Courtesy Jan Lee

The hills are green. The wildflowers are beginning to bloom. Time to look around your garden to decide which flowers you want to bring to the Fillmore Flower Show.

Two exciting divisions for Flower Show entries are potted plants and dish gardens. The Best of Show last year was a potted plant. It was a red, crown of thorns which the exhibitor has been nurturing for MANY years. What do you have? Potted plants are any single variety plant in a container, not too heavy to be carried by the exhibitor. There are 4 categories for potted plants: African violets, Orchids, cacti and succulents, other.

Dish gardens is another division for the Flower Show. Dish gardens are limited to size and weight that can be carried by the exhibitor. This is another fun category. We have had some very beautiful and creative entries in the past. One year, the high school ag students designed some interesting displays. Think about what container you might use. What types of plants work well together? How is the theme, “Garden Treasures” expressed in your dish garden?

Those of you who have limited garden space may have some lovely potted plants and dish gardens. Share them with your community at the Fillmore Flower Show April 15 and 16, 2023 at the Active Adult Center on Santa Clara Street in Fillmore. For more information go to: www.fillmoreflowershow.org.

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On Saturday, March 11, at 10:33, the Fillmore Police Department investigated a traffic collision that occurred in the 200 block of A Street, Fillmore. Arriving deputies found two vehicles with side damage. While units were investigating the crash a deputy advised dispatch the crash was under investigation for a possible DUI. Deputies on scene performed a field sobriety test on a female subject, the breathalyzer was also given, inset. During officers conducting their investigation the female subject refused to comply and was arrested and taken to Santa Paula ER for a blood draw; she was booked at the Ventura County Main Jail. No additional information was provided at the scene. Photo credit Angel Esquivel-AE News.

7.A CONSIDER WHETHER TO CONSOLIDATE THE CITY’S ARTS AND PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSIONS
REQUEST That the City Council approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 23-947 to (1) dissolve the Arts Commission by removing Fillmore Municipal Code Chapter 6.18, (2) amending Fillmore Municipal Code Chapter 2.28 (Parks and Recreation Commission) to account for additional duties previously assigned to the Arts Commission, and (3) change the name of the newly consolidated commission.
Dissolving Commissions March 14, 2023 Page 2 of 2 01148.0001/853522.4 As the Parks and Recreation has five commission positions plus two student commission positions, all currently appointed commissioners could serve on the new commissioners, should they want to do so and staff would continue efforts to recruit for the two vacant student commissioner positions. Staff reached out to all active commissioners to gather their feedback on the proposed consolidated plan and commissioners provided full support of the proposed merger. Additionally, one of the commissioners suggested that the consolidated commission be renamed the Cultural, Arts, and Recreation Commission.
Approved 5-0

7.B ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 23-945 - THE 2022 UNIFORM BUILDING CODES AND FIRE CODES WITH LOCAL AMENDMENTS AND FINDING OF EXEMPTION FROM CEQA
REQUEST. The City Council is being requested to: Approve second reading to adopt Ordinance No. 23-945 to adopt the California Building, Residential, Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical, Green Building Standards, Energy, Fire, Historical, Existing Building, International Swimming Pool Code and International Property Maintenance Code, with local amendments; and find this action to be exempt from CEQA.
Approved 5-0

7.C CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION OF RELOCATE THE COUNCIL COMMENT PERIOD ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA The Brown Act, California’s “Sunshine Laws”, give members of the public the right to address the City Council and other legislative bodies of the City at their meetings on matters within the subject matter of the body. Hence, agendas for such meetings are required to provide an opportunity for the public to address the City Council on any item of interest to the public within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council and before or during the time the council considers each item specifically listed on the agenda. When a member of the public speaks on an item not on the agenda, the Brown Act allows the City Council, or other legislative body, and/or staff to briefly respond to that comment. From staff’s review of the practices of other cities, staff has observed that approximately half of the cities surveyed conduct City Council comments at the end of their agenda and the other half conduct council comments immediately after public comments.
Approved 5-0

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On February 6, 2023, two suspects attempted to rob a victim at knifepoint at Two Rivers Park in the city of Fillmore.

During the month of February 2023, a juvenile female began a social media relationship with a male party. After her jealous boyfriend Adrian Hernandez became aware of the relationship, he conspired with his relative Daniel Hernandez to lure the victim to Two Rivers Park under false pretense in an attempt harm the victim in revenge.

When the victim showed up to the park, the two suspects attempted to rob the victim at knifepoint. The victim was able to run away, and he contacted the police. The victim was not harmed, and no property was stolen. The suspects then vandalized the victim’s property by slashing the tires of his vehicle with a knife before fleeing the area.

Fillmore station detectives were able to positively identify the parties involved. On February 8, Fillmore station detectives contacted and arrested Adrian Hernandez in the city of Fillmore. Adrian Hernandez was booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility, and he has since been released on his own recognizance. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office filed one count of Felony Conspiracy, Felony Accessory to a Crime, and Attempted Robbery.

On February 28, Fillmore station detectives contacted and arrested Daniel Hernandez at his place of employment in the city of Santa Paula. Daniel Hernandez was booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility where he remains in custody with his bail set at $110,000.

Fillmore detectives and deputies assigned to the West County Special Enforcement Unit served a residential search warrant at Daniel Hernandez’s residence. During the service, deputies seized an unregistered .357 caliber firearm unrelated to this crime.

The case involving the female juvenile has been submitted to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office for review.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is committed to maintaining the safety of all residents by continued community partnerships. The Fillmore Police Department encourages citizens to immediately report suspicious people and vehicles, and to promptly report any crime they come across by calling 911. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank members of the public for their on-going support and due diligence in providing information to assist our agency in solving crimes.

Report Number: 23-16751
Location: Two Rivers Park
1110 River Street / Fillmore Ca.
Date & Time: February 06, 2023 @ 7:30 P.M.
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Services, Fillmore Detective Bureau, West County Special Enforcement Unit
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S-1) Adrian Patino Hernandez
(S-2) Daniel Avalos Hernandez
(P-1) Female Juvenile
Prepared by: Sergeant Will Hollowell
Approved by: Captain Eduardo Malagon

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

Sheriff Jim Fryhoff has released the 2022 crime statistics for all areas served by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.The report shows a 3% overall decrease in Part I crimes, as defined by the Uniform Crime Reporting statistics of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In 2022, the number of incidents involving violent crime decreased 24%. Homicides, however, doubled from 4 in 2021 to 8 in 2022. Of those 8 homicides, 4 of them were committed between family members. Property crimes saw a decrease of 1%, while residential burglaries showed a decrease of 12%.

“Community partnerships, outreach, education, teamwork, and having strong relationships with the other public safety agencies, and anyone with an interest in safe communities, is our overarching strategy for reducing crime,” said Sheriff Jim Fryhoff. “We must be ever vigilant and prepared to address the threats that our communities are facing. Fentanyl, organized retail theft, burglary crews, and catalytic converter thefts continue to be the main causes of our property crimes in Ventura County. Our commitment is to partner with all willing stakeholders to prevent crime, identify those involved when crime does occur, work with our District Attorney’s Office to prosecute offenders, and keep Ventura County one of the safest counties in the country.”

Note: Each geographical area in Ventura County is unique, and crime trends vary from city to city. For questions regarding each city’s reported crimes, the following people can be reached directly:

Commander Eric Tennessen – Camarillo (805) 797-7102
Commander Jeremy Paris– Thousand Oaks (805) 797-7105
Captain Darin Hendren – Moorpark (805) 532-2705
Captain Eduardo Malagon– Fillmore (805) 477-7108
Captain Trina Newman – Ojai (805) 477-7039

For more information, please visit us at venturasheriff.org. You can also link directly to a statement by Sheriff Fryhoff that details our mission, strategy, and vision as well as Sheriff Fryhoff’s Seven Pillars for providing law enforcement services in Ventura County.For information regarding recruitment and job opportunities, please visit applyventurasheriff.org.

Prepared by: Captain Cameron Henderson
Approved by: Sheriff Jim Fryhoff

Above is the Chaney Ranch on Guiberson Road, after the flood hit.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

We are sharing an article originally published in Empire magazine, March 4, 1951 and then reprinted in Reader’s Digest, April 1951 which was written by William F. French, father of Dr. William French who practiced in Fillmore for many years. Our thanks to Susan M. J. French for sending it to us.

The Dam with the Feet of Clay, By William F. French

Monday, March 12, 1928, dawned clear and sunny over California’s lush Santa Clara Valley with its orchard of citrus, walnuts and apricots – and over the lake that sparkled behind St. Francis dam, a mighty concrete barrier thrown across a wild canyon high above the valley. No hint of impending disaster disturbed the surface of the giant reservoir which store 1,600,000,000 cubic feet of water for thirsty Los Angeles, 45 miles o the south. But Dan Mathews, an employee at Powerhouse No. 2, a mile and a half below the dam wasn’t looking at the scenery that morning. He saw only trickles of muddy water running down the west wing of the dam and oozing around its end.

Completed two years before at a cost of $2,500,000, the dam had been the subject of heated controversy from its inception. Below it, Santa Clara Valley growers had sought injunction after injunction to prevent its construction; they feared it could never be anchored firmly enough in the adobe and shale walls of the canyon. Above it, embattled ranchers had dynamited the aqueduct that carried the water past their lands, and had killed Los Angeles water-system guards. Despite the litigation and open warfare, Los Angeles had backed the judgment of William Mulholland, chief engineer of the city’s water system, and the dam was finished in May, 1926.

To Dan Mathews the water seeping out from the dam’s west wing that day in March 1928 spelled trouble. He couldn’t risk spreading panic with what might be a false alarm, but he did report his discovery to his superior. Then he warned his brother to get his family out of the cabin by the powerhouse.

That night in Bardsdale, 28 miles below the dam, the George Boardmans put out their lights with the usual feeling of security. Across the little Santa Clara River, in Fillmore families were returning from the movies. Upstream, near the town of Piru, men in the power company’s construction gang had let their campfires burn low and fastened their tent flaps.

Unknown to anyone, the trickles of water seeping around the dam had turned now into streams that gnawed at its feet of clay. About midnight the dam let go at both ends. Twelve billion gallons of water went thundering toward the sea – a 125-foot-high deluge of death and destruction. Powerhouse No. 2 was engulfed in one roaring splash. The houses of its workers were buried under tons of mud and broken concrete. Not a soul escaped.

With demoniac fury the gigantic wave cut a channel toward the Santa Clara River. Soon the roaring wall of water, now carrying automobiles, railroad cars, houses and tractors, spewed into beautiful Santa Clara Valley.

There it spread out, rolling and tossing huge boulders like pebbles snatching up trees and houses, tearing bridges from their foundations, ripping up railroad tracks, snapping poles and power lines. There is a fall of 1200 feet from the dam site to Piru, a hundred million horsepower of merciless destruction roared down upon the 20,000 residents of the Santa Clara Valley’s mile-wide strip of orchard and garden. Traveling at express-train speed, the great wave struck the power company’s construction camp. Not a man there had time to get his tent-flap open before the whole camp, heavy equipment and all, was carried away.

So unexpected and deadly swift was the charge of the water that an estimated 50 cars were swept off Highway 126 paralleling the Santa Clara River. Some drivers lived to report outrunning the flood, but those caught where the road was close to water level never had a chance. Weeks later, automobiles were dug out of the debris and mud 20 miles from where they were engulfed. Others, believed to have been washed into the ocean, were never found.

After having destroyed the construction camp and all but five of the 80 men in it, the deluge reached the Boardman home in Bardsdale, ten miles downstream. George Boardman recalls:

“That night my 14-year-old son Donald and I were sleeping in the tenant house. I woke up to find the place rocking like a ship in a hurricane. Suddenly the little house was tossed in the air. It landed on its side, lodged in the top of a giant walnut tree. We fought free of the building, for the big tree was already being uprooted. As we worked our way shoreward from treetop to treetop, the terrible force of the torrent threatened to wrench our arms from their sockets.

“The first big wave smashed everything in its path and swept the debris along like a battering ram. It was a mile long an it passed through like a runaway train, but we were in the 30-feet-deep water that followed it for half an hour.

“Above the roar of the water leveling our beautiful citrus groves we could hear the crash and smashing of houses and breaking trees and poles. Parts of houses, splintered timbers and tree trunks striped of limbs would shoot out of the water and crash on the racing maelstrom of debris. That was the most horrible thing about the flood – the deadly debris. We saw a two by four pierce the side of one of our horses, and heard his almost human screams. Cries and shouts for help came from all sides. Somehow Donald and I reached dry land, a mile downstream.”

More than 600 homes were destroyed that night. An estimated 700 lives were swallowed up by the avalanche of water which wiped out the low-lying parts of Castaic, Camulos, Bardsdale, Piru, Fillmore, Santa Paula and Saticoy. The flood passed quickly (rescue workers were crossing the riverbed on foot by nine in the morning) but it left a 50-mile long swath of uprooted orchards and debris covered land.

Citrus grower Frank LeBard, whose rescue efforts started while the waters were at their height, shudders in recalling what happened. “It was ten times worse than a flood. The water wasn’t merely driving people from their homes – it was killing. I saw sudden whirlpools drag struggling humans and animals out of sight. Cries for help were cut short by blows from the whirling debris.

“Hitched to a tree by a rope, I waded out as far as I could stand the pull of the current. I grabbed a man. When I laid him out I saw a heavy bolt sticking through his head.”

The flood performed weird tricks. A month after the calamity, a man from Bardsdale saw what looked like his horse working in a field near Saticoy, 20 miles away. The farmer using the animal said he had dug it out of the mire at the foot of his property.

Response to the area’s needs was swift. The day after the disaster a half-dozen field hospitals werein operation and Red Cross tents lined the 50 miles from the dam to the sea. Hundreds of professional and volunteerworkers searched for the living and the dead in 20-foot-deep silt and debris.

President Coolidge telegraphed an offer of federal help. But Los Angeles seemed to be meeting all needs. It was sending caravans of trucks, scrapers, power shovels and derricks, and soon had more than a thousand workers in the stricken valley.

More than compassion inspired its efforts. The city had constructed the dam in the face of bitterprotestsfrom the people in the area. Recognizing its liability, it was attempting to meet its moral obligations.

The city began paying damage claims less than a week after the dam broke. “Los Angeles didn’t quibble in settling,” recalls George Boardman. “Here in Ventura County we were allowed $500 an acre for damage to land without trees, and up to $3000 an acre for prime groves that weredestroyed. Death benefits of $7000 to $10,000 a person were paid.” While it is not known how much Los Angeles paid in all, residents of the valley say $30,000,000 is close.

On March 17 Governor Young ordered a state investigation of the tragedy, and William Mulholland, father of the original project, inspected the ruins of the dam and the desolated valley. The grief-stricken engineer accepted full responsibility. His final statement to the investigating jury was, “I envy those who died.”

Mulholland immediately retired from active duty and, within a short time, died. The St. Francis dam had claimed its final victim.

Courtesy Jan Lee

April 15 and 16, 2023 are the dates for the Fillmore Flower Show for 2023. The theme is “Garden Treasures”. It should be a beautiful event again this year. Plan to enter some of the lovely treasures growing in your yard. If you go to fillmoreflowershow.org you will see all the rules to enter as well as the many divisions of plants and flowers.

The Flower Show committee, a group of volunteers who appreciate the garden treasures growing in the yards of the Fillmore community, has broadened the eligibility for youth this year. We want to encourage young people to go outside and discover the fun of growing, arranging and displaying plants and flowers. There are three divisions specifically for youth: Division IX Youth Arrangements, Division X Youth Composition and Division XI Youth Art, which is a non-competitive division. Ordinarily, youth must live within the boundaries of the Fillmore Unified School District to enter. But, starting this year, any youth may enter no matter where they live. Youth are age 3 up through 12th grade. All youth entries are FREE. Of course, youth may compete with the adults in any division.

At the Flower Show there will be a plant boutique where you can get some plants to grow in your garden. There will also be a table where children can participate in a gardening activity. While strolling around looking at the displays, you will be entertained by live music. From 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday the Flower Show will be open to the public. Admission is free. See you there!