“Fillmore Freedom Flyers” group toured the Smithsonian Museum where they saw the Fillmore Citrus Association Bass Drum on display. Pictured is a photo of the drum taken this month, October 2023. Photo credit Lady Jo Becerra, article credit Fillmore Historical Museum. Above is Antonio Gomez with the Fillmore Mexican Band drum in 2018. Antonio’s father, J. Loreto Gomez Cortez, was one of the trumpet players for the band at the Mexican Independence Day celebration in Guadalupe, CA, September 16, 1929. Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum. Above is the Mexican Independence Day celebration, Guadalupe, CA, September 16, 1929. Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

Brandy Lengning recently sent us some photos taken while in Washington with Jennifer Beal’s group “Fillmore Freedom Flyers” who had been touring the Smithsonian Museum. Brandy and the entire group were surprised to see Fillmore represented in a display. It was the bass drum from the Fillmore Citrus Association Mexican Band. We wish we could say it came from our collection, but instead it has been well taken care of by the Museum of Ventura County. But we do have some back story on the drum.

We have recounted the history of the band before, especially in our profile of Frank Erskine, Manager of the Fillmore Citrus Association and founder of the band. There were actually two bands the “American” band and the “Mexican” band but frequently they were combined into one group.
In 2018, Antonio Gomez and family members visited our Museum looking for the bass drum. At that time he presented us with a picture of Mexican Independence Day Celebration in Guadalupe, CA, Sept 16, 1929. Picture features the Fillmore Citrus Assn Band with the bass drum front and center. Antonio’s father, J. Loreto Gomez Cortez is one of the trumpet players in the band.

We did not have the drum, but Executive Director Martha Gentry, suspected the Museum of Ventura County might have it. She called and was told they did have it; in fact, they were in the process of crating it up to send to the Smithsonian. Antonio left immediately for Ventura and later sent us a picture of himself and the drum.
Our thanks to Jennifer Beal for leading the trip to Washington, DC, to Lady Jo Becerra for the picture of the display, and to Brandy Lengning for the news. Special thanks to the Museum of Ventura County for caring for the drum all these years.

On October 2, 2023, at approximately 8:45 pm, a suspect followed two victims from the bus stop located in the 500 block of Santa Clara Street to the corner of Central Avenue. The suspect approached the victims as he brandished a knife, and he demanded their personal property which included one of the victim’s cellular telephone. The suspect then fled with the stolen property.

A witness called Ventura County Sheriff Communications Center (911) and provided a detailed description of the suspect. Responding Fillmore patrol deputies located and detained a suspect matching the description who was identified as Fillmore resident, Issac Torres.

Torres was positively identified as the robbery suspect by the victims. In addition, Torres was in possession of a pocket knife and the victim’s stolen property. Torres was subsequently arrested for robbery and brandishing a weapon in a threatening manner. Torres was booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trail Detention Facility for these charges where he remains in custody in lieu of his bail set at $500,000.

Report Number: RB # 23-127074
Location: Central Ave / Santa Clara Street, Fillmore, CA
Date & Time: October 2, 2023 @ 8:45 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Services / Fillmore Detectives
(S)uspects,(V)ictims,(P)arty,(D)ecedent
(S) Issac Torres Fillmore 25

Prepared by: Detective Sergeant Will Hollowell
Approved by: Captain Eduardo Malagon"

All items passed 5-0, except for items 9-B and 9-C which passed 4-0. Councilmember Gurrola had a conflict.

9.A RECOMMENDATION That the City Council approve by separate resolutions the initiation of proceedings for the annexation of each of the Annexation Territories: • DP 06-06 (Fillmore Groves) • DP 07-03 (The Stop) • DP 14-01 (Red Engine Brewing) • DP 15-10 (Rotorcraft Support, Inc.) • DP 18-01 (Sonic Drive-In) into the City of Fillmore Landscape and Lighting Assessment District No. 2, order the Consolidated Engineer’s Report, and preliminarily approve the Consolidated Engineer’s report as received or with amendments.

9.B RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council: 1. Authorize the Payment Request No. 1 (Attachment 1) for $11,742,270.57, relating to Heritage Valley Parks construction costs for El Dorado Flood Control Channel components incurred by developer Hearthstone Multi-Asset Entity C, L.P, with funds from Community Facilities District (CFD) No. 5 Series 2023 Special Tax Bonds Construction Funds. DISCUSSIO

9.C RECOMMENDATION That the City Council consider approval of an agreement with Hearthstone that will authorize reimbursement of costs for performing the post-storm clean out of the Pole Creek Debris Basin through Storm Drain Maintenance District No. 07 and authorize the City Engineer and Finance Director to approve disbursement amounts.
9.D RECOMMENDATION That the City Council: 1. Adopt Resolution 23-3962 to terminate the declaration of a local emergency arising from the collapse of a sewer manhole which rendered the downstream pipeline unusable.

9.E RECOMMENDATION 1. Staff recommends that the City Council receive this report and discuss the funding options for expenditure holiday decorations. 2. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Service Agreement in the amount decided by City Council and in a form approved by the City Attorney for holiday decorations at Central Park and in the Downtown Business District.

9.F RECOMMENDATION Staff requests that the City Council approve two amendments to two Professional Services Agreements with GovTempsUSA, LLC for financial analysis and accounting consulting services to extend both agreement terms until March 29, 2024, to increase the not-to-exceed contract amounts as detailed below, and to increase the hourly rate for these services from $112/hour to $116.20/hour.

9.G RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council: Adopt the attached Resolution 23-3963 authorizing the City Manager or his designee to sign and file a claim with the Ventura County Transportation Commission for the allocation to the City of $848,756 of Transportation Development Act Funds for Fiscal Year 2023-24.

Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

January 17, 2024, will be the 30th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake. Fillmore Museum is preparing a commemoration of this event which divested our town. As part of the commemoration we would like to collect stories, memories and photographs of the event. If you have any to share, please bring, mail or email them to us. Our mailing address is PO Box 314, Fillmore, 93016. Our email address is Fillmore.Museum@gmail.com. Photographs will be scanned and returned to you. We are planning both virtual and live events as part of this commemoration. Be on the lookout for more information as the date approaches.