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What a spectacular day we had Saturday, August 8 at the unveiling of the new Active Adult and Community Center. With over 120 people in attendance throughout the day the Center was full of life and energy it has not seen in years. I want to thank Annette Cardona, Community Services Director for pulling everything together. In addition, our local VFW kicked everything off with a flag presentation, then Mayor Douglas Tucker welcomed everyone and introduced Ernie Morales, Active Adult Commission Chair who addressed the crowd in both English and Spanish letting everyone know this is your Active Adult Center. Mayor Tucker wrapped things up recognizing the ten area agencies and seven instructors offering programs at the Active Adult Center.

The Active Adult Center received a facelift prior to the grand opening with new paint, bathroom fixtures, furniture and polished floors. It looks like a brand new building. Please stop by the Active Adult and Community Center Monday thru Friday from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM and participate in one of our programs or just relax watching TV, reading a book or enjoying a cup of coffee. Our active adults will be impressed by the new look and programs being offered.

This is another example why Fillmore is the “Best Last Small Town.”

John Kelly, Vice President of TNT Fireworks

The August 1, 2015 Fillmore City Council Meeting had a number of items on the agenda, but the Council went into much greater discussion on two; the Chevron Works and the sale of fireworks in Fillmore.

Leslie Klinchuch, representative of Fillmore Works, addressed the Council regarding the use of the Chevron owned property just outside of the Fillmore's city boundary. Klinchuch stated Chevron has applied for a Conditional Use Permit from Ventura County and has elected to lease the land to Stion, a solar manufacturing company, who will be installing solar panels on 25.25 acres of the property. This is the first solar farm in Ventura County. She also stated the "green image" would give Fillmore a bonus. Originally Chevron presented a business park project when discussions began that would have provided hundreds of jobs to local residents.

The Council told Klinchuch they were very disappointed with the turn Chevron has taken. Mayor Douglas Tucker told Klinchuch the amount of hours invested in the project by both the Council and citizens of Fillmore were numerous and spoke of his disappointment with the property not being annexed to Fillmore stating "It's not annexed or in our sphere of influence, which creates problems for Fillmore."

Planning Department Kevin McSweeney told the Council the property is not in the Piru and Fillmore green belt and there was no request for annexation at this time, but he was confident that Fillmore would be notified from the County when needed.

The Council is CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

The first Fillmore School Board Meeting of the 2015/2016 school year focused on food services, the summer construction projects and a budget update.

Suzanne Stamp, Director Child Nutrition Services, gave a presentation on the meals served to students throughout Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD). FUSD participates in the National School Breakfast & Lunch Program which was established by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Breakfast Child Nutrition Act in 1966.

Breakfast and lunch are free to all students attending FUSD regardless of their family income. The District qualified for a federal program called Provision 2 back in August 2012, which allows schools to establish low income claiming percentages (when the threshold is met) and thus serve meals at no charge to all students (not just those that qualify) for a four year period.

Provision 2 option in the federal School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program allows for schools to reduce the paperwork and simplify providing school meals. It reduces application burdens and simplifies meal count and claiming procedures; schools do not have to collect or process school meals applications, keep track of meal categories, or conduct yearly verification. Verification, when needed, can include low family income and/or receiving a State entitlement such as SNAP (formerly known as food-stamps). Eighty-three percent of FUSD students fall into federal guidelines as low income which qualifies FUSD for Provision 2.

Under Provision 2 CONTINUED »

Daniel Nuno

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Daniel Nuno (DOB 06/07/1982), of Fillmore, was convicted by a jury of first degree murder for killing Ricardo Gonzalez, a chiropractor from Oxnard. The jury returned their verdict after two hours of deliberation.

On August 9, 2012, Nuno armed himself with a loaded handgun and traveled to the home of Mr. Gonzalez’s mother in Fillmore. There, Nuno confronted Mr. Gonzalez as he stood in the driveway beside his elderly mother and four-year-old son. After a brief conversation, Nuno quickly drew his firearm, pressed it to Mr. Gonzalez’s head and fired a single shot that killed him. Nuno then fled the scene and disposed of evidence, including the murder weapon which was never found. Nuno was apprehended two hours after the murder by deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to eyewitness testimony identifying Nuno as the shooter, Mr. Gonzalez’s blood and DNA were located on Nuno’s clothing at the time of his arrest.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 27 of the Ventura Superior Court, County of Ventura.

Steven Cortez

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that on August 4, 2015, Superior Court Judge Mark S. Borrell sentenced Steven Cortez (DOB 03/09/94), of Santa Paula, to serve 39 years in state prison for two counts of attempted murder. A jury convicted Cortez in June 2015 of two counts of attempted murder in violation of Penal Code section 664/187(a), street terrorism in violation of Penal Code section 186.22(a), and two counts of assault with a firearm in violation of Penal Code section 245(a)(2). The jury also found true special allegations that the defendant intentionally discharged a firearm during the commission of the crime, and that the crime was committed in association with the 12th Street Locos criminal street gang. Cortez and Santa Paula
gang members Christian Castaneda and Ricardo Magana were arrested in December 2014 after Cortez shot two victims as they walked on a street near their home in Fillmore. The crime was investigated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

Castaneda previously pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder and unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle,
and was sentenced on July 15, 2015, to serve 19 years in state prison. Magana previously pleaded guilty to charges of assault with a firearm and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2015.