Trinity Episcopal Church at 2nd and Saratoga is happy to be the site of the newest Little Free Library in Fillmore. Built by Jack Stethem at the request of Lynn Edmonds, it honors the memory of Harvey and Doris Guthrie, long time members of the Trinity family.

Marie Wren started the Fillmore Little Free Library initiative in Fillmore with a model of Fillmore’s depot, also built by Jack Stethem. Little Free Library is an international nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world.

Stop by and “take a book, leave a book.” More information on Little Free Libraries can be found at http://littlefreelibrary.org/

Bob Crum

As I parked my truck, two other SUVs parked alongside. Uh oh, are they going to go where I'm going? I waited. And waited! Alas, they're going on the other trail. The countryside is getting crowded these days. There are times when I have to patiently wait to make the photo I want because of 'tourist' intruders. Consideration for photographers seems to have gone the way of extinct white rhinos.

Landscape photography is a favorite, ranking right up there with my specialty: Mermaid boudoir photography. I scour maps and the Internet in search of photogenic gems. Without photography, I probably would not have traveled far afield to shoot the southwest's magnificent landscape. Places like Montaña de Oro State Park, Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve replete with spectacular "tufa towers." Tufas are calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by the interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water.

Other interesting locations visited: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Lake Tahoe, Big Sur, the Mojave Desert, Mt. Whitney, Alabama Hills outside of Lone Pine, where many western films were made. Another fascinating sight is the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest high up in the White Mountains. Some of these living trees exceed 4000 years of age. And there's Avila Beach at Port St. Luis Harbor and the Harford Pier, home of Mr. Fishbreath, the resident chubby sea lion. I made an exciting whale photo in St. Luis Bay as it broached twenty feet from the pier with a mouthful of small fish. Woohoo!

So I ask: How many readers have hopped in their vehicle and made a day trip to observe some awesome landscape? Or wildflowers? Or wildlife? See what I mean? This creative itch and my passion for photography are what motivates me to continue to seek landscape eye candy to photograph. Why go to see such grand vistas and not make a photo for posterity? Just a thought.

OK, time to get technical. Landscape photography lends itself wonderfully to... wait for it... Av (aperture priority) mode! Av, a semi-automatic mode, is my most used mode when I'm lazy. OK, actually best for landscapes. In landscape photos, I prefer to maintain a large depth-of-field. Meaning, I prefer everything from near to far to be in focus. On rare occasions I may choose to isolate a particular subject by opening the aperture to blur the background. This is the joy of photographic creativity?

Whether manual or Av mode, I usually lock aperture at f/11 which insures a large depth-of-field. In Av mode, the aperture remains constant so the camera will have to adjust shutter speed and/or ISO for proper exposure. However, in normal daylight, I often also peg ISO at 100, the lowest setting. Av mode is absolutely necessary for HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography to maintain a constant depth-of-field through multiple exposures.

Of course, there are exceptions: Golden hour and blue hour. In Av mode during those times, I first imbibe a strawberry margarita and while I float I'll let ISO float in auto mode to account for the lower light levels. Works every time! Tv (Shutter priority mode) is the other semi-automatic mode to be discussed another day.

No one found the intentional mistake in last week's column. I was sure several readers would have caught it.

It's dishonorable to ignore a beautiful flower. On assignment downtown, I noticed a beautiful bird-of-paradise flower. As I approached, I heard: "Hi there, I'm posing just for you." Well thank you, I said, and made this delightful photo of the week. As I left I heard it whisper: "Thank you!"

Send comments, questions or suggestions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net

The Plaque is honoring over 62 years of service to the citizens of Fillmore by the Fillmore Police Department Officers and Dispatchers from 1925-1987.

Up until the late 1970’s the majority of employees came from the citizens of Fillmore and surrounding areas, such as the City of Santa Paula and Piru community.

We hope the Plaque will keep the spirit of community law enforcement alive. The families of these brave and dedicated individuals can now visit City Hall and see their loved ones honored for decades to come.

The City of Fillmore decided to contract police services through the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in 1987; staffing issues and budget concerns were the stated reasons. Since then the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has provided outstanding service, which continues to make Fillmore a very safe city.

Currently, Captain Eric Tennessen is Police Chief of Fillmore. His help with the planning of the dedication ceremony and Master of Ceremonies duties has been invaluable. The support from the Fillmore City Council and City Manager David Rowlands has been greatly appreciated.

The Fillmore Police Brotherhood started in 2014. And since then retired Fillmore PD Sgt. Max Pina has been the President up until a few weeks ago. Max has decided to spend more quality time with his family and especially all the grandchildren. We will miss Max’s leadership, but fully support his decision.

We welcome retired Fillmore Police LT. Mark Dominguez in taking the leadership role as the new president.

The Fillmore City Council Chamber was approved by the City for the ceremony. It was packed with approximately 140, former Police Department Employees and family members.

A special presentation honoring two former Fillmore officers, Hank Carrillo and Larry Carpenter, who left to continue their law enforcement careers with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Both men continued to live in Fillmore.

Hank Carrillo retired at the rank of Lieutenant and Larry Carpenter served as the Ventura County Sheriff for several years. Hank was very active in the community and school sporting events, also known as “The Voice of Fillmore“ for announcing football games, beauty pageants, and 18 years of parades, among many other civic duties. Larry was always there when the community needed him. He provided Quality staffing of intern “Chiefs of Police” when Fillmore needed them. Hank was one those selected to the assignment.

We know of five officers from the Fillmore Police Department who received “The Medal of Valor” the highest honor awarded to officers for heroism and bravery in saving a human Life:
Senior Officer Max S. Pina
Officer Hess Zavala
Res. Officer Robert Butler
Senior Officer Robert Arnold
Res. Sergeant Duke Bradbury

Former Fillmore City Budget Consultant John Wooner.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Courtesy KGET) — An SUV recovered from the Kern River has been identified as the missing Dodge Durango registered to the city of McFarland which had been driven by John Wooner, the city manager who disappeared in May 2019.

The body of a man was found inside the Durango after it was pulled from the river Sunday, but has not been identified.
The SUV was discovered Saturday afternoon about three miles into the canyon.

A sergeant on scene reported the vehicle has been in the water for a while and only became visible because water levels dropped about three feet in the last week.

In May, Wooner went missing in the Durango after he was last seen visiting his father’s grave at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
That cemetery is 11.1 miles from where the submerged vehicle was removed.

Wooner was hired as a consultant by the City of Fillmore to advice on the City’s 2009-2010 budget in July of 2009.

The Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation recognized its 2019 Rodney Fernandez Leadership Scholarships recipients on Thursday, July 30, during a meeting of the Board of Directors at Cabrillo’s Snapdragon Place Apartments in Ventura.

Cabrillo Chief Executive Officer, Margarita H. De Escontrias welcomed the recipients, introduced the board members and thanked the members of the scholarship review panel for their commitment in determining the scholarship recipients.

This year, Cabrillo received 24 applications, and awarded $12,500 to 14 recipients. Edison International provided a $10,000 grant for STEM recipients, and another $2,500 funded by individual donations was distributed among recipients of all majors.

The Rodney Fernandez Leadership Scholarship Program, created in 2011, honors the legacy of Rodney Fernandez, Cabrillo’s founder and Executive Director for 30 years (1981–2011). The Scholarship continues Fernandez’s legacy of community building by cultivating the leadership of residents to attain their goals and empower themselves to take action to improve the quality of life in their communities.

“The Rodney Fernandez Leadership Scholarship applicants and recipients exemplify Rodney’s dedication and commitment to making Ventura County a better place to live and work,” said Jack Hinojosa, Chief Executive Officer of Child Development Resources of Ventura County and a member of the review panel.

“I was very impressed with the high-quality applications I reviewed and each of the recipients’ commitment, dedication and passion for learning and higher education. More importantly, many of the recipients plan to return to the county to help our community after they graduate. Congratulations to all the RFLF recipients,” he said.

Other members of the scholarship review panel were:
• Jaime Galvan, Programs and Events Manager at Ventura College Foundation
• Brian Gilpatrick, Managing Director, Ventura Region, Union Bank
• Christina Perez, Admissions Counselor, California Lutheran University.
• Jessica Cook, Assistant Vice President and Branch Operations Manager at Pacific Western Bank, Camarillo office, and a Cabrillo board member
• Denise Bickerstaff, Director of Business Development and Administration at Cabrillo

Luz Soto, Director of Property Management and Resident Services, introduced each of the recipients in attendance and welcomed their family members. About 40 people attended the event catered by El Pescador in Fillmore.

Two of the seven recipients in attendance spoke about themselves and the impact the scholarship will have on their ability to attend school and reach their educational goals.

Mireya Avila Mejia, a Fillmore High School graduate, is attending California State University, Channel Islands, in the Masters in Nursing program. She said she was inspired by nurses who tended to her mother, who was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer and underwent surgery and radiation.

“I want to impact someone’s life in a positive manner and help someone’s mother in the way my mother was being helped. … As I embark on my nursing journey, I plan to get a job in the Ventura County area as a Nurse Practitioner. I will most likely be working in the Ventura County Hospital in the emergency unit, but it doesn’t matter where I am as long as I am saving lives,” Mejia said.

Yuliana Ceja, a Pacifica High School graduate, is attending Ventura College studying applied mathematics. She said she discovered her passion for mathematics while working as a tutor at Ventura College and Tutor Doctor, preparing high school students for SAT exams.

“My ultimate educational goal is to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Applied Mathematics at CSUCI. My dream job is to become a math professor at a community college. As a college professor, I aspire to help students develop a love and understanding of mathematics,” she said.

Panelist and Cabrillo board member Cook said she was impressed by the women who shared their experiences and gratitude. “I can relate to both women when they mentioned they could not speak English when they started school. Being teased and bullied can shape who you are as a person. I am so proud these award recipients were shaped in a positive way,” Cook said. “They used their experience to help others in similar situation and told themselves they were going to become successful. I am fortunate to be a part of this process. Everyone who submitted an essay did an amazing job.”

In addition to Mejia and Ceja, scholarship recipients are:
• Angellica Ayala-Ibarra, a Ventura High School graduate attending California Lutheran University as an environmental science and accounting major
• Denise Castro, a Foothill Technology High School graduate attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, as a global studies and education major
• Dominique Delgadillo, a Ventura High School graduate attending Ventura College as a Zoology major
• Trenton Grimes, an El Modena High School graduate attending Oxnard College and transferring to the University of California, San Diego, as a mechanical and environmental engineering major
• Edith Ibarra, a Santa Paula High School graduate attending Ventura College as a biology major
• Julio Martinez Fernandez, a Pacifica High School graduate attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, as an Earth sciences major with an emphasis in geophysics
• Monique Melendez, a Rio Mesa High School and Notre Dame de Namur University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in biochemistry. She attends Grand Canyon University working on her Master of Education degree in special education.
• Cassandra Mendez, a Santa Paula High School graduate attending California State University, Channel Islands’ nursing program.
• Edwin Ponce, a graduate of Applied Technology Center High School attending California State University, East Bay, as a computer science major
• Devin Ruiz, a Ventura High School graduate attending California State University, Channel Islands, as a mathematics and business major
• Naomi Summers, an Oxnard High School graduate, attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, as an environmental studies major
• Kevin Tapia, an Oxnard High School graduate attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, as an actuarial science major

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

A seventeen year old Piru resident was arrested after vandalizing a property with graffiti in the city of Fillmore.

On July 21st at approximately 12:07 a.m., patrol deputies were dispatched to the 100 block of Fourth Street in the city of Fillmore for a vandalism in progress call. Witnesses indicated there were multiple subjects involved in the crime. When deputies arrived, the victim directed them to his property that had been spray painted with several monikers. The victim believed the suspects were possibly fleeing the scene. Deputies quickly responded to the area and located one of the suspects. Deputies obtained evidence linking the juvenile to the newly painted graffiti. The damage to the victim’s property was estimated at nearly $2,000.00. The other suspects fled the scene and eluded apprehension.

Detectives continued the investigation by obtaining a search warrant for the juvenile’s residence in the town of Piru. During the service of the warrant, investigators uncovered additional evidence linking the suspect to the crime.

The juvenile was booked at the Juvenile Justice Center in Oxnard for PC 594(b)(1) / Graffiti Vandalism, PC 182(a)(1) / Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, PC 602(m) / Trespassing, and Fillmore Municipal Code 15.32.010 / Curfew.

The identification and apprehension of this vandal would not have been possible without an alert citizen immediately calling the Sheriff’s Office to report the vandalism when it occurred. The Fillmore Police Department encourages residents to report graffiti or other suspicious behavior immediately when they see it occurring. Additionally, the City of Fillmore created the “City of Fillmore” mobile phone application, which allows citizens to photograph and report graffiti vandalisms directly to the city for quick removal.

Nature of Incident: Felony Vandalism Arrest Made
Juvenile Arrested for Estimated $2,000 in Property Damage
Report Number: RB# 19-113819
Location: City of Fillmore and Piru
Date & Time: 07/21/19 @ 12:07 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Services and Detectives
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S) Juvenile Piru 17
Prepared by: Detective Shawn Pewsey #3867
Approved by: Captain Eric Tennessen

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Bob Crum

So many emails I need a secretary. Beginning with Tracy L., who asked: All I ever see in the photo of the week data is the camera was in manual mode. Is that your only camera mode? It delights me enormously that readers like Tracy review the photo of the week data. I'm also impressed. It's true that "manual" mode is cited most often. And Tracy's question is appropriate, considering that there are other semi-automatic and automatic modes to automate photo making. However, I don't always agree with what the camera's computer wants to do in a semi-automatic or auto mode. So, rather than argue with the camera, I simply switch to manual mode and take control.

Consider my Ford Ranger pickup as an equivalent example because it has a 5-speed manual transmission. While it's often more convenient to have an automatic transmission, a manual tranny often provides more vehicle control. For example, going down hills, I can downshift to a lower gear and use engine braking, saving my wheel brakes. I can also downshift when climbing mountain roads, keeping the RPMs in the optimum power range. The camera in Auto mode can't know what I want. Manual mode gives me complete control over exposure for the kind of photo I want to make.

Remember the exposure triangle I presented a year and a half ago: Aperture, shutter speed and ISO? Sure you do. For example, if I'm shooting a fast-paced subject, bull riders, pelicans diving for fish or mermaids playing water polo, I prefer a relatively fast shutter speed to freeze action. Hence, I set the shutter speed at 1/500th of a second, aperture f/11. Another example, to create a sunstar effect in the photo I'm making I'll stop down the aperture to f/18 or f/22 and increase the shutter speed to compensate for the reduction in light. I usually keep ISO on auto mode, letting it go where the camera determines it needs for proper exposure. If necessary, I'll dial in ISO but that's a subject for another day. So you see, in manual mode, it's important to note that I can create the photo as I desire. It's this creative aspect of photography that I greatly enjoy.

But as often happens, camera-determined exposure, though perhaps correct, is not always what I desire. Maybe I want to underexpose slightly to infer a mood. Maybe I prefer to lighten up (high key) a particular image. In other words, suppose that I'm not happy with what the camera determined is the proper exposure. No problem. After a refreshing strawberry margarita, I'll simply adjust 'Exposure Compensation.' A button on my camera is labeled +/-. Push it and it brings up the Exposure Compensation adjustment where I can increase or decrease the exposure depending on my desires. I'll discuss Av, Tv, P and A modes another time.

Photo of the week is nothing spectacular. It's just of a cute little acorn woodpecker. Though I'm not a dedicated birder like many photographers, I will take the opportunity to capture an interesting bird photo. This little guy up on the nearby power pole juxtaposed with the sign 'voltage' was irresistible. Yes, Tracy, manual mode!

Ahem! There's a deliberate error in the description above regarding exposure. To win a free Baskin & Robbins single-scoop treat, find it, and be the first to email me a brief description of the error. Dilly dally at your peril. Oh, this is so much fun!

Send comments, suggestions or questions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net