Joshua Tree National Park will temporarily close effective 8 am on Thursday, January 10, to allow park staff to address sanitation, safety, and resource protection issues in the park that have arisen during the lapse in appropriations. Park officials plan to restore accessibility to the park in addition to limited basic services in the coming days.

Park officials are identifying the additional staff and resources needed to address immediate maintenance and sanitation issues and will utilize funds from the park fees to address those issues per the recently updated National Park Service contingency plan during a lapse in appropriations.

While the vast majority of those who visit Joshua Tree National Park do so in a responsible manner, there have been incidents of new roads being created by motorists and the destruction of Joshua trees in recent days that have precipitated the closure. Law enforcement rangers will continue to patrol the park and enforce the closure until park staff completes the necessary cleanup and park protection measures.

The communities near Joshua Tree National Park have provided significant assistance and support to the park, and park officials hope to restore visitor access to the park as quickly as possible to mitigate any negative impact to the local economy.

Bob Crum

Well, here we go, ready or not, tumbling into 2019. No better time to take a deep breath and think about what kind of photographer we all want to be in 2019. I have paused to do just that. Always a good idea to reevaluate and consider new challenges. You know, for motivation, to keep the creative juices flowing.

Santa brought you a new camera (smartphones don't count) for Christmas because I told him that you've been a good, faithful reader all year long. Or, you took the loot Santa left you in the stocking and you dashed out and bought one. I am so proud of you! After studying the owner's manual, you're wondering what to do with this wonderful creative tool. Right?

There are many genres of photography to entertain your fancy. In the meantime, let's get back to the subject of photo projects. On the Olympus photography website, Mike Boening wrote: “To begin let’s explore why you might want to build a photo project. Maybe you have been looking for a new challenge in your photography, or an adventure. Some people start a project to get them out of a creative rut. In either case, starting a project can help with any of these things and more. Photo projects can lead to you discovering more about yourself, and what types (genres) of photography motivate you. Maybe there is a place you don’t go often, the city or the country, and you would like to know more. These are great places to start.” The idea is not to park the camera in a closet!

Many photography educators propose a 365-day project as I did in my last column. Boening pens: “In a 365-day project you take one photo a day consecutively for 365 days. This is a very challenging project and one that can lead to much discovery, but also one that involves much commitment. Maybe you can select one item outdoors from your home and take a picture of it for 365 days straight and watch it through the seasons, or maybe you select another item or items at random with some meaning like things people use to get their day going? It’s up to you but be prepared because taking at least one image for every day of the year can be a challenge.” Indeed, but think of the rewards!

Shooting a photo every day is too daunting you say? I get that. Then how about a 52-week project? Quoting Boening again: “This one, like the 365 Day Project, can be what you want it to be but you only take an image once a week for a year. This one is selected more often by those who are just starting a photo project for the first time. You also can put more thought into how you capture the images you will be taking.” Easy to do folks! So how many up for a 52-week project? Anyone?

The photo of the week is another rose. Wait! There's a good reason. I'm experimenting with a new photo editing program: PhotoLab from DxO. Hence, I needed a similar subject to do a comparison test. With Bug taking the day off, I needed a new actor for this shoot. The talent agency whose motto is: To bee is to be; sent me Sir Bee. Can you imagine the challenge teaching a bee to land on the rose, stand still and pose? Ahhh... another challenge vanquished!

BTW, did you notice the photo of the week data? Harsh dazzling sunlight, bright highlights and a fast flying bee required some quick and extreme camera settings. C'est la vie!

Send suggestions, comments and/or questions to: focusonphotography@earthlinknet

The Holiday Yard of the Year was awarded to Maureen Shea at 408 Robin Ct. Maureen stated that they have decorated their home for over 20 years. “The joy and smiles it brings to other people makes us keep doing it year after year,” said Maureen. They try and change a little every year, but they still want to keep the fun theme going with cool characters and animals. “What would Christmas be without a Santa—everybody loves him,” concluded Maureen. Take a drive around town and enjoy the many homes that have decorated their homes for the holidays. The Shea family were presented with a $40 gift certificate courtesy of Otto & Sons Nursery (1835 Guiberson Rd.) from Ari Larson representing Fillmore Civic Pride. If you are interested in learning more about Fillmore Civic Pride please contact Ari Larson 805.794.7590 or petenari55@hotmail.com

Courtesy Heather Furness, 5th grade

I hope you have a great New Years! It may not be New Years when you read this, but I still want to wish you a Happy New Years. People could celebrate New Years in lots of ways. Some examples are parties and just staying up and then going to sleep. You don’t have to celebrate big. I mean, if you want to, you could have a huge celebration. If you have a party and you don’t have any decorations (if you want some), just do DIY decorations. Like, you could get string, glue the number 2019 to the string, and hang it up somewhere. You could find more ideas online. Well, even if it’s past or before New Years, I still want to wish you a Happy New Years!

Ventura County Sheriff's officials, firefighters and paramedics responded to reports of a gunshot victim in Fillmore on Monday, December 24th at 9:30pm near the 800 block of 4th Street between A and B Streets. Multiple people called in to report the incident as well as the possibility of two victims. Once on scene police found one victim with multiple gunshot wounds to the face, and was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. Authorities blocked off the area to investigate the crime scene. Policed originally thought there may have been a second victim who had fled the area. The victim showed up later at a Ventura hospital, but had not been injured. Suspects are still being sought.

Bob Crum

It's that time again. New Year's resolutions! I'm on it. 1. Make a budget and stick to it. Yep, that'll work if my computer is forbidden to visit amazon.com. 2. Forgive myself and move on from past mistakes. You know, I once thought I made a mistake, but it was only a thought. 3. Take a frequent break from all screens. Stop watching reruns of The Little Mermaid on the telly. Forget it! 4) Drink more water. Oh sure, and have to pee every 30 minutes. 5) Stop hitting the snooze button. Impossible!

Let's simplify: Save money, enjoy life, drink less, take a trip, lose weight, help others, find love, get fit. Do these make and break resolutions sound familiar? How soon do you break them? January 3rd? With a smidgen of willpower maybe January 10th. Well, you tried.

Enough. Here's my one, authentic, genuine resolution for January 1: I hereby resolve not to make any stupid New Year's resolutions. There! That's specific, measurable, attainable realistic and relevant. Sweet success is assured. How many will join me in this resolution revolution? Forget the gym... pass the eggnog!

Photographically speaking, I've been considering Project 365, shooting at least one photo every day for the coming year... 365 photos by next Jan 1. Perhaps just photos made only in and around Fillmore. Anyone else interested in this project? If enough Fillmore photographers express an interest, I'll set up a Facebook page to add photos from participants. Your thoughts?

Speaking of photos, Santa left you a new camera, right? After reading the manual, you commenced photoing the Christmas festivities with jolly abandon. I am so proud of you! Now, what to do with all those precious photos? Digital images floating around Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are fleeting at best. Worse, technology constantly evolves making all the so-called digital social platforms unstable and risky. There's no guarantee your digital photos will be up on the Internet five years hence. A photo book/album is an excellent alternative and sure to become a family heirloom. Offload your best photos from your flash card or smartphone to a folder on your computer. From there, upload to a photo book/album printer. What's more, the tactile feel of the pages of a photo book/album full of precious memories is an indescribably pleasurable experience. Enough said?

As promised, the following is a partial list of photo book/album printers. Prices vary because of options. User friendliness varies. Persevere. Check the printer's website for details. The following are some of the most popular photo book printers: Costco Photo Centers, https://www.costcophotocenter.com/ProductDetails/Photobooks. I have had a photo book printed by Costco picked up at Oxnard and was very pleased. Another printer is Adorama Pix: https://www.adoramapix.com/app/products/photo-books. Mixbook is relatively new but already known for quality with lots of options and simple to use... https://www.mixbook.com/photo-books. A very popular quality photo book printer is Snapfish. Lots of templates and Snapfish actually guides you through the process. A standby printer is the classic Shutterfly. Lots of add-ons and plenty of options for a beautiful photo book... https://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books. Another great printer is Amazon Prints, great pricing, a trustworthy brand, easy to use... https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Prints/b?ie=UTF8&node=14866317011. Last but not least, Nations Photo Lab. At their website, they discuss the difference between a photo book and a photo album. Worth the read, here... https://nationsphotolab.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006144354-Top-8.... Go online to cut & paste. Persevere! Happy booking!

Photo of the week is a gorgeous rose to ring in the New Year with beauty. My trained insect on the flower assures focus. His name is Bug.

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

Annual Organizational Meeting of the Board of Education: Election of Officers
The Governing Board conducted an election of officers at the December 18, 2018 Annual Organizational Meeting.
President: Kelli Couse
Vice President: Lucy Rangel
Clerk: Virginia de la Piedra

Presentation and Approval of Single Plans for Student Achievement
The Governing Board received a presentation and approved the Single Plans for Student Achievement for all seven Fillmore USD schools.

Board Policy Updates (Second Reading)
The Governing Board approved Board Policy 0000 Mission, Vision, Core Values and Board Policy 0200 Strategic Goals.

Approve License Agreement with Gourmet Specialties, Inc.
The Governing Board approved a License Agreement with Gourmet Specialties, Inc. for use of a parcel of land at the school farm for the purpose of operating an herb and vegetable farm.

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

Eduardo Robles, 30, of Fillmore

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Eduardo Robles (DOB 10/29/87), of Fillmore, was sentenced to 34 years to life in prison by Judge Ryan Wright. On October 22, 2018, Robles was convicted of first-degree murder of motorist Benjamin Brown and attempted murder of his passenger Jose Gaspar.

On May 31, 2018, Robles was driving his vehicle on Highway 126 when he intentionally rammed the car in front of him, which was being driven by Mr. Brown, in a premeditated attempt to kill his passenger, Mr. Gaspar. The impact of the collision caused Mr. Brown’s vehicle to veer across the highway and collide with a tractor-trailer. This sentencing, as well as Robles’ convictions, followed a jury trial that lasted several weeks and included testimony by numerous witnesses concerning the crash scene, the death of Mr. Brown, the injuries to Mr. Gaspar, and Robles’ own statements about his intent to kill using his vehicle.

The prosecution of this case was based upon an extensive investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the Ventura Police Department and Simi Valley Police Department.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is the public prosecutor for the county’s 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims.

Submitted by Rebecca August, Public Lands Advocate, Los Padres ForestWatch

After months of contention over conservation, food assistance, and forestry provisions, Congress yesterday passed a final version of the Farm Bill. Several loopholes that appeared in early versions of the bill would have facilitated massive commercial logging across national forests with minimal environmental review and public input.

Typically reauthorized every four to five years, the Farm Bill directs agricultural programs like subsidies to farmers, food stamps, rural development, and research and marketing. Other programs managed by the Department of Agriculture, such as National Forests, are also included in the bill.

Tucked away in the House version of the Farm Bill, passed in June of this year, were multiple provisions that would have fast-tracked logging and other development in forests throughout the country, including Los Padres National Forest. The Senate passed their own version of the bill containing none of these provisions.

The House bill’s hidden riders would have fast-tracked landscape-scale logging projects up to 10 square miles in size, enabling tens of thousands of acres National Forests to be logged. The bill would have permitted bulldozing new roads up to three miles long in pristine roadless areas, removed restrictions on aerial spraying of herbicides that could pollute waterways and harm pollinators, and encouraged the Forest Service to ignore federal wildlife experts, disregarding decades of established development procedure.

The forestry provisions became a major point of disagreement as the two versions of the legislation were reconciled in conference committee, aggravated by White House tweets about forest management and raking. Ultimately, the House riders that would have affected the Los Padres National Forest — where the Trump Administration is currently fast-tracking two large commercial logging projects — were left out of the final 807-page bill after intense public pressure brought on by conservation organizations such as Los Padres ForestWatch. Hundreds of residents throughout the central coast region wrote their members of Congress to demand that the forest loopholes be removed from the Farm Bill.

“This year, the House launched an unprecedented effort to undermine bedrock environmental laws that have been on the books for decades to protect our forests and encourage robust public input,” said Los Padres ForestWatch Public Lands Advocate Rebecca August. “We will continue to monitor new legislation that could negatively impact local public lands, and work with local congressional representatives to protect the Los Padres National Forest.”

All four Congressmembers whose districts cover the Los Padres National Forest voted in favor of the final version of the Farm Bill. Congressmembers Salud Carbajal (D-24), Julia Brownley (D-26), and Jimmy Panetta (D-20), voted against the House version’s forestry loopholes. Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-23) voted in favor of the logging provisions.

About Los Padres ForestWatch
Protecting the Los Padres National Forest, the Carrizo Plain National Monument, and other public lands along California’s
Central Coast. Join us today at LPFW.org