At the March 3, 2009 Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board meeting, the Board extensively discussed the budget. The Board heard a budget update, approved layoffs, and cited the budget while considering Raiders Youth Football's request to use alternative payment for use of the high school stadium. The Board also heard a report on the Gifted Program.

Assistant Superintendent Evalene Townend reported on school districts' budget-cutting trends across the county. Districts are laying off employees in all categories: administrative, certificated, and classified. According to Townend, an estimated 400 to 500 Ventura County teachers will lose their jobs. Nine districts will be increasing class size. Many districts are reducing the number of work days, not filling administrative vacancies, offering retirement incentives, postponing facilities maintenance, and concerned about meeting transportation costs.

Superintendent Jeff Sweeney said that FUSD's budget had already been reduced by $1.2 million last year, so further reductions are difficult to accommodate. Sweeney noted, "It is going to hurt one way or another." Board members expressed sorrow over cutting essentials.

Sweeney explained that the budget process involves district staff researching and recommending cuts, which must be considered and voted on by the school board. According to law, certificated employees who will be laid off must be notified by March 15th. CONTINUED »

Gregorio Aguilar

Gregorio Aguilar, 19 of Fillmore, was arrested on February 27 on suspicion of killing a Ventura Circle K clerk in the commission of an apparent botched robbery on December 26, 2008. He is being held at Ventura County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

A 17-year old male was also detained in the case after authorities served a search warrant at his home in the 300 block of Rhodes Court, Fillmore. The juvenile was questioned and released pending further investigation.
The store clerk, Sean Odle, 30, was shot in the chest with a rifle about 4:25 a.m. He was taken to Ventura County Medical Center, where he died.

A store surveillance camera shows two hooded individuals in the store, with one crouching by the front door while the other one approaches Odle with a rifle. Odle is seen holding a cordless phone, possibly calling 911, according to investigators. After the shooting, both suspects are seen running out of the store. Nothing was taken.

In 2008, Aguilar pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of second-degree residential burglary. This year, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor petty theft with a prior conviction. He served a 30-day jail sentence in both cases. CONTINUED »

Anthony Robledo

On March 1, 2009, at approximately, 9:20 p.m. Officer from the Santa Paula Police Department responded to the 700 block of West Main Street to of a report of a gun shot victim. Upon arrival officers found Jesus Ramos, 25 years old from Santa Paula, suffering from a gun shot wound. Ramos was transported to VCMC where he remains in critical condition.

During the investigation witnesses who were at the scene identified Anthony Robledo, 24 years old from Piru, as the suspect. Robledo who was still at the scene was arrested without incident and charged with attempt homicide.
The investigation is continuing at this time. Anyone with any information is asked to call Sergeant Cordero or Detective Clark at the Santa Paula Police Department at (805) 525-4474.

Shown is an example of a small skate park design. No actual design concept has been made available.
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The sleepy little town of Piru may get a piece of the federal pie for a skateboard park if the Ventura County Board of Supervisors votes to appropriate part of available Community Development Block Grants totaling $1.9 million their way. Federal anti-poverty funds, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), are aimed at aiding poor communities and residents.

Over $1 million of the monies is tagged towards affordable housing programs, including a farmworker complex in Piru.

The second largest allocation of $200,000 would go to build the skate park in Piru. Total cost of the park is estimated at $450,000, with a collaboration of federal and local funding, and private fundraising.

The county controls the distribution of HUD funds for unincorporated areas, like Piru, and for the cities of Fillmore, Santa Paula, Moorpark, Port Hueneme, and Ojai.

A complete list of recommended HUD grants can be accessed at http://bosagenda.countyofventura.org/sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&....

Abner Puebla named 2008 Firefighter of the Year. The Fillmore Firefighters and Fire Department have selected
Abner Puebla as our representative for Firefighter of the Year. Abner was born in Santa Paula Hospital on December 2, 1980, but is a local boy, raised in Fillmore. Abner attended school in Fillmore and graduated from
Fillmore High School in 1999.

Abner joined the department in 2001 and began taking fire technology classes. Eventually with the help of the Fillmore Fire Department, Abner was accepted to attend the Oxnard College Fire Academy. He graduated from the Fire Academy in 2001 and began to adapt the role of a Firefighter.

Abner said, “I have been with Fillmore fire for eight years, and going for more.” He has been employed at St.
John’s Regional Medical Center for six years as a clinical technician in the gastrointestinal department.

“I have my parents, my brother, and the hand of God that have given me the strength and support in everything I do; and thank them for all the blood, sweat, and tears that they have shed so that I can become a better person.”

Abner Puebla is one of Fillmore Fire’s senior firefighters. His hard work, dedication and commitment to training our new firefighters is what sets him apart in this year’s selection.

Information courtesy Bill Herrera, Fire Chief

In Jillian Wilber you have a responsible, conscientious, diligent, hardworking and an extremely bright young lady with a great sense of humor as well. Jill has been a leader throughout her school years, as well as being very active in the community of Fillmore. She has taken Honors and A.P. classes in high school and still managed to maintain a high G. P. A. and is on her way to college after graduation. Jill will be a welcome asset to any organization or institution she is a part of.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and Fillmore Police Department in conjunction with the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce Deputy Beau Rodriquez as the 2008 Fillmore Officer of the Year.
Beau is a Fillmore native-son raised within a few blocks of the Fillmore Police Station. He is the son of Daniel and Wendy Rodriquez also of Fillmore.
Deputy Rodriquez is a ten-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department and has served in the City of Fillmore for the last two years.
Beau has been consistently recognized by the community as a caring, professional officer who immerses himself into keeping their neighborhoods safe. He has been recognized by his supervisors and his peers for his “genuine desire, enthusiasm, and natural instinct for police work.”
Please join the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce and our community in recognizing all of our City’s Police and Fire safety personnel for their extraordinary efforts. The Chamber is hosting a celebration on March 6, 2009, at the Fillmore Memorial Building. The doors will open at 6 PM for a social hour and followed by dinner at 7 PM. Tickets are available at the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce, 557 Ventura St. Fillmore, or at the door of the event. For additional details please call the Chamber at 524-0351.

Judy Dressler was selected as 2008 Citizen of the Year for her volunteerism, and numerous activities for the City of Fillmore. She was one of the founding member of Civic Committee, served as Chair for six years after serving as secretary for many years. Her many accomplishments include Art Walk event, Yard of the Month Committee, Business of the Month campaign, wildflowers seeding campaign, downtown building sign program Vision 2020 street fairs she is currently involved in planning a return of the Fillmore Flower Show in the spring of 2009. She was a dedicated member of Soroptimist International for many years. She always has a positive and cheerful attitude that is contagious to others.

Kathy has been owner/sole proprietor of Fillmore Mail Stop since August 2005. She was selected as business of the year due to her involvement in the community. She is an active mentor and volunteer of the Fillmore Mentor Program and One Step a la Vez Youth Group where she holds essay writing workshops for scholarships. She also organizes quarterly yard sales that benefit One Step a la Vez and the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, San Francisco, which she has participated in the last three years. Kathy is also involved in Soroptimist International of Fillmore where she chairs two projects the Christmas basket and the Women’s Opportunity Award. She is always looking for ways to get involved and make her community better, particularly by being involved with the youth. Currently she is holding book sales in front of Fillmore Mail Stop that sell for a quarter each and 100% of these sales go directly to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and the next yard sale to benefit this walk and One Step will be held on March 14 at Trinity Episcopal Church on 2nd and Saratoga and yes donations are already being accepted. Kathy suggests that if you want to get involved and don’t know where to go come and talk to her.

On Friday, February 20, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. a sizeable, enthusiastic and proud group of family and community leaders gathered in front of the Fillmore Post Office to witness the first five Military Banners installed on the historic street lamp posts of Central Avenue. The five young men honored are; United States Army Sergeant Kevin “Buddy” Edwards, Specialist Michael Edwards, PFC George Poppic, United States Navy Petty Officer Second Class Phillip Diaz and United States Marine Corps Corporal Steven Zanotti. Deputy City Manager Bill Bartels coordinated the installation of the Banners by City Public Works employees; Joe Zuniga, David Brown and Arnold Casteneda.

The parents of Corporal Steven Zanotti, Tom and Cindy Zanotti, stood proudly taking photos, as their son, dressed in his Dress Blue Uniform stood alongside his supervisor, Staff Sergeant Jacob Avila underneath the newly installed banner bearing the name of Corporal Zanotti. Staff Sergeant Avila is a United States Marine Corps Recruiter assigned in Ventura and was the person responsible for recruiting Corporal Zanotti. Corporal Zanotti is currently completing an assignment with the recruiting station after recently returning from Iraq and before he reports for duty at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near Oceanside, California. CONTINUED »

Steve Mcclary

The City of Ojai announced today the hiring of longtime Fillmore City employee Steve McClary to serve as Ojai’s new Assistant to the City Manager. An 11-year employee with the City of Fillmore, McClary will begin his new position next month, said Ojai City Manager Jere Kersnar.

Currently employed as Fillmore’s Administrative Services Manager, McClary has been responsible for a variety of duties, including human resources, film permits, elections officer, public information liaison and champion of Fillmore’s 20-year community plan, dubbed Vision 2020. “Of all the tasks that I worked on during my time in Fillmore, none was more rewarding than Vision 2020,” said McClary. “To be able to work directly with Fillmore residents to dream and plan for the betterment of the community was an enriching opportunity and best of all, it was just plain fun.”

McClary said he is looking forward to the challenges of working in a new community and said it will be hard for him to leave the community where he began his career in 1991. McClary, 39, started as a reporter for local weekly newspaper The Fillmore Gazette and became editor of the publication in 1993, serving in that capacity until he was hired by the City of Fillmore in 1997 as deputy city clerk. “In many ways, I feel like I grew up in Fillmore, in a professional sense. I was fresh out of college at the time and the small town experience was something altogether new for me,” he said.

He replaces retiring Assistant to the City Manager Paulette Matheson Whiting, who held the post for 7 years. Job duties include human resources and risk management, analyzing City issues, preparing staff reports for city council meetings, and serving as public information officer. “When you work in local government in a small town, you get to wear a lot of hats,” McClary said. “That’s one of the most enjoyable aspects--the job duties and the priorities are always shifting from day-to-day or year-to-year. There is always something new to learn or experience. I am looking forward to getting to know Ojai and I am excited about the opportunity.” CONTINUED »

Fillmore High School Swim Team Coach Cindy Blatt expressed her frustration over the fact that her team could not yet access the new swimming pool. With meets scheduled only days away, the team must continue to use the Santa Paula pool because the pool heater and two other minor problems prevent County approval of the facility.
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Fillmore City Council met at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at City Hall to cover a brief agenda. Mayor Pro-tem Gayle Washburn was absent. The Council heard public comments, allocated grant money to non-profits, moved toward regulating push-cart vendors, discussed paving Central Ave., waived fees for the Relay for Life, and thanked Deputy City Clerk Steve McClary for his services.

The Council heard the first reading of a proposed ordinance regulating push-cart vendors and door-to-door solicitation. Council Member Jamey Brooks voted against the ordinance, because he considers it too much government. In response to various fundraisers' concerns, Council Member Steve Conaway reported that Police Sergeant Dave Wareham has said that the spirit of the ordinance would be enforced if the ordinance passes. Both the Council and School Board have for months desired an ordinance regulating push-cart vendors in order to keep students safely out of the path of traffic after school.

After hearing representatives from FOOD Share, Women's Economic Ventures (WEV), and the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, the Council allocated the $170,500 2009-2010 Community Development Block Grant provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The previous meeting's staff report had mistakenly listed the Ombudsman Program's desired funds as $1000, although $4000 was requested. The Council decided that the limited amount of money should remain allocated as decided at the previous meeting. It allocated: $13,075 to the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley—Fillmore Unit; $4000 to El Concilio del Condado de Ventura; $3000 to FOOD Share, Inc.; $1000 to the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program; $2500 to One Step Center and the Fillmore Piru Mentor Program; $1000 to RAIN for transportation services; $1000 for Turning Point. $79,234 to the City of Fillmore Community Park Project; $50,000 to the Fillmore-Piru Veterans Memorial District; and $7,500 to WEV. The remaining money was needed for administration costs. CONTINUED »

“It’s raining, it’s pouring” and it is a blessing, especially since Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger officially declared California in a drought last June, precipitated by more than two years of well below rainfall and the driest spring in eighty-eighty years. The Fillmore Lions Club considered the situation important enough to make it the subject of its 72nd Student Speaker Contest on February 2. Impressive presentations were heard from all participants. Seventeen-year old Fillmore HS senior, Natalie Garnica walked away the winner, and 17-year old FHS senior, Rachel Kamradt, along with 14-year old Jeremy Brooks, 9th grader at El Camino HS at Ventura College were runners-up as reported in this newspaper. Nevertheless, there is much more to the story. Backed by substantial governmental data, our state is facing its most significant water crisis in its history. The state is running dry with not enough relief in sight.

How could a potentially devastating drought happen in our technically modern world? The answers are numerous and complex as reported by the contest’s winners, Garnica, Kamradt, and Brooks. Natural phenomenon include Southern California’s desert topography; severely affected waterways from consecutive years without substantial precipitation across the state; and the drastic reduction of the Sierra Snowpack (61% of normal), the thick layer of snow that typically covers 400 miles of the Sierra Nevada range, the major source of the state’s water supply. CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Between the late evening hours of 02/17/09 and early morning hours of 02/18/09, unknown suspect(s) forced entry into the Valley Tractor business on Ventura St. in Fillmore. The suspect(s) stole at least 34 Stihl brand power tools that included 21 chain saws, 8 string trimmers, 1 leaf blower, 1 backpack sprayer, 1 pole saw, 1 hedge trimmer and 1 cut-off saw.

The stolen string trimmers and chain saws include different models: String Trimmers: Models FS110, FS80 and FS250. Chain Saws: Models MS260, MS310, MS390, MS361, MS192T, MS250, MS17O, MS460, MS290 AND MS180. Serial numbers for all items have been entered as stolen into CLETS.

Contact detectives Taurino Almazan or Gus Macias at (805) 524-2233 or (805) 947-8097 or (805) 947-8070 with any information. Courtesy VC Sheriff’s Crime Analysis Unit.

Photo by Sebastian Ramirez
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Photo by Sebastian Ramirez
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Photo by Sebastian Ramirez
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A two-story Fillmore home was engulfed in flames Sunday morning, February 15, at 7:30 a.m., despite efforts by multiple engine companies including Fillmore, Oxnard and Santa Paula. The owner, former Fillmore Mayor Evaristo Barajas, was not at home at the time. Owner Guillermina “Gigi” Barajas was home, along with their daughter, Alani, 17, and a friend. Gigi had returned from her nursing duties at Santa Paula Hospital and dozed off on a couch in the living room. She awoke to a smoke-filled room and the sound of smoke detectors.

The blaze did not impact neighboring homes in the200 block of Waterford Lane.

The family’s pet dog, Starlight, 15, was killed in the fire, along with a Gecko and freshwater fish. Chuy Ortiz, owner of El Pescador, located one block over from Waterford Lane, was one of the first on the scene. He said Alani wanted to go back into the blazing house for Starlight, a Pomeranian, but was restrained by others. The Barajas family had lived in the home for over 23 years.

The Red Cross offered financial assistance to the family so they could purchase much needed supplies, bedding and linens prior to occupying a home generously made available by one of their neighbors.

An electrical short in the living room may have started the blaze.

A Fillmore boy drowned Sunday, February 15, at Lake Casitas, while on a family outing.
Mason Dollar, 4, son of Chris and Kristen Dollar, was last seen feeding ducks on the lake’s dock.
Mason was missing for about an hour before a rescue diver discovered his body under the dock at approximately 5:00 p.m.
An ambulance took the boy to Ojai Valley Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m. Mason left behind his parents, sister Hayley and brother Garrett. See Mason’s obituary in the obituary section of this website. Our prayers are with the Dollar family.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On February 17, 2009 at approximately 5:15 a.m., a fatal traffic involving two vehicles occurred on SR-126, west of Atmore Road. The collision killed the driver of one vehicle, and injured the driver and passenger of the second vehicle.
Lonnie Paul Gabriel, twenty years of age from Taft California, was driving his BMW eastbound on SR-126 at an unknown speed, west of Atmore Road. Bryon Cruz, 21 years of age and his passenger, Erik Chavez, 25 years old (both from Fillmore, CA) were traveling westbound on SR-126 in a Ford Explorer and were approaching from the opposite direction. For unknown reasons, Gabriel’s BMW swerved out of control through the center median. His car then traveled into the westbound lanes, directly in front of Cruz’s vehicle. Cruz had no time to react and the front of his vehicle broadsided the right side of the BMW, causing major damage to both vehicles. Emergency crews from the Ventura County Fire Department, the California Highway Patrol, and American Medical Response (AMR) responded to the scene. The collision forced the partial closure of SR-126 while emergency crews worked at the scene.
Lonnie Gabriel suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene by ambulance personnel. Bryon Cruz and Erik Chavez were both transported to the Ventura County Medical Center. Mr. Cruz suffered serious injuries including a broken right leg, while Chavez suffered injuries to his head and chest. The cause of the collision is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

Chris Godfrey

Chief Deputy Chris Godfrey has been a member of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department for 30 years and worked varying assignments in all four divisions during that time. As a part of the Sheriff’s management team for the last 13 years, Godfrey has managed the Todd Road Jail, the Regional Training Center, the Fillmore Police Department, acting as Chief of Police for that city, Patrol’s East County Bureau with oversight responsibility for the City of Moorpark and the unincorporated areas of East County Patrol, and Commander of the Professional Standards Bureau encompassing the Regional Training Center, Internal Affairs, and the Internal Audits Units.

Currently, Godfrey was assigned to the Support Services Division where he had oversight of the department’s budget as well as two bureaus, Professional Standards and Human Resources. Chief Godfrey has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Northridge.

Chief Godfrey retired from the department on Friday, February 6, 2009 and was honored by approximately two hundred family, friends, and coworkers in attendance to enjoy a pictorial review of his career and an evening of dinning and friendship. CONTINUED »

At San Cayetano Elementary School, Students are reaching for the stars –and remote control devices.
Last year, San Cayetano was one of 50 schools nationwide that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration selected as a NAS Explorer School. The innovative program is designed to bring NASA’s engaging math, science and technology lessons to teachers and students. Robotics is an important component of the curriculum.

Last summer, San Cayetano teachers Brandi Walker and Melanie Schrock attend a week-long workshop at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena to become proficient in teaching robotics. After sharing what they earned with other upper-grad teachers as the staff created a schedule that allows most fourth- and fifth-graders 13 one-hour sessions to learn robotics.

Teachers assembled the robots; the students added enhancements and completed all the computer programming to manipulate their movements.

“This is truly a combination of hands=on math and science,” said San Cayetano Principal Jan Marholin. “How will a student ever forget the first time he or she has programmed a computer using math skills and reasoning?”
Most students are already technologically savvy, having been exposed to computers all their live, so they are fast learners, said Marholin. “They get it, they love it, and it’s an amazing thing to watch.”

San Cayetano has entered JPL’s annual robotics competition this spring to see how the students’ skills stack up against teams from other NASA Explorer schools. In the competition, which JPL will broadcast live on its web site, students pre-program their robots to navigate an obstacle course and perform tasks such as retrieving simulated planetary mineral formations – all within two minutes.