PIRU, CA - Anticipated storm flows from Pacific storm Lucifer are being anticipated to trigger whitewater access opportunities for portage over the Santa Felicia Dam at Lake Piru to lower Piru Creek. Pursuant to the terms of United Water Conservation District’s (District) license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the operation of Santa Felicia Dam, whitewater boating access on Piru Creek below Santa Felicia Dam is available when at least 200 cubic feet per second (cfs) is released from the dam. Primarily, flows of 200 cfs or greater typically occur during the District's water conservation releases. These releases occur in most years and are conducted over a period of several weeks in the early fall. Due to drought conditions, however, the District has not conducted a conservation release since 2012 and, as a result, has not been able to provide recreational whitewater opportunities.

With Lucifer predicted to make landfall Friday, February 17, the powerful storm is likely to trigger flows of 200 cfs or greater. It is likely that the amount of rain combined with rising storm flows will trigger the District’s migration release, intended to provide natural migration flows for the endangered Southern California Steelhead which may attempt to migrate up the Santa Clara River from the ocean during such storm events. In the event of a migration release, the District is required to provide whitewater boating opportunities, which will be limited to portaging over the dam on Saturdays and Sundays, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., and only when the rate of release is above 200 cubic feet per second (cfs). Access will not be permitted without a reservation, which must be made at least 24 hours in advance of the requested portaging. This anticipated whitewater access opportunity is expected to last through at least Monday, February 20.

For details, please check the District’s website for updates on releases from Santa Felicia Dam (www.unitedwater.org). For current flow conditions in lower Piru Creek and on the Santa Clara River, check the US Geological Survey's website for USGS gauging station below Santa Felicia Dam.

For additional information of whitewater boating on lower Piru Creek, please refer to the American Whitewater webpage. To make reservations for whitewater boating, please contact the Lake Piru Park Service staff at (805) 320-3990 or (805) 625-4897

Froggy submitting his opponent with a Rear Naked Choke.

Jose "Froggy" Estrada fought George Hernandez (4-3 record) last Thursday February 16th at the Burbank Convention Center. Froggy said "I was there to make a statement and I did. A Couple of punches were in the exchange before putting me against the cage, which is where I was able to use my Wrestling techniques. I was in danger for a split second. I was caught in a Kimora arm lock, and had scrambled to get out.” Froggy was able to get on top of his opponent, hit him a few times until he turned around and gave up his back. Froggy won the fight 2 minutes and 9 seconds into the first round, declared submission victory, by Rear Naked Choke. Froggy now stands with a 3-0 undefeated record. Stay tuned on Azteca TV and UFC fight pass to watch more of Froggy’s fights.

Joshua Sandoval and Jonas Duran

Written By Valerie Sandoval

Last Saturday two locally grown teens were involved in a cause much bigger than their time on Buena Highschool baseball field. They were involved with raising money for the fight against Childhood Cancer. To conclude their fundraising efforts they along with over 60 other players including all their coaches Shaved their heads in support of all those children that have and will fight this horrible battle against children's cancer. During this event two local teens Joshua Sandoval 16 year old junior and Jonas Duran also a junior who both have lived in Fillmore Their whole lives, participated in this great event not only representing their school and baseball team but also representong their community and small town of Fillmore. Joshua also invited another local young man Phoenix , who is currently in remission, and has battled cancer since he was 10 months old to join in this celebration. Joshua had the honor of letting Phoenix make the first cuts of his newly shaved head. It was a day this baseball team will never forget and a wonderful way to bring awareness to childhood cancer. Showing others that amongst the negativity in our world there are young people out there doing great things that are bigger than just themselves.

Credit to the boys coach Matt Villegas who also has family from Fillmore for teaching these boys to be great on and off the field.

Bob Crum

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Video by Bob Crum.

This week I planned to discuss lenses and mirrorless cameras. But recent happenings – a storm and a photo - dictate a detour. C'est la vie.

It was late Friday afternoon. Rain finally let up somewhat. I went to the Old Telegraph road bridge over the Sespe Creek overflow. Oh my, I haven't seen Sespe Creek flowing like this in years! Of course I shot several photos. One is... surprise... the Photo of the Week.

I emailed it to an out-of-town photography friend. Just trying to be helpful, she sent it back re-edited with reasons why I should consider her suggestions. A lively discussion ensued.

Paraphrasing some of her points: Too cloudy to display detail in the image, clouds, especially storm clouds will always be soft, not hard edges, noise removal will soften the clouds, the middle is never going to be as sharp as the foreground on a cloudy day, and the important part... where do you want the eyes to go... you do not want the eye to go all over the place which they will do if every detail is sharpened.

Nothing wrong with her suggestions, just different. You'll see that I processed the photo differently and explain the reasons why.

It was a gloomy and stormy day. Ominous clouds on the horizon. Rain poured forth in great quantities swelling Sespe Creek from bank to bank with a torrent of muddy water. The challenge: Portray the scene with a single photo! Hold that thought.

Normally it is a good idea to highlight a focal point. This time I didn't. From my perspective, no one item is more important than another except maybe the creek. It's mostly a scenic image. As such, I'd rather your eyes enjoy roaming over the entire image... taking it all in with glee.

Soft subtle storm clouds are not my style. In post processing (PP), I emphasized them to add character. Drama if you please. They're storm clouds - not cotton candy. Different interpretations of the same thing. Interesting.

For maximum depth of field (DOF) I selected f/11. I preferred that everything from foreground to the distant mountain be in focus. Instead of softening the middle to de-emphasize it as suggested, I added structure to the creek's ripples in the image center to emphasize the flowing water. Preferences rule.

ISO is the level of sensitivity of a camera to available light. ISO of 10,000 is very high but necessary due to rapidly decreasing light. Cameras generate undesirable noise, specks in the photo, at a high ISO. Opening the lens to it's widest aperture, f/3.5, would allow more light to enter the camera thus lower the ISO and noise but at the expense of decreasing the DOF. Not an option. Instead, I dealt with the noise in PP while preserving a reasonable amount of detail. Different ways to deal with an issue.

I polished the image by adding a little contrast and increased the exposure slightly (for publication purposes) while attempting to maintain the feeling of a gloomy, stormy afternoon. I like to think I succeeded.

This example illustrates that there are many ways of creating a photo. From camera settings to editing processes, creative opportunities abound. Tremendously stimulating! One reason why I'm so passionate about photography as well as delightfully addicted. Caution: It's contagious!

After last week's column, you rushed out and bought a 'real' camera... didn't you? Good! As a photographer, it's invaluable. Just sayin'.

Happy shooting.

Email comments, suggestions or questions to: bob@fillmoregazette.com

American Red Cross of Ventura County

During Red Cross Month in March, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to join in its lifesaving mission by giving blood.

Since 1943, every U.S. president has designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the Red Cross helps people across the country and around the world. Red Cross Month is a celebration of supporters, who are the face of the Red Cross in their communities and bring hope to people facing emergencies.

Blood donor Timothy Sheely knows the need firsthand. His wife required 12 units of blood during emergency surgery following the birth of their son. “If it had not been for blood donors, she might not have survived,” he said. “Thanks to generous blood donors, I still have a wife and my kids still have their mom. I can’t possibly thank those people in person, but I can give a little piece of me back with each donation for the greater good.”

The Red Cross depends on blood donor heroes across the nation to collect enough blood to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals nationwide. Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are needed to help those rely on blood products.

Make an appointment to become a hero to patients in need by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Ventura County

Simi Valley
3/2/2017: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Apollo High School, 3150 School Street
3/7/2017: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Simi Valley Hospital Adventist Health, 2975 N Sycamore Drive
3/10/2017: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Rancho Santa Suzanna Community Center, 5005-C Los Angeles Ave

Thousand Oaks
3/6/2017: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
3/8/2017: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
3/15/2017: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd

Ventura
3/9/2017: 8:15 a.m. - 2:15 p.m., Ventura High School, 2 North Catalina

How to help
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

By Coach Javier Alcaraz

On Wednesday Feb. 8th 2017 we played the last league vs. our school rival Santa Paula in a game that Fillmore had to win or tie to claim Tri-Valley League champs or if Santa Paula won we would share the title. Our boy's didn't want to share any title and got the job doNE by finishing 1-1 in a double overtime game. Senior J.J. Gonzalez score the only goal in the second half on a cross from Joel Garza to give Fillmore a 1-0 lead, but minutes after Santa Paula gets a goal on a deflection to tie the game. Goalkeeper Kevin Galvan had some amazing stops to give the Flashes the Tri-Valley League Chas title. Now we play this Friday at 5 here in Fillmore our first round of CIF game. Please come out and support your Fillmore Flashes Boy's soccer team as we make another run at another CIF title. GO BLUE!

Fillmore Chief of Police, Dave Wareham

A proclamation was offered to the Soroptimist Club of the Camino Real Region, at Tuesday's regular meeting, recognizing "Healthy Heart Month.

Public Works Supervisor David Smallwood provided an update on Fillmore's diminished drought conditions. Fillmore's ground water situation has greatly improved due to regular rains the town has experienced recently.

The city's three main wells are running without problems. Our wells usually average a depth of 300 feet. They are now producing at 170 feet due to recent rainy weather.

Fillmore resident Richard Torres asked the Council to alert Caltrans to the fact the traffic light at A Street and Highway 126 needs to be re-timed. Torres told the Council that the present timing does not allow pedestrians sufficient time to cross the street before the light turns red. The Council stated that it would ask Caltrans to investigate the alleged problem.

Two Fillmore residents spoke out against support of any kind for marijuana within the city limits. Reports stating that, for the first time, deaths from drug use have surpassed deaths caused by traffic accidents in the nation.

Fillmore Chief of Police, Dave Wareham, spoke to emphasize that the Ventura County Sheriff's Department is not, and has not, been targeting anyone for being an "illegal alien". He stated that the residents of Fillmore should feel safe at home. Wareham explained that recent raids in the city had nothing to do with any kind of immigration field work. The recent arrest of 3 persons was due to the fact that they were gang members with records for robbery, assault and other crimes. The arrests were of convicted criminals. Three guns were recovered.

Of 160 recent arrests made by the Sheriff's Department, 155 arrestees had previous criminal histories. One of the 3 arrestees in Fillmore was a MS13 gang member from El Salvador, one from Brazil with cocaine conviction, and an Australian with a child molestation record.

Bottom line: The Ventura County Sheriff's Department is not conducting immigration field work. So, we should all feel safe.

Despite strong opposition from Fillmore residents to any presence of marijuana in city limits, the Fillmore City Council is obligated to establish a fee for marijuana growing permits. Proposition 64 was recently passed and made recreational use of marijuana legal. Californian's are now permitted to grow up to 6 plants for their own use. The Council established the expense of growing permits to be $176. This cost is only established by determining the actual city's cost of administering marijuana cultivation within city limits, including such things as inspection, security, site plan, odor control, etc.

One resident insisted that the permit cost should be at least $1,000 considering the numerous control expenses. Permit costs cannot be arbitrary, by law.

The permit cost was approved by unanimous vote.

The Council approved the purchase of a new pickup truck and a wood chipper, for Public Works, to satisfy EPA requirements. The cost of $40,000 was settled through reallocation of funds. The vote was unanimous.

Fillmore Fire Chief Keith Gurrola asked for an application for a "FEMA Safer Grant" to hire additional fire department personnel. The request was also approved by unanimous vote.

On Tuesday, February 14th San Cayetano School was surprised with a donation of playground and PE Balls. The students and staff of San Cayetano School are very thankful for the donation. We want to give a big “shout out” to our wonderful Fillmore Fire Department and local Ventura County Sherriff’s department for their generous donation. We also thank School Board Member Scott Beylik and Chief Dave Wareham for coordinating the visit to San Cayetano School. Elementary school are always in need of new PE and Playground equipment making this a great Valentine’s Day Gift to our children.