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Target practice on private property has been determined to be the cause of a 131-acre fire on Sunday, July 14th, between Fillmore and Santa Paula. The fire was reported at 11:40 p.m. in the 21600 block of South Mountain Road, spreading to light to medium brush. It was contained south of South Mountain Road, east of Balcom Canyon, north of the ridge line and west of Bardsdale Cemetery. Three firefighters were sent to the hospital; one with an ankle injury, and two due to dehydration. More than 300 personnel and equipment were assigned to the fire. Tankers 76 and 78 were called in from Porterville and Air Attack 07 from Santa Maria. LA County Copter 16 also responded. At least a dozen dozers were called to the scene. Handcrews and type-3 engines designed to work on narrow dirt roads and rugged terrain were called in. At approximately 2:50 p.m. a drone was spotted over the fire; law enforcement was requested. Per the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 43 CFR 9212.1(f), it is illegal to resist or interfere with the efforts of firefighters to extinguish a fire. Doing so can result in a significant fine and/or a mandatory court appearance. Even a small drone can cause a serious or fatal accident if it collides with firefighting aircraft. In most situations, if drones are spotted near a wildfire, firefighting aircraft must land due to safety concerns. This prolongs firefighting operations; in many cases, wildfires become larger when aircraft are not able to drop fire retardant, water, monitor wildfires from above, or provide tactical information to firefighters. Homes and other values at risk could burn needlessly, firefighters or others could be injured, or worst of all, a fatal accident could occur. No evacuations and no structures were involved. No information released if the shooter will be held financially liable for the fire. Photos courtesy Ventura County Fire Department.

First 5 Ventura County (F5VC) is pleased to join Interface Children & Family Services (ICFS) in announcing 13 Neighborhoods for Learning (NfL) locations scheduled to open in late August. Services will be provided across the county with locations in Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura. The sites will help provide essential learning opportunities and services for Ventura County’s nearly 60,000 children prenatal – 5 and their families.

This announcement marks another milestone achieved as part of F5VC’s newly redesigned NfL model. First 5 Ventura County will be investing $2.9 million annually in the First 5 Neighborhoods for Learning, powered by Interface, with classes beginning in late August and early September
2019.

“We are committed to continue delivering Parent and Child Together (PACT) Classes and family support services throughout the county and in neighborhoods where our most vulnerable families and young children reside,” said First 5 Ventura County Executive Director Petra Puls. “Together with ICFS, we have thoroughly reviewed and selected 13 easily accessible locations to serve as neighborhood hubs for early learning and family support services. Many of the sites are in familiar locations, like schools.”

The centrally located NfL locations will offer programs including Parent and Child Together (PACT) classes to help parents and caregivers enhance their knowledge of child development and positive parenting practices to support their children’s learning and development. Parent education classes provide a venue for parents to connect with peers and benefit from social support. Families will also have access to developmental screenings, assistance with care coordination and referral to services such as housing, dental, and Cal Fresh programs.

"We're excited to partner with F5VC in establishing these prime NfL locations,” said Interface Executive Director Erik Sternad. “The carefully selected NfL sites will allow us to work collaboratively to ensure our Ventura County children and families are served in the best and most cost-effective manner possible.”

The award winning First 5 Neighborhoods for Learning were founded nearly 20 years ago with the understanding that parents and caregivers are the foundation of children's well-being and healthy development. Years of research confirms that a child’s brain develops faster from birth to age three than at any other later period in life, building the foundation for a child's future learning, behavior, and health. “A child’s experiences in the first three years are the bricks and mortar of brain development, which is why we’ve updated the NfL model and placed an even greater emphasis on PACT classes” remarked Elizabeth Majestic, Pritzker Fellow and First 5 Director of Neighborhoods for Learning.

“To help us best serve the families with young children, F5VC and ICFS will be hosting a series of local open house events in early August offering opportunities for parents to enroll in classes and engage with the community,” said Puls. “We hope our neighbors will come out and explore all we have to offer and meet our NfL staff.”

The first of these events will be on Tuesday, August 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Justin Early Learner Academy in Simi Valley and Sespe Elementary in Fillmore. All those interested in joining the F5VC and ICFS family to learn more about classes and programs are encouraged to drop by.

Additional locations will be announced in the next few weeks. To view a current list of locations and open house opportunities, please visit www.First5Ventura.org

About First 5 Ventura County
Research shows that a child’s brain develops most dramatically in the first five years and what parents and caregivers do during these years to support their child’s growth will have a significant impact throughout life. Based on this research, First 5 Ventura County was created by voters in 1998 to invest Ventura County’s allocation of funds from California’s voter-approved Proposition 10 tax 50 cents-per-pack tax on tobacco. F5VC invests these revenues in programs and services for children prenatal - 5 that support children’s health, early learning, and strong families, including our nationally recognized Neighborhoods for Learning (NfLs).

First 5 Ventura County knows that improving the life trajectory of our youngest children will not be the product of Prop 10 funds alone, which now average $160 per child under the age of 5 in each county. Changing systems and policies to prioritize children at the earliest moments in their lives is what’s required to help all children have the best start possible in life.

About Interface Children & Family Services
Interface is Ventura County’s leading nonprofit social services agency, providing free, proven, and responsive services to address the complex physical and emotional needs of 59,000 local clients every year. Its 30 programs utilize 10 evidence-based practices to serve children, teens, adults and families who are typically low-income and struggling with poverty, domestic violence, human trafficking, homelessness, incarceration, child abuse, neglect and abandonment. Interface also connects 150,000 clients per year to a vast network of health and human services in 19 counties through its 2-1-1 Information and Referral program.

Interface’s core program areas are Mental Health and Trauma Treatment, Domestic Violence Intervention and Child Abuse Prevention, Youth Crisis and Homeless Services, Human Trafficking Intervention, Reentry Services, Early Childhood Family Development, and 2-1-1 information and referral. The agency has pioneered several programs including launching California’s first 2-1-1 call center, initiated Ventura County’s Pay for Success Program, and was one of the first agencies in the state to open a domestic violence shelter. Recently, Interface opened the only human trafficking shelter for adults, and is the only provider of child abuse treatment in the region. The agency operates out of five main locations including Camarillo, Moorpark, Oxnard, Santa Paula and Thousand Oaks, and soon, will be providing early education and parent support at an additional thirteen First 5 Neighborhoods for Learning Powered by Interface sites. For more information, please contact Catherine L. Kort at ckort@icfs.org or (805) 206-8663.

Bob Crum

It's reported that planet earth, and the universe, was created in darkness. Not satisfied, God said: Let there be light! Thomas Edison, not one to argue with a higher authority, promptly invented the light bulb. And the Lord was pleased saying: Light is good but more is better, and the sun was born.

Without light, photography couldn't exist. But what is light? Paraphrasing BBC.com: "Einstein suggested that light is carried in tiny quantum packets. Each quantum packs a discrete energy punch that relates to the wavelength: the shorter the wavelength, the denser the energy punch. A brighter light source delivers more light packets, but doesn't change the amount of energy each light packet contains.

Furthermore, Einstein named these energy packets 'photons', now recognized as particles which carry visible light. At this point, physicists decided to end the debate over whether light behaved as a wave or a particle. Both models were so convincing that neither could be rejected. To end the confusion of non-physicists, the scientists decided that light behaved as both waves and particles at the same time: A paradox.

While we take sunlight for granted, photons often wreak havoc. While the human eye can discern differing brightness levels, not so even for the most advanced cameras. Camera sensors bombarded with variations of photons often get confused. Hence, white balance not always correct, not to mention exposure. Challenges prevail.

However, understanding light will significantly improve your photography. For example, different types of natural light can also produce a wide variety of subject appearances, even though these all have the same light source: The sun. Three factors influence how natural light renders a subject: Time of day, camera direction and weather.

Cambridge in Colour explains: From sunlight, a subject's illumination is comprised of several components: Direct sunlight (warmer, high contrast) diffuse skylight (cooler, low contrast) and bounced light (reflective light). The time of day complicates matters because the kind of light affects white balance and/or contrast. Besides the time of day, the extent of cloud cover significantly varies the type of light. As I said, light is complicated.

To beat the throng, I was ready at 8 a.m. to shoot the car show. Not so fast. The marine layer (clouds) was thicker than cold yogurt. Under the clouds, the light was softer than room temperature rose petals. Soft light is fine for mermaid boudoir photography, but not for classic vehicles. I prefer sunlight to reflect the rich, gorgeous colors. Furthermore, without sunlight no sunstars.

About noon, with the marine layer beginning to break up, it was time to go. OMG, the throng became a super-sized crowd. Oh my, look at the luscious Chevy - excuse me sir - I'd like to photography that car. Yes sir, you are in my way. Scuse me ma'am, I'd like to photograph that car - yes, you are in my way. Wish I had a dollar for every person that walked in front of my camera! Ugh!

Anyway, so many fantabulous classic vehicles it was a gold mine of photo ops. But cars parked side-by-side made it challenging to get the desired perspective. Did the best I could considering the circumstances. Remember, it's not nice to ask how many photos I shot.
Oh, and when the sun moved towards the western sky, hallelujah! You know I can't resist a few shots of cars with sunstars? Remember, in addition to kind of light, the time of day is equally important. Hear me?

The photo of the week is the black Chevy at the car show, complete with multiple sunstars on the chrome. Happy photoing!

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

Recovery continues for California communities impacted by the Camp, Hill and Woolsey wildfires, which all started November 8, 2018. FEMA has now approved $76,755,681 to reimburse the State for emergency protective measures performed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire (Cal Fire) for costs associated with battling last November’s wildfires under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program. This brings the total amount of federal assistance to more than $163 million; additional projects will continue to be funded.

FEMA funds will be used to reimburse the department for such endeavors as firefighting, traffic control (barricading), search and rescue, air attack fire suppression, and operating a mobile communications center during the three wildfires which started November 8, 2018 in Butte, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

The grant is funded by FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) works with FEMA during all phases of the program and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects.

Applicants work directly with FEMA to develop projects and scope of work. FEMA obligates funding for the project after its final approval.

Once a project is obligated by FEMA, CalOES works closely with the applicant to finalize the grant and begin making payments. CalOES has implemented new procedures designed to ensure grant funding is provided to local communities as quickly as possible.

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides grants to state, tribal, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profit organizations, including houses of worship, so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.

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8-A Council approved the response to the Grand Jury findings and recommendations, and submit the response to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court for the annual detention report.

8-B Resolution 19-3726 creating the unrepresented part-time classifications of Volunteer Fire Assistant Chief (temporary coverage), Volunteer Fire Battalion Chief and Volunteer Fire Engineer and adopting job descriptions for these positions was approved.

8-C City Council approved amending Resolution No. 14-3439 to add the part-time positions of Volunteer Fire Assistant Chief (Temporary Coverage), Volunteer Fire Battalion Chief, and Volunteer Fire Engineer, as well as the daily rate per 24-hour shift for these positions. The daily rate changes set forth in Salary Schedule “T” will be retroactively effective to July 1, 2019.

8-D That the City Council adopt Resolution 19-3724 Approving and Adopting the City of Fillmore’s Revised Publicly Available Pay Schedule to reflect the July 1, 2019, Fire Department volunteer staff additions and pay rate changes.

8-E It was approved that City Council members serve as official representatives of the City to various intergovernmental agencies. The League of California Cities allows each Member City to vote at the Annual Business Meeting. Council members, Mayor Diane McCall, Mark Austin, and Tim Holmgren were appointed.

8-F The following was approved: that the City Council: 1. Find that this action is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines; and 2. Approve the introduction and first reading of Ordinance No. 913 amending the Fillmore Municipal Code to allow covenants for easements.

8-G The City Council, as the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency Directors, approved the updated month to month leases for the Theatre Storefront properties at 336 and 338 B Central Avenue, Fillmore, California.

8-H It was approved, that the City Council, as the Successor Agency Board of Directors: 1. Approve the attached First Amendment to the Purchase and Sale Agreement for Successor Agency property located at 510 Santa Clara Street; and 2. Direct staff to submit the First Amendment to the Purchase and Sale Agreement to the County Oversight Board for approval and authorize the Agency’s Chair to execute the agreement after Oversight Board approval.

8-I City Council, as the Successor Agency Board of Directors: 1. Approved the attached First Amendment to the Purchase and Sale Agreement for Successor Agency property located at 510 Santa Clara Street; and 2. Direct staff to submit the First Amendment to the Purchase and Sale Agreement to the County Oversight Board for approval and authorized the Agency’s Chair to execute the agreement after Oversight Board approval.

Courtesy Jan Lee

Recently, the Fillmore Lion’s Club took the time to honor members of their local Club. Member Jaclyn Ibarra earned the “Lion of the Year” which is given to the Fillmore member who has done the most for the local community. Ms. Ibarra has been active in almost all the community activities this year. Her enthusiasm and good nature is contagious!

The second award given was for service above and beyond was Eddi Barajas, current president of Fillmore Lion’s Club. Mr. Barajas received the “Don Snyder Award.” One of the Lion’s Club’s community projects is the Youth Speaker contest; Mr. Barajas spent hours and hours working to coordinate this contest on top of the time he spent as Club President. The young speakers and local members appreciate his outstanding efforts.

The third awarded was to Stephen McKeown who earned the “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Like the other two recipients, Mr. McKeown stays busy working on projects that help the Fillmore community. Over many years, he has been available to work toward any and all Lion’s Club projects. Fillmore residents have benefitted greatly by the efforts of these three dedicated people. When you see them around town, congratulate them and thank them for their service. The awards were presented by Lion’s District Representatives Margaret and Bill Dunlevy.

On Thursday morning, July 4th a 6.4 earthquake, and Friday night, July 5th a 7.1 earthquake struck in the Searles Valley near Ridgecrest, California. The quakes were felt throughout Fillmore and Ventura County areas. In Fillmore approximately 887 homes went without power after the 7.1 quake on Friday night, and was restored after 10 p.m. Some docks in the Channel Islands Harbor area were damaged. For Up To Date Earthquake Information go to: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/

Bob Crum

Kaboom! Another July 4th has come and gone, but not without consternation. Rest assured it has nothing to do with patriotism. I'm as patriotic as any red, white and blue-blooded American. Even just as patriotic as when I wore a U.S. Air Force uniform.

Fond memories of the 4th take me back to yesteryear when as Parks & Rec director for a small Florida town, I produced the annual fireworks display lock, stock and boom! With a $2.5K budget, I selected the aerial explosions and choreographed the display ignited with the help of the volunteer fire department. I also included a ground display complete with rousing marching music. Ah, those were the days.

So why the consternation? There were no illegal fireworks fired off by residents back then like here in Fillmore. While I was setting up to photograph this year's fireworks display, illegal fireworks enveloped me. So many were fired off at any given moment that I was being overwhelmed by the resultant smoke. Being asthmatic, it was not pleasant! But I digress.

Most of my readers know that I've been photographing the Fillmore fireworks display for several years. From the years of practice, you'd think I have the procedure wired. Yes, I know the photographic routines, but I wasn't ready for what happened this year.

There are two basic methods for photographing fireworks with digital dSLR or mirrorless cameras. One way is to set ISO at 100, or 200 if that's the lowest setting. Put the lens on manual focus with focus set at 'infinity,' aperture at f/8 or f/11. The only remaining criterion is the shutter speed. A typical setting is between two and four seconds.

I prefer a more flexible option. For this, as well as the above method, a tripod is mandatory. I secure the camera on a tripod ball head and program it: ISO @100, aperture usually at f/8 but instead of selecting a shutter speed, I connect a remote shutter release to the camera and put the camera in "bulb" mode. Bulb mode allows me to make a photo for as long as the shutter is open. As the first couple of aerial bombs are fired, I make a test shot to check composition. Another test shot for relative exposure and adjust as needed. This procedure eliminates showtime guesswork and allows me to capture the whole duration of the aerial explosion. The bulb mode also enables me to make multiple exposures, two aerial explosions in one frame.

The conspiracy? After positioning the camera and locking it down on the ball head, I was surprised to see so many fireworks rise and veer off to the left, out of view of my lens! I don't recall this happening in years past. Note that as I hold the remote shutter release button, I can't see what the camera sees. If the aerial bomb veers off one direction or the other, I can't track it. I quickly learned that if I saw it begin to veer off to the left in time, I'd unlock the ball head to readjust the camera. But that's guesswork. It didn't work too well. C'est la vie.

Did you notice the photo of the week data? Ten-second exposure at an aperture of f/18 is correct. It's a multiple exposure incorporating three fireworks bursts in one frame. I had to stop down the lens quickly otherwise the 10-second duration would result in a severely overexposed image. It pays to be flexible, nimble, and very adventurous. Happy photoing.

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

This police booking mug from the Los Angeles Police department shows former Catholic priest Carlos Rene Rodriguez, 46, after he was arrested at his home in the City of Commerce, Calif., Wednesday Sept. 25, 2002. (AP Photo/Orange County Sheriffs Department)

A former Catholic priest removed from ministry and convicted of molestation was reportedly presiding at home Masses in Fillmore, according to a May 30 alert from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

The notice from the archdiocese’s Vicar for Clergy Office to priests, deacons and parish life directors warns that Carlos Rene Rodriguez has no permission to act as a Roman Catholic priest. It said parishioners reported Rodriguez was celebrating Masses held at residences in Fillmore and surrounding areas.

Archdiocese officials said Rodriguez was removed from ministry in 1987 after being accused of abusing a teenager at St. Vincent Church in Los Angeles when he was part of the Vincentian religious order. After treatment and a return to limited ministry at a Santa Barbara retreat center, he left the religious order in 1993 ending his authority to serve as a priest in the archdiocese.

Archdiocese officials said he was laicized — removed from the priesthood — in 1998. The archdiocese includes Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and is the largest in the nation.

In 2004, he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of molestation from 1988 to 1993 — beginning after Rodriguez was sent to the retreat center — involving brothers from Santa Paula. He was incarcerated in 2004 and released in 2008, according to archdiocese officials in a written statement.

Archdiocese officials also said Rodriguez presented himself as a priest in 2016, using the name of Father Carlos Ramirez at a church not affiliated with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The May notice from the Vicar for Clergy Office said he was removed from ministering at the church.

Courtesy of California Catholic Daily, https://cal-catholic.com/la-archdiocese-warns-of-renegade-priest/

City of Fillmore

The City of Fillmore would like everybody to have a safe 4th of July. As a reminder Ordinance 18-893 was passed by Fillmore City Council on September 11, 2018 to amend Fillmore Municipal Code Chapter 15.39. The amendment to the fireworks ordinance makes a property owner, tenant, or other person responsible for real property strictly liable for the use of illegal fireworks on that property. As a result, this ordinance allows for the citing of the homeowner, tenant, or the person deemed to be in control of the property where a firework violation occur. The enforcement action could be triggered by a deputy’s observation or by information obtained from the public. This can result in a $1,000 penalty and/or jail time.

Two Oxnard residents were arrested for charges related to stealing a tractor from a construction site in the unincorporated area of Santa Paula.

The victim of the crime was completing a construction project in the area of Briggs Road and the 126 Highway. The development involved heavy machinery which included a “CAT” mini-dozer tractor. During the weekend of 06/14/19, the victim parked the construction equipment at the job site and returned on 06/17/19. When the victim returned, he discovered the tractor was gone. The tractor was equipped with a GPS device which indicated the unit was in Phoenix, Arizona.

Detectives worked in conjunction with authorities in Phoenix to track the equipment to a residence. Based on their investigation in Phoenix, detectives were able to identify Sam Reyes and Vanessa Lopez as the primary suspects in the case. Detectives learned that Reyes and Lopez stole the tractor from the job site in Santa Paula. The suspects created a post on the website “OfferUp” which is used to sell various products. A buyer answered the advertisement and met with the suspects near the location of the theft. The buyer provided the suspects cash for the tractor and then proceeded to Phoenix.

Investigators discovered that Reyes and Lopez lived in the Oxnard area. On 06/25/19, detectives went to their residence and located both suspects.

They were arrested and booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura for the following charges:
Reyes: 487 (d)(1) PC- grand theft auto, 532 (a) PC- obtaining property under false pretenses, 182 (a)(1) PC- conspiracy, and 11364 (a) HS- possession of drug paraphernalia and an out of county warrant for theft.

Lopez: 487 (d)(1) PC- grand theft auto, 532 (a) PC- obtaining property under false pretenses, and 182 (a)(1) PC- conspiracy.

Detectives are seeking help from the public who may have made a purchase from Reyes and Lopez on “OfferUp” or by any other means. If so, please contact Detective Bill Meixner at the phone number listed below.

Nature of Incident: Construction Equipment Theft Suspects Arrested
Two Arrested for Tractor Theft, Drugs, Conspiracy
Report Number: 19-93675
Location: Briggs Road at the 126 Highway
Date & Time: 06/25/19 10:30 am
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Investigations Unit
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S) Sam Reyes 42, Oxnard
(S) Vanessa Lopez, 40, Oxnard
Prepared by: Sergeant Vince Alvarez
Approved by: Captain Shane Matthews

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).