Written by Lisa Givan

In the sultry heart of Georgia, amid the whispers of Spanish moss-laden trees and abundant fields of tobacco, a murder mystery play like no other is set to unfold. "Death and Nicotine," set in the 1930s.
This tantalizing production, conceived by local playwright Josh Overton, is a thrilling tale of secrets, deceit, and, of course, murder. The plot revolves around a mysterious death at the home of the elite Herrington family. The twist? The victim lies dead from nicotine poisoning without a cigarette in sight.

Overton, who drew inspiration from the tobacco plantations of the south and classic literary masterpieces, skillfully weaves together a plot where each character harbors dark secrets, and motives lie hidden in the shadowy corners of the Herrington Mansion. The actors bring their characters to life with finesse and flair.
The genteel hypochondriac Constance Herrington, portrayed by the captivating Jo Becerra, is the show's matriarch. The investigation into the poisoning death is led by a sharp-witted detective, Celine Winslet, portrayed masterfully by Brandy Lengning. Winslet's relentless pursuit of the truth keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Lengning's charisma and wit add depth to this unforgettable character.

Vincent, portrayed by newcomer Layne Allen takes center stage as the enigmatic victim who ignites the web of intrigue, secrecy, and suspicion that weaves throughout the plot.
Supporting characters played by Diana Martinez, Adriana Limon, David Becerra, Isabella Liu, Fidel Escoto, Alex Becerra and Mable Lengning round out a phenomenally talented cast of suspects.

Audiences are not mere spectators but part of the experience, invited to deduce the identity of the murderer. As the play progresses, it becomes a race against time to solve the perplexing crime.

Throughout the play, the characters are forced to confront their own connections to Vincent, unearthing long-buried secrets, hidden agendas, and potential motives for his untimely demise. As the audience is drawn deeper into the intrigue, it becomes apparent that everyone at "Herrington Mansion" has a reason to want Vincent silenced.

If you're looking for a night of intrigue, passion, and a dash of danger, be sure to secure your seat at the Sespe Auditorium.

Brought to you by director team Jessica and Lisa Givan and assisted by Hannah Faith, "Death and Nicotine" promises a night to remember, bringing the intrigue and allure of the 1930s back to life.

Opening on October 20 at 7:00 p.m., "Death and Nicotine" runs for two weekends. October 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28 at 7:00p.m. Sunday matinee on October 22 at 2:00 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before the show. The theatre is located at the Sespe Auditorium, 627 Sespe Ave. Fillmore.

Tickets $10 adult, $7 senior/student. Tickets are available online at www.sespeplayers.org

Pictured above is the Fairbanks family. Back row: Richard and Helen Murphey Fairbanks holding William, with Elizabeth. Front row: Constance and Fergus “Ted” Fairbanks holding John, with Helen, Katherine and Robert, c. 1920. Photo courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
Enlarge Photo

- Above is Ted Fairbanks with his siblings: standing is Winifred Fairbanks. Left to right: Fergus Fairbanks, Ellen Nellie Fairbanks, Charles Fairbanks and Louis Fairbanks, c. 1885. Photo courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
Enlarge Photo

Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

In 1907, Judge Felix Ewing, president of the two-year-old Fillmore State Bank, offered the job of cashier to a man from Hueneme (pronounced Wy-neh-meh). The bank’s cashier would be in charge of most of the day-to-day operation of the bank. Ewing told the prospective cashier that, “We want you to go out there and take charge of the bank and wake that town up because it's absolutely dead." Fergus “Ted” Fairbanks, who had been cashier at the Bank of Hueneme, was not so sure he wanted the job. “I told him that I wouldn't go and undertake to do anything with the place unless they would back me up in getting a newspaper. Because a place of that size was really not in shape to grow [without a newspaper].” Judge Ewing agreed and on August 1, 1907, Fergus Fairbanks began work at the bank. Significantly, by December of 1907, the Fillmore Herald began under the management of H. G. Comfort. The town was beginning to be woken up.

Fergus Fairbanks was born in Table Rock Nebraska in 1876 to Elijah and Martha Linn Fairbanks. At the age of four months, he moved with his parents and older brother, Charles, to Ventura where some Linn relatives had already settled. His father held many jobs in the first few years including driving a wagon to Newhall to pick up supplies for the residents of Ventura. For about a year he worked for the More brothers on Santa Rosa Island overseeing a crew of men building a wharf on the island.
In 1881, Elijah Fairbanks was hired by A. J. Salisbury to manage the wharf at Hueneme, a position he held for 25 years. A year later, young Fergus, or Ted as he was known, started school in Hueneme. In 1891, he entered Ventura High School, living with his grandmother during the school year, graduating in 1894. Much to his surprise he received a scholarship to Occidental College and was able to attend for one year. He then received a letter offering him a position with the Bank of Hueneme which had been founded in 1889. In 1901 he was promoted to cashier who in those days oversaw much of the day-to-day operation of the bank.

In 1898, Fairbanks married Lula Hooper, a high school classmate. Unfortunately, in 1901, Lula died while giving birth to their daughter, Constance. In 1903 Ted Fairbanks and Helen Murphey were married. This marriage would have seven children, six of whom grew to adulthood.

Fifty years later, Fairbanks described what Fillmore was like when he first settled there, “You can judge the size of Fillmore, when I tell you that there were two teachers in the elementary school and no High School. The only cement sidewalk was on the two streets adjoining the bank and on the bank property. From the present location of the Bank of America (Central and Main St.) to the intersection of Sespe and Central Streets, the sidewalk, when there was one, was of boards. There were three stores, two which had general merchandise as well as groceries. The town site proper was one block wide on each side of the railroad. Other than that, there were not two dozen houses in town, most of them the residences of the owners of the orchards which surrounded them.”

One of the first initiatives Fairbanks became involved in was the formation of the Board of Trade, the forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce. Fairbanks was president of the Board of Trade when late in 1908; the Board decided Fillmore should have its own high school. At that time, any student wishing to go past grammar school had to travel to Santa Paula to go to high school. After some legal issue were resolved Fillmore could secede from the Santa Paula Unified High School, and then a bond election was held. The bond passed with only three votes opposed. The first High School board consisted of George King as President, Ted Fairbanks as secretary, William Shiells and E. A. Case. While with the Bank of Hueneme, Fairbanks had been appointed Chair of the Oxnard Union High School for three years, so he was familiar with running a high school. George King and Fairbanks collaborated with an architect on the plans for a high school building. When the plans were submitted to the County Superintendent of Schools, James E. Reynolds, he refused to approve them saying it was too large and wouldn’t be filled in twenty years. Finding the Fillmore board to be very determined he allowed the building to be built as first proposed. By 1924 a larger building was needed. The first class consisting of 4 students, three women and one man, graduated in 1911.

By 1912 incorporation had been a point of dissension in the community for more than 2 years. Letters had been sent to the cities of San Fernando and Bishop asking about their experiences with incorporation. Those cities hailed the positive results.

The biggest issues were taxes! Taxes were being assessed by the county in the unincorporated areas. But the benefits were not being returned to those areas. The representatives of San Fernando presented the benefits of incorporation which included improved fire protection. That city now had an organized fire dept with “two high class chemical engines” and a hook and ladder company with five ladders. It gave that community a “feeling of security never before felt.” Fillmore still had a volunteer fire extinguisher and bucket brigade.

Street lighting was also an issue. Fillmore had only a few lights which had been installed by local merchants. The question, of course, was whether the merchants on Central would pay for lighting on their own or whether the entire citizenry would pay through taxation to benefit the entire community.

The essence of the anti-incorporation argument was that matters of this import to the city should be left in the hands of the pioneer founders of the city and not in the hands of the “floaters who are here today and gone tomorrow.” The antis were primarily early pioneers such as C.C. Elkins and his son, John McNab, of Sespe Land and Water Co., George Tighe, J. W. Baldeschweiler, and A. C. Wilcox.

By 1914 Fillmore had been a township for 27 years and had a population of about 1000. On May 8, 1914, a delegation from Fillmore Township presented the Board of Supervisors with a petition to call for an election to vote on the question of incorporation. The petition appeared in the Herald with the names of signers; Fergus Fairbanks, J K L Schwartz, Louis Antonio Carillo, and 65 others including the publishers of the Herald.

The election was held on June 29, 1914, there were 417 votes cast (one ballot was not voted for or against and 15 were thrown out for irregularity – they had marked the box with a pencil instead of a pen. Of the 15 irregulars, 12 were for and 3 against). Fillmore became a city of the 6th class by just 15 votes - 208 for and 193 against. Fillmore had woken up.
Ted Fairbanks had not planned on a career in banking. He, with his childhood friend, Charles Blackstock, had always planned to open a law practice together. Blackstock was already a lawyer and encouraged his friend to go into law. Fairbanks resigned from the Fillmore State Bank in the fall of 1919 and began to prepare to take the bar examination. He rented a room upstairs in the Bank’s new building on the corner of Central and Main, adjoining the office of John A. Galvin, the city attorney, He was admitted to practice after taking the examination on the 20th day of September 1920.

For many years there were only three attorneys in Fillmore, John Galvin, Ted Fairbanks and Art Taylor, all of whom had offices in the same building. They often found themselves on opposite sides of cases, but generally had cordial relationships. All three of them were early members of the Fillmore Rotary Club with Fairbanks being its first president.
March of 1928 presented Fairbanks with one of the most complex cases he had yet to encounter. On the night of March 12/13, the St. Francis Dam failed killing more than 400 people and devastating the farmland of the Santa Clara River Valley. One of Fairbank’s clients was the Perry Ranch Company whose property was located at the mouth of the Sespe on the Santa Clara River. The Perry Ranch was owned by a group of Japanese and was named after Commodore Matthew Perry who had opened Japan to the west. They had formed the company and purchased the land in 1910 before the Alien Exclusion act had been enacted which banned Japanese from purchasing land. One worker from the ranch had been killed in the flood and much of the orchards had been destroyed with large holes being left. Because the owners of the Perry Ranch were Japanese, there were several hurdles to clear before payment was finally made, but eventually the owners did receive a cash settlement from the City of Los Angeles.

Fairbanks continued to represent the Perry Ranch through the 1930s and into the 1940s. After Pearl Harbor, all people of Japanese descent on the west coast were subject to relocation. Foreseeing this, the Perry Ranch Company gave Ted Fairbanks power of attorney to operate the ranch. With the assistance of Carlos Alamillo, who became the ranch manager, the Perry Ranch was not only maintained but actually prospered during the war years. After the war, the Perry Ranch stockholders returned to their ranch.

Fairbank’s connection with the ranch continued until his retirement in 1963 at which time his son, Robert, took over as the ranch’s attorney.

After retirement in 1963, Ted Fairbanks remained active in the Rotary as well as the Ventura County Historical society writing several articles. He had served on the school board for 27 years. He was dedicated to his adopted hometown of Fillmore and shaped it in many ways.

Ted Fairbanks passed away in 1971 at the age of 95. Judge Ewing picked the right man to “wake up” Fillmore.
Much of this article is based on over fifteen hours of interviews done by Carl Wolf with Ted Fairbanks in 1965 and 1966. The tapes of these interviews were given to the Museum by Anita Fairbanks Palmberg, granddaughter of Ted Fairbanks. The booklet, “Perry Ranch 1910 to 1995,” was another resource for this article.

District Attorney’s Office Awarded Grant to Help Victims of Domestic Violence

VENTURA, Calif. – October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is a time that serves as a
crucial reminder of the pervasive issue of domestic violence and the urgent need to address it in
our community.

On October 10, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., the Ventura County Board of Supervisors will officially proclaim
October as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month.” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko will join
Interface Children & Family Services, the Coalition for Family Harmony, and many other partnering
agencies in support of this important proclamation.

“Domestic Violence Awareness Month empowers survivors, educates the public, and advocates for
policies and resources that can help prevent and combat the vicious cycle of inter-personal
violence,” said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “By shedding light on this problem, we take a
significant step towards breaking the cycle of inter-generational abuse.”
As part of our ongoing commitment to serving victims of domestic violence, the Ventura County
District Attorney’s Office applied for and was selected to receive a Violence Against Women
Vertical Prosecution Grant from the California Office of Emergency Services. The $202,545 grant
will fund efforts to prosecute domestic violence cases. It will also help continue efforts to connect
victims with resources at the Ventura County Family Justice Center, located in Ventura and at a
future second site under development in Oxnard.

Vertical prosecution is when a prosecutor, investigator, and victim advocate are assigned to a case
from the initial filing of charges, often even before, and then through the penalty phase. It is shown
to improve conviction rates, reduce victim/survivor trauma, and provide more consistent and
appropriate penalties for defendants.

Contact: Joey Buttitta
Title: Communications Manager/PIO
Phone: (805) 767-3400
Email: Joey.Buttitta@ventura.org

Approved: SW

Date: October 2, 2023

Release No.: 23-116

If you or someone you know is a victim/survivor of domestic violence, we encourage you to
connect with a victim advocate at the Ventura County Family Justice Center located at
3170 Loma Vista Road, in Ventura. During business hours, Monday - Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m., requests for services and information are available in person, or by telephone (805) 652-
7655, by email vcfjc.coop@ventura.org or by text to (805) 947-7981

On September 30, 2023, at about 3:03 a.m., the Thousand Oaks Police Department and the Ventura County Fire Department responded to a solo vehicle traffic collision on Westlake Boulevard, south of Potrero Road between Potrero Road and Carlisle Road. Upon arrival, emergency personnel discovered a vehicle overturned on its roof. A rescue attempt was made by the Ventura County Fire Department. They discovered an unresponsive solo occupant in the vehicle, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The initial investigation revealed the vehicle was traveling southbound on Westlake Boulevard when it left the road and collided with an embankment on the east side of the road. The collision with the embankment caused the vehicle to overturn and come to rest in the northbound lane of Westlake Boulevard.

The cause of the collision is under investigation by the Thousand Oaks Police Department Traffic Bureau. Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact Senior Deputy Marcos Moreno at (805) 494-8245.

Nature of Incident: Fatal Traffic Collision
Report Number: 23-126079
Location: South Westlake Boulevard, south of E. Potrero Road
Date & Time: September 30, 2023 @ 3:03 a.m.
Unit(s) Respondible: Thousand Oaks Police Department-Traffic Bureau
(S)uspects,(V)ictims,(P)arty,(D)ecedent
(D) Charles Diishong Tarzana 74

Prepared by: Deputy Chris Riggs
Approved by: Captain Dean Cook

On 9/29/2023, at approximately 2014 hours, Ojai Police Department patrol deputies responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call that occurred on the 200 block of Boardman Road in the City of Ojai. Deputies arrived on scene and located two male victims, who are father and son. Both victims were struck by a white truck, which was fleeing the scene after the occupants of the truck threw eggs at the victim’s residence and the victim’s vehicle. One of the victims had minor injuries and was evaluated at the scene but refused medical attention. The other victim did not sustain any injuries. As the truck fled the scene it collided with another vehicle that was being used in an attempt to block the truck’s path.

Deputies searched the area and located the suspect vehicle abandoned nearby in an orchard. A search of the area was conducted by members of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit, Ventura County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Unmanned Aviation System (Drone). No suspects were located in the area.

During the investigation, deputies obtained information on the driver of the truck, identified as Brigham Maloney, and one of the passengers in the truck, identified as Conner Brooks. Deputies responded to Maloney’s residence, where they contacted Maloney and Brooks.

Maloney was arrested for PC 245(a)(1) – Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and VC 20002(a) – Hit and Run. Brooks was arrested for PC 242 – Battery. Maloney and Brooks were booked into custody at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Pre Trial Detention Facility.

Maloney was released on bail, and Brooks was later released on a promise to appear.

Report Number: 23-125965
Location: 200 block of Boardman Road, Ojai
Date & Time: September 29, 2023 @8:14 p.m.
Units(s) Responsible: Ojai Police Department, Ventura County Sheriff's Aviation Unit, Ventura County Sheriff's K-9 Unit, Ventura County Sheriff's Unmanned Aviation System

(S)uspects,(V)ictims,(P)arty,(D)ecedent
(V) Male Ojai 44
(V) Male Ojai 19
(S) Brigham Rudolf Maloney Ventura 20
(S) Conner Jackson Brooks Ventura 20

Prepared by: Detective David Boynton
Approved by: Captain Trina Newman

On September 29, 2023, at approximately 0821 hours, deputies from the Camarillo Police Department were dispatched to a robbery that just occurred in the 5000 Block of Verdugo Way.

Multiple deputies and investigators responded to the scene and contacted the victim. The investigation revealed the victim was standing near her vehicle with her purse slung on her shoulder. The victim was approached by the suspect who grabbed the purse and attempted to pull it from her. The victim maintained her grip on the purse, and she was pulled to the ground, causing a minor injury. The suspect continued to pull the purse and dragged the victim along the ground. The suspect was able to pull the purse from the victim’s grip and then ran to a waiting vehicle. The suspect was driven away from the scene by a second suspect. Deputies also determined a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 5100 Block of Mariposa Place prior to the robbery call. The description of the suspect vehicle from the theft call matched the vehicle involved in the robbery.

While the investigation was underway, the robbery victim received a notification from her bank of a fraudulent transaction on her credit card at a Shell Gas Station in the City of Camarillo. Later, the victim received another notification of a fraudulent credit card transaction at Target in the city of Ventura.

This information, along with the suspect and vehicle description, was shared with the Ventura Police Department. Officers from the Ventura Police Department responded to Target and searched the area for the suspect vehicle. During the search, a Ventura Police Motor Officer located the suspect vehicle. The two occupants were detained in the 4400 Block of Copland Drive, Ventura.

Video surveillance from the Shell Gas Station and Target were reviewed and confirmed these were the suspects involved in the robbery and fraudulent use of the victim’s credit cards. The vehicle was searched, and further evidence was located connecting the suspects to the robbery and theft from a vehicle. It was also confirmed that the suspect vehicle was reported stolen out of Redondo Beach, CA. The two suspects were identified as Martin Reyes and Robert Jensen. At the time of arrest, Jensen was in possession of pepper spray. Jensen also had a felony warrant issued out of Kern County.

Martin Reyes was arrested and booked for PC 182(a)(1)- Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, PC 211 Robbery, VC 10851- Stolen Vehicle, three counts of PC 530.5(a)- Identify Theft, and PC 484(a)- Petty Theft from a Vehicle. His bail was set at $120k.

Robert Jensen was arrested and booked for PC 182(a)(1)- Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, PC 211 Robbery, VC 10851- Stolen Vehicle, three counts of PC 530.5(a)- Identify Theft, the felony warrant, PC 22810(a)- Possession of Tear Gas, and PC 484(a)- Petty Theft from a Vehicle. His bail was set at $290k.

Anyone with any information regarding this crime is encouraged to contact the Camarillo Investigations Bureau at 805-388-5100.

The Camarillo Police Department and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office encourage witnesses to notify the Sheriff’s Communication Center at 805-654-9511 or 911 of any suspected illegal activity they witness so deputies can investigate these matters as soon as they happen.

Nature of Incident: Two Subejcts Arrested for Robbery, Stolen Vehicle, and Identity Theft
Location: 5000 Block of Verdugo Way, Camarillo
Date & Time: 09/29/2023, at 8:21 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Camarillo Patrol, Camarillo Investigations Bureau,Ventura County Aviation Unit, Ventura Police Department

(s)uspects,(V)ictims
(s)Robert Jensen Transient 23
(s) Martin Reyes Transient 31
(v) Female Victim Camarillo 61

Prepared by: Detective Kristopher Doepking
Approved by: Captain Jason Hendren

The Ventura County Garden Club celebrates its 100th Year Season in 2024. The Club is excited to offer our members a unique opportunity to tour a working coffee plantation in the hills of north/west Santa Paula known as the California Coffee Collective. The tour begins at 10:00 am on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. Following the tour, we will enjoy an optional lunch at Rabalais Bistro, 861 E. Main St., Santa Paula. We welcome new members. For more information, visit our website at VenturaCountyGardenClub.com.

The Ventura County Garden celebrates its 100th Year Season in 2024. The Club is excited to offer our members a unique opportunity to tour Ambritz Kingdom of Plants, in Carpinteria. The tour begins at 11:00 am on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Following the tour, we will enjoy an optional lunch at Garden Cafe, 3811 Santa Claus Lane, Carpinteria. This event was organized by VP, Kathleen Cressy. We welcome new members. For more information, visit our website at VenturaCountyGardenClub.com.

You are cordially invited to join us at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church annual FIESTA this Sunday, October 1, 2023 which will take place in the church parking lot at the southwest corner of Hwy. 126 and C Street in the beautiful city of Fillmore, CA, 93015. Come have lunch and dinner--tamales, enchiladas, asada tacos, sugar churros, nachos and hot cheetos, ice cream, shaved ice, fruit cocktails, sodas, fresh waters, bake sale and more!
Beginning at 10 am Sunday morning and ending at 5:30 pm after the Grand Drawing of the First Place Winner who will win $1,000 cash, it will include The Blessing of the Animals at 10:30 am, entertainment, music, Bingo, Loteria, Kids' Games with great prizes, Car Show, Raffle and a Silent Auction. Those Lottery tickets are only $2 each, so buy a dozen and be a winner! Second Prize $500 cash, Third Prize $250 cash in your pocket! The address is 1048 West Ventura St., Fillmore, CA 9305. Come one, come all!

Ventura, Calif. – The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt a new ordinance providing safe passage for wildlife and vehicles at 14 existing wildlife crossing structures (e.g. bridges and road culverts). The ordinance limits certain types of development and land uses within 200 feet of the crossings, which are located near the Ojai Valley and more remote areas within the Los Padres National Forest.

This action aims to help wildlife such as mountain lions, black bears, coyotes, foxes, deer, and even fish continue to use the structures to safely cross busy roads like Scenic Route 33. They also improve driver safety by allowing animals to move under roads rather than across them.

“Ventura County has taken another important step to secure a safer future for our region’s wildlife,” said Los Padres ForestWatch executive director Jeff Kuyper. “This action will ensure that animals can safely roam—and drivers can safely travel—across the vast landscapes of Los Padres National Forest.”

“Establishing setbacks is a simple way to encourage wildlife to use bridges and culverts to navigate the urban wild,” said Tiffany Yap, D.Env/Ph.D., a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “I hope other communities take Ventura County's lead and consider improving wildlife connectivity for mountain lions, bears, deer and other wildlife victims of our dangerous roads.”

The proposed ordinance received overwhelming support from the public. Over 770 letters of support were submitted to the County from individuals and 18 conservation organizations. Representatives from state and federal agencies including Caltrans, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority also commented favorably.

“We applaud Ventura County’s commitment to protecting our region's important wildlife corridors, from the Los Padres National Forest to the Santa Monica Mountains,” said Dennis Arguelles, Southern California Director for the National Parks Conservation Association. “Ventura County’s leadership is a model for all jurisdictions in taking a proactive stance to address our catastrophic loss of biodiversity. Their dedication is instrumental in building resilient local ecosystems – for the safety of wildlife to live and roam.”

The adoption marks the culmination of a multi-year effort by the Ventura County Planning Division to establish a county-wide balance between private property interests and the need to protect Ventura County wildlife from vehicle-related mortality. The action is also a major victory for conservation groups that continue to defend these wildlife protections in court.

In 2019, Ventura County approved a new program requiring environmental reviews for projects that may hinder wildlife connectivity between areas of the Los Padres National Forest, the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills. The northern Ventura County unincorporated area, however, was not included during the process at the time. Instead, the Board directed the Ventura County Planning Commission to further examine the need for protections in that area.

The 2019 ordinances were challenged in court by the Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business, and the California Construction and Industrial Materials Association. Four conservation groups, including Los Padres ForestWatch, the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, and the National Parks Conservation Association formally intervened in the case to support the County’s position.

In April, 2022, a Ventura County Superior Court Judge ruled on the side of county leaders and conservationists and upheld the ordinances. Industry groups later appealed that ruling. The California Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the case this week, and a decision is expected later this year.

In the meantime, this week’s decision by the Board of Supervisors completed the picture by establishing protections for 14 wildlife crossing structures in the northern Ventura County unincorporated area, including within the Los Padres National Forest.

For Immediate Release
September 18, 2023

Contact: Jeff Kuyper, Los Padres ForestWatch, 805-770-3401, jeff@LPFW.org
Dr. Tiffany Yap, Center for Biological Diversity, 510-847-5838 tyap@biologicaldiversity.org
Caitlyn Burford, National Parks Conservation Assocation, 541-371-6452, cburford@npca.org

In October of 2023, CIT Ventura County will host its 60th Crisis Intervention Team Academy Class. This milestone will have resulted in the CIT Program having trained nearly 2200 first responders, communication operators, and key designated personnel. The CIT program goals are:
• Reduce the intensity of a crisis using de-escalation strategies.
• Reduce the necessity to use of force on people in crisis.
• Promote pre-custody diversion.
• Collaborate with persons using mental health services, their families, the community, and the stakeholders to build and support a vibrant and accessible crisis system.

Modeled after an international program created in Memphis, Tennessee in 1988, the Crisis Intervention Team program is a community partnership of law enforcement, mental health professionals, individuals who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders, intellectual/developmental disabilities, their families, and other advocates. It is an innovative first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention training to help persons with mental disorders and/or addictions access support and medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system. It also promotes officer safety and the safety of the individuals in crisis.

The 40-hour training requires an instructional team of 50-60 mental health clinicians, peers, persons with lived experience, and law enforcement professionals.

The Ventura County CIT program was created in 2001 as a response to law enforcement leaders’ recognition that there was a growing need for law enforcement to be able to safely respond to crisis calls for service, reduce the use of force, and compassionately connect people with services while avoiding incarceration.

Ventura County is unique in the State of California because every law enforcement agency participates in the same training program.

The program staff’s two full-time employees to manage the program. The program is funded by a collaborative partnership through a law enforcement memorandum of agreement and VCBH memorandum of understanding. CIT has also maintained a strong working partnership with NAMI since 2001.

Nature of Incident: Ventura County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Celebrates its 60th CIT Academy Calss
Report Number: N/A
Location: Ventura County
Date & Time: October 2023
Units(s) Responsible:

Ventura County Law Enforcement Crisis Intervention Team:
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Ojai Police Department
Ventura Police Department Fillmore Police Department
Oxnard Police Department Camarillo Police Department
Simi Valley Police Department Thousand Oaks Police Department
Port Hueneme Police Department Moorpark Police Department
Santa Paula Police Department
Ventura County Behavioral Health Department (VCBH)
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Prepared by: Aaron Kitzman, CIT Program Administrator II
Captain Jason Hendren, Countywide CIT Law Enforcement Administrator

Approved by: Captain Jason Hendren

Above are the three amigos, George William, the author’s grandfather (Mark Aguirre), his father George Benjamin (in uniform) and Joe Nunez, 1944. Photo courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
Enlarge Photo

George William and his brother, Ernest Aguirre holding a colt, c 1910.
Enlarge Photo

Marge Aguirre holding a bouquet of her beautiful roses.
Enlarge Photo

Above is a photo taken in 2018 after Marge Aguirre passing; George B. and Marge Aguirre's Children, left to right Andrew, Chris, Elizabeth, Philip, Michele, Tim, Mark, Angela, Kim, Matt.
Enlarge Photo

Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum, Written by Mark Aguirre is sharing the history of his family. Does your family have a story to tell?

When I began to collect the records of my ancestors, I began to understand how they helped build and become part of the communities of Camulos, Piru and Fillmore. It began with the arrival in the Santa Clarita Valley of my two great great grandfathers and grandmothers. Theirs is a tale of American migration, arriving with nothing and building something substantial. They – along with their children and grandchildren – became land owners, started businesses, fought in world wars and raised large families.

THE FIRST TO ARRIVE: Juan B Fernandez (1842-1900), Jesus Aguirre (1825-1902), Petra Soto (1855-1934) and Conception Gonzales (1842-1912)

Both Juan and Jesus migrated into this country from different towns in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, and their lives would mirror each other’s. Juan came from Rayon in 1854 and Jesus from Pitiquito in 1870. It is likely that they both worked for Camulos Ranch. Juan and his wife, Petra Soto, raised ten children, and so did Jesus and his wife, Conception Gonzales. Both Juan and Jesus homesteaded 160 acres up in Piru Canyon and died before their wives. Petra and Conception became landowners. In 1907, Petra sold her land (where Lake Piru is today) and built a house in Santa Paula. The Aguirre homestead was in the hills east of Piru Creek. Oil was discovered there and still produces small royalty checks for the Aguirre family.

THE BUILDERS: Juan De La Cruz Aguirre (1875-1964) and Dolores Fernandez (1876-1970)
Juan De La Cruz Aguirre (Cruz) began establishing a foothold in the Valley. He married Dolores Fernandez in 1899, becoming one of three Aguirre siblings to marry Fernandez siblings. Cruz and Dolores raised ten children. They lived at the base of where Piru Dam would eventually be, mostly to stay close to the Aguirre homestead. Cruz worked for David Cook, who built the Piru Mansion, and eventually started a business carting hay up and down Torrey Canyon. Cruz and his sons also hauled lumber to Santa Paula and Newhall. In 1921, Cruz purchased 14 acres from Edgar Goodenough and planted orange trees. He lived in a house on his land, which became the Aguirre Ranch. It was halfway between Fillmore and Piru on the south side of old Telegraph Road. Later, he purchased another six acres that were adjacent to the ranch from David Felsenthal. I’m not sure if the oranges they grew were profitable, except for one year when there was a freeze in Florida that caused the price of California oranges to skyrocket. Cruz and his sons ran the ranch until he died in 1964 and Dolores died in 1970. Both are buried in Santa Paula.

THE RANCHERS: George William Aguirre (1900-1996) and Lillian Nuñez (1905-1998)
My grandfather, George William Aguirre, was Cruz’s eldest son. He met Lillian Nuñez, my grandmother, when she was grading oranges at the packing house in Piru. He had been working as a muleskinner for his father, Cruz, since he was pulled out of Piru School in the seventh grade. He owned a car, which was rare, and he and Lillian went for long drives around the county and up the Grapevine on their first dates. Lillian had migrated with her family from Guanajuato, Mexico, around 1909. She married George William in 1924 and they had two children, George Benjamin (my father) and Evelyn (Ramirez). During the summers of the late 1920s, my grandparents packed my dad and his sister into their car and drove to the Central Valley to pick fruit. They lived in the car with two small children for weeks at a time, and I remember stories about the work, which was hard, plentiful and paid well enough. Eventually, in 1924, my grandpa found permanent work at a large ranch just west of the Aguirre land that was managed by Goodenough. He worked there for more than 60 years. My grandmother worked at the Sunkist packing house in Piru for almost the same amount of time. In the late 1940s, they built a house on the Aguirre ranch where my brothers and sisters spent many years celebrating family, playing poker and eating beans and tortillas. Both my grandpa and my dad loved sports, and they went to many sporting events. They even drove down to San Diego one Sunday to watch the Hollywood Stars play the San Diego Padres. They took me and my brothers to the LA Coliseum to watch the Dodgers and then, of course, to the new Dodger Stadium to watch the Dodgers and Angels.

THE HOMEMAKERS: George Benjamin Aguirre (1924-1994) and Marjorie Terrel (1928-2018)
George Benjamin Aguirre, my father, was born in 1924, attended the Buckhorn School, played basketball and baseball for Fillmore High School and graduated in 1942. In 1943, he joined the Army Air Corps and became a bombardier on a B-24 bomber. He served in western China starting in 1945 and told me that their main mission was to protect the Burma Road supply line from the Japanese. He attended Ventura College and Denver University. My dad was hired by the Fillmore School District in 1954 as a business manager and eventually bought a new three bedroom house on Walker Lane in 1962. He met my mother, Marge Terrel, in Denver and they married in 1951. She was raised in the Texas Panhandle, right in the middle of the Dust Bowl. It was a difficult childhood for her; both her parents died when she was very young. My dad’s love of sports washed over to his kids, as most of my brothers and sisters played football, basketball, volleyball and tennis for Fillmore High School. Notably, my sister Michele played volleyball for four years at Cal State Long Beach and my nephew Noah scored the most points for Fillmore High School basketball. My mom was an incredibly active woman, not only raising our large family but turning the yard into a beautiful rose garden. She made quilts, one for each of her ten children. She also won the Good Housekeeping magazine-sponsored great quilt contest in 1975. Her quilt was the winner for California, which had more than 2,000 entries.