Wildfire season is quickly approaching, and we must all do our part to be prepared. On May 27th at 6:00 p.m., Southern California Edison will be hosting a virtual community meeting for the Santa Paula and Fillmore areas to discuss their COVID-19 response, 2019 lessons learned, 2020 Wildfire Mitigation Plan, Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) and Customer Care Programs. To register, please visit https://conta.cc/2zN3i5h.

Fillmore Unified School District

Information/Discussion:
2020-2021 Governor's May Revise Presentation (Presenter: Andrea McNeil, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services)

Adopt Resolution #19-20-17 for Temporary Loans Between District Funds Fiscal Year 2020-21
The Governing Board adopted Resolution 19-20-17.

Adopt Resolution #19-20-18 for Appropriation Transfers Fiscal Year 2020-21
The Governing Board adopted Resolution 19-20-18.

Adopt Resolution #19-20-19 for Unrepresented Employee Compensation to be Declared Indefinite for Fiscal Year 2020-21
The Governing Board adopted Resolution 19-20-19.

Adopt Resolution #19-20-20 Authorizing the Borrowing of Funds for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 and the Issuance and Sale of One or More Series of 2020-2021 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes Therefor and Participation in the California School Cash Reserve Program and Requesting the Board of Supervisors of the County to Issue and Sell Said Series of Notes
The Governing Board approved Resolution 19-20-16.

Personnel Recommendations
The Board approved all personnel recommendations including new hires, promotions, resignations, and leaves.

Approve Change Order #3 for Fillmore High School Existing CTE Building Demolition & CTE New Building Construction Project, 555 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA 93015, Project 2020-003
The Board approved Change Order #3

Approve Change Order #1 for Fillmore Middle School Baseball/Soccer Field Improvements Project, 543 A Street, Fillmore, CA 93015, Project 2020-004
The Board approved Change Order #1

Los Angeles Herald 22 September 1887 Advertisement for lots and acreage.
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Map of Fillmore. A Plan for Fillmore City approved by the county in August 1888.
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McNab Building 1968 on Sespe. This was the location of the headquarters of Sespe Land and Water Company.
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McNab house on First Street and Saratoga. It was originally built on Catalina Island and moved to its current location.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

We know where the name Fillmore came from but why was the city located as it is between Pole Creek and the Sespe? Why was it not on Adams Hill east of Fillmore where the railroad wanted to place a depot?

After the murder of Thomas Wallace More in 1877, Rancho Sespe was divided among his heirs. The youngest son, Alexander’s, portion eventually became the property of Morton Hull of Chicago and was the Rancho Sespe that people in the area knew until the 1980s. The portions inherited by two other sons, Thomas and Wallace, were purchased by Royce Surdam and Thomas Bard and became Bardsdale. The final part was inherited by More’s eldest child, Martha (Mattie) More Storke, who sold her portion, about 3,300 acres, to the Sespe Land and Water Company. This final portion became Fillmore.

The Sespe Land and Water Company was incorporated in April of 1886 as a subsidiary of the Ventura Water and Improvement Company. The stockholders of both companies were W. H. Perry, F. C. Howes, S. H. Mott, W. H. Goucher, M. Dodsworth, L. W. Dennis, Dr. C. E. Glacius, H. J. Crow, Francis Bates and J. D. McNab. According to the Los Angeles Herald, this was a “syndicate, comprising some of Los Angeles’ heaviest capitalists.” Only one name will be familiar to local folks, Joseph McNab. Some of the readers may live on or near McNab Court in the Los Serenos Tract. ( Los Angeles Herald, Volume 27, Number 143, 26 August, 1887)

Joseph McNab was born in Nova Scotia to a seafaring family. He immigrated to Chicago, eventually moving to Riverside, California where he became involved in farming and land speculation – quite successfully.

Soon after purchasing the property, the Sespe Land and Water Company gave the Southern Pacific right of way through it and sold them property for their depot. Southern Pacific had wanted to put the depot just east of the current location, but the landowner, Rush Ealy, refused to sell the property.

Sespe Land and Water also, according to Judge C. C. Elkin’s history, bought water rights from one Joe Dye. Judge Elkins is quoted as saying, “Joe Dye had killed Herman Haines a short time before I came to Fillmore in 1877, and was in jail in Ventura waiting his second or third trial.” (Dye was eventually acquitted, but that’s another story).

A few businesses had been built along the Southern Pacific right of way on what became Main Street, but in August of 1888, the Sespe Land and Water Company filed a town plan with the County of Ventura covering 66 acres. On the plan familiar names appear like Central, Sespe, Santa Clara, Fillmore, Saratoga and Mountain View.

Sespe Land and Water Company soon was advertising property for sale. As early as September, 1887, “The Sespe Land and Water Company will offer, at private sale, Town Lots in Fillmore City, and 3000 acres of the finest Fruit Land in Southern California” ran in the Los Angeles Herald. The advertisement touted that it was on the Southern Pacific Railroad line and that the depot was already built. Potential purchasers could arrange free railroad transportation, arriving from Los Angeles at 11:30 am and returning at 1:00 pm.

The next month the Herald’s readers were told that in Fillmore they could “Raise Fruit and be Happy, The most independent people in the state are the fruit growers. Their incomes are steady and reliable.”

A later advertisement indicated land was being offered in 5, 10, and 20 acre lots “with water rights. Pipes already laid.” Some of the pipes brought water from the Sespe River where William Mulholland built a dam for the company. In return he received 20 acres of land.

Not all lots sold. Sespe Land and Water Company would continue to be a major land owner in Fillmore, building and renting both commercial and residential buildings. The Company’s headquarters was on Sespe, where the MacNab Building currently sits.

Joseph McNab eventually bought out the other stockholders’ interests and moved to Fillmore, building two homes, one at 616 Sespe and the other at 411 First Street. The house on First Street was built on Catalina Island and brought by barge to the mainland. The second home became the home to Joseph’s son John Boak McNab and his wife, Blanche Guiberson McNab. When not running the Sespe Land and Water Company, Joseph McNab was considered a pioneer in Ventura County in drying apricots. By 1890 he had a large drying facility and bought almost all the apricots grown in the County, thus controlling the market.

John B. McNab attended University of California at Berkeley. After graduation he returned to Fillmore and became secretary of the company. After Joseph’s death in 1903, John B. McNab took over the company. A member of the Fillmore Club, he was also one of the organizers and a director in the Ventura County Cooperative Association which had stores in Sespe, Fillmore and Piru and a director of Farmers and Merchants Bank in Fillmore (it was located on the southeast corner of Sespe and Central and still stands).

John B. McNab ran the Sespe Land and Water Company until his death in November of 1939. The company continued on until it was eventually dissolved in 1974.

Bob Crum

The English language is daunting, as we know! Too many rules, too many exceptions to the rules. I follow most rules but will make exceptions when justified. However, some readers, the linguistiphiles, take exception to my exceptions. So, being column #180, It's time to diverge from photographic geekism and explain my grammatical antics.

I've enjoyed wordsmithing since October 10, 1837. I also enjoy butterfly watching, particularly the gorgeous cotundra blue (Plebejus cotundra). The slow, seductive movements of her white-ringed electric-blue wings are mesmerizing. One day, I watched a Plebejus cotundra meticulously apply eye shadow and deep purple lipstick with gold sparkles. So beautiful were her delicate purple lips enveloped in her sumptuous, blue costume of fluttering electric-blue wings that euphoria best describes my rapture.

You visualized the butterfly, didn't you? See, a few select words enabled you to imagine a beautiful blue butterfly wearing purple lipstick. The blue wings are real, the lipstick only to help your imagination create the image in your mind. If you visualized the butterfly, my wordsmithing worked. If not, I need more practice.

Some argue that some words, like, ahem, 'photoing' are not legitimate and should be banned. Whoa! Skype, selfie, streaming, YouTube, WiFi, podcast, photobomb, smartphone, app, blog and emoji are a few words that didn't exist a few short years ago! All were words created to fill a need.

But 'photoing'? Why not? Look at words like knitting, gardening, painting, cooking, drawing, swimming, cycling, jogging and juggling; all 'ing' words. I have skis, so I go skiing. I have a bicycle, so I go cycling. I have a camera, so I go -- wait for it -- photoing! Phanopoeia!

I'm told that I have a phanopoeia addiction which is a form of onomatopoeia that describes the sense of things rather than their natural sounds. Onoma, meaning "name," and poiein, meaning "to make,"= to make words. I'm particularly proud of another word I created: Phonetography! All selfie junkies know about phonetography! Phanopoeia works for me and it's all legal!

And then there's grammar and punctuation with its myriad rules. The 'missing comma' rule is punctuation that irks many readers because they claim I consistently break it. It's true, I do. For example, I went shopping and bought a camera, a lens() and filters. No comma after the word 'lens. The pious grammatists among us, as taught by High School English teachers, state that a comma must be placed after the word "lens" so it reads -- camera, a lens(,) and filters. No, not always!

My writing the last 183 years has been for papyrus books, newsprint and magazines. I cut my word-tooth on the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, my wordsmithing bible since I was 18-months old - about when I learned that wine and girls pair nicely. Grammarians note on page 429 of the AP Stylebook: "Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do NOT (emphasis mine) put a comma before the conjunction in most simple series: "The flag is red, white and blue." No comma after 'white'. So no more comments about a comma missing in a simple series!

Lastly, there's also an occasional gripe about my illegitimate use of the ellipsis (... ). Again, AP Stylebook page 432: "An ellipsis may be used to indicate a thought that the writer does not complete." HA! That's often true! Hence, I employ ellipses (plural of ellipsis) often, especially when... you know... never mind... I forgot. So dear grammarians and linguistic aficionados, take a d__e__e__p breath and chill! Besides, I enjoy being incorrigibly roguish. Happy photoing!

Photo of the week: Swans - on command - eyes left! Thank you!

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

Courtesy BGCSV

The Santa Clara Valley Wellness Foundation has joined a collaborative effort with the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley. This is a win-win partnership in so many ways. Due to the COVID 19 Virus the Boys & Girls Club will need to have cleaning and sanitizing supplies in order to eventually reopen their doors again to local youth. This grant allows for the purchasing of those supplies for all three sites (Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru). In addition to supplies the grant will fund daily nutritional snacks for youth during the summer months and non school days. With grant funds the Club has also been able to purchase two additional 3D printers to continue assisting making frames for face shields for first responders. Thank you to the Santa Clara Valley Wellness Foundation for your partnership. You may make contributions to the SCVWF at PO Box 348 Santa Paula, CA 93061.

James Melton, 55 of Ventura

A Ventura resident was arrested for a series of crimes related to a vehicle burglary and fraudulent use of credit cards. The investigation revealed he was involved in various crimes throughout the region.

During the month of April, the victim parked her vehicle near the intersection of Seventh Street and Sycamore Road in the unincorporated area of Fillmore. The victim went for a jog and returned about 40 minutes later. When she returned to the car, she discovered one of the windows of the vehicle was shattered. Upon closer inspection, the victim learned that several valuables were taken such as electronic equipment and credit cards. As deputies investigated the crime, the victim received notice from her financial institution that a credit card had been used at a gas station in Santa Paula. The victim immediately canceled the credit cards.

Detectives conducted a follow up investigation and were able to identify the suspect as James Melton. On 05/07/20, investigators located Melton in the 6000 block of Webster Street in Ventura. The information received during the arrest led detectives to his residence which was nearby. A search warrant was obtained for his residence, vehicle and an offsite storage locker. During the execution of the warrant, several vital evidentiary items were recovered that included items taken from the victim’s car. Melton was in possession of multiple tools that are consistent with committing vehicle burglaries, such as window punches and bolt cutters. Additional evidence recovered suggests there may be additional victims. The investigation into other crimes is ongoing.

Melton was arrested and booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility for 459 PC-burglary, 182 (a)(1) PC-conspiracy, 484g PC- fraudulent use of access card, 496 PC- possession of stolen property, 11377(a) HS- possession of a controlled substance, and 11364 (a) HS- possession of drug paraphernalia. Melton was released shortly after he was booked as mandated by the California Judicial Council’s zero bail schedule. Melton has a court date on July 8, 2020.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public to be aware not to leave valuables in vehicles parked on a public thoroughfare. If possible, it is wise to leave costly articles at home or out of view within vehicles.

Nature of Incident: Vehicle Burglar Arrested
Report Number: RB# 20-54186
Location: Seventh Street at Sycamore Road, unincorporated area of Fillmore
Date & Time: April 17th, 2020 4:50 pm
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Investigations Unit
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence - Age
(S) James Melton, 55 of Ventura
Prepared by: Sergeant Vince Alvarez
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

Fillmore Unified School District

The purpose of this message is to inform you of current actions to ensure that we recognize and celebrate the graduating seniors of Fillmore High School, Sierra High School, and Heritage Valley Independent Study.

The Fillmore Unified School District Governing Board is committed to supporting an in-person graduation ceremony for our graduating seniors once we have received authorization from public health officials to hold gatherings. We do not have any information as to when the public health orders will change and will inform the community once an update has been received.

However, I am pleased to share with our district community that our district and high school leadership have identified a Unique way of recognizing our graduating seniors while also adhering to the current recommendations from public health. A vehicle procession will take place in the coming weeks to provide an opportunity for our faculty and staff to recognize the Class of 2020. Principals John Wilber and Pablo Leanos will be providing information to our graduating seniors and their families about the procession. The procession will not be open to the public and staff are researching the ability to provide alive stream of the event.

We know that these are extraordinarily challenging times for all of us and hope that you and your loved ones are safe. Thank you for your continued support.