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By Jan Lee
The Fillmore Flower Show is just around the corner, April 9th & 10th, 2022 at the Active Adult Center, 533 Santa Clara Street. Plan to enter something and attend during public viewing from 1:00p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The beautiful blooms, dish gardens, plants, music, cafe and plant boutique are well worth the effort. Admission is FREE! You can buy a ticket to enter a silent auction with prizes donated by local businesses. This year there will be an activities table for children.

The divisions for adults to enter are listed on the website: fillmoreflowershow.org. There is a $5 fee to enter no matter how many entries you have. The judges will select the top representation of each category. Bring your entry to the Center between 7:30a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 9th.

While Youth are allowed to enter any division and be judged with the adults, there are a few divisions especially for Youth who reside within the boundaries of the Fillmore Unified School District beginning at age 3. Division IX—Youth Arrangements. This is a flower display, limited to 20” X 20” to be arranged at the show without adult help. Arrangement should reflect the theme of the show, “100 Years Celebrating Flowers”. Division X— Youth Composition. An original poem or short essay on a single page with or without illustration on the theme of the flower show. Division XI— Youth Art (Non-Competitive) Original artwork reflecting the flower show theme.

Think of all the celebrations in your life where flowers play a significant role: birthdays, Valentine’s Day, weddings, graduation, love, promotions, baby born, etc. Isn’t it time to celebrate the flowers that always bring joy to the special moments in our lives? Come on you creative people! Let’s see how you can join the fun by sharing the beauty of your garden with your neighbors. We are counting on all of you to make this the best show ever!

See you at the Fillmore Flower Show.

Maypole at the Grammar School circa 1912.
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Wanda Haynes & Sumner Padelford.
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Judy Dunst.
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1973 Flower Show in the Memorial Building.
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Joanne King & Laurie Hopkins in 1986.
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2016 Flower Show Co-Chairs Joanne King & Linda Nunes.
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Dish Garden Prize Winner by Carmen Zermeno at the 100th anniversary in 2017.
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By Susan Hopkins

Fillmore gardens and hillsides consistently explode with blossoms in the spring. For over one hundred years the people of Fillmore have shown their delight in this floral bounty by putting on a flower show. The show has gone through a variety of forms reflecting what was going on in the community and the broader world. The location changed and the themes changed. The 100th year for this event took place in 2014. It has been held nearly every one of those 100 years and was only paused from 1939 to 1945 due to the world war and during a period when there was a lack of leadership due to the age of its membership. In 1987 it was canceled because of a freeze, and most recently in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With great delight our local gardeners look forward to the reemergence of the 2022 Flower Show this month.

Newspaper clippings from 1913 describe a contest amongst the local elementary schools. “A framed print of George Washington was to be awarded to the school with the best display of wild flowers at the annual May Day festival. The picture was awarded to San Cayetano School in 1913.” (The first San Cayetano School, not the San Cayetano School that we know today.) It later went to Fillmore Grammar School and Sespe Elementary. The Washington print is now on display in the Fillmore Historical Museum. The early shows were held on May Day and featured a May Pole Dance and relay races for children.

Based on records kept by the Garden Club and clippings from the newspaper it appears that the first formal show was in 1919. In May of 1922 flowers were abundant again “One (part) of the May Day celebration that commanded universal admiration…..was the beautiful Floral Exhibit at the high school grounds. This was staged in one corner of the cement paved tennis court.” In 1937 the flower show was held in the building that would later become Briggs’ Hardware. Pictures show rows of flowers in tall vases lining the walls from front to back.

In 1928 the Fillmore Spring Flower Festival was held in early May. It was held under “the joint auspices of the Veterans’ Service Club, the Fillmore Merchants’ Association, and the Chamber of Commerce……to inject zest and enthusiasm into the social and business intercourse of the community.” It was a full day of activities beginning at 10:00 AM with the show open for public viewing. In the afternoon there were children’s sports and a baseball game. In the evening there was a program at the high school and flowers exhibited were auctioned off with the proceeds going to the sick relief fund of the service club. This took place just weeks before the 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster.

After WW II, sponsored by the Fillmore Garden Club, the Flower Show grew and was moved to the Veterans’ Memorial Building. Dahlias were the specialty of the first show. Through the years a wide variety of flowers has been shown such as dahlias, camellias, lilies, and of course roses. At times certain flowers were banned. One year it was sunflowers and another times it was morning glories and bleeding hearts. There were silver bowl trophies for adults and cash prizes for school children. In 1972 visitors voted for best arrangement and a special Judges’ award was given to the Fillmore Insectary for its display on beneficial insects. Each year at the conclusion of the Flower Show, prizes are awarded and the winners of raffles and silent auctions are announced. There is great anticipation waiting to hear which entry won the coveted Best of Show Award.

Through the 1970s the Fillmore Garden Club sponsored the Flower Show providing the planning and man power to keep it going. The tables, vases, display shelves, and extra ribbons always found a safe home in the barns of local ranchers. The King and King Ranch has made storage room for all of the Garden Show necessities for years. The Garden Club also held plant sales, auctions, and asked for donations to fund the show. Annual costs continue to rise but admission for viewing the show is always free. Lately there has been a five dollar entry fee for adult exhibitors. Youths residing within the Fillmore Unified School District boundaries may exhibit for free.

In 1982 the club held a theme contest among local students and chose the winner from 50 selections. The chosen theme “Holiday with Flowers” was the winning entry. During the yearly event many citizens assist as host and hostesses, local musicians provide entertainment, refreshments are provided, and generous members donate plants for a plant sale. A 1982 news story highlighted what a community affair the show was by noting that the Fillmore Future Farmers Chamber of Commerce, and Jaycees would assist with physical work of setting up display tables and hanging plant stands as well as taking it down at the end of the show. In addition, the Chamber of Commerce had generously donated monetary help to assist with expenses of the show. Local businesses and organizations regularly and enthusiastically supported the show with donations and prizes for the silent auction. This still is happening today.

Following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the city started the Vision 2020 project to provide improvements and beautification. At the outset the community was polled to gather ideas for what citizens would like the city of Fillmore to be like in 2020. At that time several committees were formed including the Civic Pride Committee. It began working on projects around the city that included the Garden of the Month awards for beautiful landscaping, the care of the downtown planters and flower pots, and the sponsorship of the Flower Show. Linda Nunes the chairperson contacted Conway Spitler, Wilma Allen, and Joanne King about restarting the flower show. In 2009 after an 11 year break the revived Fillmore Flower Show began.

An appeal to the community asked for help with a search for lost equipment and signs. To create interest in the show workshops on flower arranging and rose pruning were held in various locations for youth and at community meetings. The show was held in the Senior Center on Santa Clara Street. Judges Sue Diller and Barbara Scheider from the Ventura county fair share their expertise and say that the Fillmore Flower Show is their favorite. In 2014 the Flower Show celebrated its 100th year with the usual gorgeous display of flowers and the theme “100 Years of Flowers.” Many arrangements reflected the theme with vintage vases, photos, and old fashion blooms. Hostesses even wore vintage outfits in a nod to the special year.

In 2020 the Active Adult Center was reserved, the judges were contacted, brochures were printed and the committee had many of the plans in place for the next show. Unfortunately, Covid 19 had other plans and the Flower Show was canceled in both in 2020 and 2021. 2022 sees the Civic Pride Committee back in action and actively planning on an even better show with the theme “Farie Tales and Flowers” on April 9th and 10th. With this year’s early rains there should be an abundance of spectacular blooms to delight everyone.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Sheriff Bill Ayub has released the 2021 crime statistics for all areas served by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. The report shows a 5% overall increase in Part I crimes, as defined by the Uniform Crime Reporting statistics of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In 2021, the number of incidents involving violent crimeincreased 3%. Property crimes increased 5%, while residential burglaries showed a decrease of 10%. Changes in crime trends became evident throughout the year, and some could be attributed to our communities transitioning out of the pandemic. During the pandemic, we saw some of our crime statistics sharply decline due in part to more people being home and many businesses having reduced activities. In 2021, our crime statistics began a return to pre-pandemic levels while remaining at historic lows.

“Suppressing crime requires continuous vigilance, adaptive strategies, and a strong relationship with the public we serve,” said Sheriff Bill Ayub. “Steady increases in organized thieves entering our county from surrounding areas to commit catalytic converter thefts, organized retail theft, and commercial burglaries have driven the increase in reported property crimes. We remain committed to continuously adjusting our approach to address and defeat emerging crime trends.”

The UCR report can be found here: https://s29762.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sheriff-Year-End-UCR-2... Each geographical area in Ventura County is unique, and crime trends vary from city to city.

Nature of Incident: Sheriff releases 2021 crime statistics
Prepared by: Captain Cameron Henderson
Approved by: Sheriff Bill Ayub

Central and Main Streets circa 1970s.
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Central and Main Streets today.
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Church of Religious Science circa 1972, which was founded by Reverend Mildred Hinckley, and was located on River Street in Fillmore.
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Article from the Fillmore Herald March 16th 1972 reading “The Junior Girl Scouts point to their interesting window display in the Patterson Hardware store window to celebrate Girl Scout Week. From left are Shanna KcKeown, Troop 115; Lori Elkins, Troop 523; Shanna KcKeown, Troop 115 and Donna Viscioni. Donna’s father was the artist and sign maker for this project. (Herald Photo).
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This article was compiled by Rachel Fernandez who attends California State University Channel Islands and is interning at the Fillmore Historical Museum.

Although times have changed, some things never change and history does tend to repeat itself. We see below what was happening in the city of Fillmore 50 and 100 years ago in March of 1922 and March of 1972 and can then make our own comparisons to the world and city of Fillmore today in March of 2022.

50 Years Ago - March 1972:
On March 9, 1972, it was reported that tropical weather and lack of rain was hurting farmers. The temperature was a record-breaking 90 degrees. Fruit was also growing smaller than usual due to the lack of rain. This particular month of March was known as the seventh driest March in a span of 67 years.

March 12, 1972 marked the beginning of Girl Scout Week. This week paid homage to the first troops which started in Savannah, Georgia in 1912. The Girl Scouts had very fun activities planned during the week which included Girl Scout Sunday, Homemaking Day, Citizenship Day, Health and Safety Day, International Friendship Day, Day for Arts, as well as Out of Doors Day. Some of the girls listed were Kenny McKeown, Lori Elkins, Shanna McKeown, and Donna Viscioni.

It was published in the paper on March 16th, 1972 that Jeanine Richie Boon and Vernal Williams were the first couple to get married in the Church of Religious Science. The church was newly built at the time, founded by Reverend Mildred Hinckley and designed by Elmer Devore. The church was located on River Street. The congregation no longer exists today since its closure in the early 2000’s, but the building is now a preschool and child care center.

100 Years Ago - March 1922:
On March 3, 1922 there was a search for the unknown killer of Adolfo Escota. However, a suspect was named which was Luiz Cabral, who was never charged. Escota was said to have owed Cabral a sum of money. On March 10, 1922 there was another killing reported in which the victim was named Charles Atencio. The killer at the time had escaped but on April 7, 1922, he was identified and sentenced. His name was Augustine Cabral, whom we could find no relation to Luiz Cabral. However, he only pleaded guilty to one of the murders, that of Atencio. His attorney was named James Holingsworth.

100 years ago, there was an ongoing pandemic: the “Spanish” Influenza. By March of 1922 the influenza was nearing its end. Originally beginning in 1918, the cases reported in 1922 were mostly mild cases and far less than in 1918. At the time there were only a thousand cases reported in all of California. The influenza finally came to an end later in the year of 1922. One of the more known names in Fillmore who succumbed to the influenza was Vinnie Hinckley, daughter of Dr. J.P. Hinckley. She was only fifteen.

The prohibition era hit Ventura County before the 1920’s. As early as 1903, anti-saloon ordinances were being passed. On March 17, 1922 it was published that Colonel Dan Morgan Smith made an address in Fillmore. Col. Morgan Smith was known for being the commander of the Battalion of Death in WWI. Colonel Morgan Smith led his battalion in France and went into battle with 1120 men and came out with only 327 men. Although he was known for leading the Battalion of Death, he gave an address in Fillmore about prohibition under the auspices of the Anti-Saloon League and advocated for the approval of the Wright Bill which was a bill that would determine the fate of prohibition in California.

Almost 50,000 years ago, a meteor struck what is now known today as Winslow, Arizona. In the year 1903, miners began to try and locate the main body of that meteor. Local Fillmore men were a part of the crew trying to locate the body of it. These men included Ross Buckman, Isaac Wammock and his son, as well as Leslie Carter. Fragments of the main body were found at a depth of 1000 feet. This crater is still to this day one of the most well-preserved meteor craters in the world.

City Council discussed Ordinance 22-937 to prohibit accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units in very high fire hazards zones. Above is a map of Fillmore highlighting the high fire hazard severity zone, which was shown at last night’s meeting.
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7.A PUPLIC HEARING: CONSIDERATION OF ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT 22-01, ORDINANCE 22-937, TO PROHIBIT ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND JUNIOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS IN THE VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD ZONE AND FINDING OF EXEMPTION FROM CEQA Vote - Approved, 3-0. (MEMBER MARK AUSTIN AND MAYOR PRO TEM LYNN EDMONDS NEEDED TO RECUSE THEMSELVES SINCE THEY LIVE IN AREA)

7.B AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE ONE PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE VEHICLE.
Vote: 5-0 Approved.

7.C 3 YEAR LEASE WITH MENDOCINO RAILWAY FOR THE RAILROAD “TICKET BOOTH” BUILDING.
Vote: 5-0 Approved.

City Council discussed Ordinance 22-937 to prohibit accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units in very high fire hazards zones. Above is a map of Fillmore highlighting the high fire hazard severity zone, which was shown at last night’s meeting.