Congratulations to all employees of the Fillmore Unified School District who were given special recognition by the School Board at Tuesday's meeting. We should recognize, especially, John Wilber for his extraordinary 32 years of service as teacher and principal at all of our schools. Thanks, John, for a job very well done.

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It's great to see so much rain during the past month or so. Very gratifying to see Sespe Creek beginning to roar again after 5 years of draught. It may not be exactly roaring again, but it is flowing fast. I couldn't resist traveling up Grand Avenue to the beginning of Sespe access. As I slowly parked next to the County's newly constructed cable fence, I caught a snowy egret take off from the water. I haven't seen an egret for a long time. They feed of frogs and small fish while standing motionless in shallow water. It was a beautiful thing to see.

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Two things that were not so beautiful to see were illegal signs prohibiting public access, and the County's new fence. The home owner at the first house at the end of Grand, adjacent to the Creek, thinks he owns the access property and continues to threaten anyone attempting to hike north up the Sespe. For years he has physically threatened such hikers, throwing rocks, at them, etc. The Sheriff's Department has tried to intervene more than once but the perpetrator doesn't answer.

His illegal use of threats and force to keep the public out of the Sespe Creek state and federal protected area must be stopped. I urge the public to assist in seeing this unlawful conduct prosecuted or otherwise corrected. While I was taking photos of the area this week a young man, serving in the Air Force, a resident of Fillmore on leave, asked me how to get to Devil's Gate and Swallow's Nest. I told him he would have to hike about a mile or so up the Sespe. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to make that hike again.

Recent rains have bowed back the willow thickets at the Creek entrance area. When things dry out a little I will attempt that hike again. Sespe Creek not only marks off the Condor Refuge but is "formed by one of more than 30 tributary streams before it empties into the Santa Clara River...." "Sespe Creek is indisputable the finest wilderness run south of the Sierra Nevada." "Class 1V and 1V+ rapids become common place, and a couple of challenging portages await all but the most brazen of boaters.”

In 2000 I sought the assistance of the American Whitewater group in Virginia. They provided substantial legal information concerning the obstruction of public access on Sespe Creek. In short they stated:
California's Constitution and accompanying case law are clear and unambiguous in regard to the matter of navigation. The simple fact if that California's state laws define all state waterways as navigable. The non-commercial public has an essentially unlimited right to float and recreate within the high water mark on any rivers..." "NO INDIVIDUAL...shall be permitted to exclude the right of way to such water whenever it is required for any public purpose, nor to destroy or obstruct the free navigation of such water..."

And that's all I have to say about that - for now.

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Please refer to today's letter from our District Attorney, Greg Totten, concerning the danger of licensing any commercial marijuana activities within city limits. He lists the dangers clearly.

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I'm short on space and haven't gotten to the politics stuff yet. A few short comments.

I hate to be seen as an alarmist, but, I think we will be in a shooting war very shortly. Iran will give us no choice. If it again harasses our war ships with its "fast boats" those boats should be blown out of the water. I'm assuming that Iran has been given notice to that effect.

Major problem: None of our carrier battle groups are deployed anywhere near the Middle East. We have little back-up. The USS Cole may finally have a chance at revenge; but it too needs back-up. Remember United States Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Cole on 12 October 2000, was bombed in Yemen's Aden harbor. Seventeen American sailors were killed and 39 injured in the terrorist attack. Shamefully, no counter action was ever taken.

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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has always been recognized as the most liberal-radical federal court in the nation. The recent hearing on Trump's immigration pause is just repeating this history. The AG's office has represented the President in pathetic fashion. More next week. We are entering a Constitutional crisis. Trump should pull an Andrew Jackson, and ignore any negative 9th Circuit opinion. "Let them enforce".