St. Francis of Assisi Church is pleased to invite you to our annual Rosary prayers and Procession which will take place this year in the Church patio, with the Procession taking place once around Two Rivers Park. The event, on Saturday, October 14, 2023, will start in the patio at noon sharp, and, weather permitting, proceed to the park. Bring yourself, your family, your children, and be blessed as you all participate in the Holy Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. See you there! For information, contact Olivia Galvez at (805) 368-4944.

The Fillmore Police Station will be hosting a program to educate newly licensed and future drivers. This program will take place on Monday, September 18, 2023, from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the Fillmore High School Library. The “Start Smart” Program is a cooperative effort between California Highway Patrol, Fillmore Police Station, teenage drivers, and their parents/guardians.

In an ongoing effort focused on community outreach, this is a proactive, educational program
geared toward reducing potential risk on our roadways. Start Smart is designed to help young
drivers and their parents/guardians understand the responsibilities associated with driving a
motor vehicle. Start Smart will show how poor choices behind the wheel can change the lives of
everyone involved. Our goal is to raise awareness and reduce the number of teen-related
injuries and deaths due to traffic collisions.

Call the Fillmore Police Department at (805) 524-2233 for reservations. Space is limited to 20 students and their parents/guardians. There is no charge to attend the program.

Fillmore Civic Pride has announced the September 2023 Yard of the Month winner as Chris Webb who also received a $50 gift certificate to Otto & Sons Nursery. Photo credit Linda Nunes.

By Linda Nunes, August 29, 2023

Civic Pride Volunteers have selected the yard of Chris Webb at 625 Santa Clara St. for the September, “Yard of the Month” award. Otto & Sons Nursery has generously supported this program since it began in 2003 & now awards a $50 gift certificate to the nursery. Chris was very excited to receive the award & “loves” Otto & Sons Nursery!

Chris told us that she grew up in Ventura, but always loved Fillmore, so when she saw this home come on the market, 7 years ago, she purchased it. She showed us a framed photo of the yard with grass & large bushes hiding most of the house…”so I will remember what it looked like”, Chris said.

We learned that she has been a lifelong gardener & calls herself a “food gardener.” She also calls herself a “strictly” organic gardener.

Her vision was to have many fruiting trees & we saw loquat, two types of avocados, apricot, pomegranates, and several small citrus trees in wooden ground planters. Blueberry bushes, butterfly bush, a lovely red rose, snapdragons, & salvia along with strawberry plants grew in these planters.

Her son, Joe Anderson, of Joe Anderson Landscapes, joined his father in building a beautiful arbor entrance to the yard which has a black wrought iron fence around, created gravel walkways that surround the wooden planters, and set up a micro irrigation system with timers. Four varieties of grapes are at the front of the yard on a decorative wooden arbor. He helps maintain the yard & prunes the trees to keep them small, but Chris said she enjoys pulling weeds as a relaxing exercise.
Wildflowers are the favorite type of flower for Chris & she grows everything from seed. I saw old fashioned Cosmos & Honeysuckle Vine on a trellis. Near the porch steps, was a Europs (in Sunflower Family), plant with yellow daisy type flowers & Chris said she has this plant in every yard.

And for the first time in my life, I saw an Ashwagandha bush. I had heard of this plant from Asia being used for medical conditions. Chris said the leaves & roots can be used, but she is just allowing it to flourish. (WebMD does have some warnings about using it.)

Take a stroll along this portion of Santa Clara St. & enjoy looking into this beautiful yard with Craftsman artistry & love of gardening evident!

Frank Erskine
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

In 1927, thirty men met at the Piru Citrus Exchange to discuss nothing that had to do with citrus, but everything to do with their community. They met to form a building and loan association that would serve the needs of the Piru and Fillmore areas. They formed what would become Ramona Savings and Loan.

In 1963, Frank Erskine wrote to a new depositor who asked how the name was chosen. This is his explanation:
“Piru is a village of about 500 persons a few miles east of Fillmore. Back in 1926 a young preacher there had the idea it would be ice to organize a savings and loan, and applied to the state Commissioner for a permit. The Commissioner ruled that Piru was too small a town but if Fillmore would join he would consider the matter.
So those interested in Piru came to Fillmore and enlisted some of hose here, including a man named Erskine who was manager of the citrus association.

We held several meetings and there was much discussion as to whether we could make it pay in so small a town. Finally a permit was issued and we had to have a name. The majority of the organizers were in Fillmore, but the idea was born in Piru, so we hesitated about calling it Fillmore Savings, and did not think Piru was the proper name. The stream thru Fillmore is known as the Little Santa Clara River.

So we adopted the name “Little Santa Clara Valley Savings and Loan.” Plenty long.
The Commissioner objected as there was another association near San Jose, where there is another Santa Clara River, with a very similar name. So we were stymied.

Then I suggested Ramona. Many years ago Helen Hunt Jackson wrote a book which for many years was a best seller. It was the story of Ramona and Allesandro. 13 miles east of Fillmore, and in the Piru area, is an old adobe house that was built on a Spanish grant, and this house was the home of the servant girl Ramona. It has always been known since as the home of Ramona. As we were to be helping people acquire homes, I said one of the most famous homes in California was that of Ramona, and why not call this association Ramona Savings. No one had a better idea, so that is the story.”

The new business was capitalized with $75,000. It had a seven-man board of directors which initially included: Hugh Warring as president, W. H. Price, vice-president, David Felsenthal, Harry P. Brown, Charles W. Padelford, Frank Erskine and J. M. Horton (this J. M. Horton was a major rancher in the Piru area, not the principal of Fillmore Union High School).
They leased space in the Orange Leaf building at 350 Central Avenue and opened for business on April 15, 1927. Ramona made its first loan less than a month later to Mrs. Mary Jones in the amount of $2,300 to build a house on Clay St. In 1927, the directors authorized a 6% interest on passbook accounts and in December offered the public the chance to by certificates at 7% for a five-year term.

As of the Association’s 50 anniversary, in 1977, they had never missed an interest payment. By that time they had grown to over $30,000,000 in assets and were a major lender for home buyers in the area.
The Association eventually settled in the building on the southwest corner of Central and Sespe and in 1956 built a new building at 527 Sespe (now occupied by Bank of the Sierra).

Frank Erskine soon left his position as manager of the Fillmore Citrus Association to manage Ramona. He took a very hands-on approach, often inspecting the property involved in the loan himself. He did not hesitate to tell prospective customers exactly why Ramona would not be offering to lend the money. In at least one case he told the applicant the building should be condemned it was in such poor condition.

At the same time, there were many instances where a debt was carried as long as possible to allow the customer to catch up on payments. Solvency, however, was a prime concern especially during the dark days of the Great Depression.
It was not unusual for banks and other businesses to give our inexpensive items to its customers. Ramona was no exceptions. Match books, pen holders, coin purses, coasters, lighters all with the Ramona Saving and Loan logo were found all over Piru and Fillmore. Undoubtedly the most treasured item was the annual calendar with photographs of local landmarks on it. The Piru Mansion was featured several times over the years.
Ramona Savings and Loan had a presence in the community with floats in all the local parades, window displays and dressing up for Halloween and Fillmore Festivals.

Over the years there had been several offers to purchase the Association. Finally in 1984, Ramona was sold for $4 million to Donald Magano and John Molinaro. The headquarters was moved to Orange with a branch only in Fillmore. Under the new ownership, questionable loans were made and in 1986 Federal and State Regulators seized Ramona and transferred its assets to a newly chartered Ramona Federal Savings and Loan. It was too late to stop the downhill slide and in February 1988, the Association was closed down by regulators with no notice. There is more to the story than there is space here to tell it, but both Magano and Molinaro were convicted of more than 30 counts of bank fraud and conspiracy.

It’s a sad ending for something that was started for such good reasons and served its community so well for so long.

The Rotary Club of Fillmore enjoyed two speakers Susana Willeford, Executive Director and Howie Freedman, Assistant Director from the Santa Clara Valley Hospice. This is a non-profit Home Support Group who has been serving our area for over 40 years. They have an office in Santa Paula at 217 N. 10th Street Monday - Friday from 9am – 1pm and one in Fillmore at 642 Lemon Way. The Fillmore office is open on Tuesday and Thursday from 10am -12pm, by appointment the phone is 805-525-1333. They have many services from grief support, to caregiving training, to medical equipment lending program wheelchairs, hospital beds, adult diapers etc. Everything is free. They are also happy to receive monetary donations as well as used medical equipment in good condition. Their mailing address is P.O. Box 365, Santa Paula, CA 93061.

August 27, 2023

By Linda Nunes

Civic Pride Volunteer Committee will resume their monthly meetings, September 20, 2023, after taking a summer break. We meet at 1:30 pm in the Council Chambers until the elevator is repaired.

And what is Civic Pride Volunteer Committee? What have they done in our Fillmore community? What do they do?
Civic Pride Volunteer Committee began in the late 1990’s, when the city cast a vision for 2020 with the formation of 9 committees that would promote: Quality Education, Civic Pride in the
Community, Volunteerism, Connecting Community Through Communication, Strengthening Public Safety, Maximizing Recreation & Social Opportunities, Preserving Agriculture in the Santa Clara River Valley, Balanced Economic Growth, and Managing Growth in the Community.

Would you be surprised to know that the only surviving committee that has continued to serve & function, would be Civic Pride Volunteer Committee?

Our group has worked over the years to beautify the downtown, Central business area, by refurbishing all the large cement pots & stucco planters, with watering systems, new soil & plants, beginning in 2012, involving many different community groups & placing a plaque with their names on each pot. We continued to fertilize, weed & prune these until the city landscape crew took over.

We refurbished the weed-filled planters in the east & west side of Central parking lots with succulents, weed barrier & watering timers on the west side.

We have encouraged homeowners to keep their yards, attractive & well maintained by awarding a “Yard of the Month” gift card provided by Otto & Sons Nursery, who have supported this project since its’ inception.
We have joined with other groups in discouraging litter & graffiti-picking up trash. We participate in the Annual Coastal Cleanup event coming each September. We planted California Poppies & Lupines along the bike paths & paid to hydro mulch these seeds at city entry points.

In the past, we put on Artwalks downtown to high light local artists & businesses with musicians playing.
And we brought back a wonderful Fillmore Flower Show that began in 1919, ended in the late 1990’s and started again in 2009. Except for Covid closure, this show has continued to involve all ages, live music, and an opportunity for youth to showcase their artwork, & poetry/essays. This event is returning April 14, 15, 2024 & remains free for the publics’ enjoyment on Saturday, Sunday from 1-4pm.

It takes many volunteers to grow & propagate plants for the boutique, handle all the publicity, gather donations for the drawings, put out signage, set up the show on Friday, & be ready at 7am with tables, Saturday morning to receive all the entries, provide treats for the Café refreshments , and then take it all down until next year.
Come to our meeting at City Hall, September 20, at 1:30pm and express your civic pride with involvement!

In observance of the Labor Day holiday, employees of Santa Clara Valley Disposal will be taking the day off on Monday, Sept. 4. As a result, Fillmore residential customers will have their trash, recycling and yard/organic waste collected on Saturday, Sept. 9, one day later than usual. The regular Friday collection schedule will resume the following week.

Remember that Harrison’s residential customers can place all three carts curbside every week, as Harrison collects all waste weekly – including food waste, which is now recyclable. All food waste should be put into paper or plastic bags, and the bags should be closed tightly and tossed into the yard/organic waste cart.

Harrison Industries serves the cities and surrounding unincorporated areas of Ventura, Ojai and Camarillo as well as the unincorporated areas of El Rio, Somis, Ojai Valley, the Channel Islands beach communities and the city of Carpinteria as E.J. Harrison & Sons; Fillmore and surrounding unincorporated areas as Santa Clara Valley Disposal; and the unincorporated areas of Newbury Park as Newbury Disposal.

For more information, visit www.ejharrison.com.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and the Santa Paula Branch Line Advisory Committee held a joint meeting on Tuesday, August 15th to discuss future plans for the graffiti-covered railcars now parked on the tracks west of Fillmore. The caption referenced another meeting to be held on Friday, September 8 at 9am. That will be the regular commission meeting, not specifically related to the railcar issue.

9.A RECOMMENDATION That the City Council: 1. Adopt Resolution 23-3950 to extend the declaration of a local emergency arising from the collapse of a sewer manhole which rendered the downstream pipeline unusable; 2. Adopt the Designation of Applicant’s Agency Resolution for Non-State Agencies; 3. Approve the First Amendment to the City’s contract with Toro Enterprises, Inc. (“Toro”); 4. Approve the Second Amendment to the City’s contract with Ferreira Construction Co. Inc. (“Ferreira”); and 5. Appropriate additional funds for the contract amendment with Toro in an amount not to exceed $50,000 and not to exceed $500,000 for the contract with Ferreira, as further described in the Fiscal Impact section below.

9.B APPROVAL OF THE VENTURA COUNTY STORMWATER PERMIT IMPLEMENTATION AND COST-SHARING AGREEMENT

RECOMMENDATION That the City Council approve the attached Ventura County Stormwater Permit Implementation and Cost-Sharing Agreement (Agreement) and authorize the City Manager to sign the Agreement on the City’s behalf.
All items passed 5-0

After completing Dental College, Parker Hubert, DDS set up a practice in Fillmore in 1926, and in 1927 married Bessie Garton. They soon built a home at 973 Central Avenue which was later renumbered to 975 Foothill Drive and was their home for 20 years while raising three children, Parker Jr., Robert and Judy. Above is the Hubert family, c. 1945. Photo courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum. See photos in color online at www.FillmoreGazette.com.
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Above is Parker Hubert on Lady with sheriff’s posse, May Day Parade, 1940. Photo courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

We’ve used the term “polymath” before when we wrote about A. J. Lamberg, a horologist. Polymath means “a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning.” This term might be used to refer to some of our early dentists. Ira Hinckley was not only a dentist but also a pharmacist, violinist and served as the secretary of the Masonic Temple Association. A later dentist, Dr. Jim Bliss, was not only a dentist but also a songwriter. In 1954 his song “Santa Clara Valley” was played at the May Festival with country music legend Tex Ritter sitting in.

Between Ira Hinckley and Jim Bliss, another dentist plied his trade in Fillmore, Dr. Parker Hubert.
Parker Hubert was born on December 14, 1903, in Stearns, Minnesota to Robert J. and Anna Hubert. Robert was a physician. According to the 1920 census the family was living in Downey. Parker had two older brothers, Robert and Conrad. Robert W. became a dentist and practiced in Southern California, passing away in 1973. Conrad, the oldest brother, was a physician who lived in Pasadena and died in 1949.

Parker attended Northwestern University School of Dentistry. After graduation, he set up a practice in Fillmore in 1926 and in 1927 married Bessie Garton. They soon built a home at 973 Central (later renumbered to 975 Foothill Drive). That would be their home for twenty years while raising three children, Parker Jr., Robert and Judy.
Bessie found a job at the Sespe Grammar School where she was paid $1443 for 9 ½ months. As was the custom, she resigned when she had children.

At the time they built the house there were no other homes around them. Parker was an avid equestrian, riding with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Posse. Soon his sons would have ponies of their own and home movies show them riding Sally and Minnie on the hillside behind their home.

Parker Hubert’s first dental office in Fillmore was at 334 ½ Central Avenue, just south of the theater. He later moved his office in the early 1940s to 448 Sespe Avenue, on the north side of Sespe between Central and Fillmore St. He was a family dentist and offered credit to his patients during the Depression. We have a letter written in 1932 from Lawrence Hinckley about an outstanding bill he had with Dr. Hubert, offering to settle the bill for a painting. Lawrence’s father, Ira, had retired from the practice of dentistry, so no more free dental care for Lawrence.

Besides dentistry and horses, Parker Hubert had two other interests – hunting and home movies. He got his first deer in 1928 and had the local taxidermist, Charles Law, mount the head which held pride of place in his home in San Marino.
The Museum has been given several home movies made by Dr. Hubert. Some are the expected family home movies of vacations and children’s birthday parties. Others are of community events such as the 1931 and 1936 May Festivals, the 1932 snow fall and the 1938 flood. Perhaps the most spectacular movie is of the 1937 fire which destroyed the Junior High School building. One can imagine him looking out the large, arched window down Central and seeing the smoke and flames coming from the school. Little wonder he grabbed his movie camera and captured the event. To see some clips of the films he took go to https://www.fillmorehistoricalmuseum.org/parker-hubert-dds and scroll down.

In May 1943, Parker Hubert successfully ran for a position on the Fillmore Elementary School Board. He was not to serve long as he entered the US Navy in August 1943. By May of 1944, he was serving as Senior Dental Officer at the Navy Hospital in San Diego.

Hubert soon qualified in oral surgery. Since there was limited need for an oral surgeon in Fillmore, in 1946 the family left Fillmore for Pasadena where he opened a practice in oral surgery.

Parker practiced in Pasadena until his retirement. He passed away in 1992 and Bessie died in 1994.
Why do we know so much about Parker Hubert and his family? Although Robert, the younger son, left Fillmore when he was only twelve years old, he always considered Fillmore as his hometown. He stayed in contact with many friends, especially his kindergarten teacher, Iona Ritchie.

Robert donated several family items to the Museum, most notably the home movies already mentioned but also one of his father’s saddles and his student dental cabinet from his time as a student at Northwestern University. Our most recent intern from California State University, Channel Islands, cataloged all the items in the cabinet. He had spent several years as a dental technician, so it was a natural fit. Stop by the Museum if you want to see this unique item.

On Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023, the B & G Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP), and Food Share of Ventura County, recently accepted a $110,000 donation from SoCalGas. The donation will provide over 400 number of families in need with grocery store gift cards and healthy food boxes. This year they were able to provide 100 of the youth with backpacks and $25 grocery cards to the Fillmore Club. Above, B & G Club of Santa Clara Valley Board of Directors: Caitlin Barringer, Program Manager for Food Share, Jan Marholin, CEO of BGCSCV, and Maria Ventura, Senior Public Affairs Manager for SoCalGas. Photos courtesy Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme.
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OXNARD, CA – August 2, 2023 –

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP), and Food Share of Ventura County recently accepted a $110,000 donation from SoCalGas which will provide hundreds of Ventura County youth and their families with nutritious meals.

The grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme and Food Share of Ventura County is one of several donations to local charities as part of the company’s Fueling Our Communities initiative to address food insecurity. This donation will enable clubs across Ventura County to host events that will provide over 22,362 meals and healthy cooking demonstrations to address hunger in our community.

“We are excited to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs and Food Share to provide our neighbors with meals and fresh produce,” said SoCalGas Senior Public Affairs Manager Maria Ventura. “SoCalGas is proud to partner with these incredible organizations who will not only provide food to families in need but empower kids with the knowledge and skills to eat healthy.”

Community leaders, such as Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez, will attend and present at the events to share their favorite healthy recipes with young people.
The donation from SoCalGas will provide 400 $25 gift cards to local grocery stores and a Food Share healthy food box that families can cook at home using one of the recipes the children learned at the event.

“We know that being active and having access to healthy meals translate directly into successful days at school,” said BGCOP CEO Erin Antrim. “We appreciate the investment that SoCalGas has made to ensure that our club members and their families start the school year on the right foot. By addressing food insecurity and investing in our community, SoCalGas is making sure that great futures start here.”

“We appreciate the commitment to our Fillmore community from both SoCal Gas Co. and Food Share,” said Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley CEO, Jan Marholin. “Being able to provide 100 of our youth with backpacks and a $25 grocery card is an investment in our local youth and community. We send a huge thank you to these companies.”
A very special thank you to everyone that will be in attendance, especially Anne Thille, Youth Nutritional Expert, & Ventura County Behavioral Health, in support of the youth of the Santa Clara Valley.

The Clubs and SoCalGas will also hold Fueling Our Communities events were held August 3rd at the Fillmore Clubhouse before moving to the Reiter Family Youth Center in Nyeland Acres on August 4th, the E.J. Harrison Center in Saticoy on August 7th. The largest event will be on August 9th at the Martin V. Smith Youth Center In Oxnard.

SoCalGas’ Fueling Our Communities initiative began in 2020 as a collaborative effort between SoCalGas and five regional nonprofits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During its first summer, the program successfully provided more than 140,000 meals to 40,000 individuals from underserved communities across Southern California.

SoCalGas is expanding the impact of the 2023 Fueling Our Communities initiative by allocating $4 million, the largest commitment to date, to new and existing partnerships with food banks and nonprofits throughout SoCalGas' 12-county service area. This expansion will primarily focus on serving families and seniors in need, providing vulnerable populations with food support that is so needed.

About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to over 21 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines will continue to play a key role in California's clean energy transition—providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.

SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy infrastructure company in America. In support of that mission, SoCalGas aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy infrastructure company based in San Diego.

For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.

About the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme
Since 1954, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme’s mission has been to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. A member of the national Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP) are an important community resource for positive development for youth ages 6-18 years old, particularly those in underserved areas. BGCOP operates 22 clubs; each provides a safe, nurturing environment where staff build strong mentoring relationships with youth to inspire them to believe in reaching ever-higher goals.

About Food Share of Ventura County

Hunger in Ventura County

1. An estimated 1 in 4 people in Ventura County experiences food insecurity, meaning that they are without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

2. Since April 1, 2020, and the start of the pandemic, Food Share has held 1000+ emergency drive-thru food distributions, distributing more than half a million food boxes. These distributions are a supplement to the ongoing work of Food Share’s 160-strong pantry and agency partner network.

3. 93 cents of every dollar donated to Food Share is invested in our hunger-relief programs and services.

4. For every dollar donated, Food Share is able to provide 3 meals.
The level of need for food in Ventura County is of historic proportions. The good news is that Food Share is ready and prepared to meet that need. With the continued support from our community, NO ONE in Ventura County needs to worry about going hungry.

For all the latest information on where to find food [foodshare.com], how to volunteer [foodshare.com], and how you can support Food Share with a monetary donation [foodshare.com] visit: www.foodshare.com [foodshare.com]
Download Food Share’s new app, available for free in the App Store and Google Play by searching “Food Share of Ventura County.” Visit: foodshare.com/app/ [foodshare.com] for details.
Follow Food Share on Facebook [facebook.com], Twitter [twitter.com], Instagram [instagram.com], and YouTube [youtu.be] and tag posts #WeFeedVC

2023 Honors and Awards for Food Share

• Food Share is honored to have been named by the Pacific Coast Business Times as one of the Best Places to Work on the Central Coast [pacbiztimes.com] 2023. This is the third consecutive year that Food Share has been named.