Written By Bill Dewey and Steve McClary, Fillmore Vision 2020 Civic Pride Committee

Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba): This tree is a welcome addition to the landscape. There is a particularly nice grouping of them in the 400 block of Saratoga Street where they have been used as a street tree in the parkways on both sides of the street. This tree is an ancient survivor from prehistoric times (200 million years ago) when it grew worldwide; it is now native only to two small areas in China.

This is a graceful tree, attractive in any season, especially in fall when leathery light green leaves turn gold before dropping quickly and cleanly making a golden carpet where they fall. Most mature trees are 35-50 feet and typical width is no more than one-half to two-thirds of height. It is important to plant male trees that do not produce messy, fleshy, ill-smelling fruit. Two recommended varieties are Autumn Gold and Saratoga.

In general, Ginkgos are not bothered by insects or diseases, and they are very tolerant of air pollution, heat, and acid or alkaline conditions. They are also resistant to oak root fungus.

Whose Town Do They Want to Take Back? The Town that Gary Creagle and a few others envisioned in the 1980s? Gary and others wanted the City to grow all the way to Piru, build an airport and allow a gaming casino. Do we want Back the dysfunctional Town that nearly brought Fillmore to financial ruin? The voters threw out Gary and his cronies, and with a new city council under Mayor Delores Day, Roy Payne was hired as city manager and the city began to pick up the pieces. Now Gary wants it all back his way, and he's convinced a few newcomers to see things his way.

The frugality of the current City Council and city management is not an issue. Our city has lived within its means for many years now. The cost increases for management employees were largely beyond the city council's control; these were due to increases in medical insurance and the PERS retirement fund. It has been a difficult inflationary year for everyone, yet our city continues to operate on a BALANCED BUDGET. Since the recovery from the 1994 quake, the city has steadily built up RESERVES which amount to about 36% of the current operating budget.

With our financial house in order we can soon look forward to a new community swimming pool, new tennis courts and a new 22 acre park. These long-terms visions are coming to reality thanks to the support of the community and the leadership shown by the current city council. Fillmore needs more jobs and services. Santa Paula Hospital has been reopened and we have a new modern urgent care facility and Fillmore's budding business park and the needed jobs it will bring will soon be realized.

Above all, we are saddened by all the negative commentary about our community and our city. We need to start building bridges rather than creating walls of division. The discussion needs to focus on what is right for Fillmore, not who is right.

That is why we five retired Mayors of Fillmore are supporting Steve Conaway, Cecilia Cuevas and Norris Pennington for City Council. Vote November 4!

Sincerely,

Scott Lee, Mike Mc Mahan, Don Gunderson, Roger Campbell and Evaristo Barajas
5 Retired Mayors of the City of Fillmore

The members of Bardsdale 4-H are participating in the county-wide food drive called “TRICK OR TREAT SO OTHERS CAN EAT” (TOTSOCE). This is a community service event organized by Ventura County 4-H and Food Share to collect canned and other non-perishable food items to benefit families in need in Ventura County.

Each month, ten to fifteen members of our club work at the Oxnard warehouse of Food Share sorting food for distribution to the needy. This month we have been requested to NOT come because FOOD SHARE DOESN’T HAVE ANY FOOD for us to sort!

Please help restock our county food bank by donating whatever amount of food you can. Bardsdale 4-H members will be leaving orange doorhangers in several neighborhoods requesting donations to be left on your porch. So please contribute if you are able to help. You can also leave donations at the drop box in VONS during November.

Bardsdale 4-H thanks you for helping feed the hungry!

These names were received from October 16 to October 22, 2008.
A light will be shining on the Hospice “Light Up A Life” Tree at the Fillmore Plaza, 251 Central Avenue, Fillmore. Join us for the Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, November 29, 2008 at 5:00 PM

IN MEMORY OF:
Myrtle warren
Don Bradley
Tyler Bradley
Jeff Hansen
Estelle Johnson
Bill Johnson
Paula Taylor
Barbara Lynne Morris
Diana Dudley
Harold R. Foy
Clarence Henderson Jr.
Larry Henderson

IN HONOR OF:
Irene Morris
Harry Williamson
Judy Smith
Veronica Morris
Fillmore Women’s Service Club

Testing of grower's thermometers will again be conducted at the Agricultural Commissioner's Office at 815 East Santa Barbara Street in Santa Paula.

Growers should take thermometers to their packinghouse by Monday Nov. 3rd. The packinghouses should then deliver the thermometers to the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office no later than 8:00 a.m. Tuesday Nov. 4th. The thermometers will be ready for pick up by noon.

Please follow these instructions; if you do not, you may lose your thermometer!

1) Remove thermometers from individual boxes or wrappings.

2) Attach a NEW TAG securely to the top of EACH THERMOMETER. Each tag should have your name and packinghouse on the back in indelible ink; ballpoint pen only. Felt tips and roller writers do not work.

THERMOMETERS WITHOUT NEW TAGS WILL NOT BE TESTED!

New Tags are available at the Agricultural Commissioner’s office.

3) Move thermometers in strong containers, as they will become wet in the ice bath during testing. Cardboard is not appropriate.

4) Thermometers would always be moved in the vertical position with the bulb end down to avoid damage.

For questions, please contact the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office at 805-933-2926.

KSSP Photographic Studios is holding its annual Halloween Special on October 31st between 2pm and 7pm. Children, 12 and under in costume, will be photographed for free. There will also be a contest for best costume.

The event will feature a Halloween-themed set at our studio at 330 Central Ave. in Fillmore. Doors will open at 2pm on Halloween. Walk-ins only – no appointment required. For each family, their children, 12 and under in costume, will be photographed together free of charge. One free 4x6 print will be provided per family. No purchase is necessary. Additional prints and packages will be available. Adults and families, all in costume, can also be photographed for a nominal charge. The best child's costume, independently judged, will be awarded a free family portrait session (no costumes required) with an free 11x14 wall portrait.

KSSP is a full service photography studio specializing in portrait, wedding and quinceanera photography (and video). KSSP is the Fillmore High School senior and dance photographer.

For further information, please contact KSSP Photographic Studios at 524-6400.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is a time of great fun for children, but it can be a little scary for parents and drivers. Children are often out after dark, crossing busy streets and perhaps going to unfamiliar homes.

"With excited kids frantically going from neighbor to neighbor, drivers need to be particularly cautious," said Ray Palermo, director of public information for Teachers' Insurance Plan™. "However, by following some simple advice, parents, children, drivers and homeowners can all have a safe, enjoyable time."

· If children are out at night, drivers need to be particularly careful at dusk and when driving either over a hill or around a curve, where visibility is limited. Use high beams to see and be seen.

· Trick-or-treaters should always be accompanied by an adult or travel in a group. Children should be told not to eat any unwrapped candy or treats until they return home where their parents can see them. Making sure kids have already eaten before heading out may help.

· Parents may want to limit kids to local events run by police stations, firehouses, senior citizen centers or local businesses, or organize their own through their school.

· Parents should incorporate reflective tape in costumes or add bright colors to increase visibility. Make-up rather than masks should be worn to help ensure that children have an unobstructed view of their surroundings.

· Trick-or-treaters may be caught up in the excitement of the day and not be as careful as they should. They should always cross at corners and look both ways before crossing. Drivers need to keep a careful eye on the road and on the sidewalk, in case anyone darts out from between parked cars.

· Children should stay on the sidewalk or if none is available, walk facing the lane of traffic, and they should carry a flashlight.

· Homeowners should clear their yards of anything that can be tripped over and be sure to have a front door or walkway light on, and refrain from decorations that use an open flame that could ignite a child's costume.

Written By Bill Dewey and Steve McClary, Vision 2020 Civic Pride Committee

Fillmore is home to many beautiful species of trees, many of which do quite well as street trees or yard trees in our climate. The Fillmore Vision 2020 Civic Pride Committee will be highlighting many of these wonderful examples in the weeks to come.

This week we will take a look at the Floss Silk Tree (chorisa speciosa). The tree is native to South America. The heavy trunk of the common variety is studded with thick spines to protect it from foraging animals. Leaves are divided into leaflets like fingers of a hand, dropping during autumn flowering. The large, showy flowers somewhat resemble narrow-petaled hibiscus or orchid blooms. "Majestic Beauty" is a thornless variety bearing rich pink blooms. Trees grow 3-5 feet in youth, then more slowly to an eventual 30-60 feet at maturity.

This beautiful specimen can be seen by going north on Central Avenue, then left on Stonehedge, and right onto Woodgrove Lane, where the tree is located at the top of the cul-de-sac in a central planter. It is currently spectacular!!

The warm family home of Brandon and Adrienne Theising on Los Angeles Ave. in Bardsdale actually began its life in 1910 a mile away on Pasadena Ave. as a one bedroom, one bath home of another young couple, Harry and Katie Gage. They and their two sons lived happily in the country until March of 1928 when they were driven from their home by flood waters from the St. Francis Dam. Everyone escaped safely and the house was rebuilt and rented. Again it was flooded in 1943 and the Gages decided to move their home away from the rampaging river to a quieter location on Los Angeles Ave. Eventually their youngest son, Dick and his wife Beverly lived there until Dick’s death.
The Theisings, seeking a quiet place in the country to raise their family, bought the small home and have expanded it to include four bedrooms, a large welcoming family room and kitchen, screened porch, and a play yard that is every child’s dream. Beautifully restored antiques decorate the living area and an arbor covered with red roses leads you to their front door.
This house has quite a history and may be seen during the Fillmore Historical Museum Annual Fall Home Tour. This year the tour will highlight four homes in Bardsdale. The date is Sunday, Nov. 9th from 12:00 to 4:00. The Heritage Valley Fine Arts Sale will take place on the Museum grounds from 11:00 to 4:00 on the same day. Tickets are $20.00 advance sale and $25.00 the day of the tour. They may be purchased through the Museum (524-0948) or at Coffeeboy or Mirage in town, or at any home the day of the tour.

An FUTA sponsored Q & A with the FUSD School Board Candidates will take place Thursday, Oct 23rd, at 3:30 p.m. in the FHS Library. All candidates running for the three open spaces on the Board will be invited to participate. All FUTA members are encouraged to attend the Q & A. The Election will be held November 4th. Remember to VOTE!
Why should you care who is on the FUSD School Board? The School Board must provide financial oversight for the district; sets the tone of labor relations within the district; and sets district policies. Be sure to attend and hear the candidates’ answers.

The four Fillmore Unified School District Elementary Schools are pleased to announce that Wells Fargo is sponsoring the annual Fall Carnival this year. “The Fall Carnival is a legend as a community event that also benefits all of our elementary schools, so a partnership with Wells Fargo is really a partnership with the community. We are extremely excited” states Jan Marholin, Principal of San Cayetano. The Fall Carnival will be on Thursday night October 30th from 5-8PM. There will be plenty of food, games and fun! Stop by pick up a Tri-tip sandwich hosted by the Fillmore Lions or one of Lou Hoover’s famous cinnamon rolls. As an added bonus this year, Wells Fargo will have the stagecoach at the event. Don’t miss out come join us for this annual event!

Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector Lawrence L. Matheney announced that the Secured Property Tax Bills for the 2008/09 tax year are being mailed October 2, 2008. If you have not received your Fiscal Year 2008/09 property tax bill by October 10, please either telephone his office at (805) 654-3744, or send an Email request for a duplicate bill to HelpingHand@ventura.org.

A total of 244,075 Secured Property Tax Bills have been issued for 2008/09, representing a total secured tax roll of $1.2 billion, an all-time high. We have already received electronic payments, via phone and internet, on 426 bills, totaling $75,496.10.

The FIRST INSTALLMENT of the Fiscal Year 2008/09 secured property tax can be paid without penalty through December 10, 2008. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to Noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. There will be a payment drop box until MIDNIGHT on December 10, 2008. The drop box will be located near the pay phone at the East entrance of the Hall of Administration at the County Government Center, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, California, 93009.

Property taxes can be paid over the Internet using a credit card or electronic check. A convenience fee is charged by the payment processing company. The website is available through www.venturapropertytax.org/. Mailing a check with the payment stub remains as an efficient way to pay your taxes. Payments postmarked on or before December 10, 2008, will be considered on time. Because timeliness of mailed payments is measured by the U.S. Postal Service cancellation mark, if you must wait until December 9 or 10, 2008, it is recommended that you take your payment into the Post Office and have it postmarked in your presence. State law requires that a 10% penalty be collected for all late payments.

Saturday, December 6, 2008. The parade will begin on Central Avenue at Second Street at 1:00 PM and proceed south on Central Avenue to the end of the parade at Santa Clara Street.

According to Fillmore Lions Parade Chairman Dick Diaz, Santa Claus will be in Fillmore in time to ride in the Parade. With Santa Claus in the Parade will be many local children and civic groups ushering in the holiday season.

There is still time to become a participant in the Parade. Either stop by the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce to pick up an application, or contact Dick Diaz. Dick can be reached at 524-5315, or 279-3599, or email dickdiaz@roadrunner.com for an application, or to have your questions answered. There is no cost to enter the Parade. Parade check-in will be 11:30 AM in front of the Memorial Building, Second and Shiells.

The Civic Pride Committee met this last week and every home gardener in Fillmore should remember the date of April 4, 2009, for the Fillmore Flower Show which will be held at the Senior Center!
More information will be forthcoming; however, mark the date of April 4, and plan what you will be taking to the Fillmore Flower Show!
The yard of the month has been selected and the winner will have his/her picture taken with their garden of the month!
An essay contest is planned for the 4th and 5th elementary grade students with November 21 being the deadline for this event. The subject is: What I like about living in Fillmore!" More information will be forthcoming! The grand prize is really worth the effort!