This article has a bad note in it, but I am hoping not to dwell on that, but to highlight another location where a United States Flag was proudly being displayed! I say was, here comes the bad note, because from the time I took the picture, to the time I started this article, someone has stolen the flag! What kind of person would steal an American Flag being flown to honor Fillmore/Piru's, and all American men and women currently serving? I wish I could print my opinion of what kind of person would do that! OK, I am done with the bad note!

On another bicycle trip around town I traveled up Central Avenue towards Foothill, which I do about once a week, to check on a particular pair of “naked” flagpoles and to enjoy the physical challenge of the Upper and Lower Foothill loop. As I approached the “fork in the road” of Central Avenue and Foothill I immediately noticed an American Flag displayed on the branch of a very large pine tree located in an island delineating the two intersecting roads.

The Flag attracted my attention to admire the beautiful tree holding the American Flag. I have driven and ridden by many times this way, but not until the Flag's presence did I really notice the tree, the plants and yes the “SIGN”! The sign proclaims the small island as “Defever Park”. Having worked and lived in Fillmore for a number of years I have never heard of Defever Park! I have heard of Oscar Defever the former Fillmore Fire Chief who passed just before my family and I moved to Fillmore in 1985. Maybe I never noticed this was a park because as a park it is probably the smallest park in the City of Fillmore and possibly in all of Ventura County! And as a park it does not lend itself to anything but to view it and wonder about it! I wondered; Who hung the Flag? Who placed the sign designating this as a park? And who maintains it? Thus I began this article right there under that huge pine tree!

The first person I contacted was Former City Councilperson Scott Lee and current resident of the neighborhood surrounding the park. Yes, Scott did know something about the park and who hung the sign! Scott said that the neighborhood, mostly Scott these days, has been maintaining the park for about eight years. This includes trimming and watering the landscaping at no cost to the City of Fillmore!

I asked Scott about the Flag and the sign proclaiming this small piece of land, “Defever Park”. He told me that about five days ago the Flag disappeared and he believed it had been stolen! He said another resident, Chris Charles, had hung the Flag to honor those currently serving. I then proceeded to the home of Chris Charles to ask him about the missing Flag, but he and his family were out of town. I was told by the person caring for the house that Chris had hung the Flag but she said it had been stolen while he has been out of town. (The bad note is haunting me!)

The sign Scott said was placed in its current location by former Fillmore Fire Chief Pat Askren to honor former Fillmore Fire Chief Oscar Defever. Chief Defever was a resident of this same neighborhood and maintained this same piece of land for many years prior to his passing. Scott suggested I contact current Fillmore Fire Chief Rigo Landeros to see what he may know about Chief Defever.

Chief Landeros said, “Yes, Chief Defever was Fillmore fire Chief from 1964 thru 1976. He was a fireman’s man! Back in those days they did not have breathing apparatus and all of the new firefighting equipment we have these days. He was the owner of the 76 gas station on the corner of Sespe and Central. Chief Defever was a great man! He was the only house on Foothill, where I grew up, that had a swimming pool and he took pride in teaching all of us Landeros kids, and the rest of the neighborhood kids how to swim. Chief Defever also loved hiking and fishing so when school was out he would take my brothers Nick, Fran and Chris hiking into the Sespe and taught them how to camp and fish. To this day my brother(s) are big fishermen thanks to Chief Defever. I call him Chief because, once a Chief always a Chief!” Thanks to Chief Landeros I now know a little more about the late Fillmore Fire Chief Oscar Defever! According to the Fillmore High School Alumni Association an Oscar Defever was a 1933 graduate from Fillmore High School.

The location where the now missing American Flag was, is a symbol of the small town spirit of Fillmore and the tradition of volunteerism! Citizens/residents, like those on Foothill and Central Avenues, came together and continue to maintain the small island surrounding this beautiful pine tree, at no cost to us the taxpayers. They did this to maintain such a beautiful and tranquil location and to continue the labor of love begun by the late Fire Chief Oscar Defever.

The missing American Flag was taken by someone with a very mean spirited and unpatriotic streak that cannot be comprehended by me in this time when we are all supporting our troops in foreign lands to maintain our freedoms! Thanks to Chris Charles for making the effort to display his commitment and support for the men and women from this Heritage Valley and it is my hope another American Flag will be flown soon from the branches of that magnificent pine tree honoring our American Heroes!