Summary of Tuesday's regular city council meeting:

A settlement agreement was unanimously agreed to with KB Home compay.

Safer grants for the Fillmore Voluntary Fire Department permits the hiring of new firemen.

Concerns were expressed about a 40-foot tall tower placed on Foothill Drive with a camera. Council will review its status and report back.

Senergy Power is expected to have solar panels installed on the old Superfund site in 2018.

Ernie Villegas will reveal his Downtown Specific Project soon, involving community participation in holiday celebrations. Wide participation by city businesses and clubs is sought.

Four residents reminded Council of the importance of true medical marijuana use by patients in need of relief of numerous painful conditions. The Council will further revisit city codes regarding this request.

Residents were reminded of the December 3 Toy event and chicken dinner at the Fire Department. The Toy Give-away is set fo December 16, from 9-12. This is the largest event of its kind for the year.

The issue of spaying and neutering of dogs and cats was reviewed. The motion to add a new chapter 9.15 to mandate this program was tabled.

A request to waive sign fees was referred to the city Art Commission for further review.

The request to enter a contract with Kimley Horn and Associates was unanimously approved regarding the modification of Tentative Tract Map 5520 (phase 2) environmental review for east entry for the Hearthstone Bridges Project.

Individuals planning to sell cannabis or cannabis products beginning January 1, 2018, must register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) for a seller’s permit. Cannabis cultivators, processors, manufacturers, retailers, microbusinesses and distributors who make sales are required to obtain and maintain a seller’s permit as a prerequisite for applying for a license with the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Food and Agriculture, or the Department of Public Health. It is easy and convenient to register online with the CDTFA. Individuals who already have a seller’s permit (including a permit previously issued by the Board of Equalization) do not need to register for a new one.

In addition, distributors of cannabis and cannabis products must also register with the CDTFA for a cannabis tax permit – which is separate from a seller’s permit – in order to report and pay the two new cannabis taxes to the CDTFA starting in January 2018. Registration for the cannabis tax permit will be available on November 20, 2017.

Beginning January 1, 2018, two new cannabis taxes will be in effect:

• A 15 percent excise tax is imposed on purchasers of cannabis and cannabis products. Retailers are required to collect the excise tax from the purchaser and pay it to the cannabis distributor.

• A tax on the cultivation of cannabis that enters the commercial market is imposed on cultivators, who are required to pay the cultivation tax to either a distributor or manufacturer depending upon the nature of the transaction. The cultivation tax rates are $9.25 per dry weight ounce of cannabis flowers, and $2.75 per dry-weight ounce of cannabis leaves.

Individuals who operate a cannabis business that does not make taxable sales will need to obtain a certification letter from the CDTFA indicating that their business does not require a seller’s permit. The certification letter will be available through the CDTFA online registration system beginning November 20, 2017. Individuals may also sign up for CDTFA Cannabis ListServ notifications for the latest information on how to comply with the new laws related to cannabis businesses.

More information about the permits necessary to collect these new taxes is available in this special notice and in the Tax Guide for Cannabis Businesses.

Important Notice: Recent legislation created the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to administer the taxes and fees previously collected by the Board of Equalization, with the exception of Property Tax, Alcoholic Beverage Tax and Insurance Tax. Additional information concerning this recent change can be found at www.boe.ca.gov and at www.cdtfa.ca.gov. For more information on other taxes and fees in California, visit the California Tax Service Center.

Note: This news release may discuss complex tax laws and concepts. It may not address every situation, and is not considered written advice under Revenue and Taxation Code section 6596 or 55045. Changes in law or regulations may have occurred since the time this news release was written. If there is a conflict between the text of this news release and the law, decisions will be based upon the law and not this news release. For specific help, please contact the CDTFA at 1-800-400-7115.

On Friday, November 17th at 10am a ceremony will take place on the lawn surrounding the Memorial at Ventura County Government Center, inducting Chief Rigo Landeros into the Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The Memorial is open to the public.
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Fillmore Fire Chief Reguberto J. Landeros and Ventura County Federal Fire Firefighter/EMT Patrick S. Campbell will be honored at the 13th annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony on Friday, November 17, 2017, at 10 a.m. The event will take place on the lawn surrounding the memorial at the Ventura County Government Center, 800 S. Victoria Ave. The service is open to the public.

During the service, surviving family members will be given a folded flag to honor the fallen firefighters, and a bell will ring out as a symbol of the firefighter's last call. Reguberto “Rigo” Landeros’ childhood dream was to join the fire service. In 1982, he became a Ventura County Fire Department Reserve Firefighter. In 1994 he moved to the then all-Volunteer Fillmore Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter. Rigo worked his way up to Captain and his love and experience in the fire service was what ultimately named him Fire Chief in 2009. He is survived by his wife Laura, his children, Christina, Daniel, David and he had a special soft spot in his heart for his grandchildren Gabby and Mia. Patrick S. Campbell, 53, was a fearless firefighter with more than 33 years of service. He began as a firefighter in the air force and quickly developed a love for public service. He took special interest in the Hazardous Materials Program where he was proud to serve as a Hazmat Specialist. He passed away on November 13, 2016 from Cell Sarcoma Cancer and is survived by his wife Janet and his daughters Julie, Karen, Jessica, and Cynthia. The Ventura County Fallen Firefighters Memorial honors those who died in the line of duty from traumatic injury or job-related illness. Since 2004, the annual ceremony represents each of the eight fire agencies serving the county, including Ventura County, Oxnard, Ventura City, Federal Fire, Santa Paula, Fillmore, CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service.

For more information about the Ventura County Fallen Firefighters Memorial, visit www.vcfd.org/Fallen-Firefighter-Memorial

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Early Friday, morning around 2:00am two deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call near the 700 block of Main Street in Piru. Once on scene the 27-year-old male suspect became physical with the deputies and it took two additional deputies to arrest the suspect. 27–year-old Alfredo Orozco of Piru had two outstanding warrants and drug charges prior to his arrest. He was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, assault on police officers, two outstanding warrants and drug charges. The deputies were sent to the hospital to be treated for their injuries.

Believe it or not, but Thanksgiving is only a week away and that means the Fillmore Lions Club Christmas Parade is right around the corner. This year’s Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, December 2nd. Please note that this year’s parade will begin at 10:00 am, three hours earlier than previous years. As always, Santa will trade in his sleigh for the morning and make his special trip down Central Avenue aboard a Fillmore Fire Department fire truck. At the end of his ride, Santa will make his way to the depot to take photos with the kids, so make sure to bring your camera to take pictures.

The Christmas Parade is open to individuals, businesses, civic organizations, school bands, church groups, car clubs and equestrians. Just about any group or person who wants to celebrate the season with a “themed entry” is welcome and there is no cost to enter the parade. To be a part of the Christmas Parade, send an email to FillmoreChristmasParade@gmail.com and an application will be sent to you. For questions or additional information, please contact Lion Scott Lee at 524-1896.

Please remember that the parade route will be posted “No Parking” from 8:00 am to approximately 12:00 pm on the day of the parade on Central Avenue from Third Street to Santa Clara. Cooperation from residents is needed in order to keep vehicles off of the parade route during that time for the safety of parade participants and spectators.

Although the Fillmore Christmas Parade has a long standing tradition in Fillmore, it was in danger of being cancelled in 2001 when the parade lost its’ sponsor. The late Hank Carrillo suggested the Fillmore Lions Club assume the responsibility for the Christmas Parade as a service to the community and the Lions Club continue to sponsor the Parade in Hank Carrillo’s honor. Fillmore Lions wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and look forward to seeing you on December 2nd!

Bob Crum

In a previous column, I addressed issues involved with shooting the Headless Horseman. But capturing the image was just half of the challenge. There's something else equally important.

You've heard me harp ad nausea the importance of composition. But that “something else” I mentioned prompted my friend Wanda at the Gazette to suggest the grist for this column.

Outdoor Photography magazine often points to Ansel Adams when attempting to illustrate how to best photograph landscapes. In a 2014 issue: “Be a Modern Ansel Adams" the article lists top tips to create high-drama landscapes.

Ansel Adams was an accomplished musician, as well as arguably the greatest landscape photographer. Relating to music, he famously described a film negative as the score and the print as the performance. Key word: Print!

The article states: “In Adams' best-known photographs of the American landscape, one can't escape the sense of high drama he conveyed. He loved the great scenic vistas and tried to convey the emotion he felt in his photographs. No photograph could match the scene itself, but Adams worked hard to distill these places into two-dimensional (black & white) photographs.”

The article explores several compositional devices and technical tips for adding drama to landscape photographs. These techniques, the article explains, won't magically transform you into the reincarnation of Adams, but we'll give you some things to consider when trying to capture the essence of a grand scenic vista and translate it into a photograph.

The article totally overlooks the very important work that has to be done after the shutter button is pressed. Ansel Adams would not have ever achieved acclaim were it not for his masterful work in the “dark room”... the equivalent to present day digital post processing.

Given the rudimentary photographic gear of the day, there was only so much the camera could accomplish. Inherent problems led Adams, with Fred Archer, to devise a photographic technique - the Zone system - for determining optimal film exposure and development. A topic for another day.

Because good light is important for capturing photos, Adams was known to spend days in the wilderness. Back home, his 'magic' was performed in the darkroom. Once in the darkroom, he worked tirelessly creating prints. Dodging and burning are darkroom techniques used to bring in shadow details and calm the highlights. Adams mastered the techniques to an art form. Nevertheless, it was not unusual for Adams to spend hours and waste several sheets of photographic paper before the “perfect” print was made. You see, besides being an accomplished photographer, Adams was a master printer. His prints made him famous!

Although digital photography eliminates the smelly chemicals, the work is similar. But instead of pouring chemicals, I pour a glass of Merlot and perform photo post processing and editing on a computer with powerful software programs. Adobe's Lightroom has ably replaced the darkroom. I forgo jpegs and instead capture in RAW mode. Bland images straight out of the camera, they beg to be creatively massaged. Point being: Good photos are made, not taken by simply pressing the shutter button.

This week's photo was an 'extra' event of last weekend's S.T.E.A.M. festival. Rare is the opportunity to capture two great machines of yesteryear - a Stearman bi-plane (with a wing walker) and a steam engine - in one photo! Hooya! The major issue was timing due to the plane obviously flying faster than the lollygagging steam engine. The plane almost flew out of the frame while I waited for a blast of steam from the Baldwin locomotive. Ahhh... the exhilaration of photographic challenges!

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

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that David Hernandez (DOB 3/29/74), of Santa Paula, pled guilty to first-degree murder and admitted using a gun in the commission of the crime.

On July 23, 2014, Hernandez shot and killed Hector Alamillo as the two sat in a living room at a residence in Santa Paula. Hernandez then fled the residence and drove to the city of Palmdale, where he hid for several days. Hernandez was tracked by law enforcement and ultimately arrested at a motel in Ventura on July 30, 2014.

Sentencing is set for January 12, 2017, at 10:45 a.m. in courtroom 13 of the Ventura Superior Court, County of Ventura. Hernandez will be sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison.

On October 21, 2017, Fillmore Patrol Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Jose Castillo for vehicle code violations. During the traffic stop, deputies discovered two operational “zip guns,” including one that was loaded. A “zip gun” is a home-made firearm crudely constructed with miscellaneous parts. These types of firearms are extremely dangerous due to their lack of safety mechanisms and standard firearm parts such as a trigger. Zip guns can also be easily concealed or smuggled into restricted areas. A search of the vehicle also yielded methamphetamine and an unregistered shotgun.

Jose Castillo and his passenger, Gabriel Pavich, were arrested for narcotics and weapon charges. Pavich is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing any firearms. Castillo is being held in Ventura County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail and Pavich was released on a bail bond.

Prior to Pavich’s release, detectives seized an illegal rifle from Pavich’s home in the City of Fillmore.

On the morning of October 28, 2017, members of the Sheriff’s Gang Unit and the Camarillo Special Enforcement Detail executed a search warrant at Castillo’s residences in the City of Oxnard. An illegal AR-15 assault rifle, two illegal gun silencers, and evidence of illegal firearm manufacturing were located and seized.

Investigators believe that Castillo and Pavich may have manufactured or sold other illegal and dangerous firearms. Anyone with further information regarding this investigation or any gang and illegal firearm information is encouraged to contact Detective Erik Hernandez at 805-654-2856.

Nature of Incident: Illegal Firearms Manufacturing Arrest
Report Number: RB# 17-160989
Location: B Street at Second Street, Fillmore
Date & Time: October 21, 2017 4:30 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Station Deputies/ Sheriff’s Gang Unit /
Camarillo Special Enforcement Detail
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S) Castillo, Jose
(S) Pavich, Gabriel
Prepared by:
Det. Erik Hernandez #4533
Approved by: Captain Todd Inglis

At Tuesday night’s school board meeting Fillmore Unified School District Board of Trustees representative Scott Beylick recognized Martha Hernandez for her years of service to Fillmore Unified and public education.

Retirement Recognition: Martha Hernandez
The Fillmore Unified School District Board of Trustees recognized Martha Hernandez for her years of service to Fillmore Unified and public education. Mrs. Hernandez retired on November 1, 2017 and received recognition by the Board of Trustees as well as a special performance by Fillmore High School’s Mariachi Los Rayos. Congratulations to Martha Hernandez and best wishes on a well deserved retirement.

California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) Spring 2017 Results
The Board received a report regarding the CAASPP Spring 2017 results. Information was presented by Assistant Superintendent, Micheline Miglis.

Start Dates for 2018-2019 School Year
The Board received information on the proposed start dates for 2018-2019 academic year. Information was presented by Director of Human Resources, Todd Schieferle. No action on this item “Information/Discussion” only.

Public Hearing on Initial Proposal from California School Employees Association Chapter #421
The Board held a public hearing on initial proposal from the California School Employees Association.

Approve Resolution No. 17-18-08 Authorizing the Filing of Application Documents Under the State School Facility Program
The Board approved resolution No. 17-18-08 to authorize the filing of application documents under the state school facility program.

Approve Resolutions No. 17-18-09 and 17-18-09 in support of Career Technical Education Facilities Programs Projects and Filing of Sector Applications
The Board approved resolutions No. 17-18-09 and 17-18-10 in support of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Transportation sector applications.

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