Live in the Heritage Valley (Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru) and need a ride to get your COVID vaccine? For a limited time, Valley Express is offering FREE rides on their Dial-A-Ride service to your vaccination appointment. Simply call 805-933-2267 to schedule your DAR trip after you secure your appointment. This service is not available for drive through vaccine appointments. Courtesy County of Ventura Facebook Page.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

The Fillmore Police Department will be hosting a program to educate newly licensed and future licensed drivers. Start Smart is a cooperative effort between the California Highway Patrol, Fillmore Police Department, teenage drivers, and their parents.

In an attempt to remain proactive and not reactive, the Start Smart Program is designed to help young drivers and their parents/guardians understand the responsibilities associated with driving a motor vehicle. Start Smart will show how a poor choice behind the wheel can change the lives of everyone involved. Our goal is to raise awareness and reduce the number of teen-related injuries and deaths due to collisions.

Interested parents are asked to call the Fillmore Police Department at 805-524-2233 or email RobertG.Thomas@Ventura.org for more information and to make a reservation; space is limited. There is no charge to attend the program.

Due to Covid-19 health and safety guideline, this course will be offered online, via Microsoft Teams. Parents/child will have the ability to participate in the class from the safety of their homes and still be able to interact with the deputies presenting the course. This course will also be available in Spanish during the same allotted date/time as mentioned above.

The Fillmore Police Department would like to thank the Fillmore Unified School District and Fillmore High School administration for their assistance so that students may use school-issued laptops to attend the class. The funding for this program is being provided by a grant issued from the California’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).

Nature of Incident: Start Smart Driving Education Class
Location: Online course via Microsoft Teams
Date & Time: May 1, 2021 / 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Services
Prepared by: Deputy Robert Thomas / Deputy Jamal Labbe
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

Do you remember the earthquake? For most in Fillmore that question would seem to refer to the 1994 Northridge Earthquake which devasted our downtown area, leaving vacant lots seen even today. But that was by no means the only quake to cause damage to our town.

July 12, 1952, at 4:52 am, the Tehachapi Quake hit in a series of waves which lasted in diminishing strength for nearly 45 minutes. The damage here in Fillmore was noticeable but relatively light. There was firewall damage on roof at 340-340 1/2 Central Avenue (formerly Ragtyme Station). Ballard Furniture at 348 Central Ave. was also damaged.

The train line through Fillmore suddenly became important once more after the Tehachapi quake. Train tunnels were caved in, the Ridge Route was blocked by a king-sized landslide. Trains were diverted through Fillmore for a time while the tracks were repaired.

Fifty years ago, on February 9, 1971, a strong earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter Scale occurred in the Sylmar area of the San Fernando Valley. The shocks caused the upstairs wall of the Briggs Hardware Building (first known as Chili Franklin’s Pool Hall and Dance Hall when it was built in 1910) at 340 Central, to ripple and a large 70-foot chunk of bricks fell onto the roof of Martha’s, a dress shop just north at 344 Central (now Genesis Hair). An eye-witness later said when the brick mass hit Martha’s, the impact collapsed the roof and blew out the front windows.

The store at 344 Central had to be rebuilt. The second story of 340 Central was so badly damaged it was removed. The second story had been a dance hall. The floor was left intact and is believed to still be there to this very day as part of a double ceiling.

The Fillmore Hotel and the Filmore Citrus Association Packing House at A and Sespe had cracks in walls, but nothing major. Although the Fillmore Hotel survived the 1971 quake, In the 1994 quake it was destroyed.

Luckily, and perhaps surprisingly, none of the school buildings suffered and damage from the 1971 quake. Several had already been taken out of service as class rooms under the Field Act which had been passed in 1933 after the Long Beach Earthquake, mandating that school buildings must be earthquake-resistant. Even these were not significantly damaged.

As expected all the grocery stores in town had major clean up to do after the1971 quake. Aisles had to be cleaned as jars were thrown from shelves and damaged canned and boxed goods had to be disposed of. Enterprising high school students picked up some spare pocket money helping the store owners.

Neither of these earthquakes were as devastating to our community and the 1994 Northridge Quake, but it’s good to remember that the 1994 quake was not an anomaly. We live in earthquake country and we are sure to have another one. The question is just when.

Scott Vargen, 42, Fillmore.

A check the wellbeing call results in the arrest of a 42-year-old Fillmore man for various weapons violations.

On April 16, 2021, deputies received a call that Scott Vargen had been acting and talking in a bizarre manner. Deputies were told that Vargen had made statements about visualizing things and having messages sent to him. The reporting party was concerned about Vargen’s mental health wellbeing and notified law enforcement.

Although the reporting party’s concern for Vargen’s wellbeing needed to be investigated, there was no immediate or imminent threat to the public. Deputies had the time to develop a plan, which included contacting the Ventura County Mental Health Crisis Intervention Team and requested their assistance. The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and deputies collaborated and conducted an investigation regarding these statements and behavior exhibited by Vargen.

Deputies and CIT went to Vargen’s residence and spoke with him about his bizarre statements and behavior. During the interview, deputies learned that Vargen recently purchased several firearms. The deputies were able to inspect these firearms and determined one of the firearms was an illegal assault rifle. Vargen was in possession of several high capacity pistol and rifle magazines, in violation of California weapons regulations.

Deputies arrested Vargen for PC 32310 Possession of High Capacity Magazines and PC 30605(a) Possession of an Assault Rifle. Vargen was booked at the Ventura County Main in lieu of $30,000.00 bail.

The Fillmore Police Department would like to take this opportunity to express to the public if you see or hear something that is out of place or just not right, please say something. The adage of “See Something. Say Something.” relates to many different facets of our life. The Fillmore Police Department has access to many different resources and we can provide people with contacts to access those resources.

Report Number: 21-50260
Location: 200 Block of Primrose Street, Fillmore 93015
Date & Time: April 16, 2021 @ 2:40 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Police Department Patrol Services, Ventura County Mental Health Crisis Intervention Team
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent, City of Residence, Age
Scott Vargen, Fillmore, 42
Prepared by: Sergeant Daniel Blanck
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

Close up of some of the many flowers blooming in Alumni Park this year.
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Fillmore Civic Pride presented FHS Alumni Park the March 2021 "Yard of the Month." They received a $40 gift certificate from sponsors Otto & Sons Nursery located at 1835 Guiberson Rd. in Fillmore.

“Alumni Park is a gathering place for Fillmore High School Alumni," Mark Ortega, the president of the FHS Alumni, said. It is located at 559 Sespe Ave. right next door to the FHS Alumni office.

According to Mark, currently featured in the garden are tall flowering stocks of delphiniums, fox gloves, Hollyhocks, and others. "All the daffodils were planted between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year. They are all blooming at this time along with the other plants and flowers," he said. The entrance to the garden features a cute, white picket door.

"We encourage the communities of Fillmore, Piru, Rancho Sespe, Bardsdale and especially our alumni to open our gates and come in and take photos. Alumni Park was created by our Fillmore High Alumni, for our Fillmore High Alumni. However, we hope all those who live in our beautiful surroundings can stop by enjoy the beautiful flowers and plants. Thank you again for awarding us Yard of the Month! We are honored," Mark said.

For more information on Fillmore Civic Pride please call 805.794.7590 or email: petenari55@hotmail.com.