Student of the Year
Isabella Palazuelos, Fillmore High School
Fillmore HS Principal, John Wilber, shared: “Isabella is the number one ranked student in the Fillmore High School Class of 2020 with a cumulative 4.51 Grade Point Average and is the first Fillmore High School National Merit Scholar in memory. This is quite incredible when you take into account Isabella's involvement in school activities and sports. Isabella does not merely participate in her sports and activities, but she is a leader and an exceptional performer in all that she does. Finally, her peers and the staff at Fillmore High School respect Isabella as a student of the highest integrity.”

Teacher of the Year
Marsha Sisolak
Marsha is a First Grade Teacher at Rio Vista Elementary, and has been an educator for 44 years. She has taught in Fillmore Unified schools for 34 of the 44 years. For the majority of her career, she taught kindergarten, however she has also educated second graders, worked as a district Instructional Coach, and is currently a first grade teacher.
Mrs. Sisolak is an innovative teacher and consistently goes the extra mile for her students. From designing creative learning opportunities that engage the entire class to using technology in a meaningful way in the classroom, Mrs. Sisolak guides her students to achieve their best each day.

Administrator of the Year
Beverly Garnica
Beverly Garnica is the proud principal of Rio Vista Elementary School. She has demonstrated outstanding leadership in her role as the Principal and achieved success in creating a student focused school community. She is a leader committed to student success and increased positive outcomes for her staff. Through her leadership, the campus created a “Kindness Initiative” involving all employees and students. Prior to becoming a Principal, Beverly has served with distinction as a Middle School Assistant Principal, and accomplished classroom teacher.

Classified Employee of the Year
Amelia Dominguez
Amelia provides inspired service as the Office Manager for FUSD Preschool. She can be trusted to the right thing for children in all situations. Amelia takes full ownership and responsibility for numerous daily clerical and office-related duties to ensure the smooth and efficient operations of all Preschools across the District. Her co-workers describe her as fair, knowledgeable, informed, steady, and possessing outstanding organizational and communication skills. Parents are grateful for her efficient, personable and respectful demeanor.

Norman Landond Morey’s wife Ada Stone Morey
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Elbert “Al” Morey, circa 1935
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Elbert Morey at 4 months
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Al Morey with his model Trains
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Display at the museum
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

On July 16, 1901, Norman Landond Morey married Ada Mae Stone. Ada Mae was the youngest child of Joseph and Mahala Stone and had been born and raised in the Sespe area. Ada was 22 and Norman was 29. Norman was the son of Robert Herman Morey and his first wife. R. H., as he was known, came to California about the same time the Stones did, shortly after the discovery of gold. It’s not clear when he first came to the Santa Clara Valley, but the early 1870s found him in Southern California. According to a family story, he transported mail and about 1872, he and his partner were running a buckboard through the Cajon Pass where they ran afoul of some natives. The partner fled the scene, but R. H. was captured, and the Indians slit his throat. They left him for dead. Several hours later, the partner returned to the scene unharmed. He realized that despite having had his throat cut wide, Morey remained alive. The partner gathered up a burlap sack and a large needle used for sewing such sacks. Using the burlap material, he was able to crudely sew up the gaping neck wound, thereby saving Morey’s life.

Eventually, R. H. Morey and his second wife, Julia, settled first in Bardsdale and later farmed in the Sespe where they had two daughters, Maud and Myra. When R. H. died in 1922, his obituary said he was “a highly resident of this section, and numbered among the pioneers of California”. Julia lived with her daughter, Myra Morey Houtz in Monterey Park until her death.

After serving as an Army private in the Spanish American War, Norman went to work in the oil fields which were spreading throughout California. He worked both in the Los Angeles basin and in Kern County. Ada and Norman’s only child, Elbert “Al” Morey was born in 1902 on Central Avenue. By 1920 they were living on Saratoga Street. Norman spent a great deal of time away from home, especially in Kern County. It was there in 1932 that he suffered a sudden heart attack and died.

Ada lived until 1955, although her obituary was confined to her home for the last 25 years of her life and bedridden for the last 10. One thing we do know about Ada is that she did fine needlework. The Museum as several pillow tops she made. One unusual one was made of ‘Tobacco Silks”. They weren’t really silk, but were printed on satin. Coupons or “gift slips” that could be sent in for actual silks were available in packs of expensive brands of cigarettes or small cigars from about 1912 to 1915. Ada made very good use of them!

Al Morey followed his father into the oil industry, working at age 17 for Standard Oil. For more than 40 years, Al worked in the oil drilling industry, laying pipline all over our area. Like his uncles, Nate and Al Stone, Al was an avid hunter and fisherman in the Sespe. After his grandmother, Mahala Stone’s death, Al and his wife Beulah, nee Gregory, moved to the house on Mountain View.

Al passed away in 1983, the last of the local Stone/Morey line.

Al Morey’s legacy though continues. His avocation was trains. As a child, he and his father would ride the train to Los Angeles where they would fill locals’ grocery orders at Ralph’s market and deliver them upon their return. He was fascinated by the toy trains that would be in department store windows at Christmas time. Model trains became a hobby that he shared with others. Many who grew up in Fillmore in the 50s and 60s have told of visiting his home to see his trains. Boy and Cub Scout groups were regular visitors. You can see some of his trains on display in the Southern Pacific Depot at the Fillmore Historical Museum.

Bob Crum

Shelter in place! Stay home! Arrrrgh. I need relief if only for a few hours! I camouflaged my truck and in stealth mode drove up to the Antelope Valley. Resistance photographing a grand poppy bloom is futile.

I've been photographing the Antelope Valley poppies for years. Some years several fields are so full of California poppies it looks like someone painted the earth a bright orange. But it changes year to year.

One year, poppies filled field A. The following year, nothing or very few flowers in A. A quarter-mile south, field B that had none last year is full of flowers. Even the bloom at the Poppy Reserve varies significantly from year to year. Rainfall? Temperature variations? Sun flares? Nature!

Weather and timing are crucial for a successful poppy photo shoot. Poppy tapered buds open into flowers with four satiny petals. A behavior called nyctinasty causes the flowers to close on cold nights and cloudy or windy days, opening the following morning again, weather permitting.

One theory is that they do it by "pumping water out of the flowers, a clever case of wilting," says landscapeofus.com. But without meteorological sensors, how does the plant know what to do and when to do it? Hmmm.

The shooting window is often narrow. Arrive too early on a chilly morning and you'll find poppies closed, only opening as the sun warms them. Like the precision of a train schedule, the winds gradually increase speed at about 2 p.m. and the flowers begin their closing ritual. I made all photos with a polarizing filter on the lens primarily to reduce petal glare, not necessarily for color enhancement. Enhanced color saturation not needed.

Driving south on one of the main roads, I saw a large area of orange to my right. I turned onto a dirt road and soon turned into a small clearing in the field. I was instantly awash in a sea of gorgeous orange flowers all around me. Never have I seen such intense orange! Even the foliage was a healthier blue/green color. And the plants here much larger than usual.

With awe and adoration, I sat down on the earth dampened by recent rain. Photographing the scene can wait. Looking out over the field of beautiful flowers, my mind, as it always wants to do, automatically began to describe a poppy. Foolish mind! Such splendor best fully apprehended without useless, meaningless words.

Philosophically speaking, intellectual descriptions are mere concepts, not the essence of the flower. As I continued to gaze upon the glorious scene, my mind eventually became pleasantly silent. Without effort and eyes open, I meditated. An indescribable peace comes with intuiting that my life source and that of the flowers is of the one Consciousness (God if you prefer). I know not how long I remained in this meditative state; the concept of time becomes irrelevant. Eventually, back in the manifest world of presumed reality, I enjoyed profound tranquility. I stood up, raised my camera and made a few photos of the splendor. Wonderful it would be if the camera could capture the true essence of the gorgeous flowers.

Photoing the poppies is always satisfying. However, because of my now limited mobility, it was frustrating this year. Even with a portable oxygen concentrator backpack, I couldn't wander freely for the preferred composition. I had to shoot from my truck most of the day -- roll down the window -- shoot -- roll up the window -- drive to the next area.

C'est la vie.

Hopefully the photo of the week, in some measure, illustrates the majesty of nature. Happy photoing!

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

On Thursday, April 16th at approximately 2:50pm Daniel Arriola Carreno, 22 of Fillmore, was riding his 2017 Harley Davidson motorcycle east bound on Sycamore Drive approaching Seventh Street. For unknown reasons he drove onto the north shoulder of westbound Sycamore Drive and crashed into a utility pole. Carreno was ejected from the motorcycle, and sustained major injuries according to authorities, who pronounced him dead at the scene. He was wearing a helmet. The accident was reported by a passerby who had not witnessed the initial crash. Authorities are still investigating the incident and ask for any witnesses to please contact the Ventura CHP office at 805-662-2640.

Diagram of what the new fields are going to look like.
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Fillmore Middle School Baseball / Soccer Field Improvements

• Fillmore Unified School District has begun construction on the Fillmore Middle School (FMS) Baseball / Soccer Field Improvements project

• This project is funded by Measure V, the school bond passed by the residents of Fillmore and Piru in the 2016 election

Fillmore Unified School District is excited to announce that construction has begun on the FMS Baseball / Soccer Field Improvements project. This project will include a baseball diamond, a soccer field and a walking path surrounding the field. Primary use for this field is for Fillmore Middle School students during the instructional day for physical education classes and recreation.

The baseball diamond will be the home field of the Fillmore High School Junior Varsity team. Facilities will include a backstop, dugouts, bullpen and bleachers. Soccer fields will allow additional practice space for boys and girls soccer teams. The walking path will be available for community use when school is not in session and at times when the field is not required for student teams.

The Fillmore Unified School District Board of Trustees awarded the project to Ardalan Construction of Thousand Oaks, with a bid amount of $1,598,000, at the regular board meeting held on February 4, 2020. The project involves the removal of the topsoil, installation of subterranean irrigation, and building the new facilities. District Superintendent Dr. Adrian Palazuelos stated, “The improvements to the Fillmore Middle School field are aligned to the district Long-Range Facilities Master Plan approved by the Board of Trustees in April 2016. Upon completion, the FMS Baseball/Soccer Field project addresses long-standing issues with the irrigation system and field surface at the campus. Our desire is that the improvements will provide our district community with another space for recreation and play.” We anticipate that this project will be completed in August 2020.

The City of Fillmore first contracted law enforcement services with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in 1987. They have two patrol offices on 24-hour duty. The station is also responsible for serving about 450 square miles of unincorporated area in the Santa Clara Valley, including the unincorporated communities of Piru, Bardsdale, Rancho Sespe, Santa Paula and Upper Ojai.

The report shows both violent and property crimes decreased from 175 in 2018 to 147 in 2019, a 16% overall decrease. Violent crimes decreased by 49%, from 39 in 2018 to 20 in 2019. (Included robbery, rape, homicide and aggravated assault)
Rapes fell from seven in 2018 to five in 2019. No homicides in 2019, compared to one in 2018.

Robberies dropped from seven to three. Aggravated assaults fell to 12 in 2019, from 24 in 2018. Assault is categorized by type of weapon used. In 2019, six assaults included hands, fists or feet, one involved a knife, two involved firearms, and three involved a different method.

Four property crimes were reported, including burglary, theft (larceny) vehicle theft and arson.

Vehicle theft dropped from 14 to 10, and 24 burglaries were reported in 2019 compared to 27 in 2018. Thefts dropped to 89 from nine, the majority classified as petty thefts with property worth $950 or less. Property crimes declined from 136 in 2018 to 127 in 2019.

The City’s crime rate was 9.23 incidents (violent and property crime) for every 1,000 residents in 2019.

Overall, Fillmore continues to statistically be one of the safest cities in Ventura County.