On Saturday, November 19th the Fillmore Girls Cross Country team competed at the CIF Southern Section Division 4 Cross Country Championships. The meet was run on the historical, and challenging course at Mount San Antonio College. To qualify for State Finals, the Flashes needed to finish among the top 7 teams in a race of 16 teams.

The team was led by sophomore Niza Laureano, who continued to improve throughout this season. Niza finished in 48th place and posted a best time of 19:41.6. Niza was followed by Nataly Vigil 58th in 20:08.4, Andrea Laureano 81st in 21:00.6, Leah Barragan 88th in 21:21.5, Diana Santa Rosa 96th in 21:51.7, Alexandra Martinez 102nd in 22:10.4, and Monique Hurtado 108th in 22:54.5.

In the team competition, Fillmore finished in 13th place out of a 16 team field. The top 7 teams will now move on to the California State Meet.

Elbert Bailey Turner
Enlarge Photo

Turners Cottage Hotel. 1st in town.
Enlarge Photo

EB Turner Saloon
Enlarge Photo

Turners stable turned into Garage.
Enlarge Photo

Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

The following is a first person account of early life at the beginning of settlement of Fillmore found in the archives of the Fillmore Historical Museum.

In April, 1933, an early pioneer in Fillmore, Mr. C. C. Elkins, was interviewed about Fillmore’s early years. He had described the simple boarding house, where his family had first stayed upon their arrival on the railroad, as an “up and down boarded house.”

Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Bailey Turner were also early pioneers here who had settled first in Fillmore and later moved to the Sespe. They had owned and managed that boarding house on what would become Main St. before and after the arrival of the railroad. Life was hard with few conveniences. It took grit to survive and prosper.

Mrs. Turner (Lucinda) who was then living in San Diego took offense to Elkins’ description of her boarding house and expressed her opinion in two letters to the editor, Mr. Wagner, in the April 28th edition of the Fillmore Herald.

In the first letter she recalled some earlier history as follows: “Dear Friend Wagner: I am writing some news which are facts. We are the oldest settlers of Fillmore. I won’t hear to it for any one to take the feather out of our cap and put into theirs. I was always proud of that place. There was a lot of nice old settlers. I think of the nice picnics in Kenney’s grove. I know there are just as fine people now in Fillmore. If there wasn’t they would not be there. We are well. Best wishes for you and Fillmore people and friends.”

In the second letter she described what she and her husband had to do to survive those early years. “Dear Editor: In our home-town paper, the Fillmore Herald, I read that Mr. and Mrs. C.

C. Elkins, Sr. celebrated their 62 wedding anniversary. We wish them health and many more happy anniversaries.

The writer of their affair was mistaken in one instance. One of the shacks as he called it was a California built house 30 X 60, 12 rooms 10 feet high, cloth on walls and papered, neatly furnished and clean and Mrs. E. B. Turner was the manager and cook, with hired help. We also ran a livery stable. We had a paying business but it was hard work with many disadvantages. No meat market, no stores or vegetable wagon every day at your door. Our meat was shipped from Ventura by the Hobson brothers. Easly of Santa Paula furnished most of our vegetables. E. B. Turner butchered a hog now and then and Alfred Stone killed deer. He sold the best part to us. I pickled beef and sides of pork to help out. We had a pen of fat chickens, paid 25 cents for a five or six-pound young rooster, so you can see it was not a fool’s job to take care of our little business.

I add to this that C. C. Elkins family boarded at our place, the Fillmore Hotel, till he could build a temporary place to live in. In a few weeks he began building a two story building with living room and his store on the first floor. It was needed.

E. B. Turner was the first post master of Fillmore. He fixed a front bedroom in our hotel where he took care of the post office for a year or so. Then it was moved to the depot. George Tighe was depot agent and E. B. Turner appointed George Tighe assistant postmaster. Turner said “There wasn’t any money and no honor to work for nothing.” He rented the hotel to George Tighe’s mother for a year.”

“Here are some facts and I want to say the editor in Fillmore in 1887 was a 13 year old boy, a son of Mr. Buckston. The family lived at the old ranch house. The paper was two sheets about 10 X 12 inches. George was a rustler for news. A neighbor by the name of Bill Smith came in the hotel. He said our baby is dead. It was one day old. I haven’t any money to pay for a coffin. I told him I could make one. We had some wide redwood boards. I measured the size and shape on the floor of our back porch. In about an hour I had it finished. I lined it with white cambric and oiled the outside. It was a neat piece of work. I read of a man making his own coffin. It would be time thrown away for me to make mine, for I want to be cremated. Mrs. E. B. Turner”

In October 1933, C.C. Elkins was being interviewed by Charles Jarrett also for the Fillmore Herald. In that interview he also noted that, “Mrs. Turner had taken offence to hearing her little bungalow hotel described as an “up and down boarded house. He emphasized to the interviewer “Don’t call them shacks. I was bawled out for doing that a while back.”

The Turners prospered, moving to a nice two story home on the Sespe. E. B. died September 12, 1936; Mrs. Turner died in June 1945. They had married in Kingman County, Kansas. According to Mrs. Turner, “Ours was the first marriage ceremony ever In Kingman County, Kansas. The justice of the peace was a bit nervous and had to read his book to find out how to tie the knot. It was cold in his dugout office. All he had for fuel was cornstalks. While he was tying the knot his wife broke up corn stalks to keep the place warm.” The Turners came to California on an immigrant train. Coaches were attached to a freight train. They were 10 days making the journey to San Francisco. They then went to Portland by boat, returning to Ventura County by covered wagon.”
They were very representative of the immigrants to the Fillmore, Sespe region. They came to California by wagon, railroad, and boat. They were hardy. They knew what they wanted and achieved their dreams one mile at a time. But their names were not as well-known as the “city fathers” and large farming companies. They were simply the people who made Fillmore grow and prosper by hard work and ingenuity.

Courtesy Fillmore Fire Department

The Fillmore Fire Department in conjunction with the Fillmore Fire Foundation is kicking off the annual Holiday Toy Drive this week. Collection drop off boxes for new toys are available at the Fillmore Police and Fire Stations. As part of the Toy Drive, on Sunday, December 4th, the Fire Foundation will be holding the annual Chicken Dinner Fundraiser to collect donations that will used to purchase hundreds of toys for children in the Fillmore/Piru area. A complete chicken dinner meal is prepared for anyone wanting to donate fifteen dollars ($15) that will be used to purchase a new toy. Because of on-going COVID-19 precautions, all meals will be for take-out only and will be available via a contactless drive-thru process, this year the dinner will be held at the Fillmore/Piru Veteran’s Memorial Building, 511 Second St. Dinner will be served from 5 -7 PM. In lieu of a $15 donation, a new toy valued at $15 or greater may be donated. The hundreds of toys purchased from this event will be combined with those that are donated by the Community and then distributed on Saturday, December 17, from 9AM-12 PM at a huge event. If you would like to donate to the Toy Drive/Community Giveaway or would like to purchase tickets/drop off toys, please call 805-815-0328.

On Friday, November 11th the boys and girls varsity teams competed on the challenging Mt. San Antonio Cross Country Course. The course consist of two flat loops that measure approximately one mile. After the first mile, there are three challenging climbs that will test the best of athletes. The boys and girls Division 4 competition featured three heats and several top individuals. The top five teams in each heat, and the next fastest team in the 3 heats qualified to CIF SS D4 Finals. The top 8 individuals in each heat not on a qualifying team also qualify qualified.

For the Flashes, the girls lined up in the third race of the day at 7:58 a.m. In this second heat 13 teams toed the line, and 7 individuals joined them. Niza Laureano led the girls by placing 12th in a time of 19:44. Niza was followed by Nataly Vigil 21st in 20:23.4, Andrea Laureano 29th in 21:00.8, Leah Barragan 39th in 21:32.9, Alexandra Martinez 43rd in 21:50.7, Diana Santa Rosa 45th in 21:57.7, and Monique Hurtado 68th in 23:40.2. As a result of good grouping, Fillmore placed 5th in a heat of 13, thus qualifying for CIF SS Division 4 Finals.

In the Boys Varsity race Eduardo Vigil led the boys with a 19th place finish in 16:38.6. He was followed by Nicholas Hurtado 39th n 17:25.0, Diego Ramirez 41st n 17:27.1, Joshua Estrada 46 th in 17:52.2, Angel Laureano 58th in 18:19.7, and Angel Garcia 65th in 18:32.9. In a heat of 15 teams Fillmore finished in 7th place, thus ending a good season for the boys.

Next week, on Saturday, the Fillmore Girls Cross Country will return to Mt. San Antonio College and compete against the top 16 CIF SS D4 teams. On the line is a chance to compete in the State Finals. To qualify for State Finals, they must finish among the top 7 teams. This race is scheduled to start at 7:45 a.m.

Written by Carina M. Montoya

It is true that big things come in small packages. When I met long-time Fillmore resident Barbara Filkins and learned that she is a pilot and has been flying planes for several decades, I wanted to know more about this accomplished petite lady. Originally from Connecticut, Barbara came to California in the early 1970s to study at Harvey Mudd Collegein Claremont, known for its curriculum that educates talented scientists, engineers and mathematicians. It was at Harvey Mudd where she learned to fly and earned her pilot’s license under the tutelage of Iris Cummings Critchell. Critchell served during World War II as a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). She also raced airplanes competitively during the 1950s and together with her husband, Howard Critchell, helped found the Bates Aeronautics program at Harvey Mudd College in 1962.

After Barbara obtained her degree in physics, she returned to the East Coast and began working for the aerospace industryin Upstate New York where she met her husband, Dale, who is also a pilot. Barbara’s career soared through the years as her talent and skills in the aerospace industry grew and were in demand within the industry and related industries. A job offer at an aerospace company on the West Coast brought Barbara back to California, where she and Dale decided to make Fillmore their permanent home. They both share a love of flying and have three planes. Dale built one of the planes, a Velocity V-Twin engine,which is a flagship model of the Velocity Aircraft line. Although both have had their share of flying solo, they have flown together many times coasttocoastand often fly somewhere out of town for a weekend getaway. Barbara now teaches aeronautics through distance learning, including flight instruction at the Oxnard and Camarillo airports.

In addition to Barbara’s busy daily schedule, she still finds the time for a passionate hobby in an equestrian sport called dressage, which is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition. It is also known as “the highest expression of horse training,” which involves the rider and horse to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements.

But wait, there’s more . . .Barbara is a member of the Fillmore Rotary Club and gives of her time for community service by enriching the lives of others locally and around the world, which is at the core of the club’s mission.

Next time you see a plane flying above when you’re out and about in town, give it a wave because it just may be Barbara flying over the town.

The interior of original Fillmore Historical Museum.
Enlarge Photo

Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

Join us Thursday, November 17th, 2022 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM via Zoom for A Hidden Gem: The Fillmore Historical Museum, sponsored by the Historical Society of Southern California.

The Historical Society of Southern California is spotlighting the Fillmore Historical Museum and its local history in their Community Focus series. Learn about the history of the Museum as well as an overview of our local history. Presenters will include Museum Director Martha Gentry, Museum Volunteer Sue Zeider, and local historian Michele Ybarra McKinley. A question and answer session will follow the presentation. Register now at https://forms.gle/TcQzbTqjX8kWDjXY9.

In 1972, the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce approached a retired Spanish teacher, Edith Moore Jarrett, to start an historical museum. Mrs. Jarrett was not just any retired Spanish teacher. She had written the Spanish textbooks, El Camino Real I. II, and other books. The textbooks became the most commonly used series of Spanish text books in the United States for several decades beginning in 1940 and into the 1970s. She also loved traveling and history. She was a Fillmore native, graduating from Fillmore Union High School in 1916 and from the University of Southern California in 1921. After graduation from USC, she returned to Fillmore and taught in its schools until her retirement.

Mrs. Jarrett accepted the Chamber of Commerce’s request. Space was rented on the ground floor of the Masonic Temple Building on Central Avenue and the word went out to the population of the area that she was looking for items for the Museum. She was overwhelmed with donations and soon out of space.

In 1974, the Southern Pacific Railroad was ready to demolish the depot they had built in Fillmore in 1887. It had not been used except for storage for many years and was in very poor condition. Edith Jarrett bought it for $1 plus 5₵ tax on the condition that she immediately move it from its original site. She petitioned the City which provided a lot on Main Street. Mrs. Jarrett then paid for the moving and renovation of the Depot as a donation to the town of Fillmore.

Fifty years have passed since the Fillmore Historical Museum opened its doors. After extensive damage in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the depot was again moved and renovated.

The new site for the Museum was only a block from the old site, but now had room for a 1905 bungalow, the 1919 Rancho Sespe bunkhouse, a 1960’s caboose and several smaller buildings. An entirely volunteer operation, it receives no funding from any government agency.

The Museum is open four days a week and by appointment. It regularly hosts interns from local colleges and universities as well as welcoming local school children. Its website, fillmorehistoricalmuseum.org, includes information about the Museum and its programs as well as over one hundred stories about the Fillmore, Bardsdale, Sespe and Piru communities.

The Spirit of the Holidays - Saturday, November 26th, 2022, Visit with Santa! Holiday Toy Drive!

The Sunburst Train and Sierra Northern Railway, in partnership with our community, will continue the tradition of traveling through the Santa Clara River Valley making stops during the night to collect unwrapped toys for donation. Visit with Santa! Holiday Toy Drive!

Our friend Santa will ride the train, and with his helpers, pass out candy canes to the kids.
www.sunbursttrain.com/spirit-of-the-holidays

- 9:15PM to 9:45PM - Sespe Ave. and Old Telegraph in Fillmore (across the street from the Fire Station)
- 8:00PM to 8:30PM - Santa Paula Depot, Santa Paula
- 6:20PM to 6:50PM - Pedestrian Crossing 2000’ east of Montgomery Ave,
Ventura.
- 7:00PM to 7:30PM - Aleia St – Saticoy Depot, Ventura

Our Supporters: Fillmore PD, Fillmore Association of Business, Santa Paula PD, Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, Santa Paula Rotary, Ventura County Sheriff’s Association, FWRY.

On Friday, November 11th, Fillmore will host its Annual Veterans Day Parade at 10am on Central Avenue. A ceremony and BBQ will follow the parade at the Fillmore–Piru Veterans Memorial Building, 511 Second Street. This year’s Grand Marshal is Danny Golson, U.S. Army Spec. 4 Vietnam 1969 – 1970, and this year’s guest speaker will be Frank Renteria. You can read bios for Danny and Frank below:

Danny Golson graduated from Fillmore High School in June of 1968. Four months later, he was drafted into the United States Army. He served his basic duty and advanced training at Fort Ord, CA. He was ordered to Fort Benning GA. Where he completed a three-month Scout Dog training course. A month later, he was ordered to Viet Nam. Danny was a Specialist 4 Infantryman and served in Viet Nam from 1969 to 1970.

While in Viet Nam, he served with Company D, first of the twelve Fourth Infantry Division. His area of operation was the Central Highlands of Pleiku, Camp Enari and An Khe, Camp Radcliff.

Danny was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB), in October of 1969, for his participation in armed ground conflict. He was also awarded the Air Medal for his participation in more than 25 aerial missions over hostile territory for support of counter-insurgency operations.

He sustained wounds and was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action while operating in the An Lo Valley of the Highlands. Other awards, pins, and badges were also received while serving his country proudly.

Post Viet Nam, Danny has served as President of the Piru Neighborhood Council and as the film liaison working with film companies. He served as President of the Piru Cemetery Board. He also coached little league and volunteered as an umpire for several years at One River Stadium. Unfortunately, he was forced to discontinue volunteer service due to cancer, heart, and liver/kidney surgeries. He is now doing well and is a life-time member of the American Veterans United organization. He is a strong advocate for our Veterans and is serving as a member of the Veterans Day Celebration Committee for our region.

***

Frank Renteria was raised in Santa Maria, Ca. He attended Santa Maria High School and completed his education in El Paso, Texas. Frank enlisted into the United States Army on July 15, 1980, and attended Basic Training at Fort Bliss, Texas. After completing basic and AIT, he was assigned to the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, Fort Bliss, Texas. Frank spent tours of duty in the states and overseas during the Cold War to include a stint of time overseas during the first Gulf War.

Frank applied for and was accepted to the U.S Army Drill Sergeant Academy, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. During his tenure at the Drill Sergeant’s Academy, he was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award and several other awards. Frank performed his Drill Sergeant assignment at Ft. Bliss, Texas. While serving as Drill Sergeant, he was certified as the Training Center’s Hand-to-Hand Combat Instructor and Master Physical Fitness Instructor.

Throughout Frank’s military career, he continued to educate himself, attending all Non-Commissioned Officer courses available thus earning his promotion to the rank of First Sergeant (1SG).

After 22 years of distinguished service, Frank retired on August 4, 2022, as an Artillery Battery First Sergeant (1SG).

After Frank’s military service, he made it his “life-long commitment” to help Veterans and their family members obtain the benefits they have earned and deserve.

Deputy Gonzalez at San Cayetano Elementary answering student questions and interacting with them during recess, as part of Fillmore Unified School District’s Adopt-A-Cop program in partnership with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Photo courtesy San Cayetano Elementary blog.
Enlarge Photo

When Chrissy Schieferle returned to Fillmore Unified School District [FUSD] as Superintendent in 2021, she knew she wanted to bring back the very successful Adopt-A-Cop program.

The program originally began back in 2009 when Schieferle, then Principal of Mountain Vista Elementary, became aware of some of her fourth-grade students exhibiting at-risk behaviors. She worked with teacher, Mrs. Nutley, researching prevention/intervention programs used by schools across the country, and were most impressed with the “Adopt-A-Cop” program.

The Adopt-A-Cop program provides elementary students with an opportunity to build positive relationships with cops in Fillmore. The program’s goal is for kids to experience the human side of law enforcement through interactive discussions and working with students on teacher designed activities that build character. Students take these positive experiences home and express them with friends and family, further strengthening law enforcement’s relationship with the communities of Fillmore and Piru.

Superintendent Schieferle said, “One of our district goals is to build collaborations with the community. The Adopt-A-Cop program is a great collaboration with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department [VCSD]. When I talked to VCSD Captain Kuredjian about restarting the program, he was happy to help and worked to identify deputies excited to work with students at our 4 elementary schools. Captain Kuredjian and the deputies all enjoy interacting with students, playing with them at recess, and recognize the value of being positive role models while building strong relationships with students.”