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As photographer new to the area Phil Fewsmith finally found a place to display his photos of the beautiful town of Fillmore. He went to the Bel-Aire Cafe located at the William L. Morris Dealership here in Fillmore for breakfast with a few sample presentation prints, he got to know the friendly server, Paula, who later introduced him to the general manager, Geoff, who, after looking at the images, agreed to have them put up for display. On his second trip to the to the café, Paula introduced Phil to William Morris, the owner. And he had agreed to display my work next the Showroom. And they ended up on the wall of the main showroom in time for the Memorial Day weekend.
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Artist Bio: Phil Fewsmith
For years, Fillmore was a small town on State Route 126 that I drove through on the way to somewhere else.
It is ironic I now live here.
Semi-retired, and living in this lovely bucolic area since December of 2017, I had previously been a professional photographer in Los Angeles for over three decades, producing images on assignment for numerous well known advertising, corporate, editorial and entertainment industry clientele.
During that time, my areas of expertise included celebrity and privately commissioned portraiture (studio and environmental), album covers (vinyl and CD), beauty and fashion, still life, jewelry, travel, documentary, night life and street photography, on-set photography and photo-illustration. I also ventured into graphic design and art direction.
The photographer Elliot Erwitt once stated photography was the art of observation:
"…It is about finding something interesting in an ordinary place….. I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them." (emphasis added)
In like manner, my observations of Fillmore resulted in documenting how I saw the abandoned, worn out, historic and lonely parts of this town.

To see my entire body of work, including the recent "Fillmore on the 126" gallery, please visit www.fewsmith.com.

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Courtesy Emma Cahill

2018 was a year I will never forget, it was the year my best friend Trish Miller was diagnosed with breast cancer. As a nurse cancer is not new to me, but when that diagnosis is placed upon the shoulders of someone you hold so dear everything changes.

When I heard the words “I have breast cancer” come from Trish Something inside me lit on fire, I knew that I was going to help her share her story. You see Trish is one of the lucky ones, because she acted the moment she found a lump she is here today to live to tell her story and almost 1 year later is in remission from breast cancer.

You see cancer doesn’t discriminate it takes our best friends, our wives, our mothers our sisters, aunts and grandmothers.
So I took to the ground running, literally, to bring awareness and raise money through donations for Breast Cancer awareness all in Trish’s honor.

I promised her that I would run, I would run to bring awareness for her, and other breast cancer warriors, survivors and angels. To encourage women not to wait, to act, to take back the control that cancer steals for them and their families, to encourage them to perform self-checks and mammogram screenings.

The “Heaven Can Wait” journey started with the Fillmore CornHole 5k, then on to the Ojai 10k, Fillmore Heritage 10k and will hopefully end up with running a marathon in her name.

Every race I run, I run with names of those fighting, those who have fought and those who are angels on my arm, their strength pushes me to be stronger!

I would like to thank my local sponsors who without question donated to my “Heaven Can Wait” journey! California Tactical Academy, Lovelace Cattle, Ace Pumping Inc., Fillmore Rental, Surface Pumps Inc., Thompco, MG Taylor, Carbon California, Brown’s Transmission, California Mechanical, and Gold Coast embroidery Fillmore for always doing an amazing job with my race shirts. I have to thank my wonderful friend Diane Sanchez who without question joined this journey by running alongside me and pushing me forward!

You can follow our journey on Instagram @heavencanwait2019.

All donations received are to support Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

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Submitted by Fillmore Citizens Patrol

On Saturday, May 4, 2019, the Fillmore Citizen Patrol, in partnership with the Fillmore Police Department and the Santa Clara Valley Explorer Post, with assistance from BikeVentura.org and Channel Islands Bike Club hosted a public Bicycle Safety Event. The Bike Rodeo was held at the Two Rivers Park and included a safety course, free helmets and fitting assistance (68 were given away!), bicycle registration, bicycle tune-ups, and raffle prizes (we gave away 30 kids' bikes / scooters / skateboards and 1 adult bike!) Our featured displays were from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, SWAT Unit, K9 Unit, Ventura County Sheriff’s Mounted Volunteer Team, Search and Rescue Unit, and Fillmore Fire Department. Additionally, we had 4 kids learn how to ride their 2 wheel bicycles at our rodeo!

The Fillmore Citizen Patrol would like to extend a special thank you to the following sponsors of our event: Rotary Club of Fillmore, Lion’s Club of Fillmore, Fillmore Fire Foundation, TNT, Fillmore Search and Rescue, Ventura County Sheriff’s Foundation, Bike Ventura, Channel Islands Bike Club, Ameci's Pizza, Baskin Robbins and Kona Ice.

During the upcoming summer months, the Fillmore Police Department and Fillmore Citizen Patrol will be looking for children wearing helmets while riding bicycles, skateboards, and scooters in the community. Each child found to be wearing a helmet will receive one Baskin Robbins certificate for a free ice cream cone.

Martha Richardson, Program Chair, introduced Katharine McDowell, one of our newest members of Fillmore Rotary, who gave a Kraft Talk about her life. She grew up in Gilroy, CA on a working horse ranch. Her father trained horses and they hosted summer camps where children would come and enjoy ranch life and horses. She received her first pony when she was four. Katharine graduated from Christopher High School, and within the next few years had studied abroad in both Japan and Germany. She attended Pepperdine University where she began her library career. She and her husband lived on a boat, in the Ventura Harbor, before moving to Fillmore to become Fillmore’s new librarian. Her enthusiasm is contagious!

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, employees of Santa Clara Valley Disposal will be taking the day off on Monday, May 27. As a result, Fillmore residential customers will have their trash, recyclables and green waste collected on Saturday, June 1, one day later than usual. The regular Friday collection schedule will resume the following week. For more information, call 805-647-1414.

With the influx of innovative technology, and a renewed focus on experiential learning, Ventura County Public Works Agency’s (VCPWA) Public Works Day offers an event that engages youth of all ages. On Tuesday, May 21st, 2019, the free, multi-agency community educational event takes place in the Ventura County Government Center “G” parking lot, and is made up of interactive informational booths, demonstrations, and hands-on learning opportunities focusing on what Public Works does for the community.

The theme of this year’s event, “Lean Forward. Leading Excellence” sheds light on the work done by Public Works Agencies and other brave first responders.

More than 1,000 Ventura County school children, teachers, parents and guests will tour newly created thematic information stations. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the most recent innovations in safety, science, and environmental sustainability. Also, the newest large scale equipment will be on display. A VCPWA, General Services Agency (GSA), and County Human Resources career booth will provide student worker information for students as well as attendees looking for employment opportunities.

Among today’s youth, there is an undeniable interest in environmental protection and regeneration. According to the 2017 iteration of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Survey, 48.8% of millennials feel as though environmental degradation is the most serious global issue faced today.

http://shaperssurvey2017.org/static/data/WEF_GSC_Annual_Survey_2017.pdf

“Many students are interested in careers benefitting the environment and also working for the public interest,” says Jeff Pratt, Director of the VCPWA. “Public Works Agencies offers such careers, our staff at the event will highlight their work.”

Environmentally beneficial work done by the VCPWA that will be on display includes projects featuring: revegetation with native and drought tolerant plants; measuring rain and stream flows; composting with worms; developing solar power; building landscape channels to remove trash and sediment from our watersheds; installing raptor perches and nesting facilities for owls and hawks to help control rodents burrowing into neighboring levees; and installing porous surfaces to filter storm water, capture pollutants, reduce flooding, diminish runoff to the ocean, and re-charge underground aquifers with much-needed water.

VCPWA’s National Public Works Week (NPWW) event has grown tremendously since launching in 2012 with more than 700 students in attendance of last year’s event. VCPWA anticipates a similar turnout of youth, parents and teachers to participate at this year’s free education event.

By Fillmore City Manager Dave Rowlands

The City of Fillmore Art Commission held their first Art and Photography Exhibition Wednesday, May 1 thru Sunday, May 5 in the City Council Chambers. There was over fifty pieces of art and photography displayed from nineteen local artist. Several of the artist have shown their works in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and locally.

Richard Franklin, ceramicist, architect, educator, and member of Ojai Studio Artists curated the event and selected the exhibition winners. The winners were presented with certificates by Diane McCall, Mayor for the City of Fillmore, Friday evening at the artist reception.

Art & Photography Award Winners

Best in Show - The Collector by Lisa Mahony
2nd Place - Plein air study of Bardsdale Bridge Looking into the Sespe by Paul Benavidez
3rd Place - At the Bakery by Lois Freeman-Fox
Honorable Mention - Garden of Joy by Lia Verkade

In addition, several People’s Choice Awards winners were announced. Over 180 ballots were submitted during the exhibition. The winners as chosen by the people include:

Photography

1st Place - 1913 Baldwin by Bob Crum

2nd Place - Dazzling Poppies by Bob Crum

3rd Place - Towne Theatre on Central Avenue by Phil Fewsmith

Art

1st Place - Portrait of Military Officer by Paul Benavidez

2nd Place - Morning with Sarah by Susan Hopkins

3rd Place - At the Bakery by Lois Freeman-Fox

Caption Marshall Martinez Class of 2019, #45

Marshall Martinez, of Fillmore, is a long time athlete. He played football from Raiders to 4-years at Fillmore High School, where he was named Defensive Lineman of the Year. He was on the wrestling team for two years. He also raised four pigs in 4-H/FFA, and was in the Scouts for three years. Marshall’s passion is fishing. He is very patriotic, and will enter US Marine Corps basic training this September 2019. We wish him well as he embarks on this new chapter in his life.

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To the Editor:
Wow, I am truly blown away by what an amazing opportunity our son and a HUGE number of energetic young people and their families were given through the dedication and commitment of Mario and Venessa Robledo, the new management of the Fillmore Equestrian Center. I was there a year ago and what a change! They have created a family-friendly environment with clean grounds, new landscaping, goat pens visible from the road and a clean barn which they sponsored to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBBS) for their Earth Day Fundraiser. With fewer and fewer healthy, safe opportunities for our youth to blow off steam, this event was that and so much more! These dedicated adults helped the youth of our community put on a music and art festival style fundraiser for Earth Day. They allowed them to organize, manage, and promote it and it was amazing! The young people danced and sang and experienced being embraced for their exuberance rather than seen as “teenagers up to no good” as many see them. And these teens, feeling so empowered, in turn, embraced having their families there! A rare chance for that connection so many families lose when their kids enter the teen world. The bands that played were incredibly talented! The ENTIRE time was filled with joy like I’ve not seen in a long time! I can’t thank Mario, Venessa, BBBS Staff and all the kids that made this happen – well done and THANK YOU!
-Giselle Yeatman