The Fillmore Fire Department in conjunction with the Fillmore Fire Foundation is kicking off the annual Holiday Toy Drive this week. Collection drop off boxes for new toys are available at the Fillmore Police and Fire Stations. As part of the Toy Drive, on Sunday December 8th, the Fire Department will be holding the annual Chicken Dinner Fundraiser to collect new toys and/or generate funds that are used to purchase hundreds of toys for children in the Fillmore/Piru area. A complete chicken dinner meal is prepared for anyone wanting to donate an unwrapped toy or who wishes to donate monetarily to the fundraiser. The dinner will be held at the Fillmore City Fire Station, 711 Landeros Lane. Dinner will be served from 5-7 PM. Meals may be eaten at the Fire Station or take out orders will be available. The hundreds of toys received from this event will be combined with those that are donated by the Community and then distributed the following week on Saturday December 14, in a huge Community Holiday Giveaway event.

This year’s annual Fillmore Community Holiday Giveaway will be held Saturday December 14th from 9 AM – 12 PM at the Fillmore City Fire Station, 711 Landeros Lane. This is the annual event where holiday commodities are given to the children who reside within the Fillmore Unified School District boundaries. Each child will have a picture taken with Santa Claus. They will also receive a new toy and reading book, a new coat and socks, holiday bags of groceries will also be available as well as a limited number of Christmas trees. Cotton candy, popcorn and candy canes will be distributed. The children and their families will be able to visit with First Responders and learn safety tips.

Annual sponsors of the event include our local Fillmore Police and Fire Departments, Santa Clara Valley Legal Aid, The Latshaw Foundation, One Step A La Vez, Soroptimist International of Fillmore, Saint Francis of Assisi Church, Fillmore Future Farmers of America, Sespe 4-H, Rotary International of Fillmore, Fillmore Lions Club, Ventura County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, Fillmore Citizen’s Patrol, Fillmore Search and Rescue, The Fillmore Fire Foundation and numerous other generous personal and business donors.

If you would like to help donate to the Fillmore Community Holiday Giveaway, you may give new toys, coats, books, socks or canned food; drop boxes are located at the Fillmore Police Station and at the Fillmore City Fire Station. Cash donations are gladly accepted, checks may be made out to “The Fillmore Fire Foundation” with a notation of “Holiday Giveaway”. Donations may be mailed to Fillmore Fire Foundation” PO Box 331, Fillmore , CA 93016 or for drop off, please contact Scott Beylik (805) 732-1101 or Keith Gurrola (805) 558-0932.

Bob Crum

What could go wrong? (You'll see!) I have a Tripp Lite step transformer plugged into the 120-volt outlet because the voltage dips to 115 volts when I turned on the A/C or microwave. Bad condition for sensitive computer electronics. The transformer takes the reduced voltage and boosts it to 120 volts. I also have a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) plugged into the step-up transformer. The UPS provides run-time to power down the computer properly when electricity is abruptly stopped. Especially important when shooting mermaid boudoir photography. But I digress.

Along came the Santa Ana breeze, the wind sufficiently strong to blow over a D9 bulldozer. To prevent the ferocious winds from possibly downing power lines and igniting a wildfire, SoCal Edison switched off power to many customers. I was one of them. As I sat without electricity for eternity (34 hours), I mentally envisioned going back in time, way back to 1889. Journey back with me.

It was 3:30 p.m., and I had just left a bar in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I quenched a bit of dusty trail thirst with a couple swigs of white lightning. Upon my trusty horse, Brandy, I rode back out to where I parked the horse-drawn ATTW (All Terrain Trail Wagon). Because the bar was out of beef jerky, I needed to hunt for supper out in this hinterland. With my 30-30 carbine, I began the hunt. Elk steak would be nice. I'd better be lucky because I had only one round of ammo until I get to Sedona, AZ. About 100 yards off, a rabbit darted out from under the brush. My aim was good. Back at the wagon, I prepared a campfire. While the rabbit was roasting, I fed and watered Brandy.

The late afternoon sun was painting the sky with gorgeous hues of lavender and crimson. I grabbed my faithful Eastman Interchangeable View (EIV) camera that I bought in 1888 at Miss Daisy's mercantile in Dallas, TX.

I bought the pricey 5 X 8 model EIV camera. Without a lens and shutter, the smallest model costs $26. The largest one had a price tag of $100, without lens and shutter. My 5x8 model cost: Camera, case and one holder, $34, a Beck Autograph Rectilinear lens $35, Laverne between the lens shutter $30, 2 extra plate holders $3.20, tripod $3.50, black cloth $1, and a $3.25 roll of film. Complete deluxe outfit cost $109.95 paid for with poker winnings back in Kansas City.

Back to the present day, imagine living back in that period. Having lived entirely off the land for a week in Florida's Big Cypress preserve, perhaps I could go back to that time and ably survive. But I wouldn't go back without my Canon 7D MKII camera. I could handle beef jerky for breakfast and roasted rabbit for supper, but I'm done with the Eastman Interchangeable View camera! Especially the painfully slow 100 exposure roll of ASA 10 film. Snails crawl faster!

Electricity finally restored but not without problems. The equipment survived, but for unknown reasons, several of the computer programs got discombobulated. And I was in the middle of a huge editing project. I had to download and reinstall photo editing programs. That was routine. Downloading and reinstalling the plugins was painful. It was a frustrating couple of weeks getting everything working properly. To date, getting the computer 100% remains a work in progress and I'm running out of Tequila.

Warning: Black Friday is coming. Save $ on the camera of your dreams! Here's a resource link: http://tinyurl.com/slgpz37.
Send comments, suggestions or questions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net

The giant old Packing House building sits quietly in the center of Fillmore, across from the fire station. Traffic hustles on A Street and Landeros Lane, going to school and work. Now and then, fire engines race off to save somebody. Students walk by on the sidewalk. Nobody even looks at the old building, it's just part of the background. It's there, and has been there, for more than 100 years.

But underneath the building is a giant basement, extending the entire length and width of the building, with a giant hallway that runs down the middle, big enough that trucks can drive in and out for loading and unloading. From outside, it all looks quiet. But down below, surrounded by thick concrete, things are happening. Machines are running. Craftsmen are hunched over their benches. Things are being made. It's another working day in the Secret Underground Laboratory.

Today, with special permission, I'm inside, in the basement. It's cool and dark, and I'm venturing deep down the long hallway, rows of compartments and rooms on both sides. Some are being used for storage, some are empty, and some are walled off into private workshops. I find a wooden wall with the sound of a table saw behind it. Built into the wall is an odd Dutch-style door. Odder yet, the Dutch-style door has a pair of miniature doors built into it with a string hanging down. I imagined pulling the string would trigger some kind of puppet play. I learned pulling the string rings a bell that signals a guest has arrived.

I'm visiting the shop of John Galbraith, Master Carpenter and Furniture Maker. John is a tall, strong man with silver hair and weathered hands. He builds custom wood projects of many kinds – special display furniture for commercial stores, complex home office shelving units, parts for boats – and he's always booked with clients. His shop is crowded, full of tools and workbenches, and parts of jobs in progress – teak boards, walnut panels, hand carved trim pieces – the smell of fine sawdust fills the air.

John is full of stories, speaking in many voices with a quick wit. A real character. John has studied acting in the past and still occasionally does small parts for fun. He was born in Ireland, lived in England, and then spent most of his adult years in Toronto, working as a contractor and carpenter. In 1968, John drummed in a blues band with Geddy Lee, who went on to become the front man for the rock band Rush. John moved to the Los Angeles area in 2012 and worked as a contractor out of his garage.

In Los Angeles, John met David Storrs, and did a few contracting jobs for him. David had just bought the Fillmore Packing House building and invited John to ride up and see it, and explained how he wanted to turn the building into a center for small craftsman shops. David suggested John set up a workshop here, and become one of the early tenants. At that time, the only tenant was Steve Butcher, upstairs, restoring Airstream trailers. John put together a quick shop in the basement, and started working from there. As other Craftsman tenants moved in, he moved down the hall to his current spot, and built it up nicely. He's been in his current shop for six years.

John lives in Los Angeles and serves clients all around the city; but his workshop is here in Fillmore. This is where he builds his projects and does the real work, quietly, underground. He's an example of how Craftsman businesses can operate in a small city like Fillmore. He's one of the Secret Underground Craftsmen.

Unfortunately, in August of this year, the City of Fillmore red-tagged the building and locked everyone out of their shops for 5 days. Since then, The City has kept the building yellow-tagged and limited everyone’s access to their shops. The hour and day restrictions have made getting work done difficult for everyone, and people are leaving, including John.

Although John is leaving Fillmore, he is available for hire and hopes to have many excuses to come back to visit the many friends he’s made here in town. You can contact John via his website at www.johnbgalbraith.com

8. D - PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ISSUANCE OF REVENUE BONDS ISSUED BY THE CALIFORNIA MUNICIPAL FINANCE AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT OF $53,000,000 FOR THE ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION OF 77 UNIT MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNITS LOCATED AT 210-220 SANTA CLARA STREET

It is recommended and approved that the City Council:1) Conduct the public hearing under the requirements of TEFRA and Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”); and2) Adopt the resolution approving the issuance of the Bonds by the CMFA for the benefit of the Developer, or its subsidiary or affiliate, to provide for the financing of the Project. This resolution is solely for the purposes of satisfying the requirements of TEFRA, the Code and the California Government Code Section 6500, et seq.

8. A The City Council received and approved contract status report regarding citywide landscape and tree maintenance services and provided direction to address the need for landscape irrigation system repair and maintenance. A contract amendment with Mariposa to add irrigation system maintenance into the base contract was discussed and approved.

8. B. City Council approved the Agreement for Construction of Development Improvements with Packing House Opportunity Fund, LLC, a California limited liability corporation (“Developer”) to ensure the timely construction of improvements to the existing building at 341 A Street (“Building”).

Although the City does not take shutting a business down lightly, after years of delays and lack of follow through on needed repairs by the owner of the Property, on August 15, 2019 the City issued a “red tag” on the Building pursuant to the California Building Code. With the red tag in place the Building could not be occupied until the unsafe conditions were corrected and the City authorizes limited entry. The red tag was issued because the Building was an unsafe structure for occupancy and being used or occupied without a certificate of occupancy. The two most significant conditions posing a danger to the people working in the building, which danger the City takes seriously, included the i) lack of required means of egress (exits), including non-complying exit stairways and exit doors; and ii) lack of required occupancy separation walls between tenant and/or separate occupancy spaces.

None of the current businesses within the Building, including the owner, have business licenses. As part of the process to bring the Building into compliance with all applicable codes the owner and tenants will be required to obtain and maintain business licenses, which will result in the payment of nominal fees to the City. Moreover, once the Improvements have been constructed, the Developer may rent additional space in the Building to new tenants, subject to compliance with applicable City regulations.

8.C. ADOPT RESOLUTION 19- 3740 AUTHORIZING APPLICATION FOR AND RECEIPT OF SENATE BILL 2 (SB 2) PLANNING GRANTS PROGRAM FUNDS.

City Council took the following actions: A. Determined that the consideration of Resolution No. 19-3740 is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to Section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines; and Approved Resolution No. 19-3740 authorizing staff to submit an application for grant funding from the SB 2 Planning Grants Program.

8.E. Council Adopted the Human Resources Administrative Assistant (Confidential) job description.

Timothy Fulp, 70 of Sun Valley

A Sun Valley man was arrested in connection with the theft of lawfully grown hemp plants and now faces multiple drug related charges.

In the early morning hours of 11/08/19, deputies responded to a theft that just occurred in the 4000 block of E. Telegraph Road. A security guard who was hired to monitor a hemp farm observed a male subject holding a large bag. The guard ordered the subject to stop, but he refused and fled on foot. Suspecting there may be an accomplice, the guard checked the area further and found a second subject lying in the field among marijuana plants. This suspect was identified as Timothy Fulp. Deputies discovered multiple trash bags filled with recently cut hemp plants. They also located hedge clippers that appeared to be used to cut the crop and methamphetamine on the ground. During a search of Fulp, deputies also recovered drug paraphernalia. The second suspect was not captured. Fulp told deputies that he believed the hemp he was stealing was marijuana that contained THC, which is the key ingredient in the psychoactive drug.

Fulp was arrested for the following charges; 487 (a) PC- grand theft, 182 (a)(1) PC- conspiracy, 11377 (a) HS- possession of a controlled substance, 11364 (a) HS- possession of drug paraphernalia and 11550 (a) HS- being under the influence of a controlled substance. Fulp is currently in custody pending arraignment on 11/13/19, his bail is set at $50,000.00

The hemp plants that are grown in the region have an extremely low percentage of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and are grown primarily for industrial purposes. The plants may look and smell the same as marijuana with higher levels of THC but the due to the hemp plants low THC levels, it is difficult to experience the intoxicating effects as non-industrial marijuana.

Nature of Incident: Theft of Lawfully Grown Hemp Plants
Report Number: 19-175370
Location: 4000 E. Telegraph Road, Piru
Date & Time: 11/08/19 2:00 am
Unit(s) Responsible: West County Patrol Services
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S) Timothy Fulp, 70 of Sun Valley
Prepared by: Sergeant Vince Alvarez
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Two teenagers were arrested in connection with a vandalism spree that occurred throughout the City of Fillmore.

On 10/19/19, a sergeant from the Fillmore Police Department observed two suspicious subjects walking near the intersection of First Street and Old Telegraph Road. The sergeant attempted to contact the individuals, but they immediately ran. Deputies gave chase and followed the subjects to a nearby residence. Deputies were able to make contact with the occupants of the home. While doing so, they identified Roman Rodriguez-Landeros and Anthony Tapia as the subjects who ran. During the investigation, deputies noticed that both teenagers had fresh paint on their hands. Deputies learned that Tapia and Rodriguez- Landeros spray painted property in the area with graffiti. Deputies were able to establish probable cause to arrest them for misdemeanor vandalism. They were cited and released on a promise to appear citation.

Later that day, deputies discovered a large amount of graffiti throughout the City of Fillmore. The graffiti was similar to the markings discovered earlier in the morning. The Fillmore Investigative Unit conducted follow up and linked Tapia and Rodriguez-Landeros to the additional graffiti. The vandalism exceeded the criteria for felony vandalism. Detectives authored search warrants for Tapia and Rodriguez-Landeros’ residences in Fillmore and Newbury Park. Upon service of the warrants, investigators collected additional evidence that linked the suspects in the crime spree.

Tapia and Rodriguez-Landeros were arrested for the additional charges of conspiring to commit felony vandalism. Rodriguez-Landeros posted bail and is currently out of custody pending his court hearing. Tapis remained is currently in custody and has a court hearing on 11/12/19, his bail is set at $20,000.

Nature of Incident: Graffiti Vandals Arrested
Report Number: 19-164596
Location: City of Fillmore
Date & Time: 10/19/19 2:30 am
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Services/ Investigations Unit
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent, City of Residence, Age
S-1 Roman Rodriguez-Landeros, Newbury Park, 19
S-2 Anthony Tapia, Fillmore, 18
Prepared by: Sergeant Vince Alvarez
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Courtesy Safety for Citizens
10:07pm on Monday night, November 11, CHP, Ventura County Fire Department and AMR paramedics responded to a vehicle crash on Grimes Canyon Road in Bardsdale between Fillmore and Moorpark.
The crash was described as a semi truck rollover. There was an initial report the driver may have been trapped, however the driver was reported to be out by the time the first fire engine arrived, according to radio traffic.
The location of the crash on Grimes was reported to be a blind corner, according to CHP. CHP said there were initial reports traffic had been coming in hot around the corner. All lanes were said to be blocked.
The driver reportedly had an injury to their arm, according to CHP. The semi was hauling uniforms, according to radio traffic. The driver was being transported by ambulance to the hospital. A cause for the crash was not available.

Monday, November 11th: a high speed chase began on Interstate 5 (I-5). California Highway Patrol (CHP) attempted to stop a vehicle traveling southbound on the I-5 for speeding and the chase began. The car continued traveling westbound to SR 126, passing through Santa Clarita into Ventura County. The vehicle then took Highway 23 in Fillmore through to Grimes Canyon into Moorpark and travelled south to Thousand Oaks. The car was clocked traveling at 120 miles per hour, Ventura County Sherriff’s Department took over the chase and ended it at the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks, where the three suspects fled on foot through the mall. Evidently they purchased new clothes and changed to evade the police. Sheriff’s Deputies with help from CHP officers, searched the mall. Sightings of the suspects were reported, but were not found: the search was called off. Police are still looking for the suspects.