For many families in our small town of Fillmore, CA this school has been a "safe place," a sense of "home" for over 50+ families just this year alone, filled with educators who not only are prepping our children for the next level of school, BUT also building up their moral character and truly LOVING them like their own. This year FCA is celebrating their 25th year, WHAT AN EXCITING TIME! However, as most of you have probably heard the building that we've been doing school in has been sold.

Although this is a very challenging time, we are fully trusting that Gods work is not done here. We have been diligently looking at new properties to where God is leading us next, and it is becoming very clear that we will need to raise funds for numerous things, one most importantly being an increase in rent.

ALTHOUGH WE ARE SMALL, WE ARE MIGHTY! It would be a blessing for our educators to keep their jobs, for our children to remain in the only school they've ever known with all of their friends and people they love, and for families to continue growing in Christ TOGETHER. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU to everyone in our community who has reached out and is willing to help. This School is an absolute treasure to Fillmore, lets keep it going STRONG! Please show your support by visiting our Go Fund Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/fcas-new-home

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We want to take you way back when the Fillmore High Alumni Association had their Alumni Dinners. In the early 1900’s, the dinner meetings were held on the high school campus. Individual class meetings were held in separate classrooms following the dinner. The dinners, which usually consisted of pit barbecue, were prepared by various groups including Albert (Dutch) Bartels ’26 and his crew, and Ed Burson and his group. They were held with attendees sitting at tables on benches made from citrus picking boxes and 1X12’S. The dinners were held on the old tennis courts, which is where the cafeteria is located now. After 1951, dinners were held between the current gym and the cafeteria on the high school quad. Dinners then moved to the Memorial Building where meals were prepared by the Fillmore Club, headed by K.B. Rogers ’46 and Ron Godfrey ’62. As the dinners grew in size, they were moved to the city park. Dinners returned to the Memorial Building (its current location) but this time out on the lawn area to accommodate everyone wishing to attend.

You can purchase your 2018 Alumni Dinner reservations at Patterson Hardware store (open 7 days a week) or you can go to www.fillmorehighalumni.com and click on the “Events” link at the top of the webpage.

Mark Ortega is President of the Fillmore High Alumni Association.

Bob Crum

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First, upside-down weather! This past winter's rainfall debacle discombobulated the spring wildflower bloom. Normally hundreds of acres of California poppies bloom around Easter in the Antelope Valley and around southern California. This year, nada!

Last Friday I drove to Ojai on State Road 150. Whoa! Just past the top of the hill and around the bend, glorious majestic poppies. Bunches in and around trees burned from the Thomas fire. Excited, I parked, surveyed the area and began photoing. Oh joy!

Not only a fantastic photo op, it also afforded me an opportunity to make photos that I'll need for future photography instruction. For instance, photographing wildflowers with & without a polarizer. Photos at both wide open aperture as well as f/11 to illustrate the difference the aperture makes regarding depth of field.

For wildflower photography, the trip up Hwy 150 from Santa Paula to Ojai is sweet. Drive leisurely. Before St. Thomas College, on the south side, a hillside full of wild yellow flower blooms (mustard?). Stop on the right road shoulder and gaze. Not far past the college, on the right, a lovely field of grape-soda lupines. For a background and color contrast, you'll see more fields of yellow wildflowers up on the hillside. Stop and make photos. Further up, another huge expanse of yellow flowers on the right with the Topa Topas as a background. Then, just after the lookout at the top of the hill: Poppies! Go! Photo tip: Watch your histogram. Best to under expose an f/stop or two so the flower colors are not washed out from the bright sun.

Tip #2: If you have a circular polarizer filter for your lens, use it. Most times it helps the flower's colors pop. Remember, polarizing most effective when the lens is pointed 90 degrees from the sun. Tip #3: During post processing (editing) enhance the flower's colors by decreasing the green foliage luminous value to reduce their objectionable glare.

Y'all know my photographic work is mostly photojournalism. However, I'm also a Fine Art photographer. Yep! The full package: Capture the photo, post process (edit) the photo and print the photo!

It's relatively easy to make a photo look respectable and nice at a low-resolution for the Internet. But to make an image look great in print involves a whole other skill set. Challenge accepted... prints made!

Unlike “virtual” images, a photographic print will always be the most realistic representation of an image as it is the only medium that is truly tangible and actual. As a 'photographer', from my perspective a photograph isn’t truly finished until it’s in printed form. Hmm. Your thoughts?

That said, I delight in informing you that I personally printed five fine art photographs and framed them for an art show. A thrill times 10! I went to Ojai last Friday to join the Artist Guild of Fillmore members, of which I am a proud member, to hang art! Lots of wonderful art – mine included – on display at the show!

Therefore, I extend a special invite to attend the Artist Guild of Fillmore Art Show Reception this Saturday, May 12, 2018, from 1-3 p.m at the Ojai Center for the Arts, 113 Montgomery Street. Meet the artists, discuss their awesome artwork and enjoy some fine wine. Most importantly, purchase a masterpiece, or more, that suits your fancy. A great opportunity to adorn your home with Fine Art from local artists. See you there! Here's a video of the Artist Guild of Fillmore members at the hanging party. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/1fxItJKG9oo

Photo of the Week: Poppies! Naturally!

Send comments, suggestions, questions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Wright presented an Active Shooter training session for the City Council at Tuesday’s Special Meeting. He advised everyone to be prepared for any shooting event.

A Special Meeting of the Fillmore City Council was held Tuesday, May 1 during which the Council approved a project list to be funded by the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, and a contract for construction of pavement resurfacing SPEC No. 16-02, FEDERAL PROJECT No. 16-02 STPL 5222 (021). Portions of approximately 23 streets will be resurfaced. The City of Fillmore is projected to receive $260,433 in RMRA funds in Fiscal Year 2018-2019. Additional funds of $20,900 were also approved.

An ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING presentation was delivered by Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. John Wright at this Tuesday's meeting.

Sgt. Wright reviewed specific ways of responding to an active shooter situation in multiple areas, including public and private spaces. He emphasized the importance of learning and reviewing particular defensive techniques in the event an armed assailant should enter a building.

Call 911 quickly. Generally, all efforts should be made to run from the danger area if possible. Secondly, targeted individuals should hide, shelter in place behind a barricade from the shooter and remain quiet so not to reveal their location. Lastly, where no other option remains, every effort should be made to defend yourself, have the mindset to fight for your life. Where possible others should join in an aggressive, offensive reaction, attacking the shooter to disable him. Do not find yourself freezing in place with shock.

Wright advises people to think and discuss such emergency situations with fellow workers, and to encourage violence drills. Most shooters have "done their homework" before attacking.

He also advises everyone to take threats seriously; if you see something, say something. Building security is very important, as is knowledge of the workplace area. Wright reminded the Council that active shooter incidents occur more than two times every month nationally.

Wright emphasized the importance of having a well-stocked emergency first aid kit available; with tourniquets, heavy gauze, and other items, not just Band-Aids, to treat serious wounds, He also advised keeping a first aid kit in your car.

Pictured from left to right: Carrie Broggie (Fillmore City Council Member), Jeff Teubner and Phil DiFiore (Rotocraft) and Ari Larson (Rotary Club of Fillmore). The helicopter parts and service company reps spoke at Rotary Club of Fillmore on April 25th. Welcome to Fillmore! Photo courtesy Ari Larson.
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The new private heliport for a maintenance and repair facility for helicopters project is going to be constructed in two (2) phases. Phase 1 involves the construction of a 67,872 SF hangar, parking spaces, retaining walls, public improvements on River St. and constructing the full width of the D St. extension (from River Street to 460 feet south of River Street). Phase 2 consists of constructing a 45,066 SF hangar for the future undetermined tenant. The businesses would like to be allowed to operate from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays with allowance to perform work on Sundays during times of emergencies. The project site is 10.52 acres and can accommodate one landing pad with eight (8) helicopter parking areas. The flight paths will occur along the Santa Clara River with the helicopters approaching the site from a southerly direction. The flight paths will not be over the residential areas of Fillmore. Prior to flying helicopters from the property the Applicant is required to obtain approvals from the FAA, Caltrans (the Division of Aeronautics) and The Airport Land Commission. The project is providing a 10' concrete bike path on the south side of River Street in compliance with the Business Park Master Plan’s requirement for bike paths. A noise study was conducted which determined that the sounds anticipated to be generated by the project are at an acceptable level per the City Zoning Ordinance. Additionally, the Planning Commission recommended that a noise monitor be placed close to the helipad. Two Rivers Park will be protected by a buffer zone with employee and customer parking along D Street.

Fillmore Unified School District

Management/Confidential/Supervisory Salary Increase
The Board of Trustees approved the Classified Confidential/Supervisory Employee Salary Schedule.

Award Bid to Replace Roofing on Annex Building at Sespe Elementary School
The Board of Trustees awarded the bid to replace roofing on annex building at Sespe Elementary School.

Award Bid to Replace Carpet in Buildings A, B, C, D, and E at San Cayetano Elementary School
The Board of Trustees awarded the bid to replace carpet in specific buildings at San Cayetano Elementary School.

Personnel Recommendations
The Board of Trustees approved all personnel recommendations including new hires, promotions, resignations, retirements, and leaves.

Bob Crum

It happened again. Total capture count: 972. I love it! No point in making excuses so I won't. Besides, I have an exquisite alibi. Genetics. My DNA has a photographic gene that forces the right hand index finger to keep pushing the shutter release button the second I pick up my camera.

The occasion was the recent Fillmore Railfest. As expected, the star was the majestic Baldwin #14 steam engine. Photo ops aplenty even just sitting pretty on the tracks and occasionally blowing off some steam. Running she's like the most lifelike, exciting and endearing of all the machinery man has created. How can anyone watch a steam-powered iron horse rumbling down the tracks and not be in awe. Listen! The profound gong of the bell! The whistle... oh that enchanting whistle. The chuffing-chuffing as she picks up speed. The smoke bellowing from the glorious smokestack. Awesomeness!

Back in the day, as staff editor/photojournalist for the Southern Star magazine, I shot at least three times as much film as other staffers. I had to, to beat the odds. Couldn't review the photo in the field like now. Because success was paramount, always experienced a tinge of insecurity. What if? Pressure and expectations created reasonable anxiety. Yet, a benefit. The experience I gained taught me to trigger the shutter more instinctively. A valuable asset. Remember, there are no re-dos regarding special moments that cannot be predicted or repeated. Photography, to paraphrase author Steve Simon, from his book 'The Passionate Photographer', is a bit like trying to anticipate the future to trigger the shutter just at the exact right moment. Still, there are a ton of misses. The future is elusive. But the robust shooting ethic is rewarding when it works. The reward: I got the most cover photos! It's still a formula that increases the odds that I get the best image out of every assignment. This practice continues, which is obvious. Furthermore, I encourage all event photographers who desire (strive) to capture the ultimate photo to shoot more, regret less. The photo op missed is gone forever. Shoot till your shutter release finger is cramping. But you're not done until it's calloused. Got it?

When #14 runs the photo options are voluminous. But they're not all going to be great moments. For full effect it helps to have steam emanating from various ports and smoke bellowing from the smoke stack illustrating that the machine has the high rail and running strong. It would help if the engineer would turn some knobs and kick up some smoke when seeing a photographer camera up but that's wishful thinking. Anyway, smoke is not continually belching from the stack nor the locomotive expelling steam. What to do? Chase it. And keep chasing it! Success demands that you be on the scene to make the ultimate photo. Shoot a lot. With luck, one of every 10 photos will make the cut. I chased. However, a lung impairment slowed me down considerably. Translated, I couldn't get (hike) to all my secret spots for the photos I envisioned because I couldn't move fast enough to get back to the truck and drive to the next spot in time. Nevertheless, I survived and delightfully accumulated, you know, a few hundred photos. After all... it's fun!

The photo of the week was made at the iconic trestle bridge over Sespe Creek. Didn't matter that I couldn't descend the hill for a frontal coming out of the bridge because the area was littered with phonetographers. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Happy photoing!

Send your comments, suggestions or questions to bob@fillmoregazette.com