Now that summer is almost here, we see more children enjoying the outdoors by riding their E-bikes, bicycles, and scooters. The Fillmore Police Department hosting host a “Bicycle Safety Rodeo Community Event.” Our goal is to inform members of our community about the rules, regulations and safe use of E-bikes, bicycles, and electric scooters.
In many cases, these events are the only opportunities to educate parents and children about the safety aspects of riding E-bikes, bicycles, and electric scooters on streets. Our goal is to empower young children on bikes with a minimal set of skills for street and road riding. In addition, they will be taught a small subset of the rules of the road to keep them safe. A Bicycle Safety Rodeo is a safety clinic where young riders can learn about proper safety and the rules of the road. There will be a bicycle safety course chalked out for basic riding skills. Guests will also have the opportunity to obtain free helmet adjustments and bicycle tune-ups thanks to the Santa Paula Bike Shop.
Community members are encouraged to stop by, enjoy a cup of locally brewed coffee provided by our very own El Abuelo Coffee and Bakery and other sweet treats! Come out and engage in friendly discussions with the first responders who serve their community every day and discuss the importance of bicycle safety. Raffle prizes will be handed out, so don’t miss out!
The event will feature first responders from the Fillmore Police Department, Fillmore Fire Department, The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office SWAT, Off-Road team, Fillmore Search and Rescue, and Fillmore Fire Department. Community members can even expect a special fly-by appearance by the Ventura County Air Unit. In addition, guests with a sweet tooth can expect a special appearance from Mr. Softee and Kona Ice.
Please come and join us for this free community event.
Prepared by: Sergeant J. Scott Horswill
News Release Date: May 26, 2026
Approved by: Captain Eduardo Malagon, Fillmore Chief of Police
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Nature of Incident: Bicycle Rodeo Community Event
Location: Rio Vista School, 250 Edgewood Drive, Fillmore
Date & Time: Saturday, May 30, 2026 (9:00 AM-12:00 PM)
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Police Station and Fillmore Explorers Post # 2958

Posted May 21, 2026, courtesy https://www.facebook.com/cityoffillmore
Big news for Heritage Valley riders! Valley Express has officially replaced its entire fleet with new buses to better serve our community. In addition to a more modern and comfortable ride, the new buses feature bright, updated vehicle wraps that make them easier to spot throughout the Heritage Valley. We’re proud to continue connecting Fillmore, Santa Paula, Piru, and Moorpark with safe, reliable, and visible public transportation.

FRIENDS OF THE BLANCHARD COMMUNITY LIBRARY
BACK STACKS Used Book Sale
119 N. 8th Street, Santa Paula, CA
BIG SATURDAY SALE June 6th, 2026
10AM TO 2PM
JUNE SALE ITEM
All SPORTS AND TRAVEL BOOKS 50% OFF
It’s Summer and time for outdoor activities, sports and summer vacations. Begin your adventures by browsing the large selection of books at the Back Stacks. Hone your skills in your favorite sport, read about an athlete you admire or learn the basics of a new sport.
Planning a vacation? The Back Stacks has travel guides to practically anywhere you might want to go, plus a special section on places of local interest around Ventura County or California. Some of these are rare finds!
Stop by the Back Stacks and pick up a gently used book that is new to you!
If you miss the Saturday sale, the weekday hours are outlined below.
Wednesdays from 12 pm to 4 PM (except January 1st)
Thursdays from 12pm to 2pm
Fridays from 12 pm to 2pm
We accept cash, checks and credit cards.
We have a large inventory of Fiction and Non-fiction, as well as children’s books. Our collection features 1,000’s of used books from 50 cents to $2, as well as collectible books from $4 and up. 100% of book sale proceeds goes to support the Blanchard Community Library. PLEASE NOTE: We love receiving donations, and accept everything EXCEPT VHS, magazines or cassette taps. Also, we accept donations ONLY on days when the Library is open for business to ensure that your generous donation is not damaged or stolen.
Located at the Blanchard Community Library, 119 North 8th Street, Santa Paula,
LOOK FOR our BOOK SALE SIGNS on 8th Street

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Food Share’s mission since 1978 is dedicated to leading the fight against hunger in Ventura County. Their vision? No one should go hungry. They offer emergency food boxes, summer meal programs, senior programs and more.
Today, staff and volunteers distribute nearly 20 million pounds of food, providing over 16 million meals annually to people in Ventura County through its hunger programs and 175 pantry and program partners. As Ventura County’s regional food bank, Food Share provides food for over 250,000 hungry friends and neighbors annually.
A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Food Share is a member of the Feeding America network, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, as well as the California Association of Food Banks.
Looking to volunteer? Volunteer opportunities for individuals (12 yrs & older only) and groups are available Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, with some evening and weekend shifts also available. Shift times and locations vary depending on the opportunity.
Volunteer roles include packing food boxes, rescue food sorting, bread sorting, gleaning, boxing fresh produce, and working our College Park drive-thru distribution. Specific details can be found in our Volunteer Brochure and in the Volunteer Handbook below.
Questions about volunteering? Want to book a group? Contact: Lupita Rodriguez, Assistant Manager of Community Engagement at (805) 983-7100 or at grodriguez@foodshare.com.
Download the Food Share app to locate a giveaway event, volunteer, contact, find help, or donate: https://foodshare.com/findhelp/#findapantry.

Martha Richardson, the RYLA Co-Ordinator, introduced the students who attended camp; Isabel Arredondo, Valentin Garcia, Olivia Nava, Valente Garcia (twin), Samantha Resendez. The three who also attended but didn’t come to the meeting were Nevaeh Quesada, Mia Urbano and Madelynn Gonzalez. Our alternate student was Kristina Budai who was on standby to attend but didn’t get to go. The Rotary Youth Leadership camp was held at Camp Ramah in Ojai. The camp is designed to teach and promote leadership skills. They have indoor and outdoor activities and invite talented speakers to teach, motivate and inspire the students. The students have an opportunity to meet many new friends as our District 5240 spans from San Luis Obispo to Agoura Hills and Inland to China Lake. There are 72 clubs and each has the opportunity to send students. Our club members enjoyed hearing each students’ thoughts about camp including the challenging ropes course, the speakers and setting goals and always striving for more even after you reach your goals, communication skills be courageous and not afraid. They also found that not being allowed to have cell phones was really great, they saw more, heard more and learned a lot.

As part of our wildfire prevention and mitigation program, over the next few weeks, SCE will be conducting inspections in your neighborhood using drones and/or helicopters.
• Our inspectors are using drones and helicopters to inspect equipment from difficult angles, and top-down angles for a 360-degree view.
• The focus of these operations is to keep our communities safe by inspecting electrical equipment on poles and towers and to identify any damage or potential hazard that may need immediate repair. See the video below for details.
• The amount of time it takes to conduct inspections varies depending on how much equipment is on each pole or tower (approximately 30 to 60 minutes).
We thank you for your patience, understanding, and support.
Impacted Address(es):
1ST STREET
FILLMORE, CA 93015
For more information on these efforts please visit https://energized.edison.com/stories/a-birds-eye-view-helps-protect-agai.... Additionally, please visit www.sce.com/outagealerts and update your contact information today.
Sincerely,
SCE Outage Communications

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Civic Pride volunteers have selected the beautiful yard at 303 Blaine Avenue, belonging to Tim Klittich, for the May “Yard of the Month “award. When Tim purchased this home in 2022, it was a brown house with slippery tile steps to the front porch & mostly weeds & dirt with 3 Cypress bushes & a Bird of Paradise plant.
He has turned this yard into his own personal “’test” garden since he oversees growing the perennials at Otto & Sons Nursery. The home has been painted & new sidewalk & steps allow a safe approach to the porch.
The side yard shows off his shade loving plants, with a Japanese Maple, Camelias, Coral Bells, several types of Hydrangea-one a newer hybrid that is a repeat bloomer, Azaleas, Mandevilla Vine in red, Hellebore or Lenton Rose, Clivia & Greater Forget Me Nots. All the flower beds are mulched with a 3-inch-thick layer of bark.
The front yard is edged with vibrant, lush blooming yellow roses, while a purple Buddleia or Butterfly plant draws your eye to the left side of the yard; he has other colored Buddleia, not in bloom right now. As you walk into the yard, there are many different colored Alstroemeria, more Rose bushes in bloom, Gaura (a drought tolerant plant), & different varieties of Salvias, with an unusual, tiny Geranium ground cover. The Purple Red Bud tree stands as a focal point in the front, on the right side & provides color into the fall season before leaves drop.
His parking strip is awaiting an irrigation system & then he will probably plant it with a Creeping Thyme.
Be sure to drive past & enjoy this blooming paradise!
Civic Pride volunteers appreciate Otto & Sons Nursery for supporting this “Yard of the Month” project & the way we see it, inspiring neighborhoods to keep yards neat & beautiful.

Heads up, Fillmore! SoCal Edison will be conducting work to replace utility poles, resulting in overnight road closures on A Street: May 12 (8:00 PM – 5:00 AM) Closed between Sespe Ave & Old Telegraph Rd and May 13 (8:00 PM – 5:00 AM) Closed between 1st St & Sespe Ave. Posted April 30 at 5:13pm courtesy https://www.facebook.com/cityoffillmore.

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, employees of Santa Clara Valley Disposal will be taking the day off on Monday, May 25. As a result, Fillmore residential customers will have their trash, recycling and yard/organics waste collected on Saturday, May 30, one day later than usual. Residents of the surrounding unincorporated areas will have their trash collected one day later than usual as well by E.J. Harrison & Sons. The regular collection schedule will resume the following week.
Remember that residential customers can place all three carts curbside every week, as all waste is collected weekly – including food waste, which is recyclable. All food waste should be placed in closed paper or plastic bags and the bags should be tossed in the organics waste cart. This prevents food waste contamination because food waste and yard waste are processed separately. Even if you only have food waste bags and no yard waste, you can still put the food waste bags in your organics waste cart and take it to the curb every week for pickup.
Harrison Industries serves the cities and surrounding unincorporated areas of Ventura, Ojai and Camarillo as well as the unincorporated areas of La Conchita, Lake Sherwood, Lynn Ranch, Newbury Park, Ojai Valley (Ventura River Valley), Oxnard Plain, Piru, Point Mugu, Rancho Matilija, Rincon, Santa Paula, Santa Rosa Valley, Somis, Upper Ojai, Yerba Buena and the Channel Islands Beach Community Services District, as well as California State University Channel Islands and the city of Carpinteria, as E.J. Harrison & Sons; and the city of Fillmore as Santa Clara Valley Disposal.
For more information, visit www.ejharrison.com.

Above are some of Fillmore’s Troop 406 competing in the archery event held at the Valley Trails Ranch in Castaic for the annual Ventura County Council Camporee Troop 406 Attends Annual County Camporee. Photo credit Brett Chandler and Samford Sam.
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Pictured is Fillmore Troop 406 enjoying the annual Ventura County Council Camporee in Castaic this past weekend. The troop participated in many events as well as enjoying the outdoors, learning lifelong skills while also competing against over 300 youths from other troops. Photo credit Brett Chandler and Samford Sam.
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By April Sam, Committee Member Troop 406
From Friday, April 24 to Sunday, April 26, our local Scouting America Troop 406 attended the annual Ventura County Council Camporee. This year’s event was held at Valley Trails Ranch in Castaic. This was Troop 406’s first time attending Camporee in seven years.
Troop 406 participated in various scored events, highlighting their scouting skills in topics such as two-person bucksaw, a knots relay, canoe carry, archery, and cooking competition just to name few. There was a time allotted for unscored events, just to have fun and build camaraderie amongst the more than 300 youth attendees.
Attending this year’s Camporee representing Troop 406 were:
Tenderfoot Treysen Matthews, Senior Patrol Leader
Second Class Owen Sam, Patrol Leader
Tenderfoot Jairo Huato, Quartermaster
Scout Jace Ashbrook, Scribe
Adult Leaders:
Scoutmaster Samford Sam
Assistant Scoutmaster Brett Chandler
Committee Member Jason Ashbrook
Additionally, the Scouts of Troop 406 had the opportunity to debut their newest patrol, The Ka-Bobs, and can now be called an award winning patrol with the following awards earned:
First Place in Campsite Inspection
Second Place in Canoe Carry
Second Place in Knots Relay
Second Place in Patrol Flag Design
We are so proud of The Ka-Bobs of Troop 406, who continue to represent the scouting legacy and ideals in our long-standing small but mighty troop.
Troop 406 welcomes all youth ages 11-17 years to attend a meeting held every Tuesday from 6:30 pm-8 pm at the Scout House at the east end of Sespe Avenue.

Pictured (l-r) are Fillmore Rotary President Scott Beylik and guest speaker Steve Sharp. Photo credit Martha Richardson.

Last week’s Fillmore Rotary speaker was Steve Sharp who has been involved with the Three Angels Orphanage in Haiti for many years. The orphanage has a Christian academy with 315 children, grades K-9th. They have dental care and well as medical care with a nurse there every day, and a library. Many children come as babies or very young children; others older with no one to care for them. Steve showed a video of a young man who came there very young, went all through school and received a scholarship to go to Boston for college. There are great opportunities for these children. Some facts about Haiti; only 61% can read and write, and the largest population are orphans and older children. Over 23 years 750 children have graduated, 33 have been awarded scholarships, and 140 have been adopted. 95% of their income comes from contributions, tuition and adoption placements. Fillmore Rotary has been donating for many years and has given $1,000 this year. The theme of Three Angels Orphanage is Matthew 19:14 “Jesus said, Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Chrissy Schieferle, Fillmore Superintendent of Schools, was the Fillmore Rotary Club speaker last week. She gave a thorough update on everything happening in each school. This is her 5th year as Superintendent. She was a Fillmore High School graduate in 1991 and has 29 years in education. She told us great things are happening. The high school received the 2024 California Distinguished School Award. Because of Advanced Placement many students are taking college classes, 51 students have taken at least one college class. Taking these classes motivates the students for their future. For those who will not attend college they need to know about regular jobs and she is happy to have people come and speak about their job and its benefits. They are also building a new gym with a weight room that has roll-up doors for hot weather. They are actually looking for donors so they can purchase new equipment and not have to use the old. There will also be a new Hall of Fame room to display our distinguished athletes from over the years and those to come. There will also be a new preschool room at San Cayetano School--why not start education early? Many of the schools now have solar and both cafeterias have air conditioning for hot days. There are many more renovating projects going on, it’s all for the students. She closed with “Success lies in the critical nature of collaboration if we work together, we can do great things.”

Ventura, CA - The Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market has reached a milestone celebrating its 40th birthday on Saturday, April 25th, on the 200 block of Main Street, in Downtown Ventura. The free celebration will run from 8:00am to 12 noon with a special presentation at 8am.
Everyone in the community is welcome to enjoy free customer giveaways, fun activities for kids, and live music entertainment. The mayor will deliver a special proclamation to the Market at 8am, celebrating its 40 years of continually providing local food to the Ventura area.
Originally launched in Downtown to help revitalize the area, the market has grown over the years and is currently based at its fourth site on Main Street. The market provides a home for over 50 different farming families to participate throughout the year and distributes almost $100,00 dollars annually in food assistance programs for the community.
Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market Association, a nonprofit farmers’ cooperative, manages the market. For more information, website at www.vccfm.org, call (805) 529-6266.

Logic and Accuracy Testing of election equipment to begin April 20.
The Ventura County Elections Division released its Election Observation Schedule, outlining the dates, times, and descriptions of observable activities, for the upcoming June 2nd election.
Ventura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters Michelle Ascencion announced that the first activity will be the Pre-Election Logic and Accuracy Testing (known as “Pre-LAT”) of the County’s election system will begin on Monday, April 20. Testing will commence at 8:30 a.m. daily until completion. The Pre-LAT will be conducted at the Elections Division in the Ventura County Government Center, Hall of Administration, Lower Plaza, at 800 S. Victoria Ave. in Ventura. Public observers and the media are welcome to view the process.
All counties in California conduct logic and accuracy testing – sometimes called “L&T” – of their election system and equipment before any official use or deployment in all elections, whether Primary, General, or Special elections, as required by Elections Code 15000.
Pre-LAT itself is a comprehensive test of the system’s ability to function properly and produce accurate results. Equipment tested in Pre-LAT includes ballot scanners and tabulators, adjudication equipment, ADA-accessible ballot marking devices, and ballot printers. Each component is tested individually, and the final test results are reported to the California Secretary of State. Only equipment passing the logic and accuracy tests can be utilized in the election. Once approved, the equipment is immediately sealed, and the seals remain intact through the duration of the election for security.
“The Pre-LAT is both a legally-required and a best-practices process for proving the equipment is functioning properly and producing accurate results,” said Clerk-Recorder Ascencion. “As the first observable event of the election, anyone is welcome to come to the Government Center and learn for themselves.”
For information on Ventura County’s Pre-LAT as well as other observation activities, visit the Elections Division website at Vote.VenturaCounty.gov. The Election Observation Schedule posted on the site has the most up-to-date schedule of activities since some election event timelines are subject to change. Election Observer Guidelines are also posted, outlining observers’ rights and limitations. Interested observers can also contact Elections staff for more information at elections@venturacounty.gov or by calling 805-654-2664.
The Ventura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters is committed to Preserving History and Protecting Democracy for the people of Ventura County—past, present, and future. More information about the agency’s services is available 24/7 at clerkrecorder.venturacounty.gov.

FRIENDS OF THE BLANCHARD COMMUNITY LIBRARY
BACK STACKS Used Book Sale
119 N. 8th Street, Santa Paula, CA
BIG SATURDAY SALE May 2nd, 2026
10AM TO 2PM
MAY SALE ITEM
All ART Books 50% OFF
In recognition of the Arts Society Annual Art Show, the Friends of the Blanchard Community Library are offering all of our Art books at half price during May. The Back Stacks used bookstore, behind the Library, is currently overstocked on many beautiful Art books varying from coffee tale type pictures of famous artists to ‘How To’ books guiding you through the steps to create your own art.
Start a new hobby, enhance a current passion or just enjoy the beauty of other artists by stopping by the Back Stacks and picking up a book that is new to you!
If you miss the Saturday sale, the weekday hours are outlined below.
Wednesdays from 12 pm to 4 PM (except January 1st)
Thursdays from 12pm to 2pm
Fridays from 12 pm to 2pm
We accept cash, checks and credit cards.
We have a large inventory of Fiction and Non-fiction, as well as children’s books. Our collection features 1,000’s of used books from 50 cents to $2, as well as collectible books from $4 and up. 100% of book sale proceeds goes to support the Blanchard Community Library. PLEASE NOTE: We love receiving donations, and accept everything EXCEPT VHS, magazines or cassette taps. Also, we accept donations ONLY on days when the Library is open for business to ensure that your generous donation is not damaged or stolen.
Located at the Blanchard Community Library, 119 North 8th Street, Santa Paula
LOOK FOR our BOOK SALE SIGNS on 8th Street