The community of Fillmore was as ready as it could be for last week’s record-breaking heat wave. Water? Check. Shade for Fido? Check. Air conditioning? Check… except for 300+ homes at the El Dorado Mobile Home Park. Edison power went out at 6:45pm Friday and wasn’t restored until 7:40pm Saturday—25 long, hot hours at temperatures reaching 114-degrees in some areas of the city.

Three hundred homes without air conditioning in such high, humid temperatures is bad enough, but considering the park is still mostly senior citizens, the urgency to restore power was vital.

Edison’s online power outage reports at 12:11am Saturday morning read “Equipment Problems” as the cause of the blackout. The message changed several times: 9:58am and 2:36pm Saturday it read “Storm Conditions”. And at 6:34pm Saturday it read “Extreme Heat”.

Many residents lost all refrigerated and frozen food during the outage.

Fillmore Fire Department sprang into action on Saturday morning, coordinating with the City of Fillmore, Fillmore Unified School District, Fillmore Police Department, the Red Cross, Ventura County Health Care Agency and FATCO. A cooling center was opened at Rio Vista Elementary and FATCO bussed El Dorado residents to the location free of charge. Fillmore PD went door-to-door to check on the park’s residents, and EMTs also transported some residents to the cooling center. The Red Cross manned the center, offering water, cots and wheelchairs. And Fillmore Fire stationed rescue equipment in the park as a precaution.

Cooling centers for the general community were available at the Active Adult Center on Santa Clara, Fillmore Library on Second Street, and the Boys & Girls Club on First Street.

Temperatures remained high Friday and Saturday, with Sunday cooling slightly to the low one-hundreds.

Cindy Jackson, right, owner of Ocean Gold, listens to Raelene Chaney extoll the product’s benefits for arthritis and joint pain. Chaney uses the CBD for relief.

Dr. Greg Gillesie, Chancellor, Ventura County Community College District, addressed the council in a lengthy discussion concerning the District's history of expansion into the Fillmore area and future goals.

Fire Chief Keith Gurrola presented an up-date on fireworks booths and Fourth of July services. He reported that problems with the fireworks booths application system required some correction. Two booth applicants were found to be out of compliance within their filings and their permits were pulled. All non-profit applicants must show money received on sales stays in the City of Fillmore. One applicant was from Santa Paula, the other disqualified applicant was 3 months short of minimum time for activity in the city. One of the 3 applicants qualified and received its permit, which was Fillmore Christian Academy.

Chief Gurrola said the 4th was a busy night, which included two small fires. Sixteen citations were issued for illegal fireworks. The Chief recommended changes in the fireworks booth ordinance for next year.

The first amendment to the Franchise Agreement for Solid Waste Handling Services between the City of Fillmore and Santa Clara Valley Disposal was unanimously agreed to.

The recommendation to have Council adopt Resolution 18-3662 revising Section 6 of Resolution 18-3655 regarding deadline for filing arguments for and against a City Ballot Measure was passed 4-1.

Planning Commission's recommendation to adopt a Zoning Ordinance Amendment updating regulations for Commercial Highway (CH) Zone and finding an exemption from CEQA was approved.

New projects at Two Rivers Park were discussed.

Resident businesswoman Cindy Jackson promoted a medical marijuana product to be sold in the City. The product's beneficial effects were attested to by resident Raelene Chaney.

Resident Steve McKinnon addressed some long standing problems at the Fillmore Equestrian Center. In general, McKinnon stated that things at the Center were "going downhill" due to management deficiencies, also referring to unspecified "bullying". He asked the Council to investigate the problems.

An unusually lengthy presentation on the California Choice Energy Authority-Lancaster CCE-Program was provided, with question about whether to join. The decision was deferred for further study.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announces scheduled overnight lane closures on SR-126 between the Ventura Co. / Los Angeles Co. line and the city of Santa Paula for a long-term pavement rehabilitation project. These closures are subject to change and are scheduled as follows:

Starting the night of Monday July 9, 2018:

• Westbound SR-126 from the Ventura Co. / Los Angeles Co. line to the city of Santa Paula the right lane of two will be closed each night from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, re-opening each morning.
• Once the westbound lanes have been re-paved, crews will move to the eastbound lanes of SR-126. The project is expected to be complete by the summer of 2021.

Additionally, ramps will be constructed at the location of at least 19 intersections within the city of Fillmore to make them ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant and accessible for persons with disabilities. The right shoulder / parking lane at these intersections will be blocked for construction from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday until the ramps are complete. Travel lanes will remain open.

The total cost of this Caltrans pavement rehabilitation project is 25.01 million dollars.

Please go to our Planned Lane Closure web page for confirmation of each night’s closures at https://lcswebreports-new.dot.ca.gov/SearchPreAction.do?district=7. And also to: twitter.com/CaltransDist7.

Bob Crum

The Fillmore classic car show downtown on July 4th was awesome. Gorgeous cars all. Did you go? If not fret not, I'll take you there vicariously along with a trip down memory lane.

In 1956, my Uncle Willie bought a high-performance DeSoto Adventurer. The DeSoto was powered by a hemi-sized 341 cubic inch, 320 horsepower motor. Standard equipment included push button control Powerflite automatic transmission, power steering, power seat, power windows, power brakes, windshield washers and electric clock. All for only $3,678.

One day Uncle Willie took ill. Before leaving for the hospital he tossed me the DeSoto keys. “Be careful”, he said, “it's fast!”. A teenage daredevil, imagine my excitement. I practiced driving the car on the farm before the open road. That car was soooo long that when going around a sweeping curve, I couldn't see the back end in the rear-view mirror. With pedal to the metal it was so fast that it took a few seconds for the back half to catch up.

Having saved money from years of farm work, I purchased my first new car – a gold-colored Plymouth Fury – as a high school graduation present to myself. Powerful engine and push-button tranny like the DeSoto. While my friends laughed about the rear fender “fins”, I took revenge (and delight) by beating (humiliating) their Chevys and Fords in every drag race. But as fast as my Fury was off the line, was as fast as I lost those friends. But they eventually got over it and we were soon all friends again.

Photographing classic cars at a show is, politely speaking, a pain in the buttocks. Certainly taxes the patience quotient. No sir, no problem at all just go right ahead and step right in front of my camera. Everybody does it! (grumble grumble)

The flip side of the patience of Job: Deference. It's about the 'event' not the cars! Point well taken I said to myself (I can't be the only one who talks to himself). Result: Lots of photos of gawkers full of gawkiness gawking at classic cars. C'est la vie.

From having photographed previous car shows, I noticed that car colors were often not as punchy in the digital images as I saw with my eyes. Not an insignificant factor considering that I could take five cruises with the money that some of the cars’ paint jobs alone cost. Must do something in an attempt to do justice to those luscious paint colors.

So this year I decided to shoot the show with a polarizing filter on my lens to enunciate the colors. Given the advantages of a polarizing filter, it was nevertheless a gamble. Remember, a polarizing filter's effects are most effective when shooting at a 90° angle with respect to the sun. Otherwise, it's as if it doesn't exist so no effect. Upon viewing the photos made, it was effective most times. At least the blacks are blacker!

Such are the creative challenges that make photography addictive and so delightfully rewarding. Equally significant, the creative aspects of photography tickle the soul. Well, at least mine.

Hark... a contest! Not counting fireworks photos, guess the number of photos I shot of the car show and chili contest. Email me your guess. Deadline: 6 p.m. Monday July 16. The closest guess wins one scoop of Baskins-Robbins ice cream. In case of a tie, the earliest entry wins. One entry per reader.

Photo of the week: Gorgeous Chevy. More firework photos next week. Happy photoing!

Send comments, suggestions, questions & contest entry to: photography@earthlink.net

Moody's Investors Service has assigned an issuer rating of A1 to the City of
Fillmore, CA. The issuer rating is equivalent to the rating we would assign to bonds secured by the city's general obligation unlimited tax (GOULT) pledge. Moody's maintains an A3 rating on the city's sewer revenue bonds.

RATINGS RATIONALE
The A1 issuer rating reflects the currently strong financial position of the city's very small operation, which stands in contrast the city's financial condition during the Great Recession. The city's financial situation deteriorated significantly between 2008 and 2013 due to the combined impact of the recession, redevelopment dissolution, and a dispute over a tax sharing agreement that resulted in the Board of Equalization (BOE) withholding more than four years of sales tax revenue. With these revenue challenges addressed, the city's finances have improved significantly in the last four audited fiscal years with the city's available fund balances and cash balances now exceeding the medians for the A1 rating category. The A1 rating further reflects the city's small tax base relative to A1-rated cities in California, but which is larger than its ratings peers nationally. The A1 rating incorporates the city's extremely low level of outstanding debt and slightly elevated pension liability.

RATING OUTLOOK
Outlooks are not typically assigned to local governments with this amount of outstanding debt.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE
- Significant and sustained growth in the city's assessed valuation
- Material improvement in socioeconomic characteristics

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE
- Decline in the city's assessed valuation
- Significant deterioration of the city's financial position

LEGAL SECURITY
The issuer rating is equivalent to a rating that we would assign to a typical general obligation unlimited tax
(GOULT) debt issue and is used as a reference rating for other securities.

PROFILE
The city of Fillmore encompasses 2.5 square miles in the Santa Clara River Valley of Ventura County (Aaa stable) and has an estimated population of 15,650. The city was established in 1887 when the Southern Pacific railroad was built through this agricultural belt. A general law city, Fillmore has about 26 employees and provides basic municipal services.

METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in this rating was US Local Government General Obligation Debt published in December 2016. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series or category/class of debt or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on
www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review. Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating. Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.

Ricardo Nuno, 34, Fillmore, Ca

Earlier this month, Sheriff's detectives obtained information indicating illegal fireworks were being sold by (S) Ricardo Nuno from his residence at 900 block of Ortega Street, Fillmore. Detectives conducted an investigation and believed Nuno was in possession of a large quantity of fireworks that are illegal in California.

On June 28th, detectives served a search warrant at the location and seized approximately 800 pounds of illegal fireworks. These fireworks were found throughout the residence, including the garage and a bedroom shared with two minor children, and posed a significant threat of injury and fire, not only to the suspect's family, but to the public, as well. It was also determined that Nuno was manufacturing his own explosive devices, which posed a significant threat of injury or death to Nuno and/or his family.

(S) Nuno, who was not present at the time of the service of the search warrant, but was located at his work and arrested. He was booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility on the following charges:
Health and Safety Code Section 12305 / Felony possession of an explosive
Health and Safety Code Section 12677 / Misdemeanor possession of illegal fireworks
Penal Code Section 18720 / Felony Possession of materials with intent to make a destructive device
Penal Code Section 273a(a) / Felony Child Endangerment

Nuno’s bail was set at $100,000 and his next court date is July 2nd, 2018.

'Safe and Sane' fireworks, bearing the seal of the State Fire Marshal, can be legally sold, possessed, and enjoyed in the city of Fillmore between 12:00 PM, June 28th, and 12:00 PM, July 5th. All other fireworks, including altered 'Safe and Sane' fireworks and fireworks that explode and/or launch into the air, are illegal in Fillmore and throughout the state.

Violators may be cited for violating the city municipal code and subject to a $1,000.00 fine, or they may be arrested for more serious crimes. If you witness any illegal activity, please call the Fillmore Police Department at 805-524-2233 or, if there's an immediate threat to life or property, 9-1-1.

Below are several safety tips to ensure you and your family enjoy a safe Independence Day celebration:
- If you witness a crime or fire in progress involving illegal fireworks, call your local authorities by dialing 9-1-1.
- Only 'Safe and Sane' fireworks bearing the seal of the State Fire Marshal are legal in the city of Fillmore. All other fireworks, including altered Safe and Sane fireworks and those that explode or leave the ground, are illegal.
- Kids should not play with fireworks. Fireworks are intended for use by adults in open spaces with plenty of active supervision for every child present.
- Always have a bucket of water on hand to dispose of fireworks and a hose connected to water ready in case of fire.
- Do not place fireworks in trash containers.
- Fireworks, including sparklers and flares, can cause serious burns as well as blast injuries that can permanently impair vision and hearing. Teach your children what to do if their clothing catches on fire-'stop, drop and roll'-and how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Prepared by: Sergeant Mike Harris
Approved by: Captain Todd Inglis

Bob Crum

A reader and accomplished photographer recently sent me very interesting email. Thanks Phil. One topic was phonetography! Hold on! My reaction was not what you might expect. Truth be told, his message caused me to pause. Actually made me stop and give phonetography more consideration then previous short shrift. Recapitulation is stimulating. Sometimes.

“I have some opinions about the whole smartphone debate you are writing about but that's an in-depth discussion for later,” Phil wrote. Uh Oh!

“I think your basic premise is correct,” he continued. “But I have run into some notable exceptions. I have made 17 x 22 pigment based archival prints of images shot by an art director. He has a great eye, but he also must have had special filters for his iPhone, because the quality was incredible.”

He added that “they both knew how to shoot correctly with the iPhone so what I got from them were full resolution files that didn't need upscaling. These were jpegs, BTW, not camera RAW. However, I did take all the images into Photoshop for retouching and color/contrast adjustments for prints.”

Jpegs? Shocking!

Let's again briefly review RAW vs jpegs and why I've been advocating RAW image capture. RAW is image data directly from the sensor without camera processing. Jpegs are images processed in camera (compressed) and the photo parameters baked in. Of course, jpeg images can be edited afterward but except for Photoshop 'smart objects' editing modifies image pixels and can't be undone. This is destructive editing. Post processing RAW images is non-destructive editing because editing does not modify pixels directly... editing is just modifying the image data instructions. The original remains unaffected. Make an editing mistake or don't like how the editing is proceeding press the reset button. Poof! All better. Begin anew.

Phil continued: “I believe there are now smartphones that have camera RAW. That might be a waste for a lot of iPhoneographers, but for some people, it's a great tool. I believe smartphones can actually increase creativity for some people. It really depends on what kind of photography one wants to do.”

An astute observation. I acknowledge that many phonetographers have no desire or need to post process their jpeg snapshots and that's fine. I don't. Shoot, email it, or post on social media and done. More importantly, however, even phonetography can be 'creative'. (hint)

To that end, Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum Software recently penned: “The power of photography (and phonetography) as art is that it serves to enhance the way we see the world. Try taking a photo of the same object every day. What you’ll find is, by spending time studying this object — a person, or a building, or a budding tree — you’ll find new looks, styles, and angles that accentuate it in different, more interesting ways. This kind of practice has a way of activating your brain and stimulating your inner creativity that makes life more interesting. Another thing you’ll learn by familiarizing yourself with photography as art is that it’s not about what you capture in an image, so much as what sort of emotion your images reveal and evoke.”

Snapshots work because sometimes there's only time to record a moment. However, for creative photography, pause a second and ask yourself what are you attempting to capture to share. Will the photo tell a story? More about a photographers eye another time.

Photo of the week is the infamous “F” up on the hill...in bright lights! Awesome! Have you noticed?

Happy photoing. Send your comments, questions and/or suggestions to photography@earthlink.net

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

As people throughout the county celebrate the Independence Day holiday in the coming week, the sheriff’s office would like to remind residents and visitors to the area that all fireworks are illegal to possess or use throughout Ventura County. The exception is in the city of Fillmore, which allows only designated “Safe and Sane” fireworks to be purchased and used within the city limits.

With the dry conditions and recent impacts from wildfires, the use of fireworks poses an extreme fire danger in our communities. Deputies will be actively enforcing laws pertaining to the possession or use of illegal fireworks. Depending on the type or amount of fireworks, violators could be subject to citation or arrest.

Another problem that occurs on Independence Day is the use of firearms for celebratory purposes. The discharge of any firearm or BB device in a grossly negligent manner is a misdemeanor in the state of California and is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year.

Residents can report firework violations in sheriff’s jurisdictions by calling our communications center at (805) 654-9511, or 9-1-1 in an emergency situation.

Prepared by: Sgt. Eric Buschow
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

Ventura County Department of Public Health

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is reminding Californians about the importance of safe food handling to prevent foodborne illness while enjoying picnics, barbecues and other outdoor activities during the summer season. Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter are bacteria most commonly recognized for causing foodborne illness in the United States each year. Most of these cases are mild and cause symptoms for only a day or two, but some cases are more serious. However, there are some easy and effective steps you can take to help lessen your chance of contracting a foodborne illness. “You can protect yourself, your family and your friends from foodborne illness by following simple safety tips for properly preparing and handling food,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith.

Following these four “C’s” can prevent foodborne illnesses:

Chill:
* Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Bacteria can grow in foods kept in the temperature “danger zone” (41°F-135°F) / (5 °C-58 °C) for an extended period of time.
* Refrigerate leftovers to less than 41°F / 5 °C as soon as possible, but definitely within two hours.
* Use shallow pans and loosely cover while in the refrigerator to allow warm air to escape and facilitate cooling.
* Select cold foods at the grocery store last and put them away first when you get home to keep them cold.
* Refrigerated foods packaged in hermetically sealed or vacuum packaged containers should always be stored in the refrigerator. Storing these types of vacuum packaged products at room temperature could allow the production of Botulism toxin.
* Follow package instructions, especially when it comes to keeping foodsrefrigerated.
* Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or in a microwave immediately prior tocooking. Never thaw frozen foods on the counter.

Clean:
* Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before andafter handling food. Humming “happy birthday” twice while washing hands is agood way to ensure you are washing long enough.
* Scrub cutting boards with hot, soapy water after preparing each item and beforemoving on to the next food. If your cutting board has deep grooves or cut marks,which make it difficult to clean, consider replacing it.
* Wash and thoroughly rinse utensils and cutting boards with soap and water.
Thoroughly cleaning them with a bleach solution (made of one tablespoon ofunscented liquid bleach diluted in one gallon of water) will provide effectivesanitation action.
* Cover any cuts or skin abrasions on your hands to avoid contaminating the food.
* Keep pets and household chemicals away from food preparation areas.
Prevent Cross Contamination:
* Keep raw and cooked foods separate.
* Use separate cutting boards and knives for chopping ready-to-eat produce andraw meats.
* Never rinse raw poultry because it spreads germs around the kitchen sink, whichcan serve as a source of contamination for other foods.
* Discard used marinades.
* Use clean utensils and plates to remove cooked foods from grills and pans. Never place cooked foods back into the dish that held the raw or uncookedfoods.
* Separate raw and uncooked meats from ready-to-eat items when shopping at thegrocery store. Place raw meats in disposable, plastic bags away from otherfoods.
* If you use reusable shopping bags for groceries, designate specific bags formeats to avoid cross-contamination. Wash and dry bags as they become soiled.
* Store bags used for groceries at home in a manner which protects them fromother sources of contamination such as pets, children, and chemicals.
* Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator in water-tight containers to prevent juicesfrom leaking onto ready-to-eat and cooked foods.

Cook:
* Use an accurate thermometer to measure the final internal temperature of meatand meat products. Color is an inaccurate way to determine if meat is sufficientlycooked.
* Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the food, ensuring thethermometer does not touch bone or the cooking pan which can give you aninaccurate reading.
* Wash thermometers after each use.
* Wait until foods are completely cooked before taste testing.
* When using a microwave to cook or reheat food, be sure to rotate or stir the foodto facilitate thorough heating.
* Additionally, some labels recommend a “resting time” for the food after cookingbefore it should be served. Those instructions should be followed in order toallow the heat to evenly distribute.
Visit CDPH’s Cooking Raw Meats webpage for additional information.
www.cdph.ca.gov

Soina Castillo, 44, Fillmore.

On 06/19/2018, Detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s West County Narcotic’s Street Team concluded a month long narcotic investigation into Fillmore resident Sonia Castillo who was involved in the sales of methamphetamine to residents of Ventura County. The West County Street Team was assisted by deputies from the Fillmore Police Department.

At approximately 3:00 p.m., detectives executed a narcotic search warrant at Castillo’s residence located in the 1100 Block of El Paseo Street after Castillo had been arrested during a traffic stop for possessing methamphetamine for sales. During the search of the residence, detectives located and seized approximately 14 ounces of methamphetamine along with paraphernalia indicative of narcotics sales, and a large sum of cash deemed to be narcotic proceeds.

Castillo was booked at the Ventura County Main Jail for two counts of possessing methamphetamine for sales. Her bail was set at $100,000 and her next scheduled court appearance is set for 6/21/18 at 1:30 pm.

The West County Street Narcotics Street Team is comprised of narcotic detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the Oxnard Police Department, and the Port Hueneme Police Department.

Prepared by: Detective Sergeant Guy Moody
Approved by: Captain Robert Thomas