Firearm and Narcotics Arrests
600-block of Main Street, Piru, CA.
March 18, 2014 @ 7:20 a.m.
(S-1) Pedro Tello Fillmore, CA 23
(S-2) Jose Martin Herrera Fillmore, CA 25
(S-3) Steven Cheveste Fillmore, CA 33
(S-4) Frank Villa Fillmore, CA 33
(S-5) Martin Gaspar Fillmore, CA 24
(S-6) Natane Chapman Fillmore, CA 22
Prepared by: Sgt. Eric Buschow

City of Fillmore

About five people, besides the council and city staff, attended Tuesday's Fillmore City Council meeting, which was completed by 7:00 p.m. There were a number of items approved; a reward for information leading to the conviction of a crime, and another to ensure continued train service and filming in Fillmore. Also discussed was the problem intersection at Santa Clara and B Street, and a settlement agreement on the tax sharing contract.

Ventura Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of those involved in the shooting death of Adrian Moreno on January 11, 2014. To date no one has been arrested in connection with the shooting. The Fillmore City Council discussed also offering a one thousand dollar reward for the convictions of those involved to which Council Member Rick Neal responded, "I think one thousand is low, I'd like to see it bumped to ten thousand." Council Member Diane McCall added, "I think whatever we need to do to get people talking." City Manager David W. Rowlands informed the Council that if the person convicted is a minor, the parent or guardian shall be liable and levied for the amount of the reward. The reward will be paid within 30 days of a conviction. Councilman Steve Conaway then offered the $2,000 he has in Council Travel Expense Money be moved to the reward fund. All members agreed and the measure for a Fillmore City $10,000 Reward was passed.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and Fillmore and Western Railroad are currently in a legal dispute which may lead to Fillmore and Western Railroad no longer providing tourist and filming operations. Rowlands reminded the Council how important the trains are to the economy of the City, drawing people to the area from all over the state. "The tourist train draws film and production companies .....television, commercials, movies are filmed using the tourist train," Rowlands told the Council. Neal responded, "I'm in support of this....the people of Fillmore like having the train." Conaway added, "It's incumbent on us to lobby for this." McCall agreed, "This is very important for filming." A resolution was agreed upon and sent to VTCT.
Planning and Community Development Director Kevin McSweeney addressed the Council about the Intersection Study for Santa Clara and "B" Street. He asked the Council to approve a traffic engineer study to determine if a stop sign is advisable. The cost of the study is $2,500 with an additional $1,500 if a 24 hour traffic count and 4-way warrant study is needed. The funding for the study would come from the Street & Drains Fund (Street and Maintenance) which has $30,000 remaining. The pedestrian study would count how many students are passing through to cross the street and what time is needed to safely cross.

City Manager Rowlands CONTINUED »