Receptioning
The reception area at the Fillmore Police Station on Sespe is a sage green box with brown square tiles. If you put the image into a giant blender, the result might resemble unappetizing—and in any case inedible—mint-chocolate chip ice cream. A lone red candy dispenser keeps me company, its personality split three ways: it simultaneously invites quarter-laden folk to “Enjoy delicious M&Ms candies—a helping hand is given to local civic activities,” and “Enjoy delicious Skittles Sour Candy,” and also touts, “Bubble King.”(1) By the glass entrance door, a gray file cabinet marked, “Turn in Prescription Medication Program” stands guard, cautioning, “Pharmaceutical drugs only!” (Emphasis not mine.) Behind me on a blind-covered window, a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department recruitment poster pitches “$61,400-$84,600 Plus Benefits.”

I have time to notice all this because a concerned, smartly-dressed middle-aged couple stands at the reception window, reporting in great detail a suspicious figure who has been lurking about on his bike in their neighborhood. “We’ve been watching him for over a month now,” they say. A woman with her young son comes in to pick up, fill out, and turn in a ride-along form, and then—and then—I’m ushered past Candy Dispenser, past the security camera that was surely watching every breath I took and every move I made, (2) into the mysterious recesses of the building.

Through the Door
The affable Sergeant CONTINUED »

“Allah willing, with the force of Allah behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism (Israel). Get ready for a world minus the United States.”
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad, June 4th, 2008

“It is the mission of the Islamic republic of Iran to erase Israel from the map of the region.”
Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, January 2001

No other country in the world lives under the day to day threat of terrorist attack like Israel.

What we in the United States take for granted, the safety to conduct our daily lives in freedom and lack of fear of being attacked at anytime on any given day, Israel must contend with and prepare for every day.

The dream of the average Israeli citizen is to sit in a public coffee house or restaurant without fear of being attacked by a Suicide Bomber. In June of this year, I sat having dinner at a 5 star restaurant in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is a wonderful metropolitan city, filled with cultural events and entertainment. It was a beautiful evening with the streets and the restaurants filled with Israeli citizens enjoying a night out after a full work week.
As I entered the restaurant I noted an armed guard stationed at the front of the restaurant. I asked one of the Israelis I was dining with why there was an armed guard at the entrance. I was advised the guard was trained to spot the telltale signs of a Suicide Bomber and to attempt to stop any potential attack.

Young grade school students on field trips to visit some of the many historic sites in Jerusalem have to be escorted by former members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). These grade school children must have armed guards with them while visiting their own capital city due to the fact they are targets of shootings and Suicide Bombings. Many of these young children have been killed by Radical Islamists who each day attempt to instill fear in the Israeli citizens. This is the reality of day to day in Israel.

Yet, the Israeli’s have embraced this disarray of their daily lives, and through adversity, there has come cohesion for the people of Israel.

Despite this, and what the mainstream media never reports, Israel has proven its willingness to accept Arabs by the fact they have successfully integrated Arabs into Israeli culture. The population of Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, is 750,000; 250,000 of these citizens are Arabs.

There is no such thing as a “must be solution” to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Radical Muslims are mandated by their interpretation of Islam to dominate the world. Iranian President Ahmadinijad has stated, “We don’t shy away from declaring that Islam is ready to rule the world. We must believe in the fact that Islam is not confined to geographical borders, ethnic groups, and nations. It’s a universal ideology that leads the world to justice ... We must prepare ourselves to rule the world.” On February 11th, 2011 Ahmadinejad declared Iran is now a “Nuclear State.”

Iran’s senior leaders have taught in recent years that the revolution is now reaching its climax. They have stated publicly that the end of the world is “imminent.” They have taught that the way to hasten the arrival on earth of the Islamic messiah known as the “Twelfth Imam” or the “Mahdi” is to destroy Israel, which they call the “Little Satan,” and the United States, which they call the “Great Satan.” The key leaders in Iran are determined to accomplish their apocalyptic, genocidal mission. They are feverishly attempting to build, buy, or steal nuclear warheads.

United States leadership has become so politically correct it’s suicidal. Despite Radical Islam’s stated agenda put forth by Ahmadinijad’s declaration of war on the United States and Israel, Eric Holder, the United States Attorney General, who is the top law enforcement officer in the nation, cannot and will not use the terms “Radical Islam,” or “The War On Terror.”

Walid Shobat, a reformed Palestinian terrorist stated, “They (Iranian leaders) want a grand finale; they want one operation, the kind that cripples America once and for all, be it dirty bombs, or a real nuke.”

Mark Trimble is a retired Law Enforcement Operations/Special Operations Commander. He has spent 10 years researching and studying Radical Islam and Terrorism. He has worked as an Independent Security Contractor during which time he has trained with and interviewed members of the United States Army Special Operations Forces who have served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Trimble also spent time in the following locations: The West Bank; Gaza; Ofer Military Base- For the observation of the murder trial of two Hamas terrorists; Kalkilia- The Arab town which is one of the main terrorists infiltration routes into Israel; Israeli Forward Military Base at the Lebanese Border (area of the terrorist group Hezbollah’s headquarters); IDF tank unit on the Syrian border; Sderot, Israel. A city on the edge of Gaza, which is under constant mortar attacks by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.

Fillmore resident Zachary Freeman, 24, was killed in an off-road race accident in the Mojave Desert, August 14th.

Freeman was standing in the crowd of spectators with his friend Dustin Malson, 24 of Ventura, and girlfriend Nicky Carmikle, 19. Carmikle had just walked away to use the restroom when a Ford Ranger pickup driven by Brett Sloppy, 28 San Marcos, struck a rock, lost control and rolled into the crowd, killing eight and injuring a dozen. Malson was also killed.

Tens of thousands of people were spread out along the 50-mile track, within 4-feet of the speeding vehicles.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a statement saying state vehicle codes don't apply because the race was a sanctioned event held with the approval of the federal Bureau of Land Management, which owns the land used for the race. They said safety was the responsibility of the race organizer, South El Monte-based Mojave Desert Racing.

MDR's permit required racers to travel 15 mph or less when they were within 50 feet of fans, and allowed no more than 300 spectators for the event. BLM spokesman David Briery said the agency would cooperate with the CHP's investigation.

New allegations have been lobbied by former Fillmore Fire Chief Pete Egedi in his wrongful termination lawsuit against the city of Fillmore. Egedi claims the city has been a defendant in at least two state courts in which it was alleged to violate due process constitutional rights, according to the VC Star.

Egedi was fired in 2008 over allegations of grand theft and embezzlement by a public officer. He faced a criminal trial October 13th in Superior Court, three counts of grand theft and one count of embezzlement. He has pleaded not guilty to the felony charges. Egedi faces five years in state prison if convicted.

Fillmore City Council candidates in alphabetical order:
Adrian Grimaldo
Marcoz Hernandez
David Lugo
Brian Sipes
Patti Walker

FUSD Board candidates in alphabetical order:
Mark Austin
Tony Prado
Lucy Rangel
Kimberly Rivers
David Wilde

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On 8-15-2010, the Sheriff’s Department received a call regarding four men trying to break into a home in the 500 block of E. Telegraph Road in the City of Fillmore. The resident also telephoned family members in Fillmore, notifying them of the incident. Deputies arrived on scene and checked the area, but were unable to locate the suspects. A short time later, Francisco Sanchez, Ricardo Sanchez, and Juan Sanchez arrived at the location in the same vehicle. Francisco, Ricardo, and Juan are family members of the resident at the location. A deputy contacted Francisco, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle and observed a loaded handgun on the front passenger seat of his vehicle. Francisco was detained and found to have an additional handgun concealed in his waistband. Ricardo claimed ownership of the handgun on the passenger seat. A third loaded handgun was located on the rear passenger floorboard of the vehicle, where Juan had been seated in the vehicle. Francisco, Ricardo, and Juan were all arrested for violations of PC 12031(a) – Carrying a loaded firearm, PC 12025(a)(1) – Having a concealed firearm in a vehicle, and PC 12025(a)(2) – Having a concealed firearm on the person. All three were transported and booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura.

Location: 500 Block of E. Telegraph Road, Fillmore
Date & Time/ RB#: 05-15-2010 @ 0150 / 10-19768 Unit Responsible: Fillmore Station

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (W)itnesses Address Age
(S) Francisco Sanchez Fillmore 58
(S) Ricardo Sanchez Fillmore 25
(S) Juan Sanchez Fillmore 23

Officer Preparing Release: Sr. Deputy D. Hendren #3693
Follow-up Contact: Sr. Deputy D. Hendren 805-524-2233
Date of Release: 08-17-2010
Approved By: Sgt. Yoos

An impostor Fillmore Gazette Facebook page has been identified. A thief took the newspaper’s logo and other copyrighted materials and created a fake Facebook page. A notice regarding this impostor has been sent to Facebook and a formal Digital Millennium Copyright Act violation has been filed. The matter is currently under investigation.

To become friends with the real Fillmore Gazette. Please follow this link to our real Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000132019191&v=wall&ref=search

To follow us on Twitter, please follow this link:

http://twitter.com/FillmoreGazette

Luis Alberto Rodriguez Pillardo, 29 of Oceanside California.

During the investigation of a marijuana cultivation north of the city of Fillmore on July 29, 2010, sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop a vehicle associated with the illegal activity. The driver eventually yielded after driving about 2 miles, then fled on foot over a ledge on the side of the road and disappeared. In the vehicle was 78 pounds of processed marijuana.

Through investigation, sheriff’s narcotic detectives learned the identity of the driver. On August 5, detectives arrested Luis Alberto Rodriguez Pillardo at his residence in Oceanside for possession of marijuana for sale, conspiracy to cultivate marijuana and resisting arrest. He was transported back to Ventura County and booked for the listed charges.

Location: Oceanside, Ca
Date: August 5, 2010
Unit Responsible: Ventura County Narcotics Bureau, West County Street Team
Suspect City of Residence Age
Luis Alberto Rodriguez Pillardo Oceanside 29
Officer Preparing Release: Sgt Mike Horne
Follow-up Contact: Sgt Mike Horne 805-383-8700
Approved by: Captain Eric Dowd

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On August 7, 2010, at approximately 6:15 PM, a helicopter was requested for a male who fell in the punch bowls in Santa Paula Canyon. Initial information stated Marice Lamburt fell approximately twenty-five feet off a rock and sustained traumatic injuries. This is a remote area in the Los Padres National Forest and is only accessible by foot or helicopter.

The Sheriff’s Department helicopter, piloted by Kim Bergeson, responded with a rescue crew consisting of Crew Chiefs Jeff Golden, Don White and Paramedic Jacyen Justus. After an aerial search of the canyon was initiated, Lamburt was located laying on a rock adjacent to the river in a narrow part of the canyon known as the “slide.”

Due to the unknown medical condition of Lamburt, the rescue helicopter hovered over the area to begin a rescue operation. Justus and crew chief White were hoisted approximately 150’ down into the narrow canyon. Due to the injuries sustained by Lamburt, the decision was made to remove Lamburt from the location by helicopter.

Lamburt was placed on a backboard and secured inside a stokes basket for hoisting. Lamburt was subsequently hoisted out of the canyon and placed inside the helicopter. Justus and White were hoisted into the helicopter and Lamburt was flown to the Ventura County Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment.

Location: Punch Bowls, Santa Paula Canyon, Santa Paula, CA

Date & Time: August 7, 2010, 6:15 PM

Unit Responsible: Sheriff’s Aviation Unit

(V)ictim: City of Residence: Age:

V1 – Marice Lamburt Long Beach 39 years

Officer Preparing Release: Sr. Deputy White

Follow-up Contact: Ventura County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit (805) 388-4212
Date of Release: August 8, 2010
Approved by: Captain Dowd

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On August 1, 2010 at approximately 2102 hours, Fillmore Deputies were dispatched to 353 Fourth Street, reference a dispute involving a boat. While investigating the incident, the Deputies learned that (S) Michael Elliot May 60, Fillmore, had battered one of the other involved parties. May was arrested for a violation of PC 242 – Battery. May’s vehicle was towed and during an inventory search of the vehicle, a concealed firearm was located in the glove box. May was also arrested for a violation of PC 12025(a)(1) – Possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle. May was transported and booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura.

Dr. James Howatt

Ventura County resident James Howatt M.D., Molina Healthcare’s chief medical officer, has been appointed as Adjunct Professor by Claremont Graduate University’s School of Community and Global Health (SCGH).

"We at the Claremont School of Community and Global Health are delighted to have Dr. Howatt join our faculty, said C. Anderson Johnson, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Community and Global Health. “His expertise in health maintenance and management of health systems for underserved populations brings an important element to our school. Molina HealthCare is one of our most valued partners and we are honored to have it represented by Dr. Mario Molina on our Board and Dr. James Howatt as a member of our faculty."

As chief medical director for Molina Healthcare Inc., Dr. Howatt is responsible for oversight of the medical management functions of all the Company’s health plan subsidiaries, including utilization management and risk management activities. Dr. Howatt received his Bachelor of Science degree and Medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and also holds a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Health Management from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Howatt is a board-certified family physician and a member of the American College of Managed Care Medicine.

About Molina Healthcare
Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: MOH) is a multi-state managed care organization that arranges for the delivery of health care services to persons eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, and other government-sponsored programs for low-income families and individuals. Molina Healthcare’s licensed health plan subsidiaries in California, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Washington currently serve 1.5 members. More information about Molina Healthcare, Inc. and Molina Healthcare of California can be obtained at www.molinahealthcare.com.

Situated about halfway between Moscow and Mongolia, Omsk is a modest city of 1.5 million people desperately in need of more vowels. The city will host the upcoming Siberian International Marathon, which will attract runners from throughout the world, including our own group of adventurers: Cops Running for Charity.

The group, led by Captain Randy Pentis, has traveled the world to participate in grueling foot races on several continents. Last year, the men ran a marathon on remote Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean. Previous adventures have taken them to Tunisia, China, Iceland, Chicago and New York.

Many of their previous trips were not traditional marathons. In the Sahara Desert, the men ran over dunes and Mars-like terrain in a multi-day race. In Iceland, they completed an ultra marathon over a volcanic landscape. When they went to China, the men ran a marathon on the Great Wall.

The ambassadors of pain and suffering will once again raise money for medical charities that focus on children.

The group includes Captain Randy Pentis, Captain Tim Hagel, Captain Dave Kenney, Sergeant Frank Underlin, Sergeant Paul Higgason, Sergeant Joe Devorick, and Pentis’ brother, Chief Deputy Gary Pentis, who is the “team mom.”

The team has raised an impressive $150,000.00 for local charities. This year, the goal is to raise $40,000.00 that will go to Childrens Hospital, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), ALS-Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

The men pay their own way when they travel, so 100 percent of the money they raise goes directly to the charities.

The team lives by Winston Churchill’s words, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

“What we do is nothing compared to what children and others have to battle with medical issues,” Pentis said.

While this trip is fairly straight forward…it’s only a marathon on relatively flat city streets, the preparation revealed some interesting obstacles. Getting their visas approved for the journey was complicated by the concern of Russian officials that the group was going to Siberia as spies.

The visa application didn’t help. It included questions about experience with bombs and terrorism training. Some of the questions prompted answers other than “no,” which raised more concern.

Captain Pentis had to meet directly with Russian Embassy officials to ease their concerns about the intentions of the group of runners from Ventura County.

“If the goal of a spy is to collect blisters on his feet and be attacked by mosquitoes capable of carrying off small children, then we definitely fit the bill,” joked Pentis. “If they’re still concerned, I hope the FSB can keep up with us, because we’re going there to run.”

Anyone interested in more information about CRFC can contact Captain Randy Pentis directly at (805)947-8067.

Enlarge Photo

After nearly 27 years of dressing the lovely ladies of Fillmore and the surrounding areas in the latest styles, Shirley Wright owner of Mirage clothing store, has decided to close up shop. Shirley’s impeccable fashion sense was first introduced to her lucky patrons when she opened shop in the “Old” Vons shopping center. She then moved on to the location of “Laura Smith’s Dress Shop” on Central and finally landed in the old Wm L. Morris Chevrolet dealership showroom on the corner of Central Ave. and Santa Clara St. Shirley’s beautiful window displays have caught the eye of passersby on both streets ever since. Shopping at the Mirage can be likened to taking a small vacation. The atmosphere in the store has always been upbeat and fun with selections of clothing available for women of all ages and sizes. Mirage has been like a small piece of paradise located right here in our quaint town. A couple of generations of women have passed through Mirage’s door - always looking for and finding that “just right” item.

Shirley’s customers have quickly become her friends. She is very appreciative of the support they have shown her throughout the years and will miss the contact that running Mirage has afforded her. Shirley is also grateful for the unwavering support of the Morris family.

Mirage’s anticipated closing date is October 1, 2010. Lay-aways will need to be picked up by that time and tanners will want to use their remaining minutes by then. Shirley welcomes customers old and new to stop by. Watch this newspaper for sales announcements as October draws nearer.

One cannot turn on the radio or television or read a newspaper in today’s environment without coming across some political advocate bombarding us with terms like redistribution of wealth and socialism. What do they mean? Are we a nation that is willing to be governed by these concepts and, if so, would that be a bad thing?
A fundamental belief of socialism is the redistribution of wealth. Under this concept the majority of the wealth is entrusted to the state which in turn redistributes it according to what it determines to be each individual’s best needs. That concept, in theory, would result in the elimination of the poorest and richest classes and the creation of a middle class that has a large degree of equality. But it is only a theory and it has never remotely approached reality.

One needs only to look at the countries that have operated under a socialist system for the longest periods of time. They all continue to maintain the “have and have not” classes. Some even have an alarming growth of the “will not class.” The elite still exist and the poor remain poor. Not all of them own a home. Not all of them own a car. Not all of their children go to college.

The preferred method of redistributing wealth is not by appropriating personal property but by placing an inordinate degree of taxes on earnings and property.

In many socialist countries well over 50% of a working person’s salary is withheld as taxes. A very significant “value added tax” is placed on most items not considered as necessities. That results in 60-75% of the proceeds of the workforce going into the government’s coffer who then determines who gets what.
A socialistic society strives to create equality, however, in doing so it must of necessity destroy individualism and initiative. The norm for virtually everything in a socialistic society must be the lowest acceptable performance.

A classic of this method is utilized by some organized labor in the United States. Unions want their employees to be paid equal salaries regardless of the quality or quantity of work performed. Union employees are discouraged from providing performance that might have the outcome of raising what is currently considered to be the lowest acceptable performance. Promotions and pay raises are to be determined by seniority and not by performance. Innovation such as new methods or technology that may result in loss of jobs is highly discouraged.

In a recent study of the nations of the world there was an attempt to identify the happiest people on earth. The results concluded that a small country in Europe, Denmark, was the overall happiest. Denmark has a socialist government and therefore one might argue that if it makes so many people happy a socialist government must be preferable to countries that have other types of governments. When questioned about what was responsible for the level of happiness in their country many of the Danes replied, “We don’t expect much and therefore we are seldom disappointed.”

Our beloved nation was built upon great expectations and a willingness to accept many disappointments on our journey to achieving our full potential. We have prevailed in so many ways because of our individualism, our unwillingness to let others think for us. Where much is given much is expected. We have been given the opportunity to live and thrive in this great land and we need to always endeavor to keep our expectations high and reject the mediocrity that socialism promises.

The following individuals have received papers to become candidates for Fillmore City Council in the November Election:

Brian Sipes on 07/12/10 (certified)

Bernardo David Lugo on 07/12/10 (certified)

Adrian Andrew Grimaldo on 07/19/10 (filed)

Marcoz Hernandez on 07/26/10 (certified)

Patti Sue Koger-Walker on 08/03/10 (certified)

Brian Sipes – Certified by the County
Patti Walker – Filed
Marcoz Hernandez – Filed
Bernado Lugo – Filed
Adrian Grimaldo – Filed
Antonio Hernandez – Withdrew on 8/5/10
Laurie Hernandez – Did not file

Because an incumbent (Laurie Hernandez) did not file by 8/6/10 the nomination period will remain open until 8/11/10 5:00 PM

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

In the night time hours of July 27, detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department narcotics bureau, West County Street Team, conducted surveillance of clandestine marijuana cultivations in the backcountry of Fillmore. The Sheriff’s Air Unit, on a routine fly over, had discovered the garden. The garden was split into 2 sections separated by a drainage in the mountains off Squaw Flat Road North of the city of Fillmore. Squaw Flat Road is a single lane, rutted dirt road used to access the multiple oil pumps in the area and the condor sanctuary.

During this surveillance, detectives saw 5 male subjects walk from the direction of the gardens and secrete themselves in the heavy brush. A short time later, a vehicle approached this location and met with the 5 subjects. After a brief exchange, the vehicle left the area and the subjects returned the way they had arrived. The subjects approached the detectives and upon seeing them, scattered, dropping the duffle bags they got from the car. Two suspects were caught and arrested for conspiracy to cultivate marijuana and booked.

The car was followed for the 9 miles to a maintained roadway where a marked Sheriffs’ black and white vehicle was waiting. When the deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver refused to stop and drove an additional 2 miles. The car then pulled over and the driver fled, jumping a K-rail and over a cliff. An extensive search of the area failed to locate the driver. In the car, a rental, detectives located 78 pounds of processed marijuana. It is the investigator’s belief the driver brought food to the 5 subjects and they brought out the processed marijuana.

On July 29, detectives went to the garden sites to seize any remaining marijuana. There they found 1138 plants, but the majority of the plants had been harvested. Additionally, approximately 10 pounds of processed marijuana was located.

Alfredo Botello 22, Temecula, and a male juvenile were arrested at the garden site. This is the second cultivation operation this year where investigators found juveniles working in the gardens. The juvenile arrested during this investigation told detectives that he had been in the garden for about 15 days. Prior to this he lived in Mexico. Wanting to come to the United States, he hired a “coyote” to smuggle him across the border. He said he went to Arizona for 1 day, the coyote then brought him to the Fillmore grow site. He was told that he could pay his debt to the coyote by working in the garden. He told investigators that he did not feel he had a choice in the matter.