As Ventura County’s regional transportation planner and bus operator, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) is monitoring COVID-19 closely and staying in contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Ventura County Office of Emergency Services and other local transit providers. Currently, VCTC Intercity buses are running as usual while VCTC takes steps to reduce health risks for the community.

“Currently, our service is not affected by the coronavirus; however, should changing circumstances require us to adjust or cancel service, we will provide timely and detailed information via email, our website, and social media. We are monitoring the situation closely, along with the community of transit operators across Ventura County,” said Darren Kettle, VCTC executive director.

The following are highlights of the hygiene protocols we have implemented across VCTC Intercity Transit services:

Enhancing cleaning: VCTC has increased frequency of cleaning on fleets and at ticket sales office to multiple times a day, including with every shift change. VCTC utilizes recommended disinfectants to wipe down surfaces and equipment, with specific emphasis on high touch points.

Increasing supplies of antibacterial products: VCTC has increased available supplies to staff and drivers, such as antibacterial hand-sanitizer wipes, and made them available throughout employee workspaces.

Reinforcing good hygiene practices: We are sharing with employees and passengers the best ways to prevent communicable diseases, as well as implementing social distancing techniques, when possible. Training and other materials are distributed throughout our operations and will be revisited regularly by staff.

VCTC also shares the following CDC-recommended tips for riders to keep themselves and the community healthy:

Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
When sneezing and coughing, use tissues, promptly dispose of them and immediately wash your hands.
If you are feeling ill, please stay home until feeling better.
Practice social distancing by staying six feet from anyone who appears sick and selecting a bus seat far from other riders when possible.

For more information on COVID-19, please visit cdc.gov, and for local emergency planning information go to vcemergency.com.

About the Ventura County Transportation Commission

The Ventura County Transportation Commission is the regional transportation planning agency committed to keeping Ventura County moving. Program information is available at goventura.org.

The Fillmore Community Awards Committee is proud to announce Fillmore & Western Railway Company as the 2019 Business of the Year!

After learning about being selected Business of The Year, Josh Carsman, Fillmore & Western’s Marketing & Events Director said, “We are very grateful to be chosen Business of the Year by the Fillmore Community Awards Committee. Thank you!”

Josh went on to say, “With regards to the future of Fillmore & Western Railway. I'm optimistic that all parties involved can come to the table to reach a future sustainable long-term agreement that is beneficial to each. Whatever I can do to increase & expose the value that this railroad brings to the Heritage Valley & beyond I will. Its preservation plays an important role to Ventura County. Especially with driving tourism & economic development to the cities it connects. Each city has such a great agricultural history. Each has something special to offer. It's quite magical when we can all come together and do great things. People from other cities & counties even begin to notice. And thus begins the tides of change. Full steam ahead! We are extremely thankful for the community support & recognition we have received. Your local support is a critical part of the process & we hope to continue serving this community.”

Fillmore & Western Railway Company (Short Line Enterprises) was founded in 1967. Between 1967 & 1972, the company bought, sold and traded locomotives, passenger cars and freight cars. The majority of the equipment was acquired from the property departments of 3 major movie studios: MGM, Paramount & 20th Century Fox.

In 1996, Short Line Enterprises became the film division of the Fillmore & Western Railway Company. Operations expanded from movie work and limited passenger trips to year round Weekend Scenic adventures, Murder Mystery Comedy Lunch & Dinner trains, Holiday trains, Special Event trains, Steam train rides, School trains & privately chartered group trains. The antique trains of Fillmore & Western rolled into the 21st century. They remain highly involved in the magic of movie making, while the company's unique excursions provide the means of travel to a bygone era.

Fillmore & Western supports partnering with neighboring cities when possible and thanks all those who support preserving the railroad for years to come. They thank the local community and hope to remain in Ventura County. Visit Fillmore & Western’s website at FWRY.com and "Like" them on Facebook.

The Community Awards will take place on Saturday, April 11, 6:00pm – 8:00pm at the Fillmore-Piru Memorial Building. More information to follow.

Presentation by Ma’ayn Johnson, A/CP, Housing and Land-use Planner, explained developments in Ventura County, historically and at the present time. Emphasis on the “housing crisis”, regional and state-wide, needs assessment, was discussed.

8-D - Council discussed and approved contract in the amount of $18,000 for the 2020 Fourth of July community fireworks show to be provided by ExpoShows, Inc. Fillmore.

A presentation by Ma'ayn Johnson, A/CP, Housing and Land-use Planner, explained developments in Ventura County, historically and at the present time. Emphasis on the "housing crisis", regional and state-wide needs assessment, was discussed.

A presentation was given to remind the Council of future Red Cross Month. Action will be taken at a later date.
8- A- City Council discussed amending the City’s contract with Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. to have Mariposa handle citywide irrigation services.

Considering the need for assistance with irrigation, staff has negotiated with Mariposa to have Mariposa perform irrigation services on a citywide basis, as previously advertised, in amount not to exceed $6,910/month or $82,920 annually. This amount will furnish a full-time irrigation specialist to the City, and at a very competitive rate.

Motion was approved, as recommended, to approve an amendment to the Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. contract in the amount of $82,290 per year and appropriate funds totaling $12,418.15 for FY19/20 general fund supported landscape irrigation maintenance areas.

8-B - Staff requested City Council receive report on proposed additions and updates to the Schedule of Fees and Charges for City Services; conduct a public hearing to obtain comments concerning the additions and/or changes; and consider adopting Resolution 20-3750 to add a credit card processing fee, certain parks and recreation fees, and add fire inspection fees under Building and Safety, update and/or add various filming fees, increase the planning deposit amounts for various planning activities plus restate some of the fees previously established and set forth in the City’s Schedule of Fees and Charges.

Request was continued to 3-24-2020

8-C - Discussion regarding establishing a commercial and industrial vacancy registration program and fee.
Vacant storefronts can be found in almost every area in Fillmore. Part of this problem is often due to the per square foot rents that are charged for commercial space, which can be financially prohibitive for some small businesses. As a result, commercial spaces remain vacant, creating a financial and economic impact on our community.

The impact of vacant storefronts not only degrades the character of Fillmore but creates visual blight and negatively affects the desirability of new businesses locating in an area, which in turn affects City tax revenues. Vacant commercial spaces also often attract undesirable behavior, and cause economic disruptions, whose externalized impacts are felt by surrounding neighbors, businesses, and ultimately the City, which must expend considerable resources addressing such impacts.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

A narcotics investigation led to the arrest of two men and two women on March 4, 2020, for drug related violations including maintaining a place for selling or using controlled substances.

Between June 1, 2019 and February 26, 2020, Eddie Posadas and his acquaintances have been arrested by Fillmore patrol deputies for numerous drug related offenses at Posadas’ Fillmore residence. Detectives conducted an investigation and were able to confirm Posadas was involved in the sales of methamphetamine. Detectives were able to gather enough evidence to obtain a search warrant from the Superior Court in Ventura County for Posadas’ residence located in the 600 Block of Lemon Way in the city of Fillmore.

On March 4, 2020, detectives executed the search warrant at Posadas’ residence. Posadas, Xochitl Cervantes, Maria Negrete, and Mario Correa were all contacted as Posadas’ residence and were arrested for drug related violations. During the search, a small quantity of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia was found inside Posadas’ residence.

Based on the investigation, Posadas was booked into the Main Jail for a felony violation of HS 11366 – Maintaining Place for Selling or Using Controlled Substances and misdemeanor violations of HS 11377(a) – Possession of a Controlled Substance, HS 11550(a) – Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance, and HS 11364(a) – Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office elected to file the previously mentioned charges and Posadas remains in custody with his bail set at $25,000.

The Narcotics Street Team is comprised of Narcotic Detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and the Oxnard Police Department.

Nature of Incident: Narcotics Arrests
Report Number: RB# 20-32233
Location: 600 Block of Lemon Way, Fillmore
Date & Time: 03/04/20 @ 1:30 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Services, Fillmore Detectives, and Ventura County
Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Street Team
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S) Xochitl Cervantes, 24, Fillmore
(S) Eddie Posadas, 30, Fillmore
(S) Maria Negrete, 48, Fillmore
(S) Mario Correa, 55, Fillmore
Prepared by: Detective Shawn Pewsey #3867
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

On Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 22:27 hours, a fatal traffic collision occurred on Old Telegraph Road, west of Seventh Street, involving a vehicle, which struck a pedestrian.

Joseph Anthony Ramirez, age 20 from Fillmore, was driving a 2007 Toyota traveling eastbound Old Telegraph Road, west of Seventh Street. For reasons that are still under investigation, a female pedestrian was walking within the eastbound lane of Old Telegraph Road, west of Seventh Street, directly in front of the Toyota. The front end of the Toyota struck the female pedestrian, which caused the female pedestrian to be thrown onto the westbound lane of Old Telegraph Road.

After the collision, Ramirez came to a stop and remained on scene. The female pedestrian sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene at 2248 hours by fire department personnel. The pedestrian has yet to be identified. The Ventura County coroner's office will be handling next of kin notification. Joseph Anthony Ramirez did not sustain any injuries as a result of the collision.

Eastbound and westbound lanes of Old Telegraph Road were closed for on-scene investigation. The lanes were re-opened to traffic on 03/05/2020 at approximately 0200 hours.

The collision is still under investigation. Anyone who witnessed or has information regarding the collision should contact the Ventura Area CHP office at (805) 662-2640.

Investigating Officer: S. Gonzalez

Head Coach Charlie Weis

Fillmore High School is pleased to welcome Charlie Weis as the Flashes Head Varsity Football Coach. As part of his responsibilities, Coach Weis will also teach as a member of the FHS Special Education staff. He brings an impressive list of professional skills and experience. Since 2014 at Moorpark High School, Coach Weis served as a Specialized Academic Instruction teacher and Football Coach in various capacities. Working with the football team, he served as a Varsity Wide Receivers and Tight Ends coach for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 seasons. Starting in 2017, Coach Weis took over as the JV Offensive Coordinator, then, JV Head coach, while continuing to assist on the Varsity staff through the 2019 season. Coach Weis will undoubtedly be a great fit for the Flashes football program. During his time in Moorpark, Coach Weis was also recognized as the Teacher-of-the-Year for 2017. Additionally, he served as Department Chair for 2 years, Future Business Leaders of America Advisor for 5 years, an Academic Decathlon Coach and Advisor for 4 years, and the Speech and Debate Coach and Advisor for 2 years.

Coach Charlie Weis has deep roots in the Fillmore community. Though raised in Moorpark, he originally resided in Fillmore when his parents, Chuck and Diane Weis, both worked as educators in the Fillmore Unified School District. Returning to his roots, Coach Weis currently resides here in Fillmore with wife Kellsie McLain-Weis, FUSD’s Coordinator of Curriculum, Assessment, and Technology. He is now part of the Fillmore staff and will be a tremendous asset to the instructional teams, sports programs, and community at large.

Bob Crum

Understandably, I received many emails asking: Why did you become ill? I don't know why, but I know how because I witnessed it in a dream. It began with the arrival of the Quadpulse Interplanetary SUV from the planet Hephaestus in the 5th galaxy of the constellation Triangulum Australe. Reverse thrusters roaring, the ship stopped abruptly and hovered over my bedroom. The metallic-looking Kenzyke wearing green-tinted diaphanous attire suddenly appeared at my bedside. With the precision of a Kia car-factory robot, it promptly injected a pathogen (pneumonia) into my arm and vanished. A small welt remains, umm, wait, it's a pimple. (Excerpts from the science-fiction book I'm writing: Kenzyke Irruption, Dreams Manifested.)

Print value redux. Recall that I recently exalted photographic prints citing digital-photography-school.com's blog. Paraphrasing, there is joy in taking photos and viewing them digitally. However, a photo that isn’t printed is like a script that is never performed or a musical composition that is never played. There's value in the digital photo, just as there is value in a script or musical composition but the real value is the print itself.

Paraphrasing photographer Huntington Witherill: “The electronic image could no more replace a fine photographic print than a synthesizer could replace a violin!”

Popular photography concludes: "A good, framed photo hanging on your wall is worth 50,000 shots sitting in the cloud doing nothing. They can remind you of your friends and family members, great times, and who you used to be in the good ol’ days, while digital photos just bit-rot away on a hard drive." That's very potent!

Paraphrasing photographer Christopher Burkett: “The fine print is much more than a mere reproduction of an image. It is the culmination of the inspiration and vision of the photographer. In its highest form, the fine print can be a transparent vehicle, boldly communicating with whispers and suggestions of worlds previously unseen and unknown. No other form of the image can convey as powerfully the subtleties, the presence and the luminosity which exists in the fine print.”

Not everyone agrees. I received emails from several phonetographers who insist that in this digital age making prints is a waste of money. Good point! I wouldn't waste money printing anything like a lot of the shoot-to-delete crap-shots I see on social media. When you make a print, you are making an art object. Has anyone tried hanging a jpeg digital file on their living room wall? Touché!

Last Sunday, friends camping at Faria Beach County Park invited me over for BBQ. The Fillmore sky looked promising for a glorious sunset, so of course I took my camera and Daryl Benson reverse graduated filters.

The reverse grads are darkest in the center, clear on the bottom and transition from dark to light above the horizon, ideal for sunsets and sunrises. Typically, these scenes feature a bright horizon, dark foreground and medium-bright sky above the horizon. Placing the darkest density on the horizon line will reduce the sun's brightness, lighten the foreground through the clear portion of the filter and add a subtle gradation of brightness to the sky — all in a single exposure.

With two 0.6 reverse ND grad filters in the Lee filter holder mounted on the lens, I was ready. However, with a two-thousand-foot thick cloud bank sitting on the horizon, the prospect of a spectacular sunset doomed. (sigh) However, spirits buoyed with the delightful sandpipers appearing as did Scarlet, a portly potbellied pig, the Queen of Faria Beach. Happy photoing!

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