The Fillmore Police Brotherhood is looking for anyone who has worked in the Fillmore Police Department between 1924 and 1987 (officer, reserve officer, dispatchers or matrons). We plan to recognize them on a plaque to be placed at Fillmore City Hall. Currently 93 people have been identified as working at the department and 203 members from agencies throughout Ventura County. (Highway Patrol, Sheriff, Santa Paula PD, Oxnard PD). If you know someone or are family of someone that meets the above qualifications please contact Paul Glanville at (805) 915-9572 or email at fpbrotherhood@aol.com. Leave a message with your contact information and we will get back to you. The dedication is scheduled at City Hall, July 20, 2019 at 11:00 AM, for the community to enjoy.

Submitted by Brian Wilson

Ernie Villegas, former Mayor and Fillmore City Council Member came to a recent Fillmore Lions Club meeting to talk about something called Destination Fillmore - Downtown Revitalization. Villegas is the Special Projects Manager for the city.

He said, “My focus is on establishing partnerships with service organizations, non-profits, businesses and the city, so we can become more successful on our events and projects. I truly believe, if we can organize our efforts we will be able to utilize ore of our community volunteers to make a profound difference, not to mention a true ownership for each individual.”

In a paper he handed out Villegas noted that it appears there has been a lack of coordination between organizations, the city and the public. As a result, there have been many lost opportunities to market, coordinate and manage some of the downtown events.

Destination Fillmore objectives include creating a vibrant downtown with a wide spectrum of community, cultural and civic activities that represent the character of the downtown and the local community.

Villegas is President of a new non-Profit group called Fillmore Association of Businesses (FAB).

Their stated Mission:
“We are an association of downtown business owners, managers and property owners working together to bring innovative ideas and events to promote a sustainable, energized, and creative environment for attracting, tourism, families, businesses and community members to Downtown Fillmore now and in the future. Business retention, expansion, and attraction are keys to our success.”

The FAB Vision Statement:
“We strive to be community champions to promote and support downtown Fillmore in ways that will encourage the balance of growth, prosperity and culture while maintaining business and historical significance that attract all ages of people to a vibrant Fillmore downtown destination.”

Bob Crum

The previous column prompted a few to write: How do you train a honey bee? Arrrgh. Why do readers insist that I divulge training secrets? It took me years to develop the training techniques. Nevertheless, I did respond with this important tip: A dollop of honey gets sweet results.

Another question from Ralph H.: How do you come up with the variety for photos of the week? Ralph, from street photography to landscapes, an abundance of photo ops exist in and around Fillmore. So many I get giddy! For example, returning from Ventura recently, on Old Telegraph Road, as I approached Sespe Creek a photo op virtually jumped into my camera beside me--a prime opportunity to tell a story with a photo. I stopped, programmed my camera and made the photo. Remember my previous discussion about developing a photographer's eye? See subject – think photo!

Horses at the nearby Equestrian Center make interesting subjects. Visit the Ventura Harbor and you'll find a gazillion photo ops from ships to harbor seals to California gulls and mermaids. Gulls are so much fun to photograph. For a challenge, try capturing gulls in flight. Good practice for airshow photography. Pelicans are another favorite. I have never visited Ventura Harbor and been disappointed. Cross the street and more photo ops await you at the beach. Remember a previous photo of the week of an angler at sunset with waves crashing on the breakwater?

Drive a few minutes south to the Channel Islands Harbor for another gazillion photo ops. Or instead head north a little and visit either Hobson or Faria county parks for both seascapes and wildlife. Faria county RV park is an excellent place to capture sunset photos, particularly at low tide. The shore-lined rocks make an interesting foreground. I made some interesting images there this past Sunday when low tide was at 4:13 pm. Perfect timing. Remember, to capture a blue-ribbon photo you have to show up!

Perhaps the bigger issue is not so much about what to photograph but getting out of the recliner to go out and shoot. Recall Issac Newton's Laws of Motion: "A body at rest will remain at rest (especially in a recliner), and a body in motion will remain in motion unless it is acted upon by an external force." This generally means that things cannot start, stop, or change direction all by themselves. It takes some force, inertia, acting on them. BTW, super_inertia.com sells six-packs of inertia for $8.98. Good stuff!

Perhaps it's not so much about what to shoot, but a lack of requisite inspiration. Oh, this thought hurts. I hoped that after 106 Photos of the Week, I sufficiently motivated you to jump out of that recliner, grab the camera (cell phone if that's your camera) and go photograph something. Caution: Because a body in motion tends to stay in motion remember to take breaks and stay hydrated.

You don't have to travel far for interesting photo ops. I shot the Photo of the Week nearby: another example of photojournalism, telling a story with a photo. The story is about the young and adults all enjoying Sespe Creek flowing from recent rains. Remember splashing in puddles as a youngster?

Think about developing your photographic eye by spending just three hours one day a week photographing whatever suits your fancy or catches your eye. Practice reaps rewards. Furthermore, and more importantly, practicing photography is an extremely gratifying creative experience. And more satisfying than pickling ice cream. Trust me!

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

Joshua Tree National Park will temporarily close effective 8 am on Thursday, January 10, to allow park staff to address sanitation, safety, and resource protection issues in the park that have arisen during the lapse in appropriations. Park officials plan to restore accessibility to the park in addition to limited basic services in the coming days.

Park officials are identifying the additional staff and resources needed to address immediate maintenance and sanitation issues and will utilize funds from the park fees to address those issues per the recently updated National Park Service contingency plan during a lapse in appropriations.

While the vast majority of those who visit Joshua Tree National Park do so in a responsible manner, there have been incidents of new roads being created by motorists and the destruction of Joshua trees in recent days that have precipitated the closure. Law enforcement rangers will continue to patrol the park and enforce the closure until park staff completes the necessary cleanup and park protection measures.

The communities near Joshua Tree National Park have provided significant assistance and support to the park, and park officials hope to restore visitor access to the park as quickly as possible to mitigate any negative impact to the local economy.