In April of this year Fillmore Unified School District announced the start of improvements to the Fillmore Middle School baseball and soccer fields, thanks to Measure V Bond, passed by residents of Fillmore and Piru in the 2016 election. Pictured above are some progress photos of the work in progress.
In April of this year Fillmore Unified School District announced the start of improvements to the Fillmore Middle School baseball and soccer fields, thanks to Measure V Bond, passed by residents of Fillmore and Piru in the 2016 election. Pictured above are some progress photos of the work in progress.
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If you are enjoying the beauty of the Sespe Creek with your friends and family, please keep it clean! Pictured is a mess left behind by some visitors.
If you are enjoying the beauty of the Sespe Creek with your friends and family, please keep it clean! Pictured is a mess left behind by some visitors.
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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
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

 
Joseph McNab. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
Joseph McNab. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Los Angeles Herald 22 September 1887 Advertisement for lots and acreage.
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.
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.
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.
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.

 
Photo of the Week: "Two swans. Eyes LEFT!" By Bob Crum. Photo data; Canon 7DMKII camera in manual mode with Tamron 16-300mm lens @60mm. Exposure; ISO 320, aperture f/8.0 & shutter speed 1/320 of a second.
Photo of the Week: "Two swans. Eyes LEFT!" By Bob Crum. Photo data; Canon 7DMKII camera in manual mode with Tamron 16-300mm lens @60mm. Exposure; ISO 320, aperture f/8.0 & shutter speed 1/320 of a second.
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Addicted to phanopoeia!
Bob Crum
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

 
What do Charleston, South Carolina and Fillmore, CA have in common? They have one student, Matthew Hammond, who graduated from schools in both cities, 2500 miles apart. Matthew attended Sespe Elementary, Fillmore Middle and graduated from Fillmore High School in 2016. He then went on to attend The Citadel Military College in Charleston, South Carolina after receiving an Army ROTC National Scholarship. Via an online ceremony, on Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 10am he graduated from The Citadel after completing the last two months of his senior year online education due to COVID-19. Also online, at 2pm on Saturday, May 9, 2020 he was commissioned into the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant. Come late October 2020 he will begin his training as a Field Artillery Officer at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
What do Charleston, South Carolina and Fillmore, CA have in common? They have one student, Matthew Hammond, who graduated from schools in both cities, 2500 miles apart. Matthew attended Sespe Elementary, Fillmore Middle and graduated from Fillmore High School in 2016. He then went on to attend The Citadel Military College in Charleston, South Carolina after receiving an Army ROTC National Scholarship. Via an online ceremony, on Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 10am he graduated from The Citadel after completing the last two months of his senior year online education due to COVID-19. Also online, at 2pm on Saturday, May 9, 2020 he was commissioned into the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant. Come late October 2020 he will begin his training as a Field Artillery Officer at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
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Matthew Hammond with his proud mother Lisa Hammond of Fillmore, celebrating his virtual online graduation from The Citadel, S. Carolina.
Matthew Hammond with his proud mother Lisa Hammond of Fillmore, celebrating his virtual online graduation from The Citadel, S. Carolina.
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Matthew Hammond with his proud father Rev. Bob Hammond of Fillmore, celebrating his virtual online graduation from The Citadel, S. Carolina.
Matthew Hammond with his proud father Rev. Bob Hammond of Fillmore, celebrating his virtual online graduation from The Citadel, S. Carolina.
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The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley received a grant of $26,000 from the Santa Clara Valley Wellness Foundation (SCVWF) to purchase sanitizing supplies for three sites to reopen, which are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pictured is Gloria Camarillo, President of SCVWF, Jan Marholin, CEO BGCSV, and Mary Deines, Treasurer SCVWF. Photo courtesy BGCSV.
The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley received a grant of $26,000 from the Santa Clara Valley Wellness Foundation (SCVWF) to purchase sanitizing supplies for three sites to reopen, which are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pictured is Gloria Camarillo, President of SCVWF, Jan Marholin, CEO BGCSV, and Mary Deines, Treasurer SCVWF. Photo courtesy BGCSV.
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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
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
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.

 
Map outlining areas where work is scheduled on city’s utility project. Photo Courtesy City of Fillmore.
Map outlining areas where work is scheduled on city’s utility project. Photo Courtesy City of Fillmore.
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The City of Fillmore has contracted Toro Enterprises, Inc. to perform street repairs on HWY 126 and HWY 23 on City owned utility covers. All work will be performed at night to limit the inconvenience to the public. The limits of the work will be as follows: - HWY 126 from D Street to Santa Clara Street - HWY 23 from HWY 126 to River Street - Estimated time of construction: 8:00 PM – 5:00 AM MONDAY – FRIDAY - Dates: 5/4/2020 – 6/5/2020 - PLEASE COMPLY WITH NO PARKING SIGNAGE. We apologize for the inconvenience. For Questions call Toro Enterprises: 805-207-2362 or City Contact: Julian De Anda: 805-202-6816.

 

An emergency statewide bail rule, which was implemented in April by the Judicial Council of California, has resulted in 34 offenders being booked and released multiple times from the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. One man has been booked and released six separate times in three weeks.

The rule eliminates bail for nearly all misdemeanor offenses and some low grade felonies, and was intended to reduce jail populations statewide to keep the coronavirus from spreading among inmates. Qualifying arrestees are booked and released without having to post any bail.

“The problem with this scheme is these repeat offenders keep coming back to jail and are more likely to contract and spread the virus than if they stayed in custody in the first place,” said Sheriff Bill Ayub. “It’s frustrating for deputies to arrest the same people over and over again and see them walk out of jail.”

With court cases on hold, offenders are not being sentenced to serve their time in jail. As a result, the local jail population is now below 900 inmates. The jail population in Ventura County normally averages between 1400 and 1500 inmates.

The zero bail rule will remain in effect until 90 days after the state of emergency is lifted by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Prepared by: Captain Eric Buschow
Approved by: Sheriff Bill Ayub

 
Rio Vista 3d grader Alejandra Robles, age 8, was asked by her teacher Mrs. Liu to write or draw a note thanking the first responders/frontline workers battling COVID-19.
Rio Vista 3d grader Alejandra Robles, age 8, was asked by her teacher Mrs. Liu to write or draw a note thanking the first responders/frontline workers battling COVID-19.
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Alejandra’s note reads, “Dear Frontline Workers, I am very proud of what you are doing right now in these difficult times. Thank you for protecting us, we are very thankful for everything you do for us. And thank you for risking your lives for us.”
Alejandra’s note reads, “Dear Frontline Workers, I am very proud of what you are doing right now in these difficult times. Thank you for protecting us, we are very thankful for everything you do for us. And thank you for risking your lives for us.”
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Fillmore High School’s Isabella Palazuelos, 2020 National Merit Scholarship winner.
Fillmore High School’s Isabella Palazuelos, 2020 National Merit Scholarship winner.

Fillmore High School’s Isabella Palazuelos was awarded the 2020 National Merit Scholarship for $2,500. Her award was supported by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds. Some of Isabella’s probable career field goals include education (college professor).

National Merit® $2500 Scholarship Winners
On May 13th, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced this year’s National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners. The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2500 Scholarships.

Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

2020 National Merit Scholarship Competition
This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2018 when over 1.5 million juniors in approximately 21,000 high schools took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state-representational basis. Only these 16,000 Semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.

From the Semifinalist group, some 15,000 students met the very high academic standards and other requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. By the conclusion of the 2020 program, about 7,600 Finalists will have earned the “Merit Scholar” title and received a total of over $30 million in college scholarships.

NMSC, a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 400 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.

 
The first original Fillmore State Bank at Santa Clara and Central which became incorporated in 1905. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
The first original Fillmore State Bank at Santa Clara and Central which became incorporated in 1905. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Interior of the original bank building.
Interior of the original bank building.
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Second Fillmore State Bank Building at Main and Central.
Second Fillmore State Bank Building at Main and Central.
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Same building, but now Bank of Italy.
Same building, but now Bank of Italy.
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Same Building but now Bank of America.
Same Building but now Bank of America.
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Same Building but now Bank of A. Levy.
Same Building but now Bank of A. Levy.
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Fergus
Fergus "Ted" Fairbanks.
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Copies of checks from the first three incarnations of the bank.
Copies of checks from the first three incarnations of the bank.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

Fillmore’s first bank was incorporated in 1905, before the town was incorporated. The president was Felix Ewing, an attorney and judge on the Ventura County Superior Court, who never lived in Fillmore but served as legal council for many area banks including the Bank of A. Levy. Its first location was on the southeast corner of Central and Santa Clara Street (the building still is there today) and was faced with Sespe Brownstone from George Henley’s Sespe quarry. The Masons met on the second story until they built their own building on the northeast corner of Sespe and Central in 1920.

One of the early employees at the bank was Fergus “Ted” Fairbanks. He was the cashier at the bank from 1907 until 1919 when he entered the law profession. Previously he had lived in Ventura and had been employed by the Bank of Hueneme. In 1963, Mr. Fairbanks wrote an article for the Ventura Historical Society, “Early Day Banks and Banking in Ventura County” which gives his personal perspective on the banking industry and particular banks in the county. He had been recruited by Judge Ewing to “wake the town up – it was nearly dead.” Fairbanks told him he would not take the job unless the bank would back him getting a newspaper started in the town. The Judge was reluctant, probably because he thought Fairbanks was looking for a financial backing. Once it was made clear only moral support was wanted, the deal was struck. The bank had a new cashier and Fillmore had a newspaper.

Ted Fairbanks immediately became active in the community, being a charter member of the Board of Trade (later the Chamber of Commerce) and the Rotary Club as well as serving on the School Board. He practiced law in Fillmore for many years

George Tighe succeeded Ewing as president. Tighe was local business owner with a department store at 345 Central Avenue. It was noteworthy for, among other things, having the first paved sidewalk in Fillmore in 1909.

By 1917, the Fillmore State Bank outgrew its original building and a new building was built just up Central Avenue on the northwest corner of Main and Central. For many years the town library occupied the second floor. The Fillmore State Bank stayed in business at that location until it was bought by the San Francisco, Bank of Italy in 1927. Bank of Italy had been founded in 1904 in San Francisco by Amadeo P. Giannini, and began expansion throughout California. In 1928 the Bank of Italy merged with the smaller Bank of America in Los Angeles and took that as its name.

The Bank of America remained at the Main and Central site until it sold the building to the Bank of A. Levy in 1965. Bank of America moved to a new location at 552 Sespe Avenue. In 1995, the Bank of A. Levy was taken over by First Interstate Bank, who in turn was taken over by Wells Fargo. This is how one building, on the corner of Main and Central, became the home to many banks.

 
Photo of the Week: "Gorgeous California poppies (Eschscholzia californica)" by Bob Crum. Photo data: Canon 7DMKII, manual mode, Tamron 16-300mm lens @24mm with polarizing filter. Exposure; ISO 400, aperture f/11, 1/200 sec shutter speed.
Photo of the Week: "Gorgeous California poppies (Eschscholzia californica)" by Bob Crum. Photo data: Canon 7DMKII, manual mode, Tamron 16-300mm lens @24mm with polarizing filter. Exposure; ISO 400, aperture f/11, 1/200 sec shutter speed.
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I needed Shinrin-yoku
Bob Crum
Bob Crum

The social police wasted no time reminding me that my recent visit to the Antelope Valley poppy fields broke the shelter-at-home guidelines. "Stay home and protect the world!" However, my respite to nature was not unlike a Sunday drive. When I stopped, I was never closer than 200 yards from the nearest human.

Photography was one motivation for the visit but not the only reason. Long ago, I came to the understanding that our upbringing never leaves us. Just as food, water and shelter are vital for our and comfort and well-being, so is a frequent commune with nature. I lived my young years in a small farming community. Woods surrounded the town. To the north, my favorite forest. A babbling brook flowed through it. Six-foot high bramble bushes guarded the parameter. Attempting to breach this tangle of thorny plants required heavy armor. So with pruning sheers, I carefully cut a 'secret' tunnel through eight feet of bramble to access my creek-side oasis.

Paraphrasing Time.com, being in nature can restore our mood, restore our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us. Japanese practice something called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means forest, and yoku means bath. So shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere or taking in the forest through our senses. This is not exercise, or hiking, or jogging. It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch.

In further defense of my alleged illegal behavior, a public health report by researchers Stamatakis and Mitchell report that "being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, but it also contributes to your physical well-being, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. It may even reduce mortality." So you see, my shinrin-yoku pilgrimage was for medicinal purposes and thus totally legal!

Photographing poppies is always challenging. In bright daylight, sunlight reflected from the petals causes the camera's light meter to go wonky. The brightness makes the camera want to reduce exposure drastically. To neutralize the flower petal glare, I employed a polarizing filter. Sometimes helpful, but a polarizing filter is most effective at an angle 45º from the sun - not so much when shooting at the sun or with the sun at my back.

I noticed another interesting phenomenon that I'll call an apparent color shift. As I look out over a field of poppies in one direction, I see a blaze of intense orange. Turn and look at a field of poppies in a different area and I see a field of mostly yellow. Why? There must be a scientific reason. A poppy plant was blooming next to where I was standing. I got down on the ground. At ground level the dominant color I saw was intense orange, very little yellow observed. When I stood and look down at the poppies, I saw a mixture of orange and yellow, a lot of yellow. Conclusion: the tops of poppies are buttered! Aha! So, the color of the poppies one sees, or photographs, from afar is dependent on your position and the viewing angle. Mystery solved!

For the photo of the week, I got intimate with the ants and other critters flitting around on the ground to get the desired photo. Nothing but the best is good enough for my 2,692,585 readers. Happy photoing!

Send comments, suggestions or questions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.netFocus on Photography

 

COVID-19 has infected 595 Ventura residents, with 11,854 being tested as of May 5th--13 of those are in Fillmore.

Ventura County Health Care Agency has announced free tests to residents who meet the specified criteria, which varies with symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The process to test front line workers and the rest of the public differs.

Front line workers, grocery employees, food-supply chain employees, utility works, etc, can visit https://lhi.care/covidtesting to fill out a questionnaire or call 1-888-634-1123. A physician’s referral is not necessary.
All other residents must call the county’s Ambulatory Urgent Care hotline at 805-652-7660 to be pre-screened and to make an appointment.

Fillmore Testing location: Family Medical Group, 828 W. Ventura St., Fillmore. Hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday thru Friday.
Residents who believe they have the coronavirus must have respiratory symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath, or have two of the other symptoms; fever greater than 100.4, chills, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, and loss of smell or taste.

Asymptomatic residents may be tested up to two times if they have been in close contact with a lab-confirmed COVID-19 positive case. Close contact is defined by living or staying at the same residence or being an intimate sexual partner. It can also mean staying within six feet for more than 10 minutes while an infected person is not wearing a mask; having direct contact for any amount of time with the body fluids or secretions of an infected person through cough or sneeze, from the use of shared utensils, in the care of or have provided care to an infected person without wearing a mask, gloves and gown.

Once the close contact criteria are met, the asymptomatic person can be tested at the beginning of the 14-day quarantine. If the person tests negative, then he/she may be tested a second time at the end of the quarantine.

County residents will not be charged for the test and are not required to have health insurance, but they will be asked for insurance information if available.

County health officials are hoping to increase testing from an average of 1,500 per week to 4,000 per week.

https://vcportal.ventura.org/covid19/docs/2020-05-03_Covid19Testing.pdf

 
On May 1st Feeding the Frontlines was once again in Fillmore to give food to the Fillmore Active Adult Center and the Fillmore Farmworkers Labor Camp. Courtesy Fillmore City Council Member Manuel Minjares’ Facebook page.
On May 1st Feeding the Frontlines was once again in Fillmore to give food to the Fillmore Active Adult Center and the Fillmore Farmworkers Labor Camp. Courtesy Fillmore City Council Member Manuel Minjares’ Facebook page.
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Ventura County Sheriff's Department
Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On May 4, 2020, four occupants of a vehicle were arrested for forgery, counterfeiting of seals, possession for sales of methamphetamine, being under the influence of a controlled substance and being a convicted felon in possession of a loaded handgun. Arrested were Marco Jimenez, age 20 of Fillmore, Alexis Medellin, age 21 of Hollywood, Luis Eduardo Rivera, age 22 of Santa Paula, and Alondra Espinoza, age 32 of Oxnard.

At approximately 8:45 a.m., a patrol deputy from the Camarillo station observed a vehicle parked in a no parking zone in the area of 9000 Pacific Coast Highway in the unincorporated area of Ventura County. The deputy contacted the driver Alondra Espinoza, who appeared under the influence of a controlled substance. There were three additional occupants inside the vehicle.

During the contact, the front passenger Alexis Medellin appeared to be having a medical emergency. Deputies began to render aid to the passenger and discovered he was in possession of a loaded handgun. After a thorough investigation, all four subjects in the vehicle were arrested for a variety of crimes including, forgery, being under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession for sales of methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a loaded handgun.

Medellin is currently in custody at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility and his bail is set at $60,000.00. Medellin is scheduled to appear in court on May 6, 2020. The driver and two other passengers were cited and released after booking.

Prepared by: Sergeant Timothy Ragan
Approved by: Captain Shane Matthews

 
Pictured above is City Council Member Manuel Minjares, left, with an Fillmore Active Adult Center representative receiving a $500 check from Kaiser Permanente Ventura. Presenting the check was Ventura County Fire Station No. 27. Courtesy Fillmore City Council Member Manuel Minjares’ Facebook page.
Pictured above is City Council Member Manuel Minjares, left, with an Fillmore Active Adult Center representative receiving a $500 check from Kaiser Permanente Ventura. Presenting the check was Ventura County Fire Station No. 27. Courtesy Fillmore City Council Member Manuel Minjares’ Facebook page.
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Courtesy Fillmore City Council Member Manuel Minjares

Feeding the Frontlines was at it again in Fillmore on Friday, May 1st. Rick Castaniero and Adam Vega came through with more produce for our farmworkers families that weren’t able to get food on Monday, April 27th and for our farmworkers at the Fillmore farmworker labor camp.

The City of Fillmore Active Adult Center was also presented with a donation for $500 by Kaiser Permanente Thrive Kaiser Permanente Ventura 2601 East Main Street Medical Offices. Ventura County Fire Department station 27 was kind enough to present the check to us.

It takes a lot of time and effort to make this happen and I appreciate everything they are doing for us. A big thank you is also owed to Norma Perez-Sandford and her volunteers for distributing the food. Also, a big thank you to City of Fillmore staff members Marie Garfio, Victor Casas (Amalia N Victor Casas), and Billy Gabriel.

 
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