District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Kenneth Douglas Griffin, Jr. (DOB 7/04/95), of Ventura, was sentenced to serve seven months in custody and placed on formal probation for three years for his role in causing a 2014 explosion at Santa Clara Waste Water Company (“SCWWC”) in Santa Paula, California. Numerous SCWWC employees as well as first responders were injured either by the initial explosion or by inhaling a toxic cloud of chlorine gas generated by the illegal disposal of hazardous chemicals that were present on site.

Griffin was an on-site supervisor at SCWWC at the time of the explosion. Griffin was involved in moving chemicals from the SCWWC facility to an off-site storage lot to impede enforcement efforts by the Ventura County Environmental Health Division. Griffin also failed to warn employees of a serious concealed danger at the plant, specifically, the presence of a hazardous material known as sodium chlorite. In addition, he failed to provide sufficient warning regarding chemicals that were mislabeled or entirely unlabeled at the SCWWC site.

Griffin is scheduled to begin serving his jail sentence on October 13, 2017. Griffin was also ordered to pay victim restitution in an amount to be determined upon further order of the court. Under terms and conditions of his formal grant of probation, Griffin is prohibited from being employed in any Supervisory capacity over employees handling hazardous materials for a period of three years. This case was jointly prosecuted by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s office.

Bob Crum

To summarize part one: All photos are subject to personal interpretation.

Recall that a photographer friend took issue with my recent Photo of the Week. She was brutal calling it hideous. No problem. Opinions and belly buttons... everybody's got one. She expressed her opinion. OK. It only hurts for a little while. I hope!

If you'll recall I had a plan... a vision. I waited for the right time. When it all came together I executed. Though I considered it a success, the story was not obvious to her. Maybe many others also missed what I attempted to portray in a photo. She may have a point. Photojournalism is not without challenges!

Consider a technically correct photo, in focus and correctly exposed. As such, the viewer should have but only one logical option: Like or dislike the subject or overall composition. An opinion! Does it matter?

When I cook, I cook to suit my taste. Would I add a spice that my taste buds dislike? I treat photography the same way. My way!

Several years ago I was photographing up on the Rocky Peak trail where I heard mermaids sometime frequent as a retreat from seaweed. The trail leads to a panoramic 2,715-foot summit on the border between Los Angeles and Ventura counties in the Santa Susana Mountains. The area is peppered with huge boulders.

A couple of years later, I was asked to give a photography presentation to a group of artistic types in Thousand Oaks. As I was showing the photo of a huge boulder and it's dark shadow one in the audience blurted: “Why did you take that photo, shadow ruins it.”

Such comments in a public setting might unnerve some. I smiled. It gave me the opportunity emphasize the subjective nature of photography. I explained to the objector that my photography is intended to please my harshest critic: Me! The photo – by design and intention – wonderfully illustrates the dynamic range between light and darkness. In essence, as an integral part of the boulder, the shadow exhibited it's own mysterious character.

Any photographer who remotely thinks about creating photos to please everybody is doomed to frustration. Is it any different regarding any form of art?

Another aspect of photography often overlooked is 'style'... a certain 'look'. As I say repeatedly, the camera merely collects data... I create the photo. Through the years I have developed a personal style that I apply universally. It starts with the camera but I don't do anything special or particular in-camera. My “style” is produced during post processing (PP).

My post processing is not conventional. Warning: Tech info ahead! The left and right walls pertain to the extremes of the histogram. A histogram is a graphical representation of the pixels exposed in the image. The left side (wall) represents dark areas while the right side (wall) represents the bright areas. Conventional rules dictate that the middle area represents correct exposure. Not my rule. Unless mood dictates otherwise, I generally push the exposure toward the right wall without clipping which is why my photos tend to be on the bright side. Have you noticed?

Again... it's all subjective. Simply what I prefer. Maybe you like it. Maybe you don't. Irrelevant because it's just photography! Whenever I'm asked to critique photos I first address apparent technical issues. Lacking any, I then only address composition if, in my opinion, a different perspective might tell the story better. Constructive notes only.

Hark! Autumn is now! Charge your camera batteries! Think about hillsides full of red and gold-colored leaves. Aaaaah. I'm planning day trips in search of random displays of gorgeous fall foliage. Anyone want to go? Failing to find such trees, I'll spray paint some. Tree- friendly paint of course.

The photo of the week is from my recent trip up to Gopher Glen Apple Farm in See Canyon. A favorite side road. But no Aspens.

Happy photoing.

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

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges Californians to get the influenza (flu) vaccine in September or October ahead of the arrival of influenza season.

In California, flu usually begins to increase in late November or December. It takes a couple of weeks after vaccination for the body to respond fully, so now is the time to get vaccinated to have the best protection before the flu season begins.

“Getting vaccinated is the best protection against flu illness,” said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “You can prevent missing work or school, visits to the doctor or hospitalizations, and protecting others from coming down with the flu.”

A person with flu may be contagious and infect others before they even feel sick.

For the second year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only recommend injectable flu vaccines. The nasal spray flu vaccine (live attenuated influenza vaccine or LAIV) is not recommended for use this season due to concerns about the effectiveness.

Each year, flu causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and, sometimes, thousands or tens of thousands of deaths in the United States.

To reduce this risk, CDPH recommends the annual flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older. While anyone can get flu, pregnant women, children under five, adults 65 years of age and older, and people with chronic conditions such as heart disease and asthma are particularly at risk for flu-related complications. Flu shots are needed every year to maintain the greatest protection because the vaccine changes each season to match the circulating viruses.

Common symptoms of the flu include fever or feeling feverish, a cough and/or sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, chills, fatigue and body aches. Children may also have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

To stop the spread of flu and other respiratory illnesses, you should also:
• Stay home while sick and limit contact with others
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your sleeve or disposable tissue
• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

CDPH encourages Californians to contact their health care provider, physician’s office, clinic or pharmacy about obtaining the flu vaccine. Some local health departments may also offer low- or no-cost flu immunizations.

For more information about the flu, visit CDPH’s website. For the flu vaccine location nearest you, visit www.flu.gov.
www.cdph.ca.gov

Rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to increase in California, according to new statistics from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). These diseases are reportable to the state and local health departments. The data are presented in CDPH’s 2016 STD Annual Report: a summary can also be found on CDPH’s website.

Over a quarter million cases of STDs were reported in 2016, a 40% increase compared to five years ago including, 198,503 cases of chlamydia, 64,677 of gonorrhea, and 11,222 of early syphilis. Particularly concerning to health officials, 207 cases of congenital syphilis were reported. If not caught early, syphilis during pregnancy can result in congenital syphilis leading to stillbirth or permanent, lifelong disabilities. Syphilis can also cause permanent loss of vision, hearing and other neurologic problems in adults. If left untreated, STDs can increase the risk of HIV infection and lead to lifelong reproductive health problems.

“The number of reported STDs in California is increasing at a concerning rate,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “This is the third year in a row that we have seen increases in chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.”

These three diseases can be prevented by consistent use of condoms, and they can be cured with antibiotics, so regular testing and treatment is very important, even for people who have no symptoms.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea rates are highest among people under age 30. Rates of chlamydia are highest among young women, whereas males account for the majority of syphilis and gonorrhea cases.

Regular screening for STDs is recommended for people who are sexually active. STD services also provide opportunities for further prevention of HIV through testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

“All Californians need to know how to protect themselves and their partners,” said Smith. “Getting tested regularly is one of the most important steps.” A directory of where to get tested can be found at this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage.

CDPH is collaborating with the California Department of Education and community groups to implement the newly enacted California Healthy Youth Act, which mandates comprehensive STD/HIV prevention education in schools. For more information, go to the CDPH Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Branch website.

www.cdph.ca.gov